Houndoom's restless pacing finally stopped. With a low growl, it darted back to the camp, letting out a booming howl. The Pokémon napping nearby jolted awake, blinking at Houndoom in bewilderment.
Luther watched as Houndoom trotted anxiously in the camp's center, muttering something under its breath.
The Mismagius, draped in shimmering gemstone ribbons, flared up in response, her voice sharp as she bickered with Houndoom. The other Pokémon couldn't resist clustering around, leaving an open space for the fiery exchange between Mismagius and Houndoom.
Houndoom's growls softened, as if sensing Mismagius's rising temper, and it tried to avoid riling her further.
But Mismagius, growing more restless by the second, let out a piercing shriek. The wild Pokémon sipping water by the stream glanced over curiously, and that was the last straw. Unable to hold back her fury, Mismagius unleashed an attack.
A dazzling Confuse Ray surged toward Houndoom like a rolling wave. Houndoom leaped back with agility, dodging the assault while still attempting to reason with her.
Mismagius, however, met Houndoom's efforts with hostility. Her Shadow Ball rocketed forward with blinding speed, striking Houndoom's flank in an instant.
Wincing in pain, Houndoom seemed to realize that persuasion was a slower path than force. With a snarl, it retaliated, spewing a roaring Flamethrower at Mismagius.
Mismagius was lightning-fast. Luther barely caught a flicker of her shadow before she materialized behind Houndoom.
Houndoom tracked her movements, firing a ruthless Dark Pulse in her direction. Mismagius vanished from Luther's sight once more, only to reappear directly above Houndoom, a faint shimmer glowing around her. A heartbeat later, a Thunderbolt crashed down, striking Houndoom squarely.
Reeling from the blow, Houndoom hadn't even stood up when Mismagius slammed into it with another fierce attack.
Luther scrambled down the hillside; he had to stop Mismagius before things spiraled further.
He couldn't fathom why Mismagius had turned so hostile toward Houndoom, but it was clear she'd lost all sense of control.
The scattered Pokémon sprang into action first. Seizing the moment of Mismagius's onslaught, a pair of nearby Misdreavus and another Mismagius darted in, trying to intercept her ribboned fury. Their efforts lasted mere seconds before her enraged Dark Pulse sent them tumbling backward.
Mismagius's wild rampage finally sparked the ire of the surrounding wild Pokémon. As Luther reached the stream's edge, Quagsire, Lopunny, Pachirisu, and Noctowl leapt into the fray.
Water Gun, Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, and Extrasensory erupted in unison, boxing in Mismagius's movements.
Luther was about to call on Jumpluff to scatter Stun Spore and subdue her when something unbelievable happened.
After enduring the four attacks head-on, an eerie light enveloped Mismagius. The barrage of moves seemed to twist and fade, as if an unseen force warped their energy away.
Was this Psychic? Could Psychic even do something like that?
A mighty shockwave burst outward, and Luther dropped low, shielding Marill, Jumpluff, and Ralts against the ground.
The four wild Pokémon aiding the fight had no chance to strike back. Under the shroud of night, shimmering ripples pulsed from Mismagius, and every Pokémon caught in their reach felt an overpowering drowsiness. One by one, they slumped to the ground, unable to fight it.
Houndoom, barely back on its paws, collapsed instantly as the ripples washed over it.
The only sounds by the stream were the faint snores of sleeping Pokémon— no rustling, no cries, just stillness.
Thanks to Luther's quick thinking, his trio of Pokémon escaped Mismagius's Hypnosis. But as he stood, a chill gripped him.
Mismagius hovered less than a meter away, silently drifting in the air, her eyes blazing like embers.
'What kind of Mismagius was this? How could anyone abandon a Pokémon this powerful?'
This had to be a joke. Even if these wild Pokémon weren't the strongest, there was no way they'd fall so easily to a combined assault, let alone get wiped out in a single move.
Sensing Mismagius's overwhelming malice, Ralts didn't flinch. Instead, it stepped boldly in front of Luther, unleashing a wave of Psychic energy. Marill joined in, blasting a Water Gun at Mismagius with equal courage.
Jumpluff, seasoned in battle, silently floated behind Mismagius, biding its time to release Stun Spore.
Mismagius's shrill cry rang out again, and with it came a torrent of Psychic power.
The Psychic surge shredded through the combined Water Gun and Psychic assault, scattering the approaching Stun Spore. The unleashed force even hurled Luther backward.
Pain shot through his spine as he hit the ground, rolling a few times before staggering upright, gritting his teeth.
Jumpluff, Marill, and Ralts pressed on, undeterred.
