Of ghosts and psychics

If there's something strange
In the neighborhood,
Who ya gonna call?
Ghostbusters!

If there's something weird
And it don't look good,
Who ya gonna call?
Ghostbusters!

I ain't afraid of no ghosts!
I ain't afraid of no ghosts!

If you're seeing things
Running through your head,
Who ya gonna call?
Ghostbusters!

An invisible man
Sleeping under your bed
Who ya gonna call?
Ghostbusters!

I ain't afraid of no ghosts!
I ain't afraid of no ghosts!

Ghostbusters, Ray Parker

It had been four months since Ash and Silver started their journey. A lot happened in those months. Ash was growing fast physically and mentally under Silver's careful tutelage. His body was strengthening thanks to the morning routines the two performed and his Pokémon were becoming sights to see. After days and days of hard work, Butterfree finally mastered Hyper Beam … and Steel Wing thanks to his time spent with Pidgeotto and Odin. It seemed that Ash's joke so that he could take on a Gym with him only wasn't unfounded. But things turned out otherwise.

The group was walking down a path near a steep cliff when they saw a swarm of Butterfree flying. Brock smiled.

"It seems Butterfree's mating season has begun."

Ash looked at the poké-ball containing Butterfree. Without really thinking, he released him. The purple butterfly looked at him with questioning eyes before noticing the swarm. He looked at his Trainer, asking him if he was certain. Ash nodded.

"It would be selfish of me to keep you by myself when you have a chance to find a mate and have a family."

Butterfree was reluctant to leave Ash, but he understood his reasons. This was a thing he liked in his Trainer. The Pokémon had heard of Trainers who only cared for their Pokémon as long as their were powerful or trained them harshly without caring for their feelings. Being with Ash and the group was fun and he was proud of fighting for the boy. He looked at him and spoke softly before leaving. Lya smirked.

"Butterfree thanks you for giving him a chance to start a new life. You were an amazing Trainer and he was proud to stand by your side during your journey. If someone wants to capture him, he will do his best to avoid being caught because you will always be his Trainer."

Ash looked at his friend and tears fell from his eyes. To spend more time with Butterfree, Silver borrowed a hot-air balloon. In the sky, Butterfree was looking for a mate without much success. Until he saw a pink Butterfree. The moment he set his eyes on her, it was as if the rest of the world faded in oblivion. This girl … he would win her heart, no matter what. He flew straight to her.

(Auto-translator: ON)

"Hello?"

The pink Butterfree looked at him, surprised.

"What?"

Butterfree was caught aback. How is it: 'What?' It was mating season for Celebi's sake! He flew so that the sun shone on his wings, making them sparkle like they were covered by diamond dust.

"Well … I was thinking … It's mating season and ..."

The girl looked at her suitor and raised a brow.

"And why you instead of another? We are hundreds out there to be looking for a mate."

"I know! And you're the one I chose."

He wasn't used to be that straightforward but that's what annoyance does to people. The pink Butterfree narrowed her eyes.

"Prove it."

"What?"

The female Pokémon sighed.

"Males … seriously."

She started flying around.

"You want my heart? Man, there are thousands of suitors out there who want the same thing! If you want me, you gotta prove me you're better than them. Competition, you know what it is? Or are you so shy you crumple your wings before a fight?"

The group looked at one another. Silver breathed.

"If he ever mates her, I can tell it won't be peaceful everyday."

"She's as temperamental as Clefairy." Ash sighed. "I feel like Butterfree won't be the man of the house once they are together ..."

Butterfree's eyes widened at the girl's words. Did she really say what he thought she said? His wings stiffened.

"Okay, I get it ..."

He looked at his chosen one.

"You ask me if I crumple my wings before a fight? I may be shy, but I belong to a Trainer. And you know what he said about me? That I could take a whole Gym by myself."

"Really? How 'bout you show it?"

"Gimme a target and you'll see what I make of it."

"Deal."

She showed him a small rock by the cliff. Butterfree gave her a skeptical look. Focusing a little, he unleashed a powerful Gust attack on it. The pink lady nodded.

"Not half bad. But not enough."

Butterfree sighed.

"Guessed so ..."

He acted as if he was returning to his Trainer, but turned around at the last time and blasted the stone with Psychic. The girl had a smirk.

