Pokemon: The Gameboy Effect

John stepped onto the sixth floor of the Bell Tower, his boots echoing lightly on the worn stone tiles. The climb so far had been straightforward. The fifth floor yielded a treasure-level qi belt, and the fourth floor had gifted him a Soothe Bell. Neither level presented much of a challenge. But now, things felt... different.

The number of Pokemon tombstones had dwindled significantly, with only three or four scattered throughout the dimly lit space. The air was heavier, and an unsettling silence filled the room.

Then it appeared.

Hovering between two tombstones was a Haunter, larger than usual but not quite the size of a Totem Pokemon. Its eerie grin stretched wide, and a faint, blood-red glow surrounded the bracelets on its ghostly claws.

John's sharp eyes quickly caught the glowing text hovering above its head. LV60.

"A level 60 Haunter?" John muttered, his brows furrowing. "Not bad. Most Haunters would've evolved into Gengar by now."

The Haunter's eyes locked onto him, its gaze oozing malevolence. A faint black smoke curled from its body, and suddenly, John felt a chill run through him as a layer of black light enveloped him.

"Mean Look? Really?" John chuckled, shaking his head. "You don't want me to run away? That's bold. I'll give you that."

Greninja, Blaziken, and Gardevoir stepped forward, their expressions ready and focused.

The Haunter, unfazed, licked its lips—or whatever passed for lips on a ghost—and rushed at John with wild hunger in its eyes.

John smirked. "A Ghost-type Pokemon charging head-on? That's a first. Most Gengars I met on the last floor wouldn't even show themselves until I forced them to. But you? You're practically asking for it."

"Blaziken, Blaze Kick!" John commanded.

Blaziken darted forward, flames bursting to life around its powerful legs. The Haunter cackled madly as it lunged straight into the attack, only for Blaziken's flaming kick to connect squarely with its face.

With a loud crack, a shimmering protective barrier surrounded the Haunter shattered into pieces.

"Ah, Barrier. Not bad," John muttered, impressed. But his confidence never wavered. "Too bad it won't save you."

Blaziken followed up with a second Blaze Kick, the flames brighter and hotter this time. The Haunter, caught mid-recovery, was sent flying. Before it could react, Blaziken hit it with Force Palm.

Unfortunately, Fighting moves weren't effective against Ghost-types, but the sheer force of the attack still left the Haunter reeling.

"Finish it off!" John ordered.

Greninja flung a flurry of Water Shuriken at the Haunter while Gardevoir's Psychic energy lashed out, slamming the ghost against the far wall.

The Haunter staggered, looking worse for wear. But instead of fighting back or even retreating strategically, it began darting around the room in a frenzied panic.

John pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Really? This is the best you've got? I was expecting a tough fight here, not... this comedy routine."

Despite its erratic movements, the Haunter didn't stand a chance. Greninja, Blaziken, and Gardevoir overwhelmed it with relentless attacks until it finally collapsed onto the cold floor, unconscious.

[Defeated Haunter LV60. Blaziken gains 12,023 experience.]

The notification flashed in John's mind as a faint aura of Ghost energy condensed into a glowing object nearby.

[Obtained: Spell Tag.]

[The Ghostly aura on the sixth floor has diminished. You may now proceed to the seventh floor.]

John bent down to pick up the Spell Tag, holding it up to inspect its properties.

"Spell Tag," he read aloud. "Boosts Ghost-type moves by 40% and deals an additional 50% damage to other Ghost Pokemon. Well, that's nasty. Ghost-types could use this to wipe out their own kind."

He tucked the talisman away with a satisfied nod. "Another solid addition to the collection."

His gaze shifted to the unconscious Haunter sprawled out on the floor.

"Not the brightest Pokemon I've encountered, but you've got spirit." He smirked and pulled a Pokeball from his belt. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed it at the Haunter. The ball wobbled a few times before clicking shut with a satisfying beep.

"Gotcha."

Picking up the Pokeball, John inspected the Haunter's stats. What he saw made his eyes widen in surprise.

[Haunter (Ghost/Poison) Boss | Imprison | Ancient]

[Level: 60]

[Ability: Levitate (Immune to Ground-type moves. Avoids effects from hazards like Spikes, Sticky Web, etc.)]

[IVs: HP (31), Attack (31), Special Attack (31), Defense (31), Special Defense (31), Speed (31)]

[Moves: Shadow Punch, Hypnosis, Mean Look, Confuse Ray, Lick, Payback, Spite, Curse, Hex, Night Shade, Sucker Punch, Dark Pulse, Shadow Ball, Destiny Bond, Dream Eater, Will-O-Wisp, Sunny Day, Fire Punch, Ally Switch]

[Held Item: Gastly Barrier]

John whistled. "Perfect IVs? No wonder it managed to hold the sixth floor. You're not too bright, but you've got raw talent to spare."

He examined the Gastly Barrier next. The bracelet-like item was still wrapped around the Haunter's ghostly claws.

[Gastly Barrier: Automatically generates a shield when no damage is taken for one minute. Shield strength doubles, and evasion increases during foggy weather. (Exclusive to Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar.)]

John nodded appreciatively. "An exclusive item, huh? That explains the barrier that blocked Blaziken's first Blaze Kick. Pretty handy."

He tucked the Pokeball and item away, already imagining how the Haunter might perform under him.

"This guy could be a real asset after some proper training," John mused. "Even if it's a bit... well, slow."

Glancing around the now-desolate sixth floor, he adjusted his gear and headed for the staircase leading to the next level.

"Time to see what's waiting on the seventh floor," he muttered, a mix of excitement and anticipation bubbling within him.

And with that, he disappeared into the shadows of the staircase