"Damn it! Are there really any Ghost-type Pokémon here?!"
After searching for a long time without finding a single Ghost-type Pokémon, Mato vented his frustration.
What made matters worse was that Mato realized he was lost. Not only could he no longer find the direction Ugo and the others had initially taken, but he also had no idea how to get out.
"Exploud, get ready to force our way through!"
Seeing no other option, Mato decided to stop wasting time and prepared to break through by force.
At his command, Exploud, already on edge, immediately got into position.
Shaa-shaa!
Before Exploud could act, the surrounding leaves began shaking wildly. The nearby trees seemed to come alive, spinning frantically around Mato and Exploud.
"Hmph, trying to scare me? Exploud, use Boomburst!"
Controlling the power of the sound waves, the deafening blast unleashed devastating force, quickly tearing through the surrounding trees.
In the next moment, several Ghost-type Pokémon emerged from behind the tree trunks.
As soon as the Banette and Sableye appeared, the temperature seemed to drop to an extreme low, sending a shiver down Mato and Exploud's spines.
"Exploud, use Hyper Beam on the sky!"
While quickly releasing his other Pokémon, Mato also commanded Exploud to fire a Hyper Beam into the sky, hoping to attract Ugo's attention.
Before the beam could fully form, a group of Banette and Sableye rushed in, intercepting the attack.
The remaining Banette and Sableye took the opportunity to charge at Mato, unleashing a Night Shade attack. The scene resembled a ghostly parade, engulfing Mato and his Pokémon in a sinister aura.
"What's wrong, Azumarill?"
Seeing Azumarill suddenly freeze, Anda cautiously asked.
Having worked together for so long, Anda trusted that Ugo wouldn't deceive him about something like this.
That meant only one thing—the Ghost-type Pokémon were likely hiding in the darkness, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Even the slightest anomaly was enough to put Anda on high alert.
After a moment of hesitation, Azumarill shook its head. The movement it had sensed earlier was too subtle—perhaps just the rustling of leaves in the wind.
"Ron, another Pokémon is approaching. It should be a Ghost-type."
Gardevoir's voice echoed in Ron's mind just as Gengar, lurking in the shadows, also sensed something unusual.
Silently, Ron instructed Gardevoir to alert Nidoking to be on guard. He had no intention of sharing this information with the rest of the group.
"Something's approaching! Everyone, stay alert!"
Just as Ugo, leading the way, shouted his warning, several Banette and Sableye sprang from the shadows.
With Night Shade unleashed, another eerie ghostly parade manifested, with several shadowy figures roaring as they charged from all directions toward Ugo's group.
"Nidoking, use Fire Blast!"
Under Nidoking's control, blazing white-hot flames surged forward, colliding with the Banette and Sableye.
The other Pokémon hunters also unleashed their signature moves to fend off the Ghost-types.
"Mightyena, use Dark Wolf Charge!"
The aura of a quasi-Elite Four-level trainer erupted as Mightyena led with Giga Impact, combining it with other moves to obliterate the ghostly figures in its path.
Anda, too, released his own quasi-Elite Four-level Shiftry, prepared to support Ugo at any moment.
Ron, meanwhile, continued directing Nidoking to launch Fire Blasts while the others handled the main assault. He was more than happy to take a backseat.
Ever since he realized this place could block Gardevoir's psychic detection, Ron had decided that unless his own safety was at risk, he would not reveal his true strength.
Fortunately, with Mightyena's quasi-Elite Four-level power, dealing with these mid-Elite and high-Elite Banette and Sableye wasn't too difficult.
As another Fire Blast exploded, Mightyena and Nidoking managed to take down a few more foes.
Just as the battle seemed to be nearing its end, two more Ghost-type Pokémon emerged from the shadows.
Dusknoir—two of them—appeared, one in front and one behind, flanking Ugo's group.
The timing of their arrival was impeccable—it was the exact moment when Mightyena's Giga Impact had just ended, leaving it temporarily vulnerable.
"Damn it! Two Dusknoir?!"
For the first time, a flicker of concern crossed Ugo's otherwise calm face. Anda's expression mirrored his.
"I'll hold off the two Dusknoir! Your job is to keep the other Ghost-type Pokémon at bay and buy time for Mightyena to recover its mobility!"
After a brief hesitation, Anda made up his mind and stepped forward.
"Shiftry, Green Cyclone!"
A combination of Leaf Tornado and Hurricane, enhanced by Shiftry's Extrasensory, created a powerful green whirlwind, blasting back the Dusknoir charging from behind.
"Shiftry, lai Slash!"
At Anda's command, both Ron and the Bellossom waiting in its Poké Ball grew intrigued.
Shiftry leaped into the air, its Leaf Blade glowing as it slashed downward, integrating other techniques into the attack!
To most, Shiftry's lai Slash seemed strong enough.
However, in Bellossom's eyes, it lacked a certain sharpness and decisiveness.
Shiftry's attack landed, disrupting the Dusknoir's offensive and forcing them to retreat.
After executing two high-power move combinations in succession, Shiftry began to pant heavily.
Dark ghostly energy swirled as the two Dusknoir prepared for another assault.
Fixing his gaze on them, Ron was certain—there had to be some kind of rare treasure hidden here. Otherwise, there was no way for Dusknoir, which required two specific evolution conditions, to evolve naturally in the wild.
"Mightyena, Fire Fang!"
The time Shiftry had bought allowed Mightyena to recover from the recoil of its Giga Impact. Without hesitation, it lunged at the Shiftry ahead of it.
"Go, Shiftry! Leaf Storm!"
Seeing Mightyena regain its mobility, Anda let out a sigh of relief and focused on battling the Dusknoir in front of him.
With Mightyena's Intimidate ability suppressing the opponents and their initial offensive gaining momentum, Ron and the other High Elite Pokémon hunters were able to fend off the oncoming Ghost-type Pokémon with relative ease.
Compared to Ron, who was barely making an effort, the other Pokémon hunters were captivated by the fallen Ghost-types, their eyes gleaming with anticipation as they waited for the battle to end—ready to claim their spoils.
The mere thought of the market value of Ghost Pokémon made their eyes light up with greed.
According to Ugo, the last time he had ventured into the heart of this area, he had only encountered a single quasi-Elite Four level Dusknoir. Unfortunately, the sheer number of Ghost-types had forced him into a retreat.
That was precisely why they had gathered so many people this time—to ensure nothing went wrong. And judging by the situation now, Ugo's prediction had been spot on.
However, Ron, despite his seemingly laid-back approach, sensed that something was off.
"Mightyena, Fire Fang!"
"Shiftry, Leaf Storm!"
As Ugo and Anda called out their commands in quick succession, Mightyena and Shiftry prepared to finish off their opponents.
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