After the maiden's spirit successfully ascended, the Rainbow Feather in Red's hand dimmed considerably, yet it did not completely lose its life force. It seemed it could still recover.
"I didn't expect you to be a Trainer acknowledged by Ho-Oh. I truly misjudged you just now!" The thousand-year Gastly said in shock, staring at the Rainbow Feather in Red's hand.
"So? Do you want to become my Pokémon?" Red asked. However, the attitude of the blood-red Gyarados beside him made the thousand-year Gastly, who had intended to refuse, realize he had no room to choose.
"Even if your Gyarados has the Dark-type, don't think I'll surrender that easily!" the thousand-year Gastly declared encouragingly.
"What an arrogant rookie!" Dragon-Scaled Charizard teased, lying quietly on a rock, intending to watch how the blood-red Gyarados would defeat the thousand-year Gastly.
"If I don't teach you a lesson, you really won't know your place!" the blood-red Gyarados roared. With surging currents around its tail, it used Aqua Tail to strike the thousand-year Gastly's body, sending it flying over ten meters away.
"That guy is trying to run!" Red said calmly, using Teleport together with the blood-red Gyarados to leave, leaving behind the Charizard who had just begun to doze off.
"Hehehe, it won't be that easy to capture me. If I can't beat you, can't I just hide?!" the thousand-year Gastly gloated, celebrating his regained freedom.
"Too bad your thinking is far too naïve!"
Red's voice echoed in the thousand-year Gastly's mind. The blood-red Gyarados suddenly appeared before him, opening its massive jaws and clamping down tightly on his body.
"It hurts so much!" the thousand-year Gastly screamed, struggling to break free from the jaws, but it was useless.
"I'll give you one chance for a proper battle. If you run again, don't blame me for being ruthless!" Red said coldly, signaling the blood-red Gyarados to release him first. Then Red used the Power of Viridian to restore the thousand-year Gastly to full condition. If he ran again, Red wouldn't mind having his Pokémon gang up on him first.
"Looks like I have no choice but to fight!" the thousand-year Gastly said helplessly. Sensing the seriousness in Red's words, he absorbed the healing effect brought by the Power of Viridian and prepared to battle the blood-red Gyarados.
The thousand-year Gastly took out an Everstone from within his body. Under the astonished gazes of Red and the blood-red Gyarados, he demonstrated what a two-stage evolution looked like—evolving from Gastly into Haunter, and not long after, into his final form, Gengar.
Because he was a shiny variant, the thousand-year Gengar's skin was gray instead of the usual purple.
"Let me explain first. With my strength, I could have evolved into my final form long ago. But you know that a Pokémon's evolution also comes with changes in personality and mindset. I didn't want to forget the promise I made to the maiden's spirit because of evolving. That's why I kept carrying this Everstone!"
The thousand-year Gengar explained the origin of the matter. It was all for the sake of the maiden's spirit. Now that she had successfully reincarnated, he no longer carried that psychological burden and could evolve without worry.
"That's for the best. Saves me the trouble of strengthening you later," Red said leisurely, signaling the blood-red Gyarados to make a move.
"What an impatient brat!" the thousand-year Gengar complained, firing off a Dark Pulse to clash with the blood-red Gyarados's Dark Pulse. However, pressured by the opponent's type advantage and power boost, he eventually gave up the stalemate and turned to sink into the surrounding building's shadows.
Seeing Red preparing to use Aura abilities to enhance him, the blood-red Gyarados immediately refused. In order to display a senior's authority before this newcomer, he intended to defeat the thousand-year Gengar on his own. He wanted to see what tricks the thousand-year Gengar could pull off.
If the enemy didn't move, he wouldn't move. The thousand-year Gengar was currently in such a phase. Judging by type matchups, he held no advantage, and hiding in the shadows was also to adapt to his evolved body.
"Gyarados, the moonlight is about to be covered by clouds!" Red reminded, telling him to prepare. As the shadowed areas shrank, it meant the thousand-year Gengar would have to reveal himself.
Sure enough, countless Shadow Balls burst forth from beneath the blood-red Gyarados's shadow. In response, the blood-red Gyarados spat out a fireball, using Dragon Rage to neutralize the assault.
