The reason people remain as ghosts after death is usually because of their lingering obsessions, attachments so strong that they outweigh even the pull of the afterlife. These fixations tether their souls to the world, keeping them from moving on.
Ash could have purified the girl immediately using Aura, but he remembered what the veterans in the group chat had told him: 'if a spirit's obsession is resolved before purification, their soul will reincarnate more peacefully.'
He recalled how Aura Ash had once encountered a ghostly boy. Instead of simply purifying him, Aura Ash fulfilled the boy's last wish, his "obsession." Only then did the boy ascend peacefully, leaving behind a lingering warmth of gratitude that strengthened Aura Ash's own Aura.
Perhaps that invisible warmth was what they called merit, a reward from the world itself for helping a soul find peace,
Now, standing beneath the moonlight of Girl Gorge, Ash watched the ghostly maiden. Her expression had softened, her translucent eyes filled with both gratitude and release.
"Thank you, young man," she said gently, her voice faint like wind-chimes. "I hope Gastly can assist you well, and I hope you will treat him with the same kindness you've shown today."
Ash nodded solemnly. "Don't worry. I will."
He raised his palm and released his Aura. Blue light spread outward in graceful waves, enveloping the girl. Her faint, deteriorating soul began to glow, first faintly, then with serene brightness.
Under the purifying power of Aura, the remnants of regret in her heart melted away.
Her expression grew calm, no longer sorrowful, no longer bound by the past.
For centuries, she had lingered here, unable to leave because of her unfulfilled love and her worry for Gastly. But now, both burdens were gone. She could finally let go.
Her lips curved into a gentle smile as she whispered her final words of thanks. Then, her figure turned into countless specks of silvery light that drifted upward into the night sky, fading like stars swallowed by dawn.
Ash exhaled softly. As he lowered his hand, he felt something warm and ethereal wrap faintly around him. It wasn't visible, but he could feel it, a subtle, soothing power that made his mind clearer and his Aura flow smoother.
So this was what Aura Ash had meant. The world itself was acknowledging his act.
He looked back at Gastly, who had reverted to his round, smoky form. Without saying a word, Ash took out an empty Poké Ball and placed it on the ground before him.
"You have to keep your promise, Gastly."
Gastly chuckled, conjuring a shadowy hand. "Don't worry, don't worry. I said I'd become your Pokémon, and I will. I just didn't expect that after thousands of years of freedom, I'd end up serving a Trainer again."
He sighed wistfully, then tapped the Poké Ball with his spectral hand.
A beam of red light flashed, drawing Gastly inside. The ball wobbled once… twice… then gave a satisfying click.
Ash grinned and held it up high. "I caught Gastly!!"
"Pika!"
"Ralts~~!"
Pikachu and Ralts cheered in delight, bouncing around Ash. But before Ash could even finish celebrating, Ralts suddenly glowed with dazzling white light!
Ash blinked, startled for a second, before realizing what was happening.
"Ralts… you're evolving!"
Ralts had been on the verge of evolution for a long time. Deep down, she'd hesitated, half longing for the strength that evolution would bring, half reluctant to leave behind the comfort of sitting on Ash's shoulder like before.
But today, she'd seen how powerless she still was. Though her Discern move had helped Ash, it was only a small contribution. If she wanted to truly fight by his side, she needed to grow stronger.
So, at last, she made her choice.
The brilliant glow expanded, enveloping her tiny frame. When it faded, her small body had lengthened, now reaching Ash's waist. Her light-blue hair cascaded down, framing her face elegantly.
Her orange eyes gleamed like twin stars in the dark.
Her once childlike appearance had transformed into the elegant, graceful form of a Kirlia.
Ash's face lit up with pride. "Kirlia, you evolved!"
She twirled happily in front of him, her dress-like body fluttering in the breeze.
Her power had skyrocketed. She'd gone from the peak of the ordinary level to the mid-high advanced tier in one leap. Her ability values had stabilized at A-rank across the board, a remarkable result, considering she'd started with nearly perfect S-ranks.
Even among advanced-level Pokémon, Kirlia was already exceptional.
