Haunter, who had been brimming with power just moments ago, suddenly let out a shrill cry. His eyes turned crimson, and his ghostly aura flared violently.
The once-playful ghost now looked like a raging monster.
He flailed his massive claws, launching Dark Pulses into the sky and hurling Venoshock toward the sea.
Several nearby Pokémon didn't even have time to flee before being struck down.
"Haunter! What's wrong with you?!" Raj shouted in alarm.
"You're not even close to evolving yet—why are you going berserk? Is it because you've absorbed too much energy?"
But Haunter didn't respond. His eerie grin twisted into something sinister.
Slowly, he turned toward Raj—and suddenly launched a massive Venoshock straight at him.
"Haunter, stop!"
Raj barely had time to react before Shiny Slime darted forward, shielding him from the blast.
The purple acid splashed across the ground, hissing as it burned through the sand.
Raj's expression darkened. He's lost control... completely.
If Haunter continued like this, his energy outburst could easily draw attention from others—and that would be a disaster.
"Alright," Raj said quickly, "Beedrill! Create a shadow clone and use Pin Missile! Muddy, use Mud Bomb! Cut off his escape routes!"
The two Pokémon responded instantly.
Beedrill split into multiple copies, launching a barrage of missiles from above, while Shiny Slime spat heavy blobs of mud that struck Haunter head-on.
Haunter countered furiously, unleashing Dark Pulse and Shadow Clones of his own.
His raw power overwhelmed the battlefield—even fighting one against two, he wasn't at a disadvantage.
Then, within a haze of smoke, Haunter's eyes flashed. He conjured a glowing green sphere and hurled it forward—his newly learned Energy Ball.
The blast struck Beedrill and Slime directly, throwing them backward.
Thankfully, because the attack was Grass-type, it didn't cause serious harm. Raj exhaled in relief.
If he'd known Psychic or Fire-type moves, I'd be dead right now.
Still, there was no way to win like this. Raj was running out of options—until his hand brushed against a Poké Ball on his belt.
"The Tentacool!" he exclaimed. "How could I forget about you?"
He tossed the ball, and the Jellyfish Pokémon emerged in a burst of light.
"Tentacool! Use Barrier—trap Haunter inside!"
Blue light walls materialized around Haunter, boxing him in.
"Now! Tentacool, Bubble Beam! Beedrill, Pin Missile! Muddy, Mud Bomb! Let's finish this!"
Haunter thrashed wildly, firing shadowy blasts, but under the combined assault, he was finally overwhelmed.
The attacks exploded in a flash of water, mud, and smoke—when it cleared, Haunter lay unconscious on the sand.
Raj quickly recalled him into the Poké Ball, his heart pounding.
"System! What the hell just happened?" he demanded furiously. "Why did Haunter lose control after leveling up so fast?"
[Host, because of your unique ability, your Pokémon possess traits unlike those in this world. They can grow stronger by devouring others.
However, this method violates the natural balance—it's like injecting them with artificial growth hormones. The side effect is instability.
When their strength increases too quickly, they resist your control and crave freedom.]
Raj clenched his fists. "You couldn't have mentioned that earlier?! If it weren't for Tentacool, Haunter could've killed me! Is there a way to fix this?"
[There are two options.]
[Option one: use an intimacy-boosting item from the shop. It restores your bond with Haunter, but you must limit his growth rate afterward.]
[Option two: use a control device called the Amethyst Scepter. It allows you to forcibly dominate Haunter. However, as his strength grows, the scepter must be upgraded regularly. This method erases emotional bonds. It's efficient... but cruel.]
The system's tone faltered slightly, almost as if it regretted something.
Raj frowned. "You said him. Who are you talking about?"
[Please choose, host.]
The voice returned to its usual cold monotone.
Raj sighed. "Forget it. If you won't tell me, fine."
He hesitated. The second method sounded powerful—but dangerous. Forcing control could easily backfire one day. Even a villain needed loyalty, not blind submission.
He suddenly remembered his father's words when he was a child:
"Raj, remember this. When you have Pokémon of your own, treat them with care. Don't repeat my mistakes. Learn restraint—I know you can."
Raj's jaw tightened. "System, I choose the first one."
[Ding! Purchase confirmed: Intimacy DuoDuo. 20,000 points deducted.]
A warm light surrounded Haunter's Poké Ball. Moments later, the ghost appeared before Raj, his eyes calm again.
He floated around Raj playfully, licking his cheek with his long tongue.
Raj laughed, scratching Haunter's head. "Welcome back, buddy."
[You're just like him...] the system muttered softly, almost inaudible. Then it fell silent.
Raj didn't catch it. He simply smiled as Haunter floated happily beside him. For the first time in a long while, he felt a flicker of something real—connection, warmth.
In his previous life, his parents had used him like a pawn. But here, among his Pokémon, he finally felt something close to family.
"Haunter," Raj said softly, "you agree with me, right? You don't want to be controlled—you just want to grow freely, with me."
"Gengar~ Haun~" Haunter grinned, eyes squinting happily in response.
"Good," Raj said, smiling. "Let's get some rest. Tomorrow, we'll visit that giant Pokémon island."
With Haunter floating beside him, Raj returned to his spaceship under the starlit sky.