"Emmm... so even getting beaten up can make you stronger, huh, Haunter..."
Having finished his meal, Shiro sat on the ground, resting his chin on his hand as he stared at the numbers floating above the Ghost-type's head.
From the original sixty-seven, it had now climbed to eighty-two.
82/100...
Not even five minutes later, as Haunter was frantically fleeing across the cavern, Drakloak's tail cracked against it again. It gave a pitiful wail, and the numbers shifted once more.
84/100...
Battle... why can't getting hit count as battle too?
Whether Haunter fought with all its might or scrambled desperately to avoid a beating, the results seemed about the same.
"Hauuunn!"
From a crevice high in the stone wall, Haunter poked out half its body, its hazy eyes filled with phantom tears as it begged for help from Shiro and the other Pokémon.
But they all kept their eyes on their Pokéblocks, pretending not to see.
Growlithe even turned its butt toward it, wagging his fluffy tail mockingly.
"Weaar?" Bewear sat calmly on the ground, watching the scene as if this was some new playful game between Drakloak and Haunter.
After all, the former wasn't using any real power. The strikes from its tail weren't even a proper attack, just enough to sting Haunter's backside.
In the cramped cavern space, there wasn't much room to hide. Haunter could only vanish into smoke, slip into shadows, or throw out a few moves to defend itself.
* * *
Half an hour passed. The chase went on, Drakloak hounding Haunter relentlessly. The numbers above the ghost Pokémon's head crept higher and higher, and its escapes became sharper, smoother, almost practiced.
"96... 98..." Shiro's eyes locked on the numbers, his voice tightening. "100!"
Right then, Haunter stalled midair, frozen in place. Drakloak, who had been rushing after it, stopped as well, curious. It circled in front of the Ghost-type, tilting its head.
"Dree?"
Dreepy, perched on Drakloak's head, perked up and leapt onto Haunter's.
Then it happened. Haunter's expression changed. The haze in its eyes cleared, and a pressure began to radiate from its body, not forced, but natural, born of something inside it breaking through.
It had reached Gym-level.
With a sudden pop, Haunter vanished from sight.
Drakloak's sharp gaze followed instantly. Haunter reappeared as a streak of shadow at Shiro's side, slipping straight into its trainer's shadow.
"Haun..."
With just its head popped out, Haunter stretched its mouth wide with its claws to pull a face at Drakalok, looking very pleased with itself.
Drakloak narrowed its eyes, and Dreepy hopped back to its head. The two dragons dove into the shadows, chasing once more after the smirking ghost who fled in panic.
This time, though, it was different.
Haunter wasn't nearly as clumsy. Even with foe's overwhelming advantage, it could last several seconds longer before getting struck.
"From Advanced-level to Gym-level, the leap is bigger than going from Gym to Elite... though its raw power and stats are still way behind," Shiro muttered. His understanding of how Pokémon grew stronger was still rough around the edges.
He'd had no mentor, no teacher, just stumbling his way forward with instinct and trial. There were many things about training Pokémon he hadn't figured out yet.
But now, with Unown A's psychic scans, he no longer had to rely only on his eyes to judge a Pokémon's condition. That made things much easier.
Thinking this, Shiro fixed his gaze on Haunter. A panel of data floated before his eyes:
[Name: Haunter
Type: Ghost/Poison
Level: 41 (Gym)
Ability: Levitate
Held Item: None
Moves: Taunt, Shadow Punch, Hypnosis, Confuse Ray, Lick, Mean Look, Payback, Spite, Curse, Hex, Night Shade, Sucker Punch, Dark Pulse, Shadow Ball, Protect…]
Aside from the change in level, nothing else seemed different.
Shiro sighed softly. His own psychic power was still too weak. All he could see were basic details like this.
When would he finally be like Unown A, able to read every aspect of a Pokémon at a glance…?
After a brief moment of reflection, he pulled out Haunter's Poké Ball and reached out to it, along with Drakloak, who had gone from chasing to roughhousing with the ghost.
Haunter looked far livelier than before. While floating in midair, it twisted its body as if trying to spin three hundred and sixty degrees, bouncing from side to side with little hops.
"Hauun... teeer~"
It drifted over to Growlithe, stretched its eyes comically long, and let out a ghostly cry right above the dog's head.
"Growwl!"
Growlithe raised its head with a snarl, snapping its jaws. Flames flickered between its fangs as it tried to bite Haunter, driving it back.
How come getting beaten made the ghost stronger?
The thought showed clearly in its eyes. A flicker of envy glimmered there.
Just as people couldn't help but compare themselves to others, Pokémon did the same.
It had lost to Haunter before, but hadn't really felt inferior. The ghost was unreliable, always messing around, hardly the kind to inspire fear. But now, there was no denying it. Haunter had reached Gym-level, and Growlithe could feel the difference without needing to measure it.
For Pokémon, strength was the most basic, most important thing. Survival in the wild depended on it. Even with a trainer, battles and victories still rested on strength.
Growlithe wanted to keep growing stronger. It wanted to keep winning.
At the very least, stronger than Haunter.
"Growl! Growl!"
It bounded forward, landing heavily before Shiro. Its wide forepaws pressed against its trainer's legs, and it nodded toward Drakloak with its snout, as if saying it wanted to be "trained" the same way.
"Hmm..." Shiro rubbed its fluffy head, then checked his communicator. It was already past six in the evening.
The company staff further down the tunnel had finished resting. They'd set up tents, lit fires, and were cooking. He hadn't even begun pitching his own. Looks like he wouldn't make it to the research forum tonight.
"Drakloak..." He called, gently pushing Growlithe toward the dragon.
Drakloak studied the eager dog for a second, then flicked its tail, sending it tumbling onto the flat ground.
"Growl! Gro...!"
Before long, the cavern echoed with the sound of endless barking.
Watching Growlithe suffer in pain yet somehow look happy about it, Shiro turned back to his bag, pulling out poles and fabric. Piece by piece, he started assembling his tent.
Two of the crew's members, who had been observing, jogged over to lend a hand.
* * *
The next morning.
Route 7, east of Hammerlocke.
The sun shone bright, the fields were lush and green, and the trees stood full with fresh leaves. The air was calm and leisurely.
The group walked slowly, unhurried.
Shiro led at the front, taking in the road around them with interest. This was the same path he had once taken to slip into Hammerlocke, and gradually, the scenery overlapped with his memories.
"Hey! You there, challenger!"
From around the corner, a figure suddenly leapt out of the tall grass with a shout.
**
**
**
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:
P@treon/SilverShark769
Vote with Power Stones for Bonus Chapters!
Your support means a lot, thank you!