Becoming a human's Pokémon, the condition Ash proposed was beyond Gastly's expectations, yet the more it thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed.
A Gastly that had lived for a thousand years, that could even speak human language, if such a being became his Pokémon, the help it could provide would be immeasurable.
Of course, Gastly itself was well aware of how rare its existence was. Even among Ghost-types, who naturally lived longer than most Pokémon, a lifespan of a thousand years was exceptionally rare.
Over those long centuries, it hadn't focused on power alone. Instead, it had learned countless strange techniques and even mastered human speech. That was why, after a thousand years, its strength had only reached the Elite level, not because of weakness, but because it had spent too much time learning other things.
Gastly carefully weighed Ash's proposal. Finally, under the gazes of Ash and the spectral maiden, its gaseous form bobbed slightly as it gave a slow nod.
"I agree, young man," Gastly said. "You have good character. If you hadn't said you'd purify her even if you won, I would never have accepted your condition. Those words earned my respect, and let me understand what kind of person you are. That way, even if I lose and become your Pokémon, it won't be so unbearable."
Gastly's tone carried a hint of warmth. It had accepted not only for the maiden's sake, but because of Ash himself.
To say that he would purify her soul regardless of victory or defeat, those words alone were enough to reveal his heart.
Behind Ash, Misty and Brock were completely lost.
They were about to battle for a Pokémon now? And what was all that talk about "purifying the maiden's soul"?
Misty and Brock couldn't even see any ghostly maiden!
"Do you want to see her?" Ash asked, glancing back at them. "See what the maiden really looks like?"
Though Misty was afraid, her curiosity quickly overpowered her fear. She nodded with determination. Brock, of course, wasn't afraid at all, only intrigued.
"Wait a moment, Gastly," Ash said apologetically, then placed his palm gently on Misty's shoulder.
A faint blue light radiated from Ash's hand and slowly spread to Misty. A warm current flowed from her shoulder through her entire body, replacing the eerie chill of the gorge with gentle warmth.
This feeling… is this Aura?
As the Aura flowed into her, Misty's eyes widened. Suddenly, she saw the maiden.
The woman's figure was faint and translucent, yet her pale skin still shimmered softly. Her white dress swayed in the wind, and her delicate face carried a sorrowful beauty.
The sight stunned Misty. All her fear melted away in an instant.
"So beautiful… Are all ghosts this beautiful? If so, ghosts don't seem scary anymore," she murmured.
"Heh, that's her true form before she turned into a vengeful spirit," Gastly chuckled. "If her soul really deteriorated, she'd scare the little girl here into fainting."
There was a gleam of curiosity in Gastly's eyes. It had known of Aura, but never imagined it could be used this way, to let someone without spiritual power see the spirit world. Truly fascinating.
Ash then turned to Brock, sharing the Aura with him as well. When Brock saw the maiden, he was stunned speechless.
This was the same maiden he'd seen under hypnosis. Even without being controlled, he might've been drawn here by her beauty alone. James had simply been unlucky, Brock's arrival was definitely not coincidence.
After letting them both see the ghostly maiden, Ash stepped forward. "You two, back up. The battle's range might get a little large."
An Elite-level Pokémon battle could level the entire area. The destructive power of such Pokémon was no joke. In official matches between Trainers of that caliber, barriers were always used to protect spectators.
So it was best for Misty and Brock to move as far away as possible.
"Wait, Ash, do you really have a Pokémon that can handle this Gastly? Its level is at least Gym-level, maybe higher!" Misty said anxiously.
Until now, they'd been too shocked by Ash's actions to even consider Gastly's strength. But this was no ordinary battle, Gastly's power wasn't something they could take lightly.
Ash's Pikachu was currently Elite-level mid-tier, having gained another small level since Vermilion Gym. The growth rate was fast, yes, but compared to Gastly, it was still far apart.
Even with the hat, even in Partner Form, it wasn't enough.
How could an Elite-level Pokémon fight evenly with a higher-tier Elite?
Ash paused at Misty's words, then turned to Gastly. "Gastly, your level should be Elite High-tier, right? My strongest Pokémon is only at the Elite level. If you don't mind, how about two-on-one?"
Brock and Misty: "???"
"No, wait, Ash, what did you just say?" Brock stammered, his voice rising. "Elite High-tier?! Are you serious?!"
Ash shook his head. "My knowledge may not be as deep as yours, but my Aura perception, and these eyes of mine, don't lie. Gastly's level is already Elite High-tier."
"Elite level?!" Misty exclaimed, nearly pulling her hair out. "What are you even trying to fight?! Just surrender already!"
If it were a Gym-level Pokémon, there might still be a one-in-a-thousand chance Pikachu could pull off a miracle, especially with the Light Ball.
But against an Elite?
Even if Pikachu blew itself up, it wouldn't win!
"Heh, do as you please," Gastly chuckled. "You can even send all seven of your Pokémon at once. As long as you can defeat me, I'll become yours."
Although Poké Balls blocked most energy signatures, Gastly's ghostly senses easily pierced that barrier. He could feel that Ash's strongest Pokémon was the Electric-type mouse beside him. The others, no matter how many, posed no threat.
That mouse did give him an odd feeling, true, but still, there was no way it could beat him. That was one of the reasons Gastly had so confidently accepted Ash's challenge.
Your team, even combined, can't defeat me. So how exactly do you plan to capture me, boy?
If Ash couldn't win, then he'd have no argument to stand on.
