Pokemon: The Gameboy Effect

(A/N: New Patreon Pyrrha MaraV! Thank you for becoming a Legend. Bonus chapter, enjoy!)

Mega Blaziken possessed what could only be described as "You Can't Touch This" speed.

Its Acceleration ability had been stacking momentum across three consecutive battles, amplified by the MEGA evolution boost, and now turbocharged with Agility. When Mega Blaziken's kick connected with Mega Absol, the Dark-type's body went rigid as a board. Between the crackling sparks of impact, Sidney could barely process what had just happened.

BOOM!

Another deep crater decorated the cracked wall behind Sidney as Mega Absol's unconscious form slid down like a discarded rag doll, its MEGA evolution already fading.

"Absol is unable to battle! Blaziken wins!" the referee announced.

Sidney's expression morphed from confident anticipation to complete bewilderment in real time. His ace Pokemon had just been hit? But the battle had been perfectly even just moments ago, how had it turned into a complete blowout in seconds?

He couldn't wrap his head around it.

There was nothing complicated about it, though. John silently adjusted his nonexistent glasses with the satisfaction of someone who'd just solved a particularly obvious puzzle.

Taking down a MEGA-evolved Absol with one kick wasn't exactly rocket science. Absol's MEGA evolution had boosted its offense, defense, and overall performance, but at its core, it was still a glass cannon, and a Dark-type that happened to be weak to Fighting moves. A supercharged Blaze Kick followed by a Force Palm combo? Against a speed-boosted Mega Blaziken?

Child's play.

Sidney, thoroughly defeated by what he'd assumed was John's trump card, had already lost half his fighting spirit. The idea of actually defeating John had evaporated, replaced by the more modest goal of maybe, possibly, restoring some shred of dignity by taking down Mega Blaziken.

Unfortunately, that was also wishful thinking.

The supercharged Mega Blaziken only grew stronger with each victory, and John swept through Sidney's remaining team with methodical precision. Six Pokemon down, zero effort required.

"Before you arrived, I heard your name from trainers at various gyms," Sidney said with a resigned sigh, stepping aside to clear the path forward. "I thought you'd just be another promising rookie, but I never expected this level of strength."

"Go ahead, the next Elite has been waiting. But be careful," he added with a rueful smile. "They watched the entire battle. They won't let you stack that Acceleration ability so easily."

Apparently, Sidney had concluded that Mega Blaziken was John's ace Pokemon, and that stacking the Acceleration ability was his primary strategy. The logical counter would be to focus fire on Blaziken right from the start, preventing the speed stacking and removing John's strongest asset.

John didn't bother correcting him. He simply walked toward the next room.

The Elite Four member following Dark-type specialist Sidney was Phoebe, a striking young woman with vibrant red flowers adorning her hair and sun-kissed skin that spoke of countless hours spent training on Hoenn's beaches.

"I'm Phoebe of the Hoenn Elite Four," she announced with obvious confidence. "I watched your entire battle with Sidney on the monitors. You and Blaziken both showed incredible power and an enviable bond."

Her expression shifted to something more predatory. "But I'm different from Sidney. Let's see if you have what it takes to even scratch my Pokemon!"

From her perspective, and Sidney's, who had quietly taken a seat in the spectator area, Phoebe had every right to be cocky. She specialized in Ghost-types, after all. Blaziken might have had the advantage against Sidney's Dark-types, but Ghost-types were an entirely different story.

Plus, she'd already seen John's tactics. Victory was practically guaranteed.

John remained silent as the battle preparations began. There was no need for trash talk in Elite Four battles, when the time came, the Pokemon would do all the talking for their trainers.

"This is the Hoenn Region Pokemon League Victory Road Challenge! Elite Four member Phoebe versus challenger John! This will be a full battle, when all Pokemon on one side are unable to continue, the battle ends!" the referee announced. "Trainers, release your Pokemon!"

Both trainers threw their Pokeballs simultaneously. Silver light flashed, and two Pokemon materialized on the battlefield.

Phoebe's choice was a Banette, level 85, a sinister black doll with a metal zipper sewn across its mouth. Legend claimed they were born from discarded toys, animated by the Curse energy that seeped into abandoned cotton stuffing. Pure concentrated grudge given form.

Highly aggressive, and definitely not something you'd want to find in your closet at night.

John's selection was Gengar. There weren't many types that could effectively counter Ghost-types, only Dark-types and other Ghost-types. And when it came to Ghost-versus-Ghost battles, the stronger Pokemon typically dominated through sheer presence and spectral authority.

"Hehe~" The little purple phantom bobbed excitedly in midair, thrilled to finally participate in a high-level official battle.

"Battle begin!" the referee called out.

"Banette, use Night Shade!" Phoebe commanded immediately, irritated that John had dared to challenge a Ghost-type Elite with a Ghost-type of his own. As a specialist, she could sense something unusual about John's Gengar at first glance, but whatever it was, it wouldn't matter once the battle started.

However, three seconds passed after her command, and... nothing happened.

Phoebe quickly looked at her Banette, wondering why it wasn't following orders. What she saw made her blood run cold.

Banette was staring at Gengar with abject terror, trembling from head to toe. Rather than executing the Night Shade attack, it was taking everything the doll Pokemon had just to avoid prostrating itself in submission.

What the hell was going on? Was Banette actually afraid of Gengar? Afraid to the point of paralysis?

But why?

The bizarre scene left Phoebe completely baffled. John wasn't entirely sure either, but he had some theories.

"This might have something to do with Gengar's... background," he mused quietly.

Gengar's status showed two distinctive markers: "Ancient" and "King."

John had initially assumed the "King" designation referred to some kind of regional title from the old Hisui region, but now it seemed more likely that it meant "King of Ghost-type Pokemon", or at least, King of the local Ghost-types.

Apparently, royal bloodlines commanded respect even in the Pokemon world.

"Gengar, use Shadow Ball," John commanded.

"Hehehe~" Gengar chuckled with obvious amusement, casually forming a Shadow Ball and floating it leisurely toward Banette. Like a king offering poisoned wine to a condemned prisoner, it gently pressed the swirling dark energy against its opponent.

"Banette, dodge!" Phoebe shouted desperately.

But Banette remained frozen in place, as if it couldn't even hear its trainer's voice. The Shadow Ball connected directly, darkness flooding through the doll Pokemon's body.

"Banette is unable to battle! Gengar wins!" the referee announced.