Ash and Brock didn't stay on the second floor and went directly to the third floor because there were too many people on the second floor, and it was quite difficult to find a suitable Gastly.
The number of people on the third floor was relatively small.
After looking around, Ash decided to go to the fourth floor, but Brock didn't plan to follow him all the way.
His main purpose was to observe the Gengar family, and staying on the lower three floors was the best option.
As a result, Ash could only explore the fourth floor with Pikachu. There were fewer people there; except for places that couldn't be seen, there were only about a dozen Trainers in sight.
"The higher the floor, the stronger the Pokémon..."
Ash observed a Gastly battling a Trainer. The Gastly's strength had reached the normal level, and it seemed it could soon break through to the elite level, which was already quite strong for most Trainers.
After all, high-level Trainers wouldn't train here; they would go to the wild for combat training with stronger Pokémon.
Ash and Pikachu explored, encountering a few Gastly along the way. However, these Gastly didn't seem keen on battling; they only played pranks on Ash and Pikachu, leaving when Ash tried to engage them in a fight.
"Finding a suitable Gastly for training isn't easy..." Ash sighed. He wanted to capture a Pokémon with a strong fighting spirit.
He had also been thinking about which Pokémon to send back to Professor Oak. He had decided on Beedrill.
The reason for sending Beedrill back was that it had fully evolved. As long as it trained well, its strength could improve.
Pikachu was irreplaceable, and his other Pokémon were also in a stage of rapid strength improvement. Pidgeotto hadn't yet reached its final evolution, so Beedrill was the best choice.
After wandering on the third floor for a while longer, Ash shook his head and decided to head to the fourth floor.
The stairs to the fourth floor were guarded by Alliance personnel. They allowed Ash to proceed after he showed his Pokédex, proving he was a Poké Ball-level Trainer.
Most Pokémon on the fourth floor were at the normal level, with some even reaching the elite level.
Trainers below the Poké Ball level weren't allowed on the fourth floor due to insufficient strength.
The number of people on the fourth floor was significantly smaller. Ash didn't linger near the stairs and went deeper to find suitable Pokémon.
"This Haunter looks promising..." After encountering several Gastly, Ash found a good Haunter. It was at the elite level and was battling another Haunter for territory.
The battle wasn't intense. The Haunter Ash had his eye on had more combat experience and a higher battle IQ, easily outmaneuvering its opponent.
After driving away the other Haunter, the victorious one looked at Ash, the uninvited guest. After sizing up Ash and Pikachu, it floated to a tombstone and sat down, looking uninterested but confident.
Haunter
Attribute: Ghost, Poison
Category: Gas Pokémon
Ability: Levitate
Levitate: This Pokémon is immune to Ground-type moves and the effects of abilities like Arena Trap, as well as moves like Spikes, Toxic Spikes, Sticky Web, and the Ground-type attack condition.
Strength: Bronze
"Want a battle? If I win, you come with me. If I lose, I'll give you this!" Ash took out some Pokémon food prepared by Brock, suitable for the Gengar family.
Haunter glanced at Ash, then at the Pokémon food in his hand. It sniffed, looking surprised. It had eaten Pokémon food before, as people who visited the tower often brought some to avoid offending the Pokémon.
However, the smell of this Pokémon food was different, even attracting other Gastly and Haunter who were wary of this Haunter.
"Gastly!" Haunter floated down from the tombstone and responded when it was less than five meters away from Ash, indicating it agreed to his challenge. If this human Trainer could defeat it, following him wouldn't be a bad idea.
"Then... let's go, Pikachu!" Ash waved his right hand, signaling Pikachu to fight.
"Pika!" Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder, looking at Haunter with fighting spirit. Haunter, on the other hand, had an indifferent expression, as if it had a plan.
"Since you won't attack, I won't hold back!" Seeing that Haunter had no intention of making a move, Ash smiled faintly and ordered Pikachu, "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
"Pikapika!" Pikachu wasn't angered by Haunter's underestimation, but it didn't mind showing Haunter its power. It
"Pika—!" Pikachu didn't get angry because of Haunter's underestimation, but he didn't mind letting Haunter know he wasn't to be underestimated, unleashing a full-power Thunderbolt!
The dazzling thunder bombarded the unsuspecting Haunter, illuminating the slightly dim environment and scaring some Gastly and Haunter back repeatedly.
After the thunder dissipated, Haunter looked sluggish and stared at Pikachu with fearful eyes. It hadn't expected Pikachu to be so strong, nearly losing its fighting ability in one blow, though it was partly due to being caught off guard.
"Encore, Thunderbolt!" Ash had no intention of holding back. He needed Haunter to clearly understand his strength and surrender.
"Pickup—!" Thunderbolt launched again, and dazzling thunder blasted out. This time, Haunter was vigilant and immediately disappeared in place!
"Huh?!" Ash watched as Haunter unfolded a black vortex and vanished into it, recognizing the move as Phantom Force.
Phantom Force is a Ghost-type physical move. Although it's a Ghost-type move, the Gengar family normally can't learn it; it can only be learned through a Technical Machine (TM).
"Did it use a TM before, or was there some other special reason?"
Ash's eyes lit up slightly, surprised by this unexpected discovery. He reminded Pikachu, "Pikachu, be careful of the opponent's attack, and be ready to use Quick Attack to dodge at any time!"
"Pika!" Pikachu scanned the surroundings, alert to Haunter's sneak attack. After a while, he sensed energy fluctuations behind him and launched Spark without hesitation, leaving his spot.
Haunter emerged from the black vortex and punched at Pikachu, but he didn't expect Pikachu's reaction and speed to be so fast. The attack missed, leaving Haunter wide open.
"Finish it, use Thunderbolt!" Ash didn't miss the chance and ordered Pikachu to attack Haunter.
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