Ghostfreak floated forward, still clutching the struggling electric alien in his spectral grip. The Happy Country owner, Ben, and Gwen followed close behind as they approached the wooden cabin that served as the Buzzshock containment facility.
"This rubber ball is what we use to store the creatures," the owner explained, gesturing toward a large spherical container sitting in the center of the room. His voice carried a note of self-reproach as he continued, "I was certain I'd sealed it properly. There shouldn't have been any gaps. Perhaps my supervision wasn't as thorough as I thought."
"Don't blame yourself," Ghostfreak said calmly, though a bead of sweat formed on his ghostly forehead. His tone remained steady as he redirected the conversation. "What's done is done. Let's just make sure it doesn't happen again."
With practiced efficiency, Ghostfreak maintained his grip on the squirming Buzzshock with his left hand while his right hand reached for several heavy-duty rubber bands securing the ball's opening. He pulled them taut, stretching them outward to create an entrance.
Then, with lightning-fast reflexes, Ghostfreak shoved the electric alien back inside!
SNAP!
His hand released the rubber bands, and they whipped back into place with tremendous force, creating a barrier that nearly struck the Buzzshock before it could react.
This was the only way to ensure the creature couldn't simply slip back out through the opening.
"Mr. Ghostfreak, there's something important I forgot to mention," the Happy Country owner said, his worried expression returning. "If the electricity in Light's body isn't fully discharged, it can concentrate its own power along with that of its fellow comrades. Together, they might be able to break through the rubber ball's containment!"
"Don't worry," Ghostfreak replied with a dismissive shake of his head. "The one I just caught used up all its stored electricity attacking me earlier. It doesn't have any power left to cause trouble."
He'd considered this possibility long before. Otherwise, why would he have even bothered draining the creature's power in the first place?
"You're quite thorough, Mr. Ghostfreak," the owner said, his relief evident. He offered a grateful bow. "Thank you so much for your help."
"It's nothing," Ghostfreak said, waving away the gratitude with an almost modest gesture. "I'm just doing what I can to help. I only hope you won't judge all scary-looking creatures like me based on appearances alone."
At last, he'd cleaned up his own mess!
"Of course not!" the owner said quickly, though Ghostfreak could see the cold sweat forming on the man's forehead. Even now, standing this close to the phantom alien clearly made him uncomfortable, but he was doing his best to maintain composure.
While they were talking, something was happening inside the rubber ball.
The Buzzshock that had just been stuffed back into the darkness suddenly opened its mouth wide!
CLATTER! CLUNK! THUNK!
One battery after another tumbled out, twenty, thirty, maybe even more. The metallic cylinders bounced and rolled across the interior of the containment sphere until the Nosedeenian's face finally returned to its normal, less swollen appearance.
Back at the hardware store, this particular Buzzshock had secretly gobbled up dozens of batteries, hiding them in its mouth like a chipmunk storing nuts. That's what had made its face look so distorted and bloated earlier!
The original plan had been to use those batteries to power up for an overwhelming attack against Ghostfreak. But that strategy had backfired spectacularly, and now the creature found itself trapped back in this prison.
Well, if I can't escape by fighting, the Buzzshock thought with mischievous glee, I'll just break my way out!
"Hahahaha!"
"Hehehehe!"
"Kyehehehe!"
Excited laughter erupted throughout the rubber ball's interior. One Nosedeenian after another, easily twenty of them, scrambled eagerly toward the scattered batteries, fighting over the precious energy sources like children diving for candy.
The batteries vanished down their gullets, each one transforming into a miniature power plant, providing the electric aliens with cherished electricity to fuel their escape!
Outside the containment sphere, Ghostfreak's keen intuition detected something wrong. His eye narrowed as it fixed on the rubber ball with growing suspicion.
He suddenly felt a faint but unmistakable sense of danger emanating from within the sphere, as if something threatening was building up inside!
Noticing Ghostfreak's alert posture, the Happy Country owner patted his chest confidently, his expression much more relaxed than before. "When it comes to this rubber ball, I assure you it's absolutely reliable. That Buzzshock won't be able to escape no matter what it tries, Mr. Ghostfreak!"
