Before anything could be done about Chuck, Sam needed to familiarize himself with the changes to his team—specifically, with what Mismagius, Drakloak, and Dreepy were capable of in battle.

  Mismagius was still Misdreavus, but her evolution had increased her speed and special capabilities. She was faster, stronger, and more capable of taking ranged hits, but most importantly, she had more control.

  Besides the general energy-efficiency benefits, her control brought a qualitative difference to her use of Shadow Sneak. Where Haunter and the Gastly needed to dive into existing shadows to mimic that move, Mismagius could create new shadows from anywhere.

  Except, that’d always been true. It was why she was the only one on the team considered to know the move in the first place. No, the real change came from how Mismagius created her shadows:

  She could now create shadows within the air itself.

  That meant she wasn’t limited to shadows cast onto objects. She didn’t need to dive into something to move around. When Sam shouted for her to use Shadow Sneak, she would turn dark and transparent, and then she would shift toward her target destination through the air.

  “This will change things. It opens up a lot of opportunities for evasion, but I’m wondering if it’s capable of being used defensively now,” Sam said after a few rounds of testing. “A better way to withstand attacks would let you last a lot longer. But even if that part of Shadow Sneak hasn’t changed, I really just have to say how incredible you are, Mismagius.”

  Mismagius gained a wicked grin that she tried to hide by lifting an arm. Loose shadows hung off that new limb, making it seem as though she was draped in purple robes. The natural hat on her head added to that, casting her eyes into a shroud of darkness.

  Overall, she looked like an evil witch.

  Sam thought that was amazing. It suited her perfectly.

  But Mismagius needed help to test her new Shadow Sneak, so Sam called Drakloak over since he needed to learn more about her as well. When he called out her name, she eagerly zipped over. However, she seemed more excited about the idea of showing off her moves than she was about helping out.

  (Dreepy looked almost ecstatic to be here with how he vibrated on her head.)

  “Alright.” Sam looked between the two sides of this would-be test, making sure both Mismagius and Drakloak were getting prepared. “Drakloak, attack Mismagius once. Use whatever ranged move you prefer best.”

  Mismagius sent Drakloak a taunting smirk, and one of Drakloak’s eyes twitched in annoyance. Earlier, when everyone raced to test out Mismagius’s speed, Drakloak had made the unfortunate discovery that Mismagius could now almost match her pace—at least, when Drakloak wasn’t using Agility.

  However, Drakloak had her strengths, as Sam was coming to learn. For battles, she primarily knew attacks or moves that assisted her attacking moves, such as the few attacks a Dreepy could learn.

  She knew the same moves as her brother—Astonish, Quick Attack, and Bite—but both of them also knew something called “Infestation,” a strange Bug Type attack Sam had never seen before in Johto.

  He felt as though he shouldn’t have been surprised that Dreepy and Drakloak were familiar with another Bug Type attack given how easily their line picked up U-Turn. U-Turn itself had some interesting quirks, but when it came to Infestation, the more he read about it, the more he understood just how well it fit with his team.

  On paper, Infestation was simply another damage-over-time effect. While it did do some initial damage, it wasn’t much, and its damaging effect was altogether small. However, when combined with other effects like burns, Curses, and Leech Seeds, Infestation could see a Pokémon faint without much need for direct offense.

  But Infestation carried a second, more important aspect. Specifically, it prevented a Pokémon from switching out while under its effects.

  Sam already knew Mean Look was valuable, and Infestation was a Mean Look that dealt ongoing damage. Drakloak didn’t even realize the power she possessed in battle. To her, Infestation was just a “weak” attack that her pre-evolved form could learn, and it was clear she never once thought about relying on what it could do.

  However, that was just due to her mindset being different. She’d spent so long fighting on her own alongside her brother that she never put thought into how well Infestation let her fight on a team.

  Sam could see it now: Drakloak would be sent in, she would use Infestation to keep her opponent present, and then she’d be free to use her best attacks like Dragon Pulse and Phantom Force as she pleased. Sam could send her out at any time to trap opponents and maintain an advantage. Infestation could be used to make sure weakened opponents fell to their conditions, and then those weakened opponents would also be forced to contend with a Pokémon capable of evolving into a pseudo-Legend at the same time.

