Pokémon: I have no choice but to do this old thing?

The Ieen City Dojo is located in a rather old Gothic building on the east side of the city, with pointed arched windows and dark vines climbing the exterior walls, casting dappled shadows in the afternoon sun.

Upon entering, the light suddenly dimmed, and a faint fragrance filled the air.

The interior space was much more spacious than it appeared from the outside. Under the high dome was a standard battlefield, surrounded by spectator stands, which were currently empty.

"Welcome to the Family Dojo, a dance floor where emotions and bonds intertwine~"

A languid female voice with a unique rhythm came from the other end of the venue.

Zhang Jianying looked over and saw a woman in a gorgeous purple strapless dress slowly walking down the steps.

She had long, deep purple hair, styled into a slightly elaborate bun, revealing her smooth forehead and slender neck.

Her makeup was exquisite, with purple eyeshadow adding a touch of mystery. She had a beautiful figure, and her long dress accentuated her graceful curves.

She toyed with a small black folding fan in her hand, swaying gracefully with each step, and looked at Zhang Jianying.

"Nice to meet you, handsome young trainer. I am Melissa, the gym leader of the Jiayuan Gym."

Her voice had a distinctive accent, as if it had a British accent.

"Ready to dance with my ghostly companions?"

"Trainer Zhang Jianying has come to challenge the gym."

Zhang Jianying composed himself and responded earnestly.

"That's too old-fashioned~ Well then, the rules are simple: three against three, and challengers can switch Pokémon at any time."

Melissa swiftly opened her folding fan, lightly covering her red lips, a sly glint in her eyes. "Let me see what surprising dance moves you can get my ghosts to perform~"

She gracefully tossed her first Poké Ball: "Let's start with a graceful dancer! Dartball!"

A flash of white light appeared, and a purple ghost Pokémon, resembling a giant hot air balloon, floated above the field, with four ribbons hanging below it.

Zhang Jianying opened up a data-driven perspective.

【Wind-following ball】

[Attributes: Ghost + Flying]

【Characteristic: Detonation】

[Skills: Tailwind, Destiny Bond, Will-o'-the-Wisp, Shadow Ball, Share Pain, Protect...]

Is it a defensive/support-oriented skill configuration?

Zhang Jianying understood immediately; it seemed to be a Pokémon serving the team.

"First match, Greatsword Demon, please!"

Zhang Jianying dispatched a composed ancient warrior.

The Greatsword Demon made a silent entrance, drawing his foot blade from his forearm, his cold gaze locking onto the Wind Ball in the air.

Its unique shape in the Xicui area surprised Melissa.

"Oh my? This is quite a... intriguing shape."

Melissa tapped her chin lightly with her folding fan, curiously examining the Greatsword Demon. "A face I've never seen before. Handsome young man, are all your companions so special?"

"Just different branches of evolution."

Zhang Jianying gave a brief explanation, then immediately ordered, "Greatsword Demon, strike first! [Secret Sword - Thousand Waves]!"

The Greatsword Demon roared, crossed his twin blades in front of him, and swung them forward with a fierce blow!

It was not a simple and direct slash as usual, but a sword aura containing dark energy, like layers of waves, sweeping towards the wind ball in the air with an astonishing coverage!

"A good starting move! Windball, [Will-o'-the-Wisp]!"

Melissa reacted extremely quickly.

Several clusters of dark blue flames quickly condensed in front of the Wind Ball and landed on the Greatsword Demon first.

Dense waves of sword energy bombarded the round body of the Wind Ball, producing a dense sound like raindrops hitting banana leaves.

Sui Fengqiu squinted painfully, relying on the reduced attack power of the Greatsword Demon after being burned, he managed to withstand the wave of sword energy and did not fall.

Melissa had just breathed a sigh of relief and hadn't even had time to give any orders when she discovered that the Greatsword Demon's attack had ended and shattered into sharp spikes that had embedded themselves into the battlefield platform.

What is this? Can a Greatsword Demon learn the Artillery Scattering Technique?

No, that's a special effect for a move!

Melissa truly lives up to her reputation as a gym leader who learned Ash's Counter Shield technique after only watching it once.

Even with skills I've never seen before, I can guess them pretty accurately.

"Tsk, I got tricked."

Melissa raised an eyebrow, but remained calm. "Tailball, show your resilience! [Tailwind]!"

As the ball swayed its slightly dizzy head, a gentle and swift airflow suddenly swirled around it, quickly spreading and enveloping Melissa's half of the court.

With the tailwind now in place, the speed of the Pokémon she brings out will be significantly boosted for the foreseeable future!

After completing the tailwind stunt, a faint breeze swirled around him, and his speed was noticeably faster than the Greatsword Demon on the ground.

