"The Yin-Xiao Brothers."
Feng Che recognized the duo immediately. They were notorious bounty hunters and poachers on the League's most-wanted list.
The elder brother, Yin, was a master of toxins. Any Pokémon he poisoned rarely survived the night without his specific antidote. The younger brother, Xiao, was a silent combatant who preferred using heavy modern weaponry—specifically rocket launchers—to blast Pokémon into submission. They were infamous for their cruelty, once stabbing newborn Pokémon just to bet on how long they would survive.
"To think the new Gym Leader knows us," Yin sneered, a twisted grin crossing his face. "I was going to fire a rocket to introduce ourselves, but you've saved me the trouble. Hand over the Pokémon hidden in this gym, or my Gatling gun will forget its manners."
"I just started my job, and already famous criminals are knocking on my door," Feng Che replied, his eyes narrowing. "The reward for your capture should be more than enough to fix this run-down gym."
"Stubborn brat. I thought I could save some ammo." Yin hoisted his Gatling gun and pulled the trigger. Rat-tat-tat-tat!
A hail of lead rained down. The sound of clinking shells filled the air as Yin emptied an entire belt into the spot where Feng Che stood. He patted the red-hot barrel of the gun with satisfaction. "I suppose killing a Gym Leader in broad daylight will bump us up a few ranks on the wanted list."
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Yin," a calm voice echoed.
As the smoke cleared, Feng Che stood completely unharmed. Not a single hair was out of place. Surrounding him was a floating ring of bullets, held in place by a pulsing purple aura. With a flick of his mind, the bullets clattered to the floor.
"A Psychic! You're a high-level Psychic!" Yin gasped. "Xiao! Use the rocket launcher! I don't care how strong his mind is, his body can't withstand an explosion!"
Suddenly, a long, pink tongue lashed out from the ceiling, snatching the rocket launcher from Xiao's hands. Greninja appeared, twisting the heavy weapon into scrap metal with a single motion.
"Modern weapons are child's play," Yin hissed. "Our Pokémon are our true ultimate weapons. Come forth, Aegislash! Trevenant!"
The moment these two Ghost-types appeared, the temperature in the gym plummeted. They were both Shiny variants, but their colors were wrong—Aegislash's blade was serrated and blood-red, while Trevenant's bark was a ghostly silver with crimson leaves. They radiated a thick, suffocating aura of resentment.
[Feng Che, these Pokémon are fed on the souls of others,] Mewtwo's voice rang in his head. [They are twisted beyond recognition.]
"My Power of Viridian is mourning," Feng Che muttered, his body glowing with green energy. "It wants me to release the tortured spirits trapped inside them."
"We found an ancient Emperor's burial text," Yin laughed manically. "These were ordinary Pokémon once. But after drinking the blood and souls of hundreds of others, they've become this! One more feast—your soul—and they will reach the Elite Level!"
Yin's murderous gaze turned toward the captured Pakudo and Foxie. "You two will be part of them soon enough."
"Aegislash, use Slash!"
Before the blade could fall, Gengar erupted from Feng Che's shadow. Its eyes weren't their usual mischievous red; they were glowing with a primal, ancient fury.
Gengar: [That scent... it's the scent of that human Emperor!]Gengar: [The one who sealed me in the Lavender Tower for a thousand years!]
Resentment exploded from Gengar as it Mega Evolved without a stone, fueled purely by its own rage. Countless Shadow Claws surged from the floor, pinning Aegislash, Trevenant, and the Yin-Xiao brothers to the ground.
Gengar reached into Yin's satchel and pulled out a black, pulsating stone.
Gengar: [The key to the Emperor's tomb. If his legacy lives, his soul must still be lingering. He turned me into a puppet for a millennium... Today, I take my revenge!]
"Trevenant! Control the forest! Destroy that Gengar!" Yin screamed.
Trevenant's body dissolved into red light, slipping through the Shadow Claws. It merged with a massive, dead oak tree in the gym's courtyard. The tree transformed, growing a giant red eye and massive wooden limbs. It became a colossal, possessed Trevenant, towering over the gym.
"I'm letting you go," Feng Che said to Pakudo and Foxie, as Venusaur cut their bindings. "Take the wild Pokémon and get out of here. It's about to get ugly."
"Let's go, Pakudo! And you annoying little weeds, follow me!" Foxie barked, though she reached down to scoop up a fallen Oddish, tucking it gently into her arms as she ran. Pakudo watched her with a faint smile before following.
"Afraid? It's too late!" Yin shouted from the branches of the giant Trevenant. "Your blood will water this forest!"