  She would be a menace, and there was a second level to her current potential as well. While Infestation could trap an opponent, Drakloak couldn’t be trapped herself. Her Ghost Type let her switch freely, but she also had U-Turn.

  After all, U-Turn allowed its user to recall themselves whenever they wanted. Under the League’s current rules, using U-Turn didn’t count against a trainer’s otherwise limited switches.

  Any time Drakloak appeared on the field, she could trap her opponent with Infestation, deal some damage, and then return herself with a single U-Turn. If it turned out she was in a bad match-up, she could give Sam a free switch into a more suitable team member. She wasn’t just a special attacker. Those base two moves would let her define and control the entire flow of the match.

  She could be a constant threat. A persistent harasser. When combined with a few other moves she could potentially learn—specifically, Thunder Wave and Will-O-Wisp—she fit perfectly into the team’s strategy.

  But Sam didn’t say anything. Not now, at least. Even with how much he wanted to gush about Drakloak, he didn’t want to pressure her into being caught. Dreepy would probably cry tears of joy if Sam brought up that option, but Drakloak was proud. She was sticking around because while she was definitely interested, she didn’t want to broach the topic of being caught.

  Not yet.

  For now, Sam kept that spare Ultra Ball in his backpack for whenever she finally decided to truly join. He wouldn’t begrudge her if she chose to move on—but he’d seen how she watched his team practice. There was a deep desire to participate, even as much as she tried to hide it.

  Just being willing to fight Chuck alongside him was already a massive first step. He would be patient if it meant Drakloak would be the most comfortable in the end.

  “Ready?”

  Sam realized his Pokémon had been waiting for him. So caught up in his thoughts about Drakloak’s potential, both Drakloak and Mismagius had been stuck facing each other while using a few preparatory moves. But they were finished, now. Both of them had completely set up. With locked eyes, they faced one another, and Drakloak let out a small growl.

  There was no sense in making them wait any longer.

  “Go!” Sam shouted.

  Right away, Drakloak pulled back to let Dreepy fall in front of her face, and shadows already began to shroud Mismagius’s form. There was a glint in Drakloak’s eyes that made Sam realize that she wouldn’t be holding back. She’d be putting everything into this move to test it against Mismagius.

  And Mismagius won’t be able to dodge. Drakloak used Lock-On. No matter what, Dreepy is going to hit.

  The move Drakloak unleashed was her and her brother’s favored attack: Dragon Pulse. Draconic flames surrounded Dreepy and sent him rushing forward like a missile. The squeal of delight that left his throat merged with the roar of the fiery energy, and he rocketed directly toward where Mismagius floated in the air.

  Quickly, she used Shadow Sneak in an attempt to dodge to the side. Avoiding the move would have defeated the point of this test, but with Drakloak’s Lock-On, the shift wasn’t enough.

  Like with Redi’s Porygon, Drakloak could give herself perfect aim. However, Dragon Pulse had a longer travel time than Porygon’s quick beam attacks. But Dreepy was a part of the move, and Drakloak had aimed her attack to give him the most freedom to adjust. Using the aerodynamics of his head, a slight tilt to the side caused the Dragon Pulse to curve, and he adjusted his path to slam right into Mismagius’s chest.

  If this attack had been solely mundane, the Shadow Sneak’s etherealness might have worked as a defense. Unfortunately, this was a Pokémon move. While Dreepy’s presence gave Dragon Pulse a physical aspect, the attack still carried energy that aligned with its Type.

  As a result, Dreepy phased right through, but given Mismagius’s half-present form, so did the Dragon Type energy. It followed him in before spreading out, piercing into her chest and dealing more damage than it otherwise would have dealt.

  A haunting wail left Mismagius’s throat. Across from her, Drakloak smirked.

  “Are you okay?! Sorry, Mismagius. I know we tried this with your old version of Shadow Sneak, but I really thought it would work here.” Sam was already pulling a Potion out of his pack. “I should have realized it’d be the same. It seems that using Shadow Sneak this way gives you a lot more room to maneuver in the air, but if it also makes you more vulnerable, we need to practice with it to make sure we don’t...”

  He let his words drift off when he saw that Mismagius was glaring at Drakloak. As Dreepy returned to Drakloak’s head in what Sam recognized to be a Quick Attack, Mismagius suddenly brought up her arms.

