Chapter 105: Shadow

The sun was sinking low behind the jagged outline of Maiden's Peak, casting long shadows across the narrow road as we trudged toward the temple. The festival lights twinkled in the distance, soft and welcoming, but the air had turned heavy—there was something else in the wind. Brock was up ahead, laughing at something Misty said, while Ash and Pikachu darted back and forth, full of restless energy.

I walked beside Erin. She always moved like she was part of a different world, calm, detached, but today her steps seemed slower, her gaze distant, like she was miles away from all of this.

"Punit, it's urgent. We need to talk."

The voice in my head, sudden and sharp, cut through the noise like a blade. My body stiffened instinctively. 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺. That damn voice again. The AI that had been planted in my mind since I arrived in this new world, speaking like it had any right to command me. But the urgency in its tone wasn't something I could ignore.

I stopped, my breath steady despite the tension curling in my chest. "You guys go ahead," I said, my voice casual, masking the unease roiling beneath. "I've got something I need to handle. Misty, take Erin with you."

Erin stopped beside me, her calm, hazel eyes turning up to meet mine. "No."

Of course, she wouldn't. I sighed, keeping my tone even. "I'll do whatever you say later."

She hesitated, her gaze searching mine, then gave a small nod. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah." I nodded back, already turning away. "It's fine. I'll catch up."

They walked on, leaving me alone on the road. My steps slowed as I moved toward the treeline, feeling the weight of Friday's words settling deeper with each step. Once I was sure they were out of earshot, I leaned against a gnarled oak and let the tension slip through my voice. "Alright, Friday. What now?"

"It's bad, Punit. Worse than usual. You do this, or it's death for you."

I frowned. "Death? You're being a bit dramatic, don't you think?"

"No. There's a reincarnator—one who's gotten out of control. He's from Veilstone City, Sinnoh . He's been killing other reincarnators , one after the other. We've arranged a battle for you, in another dimension. You're fighting him."

A cold knot formed in my gut. "Why me? There's got to be a dozen others you could send. And if he's from Veilstone City, Sinnoh ... he'll have Mega-Evolved Pokémon." My mind raced with the possibilities. These trainers were no joke. Mega Evolution meant power I wasn't ready for—not without preparation.

"They're all dead. You're the last one." Friday's voice softened, almost hesitant. "There's more I can't tell you right now. But as for the Mega Evolution—don't worry. We've got something for you. We're promoting you to a perfect-level member of World Horizon."

I blinked. "World Horizon? And what does that give me?"

"All functions of the Horizon Shop will be unlocked. And you'll have Shadow."

"Shadow?" My voice hardened. "What's that supposed to be?"

"Shadow was once a regular Pikachu, but in a battle that defied reality itself, it was hit by an energy so corrupted it altered its very nature. It became... something more. A living shadow that can copy any Pokémon it faces. Perfectly. It's been seeking the strongest form of existence ever since."

My thoughts froze for a second. A creature like that? Something that could turn the tides of any battle? "Is it a mythical Pokémon? From another dimension or something?"

"Yes. If you win, it's yours. And you'll have full access to everything World Horizon has to offer."

A slow smile pulled at my lips. "Sounds like a good deal."

"I'll stop time in this world while you're away. When you return—if you return—it'll be like you never left."

The wind shifted through the branches above, carrying the weight of what was about to come. I straightened, pushing off the tree with a quick, determined breath. "Alright. I'm ready. Send Shadow. Let's see what this thing can do."

Out of the corner of my eye, a shape slithered through the shadows. Small, barely a foot tall, but its presence was anything but insignificant. My heart quickened. There it was—𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸. 

Its body was pitch black, a silhouette against the dimming light. Lightning-blue sparks flickered along its limbs, giving it an almost ethereal glow. But it was the eyes—those unnerving, glowing red eyes—that bore into me. They didn't blink. Didn't waver. It was like being stared down by a predator sizing me up, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

I shifted, used the holographic display. The screen blinked on, bathing my face in a faint glow. I swiped until the familiar image appeared.

𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸 – 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘗𝘰𝘬é𝘮𝘰𝘯 

𝘛𝘺𝘱𝘦: 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬 / 𝘌𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤

𝘈𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺: 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘱𝘺– It can transform into any Pokémon, gaining their strengths, moves, and abilities without their weaknesses.

Shadow's silhouette rippled in the low light as it stepped closer. It moved silently, almost as if the ground was nothing more than a suggestion beneath it. A living shadow, literally. 

𝘏𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵: 1'04"

𝘞𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵: 13 𝘭𝘣𝘴

𝘚𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘷𝘦: 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸 𝘊𝘰𝘱𝘺

It didn't just copy the opponent; it perfected them, turning their power into its own—𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳. No weaknesses. Just pure, unyielding force.

My stomach twisted as I glanced at Shadow. There was something dangerous about it, something unpredictable. It wasn't like my Venusaur or my Raichu. They followed orders, relied on me to guide them in battle. Shadow, though… Shadow was something else entirely. 

"Let's see what you've got." My voice was barely above a whisper, but Shadow's ears twitched. It heard me.

Suddenly, a voice crackled in my head, not mine but… foreign, cold. "𝘛𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘰𝘸."

I stiffened. Before I could react, the world twisted around me. The tree, the quiet peak, the town below—it all blurred, warped like someone had crumpled reality and thrown it into the void.

I stumbled, gripping my head, teeth grinding as a nauseating pull yanked me forward.

And then I was there.

I opened my eyes to the roaring of a stadium packed to the brim. The Indigo League. Except… it wasn't. Not the one I knew. The crowd looked different—people from all over, not just my world. From other worlds, maybe. Other realities.

The battlefield stretched out before me, gleaming under the floodlights. The ground was smooth, polished. Every step echoed as I moved forward, Shadow padding silently beside me, its red eyes scanning the field.

This wasn't just any stadium. This was a place for something bigger, something that went beyond the Pokémon battles I'd been used to.

A voice boomed overhead, shaking the ground beneath my feet. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a challenger from another

dimension—Punit Setia!"

Shadow jump on my shoulder like we know each other before.