Pokémon: No Way! The Golden Finger Only Comes When I'm About To Die!?

At that moment, one of the Murkrow used Mean Look.

In the dark night, a crimson eye appeared out of nowhere, slowly opening above the two Spinarak.

Terrified by the eye's menacing gaze, the Spinarak froze on the spot, completely unable to move.

Meanwhile, the other Murkrow targeted the Spinarak and Diancie with Dark Pulse.

Just as the attack was about to land, a golden streak of electricity tore through the night sky, colliding with the Dark Pulse and dispersing it. The streak then struck both Murkrow directly.

"Murkrow~"

"Murkrow~"

The two Murkrow shrieked and fell to the ground, their bodies twitching from the shock.

Diancie looked at the Mareep nearby with a face full of surprise. "Mareep, was that you saving us just now?"

The golden streak of electricity had come from the Mareep, which had previously shown no reaction to its surroundings.

However, despite Diancie's inquiry, Mareep remained unresponsive, its expression as blank as ever. If Diancie hadn't witnessed it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have believed Mareep had suddenly acted.

Still, this was a good sign—it showed that Mareep did have some awareness of the outside world.

"Thank you, Mareep," Diancie said softly as she gave it a gentle hug.

"Spinarak~"

"Spinarak~"

The two Spinarak also expressed their gratitude to Mareep.

The two Murkrow, after twitching on the ground for a while, quickly recovered. But when they saw that Diancie, Pawmot, Metagross, and Passimian were all staring at them, they panicked and flew away in a flurry.

Angie, busy preparing ingredients, noticed the commotion had subsided. Smiling to himself, he returned to making dinner.

He started by washing the bamboo shoots, slicing them into thin strips, and blanching them in boiling water to remove their bitterness.

Next, he took a piece of tenderloin, cut it into strips, and placed them into a bowl. He seasoned the meat with rock salt, cooking wine, soy sauce, pepper, and starch, mixing them thoroughly.

Of course, Angie didn't forget to add a spoonful of his homemade Fermented Bean Paste.

His homemade Fermented Bean Paste was a special condiment that could increase Pokémon's stamina limit—a must-have!

Whether handling the bamboo shoots or marinating the meat, Angie used his Aura abilities to process the ingredients, making their energy flow more harmonious, stable, and balanced.

After the meat was marinated, Angie heated a wok with Dolliv oil. Once the oil was hot, he quickly stir-fried the meat strips until they turned color, then removed them from the pan.

He used the same wok to sauté minced scallions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant. Then, he added the bamboo shoots and stir-fried them evenly.

Finally, he returned the cooked meat strips to the wok, tossing them with the bamboo shoots until everything was well mixed, then set it aside.

Maintaining the balance of the ingredients' energy flow during stir-frying was essential. If the energy became chaotic due to high heat, the dish's flavor would be greatly diminished.

The last step was cooking the noodles.

In a separate pot, Angie brought water to a boil and cooked the noodles until done.

While the noodles cooked, he prepared several bowls, adding salt, chicken bouillon, pepper, and chopped scallions to create the soup base.

Once the noodles were ready, Angie transferred them to the bowls, topped them with the stir-fried bamboo shoots and meat, and added an appropriate amount of broth.

The bamboo shoot and meat noodle soup was done!

The aroma filled the air, making the Pokémon nearby drool as they stared at Angie's cooking.

Meanwhile, Diancie and the others had already set up the tables and chairs. Seeing this, Angie called out, "It's ready! Everyone, get ready for dinner!"

The Pokémon cheered and quickly gathered around the table.

Diancie, Magearna, and Passimian helped Angie carry the bowls of noodles to the table, one by one.

Once everyone had a bowl of noodles in front of them, Angie picked up his own and sat down.

The fragrant aroma of the bamboo shoot and meat noodle soup made his mouth water, and he couldn't wait to dig in.

As Angie was about to announce, "Let's eat," he noticed a Pangoro and several Pancham peeking out from behind a bamboo grove, gazing longingly in their direction.

