Master Craftsman of the Elven World

Chapter 318 Darkrai the Star

Many Pokémon Pokédex entries describe the ability to create a black hole and teleport people, but only one Pokémon has mastered the skill of using this move to its fullest extent.

For some reason, the first target swallowed by the black hole was Feng Lu. Her eyes were open, and in the blink of an eye, she was swallowed into the nightmare world!

"Wind and Dew!" Wanlong reacted and released the Crystal Lamp Fire Spirit. The elegant ghost lamp burned with magnificent flames, lifting her and Granny Feng up.

"This room is filled with the power of nightmares; this is Darkrai's technique, Dark Hole."

Lightmoss is immune to the invasion of nightmare power, and no matter how much power the Dark Hole uses, it cannot pull Lightmoss into it!

But why wind and dew?

The only connection between Fenglu and Shanlu Town is that they have to fly over to deliver supplies because of the shortage of supplies there. Judging from Fenglu's previous behavior, she seems to know the undead girl here, perhaps a childhood friend. But what does this have to do with Darkrai?
"Nightmares cannot corrupt me, but I can actively enter into nightmares."

"Miss Wanlong, please wait here for a moment. I'll go and bring Fenglu out, and while I'm at it, I'll take care of that Darkrai!"

Wanlong: "Darkrai?"

She had many questions, but Lightmoss had already jumped into the dark hole on her own.

"That's a mythical Pokémon from the faraway Sinnoh region."

Granny Feng explained to Wanlong: "The original owners of the Stranger's House, the girl's parents, collected many books in the basement to solve their nightmares. Among them, the existence of Darkrai was mentioned."

"In Canal City in the Sinnoh region, there are records that Darkrai brings terrifying nightmares on moonless nights. There have been strange incidents in the past where everyone in the village had nightmares on moonless nights, and the villagers claimed that the Pokémon that appeared in their nightmares was this Pokémon."

"Darkrai's nightmares can cause humans to lose their lives and eventually die. There have been many cases of people dying from nightmares in various places. Therefore, in order to counteract this power, the legend of 'Creselia' has been passed down in the Sinnoh region. Its wings shine like a crescent moon and can drive away nightmares."

Wanlong frowned, looking at the disappearing dark hole and the surging fog gate, but ultimately did not act rashly.

Wanlong was somewhat helpless in the face of the situation. The ghost attribute was countered by the evil attribute, so there was nothing she could do.

All that's left is to wait.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

When Fenglu woke up, she found herself on an airplane.

"Huh? Wasn't I at the Strangers' House? How did I end up on an airplane?"

"My body... I've turned into a child?"

Feng Lu looked at her body in surprise. She felt as if she had returned to the age of ten. The sky in front of her was pitch black, with rolling dark clouds carrying flashing lightning. The violent air currents made the plane shake and turbulent.

"Oh no! I need to adjust my flight altitude as soon as possible!"

Feng Lu frantically tried to operate the equipment, but she suddenly realized that she couldn't understand it.

The familiar flying skills of the past were almost forgotten at this moment. They were incomprehensible, and the operation was impossible. It was as if an unqualified person had appeared in the cockpit of the plane and was messing around with things. This made Feng Lu feel fear and tension.

But why is this happening? I'm clearly a genius pilot; I learned to fly airplanes when I was very young!

"I...I can't remember?"

She slammed her hands on the control panel, her face pale, her mind a jumble of thoughts. Amidst the dark clouds and the shaking of the plane, it seemed as if something was gradually approaching!

Don't come any closer! Don't come any closer!
Snapped!
"Forgetting how to fly, that's Miss Fenglu's nightmare."

"However, this isn't just a place to sleep; it's another nightmare world."

Accompanied by a familiar voice, Feng Lu turned around in surprise and then saw Guang Tai, whose appearance was exactly the same as before.

Feng Lu: "You, how did you get here? Aren't we at the Strangers' House!"

Lightmoss: "The fact that you still remember the Stranger's House means you haven't completely fallen into the nightmare. You are glowing."

"It really is!" Feng Lu noticed the light on her waist and picked it up to find that it was the Crescent Feather that Guang Tai had given her!
Lightmoss stared at Crescent Feather: "Although it's a replica I made, it can still be of some use even if it falls into a real nightmare world!"

The replica crescent feather wasn't just glowing; its light pierced through the airplane window, seemingly guiding us away from the nightmare.

[Triggered! Instantaneous cross-communication event!]

[Description: A special message was received at a special location. This is a nightmare world created by a Darkrai, the source of nightmare power! There is only one exit in this nightmare world, hidden within the memories of those trapped in nightmares. Follow the light of the crescent moon feather, guide the passion within your soul, and when sorrow and pain disappear, you can escape the clutches of nightmares!]