  She wouldn’t be backing off. Not after that attack. Not after that taunt. There was no way she’d let that go unanswered after Drakloak’s smirk.

  Drakloak saw Mismagius’s challenge and easily met it head-on. Letting out another growl, she lowered herself to prepare even as Sam shouted for them to wait.

  Mismagius conjured a Shadow Ball.

  Drakloak tensed her body in the air.

  When the Shadow Ball was released, Drakloak took off, and Dreepy squeaked in enjoyment at the speed in which they were brought forth.

  The second the Shadow Ball collided with them, Drakloak used Take Down to let her break through thanks to its insulating Normal Type energy. She still took her share of damage, and Take Down’s recoil added to that. However, it let her maintain velocity as she passed through, giving her a chance to rocket right up to Mismagius’s face.

  A flash—a gemstone embedded in Mismagius’s chest saw her fire out a beam.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  Shadows—Drakloak used her speed to twist around the Power Gem attack, and then those same shadows cloaked her for the start of a Phantom Force.

  However, whatever exchange this was set to become never properly concluded. Typhlosion let out an annoyed roar, and with a dual use of Agility and Quick Attack, she was suddenly right there, looking more than just displeased, using Detect to predict both combatants’ movements and interrupting their clash.

  Shadow Claw allowed her to grab Drakloak before Drakloak fully faded away for Phantom Force. As for Mismagius, the start of a Psychic was disrupted when Typhlosion smashed a paw into her chin and pushed her head up.

  “...Really?” Sam said.

  Mismagius blinked away the cruel machinations brought on by her previous, preparatory uses of Nasty Plot. She sent Sam a cheeky-yet-apologetic grin, blushing with embarrassment at having lost herself like that.

  Meanwhile, Drakloak looked much more unrepentant. After all, she was a Dragon Type. Facing others in challenge is what her Type did best.

  “I’m not going to stop any rivalries if you two want to have one, but I do have to give you a warning,” Sam said, his tone serious. “Ghost Type energy isn’t meaningless. It carries side effects that aren’t just risks for humans. So, don’t form grudges. Don’t fall into the trap of overly negative thoughts. You’re Ghost Types, so being consumed by that kind of stuff is easy for you. Please, keep in mind that we’re friends here. I’ve been lucky enough to be warned in the past, so I’m sharing that same warning with you.”

  Mismagius had already heard all of this before, and she tugged down the rim of her hat to cover her eyes. She bowed her head lower than before, looking even more embarrassed than she did earlier.

  But Drakloak just looked annoyed. She had wanted to fight, to prove her strength in battle as well as to show off the power of her moves.

  Except, when she sent Sam a single glance, she froze when she saw he wasn’t kidding. He would allow fights, but not fights that carried true hostilities underneath.

  Dreepy let out a whine from atop her head, apologizing for being so caught up in the speed of it all. For a second, it seemed as though Drakloak was about to brush him off, but she didn’t.

  She lowered her head in apology as well.

  For an evolved Dragon Type to do that, she demonstrated a true respect for Sam’s authority.

  “I... Um. Mhm. Thank you, Drakloak,” Sam said, clearing his throat and trying his best to not look away with a blush. “I know backing down isn’t easy, and I really appreciate your understanding. Just trust me when I say you’ll get a chance to battle—and you’ll see yourself start to truly master Ghost Type energy once you get a bit more practice with everyone else.”

  He sent Drakloak a smile, and she nodded while facing the ground, still listening but unable to meet his eyes.

  “We’ll be facing Chuck soon, so know that you’ll have plenty of opportunities to prove your strength. But for now, watch the first few fights to see how our strategy works. Drakloak, I’ll be saving you for the end to give you the most time to prepare, but be careful.

  “This is our last Gym. We need to be ready. Nothing about facing Chuck will be easy when it comes to earning our final Gym Badge.”

  One of the reasons Sam was willing to accept Chuck’s challenge was that it was a test of his skill as a trainer just as much as it was a test of the individual power of his team. Though it was a Gym Challenge, it was practice. Its general set-up mimicked the Conference.

  There, trainers would be assigned opponents they would have to face the following day. Trainers would have less than twenty-four hours for prep time, not the week-or-so to which Sam was accustomed.

