Shadow Lugia

Upon learning that Yuga had never heard of the Ancient Clan Descendants, Lance took the initiative to explain to him what they were.

The Ancient Clan Descendants have a history that stretches back to ancient times, to an era before even Fossil Pokémon like Aerodactyl had become extinct.

It's said that during that time, Legendary Pokémon were not as rare as they are today. They lived alongside the ancestors of the Ancient Clan Descendants, much like ordinary Pokémon do now.

Over time, the Legendary Pokémon gradually disappeared, and the Ancient Clan Descendants faded into obscurity along with them. Some might have even gone extinct. In the modern age, there is almost no trace of their existence in historical records.

However, not all of the Ancient Clan Descendants disappeared. Being called "Descendants" implies that some of them continued their existence as ordinary people. The Dragon Tamer family, for instance, are the Dragon Clan descendants.

"Do you happen to have heard of the 'Draconid people of Hoenn'?" Lance asked Yuga.

Yuga nodded, "I've heard of them."

The Draconid people are an ancient group believed to have lived near Meteor Falls, although they rarely appear in front of others. Yuga had only heard their name and had never seen a real Draconid people.

"Our Dragon Tamer family, the Draconid people, and the Valley of the Dragon clan were all originally part of the Dragons clan. Together, we worshipped a Legendary Pokémon known as the Dragon God, or Rayquaza."

However, the Dragon God eventually disappeared, no longer appearing before the members of the Dragon Clan. This internal turmoil led to the split of the Clan into three factions: the Dragon Tamer family, the Draconid people, and the Valley of the Dragon Clan. These three factions eventually moved to different region, and today, there is very little communication between them.

Because so much time has passed, and there is a significant historical gap, the exact circumstances of how the Dragon Clan split are unknown, even to our Dragon Tamer family.

In more recent times, our Dragon Tamer family and the Valley of the Dragon Clan joined the Pokémon League. The only faction that seemed to retain the core secrets of the Dragon Clan was the Draconid people, who have disappeared without a trace."

After hearing Lance's explanation, Yuga's eyes widened in surprise. He had no idea that there was such a deep connection between the Dragon Tamer family, the Draconid people, and the Valley of the Dragon Clan.

The Dragon Tamer family possessed the Pseudo-Legendary Dragonite, while the Valley of the Dragon Clan controlled the Hydreigon and the rumored Dragonid people, controlled the Pseudo-Legendary Salamence. Now it seems that none of these three clans are simple.

Yuga asked, "So, what's the connection between Jade Town and the Ancient Clan Descendants?"

Lance said, "I suspect that Jade Town is a branch left behind by the Descendants of Darkness."

Yuga asked, "Descendants of Darkness?"

Lance nodded and continued, "When Professor Oak and I investigated the Jade Mountain Relic in the past, we noticed that the sacrificial patterns on the structure of the relic seemed very familiar. We then conducted research at home to identify the origin of these patterns."

The result of their investigation was that these patterns closely resembled the sacrificial patterns associated with the Dragon Clan Descendants.

Over time, whether it was the Dragon Tamer family or the Valley of the Dragon Clan, there was very little left regarding the records of the Dragon Clan Descendants. Identifying the source of the sacrificial patterns had become quite challenging.

Most of the Ancient Clan Descendants had faded into history, and only a few like the Dragon Tamer family and the Valley of the Dragon Clan continued to exist. This was due to the fact that the Dragon Clan Descendants were one of the most powerful factions among the Ancient Clan Descendants.

Even now, the Dragon Tamer family and the Valley of the Dragon Clan didn't feel significantly different from ordinary people except for their special abilities. The time that had passed since the era of the Ancient Clan Descendants was too long. Even knowledgeable experts like Professor Oak had limited knowledge about them, often limited to their names.

According to Lance, there were other factions of Ancient Clan Descendants like the People of Water, People of Fire, People of Wind, and People of Earth. However, these factions hadn't been heard from in years, and they might have vanished into history.