But it did not attack immediately. Instead, it began to move in the air in an erratic trajectory, sometimes lowering its altitude and sometimes hovering above the Greatsword Demon's head, with a hint of enticement.

"Should I lure the Greatsword Oni into close combat to trigger its [Detonate] trait and reduce its health, or find an opportunity to trade one for one with [Destiny Bond]?"

Little did they know that Zhang Jianying's data vision had already seen through the skill pool of the Wind Ball.

"Greatsword Demon, ignore it, use [Taunt]!"

Upon hearing this, the Greatsword Demon's crimson eyes flashed with disdain.

It planted its foot blades into the ground. It looked up, locked onto the drifting ball of wind in the air, let out a low, mocking roar, and beckoned with its finger.

Greatsword Demon: Come here!

Wind-following ball: (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

Just as it was about to use its transformation skill, the Windball was struck by this malicious and provocative energy, causing it to feel a surge of irritation.

The smile on its face vanished instantly, replaced by anger, and it was unable to use any transformation skills for a short period of time!

The plan to "share the same fate" has completely failed.

"Oh dear, you've seen right through me~ This handsome young man has a sharp eye."

Melissa lightly clapped her hands with her folding fan, her tone still relaxed, but her eyes held a hint of seriousness. "Since the dance steps have been disrupted, let's change the rhythm! A 'misfortunes never come singly'!"

The Wind Ball, now in a provocative state, roared and gathered dense ghostly energy, transforming into several shadowy figures entangled with an aura of misfortune as it attacked the Greatsword Demon.

"Sweep away the wave of evil!"

The Greatsword Demon crossed his two foot blades, and a subtle aura began to emanate from his body, blocking the approaching shadow of "Misfortune Never Comes Alone".

At the same time, it seized the gap in the opponent's attack and shot out a precise [Water Pulse]. The wind ball, which was even more agile with the acceleration of the tailwind, ultimately failed to completely dodge this attack that predicted the movement. It was grazed by the water wave and let out a painful cry.

"It's time to end this."

Zhang Jianying's eyes sharpened. "Greatsword Demon, deliver the final blow! [Freezing Beam]!"

The Greatsword Demon sprang into action. Although its speed was not as fast as the Wind Ball with the support of the wind, it still successfully predicted the opponent's dodge trajectory. Brilliant ice light condensed on its twin blades and shot out swiftly!

puff!

The ice beam accurately struck the wind-borne orb attempting to change direction in mid-air! The effect was outstanding!

With a scream, Sui Fengqiu plummeted from the sky, losing its ability to fight.

"Following the wind, you've worked hard, come back now."

Melissa retracted her Wind Puff, her smile unchanged. "That was a sharp and efficient attack. Well then, for Act Two, it's time for an even closer dance partner to appear! Go, my Gengar!"

Another white light appeared, and a Gengar of normal size with a cunning glint in its eyes appeared on the field. It floated, rubbing its paws together and grinning mischievously.

The fat Gengar had been impatiently waiting inside the Poké Ball. Before Zhang Jianying could even call out, it popped out with a "crunch," its massive body landing with a "thud," instantly attracting everyone's attention.

Melissa's Gengar: "???"

It looked up at the creature in front of it, which was much taller and wider than itself. The wicked smile on its face froze. It subconsciously rubbed its eyes, wondering if it was under an illusion spell.

The fat Gengar lowered its head, looking at the thin, seemingly "malnourished" fellow creature at its feet, and a superior smile appeared on its face. It even stretched out its short paws to show the height of the two creatures' heads.

Melissa was also taken aback for a moment, then covered her mouth with her folding fan and chuckled, "Oh my, this Gengar is really full of energy."

Zhang Jianying ignored the two Gengar's "deep gaze" and his data vision had already swept over Melissa's Gengar.

Gengar

[Attributes: Ghost + Poison]

【Characteristic: Cursed Body】

[Skills: Shadow Claw, Lightning Fist, Freezing Fist, Flame Fist, Drain Fist, Poison Strike, Spirit Ambush...]

???

Zhang Jianying stared at the long list of physical attack skills, a few question marks popping up above his head.

What kind of novel tactic is this? A physical attack Gengar?

Recalling the previous Windball, which specialized in defense and support, Zhang Jianying subconsciously thought that Melissa was up to some tactic again and immediately became vigilant.

"Gengar, don't be careless, be careful!" Zhang Jianying warned.

Upon hearing this, the fat Gengar scratched its head in confusion.

In its perception, the energy fluctuations of the small figure opposite it were not weak, but compared to its size, they were simply insignificant.

However, since the trainer said to be careful, then I'll be careful.

Melissa's Gengar also came to its senses at this moment, feeling the undisguised massive aura and energy pressure of the fat Gengar, and a bead of cold sweat couldn't help but trickle down its forehead.

