Chapter 122: Battle of Supremacy

I stood with my hands buried in my jacket pockets, the early morning sunlight filtering through the trees and casting long shadows across the clearing. 

The wind rustled the leaves, the only sound aside from the subtle crackling of energy radiating from Shadow, who was perched lazily on my head. 

His eerie red eyes gleamed, watching our opponents with an unsettling calm. 

Gengar hovered just to my right, its form dark and ominous, and at my feet, Dratini's emerald scales shimmered as it coiled in the grass.

Across from me, a nameless trainer grinned, that kind of smug arrogance that made my jaw clench. 

His Mr. Mime and Jynx were already positioned, their gazes locked on us. I could see it in his eyes—he thought this was going to be easy.

"Give your best," I said, my voice low but cutting through the silence. My eyes locked with his. "I am the best. It'll be a challenge fighting against me."

The trainer scoffed, a lazy hand brushing the Pokéballs on his belt. "We'll see who's the best soon enough."

He had no idea. 

Before he could react, Gengar shot forward, a flicker of dark energy crackling around it. 

"Shadow Ball," I commanded, my voice barely a whisper in my mind, and yet Gengar responded instantly. 

A black and purple orb materialized in front of it, humming with violent energy as it careened through the air toward Mr. Mime.

"Light Screen!" the trainer barked.

Mr. Mime's hands rose, fluid and practiced, creating a shimmering barrier just in time. 

The Shadow Ball crashed against it, dissipating harmlessly. 

But Gengar wasn't done. 

It vanished into the shadows before the trainer could even blink, reappearing to the left, a dark blur in the corner of his eye.

His eyes flickered, panic surfacing in the slightest twitch of his lips. He wasn't as confident anymore. "Jynx, Confusion!"

Jynx's eyes glowed with psychic energy, sending a wave of force toward Gengar. 

But Gengar was too fast, twisting mid-air, phasing through the attack like smoke dissipating in the wind. 

I didn't need to speak. 

I was in tune with my Pokémon—telepathy between us was effortless.

"Wrap, Dratini, now." The words hummed in Dratini's mind as it launched forward, a green flash through the grass. 

Jynx didn't stand a chance. In a blink, Dratini had coiled itself around her legs, tightening its grip with an unyielding ferocity.

Jynx's eyes widened in panic, arms flailing. 

"Jynx, Ice Punch!" the trainer yelled, his voice edged with desperation. 

Jynx's fist glowed with icy energy as it slammed down onto Dratini's scales. 

The crackle of frost spread across its body, but I barely flinched. Dratini's Marvel Scale kicked in, hardening its defenses. It was barely a scratch.

I smirked, the corner of my lips tugging upward. "Dratini, Leer."

Dratini's gaze darkened, its eyes glowing a menacing green. 

Jynx visibly faltered, her defenses crumbling under the intensity of that glare. 

"Mr. Mime, Dazzling Gleam!" The trainer was losing his cool now, his confidence slipping through his fingers. A burst of brilliant light exploded from Mr. Mime, momentarily blinding Gengar, who hissed as its form flickered under the harsh radiance. 

I stayed calm, watching as Gengar reoriented itself. *Shadow Punch." 

My mental command was sharp, precise. 

Gengar reappeared behind Mr. Mime in an instant, its fist cloaked in swirling black energy. 

The punch hit squarely, bypassing Mr. Mime's defenses and sending it stumbling back.

The trainer's face twisted with frustration. "Mr. Mime, Substitute!"

Mr. Mime split into a dozen shimmering copies, the real one hidden among them. 

Gengar's next attack swiped harmlessly through one of the illusions. 

I narrowed my eyes, keeping my composure. He was stalling, trying to wear me down.

"Dratini, time to switch. Shed Skin." I wasn't about to let him dictate the pace.

Dratini shimmered, shedding its damaged skin and releasing Jynx from its grip. 

With a flash of movement, the dragon shot back to my side, refreshed and ready for more. 

The trainer wasn't giving up. "Jynx, Blizzard!" 

The temperature in the clearing plummeted as Jynx summoned a raging storm of ice and wind. 

Trees groaned under the pressure, their branches snapping under the weight of the freezing gusts. 

I didn't blink. "Night Shade, Gengar."

A dark, swirling veil descended over the battlefield as Gengar cast Night Shade. 

The blizzard was useless, dispersing into the shadows like it had never existed. 

At the same time, the shadows twisted toward Mr. Mime, striking the real one. The illusions flickered and disappeared, leaving the clown exposed.

"Jynx, Lovely Kiss!" The trainer was grasping at straws, desperation in his voice. 

Even with Jynx immobilized, she managed to blow a shimmering, hypnotic kiss toward Dratini.

Dratini's eyelids drooped for a second, but I didn't hesitate. "Shed Skin, now."

Dratini shivered, shedding the sleep-inducing effect like it was nothing, eyes snapping back into focus.

"Shadow Claw, Gengar."

Gengar's claws extended, dark and jagged as they slashed through the remaining copies of Mr. Mime. The real one staggered, still dazed from Confuse Ray, leaving itself wide open.

"Ice Punch, Jynx!" the trainer shouted, but Jynx was already spent, still trapped in Dratini's relentless grip. 

The punch was weak, ineffective.

This battle was over.

"Finish it, Gengar." My voice was cold, final.

Gengar disappeared one last time into the shadows, reappearing behind Mr. Mime. 

With a swift, brutal Shadow Ball, it struck the psychic-type square in the back, sending it crashing to the ground. 

Jynx let out a final wail, her defeat inevitable, her body limp in Dratini's coils.

The trainer's face twisted with disbelief, his arrogance shattered. He had nothing left.

I exhaled softly, my hands still tucked in my pockets. "Told you, I'm the best."

The trainer didn't say a word as I recalled Gengar and Dratini. 

Shadow hopped down onto my shoulder, his form light but his presence heavy. 

His voice echoed in my mind, calm and practical. "We should just get the Pokémon you want and level up. Another badge will be a better use of time."

I sighed, nodding. "Yeah, you're right. But first, teach them the moves. Gengar, Hypnosis. Dratini, Thunder Wave."

Shadow's red eyes gleamed. "Done. They know the moves."

I smirked as we walked deeper into the forest.