Chapter 148 New Partner
The Thunderbolt was launched, and Haunter, unable to react in time, was struck again by the dazzling thunderbolt. The attack exploded, causing Haunter to cry out in pain.
After a while, the Thunderbolt dissipated, and Haunter fell powerlessly to the ground, fainted and unable to battle.
Ash threw a Poké Ball, hitting Haunter precisely. The red light enveloped Haunter, pulling it into the Poké Ball. The button's red light flashed for a while, then three golden stars lit up, indicating a successful capture.
"Success!" Ash picked up the Poké Ball, then took out his Pokédex. From the Pokémon list, he selected Beedrill. A flash of white light later, Beedrill's Poké Ball disappeared, having been teleported to Professor Oak's Laboratory.
"Let's go; the goal has been achieved. Let's head back and notify Professor Oak!" After Pikachu returned to his shoulder, Ash glanced at the surrounding Gastly and Haunter, paused slightly, and distributed the Ghost-type Pokémon food from his backpack.
After saying goodbye to these happy Pokémon, Ash returned to the third floor and met up with Brock. Seeing that Brock planned to stay, Ash left the Pokémon Tower alone and returned to the Pokémon Center.
After entrusting Pikachu and all the Poké Balls to Nurse Joy, Ash went to the communication center and called Professor Oak to explain the situation with Beedrill.
"I understand. I'll help you supervise Beedrill's training." After listening to Ash, Professor Oak nodded. "Beedrill has great potential; with proper training, it will definitely become a famous Pokémon in the Kanto Region in the future!"
After hanging up, Ash also called home, but Delia didn't seem to be there yet, so no one answered. Ash could only try again later in the evening.
After the broadcast announcement, Ash went to the front desk to retrieve his Pokémon and then headed to the battlefield outside the Pokémon Center to introduce Haunter to the others.
"Everyone, this is our new teammate, Haunter. Welcome!" Ash applauded first, followed by all the Pokémon smiling at Haunter. Those with hands also applauded in welcome.
"As for Beedrill, I've sent it to Professor Oak temporarily. Don't worry about it." Ash explained Beedrill's whereabouts to the Pokémon.
"Don't think that with Beedrill gone, you've lost a rival. Beedrill is working hard to surpass you. When we meet next time, you'll be ashamed if it's stronger than you." Ash used Beedrill to motivate his Pokémon.
Sure enough, after hearing this, Pikachu and Charmeleon remained calm, but the other Pokémon showed serious expressions, even the newly joined Haunter.
Haunter hadn't met Beedrill yet, but judging by the strength of its new teammates, Beedrill was definitely not to be underestimated. Although new, it didn't want to lose to those who joined the team earlier.
Next, Ash let the Pokémon train on their own and then began to test Haunter's moves.
After a while, Ash had a general understanding of Haunter's situation. In addition to Phantom Force, Haunter also knew Shadow Punch, Confuse Ray, Hypnosis, and Sucker Punch.
"It didn't learn Lick or Mean Look..." Ash nodded thoughtfully. Lick wasn't powerful but had a chance to paralyze opponents. Mean Look prevented opponents from leaving the battle.
However, neither of these moves significantly improved Haunter's combat ability. It was more important for it to learn Dark Pulse, Shadow Ball, and Dream Eater.
After all, the Gengar family wasn't known for physical attacks; they excelled at special attacks and had high Special Attack stats.
After some thought, Ash devised a training plan for Haunter, letting it experiment a bit to familiarize itself with it, and planned to start training the next day.
In the evening, as the sun set and the streetlights came on, Ash recalled his Pokémon and returned to the Pokémon Center. Brock had also just returned.
After dinner, Ash and Brock discussed Haunter's diet and training plan, and they didn't fall asleep until late.
The next day, after morning exercise and breakfast, Ash and his group headed towards the west exit of Lavender Town. Along the way, they stocked up on supplies, ensuring they wouldn't run out of food on the way to Saffron City.
The road connecting Saffron City and Lavender Town was Route 8. It was relatively narrow, with few wilderness areas.
Naturally, there were many Trainers there, and Ash and his team were challenged by some. Ash didn't refuse, as he wanted Haunter to become familiar with Pokémon battles and develop teamwork.
Although Haunter was battling under a Trainer's command for the first time, it quickly adapted to Ash's rhythm and fighting style.
Haunter realized that its Trainer was quite strong. They had already battled seven Trainers along the way, emerging victorious each time without suffering significant losses.
This impressed Haunter and gave it new aspirations. It knew about the various competitions in the human world.
By following such a skilled Trainer, Haunter believed it could participate in these competitions and potentially even win championships, gaining recognition.
This thought excited Haunter, and it trained harder, mastering Phantom Force and becoming a formidable opponent.
Ash noticed Haunter's heightened enthusiasm but didn't intervene, as it was a positive development.
The battles continued until they found a campsite at noon, followed by afternoon training.
Haunter remained enthusiastic about training and discovered a newfound enjoyment in gradually growing stronger instead of aimlessly wasting its life.
The afternoon training also allowed Haunter to witness the strength of its teammates. Except for Pidgeotto, who was slightly weaker, the others, especially Pikachu and Charmeleon, were incredibly powerful.
They were so strong that even Haunter, also at the elite level, couldn't help but admire them. It felt like they were exceeding the boundaries of the elite level.
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