Pokemon: As Cynthia's Fiance

Want to read ahead you know where.

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The cavern pulsed with the fluttering wings of countless Crobats, their screeches echoing through the damp, narrow tunnels.

Sam moved cautiously down a tight passageway, flanked on both sides by his partners, Lucario in front, Darkrai behind.

The corridor was barely wide enough to let them through in a single file, let alone fight.

He stayed between them, well protected, but not perfectly.

There were too many of them.

The swarm came in waves, a relentless tide of fanged shadows.

No matter how tight Lucario and Darkrai tried to guard him, some always slipped through the cracks.

One of them did not.

A Crobat swooped down from above, eyes gleaming, jaws stretched wide.

Its fangs glistened, aiming straight for Sam's exposed neck.

Too fast.

Sam's eyes narrowed, his body responding before thought.

The aura within him flared, and a sharp gust of pressure burst outward, like a sonic boom of focused will.

The Crobat was hurled backwards mid-lunge.

"Luka~!"

Lucario shot forward and finished the job with a clean Bullet Punch, sending the dazed Crobat spiraling into the shadows.

"Luka?" Lucario glanced back, checking on Sam with concern.

"Hissss~"

Darkrai, hovering just behind, kept blasting Crobats out of the air with waves of dark energy, but its crimson eye also flicked toward Sam now and then.

"I'm fine," Sam said calmly, brushing some dirt off his shoulder.

"Don't worry. I'm not that fragile."

He might not have been a Pokémon, but with the power of three abilities running through him, Sam was far from ordinary.

In many ways, he was a walking aura beacon, half man, half myth.

Satisfied with his state, Lucario and Darkrai returned their focus to the battle.

Lucario darted forward again, fists like steel, delivering blow after blow with Bullet Punch.

Each hit sent a Crobat crashing into the stone walls.

Darkrai was more surgical, his Dark Pulse erupted outward in shockwaves, eliminating entire clusters at once.

Some still slipped through, of course.

Whenever they did, Sam stepped in, repelling them with swift bursts of aura, like swatting away flies with invisible hands.

He wasn't just standing there helpless.

Then, ding.

A soft chime echoed in his mind, a familiar sound.

[Your Lucario's experience has reached the threshold.]

[Lucario has leveled up to Lv. 61.]

Sam grinned. His eyes flashed as he activated his "Eye of Detection" ability and glanced at Lucario's stats.

Sure enough, the system didn't lie, Lucario had just advanced from level 60 to 61.

His recent battles must have provided him with just enough experience.

This Crobat swarm was acting like a training ground, and Lucario was reaping the benefits.

And considering Lucario was already in the early Champion tier, every level now was a significant step forward.

Progress at this stage wasn't easy.

Then, another chime.

[Your Darkrai's experience has reached the threshold.]

[Darkrai has leveled up to Lv. 61.]

Sam blinked.

"Darkrai too?"

He quickly checked, and yes, Darkrai had also leveled up.

Unlike Lucario, Darkrai had little leftover experience.

But his combat efficiency right now? It was insane.

One ripple from Dark Pulse took out several Crobats at once, and he moved with fluid, almost eerie precision.

"Two level-ups in one run," Sam muttered, both impressed and amused.

"Guess this island's got its perks."

The air around them reeked of Crobat droppings, and the tunnel floor was slick with filth and wings.

It stank horribly.

But surrounded by fallen foes and rising experience levels, the stench felt more like the scent of progress.

"Looks like Newmoon Island really is a hidden paradise for grinding levels…"

He stepped forward, ignoring the squelch beneath his boots.

And kept going.

As time passed, the number of Crobats steadily dropped.

They were finally beginning to realize it.

The intruders in their lair weren't prey.

They were predators.

One a nightmare from the shadows.

The other was a steel-hearted warrior.

Faced with overwhelming resistance, the remaining Crobats began to scatter, retreating deeper into the caves.

Sam saw the shift immediately.

This was a golden chance, he wasn't about to let them escape so easily.

"Luca, stay close," he ordered Lucario without turning his head.

"Darkrai, chase them down."

