Under the shade of a massive tree, a soft breeze rustled the leaves overhead.
Raj's newly captured Gastly floated in circles around him, its mischievous grin oddly friendly — even flattering. It seemed this ghost had fully accepted its new master.
Standing close to it, Raj caught a faint, sweet scent drifting in the air.
He chuckled. "Didn't expect something made of ghost gas to actually smell good. Guess that's a plus. If you reeked like a trash can, I'd have to train you from a distance."
Still smiling, he looked at Gastly. "Alright, buddy. You've got that new special ability now — Devour. Let's test it out."
Raj's heart beat faster. If this power really allowed Gastly to absorb other Pokémon and grow stronger, then… it could become unstoppable.
He clenched his fist. "Let's go hunting."
The outskirts of Pallet Forest were full of weak wild Pokémon. It didn't take long before Raj spotted a lone Weedle crawling across a pile of leaves. The system instantly pinged.
[Detected Pokémon: Weedle — Combat Power: 3 points.]
Raj smirked. "Perfect test subject. Gastly, sneak up and use Lick."
Gastly drifted silently along the shadows, its vaporous body blending into the trees. Then, with a sudden flick of its long tongue, it licked the Weedle's back.
The bug froze instantly, twitching in paralysis.
"Nice. Now finish it — use Devour!"
Gastly's grin widened. Its shadowy mouth stretched unnaturally wide, swallowing the Weedle whole.
A chime echoed in Raj's mind.
[Ding! Gastly successfully devoured Weedle. Combat Power +1.
New move learned: Venoshock.]
Raj's jaw dropped. "What the hell—! That's insane!"
It had just eaten a weak Weedle, and not only had its strength increased — it learned a new attack move! If it could keep doing this endlessly…
His grin turned wild. "Alright, Gastly. Let's keep going."
The duo prowled through the forest like hunters. One after another, weak Pokémon fell victim — three Weedle, one Caterpie.
Gastly's Combat Power rose by 4 more points, but no new moves appeared.
Raj was still satisfied. "That's fine. You're already getting stronger faster than any normal trainer's Pokémon."
[Ding! Six meters ahead — detected Shroomish.
Type: Grass.
A Pokémon that thrives in humid forests. When threatened, it scatters poisonous spores capable of withering plants and numbing foes.
Moves: Stun Spore, Tackle, Headbutt.
Combat Power: 12 points.]
Raj's eyes lit up. "A Grass-type with twelve power points! Perfect. Gastly, if we take this one down, your strength will skyrocket."
Beneath a withered tree, he spotted a round shape nestled among fallen leaves. Sure enough — a Shroomish rested quietly, blending into the debris.
"Alright, listen," Raj whispered. "We'll do this smart. First, use Confuse Ray to startle it, then hit it with Venoshock, and finish with Lick. Got it?"
Gastly nodded and floated forward, its body swelling like a balloon as it phased through the shadows.
The Shroomish noticed and panicked, releasing a cloud of shimmering yellow spores — Stun Spore!
But Gastly stayed high above, the gas dissipating before reaching him. From above, he unleashed Venoshock — a stream of dark, poisonous energy that splattered across Shroomish's cap.
It wasn't super effective, but it disoriented the little Pokémon.
Then, Gastly swooped down and landed a powerful Lick on its back. Shroomish froze, eyes wide, completely paralyzed.
"Now!" Raj shouted. "Use Devour!"
Gastly opened its mouth wide again, swallowing the Shroomish whole in one gulp. The forest fell silent.
[Ding! Gastly successfully devoured Shroomish. Combat Power +5.
New move learned: Hypnosis.]
As Gastly reappeared, Raj could immediately tell the difference. The ghost's purple haze had grown darker, its eyes sharper — stronger.
"System," Raj said. "Show me Gastly's updated stats."
[Pokémon Status: Gastly
Type: Ghost / Poison
Description: A spectral Pokémon formed from graveyard gases. Its body is made of vapor that can envelop prey and drain life energy.
Moves: Lick, Nightmare, Spite, Venoshock, Hypnosis
Special Ability: Devour — consumes other Pokémon to gain strength.
Evolution Progress: 10% (next stage: Haunter)
Combat Power: 30 points]
Raj stared at the glowing display in awe. "Thirty already… and it's evolving this fast?"
He laughed. "With this kind of growth, you'll be terrifying in no time. And I can even track your evolution rate. This system's insane."
He clenched his fists, excitement burning through him. "With this kind of power… becoming the strongest villain in the Pokémon world isn't just a dream. It's inevitable."
As evening crept in, Raj and Gastly hunted a few more small Pokémon, but Gastly soon grew sluggish. The system chimed again.
[Warning: Devour limit reached. Pokémon must rest and digest absorbed energy before further consumption.]
Raj nodded, understanding. "So, it's got a cooldown. Makes sense. Too much power at once would break you."
He returned Gastly to its Poké Ball, glancing toward the orange sunset over Pallet Town.
"Alright. Let's head back."
He walked down the dirt road, the Poké Ball in his hand warm and pulsing faintly. He'd not only captured his first Pokémon — he'd created a monster.
At least now, he could finally show his father some results.
But one question still gnawed at him:
If Kenji was really the original boss of Team Rocket, why was a man that powerful living like a simple farmer in Pallet Town?
Raj exhaled. "Forget it. I'll find out soon enough. For now, I just need to get stronger — stronger than anyone else."
He smirked to himself, eyes gleaming in the fading light.
"The era of villains begins with me."