** Chapter 30: TMs **

The battle was at a standstill for what felt like an eternity. Machop was on the verge of collapse, its muscles trembling as it struggled to fend off the relentless assault from the seven remaining gastly. Kane, watching closely, knew the situation was growing more dire by the second. Something had to be done.

"How can we take down these seven gastly?" Kane thought, his mind racing. His Gastly had already absorbed the life energy of the five gastly's it had devoured earlier, reaching its limit for now. There was no more room to absorb any additional life energy, which made the situation even more complicated. Kane knew that simply continuing to use "Shadow Hypnosis" in this position would be futile. The gastly's, completely focused on Machop, weren't paying any attention to Gastly, so the technique wouldn't work unless their focus shifted.

Kane realized he needed to wait for the perfect opportunity. His plan was forming in his mind. If he let Machop continue to hold on, fighting until it could no longer stand, the seven gastly's would inevitably turn their attention toward Gastly once Machop lost the ability to fight. At that critical moment, he would unleash "Shadow Hypnosis," catching the ghosts off-guard while their focus was divided. It was a risky plan, but it was the only viable strategy given the current circumstances.

Meanwhile, Thunderstorm was growing increasingly frustrated. He had been shouting commands at Kane's Gastly, urging it to provide support to his Machop, but Kane remained calm and completely unresponsive. Thunderstorm was losing patience. To him, it seemed like Kane was completely indifferent to Machop's suffering. He couldn't understand why Kane wasn't acting.

"You're just going to stand there and do nothing?" Thunderstorm growled under his breath, though Kane ignored him entirely, his focus unwavering.

Despite its exhaustion, Machop summoned a sudden burst of energy, launching a fierce counterattack. It grabbed the tongues of two gastly's that had lashed out at it, wrapping its strong hands around the slimy, ghostly tendrils with a grip that

would not be broken. With a surge of strength, Machop yanked the two gastly's toward it, slamming them one after the other into the ground with such force that they were knocked out instantly. 

Kane couldn't help but feel a flicker of admiration for Machop's incredible performance. Its strength, its resilience—this kind of fighting spirit was exactly what Kane valued in a Pokémon. Machop's feat seemed to inspire Gastly, whose competitive spirit was ignited by the sight of such raw power.

Suddenly, out of the shadowy mist of "dark shadows," small orbs of light began to form. They flickered like fireflies, hovering in the air before shooting out in all directions. The lights scattered, forming a wide ring around the remaining five gastly. One by one, the orbs of light forced their way into the bodies of the gastly. 

When the light settled, the five gastly began to sway erratically. Their movements became disjointed, as if their minds were clouded with confusion. They spun in place, unable to control themselves constantly bumping into each other.

Kane's eyes gleamed with understanding. "Confuse Ray."

Gastly had managed to learn a new technique on the spot, mastering the "Confuse Ray" move during the heat of battle. Kane gave a slight nod of approval. This was a major development. The confused gastly's stumbled around aimlessly, leaving themselves vulnerable.

Thunderstorm, his frustration now replaced by a surge of determination, saw his opportunity. His face contorted with anger, he commanded Machop to deliver the finishing blow. Machop, summoning every ounce of strength it had left, raised both fists high above its head and slammed them down with all its might. The impact was devastating. The frail bodies of the ghosts couldn't withstand such brute force, and all five were eliminated in quick succession.

At the same time, Kane's Ditto, who had been locked in combat with one of the haunters, finally triumphed. Thanks to the speed and agility it had honed through its rigorous training, Ditto outmaneuvered haunter and struck it down with a well-placed attack.

The battle was over. Both haunters and all twenty of their gastly minions had been defeated. Kane and Thunderstorm had finally cleared the first floor of the Bell Tower after eighteen long days of trying. The sense of accomplishment washed over them, especially for Kane, who had failed many times in his previous life but now tasted victory. Even though he had relived this experience, the thrill of success was still invigorating.

Perhaps the most rewarding outcome was that Gastly had learned a new, highly practical move—"Confuse Ray." Unlike "Hypnosis," which required precise eye contact to be effective and had a relatively low success rate, "Confuse Ray" was far more reliable in locking down an opponent. As long as the target wasn't incredibly fast, the move was almost guaranteed to hit, making it a valuable addition to Gastly's arsenal.

