In Obsidian City, inside an inn.
After capturing Litwick, Ethan brought all of his Pokémon into the city to rest and recover.
"What a problem... how should Litwick's food issue be resolved?"
Inside the room, Ethan watched Litwick happily playing with its companions while frowning in concern.
The League maintains extremely strict control over Ghost-type Pokémon.
Raising a Ghost-type Pokémon is by no means an easy task.
After successfully capturing a Ghost-type Pokémon, the first thing that must be done is to go to the Pokémon Trainers' Guild to register it. Only after obtaining the Ghost-type Pokémon breeding certificate issued by the Pokémon Trainers' Guild is the training considered legal.
In addition to that, the feeding problem of Ghost-type Pokémon is also a major difficulty that must be solved.
In the wild, Ghost-type Pokémon naturally feed on life force and souls, but in the hands of a trainer, this is an absolute taboo.
If the League were to discover that a Ghost-type Pokémon under a trainer's control was absorbing life force and souls, then even the trainer himself would have to face extremely severe consequences. This was no joke!
"How could food be prepared that is most suitable for Litwick?"
Ethan thought with some worry. Naturally, what concerned him was not simply whether Litwick had something to eat.
If it were only a matter of filling its stomach, it could be solved just by spending money. What he truly needed to do now was to find the most suitable food for Litwick.
Litwick is able to absorb life energy and burn it, forming the flame on its head. Therefore, the most suitable food for Litwick is still life energy; only in this way can its development reach an optimal state.
"Although other types of food aren't completely unusable, for the sake of Litwick's growth, the best food is still life energy."
"It seems that for now I can only give it some common Ghost-type Pokémon food. As for life energy, I'll have to think of another solution."
"After all, life energy itself is an extremely high-level form of energy within nature. Besides existing within living beings, there should be methods to condense it through certain procedures."
"For example, those healing moves are a way of using life energy. Maybe I can start researching from that angle."
Ethan pondered for a while, but did not obtain any clear clues. It seemed he would have to wait until he returned to the main headquarters of the Pokémon Researchers' Guild to consult the relevant documentation.
...
After a short rest, Ethan headed to the Pokémon Trainers' Guild.
This time, he had come naturally to register Litwick's information and, at the same time, apply for the Obsidian City Gym evaluation.
"Litwick, a Ghost-type Pokémon?"
Upon seeing the Pokémon Ethan released, the staff member showed surprise.
Although Ghost-type Pokémon have great potential and training value, aside from trainers from ancient cities, very few people usually use them.
Moreover, the Litwick line is famous for being an extremely malevolent group of Pokémon, so even fewer trainers capture them as their own Pokémon.
"The Pokémon I wish to register is Litwick. I'd appreciate it if you could handle it," Ethan said, nodding to the surprised employee.
Then Litwick could be seen obediently floating over to position itself beside Ethan.
"Y... yes, of course."
The worker took a deep breath and led Litwick to the back room.
Next, the Pokémon Trainers' Guild needed to conduct danger assessments on Litwick, which included its ability to restrain life energy, its control over its own Ghost-type energy, as well as psychological evaluations and other procedures. Finally, the evaluators would score Litwick to obtain the final result.
"Congratulations, your Litwick's information has been successfully registered. In addition, your gym evaluation has also been approved. You may begin immediately."
The Pokémon Trainers' Guild employee returned Litwick's Poké Ball to Ethan and then explained in detail the situation regarding the gym trial.
"Thank you very much. I can take the gym evaluation right now."
Ethan smiled faintly and, guided by the staff, headed toward the Obsidian City Gym.
"The representative attribute of the Obsidian City Gym is Bug-type, huh?"
"Then I'll leave this battle to you. It'll be perfect as your debut match!"
Ethan looked at the Poké Ball in his hand and smiled slightly, having already made a decision in his heart.
Following the worker, he slowly entered a forested area.
The Obsidian City Gym, which specialized in Bug-type Pokémon, was located within this forest, which was quite appropriate.
At the same time, within this forested area, Ethan could occasionally see the figures of Bug-type Pokémon, which were most likely Pokémon raised freely by the gym itself.
"Hello, I'm Caleb Turner, the Gym Leader of Obsidian City."
Upon arriving at the battlefield, the gym leader, Caleb, was already waiting there.
"Hello, I'm Ethan Black, the gym challenger."
Ethan smiled lightly and took his place on the opposite side of the battlefield.
"Now, the Obsidian City Gym evaluation officially begins...!"
After setting up the equipment, the staff also moved to the referee's position.
That day, the gym's usual referee had other matters to attend to, so the Pokémon Trainers' Guild worker acted as a temporary referee.
"As the gym leader, my first Pokémon will be this one."
Caleb smiled faintly and threw his Poké Ball. A sturdily built Scyther appeared on the field.
"Scyther, huh?"
Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly as he recalled that the Miller family still seemed to owe him a Scyther.
"Then, get ready to come out, Litwick!"
Ethan took a deep breath, and the Poké Ball in his hand emitted a white light.
Accompanied by purple flames igniting in the air, Litwick's figure appeared, floating in the sky.
"Litwick?"
Seeing this Pokémon floating in the air, Caleb's expression inevitably became solemn.
Compared to an ordinary Litwick, this one's presence was far too powerful, and those ghostly purple flames covering its head like a hat further demonstrated how extraordinary it was.
"The first move is mine!"
"Litwick, use Haze!"
Ethan smiled slightly and gave the order.
Fuuu—!
A gloomy wind rose up, and a dense fog suddenly covered the entire battlefield.
At the same moment the fog appeared, five purple flames could suddenly be seen bursting out around Scyther's body.
Immediately afterward, the flames of those five will-o'-the-wisps suddenly intensified and violently shot toward the Scyther at the center.
Boom!
In an instant, the flames soared into the sky.
With the powerful fire directly burning away the fog that covered the field, Scyther could be seen, completely blackened, falling to the ground and losing its ability to battle.
"S... Scyther has lost the ability to battle. Litwick wins."
The Pokémon Trainers' Guild worker acting as referee opened his mouth in astonishment at the scene before him.
The gym leader Caleb's Scyther had been defeated in a single instant!
What exactly had happened inside that fog?
(End of chapter)