Since Psychic-type moves had no effect on the blood-red Gyarados, the thousand-year Gengar eventually made a mistake during the battle and was frozen by an Ice Beam, then knocked to the ground by an Iron Tail.
"Go, Poké Ball!"
Red threw the Poké Ball he had prepared long ago. It struck the thousand-year Gengar, turning him into a beam of red light and absorbing him inside. The Poké Ball fell to the ground without even a single shake. Red had perfectly captured him.
"Welcome to the team, thousand-year Gengar!" Red said with a slight smile. But immediately afterward, he had to consider which Pokémon to send back to Professor Oak's Laboratory.
Thinking about it, he recalled Professor Oak's pleading gaze during their video calls along the journey. After repeated consideration, Red finally decided to send Pidgeot back to Professor Oak's Laboratory.
He took out the Pokédex and pressed the transfer button, sending Pidgeot's Poké Ball back. The sleeping Pidgeot had no idea he had just been "sold" by Red and was unknowingly sent off to the laboratory of the "lecherous old man," Professor Oak.
"Good thing the master sent me out to battle, or I wouldn't even know I'd been removed from the team!"
After witnessing Pidgeot being transferred, the blood-red Gyarados secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, the half-asleep Charizard hurriedly flew over, not expecting that in such a short moment, Red and the blood-red Gyarados had disappeared from his sight.
"What? Not enjoying your peaceful nap anymore?" the blood-red Gyarados teased.
"What are you talking about? I just didn't expect you to change locations so suddenly!" Charizard said awkwardly, blushing as he scratched his cheek with a claw.
After Charizard and the blood-red Gyarados finished chatting, Red took out their Poké Balls and recalled them. Letting out a yawn, he turned and used Teleport to return to the Pokémon Center. After washing up briefly, he climbed into bed and fell asleep.
...
To help Milotic and the newly joined thousand-year Gengar adapt as quickly as possible, Red began intensive training at six in the morning after washing up. However, the thousand-year Gengar's attitude caused dissatisfaction among the others.
"Are you looking to die? How can you be so lazy with that attitude?!" Scyther was the first to curse. He truly couldn't stand the thousand-year Gengar's nonchalant demeanor—constantly bragging about how long he had lived and claiming he had long grown bored of such training.
"Scyther, give Gengar some time to adjust. He just joined the master's team not long ago!" the giant Onix stepped forward to mediate, persuading Scyther not to be so impatient.
Since it was the giant Onix who spoke, Scyther gave him respect and left on his own, no longer bothering with the slacking thousand-year Gengar.
"Tch, whatever! Just a weak Bug-type Pokémon!" the thousand-year Gengar muttered. With his typing perfectly countering Bug-types, he naturally didn't take Scyther seriously.
"Watch your mouth. Next time it won't be so simple!" Charizard said coldly, glaring fiercely at the thousand-year Gengar as a warning. Unwilling to back down, the thousand-year Gengar slipped into the shadows and vanished.
"What a troublesome fellow. I really don't know what the master sees in him," the blood-red Gyarados said, unable to understand, thinking it would be better to joke around with Pidgeot instead.
Meanwhile, Red was conducting one-on-one training with the recently evolved Milotic.
"Pay attention to your dodging frequency. Don't make large movements. Minimize stamina loss as much as possible!"
Red continuously threw small stones from his hand at Milotic. The edges of these stones were extremely sharp; if struck, visible wounds would appear.
An occasional mistake left Milotic injured, but she insisted on continuing. She wanted to grow stronger as soon as possible and not disappoint Red's expectations.
"Take a break first!"
Red stopped attacking, walked to Milotic's side, and released the Power of Viridian to heal her injuries. Milotic happily rubbed against Red's body, enjoying his gentle strokes.
"I really don't understand what's so special about him that so many Pokémon are willing to follow…"
Hiding in the shadows and secretly observing, the thousand-year Gengar muttered in confusion. Yet his tone unexpectedly carried a hint of jealousy. After all, he hadn't been specially arranged for individual training by Red. Although it was initially because he had left the group on his own, deep down he still longed for everyone's attention.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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