Right at that moment, a Murkrow used Mean Look.
In the pitch-black night, a crimson eye appeared out of thin air, slowly opening above the heads of the two Spinarak.
Awed by the sheer terror of this eye, the two Spinarak instantly froze and became unable to move.
Conversey, the other Murkrow unleashed Dark Pulse toward the two Spinarak and Diancie.
At the critical moment, a golden flash of lightning pierced the night sky and collided with the Dark Pulse. After shattering the Dark Pulse, the lightning struck both Murkrow.
Murk~
Murk~
The two Murkrow cried out in pain and fell to the ground, twitching all over from the electricity.
Diancie looked at the Mareep beside her with a pleasant surprise and asked, "Mareep, were you saving us just now?"
The one who had just unleashed the lightning was indeed Mareep, who had shown absolutely no reaction to the outside world until now.
Despite Diancie's question, Mareep maintained its completely blank expression. If she had not witnessed it with her own eyes, Diancie probably never would have imagined that Mareep would suddenly strike.
Regardless, this was a good sign, showing that it had some level of perception of the outside world.
"Thank you, Mareep," Diancie said, gently hugging Mareep.
Ito~
Ito~
The two Spinarak also expressed their gratitude to Mareep.
After twitching on the ground for a bit, the two Murkrow quickly recovered. Seeing Diancie, Pawmot, Metagross, and Passimian all fixing their gazes on them, they immediately flew away in a panic.
Ange was busy processing ingredients. Seeing that the commotion over there had settled down, he smiled and began to prepare dinner.
First, he sliced the washed bamboo shoots into shreds and blanched them in boiling water to remove the bitterness.
Next, he took out the pork loin and cut it into shreds. Once sliced, he placed the meat into a bowl and marinated it with rock salt, cooking wine, light soy sauce, pepper powder, and starch.
Furthermore, Ange did not forget to add a suitable amount of his homemade Bean Paste into the mix.
Homemade Bean Paste was a treasure that could increase a Pokémon's maximum stamina, making it an absolute must-add!
Whether he was processing the bamboo shoots or marinating the shredded meat, Ange used his Aura Power to handle them, rendering the Aura within the ingredients softer, more stable, and more harmonious.
Once the meat was marinated, Ange took out a wok, poured in some hot oil from Dolliv, and tossed the shredded meat inside, stir-frying it quickly until it changed color before scooping it out.
Then, leaving the remaining oil in the wok, he tossed in minced green onions, ginger, and garlic to release their aroma before adding the shredded bamboo shoots to stir-fry evenly.
After that, he returned the previously cooked meat to the wok, stir-frying it alongside the bamboo shoots before transferring the dish onto a plate for later use.
During the stir-frying process, maintaining the balance of the Aura within the ingredients using Aura Power was of utmost importance. If the internal Aura of the ingredients became disrupted due to high temperatures, the taste would be severely compromised.
Finally, it was time to cook the noodles.
He brought water to a boil in another pot and dropped the noodles in to cook.
While the noodles were boiling, Ange took out several bowls and added a suitable amount of salt, chicken bouillon, pepper powder, and chopped green onions to create the soup base.
Once the noodles were cooked, he lifted them out into the bowls, then ladled the stir-fried bamboo shoots, pork, and an appropriate amount of broth over them.
The Bamboo Shoot and Shredded Pork Noodles were complete!
By this time, the fragrance completely permeated the air, and the Pokémon were already staring at Ange's side while drooling.
Diancie and the others had already set up the tables and chairs. Seeing this, Ange called out, "It's ready, everyone get ready to eat!"
The Pokémon cheered and sat down around the table one after another.
Diancie, Magearna, and Passimian came over to help Ange serve the bowls of noodles to the table one by one.
Once a bowl was placed in front of everyone, Ange carried his own noodles and sat down at the table.
Smelling the delicious Bamboo Shoot and Shredded Pork Noodles, saliva rapidly secreted in his mouth, making him impatient to start eating.
Just as Ange was about to tell everyone to dig in, he noticed a Pangoro and several Pancham crouching behind a clump of bamboo, watching the scene wistfully.