Their attacks barely scratched her; Mismagius's strength was on another level. Luther was certain now, this couldn't be an abandoned Pokémon.
No Trainer chasing power for themselves and their team would cast aside a Pokémon this strong. No one could be that reckless!
Sweat beaded on Luther's forehead as the pain throbbed. His vision blurred slightly, and a faint buzzing hummed in his ears, but it didn't drown out the fierce clash between his Pokémon and Mismagius echoing through the night.
Marill acted on instinct, firing off an Ice Beam without a command, while Ralts, untrained in anything else, stuck to its Psychic power, pouring all its focus into the move.
Luther didn't catch the sound of Jumpluff's attack, but he could hear the muffled thumps as Mismagius's strikes landed on her.
The gap in power was overwhelming… When Luther's vision sharpened, he saw his three Pokémon hurled back by Mismagius's Dark Pulse, tumbling right before his eyes.
Luther dropped to his knees, scooping them into his arms.
Mismagius's chest heaved with labored breaths. The relentless barrage of moves seemed to have worn her down too, but what did that matter to Luther?
He stood no chance.
Glancing at the still-fuming Mismagius, Luther felt a sinking dread. In this mess, he'd just end up another grim tale of a Trainer ambushed by a wild Pokémon.
As he feared, Mismagius ignored the trio and fired a Dark Pulse straight at Luther.
He threw his arms up to shield his head, but a shadow loomed larger, eclipsing his view.
Jumpluff fought back with a fierce Bullet Seed, peppering Mismagius with defiance. But in her battered state, she was no match for such a beast. The clash's shockwave sent both Luther and Jumpluff sprawling once more.
He had to survive this!
Jumpluff had fainted, and Luther's mind dulled from the thinning air, yet he clawed at any idea to escape this nightmare.
Right— the Pokédex!
Back before his journey began, Professor Rowan had mentioned an emergency feature. One press of a button, and a distress signal would ping the nearest Pokémon Center and fellow Pokédex holders.
"Ralts, Marill, keep Mismagius busy!"
Gasping, Ralts and Marill rallied their courage and launched another desperate assault.
Luther's shaky hands fumbled over the Pokédex until he found the green emergency button and jammed it down.
If Professor Rowan hadn't exaggerated, help would arrive within half an hour. A rescue team, likely riding Flying-type Pokémon, would sweep the skies from Purple Leaf Forest's entrance to here in no time.
Now, he just had to stall! He needed to outlast this bizarre, unstoppable Mismagius.
Psychic power and Ice Beam clashed against Mismagius's Psychic, only to scatter uselessly. Her frame stiffened for a moment, her breaths growing short and ragged.
"Marill, Ralts, dodge now!"
That rigid stance was unmistakable— Hyper Beam!
The two little Pokémon darted toward Mismagius's feet at Luther's shout. The awkward angle threw her off, forcing her to awkwardly redirect the Hyper Beam toward Luther.
Luther had already ducked behind a hulking boulder, a sturdy Rock-type refuge. Losing her mark, Mismagius unleashed the Hyper Beam skyward in a fit of frustration.
In that split second, Marill's Ice Beam and Ralts's Psychic power landed point-blank on Mismagius.
Marill and Ralts panted heavily, and Luther felt like his lungs were about to give out.
Mismagius was losing her grip; her breaths turned harsh and rapid, her face twisting in agony. Unhinged cries started spilling from her.
Ralts and Marill teetered on the edge of collapse, gritting through the pain as they stared down Mismagius.
Her body began to quake violently. Before Luther could process it, Mismagius crashed to the ground, writhing in torment.
To lash out her anguish, she bombarded the earth with a chaotic flurry of Dark Pulse, Thunder, Hyper Beam, Psychic, and Shadow Ball.
Shuddering, Mismagius rose again, her wild attacks zeroing in on a jagged boulder nearby.
"Stop her! Ralts, use Psychic power! Marill, tap into your Thick Fat strength!"
Luther's heart raced with panic. This was no ordinary Mismagius. Her mastery of moves, her battle instincts, her raw, terrifying might, and now this near-frenzied breakdown— it all screamed something was off.
He couldn't stand by and let a Pokémon hurt itself like this. Even after her relentless assault on him, Luther could tell this Mismagius was deeply troubled.
Ralts's Psychic power briefly pinned the unhinged Mismagius, while the wounded Marill limped toward the jagged rock, straining to shift it.
But it wouldn't budge. The boulder's weight dwarfed her fading strength. She could only nudge it feebly with her tail.
Ralts's Psychic hold shattered under a brutal counterstrike, and the crazed Mismagius charged straight for the rock's sharp edge.
(End of Chapter)