----
Retrieving Onix into his Poké Ball, Drake tossed out his third Pokémon.
As a flash of blue light flickered, a deep purple Gengar materialized in midair.
Seeing the new Pokémon take the stage, the announcer took a deep breath, trying to quell his disappointment, and exclaimed loudly: "As expected! Just like in previous matches, Drake's third Pokémon is Gengar. This Pokémon is incredibly powerful and reliable! Now, the question is how Kai will respond to such an opponent. Will he continue using his still-healthy Venusaur, or will he switch to another Pokémon?"
Yet, as he spoke, even he didn't notice that his tone was no longer filled with the same confidence as before.
In the trainer's corner, Kai watched as Gengar entered the battlefield. He retrieved Venusaur into its Poké Ball.
There were many viable choices to counter Gengar, but based on the strategy he had planned the night before, he didn't hesitate. Instead, he turned to his side.
Coincidentally, Haunter was already looking back at him.
Their gazes met, and before Kai could speak, Haunter burst into laughter. "Kehehe! Let me take this battle!"
"I was thinking the same thing." Kai nodded with a grin. "It's all yours!"
"Don't worry, I'm not going to lose!"
Under the watchful eyes of the audience, Haunter floated towards the battlefield. Seeing Kai's choice, the announcer was visibly shocked.
"Huh? What's going on?! Kai is sending out a Haunter against Gengar!?"
The audience was just as puzzled.
Haunter? Isn't that Gengar's pre-evolution?
To them, an unevolved Pokémon was undoubtedly weaker than its evolved form, whether in terms of stats or overall ability.
It was baffling. Kai had a powerful Gyarados and a Venusaur riding a wave of momentum after its last victory why was he choosing to battle with Haunter?
Had winning two rounds inflated his confidence to the point of underestimating Drake? Or was he truly certain that his Haunter could handle this match?
The spectators were left scratching their heads. But regardless of the reason, Haunter was now on the field, and to Drake, this was good news at least in theory. This round should be an easy win for him.
However, unlike the optimistic crowd, Drake remained deeply serious.
"Gengarrrr!!"(Still licking everything in sight? Must be rough not having teeth like me!)
"Kehehe...Mind your tongue, whelp, I've seen insects with longer legacies than you."
Even though both Ghost-type Pokémon were pulling faces at each other, laughing and playfully chasing one another like old friends, Drake had done his research.
He knew Kai wasn't the type to take matches lightly.
If Kai had the confidence to send out Haunter, then this Pokémon must have something special.
And sure enough, the moment the battle truly began, Haunter gave everyone a lesson they wouldn't forget.
Who said an unevolved Pokémon couldn't defeat an evolved one?
Being a notorious prankster, Haunter used overwhelming power to completely toy with Drake's Gengar.
Shadow Ball? Dark Pulse? Even Destiny Bond? Nothing worked.
Each time Gengar launched an attack, Haunter effortlessly countered with even greater force.
Even when Gengar, drained of stamina, attempted to use Destiny Bond as a last-ditch effort, Haunter saw through it instantly and simply stalled out the duration before finishing Gengar off with a mischievous grin.
This match was a complete shutout.
Gengar never even landed a hit on Haunter.
When the referee raised the green flag to announce the result, the entire stadium fell into stunned silence. The audience exchanged bewildered glances, and the announcer, after a long moment of speechlessness, finally snapped back to reality.
"This… This was way too easy! No, wait! The power gap between them was way too big!"
It's now 3-0!!
Was this really the Drake we knew?!
Before the match, the Orange League officials had hyped this up as a battle between two equally strong trainers, a high-intensity showdown. But so far, it was completely one-sided!
Ditto, Onix, and now Gengar all undeniably powerful Pokémon yet when compared to Kai's Pokémon, it felt like they weren't even in the same league!
---
On the other side, in the trainer's box, Drake looked down at his fallen Gengar and sighed, shaking his head.
This loss was absolute.
But what truly unsettled him was that Kai hadn't issued a single command.
Haunter had fought purely on instinct, experience, and its own overwhelming strength and still dominated the battle.
"What an incredible Haunter…" Drake muttered as he recalled Gengar into its Poké Ball.
The announcer, though still stunned, voiced the same thought:
"That Haunter is unbelievably strong! But here's the real question why hasn't it evolved yet? If it's already this powerful, wouldn't it be even stronger as a Gengar?"
Haunter turned toward the commentary box with a sly grin.
Evolution?
That's a simple matter.
What's so hard about it?
Maybe it's time to educate these clueless people!
"Kehehehehe!"
Haunter let out a mischievous laugh. Suddenly, its body was enveloped in a radiant white light.
As the glow faded, the audience and Drake alike gasped in shock.
"It… It evolved!?"
The announcer let out a startled cry but quickly furrowed his brow in confusion.
"But wait! Haunter didn't seem to gain any experience in battle how did it suddenly evolve?! This doesn't make sense!"
Unlike the stunned spectators, Kai merely let out a sigh and facepalmed.
He knew exactly what Haunter was up to.
This ghost… deliberately chose to evolve at this exact moment just to shock everyone.
It had no shame!
Haunter or rather, Gengar now strutted back to Kai with an air of smug satisfaction.
"Heh! I didn't embarrass you, did I?"
The newly evolved Gengar now had a rounder, plumper form dark and menacing, yet undeniably adorable at the same time.
However, it still seemed a bit unaccustomed to its new body, occasionally stretching its limbs and flexing its fingers, clearly fascinated by the change.
Kai, still eyeing Gengar's new form, shook his head and muttered, "You did great. But next time, don't do that again."
Gengar blinked, scratching its head.
"Huh? What, was I not flashy enough?"
"No." Kai let out a weary chuckle. "You were too flashy."
"You completely ruined the mystery of my final trump card."
----
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