Haunter's stats were as follows:
[Name: Haunter
Type: Ghost/Poison
Level: 40 (Advanced)
Ability: Levitate
Held Item: None
Moves: Taunt, Shadow Punch, Hypnosis, Confuse Ray, Lick, Mean Look, Payback, Spite, Curse, Hex, Night Shade, Sucker Punch, Dark Pulse, Shadow Ball, Protect…]
It had a higher level than Hakamo-o. Ghost and Dragon types didn't counter each other, and Haunter was immune to Fighting-type attacks. All things considered, this was a very different matchup than last time. It held the upper hand in both level and typing.
More importantly, Haunter could fly. Floating in the air gave it a huge mobility edge. For Hakamo-o to land a hit, it would have to jump with full force.
If this were a wild battle in a large open area, no matter how hard the dragon tried, it probably wouldn't even graze Haunter's smoky tail.
If Hakamo-o wanted to win, it would need to rely entirely on its trainer's commands to gradually build an advantage.
Rylan knew that well. So the moment both Pokémon appeared, he waved his hand and shouted, "Hakamo-o! Use Scary Face!"
Scary Face was one of the Dragon-type's most frequently used and reliable stat-altering moves. It reduced the opponent's speed, making it easier to strike first.
At the same time, Shiro also gave an order, "Haunter! Shadow Ball!"
On the battlefield, Hakamo-o stared straight at Haunter. A gray haze of energy began to gather around its body, then shifted and expanded into a massive floating white face as it opened its jagged maw.
"Hakaaa—!"
Hakamo-o growled low and fast, but a dozen basketball-sized Shadow Balls were already flying toward it. They tore right through the ghostly face as soon as it appeared and closed in fast.
Haunter hadn't tried to dodge at all. It hadn't even left Scary Face's effective range. If Hakamo-o wanted that move to land, it would have to take the full brunt of those Shadow Balls.
"Dodge it, quick!" Rylan yelled.
He hadn't expected Haunter to summon that many high-quality Shadow Balls in such a short time. The skill and control behind it were unbelievable.
If his Pokémon took the hit directly, it might not get knocked out instantly, but it would be seriously injured and likely unable to continue.
Trading that much stamina just to slow the enemy down wasn't worth it at all.
Hakamo-o had been waiting for a command. The moment it heard Rylan's shout, its tense legs kicked back, launching it out of danger. Scary Face failed, and the Shadow Balls exploded against the ground where it had just been standing.
'This isn't working… the gap in power is too big,' Rylan thought with growing anxiety. Only a single exchange had already left him sweating.
This was nothing like the previous match between Gastly and Jangmo-o. And compared to the Corvisquire he had trained with, this Haunter was on a whole different level.
Hakamo-o might've been able to tank the bird's Air Cutter, but it wouldn't survive Haunter's Shadow Ball barrage.
Meanwhile, the crowd surrounding the arena had gone completely quiet.
Most of the watching trainers were experienced. With just that brief exchange of moves, and considering the matchup of power and types, they already had a good sense of how this battle would end.
To them, it was no surprise.
Shiro, the famous trainer from Macro Cosmos who had stopped the Pokémon rampage in Stow-on-Side, was bound to overpower a no-name strongman—even if that strongman clearly wasn't ordinary either.
One look at that well-trained Hakamo-o, plus Rylan's relationship with Raihan, and any trainer with a brain could guess that muscular man probably held a pretty high rank within the Dragon Tamer family.
This battle wasn't simple. It was a clash between them and Macro Cosmos. The two Advanced-level Pokémon fighting now was simply the beginning, the real show was yet to come.
Back in the arena, Shiro gave his opponent no chance to breathe. Just as Hakamo-o leapt backward to dodge, he called out sharply, "Haunter, Taunt! Follow with Sucker Punch!"
Haunter's claws flexed as it finished firing its last Shadow Ball. Then it raised one paw, eyes glowing with a deep red light.
Taunt was a move that enraged the opponent, making them use only attacking moves for a while. Since it didn't alter stats, it activated very quickly.
While Hakamo-o was still trying to create distance, that eerie red glow engulfed its body and stirred up a deep-seated anger and frustration from within.
"Not good." Rylan clenched his jaw, realizing too late that he had fallen into a trap.
In battle, things changed in an instant. He had only paused to think for a few seconds, but in that time, his retreating Pokémon had already lost its edge. It had been caught by Taunt with no room to counter.
Hakamo-o roared in fury.
"Hakaamooo!" (Why?! Why would a noble dragon like me lose to this ugly purple blob?! Hit it. Hit it. Hit it!)
Before its trainer could even issue a command, it bent its knees and shot itself into the air.
Seeing this, Rylan hesitated.
The most logical choice now would've been to quickly recall Hakamo-o using its Poké Ball. Sure, Haunter might take the opportunity to use some buffing move during the swap, but that was still better than risking a hidden trap and letting the dragon take damage or even get knocked out.
But then again, Hakamo-o had already jumped, what if it actually landed a hit?
As Rylan weighed his options, Haunter was already on the move.
Taunt had baited the rage. Now Sucker Punch let it strike before the opponent could act. That move was a guaranteed priority move. It could also be used for repositioning, but only if the foe was preparing an actual damaging attack. If they used something like Scary Face instead, Sucker Punch would fail, wasting time and leaving the user open.
That's why pairing it with Taunt made for a perfect combo.
This was something Shiro had thought of for wilderness battles. Out in the wild, after using Sucker Punch, Haunter could instantly get behind the enemy's Pokémon and even go after the opposing trainer—ending the fight in a single blow.
In a controlled battle like this one, it worked just as well.
Hakamo-o was still howling mid-jump when Haunter vanished from sight.
Before it could even glance around to locate the Ghost-type, it felt a chill on its back. Haunter reappeared right behind it and struck hard with its ghostly claws.
"Haaakaa!"
Hakamo-o was smashed straight toward the ground.
Even without a command from Shiro, Haunter naturally followed up during the brief falling moment. It summoned several Shadow Balls and hurled them all downward. Each one landed with precise timing, crashing into Hakamo-o.
A perfect finisher.
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