"I didn't think my luck would be this good."
"You've probably used up all those fancy bombs of yours!"
"Now hand over your spoils and that Duskull, and maybe I'll let you live."
Just as Jack finished looting the battlefield, an unwelcome voice sounded from behind him.
The speaker—Ochi—pulled off his black robe, revealing himself and releasing his Pokémon.
From the tone of voice, Jack immediately recognized him as the one who had been bidding against him for Duskull at the auction earlier.
Ochi's confidence came from his level 39 Persian.
Compared to Jack's Gastly, that was a ten-level gap—basically a whole tier of difference. Especially considering Persian's natural advantage in speed, it could close the distance in an instant and deliver a deadly strike.
But the reason Ochi hadn't attacked outright was because he was still wary—wary of Jack's hidden bombs and the unpredictable nature of ghost-type Pokémon.
Unfortunately for him, Jack had already anticipated his arrival.
"Persian, Power Gem!"
Sensing something was off when Jack didn't respond, Ochi panicked and shouted a command.
But just as Persian began charging the move, flames erupted beneath their feet.
Two bombs exploded simultaneously—Ochi was instantly reduced to ashes.
Persian, though tougher, was severely injured. Its sleek body was scorched, and it was barely holding on, likely operating at a fraction of its full strength.
"Haunter, come out and play."
Seizing the opportunity, Jack summoned Haunter from his shadow.
Haunter shot forward like a bullet, intercepting the weakened Persian.
But despite the damage, Persian wasn't backing down. Rage burning in its eyes, it launched itself at Jack, determined to avenge its fallen trainer—even if it cost its life.
Unfortunately, it underestimated just how badly it was injured.
"Haunter, use Taunt to draw its attention, then cast Smog to control the field!"
Jack's voice rang out sharp and commanding.
The taunt hit perfectly, and Persian's attention instantly shifted toward Haunter. As it lunged, Haunter released a thick, toxic fog that engulfed the battlefield.
Caught off guard, Persian was swallowed by the noxious cloud.
"Float up and wait, Haunter! Use Confuse Ray the moment it breaks through!"
Haunter levitated above the fog, eyes gleaming, waiting for the moment.
Two seconds later, Persian burst out of the mist with a furious cry—only to be blinded by Haunter's sudden burst of disorienting light.
Normally, Persian would have dodged or countered. But with its reflexes dulled and body burned, it took the hit head-on.
Still, it was tough. Shaking off the confusion with brute willpower, it hurled a Power Gem straight at Haunter.
"Take it, then respond with Payback!"
The gem struck true, though its power was reduced. But that only fueled Haunter's retaliation. Payback landed with twice the force, slamming Persian hard into the ground.
"Follow up! Shadow Punch, then hit it with more Smog—try to poison it!"
The invisible fist landed, knocking Persian even further back. Haunter then released a second wave of toxic fog, merging it with the first, expanding the battlefield.
Even though Persian tried to retreat, the poisonous gas seeped into its open wounds. By the time it emerged again, it was visibly poisoned.
Wounded, confused, and now poisoned, Persian still charged forward, firing another desperate Power Gem.
But this time, Jack wasn't repeating tactics.
"Dodge and close the distance!"
Haunter soared out of the way and zipped toward Persian.
Seeing this, Persian didn't attack immediately—it began charging another Power Gem, preparing one final counterstrike.
Now it was a question of timing.
"Now! Hypnosis!"
At Jack's command, Haunter's eyes flashed. Persian staggered, its body swaying, heavy with drowsiness.
"Finish it—Hex!"
Jack's roar echoed across the battlefield.
Haunter launched the cursed energy straight into Persian's chest. With the poisoning amplifying the move's power, the blow hit like a truck.
Persian was blasted into the air.
"End it! Hex again!"
Before Persian even hit the ground, another Hex caught it mid-air. The second blast dropped it like a stone—unconscious before it even landed.
Jack rushed forward, grabbed Persian's Poké Ball, and recalled it to prevent the poison from worsening its injuries.
He wasn't about to let a nearly elite-tier Pokémon go to waste. It would fetch a good price, after all.
More importantly, Ochi's storage items and resources—worth an estimated 28 million Alliance Coins—were now Jack's.
Without letting success get to his head, Jack quickly destroyed the evidence of the battle and left with Haunter.
He ran until nightfall and finally found an abandoned cave to rest in.
Lighting a campfire inside, Jack didn't rush to count his spoils.
Instead, he released Duskull.
It was time to get acquainted with his newest partner.