Ai

Larry's mouth fell slightly open. He hadn't expected to get one of his all-time favorite Pokémon so soon. 'Gardevoir and Gengar... If I had to rank Pokémon in my mind, these two would definitely be at the top.' Who wouldn't love a mischievous ghost that could phase through walls and scare people for fun?

Larry's mind raced with ideas. Gengar wasn't just a powerhouse with impressive special attack capabilities—it was also a master of debuffs and mind games. Unlike Gardevoir, who functioned as a long-range turret, Gengar specialized in status effects. The possibilities were endless.

In the real world, unlike in games, there were no restrictions limiting an opponent to just one negative status condition. Gardevoir could teleport Gengar directly into enemy ranks, where it could unleash a relentless barrage of moves like Will-O-Wisp, Curse, Confuse Ray, and Hypnosis.

'Stack them all up... and just let them rot.' Larry smirked at the thought. Chasing Gengar would be futile, and fighting it would be even worse. Unless an opponent had a very specific counter, they'd be forced to endure Gengar's endless harassment until they dropped. And that was just its combat potential. 

Gengar could also serve as a walking storage unit, swallowing items into its own void-like body. Larry realized that with Gengar at his side, he wouldn't need to carry supplies anymore. Everything he needed would be safely tucked away in Gengar's intangible form. Another brilliant use? Stealth. By lurking in Larry's shadow, Gengar could provide him with constant protection, staying hidden until the moment it was needed. Even if Larry wasn't paying attention, Gengar could react on its own to shield him from harm.

With Gardevoir providing instant escapes and Gengar covering him from the shadows, Larry's survival potential had just skyrocketed. Of course, there was one downside—Gengar's current strength. At B- level, it wasn't weak, but compared to the threats they were facing, it needed to be stronger. 'Good thing I planned ahead.' Larry activated his coath without hesitation. He had been prepared for this moment.

A countdown timer appeared in his mind. One-minute enhancement process starting… As the countdown hit zero, Gengar's power shot up by an entire tier, putting it on par with Gardevoir.

***

Species: Gengar

Type: Ghost, Poison

Ability: Cursed Body

Strength Rank: B

Known Moves: Shadow Ball, Dark Pulse, Sludge Bomb...

Description: Gengar possesses a mischievous yet cunning nature, exploiting negative emotions to weaken enemy resolve while phasing through objects for surprise attacks. Gengar's mastery of psychological warfare makes it a formidable disruptor, wearing down foes with illusions and status-inflicting Nen techniques.

***

Larry grinned. With both Pokémon now at A-level strength, his combat capability had taken a massive leap forward. Just as Larry was basking in the excitement of his newly acquired Gengar, an eerie change swept across the battlefield.

Without warning, streams of invisible gas seeped out from the altar, slithering across the cavern like phantom pythons, creeping toward everyone present. Unlike the oppressive death aura that filled the ruins, this strange energy carried an even more unsettling, otherworldly presence. Even Gardevoir's Misty Terrain, which had been shielding the group from the death aura, couldn't fully block out this invasive force.

The hip-hop guy, already teetering on the edge of exhaustion, let out a furious roar and continued pounding the swarming insect tide with relentless blows. His movements, however, had become erratic—his eyes clouded, void of clarity. It was as if he had been thrown into a hallucination, trapped in a violent daze. Meanwhile, No. 1 and No. 2, who were already drained of their energy, had somehow stumbled their way toward the altar. In an instant, their bodies withered, transforming into grotesque, mummified husks. Where they once stood, two monstrous figures emerged—one red, the other green. Their forms were bizarre and abstract, exuding a chaotic, violent aura that made the air around them heavy with malice. 

The battlefield had turned into a nightmare. Of those present, only Neguro and the glasses man managed to retain some semblance of rationality. Even Larry could feel the sinister force pressing down on his mind, stirring up inexplicable waves of negative emotions—anger, destruction, despair. It was a primal urge to obliterate everything in sight. But just as quickly as it came, the feeling dissipated, vanishing without a trace. 

Across the battlefield, Neguro and the glasses man locked eyes. There was no longer any trace of hostility between them, only confusion and shared dread. They both understood the same thing—this was no longer a battle for treasure. It was a fight for survival.

Larry, standing to the side, his mind racing, quickly assessed the situation. His instincts told him that everything was connected to the altar. He had to dig deeper, to uncover the truth behind this unexpected turn of events. And then it hit him. 'I've seen this before.' Memories from his previous world flashed through his mind. He had read about something similar in the Hunter x Hunter manga. The pieces began to fall into place.

A long-forgotten horror, dormant beneath the altar, had finally awakened. The black mist seeping from its depths was far more sinister than the lingering death aura that filled the ruins. Its deep purple hue twisted and writhed, taking on a vague humanoid form that sent a chill down Larry's spine. His heart pounded in his chest. 'This is… a creature from the Dark Continent.' One of the Five Great Calamities—an entity far beyond human understanding.

Desire-Dependent Organism – Gas Lifeform "Ai."

Larry's fists clenched involuntarily, cold sweat forming on his palms. His mind raced back to the harrowing accounts detailed in the Hunter Encyclopedia, which spoke of the Dark Continent's Three-Star Tears—a legendary mineral believed to hold boundless energy and the potential to revolutionize humanity. But wherever it was found, the mist-like horror known as "Ai" lurked nearby, an unavoidable harbinger of madness and destruction. 

"Ai" possessed a terrifying ability to seep into the minds of those who encountered it, feeding on their ambitions and slowly warping their thoughts until they spiraled into irreversible insanity. No amount of preparation could shield against its intangible grasp. He recalled the doomed expedition of the Republic of Mingbo, one of the V5 nations, which had sought to harness the legendary object with the aid of the Hunter Association. 

Despite their meticulous planning and vast resources, the mission had ended in disaster—nearly the entire expedition force was lost, consumed by the malevolent mist. Only three broken survivors returned, their minds shattered beyond recognition.

Everything clicked in Larry's head. A long time ago, humans must have discovered the altar where "Ai" resided. Desperate for power, they struck a deal. The altar provided them with unimaginable strength, transforming their emotions into tangible, monstrous forms.

Now, before their very eyes, those emotion-born monsters had been revived. Larry's earlier suspicions were finally confirmed. The black void on the murals wasn't an artistic flourish—it was an actual representation of the dark mist that surrounded the altar, the same disaster that now loomed before them.

He glanced at his ability, his mind racing. Could it identify something this dangerous?

***

Name: Desire-Dependent Organism – Gas Lifeform "Ai."

Strength: Undefinable

Ability: Ai" infiltrates the minds of living beings by feeding on their desires, amplifying them to the point of obsession and madness. It manipulates victims through the spiritual realm, twisting their emotions and bending their will to its own.

***