Chapter 130: Battle in the Fog: Illusion vs. Control
Logan and Sabrina quickly discussed their targets. A one-on-one match seemed fair on the surface, but in reality, they weren't actually fighting Koga and Blue—their bodies were being controlled by Agatha, one of the Elite Four. That made this the perfect opportunity to test just how strong the Elite Four really were.
"Let's go, Gabite!"
Logan sprinted forward and leapt effortlessly onto Dragonair's head. With Dragonair now acting as a flying mount, he no longer needed to run around on the battlefield like he used to. He could now control the fight from above.
BOOM!
A heavy sound rang out as Blue's Charmeleon whipped its tail, launching a massive fireball. Gabite didn't even flinch—it crossed its Dragon Claws in front of its chest and charged straight into the blaze with a wicked grin.
KA-BOOM!!
The fireball struck Gabite with explosive force. Sparks flew, a searing shockwave burst outward—but when the smoke cleared, Gabite was standing tall, barely a smudge of ashs on its scales.
"Hmph. Dragon hide isn't something your petty flames can burn through!"
Logan guided Dragonair in a swift arc, flying to Blue's flank, scanning for a weak spot. As Gabite closed in, the Blue being controlled by Agatha suddenly hurled another Poké Ball. Out came a Scyther, also under Agatha's control!
Scyther dashed in a blur straight at Gabite. But just as it prepared to strike, it slammed headfirst into an invisible wall of air. The impact echoed like a deep thud, shaking the fourth floor of the Ghost Tower. No one had seen it, but Sabrina had summoned her Claydol, creating a psychic barrier just in time.
"Gabite, Dragon Claw!"
Gabite abruptly veered from Blue and spun toward Koga, slashing down on him with brutal force!
Earlier, Logan and Sabrina had pretended to assign targets for the fight—just to mislead Agatha, who was somehow observing the battle. In truth, they had already coordinated telepathically. Their real strategy? Take down Koga first. If hitting him hard could snap him out of Agatha's control, great. If not, even knocking him unconscious would be a win.
Gabite was too close for Koga to dodge. The Dragon Claws, glowing with savage energy, came down in a perfect arc.
SPLAT!
But instead of the sound of flesh, there was a disgusting squelch, like something hitting thick slime. Koga's shoulder pads suddenly transformed into eyes—and then an enormous Muk unraveled itself from his back, swelling until it engulfed Gabite completely!
"Dragonair, Flamethrower!"
Logan flinched for only a second, then acted instantly. Dragonair opened its mouth and unleashed a roaring stream of fire, the temperature spiking above 1,000°C, aimed directly at the Muk that had swallowed Gabite.
At that same moment, Blue's Charmeleon shot a fireblast at Dragonair. The two streams of fire clashed in the air, writhing and swirling in a hellish dance. But Dragonair was no Fire-type—it couldn't overpower Charmeleon's flames. After a moment, Charmeleon's fire absorbed Dragonair's heat, transforming into a blazing fire column that shot toward Logan.
KRA-KOOM!
In midair, Dragonair twisted its body with acrobatic grace and narrowly dodged. The fire struck the Ghost Tower's wall behind them and blew a hole straight through the stone. Wind and rain from the storm outside poured in—but with the air still superheated from the flames, no one felt the chill.
"Psyblade!"
Just then, Sabrina's Alakazam released a blade of psychic energy. It slashed through Muk with brutal precision, freeing Gabite. Psychic attacks were deadly against Poison-types like Muk. Sabrina prepared to follow up—but thick mist gathered atop the tower, and out of the fog emerged a Ghastly, giggling wickedly.
It spat out a fast-moving Shadow Ball.
Startled, Sabrina canceled her attack and had Claydol conjure another invisible wall. The Shadow Ball struck, exploding in a spray of ghostly energy. Even though the wall held, the force knocked Sabrina back two steps with a grunt.
They had almost forgotten—Koga and Blue weren't the only ones here. Agatha's Ghastly was lurking too, and unlike them, Agatha didn't need to be physically present to influence the battle.
Sabrina teleported with Alakazam to Dragonair's side, forming a defensive triangle with Logan. Meanwhile, Logan ordered Gabite to retreat. Sabrina's Psychic powers gave her an advantage over Koga's Poison- and Bug-types, so Logan had been holding the line while Sabrina attacked. That chance for a decisive blow had just been ruined—by Agatha's sneak attack.
Koga and Blue regrouped, standing side-by-side in a tight defensive formation. Logan frowned.
"They're not splitting up. Agatha must be struggling to control her Ghastly and both trainers at once. She's using a static formation to conserve mental energy."
He glanced toward Muk and muttered, "...But what the hell is that thing? It took a full Psyblade from your Alakazam and it's still moving? And Koga lets it crawl on him like that?!"
Logan watched in horror as the Muk's slimy, bisected body twisted and reformed—becoming Koga's cloak again.
He'd seen Muk in games and cartoons, but in real life, the smell was a different level of nightmare. Anyone who could wrap themselves in that stinking horror was either insane—or…
"…That's Koga's so-called 'Ninja Path,'" Sabrina said dryly. "He once fasted for 50 days with nothing but water. Hunger and filth don't faze him."
Logan was speechless.
This guy didn't train in stealth or speed. He trained in pure survival. His entire skillset was just one big troll build.
"If we wait them out, we might end up getting brainwashed too," Logan said. "This fog—Ghastly's creating it. They've built a perfect defense. But we'll never break it with brute force."
"And those two look half-starved already," he added. "If they move too much, they might collapse from exhaustion."
"Only your friend is at risk," Sabrina replied coldly. "Koga once trained in total fasting. This hunger is nothing for him."
Logan was stunned again.
Koga was literally unkillable by waiting.
"But we still need to end this," Logan muttered. "Sabrina—let's find out how Agatha is controlling this fight from afar."
Sabrina nodded.
They were silent for a few moments. Then, in perfect unison, they gave the command—
"Illusion Technique!"
"Twister!"
A horrifying cyclone exploded from the center of the tower. The entire Ghost Tower creaked and howled like tortured spirits. The support columns groaned, and cracks spiderwebbed across the walls. The thick, choking mist that had blanketed the fourth floor was finally blasted away by the combined might of Alakazam and Dragonair.
The true battle—was only just beginning.
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