When Kazuki returned to the Pokémon Center, he was greeted by a visibly anxious Misty pacing in front of the entrance.
"There you are—where did you even go!" the moment Misty spotted him, she ran up and threw herself into Kazuki's arms.
Kazuki gently patted her back. "Just went for a little walk. What's got you so worked up?"
"A walk? Do you even hear yourself? It's pitch black out right now!" Misty gave his chest a small slap. "I were out shopping when we saw a couple running out of the forest!"
"They said they saw a ghost girl—with faces white as sheets!"
"The girl was so scared she didn't even have time to put her pants on properly!"
"Huh?" Kazuki raised a brow, chuckling. Seriously? She couldn't even put her pants on in fear?
Tch~ sounds like Pikachu and the gang really outdid themselves out there.
That couple probably won't even dare mess around outdoors for the rest of their lives.
"Hehehe…" Kazuki chuckled and held Misty closer. "What, are you feeling spooked too?"
"Wha—Of course not! I'm the world's number one beauty, I wouldn't—AH!" Misty suddenly shrieked mid-sentence, wrapping all ten fingers around Kazuki's arm and tugging desperately at his sleeve.
"You didn't even finish what you were saying before exposing yourself!"
"N-no! That's not it!" Misty clung tightly to Kazuki's neck. "Behind you… there's really… a ghost!"
Kazuki turned around to look—only to find Pikachu returning with a plastic bag over its head.
Pikaa?
With a shake of its head, Pikachu flung the bag away and blinked up at them.
"Pfft—hahaha! And you say you're not afraid? You just got spooked by Pikachu!"
Kazuki burst out laughing with no attempt to hide it, still holding his bashful girlfriend in his arms.
Misty shut her eyes and took a deep breath. "Piiii-kaaaa-chu! Why do you have a plastic bag on your head in the middle of the night!"
"Kazuki, put me down! I need to give Pikachu a proper lecture on walking safety at night!"
Kazuki jostled Misty playfully in his arms but didn't put her down. "Alright, alright, save the safety seminar. Nurse Joy's about to start her evening rounds. If we're still out, she'll scold us!"
"Come on, let's go to bed."
Misty sighed, then mumbled, "Kazuki… I wasn't really scared, okay?"
"I… I've got nerves of steel!"
"Yeah, yeah, I believe you," Kazuki laughed. Despite teasing her, he actually needed to comfort her. After all, he was probably the only one Misty felt safe being vulnerable around. If he didn't show her a little affection, their relationship progress would stall.
Later that night, Kazuki returned to their room with Misty and gently placed her down before offering a few soothing words—intending to let her get some rest.
But Misty unexpectedly grabbed his wrist.
"Kazuki… can we sleep together tonight?"
It looked like the ghost girl story had shaken her up more than she wanted to admit—she didn't want to sleep alone.
"Oh?" Kazuki raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly. "Pikachu, you're bunking in the rest pod tonight."
Pikachu: ????
After shooing Pikachu out, Kazuki composed his expression. "Didn't you say we're taking things slow? Just sleeping together all of a sudden…"
"What's with that look! Sharing a bed doesn't mean we have to do anything!" Misty yanked him into bed, quickly turned off the lights, and burrowed into his arms.
"S-sleeping innocently, okay?"
She gently draped a soft arm over him, then, with a quick peck on his cheek, murmured, "There—satisfied, you perv?"
"Sleep. Now."
Blushing, she pulled the blanket over her face.
Kazuki chuckled to himself. Forcing things was bad for the relationship, but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy the perks of some… mutual comfort.
"Ah~ w-what are you doing, Kazuki?!"
"Sleeping~ what else?"
"You… perv! Fine—just for tonight, alright? No funny business!"
"Relax~ I have self-control."
Kazuki hadn't expected that by crafting such a spooky ghost-girl atmosphere, he'd end up with such side benefits.
While the whole of Maiden's Peak was still gripped in widespread hysteria, Kazuki alone spent a peaceful and rather delightful evening.
Apparently, the haunting atmosphere he'd created had been a bit too successful—by morning, Officer Jenny herself was visibly on edge during patrol.
With his usual glib charm, Kazuki praised the "talismans" profusely, finally easing Jenny's tension.
And once again, their connection as man and woman took a subtle step forward.
Later that night, it was Kazuki's turn to patrol alongside Officer Jenny.
As they prepared to leave the Pokémon Center, Misty clung to him a little more tightly than usual, throwing suspicious glances between him and Jenny.
Left with little choice, Kazuki hyped up the talismans one more time.
With Officer Jenny playing along, Misty completely bought it—and even asked for more to "help protect the Pokémon Center." In reality, it was more about having something to help her sleep better when Kazuki wasn't around.
After calming Misty down, Kazuki and Officer Jenny finally began their patrol.
Over halfway through the route and with everything quiet, Officer Jenny finally let out a long breath of relief.
"Kazuki, I have to say, those talismans of yours must really work!"
"Last night caused such chaos, and yet tonight—the very next day—it's quiet as can be! It's like magic!"
"Hehehe… maybe last night was just a one-off incident."
"Besides, with how noble and righteous you are, Miss Jenny, even ghosts wouldn't dare approach you!"
Seeing how well his ghostly illusion had worked last night, Kazuki decided not to continue the spook show tonight—it had already left a deep enough impression that would last for at least three days.
"Still, we can't let our guard down," Jenny cautioned. "We're almost at the forest near Maiden's Peak—it's infamous for the most disappearances every year. We'd better stay alert!"
Strangely, the item she was clutching wasn't her usual firearm—but one of Kazuki's talismans.