"Would you... like to come over and eat together?" Ange hesitated for a moment before extending an invitation to them.
Pan pan~
Pan pan~
Upon hearing this, Pangoro and the Pancham immediately cheered with excitement and quickly ran over to Ange and the others.
Ange shook his head helplessly, then stood up to serve a bowl of noodles to each of them.
Sitting back down, Ange clapped his hands and said, "Let's dig in!"
Paw paw~
Passi~
As his voice fell, the Pokémon immediately started eating with anticipation.
This was the first time Pangoro and the Pancham had ever tasted such delicious food. They gobbled it down ravenously, finishing a bowl in no time at all.
Pan pan~
Pan pan~
Pangoro and the Pancham raised their empty bowls in unison, asking for seconds.
"I'll get you some right away," Ange said, putting down his chopsticks to take the bowls from them.
While Ange and his Pokémon were eating dinner, out in the vast mountains on a patch of grass somewhat far from the bamboo forest, there seemed to be some sort of ruins where a large amount of broken walls and debris remained.
Something seemed to be leaning against those broken green walls. Looking closely, it turned out to be two Golett!
Golett, the Automaton Pokémon, a Ground and Ghost type that looked like a small person sculpted out of clay.
It was said that they were Pokémon created from clay using technology during the era of an ancient civilization, serving as faithful servants to humans.
With the arrival of the night, the two stationary Golett supported themselves against the green stones behind them and slowly stood up.
They walked all the way to the center of the ruins, where there was a ground paved with green stones, carved with concentric circles of strange patterns.
Mee che~ Mee che~
Mee che~ Mee che~
The two Golett danced around the circular patterns while chanting incantations, as if performing an ancient ritual.
After a while, a black light suddenly erupted from the center of the green stone floor, gradually condensing into a circle.
The inside of that circle looked like a terrifying abyss.
Seeing this circle, the two Golett immediately hopped and jumped around it, looking exceptionally happy.
Next, a dark figure slowly emerged from the black circle, its blue eyes exceptionally bright in the dark night.
At the same time, it possessed a flowing mane of white hair.
Mee che~
Mee che~
As soon as this dark figure emerged, the two Golett happily ran over to its side.
The dark figure held a Golett in each arm, but its gaze looked far into the direction of the bamboo forest. The dark night posed no obstacle to its vision.
I finally... found you.
A flash of red light darted through the dark figure's blue eyes.
After finishing dinner on Ange's side, he sent Passimian, Magearna, Volcanion, and Metagross back home.
He also recalled Armarouge, Ceruledge, and the two Oinkologne into their Poké Balls, letting Magearna carry them back.
Staying overnight in the wild was nowhere near as comfortable as staying at home.
At this moment, only Diancie, Pawmot, and Komala remained by Ange's side, along with Diancie's Mareep, Munna, and the two Spinarak.
Originally, Ange wanted to send Diancie back home as well, but Diancie insisted on staying behind to keep him company, so Ange had to agree.
Once the Pokémon were sent home, Ange, Diancie, and Pawmot began setting up the tent.
As for Komala and Mareep, they were left under the supervision of the two Spinarak and Munna.
Halfway through pitching the tent, Ange heard the two Spinarak suddenly screech sharply. Following the sound, he discovered that the one in trouble was not the Spinarak, but Komala.
For some unknown reason, Komala suddenly became extremely agitated. It rolled from the table onto the ground and continued rolling around on the grass.
"Komala, what's wrong?" Ange quickly ran over and scooped Komala into his arms.
Komala nuzzled against Ange's chest a few times until it found a comfortable position, finally settling down gradually.
While gently stroking Komala's back, Ange asked Spinarak and Munna, "What happened just now?"
The three Pokémon shook their heads in utter bewilderment.
"Komala, what is it?" Ange looked down at Komala, seeing that it was still fast asleep, completely unresponsive to his inquiry.
Ange attempted to put Komala down, but he discovered that the moment it left his embrace, it would become incredibly anxious, even using its log to strike the ground with loud thuds.
Left with no choice, Ange had to pitch the tent while holding it.
Once the tent was ready, Ange took the Pokémon to wash up before crawling inside.