People's dreams are interconnected with the worlds of others, and this can be confirmed in special places!

Here lie hidden items from Pokémon from another world. Shall we use the C-Device to uncover a corner of that world?

Guangtai walked to the cockpit of the plane: "I sensed endless sorrow and pain in the dark clouds outside. These energies are mixed together and are very similar to the emotions we felt in the House of Strangers."

Something is approaching in the darkness!

"Now I'll take over driving."

"You can fly an airplane?" Xiao Fenglu blinked curiously, while Guang Tai smiled and turned her head: "I learned from a rich young master."

This knowledge of operating a versatile machine is what makes Kojiro, who has twenty-three tutors, so valuable.

Not to mention airplanes, we can even fly rockets!

As Guangtai began to pilot the plane, the effects of the "bad weather" from the nightmare began to diminish rapidly, the plane's altitude began to rise, and the shadows in the darkness receded further and further away.

Feng Lu was greatly surprised.

With such skillful piloting techniques, could the traveler be a retired, outstanding pilot?

The dark clouds gradually disappeared, the space that symbolized the nightmare was broken through, and the vibration of the plane gradually weakened. Feng Lu looked at Guang Tai's back and her heart calmed down. She sat down in the co-pilot's seat with a slur.

"These dark clouds are the manifestation of nightmares. I feel countless emotions within them, and I need your help to break through them."

"The Pokémon that caused our nightmares is also hiding among us, soaring through the sky with us."

The moss could sense the creature lurking in the darkness, emanating emotions of pain and sorrow, and closely following the aircraft.

"Release your memories." Lightmoss used her power to begin guiding positive emotions.

When the power of passion bursts forth, nightmares will fade away, and the Pokémon hidden within the nightmare will reveal its true form!
Lure it out!
"Connect with me on a spiritual level, and let me help you recall the past."

Guangtai piloted the airplane, his heart's emotions connecting with the wind and dew!

"If this is a nightmare, it must be an incident from my childhood."

Fenglu reminisced about the past.

“When I was very young, my grandfather took me on an airplane. At that time, I dreamed of becoming an excellent pilot like my grandfather, but the weather was bad that day. The strong thunderstorms and dark clouds, as well as the omnipresent air currents, made the plane shake constantly.”

"It was my first time leaving the ground, and I was so scared that I cried my eyes out, thinking I was going to die."

"However, Grandpa comforted me, telling me that the sky wasn't so scary, and encountering bad weather was perfectly normal. As an excellent pilot, the flight wouldn't always be smooth sailing; a tenacious pilot wouldn't be afraid even if blown away. Only by overcoming this fear can one soar through the sky." "The sky isn't just a blue sky with white clouds. Sometimes it's windy and rainy. If there's a sky suitable for flying, there are also times when it's not. So, the sky also has a life of its own."

"I remember that the last place the flight landed was in Shanlu Town."

Feng Lu lay on the control panel, staring intently at the sky in front of her.

"Dark clouds are crashing in from ahead!"

"It's alright! Let's fly over it!"

The dark, surging thunderclouds were passed over, and the plane weaved through the dark sea of ​​clouds in an incredible manner, leaving storms behind. Feng Lu's eyes gradually brightened.

That's what flying is like. My grandfather used to do the same thing!

Feng Lu turned her head, and after a long while, suddenly praised, "Your piloting skills are truly amazing! Even though it was in a nightmare, your flying skills must be excellent in reality, right?"

Lightmoy: "There's still a big gap between me and Miss Wind Dew, but I can avoid some problems during flight by using my superpowers."

Feng Lu: "Hey~ That's really cunning!"

But this made Feng Lu's curiosity and competitive spirit increasingly difficult to suppress.

"You don't have a flying Pokémon, yet you're very familiar with airplanes. Maybe you're the kind of person who was born to fly!"

"If you ever catch a Flying-type Pokémon in the future, let's fly together leisurely! That's what I always invite fellow flying enthusiasts!"

"Also, do you know about the Pokémon Ring Tournament and Aerial Battles? The former is an aerial competition held in every region, while the latter is an aerial battle format unique to the Kalos region. I've always wanted to try both! If we have the chance, let's go together!"

Lightmoy chuckled: "Being able to fly a plane doesn't mean you can train Flying-type Pokémon well."

Feng Lu shook his head and said, "No! You can soar through the sky with Pokémon and truly experience the power of the wind! And I can feel that there is a strange aura about you, like a gentle breeze."

Lightmoss knew that it was due to special knowledge and the influence of the grass-green pearl.

"Is that so? If I catch a flying Pokémon, let's soar through the skies together once again!"

"Advance! We're about to break through the clouds!"

Breaking through the rolling dark clouds, we saw a vast night sky on a higher level.

