Chapitre 52: ##Chapter 52: The Fifth Floor of the Bell Tower
Because of the pressures surrounding the elite trainer Pryce's visit and Chiyama's focus on preparations for the upcoming gym exams, nobody had any time to pay attention to Kane and his team's ongoing tral of clearing Bell Tower. The exams had consumed Chiyama's every waking moment, leaving him no room to interfere with their progress.
"Melissa," Komatsu began one day as they trained together, his tone serious. "My father told me that it might not be possible to send you back to Sinnoh until after the gym exams are over. This Pryce guy is so strict and unforgiving that even the slightest error during the exams could lead to serious punishment."
Hearing this, Melissa barely batted an eye. Her expression remained calm, indifferent even, as she replied, "That's fine. I've been enjoying my time here in Ecruteak City anyway. I don't mind staying a bit longer."
Komatsu, ever the responsible one, couldn't help but raise another concern. "But isn't school going to start soon? It's already October," he reminded her, knowing she had obligations back home.
Melissa gave a light shrug, brushing off the concern as if it were nothing. "My dad can handle that. He can call in and explain things to the school if it's necessary. Besides, it's not like the classes are interesting or anything. I skip most of them anyway," she said with a careless smile, her words filled with a rebellious confidence.
Komatsu, being a model student himself, struggled to comprehend Melissa's casual attitude toward school. He frowned slightly, clearly taken aback by her nonchalant response. To him, skipping classes was unimaginable.
But while Melissa spoke without much thought, her words carried unintended weight. Kane and Thunderstorm, standing nearby, exchanged a quick glance, their minds syncing with a shared understanding. If Chiyama was too preoccupied with the gym exams, this could be their chance—an opportunity to delve deeper into the secrets of the Crestmont Cemetery.
"Alright, everyone. Today's the day," Komatsu said, raising his voice slightly to catch everyone's attention. "We know the Shuppets' tactics now. Let's pass this floor today and move up to the next level of the Bell Tower."
With that statement, a renewed sense of determination settled over the group. Having learned the Shuppets' strategies, they felt more composed and ready than ever. This time, they wouldn't be caught off guard.
Once more, the four of them entered the daunting fifth floor of Bell Tower. As soon as they stepped onto the floor, the Banette and the ever-menacing Shuppets vanished into thin air, slipping away into their usual tactic of disappearing into the shadows.
"Should we make the first move?" Komatsu asked Kane, turning to him for guidance.
Kane simply shook his head. Instead of responding immediately, he began to clap. His hands in a weird rhythm, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he carefully watched the surroundings, focusing on the field in front of them.
"What's he doing now?" Melissa whispered, her curiosity getting the better of her as she observed Kane's strange actions.
"Shh…" Komatsu quickly motioned for her to stay silent. He was beginning to understand what Kane was doing. From their last encounter with the Shuppets, Kane had clearly calculated the timing of when the Shuppets disappeared and when they reappeared. Now, he was just waiting for the perfect moment—for the Shuppets to come close enough to strike, ready to unleash their own attacks and deal the most damage possible.
Kane remained silent as the seconds ticked by, his attention unwavering as he continuedclapping his hands in a strange rhythm. And then, at the exact moment he had been waiting for, he gave the command.
"GASTLY! NOW!" he shouted, his voice sharp with authority.
At his command, a terrifying wave of dark energy erupted from Gastly's 's body. The black energy pulsed outwards, radiating across the entire battlefield in sinister waves. It spread quickly, covering every inch of the floor with Gastly at the very center, emitting an aura so dense it seemed to thicken the very air.
Without hesitation, Komatsu followed suit. His Spiritbomb let out a ferocious Snarl, the sound echoing off the walls of Bell Tower. It was the kind of sound that could send chills down anyone's spine—a powerful, spine-tingling Snarl that left everyone on edge.
Thunderstorm 's Dusclops responded next, summoning waves of dark energy with pinpoint precision, adding to the flood of attacks aimed at the invisible Shuppets. His Dusclops, quick to act, summoned waves of Dark pulse with a deadly force, its eerie gaze locked onto the shadows.
Not to be left behind, Melissa's Drifblim spun into action. Already prepared for this moment, it unleashed a powerful Ominous wind that swirled into a vortex of dark energy, intensifying the atmosphere. The Ominous wind, spinned in a sinister spiral, spread out across the floor, fueled by the speed and strength of Drifblim 's attack.