"Nice. Got some more?"

Butterfree grinned. There was a bigger stone on the edge of the cliff. One Bug Buzz, Steel Wing and Hyper Beam later, there was nothing here. The pink Butterfree looked at her suitor with devious eyes and a huge smirk. Next minute the two were dancing like maniacs in the sky. Silver sighed.

"Finally. But Arceus, what do you have to do to get a girl, these days!"

Brock sighed.

"You have no ideas ..."

Before leaving his Trainer for good, Butterfree came to Ash one last time.

"Ash, before I leave, there is something I want to do. We wild Pokémon have a fashion. We have a name only we Pokémon know. Humans are never told it unless they are truly special to us, and even then they are to keep it secret until we tell them otherwise. For a wild Pokémon to give his name to a human, it means the human is precious to us and we have a complete faith in him."

Ash was surprised.

"Really?"

"Yes. Because you were an amazing Trainer and I don't want any other, I am going to tell you my true name as a proof of friendship."

Ash nodded. He understood the value Butterfree gave to it. Lya went to his ear and whispered Butterfree's name.

Timid Rainbow

The boy looked at his friend.

"It suits you well."

(Auto-translator: OFF)

Butterfree bid the boy one last time and flew with his mate. Ash sighed.

"I miss him already ..."

Silver looked kindly at him.

"Giving his true Pokémon name is something like the rule about Lugia's song. It is so old and important that all Pokémon instinctively know and respect it. Butterfree must really like you."

Ash nodded.

"How about bred Pokémon? Do they have a true name too?"

"No. And that's sad because, more than it is to humans, a Pokémon's name defines what he is. Knowing it is knowing the true nature of the Pokémon, hence the reason only Pokémon know it."

The group kept walking. Ash suddenly turned to Silver.

"Do you know Lya's true name?"

"Yep, and I'm not gonna tell."

"Guessed so."

They followed the road to Saffron City. As they neared the place, Ash noticed Silver was worried.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Yes, unfortunately. I heard about Sabrina, the Gym Leader of the town. She is one of the most powerful Psychics ever seen in the world … and not the most mentally sane person, unfortunately."

Ash looked down.

"Is it serious?"

"Yep. A Psychic is someone who has mental powers such as telekinesis and telepathy. Optionally, through his connection with a Psychic Pokémon such as Alakazam or even Lunatone, they can use Psychic attacks just like a Pokémon, which makes them dangerous to face."

Ash shivered.

"Doesn't sound good at all."

Silver rubbed his shoulder.

"Psychic Pokémon aren't invincible. They are weak to Ghost and Dark types but powerful against Fighting and Poison types. Problem is, none of us have Pokémon like that."

"Wrong. Riyo is a Fighting type."

"Yep."

Brock frowned.

"If I remember well, some of your Pokémon can learn Dark and Ghost attacks. Clefairy can learn Shadow Ball ..."

"Maybe."

They walked to Saffron City in silence, filled with worry. Sure, Psychics weren't totally immune to attacks like Flamethrower or Thunderbolt, but what Silver said about Sabrina didn't omen anything good. It would be Ash's hardest battle, that much was for sure. The first thing that caught them when they entered the town was the silence that prevailed. Silver turned to his student.

"It isn't too late to turn back. Are you sure you want to keep going?"

"I have to. I need eight badges to enter the Conference."

Silver nodded.

"Then I'll do my best to protect you from Sabrina's powers."

Brock frowned.

"What do you mean by that? You speak of Sabrina as if she was a threat to Ash."

"She is, believe me. And a real one. Remember when I said that she wasn't the sanest person around? Actually … I'm afraid she might try to harm Ash during the battle. If she does, woe to her ..."

He said the last sentence with such coldness in his voice that Misty and Brock couldn't help but shiver. They finally reached the arena, only for a man with green clothes and a yellow hat to show up. He frowned.

"You are going to challenge Sabrina, aren't you?"

"We are." Ash answered. "I need the Marsh badge to continue my journey."

The man frowned.

"You do not know Sabrina's real powers. If you really want to travel across Kanto, avoid this Gym."

"Don't worry." Silver replied. "I'm watching his back."

The man looked at Silver and frowned.

"You have no ideas what Sabrina could do. Her powers are beyond that of any Pokémon. She will crush you and inflict you torments greater than death."

