Ten minutes ago...
Haunter had slipped out of the Pokémon Center and made his way toward the Vermilion Gym in Vermilion City. Remembering how Maen had challenged the Pewter Gym before, he confidently floated through the gym's entrance, ignoring the curious stares of onlookers.
Since he wasn't using his invisibility, Haunter was quickly noticed by Gym Leader Surge's subordinates. The moment they spotted him, some of them instinctively reached for the Poké Balls on their belts.
After all, it was rare to see a Haunter wandering around without a Trainer, and this one was even more unusual—its body was not the typical purple but instead an ominous shade of black. Perhaps it was a rare variant or even a Shiny Pokémon.
However, Haunter was unfazed by the suspicious looks. He confidently floated toward one of Surge's subordinates, grinning mischievously.
"Hey!" the gym worker called out, confused by Haunter's behavior.
Before the worker could react further, a Poké Ball suddenly came flying from behind, aimed straight at Haunter! Someone was attempting to capture him.
Without turning around, Haunter swiftly caught the Poké Ball mid-air, then turned to glare at the trainer who had thrown it. The room went silent.
Then, with a flick of his wrist, Haunter threw the Poké Ball back at the culprit, hitting him squarely in the face.
Satisfied with his little prank, Haunter reached into his mouth and pulled out a small Badge case and a Pokédex—both belonging to Maen. He opened the Badge case, revealing the Boulder Badge from Pewter City, then pointed at himself, the Badge case, and finally the gym's battle arena.
The message was clear: Haunter had come to challenge the gym.
Surge's subordinates exchanged bewildered glances. They had never encountered something like this before. A Pokémon challenging a gym by itself? This was unheard of!
One of the workers hesitated before speaking. "Uh… sorry, but you need a Trainer to issue a challenge. Where's your Trainer?"
Haunter responded by proudly pointing at himself.
"That's… not how this works," the gym staff stammered. "A Trainer has to be present to—"
Before he could finish, Haunter smirked and pressed a button on the Pokédex. A mechanical voice played from the device:
"The owner of this Pokédex is Maen from Viridian City. This Pokédex was issued by Professor Oak of Pallet Town."
The gym staff's eyes widened slightly at the mention of Professor Oak. Everyone in Kanto knew the famous professor, meaning Haunter's Trainer must be somewhat important.
"Even so," the worker insisted, "your Trainer has to be here in person. You can't challenge the gym without—"
Haunter pressed the Pokédex button again.
"The owner of this Pokédex is—"
The worker groaned. "Okay, okay! Stop that! I'll go get the Gym Leader."
Meanwhile, in Gym Leader Surge's Office...
Surge listened to his subordinate's report with growing irritation. The moment he heard the name Maen and the mention of an unusual-looking Haunter, he clenched his fists in frustration.
This damn kid again!
It had been bad enough that Maen's interference had ruined his Zapdos plan, but now his Pokémon had the audacity to waltz into his gym and demand a battle? This had to be some kind of joke.
Surge felt his rage boiling over but forced himself to calm down. He knew he was still under scrutiny from the Pokémon League. Since the failed Zapdos incident, League officials had been watching him closely, suspecting his involvement. If he showed any unusual aggression now, it could raise suspicions.
Taking a deep breath, Surge composed himself. I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid of the League. I just have to play it cool.
Finally, after regaining his composure, he stood up. "Fine. Let's see what this Haunter wants."
Back at the Gym Arena...
Haunter was already floating in the challenger's position when Surge arrived. Seeing the black-colored Haunter up close, Surge's eye twitched. It was unmistakably the same Pokémon from before.
If only I could zap this thing into oblivion…
But he couldn't. Not now. His strongest Pokémon were still recovering from the Zapdos fiasco, and using his injured team would only draw more suspicion from the League.
Forcing a grin, Surge approached Haunter and clapped his hands.
"So, you're today's special challenger?" he said in an exaggeratedly friendly tone.
Haunter squinted at him, sensing something familiar about this man, but quickly shrugged it off and nodded enthusiastically.
Surge let out a loud laugh. "Hah! Never thought I'd see the day when a Pokémon challenged a gym on its own. Guess I must be getting old!"
The gathered audience chuckled. Some of them were League officials disguised as spectators, and Surge made sure to put on a good show.
"Well then," he continued, stepping toward his battle position, "since this is a special occasion, I'll allow it! Let's see what you've got, Haunter!"
The referee, who had been silently watching this bizarre situation unfold, took a deep breath before raising his hand.
"This is an official Vermilion Gym battle! The challenger, Haunter, will face Gym Leader Surge! Each side is allowed one Pokémon! The battle ends when one Pokémon is unable to continue! Begin!"
Surge reached for a Poké Ball, his smile turning predatory.
"Alright, you little ghost, let's see how you handle this! Go, Raichu!"
With a flash of light, Raichu landed on the battlefield, its yellow fur crackling with electricity. It flicked its tail and narrowed its eyes at Haunter.
Haunter, unfazed, simply floated in place with a mischievous grin.
Surge smirked. You might be cocky now, but let's see how you deal with this.
"Raichu, Thunderbolt!"
Raichu charged up a powerful bolt of electricity and launched it straight at Haunter. The gym was immediately filled with a bright flash of light and the crackling sound of high-voltage energy.
But just as the attack was about to connect—
Haunter vanished.
The Thunderbolt passed through empty space, striking the floor instead.
Surge's grin faltered. What?!
A chuckle echoed through the gym. Haunter reappeared behind Raichu, sticking his tongue out mockingly.
The audience gasped.
"Damn it," Surge muttered under his breath. This little ghost is playing games with me.
Haunter waved his hands, his eyes glowing ominously. A dark mist began to swirl around him—he was preparing a Shadow Ball.
Surge narrowed his eyes. "Raichu, Quick Attack!"
Raichu dashed forward with incredible speed, aiming to close the distance before Haunter could complete his attack.
But Haunter was ready.
At the last second, he disappeared again.
Raichu skidded to a stop, looking around frantically.
Then—BOOM!
The Shadow Ball struck Raichu from behind, sending it tumbling across the battlefield.
Surge gritted his teeth. This Haunter isn't just playing around. He actually knows how to fight.
Haunter cackled in amusement, floating circles around Raichu as if taunting it.
Surge clenched his fists. This was going to be more annoying than he thought.
Fine, then. If this ghost wants a real battle, I'll give him one.
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