"You... do you want to join us for dinner?" Angie hesitated for a moment before inviting them over.

"Pangoro~"

"Pancham~"

The Pangoro and Pancham cheered excitedly at his offer and quickly rushed over to join Angie and the others.

Angie sighed and shook his head with a small smile, then got up to serve the newcomers bowls of noodles.

After sitting back down, Angie clapped his hands together and said, "Let's dig in!"

"Pangoro~"

"Pancham~"

...

With his words, the Pokémon eagerly began eating.

For Pangoro and Pancham, this was their first time tasting such delicious food, and they devoured it ravenously. It wasn't long before their bowls were empty.

"Pangoro~"

Another bowl, please!

"Pancham~"

One more, please!

The Pangoro and Pancham held up their empty bowls, asking for seconds in unison.

"Coming right up!" Angie put down his chopsticks and took the bowls from them.

While Angie and the others enjoyed their dinner, somewhere deep in the mountains, on a grassy clearing a bit farther from the bamboo grove, stood what appeared to be ruins. Scattered remnants of walls and broken structures dotted the area.

Leaning against the fragments of these weathered, moss-covered walls were two Golett.

Golett—the Automaton Pokémon. A Ground-type and Ghost-type that looks like it was molded from clay. They are said to have been created as loyal servants by humans using advanced technology by an ancient and mysterious civilization.

As night fell, the once-still Golett supporting the ancient walls slowly came to life.

They moved toward the center of the ruins, where a circular platform of greenish stone was etched with intricate, strange patterns.

"Golett~ Golett~"

"Golett~ Golett~"

The two Golett began dancing and chanting in unison, performing what seemed to be an ancient ritual.

After a while, the center of the stone platform glowed ominously with black light, forming a circular void that resembled a terrifying abyss.

The sight of the dark circle brought obvious delight to the Golett, who began jumping and spinning around it joyfully.

Then, from within the dark void, a shadowy figure slowly emerged. Its bright blue eyes gleamed strikingly in the darkness, and long white hair flowed down its back.

"Golett~"

"Golett~"

The Golett ran toward the figure with glee as soon as it appeared.

The shadowy figure embraced the two Golett, one under each arm, but its gaze was fixed far off in the direction of the bamboo grove. The pitch-black night posed no challenge to its sight.

Finally... I've found you.

A flicker of red glinted in the figure's blue eyes.

After dinner, Angie began preparing for the night. He sent Passimian, Magearna, Volcanion, and Metagross back home via a teleporter.

He also returned Armarouge, Ceruledge, and the two Dolliv to their Poké Balls and asked Magearna to take them home as well.

After all, no matter how peaceful the wilderness might be, nothing beats the comfort of sleeping at home.

At this point, Angie was left with only Diancie, Pawmot, Komala, and Diancie's Mareep, Munna, and the two Spinarak for company.

Originally, Angie planned to send Diancie home as well, but Diancie insisted on staying to accompany Angie, so he had to agree.

Once the Pokémon were sent home, Angie, along with Diancie and Pawmot, began setting up the tent.

As for Komala and Mareep, they were left in the care of the two Spinarak and Munna.

Halfway through pitching the tent, Angie suddenly heard the sharp cries of the two Spinarak. He looked in the direction of the sound and found that the problem wasn't with the Spinarak but with Komala.

For some unknown reason, Komala had become extremely restless. It rolled off the table onto the ground and started writhing around on the grass.

"Komala, what's wrong?" Angie hurriedly ran over and scooped Komala into his arms.

Komala squirmed around in Angie's embrace for a while until it found a comfortable position, where it finally began to settle down.

While gently stroking Komala's back, Angie asked the Spinarak and Munna, "What just happened?"

The three Pokémon shook their heads in bewilderment.

"Komala, what's the matter?" Angie looked down at Komala, only to see it soundly asleep and completely unresponsive to his question.

When Angie tried to put Komala down, he found that the moment it left his arms, it would grow extremely agitated, even pounding the ground with its log so hard that it made loud thumping sounds.

Having no choice, Angie held onto Komala while continuing to pitch the tent.

