The combined restraint of electricity and vines was more than even Gengar could withstand.
Bzzz—crackle…
After a short while, the power of the Electric Net faded, leaving only Gengar bound tightly by thick vines.
Its round, bloated body bulged like gelatin squeezed by rubber bands, lumps of fat protruding everywhere.
At the same time, gentle green healing light flickered over Bulbasaur.
HP +1… +1… +1…
Seeing Gengar completely pinned to the ground, Ash's lips curled upward as he prepared to throw a Poké Ball and capture it.
"GENG!!"
A furious roar suddenly echoed through the room.
The Gengar that had been lying face-down on the wooden floor abruptly sprang upright, facing everyone.
The playful mischief in its expression vanished completely.
Its eyes burned blood-red—so red they looked as though they might drip.
Mischief came from boredom, from wanting attention—this was the nature of the Gengar line.
But why it stayed here…
That was the darkest resentment buried deep within its heart.
It hated humans.
In an instant, Gengar's aura turned terrifyingly sinister.
"Ash—this isn't over. This one's tough," Brock shouted.
Why did this Gengar feel just as split-personality–like as Ash himself?
Rip—snap!
Gengar threw its arms wide, forcibly tearing apart the Leech Seed vines.
Like an overweight man wearing clothes two sizes too small, then stretching once and ripping them clean apart.
Its resentment spilled outward, condensing into hazy black shadows that filled the room.
An icy chill crept into everyone's hearts.
"That pressure… it's insane," Ash swallowed hard.
"GENG!"
Gengar slammed its fist into the redwood floor.
Dark energy flowed from its knuckles, sinking into the wood.
WHOOSH—BOOM!
In the next instant, shadowy fists erupted from the floor in front of both Metapod and Bulbasaur.
Shadow Punch!
"Bulba!"
Bulbasaur reacted quickly, leaping into the air and barely dodging the first strike.
Whoosh!
But the shadowy fist twisted unnaturally and curved back midair!
Still airborne, Bulbasaur had nowhere to evade.
BAM!
The punch smashed squarely into its face, sending it skidding across the wooden floor.
"Careful! Shadow Punch always hits—you can't dodge it!" Brock warned urgently.
"Geh-heh-heh~!"
Before Ash could react, Gengar laughed wildly and vanished from sight.
In the next moment, its massive body appeared directly in front of Bulbasaur.
Its speed was unreal.
Ice crystals gathered on its right fist, cold radiating outward.
"Bulba…?!"
Bulbasaur froze—literally and figuratively.
BOOM!
Ice Punch landed head-on!
Crack—crackle!
Frost spread instantly, freezing Bulbasaur solid like a flash-frozen clove of garlic.
It's super effective!
"Geh-geh-geee!!"
Gengar didn't stop.
Its left fist swung next.
HISS—ROAR!
Heat surged, flames spiraling violently.
Fire Punch!!
BOOM!
The blazing blow smashed into the frozen Bulbasaur, blasting it away.
Ice shattered and melted simultaneously, crashing onto the floor.
"Bulba…"
When the ice fully broke apart, Bulbasaur lay unconscious.
It had endured power far beyond what its level should handle.
The redwood floor gained several more scorched marks.
"So strong…" Ash murmured, shaken.
Had Gengar suddenly grown stronger?
No—this wasn't growth.
After years without battle, it was simply reawakening its old power, re-learning how to fight.
Ash grimaced and recalled Bulbasaur.
Even so, he had to press on.
"Go! Squirtle! Catch your sunglasses!"
"Squirtle?"
Summoned again, Squirtle scratched its head and instinctively caught the tossed shades.
Fine—if I'm fighting, I'll forgive you.
Squirtle put the sunglasses back on, crouched low, and scanned the area.
…Nothing.
Huh? Where's the enemy?
This is giving me a shell-ache.
"Squirtle?!"
Suddenly, a massive purple-black figure materialized right in front of it.
Squirtle stumbled back in shock.
So that's my opponent—take this, Water Gun!
Just as Squirtle prepared to fire, a sharp crackling sound buzzed by its ear.
Out of the corner of its eye—
A fist wrapped in violent electricity was screaming toward its head.
Thunder Punch?!
"Squirtle!!"
Pure turtle instinct kicked in—Squirtle snapped into its shell, narrowly avoiding the sweeping blow.
