Pokémon: Starting With An Overpowered Gameboy Advance

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On the sixth floor of the Bell Tower, Chris noticed a change in the atmosphere. Unlike the fifth and fourth floors, where he had encountered no resistance and received a treasure-level Qi Belt and a Soothe Bell as rewards, the sixth floor presented a more desolate scene. Fewer Pokémon tombstones were scattered around, and the Pokémon presence was almost negligible—save for a lone Haunter.

This Haunter was unusual. It was larger than a typical Haunter but not quite as imposing as the Totem Pokémon Chris had encountered. Adding to its eerie presence, Haunter's ghostly claws were adorned with bracelets inscribed with ominous, blood-red characters. Above its head was the startling indicator of its strength: Level 60.

"Level 60 Haunter?" Chris exclaimed, surprised. It was rare for a Haunter at such a high level to remain unevolved. He had already faced Gengar on the fifth floor, making this encounter even more perplexing.

As soon as Haunter spotted Chris, its eyes glowed with a dark, smoky aura. Without hesitation, it enveloped Chris in a shroud of black light, but to Chris's surprise, it didn't cause any harm.

"Mean Look?" Chris recognized the move immediately. "Are you afraid I'll run away, so you're rushing to trap me with Mean Look?" He smirked. "That's bold!"

Greninja, Blaziken, and Gardevoir emerged, ready to assist. Meanwhile, Haunter, seemingly famished, inhaled sharply, drool retracting as it surged forward in a ghostly blur, aiming straight for Chris.

Chris chuckled. "A Ghost Pokémon daring to confront us head-on? That's a first! Even the level fifty Gengar earlier didn't approach so recklessly."

"Blaze Kick!" Chris commanded.

Blaziken leapt forward, its fiery kick blazing as it connected with Haunter's face. A cracking sound followed as a shimmering protective barrier around Haunter shattered upon impact.

"Barrier?" Chris noted, impressed. It was an uncommon move.

However, against Blaziken's relentless assault, one barrier wouldn't be enough. The next series of attacks—Flame Double Kick and Force Palm—followed in rapid succession. Despite the blows, the Force Palm proved ineffective, being a Fighting-type move against a Ghost-type opponent. Seizing the moment, Greninja hurled a swift Water Shuriken, and Gardevoir followed up with a precise Psychic attack.

Amazingly, Haunter endured the onslaught. But instead of counterattacking or defending strategically, it darted aimlessly around the floor.

Chris frowned, punching the air in frustration. "What? Is this Haunter… just running in circles?"

He had hoped for a formidable Ghost Pokémon to test his strength and even considered capturing it as a powerful ally. But this? A Level 60 Haunter that seemed clueless under pressure?

Shaking his head, Chris muttered, "And here I was expecting a challenge." He glanced upwards. "The seventh floor might actually have something worth my time."

Haunter, running aimlessly moments ago, met its match against Chris's three Pokémon. After a relentless barrage of attacks, it collapsed to the ground.

[Defeat Haunter LV60. Blaziken gains 12,023 experience points.]

[The collapsed Ghost aura condenses into a Item: "Spell Tag" (reward).]

[Tip: The Ghost aura on the sixth floor has lightened. You can now proceed to the seventh floor!]

"This floor was much simpler than the earlier ones," Chris remarked, examining the fainted Haunter. He couldn't shake the feeling that this Haunter was placed here for comic relief.

A Black talisman materialized in Chris's hand. Inspecting it, he realized it was a secret treasure-tier item:

Spell Tag:

Effect: Increases the power of Ghost-type moves by 40%. Additional Effect: Deals 50% more damage to Ghost-type Pokémon.

"A Ghost-type move already deals double damage to Ghost Pokémon," Chris mused. "With this, any Ghost-type could become a nemesis to its kind!"

Still holding the Spell Tag, Chris glanced down at the fainted Haunter. Despite its lack of strategic prowess, it was still a Level 60 Pokémon. Without much hesitation, he tossed a Poké Ball, capturing it effortlessly.

"Even if it's not too smart, it'll make a good addition for Professor Birch's research," Chris thought. "How did it even reach Level 60 in this place?"

Picking up the Poké Ball, Chris decided to inspect Haunter's stats and was stunned by what he discovered:

Haunter (Ghost, Poison) (Boss, Imprison, Ancient)

Level: 60 Ability: Levitate (Immune to Ground-type moves and hazards such as Toxic Spikes, Spikes, Sticky Web, and field-based Conditions.)

Individual Values: HP: 25 Attack: 21 Special Attack: 29 Defense: 30 Special Defense: 24 Speed: 23

Known 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

Effect: Automatically generates a shield based on the Pokémon's level if it avoids damage for 1 minute. Additional Effects: Doubles the shield's strength and increases the user's evasion by two stages in foggy weather. (Exclusive to Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar.)

Chris examined the barrier and realized it explained how Haunter resisted Blaziken's initial Blaze Kick. However, he couldn't help but notice the bracelet on Haunter's arm wasn't the Gastly Barrier—it was something else entirely.

"Exclusive items? That's new," Chris muttered. "This Haunter's stats and items are overwhelming, even if its battle instincts don't match."

He noted the suffixes attached to Haunter's name: (Boss, Imprison, Ancient). These were terms Chris had never encountered before. He had only seen two suffixes prior, such as Shiny or Totem, but three?

While still piecing together the mystery, Chris concluded one thing: Haunter's sheer talent and strength had allowed it to dominate the sixth floor, even if its tactics left much to be desired.

"This expedition series seems full of surprises," Chris muttered as he prepared to move to the seventh floor.