The Gengar thought for a moment. "You're too weak right now," it said. "I'll tell you when you're stronger."
Zane stared. Isn't that the same as saying nothing at all?
Seeing his expression, the Gengar must have thought he was worried about the treasure. "Relax," it said. "I'm not like you humans. I don't lie." As it spoke, the grin on its face vanished for a split second, replaced by a flash of cold, deep-seated resentment.
Zane didn't care about the treasure. "Can I refuse?" he asked.
This Gengar was obviously not your average Pokémon, but opportunity was often accompanied by risk. He was keenly aware of his own limitations and had no desire to get involved in whatever mess this was.
A malicious smile spread across the Gengar's face. "If you refuse, I'll eat you. And don't even think about getting rid of me. The moment you accepted that orb from that man, it was bound to you."
"I could just give the orb to someone else," Zane pointed out.
"I'll eat you before you get the chance," the Gengar replied coldly.
Zane was genuinely confused. "Then why didn't you just kill that guy? Why only me?"
"Because you're unlucky," the Gengar said. "I only regained consciousness right after the orb came into your possession."
"...fine," Zane said, his face a mask of resignation. "That's a perfectly logical answer. So, let's talk about what I can do for you." The Gengar's attitude was dead serious, and as it spoke, a powerful, dark purple aura began to radiate from its body. Zane could feel the terrifying power rolling off of it. He recalled the information from his scan.
"But before that," he said, "I think we need to understand each other."
The Gengar narrowed its eyes but said nothing.
"You were sealed in that orb," Zane continued. "Can I ask why?"
A cold light flashed in the Gengar's eyes. It spat out a few words. "Because of a bunch of detestable people." It then added, "You don't need to know any of this. All you need to do is what I tell you."
Zane read between the lines. "You don't want me to get revenge for you, do you? Or maybe you want me to free you from the orb? How would I do that, smash it?"
At the word "smash," the Gengar's face went rigid.
Zane immediately sensed something was wrong. Logically, to release a sealed creature, you just had to break the seal. This Gengar seemed incredibly powerful; it could probably take on ten thousand of his Budew. If it was free, it could easily get its own revenge.
The Gengar didn't answer, just brushed the question aside with a nasty attitude. Zane didn't press the issue. It was almost time for his class. He left the Gengar at home and headed out with Budew and Cramorant.
When he returned that afternoon after school, the Gengar was nowhere to be seen, but the orb was still sitting on his desk. Before long, the Gengar phased back into the room from outside. It made its first request.
"If you can find me that food that smells sweet and sour, and is cold, I'll tell you where the treasure is hidden."
Zane blinked. He watched the Gengar gesture with its hands, tried to picture what it was describing, and asked, "Ice cream?"
The Gengar choked for a second. "Yes! That's the name!"
"...You really want to eat some?" Zane asked.
The Gengar looked away awkwardly. "Not really."
The corner of Zane's mouth twitched. He took Budew and headed back out. Even though it was almost winter, there were still a few ice cream carts parked around town. As he walked, he looked at the Gengar floating beside him. "Can other people not see you?"
"I only let them see me if I want them to!" the Gengar said proudly.
Zane bought three ice cream cones at the cart: one for Budew, one for Cramorant, and one for Gengar.
"Here," Zane said, holding one out.
The Gengar reached for it with an excited expression. Just as its fingers were about to touch it, Zane let go. But the ice cream cone didn't land in its hand. It passed straight through, hitting the ground with a soft splat. The clean white ice cream was instantly covered in dirt, melting into the cracks of the stone path.
The Gengar stared blankly at its hands, its face a picture of pure dejection.
Zane froze. He reached out a hand toward the Gengar, but it passed right through its body. The "Incorporeal" status from his scan flashed in his mind, and a terrible idea began to form.
"I think we need to talk," he said.
He took Budew and went home. The Gengar followed silently the whole way.
Sitting on the sofa, Zane got straight to the point. "You're already dead, aren't you?"
Looking at the Gengar, he realized it probably didn't even know the truth about its own condition. Ghost-type Pokémon could phase through objects, but they could also become tangible if they wanted to. If this Gengar knew it was permanently incorporeal, it wouldn't have asked for ice cream.
What happens when a Ghost-type dies? Do they become a ghost of a ghost? Did that Sealing Orb trap Gengar's soul? If the orb breaks, does that mean its soul will disappear along with it? Is that why it flinched when I said the word "smash"? Were all its threats just a bluff?
If all of that was true, then their positions were completely reversed.
A look of deep confusion spread across the Gengar's face. "I don't know," it said, its voice barely a whisper. "I just remember... they trapped me with this orb. And my subconscious is telling me that if the orb breaks, I'll disappear along with it."
"Who are 'they'?"
"Humans."
"Did you hurt them?"
"No. They said I would bring disease to humans. They called me an evil spirit that brought bad luck."
Ignorant people from an ancient times had killed it. They had sealed its spirit in the orb and buried it deep underground. Its intense grudge, combined with the power of the orb, was the only thing that had allowed it to survive, to keep from fading away completely. At the cost of its physical body, it had merged with the orb's power, and its very soul had been transformed.
It was a double-edged sword. It had survived, but it was now one with the orb. In other words, it was a sentient orb, trapped for all eternity, unable to leave, unable to even use its own moves. And its resentment towards humanity had become a curse, causing anyone who touched the orb to suffer from endless nightmares.
After hearing the Gengar's story, Zane was filled with a complex mix of emotions.
The Pokémon League had only been established for about two hundred years. Before that, this world had been ruled by tribes and kingdoms. It was an era defined by ignorance and feudalism. Even earlier, humans had referred to Pokémon as "magic beasts" and treated them as enemies. Hunting and war were commonplace.
Zane had read about that dark period of history in the library. Now, hearing the Gengar's story, he couldn't even begin to imagine how many other Pokémon had suffered similar fates, or how many humans had lost their lives because of that same ignorance.
<><><><><><>
Read 10+ advance chapters at patreon.com/MightyJahseh
Support this fanfic w/ your stones & reviews.