Kazuki nodded solemnly, putting on a show of alertness alongside her. Internally though, he wasn't the least bit worried—Gastly had already taken care of everything.
At that moment, Gastly was floating atop the monument at Maiden's Peak, boredly observing the entire area.
"Ugh~ nothing happening tonight, how boring…"
"Almost wish I could scare someone again!"
"Hm… no, no—I got paid by the boss. Gotta honor the deal!"
"Not to brag, but last night was one hell of a performance—even better than anything I've done before!"
"I'm a thousand-year-old Pokémon! I can't go back on my word!"
"But still… not even using my Hypnosis today feels weird…"
Wistfully bobbing up and down, Gastly's gaze landed on the duo walking below.
"That's the boss and the little cop lady!"
"Wait a sec… the boss never said I couldn't use Hypnosis, just not to scare people!"
"When we chatted last night, I did pick up on his thoughts—turns out he's really into pretty girls!"
"And this little cop lady? Her thoughts are practically dripping with boss fantasy content!"
As a Pokémon with a millennia of experience, Gastly's mastery of Hypnosis wasn't just skillful—it was supernatural. Its powers allowed it to dive into people's subconscious, reading thoughts like open books.
Seeing Kazuki and Officer Jenny chuckling and bantering together sparked a delightful little idea.
"Looks like they're almost a couple already."
"Well then! Since the boss paid me double, guess I should lend a helping hand in this department too!"
With a devilish grin, Gastly cloaked himself in a pale mist and began casting his most refined Hypnosis.
As the white fog billowed out, Kazuki and Officer Jenny were soon enveloped in a dense, creeping haze.
"It's here! That ghost girl again!" Officer Jenny's smile vanished as she quickly pulled out her talisman from her bag.
Kazuki narrowed his eyes. This mist—it wasn't natural.
What the hell? Someone had to be behind this.
Could Gastly be double-crossing him?
No… that didn't make sense. Gastly's goal was to spread the ghost legend—it knew it couldn't scare Kazuki. Even if it went off-script, it'd be targeting others, not him.
Then if not Gastly… was it another Ghost-type Pokémon?
But that couldn't be it. According to the original script, there shouldn't be any other spooky Pokémon around Maiden's Peak!
With no clear answer, Kazuki expanded his Aura to prepare for contingencies.
Thanks to the thick fog, their sense of direction gradually distorted.
Jenny, shifting nervously, suddenly bumped her shapely rear into Kazuki.
She turned, startled. "S-sorry, Kazuki!"
She quickly stepped away, but her heart was hammering, and a strange, warm flutter was blooming in her chest. Her thoughts spiraled.
That… that part I bumped into just now…
Misty was right… The real thing feels… so good…
W-wait! What am I even thinking?
This is a dangerous night patrol, and I'm thinking about that?!
Jenny shook her head to clear the fog from her thoughts.
"You okay, Officer Jenny?" Kazuki asked, voice full of concern. Protected by his Aura and enhanced mental discipline, he hadn't felt any strange effects yet.
"I—I'm fine!" she stammered, trying not to drown in the sensations cascading through her body. When she met Kazuki's gaze, her pulse quickened even more. Her eyes brimmed with longing.
Suddenly, Kazuki felt a response through his Aura—up ahead, lights appeared within the forest.
He instinctively reached for Charmeleon's Poké Ball—but found it still securely clipped at his belt.
Then what's that flickering firelight?
"There's a light over there. Let's go make sure no one's in trouble—might be some couple fooling around in the forest again."
Despite her earlier fear, Jenny snapped to attention at the thought of someone needing help, her professional instincts overtaking everything else.
The Aura didn't detect any strong threats, so Kazuki wasn't too concerned either. Together, they headed into the woods.
They ducked through layers of tangled brush, until—
"Wow! Beautiful… It looks like a wedding setup!" Jenny said with delight. She tucked the talisman away and happily skipped toward what looked like a wooden cabin aglow with candlelight.
Kazuki, however, didn't share her excitement.
Midnight. A wedding. In the woods. Candlelight?!
Any of those separately might be romantic—but all four? That's textbook horror setup if he ever saw one.
Even so, Kazuki had his team and Jenny's own strength to rely on. No reason to hesitate.
The two stepped into the warm glow—and found themselves inside what looked like a bedroom. Wedding garments hung waiting.
Before he could process more, the outfits were suddenly on them.
"What the hell?" Kazuki turned, only to see Officer Jenny gazing at him with dreamy, love-drunk eyes.
"My husband…" she whispered softly.
Kazuki's mind was rocked by memories of Jenny as his bride—but Aura disruption made the image feel inconsistent, fragmentary.
In that moment, he pieced it together—it was Gastly's doing: a refined Hypnosis.
But as he looked again—Jenny had already slipped off her bra, white skin glowing like sculpted porcelain.
"Jenny! Do you remember who I am?" Even with temptation laid out before him, Kazuki needed to know—was she truly under the effect, or…?
Jenny reached out and pulled him onto the bed, breath heavy, lips trembling.
"Kazuki… Kazuki… I want you."
Hearing her say his name broke any last doubts.
Kazuki reached under her sash, fingers working the knot on her wedding dress.
As the white lace slipped down, he suddenly paused.
Wait… wasn't she calling me "husband" just a moment ago?
But just now, she said "Kazuki"?
Could it be…?
He looked again into her eyes—saw it clearly now.
One eye still held the Hypnosis gloss—but the other? It gleamed with raw desire.
So she wasn't just hypnotized—Jenny wanted this too.
"My love… right here," she whispered, pushing aside the lace...