He was done. He was dead. Reidd had fallen to the bastard who had killed them all. It was a gift to Reidd, to free him from the curse.
(Break)
Reidd Shacker was pronounced dead on November 20th, having killed himself in a struggle to escape the asylum he called home. He was a diagnosed schizophrenic, who believed that he had killed every trainer he battled, despite having only one pokemon. He was declared a danger to himself and others, and had been put into a state-funded asylum. State-funded, as in the place was decrepit and home to dozens of building and maintenance violations. It should have been torn down under the cause of hazardous living conditions, but the state was too low on funds to maintain it or rebuild it, let alone tear it down and a build a new one. It was no surprise with this information that he killed himself in a struggle, but the public believed he was just a crazy old man who offed himself.
Jason knew better, though. He had seen the pokemon when Reidd had passed through his town. The thing was a goddamn monster. It just about killed every opponent it had while in the town. Jason was amazed by the sheer power of the creature and wanted desperately to meet Reidd, thinking of him as a legendary trainer, to be able to control such power. One day, Jason was able to meet Reidd and talk to him. Jason had asked him what breed it was, but a disturbed and scatter-minded Reidd only replied, "Ghost. Black Ghost."
The beast was described as the form taken by a Marowak in Lavender Town who had been killed by Team Rocket in an attempt to steal Cubone skulls. It was like Haunter, but hazier and more darkly colored. The beast used only one move in combat, Curse. Somehow, it supercharged the attack, rendering the result deadly. It was so dangerous, but the real power was in the Trainer's Soul.
It was imperative that Jason know these things. He was next.
(Break)
When Jason received his first Pokemon, two years after Reidd came to his town and a few days after Reidd's death, it appeared to be a Gastly. Although the local professor didn't remember capturing or receiving a Gastly, or even a Ghost pokemon, he disregarded it, as he was under multiple time crunches.
Jason couldn't wait to see what his pokemon was like, but he had to deal with his mother being her usual overbearing self. She gave him enough supplies to last an army about three months, but she knew he would be thankful later. She waved goodbye as he left the small town, calling out that he had better call her every week or so help her God.
As Jason left his hometown, he released his pokemon from its ball. It was then he realized it was not a Gastly, but the pokemon he had seen with Reidd, two years prior. It stared him down, its ghastly eyes boring into his soul. Despite having no mouth, it began to speak, in English, no less.
"Hello, child. You know who I am, do you not?" Jason simply nodded, fear-struck. "Good, you may call me what you wish. It won't matter soon. I will lead you to greatness, the greatness you want and deserve. Let us continue to Lavender Town." Jason was utterly fearful of the creature, but soon saw that he was harmless, at least right now. Jason walked, the Black Ghost following very close behind him, making Jason a little nervous.
(Break)
On the way, Black Ghost remained out, uncaged, moving alongside Jason. Jason became curious and wanted to know more about his strange pokemon. He suspected that this was the Black Ghost Reidd had had, who was supposedly the ghost of a Marowak who was killed by Team Rocket. His curiosity overcame him, so he began to ask questions.
"Black, are you the ghost of the Marowak that was killed by Team Rocket?" Jason was afraid of how the Black Ghost would respond, but the question hardly surprised Black, who saw this curiosity coming. It was important for Jason to ask questions, whether Black liked it or not.
Black laughed, "Ah, that myth. No, I am not. In fact, I am not the same Black Ghost as the one who followed the trainer, Reidd. That ghost was the soul of the Marowak, angry at trainers. I am of the same breed. In fact, I am the result of that Black Ghost passing on."
Jason was confused. "Passing on? The ghost died?"
The unusually jolly ghost chuckled. "I suppose it sounds very strange put that way. But yes, it was tied to the soul of that trainer. I am essentially the ghost of that ghost."
"So did it really kill pokemon or people?" Jason seemed adamant on this point, despite Black acting uncomfortable as he asked it. Black knew the truth; he saw what the first Black Ghost did, although from a neutral point. He decided to recount the whole story from Jason, so he could get the whole context, not just a skewed view of part of the story like many had, including the Black Ghost herself.
"She was the mother of a Cubone who was killed trying to keep Team Rocket from stealing her son's skull. She had many reasons to hate trainers and their pokemon. She believed that all of them were evil so she tried to kill many of them. She only killed one, a Gligar. If I were to evolve, that is what I would become. I have her form but its essence, but I will grow out of her form. The unfortunate truth is that I would have to kill a pokemon to evolve. I would have to perpetuate the curse." There was no way Black would unleash this evil on the world again, not when the next Ghost could abuse it the way he refused to. It was his duty to be different, maybe he couldn't use the power for good, but he could protect Jason from the evil it wrought.