The combination of all four Pokémon attacking in unison was a sight to behold. Their timing was flawless, and as Kane had predicted, the Shuppets revealed themselves at exactly the location Kane started the attack at, unable to resist the coordinated onslaught of the four pokemon attacks.they started falling one by one seemingly unable to continue the battle.
"Nicely done!" Komatsu clapped his hands, visibly excited. He was amazed by how perfectly Kane had timed the ambush. "You really nailed it this time! It's incredible that you managed to predict the timing so precisely," Komatsu added, his voice filled with admiration as he shot Kane a glance.
But Kane's mind remained sharp and focused, undistracted by Komatsu's praise. He could see that the Banette had yet to appear. "What are you standing around for? Get moving the boss hasn't revealed itself!" Kane barked, snapping Komatsu back to reality.
Gastly continued its relentless assault, launching wave after wave of Dark Pulse. Each blast hit its target, forcing the remaining Shuppets back with every strike. In the midst of the battle, seiing it had the advantage Gastly seized the moment, firing off five perfectly aimed shadow balls at the remaining Shuppets. The black, spindle-shaped projectiles shot across the floor, hitting their marks with deadly precision.
The Shuppets were already weakened by the previous attacks, and the Shadow balls proved to be too much for them to handle. All five Shuppets were soon knocked out in quick succession, their bodies collapsing as they lost the ability to fight back.
It was a stunning display of skill and timing, proving that Gastly had become a fast, efficient assassin—able to seize opportunities and deliver lethal blows in the blink of an eye.
But just as the Shuppets fell, the Banette finally made its appearance. Without wasting a second, its shadow extended ominously, and a massive black claw shot forward from the darkness, aiming directly at Gastly.
"Gastly use night shade!" Kane shouted, issuing his command with urgency.
There was no way Gastly could avoid the Banette's sneak attack at such close range. Kane knew Gastly had to defend itself first before making their next move. Gastly quickly surrounded itself with the protective barrier of Night shade, forming a shield of darkness in an attempt to fend off the Banette's assault.
Meanwhile, Komatsu and the others were holding their own with the few Shuppets remaining, but without a Pokémon as adept at special attack speed as Gastly, their battles were dragging on longer. Spiritbomb and Drifblim were managing by relying on their defense and stamina, but it was clear that defeating the remaining Shuppets would take more time.
Kane's eyes flickered as he assessed the situation. It seemed like everything was on his shoulders now.
The Banette's sneak attack landed hard against Gastly's Night shade, creating a tear in the defense. Seeing this as an opening, the Banette immediately launched a will-o'-the-wisp attack in quick succession as its ghostly flames seeped through the gap in night shade.
"Gastly use Shadow Ball!" Kane shouted again, refusing to let the Banette gain the upper hand in this fight.
Gastly responded instantly to its trainer's command, hurling multiple shadow balls at a rapid speed. The Banette's slow-moving will-o'-the-wisps was no match for the fast shadow balls, which tore through the ghostly flames with ease, reducing them to harmless blue sparks.
But the Banette was relentless, summoning the dark power of "Feint attack" to strike again. Dark energy swirled around its arms, intensifying the pressure on Gastly. Kane saw the attack coming and made a quick decision.
"Gastly give up Night shade," he commanded, his voice sharp and resolute.
The defensive barrier of Night shade crumbled under the Banette's Feint attack, but Kane was already prepared. "counter with Shadow Ball," he ordered once more, knowing they had to strike quickly to avoid being overwhelmed.
Gastly fired shadow balls one after another, with no pause in between the attacks.
The Banette, recognizing the danger it was in, wanted to jump back to evade the incoming attacks. However, what it didn't expect was the sheer speed of the shadow ball. Unlike a typical attack, this spindle-shaped shadow ball moved incredibly fast, so much so that before the Banette could even think about dodging, the first shadow ball was already upon it.
In a split second, there was a loud explosion, and the Banette was sent flying, its body slammed by the tremendous force of the attack. The power behind the shadow ball left it reeling, its form visibly shaken and scattered all over from the impact. The damage dealt by this one attack was clearly significant, as the Banette struggled to get back on its feet, clutching its chest in pain, wincing from the sharpness of the blow.
