My alarm went off, and I jumped out of bed. Today was the day I got to get my first Pokémon! Okay, so the choices weren't that good, I mean, I'd prefer a Chimchar to a Charmander, but you take what you're given. So I quickly got dressed and left the house, not even bothering to say goodbye to Mom. Screw her.
She called out after me. "Happy birthday, Dom!"
"Yeah, yeah." Today was my 16th birthday. The Kanto government (basically the Elite Four) had placed a law on trainers, making the minimum starting age sixteen. I guess too many ten year olds were turning up dead.

I arrived at the Oak Pokémon Lab about two minutes later. As I pushed open the door and entered the lab, I felt a cool draft of air brush across my shoulders momentarily, making me shiver. Stop it, I scolded myself. Just tell Oak to turn the air con down. I nodded to myself – cause that's what I do – and shut the door.

As I walked down the hall towards Oak's pokemon room, I continued to feel the cold air, and it had seemed to settle on my back. I began to shiver, even though the rest of my body was warm. Oak must have a stray Gastly in here. I nodded again, reassuring myself, as I entered the selection room. Professor Oak awaited me, with a smile on his face.

"Dominic, welcome!" He looked around. "You seem to be the first here. So, you get first pick!"
"Ah, sweet." I walked over to the table and picked up a Pokéball with the fire emblem on it without hesitating. "I'll take Charmander."
Oak smiled again. "This pokémon is really energetic!"
I grimaced. "I know that."
"Do you want to give a nickname to Charmander?"
"Of course I don't, you old coot."
Oak's smile rapidly disappeared, but reappeared when his grandson entered the selection room.

"Gramps! I'm fed up with waiting!"
Oak sighed. "Lawson, I've been waiting for you, idiot." He sighed and gestured to the table. "Pick your Pokémon."
"All right!" Lawson ran over to the table. "I choose Squirtle!"
"Yeah, well done." Oak handed me five pokéballs and a Pokédex. I clipped my Pokéballs onto my belt, and suddenly I felt one of them – not Charmander's – grow heavy. I unclipped it and sent an enquiring look at Oak, who looked shocked.
"I swear those Pokéballs were empty." Shrugging, I detached the ball from my belt and threw it.
"Pokéball, go!"

What happened next... well...

A strange pokémon appeared, nothing like any I'd seen before. Oak gasped and leant against the table, gripping it for support. The strange Pokémon looked around, taking in the surrounding room, Professor Oak, Lawson, and then finally settling on me. It seemed to smile as it hovered a little closer to me.
"Ghost." I flinched a little as it said its name, but then relaxed as it seemed to mean me no harm. Lawson whipped out his Pokédex and aimed it at Ghost.
The mechanical voice sounded. "Unknown Pokémon." It paused briefly. "Level one. Known attacks: Curse."
Lawson pressed the "Attack Information" button.
"Curse – Will immediately deliver a crushing blow to end the opposing Pokémon."

Oak took a deep breath. "I've never heard of 'Curse' before." He looked at me, panicking. "I think you should release Ghost."
I shrugged. "Only if you give me the Bulbasaur."
"Yes, yes, just release Ghost!"
I flipped Ghost's pokéball over and found the switch, flicking it on. Ghost was suddenly bathed in a blue light. It blinked, then disappeared, and I felt another of the Pokéballs at my waist grow heavy. I looked at Oak.

"It doesn't look like Ghost's going anywhere." I threw the now useless Pokéball into a nearby trash can, and plucked the heavy Pokéball from my belt. "Ghost, come out."
The gaseous form appeared again, looking rather pleased with itself. Oak slid down onto the floor and heaved out a deep sigh.
"Fine. Whatever." He took a deep breath as I returned Ghost to its Pokéball. "Just leave now. Don't come back till you've gotten rid of that thing."
I nodded and left the room.

I'm not going to bore you with details of my journey. Having Ghost on my team was a real bonus, and he quickly became my leading Pokémon. But I will tell you about my first battle with Ghost.

I'd just entered the Pewter City Gym, and was ready to battle. Brock caught sight of me and paled.