  For that reason, he approached the Gym as soon as it was midday. He planned to tackle this as fast as possible both as a test for himself and to make sure he could reach Ilex Forest as soon as he could. He also wanted to catch at least one of Chuck’s matches so he could have some information to work with. He was aware of the man’s strength as a Fighting Type specialist, but he couldn’t say he truly knew how Chuck would fight.

  As he arrived, he saw that Chuck’s Gym building was unique. Gym Leaders tended to have a lot of leeway for their Gym’s form and function. Sam had seen it many times before from the traditional style of Morty's Ecruteak Gym, to the box-like refrigerator that was Pryce's Mahogany Gym, and then to the various hive-like greenhouses that were the Gym of Azalea Town.

  Here, the main Gym building resembled a sort of dojo, but its true interior was outside. Carved into the cliffs behind the Gym building, Chuck's main battlefield and practice area was located in a short, rocky-yet-idyllic canyon that had waterfalls pouring down its sides.

  This part of the Gym was open to the public—mostly. While not just any trainer could practice out here, anyone could come in to watch Gym battles and observe the various Fighting Types in training. When Sam joined the few people from around town that were already watching Chuck’s latest ongoing challenge, he sat on one of the benches carved into a hillside and looked down at the battle taking place below.

  He didn’t expect to see a Hoenn-native species down there.

  “Breloom, Mach Punch!” a trainer shouted.

  “Detect, Hitmonchan,” Chuck countered with an authoritative voice.

  Chuck stood tall, broad-shouldered, and confident, posing with his arms crossed while standing on a stone platform that’d been carved out of the floor. His challenger was beneath him—literally—but also because his Pokémon was winning the fight with ease.

  No matter how strong this Breloom was, it was going against the master of the punch in melee. Chuck’s Hitmonchan ducked, weaved, and bobbed out of the way of each strike. With every slight movement, it avoided one of the Breloom’s clawed attacks, and then it would slip in to retaliate with a sharp jab of its own.

  Hm. Breloom is part Grass Type, but why isn’t its trainer calling for a status move? Spore or Sleep Powder would be incredible here. I don’t get how they’re fighting a Pokémon at my team’s level if they’re only sticking to basic attacks.

  Unfortunately, Sam didn’t get the chance to see much more of the battle or even start to understand the challenger’s reasoning. Breloom was their last Pokémon. This match was already at its end.

  “Finish it,” Chuck said.

  Ice crackled around the Hitmonchan’s fist. As angry as the Breloom looked, it couldn’t block the next hit. An Ice Punch slammed into its chest, and the impact saw the Pokémon fly far back.

  When the referee called out that Breloom fainted, the audience clapped. Sam did as well.

  The challenger returned his Pokémon, and that same buff man in a sweatshirt thrown over a gi announced the end of the match.

  As if the battle was only a warmup, the Hitmonchan started to shadowbox in place, looking no worse for wear. Chuck laughed at the sight and hopped off his rock, approaching his challenger to shake hands and whisper a few advising words.

  “Okay. That Hitmonchan is at the level we’ll be dealing with,” Sam whispered to his shadow, speaking to his team. “Expect all of Chuck’s Pokémon to dominate in melee. Honestly, I’m not even sure if Annihilape could handle that. With how familiar Chuck is with the Primeape line, he’ll probably see through all of our tricks.”

  Sam tried to share as much advice as he could by going over everything he could think of that might be related to Chuck. Chuck’s Primeape and Poliwrath were obvious future opponents, but with a Hitmonchan currently down there, Sam had no doubts that Chuck would employ the other members of the “Hitmon” line.

  But as he leaned in and tried his best to share everything he could, Chuck finally parted ways with the trainer he’d just defeated. Though he had never acknowledged Sam's entrance, the second he was free, the Gym Leader turned to lock eyes with him.

  “...And that’s all the time we’re going to get,” Sam mumbled. “We’re already being summoned to fight.”

  He left his seat to walk down to the field. This was already far less time than he expected to prepare.

  “So!” Chuck spoke in a gruff voice, swinging his arms to stretch as Sam approached. “Accepting my offer? Want to get your first match in? We have a bit of time between scheduled battles, and practice is practice, no matter what form it takes!”

  Sam sent Chuck a curious look.

  “If you have a match coming up, shouldn't you use this period to rest?”

  “What can I say?” Chuck said, replying with a shrug. “I’ve been told I have great stamina!”

