VIDEO: The video starts to an aerial view of a Gengar, Penumbra, floating in circles just besides the Route 5 bridge, with a worried look on her face and a gleaming Gengarite on a bracelet in her left hand. Deep in her own thoughts, spinning a Shadow Ball in her finger. That is until a Rookidee passes by and startles her, making her drop it.
The feed changes as the Ball explodes below on Bridge Field, right where the bridge meets the rock below. A portion of it melted away like an illusion, revealing a sizeable hole carved in the stone. Stunned, she tried to go down to see, but when a thin shadow dashes from the dust cloud to strike her down, the video cuts to black.
Then, it changed to apparently a different camera, just as aerial and clearly some time later, focusing into a trainer landing right there on Bridge Field. Gaspar, wearing a Hoennian hex maniac hat and a purple cloak over black clothes, being carefully dropped on the grass by a Drifblim, Hindel. Throwing out two more balls, H.S. the Wash Rotom and Jacklight the SuperSize Gourgeist appeared on his sides.
“Alright, team, keep eyes open,” Gaspar sounded worried and equally tired of the whole situation. “And Hindel, watch the skies.”
The balloon inmediately took off to the skies, offering a watching aerial eye. Gaspar pulled out some kind of tracker, his path guided by it's flashing lights and team following behind.
“Arc, Penumbra...” he sighed, fiddling with the device. “I shouldn't have screamed at her like that, I shouldn't.”
{We'll find her soon, don't worry!}, the pumpkin chirped placing a hand on his shoulder, Gaspar only understanding her support.
On the other hand, H.S. produced a robotic, distorted human voice, from somewhere inside their washing machine, {{You should still make the move for this to not repeat with her.}}
“Oh, for sure, H, she's still gonna get what's coming. But I shouldn't be this mad with her anyways, she probably barely understands what she did.”
{{It's of what she deserves}}
“Not the time for grudges, now.”
{{Perhaps. However, it gives abnormality that only now is that her tracker makes the work. It could be a trap.}}
“I'll have it in mind. Hope it could actually work, tho... According to this, she's flying around here somehow.”
{{They aren't precise as it should be.}}
The group made it's way across the area. Jacklight calling out to Penumbra with melodic shrieks, Hindel scanning the area from above. Until, inevitably, they laid eyes upon that newly opened hole. “...what's the chance Penumbra could've done that?” asked Gaspar to the team.
H.S.' drum spun in anticipation, {{To hide, high. By herself, highly unlikely.}}
Calling down the balloon with a whistle, Gaspar walked ahead of the group towards the improvised cave. However, the more he approached the less it looked like a ghost's hideout. Inside, instead of a hiding Gengar, were people. A group of 5 young trainers peacefully sleeping upon clay slabs, the glowing lines of a ritual connecting each "bed". All lines met in a circle surrounding a group of strange metallic canisters in the center of the room, the symbols of a Spell Tag etched in them.
Gaspar's eyes widened in abject horror, yet his surprise was quite contained, taking a step back as his team looked over behind him. “Pero, qué mierd...”
{The same canisters in that boat}, Hindel coldly added.
“...we need to call support, this is a Hex's doing. Hindel, warn the others. We found the missing people.”
And a ghostly voice rang out from above. {That won't be necessary, don't worry!}
Slowly, another ghost-type descended from the bridge, appeared from thin air. An oddly cheerful, a bit too big than usual, Dusknoir. Protective Pads on his hands, some kind of gleaming crystal encased in clay affixed to its "neck", and Penumbra's bracelet between its fingers.
Gaspar's face shifted into a cold frown, as the balloon and washing machine floated in front of him. Jacklight was nowhere to be seen at this point.
The Dusknoir touched the ground, his body going into its own shadow a bit, {A pleasure to meet you!}
{{Gaspar, cognition.}}
"Prepare. It'll be paying for that."
{Ah, of course.} The belly jaws of the Dusknoir opened to the cold void inside, a friendly yet deep male voice poured forth. “Are you that Gengar's trainer? You can know me as Bastion, by the way.”
“Where is she?” Gaspar spoke as calm as he could appear to be.
The Dusknoir snapped his fingers, a strange, eerie veil seemed to coat him fully. “She's dead.”
