Chapter 51: Subtle Surprise Attack

Gastly's Psychic training method had been deeply ingrained in its mind, but the sessions were still limited to just two or three hours each night. No matter how determined Gastly was, his mental strength could only grow in small stages, and pushing it too far too quickly would be dangerous. Kane made sure that Gastly followed a steady, step-by-step approach, focusing on energy conservation during the day to maximize their night training sessions.

With only ten days left before Melissa was set to leave the Ecruteak Gym, Kane's Ditto had finally returned to peak condition after a long recovery. This was a good sign for their next challenge.

One day, Komatsu approached Kane and suggested, "Kane, what do you think? Should we challenge the fifth floor of the Bell Tower? We've been talking about it for a while now, and with Melissa leaving soon, we should make the attempt before she goes."

"Sure," Kane replied without hesitation.

The allure of the challenging the gym multiple times a day had worn off for most of the challengers. Even Chiyama's tactic of using it to tempt potential opponents had lost its impact, and now there were only one or two people challenging the gym each day. It was the perfect time to gauge how much progress Gastly had made over the past twenty days of relentless training.

For nearly three weeks, Komatsu, Melissa, and Thunderstorm had been grinding through their own Pokémon's special training, making noticeable improvements. Their confidence soared as they prepared to tackle the fifth floor of Bell Tower, eager to see the results of their hard work.

This time, Kane and the others faced off against a Banette and twenty shuppets—an intimidating sight for most trainers.

Melissa looked over to Komatsu and asked, "So, how should we approach this battle?"

"The Banette has strong physical attacks," Komatsu replied, analyzing the situation carefully. "As long as we keep our distance and don't let them get close, we'll be fine."

Just as he finished speaking, the Banette and Shuppets suddenly vanished from sight.

"Foolish tricks," Thunderstorm scoffed, unimpressed. "Dusclocps will see through it."

He was confident that Duskull's foresight would turn the battle in their favor.

As Duskull's eyes glowed red and scanned the entire floor, Thunderstorm wore a smug expression, fully expecting his Pokémon to unveil the hidden enemies. But as the seconds ticked by, nothing happened. Not a shuppet appeared.

"What? How is that even possible?" Thunderstorm's confidence vanished in an instant. He stood frozen, unable to comprehend what had gone wrong.

Meanwhile, Kane stayed silent, watching the unfolding events with a cold, calculating gaze. He wasn't the least bit surprised by Thunderstorm's failure.

Without hesitation, Kane gave a simple command: "Gastly, use night shade and follow up with dark pulse."

Gastly responded immediately, spreading a dark shadow beneath him, blending seamlessly into the floor. His ominous presence cloaked the room as the terrifying aura swelled. Dark energy rippled outward, expanding in every direction, forcing the Banette and Shuppets out of hiding.

Komatsu, Melissa, and Thunderstorm had barely registered Kane's command before the Shuppets launched a brutal surprise attack. The three trainers pokemon Spiritbomb, Drifblim , and Dusclops—were caught off guard, suffering heavy damage in the first assault.

The Shuppets nearest to Gastly, however, were pushed back by the sheer force of Dark Pulse. The powerful energy, combined with the cover of Night shade, made it impossible for the dolls to land a direct hit on Gastly. They had no choice but to retreat.

Just as Komatsu and the others tried to rally and launch a counterattack, the Shuppets disappeared once more into their hidden dimension.

"What is with these Shuppets?" Melissa cried out in frustration. "Why are they only attacking us using sneak attacks?"

It was a fair question. The dolls' guerrilla tactics were maddening, designed to wear down their opponents mentally and emotionally. But Kane knew better. Melissa's outburst wasn't just about the shuppets. It was a reflection of her own inadequacies. When a trainer couldn't solve a battle problem, frustration set in, and the easiest thing to do was to lash out, making excuses to comfort themselves. In reality, it was her lack of understanding that was the problem.

"Yes, phantom force," Komatsu suddenly shouted, as if he had just come to an epiphany.

Kane glanced over at him. So, he finally caught on. But by now, it was too late. They were already doomed in this fight.

Melissa, still struggling to grasp the situation, asked, "phantom force? My Drifblim can use phantom force too, but I've always thought that move was useless, so I never used it."

Useless? Kane rolled his eyes at her ridiculous statement. It was laughable that someone like her, who only knew how to charge head-on, would consider such a valuable move pointless. Komatsu might have been annoying, but at least he was starting to think critically.

"Oh no, it's not useless at all," Komatsu said, quickly correcting her. "Phantom force is one of the most efficient ways to land surprise hits. The Shuppets are temporarily hiding in another dimension, which is why Thunderstorm's foresight didn't work. Once they get close enough, they launch their attacks, and it's nearly impossible to defend in time. Even defensive moves can't stop them."

Melissa's eyes widened as realization hit her. "Brother Komatsu, you're so knowledgeable! I'm going to use that move the next time I battle."

Komatsu might have been getting the attention, but in his mind, he knew that Kane, the one who was handling everything with ease, was the true expert. While Melissa was showering him with praise, the real master was standing silently on the sidelines, already planning his next steps.

Before anyone could react, the Shuppets struck again. Drifblim, who had already taken severe damage from the Shuppets ' earlier attack, was knocked out of the fight entirely.

Komatsu's Spiritbomb used snarl in defiance, holding off the Shuppets from advancing any further. Meanwhile, Gastly's unrelenting Dark Pulse kept the dolls at bay, preventing them from getting too close.

Thunderstorm wasn't as lucky. His Dusclops became the main target, and by the time he thought to use Dark Pulse himself, it was already too late. The Dusclops had been overwhelmed by the Shuppets ' concentrated attacks and was knocked out, unable to continue.

Thunderstorm's failure wasn't just bad luck. His Pokémon's lack of skill and proficiency in using their moves in battle made them easy targets. They simply weren't ready for a situation like this.

With only Gastly and Komatsu's Spiritbomb left standing, Komatsu turned to Kane. "What should we do now?"

Without a second thought, Kane recalled Gastly to his Poké Ball. "There's no point in continuing. We're done here we've lost." With that, Kane turned on his heel and walked out of the Bell Tower, leaving the others behind.

Melissa stared after him, her face twisted in disbelief. "What's his problem? How disrespectful!" she snapped.

Komatsu sighed heavily. "Forget it, Melissa. We're the ones dragging him down, not the other way around."

"But Komatsu, we waited for over twenty days for his Ditto to recover. He should show a little gratitude!" Melissa protested.

Thunderstorm sneered at her. "If you think you can pass the trial on your own, then go ahead. No one's stopping you."

Melissa fumed silently, glaring at him, but couldn't find a retort. Thunderstorm's words cut deep because they were true.

Komatsu, ever the peacemaker, said, "Let's just challenge the floor again tomorrow. Now that we understand the Shuppets' tactics, we can use Kane's strategy and we should be able to pass."

Kane didn't stick around to hear the rest of the argument. His mind was already on more pressing matters, like the upcoming gym assessment. Chiyama wasn't paying much attention to the group's training progress anymore, as he was too focused on preparing for the annual gym assessment. This year, the evaluation would be conducted by one of the most ruthless examiners in the Johto League: Pryce, the Winter Trainer.

Kane considered himself lucky. In his previous life, Pryce had already retired by the time Kane became a gym leader, but he had heard stories of the man's severity. Pryce was the kind of person who never pulled his punches, even when dealing with fellow Gym Leaders.

Pryce's strength was legendary. His Delibird could freeze the entire Lake of Rage, and his Mamoswine was strong enough to face off against the legendary trio of Raikou, Entei, and Suicune. With such formidable Pokémon under his command, no one dared to cross him.

If it weren't for the political forces in the League trying to keep him from upsetting the balance of power, Pryce could have easily become Champion. Even though many people disliked him for his brutal honesty and strictness, no one could challenge his strength. And for as long as Pryce held power, the Johto region maintained its integrity, keeping the rampant corruption in check.

Kane silently acknowledged the power of someone like Pryce. That kind of strength was what truly mattered in the end, and it was the very thing Kane sought to build for himself.

However the alliance Council naturally would not allow Pryce to go rogue and obstructed his actions so every time he acted they would step in to stop him.

Pryce eventually resigned disappointed at the alliance council, Having been an Elite Four for only a few years and went back to being a gym leader in Mahogany town.

After Pryce left the entire johto region fell into a slump of darkness and corruption and lived in the dark shadows of the Kanto region for decades.