His words had barely finished when,
CRACKLE!
A brilliant golden light suddenly seeped through the rubber ball's surface from within, illuminating Ghostfreak, Ben, Gwen, and the owner in its electric glow. Their shadows danced and flickered across the wooden walls!
The light was dazzling.
Electric and dangerous!
BZZZZT! SIZZLE! CRACK!
Countless beams of electrical energy burst through the rubber ball's exterior, forming blazing golden channels of light that shot outward like miniature lightning bolts!
"Hahahaha!"
Immediately after, identical cackling voices rang out as multiple Buzzshocks, one, two, three, a dozen, maybe more, drilled their way out of the containment sphere, each one bathed in crackling golden electricity!
The Happy Country owner's face froze mid-smile, and he felt his confidence crumble like a sandcastle at high tide.
"So many?" Ghostfreak's head throbbed with a developing headache, and his expression twisted with frustration. "How did this many Buzzshocks get loose?"
"But they shouldn't have enough electricity to escape!" Ben protested, his voice rising in confusion. "You drained all the power from that one. They shouldn't be able to do this!"
Ghostfreak's mind raced backward through the details of his earlier confrontation, replaying every moment in his memory.
Battery... swollen face...
The realization hit him like a thunderbolt.
"That Buzzshock must have had a bunch of batteries hidden in its mouth!" Ghostfreak whispered, the pieces finally clicking together. "It didn't have time to absorb them all during our fight, so when I stuffed it back into the rubber ball, the batteries went in with it!"
Well, this was embarrassing.
Completing a heroic task too quickly could apparently lead to careless mistakes.
"They've spotted us!" Gwen's warning snapped everyone's attention back to the immediate danger.
Ghostfreak looked up sharply to find twenty Buzzshocks floating in mid-air, their glowing eyes fixed on him and his companions in perfect unison!
"You three, get out of here now, the faster, the better!" Ghostfreak's voice took on a harder edge, and his pupil contracted into a predatory slit that would make most people's blood run cold. Even the Buzzshocks hesitated, their mischievous grins faltering for just a moment. "I'll handle these troublemakers myself!"
"Then, Ghostfreak, take care!" Ben said reluctantly, clearly torn about leaving.
"Be careful, and remember, time is limited!" Gwen added, her tone urgent and meaningful.
Only Ghostfreak, Ben, and Gwen understood the real meaning behind her words.
The Omnitrix transformation time is limited!
The warning was clear: Asher needed to finish this before the transformation timed out.
The three humans didn't linger. Within seconds, they'd fled outside the cabin, following the Happy Country owner to safety.
Only Ghostfreak and the swarm of Buzzshocks remained, facing each other in the confined space!
"CRACK! POP!"
Ghostfreak's expression radiated cold determination as he brought his hands together and massaged his knuckles, producing sharp cracking sounds that echoed crisply through the silent cabin!
He clenched both hands into fists and fixed the electric aliens with an icy stare. "I'll give you two options right now. First: you can play around in this cabin for a few minutes. When you're done having fun, you go back into the rubber ball on your own. You get maybe five minutes of freedom, that's it. Second: I beat you all back into that ball by force!"
His words carried absolute authority and undeniable dominance!
Each Buzzshock remained motionless, their faces frozen in uncertainty. But then they began chattering among themselves in rapid, high-pitched squeaks and electrical buzzes, communicating in a language only they could understand.
Ghostfreak couldn't decipher their alien language, but he could read the golden electrical currents beginning to crackle and dance around their small bodies.
The Buzzshocks' intentions were crystal clear.
They weren't going back willingly!
"So there's nothing more to discuss," Ghostfreak said, his voice dropping to a menacing growl.
"Then let's do this!"
Facing nearly twenty Nosedeenians, Ghostfreak showed no fear whatsoever. His ghostly presence blazed with supernatural intensity that easily matched, even surpassed, the combined electrical aura of the entire Buzzshock swarm!
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