Listening to Gengar's bold proclamation, Ash was a bit dumbfounded. He couldn't understand how this suddenly got related to Primeape, but since Gengar said so, he's sure it wouldn't lie, at least not about something this important.
Naturally, Ash trusts Gengar unconditionally and expressed——"Go ahead and use it. I'll thank you on behalf of Primeape in advance!"
"You really trust me, huh? Aren't you afraid I might keep this thing for myself? And do you even know what this item means to Ghost-type Pokemon?" Seeing how readily Ash agreed, Gengar looked at him with an odd expression and asked.
"I don't know, but you're my Pokemon. How could I not trust you?" This time, it was Ash who showed a puzzled expression, as if to say, Gengar, what nonsense are you talking about? How could he not trust his own Pokemon?
"Heh, you're still so naive, but trusting me is definitely the right thing to do. This item can boost a Ghost-type Pokemon's energy absorption efficiency by at least 50%, increase attack speed, and after fully absorbing it, it can enhance talents. It's absolutely a divine object for Ghost-types."
Gengar stopped beating around the bush and straightforwardly explained the effects of the black dumbbell to Ash, while Professor Oak beside them couldn't help but roll his eyes.
Knowing how much Gengar knew, he should have just given the item to Gengar earlier rather than researching it himself.
After researching for a while, Professor Oak only discovered the black dumbbell had the effect of enhancing the training efficiency and boosting the damage of Ghost-type Pokemon, but he couldn't figure out anything else beyond that.
After all, the research time was a bit short. As long as he roughly found out that the item had positive effects on Ghost-types, it was enough. Equip it to a Ghost-type, and further research would naturally reveal all its effects.
As for whether it has enhancement effects on other attribute Pokemon, Professor Oak has already checked; it only benefits Ghost-types, while others... can't even tap into its Ghost-type enhancement effect.
So, while it's divine for Ghost-types, it's essentially trash for other attributes.
"Let me make it clear. After using this item, if things go well and turn out as you think, allowing Primeape to evolve, that would be quite worthwhile. But if things don't go well..."
Gengar paused, then slowly said under everyone's gaze: "The result would be a total loss; Primeape would at most gain an additional Ghost attribute, and nothing else, which wouldn't be worth the price of losing this item!"
"So, after hearing these effects, do you still plan to develop a Ghost attribute for Primeape for evolution? Remember, regardless of success or failure, this item will vanish. If you don't use it and let Primeape attempt on its own, it's at least a risk-free experiment, but using this item is a gamble."
Gengar made it very clear. Using the item means gambling. For Ghost-types, this is undeniably a divine object, and in Ash's hands is a Ghost-type Pokemon of Elite Peak power!
Equipping this item might not only advance Champion Level progression but even allow battling against Champion Level without advancing. Such is the boost this item offers.
But if Ash chooses to use it, regardless of the outcome, the item will be gone. Primeape's evolution offers more strategic significance than actual significance. If it evolves, it becomes the first historically evolved Primeape, and not a temporary MEGA evolution but a permanent one!
Success is indeed worthwhile. Failure, as Gengar said, is a total loss.
Ash has a choice to let Primeape continue on its own, cultivating the Ghost attribute without knowing how long it might take, the advantage being near zero cost.
The cost would be Primeape's own time and possibly hindering its progress, indirectly affecting Primeape's future accomplishments...
Will Ash choose to use this precious item to bet, or will he sacrifice Primeape's time and talent?
The answer is obvious——"Use it!"
Ash's answer was a single word, but it was enough to show his determination. He would never sacrifice his Pokemon to gain something else.
No matter how precious the item or how much it might help him, his Pokemon's future is always his priority.
Even if Primeape can't evolve due to the rules of the world, so what?
Gaining an extra Ghost attribute is very beneficial for Primeape! How isn't this an investment?
If Gengar needed this item more, Ash would give it to Gengar without hesitation, but Gengar never showed any covetous desire for it.
Gengar wryly shook its upper body in response to Ash's answer: "You're really a silly trainer… Of course, I'm also a silly ghost. A great item like this is in front of me, and my first thought wasn't to take it but to give it to my student. Pretty funny, huh."