Darkrai hovered in the air, its black aura flickering like dark flames, its scarlet eyes locked onto Metagross. A heavy, suffocating tension filled the cave.
Neither Pokémon moved. Both seemed to be waiting, measuring the other, preparing for the clash that was about to begin.
Iron Valiant stood nearby, silent, its blade at its side. It had not attacked, and it did not need to. Its presence alone was enough to weigh on both Darkrai and Metagross, a quiet but unmistakable pressure hanging in the air.
Jacob was the first to break the stillness.
"Darkrai, Dark Pulse!"
Dark energy surged through Darkrai's body and erupted outward in a wide, sweeping beam that cut across the length of the cave, streaking straight toward Metagross.
Metagross did not flinch. Psychic energy wrapped around its massive frame, and it lifted off the ground with surprising ease, tilting smoothly to one side as the Dark Pulse passed beneath it. The attack missed cleanly.
Jacob's brow tightened.
Metagross moved with an almost unsettling grace for something of its size. Its reaction speed was extraordinary, and its control over Psychic energy let it shift direction mid-air with very little effort. Hitting it from range would be nearly impossible.
That meant closing the distance was the only option.
But that carried its own risks. Up close, Darkrai would have to deal with Metagross's raw physical power directly, and that was not a comfortable place for Darkrai to be.
Still, Jacob had already thought through this. There was a path to victory, and it ran through two moves: Trick Room and Dark Void.
Trick Room could flip the speed advantage, letting Darkrai keep pace with Metagross in close quarters. And Dark Void, if it connected, would put Metagross to sleep. That was the window Jacob needed.
With Darkrai's Bad Dreams ability wearing down a sleeping Metagross, and Darkrai's Special Attack high enough to deal serious damage, one clean sleep cycle might be enough to end the battle.
But for Dark Void to hit, Darkrai needed to get close. And to get close, it needed to be ready.
"Darkrai, Nasty Plot!"
Darkrai obeyed without hesitation. Dark energy poured out from its body in curling waves, its Special Attack climbing sharply as the move took effect.
Jacob's reasoning was straightforward. Metagross was intelligent. If Dark Void landed and Metagross fell asleep, it would not fall for the same trick twice once it woke up. Darkrai had one shot. When that window came, the damage had to be enough to finish the fight then and there.
Nasty Plot was that preparation.
Metagross did not wait. As Darkrai raised its Special Attack, Metagross surged forward, steel energy coating its arms in a metallic sheen. It swung in a sharp arc through the air, closing the gap quickly.
Bullet Punch.
The move was not Metagross's strongest, but the raw force behind it was still staggering. Its steel-plated arms drove forward with a speed that matched the move's name.
Jacob watched, and something loosened in his chest.
This was exactly what he had been hoping for. Metagross had closed the distance on its own and was using a contact move. That put Darkrai right where it needed to be.
"Darkrai, Dark Void!"
Dark energy gathered in Darkrai's hand, forming into a dense sphere. Darkrai held it, not throwing yet, timing it carefully as Metagross came in.
The Bullet Punch connected hard.
The impact was brutal. Darkrai's vision blurred, and it was sent skidding backward through the air, the sheer weight behind the strike making the cave feel smaller. Even braced for it, the force was something else. Darkrai now understood clearly what it would mean to face Metagross's full strength.
But even as it was struck, Darkrai released the Dark Void.
At that range, there was no avoiding it. Metagross had not anticipated the move at all. It had faced Pokémon before, but it had never encountered Darkrai, and it had no prior knowledge of what Dark Void actually did. If it had, it would never have moved in so close.
The sphere hit.
For Metagross, the world changed instantly. The cave dissolved. The air disappeared. Everything around it twisted and warped, the scenery folding in on itself until there was nothing left but deep, endless darkness. It was as if it had been pulled into another space entirely, somewhere unfamiliar and without boundary.
This was Dark Void's true nature. More than a simple sleep move, it forcibly dragged the target into a dark space, trapping them within it. Unlike an ordinary Hypnosis, Dark Void was difficult to shake off quickly once it took hold.
For Metagross, which was doubly weak to Dark-type moves, the effect was even more pronounced.
A heavy crash echoed through the cave as Metagross's body hit the ground. Its breathing came in slow, labored pulls. It had fallen into a deep sleep, and with it came the steady, silent torment of Darkrai's Bad Dreams ability, quietly eroding its stamina with each passing moment.
Jacob steadied himself and gave the next order.
"Darkrai, keep using Dark Pulse!"
Dark energy condensed rapidly in Darkrai's hand and began to fire in a continuous stream, one pulse after another hammering into the sleeping Metagross. After a Nasty Plot boost, with the power of a Same-type Attack Bonus and Metagross's double weakness to Dark-type moves factored in, each hit struck with tremendous force.
The dark energy surged and crashed over Metagross in waves.
Jacob watched, and he was fairly certain. Metagross could not hold out through this.