It was clear that this strike had caused severe injury. However, Kane didn't give it any chance to recover. Shadow balls continued to rain down, one after another, a relentless barrage of spindle-shaped darkness. Each shadow ball shot out with elite precision, aimed directly at the Banette, forcing it to defend itself frantically.
The Banette had no room to breathe, let alone regroup. Seeing there was no way to escape the storm of shadow balls, the Banette steeled itself, bracing for a full confrontation. The dark energy of its signature move, "feint attack," once again surged to its hands, arming it with dark power. With a fierce wave, the Banette swatted at the incoming attacks, the force of its dark energy scattering several shadow balls in rapid succession, deflecting them away.
The impact of its defense was immediate and effective. Shadow balls were thrown aside, their trajectory altered by the Banette's strikes, preventing any direct damage from landing. Despite this defensive success, Kane showed no signs of stopping. His eyes stayed focused, intent on victory. Kane commanded Gastly to speed up its release of Shadow balls even if they werent fully spindle-shaped, Gastly hearing its trainer's command began hurling more shadow balls at a terrifying rate as it sacrificed quality for quantity, continuously forcing the Banette to expend its energy.
Eventually, the Banette's dark energy waned. Its once-powerful Feint attacks began to weaken, and the protective force guarding its hands faded away entirely. The Banette's movements became sluggish, a clear sign that its energy reserves were drained. This was exactly what Kane had been waiting for.
A smile crept across Kane's face, a smile of confidence and understanding. He knew the tide of the battle had turned in his favor. Seizing the moment, he issued his next command with sharp precision.
"Gastly use Sludge bomb."
At Kane's order, Ghost prepared its next move. A purple sludge bomb, loaded with toxic venom, formed quickly, resembling the shape of a shadow ball but far more dangerous due to its toxic nature. With the Banette now defenseless, it stood no chance against this new assault.
As soon as the sludge bomb made contact, the result was immediate. The venom seeped into the Banette's body, spreading through it like a poison. The cursed doll tried to resist, enduring the toxic sludge as best it could, but its energy was already depleted. After enduring multiple sludge bombs in quick succession, the cursed doll's body began to falter.
Its movements grew slower, its breathing became labored, and its body trembled visibly. The Banette was clearly in agony, struggling just to remain upright. The venom was taking its toll.
"Poisoned," Kane muttered under his breath, his voice filled with satisfaction. After all this time, after all these attacks, the Banette had finally succumbed to the poison.
While Kane kept the Banette occupied, Komatsu's Spiritbomb had been working relentlessly to defeat the five remaining Shuppets, and as it just finished dealing with them. The Spiritbomb appeared behind the Banette, its presence looming over its already weakened opponent.
Kane and Komatsu exchanged a knowing glance. Without needing to speak, they understood what needed to be done next. The Banette was now trapped, surrounded and suffering from poison as it had no chance of escape. An attack from both the front and back would ensure its defeat.
Gastly, sensing the moment of victory approaching, began to charge up an even larger shadow ball—one far more powerful than any before. The dark energy swirled around Gastly, the shadow ball growing in size and strength as it prepared to deliver the final blow. Meanwhile, Komatsu's Spiritbomb readied itself for an attack from behind, moving into position as quietly as a shadow.
At that moment, the Banette, already on the verge of collapse, was struck from behind by Spiritbomb 's surprise blow The force of the hit sent the Banette staggering forward, right into the path of Gastly 's enormous shadow ball. With perfect timing, Gastly released the massive shadow ball, launching it directly toward the Banette.
The resulting explosion was devastating. The shadow ball hit the Banette with such force that the entire tower started to shake. The Banette was blasted off its feet, the power of the shadow ball too much for its already weakened form to withstand.
When the smoke cleared, the Banette layed unconscious on the ground, completely defeated.
As the dust settled, Kane, Komatsu, Thunderstorm, and Melissa took in the sight of their victory. Thunderstorm and Melissa had also dealt with the remaining five Shuppets, finally putting an end to the chaotic battle.
Komatsu and Melissa let out long, relieved sighs. After all the effort they had put in, after all the challenges they faced, the task assigned by Chiyama was finally complete. The weight of the battle lifted from their shoulders, leaving them feeling both exhausted and refreshed.
But for Kane and Thunderstorm, there was no such sense of relief. They weren't concerned with this minor victory. Their minds were elsewhere, focused on something far more important. What they were truly waiting for was Chiyama's departure, and with that, they would make their next move.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone