A flash of inspiration hit Tetsuya, yesterday's scene of Gastly's final counterattack replayed in his mind.
"Gastly, use Curse."
Yesterday's scene repeated itself, except this time the target was Duskull.
"If it were me, I'd choose Curse too," said Morty, who was standing next to Matsuba.
Matsuba nodded in approval at his son's comment, and even more so at Tetsuya's decision.
Gastly's eyes were flooded with red light, its whole body trembling, shuddering. Duskull was soon surrounded by a red aura as well, its expression turning just as eerie.
Half of Gastly's vitality was sacrificed, and Duskull began to suffer continuous vitality loss.
No matter how strong its defenses were, they couldn't withstand constant draining. And Duskull's vitality wasn't all that impressive to begin with.
Raine, who had just glimpsed the light of victory, couldn't accept what he was seeing.
"There's still a chance! Duskull, use Shadow Sneak! You're in better shape, finish it now!"
Raine launched a desperate final assault. And in truth, it was a wise move. Gastly had lost half its vitality all at once, and its condition was clearly unstable.
On the ground, Duskull's shadow seemed to come alive, reaching for Gastly's back.
"Gastly, move to the window."
Tetsuya knew exactly what shape Gastly was in. Its vitality was still inferior, so now the key was to stall. The longer the battle dragged on, the more it would favor him. And as for Shadow Sneak… he already had a countermeasure prepared.
Upon hearing Tetsuya's command, Gastly floated to the window, gasping heavily. Every movement now was an act of sheer willpower.
Duskull wasn't in great shape either. Using a move consumed far more stamina than just moving; it demanded total focus and the strain of every cell in the body.
Shadow Sneak was closing in. The shadow morphed into a claw, striking at the brink of impact.
"Now, dodge."
Tetsuya waited for the perfect moment. Gastly flickered and slipped away from the window.
"Keep chasing it!"
Raine wasn't about to give up. The shadow continued to follow after Gastly, but it was all for nothing.
Tetsuya had calculated everything. The moment Gastly moved away, sunlight streamed through the window. The shadow vanished under the rays.
With Shadow Sneak foiled, Duskull's vitality/stamina finally hit its limit. Its vision blurred, multiple overlapping images of Gastly filled its view. Its mind slipped into a daze.
No matter how hard Raine shouted, to Duskull it was nothing more than buzzing noise.
"That's enough. The match is decided."
Matsuba gestured. Tetsuya and Raine both recalled their Pokémon.
"Then congratulations, Tetsuya and Raine, you are now officially Trainees at Ecruteak Gym!3
You two stay here, I'll explain the rules to you shortly. As for the other two, you may leave. I'll notify your schools to award you extra credits."
With that, the other two boys left. Despite their reluctance, the gap in strength left them no choice but to walk away defeated.
Inside the main hall of Ecruteak Gym…
Seated at the head, Matsuba said, "Tetsuya, Raine, you are both outstanding among your peers. Train hard and study diligently here, and you'll go far. While your senpai, Ryuto, handles your trainee ID registration, read over this copy of the Gym's rules."
Tetsuya and Raine each received a copy of the Trainee Handbook.
It was roughly divided into five sections:
[First: The trainee period lasts three months. Those who perform excellently may become official pupils. During the trainee period, all training is conducted in a closed environment. Except when attending events with the Gym Leader, no one may leave Ecruteak Gym without Leader Matsuba's permission.]
[Second: Wake-up is at 6:00 a.m. for morning training, followed by breakfast, then cleaning the Gym. Lunch is at 11:00 a.m., special training begins at noon, dinner is at 5:00 p.m., and from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. is for studying foundational knowledge and theory. Lights out and rest at 10:00 p.m. sharp.]
[Note: There are no rest days during the closed training period.]
[Third: In special circumstances, the Gym Leader will notify you. You must be ready to serve as referees or respond to challengers at any time.]
[Fourth: The Gym provides food and accommodation, as well as all necessary nutrients, for both trainees and their Pokémon.]
[Fifth: Trainees receive a monthly salary of 1,500 Pokédollars. Additional bonuses are awarded for each victory against a challenger.]
Ryuto had already finished processing the trainees Work IDs for Tetsuya and Raine and handed them over.
"Alright, have you both finished reading? If you have any objections, now's the time to speak. Don't come crying later," said Matsuba.
""No objections.""
"Good. Then Ryuto will prepare two dorm rooms for you. Take note if you need anything else. Go home and get ready, you'll be moving in tonight."
With that, Ryuto led Tetsuya and Raine toward the dormitory section in the back of the Gym.
There were only ten rooms in total. Once trainees became official pupils, they could come and go freely and no longer lived at the Gym. These rooms were reserved exclusively for trainees.
Naturally hostile to one another, Tetsuya and Raine each picked rooms at opposite ends. With secrets of their own, neither wanted to be watched.
Once the rooms were assigned, Ryuto handed over each of their keys. They'd be moving in tonight, so they had to go home and prepare first.
---◓---
Tetsuya and Ditto had lunch outside. Gastly, after absorbing vitality once, could probably go for about a week without "food". And since that kind of food had to be gathered on its own, Tetsuya didn't have to worry about its meals at all.
Back at home. Tetsuya unplugged every outlet, packed all the food from the fridge that could be taken, and tossed the rest out as trash.
He also grabbed 1,000 Pokédollars in cash just in case. Then he closed all the windows, drew the curtains, and prepared to leave.
"…" 'See you in three months…'
…Just as he stepped out and locked the door, five well-dressed men appeared at the stairwell.
Tetsuya recognized them immediately: staff from the orphanage.
Five of them at once… they clearly weren't here for a friendly visit.
"Tetsuya, based on our investigation, the company listed on your Work ID is a shell company suspected of hiring underage workers. It's already been shut down by the police. Here's the report."
The leader held out a stack of documents in front of Tetsuya.
Without even looking, Tetsuya shoved his hand away. "So what?"
"According to League regulations, you must go to the orphanage, where we'll take responsibility for your living arrangements and education."
"No need."
Tetsuya didn't bother arguing. He simply pulled out his Ecruteak Gym Trainee ID.
The five men were stunned!
There was no way they didn't know who Matsuba was. Not even with the guts of a hundred men would they dare provoke someone of that stature.
All fell silent…
Tetsuya sneered. "Hn. Move."
The five men actually stepped aside, parting the way for him to leave.
Matsuba -a Gym Leader- wielded such powerful authority…
In this world, Tetsuya realized -once again-, the hunger for strength had completely consumed him.