Pokemon: Advanced Wishes Black or White

Chapter 45: Ghosts

"Gengar," Ash knew Victini was at a disadvantage.

"This is going to be tricky," May got spooked by their unsettling smiles.

"Victini, Flamethrower!" Ash pressed on.

"That won't work this time," Auro sighed.

"Genga!" the Gengar snickered and disappeared before Victini's Flamethrower could land a blow. The ghost Pokémon used invisibility against them. A frantic Victini looked for the Gengar. Suddenly, one of them appeared behind the Psychic-type Pokémon. The mischievous Gengar landed its Shadow Punch before Victini could turn around.

"Victini, no!" Ash and May panicked.

Victini winced as it looked to recover. The other Gengar took the opportunity to gang up on it. Shadow Punch knocked the wind out of the Victory Pokémon multiple times until Victini dropped on the grass.

May clenched her fists, "Victini, you can't lose!" Victini attempted to get up.

The group of Gengar readied another onslaught. "Gengaaaaar!" A mix of Shadow Ball, Shadow Punch, and Dark Pulse targeted the Legendary Pokémon without pulling any punches.

"Victini!" Ash held his hand out in desperation. When Victini looked up, it gasped at the volley of supereffective attacks. Victini got beaten back even more, with little hope for a comeback. Cilan and Iris watched with still faces. No one knew if Victini would get up after that.

Surprisingly, it did. "V..." Victini panted, still finding the fire to fight. There was a hint of blood hanging from the corner of its mouth. The Victory Pokémon knew it couldn't depend on the humans for its well-being forever, including the ones it'd come to see as family. It was a Legendary Pokémon, and it'd have to fight like one. Ash and May may not have known how to help it win, but Victini did. After watching them train and battle from the sidelines, Victini learned a thing or two alone. The Fire-type Pokémon charged up a teardrop-shaped flame.

"What's Victini doing?" May tried to read its thoughts.

"I don't know," Ash also couldn't figure it out.

Rosa tilted its head, "It knows charging up power for too long only makes it vulnerable."

"Especially against a quick Ghost-type like Gengar," Nate scratched his cheek.

Auro smirked, "I think it has something different in mind."

"Victini, no," Iris was concerned that it was exposed.

Cilan snapped his fingers, "No, it's good. Watch!" He surprised Iris with his claim.

Victini exerted more power as it charged up. Its flame grew taller, hotter, and brighter by the second. Only then did it become apparent to Ash and May what it was pulling. It reminded Ash of Infernape's technique in the Sinnoh League. Some of the Gengar backed away as the grass around them got burned. A few of the Gengar took their chance to crush Victini for good while it was open for attack. The phantoms lunged at it, disregarding the blaze around him. Victini saw its opportunity, "Tini!" It raised its arms. A fire erupted beneath the scorched earth, and the flames around Victini swallowed the Gengar. It trapped them in its blazing storm.

"Gen," the remaining Gengar backed away in fear. Victini glared at them. Victini spun around to create a Counter Shield that expanded the fire. Victini used its psychic powers to use the flames as arms that reached out for the Gengar. The Shadow Pokémon tried to flee, but the fires pulled them in. The shadows got vaporized in the fire. Not even the Lake Guardians, Auro, or Cilan expected the extent of Victini's power. The trainers were awestruck. When the Gengar got decimated, Victini's dome-like fire burst. All that remained were weak embers snuffed out by the wind. Victini panted, but it stayed on its feet.