Silver's eyes flared in response. In the blink of an eye, his Aura surrounded him, a cold Aura as merciless as the harshest Winter. Cold as Death. The group shivered before the man's power outburst. The man in green did more than that. He stumbled a few steps away, trembling.

"An Aura Guardian! And an Elemental one, at that!"

Silver's eyes narrowed.

"You are a Psychic."

The man nodded.

"Psychics and Aura Guardians are natural enemies. Even though we can be friends, our powers are antagonistic, thus leading to fierce rivalry between the two of our kinds." He frowned. "Your powers … they are stronger than anything I've felt before. I never met Aura Guardians personally. They are too rare for this. But I can tell your powers go far beyond that of a regular Aura Guardian."

Silver slowly lowered his head. This was the closest thing the man would get from a nod.

"Now you understand why I'll be with this boy during his fight. If Sabrina tries anything against him, I can't tell how you will find her after I'm done."

His voice could have frozen a volcano. The man nodded and left. Silver then turned to the kids, causing them to freeze. His usually sapphire-shaded eyes had the color of frost. Just looking at them, one could feel like struck by a dagger. The man looked at the Gym.

"Let's go."

They walked through the Gym. The place was in fact an institute for fellow Psychics to train their powers. Thanks to Silver's powerful Aura, no one dared to approach them. Yet, Ash couldn't deny he was nervous. Silver had never really showed how far his powers went. As much as his protection made him feel safe, the sheer power his mentor used against the man in green frightened him. The moment he saw those two frozen eyes, the boy could tell that Silver meant it when he said Sabrina would regret it if she harmed him. The man would really kill for the boy he saw as his son. And by killing, it could well be a slow and painful death or a swift end given in a flash of silver. They finally reached the arena.

Sabrina was a rather young woman with long and straight black hairs, blue eyes, a short red dress, long black tights and a threatening look. She was holding a doll in her arms. Upon seeing the group, her eyes narrowed.

"So you are the ones who came to challenge me. You fools."

Silver stood before the group.

"We are here for a Pokémon battle. Ash here wants to win the Marsh badge. I am simply here to make sure you don't try anything twisted against him."

Sabrina merely grinned.

"So you are his shield. How pathetic. So be it, I will fight the boy. But if he loses, you and your friends will woe the day you came into Saffron City."

"I don't think so. If Ash loses, he will acknowledge his defeat and we will leave this place as we came."

Sabrina's eyes flared.

"No you're not! This my Gym! Those who enter must abide by my rules!"

"I am not any people ..."

Silver and Sabrina glared at each other in a duel of power and will. Though it was invisible, one could feel Aura and spiritual energy clashing in the air. Sabrina was the first to retire.

"Let's fight."

She took a poké-ball.

"Abra, go!"

Silver turned to Ash.

"Don't worry, I'm watching over you."

Though he had been out-rightly threatening two seconds ago, when he spoke to his student, his voice was warm and reassuring. Ash nodded.

(Play The 13th Struggle, from Kingdom Hearts II)

"Pikachu, I choose you!"

Pikachu jumped from Ash's shoulder. Silver looked at him.

"Better get ready, Pikachu. This battle is actually gonna be a challenge."

And a challenge it was. No matter how fast Pikachu was, Abra kept teleporting around, dodging any strike the electric mouse aimed at him. Silver frowned. Such behavior was abnormal. It was as if Abra could foretell what Pikachu would do. Problem is, as far as the man knew, Abra couldn't learn or have the move Foresight. He closed his eyes and immersed himself in the weft of Power. Here, he could see the different forces at work. What he saw made him freeze as surely as a knife under Ash's throat. Sabrina was not only using her psychic abilities to control Abra, but she also used them to read Ash's mind. Worse, it was as if the Pokémon and his Trainer were one single spiritual entity. He felt Sabrina get bored of the fight and decide to end it. His mind returned in the real world at the second Sabrina made Abra evolve into Kadabra. Then things turned from a challenge to a massacre.

Pikachu launched an area-wide Thunderbolt. Kadabra merely looked at the attack coming and focused his powers. The electricity gathered in a single attack that took the shape of a dragon head and rushed straight at the mouse. Sabrina was going for the kill. Silver growled. He knew Ash couldn't recall Pikachu because of the creature's distaste for being in a poké-ball. Diving once more in the weft of Power, he focused on the link between Kadabra and his mistress. Sabrina felt it and snarled loudly.

