Chapitre 28: **Chapter 28: Shadow Hypnosis**
Kane's strategies, it seemed, were still highly feasible, but now came the next step. It was time to focus on improving his overall strength—his Pokémon's strength, his battle tactics, everything. The journey ahead would not be easy, but it was necessary for the progress he sought.
After they stepped out of the imposing Bell Tower, both Kane and Thunderstorm set off on their separate paths for special training. Each had their own methods, their own approach to building strength, and neither would share their strategies. There was a certain unspoken understanding between them, one that ensured no interference in the other's plans. For them, communication regarding their individual special training sessions was unnecessary. They preferred to rely on their personal capabilities. After all, when they faced future challenges together, especially when they planned to challenge the Bell Tower again, the outcome would be determined entirely by their respective skill levels. They had already planned their roles beforehand, so from here on out, it was all about execution. How well they performed was up to their abilities, their strength, and their tactics.
The ghostly battle they had just experienced had sparked an idea in Kane's mind. That encounter had left him with valuable insights, and those insights now fueled his desire to refine his techniques. The urgency to start training, to perfect his Pokémon's abilities, was undeniable.
Of course, the Burned Tower was still the perfect place for this special training. The atmosphere was thick with eerie energy, the kind that ghost-type Pokémon thrived on. The abundance of wild ghost Pokémon in the area made it an ideal training ground. Kane would take full advantage of this opportunity, and so would his Pokémon.
"Ditto, your special training mission will remain the same as before," Kane stated calmly, his eyes already scanning the area.
Without hesitation, Ditto transformed into a Haunter, its usual form for these kinds of exercises. It was a reliable transformation for training purposes. Ditto floated off, eagerly searching for an opponent to provoke, just as Kane had instructed. The training for Ditto was straightforward. Its limitations as a Pokémon meant that its special training would always revolve around the same basics. Ditto's form-shifting ability was both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness.
Ditto's training always followed a similar pattern: it had to repeatedly transform into different Pokémon and adapt to different battle scenarios. The goal was to handle whatever came its way, relying only on Kane's commands and its own ability to execute moves in real time. That was easier said than done. Against ordinary opponents, Ditto's quick transformations and mimicry often worked, but when facing a seasoned Pokémon master or a truly powerful opponent, its limitations became glaring. Every move had to be executed perfectly, and each transformation had to sync with the battle strategy. Ditto, despite its versatility, was no match for a master's well-trained Pokémon, where tactical mastery and experience held the upper hand.
But Kane didn't expect Ditto to be a powerhouse in battle. He had never intended to raise it to that level. Ditto had a different kind of value, a unique purpose that no other Pokémon could fulfill. It had its special place on Kane's team, and he knew that.
For now, Kane's focus was elsewhere. His main concern was training his Gastly, the ghost-type Pokémon that held far more potential to become a true powerhouse in battle.
"Use your moves again," Kane commanded, his tone firm.
Gastly hovered in the air, looking at Kane as if slightly confused. However, it didn't hesitate. It knew better than to disobey. Under Kane's watchful eye, Gastly ran through the list of moves it currently knew: Hypnosis, Lick, Mean Look, Curse, and Night Shade. Each move was performed in quick succession, showcasing the progress Gastly had made so far.
"Hypnosis takes too long to focus," Kane noted aloud, his sharp eyes evaluating every aspect of the move's execution. "And the range of the illusion created by Night Shade is still too small. That won't be enough."
After analyzing the situation, Kane moved on to the next stage of their training.
"The battle at Bell Tower just now gave us some insight," Kane continued, speaking more to himself than to Gastly, who hovered silently. "You used Night Shade as a form of defense, and then absorbed life energy from the opponents. That was clever, but it's not something we can rely on all the time. Life energy absorption is limited. We need to go deeper than that, push harder. We need to find a more sustainable strategy."
Of course, Gastly didn't understand the full scope of what Kane was saying. Pokémon, after all, were creatures of instinct and power, not of tactical understanding. For Gastly, tactics and strategies weren't about words—they were about actions. Special training, and more specifically, repeated battles, would slowly ingrain these strategies into Gastly's behavior. It was through experience, not explanation, that the real learning took place.
Understanding the tactics didn't matter at this stage.
"Now, Gastly, I want you to use Lick on those five Banette over there," Kane directed, gesturing towards a group of Banette lurking in the shadowy corners of the tower.
Provoking battles and pushing Pokémon to their limits were some of Kane's most effective training methods. Gastly extended its long, ghostly tongue, lashing at the five Banette. The attack was swift, but it immediately triggered an aggressive response.
