At the frontline fortress, Earl Ruize stood atop the battlements, his sword clutched tightly in his hand as he stared out over the battlefield below.
His entire domain was being overrun by corrupted Ghost-type Pokémon. All he could do now was protect the civilians within the fortress walls. Beyond that — he was powerless to stop the slaughter across his lands.
Even the mighty fortress, once considered impenetrable, now trembled under the onslaught of the spectral horde.
"Awwoooo— awwooo—!"
Beneath the walls, the knights and their Pokémon fought desperately.
Every second, more fell — their bodies instantly swallowed by the ghosts, their life and soul energy devoured without mercy.
A single Sableye hovered above the carnage, gray mist swirling wildly around it as it absorbed the lifeforce of a fallen Mightyena.
When it drifted away, only a lifeless husk remained — a dull, empty shell of skin and bone.
The Sableye's scarlet eyes gleamed hungrily as it turned toward its next prey.
"Damn it— get away from there!" a knight roared, standing protectively before his Rhyhorn, sword raised high.
At this moment, the Rhyhorn was already heavily wounded after a series of brutal battles. Its entire body was covered in injuries, yet those stubborn, loyal eyes still turned toward its master standing before it.
The knight gripped his longsword tightly, swinging it again and again in fierce slashes. However, ordinary steel was utterly useless against a Ghost-type Pokémon —the blade simply passed through the ghost's form without leaving a single mark.
From afar, a Sableye lunged forward, tackling the knight to the ground and immediately began draining the very life force from his body.
But in the very next instant, a boulder shot through the air like a cannonball, slamming directly into the Sableye and sending it flying away.
The knight's eyes widened in surprise. When he looked up, he saw that his old partner had forced itself back onto its feet. Trembling and staggering, it positioned itself between the knight and the enemy, using its battered body as a shield.
"Rhyhorn!" the knight shouted with joy, tears welling up in his eyes.
But just as that glimmer of hope ignited in his chest, a surge of ghostly shadows came flooding from the distance, engulfing the Rhyhorn completely.
"RHYHORN!!!"
The knight's voice cracked with grief as he let out a desperate roar.
He rushed forward and fell to his knees beside his partner, wrapping his arms around the Rhyhorn's massive, bloodstained head.
A moment later, the wave of spectral Pokémon that had been forced back by the explosion surged once again, drowning both man and Pokémon beneath a tide of darkness.
Nearby, another group of knights witnessed this tragic sight. Pain and rage twisted across their faces as they struggled to push forward, but an endless sea of corrupted Ghost-type Pokémon blocked their path, keeping them from reaching their fallen comrades.
Far away, atop a low mountain blanketed in snow, three figures cloaked in black stood out starkly against the pale world.
"Heh, heh, heh… what a touching display of friendship," one of the sorcerers said, his eyes gleaming as they cut across the battlefield and locked onto the fallen knight and his Rhyhorn. He smacked his lips regretfully, as if lamenting that such loyalty was being wasted.
"The sky's getting dark," the leading sorcerer said coldly. "Prepare yourselves. The main thrust of our organization's assault is concentrated here. Our comrades in Wisdom City and Heart City won't be able to hold out much longer."
"We must breach the frontline fortress as soon as possible and force Azelf to appear!"
The lead sorcerer's gaze shifted toward the distant horizon, where the dim winter sun was sinking beneath the mountains. After a whole day of blizzards, the sky was a murky gray. It wouldn't be long before darkness completely consumed the land—and when that happened, the shadows would devour all traces of life from this place.
"I got it, Boss Ghostshade!" one of the other sorcerers said eagerly. "Let's move! My Froslass and I have been waiting too long for this moment! Ghostfire, we'll go first!"
With a low, guttural growl, he extended a hand. The shadow at his feet began to writhe and bulge, and from it emerged the eerie figure of a Froslass.
The spectral maiden floated silently beside her master, her entire form exuding a faint, sinister black mist. Her cold, empty eyes stared forward, devoid of emotion.
"Go, Froslass," the sorcerer whispered, his tone filled with sick delight. "Go harvest every last living soul you can find."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the Froslass darted forward, her body fading in and out of sight as she glided into the swirling snowstorm.