As Lance went through the names of these Ancient Clan Descendants, Yuga suddenly felt a sense of familiarity.

Wait a minute... People of Water and People of Earth were terms he had heard of. In the original anime movie, weren't the guardians of Manaphy and the Sea Temple referred to as People of Water? And the ones guarding Reshita, Zekrom, and Victini, weren't they called People of Earth?

These so-called Descendants of the Ancient Clan hadn't disappeared at all! But Yuga didn't know if they were the same as what Lance referred to as the Ancient Clan Descendants. If they were, then these descendants were far from simple.

However, knowing this didn't change their current situation, so Yuga decided to put these thoughts aside for now.

He pondered and asked, "If Jade Town is indeed the branch of the Descendants of Darkness, what could they be hiding?"

Lance replied, "I don't know, but they've been very resistant to our presence. The regular townspeople are fine, but the town mayor who receives us has always been evasive. If it weren't for their inability to withstand the attacks from the wild Pokémon, we might still be unaware of the troubles in Jade Town."

Professor Oak nodded and added, "If it weren't for the mayor trying to stop us, I would have dismantled the relic on Jade Mountain. I suspect the source of these dark mists might be that relic."

Just as the three of them were discussing these matters behind closed doors, an urgent knocking on the door interrupted their conversation.

"Professor Oak, Lance, Gym Leader Shimizu, are you still inside? Wild Pokémon are attacking the town again!"

It was Sora's voice.

"Let's go, quickly. Show us the way!" Professor Oak said.

Following Sora's guidance, Yuga and the others soon reached the back of Jade Town, which was against Jade Mountain. They witnessed a massive surge of wild Pokémon pouring down from Jade Mountain, both on the ground and in the sky. It was almost like a flood of Pokémon.

"This time, there are many more Pokémon coming down than in the previous two incidents," Professor Oak said, furrowing his brows.

Lance added, "It seems that nearly all the wild Pokémon from Jade Mountain are descending."

When Yuga and the others arrived, the trainers from the town and the people sent by the Pokémon League were already positioned outside the town, and even the mayor of Jade Town, who was a trainer himself, was leading the defense.

They had a significant number of Dark-type Pokémon like Murkrow, Honchkrow, Houndour, and Houndoom, indicating that Lance's suspicions about Jade Town's lineage might be correct.

As the wild Pokémon descended from Jade Mountain and approached Yuga and his group, an uncomfortable feeling overcame Yuga, similar to the sensation of touching a black stone, and the nauseating presence of the black mist became increasingly intense.

The Pokémon, influenced by the black mist, immediately launched an attack against Yuga and his group. Their eyes glowed red, and they appeared savage. They had completely lost their rationality. The queasiness Yuga felt was a result of the black mist they carried.

Yuga released Vivillon, Charizard, Bellossom, and Sawsbuck. Bellossom provided close protection for Yuga, while the other three were tasked with counterattacking.

Vivillon's Sleep Powder and Stun Spore were especially effective in group battles, and the wild Pokémon, who had lost their rationality due to the black mist, barely dodged these moves. Vivillon managed to incapacitate multiple Pokémon with each use.

Charizard breathed out fiery blasts that took out several Pokémon at once. Its offensive and explosive power was remarkable, and its area attack capabilities rivaled Vivillon's crowd control abilities.

Sawsbuck, while not capable of taking down groups in one go like Vivillon and Charizard, used its powerful legs and exceptional jumping ability to kick and fend off one Pokémon at a time.

However, Yuga and his group couldn't afford to be too ruthless since these Pokémon weren't attacking of their own will. The townspeople, led by the mayor, were actively defending against the Pokémon's attacks. Still, the primary force on the battlefield remained Professor Oak, Lance, Yuga, and their Pokémon.

These three were exceptional trainers, with Professor Oak being close to Master level, Lance being a Champion level trainer, and Yuga himself ranking top among the Elite level Trainers. Their Pokémon were capable of taking on numerous opponents simultaneously.