"No, you don't!"

She diverted a part of her powers to counter the adventurer, and from there it escalated in a full-scale mental duel between the two. And while they were fighting, Kadabra was relentlessly attacking Pikachu. Ash didn't know what to do. He saw his two closest friends fight for their life and there wasn't a single thing he could do! He closed his eyes and started to cry, but not in sadness. It was of powerlessness. Energy slowly built inside of him. It came from his heart and guts and rose through his throat like a wave, passed in his arms, reached his head. His hands opened, aiming straight at Sabrina …

A powerful buzzing sound filled the place. It was so disturbing that it managed to interupt Silver and Sabrina's duel, as well as severely perturb Kadabra who clutched his head in his hands and howled in pain. Sabrina was also in pain. Silver, Pikachu, Ash, Misty and Brock were suddenly lifted in the air and carried all the way out of the Gym. Silver fell to his knees.

"Phew, close call!"

(End music)

Ash said nothing. He was closely hugging Pikachu, whose battle had severely weakened. Tears were still falling from his eyes. Brock and Misty took a long breath.

"I don't know who saved us, but he came just in time."

This is when Ash snapped out and realized their situation. He weakly nodded.

"Right. We've been saved."

Silver looked at the sky … and gasped.

"Ash, look!"

Ash frowned and looked at the place Silver was starring. Two Butterfree were flying side by side. One of them was bright pink. Ash's eyes widened.

"Butterfree!"

The butterfly Pokémon came to his former master and nuzzled him. Ash hugged him.

"Butterfree! I'm so happy to see you!"

The pink Butterfree landed by his side.

(Auto-translator: ON)

"Well, it seems we came just in time."

"How did you save us?" Lya asked.

The girl looked at her.

"When Rainbow said you were going to Saffron City, I bugged him so we would follow you. Everyone in the vicinity knows about Sabrina, the Mind Witch. As soon as Rainbow told me of your plans, we left to follow you, knowing you wouldn't have a chance against this woman. She's just too powerful. And I talk by experience ..."

Silver frowned.

"What do you mean, miss ..."

"Call me Bubble."

"Bubble?"

"Yes. My real name is Bubblegum but I totally hate it ..."

Silver chuckled.

"With a temper like yours, it's understandable. Anyway, what did you mean about talking from experience?"

Bubble looked down.

"Three years ago, my Trainer set to challenge Sabrina. We fought the Witch and I lost. But Sabrina wasn't finished. She broke my Trainer's mind and would've broken me too if Maria didn't release me at the last minute. I fled but never forgot this day ..."

Ash looked down.

"A chance Silver was with me, then."

"You have no ideas. Aura Guardians of this level are rarer than stardust."

Brock looked at the pink Butterfree.

"Do you know of a way to defeat Sabrina?"

"Yes. Ghost and Dark Pokémon are hardly affected by Psychic ones. Same goes with Bug-types, but we are so weak compared to some of the larger Pokémon ..."

Rainbow looked at his mate.

"You talked about a place where Ghost Pokémon could be found."

"Right, the Tower of Terror of Lavender Town. It is haunted by a gang of Ghost types. I try to avoid the area. Those four have … a weird sense of humor to say the least. And it's always the night. I hate nighttime."

Ash looked at Pikachu's weak form.

"Then Lavender Town it is."

Silver looked at his student. His voice was as hard as steel. He nodded.

"Yeah, let's go."

(Auto-translator: OFF)

They followed the Butterfree couple to the sinister Lavender Town. As Bubble said, the place was caught in a perpetual night. She led them to the Tower of Terror. If the town was sinister, the tower was even more. Tall, with windows shaped like an evil face and two horn-like decorations on each side to strengthen this feeling. The pink Butterfree stopped here. No way in the world she was entering the place. Rainbow stayed with her, as well as Misty and Brock, who the place was totally frightening. Silver looked at Ash. He had given Pikachu to Brock for care so, while the two would look for Ghost Pokémon, the Breeder would heal the little mouse back to health. Ash looked at the tower. Not once, despite his known fear of ghosts, did he shiver or show any sign of being afraid. The two entered the place.

