Chapter 629: Combination
"By the way, why did Bridges target you?" Yuga suddenly inquired.
Phoebe replied, "Since you are aware of the existence of Ghost World Envoys, you should also be familiar with our duties."
Yuga nodded in response.
The duty of Ghost World Envoys was to assist certain departed souls who couldn't enter the Ghost World under normal circumstances.
"Some time ago, I received news that the number of departed souls in Verdanturf Town had been abnormally increasing. So, I took the opportunity of granting you the title to come and investigate. That's when I encountered Bridges in the forest," Phoebe explained.
Yuga furrowed his brow. "Is his involvement related to the abnormal increase in departed souls?"
Phoebe took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, he was boosting his power by having his Ghost-type Pokémon absorb the life energy of other Pokémon. I suspect that's how he managed to raise his Pokémon to Champion level. The Petalburg Forest is densely populated with Pokémon, so the disappearance of a few wouldn't attract much attention. This is likely the reason he concealed his true strength."
Yuga agreed with her explanation, but he believed that Bridges breaking through to the Champion level probably involved more than just absorbing the life energy of other Pokémon.
However, due to his need to keep Muya's existence a secret, Yuga couldn't tell Phoebe that Bridges' presence in Verdanturf Town might be related to Muya.
Ghost-type Trainers were often the most susceptible to going astray, leading most people to have an unfavorable impression of Ghost-type Pokémon. For instance, Ghost-type Elite Four Agatha in the Kanto region, despite her high standing in the League, couldn't escape the eerie and frightening image associated with Ghost-types.
In reality, the majority of Ghost-type Pokémon were kind-hearted, and their strange abilities were what made them seem terrifying.
Take Agatha for example. She is a bit strict at best, and her character is definitely not as bad as outsiders imagine.
Likewise, Phoebe, as the Ghost World Envoy, might have come across as aloof and cold to the outside world. Yuga suspected this was related to her identity as a Ghost World Envoy.
After chatting with Phoebe for a while, Yuga escorted her out of the gym, entrusting the matter of Bridges to her and the League.
Once Phoebe had left, Yuga headed to the Ecopark.
On a hill in the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, Yuga had built a nest for Dragonite's mother, modeled after the one in Petalburg Forest.
With Pokémon that had Rock and Ground abilities in the Ecopark, constructing nests was an effortless task.
Dragonite's mother was very satisfied with her new home. She moved her belongings into the nest and settled in comfortably.
As for Duddrigon, following their agreement, it stayed behind to assist Dragonite's mother as her errand runner.
Initially, Duddrigon felt a bit reluctant, but the thought of a comfortable environment and abundant food and drink in the Ecopark put its mind at ease.
Staying here was much more comfortable than in Petalburg Forest.
Once Dragonite's mother and Duddrigon had settled, Yuga went to the Ghost Sea and called forth Gengar and Mismagius.
Back in the forest, the rushed circumstances had prevented Yuga from thoroughly examining their changes after their breakthrough.
Yuga noticed that after their recent breakthrough, all traces of the mutated energy within his Shadow Space had vanished, leaving only a faint lingering energy from the Ghost World Origin Stone.
Just as Gengar had claimed before, after reaching Elite level, they were indeed capable of locking away the issue of energy leakage from the Shadow Space.
So now, even if Mashadow's seal has been broken, Yuga doesn't have to worry about when some Ghost-type Pokémon will appear inexplicably around him.
When Gengar and Mismagius floated side by side above the Ghost Sea, Yuga felt as though they had merged into one.
When Yuga closed his eyes and used his special ability to sense them, he could only feel the presence of a single Pokémon in front of him, a truly peculiar sensation.
After Gengar and Mismagius emerged, the spirits in the Ghost Sea and the Haunted Manor, including the Litwicks and Lampents, seemed to sense something. They appeared around Gengar and Mismagius, gazing at them with a mixture of fear and longing.
(Note: After living in the Ghost Sea for some time, some of the Litwicks had evolved into Lampents.)
Yuga then noticed something unusual. Gengar and Mismagius's eyes briefly emitted a purple light, and an inexplicable pressure enveloped them, causing the Litwicks and Lampents to submit to their presence.
Yuga quickly realized that this was an enhanced version of some of his King of Ghost abilities.
One of the King of Ghost abilities was the power to suppress and command certain Ghost-type Pokémon. However, the effects of this power were generally limited, and the commanding ability was weak, so Yuga rarely used it. But today, he witnessed an upgraded version of this ability in Gengar and Mismagius.
Gengar and Mismagius effortlessly suppressed and commanded numerous Litwicks and Lampents.
It wasn't surprising that Gengar and Mismagius gained such abilities after their breakthroughs, as their advancements were closely linked to the Ghost World Origin Stone.
At this moment, the Chandelure, residing in the uppermost part of the manor, also appeared in the Ghost Sea. When it saw Gengar and Mismagius, its golden eyes flickered intensely but ultimately chose to submit.
Seeing how Gengar and Mismagius could easily suppress even pseudo-Elite level Chandelure, Yuga realized that they were indeed very powerful.
Subsequently, Yuga tested their strength.
While in the forest, Yuga had witnessed them performing a combination technique, but he hadn't thoroughly assessed their combat capabilities.
Their opponent was naturally Lapras.
Yuga didn't have them battle Lapras separately; instead, he had them team up against one Lapras.
A single Gengar or Mismagius couldn't match Lapras with purple potential and Kyogre's genes on it body. Although Lapras was in the Intermediate Elite level Pokémon, its practical combat abilities were far superior to most peak Elite level Pokémon.
The outcome of the battle surprised Yuga.
Neither side emerged as the clear victor; it was a draw.
During the battle, Gengar and Mismagius seemed to merge into one, just as Yuga had sensed with his special abilities. Together, they exhibited an aura that was no less intimidating than Lapras's.
Considering that Lapras had never lost a battle against Pokémon below Champion level since its breakthrough, even when it facing opponents like Mega Metagross.
The fact that Gengar and Mismagius, who had just entered the Elite level, held their ground was astonishing.
Bridges' two Pokémon, the Frostlass and Banette, who had also just entered the Champion level, couldn't last long against Lapras.
Gengar and Mismagius' combined space-altering abilities were formidable, and even Lapras's peak Elite level strength couldn't break through it.
Yuga couldn't comprehend the changes that had occurred during the battle, but since it was a positive development, he didn't dwell on it.
With this pair of Pokémon protecting him up close, what more could he worry about?
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone