The two of them arrived at the staircase leading from the first floor to the second.
Looking upward, a chilling, ominous aura poured down from above, as if it could swallow a person whole. Misty couldn't help but shiver.
Ghost-type Pokémon weren't scary.
But up there… there were real ghosts!
Farfetch'd!
Why did this suddenly feel like it had nothing to do with her?
Misty slapped her forehead as she realized a fatal oversight.
"Oh, right! Brock being left alone isn't safe either. If he ends up trapped forever in… whatever spiritual place that was and never comes back, at least I can help collect his remains. As for you—good luck. Bye-bye!"
Without waiting for Ash to respond, she bolted back toward the entrance in a flash, clearly planning to chat with that old shrine maiden instead.
Ash: "…"
Tch. So this is how women are. How laughable.
Shaking his head, Ash turned to Cubone and Pikachu.
"Let's go. Ghosts, demons—whatever. As long as we're righteous and fearless, nothing can touch us!"
"Cubone!"
Cubone eagerly smashed its bone club against the stairs. The aura coming from above felt increasingly familiar to it.
But… only one response came.
Ash frowned. Where was the usual "Pika pika"?
He suddenly realized Pikachu was no longer beside him.
Turning around, Ash quickly spotted it—in the most obvious place possible.
A full bedding set—mattress, blanket, pillow—had somehow appeared inside the green safety barrier. Pikachu was curled up inside, sleeping soundly… even snoring.
Electric-type mice, it seemed, were afraid of ghosts too.
Ash: "…"
Damn it.
This mouse is slacking off again!
Left with no choice, Ash grabbed Cubone under one arm, took a deep breath, and climbed the stairs alone.
Behind him, a large Gengar slowly emerged, its body flickering in and out of visibility.
"Geng geng geng~"
Pokémon Tower – Second Floor
Though still indoors, the fog on the second floor was suddenly thick and heavy.
Gray-white gravestones stood solemnly throughout the hall, while a familiar green pillar of light glowed at the center.
It seemed every floor had one of these barriers—at least travelers had somewhere safe to rest.
Before long, eerie howling sounds echoed through the air.
This was officially a zone where wild Pokémon could appear.
"Shi—"
"Hee—"
The noises grew louder.
Ash looked up sharply.
At some point, two wild Pokémon had appeared in front of him.
One was little more than a floating black spherical head, its body seemingly made of gas. Purple mist swirled around it as it drifted through the air, wearing a menacing expression.
The other looked similar, but its gaseous form had condensed further. Though it still had a spiky head, two purple claw-like hands floated in front of it.
"Beep. Gastly, the Gas Pokémon.
Born from poisonous gases, it can envelop opponents in its body."
"Beep. Haunter, the Gas Pokémon.
The evolved form of Gastly. It uses its floating hands to strike fear into opponents."
The Pokédex announced.
"So these are Ghost-type Pokémon…"
Ash narrowed his eyes. He'd heard of Gengar's evolutionary line before, but he hadn't expected the differences to be so drastic.
How could two skinny, underfed-looking Pokémon eventually turn into something so round and chubby?
Ash silently offered them a moment of respect.
Meanwhile, Gastly and Haunter glared back with hostility.
In the past, they might've just played pranks on humans.
But now, sensing that humans intended to destroy Pokémon Tower itself—erasing their home entirely—their playful nature had vanished, replaced by hatred.
Dark energy gathered in their eyes as they prepared Night Shade.
Defeat the humans. Protect our sacred home!
"Smack!"
"Smack!"
Before Night Shade could be unleashed, two crisp slapping sounds rang out.
No attacker was seen—only a paper talisman fan flying in from nowhere, smashing directly into the heads of both Ghost-types.
Because their bodies were gaseous, their heads visibly caved in, and the Night Shade energy detonated right in front of their faces.
"BOOM!!"
Ghost-types hitting themselves—
It's super effective!