  He laughed more heartily than Sam had ever heard him laugh. Sam didn’t find the joke funny.

  “But you are right,” Chuck continued. “My team and I should take a break. That’s why I’ll limit us to just one match for now. That, and... hm. Hitmonchan?”

  He looked over to his Pokémon.

  “You’re on deck! One more battle, and then you’ll be on break for the rest of the day!”

  His Hitmonchan nodded back to him, a fire entering its eyes at the thought of another match. The gi-wearing referee dashed over from the side to begin applying a Potion to the Hitmonchan’s small number of wounds.

  “So! Our battle. You are accepting, right?” Chuck asked.

  “I am,” Sam said, “but I also have a request.”

  Chuck raised an eyebrow at that and waved a hand, beckoning for Sam to continue.

  “I train Ghost Types, but I don’t want to have my Pokémon just phase through all of your team’s attacks. Since we’ll be fighting in a bunch of one-on-one battles, is it possible for you to bring in another Pokémon for them? One that just maintains a Foresight from off to the side?”

  “A Foresight?” Chuck rubbed his chin before grinning in delight. “I see. You want to eliminate your Ghost Types’ immunity! Now, that’s a challenge. I wholeheartedly agree!”

  He was about to call for that same referee to do something, but they had already heard Sam’s request. The ref quickly finished treating the Hitmonchan before running back to the side and releasing a Machoke.

  “On it, boss!”

  And then, with just a few whispered commands, that Machoke gained a certain glint to its eyes.

  “There. Machoke will make sure your Pokémon can be hit,” Chuck said. “You’re good for our match now, right?”

  He sounded like a kid told he’d be getting candy.

  “I am, but just so you know, I’m not going to use any of my special Pokémon just yet. No evolutions—at least not while we have an audience,” Sam said.

  “Aw.” Chuck slumped as Sam moved off. However, right after he began walking away, the Gym Leader suddenly shot up. “Wait, any of your special Pokémon? You have more than just—”

  But Sam was already in the challenger’s box, and Chuck couldn’t do anything but laugh. The noise echoed out over the field as he moved back to his platform and faced Sam with his arms crossed.

  “Remember! Your challenge is special—any Pokémon sent out here can only show up once! Victory or defeat, you only have one shot to win with each member of your team!” he shouted. “You must obtain three wins to claim my Storm Badge, so, Samuel, I ask you this: Are! You! Ready?”

  “I’m ready,” Sam said, easily meeting the challenge in Chuck’s eyes.

  For this battle, Sam planned to use Haunter. He was saving Typhlosion and Annihilape for later, and Mismagius could use more time to get used to her new form. Trevenant was a decent option, but that Ice Punch from earlier worried him. It was less about the super-effective damage it represented and more about how an unlucky freeze would see Trevenant’s self-healing cut in half.

  Since Drakloak wouldn’t be competing until the later rounds, that left just Haunter. With his tricks and status moves, he was the perfect scout to test Chuck’s strategy.

  “The rules?” Sam asked.

  Though the referee stood at the side, Chuck was the one to explain.

  “One Pokémon each. No switching. Standard League rules apply—mostly. Machoke will maintain a Foresight. Don’t disrupt him during our fight.”

  Sam nodded once before tossing a Pokéball into the air.

  “Haunter,” he said.

  Disappointment briefly flashed over Chuck’s face.

  “A common Ghost Type? Hm. Could be worse.” Chuck scratched at his beard. “But it’s a mistake to use a Haunter here. You’re underestimating us if you think an unevolved Pokémon will win!”

  There was no sense in sharing any further taunts. The referee called for the start of the match, and Chuck and Sam yelled their commands.

  “Mach Punch!”

  “Curse!”

  As the Foresight took effect, Haunter seemed to lose a bit of his amorphousness, but he was otherwise fine to fight. He had already picked up Curse thanks to his evolutionary line’s ease with the move as well as help from Typhlosion’s expertise.

  Thus, he was able to act first, especially since the Hitmonchan seemed to be giving him the first move. But, instead of forming any sort of dagger, Haunter coalesced shadows around his thumb and stabbed that into his chest.

  It was a much faster version of Curse since anything else would have been theatrics. Honestly, when Morty’s Gengar first demonstrated it to Sam, it was probably just showing off.

