Chapter 46: The Current Situation of fourth floor

The four Pokémon found themselves trapped, completely surrounded by five Haunters each, their movements restricted and every possible route to escape was sealed off. Danger pressed in from every direction, offering no chance for a counterattack or retreat. The Haunters coordinated their relentless assault flawlessly, each one attacking in perfect harmony with the others, leaving no gaps in their formation. The pressure was overwhelming, and adding to the gravity of the situation was Gengar, hovering ominously above. It kept a sharp, watchful eye on the entire battlefield, waiting for the right moment to strike, ready to turn the tide even further against them.

But the real disaster was just beginning. From each group of Haunters, one among them started to use Curse, a sinister and draining move that caused even more damage. The already cornered ghost type Pokemon—Gastly, Duskull, and Drifloon—were now hit with the added weight of Curse. Their vitality slowly ebbed away, leaving them vulnerable and physically weaker as the battle wore on.

Under these circumstances, the Haunter Legion appeared unbeatable. The grueling struggle continued for what felt like an eternity, but one by one, all four Pokémon eventually succumbed to exhaustion. Their strength was drained to the point where they could no longer fight back effectively.

Seeing no other option, the four trainers reluctantly returned their Pokémon to their Poké Balls. The weight of defeat hung heavy in the air.

"So, what's the plan this time? How do we counter something like this?" Melissa asked, frustration evident in her voice as she looked to the others for answers.

Komatsu scratched his head, unsure of what to say. The situation seemed hopeless, and no clear solution came to mind.

"There's not much we can do," Kane said flatly, his voice calm but carrying a grim edge. "The difference in power is just too great. This floor isn't about tactics—it's a matter of strength."

With that, Kane turned and began walking down the steps of the tower without looking back.

Thunderstorm sighed deeply, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, that about sums it up."

After leaving Bell Tower, the four trainers made their way back to hand their Pokémon to Ryuki once more for healing. Another week of relentless challenges followed, but the outcome remained the same—defeat after defeat, with no sign of improvement.

There were moments where hope flickered briefly. On two occasions, Kane's Gastly had managed to create small openings in the enemy's defenses using a combination of Shadow Ball and Hypnosis. Similarly, Komatsu's Spiritbomb had once broken through with a powerful Snarl. But each time they gained a slight advantage, Gengar would step in with a swift and brutal attack, erasing any progress they had made.

By their eighth attempt, both Gastly and SpiritBomb succeeded in breaking through the Haunters' defenses again. But in direct, two-on-one combat with Gengar, they were no match. Gengar's overwhelming strength proved to be too much for them, and one by one, they fell.

Yet again, the group left Bell Tower feeling dejected, the sting of defeat growing heavier with each passing day.

As Kane walked, he couldn't help but replay the battles over in his mind. Despite the repeated failures, he was growing more and more satisfied with the progress Gastly was making. The area covered by Gastly's night shade had noticeably expanded, and its use of Hypnosis had become quicker and more precise.

There were even visible changes in the shape of Gastly's Shadow Ball—it had begun to take on an oval form, a clear sign that the special training they had been working on was paying off. The improvements were gradual but undeniable, and they were becoming increasingly evident with each battle.

However, there was one thing that still puzzled Kane. Gastly had shown every sign of being ready to evolve, yet no evolution had taken place. This was strange, as evolving into Haunter would greatly enhance Gastly's special attack power and speed, making its moves even more effective.

Perhaps the time wasn't quite right yet, Kane thought. Evolution wasn't something that could be rushed. If a Pokémon evolved too early, it could end up missing out on crucial skills that required more time and experience to develop. It could even result in a loss of potential, as was the case with Pokémon like Staryu and Starmie—Staryu could learn a wide variety of useful moves in its first stage, but once it evolved into Starmie, its learnable skills became much more limited.

In the end, the fact that Gastly hadn't evolved yet only meant that there was still untapped potential. Kane took this as a positive sign. Gastly had already proven itself by defeating numerous Haunters in battle, and Kane could only imagine what it would be capable of once it finally evolved into Haunter. The future looked promising.