But as it extended its head again to fire—
Another Thunder Punch came straight from the front!
BOOM!
The punch slammed into Squirtle's shell, leaving it no chance to evade.
CRACK—ZZZT!!
Electricity exploded across its body.
It's super effective!
The current penetrated the shell, leaving Squirtle dizzy and numb.
"Squirtle!!" Ash cried.
The level gap was simply too large.
Squirtle struggled for a moment, let out a final resentful cry toward Ash, and collapsed.
"Squirtle… (You totally set me up…)"
"Geh-geh-geh!!"
Gengar laughed triumphantly, its body wobbling smugly.
Farmer's Three Punches.
This was a true Kanto veteran Gengar.
"…"
Ash silently recalled Squirtle.
Staring at the completely unscathed Gengar, he finally understood—
This Pokémon was far beyond what a trainer at his current stage could defeat.
Even rusty from years without battle, once it adapted, trying to challenge it with freshly-started partners was pure foolishness.
Too strong…
Can I really win?
Ash hesitated.
Failure would only cost him one chance at living like high society.
Even Pikachu and Charmander would just be cannon fodder here.
He could feel Pikachu trembling under the blanket behind him, pretending to sleep.
Electric-type Pokémon were afraid of ghosts too.
Wild Pokémon prioritized attacking other Pokémon.
Now that Gengar had cleared the field, it ignored the humans and strutted toward Metapod.
How tough can you be? How many Fire Punches can you take?
Gengar looked every bit like a demon king.
Ash raised his arm, about to recall Metapod and retreat—
When suddenly, someone grabbed his wrist.
"Hey! You haven't lost yet! You still haven't taught me how to catch Pokémon!"
Goh shouted.
Before becoming a trainer, Goh had trained himself relentlessly in theory to one day catch Mew.
But his greatest strength wasn't knowledge.
It was observation.
And he'd noticed Ash giving up.
"…Kid Goh."
Ash froze, staring at the determined look on the boy's face.
He was supposed to be the teacher.
Yet today, he was the one being taught.
Ash lowered his cap, his eyes reigniting with confidence.
That's right.
His dictionary had no word for retreat.
Even if he lost—he wouldn't run.
"Come back, Metapod!"
Ash decisively recalled it, making Gengar's Fire Punch smash uselessly into the floor, blasting out a charred crater.
Then Ash's hand dropped from his belt.
He wasn't sending out another Pokémon.
"…Is he going in barehanded?"
"Or is he about to summon something again?"
Brock and Misty's eyes lit up.
Goh, meanwhile, had no idea what they were talking about.
"Geh-geh-geeh!!"
Gengar's blood-red eyes locked onto them.
Both fists flared with power—one blue, one red.
Ice Punch and Fire Punch—activated simultaneously.
The pressure skyrocketed.
Ash remembered seeing this on TV—
Simultaneously wielding dual elemental punches was an ultimate technique.
In all of Kanto, only the Fighting-type Elite Four member Bruno could command his Hitmonchan to fight like this.
This was a truly terrifying Ghost-type Pokémon.
"Hmph."
Yet Ash only snorted confidently.
As long as it was a Ghost-type—
There was still a way.
Ash was going in himself.
A memory flashed through his mind.
A game commercial he once saw on TV.
A haunted hotel.
A green-hatted plumber.
A machine that sucked up ghosts.
And that machine…
Was in this very room.
BOOM—BOOM!
As Gengar charged with its dual punches, Ash moved faster.
He bent low and snatched up a mysterious device.
A rectangular intake nozzle, a long tube, and a transparent container in the back.
A household vacuum cleaner.
Maximum power.
ON!!
VRRRRRRR!!
The roar filled the room.
A violent gale burst forth, swallowing the charging Gengar whole.
VRRRRRRR!!
The suction was overwhelming.
Gengar couldn't even maintain its punches.
Its semi-gaseous body was instantly dragged in—
WHOOSH!
Smooth as silk.
In the blink of an eye, Gengar had collapsed into a blob inside the transparent container.
"Geh… geh…"
Only a pair of red eyes remained, staring out pitifully.
"Heh-heh."
Ash patted the vacuum cleaner smugly.
Commercials really don't lie.
When it comes to catching ghosts—
You need a vacuum cleaner.
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