The wild Pokémon continued to pour down from Jade Mountain, and Yuga and his group battled for hours, but the numbers didn't seem to decrease. Even the mighty Professor Oak was drenched in sweat.

The situation was akin to the saying "two fists are no match for four hands."

When they compared the combined forces of the townspeople and the trainers from the Pokémon League to the wild Pokémon, it was clear that they were heavily outnumbered. If it weren't for Professor Oak and the others, Jade Town would likely have been destroyed already.

However, continuing in this manner would eventually lead to the destruction of Jade Town.

Lance commanded Dragonite to punching away an Ambipom, said to Professor Oak, "The abnormal number of Pokémon descending all at once makes me suspect that something has happened on Jade Mountain. I'll go up and check."

With that, he mounted his Dragonite and directed it towards Jade Mountain. He left his other Pokémon behind to assist the remaining trainers in defending against the wild Pokémon.

Professor Oak acknowledged and then turned to Yuga, shouting, "Yuga, go with Lance. I have a bad feeling about this. To be safe, go with him, and I'll handle things here."

Yuga responded, "Alright, I understand. We'll leave it to you here!"

Without hesitation, Yuga mounted his Charizard and followed Lance as they headed towards Jade Mountain. Both Professor Oak and Yuga had an unsettling feeling about the situation. He left behind Bellossom, Sawsbuck, and Vivillon with them.

Meanwhile, the town's mayor, who was fighting the wild Pokémon attacking the town, was getting increasingly anxious. He knew something had gone wrong on Jade Mountain. If the secrets of the mountain were discovered, it could spell trouble.

He wanted to follow Lance and Yuga but was entangled by numerous wild Pokémon. He couldn't break free from the conflict, let alone make his way up the mountain. He also considered sending Sora along, but the current situation wasn't much better for him.

As Yuga and Lance continued their ascent, they were targeted by several waves of wild Pokémon. Flying-types Pokemon extended their necks to peck at Yuga and Lance, displaying an intense desire to harm them.

Both Lance and Charizard didn't engage in battles with these Pokémon and repelled their attacks to speedily reach the mountain's peak. Their agility outmatched the wild Pokémon's pursuit.

Upon reaching the mountaintop, they observed that the vegetation was withered and lifeless. There were no wild Pokémon in sight. The area of withered plants had increased considerably compared to their previous visit.

Lance remarked, "Something definitely went wrong!"

Comparing the situation to their previous visit, it was evident that a significant change had occurred. The withered plants and the absence of wild Pokémon painted a grim picture.

Yuga suggested, "Let's check the ruins immediately; it must be where things went wrong."

Lance nodded and, riding on his Lance, proceeded towards the location of the ruins.

Suddenly, a massive roar emanated from within the ruins, followed by a violent explosion in the center of the ruins. A gigantic, dark figure unfurled its wings amidst the smoke, hovering in mid-air.

As the figure emerged from the smoke, both Yuga and Lance stared in disbelief, their mouths agape. Lance murmured, "Lugia!"

Yuga was equally transfixed by the sight of a Shadow Lugia, its dark, twisted, and ominous aura nearly causing him to fall from Charizard's back.

The Shadow Lugia let out a deafening roar and spotted Yuga and Lance on their respective Pokémon. In a swift motion, it fired a powerful black beam straight toward them.

The beam came so rapidly that, despite their efforts to dodge, it still grazed over them. Both Charizard and Dragonite plummeted to the ground.

Nana quickly appeared and used her psychic powers to safely lower Yuga, Lance, and their Pokémon to the ground.

As they landed, they noticed several individuals in black uniforms sneaking away not far from them.

Team Rocket!

Both Yuga and Lance simultaneously exclaimed in their minds.