Lil' Haunter was wandering the dusty corridors of the tower. His elder brothers were watching those stupid humorous shows again and it was totally boring him. Ghastly, his younger brother, had gone playing pranks on some people who had sneaked in the tower earlier on, leaving him all alone. He thought about heading for the playing ground before deciding against it. He was getting too old for them … A noise made him jump. Surprised, he hid in a wardrobe in time to see two persons, a man with silver hairs and a boy in a blue jacket. The two were looking around in search of something. This got Lil' Haunter's curiosity. Silent as a shadow, he hid in their back and followed them.

Silver and Ash entered a large resting room. Ash sighed.

"We've been in this tower for an hour now and I didn't see a single Ghost Pokémon."

"Don't worry." Silver smiled. "There's one right in our back. He's been following us for some time."

Lil' Haunter gasped. How could the man have noticed him? The kid asked the question, causing Silver to wink.

"I have Aura senses. As silent as the kid may be, I still felt his presence."

Lil' Haunter backed up in surprise. The man had Aura? No ways! He looked at him with a deep frown. Big Bro Gengar told him countless times of the legends regarding the Ancients, those people who once appeared three thousand years ago and taught Pokémon to live in harmony with the world. According to Gengar, every Ancient could manipulate Aura. More, a lot of them were able to control the elements with their powers. It was Elemental Aura, and now only the most powerful Guardians could use it. Because they had been the Pokémon's teachers, any Pokémon meeting an Ancient had to show him utter respect. It was a rule as sacred as Lugia's Song or the Real Name. However, as civilization took in importance, the Ancients slowly disappeared, leaving only the gift of Aura in inheritance, as well as their wisdom. The two men turned to the small Ghost type who slowly levitated to them. The younger boy was curious.

"Silver, what is that?"

The man smiled.

"This is a Haunter, Ghastly's evolved form. It and its evolved forms have the reputation to be little pranksters."

Ash raised a brow.

"He doesn't look scary for a Ghost."

Lil' Haunter looked at the two.

"Haunter … haunter? Haunter?"

The little creature seemed curious about the two Trainers. Silver bent his head on the side.

"What do you want, little one?"

"Haunter … Haunterter?" (Err … Are you an Ancient?)

Silver raised a brow.

"What makes you think I am?"

"Terter haunter. Haunhaunter-terhaun." (You've got Aura. And there's a tail in your back.)

"What if I'm one?"

Lil' Haunter looked down. He was curious about the Ancients and the world outside the tower. Contrary to his brothers who were happy living in this place, the Pokémon longed to travel and discover new things. Unfortunately, even though the man had Aura and looked like an Ancient, he wasn't very talkative about it. Ash looked at the Gas Pokémon.

"Haunter, I need your help."

Lil' Haunter turned to the kid and raised a brow in interrogation. The boy explained.

"I come back from Saffron City. There's a woman here who control Psychic Pokémon. I need the help of a Ghost type to defeat her."

The Haunter's eyes lit up. The kid was offering him the chance he so wanted to take. He was offering him to come along! Well, alright, it was to fight a Psychic. But hey, if he wanted to keep him afterward, why not? As long as he got to travel … He eagerly nodded.

"Ter-haunter haunt, terter'haunter haunter-haunt." (Alright, but in exchange, I want to go with you.)

Ash's eyes lit up after Lya translated.

"Alright, works for me!"

He took a poké-ball and was about to trap the creature in it when a bigger Haunter appeared.

"Haunter!"

Lil' Haunter flinched as his elder twin appeared.

"Terter haunter haunter haunhaunt ter ter?" (What the hell do you think are you doing?)

The smaller Haunter glared at his twin.

"Haunterhaunt." (I'm leaving.)

"Haunter? Haunter haunter'ter?" (What? Are you out of your mind?)

A fierce argument started between the two. The bigger haunter was more than reluctant to let his twin travel with Ash and the group while the little one was just as determined to get off of this place and discover the world. A Ghastly and a Gengar appeared, alerted by the noise.

"Gengar'gar gengar?" (What's happening here?)

The two Haunters quickly summed up the situation. Gengar looked at the two, then at the Haunters. He finally nodded and spoke. Lya translated.

