"Gengar, you've really got to watch out for Dojo Master Grey's blitz tactics. His Pokémon can almost all explode into high speed, and they hit really hard too. We shouldn't take him head-on— we need to play to our own advantages!"
It was still technically the mid-battle break, and Ash took the chance to give the Gengar in front of him a few reminders.
Even though Gengar was willing to listen to his commands for now, Grey was a very strong opponent, so they had to be careful—very, very careful.
"Gen." (I don't need you to tell me that. But let me say this up front: if you give an order I can't get behind, I'm going to do things my own way.)
Gengar's little stubby legs were planted on the field, its plump body swaying slightly. It gave its own opinion on Ash's plan.
"Gengar, I believe in you! You got this!"
Ash didn't really understand what Gengar said. He simply stuck to his own approach: cheering Gengar on with all his heart.
"Gen." (Honestly… you really are something else. Can't say no to you, can I.)
Gengar turned its gaze back to the front. In those scarlet eyes was the reflection of Riolu.
Just thinking about how that headbutt had slammed into it earlier made Gengar want to plant a couple of good punches right into that little guy!
A ghost can be beaten, but not humiliated!
"Gengar, Shadow Ball!"
With the battle about to spark off again, Ash chopped his hand downward, shouting the command to fire Gengar up.
"Gen!" (Fine, I'll listen to you this time!)
Hearing that, Gengar's huge mouth split open in a grin, and two irregular orbs of ghostly energy instantly formed between its hands.
With an exaggerated throwing motion, the twin Shadow Balls howled through the air!
Whoosh!
The Shadow Balls flew in like twin dragons chasing a pearl, spiraling forward. The speed they reached was almost frightening, a deep hum shuddering through the air.
Seeing the attack speeding toward them, Grey raised his hand and barked, "Quick Attack!"
Swish!
Riolu's figure suddenly blurred. The white glow of Quick Attack traced a zigzag path across the field.
The two Shadow Balls smashed one after another into the afterimages Riolu left behind, blasting deep, smoking craters into the floor.
The power was no joke.
But if it didn't hit, then all that power was just for show.
Riolu once again flashed to Gengar's side. Wrapped in white light, it lowered its head and lunged, a bewitching violet-pink glow spreading across its forehead!
Zen Headbutt!
Against a Gengar with the Poison type, a Psychic-type move like Zen Headbutt was naturally ideal.
"Gen!" (You again?!)
Noticing Riolu suddenly appear right by its waist, Gengar "paled in horror," immediately clutching its side and hastily drifting backward.
For good reason— the force of that headbutt just now had been so brutal it had almost made it throw up the breakfast Brock had fed it.
There was no way Gengar intended to take another one of those for free.
All it could do was glare at Riolu with those scarlet eyes while keeping a very safe distance.
"Riolu's movements are seriously nimble… how am I supposed to crack this kind of strategy…"
Ash liked fast attacks, but all he really knew was fast attacks.
Once he ran into someone using the exact same style, he had no idea how to untangle it.
And Grey had both speed and power at the same time. Other than pulling the distance open, Ash honestly couldn't think of any way to deal with it.
But that raised another problem.
How was he supposed to make that distance in the first place?!
Gengar was pretty agile, sure, but Riolu's Quick Attack was ridiculously slippery. As soon as it got in close, it just chained straight into another Zen Headbutt, and Gengar could only barely dodge.
As for counterattacking?
It would just get dodged again by Quick Attack!
Ash was starting to panic a little. He never imagined that Pikachu's best move would come back at him like a boomerang in the hands of someone else.
"Pika, pika pika, pikachu!"
Seeing Riolu use Quick Attack, Pikachu started jumping up and down, waving its arms, as if trying to remind Ash of something.
"Oh! I get it!"
Hearing Pikachu's cries, a lightbulb went off in Ash's head and he yelled, "Gengar, use Ice Punch on the ground!"
That order caught Gengar off guard.
It shot Ash a look and met his eyes.
"Gen." (Fine, this is the last time I go along with your crazy ideas. Don't expect this forever, got it?)
Seeing that completely trusting expression on Ash's face, Gengar curled its lip and muttered under its breath.
Facing Riolu, whose head was glowing with that violet Psychic light, Gengar let icy energy surge into its fist and slammed it down onto the floor!
Shhhk!
Cold air burst outward, pale mist roaring across the battlefield as web-like cracks spread and ice crystals bloomed along them.
Frost quickly crept over Riolu's arms and legs, its speed dropping noticeably.
You could say this move created an effect similar to Icy Wind. The raw power wasn't huge, but it could definitely hinder Riolu!
And that was exactly what Ash wanted!
With its speed slightly reduced, Riolu would now need more time to reach Gengar. And in that window, Gengar had enough time to act again!
"And then—use Night Shade!"
"Keh keh keh!"
Gengar cackled as it drifted up into the air. Its plump body suddenly twisted and warped, and a vast, terrifying shadow tore itself free on a tide of ghost-type energy.
That shadow writhed and swelled like some nameless horror, and in the blink of an eye it had swallowed most of the battlefield, even devouring the lights overhead!
Riolu only had to look at it for a moment to feel its heart lurch with dread.
It was forced to stop, bringing both arms up in front of its body, trying to block out the incoming darkness.
Seeing this, Grey spoke up, his voice cutting cleanly through the "night" around them. "Close your eyes. Calm your mind. Use aura to sense where Gengar is!"
Inside that darkness, Riolu shut its eyes.
The blue radiance of aura began to flow over its body, rippling outward in all directions!
The coursing aura was like a river of stars, stretching across the endless night in search of Gengar's position.
Right now, Gengar was floating about three meters off the ground.
It was holding its Night Shade pose, pouring a constant stream of ghost-type energy down toward Riolu.
"Rio…"
Riolu let out a low grunt from its throat, but its claws, wrapped in blue light, still held a perfectly steady opening stance.
Got you!
That was the broken, overpowered side of aura.
All things had aura. As long as you could feel another's aura, you could lock onto them!
And Riolu's species had real talent when it came to aura.
At this moment, with its eyes closed, aura was the only thing Riolu could see.
You could even call it a third eye with no physical form!
"Now—use Metal Claw!"
Clang, clang!
Riolu shot forward with its eyes still closed, its claws flashing with metallic light as it sprinted across the ground straight toward Gengar!
Heavy footfalls rang out. As Riolu ran, it pounded dust up from the floor, the cloud of grit mixing seamlessly into the dim environment.
"Gen…" (Kinda losing sight of the pup down there…)
Suspicion crept across Gengar's face. Its hands faltered slightly, and those scarlet eyes tried to track Riolu—only to have their view blocked by the dust storm rising from below.
"Rio!"
Riolu's tightly-shut eyes snapped open, a surge of aura light bursting from its pupils!
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