Chapitre 27: **Chapter 27: Breaking into the Bell Tower Again**
Kane found himself once again at the base of the towering Burned Tower, his thoughts focused and determined as he clutched a Poké Ball containing Ditto, which had transformed into a formidable Haunter. The air around the tower was as heavy as ever, filled with an eerie sense of stillness. As he stepped into the shadowed interior of the first floor, a faint, haunting echo of past battles seemed to drift through the air, reminding him of the many trainers and Pokémon that had once challenged this mysterious place.
His own Gastly, now well into its training, was nowhere in sight. Perhaps it had found its own place deeper within the tower, sparring with others to hone its skills.
On the far side of the room, Kane spotted a cluster of Pokémon. There, in the dim light, floated three Gastly and two Haunters, hovering listlessly near a shadowed corner of the room. They seemed unaware of Kane's presence for the time being, lost in their own ghostly existence.
Kane's expression hardened. Now was as good a time as any to test Ditto's abilities again. "Ditto, use Shadow Ball on those five," Kane ordered, his voice cutting through the stillness like a sharp blade. There was no hesitation, no room for conversation or pleasantries—he was here to train, to fight, and to win.
Ditto, still in its Ghost Stone form, instantly responded to the command. With the eerie, violet glow of ghostly energy forming at its fingertips, it fired off several Shadow Balls in quick succession. The dark, ominous orbs flew through the air, each aimed at a different target. However, only three out of the five ghost-type Pokémon were struck by the attack.
Kane shook his head, clearly displeased. He wasn't surprised, though. As much as Ditto tried to mimic the powers and abilities of Ghost-type Pokémon it transformed into, there was always something lacking. A copy could never fully replicate the original. Ditto, by nature, was a Normal type Pokémon, and while it could transform into almost any Pokémon, its mastery over their abilities was never perfect, especially when dealing with types it wasn't naturally aligned with.
"It's just not the same," Kane thought to himself. "As a Normal-type, Ditto can easily adapt to moves from its own type perfectly. But when it takes on other forms—especially something as specialized as a Ghost-type—it struggles."
In his mind, he knew that, given enough time and relentless practice, Ditto might eventually learn to handle a few moves from other types with a bit more finesse. But to expect it to master the full spectrum of every type skill was, unfortunately, nothing more than a distant fantasy.
Take its current transformation into Haunter, for example. As a Ghost-type Pokémon, Haunter was naturally attuned to ghostly energy, but Ditto struggled to channel that same energy. The result? Its Shadow Balls were slow, clumsy, and imprecise, nowhere near the swift, lethal strikes a true Haunter could unleash.
The three Shadow Balls that did hit their mark, however, caused the group of ghost-types to stir. Their eyes glowed with sudden aggression, and it wasn't long before the five Pokémon—both Gastly and Haunters—launched a coordinated attack on Ditto.
Kane's eyes narrowed as he watched the five ghost-type Pokémon advance. His voice was calm but commanding as he gave his next instruction. "Ditto, don't fight back. I want you to only dodge."
It was a five-on-one battle, and Kane had explicitly forbidden Ditto from counterattacking. The goal here wasn't to win but to survive—to endure. Kane believed in pushing his Pokémon to the very edge of their capabilities. He knew that only by enduring hardship and pushing themselves to the breaking point could they unlock their hidden potential. The battlefield was no place for the faint of heart, and Kane's approach to training reflected that harsh truth. He didn't coddle his Pokémon; he pushed them until they had no choice but to break through their limits.
As the five Pokémon unleashed their assault, Ditto was forced to react quickly, dodging left and right to avoid the barrage of attacks. It was a desperate, chaotic dance. The Gastly sent tongues of ghostly energy flickering toward it, while the Haunters fired off Shadow Punches in an attempt to land a solid blow.
Despite Ditto's best efforts, it was clear that the relentless pressure was beginning to take its toll. It managed to avoid the worst of the attacks for nearly half an hour, weaving through the air as it struggled to maintain its Haunter form. But eventually, exhaustion set in, and Ditto was struck by a Haunter's Shadow Punch, sending it reeling.
Even then, Kane didn't call off the training. Ditto could still continue, and Kane intended to push it until it had truly reached its limit. As its energy drained, Ditto's dodges became slower, and more of the enemy's attacks began to land. Blow after blow struck the transformed Pokémon, and it was only after another grueling half hour that Ditto finally collapsed from sheer exhaustion.
At last, Kane gave it permission to revert to its original form. The transformation shimmered, and Ditto returned to its gelatinous, shapeless state, visibly worn out from the intense battle. Without hesitation, Kane applied a healing potion to its battered form, restoring some of its energy and allowing it to recover. After a brief rest, the training would continue. There was no time to waste.
Kane's mind drifted to Chiyama's five-point rule. He respected it, even adhered to it—after all, Kane's personal philosophy aligned with it closely. How could he, Kane, be any weaker than Chiyama? Though Chiyama was now a gym Leader, and his strength far surpassed Kane's, Kane refused to believe that his own willpower was any less fierce. He would train harder, push further, and rise higher.
After completing the special training session, Kane made his way to the Pokémon Center to send his injured Pokémon for recovery and healing. As the Pokémon were treated, Kane took the opportunity to shower and enjoy a well-deserved dinner. The meal was simple, but it gave him the energy he needed to keep going.
Between six o'clock and eight o'clock, most trainers engaged in self-study, poring over books on Pokémon types, habits, and techniques, trying to absorb as much knowledge as possible. But Kane had already read every book that could be of use to him, memorizing every detail. There was no need for him to study the basics any longer.
