Chapter Forty-Nine: Tracing the Whereabouts of Dai Ouchixis

After parting ways with Ash and his friends, Cheng Cheng hurried toward Veilstone City. Upon his arrival, he immediately sensed an intense psychic energy—the presence of Deoxys was unmistakable. Although Cheng Cheng could vaguely feel the direction Deoxys lay in, its exact location eluded him; he would have to devise a method to track it down.

His first stop was the Pokémon Center, where he entrusted his partners to Nurse Joy for treatment and sat down to rest. By the time his Pokémon had recovered, dusk was already falling, leaving him no choice but to stay the night at the Center. In the main hall, he bought some food and released his Pokémon, handing out their meals as well. The previous battle had left them all a bit weary, yet it had also made them stronger.

“Look, everyone—it’s an aurora!”

Cheng Cheng suddenly heard the commotion outside the Pokémon Center. The word “aurora” made him leap to his feet. Stepping out, he gazed up at the sky, where a dazzling aurora rippled overhead. It was his first time witnessing such beauty, and he was utterly captivated.

He realized at once that Deoxys must be close by—after all, its arrival was known to bring auroras. Cheng Cheng searched the night sky with his eyes, but the darkness severely limited his vision. Deoxys was nowhere in sight, so he resorted to his psychic senses. Yet, the entire sky was awash with psychic energy, making it impossible to pinpoint Deoxys.

The aurora had drawn a crowd; this was hardly an ideal moment to attempt a capture. Cheng Cheng stood outside for over an hour, and only after the aurora faded did he return inside. The spectacle had left him excited and restless—he lay awake all night, staring at the ceiling and imagining the moment he would catch Deoxys. Naturally, he wore dark circles under his eyes the next morning.

Today, Cheng Cheng resolved to search for clues about Deoxys. The most crucial lead would be the meteorite, since Deoxys had arrived with one. Finding it might yield a breakthrough.

He inquired of Nurse Joy, who told him about Meteorite Park in Veilstone City, where meteorites were displayed. Cheng Cheng recalled such a park, and remembered that a group called Team Galactic had once tried to steal the meteorites there, only to be thwarted by Ash.

Following Nurse Joy’s directions, he soon arrived at Meteorite Park. Examining the meteorites scattered on the ground, he could tell they had been moved recently; the soil and craters around them were evidence enough. Cheng Cheng approached and sensed their energies. Two contained some unknown power, but neither bore the presence of a Pokémon—it seemed they were of little use to him. Still, remembering Team Galactic’s interest, he suspected there might be more to them, but that was not his concern.

Having finished his inspection, Cheng Cheng decided to search elsewhere. At that moment, he noticed Deoxys’s psychic fluctuations growing fainter. He quickly closed his eyes, focusing to track its location.

Deoxys appeared to be moving away. Once Cheng Cheng confirmed the direction, he set off at once, unwilling to let Deoxys escape. Its presence was fading, distancing itself from him. He knew there was a good chance he would come up empty-handed; yet, having not even glimpsed Deoxys, his frustration pushed him to keep following. As long as he could sense its aura, he would pursue it, no matter how far it fled—unless it left for space itself.

And so the chase began—Deoxys fleeing ahead, Cheng Cheng in hot pursuit. Passersby watched the boy sprint past, speculating about his urgency.

After running for some time, Cheng Cheng realized Deoxys seemed to have stopped. He had to seize this opportunity—who knew when another would come? “Come out, Lunatone. Lunatone, please carry me forward.” Having run so far, Cheng Cheng was tired, so he let Lunatone use its psychic power to carry him, though not for long; he couldn’t afford to exhaust Lunatone, not with a battle against Deoxys looming.

He drew closer and closer, feeling Deoxys’s formidable psychic energy intensify. It was near—very near—just ahead.

A forest appeared before him. Deoxys was inside. The seclusion was perfect for a capture attempt. Cheng Cheng hastened in, sensing Deoxys’s general position as he ran. Suddenly, he felt a surge of psychic power—Deoxys was fighting another Pokémon.