"You're Dominic from Pallet Town?"
I nodded. "That's me."
Brock stepped backwards warily. "I'll give you the Badge if you leave right now."
This made me pause. What was wrong with this guy? "No. I want to battle."
Brock grew even more frightened. "Then so be it." He pulled a Pokéball from his belt. "Go, Onix!"
I pulled Ghost's pokéball from my belt and threw it. "Ghost, let's do it!"
Ghost appeared and looked around, smiling.
"Onix, use Rock Throw!"
"Ghost, use Curse!"

Suddenly, the Gym became darker than night, and I couldn't see anything. I heard Onix cry out, and suddenly it became light again. Onix was gone, and its pokéball was too. Brock was terrified. He threw the badge at me.

"Take it and leave! Never return!" He threw some money at my feet and turned to flee. Ghost's eyes suddenly turned red, and the Gym became dark again. I faintly heard Brock scream. When it became light, Brock was gone, a tombstone placed where he last stood. I shivered.
"Let's get out of here."
Ghost nodded, a sadistic smile on his face as he followed me out of the Gym.

We took Kanto by storm, knocking down everyone in our path. Even after we'd won the battle, Ghost would still use Curse, killing the trainer we'd fought. Over the time of the journey, six months or so, I just stopped caring about the other trainers. I suppose it was something to do with Ghost.

When we beat down the Elite Four (Agatha was a real bitch, since Curse didn't affect three out of her five pokémon) and destroyed Lawson, slimly little prick, I allowed Professor Oak to upload my Pokémon into the Hall of Fame.

HALL OF FAME

Dominic Wales

26/11/2010

Ghost – Level 95
Wins: 290 Losses: 0
Met: Level 1, Pallet Town

Charizard – Level 39
Wins: 43 Losses: 1
Met: Level 5, Pallet Town

Jolteon – Level 29
Wins: 21 Losses: 0
Met: Level 25, Celadon City

As you can see, my Hall of Fame consisted of Ghost and two very under levelled Pokémon.

After I'd entered the Hall of Fame, I declined the Champion's position and moved to Lavender Town, where I worked in the Pokémart for many years. Over the years, my Pokémon died, as they do. I buried them in the Pokémon Tower, with Ghost by my side.

One morning, I woke up early. It had been nearly fifty years since I'd been on my journey, and Ghost was still hanging around. This morning, he seemed quite agitated and was trying to get me out of the house. Bemused, I followed.

The town was empty. That was strange to start with, as it was normally bustling with trainers passing through, the locals, and Mr. Fuji's grandson was usually around. Not today. I saw Ghost enter the Tower, so I followed.

Eventually I ended up in front of Jolteon's grave, who was buried next to Charizard. All I could hear was a high-pitched tune, constantly repeating, but it seemed to be playing within my own head. I left the tower, looking for Ghost, however I couldn't find him. I wandered for ages, before walking south and going west to Diglett's Cave. Still, I could not find any people or wild Pokémon.

I made it back to Pallet Town in about four hours or so and entered my mother's old house. Right now, my sister's child and his wife were living there, but of course they were nowhere to be found. I unlocked the door using my old key and entered, slowly walking up the stairs and into my old room.

It was the same as I had left it, my bed untouched, the ancient television still in place. I stood in front of the old television and picked up the SNES controller, before Ghost suddenly appeared beside me. He grinned and the room turned black.

Before me appeared an Onix, a Weedle, then a Pidgey, then a Rattata. I suddenly realised that these were the Pokémon that I had ordered Ghost to use Curse on. When that horrible display was done (finishing with Lawson's Blastoise, whom was Ghost's final battle in the Elite Four) trainers began to appear. First came Brock, who had tears of blood trickling down his face. Next came the young trainers who wait east of Pewter City. By the time Lawson appeared in front of me, the horrible tune in my head had decreased in pitch, becoming little more than a demonic rumble. I held my head in my hands and cried.

Suddenly, the room became pure white, and Ghost appeared in front of me.

"GHOST wants to fight!" The voice in my head was unexpected, but I didn't really care.
"Ghost, please don't do this!" I struggled, my feeble body no longer strong.
Ghost hovered in front of me, impassive. "..."
I struggled again, making myself weaker. "Please! We've always been there for each other!"

Once again I struggled, feeling like I was about to die. "Please!"
Ghost moved forward. "Ghoooost." He used Curse.

The world turned black a final time.