Kay pulled out his Pokedex and quickly scanned the Phantump.
Phantump
Potential: Orange
Stage: Superior Steel
His eyes narrowed as he read the stats. This Phantump was strong, stronger than any Pokémon they had faced in the labyrinth so far, except for the terrifying Gengar from earlier for sure.
Kay had a choice to make.
Even though the Phantump had a clear advantage in strength, he decided that Growlithe would fight it. With his guidance and Growlithe's Fire-type advantage, they had a chance of winning.
Kay didn't have any choice as Growlithe couldn't fight this big number of Misdreavus and win.
"Growlithe, you will face this Phantump. Eevee, finish off the Misdreavus, and don't let them interfere in Growlithe's battle!" Kay commanded.
His two Pokémons responded instantly.
"Eevwee!"
"Graaw... Graaw..."
Eevee turned back toward the Misdreavus, who were still hovering in hesitation, while Growlithe stepped forward, growling at Phantump with determination.
"Growlithe! Use Double Team and start running around Phantump in circles!"
Growlithe barked and sprinted into motion, creating multiple illusory copies as it dashed around the Phantump at high speed.
The shadowy Pokémon, seeing itself surrounded, narrowed its eyes and swiftly retaliated with Magical Leaf.
The enchanted leaves shot out in every direction, slicing through the fake Growlithes, making them disappear one by one. But Kay was already a step ahead.
"Now! Attack from behind with Ember!"
As the last few Double Team copies vanished, the real Growlithe leaped from behind Phantump and released a blazing Ember. The flames, powered by Sunny Day, burned brighter and hotter than usual.
The attack hit Phantump directly. The ghostly Pokémon shrieked, staggering from the powerful super-effective blow. But it didn't fall.
Instead, before Growlithe could escape, Phantump used Curse.
A dark, eerie aura surrounded Growlithe as a spectral nail pierced through its body. Growlithe winced, letting out a weak growl.
Kay's expression darkened.
Curse was dangerous. It wasn't an instant knockout move, but it slowly drained the affected Pokémon's HP.
That meant they didn't have much time left, Growlithe had to finish this battle quickly before Curse wore it down completely.
"Growlithe, we need to end this fast! Use Double Team again, but this time, keep using Ember while running!"
Growlithe obeyed immediately. As it sprinted around Phantump, more copies appeared, all of them spewing flames at the ghostly Pokémon from different directions.
The corridor lit up with bursts of fire; Kay thought that it would be hard for Phantump to track the real Growlithe in this state.
But then, something unexpected happened.
Phantump suddenly ignored all the copies and fired a Night Shade directly at the real Growlithe.
Growlithe yelped as the Night Shade struck it, and all the illusions vanished in an instant.
Kay's eyes widened.
How did Phantump know which one was real?
"Growlithe, don't give up! It could have been luck! One more time, Double Team and Ember!"
Growlithe, though injured, forced itself up and charged forward, creating new copies. The battlefield was once again filled with running Growlithes launching bursts of fire at Phantump.
But Phantump didn't even hesitate.
This time, it used Leech Seed, and the attack landed directly on the real Growlithe, completely ignoring the fakes.
Kay clenched his fists while thinking, 'That wasn't luck. Two times in a row, Phantump had hit the real Growlithe without fail. It wasn't random. It was tracking Growlithe somehow.'
Kay's mind raced. Then, a realization hit him.
Curse!
Phantump had cursed Growlithe earlier. The curse left a dark energy lingering on Growlithe's body, and Phantump was using that energy to detect the real one, ignoring all the fake copies completely.
Kay gritted his teeth.
Not only was Growlithe cursed, but now Leech Seed was slowly sapping its health too. If this continued, they would lose for sure.
Kay's eyes locked onto Phantump, noticing its weakened state. It had sacrificed half of its HP to cast Curse, and on top of that, Growlithe's repeated Ember attacks had taken their toll.
Even though Growlithe was badly injured, Kay realized that Phantump was also on the verge of collapsing.
One last attack would decide the battle, but Kay knew that this attack should be powerful, as the HP recovered by the Phantump from the Leech Seed would prevent it from fainting from normal attacks.
Kay clenched his fists, quickly formulating a plan. "Growlithe, use Sunny Day again! Don't let it escape!".
He then added in a low voice, so Phantump wouldn't hear him, "Start preparing to use Ember at full power after using Sunny Day."
Growlithe let out a weak bark and shot another shiny orb toward the ceiling. The orb pulsed, preparing to intensify the light in the corridor once more.
But just as it was about to activate, Kay's sharp eyes caught Phantump's movements. The ghost Pokémon lifted its small hands and began a strange, flowing dance.
Rain Dance!
Kay realized what Phantump was trying to do; that was exactly what Kay was waiting for. Phantump was trying to counter Sunny Day and create rain using Rain Dance, weakening Fire-type moves!
Not a chance.
"Growlithe, now! Use Ember! Full Power!" Kay shouted.
Growlithe, already gathering fire energy in anticipation, unleashed it all at once.
A brilliant, fiery blast shot forward, far stronger than any Ember it had used before. The attack roared through the air, its heat radiating through the corridor, burning brighter under the Sunny Day boost.
Phantump, caught in the middle of its Rain Dance, felt the intense heat approaching. It desperately tried to float backward and dodge, but it was too late.
The Ember struck Phantump head-on.
A loud whoosh echoed as flames engulfed the small ghost. It let out a distorted wail, its body flailing from the impact. A thick cloud of smoke and dust filled the corridor from the explosion of heat.
Kay squinted through the haze, waiting for the results.
As the dust settled, Phantump's form became visible again; it had collapsed on the cold floor, motionless, knocked out.
Kay exhaled sharply. He had predicted Phantump's move perfectly.
Phantump had desperately wanted to stop Sunny Day, knowing it gave Growlithe a huge advantage.
But Kay knew that any move used by Phantump to counter Sunny Day would create an opening, and he had been ready.
That's why, the moment Growlithe used Sunny Day, Kay had Growlithe start charging Ember, and it worked perfectly.
But before he could celebrate, Growlithe let out a weak groan and collapsed to the floor as well.
Kay rushed over.
It had been an intense, draining battle. Growlithe had pushed itself past its limits, taking both Curse and Leech Seed damage, fighting a stronger Pokémon.
Kay quickly dug into his bag, pulling out a Potion. He sprayed the healing mist over Growlithe's burns and scratches, watching as the worst of its injuries faded slightly.
Growlithe let out a small, exhausted growl and wagged its tail weakly.
"You did great," Kay said with a small smile.
Then, he turned toward Eevee, who was still battling the two remaining Misdreavus.
Kay immediately noticed that Eevee wasn't injured much, but its movements were slower.
It had been fighting for a long time, draining its stamina. However, Kay also saw that five Misdreavus were already defeated.
"Almost there, Eevee! Finish them off!"
Eevee's ears twitched in response. Gathering the last of its strength, it dashed forward and used Bite on one of the Misdreavus, slamming it against the corridor wall.
Then, it dodged a Night Shade from the remaining Misdreavus and attacked it with a Bite as well, sending it tumbling to the floor.
Kay walked over and patted Eevee gently. He sprayed another Potion, restoring some of its energy. Eevee gave a tired but victorious cry.
"Eevwee.."
Kay exhaled deeply, letting his body relax slightly, the fight was finally over.
Or so he thought.
Just as he turned to continue his way, advancing a few steps forward, something caught his attention.
Phantump was still alive.
Despite being beaten, burnt, and exhausted, it was slowly dragging itself across the floor, desperately trying to escape into the shadows.
Unfortunately for it, Sunny Day was still in effect. Kay's eyes hardened.
"Growlithe, finish it."
Growlithe, cold and merciless, opened its mouth and fired a final Ember. The small fireball shot through the air, landing directly on Phantump's head.
Phantump let out a final, haunting wail. Its body shuddered violently, and then it died.
Kay then turned to continue his way coldly, but as he was about to walk forward, something shocking happened.
See you in the next chapter...
If you liked the chapter, leave a review...