Chapter 79: Battle in the Tunnel

Read up to 30 advanced chapters exclusively on my Patreon at - patreon.com/LoverrBoy

---------------------------------

"Hehehe! Geng-geng-gar!"

Gengar let out a chilling laugh upon receiving the command. It then stretched out its short arms, unleashing two dark, rippling rings from its hands.

The attack struck two Onix in the group dead center, sending them crashing to the ground with pained cries.

They struggled to rise, but when they looked at Gengar, there was now a hint of fear in their eyes—clearly, Dark Pulse's intimidation effect had kicked in.

Seeing their companions under attack, the remaining Onix immediately flew into a rage. They writhed their massive bodies and charged at Gengar in a frenzy.

However, one slightly larger Onix stayed behind, not joining the assault. Instead, it nudged its injured companions, seemingly urging them to retreat.

The two wounded Onix nodded before burrowing into the ground and disappearing.

Gengar cackled as it watched multiple Onix rush toward it, then swiftly sprang into action. Hovering in the air, it relied on its incredible speed to dodge each Onix's attack, weaving effortlessly through their ranks.

Every now and then, it unleashed a Dark Pulse, repelling the Onix around it.

Liam watched the battle from a distance, slightly shocked—not just by the sheer number of Onix present, but also by Gengar's strength.

Despite being surrounded and attacked by so many opponents, it remained completely unscathed, playing with them as if they were nothing more than toys in its grasp.

"Enough playing around, Gengar! Shadow Ball!" The man in the black suit sounded impatient as he gave his next order.

"Geng-gar!"

Gengar dodged an attack and leaped out of the battle zone, then turned to nod at the suited man.

Bringing its hands together, it quickly formed a dark, swirling sphere between its palms.

"Gar!!"

With a shout, Gengar hurled the Shadow Ball at the charging Onix.

The sphere flew at incredible speed, striking several Onix before they could even react. The resulting explosion sent them all howling in pain.

"Gengar!"

Seeing its attack land successfully, Gengar immediately began gathering energy for a second Shadow Ball, grinning wickedly as it prepared to launch another strike.

However, this time, it was stopped.

"Roar!!"

A powerful roar echoed from behind the group of Onix. The slightly larger Onix, which had stayed back earlier, suddenly opened its massive mouth and spewed a blue-purple Dragon Breath.

The attack collided head-on with Gengar's Shadow Ball, causing an explosion that kicked up a thick cloud of dust.

The large Onix then slithered forward, moving to the front of the group. It let out a few low growls, seemingly instructing its companions to retreat while it stayed behind.

The other Onix hesitated for a moment, showing some reluctance, but eventually nodded and burrowed underground, leaving the battlefield.

Liam's eyes gleamed as he observed the lone Onix. The move it had just used was Dragon Breath—a rare ability for an Onix to learn.

While it was technically possible for Onix to develop this move as they grew, the chances were incredibly low. Yet this Onix had already mastered it, proving that it was no ordinary Pokémon.

"Roar!!"

Now alone, the larger Onix watched its comrades escape before turning its icy gaze toward the dust-filled battlefield.

With another mighty roar, it unleashed another Dragon Breath.

"Gar!"

In response, Gengar fired off another Dark Pulse. The two attacks clashed midair and canceled each other out.

The resulting shockwave scattered the dust, revealing the battlefield once more.

At that moment, a cold voice rang out from the other side.

"Oh? An Onix that knows Dragon Breath… Now that's something worth hunting. Judging by your stance, you must be the leader of this group. Staying behind alone… I'll admit, you've got guts. In that case, I'll graciously capture you myself… Gengar! Hypnosis!" The man in the black suit commanded.

"Gar!"

Upon hearing the order, Gengar's already red eyes glowed even more intensely.

An eerie light radiated from them as it slowly spread toward Onix.

Onix did not hesitate. It immediately swung its massive head upward, slamming it into the ceiling of the tunnel.

The impact sent countless rocks crashing down.

The black-suited man quickly jumped aside, narrowly dodging the falling debris. Gengar, however, was not so lucky—it was bombarded by the collapsing rocks and buried in an instant.

The eerie glow in its eyes flickered out.

"Heh, so that rock head of yours isn't completely useless after all. You've got some tricks up your sleeve… Gengar! Shadow Punch!"

The suited man smirked coldly before giving another order.

"Gengar!!"

The moment he spoke, several dark fists shot out from the pile of rubble, shattering the stones that had buried Gengar.

A furious Gengar burst out, its body flickering with ghostly energy. In a blur, it closed the distance to Onix.

Gathering power in its right hand, it swung upward with a devastating Shadow Punch, striking Onix directly on the chin.

Onix reeled back, its massive eyes squinting in pain. The attack had clearly hurt, but Onix wasn't about to back down.

Its rock-solid tail whipped around in an instant, coiling tightly around Gengar.

But Gengar was a Ghost-type—it had no reason to fear Normal-type moves. Its body flickered, phasing through Onix's grip effortlessly.

Without even waiting for another command, Gengar brought its hands together and fired a Shadow Ball at point-blank range.

"Roar!!"

The attack landed directly on Onix's body, causing it to cry out in agony. Its massive form wavered before crashing heavily to the ground.

Being a Rock-type, Onix had poor special defense, and such a powerful special attack inflicted serious damage.

"Geng-geng-gar!"

Seeing its opponent fall, Gengar cackled triumphantly and began performing a bizarre victory dance.

"Hmph, still as weak as ever. But at least you put up a bit of a fight against my Gengar. There should be some buyers interested in you… Get a cage ready and lock it up. This is exactly why I hate dealing with these big guys. Low value, hard to transport, and a nightmare to keep hidden. Completely worthless." The man in the black suit sneered at the fallen Onix.

"Yes, sir!!"

His subordinates immediately responded and turned to fetch a large cage.

Lying on the ground, Onix heard its impending fate and mustered the last of its strength, slowly lifting its head in an attempt to stand.

"Oh? Still got some fight left in you? Gengar, Hypnosis again. Let's see how you dodge it this time!" The man smirked coldly.

"Gar!"

Gengar nodded, bouncing forward and staring straight into Onix's eyes. Its eerie glow returned, preparing to put Onix to sleep.

But at that very moment—

A fierce sandstorm suddenly swept through the tunnel! Gengar yelped in pain as the harsh winds struck, forcing it to shut its eyes.

Even the black-suited man was caught off guard, unable to see what was happening.

Then, from within the swirling sands, a streak of white light flashed toward Gengar. A massive fin, shrouded in dark energy, slashed through the air—striking the still-dazed Gengar and sending it flying.

Gengar let out a pained scream before collapsing unconscious.

Liam rushed through the sandstorm, arriving beside Onix. Without hesitation, he pulled out a freshly exchanged Heal Ball and threw it at Onix.

The moment it made contact, Onix was enveloped in red light and drawn inside. The Heal Ball landed on the ground, wobbled once, then fell still.

Wasting no time, Liam picked up the Heal Ball, then pulled out an Escape Rope with one hand while recalling his Pokémon with the other.

As the Escape Rope's effect activated, Liam's figure disappeared just as the sandstorm began to fade.

When the dust settled, the black-suited man stood in the now-empty tunnel, his face dark with fury.

His unconscious Gengar lay nearby, and his expression twisted as he turned toward the tunnel, letting out a furious roar.