"Whoosh!"
Riding on Pidgeot's back, Yozora gave chase. Through the power of Aura, even though Gengar had already vanished from sight, he could still lock onto its position.
"Pidgeot, over there—after it!"
Since he and Pidgeot had not yet reached a true heart-to-heart bond, Yozora had to give commands constantly. Fortunately, Pidgeot's speed was astounding.
Within moments, under the bright moonlight, Yozora spotted Gengar's plump figure again.
That rotund Gengar wore a crimson battle-cloak on its back as it flew through the night sky, giving off an almost superhero-like aura.
With Yozora chasing from behind on Pidgeot, the scene instead looked as if he were the villain pursuing it.
In truth, however, this Gengar—leader of the Gastly and Haunter inside Pokémon Tower—had tricked who knew how many humans, feeding on their life force. Even if not out of malice, it was without doubt a villain in its own right.
"Pidgeot, use Hurricane!" Yozora commanded from its back.
Pidgeot beat its wings with explosive force, whipping up a violent gale that slammed into Gengar, knocking it from the air and stirring up clouds of dust.
Yozora and Pidgeot descended, landing three meters away from where Gengar stood.
The chubby Gengar climbed back up, cloak fluttering in the night wind. Though slightly injured, it still wore that same confident grin.
"Heh-heh…" Gengar let out a chilling chuckle, extending its palms toward Yozora and Pidgeot. In an instant, waves of purple light pulsed outward in expanding rings, sweeping toward them.
They were harmless beams—mere light—but the moment Yozora and Pidgeot saw them, drowsiness crept in.
Hypnosis!
Earlier, Haunter had used sound-wave hypnosis, while this Gengar relied on light.
One used sound, the other light.
Sound-wave hypnosis was arguably more troublesome—you could close your eyes, but your ears could not shut out sound.
Light-wave hypnosis, however, was faster.
Each method had its advantages.
And the true strength of Hypnosis depended on the user's level and mental power.
This Gengar's mental force was clearly stronger, making its Hypnosis especially potent.
Yozora himself was immune, but Pidgeot… it was starting to nod off.
Pokémon: Gengar
Type: Ghost + Poison
Level: Senior Elite Peak
Potential: Elite Tier
Notes: A pampered, overfed Gengar.
"Pidgeot, wake up!" Yozora roared.
Pidgeot was stronger than Gengar; though Hypnosis took hold, its effects weren't immediate. Yozora's shout jolted it awake at once.
"Wing Attack!"
Pidgeot's wings gleamed with white light as it shot forward, slamming into Gengar and sending it flying.
Gengar cried out in pain, nearly fainting—but thanks to the battle-cloak's effect, it clung to a sliver of stamina.
Yozora gave it no chance to recover. He hurled a ball. "Go! Poké Ball!"
An Ultra Ball struck Gengar square on the head, opening with a flash of red light to draw it inside.
The ball shook violently in Gengar's desperate struggle—until at last, it stilled.
"Got it." Yozora grinned, stepping forward to pick up the Ultra Ball. Yet before his hand could even warm it, the ball vanished.
He wasn't surprised. His team slots were already full—new captures were automatically sent to Professor Oak's lab.
That was fine. Yozora had planned to reshuffle his team anyway. He'd retrieve Gengar later.
After capturing Gengar, Yozora regrouped with Golduck at the base of Pokémon Tower—only to be immediately surrounded.
The crowd's faces were pale, their eyes shadowed with heavy black circles, their expressions weary and half-spent. Yet every one of them was overflowing with gratitude, grabbing Yozora's hands in thanks.
"Hero, you're Golduck's Trainer, right? You saved us!"
"Thank you—thank you so much! Without you, even if we'd survived, the ghosts would've drained away half our lifespans!"
"Big brother, thank you!"
"…!"
They thanked him again and again, showering him with gifts.
Their ages varied, as did their means.
One middle-aged man pressed a mid-grade Water Stone into Yozora's hand. Others gave lesser stones, or rare Berries.
A girl of about ten, with nothing else to offer, shyly handed Yozora a single piece of candy.
Yozora chuckled, patting her head before tossing the sweet to Golduck.
Golduck tore off the wrapper without ceremony and crunched the candy happily.
"Young man, your Golduck is incredible! It single-handedly defeated so many ghosts!" the man with the Water Stone exclaimed in awe.
"Thank you," Yozora said on Golduck's behalf. The Water-type flexed its biceps proudly, earning laughter from the crowd.
As night deepened, the people dispersed, offering countless farewells and blessings.
Yozora also turned to leave the Tower, planning to find an inn for the night. But just as he turned, an old man approached.
The elder was hunched, bald on top, with a flowing white beard. He looked easily in his seventies or eighties—older even than Professor Oak.
"Young man, I am Lavender Town's mayor. Everyone here calls me Mr. Fuji. Thank you so much for what you've done for our town…"
Despite his age, Mr. Fuji spoke clearly, his voice steady.
"It was nothing, sir. You don't need to thank me. Besides, I also gained what I was looking for." Yozora smiled humbly.
Capturing Gengar had already made the night a great success.
"No, as the mayor of Lavender Town, I must thank you properly. Young man, the night is late. My home is just ahead—please, come as my guest tonight!" Mr. Fuji urged warmly.
Yozora nodded, accepting without protest, and followed Mr. Fuji home.
Somewhere in his mind, he felt Mr. Fuji seemed familiar—like a figure from the games, one never shown in the anime or manga.
If that was true, then perhaps following him… might just lead to some extraordinary reward.
(End of Chapter)