The crowd in the Goldenrod Gym leaned forward in suspense, their breath visible in the chilly air as Haunter floated ominously in the center of the battlefield, split into three glowing copies.
Across from it, Whitney's Miltank stood resolute, its pink hide gleaming with renewed energy after its Heal Bell, seemingly unfazed by the damage it had taken earlier.
Both Pokémon faced each other with fierce determination, and their trainers were equally focused, fully aware that this was the decisive moment in the battle.
"Alright, Haunter! Secret Skill: Aerial Ace, now!" Ash yelled.
The three Haunter copies chuckled in unison as they lunged forward simultaneously with ghostly precision.
Each copy slashed through the air with glowing energy as they targeted Miltank from three different angles with terrifying synchronization.
Whitney's eyes widened but she quickly reacted. "Miltank, counter them with a Body Slam! Full power!"
Miltank roared mightily, flexing its muscular frame as it stomped the ground and launched its entire weight into the three Haunter copies at once. The battlefield cracked beneath its hooves as its bulk collided with the ghostly assailants.
Two of the Haunter copies shattered into shimmering ghostly mist, revealing them as illusions, but the real Haunter's attack connected, slashing across Miltank's flank from the right. Miltank grunted in pain, its normally tough exterior finally showing signs of wear, but its sturdy legs and grit kept it standing.
"That's how we do it, Haunter! Don't let up this time!" Ash encouraged, punching the air.
---
Whitney's trademark smile reappeared as she quickly formulated a new counter. "That's enough dodging, Miltank. Let's show them our strength. Use Work Up and close the gap!"
Miltank's body began to glow faintly with a red aura as it powered itself up, boosting its Attack and Special Attack stats. Its determined eyes fixed on Haunter as it stamped the ground and charged forward.
"Stay calm, Haunter! Use Psychic to hold it back!" Ash commanded.
Haunter raised its disembodied hands, the familiar blue glow forming around them as psychic energy wrapped around Miltank mid-charge.
The Psychic force slowed Miltank's advance, halting its movement temporarily. For a moment, it seemed like Haunter had neutralized its power boost.
"Now throw it back!" Ash shouted, his voice filled with determination.
Haunter cackled as it exerted more force, lifting the hefty Miltank into the air and sending it tumbling backward with Psychic energy, leaving it vulnerable as it crashed to the ground in a cloud of dust. The crowd erupted in cheers at Ash's clever strategy.
---
Whitney clenched her fists but remained composed. "Not bad, Ash, but I told you—Miltank isn't going down that easily! Miltank, use Thunder Wave, quick!"
Still recovering from being thrown, Miltank pushed itself upright and unleashed a crackling wave of yellow electricity across the battlefield.
The Thunder Wave rippled through the air faster than Haunter could vanish this time, striking the Ghost-type head-on.
"Haunter!" Ash called out as his partner's movements slowed drastically, its ghostly body crackling with residual electricity. It had been paralyzed.
Whitney pointed confidently at Haunter. "Now we've got it! Close in and use Body Slam, full force!"
The crowd gasped as Miltank's bulky body accelerated forward, its momentum building until it resembled a runaway pink wrecking ball. Its plan was clear: use Body Slam to inflict heavy damage and potentially paralyze Haunter further.
But Ash grinned, unshaken by the dire situation. "Paralyzed or not, Haunter's still got something up its sleeve! Use Phantom Force to disappear!"
Even as the paralysis caused Haunter to move sluggishly, it let out a low chuckle and phased out of sight, seemingly vanishing from existence.
Miltank skidded to a halt, looking around for its elusive opponent as its Body Slam attack missed spectacularly.
"Stay on high alert!" Whitney warned, scanning the battlefield.
---
Ash's grin widened. "Now, Haunter—strike with Thunder Punch!"
Out of nowhere, Haunter reappeared directly above Miltank, its electrical claw crackling wildly.
With a ghostly cackle, it brought its energized fist crashing down on Miltank's back, the electricity surging through the Normal-type with a loud crackle.
Miltank let out a pained cry as sparks danced across its pink body, staggering slightly but recovering.
"That's it, Haunter—keep it up! Shadow Ball, now!" Ash instructed, capitalizing on the momentum.
Before Miltank could recover fully, Haunter charged up another swirling orb of ghostly energy and fired it off, striking Miltank head-on.
The sheer explosive force sent Miltank skidding backward again, kicking up chunks of dirt and ice, its earlier energy boost from Work Up fading under continued assaults.
---
Whitney's fierce focus returned as she gritted her teeth. "This is it! You might be tricky, Ash, but Miltank can outlast anything you throw at it. Miltank, use Zen Headbutt, now!"
Miltank's head began to glow with radiant psychic energy as it charged toward Haunter with surprising agility despite its weight.