  The self-inflicted pain from Curse caused a sympathetic effect in Hitmonchan.

  It lurched.

  Yet, it was only a bit of pain. Hitmonchan was still able to draw its arm back.

  Despite the damage caused by the ongoing effect, it brought forth an incredible amount of momentum in a single punch. Mach Punch saw it shoot across the field, and Haunter was forced to wrench himself up. By moving higher into the air, he was just barely able to avoid that lightning-fast strike.

  “Jump,” Chuck said quickly before Haunter got too far off the ground. “Another Mach Punch! Smack it out of the air!”

  “Spite!”

  Sam’s shout came out as fast as he could. While Will-O-Wisp or Confuse Ray would have been a fine option here, Haunter would faint to any strike, and Spite could eliminate Hitmonchan’s main form of movement as well as its strongest attack.

  Still, Chuck’s Hitmonchan used its entire body to throw its punches, which meant it had in no way slacked off in training its legs. With a single leap, it got surprisingly high up, matching Haunter’s height, and a Mach Punch saw itself be launched right at him.

  Kind of.

  Haunter’s Spite didn’t outright eliminate Hitmonchan’s energy for Mach Punch, but it did disrupt Hitmonchan’s channeling of the move. It was still able to use Mach Punch, but there was just the barest of delays to allow Haunter to move out of the way.

  Since Hitmonchan couldn’t fly, the miss saw it land back on the ground, though the momentum of its Mach Punch saw it land with a slide. Already, it wobbled on its feet due to the ongoing pain caused by Curse. Out of all damaging effects, Curse was the strongest. Haunter just needed to last, and Curse would seal the fight.

  We need to keep up Spite, but we can’t ignore dealing damage. Mach Punch is the only move that threatens us. We need to get rid of its use, especially since Hitmonchan doesn’t seem to know any ranged attacks.

  “Priority on Spite to delay it. Night Shade when you dodge—use it to hide and deal damage when it gets close,” Sam ordered. “If you think you have a chance to pull it off, use Hex when you can.”

  As long as Haunter stayed in the air and prevented Mach Punch from landing, Chuck would have no way to win. Yet, Chuck didn’t seem worried. He only looked thoughtful as he stared out over the field.

  “I see,” the heavy man said slowly. “Clever strategy. My Pokémon are best in melee, so your plan to get rid of Mach Punch while staying in the air isn’t that bad.”

  Chuck then smiled, and it was the horrible smile of someone who had the upper hand.

  “But you see, I can’t say I enjoy those kinds of battles. They don’t prove a Pokémon’s strength. So! I make sure all of my Pokémon know a counter! We might not be great at range, but we always know how to shift things into a fight up close!”

  Hitmonchan stuck out an arm, but this time around, it wasn’t for a punch. Instead, the back of its boxing glove-like hand faced Haunter, and then it brought its fingers forward-to-back in challenge.

  It might have looked like a mundane “come at me” gesture, but the move’s effects on Haunter were immediate and obvious. His usual, cheerful smile disappeared, replaced with a look of pure annoyance. Any thought of using Spite vanished from his mind as he raced toward his opponent instead.

  “So how do we ensure that?” Chuck called out. “The answer is Taunt! Under its effects, your Pokémon won’t be using any status moves in this battle, Sam!”

  No matter what Sam shouted, Haunter didn’t listen. He was too focused on using attacking moves, which was exactly the Taunt’s demands.

  Taunt used Dark Type energy to enforce a challenge. As it was called, Taunt taunted its target into only ever using attacks.

  Therefore, a Hex formed around Haunter as he raced ahead to meet his foe. Then, simply and easily, Hitmonchan brought an arm back for a solid punch to Haunter’s face.

  This clash ended it.

  Haunter’s Hex was meaningless.

  Hitmonchan’s punch was not.

  Haunter was not a physically defensive Pokémon and had already taken plenty of self-inflicted damage from his use of Curse. Chuck’s powerful Fighting Type only needed this single attack to finish Haunter off.

  As Haunter hit the ground, Sam came to a sudden, horrible realization:

  If Taunt forced a Pokémon to only ever use attacks, then the vast majority of his team’s strategy could be countered by this single move.