Gastly and Haunter crashed to the ground, their semi-gaseous bodies dented inward, looking utterly pitiful.
"Geng—geng—geng!!"
Half a second later, Ash's Gengar finally revealed itself, floating smugly in midair. It pointed at the two fallen Pokémon with its chubby finger, its body twitching as if laughing mercilessly.
That's it?
"Wait… that fan—"
Ash's sharp eyes noticed something.
Gengar was holding a paper fan with four familiar characters written on it:
"Evil Begone."
"…That's the shrine maiden's exorcism tool!"
The one that could practically erase Red on the spot?!
And Gengar had just… borrowed it?
Red: "…"
The pressure was back on him.
Gengar floated closer. Seeing it was their evolved form, Gastly and Haunter instantly behaved themselves.
"Geng geng geng?
(So… are there any female Gengar up here?)"
The two Ghost-types tilted their heads, clearly struggling to understand.
Female Gengar?
Did he mean… a Gengar with a big appetite?
"Gha…"
"Hee…"
They nodded hurriedly.
Pokémon Tower was mostly filled with Gastly and Haunter, plus the occasional Rattata wandering in.
But above them all ruled a true boss—
A Gengar.
The kind that could eat ten Clefable in one meal.
Definitely matched Gengar's idea of "big appetite."
"Geng geng!!"
Satisfied, Gengar puffed itself up like a balloon and waved them away, signaling them not to interfere with its pursuit of true love.
The two Ghost-types wisely drifted back into the fog and vanished.
"Geng!!"
Gengar floated back to Ash, gesturing excitedly that the female Gengar was upstairs.
Let's go!
Seeing Ash deep in thought, Gengar suddenly raised the paper fan mischievously and swung it toward his head.
Danger!!
An overwhelming sense of crisis flooded Ash's body, nearly suffocating him.
Ash was shocked.
He'd been wondering whether that fan would work the same way if someone else used it—
Is this Gengar insane?! Using it on its own Trainer?!
Is this attempted murder?!
If that hit landed, he'd be picking out a burial plot right here and then—incense included.
"Whoosh!"
Adrenaline exploded through his body. Ash dodged sideways in a blur, barely avoiding the devastating strike.
"Haa…"
That was close.
When he stood back up, his entire back was soaked in sweat.
Ash had only bought one stick of incense earlier—he wasn't planning on buying another one for Red today.
Even within his soul, Red let out a long breath of relief.
For a moment there, even he had felt like he was about to be completely erased.
Psyduck it!
What exactly is that fan?!
Ash snapped back to reality, planning to give Gengar a serious lecture. Dangerous items like that should probably be burned with Charmander's flames.
"…Huh?"
Where did Gengar go?
He looked around, but that familiar round silhouette was nowhere to be seen.
"Geng geng geng!!"
A mischievous laugh echoed from directly above him.
Ash's breathing stalled. He swallowed hard.
A terrible thought crossed his mind.
Fun fact:
If an evil spirit is behind you, it won't attack as long as you don't turn around.
Unfortunately, his neck began to itch unbearably.
Unable to resist his curiosity, Ash finally looked up.
A Gengar was floating right in front of him.
Eye to eye.
Face to face.
Its blood-red eyes were wide with malicious glee, its mouth stretched into a toothy grin.
But none of that was the real problem.
The real problem was—
What it was holding.
"Smack!"
The sound rang out clearly.
At this distance, not even Arceus could have dodged it.
The paper fan slammed squarely into Ash's face, leaving a vivid red mark behind.
In the next instant, a strange sensation washed over him—like his soul was being gently lifted away.
His vision spun.
In a daze, Ash seemed to see a brilliant golden light.
Within it, a half-transparent young man wearing a cap slowly rose upward.
His form was peaceful. Sacred.
He looked exactly like how Ash had always imagined Red.
Above him stretched something like a heavenly realm filled with holy music.
That day—
Red was finally laid to rest by Ash's own Pokémon.
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