"Nothing much, just that I'll be taking your leader for a few minutes" A voice echoed around the group before a ghostly portal open beneath Liam to drag him in.

Whether he got Liam or not, a ghostly Ganger appeared on a nearby lamppost chucking (Like the Korok in BOTW and TOTK)

“Laser Focus,” Jen said as Aura to enable the gang of ghost Pokémon.

Shiranui made a snap alteration to his party and sent out Niwatori and Sapphire (Zoro in Illusion). "Niwatori, pull Liam free if you can!" While Shiranui's Blaziken tried to rescue Liam from the ghostly portal, Shiranui's Sableye struck a threatening pose.
"Unhand him, you shadowy parasite!" Sapphire shouted in Poké Speech, using a Taunt attack to get the point across.

Liam grabbed on for dear life. When he got out enough, he tossed Beckham's ball out to help pull him out.

As the outcome of the sneak attack was revealed, the portal would disappear reviling it to be an illusion. Aura laser focus would show a Gengar, a pokemorph Dragopult, a Sawsbuck and a Decidueye. A young man with a ghostly mask would also appear before removing it. "Seemed like that tactic didn't work, guess we'll be attacking head on" He said as the Gengar laughed once more before a barrier would appear to push everyone away from Liam.

Jen creates a barrier to hit against the Ghost trainer’s barrier, “I guess asking to battle someone is not your style.” This

"Cowardly tactics," Liam said annoyed. He called out to Sherlock in his mind to teleport him a bit to the left so that he would be on the other side of the barrier and next to his friends.

Shiranui recalled his Pokémon, thinking, "Only a goon of Nobunaga or the Shinobi no Shiki would dare to use a Pokémorph against us."

“To me it is another sibling of Selina’s,” Jen said as she sense the PokeLord’s aura to see what kind of mood she was in.

Hearing the commotion, the local Joy poked her head out to see what the commotion was. Liam told her to get back inside for her safety.

"I agree it is a cowardly tactic, I told Serios as much but she didn't listen. I would ask to fight you and not put citizens in danger" A young man with jet black hair said behind the group before saying "Ganger, attention". Almost instantly Ganger stood at attention and saluted the man dropping the illusion and barrier.

The trainer vanished as well as it was revealed only the Dragopult had actually been real. She was clearly stunned by this, her aura showing a firey aura but no Dreepy's around her. "As a ghost pokemorph, Serios is always interacting with the deceased spirit of her sibling who lost there lives in Nobunaga cruel Experments, so she's not always thinking stright" The young man said as he bowed to Liam group, with Ganger appearing next to him to hand his mask over.

Jen sense Kalama Kirara is restless and the Pyroar pops out of her pokeball, “sister.” Kalama Kirara growled as Jen told her this is not her fight.

"I hope her siblings came back as Dreepy," Shiranui commented offhandedly, "Anyway, with whom are you battling?"

"First, proper introduction are in order" The young man said to Shinranui before saying "I am Aki Denvers or Akari Akiyama, member of the Shinobi no Shiki" He bowed as he said that. The Dragopult mutter something silently as she faced the group but bowed as well when Aki gave her a look. "I am here to challenge Dragon master Coleman, both as a test or a potential stepping stone for him to fight Haruka, the strongest of the Shinobi no Shiki. According to her, Dragon master Coleman is the strongest trainer of your group and she wishes to fight him but won't do until all other members of our group are defeated. Natsu had already fallen to Miss Jen and Fuyu awaits you in the Crown Tundra"

"Arguably," Shiranui wisely thought to himself at Aki's last statement. He remembered Haruka from the last time he visited the Battle Pyramid where the legendary Raikou, Raijuu, paid back the same Team Rocket members that kidnapped them.

"I'm flattered that you think I'm so strong," Liam said. "But Shiranui and I are about even to each other in strength." Liam recalled Beckham. "However, I don't have the best dragon-centric team with me at the moment and I am unsure if that is what you want to face or not."

Aki shook his head. "Nah, I don't have a dragon team myself. Wanted to be a dragon ninja master many years ago but don't have the temperament to train dragons" He said. The dragopult finally took a moment to recognise Kamala Kirara and growled back at her, it seemed not all pokemorphs were as civil to one as the others.

He then looked at Shinranui as he said "Apologies for doubting your strengths, the spirit tell me your a little miffed at that" before returning his gaze to Liam. "Well I have 4 pokemon on me currently, how about a 4v4? I'll give you some time to build a team, there a battle arena next to gym. Meet me there in 10 and we'll battle".

He then looked at Jen Pyroar and offer a suggestion "Word of caution, miss Jen. You should be careful where you let out your pokemorph, they are not normal looking pokemon and most people wouldn't even give a second though to running you out of town or trying to harm the pokemorphs, if they see pokemon like them. Luckily, Ganger here keeps up the illusion of the pokemorphs looking normal but it might be an idea to consider getting a psychic or ghost type pokemon to help your Kamala Kirara, I think Natsu told me you named her, safe from the judgement eyes of others" He said to her.

Jen knows Liam and Shiranui out rank her in strength and experience but she work hard to catch up to their level. “Kalama Kirara let herself out and she is restless,” Jen said as Aura notices Kalama Kirara looks like a normal Pyroar.

"Apology accepted," Shiranui replied. He addressed Jen and told her, "Jen, you defeated me in the semis back at Alola. As far as I know, you're one of us in terms of battle strength." He looked over at Kalama Kirara and the Dragapult 'Morph and had his hand on Saisei's Master Ball ready to call out their antecedent in case things got dicey.

Liam excused himself to the Pokemon Center. He built a team of six that he will use the four from as he felt was needed. He stopped and had them healed up to make sure they were ready to go before heading to the specified meeting spot, but bringing his friends with him. He wasn't expecting to get jumped, but wanted help to be there just in case it happened.