Apart from Deoxys’s psychic waves, he detected a second source of psychic energy. So Deoxys had encountered a worthy opponent—another psychic-type, it seemed. The prospect excited Cheng Cheng. If the two wore each other down, he might be able to claim victory with minimal effort. But such thoughts were wishful—Pokémon capable of contending with Deoxys were rare and all extremely powerful.

He continued forward and soon reached the heart of the psychic outburst. From a distance he could see Deoxys floating in the air, locked in combat with a blue Pokémon. Cheng Cheng recognized it at once—Latios.

The sight of Latios startled him. Why was Latios here, and why was it fighting Deoxys? Latios was a formidable psychic-type with a dragon’s blood and the status of a legendary Pokémon—one Cheng Cheng had long dreamed of capturing. With the potential for Mega Evolution, it could grow even more powerful.

Cheng Cheng’s excitement mounted, but the reality of his own strength tempered his enthusiasm. He watched their battle: Latios was clearly at a disadvantage, no match for Deoxys. While he had the chance, Cheng Cheng checked the data on both Pokémon:

Pokémon: Latios
Type: Dragon, Psychic
Level: 54
Rank: Deep Azure
Rarity: Epic
Ability: Levitate
…
Moves: Luster Purge, Parting Gift, Heal Block, Helping Hand, Safeguard, Energy Drain, Protect, Refresh, Clean Gleam, Illusion, Zen Headbutt, Recover, Dragon Dance, Illusion Shift.
Learned moves: Dragon Claw, Ice Beam.

To Latios, this was nothing extraordinary, but to Cheng Cheng, it was a formidable Pokémon. He then checked Deoxys, who was pummeling Latios:

Pokémon: Deoxys
Type: Psychic
Level: 68
Rank: Pale Blue
Rarity: Epic
Ability: Pressure
HP: 45/50
Attack: 130/150
Defense: 41/50
Special Attack: 120/150
Special Defense: 39/50
Speed: 125/150
Total: 500/600
Moves: Leer, Bind, Night Shade, Taunt, Hammer Arm, Teleport, Double Team, Swift, Pursuit, Amnesia, Iron Defense, Agility, Recover, Zap Cannon, Recover, Illusion, Calm Mind, Snatch, Superpower, Swift Star, Hyper Beam, Counter, Coating, Extreme Speed, Illusion Shift, Zen Headbutt.

Cheng Cheng swallowed hard. Never mind anything else—Deoxys knew a staggering number of moves, some of them terrifyingly powerful. It didn’t look good for Latios.

Should he intervene? By all rights, Latios was known to be gentle, while Deoxys, as an interstellar visitor, rarely attacked local Pokémon without cause. Just then, another Pokémon burst onto the scene.

Darkrai—the Lord of Nightmares!

Pokémon: Darkrai
Type: Dark
Level: 56
Rank: Light Blue
Rarity: Epic
Ability: Nightmare
…
Moves: Night Shade, Ominous Wind, Petrify, Quick Attack, Hypnosis, Pursuit, Feint, Dark Pulse, Nightmare, Double Team, Haze, Shadow Ball.
Hidden ability: Dream Eater.

Another legendary—three Pokémon, each with a base stat total of 600. Though Darkrai’s level and move set were less impressive than Deoxys’s, as a Dark-type, it held a powerful advantage over Psychic types. With Latios as an ally, Deoxys was in real danger. But why would Darkrai and Latios team up against Deoxys? Cheng Cheng was baffled.

Then, suddenly, the answer dawned on him—he finally understood why these three Pokémon were battling. That realization only made him more nervous.

Now, Darkrai, Latios, and Deoxys clashed in a furious melee. Latios used its speed to harass Deoxys relentlessly, while Darkrai acted as artillery from a distance, pelting Deoxys with Dark Pulses and Shadow Balls. Their combined assault had already dealt Deoxys significant damage.

Deoxys was in peril. Cheng Cheng felt it was time to act.