In fact, Aoki has always had this doubt. Judging by the psychic powers of Slowpoke, it should be easy to master Telepathy, but Slowpoke has not been able to learn it, and Aoki has no way to help.
But fortunately, he encountered a Gastly who could sense Telepathy, which allowed him to teach Slowpoke how to learn this ability.
"Yes." The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the novel~fire~net
This time Gastly seemed very indifferent. It was not difficult or even very easy to teach a Pokemon who should have learned Telepathy to master it.
After agreeing, Gastly noticed that Aoki didn't ask for anything else and was slightly relieved. He had been really afraid that Aoki would demand too much.
Although Gastly felt it might be possible to get rid of Aoki by using the strength of his entire group, the cost would be too great. Plus, they needed Aoki to do something for them that they couldn't accomplish themselves.
After organizing his thoughts, Gastly said, "I've lived here for many years and haven't seen many humans. But not long ago, someone came here."
Recalling a fragment from his vast memory, Gastly continued, "That human... was very powerful. Much stronger than you."
He glanced at Aoki, whose expression remained neutral.
"I only dared to observe him from a distance and didn't dare to approach, but I could feel that he was aware of my presence," Gastly said, his voice trembling slightly.
"He placed something in the very center of our original home, then left. At first, we thought that would be the end of it, but the object began absorbing Ghost energy from the surroundings."
Gastly took a deep breath before continuing, "The longer the object remains, the faster it absorbs the energy. Eventually, the cave was engulfed in Ghost energy, and we were forced to move to the outskirts."
Although Gastly couldn't show too many expressions, Aoki sensed his helplessness and asked, "Why don't you destroy the object or take it out?"
"This is what we need you to do. We can't approach it, but you can," Gastly said, his tone filled with despair.
"You can't handle it with so many of you. Do you think I can?" Aoki asked.
Gastly's expression remained helpless. "Come with me, and you'll understand."
He turned around, signaling Aoki to follow, while the other Gastly dispersed to make room.
Though some Gastly pulled funny faces or tried to scare him, they didn't dare make any real moves.
Aoki kept his composure as he followed Gastly. Meanwhile, Murkrow and Slowpoke stayed close, guarding Aoki and watching the surroundings cautiously.
Gastly didn't interfere with their behavior. It was the nature of Ghost-types, and he didn't try to correct it. They continued deeper into the cave.
The caves were indeed complex—far more so than the ones Aoki had seen before, like the one where he encountered Viper.
After passing dozens of branching paths and twisting passages, they finally arrived at a relatively open chamber.
This cave wasn't entirely dark. A faint glow came from some moss-like plants scattered across the walls and floor.
Gastly stopped at the entrance to the chamber.
His voice echoed in Aoki's mind again. "This was our home, but because of that object, we dare not approach it now."
Looking toward the center of the chamber, Aoki spotted a stone platform under the faint glow. On the platform, there was a Pokeball.
Aoki was slightly surprised. Based on what Gastly had described, he had some suspicions. If his guess was correct, the culprit was someone connected to Team Rocket.
If he wasn't mistaken, this could be related to one of Shadow's missions. Shadow was a deputy leader of Team Rocket's Shadow Division, and his strength and aura were terrifying. It made sense that the Gastly wouldn't dare approach.
But why leave a Pokeball here?
"Most likely, this is a mission-related item," Aoki thought.
Since Gastly couldn't approach, Aoki would have to retrieve it himself.
Murkrow and Slowpoke remained close, keeping an eye on their surroundings for any threats.
Aoki trusted Gastly's words partially because Ghost-types, like most Pokemon, usually had straightforward emotions. They didn't often disguise their feelings unless it was in their nature.
Though this Gastly had lived for a long time and learned some human habits, he couldn't entirely suppress his natural instincts.
The other reason was Aoki's confidence in his team's abilities. Slowpoke's Teleport was a reliable escape plan if needed.
Compensation wasn't a concern for Aoki. In a place this barren, there wasn't likely to be anything of great interest to him.
Remaining calm, Aoki approached the stone platform. When the Pokeball entered the system's scanning range, it activated and began to analyze.
The system identified the Pokemon within the Pokeball, which bore Team Rocket's "R" logo:
Pokemon: Gengar (Light Cyan)
Egg Moves: Mean Look, Fire Punch, Taunt
Basic Moves: Hypnosis, Lick, Spite, Curse, Night Shade, Confuse Ray, Payback, Shadow Ball, Dream Eater, Dark Pulse
Learnt Moves: Thief, Trick, Giga Drain, Fire Punch
TM Moves: Rest, Protect, Toxic, Hidden Power (Water), Thunderbolt
Aoki's breath caught as he saw Gengar's data.
"This must be Shadow's Pokemon," he murmured.
The sheer number of advanced moves taught to this Gengar indicated vast resources.
Considering Shadow's position as a high-ranking Team Rocket trainer, it made sense. This Gengar wasn't one of Shadow's top-tier Pokemon but likely part of his second-string team.
The light cyan qualification indicated top-tier potential within Team Rocket's ranking system—exceptional, but not unique.
With this confirmation, Aoki felt slightly relieved. Shadow's strongest Pokemon were far more powerful, but this Gengar alone was formidable enough.