Ash nodded at Gastly's words, then turned his gaze to the small figure sitting on his shoulder.
"Ralts, you're up first."
"Ralts? Ralts ralts!!"
The little Pokémon pointed at herself in shock, blinking. She was the one starting such an important battle?
But since it was Ash's command, of course she had to obey.
Ralts floated gently from his shoulder to the ground and let out a spirited cry toward Gastly, her eyes filled with determination.
"What is Ash thinking?" Misty muttered in disbelief. "Sending her against an Elite Gastly, that's crazy! He never does this. He spoils her the most."
Brock nodded in agreement, equally puzzled.
Ralts was like a little princess on the team. Though she trained diligently and joined in lighter battles, Ash usually shielded her from dangerous ones.
When it came to fighting above their level, it was always Pikachu, Charmander, or one of his sturdier partners who took the field.
Ralts's role was, frankly, to be adorable.
Yet now, against an Elite High-tier Gastly, Ash was sending her in first?
Was he trying to make her suffer? What was the point?!
"Sending such a tiny girl to lead the charge?" Gastly's voice rippled with amusement. "Young man, I won't hold back. Don't blame me if she gets hurt."
"Don't worry," Ash said with a confident grin. "You can't hurt her. Ralts, use Discern!"
"Ralts!!"
A faint, ethereal glow flared in Ralts's eyes. Her hair rippled though there was no wind, and an invisible force surged outward. A moment later, Gastly's smoky form began to stabilize, its once-ghostly body becoming faintly solid, anchored by Ralts's power.
Gastly blinked in mild surprise. "Discern? So you can make me tangible. And what then? Planning to hit me with Normal or Fighting moves? Keep dreaming~"
He sounded amused, almost teasing. He wasn't even bothering to attack.
In his mind, there was no need. That little Ralts could strike him however she liked, he'd let her have her moment before effortlessly countering.
And using Discern, of all things? So what if she made him solid? It changed nothing.
But just as Gastly was thinking this, Ash raised his hand and said, "Alright, Ralts, come back. You've done your part."
"Ralts?"
The little Pokémon tilted her head, confused. She'd only used one move, was her mission already complete?
Still, she obeyed. Ralts floated back toward Ash, ready to perch on his shoulder again.
But instead, Ash caught her midair and gently set her down beside Pikachu.
"Pikachu, take Ralts and move a little farther back."
"Pika?!" Pikachu's eyes widened. 'You're actually going to perform that?!'
"What do you mean, 'perform'?!" Ash huffed, rolling his eyes. "Call it a long-overdue personal exercise."
"Pikachu, pika pika." 'Fine, fine, we'll watch your exercise from over there then.'
Pikachu, with Ralts perched happily on his back, scampered toward where Misty and Brock stood watching. Despite Pikachu's small frame, he carried Ralts easily, steady and carefree, like he'd done it a hundred times before.
Misty and Brock, however, only looked more confused.
First, Ash had used Discern, then he called Ralts back, and now Pikachu was retreating too? Did Ash have another Pokémon that could deal with Gastly? It had to be one that required using Discern first to make Gastly solid.
As that thought formed, realization dawned on Misty. Her eyes widened, and her face froze in disbelief.
'No way… It couldn't be what I'm thinking, right?'
"Hey, young man," Gastly said lazily, forming a pair of smoky hands that stretched out and made an exaggerated yawn. "Which Pokémon are you sending out next? Why not just release them all at once? No point dragging this out."
He didn't quite understand what Ash was planning, why that little Ralts had used one move before leaving, but at least now, he understood why Ash had claimed Gastly couldn't hurt her.
How could he hurt her if she wasn't even on the field?
Still, this slow pacing was starting to get annoying. Gastly decided to just let Ash throw everything he had at once.
In the face of overwhelming power, any tactic was useless.
Ash rolled his shoulders, twisting his neck to loosen up, then cracked his knuckles as he stepped forward.
"Don't worry," he said calmly. "No need for all that. I said two versus one, and I meant it. Ralts is off the field, and next up is…"
He raised his fist, his eyes glinting.
"Ash from Pallet Town."
The air around him exploded.
A surge of brilliant blue light burst from Ash's body, his Aura unleashed in full. His light-blue jacket whipped in the rising wind, waves of pure force rippling outward from him, stirring the dust and pebbles across the rocky cliff.
The trainer himself was stepping into battle.
Gastly froze.
"Wait, wait, hold on a second!" Gastly's smoky form trembled as his voice rose. "When you said two versus one, you meant you and a Pokémon? Not two Pokémon? That's not how this works!"
Ash grinned, teeth gleaming white against the night sky. "I never said I'd be using Pokémon for the two-on-one."
Gastly's expression darkened, though his face was already shadow itself.
Was this human serious? Trainers weren't supposed to fight. That wasn't how Pokémon battles worked.
But then again, the real reason humans didn't join battles was simple: their bodies couldn't handle it. Even an ordinary-level Pokémon could wipe out a trained martial artist in seconds.
Yet Ash was different.
Gastly's mind flickered back to when he'd first encountered Ash, to that faint, dangerous power radiating from him even then. That instinctive chill that had made Gastly stop fighting and offer compensation before things got out of hand.
He hadn't wanted to risk angering someone who carried that kind of Aura, not with the maiden's soul nearby.
And now, he'd walked straight into this.
As the realization sank in, Gastly felt a deep, spectral headache coming on.