"Ugh, I hate this kind of weather," muttered another of the sorcerers—this one called Ghostfire.
As he spoke, several blue flames floated up from around him, each one flickering eerily in the icy wind. His silhouette resembled an ornate chandelier—one large central lamp surrounded by four smaller ones, each blazing with ghostly blue fire.
It was a Chandelure—a dual-type Fire and Ghost Pokémon whose spectral flames burned not flesh, but souls.
Rising from the sorcerer's shadow, the Chandelure hovered effortlessly in midair. The intense heat radiating from its body instantly began melting the snow beneath it, while tendrils of black mist coiled outward, distorting its shape in the gloom.
Seeing his old rival Froslass already streaking into the fray, Chandelure's flames flickered twice in anticipation before it too soared toward the battlefield, its blazing aura scattering the snow as it went.
Meanwhile, the battle raged on. At the very front lines stood a massive Rhydon, its body brimming with raw power. With a deafening roar, it raised its arms and unleashed a barrage of razor-sharp stones that rained down like meteors.
This Rhydon was none other than Earl Ruize's personal mount—a Pokémon whose strength approached that of a pseudo-king level, powerful enough to hold an entire squad of knights at bay by itself.
Because of Rhydon's presence, the knights' burden had been greatly reduced. Around it stretched a clear zone where no ghosts dared approach—those that did were blasted away instantly.
But then, without warning, a figure appeared before the Rhydon, exuding an overwhelming aura.
Crack… crack… crack…
As the figure appeared, the ground beneath it instantly froze solid, layers of ice spreading outward in all directions.
"ROOOAAAR!"
Rhydon stopped short. It blinked in confusion as it looked upon the familiar form of a Froslass.
There was no gray mist swirling around this one, only a cold, black aura so instinctively, Rhydon didn't see it as an enemy.
The knights in the distance were equally startled. Since Lord Aven was often accompanied by a Froslass, they were all very familiar with the species.
"Wait—isn't that Lord Aven's Froslass?" one knight asked uncertainly.
But as their gazes fell upon her, a wave of frost suddenly gathered around the Froslass's body and in the next instant, she unleashed it in a devastating blizzard that tore through the ranks of knights.
"Why…?"
Their faces froze in disbelief as the freezing wind engulfed them, sealing their bodies in thick layers of ice.
"She's an enemy! That Froslass is an enemy!" another knight shouted in alarm. "Attack! Rhyhorn, use Rock Slide!"
The formation fell into chaos. The knights commanded their Pokémon to attack.
BOOM!
Massive boulders hurtled toward the Froslass—but before they could make contact, a powerful blizzard swept across the field, freezing every single rock in midair before sending them crashing uselessly to the ground in glittering chunks of ice.
In an instant, the Froslass displayed her terrifying mastery over the power of frost. None of the knights' attacks could so much as scratch her.
"She's incredibly strong… at least a pseudo–king level Pokémon!" one of the knights gasped.
"ROOOAAAR!"
Rhydon's eyes narrowed as it stepped forward, slamming its heavy feet into the snow. The ground shook violently as earthen energy surged up around it—it was using Heavy Slam!
A massive shockwave rippled across the battlefield, churning up the snow like a tidal wave and driving it straight toward the Froslass.
But the spectral maiden simply floated there, silent and still. The black mist around her body coiled tighter, gathering energy.
Before the shockwave could reach her, she summoned an orb of pure ghostly power, dark fog streaming into it before she fired it like a cannon.
The Shadow Ball collided with the Rhydon's shockwave midair, exploding with a thunderous BOOM! The shadowy energy pierced straight through the shockwave, blowing a hole clean through it.
"ROAAAR!"
Rhydon's pupils contracted sharply.
It had intended to use the shockwave as cover for a charge, but now it was forced to halt and brace itself, surrounding its body with solidified Rock-type energy.
BOOM!
The Shadow Ball slammed directly into Rhydon's chest. The resulting explosion sent the massive Pokémon flying backward, crashing heavily into the snow.
