"Meow~" Meowscarada purred softly, her body curving as she and Ryn shared an intimate moment. Ryn let out a low groan, lost in the closeness, when a sudden chill filled the air.
A ghostly figure, echoing the Maiden's Peak tale, appeared nearby, its faint form drifting just off to the side. A harsh, terrifying wail, like a furious lady's angry screech, broke through, "What are you doing…" snapping them out of their embrace, their senses shaken by the eerie presence.
Ryn froze, shock washing over him as the ghostly shape of the Maiden's Peak figure triggered a buried memory from the Pokémon anime. He realized it was a Gastly.
Gastly muttered to itself, * How did this guy figure out my identity so easily? *
Before Ryn could speak more, a wave of drowsiness from Gastly's Hypnosis overtook him and Meowscarada, and they slumped into a deep sleep.
As their eyes closed, Gastly's disguise faded, revealing its true mischievous form, its purple body shimmering with a sly smile.
Ryn's other Pokémon, Vaporeon, Charmeleon, Jolteon, Scyther, and Mewtwo, each heard the commotion and rushed over. They stopped short, anger flaring in their eyes as they saw Ryn and Meowscarada collapsed on each other, a Gastly hovering with a sly smile.
They surrounded Gastly, their voices a mix of anger and concern. Mewtwo floated forward, her tone sharp with worry. She asked, "What did you do to them?"
Gastly floated back, its tone playful yet defensive. "Nothing to worry about, I just cast a little Illusion to knock them out. They're fine, just dreaming!" It waved a shadowy hand, creating a screen-like projection showing what Ryn and Meowscarada were dreaming about.
Charmeleon asked angrily, "Why did you make them sleep? Wake them up!"
Gastly gave a goofy shrug, pulling out a bag of ghostly popcorn and eating it. "Ooh, I got super curious!" it said. "I've been spying on their little love show. A human and Pokémon love is so weird to me!
"I just had to check if it's as close as human-human love!" Gastly giggled, its voice bubbling with mischief. "C'mon, don't you wanna peek at how close their relationship is?
"Look, I even brought extra popcorn!" it said, waving its shadowy hand as five or six more bags of popcorn popped into existence.
Mewtwo, seeing Gastly not taking things seriously, flared with anger, transforming into Mega Mewtwo X. Her power surged as her form changed, eyes blazing with fury.
Gastly's face turned serious, its playful smile fading. "Whoa, okay, don't worry! They're safe, I just used Hypnosis. See for yourself! You don't need to be so mad," it said, sensing Mewtwo's strength was close to its own.
But this wasn't a simple Hypnosis. Gastly had crafted an entire world for Ryn and Meowscarada, with a piece of its consciousness still controlling their dream. A sudden fight could shatter that link, harming them both.
Mewtwo didn't know this, her hands glowing as she prepared a giant Shadow Ball to attack, while the other Pokémon tensed, ready to strike. Gastly raised its hands, voice urgent. "Wait! You can't attack now, or they'll never wake up or suffer brain damage! This dream's tied to my power. If it breaks suddenly, they're trapped forever!"
The group froze, realizing the danger. Mewtwo's eyes narrowed, but she lowered her hands, the Shadow Ball fading. The others, still wary, exchanged glances.
Gastly took a deep breath, its purple form settling as the tension eased. "I didn't mean harm," it said, raising its hands. "That illusion was just to see their closeness. They will only wake up after it's over."
Vaporeon asked in a soft voice, "Then when will they wake up?"
Gastly replied, "By morning, the time is moving very fast in the dream." It pointed at the screen it created. "Look at the screen!"
But when it glanced at the screen, its eyes widened in shock. "Oh no! I already missed so many scenes!" it wailed, its voice filled with frustration.
It had been editing the dream like a movie, speeding up some parts, zooming in on others, all while draining its energy.
A wave of regret mixed with exhaustion hit Gastly as it realized precious moments had slipped away. It nodded weakly, muttering, "It's worth it…" Although it would consume more energy, it sighed as it pulled a remote from somewhere and said, "Let's watch again!" before starting to rewind it.
Charmeleon narrowed her eyes, flames flickering. "And what if they don't wake up? What then?"
Gastly waved a shadowy hand, trying to offer them popcorn to lighten the mood. "Relax, I've got control. They're safe in there, I swear! Just watch the screen if you don't trust me." Mewtwo's voice cut through, "I hope you're not lying."
The group hesitated, still on edge.
"Don't worry, they're loving it, trust me!" Gastly said.
With no choice, the group decided to watch the screen, keeping a sharp eye on Gastly to ensure no tricks.
…
In the dream world,
Ryn stood on Maiden's Peak, holding Meowscarada's hand, their bodies oddly out of control.
No maiden statue stood there now. Meowscarada wore a flowing maiden's dress, adorned with a delicate flower headband, petals tucked into her fur.
Their hearts ached with sadness, yet confusion swirled inside. Ryn's voice trembled, like a lover parting for war. "I'll come back, Meowscarada. I swear, no matter what, I'll return back."
Saying this he stepped onto a ship packed with soldiers, the deck creaking as it began to sail. He turned, calling out one last time, "I'll come back, my love!"
Meowscarada's eyes shimmered with tears. She whispered, "I'll wait… forever if I must," her voice echoing the maiden's timeless vow.
Ryn, heart pounding as he got control of his body, found himself on a creaking wooden ship, surrounded by soldiers in m military uniforms.
Meowscarada was gone, replaced by the faint outline of Maiden's Peak fading into the fog.
Standing alone on the cliff, Meowscarada felt the disorientation lift. She blinked as control returned, her heart racing with the weight of words she hadn't chosen to say.
Before she could process the shift, a cackle split the air. Gastly appeared with a wicked laugh.
"This is your test," Gastly hissed, its voice echoing in their minds. "You're trapped in my world now, bound to the tale of Maiden's Peak. Fail to reunite, and you'll remain here forever, lost in this world."
Ryn opened his mouth to demand answers, what was going on? But Gastly's form dissolved into mist, its laughter fading into the sea's roar.
Meowscarada reached out, her questions unanswered as the ghost vanished. They were alone, separated by an unseen force.
Memories not their own flooded their minds. Ryn became the lover of the woman whose statue stood on Maiden's Peak, a man who never returned after being taken to war.
The memories settled into their souls. Meowscarada realized she'd taken the role of the maiden of Maiden's Peak, Ryn, was her lover and was taken away to participate in war.