"Luka~!"

Lucario gave a short nod and stayed by Sam's side, eyes alert.

In this winding terrain, it was hard for him to pursue enemies.

Better to act as Sam's shield, in case any Crobats tried a sneak attack.

But for Darkrai?

The terrain posed no obstacle.

Floating above the rocky ground, Darkrai surged forward with eerie grace, sending waves of Dark Pulse chasing after the fleeing Crobats.

One after another, they fell.

The cavern echoed with the fading shrieks of defeated foes.

Before long, silence returned.

Every Crobat had been neutralized.

Of course, Sam wasn't out for blood.

In this world, Pokémon didn't die from defeat, at least not unless someone kept attacking them mercilessly.

There was a strange but merciful law at work in this world.

Once a Pokémon's stamina hit zero, it entered a near-death battle state, a "fainted" condition.

Left alone, their bodies would recover naturally with time.

So long as you didn't push past that line… they'd live.

"All right," Sam said, lowering his guard.

"Let's go."

He cast one final glance around the now-quiet lair, then turned back toward the tunnel entrance.

Lucario and Darkrai fell into step behind him.

Outside, the air felt fresh and damp against his face.

Sam stood at the cave mouth, breathing deeply.

"Fresh air. Finally."

The salt wind from the ocean greeted him like an old friend.

He walked back the way he came, shedding his filthy, battle-scarred clothes and rinsing his body in the cold seawater.

It wasn't glamorous, but after that battle, it felt divine.

He couldn't wait any longer.

Reaching into his pack, he pulled out a glowing Dark Gem.

It pulsed faintly in his palm.

"Darkrai," he said, turning.

"Absorb it."

"Hissss~"Darkrai extended a claw and took the gem gently.

The moment it made contact, the gem released a heavy, shadowy mist, Haze energy so dense it felt almost solid.

Darkrai controlled it with practiced ease, drawing the energy inward; his body glowed subtly with a dark resonance.

When the mist finally dissipated, Sam opened his "Eye of Detection" ability again.

Darkrai's data had shifted.

[Pokémon: Darkrai]

[Type: Dark]

[Ability: Nightmare- Inflicts stamina loss on sleeping opponents.]

[Level: 63 – Early Champion Tier]

[Potential: Upper Third-Tier Legendary]

[Moveset: Ominous Wind, Disable, Hypnosis, Sucker Punch, Foul Play, Double Team, Haze, Dark Pulse]

[Signature Move: Dark Void]

[Condition: Perfect]

[Notes: This Pokémon possesses a legendary physique, with high potential and rapid growth. It shows strong natural compatibility with dark energy.]

"Level 63, huh?" Sam murmured.

The battle in the cave had already raised Darkrai's level from 60 to 63.

But the gem did more than that.

Darkrai's innate potential, originally classified as lower third-tier Legendary, had jumped straight to upper third-tier.

Just one step below the rare and powerful second-tier legendaries.

An impressive leap forward.

Sam didn't forget to check on Lucario either.

He focused again, eyes scanning.

[Pokémon: Lucario]

[Gender: Male]

[Type: Steel / Fighting]

[Ability: Justified (When hit by a Dark-type move, Attack increases. Each Dark-type strike can trigger the effect.)

[Level: 62 – Early Champion Tier]

[Potential: Lower Third-Tier Legendary]

[Moveset: Aura Sphere, Detect, Feint, Rock Smash, Metal Claw, Quick Attack, Power-Up Punch, Bone Rush, Meteor Mash, Swords Dance]

[Egg Moves: Cross Chop, High Jump Kick, Vacuum Wave, Bullet Punch]

[Condition: Perfect]

[Notes: This Lucario possesses outstanding physical aptitude. Its muscle development and explosive strength far surpass its species' norm. Shows excellent mastery of Quick Attack-based techniques.]

After fending off the Crobat horde, Lucario had also risen two levels, from 60 to 62.

Not bad at all.

Sam let out a satisfied breath, arms crossed as he looked between his two partners.

"This trip to Newmoon Island," he said with a grin, "has been more than worth it."