Between catching Gastly and Ralts's evolution, tonight had brought double the joy. Ash couldn't have been happier.
"Alright," he said, stretching and smiling at his friends. "Let's head back. We've had quite the night."
"Mhm!" Misty and Brock nodded in unison.
The group made their way back toward their inn, the moonlight guiding their path.
Later that night, Ash sent Gastly back to Professor Oak's lab. He didn't plan to use him right away, Gastly's strength was already fully developed, while the rest of Ash's Pokémon were still rapidly growing.
It was better to let Gastly rest and train under Professor Oak for now, to get used to the modern world and polish up his battle instincts after so many centuries of rust.
Besides, their next stop was Saffron City, home of one of Kanto's most powerful Gyms.
According to his alternate-world selves, the Saffron Gym Leader's Pokémon were all Elite Four–level or higher.
Even an Elite-level Gastly was said to have only a 60% chance of winning.
That meant one thing, Ash had to prepare, and prepare well.
After sending Gastly back, Ash and the others finally returned to their inn. The moment they stepped inside, Misty could no longer contain herself.
"Ash, just how strong are you?!" she blurted out, her eyes wide. "You fought an Elite-level Pokémon head-on, and won! Not to mention that Shadow Ball! You took it straight to the body and came out without a single mark! What are you made of, steel?"
As she said that, she even poked his abdomen suspiciously, expecting to feel iron-hard abs. To her surprise, Ash's stomach was… firm, but not exactly chiseled.
It wasn't that he didn't train, he did, but his physique wasn't the kind that screamed "bodybuilder."
Could this really be the body of someone who took a Shadow Ball from an Elite Pokémon and survived?
Ash chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "At the last second, I defended with Aura," he explained with a grin. "My body's still in training, sure, but my Aura control is strong enough now that I can use it to reinforce myself. With that, even a Champion-level Pokémon shouldn't be too much of a problem."
His tone was casual, almost humble, but the meaning behind his words hit Misty and Brock like a Thunderbolt.
Both froze, their eyes wide and mouths gaping.
Even Ash blinked, taken aback by what he was seeing. For the first time ever… Brock's eyes were actually open.
"Whoa… a medical miracle," Ash muttered, half teasing.
Brock, realizing what had happened, coughed awkwardly and quickly tried to narrow his eyes again, but they refused to cooperate. The shock was simply too great.
After a few more moments of light teasing and conversation, the three eventually decided to call it a night. Misty and Brock turned off the lights and went to bed, while Ash sat by the window, quietly scrolling through his chat group.
He wasn't playing around, though, he was studying. Deeply. The "ocean of knowledge," as he liked to call it, was filled with advice and battle strategies from the legendary Trainers in the chat group.
The next morning, Ash visited the Pokémon Center in Gorge town to check in with Professor Oak. He explained Gastly's situation in detail, its thousand-year history, the ghost maiden, everything.
By the time Ash finished, Professor Oak's jaw had practically hit the floor.
"A thousand years?!" Oak spluttered. "Ash, do you realize what that means? Even among Ghost-types, which are naturally long-lived, surviving two thousand years is practically unheard of!"
Ash rubbed his neck sheepishly.
"Honestly, I'm starting to wonder what kind of magnet you are for rare Pokémon," Oak continued, half amazed, half exasperated. "You've got all three of the starter species, a shiny Ralts, a Riolu that hatched from a dying Pokémon's egg, and now a two-thousand-year-old Gastly! At this point, I'm beginning to suspect the universe is rigged in your favor."
Ash gave a small, embarrassed laugh. "Heh… when you put it like that, it does sound a little lucky."
Lucky was an understatement. If Professor Oak knew about his encounter with Ho-Oh, he'd probably faint right there in the lab.
But in truth, Ash knew where his biggest advantage really came from, his mysterious chat group. The "big shots" he spoke with there had been his greatest source of knowledge, guidance, and strength. Without them, he would never have come this far.
"Anyway," Ash said, changing the subject with a cough, "Gastly's in your care, Professor. I'm planning to train him for my next Gym challenge, Saffron City."
At that, Oak immediately froze.
