"Gaasss~"

  Gastly tilted its head. The purple ghostly fmes surrounding it turned into an arrow, first pointing at Shiro, then at itself, and finally at Rookidee.

  It wasn’t impressed by Rookidee.

  "Kii!"

  Unbothered by the provocation, Rookidee didn't waste words. A bright white light surged around its body as it instantly unched an attack.

  Quick Attack!

  Its deep blue feathers cut through the eerie purple fmes in a fsh. The two Pokémon crossed paths in midair, yet her suffered a scratch.

  Gastly was startled but showed no . Rookidee, oher hand, was fuming, pletely ign the fact that its attack had no effect.

  Even though Gastly was also in the novice level and a few levels lower than Rookidee, around level 8, its Ghost typing made it immuo Normal-type attacks.

  Right now, Rookidee was still too weak. The only attacks it could use were moves like Ped Quick Attack.

  Gastly probably didn’t fully uand type matchups when it provoked Rookidee so recklessly. But by pure luck, it had found itself in an overwhelmingly advantageous situation.

  "You two, fight up here!" Shiro had already climbed the slope and called the two Pokémon over.

  If they battled too lohe grassy area below, they might attract security personnel or League trainers. Given his ck of strength and official identity, that would be a major problem.

  Shiro wasn’t sure how Gar’s officials hahese situations, but he wasn’t about to take the risk of getting arrested and thrown in jail.

  "Gaaasss!"

  Gastly was the first to reach the dirt clearing on the slope. It bared its fangs at Rookidee, its swirling purple gas intensifying as its eyes turned pitch bck.

  Mean Look!

  This move would prevent Rookidee from esg. However, in this situation, it was pletely useless.

  Rookidee simply ruffled its feathers, unfazed by the attack, then tinued flying straight tastly with a Peck.

  "Hissss~"

  Seeing the fierce look in Rookidee’s eyes, Gastly flinched. It suddenly had the feeling that this little blue bird was out for blood.

  Panig, it shut its eyes tight, its ghostly fmes shrinking inward.

  "Open your eyes, Gastly!" Shiro anded sharply.

  He was more than happy to watch his Pokémon fight each other. As far as he was ed, this was their battle to settle. He wasn’t going to step in and give either side an unfair advantage.

  Ieam, status had to be determined by strength. If someone cked it, even if Shiro tried to help, it wouldn't earn them any respect.

  "Rooki!"

  The gray steel beak of Rookidee pierced through Gastly's ghostly body without resistance. Gastly had just heard Shiro's words but only cracked open its eyes slightly.

  "Rook?”

  Rookidee, fused as to why its attack hadn't worked, didn't give up. It turned around and tinued using Peck.

  "Gasss?"

  Gastly vaguely saw a sharp bird beak moving in and out of its body but felt no pain or injury.

  "Face your oppo, Gastly!" Shiro's tone grew more forceful.

  Gastly seemed to realize something and immediately opes eyes. It turo face Rookidee and stuck out its tongue, making a mog face.

  "Ki-dee!"

  Rookidee grew even more furious, its red, bead-like eyes log onto Gastly. In a fsh, its body became a streak of grayish-white light, darting forward at high speed.

  Whoosh!

  This time, Rookidee was even faster, slig through the air with a sharp sound. But once again, it simply passed right through Gastly’s body without causing any harm.

  Gastly wobbled is dark face full of mockery.

  If it had known earlier that this little blue bird would be all bark and no bite, it wouldn’t have been scared at all.

  Rookidee let out a sharp cry. Furious yet helpless against this strange purple-bck orb, it turo Shiro for help.

  "The Quick Attack you used is a Normal-type move. Gastly’s Ghost typing makes it immuo Normal-type attacks." Shiro expined calmly. Theurned his gaze to Gastly. "Gastly! Use every move you’ve got! You have the advantage, are you really struggling to win?"

  Gastly was still swaying in midair, showing no signs of attag.

  Hearing Shiro’s and, it instinctively released a brief pulse of colorful light, but the glow faded almost immediately.

  fuse Ray!

  The move was meant to fuse its target, but Gastly’s level was too low. With insuffit energy, its fuse Ray was too weak to take full effect.

  Breathing heavily, Gastly looked exhausted.

  Meanwhile, Rookidee fpped its wings repeatedly in the air. It was trying to use a non-Normal-type Flying move, following the training Shiro had previously instructed, fog on sensing Flying-type energy.

  "Is that all you’ve got? You ’t even nd a siack? Keep going!" Shiro ordered.

  Gastly, still panting, desperately tried to gather a small bergy sphere in front of it. But the orb barely formed before it shattered in midair.

  Shadow Ball!

  Shadow Ball was a high-level Ghost-type move. The fact that Gastly could even attempt it at level 8 was impressive. But its ck of energy and low level made it impossible to pull off pletely.

  If Gastly could reach the Beginner level and surpass Level 15, it would definitely be able to use Shadoroperly.

  ‘That bck market mert wasn’t lying. This Gastly has outstanding potential. Its parents must have been powerful Ghost-type Pokémon for it to i such moves.’ Shiro was thinking while watg the battle.

  "Gas..."

  Floating in midair, Gastly wasn’t thinking that far ahead. It only khat its move had failed again. Its energy was running low, but it hadn’t pletely exhausted its strength yet.

  "Gastly! Do you have no way to attack? Rookidee might not be able to hit you for now, but you ’t hurt it either. You ’t beat Rookidee!" Shiro provoked, trying to see how far Gastly’s potential could go.

  "Gas!"

  Hearing Shiro’s words, Gastly refused to back down. It gathered itself and focused otle blue bird fpping its wings across from it.

  "Huff..."

  Gastly exhaled forcefully. Wisps of icy mist appeared, drifting toward Rookidee in slow, curling tendrils.

  It was an early form of Icy Wind.

  Though it couldn’t fully execute the move yet, Ice was strong against Flying. Even in its inplete state, the chill was enough to signifitly affect Rookidee.

  The icy air ruffled Rookidee's blue feathers, making it shiver. It fpped its wings a out a sharp cry.

  But perhaps this cold awakened something within Rookidee.

  In that instant, it sensed something flowiween its wings. Instinctively, it beat them hard, releasing that energy outward.

  pressed air densed into a sharp bde, slig tastly.

  Air Cutter!

  As a Flying-type move, it made sense for Rookidee to learn it. But being able to execute it fully in such a short time was no small feat.

  The attaded ly on Gastly, striking its already weakened form. With a final, dazed sway, Gastly lost sciousness.

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