A collective gasp swept through the knights. The fortress-shaking power of that attack was unmistakable. Rhydon, a pseudo–king level Pokémon famed for its defense, had been overpowered in a single blow.
"That Froslass… it's a King-class!"
Their hearts sank into despair.
A King-level Pokémon was strong enough to change the entire tide of a war all on its own.
"What's going on with that Froslass?!"
On the fortress walls, Earl Ruize's lieutenant stared at the distant battle, his face pale as he watched Rhydon being crushed.
It was clear from the lack of gray mist that this Froslass hadn't been corrupted by the fog—but it was still attacking the knights of Aspiration City. That could only mean one thing.
"The Sorcerer Organization…"
"So, it really was them behind all this!"
The black mist surrounding Froslass confirmed his suspicion. Ruize's expression darkened with fury.
He clenched his fists tightly, thinking of everything the Sorcerer Organization had done. Finally, they had bared their fangs in full.
"'The Sorcerer Organization'…?" his lieutenant echoed, his eyes widening.
Before he could speak further, Earl Ruize shook his head and said grimly, "Don't worry. We've already prepared a countermeasure."
The lieutenant froze for a moment, then turned back toward the battlefield. Rhydon was being pushed to the brink beneath Froslass's relentless assault.
At the same time, a sudden pillar of fire erupted from another section of the battlefield. Chandelure had entered the fray, its king-level aura radiating unchecked across the land.
Two King-level Pokémon!
Seeing that, despair spread through the ranks like wildfire.
Even before this, holding back the abyssal beast tide had already been almost impossible—and now, two King-level Ghost-types had joined the enemy.
The knights' combined might crumbled before their overwhelming power.
"Is the fortress doomed…?" one knight whispered hollowly, his heart sinking into the abyss.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
In the distance, Chandelure unleashed its devastating attacks, bombarding the knights with wave after wave of ghostly fire. Each will o wisp it conjured shot out like a blazing meteor, raining destruction across the snowy battlefield.
Even amidst the howling storm, its flames burned fiercely—nothing could extinguish them.
Chirp, chirp!
Suddenly, a sharp cry echoed from above.
A Staraptor swooped down from the clouds, flapping its wings to conjure a powerful whirlwind. The tornado tore across the battlefield, colliding with one of Chandelure's Shadow Balls.
The impact shattered the cyclone instantly, and Chandelure's Ghostfires surged upward toward the airborne Staraptor like a fiery storm.
This Staraptor was Earl Ruize's second main Pokémon, another pseudo–king level partner. To the knights of Aspiration City, Rhydon and Staraptor were symbols of their leader's strength—his right and left hands.
Now, Earl Ruize had played all his cards, deploying every ounce of his strength. But even with both his pseudo–king Pokémon in the fight, they could do little more than delay the advance of two true kings—Froslass and Chandelure.
The freezing winds howled across the field, and the corrupted Ghost-types continued their mindless assault. Some even turned on Chandelure itself, only to be instantly reduced to ash by its soul-burning flames.
Still, most of the specters pressed onward toward the fortress, drawn irresistibly to the life and soul energy concentrated within.
"The fortress… it's over…"
Despair settled over the knights atop the walls as they watched the tide of ghosts close in.
The sudden appearance of two King-level Pokémon had completely shattered their defensive lines. What could possibly stand against such overwhelming power?
In the end, all who remained would surely be consumed by the ghosts—stripped of life and soul alike.
"Damn it! Don't give up!" a commander shouted hoarsely.
"Reinforcements from Aspiration City will be here soon! And aid from the other territories is on the way! This isn't the time to surrender!"
His desperate cry echoed across the battlements, trying to ignite what little fighting spirit was left. If they stopped resisting now, everything would be lost.
"He's right! Reinforcements are coming! We can't give up yet!"
Fueled by the primal will to live, the knights and soldiers forced themselves to keep fighting. But the situation remained utterly hopeless.
All they could do was buy time—with their strength, with their blood, with their lives—against the endless tide of corrupted ghosts, the two unstoppable King-level Pokémon, and whatever other dark schemes the Sorcerer Organization had yet to reveal.
(End of Chapter)