Banette, creatures born of resentment and malice, were not the kind to take an unprovoked attack lightly. Black energy began swirling around them, rising from the sharp horns on their heads. Their anger manifested quickly, taking the form of dark energy that shot directly at Gastly.
The Banette's attacks were fueled by their anger, and as ghost-types, their Dark-type moves were especially effective against Gastly. Just one hit from their dark energy would be enough to knock Gastly out of the fight.
Naturally, Gastly's first instinct was to flee. It didn't want to be anywhere near the malevolent energy racing towards it.
But Kane wasn't interested in testing Gastly's speed right now.
"Don't run!" Kane barked, his voice cutting through the air with authority. "Use Night Shade to defend yourself!"
Fearful of disobeying, Gastly halted its retreat and quickly summoned a cloud of dark shadows around itself, forming a defensive barrier with the Night Shade move.
But Banette weren't so easily deterred. Their resentment-driven attacks continued with even more ferocity, their dark energy smashing into the shadowy barrier with relentless force. The jagged black horns of the Banette stabbed violently at the cloud of shadows, slowly breaking it apart.
"Now, Gastly! Use Hypnosis!" Kane ordered again; his eyes locked on the battle in front of him.
He had been inspired by Gastly's earlier use of life absorption during the Bell Tower battle. The idea now was to hide within the shadows of Night Shade while casting Hypnosis on the enemies. It would be a surprise attack, a tactical move that could shift the tide of any battle. If the enemies were focused on breaking through Night Shade, they wouldn't expect the Hypnosis to hit them, leaving them vulnerable.
Kane had even come up with a name for this strategy: "Shadow Hypnosis."
He was confident in the potential of this tactic. But in reality, executing it was proving more difficult than anticipated.
Gastly was struggling. Despite Kane's clear commands, it wasn't able to summon the energy needed for Hypnosis. The Banette's onslaught was too intense, and Gastly had its hands full just maintaining the Night Shade defense. It had no extra energy to focus on the Hypnosis move.
"Not strong enough yet," Kane muttered, slightly frustrated but not surprised.
For now, Kane stopped giving commands and allowed Gastly to fend for itself. This would be a test of its endurance, its ability to push through even when the odds were against it. Kane knew that the problem wasn't with the tactic itself—it was that Gastly wasn't yet strong enough to fully execute them.
The idea behind "Shadow Hypnosis" was sound. Gastly needed to hold Night Shade long enough to cast Hypnosis, but it also had to be faster. Every second of delay made things more dangerous. And even beyond that, Gastly needed to be able to multitask—maintaining the Night Shade defense while casting Hypnosis was no easy feat.
What seemed like a simple combination of moves required a great deal of skill and strength, and it wouldn't be mastered overnight.
Kane watched silently as Gastly battled on. Maintaining the Night Shade for this long was a good test of its stamina, and each second of continuous energy output would only help Gastly grow stronger and more attuned to its abilities.
The Banette, meanwhile, were tiring. After their relentless attacks, they began to show signs of exhaustion. They paused to recover, preparing themselves for a final push.
Gastly, on the other hand, was barely holding on. One more round of attacks from the Banette, and it would likely be finished.
But Kane wasn't about to intervene. He believed that true growth came from facing danger head-on. Without pushing past the limits, there could be no true breakthrough.
And then, just when it seemed like all hope was lost, something unexpected happened. A burst of red light shot out from the last remnants of the shadow cloud surrounding Gastly.
It was Hypnosis.
Kane's heart swelled with excitement. Despite everything, Gastly hadn't given up. It had waited for the perfect moment—just when the Banette had let their guard down. The timing was flawless.
The Banette, caught completely off guard, had no time to react. The red waves of Hypnosis washed over them, lulling them into a deep, unshakable sleep. One by one, the Banette collapsed to the ground, completely unconscious.
Gastly, utterly spent, let the Night Shade barrier dissolve.
Kane smiled. "Good job," he said softly, returning Gastly to its Pokéball for a well-deserved rest.
"This time, Gastly managed to land a Hypnosis sneak attack with the last of its energy," Kane mused, watching the slumbering Banette. "There's still a long way to go before it can truly master 'Shadow Hypnosis,' but it's a start a good start."
Gastly had shown that it could grasp the concept of shadow hypnosis. Now, it was just a matter of refining the technique and building up the strength to use it more effectively in future battles. Kane already had a clear plan for how to continue the training from here.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone