(For the context of the story in mostly just this chapter, I'll be delving into a bit of competitive breeding and battling terminology. You'll see why, but sorry to those who aren't well versed in these mechanics; I swear this is the only time where it's important… mostly cause Danny will have no idea what any of it means either.
Also, Phantom Planet didn't happen in this story.)
Prologue- Lonely Natured Haunter
Hey there! I didn't see you show up! Impressive! I don't mean to brag, but it's usually pretty hard to spook me.
My name's Haunter. Just Haunter. Really. No nicknames, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Who needs a trainer to give you a stupid nickname like 'Spooky', or 'Casper', or 'Shadow', or something else like that? If a trainer were to try and call me that, I'd Shadow Claw their eyes out.
Who needs a trainer to force you to do stuff you don't want to do? Who needs a trainer to waste your time sending you off to silly plays over in Nimbasa City? Or to share a Castelia Cone with you? Or to hang out by the beach in Undella Town? Or to love and assure you that you aren't just some pawn to battle others for your own fame and glory, and that you actually matter and aren't part of some vicious cycle of breeding and abandonment?
...Okay, truth is I used to have a Trainer. Used to. I used to share Castelia Cones with him. And hang out by the beach in Undella Town. And go around all of Unova collecting badges and having a grand adventure. I was my old trainer's Ace! Better than that stupid Snivy he kept around for some reason! He didn't go all the way and become Champion, but that was okay! He didn't care; he just wanted to have the experience in trying. He'd pat me on the back (or try to… what, I'm a Ghost made entirely out of gas, cut me some slack!) and tell me, 'Good going, Specter, you did your best!'
...Alright, so I DO have a nickname. You can shut up now.
My old trainer and me, we did everything together… until he grew up.
When he became an adult, he learned how to battle properly, and how to breed. He found himself a Ditto and stuck us both in a daycare. After a little magic (like I'd tell you people how a Pokemon reproduces. Use your imagination!) out came a fresh baby Gastly. With anything a big league player could ever want.
I'm… not the best Haunter to have on a competitive team. I'm a Lonely nature Haunter, and it doesn't just mean I'm seriously lonely and in need of a hug. Once he found a Gastly that was ten times better than me, he dropped me like a fired up Electrode and ditched me in White Forest, where I've been stuck sitting on a rock since, for about two years now. I heard the jerk's a Gengar now and the two of them are sitting pretty up in the Pokemon League as Champions of Unova, the title that should belong to ME! Not the Gengar, ME!
But who cares? Only special people like Ghost-Types anyways. I have the misfortune of being not only one pariah type, but TWO! Not all Poison-Types are bad, people! Some of us actually WANT someone to love us…
Ah, who am I kidding? Who the heck could love a freak Haunter like me? I'm not good for anything but scaring people who pass through, just like the rest of my species. Not good at battling, surely not good at getting along with others at this point… I'm just useless..
Maybe I'll get lucky and find someone who understands what it's like to not fit in...