"Gengar is alright to let Lil' Haunter travel with Ash, but before he does, there is something he must go through."

Silver frowned.

"What is it?"

Gengar whispered his idea to the man who grinned.

"Alright. Ash, lay down and close your eyes."

Ash was surprised but obeyed. He had a complete trust in his mentor. Gengar came to the boy and plunged his hand in Ash's body. When he retired it, he was holding Ash's soul. The boy opened his eyes, surprised … and screamed when he saw his body lying lifelessly. He looked at the Gengar.

"What did you do?"

Silver looked at the boy. Despite being a ghost, thanks to his Aura, the man could sense the soul of his student.

"Gengar took your soul off of your body. Since you want a Ghost type in your team, Gengar wants you to experience what it is to be a ghost."

Ash sighed. So it was just that? Well, nothing to worry about, then. He let the four ghost types take him out of the tower and to the sky. As a ghost, Ash was immaterial … and could levitate. He quickly discovered the happiness of flight and the feeling of freedom it hatched inside of him. He pulled some pranks on Brock and Misty, laughing wholeheartedly at his friends' fright. But more than anything, he discovered the beauty of the night. The wind blew in the trees, his voice whispering in his ears, the moon smiled in the sky, the rightful queen of the dark, the stars twinkled, their light an answer to his smile. Ash almost regretfully returned in his body. When he woke up, he sighed.

"It was amazing. I will never be afraid of ghosts or the night anymore."

Silver smiled kindly and took a dagger. On the frame of a window, he wrote a poem.

Whispers of the wind
Wink from the moon and the stars
Nighttime

Ash chuckled. Silver didn't do it often, but at times he would take a bit of paper or anything that fell under his hand and write a short poem that was a little like Professor Oak's haiku. He would also make longer poems out loud, but those little three-verse sonnets were never spoken, only written. Silver once told Oak that Guardian Poetry was never spoken, only written. Spoken, it would lose its purity. Ash never really understood what his mentor meant by that but, every times he read his creations, he couldn't help but feel there was a hidden meaning behind them. It was weird.

Lil' Haunter was finally trapped in a poké-ball, enabling the two to leave. When Misty and Brock saw them, they grinned.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

"We wouldn't be there otherwise." Ash grinned.

He showed them the little Ghost Pokémon.

"Haunter wants to travel with us. He was getting bored staying in the tower all the time."

The bigger Haunter suddenly appeared, a frown on his face. Silver was surprised. Had the creature changed his mind? It wasn't the case. Actually, Haunter was worried. He and his brothers knew about Sabrina's reputation and the Gas Pokémon wanted to make sure his twin was alright, at least until Ash was finished with the Psychic girl. Butterfree and his mate big goodbye to the group and decided to go find a place to settle while the group headed once more to Saffron City, Ash determined to get his revenge. As they walked in the town, Silver spoke.

"There's a way to win against Sabrina. During my fight with her, I noticed she was closely linked to Kadabra. More, she was using her powers to read your thoughts. Technically speaking, defeating an opponent who can see in your head is impossible. However, using Psychic powers requires focus. If we want to win, we have to break this focus."

"And … how do we do that?" Ash asked.

Silver grinned deviously and turned to the elder Haunter.

"With him."

He quickly explained his plan. Ash's eyes lit up. It was simply genial! Misty and Brock grinned. This time, they would win. They headed to the Gym where Sabrina was waiting for them.

"You're back … with a Ghost Pokémon."

Ash smiled confidently.

"Yes. Prepare to hand the Marsh badge. This time, I don't lose!"

Sabrina frowned.

(Play The Encounter, from Kingdom Hearts II)

"Go, Kadabra."

"Haunter!"

The two Pokémon appeared. Remembering Sabrina could read minds, he let her make the first move.

"Kadabra, Psychic."

Being half-Poison type, Haunter was vulnerable to Psychic attacks. On the other side, his Ghost type made him fairly efficient against Psychic types. It would be a hard fight. Thanks to his small size, Haunter was able to evade the Psychic attack.

"Haunter, use Shadow Ball!"

Haunter nodded and launched a dark sphere of energy to Kadabra. As Ash hoped, the Pokémon teleported, only for the ball to follow him. No matter how many times Kadabra tried to evade the attack, it kept coming back at him. The Shadow Ball finally hit the Pokémon, only for Sabrina to give an order.

