Natsui withdrew a Poké Ball and held it out toward Gastly.
Gastly didn't hesitate. His form brushed the Poké Ball's catch sensor and, with a flash of red light, he was drawn inside.
The Poké Ball wobbled slightly and, after a soft "click," fell perfectly still.
Did I really catch him successfully?!
But before Natsui could celebrate, the Poké Ball that had just confirmed the catch snapped open, and Gastly drifted back out on his own.
"I can't stand being cooped up in there—it's dark and cramped," Gastly complained as he floated. "I'm used to freedom. I'd rather be out here without restraints."
"Then don't stay in the Poké Ball," Natsui said coolly. "Honestly, I don't like traveling alone either. Having a Pokémon by my side is the best thing I could ask for."
Gastly nodded and resumed hovering before Maiden's Rock.
"This year's summer festival is over. Your legend will probably live on for many years to come."
A ghostly image of a woman emerged from Maiden's Rock—it was the true maiden's spirit!
The phantom spoke softly, "Thank you, Gastly."
"You're welcome," Gastly smiled. "I only did it so that this legend, which was slowly fading away, would be revived in people's memories."
The spirit clasped her hands together. "All this time, I have waited here, longing for the day I'd be reunited with him. No matter how long it takes, I will wait."
Gastly drifted aside so the spirit could see Natsui, then said, "I'm sure you've heard what's happened. From now on, I'm off on my journey. Perhaps I'll cross paths with your beloved somewhere. Rest assured, when that day comes, I'll carry your feelings to him!"
"Thank you so much!"
Joy filled the maiden's voice, and with that, she floated back into Maiden's Rock and vanished.
…
When he returned to the Pokémon Center, dawn was just breaking. Natsui, who'd barely stayed awake, felt his eyelids grow impossibly heavy the moment he stepped into the warm room.
Ash slept soundly, but Brock—who'd dozed far too long during the day—heard the noise and opened his eyes.
He looked much more rested after a good night's sleep.
"Why are you back so late?"
Yawning, Natsui replied, "I took advantage of the night to wrap up the ghost matter."
"Oh, by the way," Natsui suddenly remembered and said to Brock, "Gastly was a bit rude earlier. How about letting him apologize to you?"
Brock's eyes widened. "You caught him?"
Natsui said nothing, but from his shadow, a black sphere wreathed in purple gas floated out unexpectedly.
"Wah!"
Brock jumped and let out a startled yelp. Hearing the commotion, Pikachu rubbed its eyes, peeked out, and looked on curiously. Only Ash turned over and continued snoring.
"You there, narrow-eyed fellow. Besides being a flirt, you're not exactly brave," Gastly teased. "What happened before was just a prank—I hope you're not taking it to heart."
Brock, with his extremely gentle nature, hadn't held a grudge anyway; at Gastly's apology, any lingering resentment melted away.
Natsui pulled out his phone and checked the time.
"I don't know how long I'll sleep. When Ash wakes up, you two should head out first. I'll stay here another day or two. If we get the chance later on, we'll meet up again."
"But isn't everything finished now? Why stay?" Brock asked, puzzled. Seeing Natsui offered no further explanation, he nodded. "Alright, then we'll head off first."
After quickly freshening up, Natsui fell asleep—and when he opened his eyes again, it was already afternoon.
These past two days of extreme exhaustion—up all night, sleeping all day—had completely thrown off his internal clock, leaving his mind far from sharp.
Ash and the others had long since departed. When Misty heard Natsui wanted to stay a few more days, she too wished to remain, but since Natsui didn't ask, she had no choice but to give in, and with one last backward glance, she left with Ash and Brock.
The reason Natsui chose to stay was, naturally, his desire to see this beautiful legend shared in the best way possible.
Having experienced the event firsthand convinced him that true, eternal love does exist in the world.
However, the method Gastly had used before wasn't the right one. It was not only inefficient but also failed to spread the story effectively.
Now that Gastly was his Pokémon, Natsui believed they could, together, help carry out that task as best they could.
He wrote down everything that had happened since his arrival at Cape Maiden. Then he visited the shrine and, through the elder priest, learned of the tales of love and heartbreak that had unfolded there over two thousand years. He blended all this material, edited, trimmed, and polished it into a heartfelt, six-thousand-word story.
Recalling a conversation with Koharu—where she'd told him her mother, Yoshino, had taught herself to paint and dreamed of being an illustrator—he emailed the story to Koharu, asking her to pass on his request in hopes Yoshino would add some illustrations.
Koharu replied with a simple "OK" emoji.
Shortly after, Natsui received a call from an unknown number.
When he answered, a cheerful female voice said, "Hello, good morning—this is Sakuragi Yoshino speaking. Are you Mr. Natsui?" (Here, Yoshino is her given name, taken from the Somei Yoshino cherry blossom.)
Knowing it was Koharu's mother, Natsui responded politely, "Hello, Auntie. This is Natsui."
Sakuragi Yoshino said, "Koharu just told me your story. What you wrote is wonderful. I had heard the Maiden's Rock legend before—but I never knew it was real!"
Natsui smiled, "Though it sounds incredible, I saw the maiden's spirit with my own eyes. However, I ask that you keep this a secret, Auntie. Otherwise, Maiden's Rock might attract people with ill intentions."
Sakuragi Yoshino: "I understand. It's like some of my husband's research—it needs to stay confidential. From what Koharu said, do you need help with illustrations?"
"Yes," Natsui hesitated for a moment. "I'm sorry to trouble you, Auntie. After learning the story in depth, I believe it must be shared."
Sakuragi Yoshino laughed, "Don't be so formal—you're part of the Sakuragi Lab, after all. Actually, I think turning it into a manga would be even better than just illustrations."
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