"Jeh..."

What did this guy eat to grow up like this?!

But it was, after all, the main force of the gym leader, and quickly adjusted its mindset to follow Melissa's command.

"Gengar, use [Sneak Peek]!" Melissa commanded.

Melissa's Gengar flickered and disappeared as quickly as it did in the water, disappearing into the crevices of the spirit world.

"Genga?"

Fat Gengar looked around, sensing the subtle fluctuations in the surrounding space, and a mischievous smile appeared on its face.

Trying to outsmart it with stealth?

Zhang Jianying was equally confident in Fat Gengar's stealth abilities and spatial awareness.

"Gengar, lock onto its presence and condense a Shadow Ball!"

"Genga!"

The fat Gengar, upon receiving the order, let out an excited cry.

Instead of actively searching, it simply stood still, its two short claws facing each other, and dense ghost-type energy began to gather and compress wildly!

At first, it was just a fist-sized, purplish-black energy ball, but the fat Gengar seemed to feel it wasn't powerful enough and continued to charge it.

The energy sphere expanded at a visible speed, its color becoming increasingly deep, with black lightning seemingly darting within it, emitting a chilling energy fluctuation.

In the blink of an eye, a giant, slowly rotating Shadow Ball, more than half a meter in diameter, was easily shaped by the fat Gengar and held above its head.

Zhang Jianying's lips twitched as he watched the energy ball's design gradually shift from "Shadow Ball" to "Spirit Bomb."

Eating a lot really does mean you can do whatever you want.

In the center of the arena, the fat Gengar's crimson eyes suddenly lit up, locking onto a spatial node to its right front!

"Throw it now!"

Zhang Jianying shouted almost simultaneously.

The fat Gengar stretched its arrogant smile to its widest point and gave a powerful push with its short arms!

The enormous shadow sphere, accompanied by a deep whistling sound, traced a purplish-black trajectory and crashed precisely into that space!

The next second, Melissa's Gengar poked half its body out from that spot, ready to launch an attack.

What came into view was that enormous sphere filled with destructive energy!

Gengar: "!!!"

Its expression instantly changed from cunning to terror.

boom--

An explosion rang out, and a purplish-black energy storm swept across half the area! Smoke billowed everywhere.

As the smoke dissipated slightly, Melissa's Gengar, its eyes darting around, collapsed to the ground, its body still shrouded in lingering ghostly energy, clearly incapacitated.

Fat Gengar dusted off non-existent dust, puffed out its chest smugly, and gave Zhang Jianying a "V" sign.

Zhang Jianying: "..."

His expression was complicated. What kind of novel approach was this physical attack Gengar using? It looked like he was being brute-forced into submission.

He put aside his thoughts. It seemed that Melissa's Gengar was probably just a fan of physical attack builds.

"Thank you for your hard work, Gengar."

Melissa smiled helplessly and withdrew the unconscious Gengar.

Her gaze towards the chubby Gengar was filled with surprise. "Then, my last dance partner, and my closest collaborator, please make your appearance! Mismagius!"

The last Poké Ball opened, and a Mismagius wearing a magic hat, resembling a witch, floated out gracefully. The red beads around its neck shimmered faintly, and its eyes were mysterious and serene.

"Genga?"

When the fat Gengar saw Misdreavus, its arrogant and smug expression suddenly froze, and the upward curve of its mouth slowly drooped down.

It remembered when it was still a Gastly, wanting to play with Miss Misdreavus, but was ruthlessly rejected...

Forget the past.

The fat Gengar looked at the equally outstanding Mismagius in front of it. Although it knew it was not the same one, the memory of being rejected by Miss Mismagius flooded its mind, making it suddenly feel a little depressed.

Through the waveguide, Zhang Jianying vaguely sensed the complex and indescribable emotional fluctuations of his fat Gengar, and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Gui Gui, it's the last match, so feel free to play however you want."

Zhang Jianying simply relinquished control, letting it vent its emotions on its own.

"Genga!"

Upon hearing this, the fat Gengar perked up. Although its feelings were somewhat complicated, its fighting instincts remained. It temporarily put aside its past and focused its attention on the Misdreavus before it.

"Dream Demon [Power Gem]!"

Melissa launched the first attack.

The Mismagius was surrounded by flowing light, and countless dazzling stone projectiles shot towards the fat Gengar.

Not to be outdone, the chubby Gengar waved its short arms repeatedly, firing out a barrage of normally sized Shadow Balls that collided with the incoming Power Gem in mid-air, exploding into bursts of energy fireworks.

"Misfortunes never come singly!"

The dream demon's figure flickered, unleashing a ghostly impact imbued with misfortune.

