Starr pulled out her Useless Lump--
"Starr!" Owen shouted. "There's a slug thing on Thyme's back! That's the weak point!"
Indeed, crawling and dangling from the back of Thyme's neck, there was a single, strange slug-like creature dangling off of him. It was trying to burrow back inside while Thyme was prone!
Not on Starr's watch.
Starr used her Useless Lump on Thyme, dealing 10 damage!
The lump slammed into the slug, which shrieked before that cry was abruptly cut off. Thyme collapsed to the ground, a golden light weakly washing over his body.
Cabot's Rock Slide dealt a CRITICAL 149 damage to Pepper!
Dave's Assurance dealt 62 damage to Pepper!
Pepper was knocked out!
"Wait!" Owen shouted, holding up his hands. The others, who had prepared a strike, immediately held back when both foes were down--there would be no need to fight them if they were that weak... right? They were moving differently, even after the Reviver brought them back.
"Something... something's different about T--"
And then, without warning, a strange beam of light struck Pepper in the back as she was rising, forcing her back to the ground with an annoyed grunt.
"I think that's enough," Darkrai grunted.
Cresselia drifted back, narrowly dodging one of Darkrai's strikes. "Wait--Darkrai, no,
please--"
Darkrai used Dark Void on Cresselia, plunging her into a Sleepy state!
Cresselia wobbled weakly forward, panting. "Dark... rai..."
Darkrai eyed Thyme, then Pepper. Bringing a hand forward, his own shadow rose from his back and gestured for something to come from Pepper--and just like that, something jumped from Pepper's back and landed on Darkrai's arm, drilling inside. Black ink and haze billowed out, and Darkrai winced.
"Ghh... I...."
"Ugh..." Thyme groaned weakly, but Darkrai was clutching at his head, grunting. Pepper couldn't stand, limp on the ground. They briefly exchanged a look, but then both became still.
Two more slugs were skittering on the ground and leapt toward Darkrai, plunging into his body next. A horrible aura pulsed across the field, but everyone seemed to be unaffected--until a horrible shriek filled the air.
Darkrai used Shadow Nightmare, dealing 500 damage to Cresselia! Cresselia passed out!
Owen's legs trembled. "G-guys..." He looked to the others. "Guys! Don't--Don't let his attack put you to sleep! I don't think we can last even a moment asleep in front of him!"
"You would be... correct."
Darkrai used Shadow Blast on Zane, Nip, and Dave!
Zane: 62
Nip: 62
Dave: 45
Darkrai slowly drifted toward them, his body misshapen and corrupting by the second. His left arm jerked and twisted in strange motions, like it was fighting, yet his right hand held it firmly, squeezing the life out of it until, finally, it went still.
"I used to be mere seconds away from plunging the world into darkness and ruling over it with absolute might. Now I am nothing but a babysitter for three overgrown brats, the kids of those who defeated me. Now... it is time for me to return to that darkness."
Darkrai has entered the battle.
HP: 1000
"We... We can't win," Owen said in a whisper. "How... how can we defeat s-someone after all we just went through?"
Darkrai kept coming closer. A Dark Void was brewing in his hands. He looked like he was ready to follow it up with who knows how many other strikes.
He would wipe their whole team in one volley. They--
The Water-Grass Pledge combo dealt 646 damage to Darkrai!
Two Blast Seeds dealt 100 damage to Darkrai!
Darkrai: 254 HP
Heads turned just in time to follow the source of the all-out attack.
"That's... all we've got," Thyme said, standing on both his front knees. It looked like, unlike all of the other strikes that he'd been doing, Thyme was not holding back with that one. While severely weakened, Thyme had fought Darkrai with his full will; it was all he had until he finally fell to the ground.
Pepper, whose claws were wet with the last of her Water Pledge attack, was barely holding herself up with one arm. "Whatever you did... it freed us," Pepper said. "We'll thank you later... but I don't think we'll last another strike. Please... save Darkrai! He's... all twisted up!" But despite her words, her body would not respond. She could no longer fight.
There was no time for error: If they didn't defeat Darkrai right then, the results would be catastrophic.
Special condition: Achieved
Hail pelts the team for 5 damage, and then Dave, Nip, and Zane are revived!
