Chapter 330: The Gold Rated Haunter and Ayako’s Identity

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Although Sato had won two consecutive matches in this advanced battle facility—his second victory even being a flawless sweep with just a Nidorino, which earned him a fair number of fans—he had no advantage at all in the face of the stunning opponent who had just arrived to compete.

Ayako was incredibly beautiful, fitting perfectly into the Kanto region's aesthetic ideal of a great beauty.

She had lustrous black hair, flawless and radiant fair skin, a tall and alluring figure, and an almost perfect oval-shaped face.

Coupled with an air of purity and elegance, her slightest smile was enough to captivate the entire male audience, including the blushing male commentator.

As the male commentator introduced Ayako with enthusiasm, the crowd erupted in thunderous applause.

The male spectators, in particular, were especially excited, setting the atmosphere ablaze.

"She's so strong! Who exactly is this Spirit Master Trainer named Ayako? This Haunter's skill set is absolutely terrifying! Could she be from some prestigious Spirit Trainer family?"

Sato, however, remained unfazed by the roaring cheers for Ayako. Instead, he was utterly shocked by the Pokémon she had sent out.

Even though Haunter appeared shrouded in a dark mist the moment it emerged, Sato's system-powered detection ability still allowed him to access its information.

And what he saw left him stunned—his opponent was no ordinary trainer, and he might just suffer a crushing defeat.

Haunter's Stats:

Pokémon: Haunter

Level: 28

Type: Ghost/Poison

Ability: Levitate

Gender: Male

Known Moves: Shadow Punch, Hypnosis, Lick, Spite, Mean Look, Curse, Night Shade, Confuse Ray, Sucker Punch, Payback

Egg Moves: Astonish, Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch

Tutor Moves: Shadow Ball, Dream Eater

TM Moves: Will-O-Wisp, Taunt, Protect, Energy Ball, Poison Jab, Giga Drain, Sludge Bomb, Skill Swap, Thunderbolt, Psychic, Dark Pulse, Pain Split

Held Item: Spell Tag

IVs (Individual Values):

HP: 30 (31)

Attack: 28 (31)

Defense: 30 (31)

Special Attack: 31 (31)

Special Defense: 29 (31)

Speed: 30 (31)

[Total Overall Rating: Gold (Total IVs: 178, exceeding the 175 threshold)]

From the stats alone, it was clear that this Haunter was incredibly powerful—both its inherent talent and the resources invested in its development were outstanding.

What made it even more terrifying was that it had been trained by a Spirit Master Trainer.

Compared to Haunter raised by ordinary trainers, this one was undoubtedly far stronger.

Seeing such an extravagant Pokémon profile, Sato immediately understood that Ayako was no ordinary trainer. Even if she wasn't an heir to a wealthy family, she was certainly close to it.

A Haunter with gold rating, paired with an extensive set of rare TM moves—this was the kind of privilege only elite, wealthy trainers could afford.

Other than Ayako, the only person Sato had encountered with such a luxurious Pokémon lineup was Alice Sasaki, the young heiress of the Sasaki family.

If he followed his original plan and sent out Meowth—who was only Level 25 and had participated in just two battles—Sato knew that even with a type advantage, it wouldn't be a favorable matchup.

He even considered sending out his Swampert instead.

However, just as Sato was about to switch Pokémon, the Meowth standing beside him grew impatient. The loud cheers for his opponent were making him uncomfortable.

Meowth had already heard Sato mention that he would be sent out first, so the moment the referee announced, "Trainers, send out your Pokémon!" Meowth didn't wait for Sato's command.

He leaped onto the battlefield on his own and took a battle stance, locking eyes with the Haunter lurking in the dark mist.

"Sigh... Fine, let him learn the hard way. Maybe this will teach him a lesson."

Seeing Meowth jump onto the battlefield without his permission, Sato's face twitched slightly before resigning himself to the situation.

Meowth had only been captured today, and while he had won two matches under Sato's command, it was clear he hadn't fully absorbed Sato's previous instructions.

That said, while Sato didn't have high hopes for Meowth in this fight, the feline was still quite strong.

Perhaps due to his exceptional IVs, his Technician ability, or a combination of both, Meowth possessed outstanding talent when it came to learning moves.

Especially for lower-powered yet simple moves, Meowth could be considered a prodigy.

For example, Sato had recently just exchanged for a Hidden Power TM at the Golden Arcade. That afternoon, he had Meowth learn it, and within half an hour, Meowth was already proficient at using Hidden Power – Fire-type.

Additionally, through careful observation, Sato discovered that Meowth had mastered all the moves he had learned to an incredibly high degree.

When standing still, he could even execute two different moves simultaneously, provided their base power was 60 or lower.

However, Meowth had some notable weaknesses. Due to severe malnutrition in his early years and long-term internal injuries, his physical development was quite poor.

His stamina was on the lower side, meaning he couldn't sustain high-intensity battles for long.

With the referee's signal, the battle on the rocky battlefield commenced.

Ayako's golden-tier Haunter was clearly no ordinary Pokémon. Even without Ayako issuing a command, it immediately engaged in battle on its own.

Two shadowy claws, engulfed in flames, shot out from the dark mist and lunged toward Meowth, who had swiftly taken cover behind a large rock.

Boom!

One of Haunter's flaming claws shattered the rock Meowth was hiding behind with a Fire Punch, while the other claw followed up with another fiery strike, aimed at Meowth as he attempted to dodge.

Meowth was agile, and in a rocky terrain full of footholds, his flexibility was further enhanced. With a series of rapid leaps, he managed to evade Haunter's attacks.

However, Haunter's shadowy claws were relentless, pursuing Meowth like steel traps.

What's more, it could freely switch between Fire Punch, Ice Punch, and Thunder Punch.

Wherever Meowth fled, destruction followed. In just a short moment, Haunter's claws had already devastated a significant portion of the battlefield.

"Don't get distracted by those shadowy claws! Aim an Shock Wave at the Haunter inside the mist!"

Noticing that Haunter could remotely control its shadowy claws while using various physical moves, Sato immediately called out instructions to the evasive Meowth.

Meowth's eyes gleamed with understanding. In a quick backflip, he leaped onto a boulder, narrowly dodging another claw strike.

During the flip, Meowth caught a glimpse of the dark mist and, with a flick of his tail, golden sparks of electricity crackled to life.

As soon as he landed, a thick golden jolt of electricity shot from his tail, streaking toward the Haunter concealed within the mist.

Ordinarily, Shock Wave only had a base power of 60. But with Meowth's Technician ability boosting it, the attack reached a power level of 90—comparable to a Thunderbolt with 95 base power.

However, just as the golden bolt was about to strike the dark mist, a shadowy claw crackling with electricity suddenly emerged from the ground, sacrificing itself to block the attack.

At the same time, another shadowy claw, radiating an icy blue chill, shot out from the rock beneath Meowth and clamped tightly onto his front left paw.

In the next instant, Meowth felt his limb freeze solid. A layer of frost quickly spread from his paw, rapidly creeping across his entire body.