Capítulo 21: ### Chapter 21: The Strange Gastly ###
As soon as Kane reached the ninth floor of the tower, he immediately fell into another illusion. It felt as though he was suddenly engulfed by a raging sea of fire, the heat and flames closing in on him.
However, Kane didn't let it bother him much.
Just as he was about to use "Foresight," he noticed a gastly Pokémon lying weakly in the corner of the room. It looked like it was on the verge of collapse, struggling to even move.
Kane shook his head slightly. "This illusion is too flawed... there's even a weak Pokémon lying out in the open."
"Ditto, use 'foresight'," Kane commanded, already certain this was just another illusion.
Two beams of white light shot from Ditto's eyes, scanning the area. As soon as the illusion was dispelled, a group of gastly Pokémon, previously hidden in the shadows, fled immediately without a trace.
All except for the weakened ghost-type Pokémon in the corner. It trembled and cowered, making no attempt to escape.
Kane crouched down near the gastly, looking it over. "Why aren't you running away?" he asked, his voice quiet but curious.
Seeing Kane so close, the ghost flinched, shrinking further into the corner.
Kane sighed. Such a timid gastly was hardly worth his time. "Looks like you're just another weakling," Kane muttered to himself as he stood up, prepared to leave.
But just as he turned to walk away, a wave of dizziness hit him. His head spun, and his body felt strangely fatigued. Kane stumbled slightly, struggling to stay upright.
What's happening? Kane wondered. His body was only seven years old, but he was in top physical condition, exercising daily. There was no reason for him to suddenly feel like his strength was draining away.
He looked back at the gastly. It was floating now, an eerie, malicious grin spreading across its face.
That smile... Kane's eyes narrowed. He recognized that look immediately. It was the same sinister grin that Koga's Gengar had, back when he faced it. Kane's memories of that time, of how terrifying Koga's Gengar was, were etched deeply into his mind.
The sensation he felt now, that draining of life force—it was exactly the same as when Gengar used its power to suck away the life force of his Ariados.
I see now.
Kane was quick to analyze the situation. Though he was still feeling slightly dizzy, his will was strong enough to keep him standing. He knew right then and there that he had to capture this gastly. He didn't know exactly how to train it just yet, but he had a gut feeling that it was worth adding to his team.
This gastly was still in its physical form, meaning it was vulnerable. It seemed exhausted, too. Now was the perfect opportunity.
"Ditto, transform into that gastly!"
In an instant, Ditto morphed into an almost perfect replica of the gastly. A cloud of purple smoke surrounded Ditto's now dark face, large white eyes took up most of its face, with tiny pupils gleaming with a sinister light. A pair of fangs peeked out from its eerie grin, giving it a terrifying appearance.
The two gastly Pokémon, one real and one transformed, now faced off.
"Use 'Mean Look,'" Kane ordered calmly.
This was a vital move in his strategy. The black energy of the 'Mean Look' trapped the gastly within a strange field, preventing it from escaping.
The gastly, naturally timid, tried to flee but quickly realized it couldn't break free from the area controlled by Ditto's 'Mean Look.'
"Now, finish it with 'Lick,'" Kane commanded.
He knew that this gastly had likely been bullied by stronger Pokémon. Its level probably wasn't high, and it wasn't likely to know many advanced moves. To play it safe, he opted for the basic move 'Lick.'
Ditto's ghostly tongue stretched out from its body, flicking toward the real gastly.
The weakened gastly darted away, but it was clear that it was slowing down. The long gastly tongue of Ditto was relentless, and the two Pokémon began a deadly game of cat and mouse.
Kane watched, mildly disappointed. This gastly was turning out to be far less impressive than he had hoped. Pokémon with timid personalities like this one were fast, but they were only fast when running away rather than fighting. Its sense of battle was severely lacking.
Just by the looks of it, Kane thought. All it's trying to do is escape. If it weren't for Kane's past experience battling with Koga, he wouldn't even consider capturing a Pokémon like this.
Ditto's gastly tongue lashed out again and again, each strike bringing it closer to victory.
It's almost over, Kane thought.
The gastly was cornered, unable to escape. Ditto's tongue whipped it one last time, and the gastly trembled under the impact.
Kane reached into his bag, ready to throw a Pokéball.
But then, something unexpected happened. The gastly's eyes suddenly filled with a glowing red light, and its entire body began to tremble uncontrollably. It looked as though it was in the throes of a violent seizure.
What's going on? Kane thought, narrowing his eyes.
And then it hit him.
"Curse..." Kane murmured, recognizing the move instantly.
This gastly had just used the move 'Curse,' a powerful but risky technique. When ghost-type Pokémon use 'Curse,' they sacrifice half of their own health in order to place a curse on their opponent. The cursed Pokémon then steadily loses health as the battle progresses.
A grin spread across Kane's face. This gastly had real value after all. When backed into a corner, it didn't just give up—it fought back with everything it had. Using a self-damaging move like 'Curse' at the last moment showed that it was willing to go down fighting.
This was exactly the kind of Pokémon Kane could respect—one that didn't back down from a fight, even in the face of defeat.
"Finish it off," Kane ordered, his voice low and determined.
Ditto lashed out one final time with its gastly tongue, and the weakened gastly collapsed.
Kane tossed the Pokéball with precision. The red and white sphere sailed through the air in a perfect arc, striking the ghost and enveloping it in red light. The ball shook twice before clicking shut, confirming the capture.
Kane felt a surge of nostalgia as he walked over to pick up the Pokéball. It had been so long since he last captured a Pokémon. The feeling brought back memories of his youth, a time filled with battles and excitement.
No, that life is gone now. This is a new start, a fresh opportunity. Kane thought, gripping the Pokéball tightly. This new life will be far more exciting and colorful than the last.
As Kane reached down to pick up the Pokéball, a shadow loomed over him.
A wrist reached out, blocking his way.
"I'm taking that gastly," said a cold voice from behind.
A chill ran down Kane's spine, but he already knew who it was.
He turned slowly, his eyes narrowing. Standing there, with an air of arrogance, was Thunderstorm.
What gave him the audacity to challenge me after witnessing my strength? Kane wondered.
But then, it became clear. The value of this gastly... Thunderstorm had realized its worth as well.
"Step aside," Kane said, his voice icy and commanding.
Thunderstorm took a half step back, his confidence wavering under Kane's piercing gaze. He swallowed nervously but tried to stand his ground.
"I need that gastly," Thunderstorm said, his voice shakier now. "I'll help you catch something stronger if you let me have it."
Kane's eyes gleamed coldly. Thunderstorm's offer only confirmed that this gastly was too valuable to give up.
"I said step. Aside." Kane repeated, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Thunderstorm, desperate, tried to muster his courage. "Your Ditto's almost out of energy, and my Machop is still at full strength. You don't stand a chance."
Kane's lips curled into a cold smile. This was nothing but a weak attempt at intimidation.
"Ditto, lick his Machop's eyes."
Before Thunderstorm could react, Ditto's long, gastly tongue shot out, wrapping around Machop's eyes, effectively blinding it.
Without its eyes, Machop wouldn't be able to use 'Foresight,' which meant it couldn't hit a ghost-type like Ditto at all.
Thunderstorm stood there, speechless, realizing how badly he had underestimated Kane once again.
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