Hey guys, sorry for being a day late with this!

Anyway, today we're seeing the next leg of Ash's modified journey.

So let's go!


"So, this is Saffron city huh?" Summer said as they walked on the outskirts of the largest city in Kanto.

"Yeah, but like Ash said, we're making a stop first." Brock said.

"I remember something my dad said years ago, he mentionned there was a place close to Saffron where you could find ghost type pokemon." Ash explained a bit.

"Your father?" Lapis questionned.

"You don't really mention him much." Misty noted.

"I don't see him often, he's exploring the world right now, trying to find all sorts of Pokemon." Ash said with a smile.

"When was the last time you saw him?" Summer asked.

"My 10th birthday, he wasn't able to make it to my 11th, but he managed to send a letter at least, he wished me good luck on my journey, and he said he'd be proud of me." Ash said happily.

"Your dad sounds like a nice guy, what's his name anyway?" Brock asked.

"Carmine Ketchum." Ash answered.

"Wait, I think I've heard that name before a few years ago, isn't that the name of the last person to reach the top of Mt. Battle in the Orre region?" Misty asked thoughfully.

"Yep! That's my dad alright!" Ash said with a grin as they got on the path to the Ghost Tower.

"So, you know that the only Ghost pokemon native to Kanto are the Gastly evolutionnary line, right?" Lapis questionned.

"Yeah, I think I'll try to catch a Haunter." Ash said thoughtfully.

"Do you have anything that could beat it though?" Summer wondered.

Ash nodded "I've been teaching everyone some new moves each time we stop, and Charmander managed to learn Shadow Claw."

"That could be helpful, seeing as Sabrina runs a Psychic type gym, Charmander could give you a small advantage, and the Haunter you want to catch would give you an even bigger one." Brock said with a nod.

After a few hours of walking in a light fog, the group reached the Ghost Tower at dusk, the setting sun casting an orange glow on the area.

Misty shivered a bit as she looked up at it "This place gives me the creeps."

"I thought you were afraid of bug types?" Ash said idly.

"Ghosts are pretty scary too ok?" Misty said in defense.

"Apparently, this place used to be a cemetary for deceased pokemon." Summer said as she read a sign.

"Betcha they all turned into ghost types after dying." Lapis said with a light cackle which creeped Misty and Brock out.

"Alright, who's ready to go in?" Ash asked with a grin.

Misty and Brock quickly shook their heads, while Summer and Lapis nodded, and Pikachu shrugged.

As those willing went in, Lapis turned back to Misty and Brock with a grin "You know, I wonder what kind of monster prowls around these parts after the moon rises, guess you guys will be able to tell us... or, maybe you won't?"

He then laughed as the two quickly ran inside before the doors closed behind them.

Lapis was laughing loudly as he rolled on the floor, Summer trying to hold back her laughs as she covered her mouth with her hand, and Ash and Pikachu weren't fairing any better.

"That was mean!" Misty shouted in the darkness.

"I couldn't help it! It was too good a chance!" Lapis said as he continued to laugh.

Ash chuckled lightly "Let's try to see in here." he sad as he reached for one of his pokeballs and threw it up "Go! Charmander!"

The ball burst open, and out of the light came the orange salamander with a flaming tail with a happy cry.

"Can you use your tail to guide us a bit Charmander?" Ash asked as he knelt down to his pokemon's level, receiving a nod in return as he patted Charmander's head "Thanks."

Using Charmander's light, they soon managed to find a few lanterns to help light their path, Charmander staying out of his pokeball and practicing with Shadow Claw to be ready.

As they walked, Lapis suddenly felt shivers down his spine "They'res one here." he said, making everyone else stop.

"How can you tell?" Ash asked as he looked around slowly.

"I just can, and trust me, there's a ghost type around us." Lapis said as he looked around, knowing his psychic senses would be useless to fight it.

They all slowly observed the area, and suddenly, Summer grabbed a broken piece of wood and threw it in a random direction, actually hitting something that was floating in mid-air, and making a Haunter appear as it cringed while rubbing it's forehead.

Ash quickly pulled out his pokedex to see what infor it could give him.

"Haunter, the Gas Pokemon, When you trip and fall for no apparent reason, or feel observed, it usually means a Haunter is around."

The Haunter groaned as it rubbed it's head, before it grinned a bit, holding it's hands out in a ready gesture.

Ash grinned "Charmander use Flamethrower!" the little lizard took a deep breath, and let out a stream of flames at the ghost, which barely managed to dodge the flames, getting singed slightly, before it rushed forward, it's hand glowing purple "That's Shadow Claw, counter with your own!" Charmander did just that, it's own claws being surrounded in dark purple and black energy, clashing it's claws with Haunter, making the ghost cringe a bit as it got through and scratched it's hand.

What followed could best be described as a game of cat and mouse, as Haunter tried to avoid Charmander's attacks, yet the little lizard never let up, and as the battle went on, Ash saw Charmander's fangs flame slightly.

"Is that...?" he mumbled before he grinned "Alright! Let's see if this works, Charmander, use Fire Fang!" he called out, the little lizard nodding as it's mouth set itself aflame after a few seconds of attempt, and he lunged at the Haunter, clamping it's jaws around it's hand, making the ghost type cringe as it tried to shake Charmander off, soon running out of strength from all it's dodging and the attacks it took, and falling to the floor, Charmander letting go of it's hand.

"Alright." Ash said as he grabbed an empty pokeball and threw it at the Haunter, who merely watched the ball curiously as it hit it's hand, before it was sucked inside in a red light as the ball started to shake a few times, and finally letting...

PING

The ball stopped moving, signifying a succesful capture.

Ash grinned brightly as he grabbed the ball and held it up "Alright! I caught a Haunter!"

"Pi-Pikachu!"

"Char-Char!"

Pikachu and Charmander joined his celebrating.

The others chuckled a bit at his enthusiasm.

Before long they left the tower, Ash talking to his new Pokemon on the road.

"So, what do you say to helping me win my next gym badge Haunter? You'll get loads of battle experience with me." he said with a grin.

Haunter thought about it for a moment, before grinning as it gave Ash two thumbs up, Ash chuckling and highfiving the ghost type.

"Alright, let's see what kind of moves you know." Ash said as he scanned Haunter with his pokedex "Woah! You know Ice Punch?"

Haunter grinned as it held up a fist and went towards a tree, it's fist coating itself in a frosty aura before it slammed it into the tree, freezing it over.

"Awesome!" Ash said as he looked through the pokedex again "You know plenty of Ghost type moves, and even some Dark type ones and a few Psychic attacks."

Haunter grinned as it immitated flexing it's non-existant muscles.

The others laughed a bit "I think we'll have this gym in the bag Haunter."

Haunter nodded with a grin as it followed, soon going back into it's Pokeball as the team arrived in Saffron and rented a room at the center.

"Hey Ash? I've been meaning to ask, where do you keep your badges?" Lapis asked.

Ash blinked before he grabbed his jacket that was hanging off the back of a chair and opened it, showing his badges pinned to the inside "All here."

Lapis raised an eyebrow "Why don't you use a badge case for them?"

Ash opened his mouth to answer, before realising he didn't have an answer "Don't know, guess I just never realy thought about it."

"Maybe you should buy one before the match tomorrow then." Brock said thoughtfully.

Ash nodded "Yeah, I guess I should."

"Alright everyone, let's get a good night's sleep now." Summer said as she hopped in bed, Lapis climbing into hers since the room only had 4 and he preffered to share with her.

With that said, everyone went to sleep, ready for tomorrow.


It was now the following day.

Ash had indeed bought a badge case, putting the three badges he had in it, and it now remained in his pocket with his pokedex.

Currently, the group stood in front of the gym, after having ignored a man who told them they should turn back.

Lapis though, had checked the man's mind out of curiosity, and understood why he had warned them so.

Apparently, Sabrina, the gym leader, had some issues with her psychic powers, and they manifested as a young girl that took all her actions for her.

To think her abilities were strong enough to warp space.

Lapis knew that this might get complicated, something he relayed to Summer.

The best plan she could come up with was for Lapis to attempt to delve into Sabrina's mind and fix it, which was rather dangerous.

As soon as they stepped into the gym, Lapis felt a mental probe prod his barriers, making him push it back out of reflex.

This in turn caused the psychic illusion held over the gym to drop and for the lights to turn on, letting them see Sabrina, a young woman wearing a red outfit with long black hair, glaring towards Lapis with her red eyes.

"Crapbaskets." Lapis muttered before he felt another probe, this one much stronger.

Except he fought back this time, sending the probe back and slamming it into Sabrina's mental defenses.

On the outside, all the others could see were Lapis and Sabrina's eyes glowing blue.

On the inside however, it was a battlefield.

Lapis's mental avatar took a shape closer to a pokemon, appearing as a large grey bipedal feline creature with a purple tail.

Sabrina's mental avatar though was shattered.

One was represented as a little girl, already unconscious from the mental barrier being broken through.

The other could only be described as a cold empress.

And Lapis was fighting it, and trying to merge the two back into one.

It felt like hours as Lapis avoided the mental attacks, retaliating with his own.

Yet on the outside, only seconds had passed.

He couldn't understand why it wasn't working right now.

Unless... something was missing.