Ange, Komala, and Pawmot shared one sleeping bag, while Diancie, Mareep, and Munna shared another, with the two Spinarak resting by Diancie's pillow.
"Goodnight, Diancie."
"Goodnight, Ange."
After exchanging goodnights, Ange and the others entered dreamland one after another.
At midnight, strands of pink mist drifted out from the sleeping Munna, filling the tent and being absorbed into everyone's bodies as they breathed.
After falling asleep, Ange felt a bout of daze. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a strange place.
A dream?
Ange looked around, finding himself standing inside a deep, lush courtyard.
Paw paw~~
Right then, Pawmot's voice echoed. Looking down, he saw Pawmot holding Komala while tugging at his pant leg.
"You guys came too?" he asked in surprise.
Paw paw~ Pawmot nodded, asking Ange out of curiosity where this place was.
Ange shook his head, "I don't know either, let's look around first."
Pawmot nodded, holding Komala as it followed closely behind Ange.
Ange walked all the way toward the depths of the courtyard. As he walked, he suddenly heard a burst of happy laughter.
Hmm? This is... Ange quickened his pace toward the source of the sound.
Passing through a thicket, a vibrant green meadow appeared before him. On the grass, Diancie was playing hide-and-seek with Mareep and the two Spinarak.
"Diancie?" Ange called out in surprise.
He really hadn't misheard; it was indeed Diancie's voice.
Seeing Ange appear, Diancie was equally astonished.
"Ange, you came too? And Pawmot and Komala."
"Could this place be... Mareep's dream world?" Looking at the lively expression in Mareep's eyes beside Diancie, Ange instantly recalled the dream world Diancie had described to him.
"Yes!" Diancie nodded, "This is it."
Ange led Pawmot toward Diancie, guessing as he walked, "Since Pawmot, Komala, and I appeared here, could it be because we slept together tonight?"
Diancie nodded and said, "It's highly possible."
Ange examined the surroundings with novelty, his face full of awe, "What a miraculous dream world, it feels completely real."
With that, he squatted down, rubbed Mareep's head, and asked, "Mareep, do you know who I am?"
Reep reep~ Of course, it's Ange!
Mareep rubbed its fluffy head against Ange's palm, answering Ange in a crisp voice, then bit onto Ange's sleeve with its mouth.
Reep reep~ Ange, Ange, let's play together!
"Alright, what shall we play?"
Thus, Ange joined the game alongside Pawmot and Komala.
Under the guidance of Diancie and Mareep, Ange and the others visited Mareep's art studio, read its manga, and accompanied it to practice its moves.
Just as everyone was having a grand time, the sky suddenly turned dim.
"What's happening?" Everyone looked up at the sky in unison.
This was Mareep's dream world, where there shouldn't be any day and night cycle. Why would the sky darken?
Right at that moment, a pair of massive eyes manifested in the air, staring straight down at Ange and the others, as a powerful pressure crashed down upon them.
The visitor did not come with good intentions.
The two Spinarak hid behind Diancie in fear, while Mareep bravely stepped in front of Diancie.
Similarly, Pawmot stood in front of Ange, shielding him firmly behind its back, baring its teeth and swinging its fists at the eyes in the sky.
Paw paw~ Paw paw~ What on earth are you? Have the guts to come down and fight me one-on-one!
At this time, Ange noticed Komala rolling on the ground anxiously once more. He hurriedly scooped Komala up, constantly stroking its back to soothe its emotions.
"What's going on? Is Mareep having a nightmare?" Ange asked in confusion.
"No!" Diancie shook her head, "Something must have invaded Mareep's dream!"
Pokémon capable of invading dreams... Ange instantly thought of two species, Hypno and Darkrai.
Could there be a Hypno or a Darkrai lurking nearby?
Given this terrifying pressure, the probability of it being Darkrai was likely much higher!
Reep reep~ Mareep barked at the eyes in the sky, telling it to get out of its dream.
Jie jie jie~~~
Just as Mareep's voice fell, a bizarre facial outline manifested in the sky, letting out an eerie laughter.
Following that, it slowly descended from the sky, drawing closer and closer to Ange and the others.