Instead, Kane used this time to watch television—specifically, high-level Pokémon battles. He tuned in to matches from the Elite four Challenge and the Championship Challenge, analyzing the strategies and techniques of the best trainers in the world. These battles were a treasure trove of insights, each move and countermove potentially offering new ideas for Kane's own tactics.
From eight o'clock to ten o'clock, Kane dedicated himself to practicing his "Flying Blade Throwing" technique. It was a skill that required precision and consistency, something that could only be honed through hours of repetition. Each throw was a step toward mastery, and Kane focused intensely, knowing that every bit of practice counted.
By the time Kane was ready for bed, he noticed that Gastly still hadn't returned. His worry began to grow. *Had it gone out again, sneaking through the streets to absorb life energy? * Kane wondered, his mind racing with the possibilities.
*If it can't even learn Night Shade after all this time, * Kane thought grimly, *then there's no point in continuing to train it.*
He set an alarm for six o'clock the next morning but was startled awake at five-thirty by a sudden noise. His instincts kicked in immediately, and he bolted upright in bed, eyes scanning the room.
*Gastly?*
"Did you finally learn Night Shade?" Kane asked, his gaze locking onto his Gastly, which was now floating excitedly in front of him. The Pokémon was practically bouncing with energy, its expression full of triumph and mischief.
Gastly nodded, confirming Kane's suspicion.
"How did you manage that?" Kane asked, eyes narrowing slightly. "You didn't sneak out into the streets again to absorb more life energy, did you?"
Gastly quickly shook its head in denial, reassuring Kane that it hadn't resorted to such underhanded methods this time.
"Good," Kane said with a nod of approval. "Return to your Poké Ball and rest."
He recalled Gastly into its ball, feeling a sense of relief. It had finally learned Night Shade, but it seemed to have taken the entire night to master the move. Kane couldn't help but wonder if this slow progress was due to Gastly's natural potential, or if he hadn't been pushing it hard enough in training.
*I'll have to test it out today and see, * Kane thought, already planning the next training session.
Later that day, Kane and Thunderstorm returned to the Bell Tower, ready to challenge the first floor once more. Although they had a solid strategy in place, what they really needed now was sheer strength to back it up. Their team still consisted of the same four Pokémon, but each battle brought them one step closer to improvement.
Before the battle began, Ditto transformed into Haunter once again. Without any warning, it launched an attack, targeting the two Haunter leaders of the Pokémon group. The surprise attack caused a momentary distraction, allowing Thunderstorm's Machoke and Duskull to prepare their own moves.
But the twenty Gastly weren't going to let their leaders face the battle alone. They launched a coordinated attack, their long, red tongues flicking out in unison. The smell was overpowering—a nauseating odor that filled the room as the ghostly Pokémon's tongues lashed out toward Ditto, Machoke, and Duskull.
Machoke and Duskull barely had time to react. The sheer number of Gastly made it impossible for them to focus on their own moves. Every time they tried to launch an attack, they were forced to dodge another barrage of ghostly tongues.
The Pokémon army of Gastly and Haunters manipulated their attacks with relentless precision. Their ghostly tongues lashed out over and over again, wrapping around Ditto, Machoke, and Duskull, leaving them little room to maneuver. While Pokémon like Gastly and Duskull could float and dodge more easily, Machoke was bound to the ground and was quickly overwhelmed by the relentless assault.
"Night Shade, get in close and use Night Shade!" Kane called out to his Gastly.
It was a bold strategy, and with the battle already tilting against them, there was no sense in holding back. Gastly heard the command and quickly darted toward one of the enemy Gastly. It used its own ghostly abilities to manipulate the shadowy tendrils of darkness that surrounded the battlefield. In a flash, it unleashed Night Shade, a dark, ethereal force that engulfed its opponent.
The targeted Gastly was completely caught off guard. As the shadowy energy surrounded it, it struggled to fight back, but within moments, it was enveloped in darkness. The life force drained from its body, and it fell to the ground, defeated.
Kane's Gastly absorbed the defeated Pokémon's life energy, its own power growing in the process. But the victory was short-lived. The remaining Gastly, angered by their comrade's defeat, turned their attention toward Kane's Gastly. Seven or eight ghostly tongues shot out toward it, coming from all directions.
At the last possible moment, Gastly managed to unleash another Night Shade, surrounding itself in darkness and temporarily repelling the attacking tongues.
"Push through, Gastly! Don't hold back!" Kane urged; his voice filled with intensity.
Meanwhile, Ditto was engaged in a fierce battle with the two Haunters. It had been struck by several consecutive Shadow Punches, and despite its best efforts, it was nearing the end of its endurance. Ditto had fought valiantly, but it could no longer keep up with the relentless onslaught of attacks. Finally, after being hit one last time, Ditto collapsed from exhaustion.
Machoke had also reached its limit. The continuous assault had worn it down, and it, too, collapsed onto the ground, defeated. Thunderstorm's Duskull tried to launch a final counterattack, but the remaining Gastly overwhelmed it.
Kane's Gastly, however, continued to fight. It used Night Shade to envelop three more Gastly in shadowy darkness, its strength seemingly increasing with each victory. One against three—it was an impressive display of determination and skill.
The battle was grueling, but Gastly's ability to absorb life energy from its defeated opponents gave it a small but crucial edge. After defeating the three Gastly, Kane's Gastly was filled with energy, though its body had reached its limit. It could no longer absorb any more life force.
With two Haunters and sixteen Gastly still standing, Kane's Gastly had nothing left to give. It had fought bravely, but now, it was spent. The two Haunters seized the opportunity and launched a final assault, each one firing off a powerful Shadow Ball.
The attack hit its mark, and Kane's Gastly finally collapsed, joining the other fallen Pokémon on the ground. The battle was over. Once again, they had failed to pass the first floor.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone