Chapter 88: Dratini vs Gengar Battle

The storm outside the window churned the sea into a gray fury. Rain lashed against the glass, creating a constant thrum that filled the otherwise empty corridor of the S.T. Anne. I stood there for a moment, letting the chaos outside mirror the storm brewing in my mind. My hand brushed against my sleek black jacket, feeling the familiar weight of Pokéballs inside.

I'd been following whispers. Team Rocket—no, someone bigger than the usual grunts—was operating aboard the ship. My instincts buzzed. The air was thick with the scent of salt and something else—danger.

As I moved away from the window, I noticed a figure at the far end of the corridor. He was tall, towering over most people, with a high-collared black trench coat that seemed to swallow the light. Jet-black hair slicked back, dark glasses concealing what I knew would be icy, calculating eyes. There was no mistaking him.

His mere presence screamed danger, more than the storm outside ever could. I approached slowly, making no effort to hide my steps. If anything, I wanted him to hear me coming.

"Team Rocket," I said, my voice calm, almost conversational. "And not just any grunt, an elite member."

Darius turned his head, cigarette hanging lazily from his lips. His lips curled, barely a smirk, more like an acknowledgment of the inevitable.

"Looks like Jessie, James, and that Meowth didn't do their job right," he said, his voice cold and cutting, but casual—like he had all the time in the world to deal with me.

"Yeah, they're always like that," I replied, shrugging. I kept my voice relaxed, mirroring his tone. But my fingers hovered near my belt, where my Pokéballs waited.

Darius flicked the cigarette away, his blue eyes finally visible, scanning me with clinical precision. "Hand over your Pokémon. Now. Maybe I won't throw you overboard."

I sighed, more out of habit than any real annoyance. "I'm not going anywhere without a fight."

His smile disappeared, and something colder replaced it. "You'll regret that. Remember my name—The Black Fang. If you survive, that is."

I didn't need to think. My hand moved in a flash, and I tossed my Pokéball into the air. "Dratini, let's go!"

The air shimmered as my shiny green Dratini burst into the hallway, its sleek body coiled and ready, eyes sparkling with mischief.

Darius's eyes flickered with recognition, a glint of greed. "Shiny Green Dratini, huh? Rare. That'll sell well on the black market. Or maybe I'll keep it for myself."

His words barely finished when he threw his own Pokéball with an almost lazy flick of his wrist. "Gengar, show yourself."

The shadows darkened, and Gengar materialized, its wicked grin stretching impossibly wide. The air around it grew colder, the lights flickering for a moment as if its very presence was corrupting the atmosphere.

Dratini slithered forward, its body coiling tighter, ready for my command. But Gengar—Gengar wasn't just standing there. It was watching, waiting, as if it already knew what was coming next. This one was hungry.

"Shadow Ball," Darius commanded, the words cutting through the tension like a razor.

Gengar didn't waste a second. Its claws crackled with dark energy as it conjured a swirling orb of pure darkness, launching it straight toward Dratini with a sinister laugh.

"Extreme Speed," I called out, my voice calm despite the chaos about to unfold.

In a blink, Dratini became nothing more than a shimmering green blur, dodging the Shadow Ball effortlessly. The dark sphere smashed into the metal wall behind us, sending a violent tremor through the corridor.

"Water Pulse," I ordered, my eyes narrowed on Gengar.

Dratini spun mid-air, sending a spiraling vortex of water crashing toward Gengar. The liquid twisted and churned with enough force to crumple steel.

Darius barely flinched. "Double Team."

Gengar flickered, its form multiplying into dozens of ghostly copies that filled the hallway, all grinning menacingly. The Water Pulse slammed into one of the illusions, dispersing it harmlessly.

I clenched my jaw. A trickster, of course. This wasn't going to be a straightforward brawl.

"Mist," I said, my voice low.

Dratini coiled tighter, releasing a cold fog that quickly enveloped the entire hallway. The thick, white mist rolled over everything, shrouding the clones and Gengar alike. The once-clear battleground became an impenetrable veil of white, our enemies hidden in the haze.

Darius, unfazed, responded with cold precision. "Confuse Ray."

From somewhere in the fog, an eerie beam of light shot out, cutting through the mist, hunting Dratini. I didn't hesitate.

"Agility."

Dratini blurred again, zigzagging through the fog, the Confuse Ray missing by inches. The light pierced the mist without finding its target.

Darius's voice was sharp now, impatient. "Hypnosis."

The mist rippled as psychic waves drifted through, searching for Dratini. The heavy pressure of the move aimed to pull Dratini into a deep, unwakeable slumber.

"Supersonic!" I countered.

Dratini screeched, the sound so high-pitched it sliced through the fog like knives. The sound waves clashed with Gengar's psychic energy, creating a chaotic dissonance. The mist swirled violently, disrupted by the conflicting powers.

"Twister!" I snapped.

Dratini spun in the mist, whipping up a fierce cyclone. The wind howled, turning the fog into a spiraling vortex. Gengar's clones shattered, their grinning faces dissolving in the fury of the storm.

Darius's eyes gleamed, the faintest hint of admiration in his cold gaze. "Sludge Bomb."

Through the raging cyclone, Gengar hurled a massive toxic sphere. The Sludge Bomb tore through the winds with lethal precision, heading straight for Dratini.

"Aqua Jet!" I barked, my pulse quickening.

Dratini cloaked itself in water, shooting forward like a bullet, narrowly avoiding the Sludge Bomb as it exploded into the floor, leaving a sizzling pool of poison. Dratini rocketed toward Gengar, but once again, Darius was ahead.

"Double Team."

Gengar split again into a dozen copies, flickering and laughing as Dratini passed harmlessly through another illusion.

But I was ready this time. "Dragon Breath!"

Dratini skidded to a halt, its mouth glowing with green energy. It unleashed the Dragon Breath in a wide arc, the dragon's fury scorching the air around us. The clones shattered under the force of the attack. The real Gengar, caught mid-phase, took the full brunt of the hit, its form flickering as it reeled back.

Darius's jaw tightened, his calm cracking. "Focus Blast!"

Gengar gathered raw fighting energy, a massive orb forming between its claws. The hallway trembled under the sheer force of the move as it launched the glowing sphere straight at Dratini.

"Twister," I called, though my voice was tense now.

Dratini spun up another cyclone, but the Focus Blast tore through the storm like it was nothing. The attack barreled toward Dratini with unstoppable momentum.

"Agility!" I yelled.

Dratini darted out of the way just in time, the Focus Blast smashing into the wall behind it with a deafening explosion. The ship trembled, the lights flickering violently as metal twisted under the pressure.

Before Darius could react, I shouted, "Extreme Speed!"

Dratini shot forward, faster than anything on the field, and slammed into Gengar with brutal force. Gengar skidded back, its shadowy form flickering, barely holding itself together.

"Finish it with Dragon Breath," I said, my voice steady despite the adrenaline rushing through me.

Dratini coiled one last time, summoning its energy before unleashing a final, devastating burst of green dragon fire. The attack slammed into Gengar, sending it crashing into the wall, its form flickering before finally collapsing to the floor.

Darius's hand tightened around Gengar's Pokéball as he recalled his defeated Pokémon. His expression was unreadable, but I could see the frustration simmering beneath the surface.