There was no moon in the sky, it was pitch black, but there was only one star that shone brightly.

Feng Lu subconsciously raised the Crescent Moon Feather in her hand, and its beautiful, dazzling green light pierced through the plane window, shining straight into the distant sky.

Aim at that shining star!

"It's so beautiful. Even though there's only one star, all that fear has disappeared."

"Even in nightmares, the sky has stars and wind."

Feng Lu suddenly closed her eyes, and the fears she had about her childhood gradually dissipated, leaving a genuine smile on her lips.

You are the wind.

"A bright and warm wind that can blow away the dark clouds."

The bond with the wind and dew has greatly increased!

[Gained career knowledge: Pilot! (Blue Sky Slate can enhance this career.)]

[Your affinity with Flying-type Pokémon has greatly increased, and you've developed a unique understanding of Flying-type Pokémon!]

[Bonus: Your flying skills have improved by 100%, and your eyesight has improved!]

[Craftable items: Flying Taxi (cabin), Z·Z Flying Machine, Blow-Up Cannon, Balloon, Sharp Beak, Shuttle Ball series (requires crafting).]

"Thank you, I've remembered everything! Everything related to flying."

Feng Lu slowly opened her eyes. Her body was also growing rapidly, transforming from a child into someone around sixteen years old.

"Clouds drifted past one after another, and new scenery kept unfolding before our eyes! I saw the Pokémon that was following us!"

"The pilot has excellent eyesight!"

Feng Lu saw the Pokémon bursting out of the nightmare sea of ​​clouds. It followed the plane all the way into the sky, into the dark universe, and her sadness and pain seemed to lessen!

It was a black Pokémon, as black as a shadow. A tuft of white hair that kept rolling around covered most of its face, revealing only a pair of bright blue eyes.

It had a red, serrated object around its neck, like a collar, and a long, black rag hanging from each of its shoulders, with black, claw-like hands.

"That's Darkrai! A Pokémon that can plunge people into nightmares. In nightmares, people recall things they were afraid of in the past. It's a never-ending dark dream, and only Cresselia's Crescent Wing can dispel it."

"However, this Darkrai seems to be acting very strangely?!"

Surrounded by thick black mist, Darkrai followed the plane, soaring into space. Its gaze was fixed on the only shining star. In this roar, the pain and sorrow lessened, and the confusion and anger also disappeared.

The wind and dew's emotions flowed into this nightmare world, seemingly rousing this special Darkrai from a state of "loss of consciousness."

Its voice resounded in the hearts of the wind, dew, and moss.

[The shadows, sorrow, and pain in my heart have faded. What exactly is this warm feeling?]
[Who are you?]
As the moss murmured, it sensed a powerful energy. However, although the evil energy was strong, the life force within it was very weak.

The flame of life, the flame of the soul, is like a candle flickering in the wind, which can be extinguished at any moment.

It slightly raised its head, and in that deep, dark "sky," there was a shining star.

"Wait." Feng Lu's expression turned serious. She looked at the Darkrai through the window. In Feng Lu's mind, the life of the mythical Pokémon in front of her was already as fragile as a candle flickering in the wind.

Are you about to die?

Guangtai glanced at Fenglu.

Feng Lu can sense abnormalities in the soul and life; in a way, that's a special ability.

I sensed its state just like the moss:
"Its soul is weakening, and its life is about to end."

"I see, now I understand why it chose you!"

Lightmoss understood Darkrai's thoughts: even if he lost his mind, he still longed to fly to the distant stars, which is why it was Wind and Dew who were trapped in nightmares!
Fly, fly ever higher towards the top of the sky!

Is this Darkrai, which mysteriously exists in Unova?

Darkrai watched silently as the group entered the nightmare world, and the awakened undead girl. Surprise filled its eyes, but joy and guilt followed.

Darkrai did not answer Wind Dew's question, but simply glanced at her calmly before looking at Lightmoss.

Neither humans nor Pokémon age with the passage of time; they only grow old when their inner energy is depleted.
[Darkrai, that is, me, is a Pokémon born from nightmares, shadows, and new moons.]
[In a time long ago, I fell with the stars, and a power from a distant heaven attached itself to me.]
[This land is filled with strife and slaughter; the pain, sorrow, anger, and evil thoughts in people's hearts swirl and erode me like a vortex. The power of Heaven is thus thrown out of control; that power is not a blessing, but rather it causes me to continuously create more abysses.]
[If I weren't about to die, I could have suppressed my nightmares. Life in this world is so fragile; once trapped in a nightmare, one dies easily.]
[And now, I too am about to face my own death—a result I chose willingly. I just never imagined that, as I resolved to end my life, a family would arrive at my hiding place.]
(End of this chapter)