The four of them were now completely on the back foot. If things kept going this way, Tetsuya's group would be totally wiped out in under thirty minutes.
Their only option now was an all-out gamble. Tetsuya shared his plan with Morty, since Spiritomb was the only one not completely trapped by the mind web.
"…You're really going through with this?" Morty asked.
"Do you have a better plan?"
Right now, the mind web was virtually indestructible. The only part still incomplete was around Gastly. Thanks to Night Shade's defensive power, Gastly was still holding on. The mind web hadn't completely consumed it.
That was the breakthrough.
Faced with Tetsuya's retort, Morty had nothing to say. He had no choice but to follow Tetsuya's suggestion.
But the risk was enormous, and it would definitely harm their allies. Once again, Tetsuya's ruthless, decisive style in battle made Morty pause internally.
"Spiritomb, move above Gastly and use Ominous Wind on Mismagius."
Ominous Wind and Mystical Fire collided once again. The eerie flames pressed fiercely against the chilling gusts.
Spiritomb quickly began to lose ground.
Mismagius intensified the attack, and the Mystical Fire gradually overwhelmed Ominous Wind.
"Wait for it..."
Tetsuya and Morty kept their eyes fixed on the clash of powers.
Until Mismagius poured in everything it had, clearly about to swallow Ominous Wind whole.
"Now!" "Spiritomb, fall back!"
Tetsuya and Morty shouted at the same time.
Faced with such overwhelming force, Spiritomb moved at double its normal speed, slipping out of the Mystical Fire's attack range in a flash.
Once Spiritomb retreated, the power of Ominous Wind naturally dispersed. Mismagius's full-force Mystical Fire came crashing down like a waterfall.
The blazing flames slammed directly into Gastly. The opening in the mind web was torn wide open. The fire spread rapidly, shattering the entire psychic net. All the Misdreavus were struck by the backlash of Mystical Fire, their cries echoing through the chamber. Duskull and Drifloon were also caught in the blast, both ending up with Burn status.
"That was brutal…" Raine muttered in awe.
"What are you standing around for? Move!"
Morty, Fantina, and Raine hadn't snapped out of the shock from what just happened when Tetsuya barked them back to focus.
Now the Misdreavus were scattered and disorganized. Their psychic strength had been disrupted by the backlash. This was the moment they were weakest. Drifloon and Duskull began their sweep.
Seeing the state of the battlefield enraged Mismagius, who launched a furious counterattack on Spiritomb, forcing it into a desperate struggle.
Tetsuya's attention, however, was locked on Gastly.
Night Shade had been completely consumed by Mystical Fire. Now Gastly was just a ball of flame: blue fire intertwined with black shadow, a terrifying sight…
"Gastly, get out of there!"
Tetsuya shouted from his heart. If it rushed out now, it would only be seriously injured. But if it stayed inside, it would be burned alive(?).
Suddenly, the flaming sphere burst open, and Gastly emerged unharmed.
That had been a Shadow Ball…
Gastly had just learned Shadow Ball!
For the first time, Tetsuya felt a sense of relief, like they were finally turning a corner. Up until now, his Special Attack-oriented Gastly hadn't learned a single special move. At last, its potential was starting to shine.
"Support Spiritomb. Let's return that fire to Mismagius."
Spiritomb was already on the verge of collapse from Mismagius's relentless assault. Without help, it was about to lose the ability to battle.
Mismagius was using Power Gem to hammer Spiritomb. From behind, Gastly launched a Shadow Ball, propelling the "fiery orb" of Mystical Fire forward in a surprise attack.
The remaining power of Night Shade, the flames of Mystical Fire, and the force of Shadow Ball… all three surged into Mismagius's back.
The searing fire and the onslaught of darkness left Mismagius in unbearable agony!
"Shadow Ball." "Feint Attack!"
Tetsuya and Morty launched their final attacks in unison.
Mismagius fell.
Seven Misdreavus still remained on the field, but their spirits were visibly shaken. Fantina's Drifloon had been completely drained by the burn and collapsed.
Raine's Duskull, pushed to its limit under Burn status, awakened its potential and learned Will-O-Wisp.
The remaining seven Misdreavus were all struck by Duskull's Will-O-Wisp, now all suffering from Burn status.
With Mismagius defeated, the Misdreavus had lost their commander and no longer had the will to fight.
Tetsuya's Gastly had just learned Shadow Ball and was eager for practice. Shadow Ball after Shadow Ball flew out like cannon fire.
Spiritomb's Ominous Wind fanned the flames, increasing the speed of Shadow Ball. The seven Misdreavus were easily dealt with.
They actually won?
The four of them found it hard to believe.
Clearing the second floor of Brass Tower in a single attempt was something that had never happened in the history of Ecruteak Gym.
Even Tetsuya felt like he was in a haze after the victory. He had been so focused in the heat of battle that it didn't even feel real. On the first floor, he and Raine had needed eighteen attempts.
Yet the more difficult second floor had been cleared on their first try.
"This win was thanks to Tetsuya's strategy. Without him and his Gastly, we wouldn't have stood a chance," Morty said with sincere admiration.
Raine wasn't surprised. And in Fantina's heart, a sense of respect(?) had already begun to grow.
"Our own strength wasn't enough to clear it. We simply turned their own power against them," Tetsuya said coldly, expressionless.
He wasn't trying to pour cold water on them. If they hadn't used Mismagius's full-power Mystical Fire to break the mind web and cause a psychic backlash on the Misdreavus, there would have been no chance for victory relying solely on their own strength.
"Regardless of how it happened, a win is a win! Let's get out of here… our Pokémon are all badly hurt and need immediate treatment."
With that, Morty led the other three out.
When they exited Brass Tower, Matsuba wasn't there. Morty had no choice but to take them to the study.
Matsuba never believed they would clear it on the first try, so he had already left the tower.
---◓---
"…What? You four cleared it!?" Matsuba exclaimed in disbelief after hearing Morty's report.
Still skeptical, Matsuba went to check Brass Tower himself. Only after receiving confirmation from Mismagius did he believe it, letting out a long sigh.
"Looks like I'm getting old… new talent always rises to take the stage. Haah… Come to my study and pick a TM disc," Matsuba said with emotion.
The four handed their Pokémon over to Ryuto, who ran them to the Pokémon Center.
This time, Tetsuya chose his "signature" move: Sludge Bomb.
Raine chose Dark Pulse for Duskull to better deal with future Ghost-type opponents.
Morty picked Snarl, which could lower the opponent's Special Attack, a practical move in single battles against Special Attackers. Right now, Morty's Spiritomb was their strongest asset. Each floor's Tower "Guardian Pokémon" had to be restrained by him. Morty was nothing if not rational.
Fantina wasn't particularly interested in any of Ecruteak Gym's TMs, so she casually picked one. Double Team, a self-defense move.