บท 32: ### Chapter 32: Burned Tower After Midnight
As soon as Chiyama left, Ryuzu previously hidden wild and free-spirited nature was completely revealed. He had barely waited for the dust to settle before he dashed out of the gym, leaving a flurry of hurried instructions to Kane and Thunderstorm. It was as if his responsibilities weighed nothing on him, and with no regard for what might come next, he sprinted out into the city, vanishing into the shadows of the early evening without a single backward glance. His carefree departure only reinforced the sense of freedom he seemed to crave.
Watching Ryuzu disappear into the distance, Thunderstorm, who had been feeling the tension of the day pressing down on him, turned to Kane. His voice broke the silence that lingered after Ryuzu's exit. "So," he began cautiously, "do you think it's time? Should we make our move now?"
Kane, who had already been deep in thought, barely acknowledged Thunderstorm's question. His focus was solely on the task at hand. "For now, we'll have gastly and the Duskull stand guard at the gym's entrance," Kane instructed with a calm sense of authority. "If any challengers show up, they need to alert us immediately." His voice was steady, leaving no room for debate.
Thunderstorm, though visibly irritated by Kane's strict tone, gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "Why bother?" he muttered under his breath, his expression one of clear disdain." they'll wait for ryuzu to come back and handle it "
Kane shot Thunderstorm a sharp, cold glance. His patience was running thin. The carelessness and lack of foresight in Thunderstorm's words grated on him. "You really don't understand, do you?" Kane said, his voice laced with frustration and a hint of exasperation. "You think you're clever, but you haven't thought this through at all. It's not just about Ryuzu. If challengers show up and we ignore them, it'll be a huge problem."
Thunderstorm, not one to back down easily, fired back, "But isn't it just a waste of our time? Why should we care about that? It's pointless!"
Kane's eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing. He was done with Thunderstorm's ignorance. "You're missing the bigger picture," Kane said in a low, mocking tone. "If we start ignoring the challengers, it might not seem like a big deal at first. Maybe we'll get away with it once, or twice. But if too many challengers show up and find the gym deserted, or if they complain that the gym is in chaos, do you think it won't reach Chiyama? He'll know something's off the moment he hears about it."
Thunderstorm faltered slightly, realizing that Kane's words held weight. Still, he wasn't ready to admit he was wrong. "But what's the worst that could happen?" Thunderstorm asked, his tone defensive, though less certain now.
Kane, his patience wearing thin, continued, "Think about it. If Chiyama comes back and finds out the gym has been a mess in his absence, what do you think will happen? Our entire plan will fall apart. Do you honestly believe he'll trust us with something important ever again? If we screw this up, we won't get another chance. We'll lose everything. Is that what you want?"
Thunderstorm's face flushed with embarrassment, his earlier bravado evaporating. He had nothing to say in response. He hadn't thought about the long-term consequences, and Kane's sharp rebuke hit home. It was clear that he hadn't considered the bigger picture, and now he was left feeling foolish. He could feel the weight of Kane's judgment, and it was almost suffocating.
Kane, feeling a surge of annoyance, snorted contemptuously. **"This guy really is a fucking idiot,"** Kane thought, shaking his head. **"How can someone with such limited vision expect to handle anything serious? No wonder his family sent him here. He's completely out of his league."**
While Gastly and the Duskull stood guard at the gym's entrance, keeping a vigilant eye on any approaching challengers, Kane and Thunderstorm made their way deeper into the building, heading toward the inner sanctum where Chiyama's study was located. This was the moment they had been waiting for—the chance to explore the secrets hidden in Chiyama's personal space, secrets that could change everything if uncovered.
When they reached the heavy wooden doors that led to the study, Thunderstorm hesitated for a moment. "The door's locked," he said, his voice betraying a hint of uncertainty.
Kane, unimpressed by Thunderstorm's hesitation, brushed past him without a second thought. "Of course it's locked you fucking idiot," Kane muttered under his breath, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "It would be more suspicious if it wasn't locked."
Without wasting any more time, Kane turned to his Ditto. "You're up," he commanded, motioning toward the lock. With a fluid, almost effortless motion, Ditto transformed into a key-like shape, its malleable body oozing into the keyhole. After a few moments of precise twisting and turning, there was a faint click, and the lock disengaged.
Thunderstorm's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected such efficiency from Kane's Pokémon. "I didn't think it would actually work," he mumbled, clearly impressed despite himself.
Once inside Chiyama's study, Thunderstorm wasted no time. He immediately rushed to the shelves, his hands flying over the rows of dusty books, flipping through them in a frenzy, hoping to stumble upon some hidden secret or important clue.
Kane, however, wasn't nearly as hasty. He knew better than to expect answers to fall into his lap. There were thousands of books in the study, each one a potential trap if handled carelessly. They needed to be thorough, meticulous, and—most importantly—leave no trace of their presence. There was no room for error. Rushing through the search would only lead to disaster.
While Thunderstorm continued his chaotic search, Kane began methodically examining the room itself. He carefully scanned the walls, the floors, and the furniture, searching for any hidden compartments or structural anomalies that might indicate a secret passage or concealed cache. If there was anything of value hidden in this room, it wouldn't be in plain sight.
The hours slipped by quickly, each minute filled with the tension of their clandestine search. In addition to scouring the study, Kane had to manage four different challengers who arrived at the gym throughout the day, each battle draining time and energy. By the time evening rolled around, they had barely made it halfway through the study. With Ryuzu expected back soon, they had no choice but to abandon their search for the night.
Later that night, under the dim, eerie glow of the Burned Tower, Kane resumed his intense training. The atmosphere was thick with the weight of the ancient structure, its towering presence casting long shadows over the training grounds. Kane stood at the base of the Burned Tower, his focus entirely on his Gastly and Ditto. He was pushing them to their limits, demanding nothing less than perfection as they repeatedly practiced the move **Seizure** over and over again.
Although the Gastly had begun to grasp the mechanics of the move, Ditto still wasn't showing the expected stiffness after using it. The power behind the technique wasn't there yet, and Kane's frustration was starting to mount. He could sense that something was missing, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.
As the Gastly started to slack off, clearly growing weary, Kane barked out a sharp command, his voice cutting through the night air like a whip. "Put everything you've got into it! Don't hold back! If you stop now, you'll never master it!"
The sudden intensity of Kane's voice snapped Gastly back to attention. it redoubled its efforts, pushing itself even harder under Kane's relentless gaze.
The hours crept by, and by the time the clock struck ten, Kane showed no sign of slowing down. His eyes remained laser-focused on his Pokémon; his mind completely absorbed in their progress. He wasn't satisfied yet. Not even close.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Kane caught a glimpse of movement. A shadow flickered near the base of the Burned Tower, moving with unnatural speed and precision. It was fast, but Kane saw it clearly: a dark figure, angular and covered in spikes, with a purple-red lower half that gleamed in the faint light.
It was a **Gengar**. But not just any Gengar. This one had an unmistakable air of power and danger. Its form was larger, more imposing, and its aura radiated an eerie energy that made Kane's blood run cold. It could only be a **Mega Gengar**.
Kane froze, his mind racing. **"This can't be possible,"** he thought, his heart pounding in his chest. **"Mega Evolution doesn't exist yet. It's too soon. How could this be happening?"**
He knew that Mega Evolution wouldn't even be discovered for at least another twenty years. When it finally was, it would require both the Mega Stone and a strong bond between a Pokémon and its trainer. Those stones were incredibly rare, and only the most powerful trainers in the world possessed them. The idea that he was seeing one now, in this time, was simply unimaginable.
In his previous life, Kane had spent years clawing his way to the top, eventually becoming a gym leader. He had trained a Beedrill that was fully capable of Mega Evolution, but he had never found the corresponding Mega Stone. Despite all his efforts, he had never been able to experience the power of Mega Evolution firsthand. The few Mega Stones that existed were so valuable that they were only seen at elite auctions, with prices that soared into the millions. Only champions, royal families, and the wealthiest of the wealthiest elite four could afford such luxuries.
Yet here, in this era, before anyone even knew what Mega Evolution was, Kane was witnessing the impossible: a Mega Gengar right in front of his eyes.
His mind was filled with questions. "How could this be? What does this mean? Could it really be a Mega Gengar?"
Driven by a mix of curiosity and disbelief, Kane rushed toward the Burned Tower, his heart pounding as he tried to make sense of what he had just seen. The tower loomed before him, its ancient walls hiding countless secrets. Kane, who had spent over half a month training here, knew the place inside and out. The ghost type Pokémon that usually haunted the tower no longer bothered with their illusions when he was around—they had grown used to his presence.
Armed with only a flashlight and his wits, Kane began searching the tower's dark, narrow hallways, his mind racing as he tried to figure out where the Mega Gengar had gone. His Gastly following Kain closely behind, their spectral forms flickering in the shadows. Ditto, as always, was wrapped around Kane's right arm, having transformed into a bracer that provided extra support.
As he ventured deeper into the tower, Kane suddenly felt an overwhelming force press down on him. It was as if a massive weight had descended from above, crushing him with an intensity that left him gasping for breath. At the same time, a red wave of energy crashed over him, flooding his senses and making his eyelids grow heavy.
He recognized the sensation instantly. " Hypnosis," Kane thought, his mind struggling to stay awake. "But how is it this powerful?"
Kane's vision blurred as he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness. The Gastly that accompanied him was also swaying unsteadily in the air, its movements sluggish as Hypnosis took hold.
"This is bad," Kane realized, his heart racing with panic. "If I pass out here, I'm done for."
Desperate to stay awake, Kane gritted his teeth and forced himself to move. He quickly recalled his gastly, then slapped himself across the face with enough force to leave five deep, red marks across his cheek. The sudden shock of pain jolted him back to full consciousness.
Panting heavily, Kane staggered out of Burned Tower, the oppressive weight of the Hypnosis slowly lifting as he escaped the building's eerie influence.
Despite the close call, Kane wasn't ready to give up. He circled the outside of the tower, his determination unwavering. "If that Mega Gengar came in, then it's bound to come out," he reasoned. "There's no way it'll stay in a place like this for long."
As Kain waited for Mega Gengar to come out time passed as Minutes stretched into hours, but Kane's resolve never wavered. Even as the night dragged on, with the clock creeping past midnight, he remained vigilant, his senses on high alert. Whatever the truth behind this Mega Gengar was, Kane was determined to uncover it. Nothing, not even the mysteries of time and space, would stop him from achieving his goals.
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