Once the tent was ready, Angie led the Pokémon to freshen up before they all climbed inside.

Angie shared a sleeping bag with Komala and Pawmot, while Diancie shared hers with Mareep and Munna. The two Spinarak curled up next to Diancie's pillow.

"Good night, Diancie."

"Good night, Angie."

After bidding each other goodnight, Angie and the Pokémon gradually drifted off to sleep.

Around midnight, thin pink mist began to emanate from Munna, filling the tent. With each breath, Angie and the others inhaled it into their bodies.

In his sleep, Angie felt a wave of disorientation. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in an unfamiliar place.

A dream?

Angie looked around and realized he was standing in a secluded courtyard surrounded by lush greenery.

"Pawmot~"

At that moment, the sound of Pawmot's voice reached him. Looking down, he saw Pawmot clutching Komala and tugging at his pant leg.

"You're here too?" he asked in surprise.

"Pawmot~"

Pawmot nodded, a puzzled look in its eyes as it inquired where they were.

Angie shook his head. "I don't know either. Let's look around first."

Pawmot nodded again, holding Komala as it followed behind Angie.

As Angie ventured deeper into the courtyard, he suddenly heard the sound of laughter.

Huh? What's that? Angie quickened his pace in the direction of the sound.

Pushing through a grove, he arrived at a lush green meadow where Diancie was playing hide-and-seek with Mareep and the two Spinarak.

"Diancie?" Angie called out in astonishment.

He hadn't misheard—this was indeed Diancie's voice.

Seeing Angie appear, Diancie was just as surprised.

"Angie, you're here too? And Pawmot and Komala as well."

"Could this place be… Mareep's dream world?" Angie suddenly recalled Diancie's earlier description of the dream world and looked at the lively-eyed Mareep beside her.

"That's right!" Diancie nodded. "This is it."

Angie walked toward Diancie with Pawmot, speculating as he moved, "Could it be that Pawmot, Komala, and I appeared here because we slept together tonight?"

Diancie nodded. "That's possible."

Angie curiously observed their surroundings, marveling at the dream world with a face full of awe. "What an incredible dreamscape—so realistic!"

Squatting down, he rubbed Mareep's head and asked, "Mareep, do you know who I am?"

"Mareep~ Mareep~"

Of course! You're Angie!

Mareep nuzzled its fluffy head against Angie's palm and replied with a soft, innocent voice. Then, it grabbed Angie's sleeve with its mouth.

"Mareep~ Mareep~"

Angie! Angie! Come and play!

"Sure! What shall we play?"

And so, Angie joined the game along with Pawmot and Komala.

Under the guidance of Diancie and Mareep, Angie and the others toured Mareep's art studio, browsed through its comics, and even trained its skills together.

Just as everyone was enjoying themselves, the sky suddenly turned dark.

"What's going on?" Everyone instinctively looked up.

In Mareep's dream world, there should be no day-night cycle. How could the sky grow dim?

At that moment, a pair of enormous eyes appeared in the sky, staring intently at Angie and the others, exuding an overwhelming sense of oppression.

Clearly, the intruder had bad intentions.

The two Spinarak quickly hid behind Diancie, while Mareep bravely stepped forward to shield her.

Similarly, Pawmot moved in front of Angie, standing protectively between him and the intruder. It bared its teeth and raised its fists toward the eyes in the sky.

"Pawmot~ Pawmot~"

Who's there? Come down if you dare!

Angie noticed Komala growing increasingly uneasy, rolling on the ground in distress. He immediately picked it up, gently stroking its back to calm it down.

"What's happening? Is Mareep having a nightmare?" Angie asked in confusion.

"No!" Diancie shook her head. "Something must have invaded Mareep's dream!"

A Pokémon capable of dream invasion... Angie immediately thought of two possibilities: Hypno or Darkrai.

Could there be a Hypno or a Darkrai lurking nearby?

Given this overwhelming pressure, it seemed more likely to be Darkrai!

"Mareep~ Mareep~"

Mareep shouted at the eyes in the sky, demanding they leave its dream at once.

"Ke-ke-ke~~~"

The moment Mareep's voice fell, a grotesque face emerged in the sky, accompanied by an eerie, sinister laugh.

The figure descended slowly from the sky, drawing closer and closer to Angie and his group.

Angie had a strong hunch—it seemed like the figure was targeting Komala!

Just as the situation was becoming critical, a pink light suddenly appeared in the sky, blocking the shadowy figure's path to Angie and his companions.

Immediately after, a dazzling rainbow light burst from the pink glow. The radiant brilliance dispelled the darkness in the sky, forcing the pitch-black face to glare resentfully at the pink light before gradually retreating into the horizon.

Seeing this, Angie and the others collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

"Munna~ Munna~"

As the pink orb descended, Angie and the others realized it was a Munna.

Unlike other Munna, this one had a patch of yellow-green feather-like markings on its back.

"This is... the Lunar Wing?" Angie exclaimed in surprise.

"The Lunar Wing?" Diancie and the others looked puzzled.

Angie explained, "The Lunar Wing is a feather from the Legendary Pokémon Cresselia. It possesses the power to dispel nightmares."

Diancie nodded in understanding. "No wonder Munna was able to drive away that shadow."

Then, Diancie asked, "But where did that shadow come from?"

After a moment of thought, Angie replied, "I suspect it was Darkrai!"

"Darkrai?" The Pokémon looked at Angie in confusion again.

Angie continued, "According to legend, there's a pair of Pokémon known as the Moon and Dream Pokémon: Cresselia and Darkrai.

Cresselia, the Legendary Pokémon, is the embodiment of the crescent moon. It's said that sleeping with one of its feathers ensures sweet dreams every night. Cresselia's feather is what we call the Lunar Wing.

Darkrai, on the other hand, is a Mythical Pokémon. Unlike Cresselia, it has the ability to induce nightmares. Anyone—human or Pokémon—who falls asleep near Darkrai is trapped in an endless nightmare."

Diancie asked, "So, is the reason we can enter dreams every night because Munna has the Lunar Wing?"

Angie pondered. "It's very possible."

"But where did Munna's Lunar Wing come from?" Diancie wondered, gently stroking the markings on Munna's back.

The Lunar Wing wasn't tangible but appeared like a pattern on Munna's body.

Angie shook his head. "When we found Munna's egg, it didn't have a Lunar Wing with it. These markings might be something innate."

Turning to Munna, Angie asked, "Munna, do you know why this is?"

"Munna~ Munna~"

Munna shook its head repeatedly.

Seeing this, Angie concluded, "It seems Munna has a deep connection to Cresselia!"

As soon as Angie finished speaking, Munna dissolved into specks of light, vanishing from the dream world.

When Angie woke up, daylight had already arrived outside.

Diancie also woke up at the same time. Man and Pokémon exchanged a look and said in unison, "Last night's dream..."

The words confirmed that the invasion of Mareep's dream had indeed happened.

"Munna~ Munna~"

Munna cheerfully jumped into Diancie's arms. Diancie inspected its back, but the Lunar Wing markings were gone.

It seemed the Lunar Wing only appeared in the dream world.

As Angie got up, he told Diancie, "I'm going to check outside."

He wanted to see if there were any traces of Darkrai or something else nearby.

Diancie nodded.

Angie left the tent and searched the bamboo forest's surroundings, but no matter how many times he looked, he found no clues and detected no unfamiliar Aura.

When he returned to the tent, Pawmot and the others were already awake.

Taking Komala from Pawmot, Angie gently patted its back while thinking.

Last night, Komala's unease was likely caused by that Darkrai!

With its Comatose ability, Komala was at a significant disadvantage against Darkrai's Bad Dreams ability, no matter how strong it was.

"We should leave this place as soon as possible," Angie suggested to the group.

After what had happened, he felt the area wasn't safe.

"Agreed!"

Everyone unanimously supported his proposal.

They quickly packed up, skipping breakfast, and bade farewell to the Pancham family before hurrying away from the bamboo forest.