"This Drampa has the cells of a Legendary Pokémon inside its body, and it's currently channeling that divine power," Mewtwo explained. "However, this Drampa probably won't survive for much longer. The cells of that deity are rapidly burning through its remaining life force."
"Drampa, use Dragon Pulse!"
Drampa opened its maw wide, and the two ethereal dragon heads over its shoulders did the same. Three concentrated beams of Dragon Pulse erupted concurrently, hurtling directly toward Gengar.
Gengar let out a sinister chuckle as a burst of pitch-black energy enveloped his body. Without any external assistance, Gengar triggered Mega Evolution entirely on his own.
Dark cocoons materialized across the sky as a rift to the Spirit World tore open overhead, pouring an immense torrent of ghostly energy directly into Gengar. As the black cocoons shattered, Mega Gengar emerged.
Upon Mega Evolution, Gengar's lower body was said to be concealed entirely within an alternate dimension. His overall mass had increased significantly, his frame now bristling with sharp spikes, and his lower half bearing a deep magenta hue. His once-pointed tail had grown jagged barbs, and a golden, coin-like crest with a hollow center gleamed from the absolute center of his forehead.
The moment Mega Gengar stepped onto the field, a chilling, blood-curdling laughter echoed from his maw. His mere presence warped the surrounding space, causing dozens of Ghost-type Pokémon to spill out from the Spirit World rift, instantly prostrating themselves before him.
At this moment, Mega Gengar stood as a true King of Ghosts. He forcefully drained a massive reservoir of spectral aura from the kneeling Pokémon, causing jagged arcs of purple-black electricity to crackle across his skin. The localized space grew dangerously unstable, bending and twisting to varying degrees.
"Excellent work, Mega Gengar. Go ahead and play with that Drampa for a bit," Feng Che commanded. He had decided to use a slow-boil strategy, gradually whittling down Drampa's remaining life energy bit by bit.
"Mega Gengar..."
"A Mega Gengar capable of independent evolution..."
The Second Elder forced the words out from between his teeth. "Splendid. Truly splendid."
Gengar, who had originally been at the mid-tier Champion rank, had successfully breached the high-tier Champion parameters upon undergoing Mega Evolution.
"Mega Gengar, use Shadow Ball!"
With a simple thought from Mega Gengar, a massive cluster of Shadow Balls manifested around his form. Unlike the standard Shadow Balls he had launched earlier, the surfaces of these spheres radiated a blinding, stark white coloration.
"Look at that! The color of the Shadow Balls that Gengar is using is completely different."
"Could those Shadow Balls possess some kind of specialized effect?"
"Look closely at Mega Gengar—hasn't his entire body shifted to a stark white color as well?"
The clan members buzzed with animated discussion.
"Vio, what is your assessment of this?" Drayden asked, turning his head toward Vio.
Vio stared at the battlefield, his eyes narrowed in deep thought. "Mega Evolution is a common sight within Team Plasma's operations. Colress has been conducting extensive research into Mega Evolution alongside his cloning projects."
"This Mega Gengar's combat prowess is immense. With this Pokémon under his command, Feng Che could likely rely on Mega Gengar alone to utterly crush Alder and claim the title of Unova Region Champion."
"We must lock down all information regarding this battle; we cannot allow any outside factions to catch wind of this."
Vio continued in a rare moment of absolute gravity, his voice heavy and earnest. "Drayden, having Feng Che become the Unova Champion while serving as the leader of our Dragon Clan is an absolute win for us. It is time we cast aside our old factional biases so our Dragon Clan can finally achieve its true potential."
Drayden studied Vio for a long moment before letting out a heavy, resigned sigh.
"To be completely honest, Vio, I truly envy how freely and boundlessly you live your life. And to think you've been blessed with such an extraordinary descendant."
"The moment Feng Che's Mega Gengar appeared, I realized the staggering chasm between him and the rest of us. I will offer him my unconditional support to become the next clan leader, and I will personally assist him in overseeing the clan's administration."
"After all, he has achieved Champion-level status at such a tender age, and his roster carries the legacies of multiple Legendary Pokémon. He is anything but simple."
Comparing Iris to Feng Che, Drayden felt his chosen successor was severely lacking in almost every critical metric. What the Dragon Clan desperately needed now was a powerful, ruthless Trainer capable of absolute battlefield dominance. Following his spectacular display today, Feng Che's prestige within the clan had skyrocketed, completely eclipsing Iris.
In the sky, Mega Gengar's white Shadow Balls completely surrounded Drampa. Drampa retaliated by unleashing a massive Dragon Pulse.
However, the moment the Dragon Pulse collided with the white Shadow Balls, the spheres violently detonated, scattering an endless blanket of ghostly white flames across the air.
"Those Shadow Balls are infused with Will-O-Wisp?!" the Second Elder gasped, his face hardening.
Challenging Feng Che had been the single most catastrophic error of his life. He had intended to pick on a soft target, only to slam face-first into an immovable wall of solid steel. He felt as though he were walking on paper-thin ice; every single command he issued now demanded an exhausting amount of mental acuity. The old man's previous composure had shattered completely, his back thoroughly drenched in cold sweat.
The moment the stark white Will-O-Wisp brushed against Drampa's hide, the Placid Pokémon felt its internal life force being continuously drained and siphoned away by Gengar.
Drampa's ultimate strength relies on Ultra Necrozma's power. If Gengar can continuously sap its life energy, Drampa's offensive capabilities will plummet drastically, Feng Che calculated silently.
Mega Gengar cackled sinfully. With a casual wave of his stubby arm, he hurled an even greater barrage of Shadow Balls at his opponent.
"Drampa, use Psychic to seal the surrounding space, then use Recover!"
A colossal wall of blue telekinetic energy coalesced, locking down the immediate airspace as countless shimmering golden particles surged into Drampa's body. The deathly, withered aura surrounding Drampa instantly vanished, making it appear fully restored on the surface. In reality, however, the core life force stolen by Mega Gengar remained entirely unreplenished.
The Shadow Balls slammed against the telekinetic barrier, detonating into a layer of white Will-O-Wisp that clung tightly to the wall. The psychic barrier began to dissolve at a visible pace. Caught in a tight spot, Drampa utilized Teleport to vanish from its position entirely.
"Mega Gengar, attach yourself to Drampa's shadow and use Shadow Sneak!"
Feng Che smirked. Mega Gengar's spatial awareness was exceptionally sharp; a fraction of a second later, he pinpointed the localized spatial ripple. Mega Gengar instantly dissolved into a fluid shadow, vanishing into thin air.
The moment Drampa materialized on the opposite side of the battlefield, fully expecting to have evaded the white flames, a chilling jie-jie-jie echoed right beside its ear. Drampa's body stiffened in absolute terror. It felt a long, slimy tongue wrap tightly around its neck, sending a violent jolt of golden electricity coursing through its entire frame.
Damn it! Drampa fell into Mega Gengar's trap—it's been paralyzed! the Second Elder realized, his heart sinking.
The two telekinetic dragon heads hovering over Drampa's shoulders roared, snapping their jaws viciously toward Mega Gengar. Yet, the exact moment their spectral teeth were about to sink in, Mega Gengar's form dissolved into countless wisps of black smoke, scattering harmlessly into the air.
Treating Drampa like a helpless plaything, Mega Gengar reappeared and took a deep, violent breath toward his opponent, forcefully inhaling a massive stream of soul energy right into his maw.
Curse it... Drampa's physical vessel is beginning to collapse!
The Second Elder watched in horror as the scales along Drampa's tail began to wither and turn pitch-black. He knew with absolute certainty that this Pokémon's lifespan had reached its absolute limit.