Its eyes narrowed as it closed in, and Ash realized it was too quick for Haunter to dodge in its paralyzed state.
"Brace yourself, Haunter!" Ash shouted.
The Zen Headbutt connected with a direct hit, slamming into Haunter's body with a shockwave of force. Haunter cried out as it spiraled midair, clearly taking heavy damage from the super-effective hit.
Whitney punched the air. "Yes! That's the strength of Miltank and Scrappy! Ghosts can't avoid us!"
---
Ash's fists clenched as Haunter floated back upright, visibly weakened but still grinning mischievously.
Its red eyes gleamed with unstoppable determination. Sweat dripped down Ash's face as he thought carefully—this was the final stretch.
"Whitney, you've got one tough Miltank," Ash admitted with a smirk. "But Haunter and I don't quit, no matter how tough things get. Let's end this!"
Whitney nodded, her smile fierce. "Same here, Ash! Miltank, one last Rollout!"
Miltank began spinning again, its Rollout gaining strength and speed as it rushed toward Haunter, fastening itself like a spinning bullet.
Ash raised his hand decisively. "Haunter, one more Secret Skill: Aerial Ace! Let's go!"
As Miltank closed in, Haunter chuckled slowly, splitting once again into three glowing copies.
The three ethereal Haunters rushed forward in perfect unison, their synchronized movements creating trails of glowing energy in their wake.
The gym shook as the two Pokémon collided in midair. The Aerial Ace copies overwhelmed Miltank's Rollout attack, striking it from three sides at once.
Miltank let out a loud cry before collapsing to the ground, skidding to a stop with swirls in its eyes.
---
After a fierce and prolonged battle, Haunter finally delivered the decisive blow, defeating Miltank and securing a team-wide sweep.
"Haunt-haunt!" Haunter let out a triumphant cry, panting heavily. As it floated proudly in the center of the battlefield, a vibrant light engulfed its form.
"What's happening?" Whitney gasped, her voice filled with awe as she shielded her eyes from the brilliant glow.
---
Ash's heart raced. "Haunter's evolving…" he whispered, his excitement evident.
Under the kaleidoscope of shimmering colors, Haunter's gaseous form began to shift and solidify.
A pair of stubby legs emerged, and its ethereal outline became more defined. When the light faded, standing in Haunter's place was the mischievous and fearsome Gengar, a wide, toothy grin spread across its face.
"Hehehe!" Gengar chuckled, floating effortlessly toward Ash. It circled him playfully before stopping to show off its new form.
---
Gengar
Type: Ghost/Poison
Ability: Cursed Body (Chance to disable moves of Pokémon that attack it)
Strength: Gym Level
---
Ash smiled at his newly evolved Pokémon. While Gengar had lost its Levitate Ability, which made it immune to Ground-type moves, the increase in strength and access to a wider array of moves more than compensated for the change.
"Pika pika…" Pikachu looked on with a mix of admiration and envy. Though Pikachu's true strength rivaled even Elite-level Pokémon, its official ranking remained lower than Gengar's.
Gengar, sensing Pikachu's feelings, flashed a cheeky grin but showed no arrogance. It knew Pikachu was still the team leader.
---
The referee raised his flag once more. "Miltank is unable to battle. The winner of this match, and the challenger who has earned the Plain Badge, is Ash!"
The crowd erupted into cheers as Whitney approached Ash with a warm smile. She held out a diamond-shaped Badge with a silver-gray outer ring, symbolizing her gym.
"Congratulations, Ash," Whitney said as she handed him the Plain Badge. "You've earned it."
Ash accepted the Badge with a smile, carefully placing it into his Badge case alongside his others. With this victory, Ash had now earned three Johto League Badges.
---
As the excitement began to settle, Whitney leaned closer to Ash, her expression hopeful. "So, have you thought about my proposal from yesterday?"
Ash nodded. "I've thought it over, and I agree. We just need to work out some details."
Whitney's face lit up with a radiant smile. She had asked Ash to participate in a special exhibition match to kick off Goldenrod's anniversary celebrations in the coming year, and his agreement meant the world to her.
After exchanging contact information, Ash and his friends left the gym, returning to the Pokémon Center to rest.
---
That afternoon, Ash focused on training his team, particularly Gengar, whose evolution opened up new possibilities. Moves that had previously been difficult for Haunter to master were now within reach.
Meanwhile, the other Pokémon felt the pressure to keep up, especially Chikorita. Having yet to participate in a gym battle, it was determined to prove itself.
Chikorita pushed itself harder than ever, vowing to become strong enough to support Ash in future challenges.
As the day drew to a close, the team's bond grew stronger, united by their shared determination to reach new heights together.
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