Gaspar's eye twiched, his face remained still, “You're lying.”
“Maybe I am, but! You're indeed Gaspar Woodrow, aren't you? We've been itching to get to know you!” The Dusknoir threw the Mega Stone away and cracked his knuckles, despite a lack of actual bones.
“Takedown!”
Instantly, the balloon flew forward with a burst of air speeding to the side of the ghost, shooting out a volt of electricity as soon as he was in range. From behind, the washer shot a finely aimed ball of Will-o-Wisp fire.
In response, the Dusknoir's shadow quickly streched in a Shadow Sneak and his body, half-way through it, moved along with it with instantaneous speed. Rushing past both moves in a short dash, the ghost stopped just in front of Gaspar. The trainer quickly tried to get away, but the Dusknoir's jaws opened towards the cold void inside, a ghostly force dragging him into the maw fully intending to swallow him whole.
{Of course not!}, Jacklight surged out of his shadow, a hair-arm streched like a vine above the maw and punched the Dusknoir in the face with a fistful of ghostly energy. However, the energy aura flared as it hit and while the move stopped his advance, it seemed to not bother him as much.
{HA! I love when folks are prepared!}
Gaspar quickly jumped away, Hindel flying over the enemy to pull him up and away to the center of the area, behind his partners once again. The Dusknoir followed them with his eye but the giant pumpkin stood tall between them.
{Look here, I'm your opponent!} She charged at him, one hair-arm in front of her face and a Shadow Claw slashing at his.
Bastion's wierd veil flared and swirled around his left arm. With a cackle, he threw a punch gleaming purple to counter the pumpkin's claws. It not only pierced through the move, it opened a hole in her guarding arm and struck her behind it. The impact was like a burst more than a punch, the force was enough to launch her away. Instantly fainted, she was recalled by Gaspar before she could touch the ground.
{Tough shell! Expected to crush her outright.} A Hydro Pump from H.S. connected at soon as the move was over, but yet again the energy aura moved towards it. Bastion didn't seem to suffer that much damage.
“That wasn't a normal move, everyone careful,” announced Gaspar, apparently calm, but rappidly and nervously considering his options.
{You're damn right, such is the bliss she grants!}
“H, flare him, phase one! Hindel, swoop down.”
H.S. stepped up first, a ring of swirling Wisps spinning around them before all but one tried to swarm the enemy, flaring and bright as they trailed to the Dusknoir. Until they were struck down by rapid punches and blocks, the Pads not letting his hands get burnt.
The balloon took his chance tho, flying overhead attempting to drop another Thunder Wave as he went by, having to get into range to make it. Bastion easily blocked the move and replied with a Shadow Sneak that quickly catched up with him, digging into him and pulling him down like a grappling hook. Shadows shoved the balloon into the open jaws of the Dusknoir, trying to swallow him whole at once.
Hindel's cloth-limbs held onto the jaw's edges at the last second and through them he sent a Thunder Wave through the Dusknoir, the veil not reacting. It paralyzed him just enough for him to not eat him and for his back to get hit by a last purposely delayed Will-O-Wisp. Both ailments coexisted to bring his combat capacity to a screeching halt. However, as the balloon tried to fly away, the jaws closed shut. His cloth-limbs were caught, and so was he.
{Hah, y-you reprobates got me!}
Yet none of that stopped him from charging up his arm again and reeling it back for another devastating punch. What did stopped him tho, was the headbutt Hindel tried as he struggled to get away. It wasn't even a move, yet it utterly staggered him in such a way that he let the balloon get away.
Trying to strike him by surprise, the washing machine shot a ball of electricity at a safe distance, but he recovered and reacted in time to punch it away. Yet it split into a electric web that covered him, so the reaction was useless. Another shock traveled through the ghost to slow him down, this time sticking to his body despite him trying to phase out of it.
{Oh, you damn machine!} His half-open mouth let out a flash of ghostly light directly to the Rotom's eyes. The ray desoriented the machine, now quite vulnerable to future attacks.
"Damn it. H, get back! Hindel!"
The balloon floated to his side, and the washing machine silently tumbled back several steps away from the Dusknoir.
“You're good, Hin?”, Gaspar kept making his best effort to appear calm, still, his fear was somewhat obvious.
