Deep within a secluded forest, a chilling aura permeated the air.
Any experienced Trainer with keen instincts would quickly deduce that Ghost-type Pokémon lurked nearby.
The eerie sensation stemmed from the six Pokémon Towers personally built by Ron.
Today, the three Dusknoir, each possessing quasi-Elite Four strength, along with the rest of the Ghost-type Pokémon, had all gathered, encircling a peculiar figure at the center—the Pumpkin Pokémon, Gourgeist.
This Gourgeist had been found and taken in not long after Ron's departure.
Back then, it had been merely a Pumpkaboo, with power nearing High Elite level at best.
Who could have foreseen that in such a short time, it would surpass all other Ghost-types in the area and now stand on the verge of breaking through to the Elite Four tier?
For wild Pokémon, the method of achieving an Elite Four breakthrough had always been a mystery.
Typically, when a wild Pokémon reached the quasi-Elite Four stage and could no longer progress, it would rely on instinct to leave its territory.
If fortune smiled upon it, it would find an Attribute Plate and achieve the breakthrough. If not, it would remain stagnant at the quasi-Elite Four stage.
While luck played a role, the wilderness was, after all, the natural domain of wild Pokémon. Their instincts often guided them toward a suitable Attribute Plate over time.
However, Gourgeist exhibited no such instincts. Instead, as if an unseen force had whispered in its mind, it believed that gathering all the Ghost-type Pokémon together was the key to its breakthrough.
And so, today, all the Ghost-types had assembled.
The strongest Dusknoir gazed at Gourgeist, its eyes filled with unease.
It wasn't the rapid growth of Gourgeist that troubled it. Rather, it was an ominous premonition, a sense that something dreadful was about to unfold.
This was not baseless paranoia. Ever since Ron had left, Dusknoir had felt its own power slowly slipping away.
Yet, whenever it tried to investigate, it always found nothing.
Over time, even Dusknoir itself had started to doubt its own instincts.
Suddenly, tendrils of Ghost-type energy coalesced, wrapping around Gourgeist.
With each strand of energy absorbed, its power grew stronger.
Seeing Gourgeist begin its transformation, Dusknoir decided to set aside its concerns, hoping to glean some insight into achieving its own breakthrough.
As the gathered energy intensified, an increasingly frigid aura emanated from Gourgeist.
To the Ghost-type Pokémon that had joined the area recently, the chilling sensation seemed ordinary.
But to those who had once suffered under the rule of Trevenant, it felt disturbingly familiar.
Before they could piece together the memory, a massive surge of Ghost-type energy engulfed Gourgeist.
Gradually, a sinister force radiated outward, turning the surrounding energy pitch black.
The sense of familiarity grew stronger.
And when the thick darkness completely enveloped Gourgeist, Dusknoir and the others were struck by a terrifying realization—a memory from a nightmare they wished they could forget.
Suddenly, a pair of blood-red eyes snapped open within the black mist.
"Run!"
The strongest Dusknoir roared before immediately fleeing into the distance.
The other Ghost-types, as if waking from a daze, scattered in all directions.
"Keh keh keh..."
A chilling laughter echoed behind them.
The black mist expanded at a terrifying pace, far outstripping their desperate attempts to escape.
Like the grasping tendrils of an octopus, the dark energy latched onto the fleeing Pokémon with an inescapable pull.
Those ensnared quickly lost all movement, their bodies drained of energy, collapsing lifelessly onto the forest floor.
In mere moments, dozens of Ghost-type Pokémon had succumbed to the darkness.
With each fallen Pokémon, the black mist swelled with power, greedily consuming every Ghost-type in sight.
Even the three Dusknoir, powerful as they were, could not evade its reach.
Despite unleashing their full strength to resist, they found themselves inexorably drawn toward the abyss.
As the surrounding darkness thickened, their strength proved insufficient, and they too were absorbed, their very essence becoming nourishment for the growing force of evil.
"Still not enough..."
From within the darkness, a voice echoed—an eerie, androgynous whisper.
The black mist then compressed into an orb, lifting from the ground, surging wildly through the forest in search of more prey.
...
"Sootopolis City is close now. It's about time for me to leave."
Standing on the ship's deck, feeling the cool sea breeze, Ron murmured to himself.
Ever since leaving the stormy region, the ship seemed unchanged on the surface. However, Ron had noticed that someone was keeping an eye on him.
Or rather, every passenger on the ship was under surveillance.
Ron naturally understood what was going on, which was precisely why he wanted to leave the ship ahead of schedule.
With a lazy stretch, Ron turned and walked toward his room.
It wasn't until he stepped inside that the sensation of being watched finally disappeared.
"Let's go, Gardevoir. This distance is short enough—we can cross it in an instant."
Nodding slightly, Gardevoir prepared to use Teleport, taking Ron with her off the ship.
The next moment, they reappeared above the ocean.
With another Teleport, Gardevoir silently carried Ron away.
Meanwhile, Kuro had already received notification from the League. When the ship docked, they planned to deploy personnel to inspect all passengers onboard.
Kuro's task was to ensure that no one disembarked prematurely.
Clearly, that was now impossible.
...
"Still no word from Tyro and Bord?"
Inside Team Aqua's base, Archie questioned the subordinate standing before him.
"None. At the same time, we've discovered that the ship carrying Tyro and Bord seems to be under surveillance by the League. It appears that special preparations have been made at the dock to intercept them."
"Preliminary analysis suggests that their identities have been exposed, and the League intends to take them into custody."
"Those two worthless fools… Notify our forces—no matter what, we must bring them back!"
"Yes, sir!"
Receiving Archie's orders, the subordinate immediately began making arrangements.
Unbeknownst to Ron, his actions had inadvertently sparked an impending confrontation between Team Aqua and the League, leading to what would soon become a spectacular misunderstanding.
Right now, Ron had already arrived in Sootopolis City.
...
Meanwhile.
Deep in the forest, Bert, who was trying his luck in searching the Dark King by wandering aimlessly, suddenly noticed signs of a Pokémon attack in the area. He quickly begun his investigation—only to stumble upon a fainted Gourgeist.
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