Chancing it, Lapis delved deeper into her mind, avoiding the Empress.

He soon found it.

Her emotions, ALL of her emotions, locked down tightly.

The little girl only represented the mischeivousness of a child.

But this was all the other emotions.

He could see his initial push on the first probe seemed to have shaken it slightly, since some anger had pushed out.

With one final strike, he set her emotions free.

The result in the outside world, Lapis staggered back a bit as Summer caught him while he regained his bearings.

And Sabrina falling limp, down her throne, unconscious, as her little doll disappeared.

"What just happened?!" Ash questionned in worry as he looked between Lapis and Sabrina.

"He fixed her mind... at least I hope he did." Summer explained.

"Yeah, yeah I think I managed." Lapis said with a groan as he managed to reorient himself.

"How'd you do that?" Misty wondered.

"I'm a Psychic, just like her." Lapis said with a sigh.

Soon, the same man from earlier barged in, having felt what could have been described as a mental explosion coming from the gym, and rushed over to Sabrina.

"He's her dad." Lapis said, understanding dawning on the others, save for Summer who already suspected it.

Sabrina groaned as she soon woke up "Father?"

The man's eyes widenned in surprise, as she usually never spoke.

After several minutes of explanation, and Sabrina releasing her psychic hold on several things, including on her mother she had turned into a doll, it was time for a gym battle.

Her father stood off to the side as the referee "This will be a 1-on-1 match between the Gym Leader Sabrina and the challenger Ash! Trainers, send out your pokemon!"

Sabrina floated a pokeball to her hand before throwing it "Go, Kadabra!" she called, releasing the strange yellow bipedal creature which held a spoon in one hand.

Ash grinned as he grabbed a pokeball "Go, Haunter!" the ball burst open as Haunter flew out to the field, smirking when it saw Kadabra.

Lapis actually read Haunter's surface thoughts and chuckled "Easy fight indeed." he muttered under his breath.

Sabrina frowned a bit, realising that this limits her options "Kadabra, Calm Mind." she ordered, as he Kadabra obeyed and closed his eyes, clearing it's thoughts, resulting in a purple aura to rise around it for a few moments, indicating it's Special Attack and Special Defense rising.

Or at least that's what should have happened.

"Haunter, use Sucker Punch!" Ash called, Haunter's fist glowing with a black energy as it appeared in front of Kadabra in flash and preventing it from rising it's abilities as it broke it's concentration thanks to the punch landing in it's face. (The author realises that's not how the move works in the games, but this is the anime, which spouts bullshit constantly, so deal with it people)

Sabrina could see the attack already harmed Kadabra rather well "Recover." she ordered calmly, as a green healing aura surrounded Kadabra, it's damage disappearing as it restored it's health.

Ash groaned a bit, before deciding to attack quickly "Haunter, Toxic quick!" Haunter nodded as it spat out a purple glob of goo at Alakazam, poisoning it badly as it had been too occupied with healing to dodge it.

Sabrina tsked in annoyance, knowing that she now had to find a way to end this quickly "Shadow Ball!" she ordered a bit more forcefully than before as Kadabra charged a dark puple orb in it's hands.

"Oh no you don't! Haunter, use Hex!" Ash called, as Haunter's eyes glowed purple, before Kadabra was trapped by the attack, and Haunter followed by crashing it downwards, the effects doubled by Kadabra being poisoned, and it's own attack blowing up in it's face, covering it in smoke.

When the smoke cleared, Kadabra was unconscious.

Sabrina sighed a bit before smiling as she returned Kadabra, while Ash and Haunter cheered for their victory.

"That was well done Ash, your strategy proved to be able to defeat me, while Haunter suffered no damage at all. Here, you've earned this, the Marsh badge." Sabrina said as she handed Ash a golden colored badge made from two circles.

Ash grinned as he held up the badge high "Alright! I won!"

"Pi-Pikachu!"

"Haunt!"


After celebrating his victory, Ash and the others bid goodbye to Sabrina and her family, leaving Saffron and heading for Celadon City.

As they left however, Lapis felt someone proding his mental barriers, far less violently than before, as he let them enter.

'Thank you, if it weren't for you, I do believe I'd still be the cold person I was for the last few years of my life. Good luck in your life young one.'

Lapis blinked, before he smiled a bit, mentally thanking Sabrina as they went onwards.


And done!

So, as you saw, Ash caught Haunter this time around.

Except it's not the same Haunter from the anime.

Also, the whole doll thing was avoided by Lapis fixing Sabrina's mind.

As well, yes Charmander is already a little stronger than in the original canon.

You'll see what that means for Charizard later.

Read, Review, Don't be a dick, and have a nice day everyone!

See ya next time!