Edited 7-22-15

Disclaimer: Don't own Pokémon besides for a few of the games.

Chapter Thirty Four

We reached Palmpona the next day, a little before we would usually stop for lunch. Nathan had perked up when he first saw the beach that the town had been built along, eyeing it the entire time as we made our way to the pokémon center. I smiled at his behavior, though I wanted to go to the beach just as much. Growlithe, on the other hand, had glared at the beach all it was worth and had given a growl when Nathan expressed his desire to visit it.

Fire-types and their never ending hate for water, I swear.

While we checked in at the pokémon center, handing over our pokémon to be healed, I had found out that the next pokémon swap meet was to be held in four day's time out on the streets of the town. I had thanked the Joy and, after dropping off our things in our separate rooms, Nathan and I headed straight towards the beach with wide grins after changing in more appropriate clothing.

We had time to waste, after all.

.-.-.-.-.-.

I spent the four days leading up to the swap meet with my second Gastly, giving it some last minute training. It was fully aware about my plan of trading it away to another Trainer, but thankfully did not put up a fuss about it. If anything, it seemed eager to go to another someone else.

I worked with my newest member as well, the Sandshrew switching places with Poliwhirl. Nidorino, Growlithe, Noctowl, and Raticate made up the rest of my team, the four of which I left to their own devices, allowing them to do as they pleased as long as they were within whistling range. I called it their very own little vacation, Nathan saying that I was just too lazy to actually train them at the moment.

The fact he had changed his mind when I had nailed him with a handful of sand meant nothing.

By the time that the swap meet started, I felt good about my Gastly's level. From what my pokedex said, something that I had double checked with Nurse Joy, it was even close to evolving into a Haunter. I had debated with myself on whether or not to just train it that bit more for evolution, but had decided against it in the end. It might be a good selling piece, after all.

With Growlithe left in my room, not wanting anyone to think it was up for a trade, I headed out into the busy streets. I let the Gastly float above me, it following along with interest as it eyed all of the people and pokémon wondering about. Nathan, who had been cruising along at me side, caught sight of a set of stalls selling varying merchandise. I waved him off with a smile, the kid needing no more encouragement before he was off with a distracted promise to meet back up later at the center. Now left alone with Gastly, I went back to my search of a good trade.

The pokémon swap meet itself was just as I expected it to be: loud, overcrowded, and with quite a few 'accidental' bumps from some of the older male Trainer's. Never had I missed Growlithe as much as I did then; at least with it there, no one would have been able to get close enough to me to 'casually' run into with that person's hand just happening to touch my butt or, twice, my chest. Not to say that I did not strike back, quite literally, or have Gastly scare them off, but the fact it still happened ticked me off and ruined any good mood I might have had about the day.

And Nathan wonders why I do not exactly like other people so much, the innocent, innocent, child that he is.

Even when one took out that part of my day, the whole trying to find another Trainer to trade with was a difficult task upon itself. While I got a lot of the younger Trainer's, some who did not even look ten, offering to trade me, all of their pokémon were one's I could have easily gotten myself in the surrounding forest, or pokémon I could have caught but did not because I did not want them.

Two hours in and no closer to finding a suitable trade, I was close to giving up, ready to just agree to the next trade offer I received, if only to get the day done and over with. I looked up to Gastly, who had log lost its wonder at the first hour mark, and was met with a rather gloomy sigh from the pokémon. It looked as done as I did, neither of us thinking we would find it a Trainer we both agreed on. Just as I was going to offer we head back to the center, Gastly tilted in the air, its eyes no longer half shut in defeat. With narrowed eyes I turned in the direction Gastly was facing, trying to find just what caught the pokémon's attention. It took a moment of looking through the crowd to spot the boy who managed to catch Gastly's consideration.

He stood off to the side of the street across from us, looking at Gastly who hovered above me with a look a genuine longing. The fact that he had not fought his way up to me like so many his age had done and demand a trade for my pokémon was a huge plus in my book alone, never mind how his hunched shoulders and age reminded me of Nathan.

My curiosity peaked, I found myself slowly making my way towards him, Gastly following at its own rate above me. I kept my eye on him to lose him in the crowd, my job made easier for me as he did not move but rather kept his eyes on Gastly, his eyes widening the closer we got to him.

When I was finally able to break through the mass of people I walked over to the boy with a small smile on my face that for once was not forced. The boy, in turn, noticed my presence when Gastly floated down beside me, the pokémon giving a light crackle for no apparent reason.

The boy returned my smile with one of his own more hesitate smiles, fiddling with a shrunken pokeball as he looked from Gastly, to me, and back to Gastly again. My smile widened when his look of want returned, Gastly giving its ghostly grin to the boy as it dipped in the air only to rise back up again, looking as if it was dancing around me as entertainment for the young boy.

"I see that you like my Gastly," I started, aiming for a casual tone.

He gave me a shy nod, his eyes not quite meeting mine. I shared a questioning look with Gastly, silently asking on its thoughts about the boy. While I was rather confidant the pokémon would agree to this trade, I still wanted its physical approval before starting negations. Gastly simply gave another crackle of a laugh, grinning like a loon. I nodded back and gave it a brief smile. I decided then and there no matter what the boy had to offer, even if it was a Pidgey, I would take it.

"How would you like to have him? It seems to have taken a liking for you, anyway, and who am I to ruin an up-and-coming bond?"

That caught the boy's attention, his head snapping up to stare up at me. With wide eyes, his mouth slightly agar with his surprise clear on his face, he gave a hurried nod, seeming not able to find his voice at the moment.

I gave Gastly a cheeky grin. "See that, Gastly? I dare say we found you a new Trainer."

Gastly didn't bother with a reply, floating forward to greet its soon to be new Trainer. The boy did not hesitate in reaching forward with his hands after pocketing his pokeball and placing them beneath Gastly, making it appear as if he was really holding him. His palms brushed against Gastly ever so lightly, making the boy shiver just the slightest, but he did not pull his hands back as I half expected him too. I knew from past experiences with the Gastly I was going to be keeping that touching its gas-like-body left one feeling as if they were touched with ice, numbing the body part touched from the extreme coldness.

The boy's large grin faltered, then, catching me off guard as he looked around Gastly and at me.

"M-my pokémon," he began with a stutter, making his face flush as he avoided eye contact again. "You probably won't like my pokémon."

I smile as I crouched down in front of him, Gastly moving to hover above the boy. "Don't worry about your pokémon. Whatever it might be, I'll trade you Gastly for it. Like I said earlier, who am I to break up such a forming bond?" He did not seem all that convinced, so I tried another tactic. He really did remind me of Nathan at the moment. "Well, why don't you tell me what pokémon you have to trade?" I asked with honest curiosity.

"Horsea," he said in such a voice that I had to strain my own hearing in order to hear him. I tiled my head as I tried to think back as to just which pokémon that was, and when I did remember I placed a grin on my face.

"Why, that's just perfect," I exclaimed with as much false joy as I could. Despite the fact that it could have sounded a bit more real if I really tried, the boy still looked at me with such hope that I really did grin. "I've been looking all over for a Horsea, but no one had one to trade for my Gastly," I said, lying through my teeth. Gastly sent me a knowing look, though kept quiet.

"R-really?" He asked with a growing smile. I nodded in response, making a full-blown grin form on the child's face as he gave a laugh.

I stood up and crossed my arms across my chest lazily as I watched the boy laugh and dance around with Gastly, amusement no doubt plain to see on my face.

"Well then, shall we actually trade?" I offered once he was done dancing, the boy quickly nodding as he grabbed my hand and dragged me off to the closest offered trade machine.

When we got there, we had to wait a brief moment for another trade that was taking place to end before we got to use the machine. While we waited, I returned Gastly to its pokeball, the boy looking at the dusk ball that served as Gastly's pokeball with half-hidden awe. I simply smiled at him.

When it was our turn we each placed our respective pokeball on opposite ends of the machine, the man running the machine starting it once both were in place. With a whirling sound, the two pokeballs were seemingly absorbed into the machine, our pokémon's silhouettes appearing on the monitor, one of Gastly and the other of a Horsea.

Once the images switched places with one another, the pokeballs reappeared; Gastly's dusk ball with the boy and the regular red and white pokeball that held my new Horsea with me.

After grabbing out new pokémon, we made our way away from the crowd once again. The boy was quick to release Gastly, the pokémon appearing with a crackle as it circled its new Trainer. I, on the other hand, shrunk my new pokeball and placed in on my belt with a pleased smirk.

After saying my thanks for the trade, I was surprised when the boy hugged me in his own thanks, repeating 'thank you' over and over again much like Nathan had when I had given him a Gastly of his own. I returned the hug as well as I could, patting the boy on top of the head in my awkwardness. Gastly laughed at me to which I waved it off; it was officially no longer my problem.

When the boy finally released me, I gave Gastly a mock serious look.

"You be good now, Gastly. Don't get you new Trainer into too much trouble now," I said, shaking a finger at it as it circled around the boy's head. The pokémon stuck its tongue out at me, cackling after.

With a shake of my head, I wished the boy good luck and took my leave with a final wave at both him and my old Gastly.

What a fun first swap meet.

-.-.-.-.-