Because of Pryce, Matsuba was constantly on edge preparing for the Gym evaluation and had no time to pay attention to Tetsuya and the others' progress in the tower.
"Fantina, my otousan said we might have to wait until after the evaluation to send you back to Sinnoh. This Elite Four Pryce is just too strict. Even the smallest mistake brings harsh punishment."
On the training grounds, Morty spoke to Fantina.
"It's fine~ I actually want to enjoy myself a bit more here in Ecruteak," Fantina replied, looking completely carefree.
"…But isn't school starting in October?" Morty asked.
"My dad will handle it. Besides, there's nothing worth learning in those courses anyway. I skip class all the time~" Fantina said matter-of-factly.
Her attitude was something a model student like Morty just couldn't get used to.
She said it casually, but others took note.
'So Matsuba was going to personally send Fantina to Sinnoh?'
Tetsuya and Raine exchanged a glance. This time, their exploration of Matsuba Cemetery had to yield results.
"Alright, we're clearing it today for sure. Let's go to Brass Tower!" Morty called out.
Now that all four of them understood Banette's tactics, they were much calmer.
---◓---
They entered the fifth floor of Brass Tower.
Once again, Banette and the Shuppet vanished.
"Should we act now?" Morty asked Tetsuya beside him.
Tetsuya shook his head and began tapping a rhythm with his fingers, eyes fixed on the battlefield.
"Pssst, what's he doing…?" Fantina asked.
"Shhhh..."
Morty signaled her to be quiet. He already understood Tetsuya's actions. Tetsuya had calculated the approximate time it took for the Shuppet to reappear after disappearing last time. Now he was waiting for them to get as close as possible before launching a counterattack for maximum damage.
"Now!"
At Tetsuya's signal, Gastly surged with terrifying aura, unleashing waves of black energy in every direction.
Morty didn't hesitate either. Spiritomb let out a fierce roar(?), and the shockwaves from Snarl sent chills down their spines.
Raine's Dusclops also used Dark Pulse immediately.
Fantina had been itching to attack, so she didn't fall behind either. Drifblim stirred up an Ominous Wind. As it spun, an eerie wind formed a vortex and spread outward. The success of this move was thanks to Morty's help.
The four Pokémon attacked almost simultaneously. Tetsuya had timed it perfectly. Just as the Shuppet peeked out from their hiding, they were hit with a barrage of powerful moves.
"Nice!"
Morty clapped his hands in excitement. As expected, Tetsuya hadn't missed a beat. He must've been prepared to reattempt the challenge since yesterday. The precision of his timing was almost unbelievable.
He couldn't help but glance at Tetsuya.
"What are you looking at!? Keep attacking, Banette still hasn't shown up yet."
Tetsuya's roar snapped Morty back to attention.
Gastly kept using Dark Pulse, forcing the five Shuppet targeting it to retreat.
Seizing the opportunity, Gastly fired five Shadow Balls at them. The spindle-shaped projectiles shot out at high speed. The Shuppet, already weakened by repeated Dark Pulses, had no time to react and were all knocked out in one strike.
An "Assassin-type" quick attacker needed one thing: seize the moment and strike to kill!
At that moment, Banette appeared. Without hesitation, its shadow stretched, and a thick black claw formed behind Gastly.
"Night Shade."
Tetsuya knew there was no way for Gastly to dodge Banette's sneak attack. Its only option was to defend with Night Shade first, then find a way to counterattack.
In contrast, the other three were doing well, but none of them had a Pokémon with exceptional Special Attack or Speed. They couldn't finish the battle as swiftly as Gastly did.
Dusclops and Drifblim could only rely on their dual defenses and stamina to tangle with the Shuppet. Defeating all five of them would still take some time.
It looked like he would have to rely on himself.
Banette's attack tore open a gap in Gastly's Night Shade. Seizing the opportunity, it instantly launched a Will-O-Wisp toward the opening.
"Shadow Ball."
Tetsuya naturally wasn't going to give Banette that chance. Shadow Ball's launch speed was far superior to the slow-floating Will-O-Wisp. The moment it collided, the Will-O-Wisp shattered into scattered blue sparks.
Banette was known for its powerful physical attacks. Its arms became wreathed in black aura; it was using Feint Attack. A heavy oppressive force engulfed Gastly, making it hard to breathe.
"Drop Night Shade!"
Tetsuya issued the command without hesitation. Against Banette's overwhelming Attack power, the defensive benefits of Night Shade had already reached their limit.
Sure enough, under Banette's fierce assault, the Night Shade barrier crumbled completely.
"Shadow Ball."
Faced with such a formidable opponent, the only choice was to rely on the fastest and most powerful move: Shadow Ball.
Gastly tensed. Shadow Ball launched with no pause, firing one after another in rapid succession.
Banette tried to leap back to dodge, but the spindle-shaped Shadow Ball struck immediately. It had no time to evade.
With a sharp "boom," the first Shadow Ball hit Banette square in the chest.
The blow clearly hurt. Banette clutched its chest as it staggered back to its feet.
But the Shadow Balls kept coming, giving Banette no time to recover.
Realizing escape was impossible, Banette gathered its will. The Dark-type energy of Feint Attack surged around its arms once more, slashing wildly!
It worked.
Shadow Balls were batted aside and failed to cause direct damage.
But Tetsuya didn't stop. He kept launching Shadow Balls until Banette's protective Dark energy was completely depleted.
Tetsuya smirked.
"Sludge Bomb."
The purple, poison-laced Sludge Bomb looked nearly identical in shape to Shadow Ball.
Banette had grown used to batting them away. But now its arms were left unguarded and vulnerable.
The moment it made contact with the Sludge Bomb, poison seeped in instantly.
After taking several Sludge Bomb hits, Banette's body began to go numb. Its mind turned heavy. It was panting hard.
"Tehaha! Poisoned."
Tetsuya let out a cold laugh. After all that maneuvering, he had finally poisoned it.
At that moment, Morty's Spiritomb finished off its five Shuppet and appeared behind Banette.
A pincer attack.
Gastly began charging a massive Shadow Ball. Morty immediately understood.
Spiritomb struck from behind with a sudden Feint Attack. Already poisoned and exhausted, Banette was hurled into the air.
Gastly's Shadow Ball hit right on time, smashing it head-on!
The most powerful blast of the entire battle.
Banette fainted.
Meanwhile, Raine and Fantina had also taken out their five Shuppet each.
Morty and Fantina both let out a long sigh. Matsuba's assigned task was finally complete, and they felt a refreshing sense of relief.
Tetsuya and Raine, on the other hand, didn't feel anything at all.
They were simply waiting for Matsuba to leave…
•.
•.
Power… Stones!?