The balloon nodded yes, genuinely unbothered, just focused on winning.
“Keep away from him, alright?” His eyes met with Bastion's, who would be grinning if he had the capacity to. “There has to be a way. I'm not leaving these people here...!”
{Found you!} Another voice, this one familiar, shrieked at the Dusknoir. {Gimmie back my rock!}
A new shadow had appeared through the walls, a pissed off Gengar almost attacking right out of the bat. She stopped, tho, surprised at her teammates battling against Bastion, showing geniune fear when she saw Gaspar.
“Penumbra, thank arc!” On the other hand, Gaspar looked like he couldn't be happier seeing her well, didn't even noticed her reaction. “Come here, the team needs you! You two, cover us!”
Hindel and H.S. began to fire at the Dusknoir at a distance. Although, it was mostly the balloon sending out Air Slashes that were all blocked, even if more slowly, the washing machine was still too dizzy to aim their Hydro Pumps well. An occasional Hex wisp from Hindel flew by, immediately struck down.
{I knew I should've killed her when I had the chance!}, shouted Bastion, forced into one spot but still happily fighting. {Oh, why did I had mercy on the ignorant!}
She approached almost timidly, although paying more attention to the Dusknoir than him.
{...you're not angry? You good?}
Gaspar had an idea of what she was saying. “Look, I... forgive you, alright? I shouldn't have freaked out like that. It's my job to be better than that. Now I need you to blast that Dusknoir with all you have, okay?”
She turned to the Dusknoir, almost growling, but suddenly seemed to get an idea. Her eyes found her Mega Stone there on the floor. {No, this one too strong. We need that!} She pointed to her mega stone, nodding. {It's only way!}
“Mega? You sure?”
She happily nodded. {I can do it! Do it myself!}
“I love you more than anything else, you know that, right?”
She nodded. {I think so...?}
“Okay, get ready!”
Penumbra dashed across the battlefield, grabbing the mega stone and back, as Gaspar pulled out a purple book like one brings out a knife. Opening it right down at the middle, a keystone inside began gleaming as the Gengar put on her bracelet.
“Penumbra. Come forth!”
She laughed as she was encased in Mega Energy, soon came out a roaring Mega Gengar, smiling wide. The air grew colder all over the battlefield, and for the first time, some could see worry in Bastion's eye. Hindel got away from the blast zone, H.S. stood dizzy near him.
“Beat him, but don't break him too much. He still has things to answer for!”
{NAH, WE'RE RIPPING THIS IDIOT TO BITS! LET'S KILL HIM!}
Trainer and pokemon seemed connected, both sporting the same eerie grin. Gaspar even looked more ghost than alive, his pupils turning into a solid purple, his hair floating on a breeze that wasn't there. Penumbra readied a Shadow Ball, aimed it straight to Bastion... But Gaspar just fell to the ground like a ragdoll before she could fire it. Face still locked in a manic smile, but at least he looked like he was breathing.
And as soon as one end of the connection was down, so was Penumbra. Falling to the ground as well, she was unable to move, twitching on the ground. Taking his chance from the distraction, the Dusknoir threw and landed yet another devastating punch to H.S., putting a dent in their machine and sending them to the wall behind them. The move, weakened, didn't put them fully out of the fight.
{Well, this is kind of dissapointing! Really expected more from that witch's apprentice!}
A column of flames rose from some point in the Stony Wilderness, visible possibly for miles. H.S shot a ball of Will-o-Wisp fire to the sky, with their last strength, seemingly in response to the fire. All confidence and cheerful actitude in the Dusknoir melted away like that wall, quickly replaced by panic.
{That damned Chandelure! Meredith found them this fast?! Yep, I need to get out of here...!}
He turned towards Gaspar, Shadow Sneak ready, just in time to see Hindel taking him out of there and away from the move's range. {Balloon! Really? Just wait till next time, you hear!}
Practically crawling away, his hands glowed with ghostly energy. Two shadowy portals of a Phantom Force appeared below hin and the strange canisters in the cave. As both sank into them, he turned towards the still awake mons in the field. {Tell Meredith... that Wray sends her regards. We'll see you soon!}
As the camera escapes flying away, a Golurk can be seen landing with a Whimsicott and Chandelure on his shoulder, before the video finally cuts.]