Gengar spat out a large swarm of purplish-black "Sludge Bombs," which not only blocked the double whammy but also forced Mismagius to dodge due to the splashing venom.

"[Strong mental focus]!"

Melissa commanded the Misdreavus to continue, its eyes blazing with blue light as it attempted to control the fat Gengar with its powerful psychic abilities.

Gengar grinned mischievously, "I know you well."

It followed the example of the Greatsword Demon's [Evil Wave] technique, mimicking the ripples filled with obscure energy, and directly dispelled the Dream Demon's [Psychic].

The two sides exchanged blows, their skills clashing in a spectacular display. The light of Ghost and Psychic types intertwined, and poison and shadow splattered, making the gym's dark environment appear bizarre and surreal.

Mismagius's skills are fluid and versatile, often able to counter Gengar's moves with minimal cost, showcasing its skill and depth as Melissa's ace.

Gengar, on the other hand, fully demonstrated what it means to be "powerful and devastating." With its absurd energy reserves, it threw out moves like they were free, and each one was quite powerful. It managed to withstand Mismagius's exquisite offensive with its "firepower coverage."

Gradually, the Dream Demon's breathing became rapid, and the light around it dimmed. The continuous release of high-intensity skills had taken a toll on it.

On the other hand, Gengar remained energetic, its speed in making "Rice Balls" didn't slow down, and it even seemed to get more and more excited as the battle progressed.

Melissa watched this unfold and sighed inwardly.

This fat Gengar's stamina and energy are simply monstrous.

Finally, when Mismagius managed to erect another Protect barrier, it was shattered head-on by a massive Shadow Ball from a fat Gengar. Mismagius let out a soft cry and fell helplessly to the ground.

"The Dream Demon has lost its ability to fight! Therefore, the victor is the challenger, Zhang Jianying!"

The referee announced it loudly.

"Gagagaga!!!"

The fat Gengar burst into arrogant laughter, excitedly spun around in the air several times, and finally floated down in front of Zhang Jianying. It frantically made a "V" sign with its short claws, its big red eyes full of smugness.

Zhang Jianying smiled and shook his head, then raised his arm and patted the chubby Gengar's big head hard.

"Well done! You all did a fantastic job!"

He also didn't forget to praise the Greatsword Demon who had remained calm and ready to fight.

Melissa withdrew the Dream Demon and walked over gracefully, her face still bearing an elegant smile, but with a hint of appreciation in her eyes.

"A truly spectacular battle, young man. Your command was calm and astute, and your companions were all unique, powerful, and deeply connected. Their performance was truly eye-opening."

She took out a badge with an antique design, resembling a fragment of an ancient stone slab, from her bosom and handed it over.

"This memorial badge is what you deserve."

Zhang Jianying solemnly accepted the badge: "Thank you, Miss Melissa."

"You're welcome."

Melissa blinked, then suddenly remembered something. "By the way, speaking of which, your Greatsword and this Gengar might attract a lot of attention if they participated in a 'Strong' category contest."

Melissa leaned closer to Gengar and Sagam, carefully examining the two Pokémon, and continued, "It's a pity that the registration for this Contest has closed, otherwise I really wanted to see your performance sooner."

Zhang Jianying's expression stiffened upon hearing this, and he looked at Gardevoir, who had been silently by his side.

Although Gardevoir's expression remained calm, Melissa did not miss the fleeting look of disappointment in her eyes.

Seeing this, Melissa smiled slightly and magically produced three beautifully printed tickets from behind her folding fan.

"Although you can't participate, here are a few VIP tickets as a small reward for defeating me. You can watch the match up close, experience the atmosphere of the Grand Contest, and gain some experience, which is great!"

Gardevoir's eyes lit up immediately, and she looked at Zhang Jianying expectantly.

Zhang Jianying gratefully accepted the tickets: "Thank you so much, Miss Melissa."

"I hope you enjoy your journey in Home City, whether it's the battles or the other performances."

Melissa gave a graceful bow. "I look forward to seeing you all again on the stage in the future. Goodbye, handsome young man~"

As we left the Ieyasu City Gym, the afterglow of the setting sun painted the sky a warm gold.

Zhang Jianying stroked the newly acquired Relic Badge, then looked at the Grand Contest ticket in his hand, and wisely recorded the registration date for the next Grand Contest in the encyclopedia.

"Let's go, little ones."

Zhang Jianying smiled and said to everyone, "Let's go back to the Pokémon Center and rest properly. Tomorrow we'll go check out what the Pokémon Contest stage is like!"

Gardevoir nodded gently, its eyes regaining their sparkle. The fat Gengar was still savoring the battle, occasionally letting out a wicked laugh. The Greatsword followed silently behind, its armor reflecting a warm glow in the setting sun.