  Sam’s Team:

  Badges Earned: 7 (Mineral, Fog, Plain, Hive, Zephyr, Rising, Glacier)

  Approximate Team Strength: 8 Stars

  (Fire / Ghost Type, Female, Timid Nature +Spe/-Atk)

  Abilities: Blaze

  Held Item: Charcoal

  Moves: Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Ember, Flame Wheel, Curse, Will-O-Wisp, Incinerate, Detect, Quick Attack, Swift, Flame Charge, Flamethrower, Double Team, Infernal Parade, Confuse Ray, Hex, Shadow Ball, Night Shade, Shadow Claw, Agility, Blast Burn

  (Fighting / Ghost Type, Male, Impish Nature +Def/-SpA)

  Abilities: Vital Spirit

  Moves: Scratch, Leer, Low Kick, Karate Chop, Fury Swipes, Assurance, Ice Punch, Fire Punch, Cross Chop, Curse, Brick Break, Rock Smash, Rock Slide, Bulk Up, Rage, Rage Fist, Close Combat

  Haunter (Ghost / Poison Type, Male, Naive Nature +Spe/-SpD)

  Abilities: Levitate

  Moves: Hypnosis, Lick, Confuse Ray, Spite, Mean Look, Hex, Shadow Punch, Night Shade, Acid Spray, Ominous Wind, Shadow Ball, Dream Eater, Nightmare, Curse

  Mismagius (Ghost Type, Female, Hasty Nature +Spe/-Def)

  Pokéball: Friend Ball

  Abilities: Levitate

  Moves: Growl, Psywave, Astonish, Confusion, Confuse Ray, Mean Look, Night Shade, Shadow Sneak, Shadow Ball, Nasty Plot, Psybeam, Will-O-Wisp, Psychic, Hex, Power Gem

  Trevenant (Ghost / Grass Type, Male, Quiet Nature +SpA/-Spe)

  Pokéball: Moon Ball

  Abilities: Harvest, Frisk (Developing)

  Held Item: Sitrus Berry

  Moves: Horn Leech, Tackle, Confuse Ray, Astonish, Growth, Ingrain, Leech Seed, Forest’s Curse, Shadow Claw, Phantom Force

  Drakloak (Dragon / Ghost Type, Female, Serious Nature, +-n/a)

  Pokéball: n/a

  Abilities: Infiltrator (Developing)

  Moves: Astonish, Infestation, Quick Attack, Bite, Lock-On, Agility, Double Hit, U-Turn, Phantom Force, Take Down, Dragon Pulse

  Dreepy (Dragon / Ghost Type, Male, Rash Nature, +SpA/-SpD) [Partnered with Drakloak]

  Pokéball: n/a

  Abilities: Clear Body (Developing)

  Moves: Astonish, Infestation, Quick Attack, Bite

  Auxiliary Pokémon: A decent number of wild (only increasing)

  At Home (non-battlers): ,

  At Carl’s Ranch: (more than twenty), (Annihilape’s brother)

  Redi’s Team (outdated):

  Badges Earned: 7 (Mineral, Plain, Hive, Zephyr, Rising, Glacier, Fog)

  Approximate Team Strength: 6 Stars

  (Normal Type, Male, Adamant Nature +Atk/-SpA)

  Abilities: Guts, Quick Feet

  Moves: Scratch, Fury Swipes, Fire Punch, Baby-Doll Eyes, Slash, Ice Punch, Focus Energy, Thunder Punch, Hyper Beam, Rock Slide, Swords Dance, Giga Impact, Shadow Claw, Sleep Talk

  Porygon2 (Normal Type, Genderless, Quirky Nature +-n/a)

  Abilities: n/a

  Moves: Tackle, Sharpen, Conversion, Psybeam, Thunder Shock, Charge Beam, Discharge, Tri-Attack, Charge, Teleport, Recover, Thunder Wave, Magnet Rise, Lock-On, Zap Cannon

  (Dragon Type, Female, Rash Nature +SpA/-SpD)

  Abilities: Shed Skin

  Moves: Wrap, Leer, Thunder Wave, Twister, Slam, Agility, Aqua Tail, Dragon Rush

  Auxiliary Pokémon: x2 (Tibia and Fibula)

  Pokémon (and people) included in this chapter:

  Breloom

  Chuck

  huge thank you to everyone reading! Your support keeps this story going.