The four trainers made their way to the training grounds, where they were met by Chiyama, who appeared to have been waiting for them.

"Well, this level isn't easy," Chiyama commented.

His remark naturally sparked a complaint from Melissa, but Kane, Komatsu, and Thunderstorm remained quiet.

"Kane, what's your take on it? Any thoughts on how to overcome this?" Chiyama asked, turning his gaze toward Kane with a curious expression.

"Honestly, it's all about strength. Without enough of it, then there's no way we can win," Kane replied as he started fiddling with his special training tool, a set of iron spikes he used for honing Gastly's precision.

Chiyama observed Kane for a moment and nodded in silent agreement.

"Komatsu, what do you think?" Chiyama asked, shifting his attention to him.

"I agree. It's definitely a matter of strength," Komatsu responded.

Thunderstorm, when asked, gave the same answer as well.

Chiyama smiled knowingly. "Good. You all recognize your weaknesses. If you keep challenging the same opponent without finding a way to improve your strength, it won't do you much good."

Kane nodded in approval. He knew Chiyama was right. It's like having a young child go up against a fully-grown adult in a fight. If the child loses every time without a proper process to learn and improve, the results won't be very beneficial for their development.

What they needed now was an opponent whose strength wasn't too far beyond their own. A battle where they could fight properly, rather than being taken down immediately, would be far more useful.

"So, what should we do? Special training?" Komatsu asked.

Chiyama nodded, but added, "Yes, special training is important, but it's also vital to find more opponents to hone your skills against."

Kane smiled inwardly—this was exactly what he had been hoping for. It seemed like Chiyama was preparing something big for his son and Melissa.

"That's why I've decided to lift the restriction on the number of daily challengers at the Ecruteak Gym. Starting tomorrow, a large number of challengers will be arriving to test their strength against you," Chiyama explained.

"We're going to be fighting them?" Komatsu asked, surprise evident on his face.

"Yes, the four of you will rotate in accepting challenges during your special training. Once you feel that you've become strong enough to pass the fourth level of Bell Tower, you can take on that challenge again," Chiyama replied with a knowing smile.

This plan was truly unique. The constant battles and high-intensity special training would push the trainers and their Pokémon to their limits, squeezing out every ounce of their potential. It was a trial by fire.

"But what if we lose? Won't we have to hand over Gym Badges?" Melissa asked, clearly concerned.

Chiyama chuckled, finding her worry endearing. "If you lose, I'll handle it. Whether a challenger gets a badge or not will depend on their skill, not just on defeating you."

With that, Chiyama laughed, clearly amused by Melissa's innocent question. It was obvious that she hadn't experienced much of Ecruteak Gym's inner workings and was still learning the ropes.

"So, does anyone have any objections to my plan?" Chiyama asked, his eyes sweeping over the group.

"I'm all for it," Kane said, already starting his training without hesitation.

Chiyama felt completely confident in Kane. Despite being only seven years old, the boy's focus and drive was impressive, sometimes even intimidating. There were moments when his sheer determination made even experienced Gym Trainers take him seriously.

The iron darts Kane had been working with for the past week were now sharp and slender, a result of his relentless effort. He had also been having Gastly practice until it could condense its Shadow Ball perfectly into the same shape.

The principles behind Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball were similar, so there was no need for excessive practice with them. The key was ensuring that if Sludge Bombs were condensed on the iron spikes, they wouldn't corrode them too quickly.

Suddenly, a loud shout broke through the training session.

"Duskulll!" Thunderstorm's voice echoed out, drawing everyone's attention.

Everyone turned to see Thunderstorm's Duskull engulfed in a dazzling white light.

"Ah, it's evolving," Kane noted, glancing over before resuming his training.

As the light faded, a new, humanoid Pokémon appeared—Dusclops. Its evolution was complete.

Dusclops' new powerful hands were its most notable feature. These two strong hands were a gift, allowing it to perform Shadow Punch, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, and Fire Punch with ease.

Komatsu and Melissa immediately rushed over to congratulate Thunderstorm. With Duskull's evolution, the team's overall strength had increased significantly, boosting their confidence in their next attempt to break through the level.