The year Mo Yu spent with Gastly was the most fulfilling time of his life. Now, Gastly had evolved into Gengar, significantly increasing its strength.
Every day, before dawn, Mo Yu and Gengar would go to the open grassland on the farm to begin their training regimen. The morning mist had not yet dispersed, but Gengar was already agilely moving through the air, performing its signature skills. Its slender purple body flickered in and out of view within the mist, appearing even more mysterious.
"Gengar, Double Team, then follow up with Shadow Ball!" Mo Yu shouted, his voice exceptionally clear in the quiet morning. Gengar let out a sinister chuckle, instantly splitting into dozens of identical clones, filling the surrounding space. Immediately after, a huge Shadow Ball, carrying powerful dark energy, shot out from its wide-open mouth, striking the training target in the distance with a dull thud, leaving a deep indentation in the bullseye.
After countless training sessions like this, Gengar's mastery of its skills reached a state of perfection. Its Double Team was not only numerous, but each clone was also indistinguishable from the real one, making it difficult for opponents to discern. The power of its Shadow Ball was not to be underestimated; once it hit, it was enough to incapacitate an opponent.
In this process, Mo Yu also established deep trust and rapport with Gengar. He could accurately read every one of Gengar's glances and movements, and Gengar could quickly understand Mo Yu's tactical intentions.
They challenged every Pokémon on the farm. Facing the strong Tauros, Gengar first used Confuse Ray to disrupt his mind, then used Double Team to confuse his vision, and finally, seized the opportunity to precisely attack his leg joints with Shadow Ball, causing this incredibly strong Pokémon to collapse.
When battling the agile Swellow, Gengar utilized its ability to float, maneuvering in the air with Swellow, using Poison Gas to interfere with Swellow's flight path, and then launching a surprise attack.
And battling his father Mo Fang's Pokémon was undoubtedly the most challenging. Mo Fang's Pokémon were powerful and rich in combat experience. But Mo Yu and Gengar were never afraid; each defeat became a stepping stone for their growth.
Mo Yu carefully observed his father's Pokémon commanding techniques, learning how to control the pace of battle and how to formulate tactics based on the opponent's characteristics. Gengar continuously improved its skill proficiency and reaction speed, striving to unleash its maximum strength in battle.
On this day, Mo Yu once again challenged his father, and Mo Fang sent out his ace—Sceptile.
As Sceptile appeared, it immediately displayed a powerful kingly aura. Its agile figure shimmered exceptionally brightly in the sunlight, and the leaves on its body gleamed with sharp light, like keen blades.
Mo Yu took a deep breath, turned to Gengar, and said firmly, "Gengar, let's go! Let them see our strength!"
Gengar let out an excited cackle, and the purple mist around its body instantly thickened, enveloping its form, leaving only a pair of glowing eyes visible.
The battle officially began, and Sceptile was the first to attack. It flashed, like a green lightning bolt, rushing towards Gengar, its sharp leaves cutting through the air with a whooshing sound, aiming directly at Gengar's vital points.
Mo Yu's gaze was fixed on Sceptile's movements, and he calmly and quickly shouted, "Gengar, dodge to the upper left, quick!" Gengar understood instantly, twisting its body flexibly in the air, narrowly avoiding Sceptile's attack. At the same time, it used Double Team, and in the blink of an eye, dozens of Gengar appeared on the battlefield, surrounding Sceptile completely.
"Gengar, Shadow Ball! Full power, target directly in front of Sceptile!" Mo Yu seized the opportunity and ordered loudly. Gengar immediately opened its mouth, and a huge Shadow Ball shot out, carrying powerful dark energy, flying towards Sceptile.
Sceptile reacted quickly, dodging the Shadow Ball's attack by shifting its body. Immediately after, it jumped onto a large tree, using the elasticity of the branches to launch another attack on Gengar. This time, it used the powerful move "Leaf Blade," with dense Grass-type energy gathered on its leaves, shimmering with green light.
Seeing this, Mo Yu shouted without hesitation, "Gengar, Confuse Ray! Interrupt its attack rhythm!" Gengar spewed out a Confuse Ray, and the colorful ray accurately hit Sceptile, causing its movements to instantly slow down, and its eyes appeared somewhat dazed.
"Good opportunity, Gengar, continuously use Shadow Ball, shorten the attack interval, and disrupt its defense!" Mo Yu pressed on, commanding loudly.
Gengar took the opportunity to continuously fire several Shadow Balls. Although Sceptile struggled to defend, it was still hit by one of the Shadow Balls, its body swaying, almost falling to the ground.
However, Mo Fang was, after all, an experienced Elite. Mo Fang calmly ordered, "Sceptile, use Energy Ball!" Sceptile quickly adjusted its state, roared, and the Grass-type energy on its body surged wildly, then it used "Energy Ball," and a huge green Energy Ball flew towards Gengar. Gengar wanted to dodge, but the Energy Ball's range was too wide, so it decided to take the hit head-on.
"Gengar, don't panic! Compress the Shadow Ball's energy core to its tightest state, and meet it head-on!" Mo Yu shouted, his voice full of trust and determination. The purple energy around Gengar surged wildly, boosting the Shadow Ball's power to its maximum, meeting the Energy Ball.
The two powerful moves collided in mid-air, emitting dazzling light and a huge explosion. The powerful energy impact swept up dust and grass clippings into the sky, creating a battlefield shrouded in smoke.
As the smoke cleared, Gengar, though somewhat out of breath and with some scratches, still stubbornly floated in the air, its eyes firmly fixed on Sceptile. Mo Yu's heart swelled with pride; he knew Gengar had given its all.
Mo Fang seized the opportunity and calmly said, "Sceptile, Quick Attack followed by Leaf Blade, end the battle!" Sceptile instantly accelerated, turning into a white flash as it rushed towards Gengar. At the moment of approach, a vibrant green light surged on its leaves, striking Gengar fiercely. Mo Yu anxiously clenched his fists, but it was too late to give more commands. In the end, Gengar lost its combat capability.
Mo Yu checked Sceptile's information using the system:
Sceptile
Attribute: Grass
Ability: Overgrow
Level: Quasi-Heavenly King (Late Stage)
Skills: Leaf Blade, Quick Attack, Leaf Storm, Giga Drain, Energy Ball...
Mo Yu walked forward, gently picked up Gengar, and gently stroked its head: "Gengar, you were amazing. We'll definitely win next time." Gengar let out a weak cry and rubbed against Mo Yu's palm, as if responding to his encouragement.
Mo Fang walked over, looked at Mo Yu and Gengar, and a relieved smile appeared on his face: "You've made great progress. This battle was splendid. Keep working hard, and I believe you will successfully challenge the Gym."
Mo Yu nodded, his heart filled with fighting spirit. He knew that this failure was just a small setback on their path to growth, and he and Gengar would become even stronger, continuing to advance towards their dream of becoming a Pokémon Master.