"Haunter, have a little fun with that Bulbasaur."
Jack glanced at the opponent's data through his system interface, a calm grin playing on his lips. This was no longer a threat—it was an opportunity.
From his shadow, Honedge and Duskull emerged silently, eager to spectate. As ghost-type Pokémon, the cover of night made them more active than ever.
Bulbasaur, burning with grief and rage, charged. First came Leaf Blade, spinning with deadly precision, its trajectory hidden in the darkness. Then a Seed Bomb launched, covering Haunter's vicinity in a barrage.
Jack narrowed his eyes. "Haunter, use Spite—then flood the field with Haze."
While Spite didn't reduce PP like in the games, it still interfered with move execution, disrupting Bulbasaur's flow. The Haze rolled in next, thick and suffocating, obscuring Haunter's figure entirely.
Already struggling with visibility in the wild at night, Bulbasaur now lost sight of its target completely.
Haunter slipped through the mist, dodging the Leaf Blade easily. Then—Boom!—the Seed Bomb exploded behind him.
From within the fog, Bulbasaur charged a Magical Leaf, waiting for the flash of explosion light to pinpoint Haunter's position.
"Haunter, Screech."
A piercing cry ripped through the haze.
Startled, Bulbasaur flinched. The energy gathered for Magical Leaf dispersed. Jack gave no time to recover.
"Shadow Ball, now! Then spread the Haze again!"
The ball of spectral energy shot from Haunter's hands and slammed directly into Bulbasaur's chest. A cry of pain echoed, but Haunter was already gone again—his form hidden in the encroaching fog.
Choking slightly, Bulbasaur tried to retreat from the cloud, but it was too late. The rhythm of the battle now belonged entirely to Haunter.
To Bulbasaur, the night and fog were a blinding labyrinth. But to Haunter—who could sense life energy like a beacon—it was perfect clarity.
"Keep the Haze going, Haunter. Flood the area—cut off every escape route."
The fog thickened. Bulbasaur's movement options narrowed.
If it had gone for Jack directly, it might've forced him to respond—and Haunter could have used Taunt to regain control. But Bulbasaur had been raised by League trainers. Its instincts told it to fight Pokémon, not people.
Now that mistake would cost it the battle.
Panicked, Bulbasaur launched a wild flurry of attacks in all directions, trying to force Haunter out. It only drained its stamina faster.
Soon, the fog swallowed it whole. Poison seeped through its wounds.
Haunter floated silently above, eyes glowing. Jack gave the next order.
"Hypnosis, nice and slow."
The toxins already muddled Bulbasaur's mind. As drowsiness set in, the Hypnosis only accelerated the breakdown of its fighting spirit.
"Haunter, finish it. Payback!"
Jack's command cut through the haze like a blade.
Bulbasaur jolted—momentarily roused by the voice—but couldn't stop the attack.
A surge of spectral energy struck it like a freight train. The combo of poisoning and the doubled damage from the move overwhelmed it.
It collapsed, completely unconscious.
Jack wasted no time. He recalled it into a Poké Ball to stabilize it. Then he turned to Haunter—
Only to pause.
Haunter's aura shifted.
Jack's eyes lit up. "He's breaking through...!"
Having reached Level 29, Haunter had finally triggered the threshold to Elite level.
Unlike evolution, the breakthrough was fast and silent. Within moments, Haunter's power spiked dramatically.
With the breakthrough complete, the system updated.
Elite-Level Privileges Unlocked!
Jack could now exchange for bombs capable of injuring or incapacitating elite-level Pokémon.
The range of invisible surveillance monitors expanded to 500 meters.
Robots became more realistic, now able to mimic human behavior flawlessly—though they still couldn't fight well.
A wider variety of ghost-type food, energy blocks, and medicine was now available.
Still, Jack didn't waste points on basic supplies—those could be bought with Alliance Coins. Instead, he hoarded his mercenary points for tools that saved lives.
The cost had risen.
Bombs: 15,000 points each
Monitors: 1,000 points each
Robots: 2,000 points each
Since Jack had only earned 5,000 points from his latest mission, he spent them on:
10 elite-level bombs
5 elite-level monitors
1 elite-level robot
All of his previous gear was now obsolete.
But the biggest gain?
Haunter had learned a new skill: Night Shade.
Though it only had a base power of 30 for now—matching Haunter's level—it had immense potential.
According to the system's battle data, Night Shade wasn't just an attack. Ghost-types could refine it into a tactical skill: for disorientation, illusions, even immobilization.
And Jack intended to do exactly that.