" If you lose…" Janine added with a smirk and winked, "…you have to go on a date with me!"

Pikachu and Yellow let out surprised gasps once more at that statement. Austin, on the other hand, looked neutral while Haunter giggled in the shadows.

"She said what?! Is she serious?!" Yellow thought in panic as her face turned red.

"Um….I guess that would be okay if we hung out," Austin replied with a shrug as he carefully said those words in such a way that portrayed visible obliviousness while deep down he was freaking out.

What did she ask me out? Was this ordered by Team Rocket? Is she going to drug me while on the date as I battle team rocket members ganging up on me?

Under Austin's calm demeanor, his paranoia was running rampant.

"Ready when you are, Ash!" Janine called.

"Alright! Haunter! I choose you!" Austin called as his shadow outstretched into the shape of an Egyptian cross ( Ankh's cross ).

The Shadows portrayed hands covering the cross as Haunter rose from the ground like a zombie rising from the grave.

Haunter's entrance scared Yellow, Janine, and Pikachu while Austin was amused.

"Kekekekeeke!" Haunter cried as it got into a battle position causing Janine to take a step back at the sheer size of the Alpha white Haunter.

"Are Haunter's supposed to be that big? I shall choose my Weezing !" Janine declared as she threw forward her Pokeball.

Seeing the Weezing floating in front of him, Austin rubbed his shoulder as he remembered his time in the SS. Anne.

"We shall begin our match, now!" Janine announced but gulped when she saw the intense look in Austin's eyes.

"Alright, use Sucker Claw" Austin calmly said as Haunter grinned like a maniac before phasing into the ground in the form of a shadow.

" Flamethrower, Weezing!" Janine countered.

Janine's Weezing floated upward as it released waves of flames from both of its heads covering the entire battlefield.

But suddenly Weezing was thrown to the wall as Haunter's combo of a sucker punch and shadow claw directly hit.

" Kekeke !"

Haunter laughed as Weezing shot another flamethrower from his position.

Haunter dodged the flamethrower but Weezing turned around and launched a gyro ball at Haunter. Haunter got smacked with the gyro ball right in the middle of the chest which knocked it to the floor.

" Kekekeke !" Haunter kept laughing even while getting hit.

" Use Smog, Weezing!" Janine called.

" Hypnotic Curse."

Haunter didn't bother countering the poisonous gas as of course, she wasn't affected by the Smog attack.

"What?!" Janine shouted as she was surprised that Haunter didn't get affected before remembering that Haunter was part poison type.

Haunter released psychic waves from its eyes that caused Weezing to move back and forth in a daze before ultimately Weezing fell asleep.

Janine cringed at her decision as Haunter released a Sonic howl that caused ghostly runes to form all around them that latched onto Weezing.

Having successfully landed the curse, Haunter giggled like a little girl.

"Use Thunderbolt," Janine yelled out hoping Weezing will wake up as Haunter launched a Dream Eater.

Luckily for Janine, Weezing woke up and launched a thunderbolt at Haunter who canceled Dream Eater before releasing nightshade at the thunderbolt.

The two attacks exploded in the middle leaving behind white smoke.

"Use Smokescreen, Weezing!" Janine called.

"Sleepwalker!" Austin countered as Haunter used to rest to fall asleep.

"I thought you might do that," Janine smiled.

Austin raised an eyebrow at Janine's bravado but didn't bother replying as he remembered Cynthia's words.

Those that talk big on the battlefield are covering up their anxiety behind a false sense of valor. If you don't talk in battle, your opponent will always assume the worst.

A battle isn't just between the pokemon, it is also between the trainers.

"Being a ninja, I train in the many ways of stealth, and I teach my Pokemon this, also. I expected your Haunter to do something like rest after the smokescreen was set up, since Weezing isn't affected by its attacks, I have concealed its location while Haunter is in the open," Janine explained.

Austin didn't bother replying to Janine as he calmly looked at the battlefield as Haunter used sleeptalk which resulted in attract being launched.

The hearts entered the giant smoke cloud. Then, out of nowhere, a Dark pulse burst from the smoke cloud from Haunter's right, striking her. Haunter endured the attack and managed to stay in the air.

"Finish with Giga Impact!" Janine yelled once more.

"Lantern Fish" Austin calmly called out.

The absolute silence was pretty unnerving. All there was on the battlefield was Haunter who seemed to be sleeping and a giant smoke cloud in front of it. After what felt like an eternity, Haunter felt a whoosh to its right as a split second later, Weezing emerged from the smoke cloud, charging straight for Haunter with a body surrounded by orange streaks. Purple energy then appeared from the top of the streaks and envelops Weezing's body.

A maniacal grin formed on Haunter's face as she opened her red eyes as used the move, Psychic.

Waves of psychics moved forward and smacked Weezing right in the middle of its larger face. The poison Pokemon went sailing backward like a baseball that had been hit by a home run hitter. It slammed into the wall hard. Weezing then sank to the ground, defeated.

"Your Haunter beat Weezing!" Janine said in amazement.

"Yep! I knew Haunter wouldn't let me down" Austin smiled as he gave a thumbs up to his Ghost Pokemon. Haunter released a laugh happily in response.

" Kekeke!"

Janine recalled her Weezing and smiled sadly at it. "Thanks for a great job, Weezing. Take a good rest," she told it. She then looked at Austin. "Your Haunter did very well, but wait until you try my next Pokemon!"

Austin nodded with a smirk that was copied by Haunter.

Janine was just about to send out her next Pokemon when a new voice broke out into the room.

"End the battle at once!" the voice ordered.

Everyone in the room turned to where the voice had come from. The owner was revealed to be a middle-aged man with tall black hair ending in spikes. He wore a dark robe and had a calm yet the serious expression on his face. Upon seeing the man, Janine instantly looked guilty and looked down at the floor.

' I fucking called it.' Austin thought as he gazed upon the man who would become a member of the Elite 4.