After distancing himself from Dusknoir and the others, Ron took out the Nether Crystal.
"Come out, Gengar. You don't have to hold back any longer."
Sensing Gengar's eager anticipation, Ron spoke with a hint of helplessness.
Emerging from Ron's shadow, Gengar fixed its gaze on the Nether Crystal in Ron's hand.
To be honest, Ron was still hesitant about whether he should let Gengar absorb the Nether Crystal—especially after what had happened with Trevenant.
Although the likelihood was low, he couldn't completely rule out the possibility that Trevenant's hunger for life energy had been caused by the Nether Crystal itself.
Just as Ron hesitated, Gardevoir's voice echoed in his mind.
"Ron, I don't sense any malice within the Nether Crystal."
"I understand, Gardevoir."
With Gardevoir's reassurance, Ron felt more at ease.
"Riolu, use your Aura to analyze the Nether Crystal."
As soon as it was released from its Poké Ball, Riolu activated its Aura abilities to scan the Nether Crystal. The results matched Gardevoir's—aside from the overwhelming Ghost-type energy, there was nothing particularly off about it.
Now that both Gardevoir and Riolu had confirmed its safety, Ron finally let go of his doubts.
"Alright, Gengar. This Nether Crystal is yours now."
Placing the deep purple, almost black crystal before Gengar, Ron signaled for it to consume it.
Given Gengar's unique body structure, storing the Nether Crystal inside itself wouldn't be an issue.
Nodding slightly, Gengar wasted no time swallowing the Nether Crystal whole.
In an instant, an overwhelming surge of Ghost-type energy erupted from the Ghostly Essence, as if trying to break free from Gengar's body. However, Gengar forcibly contained it within itself, determined to absorb every ounce of power.
Even with its best efforts to control the energy, Gengar couldn't hide the pain written across its face.
"How are you feeling, Gengar? Are you alright?"
From the moment Gengar consumed the Nether Crystal, Ron had been watching it closely. Now that he saw its pained expression, he immediately stepped closer, his voice filled with concern.
Gardevoir used telepathy to interpret Gengar's condition.
"Ron, Gengar is—"
Understanding Gengar's situation, Ron activated his Fighting Aura to restore its stamina.
With the aid of Fighting Aura, Gengar's stamina rapidly recovered, allowing it to absorb the Nether Crystal's power without restraint.
Tear after tear, repair after repair—the Ghost-type energy repeatedly tore through Gengar's body, only for it to regenerate stronger than before.
Without even realizing it, Gengar's strength was increasing at an astonishing rate.
"Hang in there, Gengar! I believe in you! You can suppress the Nether Crystal's power and make it your own!"
Continuing to channel his Fighting Aura, Ron encouraged Gengar as he restored its stamina.
Gengar had no spare energy to nod in response—it focused every ounce of its strength on suppressing the increasingly wild power surging within it.
As time passed, dense, purple-black spectral mist began forming around Gengar's body.
The chilling presence of the Ghost-type energy caused the surrounding temperature to plummet. It wasn't an issue for Gengar, but for Ron, it was another story.
Even so, Ron refused to withdraw his hands, continuing to supply Gengar with Fighting Aura.
Meanwhile, Machamp and the others couldn't offer much help. They could only remain on high alert, guarding the area.
With Gardevoir's psychic abilities and Riolu's Aura senses, no living being could approach without being detected.
Nearly two hours passed before the purple-black mist surrounding Gengar was completely reabsorbed into its body. Gengar's once-pained expression gradually faded, replaced by an eerie calm.
Another thirty minutes later, Gengar finally opened its tightly shut eyes. The spectral mist had vanished completely.
After confirming that Gengar was fine, Ron discreetly hid his frostbitten hands behind his back and immediately used his Fighting Aura to heal them.
"How do you feel, Gengar?"
Seeing how much more at ease Gengar seemed, Ron asked with concern.
With Gardevoir's help, Gengar's voice soon echoed in Ron's mind.
"I feel amazing! And… I think I just got a whole lot stronger!"
Clenching its fists excitedly, Gengar turned to Ron and exclaimed.
"That's good to hear, Gengar. You've now reached level 49!"
"Really!? Am I actually that strong now!?"
Hearing Ron's words, Gengar's face was filled with disbelief.
To be honest, even Ron himself was surprised. He hadn't expected Gengar to level up by nine whole levels in just two hours.
What was even more astonishing was that Gengar's strength didn't feel hollow or unstable. Instead, it was as if the power had accumulated naturally through prolonged battles and experience.
And this was only the result of about three hours of training. The Nether Crystal hadn't even fully dissipated yet—instead, it was steadily reinforcing Gengar's power in a slow and controlled manner.
"Gengar, even with the help of the Nether Crystal, you can't afford to slack off in training and battles. If your combat skills and instincts become dull, then no matter how strong you are, you won't be able to unleash your full potential."
Ron patted Gengar's head, speaking like a concerned father.
"I got it. In that case, find me a worthy opponent right now! I need to get used to my new strength."
Realizing that Gengar was eager to prove itself, Ron didn't refuse. He immediately instructed Gardevoir to search for a suitable Ghost-type Pokémon to battle.
At Gengar's current strength, Mid Elite opponents were no longer a challenge. So, Ron set his sights on a High Elite Pokémon instead.
Given Gengar's power now, Ron was confident that even against a High Elite opponent, it wouldn't be at a disadvantage.
While Gardevoir was scouting, Ron recalled Machamp and the others back into their Poké Balls. He also resumed his disguise, using the alias he had mentioned to Anda earlier—Garus.
With Teleport, Gardevoir transported Ron and Gengar away in an instant.
After several teleport jumps, they arrived at a new location.
There, Ursaring was basking in the warmth of the sun, enjoying a peaceful nap—completely unaware of the danger approaching.
Suddenly, the gentle sunlight vanished, replaced by an ominous darkness.
"Huh? What's going on? Did the sky just go dark?"
Opening its eyes, Ursaring looked up at the pitch-black sky, confused.
"Gengar, Ghost Chains!"
At Ron's command, Gengar didn't wait for Ursaring to prepare itself. It immediately manipulated the power of its domain, launching an assault.
From thin air, dark purple chains materialized, surging toward Ursaring.
Reacting swiftly, Ursaring used Brick Break to smash apart the chains before they could reach it.
But while Ursaring was focused on fending off the surrounding chains, a few more suddenly burst from the ground, coiling tightly around its legs.
Caught off guard, Ursaring was violently flung into the air.
Like sharks drawn to the scent of blood, the remaining chains swarmed forward, completely entangling the airborne Ursaring.
"Gengar, Night Parade of a Hundred Demons!"
Within Gengar's domain, a frightening ghost led the charge, supported by Shadow Balls and Shadow Claws. A horde of spectral figures, resembling vengeful spirits, surged forth, launching a relentless assault on Ursaring.
"ROOOAAAR!"
Trapped and overwhelmed by the ghostly onslaught, Ursaring could do nothing but let out a desperate, furious roar—its struggle fading into the endless darkness.
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