Release That Pokémon!

From a distance, Caleb could already see the massive mountain-like silhouette of the Dynamaxed Mamoswine...

Even in the darkness, it was strikingly conspicuous.

"Wait a second!" he signaled Dragonite to stop.

Frowning, he observed the Mamoswine below...

Under the moonlit forest, a dark figure nimbly leaped between treetops, with Mamoswine's attacks hot on its trail. Every tree the figure landed on was instantly shattered by Mamoswine's charge.

'Something is fighting the Mamoswine! Is it the other players?'

After a brief hesitation, Caleb gestured for Dragonite to descend slightly, positioning themselves behind Mamoswine's head.

"Use Flamethrower!" he instructed.

"Wuuu!"

Dragonite gathered flames in its mouth, and in the next second, a scorching jet of fire erupted forth.

The brilliant blaze illuminated the surroundings, casting everything in stark clarity.

Caleb finally got a clear look at the figure darting through the treetops.

It was a small bipedal Pokémon resembling a puppy, its body was primarily blue and black. Though battered and exhausted, its eyes burned with unyielding determination.

Mamoswine staggered momentarily from Dragonite's Flamethrower, and in that split second, Riolu looked up... its gaze meeting Caleb's.

Then, Mamoswine let out a furious roar...

Massive boulders erupted from the ground, hurtling toward Riolu's location.

Riolu's clear eyes reflected the image of the human riding Dragonite in the sky just as the colossal Max Rockfall came crashing down.

The next moment, its world plunged into darkness.

A deafening impact shook the earth, sending plumes of dust billowing outward. A sandstorm began to rage.

Caleb's heart clenched. He patted Dragonite's neck, and the dragon swiftly descended, depositing him on the ground before soaring back into the air to engage the Dynamaxed Mamoswine.

Caleb rushed to Riolu's side, only to find it unconscious, its energy completely drained.

He placed a hand over Riolu's chest, then activated the Viridian Power. A surge of verdant light enveloped Riolu, frantically repairing its critically injured body.

One minute… two minutes… three minutes…

Just as Caleb felt his own energy depleting, and his mind growing foggy, Riolu's eyelids twitched.

Slowly, it opened its eyes, locking gazes with the human once more.

"Whew..." Caleb exhaled in relief and withdrew his hand, "You're safe now. Rest for a bit."

Dragonite still needed his help. Shaking his head to clear the fatigue, Caleb sprinted toward the battle...

Behind him, Riolu remained motionless, its eyes fixed on his retreating figure until it vanished into the darkness...

...

"Dragonite, use Fire Punch!"

Perched on a tree branch, Caleb issued the command...

"Wuu!"

Dragonite's fist ignited in flames as it charged toward the Dynamaxed Mamoswine.

After six boosts from Dragon Dance, Dragonite's Attack and Speed had reached monstrous levels.

The Fire Punch struck Mamoswine's head with pinpoint accuracy, the sheer force of the blow even knocking the colossal Pokémon back a couple of steps.

Mamoswine bellowed in rage, its massive form conjuring a beam of glittering ice and freezing mist. That was Max Hailstorm, which it fired straight at Dragonite.

This move was quadruply effective against Dragonite. A direct hit would spell disaster.

However, the Dragonite of tonight was a far cry from yesterday's.

As if predicting the attack's trajectory, Dragonite twisted midair, executing a spiraling evasion around the icy beam before closing in on Mamoswine.

"Fire Punch!" Caleb commanded.

Dragonite's right arm drew back, flames engulfing its fist before it delivered a devastating blow to Mamoswine's right cheek.

The impact sent Mamoswine reeling. Its enormous body swayed, balance lost, before crashing to the ground with an earth-shaking impact...

*Boom!*

An explosion erupted from Mamoswine's form as its Dynamaxed state collapsed like a deflating balloon...

It lay motionless, unconscious.

[Hidden Quest: "The Pokémon's Plea" Completed!]

[Main Quest Clue Fragment Distributed!]

The system panel updated:

[Clue Fragment 2: Time Limit: ∞ | Dynamax/Gigantamax Pokémon]

Caleb frowned at the two clues from his perch.

The symbol '∞', meant infinity. Likely indicating players could remain in this Instance indefinitely.

Which meant… if they failed to complete the main quest, they would be trapped on this island forever.

'So it's basically Robinson Crusoe: Pokémon Edition,' Caleb mused.

The second clue, Dynamax/Gigantamax Pokémon, suggested the remaining fragments were hidden on other Dynamaxed Pokémon.

But a question nagged at him: 'What about daytime? Why do these Dynamaxed and Gigantamaxed Pokémon only appear at night? Where do they go during the day?'

His gaze shifted to the unconscious Mamoswine below.

Dragonite flew over, retrieving its trainer from the tree.

Caleb approached Mamoswine and used the Viridian Power to restore its health.

Soon, Mamoswine stirred, its expression a mix of confusion and bewilderment.

Mamoswine: >...Who am I? Where am I? What just happened?..<

Caleb sensed its thoughts and asked, "Do you remember what just happened?"

Mamoswine shook its head blankly.

'That's… not right...'

Normally, Pokémon retained their memories after reverting from Dynamax.

Caleb studied Mamoswine, his scrutinizing gaze making the poor creature uneasy.

"Wuu?" Dragonite inquired about their next move.

After a moment's thought, Caleb addressed Mamoswine, "You're staying with us until midnight tomorrow."

He wanted to test whether defeated Pokémon could Dynamax again the following night...

Mamoswine immediately turned to flee, only for Dragonite to cut it off with a Flamethrower to its path.

Startled, Mamoswine froze. Despite its size advantage, an inexplicable instinct warned it that this dragon is not to be messed with.

Caleb patted its tusks reassuringly, "Relax, we won't hurt you. After tomorrow night, you're free to go wherever you want."

Grudgingly, Mamoswine acquiesced.

With that settled, Caleb, Dragonite, and their reluctant new companion prepared to head back... when he suddenly remembered Riolu.

Doubling back to where Riolu had fallen, he found the spot empty. The Pokémon was gone.

A pang of disappointment struck him. This was his first encounter with a wild Riolu in any Instance.

Just then, Dragonite perked up, emitting a curious sound toward a nearby thicket.

"What is it?" Caleb's question was answered as the grass rustled, revealing a row of tiny faces peeking out...

~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~

~~~ ~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~ ~~~

Read ahead on my P@treon...

[email protected]/MayaMatengele01