Mega Gengar!
At the most critical moment, it finally managed to complete the Mega Evolution.
The black shadow swelled like a balloon, growing larger and larger, expanding uncontrollably.
At that moment, there was no longer any trace of the three Gengar, as if they had undergone a collective mutation.
Cain frowned at the sight. "What the hell is this? Do they rely on devouring other Ghost-type Pokémon to increase their strength? But by consuming too much... they end up with chaotic thoughts—or rather, they completely lose consciousness, degenerating into a monster that knows only how to devour."
With Gengar's Mega Evolution complete, Cain's concern lessened considerably. Against absolute power and absolute quality, quantity no longer mattered.
Boom!
Just as Cain had predicted, that mass of shadows, which had swelled to its limit, suddenly exploded.
Mega Gengar appeared, breathing heavily.
The fragments of shattered shadow looked like black rags falling from the air. However, upon touching the ground, they vanished without a trace.
"Kekeke!"
Mega Gengar believed it had finished off the enemy, but immediately sensed something strange.
Cain noticed it too: the shattered shadows began regrouping, slowly converging over Mega Gengar's body, as if being drawn into a massive void.
Cain's expression darkened; he quickly stepped forward and activated the system to scan Gengar's data.
"All of its stats are fluctuating violently! The peaks exceed even Mega Gengar's limits, but the lows... the lows drop to zero! This is literally one moment in heaven and the next in hell..." he thought as he analyzed the data table.
The three fused Gengar, though no longer conscious, still retained an instinct for fusion. Their energy, once shattered, continued to be instinctively drawn toward the place with the highest concentration of Ghost-type energy: Cain's Mega Gengar.
No one knew how many Pokémon those Gengar had devoured, but the energy accumulated within them was heterogeneous and chaotic. Among it were fragments of extremely high quality, comparable to the power of a Mega Gengar, but also a great mass of low-quality energy.
Mega Gengar closed its eyes in pain.
Anyone would suffer when forced to absorb so much energy at once—especially when it was filled with impurities and negative emotions.
"Kekeke!"
The Pokémon pounded the ground frantically with its arms, trying to ease the agony. But it had little effect.
Cain transmitted a direct thought to his companion via telepathy: "Gengar! Use your quality to crush them. Remember the energy of Giratina that you absorbed in Ho-Oh's realm... You're capable of assimilating even Giratina's power. Don't let these scraps cloud your mind!"
With Slowking's help, Cain strengthened the telepathy and built a special wall within Gengar's mind, repelling the chaotic thoughts and guiding it to use its own energy for purification and absorption.
"If those energies wish to fuse with pure Ghost-type energy, then accept them! But first, purge their impurities. Then cleanse and refine them."
Cain felt grateful that the energy within Gengar's body came from the assimilation of Giratina. In the entire Pokémon world, that was probably the highest-quality Ghost-type energy in existence. If it weren't for that, not even Mega Gengar—with Slowking's aid—could have withstood this invasion.
Otherwise, the best possible outcome would have been a temporary surge of power followed by contaminated, unstable energy that would hinder its growth forever. And in the worst case... it would end up like the three original Gengar: mindless, turned into devouring monsters wandering eternally in the Dragon's Tomb.
Following Cain's instructions, Gengar unleashed all its energy, transforming it into a massive spiritual mill.
Each fragment of energy that tried to enter its body was crushed and refined again and again until it was free of impurities.
If those energies still retained the instinct to fuse, Gengar accepted them. If they didn't meet its standards, it discarded them without hesitation.
Surprisingly, what had seemed like a crisis was turning into an opportunity.
In the Pokémon world, battles and predation among species are common. Among Ghost-type Pokémon, devouring also exists—but it's usually far more dangerous:
The first obstacle lies in impurities and the difficulty of fusion.
The second lies in conflicts of consciousness, which can lead to losing one's own identity.
Normally, these problems are impossible to solve.
However, the three Gengar possessed energy with a natural capacity for fusion. Even after being destroyed, their energy instinctively sought to merge with Mega Gengar.
Thus, the greatest obstacle was already resolved. The only tasks remaining were to eliminate impurities and suppress chaotic thoughts—duties that Cain and Slowking were already handling.
The only thing required afterward would be time—to rest, digest, and stabilize the enormous amount of energy absorbed at once.
Little by little, Gengar gained control over the process. The influence of Giratina's energy ensured purity, while Cain's mind kept it focused.
What at first seemed like a catastrophe was now a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The energy of three Elite Four-level Gengar, though filled with trash, was still terrifying after refinement.
Indeed, after a long process of absorption, Gengar's stats stabilized at their highest point.
Gengar had reached the peak of the Intermediate Elite Four level!
"The energy is immense, Gengar!" Cain's voice echoed in its mind. "Use this moment and leap to the next level!"
(End of chapter)