As Kane and Thunderstorm exited the Bell Tower, they found Chiyama's son Komatsu waiting outside for them. His expression was calm, but there was a note of approval in his voice as he said, "Congratulations to the both of you for successfully passing the first floor of the Bell Tower. My father is waiting for you in his study. Please, follow me."

The mention of Chiyama's study immediately sparked excitement in Kane and Thunderstorm. They had been at the Ecruteak Gym for nearly twenty days, diligently cleaning every morning and inspecting almost every inch of the building. The only place they hadn't been able to investigate was Chiyama's study. It had remained completely off-limits, a place of mystery that they had long suspected held valuable information, including the elusive book on Ghost-type Pokémon cultivation. 

Finally, they were being invited into the study, and both Kane and Thunderstorm knew this was their chance to uncover whatever secrets Chiyama had been hiding in that study.

Komatsu led them through the quiet halls of the gym until they reached the door to Chiyama's study. The room was simple but imposing. There were only two sets of tables and chairs, and it was clear that only Chiyama and Komatsu ever had access to the space. The study had no windows, and the walls were lined with bookshelves filled with all manner of texts. The only source of light came from the dim lamps that flickered above, casting long shadows across the room. The cold, sunless atmosphere gave the place an eerie feel, as if time itself had stood still within these walls.

Kane and Thunderstorm took in the sight of the room, pretending to be curious about its layout, but in reality, they were scanning every inch for clues. They both knew that this was a rare opportunity, and they were determined not to miss anything.

Chiyama greeted them with a nod, his eyes filled with a mixture of approval and caution. "Eighteen days to pass the first floor of the Bell Tower," he said. "That's no small feat. Many trainers spend a year or more trying to break through, and some never succeed. The fastest time before you was a month. You've both set a new record."

His words were full of praise, but his tone carried a warning. "But don't get complacent. The second floor will be much more challenging."

Kane and Thunderstorm nodded, accepting the compliment while bracing themselves for what was to come.

"As promised," Chiyama continued, "you've earned the right to choose a TM. On the left side of the room there are TMs for Ghost-type Pokémon. You may pick one for your Gastly Kane. On the right, Thunderstorm, there are five TMs for Fighting-type Pokémon. You may pick one for Machop."

TMs were rare and valuable items, used in conjunction with a learning device to teach Pokémon specific moves. These TMs were highly coveted, as they were single-use only and could not be reused once used. The production of these TMs was tightly controlled by the Pokémon League, and they were priced at a level that made them inaccessible to most trainers. The annual revenue from TM sales alone rivaled the entire budget of some small cities.

Kane knew how precious these discs were, and he carefully studied the five in front of him:

1. **Psychic**: A powerful special attack that uses telekinetic energy to strike the opponent. It has a 10% chance of lowering the target's special defense by one stage.

2. **Shadow Ball**: A Ghost-type special attack that hurls a ball of dark energy at the opponent. It has a 20% chance of lowering the target's special defense.

3. **Sludge Bomb**: A Poison-type special attack that involves launching toxic sludge at the opponent. It has a 30% chance of poisoning the target.

4. **Double Team**: A non-damaging move that creates illusory clones to confuse the opponent and increase the user's evasion.

5. **Embargo**: A Dark type move that prevents the opponent from using held items or being affected by items from their trainer.

Kane took his time considering each option carefully. He immediately ruled out **Shadow Ball**, as Gastly would eventually learn that move naturally through leveling up, so it didn't make sense to waste such a rare item on it. 

**Double Team** was tempting, but Kane knew that with enough training, Gastly could potentially learn it on its own, and the TM wasn't worth using for that.

The **Sludge Bomb** TM didn't interest him either. As someone who had spent his past life studying Poison-types extensively, Kane knew he could teach Gastly that move far better than any TM could.

**Psychic** was undoubtedly powerful, but it conflicted with Gastly's Poison type attribute. A Ghost-type Pokémon using a Psychic move wasn't ideal, and in the hands of a powerful opponent, this could backfire.

That left Embargo, a move that seemed underwhelming at first glance but was actually perfect for Kane's strategy. The TMs description might downplay its usefulness, but in reality, Embargo utilized the dark, oppressive energy of Dark-type Pokémon to paralyze an opponent, making them unable to use their items and freezing their movements. It was the ideal setup move for Gastly, especially in conjunction with "Shadow Hypnosis." By using Embargo to restrict the opponent's actions, Gastly's hypnosis would become almost guaranteed to succeed.

Satisfied with his choice, Kane picked up the Embargo TM, knowing it would be a powerful asset for his future battles.