Yuga and his group remained motionless, their gaze fixed on the Chandelure hovering in the air. The Chandelure, too, gazed back at them in silence. However, Yuga sensed a distinct aura of danger emanating from it.
This Chandelure resembled an ornate chandelier. As a Ghost and Fire dual-type Pokémon, the flames surrounding it gave off an eerie vibe.
Compared to the Litwick and Cofagrigus they encountered earlier, this Chandelure was far more formidable. Its mere presence exerted immense psychological pressure on Yuga and his group, preventing them from making any rash moves.
After a minute or two, Yuga suddenly noticed the flames atop Chandelure's head surging. He quickly exclaimed, "Not good, it's about to attack. Prepare to defend!"
Before Yuga finished his sentence, the eerie blue flames formed a surging curtain of fire, engulfing them.
This was Chandelure's Flame Burst.
Seeing the approaching fire curtain, Marlon's Samurott, moved forward quickly, using Surf to create a towering wave of water that extinguished the flames.
Observing that their initial attack had no effect, Chandelure remained expressionless. It then launched its next offensive.
Flames vigorously churned atop its head and on its four lamp fixtures, and five fire pillars simultaneously spewed forth, targeting Yuga and his four companions.
Controlling five simultaneous Flamethrower was a remarkable feat. Yuga and his group couldn't help but be amazed at Chandelure's prowess, as such multitasking was not a common ability among most Pokémon.
Yuga's Chimecho, released a massive Shadow Ball that dispersed Chandelure's Flamethrower. Other members of the group also had their Pokémon block the incoming flames, protecting their trainers.
After defending against Chandelure's attack, Yuga and his group immediately launched a counteroffensive.
Marlon's Samurott, took the lead, using Waterfall to ride a surge and charge toward Chandelure. Roxie's Crobat, adapted well to the dim environment and followed closely behind Samurott.
Sora's Feraligatr, wasn't proficient in ranged attacks and had no advantage against Chandelure in the air. Instead, it employed Scary Face to reduce Chandelure's speed.
Brawly's Medicham, wasn't suited for long-range attacks either, but it still unleashed a Shadow Ball at Chandelure since it wasn't adept at support moves.
Yuga's Chimecho, erected multiple Light Screens in front of the group to protect them from Chandelure's attacks.
Chandelure, as a Ghost and Fire-type Pokémon, possessed formidable Special Attack. It surpassed the likes of Gengar and Mismagius, who were also Ghost-types with strong Special Attacks, albeit with a disadvantage in speed.
As their Pokémon launched an assault on Chandelure, it employed Protect. An energy shield materialized, deflecting all incoming attacks.
Marlon's Samurott, after being repelled, was caught by Roxie's Crobat.
Brawly's Medicham had its Shadow Ball repelled, and it fell at Medicham's feet, inadvertently striking itself.
After Chandelure's Protect dissipated, Chimecho quickly seized the opportunity and launched a massive Shadow Ball at Chandelure. Chandelure couldn't react in time and was struck.
Upon being hit, Chandelure's body wavered, and its two yellow eyes began to flicker intensely. Subsequently, a massive "Fire" shaped flame descended towards Chimecho.
When the "Fire" shaped attack descended, the multitude of Light Screens set up by Chimecho shimmered, successfully blocking the attack. The remaining power was effortlessly deflected by Chimecho's Barrier.
Realizing that they were being suppressed and with all five of them unable to make much headway, Yuga's group became aware that Chandelure was not an adversary to be taken lightly. Only Yuga understood that this Chandelure was a genuine pseudo-Elite Pokémon.
This group of individuals, although formidable, faced a daunting challenge when confronted with a pseudo-Elite Pokémon.
Initially, Marlon had described this as a small-scale ruin, but now, even a pseudo-Elite Pokémon had emerged. It became evident that this ruin was far from simple.
Fortunately, the Chandelure was a Ghost-type Pokémon, and Yuga had a way to handle it. As long as the gap in power wasn't too significant, his special ability, King of Ghost, was inherently advantageous against Ghost-type Pokémon.
Quietly, Yuga harnessed the power of the Ghost Realm Origin Stone Stone within his body. An intangible aura immediately emanated from him. Apart from the Chandelure hovering in mid-air, no one else noticed the changes in Yuga.
A complete Ghost Realm Origin Stone Stone was the aspiration of all Ghost-type Pokémon, the origin of Ghost-type Pokémon, and residing deep within the Ghost Realm.
Although the Ghost Realm Origin Stone Stone fragment within Yuga was small, suppressing a pseudo-Elite Chandelure posed no problem.
With Yuga's aura manifested, the Chandelure sensed its own power being subdued. It immediately identified Yuga as the cause of this change.
In its eyes, Yuga had transformed into a fearsome beast with an enormous maw, sending shivers down the Chandelure's ethereal body. Yuga resembled a King of Ghost, and the Chandelure felt an overwhelming urge to submit.
Under Yuga's influence, Chandelure's abilities, reaction speed, and more were all reduced to some extent.
Having blocked Chandelure's Flame Burst, Brawly exclaimed, "Did any of you notice that this Chandelure suddenly seems weaker?"
The others had noticed as well, but to them, it was a fortunate turn of events, and they didn't dwell on the reasons. They were uncertain about the cause anyway.
"Let's not dwell on that for now; let's focus on dealing with this Chandelure," Marlon urged.
Due to its suppressed strength, Chandelure was pushed back by Yuga and his team of five.
Yuga's team was composed of talented individuals from various regions, and they were stronger than the average trainers. Faced with Chandelure, whose power was restricted, they didn't feel intimidated.
Seeing that it was on the verge of defeat, Chandelure was struck by Marlon's Samurott, with an Aqua Tail and then collided with the wall. It promptly merged into the wall and disappeared.
However, as it departed, it cast a peculiar look at Yuga, its two yellow eyes filled with an expression that was difficult to interpret.
With Chandelure's escape, Brawly and the others breathed sighs of relief. If it weren't for Chandelure's sudden weakening, they would have been unable to handle it. They had no idea when it might regain its full strength.
Unbeknownst to them, as long as Yuga was present, Chandelure's power would remain suppressed.
"This ruin is much more dangerous than you described," commented Sora, his brows furrowed.
Marlon responded, "I didn't expect it to be either. The information I and Roxie received earlier might not have been accurate."
"So, do we continue?" Brawly's confidence wavered. As a Fighting-type trainer, he felt at a disadvantage in this place filled with Ghost-type Pokémon.
"Since we're already here, let's keep moving forward," Yuga suggested after some thought.
The others didn't voice any objections. Although Brawly felt uneasy, the group reached a consensus to press on.