Ange somehow felt that its target was Komala!
However, at this critical juncture, a cluster of pink light suddenly appeared in the sky, intercepting the space between the dark figure and Ange's group.
Immediately after, a rainbow of light erupted from the pink cluster, the dazzling radiance dispelling the darkness in the sky. That pitch-black face slowly vanished into the horizon after shooting a resentful glare at the pink cluster.
Seeing this scene, Ange and the others breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Munna~ Munna~
Once the pink cluster descended from the sky, Ange and the others finally realized that it was actually Munna.
Unlike the Munna outside, this Munna actually possessed a yellow-green feather-like pattern on its back.
"Is that... the Lunar Wing?" Ange said in surprise.
"The Lunar Wing?" Diancie and the others showed puzzled expressions one by one.
Ange explained, "The Lunar Wing is a feather belonging to the Legendary Pokémon Cresselia, which possesses the power to dispel nightmares."
Diancie came to a sudden realization, "No wonder Munna was able to chase away that dark figure just now."
Then, Diancie asked in confusion, "But where did that dark figure come from?"
Ange contemplated for a moment before answering, "My guess is that it's highly likely to be Darkrai!"
"Darkrai?" The Pokémon looked at Ange in confusion once again.
Ange continued to explain, "Legend states that there is a pair of Pokémon known as the avatars of the moon and dreams, referring to Cresselia and Darkrai respectively.
Cresselia is a Legendary Pokémon, the embodiment of the crescent moon. It is said that by sleeping while holding its feather, one can experience beautiful dreams night after night! The feather of Cresselia is precisely the item known as the Lunar Wing.
Conversely, Darkrai is a Mythical Pokémon. Contrary to Cresselia, it possesses the Bad Dreams Ability. Any human or Pokémon that falls into slumber around it will plunge into endless nightmares."
Diancie said, "Could the reason we can enter the dream world every day be because Munna possesses the Lunar Wing?"
Ange looked thoughtful, "It's highly possible."
"But where did Munna get its Lunar Wing from?" Diancie asked in bewilderment while stroking Munna's back.
That Lunar Wing was not a physical entity, but was printed on Munna's body like a pattern.
Ange shook his head, "When we found Munna's egg, it wasn't carrying any Lunar Wing, so the pattern on its body might be innate."
With that, Ange looked at Munna and asked, "Munna, do you know what's going on yourself?"
Munna~ Munna~ Munna shook its head repeatedly.
Seeing this, Ange said, "It seems Munna has a deep connection with Cresselia!"
Just as Ange's voice fell, Munna turned into specks of starlight and dissolved into the dream world.
By the time Ange woke up from the dream, it was already daylight outside.
At this time, Diancie woke up as well. The human and the Pokémon looked at each other and said in unison, "The dream last night..."
As soon as these words were spoken, they instantly understood that the invasion of Mareep's dream world last night had indeed occurred.
Munna~ Munna~ Munna happily snuggled into Diancie's embrace. Diancie checked its back, but did not see any imprint of the Lunar Wing.
It appeared that the Lunar Wing would only manifest within dreams.
While getting up, Ange said to Diancie, "I'll go outside to take a look."
He wanted to see if he could discover any traces of Darkrai, or perhaps something else.
Diancie nodded.
After crawling out of the tent, Ange strolled around the bamboo forest for several laps, but failed to find any clues from beginning to end, nor did he perceive any unfamiliar Aura.
By the time he returned to the tent, Pawmot and the others were all awake.
Taking Komala from Pawmot's hands, Ange thought while gently stroking its back:
Komala's anxiety last night was likely caused precisely by that Pokémon suspected to be Darkrai!
Faced with Darkrai's Bad Dreams Ability, a Komala with the Comatose Ability was simply at too much of a disadvantage, no matter how strong it was.
"Let's leave this place quickly," Ange said to everyone.
After experiencing what happened last night, he felt that this place was very unsafe.
"Alright!"
His suggestion received unanimous agreement from Diancie and the others.
Subsequently, they packed up their belongings immediately. Without even eating breakfast, they hurriedly bid farewell to the Pangoro family and departed from the bamboo forest.