"Wait, what?" he said, eyes widening. "Saffron Gym?! Ash, haven't I told you not to challenge that Gym? You can't just go there because you have a Ghost-type now! Gastly might counter Psychic-types, yes, but don't forget, it's also Poison-type! That makes it weak against Psychic attacks!"
"And it's not just about typing!" Oak continued, growing more animated by the second. "Do you even know what level the Saffron Gym Leader's Pokémon are? Elite Four level! You're not ready for that kind of battle, Ash. You're talented, yes, but you're still a rookie!"
He sounded genuinely worried.
The Saffron Gym Leader wasn't known for mercy. Rumor had it that losing challengers faced brutal, even humiliating "penalties." Oak had seen many promising Trainers have their confidence crushed there.
"There are plenty of other Gyms in Kanto," Oak said firmly. "Why that one?"
Ash only smiled. "With Gastly, I'll be fine. Right, Gastly?"
From behind Oak, a familiar mist swirled, and Gastly's wide grin appeared.
"Heh, of course!" Gastly cackled confidently. "As long as that Gym Leader isn't as much of a pervert as you, I'll handle them just fine!"
As an ancient being who had lived for millennia, Gastly naturally carried a certain level of confidence. With his power and experience, he wouldn't claim to be invincible, but he could safely say that there weren't many Pokémon in the world who could truly defeat him.
Even if the Gym Ash planned to challenge was rumored to have Elite-level Pokémon, Gastly wasn't the least bit intimidated.
'If they're on the same level as me,' he thought smugly, 'then I've got nothing to fear.'
After all, the only reason he'd lost before was because his opponent had been a complete monster, Ash was unlike any human he'd ever met. That guy could break a Shadow Ball with his bare fist! Against a normal Trainer, Gastly would never lose. Which was why he muttered, half-jokingly, that as long as his next opponent wasn't "a pervert like Ash," he'd win for sure.
Professor Oak, listening to Gastly's self-assured tone, couldn't help but look at him suspiciously. "Living long doesn't necessarily mean being strong," the professor mused aloud. "Wartortle are said to live for tens of thousands of years, yet I've never heard of one breaking into the Elite ranks."
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Although, to be fair, I haven't had the chance to study your power yet."
After all, the moment he had released Gastly for inspection, Ash had immediately called, and the conversation about the Saffron Gym had taken over. Oak hadn't had a moment to test Gastly's strength properly.
Ash just laughed lightly. "Don't worry about it, Professor. I won't lose. Even if I do, it's not the end of the world. Losing once doesn't mean losing forever, right?"
Professor Oak let out a resigned sigh. "Honestly, with your personality, there's no point trying to talk you out of it. You'll go no matter what I say." He paused, then added with a faint smile, "Just… be careful, alright?"
He'd known Ash long enough to recognize that determined spark in his eyes. The boy had always been reckless, but ever since setting out on his journey, he'd changed. His confidence was no longer blind; it was backed by strength and experience.
If Ash said he could win, maybe he really could.
Still, Oak couldn't help but think about the uproar that would follow if word got out that a rookie Trainer, barely two months into his journey, had managed to defeat the Saffron Gym. It would shake the entire Kanto region.
"Well then," Oak finally said with a nod, "if there's nothing else, I'll hang up here. Take care of yourself."
"Got it, Professor," Ash replied, smiling.
After ending the call, the three decided to head out for breakfast. The morning sun had just begun to spill across the quiet streets of Gorge town. Compared to the bustling atmosphere of the previous afternoon and evening, the town now felt calm and peaceful. Most shops were still closed, with only the occasional early-rising merchant setting up their stalls.
Since Brock had been hypnotized the previous night, he'd missed out on most of the town's sights and festivities. So, Misty and Ash decided to give him a proper tour, taking him past the local shops, street stalls, and the small riverside market.
They also took the opportunity to restock some camping supplies, potions, snacks for Pikachu and Kirlia, and a few emergency rations.
Speaking of Kirlia, she had popped out of her Poké Ball to join them. Though she could no longer perch comfortably on Ash's shoulder like she used to as a Ralts, she still followed closely behind him.
...
Stones Plzzz
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