"Recover."

The damage of the attack disappeared in a blink. Silver turned to the elder Haunter and nodded. Haunter immediately started to goof around, much to Sabrina's displeasure. Down the battlefield, Lil' Haunter was holding his own better than Ash thought he would despite his battle inexperience. His only moves were Lick, Shadow Ball and Shadow Claw, and with only these moves, he was able to evade Kadabra's attacks and place a few counters … that disappeared immediately thanks to Refresh. Seeing his younger twin in troubles, Haunter goofed harder. Sabrina growled at the Pokémon's antics. Unbeknownst to her, these antics were part of Silver's plan. In order for Ash to win, they had to get Sabrina not to focus on the fight. Kadabra would then stop focusing and Lil' Haunter could win. The plan worked. Sabrina had more and more troubles working on the battle with Haunter sticking tongues and making faces. Finally, something totally unexpected happened.

After a particularly daring taunt, the Gym Leader started to grin. Soon, the grin became a huge smile and, before she noticed it, the woman was laughing out loud. Kadabra, being linked to her, rolled on the ground, just as happy as she was. The elder Haunter and the Gym Leader laughed like this for a moment and, to everyone's surprise, her white doll disappeared. Silver smiled.

"Kadabra is unable to fight. The winners of this battle are Ash and Haunter."

(End music)

Sabrina slowly came back to her senses and looked at the group. Misty was surprised by the change in her face. Instead of being cold and merciless, they looked … normal. The woman spoke.

"Thank you for your help."

Ash raised a brow.

"Your help?"

Sabrina looked down.

"Yes. Thanks to Haunter's antics, I was able to solve my multiple personality disorder."

Silver frowned.

"I knew you weren't exactly sane, but I didn't think it was something like that."

Sabrina sat down.

"My Psychic powers appeared when I was young. Ever since, I was obsessed with developing them. I started to reject all of my feelings, which took the shape of the doll in my hands, and grew this ruthless personality that battled you. But thanks to Haunter's antics, I was able to remember what it is to have fun and my personalities merged back into one."

She took a circular golden badge.

"Here, you deserve it. However, I have something I need to ask."

"What is it?"

"I want Haunter to stay with me. I'm afraid I will turn evil again without someone to distract me like he does."

Ash turned to the elder Haunter.

"How about it? Do you want to stay?"

The Haunter gladly obliged. At last someone liked his sense of humor! Ash placed the Marsh badge alongside the others in his badge case. Sabrina looked at it.

"It's a wonderful box. Who gave it to you?"

"Silver. I received it after I won the Thunder badge."

Sabrina nodded. The Haunter twin bid each other farewell and the group left Saffron City to new adventures. Ash was happy. He made new friends, helped Sabrina, won a new badge and gained a new Pokémon. Yep, he was indeed doing fine.


Here we go. I know, it's early for me to post another chapter, but I have quite a number of reviews for the last and at least four other chapters are finished. I need to post something, quickly. Besides, as you have seen, it's an important part. Aura, Ancients, events, new badge and Pokémon ... everything. Time for some answers now.

-kitsunelover300: You're reading my mind, man. Seriously. I was indeed planning on having Misty interacting with Kyogre during the Hoenn saga ... with some help from Kraken of course (Kraken = giant Tentacruel). Your idea with Brock associaing with another Legendary sounds nice. They say the only one he bounded with is Uxie ... So yes, I plan on associating him with other Legendaries. Not Groudon but the Regi quatuor sound nice. And you're right about the trio being somewhat related to the Weather trio. They do fit the bill. And I didn't notice it before.

-ultima-owner: she isn't blessed. Her link with the ocean goes deeper than a simple blessing. She isn't a Water Aura Guardian either, far from it. See my answer to kitsunelover300 for explanation. And this is but a glimpse of what I have in mind ...

-ranbom bug: thank you for all the praise. I didn't have such a kind review in ages (not to say never). I hope this chapter pleased you as much as the others.

-weirn018: Thanks.

Note: I actually had a hard time choosing between Tension Rising and The 13th Struggle for Sabrina's first battle. Both themes are dark and makes you feel like you're in BIG troubles.

Well, see ya!