"Damn. That sucks." Jason was downtrodden that his first pokemon would never be able to evolve. He perked up when he saw the road ahead. "Look, were almost to Lavender Town! Do you want to visit the Tower?" Black was somewhat able to ignore the vile nature of the question because of Jason's upbeat tone, although that nature wasn't implied by Jason.
"Yes, the Gligar I came from is buried there, on the fourth floor." Black was by no means looking forward to the visit, though. There was business to be taken care of.
(Break)
When they reach the fourth floor, Black had no trouble finding the grave of the Gligar. It was a plain headstone, simply the name of the deceased carved into it, but with the surrounding atmosphere, it was heart wrenching. Knowing where Black had come from, Jason felt a great deal of pity for the tortured soul. It must be horrible to know that you can never become whole. Jason thought, But then, there is a way.
"Black, what if I told you I wanted you into evolve? Would you let me try to help?" Jason was hopeful, wanting to help his partner, his newfound friend in any way to gain his trust better.
Black never looked at him. He wanted to, but he knew deep down he couldn't. "Jason, as much as I want to, I can't. I would have to kill, perpetuate this curse and the pain that goes with it. I would become corrupt, not just as this form, but also as the Gligar. I would act horribly to other creatures. Along with this, there is large chance it won't work. It didn't work for my ancestor."
"Yes, but she was the first. She was a full and true Black Ghost. You are only half, just as any descendants would be, half of her, half of the sacrifice made. Also, what do mean by corrupt? Won't you stay the same?" It made sense that he would be able to evolve this way, but Black knew he couldn't be the same. He wasn't about to keep these things from Jason, or things would go wrong quickly.
Despite this, he looked remorseful and seemed upset at the conversation, but, in the end, he decided it was best to get these things out now. "No. Just as it is my essence and her form now, when I evolve the roles will be reversed. I will be her, only physically a Gligar." It was difficult for him to accept this truth when he was first "born", but he knew it now and no longer denied it.
"I'm sorry I asked." Jason was scared of this whole damn thing. He liked Black, as he acted now. He didn't want him to become some unstoppable creature, lusting for power and blood to fill the void left by rage, the only emotion he would know. If he had known Black would change like that, he would have never wanted him to, he would have never even thought of it.
"No, it's important that you know, or it will be like what happened with Reidd, all over again." He regretted nothing, nor would he in the future, if he could help it.
Jason was still afraid of what he was being told, but he asked, if only for Black's sake. "What happened with Reidd? What aren't you telling me about him?" He was ready to be skeptical of any answer given by the obviously nervous ghostly pokemon.
Black saw it would be dark soon. Although he was a ghost, who could see at night and ate little, Jason would need food and shelter soon. "Jason, I will answer your question, but first we need to leave. It will be dark soon and we need to find a place to stay. We should set up camp outside of town, if anyone saw me, things wouldn't end well." Jason simply nodded and they left the tower.
(Break)
As they set up camp, Black addressed the question he knew was on Jason's mind. "Reidd did none of the things people said he did. The ghost did. She began to control his mind through the connection between them. She began to corrupt his soul and made him a pawn for her to use at will. At one point, she allowed him to capture a wild pokemon, a weak Rattata. She let him capture it, then made him rape it. I've heard they had a psychic read its mind to get an account and after the account was recorded, the psychic wiped its own mind, making it a vegetable."
Jason had just finished setting the tent and was getting ready to start a fire. "He raped it? God, he must have nearly killed it." He struck a match, lighting the dry tinder into a small inferno, which died down into mild campfire. He emptied the contents of a small package into it with some water from the river and held it over the fire trying to stay steady-handed.
Black was just hovering, having finished helping with the tent. "It died after the psychic read its mind. The point is, I don't want to become that or force you to do anything even close to that."
"Thank you, Black. I love you. Do you want any?" He said gesturing toward the fresh made food. Black nodded and took some of the hot rice, ignoring the meat that was with it. He wanted to avoid eating meat, a sort of recompense for his ancestor's actions. He settled in and went to sleep outside the tent as Jason crawled in and went to sleep himself. He wasn't about to let anyone come anywhere near his trainer. It was stupid of him to come to Lavender Town, though. He would pay for his mistake.
Yes! 2000 words, w/o this author's note. This story is based off of the creepypasta about the Lavender Town ghost. I suggest looking that up. The name Reidd is taken from the name given to the Trainer in the YouTube videos of this, so that's where that's from. Thank you for reading and I will continue this. Please Review.
Peace,
~Blaze