However, they didn't have time to dwell on Team Rocket's appearance. The next attack from the Shadow Lugia was already underway. A massive black beam, filled with unstoppable force, once again swept towards them.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Nana focused, her face tense, raising her hands. Layer upon layer of purple barriers formed diagonally above them. Under the impact of the black beam, these purple barriers seemed fragile, shattering like glass.

The tremendous force from the black beam pushed Nana back, while Yuga and Lance were blown off their feet by the shockwave.

Both of them quickly recalled their injured Charizard and Dragonite. They could hear Nana's anxious voice in their minds.

"Hurry, think of a solution! I can't hold on much longer!"

Nana was struggling to maintain the purple barriers.

Upon hearing her plea, Lance recalled his current Dragonite and quickly retrieved another Poké Ball. He released a larger, more robust Dragonite than before.

Yuga felt a sense of familiarity as he looked at the new Dragonite, but the situation was too dire to dwell on it.

"Old Ancestor, please help us!" Lance implored.

The Dragonite nodded and, with incredible speed, disappeared from Yuga and Lance's view, only to reappear next to the Shadow Lugia.

It clenched its fist and unleashed a devastating Thunder Punch at the Shadow Lugia's neck. The impact of the punch caused the Shadow Lugia to screech in agony and sent its dark beam askew.

Boom!

The misdirected black beam blasted a massive crater into the ground.

Relieved, Nana looked at the last remaining layer of barriers, patting her chest and sighing: That was close! It was so close!

Enraged, the Shadow Lugia raised one of its wings and employed Steel Wing on the Dragonite that had struck it. Unable to evade in time, the Dragonite was struck to the ground, creating a deep crater upon impact.

"Nana, please help!" Yuga shouted, seeing that their Lance was in trouble.

Nana replied, "Got it!"

Nana responded and used Teleport to appear above the deep crater created by Dragonite. She summoned a Light Screen to block another black beam aimed at Dragonite.

Dragonite emerged from the crater and, once again, landed beside the Shadow Lugia. It attempted to punch the Lugia, but the Shadow Lugia swung its tail, blocking the attack.

Nana, while still above the battle, sent a Heal Pulse towards Dragonite. Facing the Shadow Lugia was little bit scared, so she decided to focus on providing support.

With Dragonite and Nana fighting the Shadow Lugia, Yuga finally had the opportunity to use his Insight ability to assess the situation.

...

Shadow Lugia (Dark Mutation: Chaotic)

Type: Dark/Flying

Ability: Multiscale

Gender: None

Potential: Unknown

Level: Unknown

Moves: Whirlwind, Weather Ball, Gust, Superpower, Dragon Rush, Rain Dance, Hydro Pump, Twister, Ancient Power, Punishment, Calm Mind, Sky Attack, Roar, Hail, Hidden Power, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Hyper Beam, Roost, Ragr, Shadow Ball, Aerial Ace, Rest, Steel Wing, Giga Impact, Thunder Wave, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Fake Out, Dragon Tail, Surf, Waterfall, Dragon Pulse, Aqua Tail, Iron Tail, Tailwind, Hyper Vouce.

...

After reading the information, Yuga was still perplexed. The Shadow Lugia's transformation of its Psychic-type into a Dark-type, along with the Chaotic nature and the Dark Mutation suffix, raised many questions.

Despite Dragonite's considerable power, it was still struggling against the Lugia, and Nana's assistance could only do so much. Lugia was on a different level, even for a Legendary Pokémon.

Boom!

The Lugia struck Dragonite with Dragon Tail, and sending it flying. It landed on Nana, and both Pokémon tumbled into another deep crater.

Lugia opened its mouth, gathering dark energy to deliver a potentially lethal attack to the fallen Dragonite and Nana.

But before it could unleash the dark beam, a Dark Ball descended from the sky and struck Lugia, causing it to crash onto the ground. The dark energy it had gathered dissipated.

Yuga looked up and saw a Pokémon hovering above Lugia. His expression changed immediately.

This couldn't be an ally!