Chapter 22: Maiden's Peak

Since last time, Ash and his friends have been on a ferry sailing from the resort of Porta Vista to continue their Pokemon journey. Suddenly, Misty spots a landmark.

"Hey, look over there!"

"Great!" Ash exclaimed. "That must be Maiden's Peak. That's where we get off. We'll be landing soon."

"It wouldn't matter to me if I never saw land again." Brock mumbled. "I've just wasted another summer."

"What's he talking about?" Misty asked.

"I might have an idea." Angelina replied, biting her lip knowingly.

"But we had a whole summer of adventures!" Ash reminded his companion.

"For kids, summer means playing on the beach, splashing around and having fun." Brock said, then whined, "But for me, summer means bathing suits, and girls to wear them! Ohh, now bikini season's over and I have to wait another year to meet a girl! Aww!"

Misty and Ash just looked on confused. Angelina didn't even bother to comment, though she began to wondered why Brock hadn't notice her more than just a friend.

"Maiden's Peak welcomes the passengers arriving from Porta Vista. We invite you all to attend our summer's end festival now in progress." replies the port-announcer.

The ferry finally landed, Ash and friends get off and look around.

"Cool, a festival!" Ash exclaimed.

"It looks like fun!" Misty agreed. "Let's check it out!"

"I love carnival games," Angelina cheered.

"I'll ride the festival all alone," Brock said sadly, looking down at the ground. "Huh?" he suddenly looks up and sees something. "Who's that?"

Angelina stands right next to Brock, she sees the exact same thing. It's a woman with long lilac hair wearing a purple dress, standing on a dock looking out into the ocean.

"WHOA! WHAT A KNOCKOUT!"

Angelina's eyes widen slightly as she heard Brock say that, she turned and jumped out of the way as people come off the ferry. She sweatdrops as Brock was trampled by the herd of people. "You okay?"

"Hey, she's gone." Brock said, staring out into the ocean.

"Huh?" Angelina looks out and notices that the mysterious woman disappeared. "Strange, I wonder where she went?"

"Cheer up, Brock. We're at a festival." Ash encouraged.

"Yeah, let's have some fun." Misty said, she and Ash helped Brock up and they were off to explore the port.

"Hmm," Angelina stares out into the ocean one last time. She shakes off the feeling that she was seeing things and walks off to also enjoy the festival.

Ash and Misty were having fun during the festival, as was Angelina, but there was something wrong with Brock.

"She was the most beautiful girl I've ever seen," Brock said, dazedly.

"Huh!" Ash and others stare, confused.

"Hey, you there!" yelled out a voice.

Brock turned, a huge smile on his face. "Are you the…." he was taken by surprised and his hopes lowered, there was a small old woman with long white hair. "Ahh, you're not that beautiful…."

"Who's not beautiful?" questioned the old woman, taking out a magnifying glass. "Beware, not an old beauty like me, but a beautiful young woman, or you'll lead a cruel fate."

Brock jumps back. "That girl on the dock! I have to meet her!"

"Who?" Angelina asked curiously.

"I must be the beautiful girl she's taking about…." Misty blushed. "But I'd never hurt Brock."

The old woman narrowed her eyes. "I was talking about an elegant young woman, not some scrawny little blabbermouth like you!"

Misty was shocked. "SCRAWNY?"

"REAL scrawny!" Ash laughed.

"WHA!" Misty decks Ash. "That's it! I'm not gonna stand around her and be insulted! Let's get outta here!" she grabs Ash and Brock by the collars of their shirts.

"The beautiful woman…. A cruel fate…. The cruelest fate…. Would be never to see her again…." Brock said in a mesmerized voice.

Angelina sighed as she followed close behind the young trainers. They came across a shrine where something important will take place involving the festival. She stands up front with Ash and friends. A short and old mustached man with white hair stands near the entrance of the shrine, next to something square covered up.

"Welcome. To celebrate the summer's end festival, we will now display the shrine of the Maiden's greatest treasure. For two thousand years, this painting has hung within the shrine of the maiden. Once a year it is removed from the shrine, and displayed to the public during this festival." The old man takes hold of the cloth covering the square object. "As I unveil the painting, please gaze with reverence." The cloth was taken off and thrown into the air.

"Whoa!" the crowd awed.

The portrait was a beautiful woman that long endowed with the color dark lilac. Her hair. Her eyes. Her lengthy-dragging, silk sleeveless gown. Her translucent sandals.

Angelina stared, awe-inspired. The artwork of the maiden was breathtaking and looked so real.

"But, it can't be," Brock gasped, staring at the portrait.

Angelina turned, she watched Brock walk toward the painting, then she also saw, and couldn't believe, James walking forward.

"She's so incredibly beautiful…."

"She's the girl of my dreams, don't wake me up…."

Brock and James were advancing toward the painting, but the old mustache man stopped them.

"Stand back! The woman in this painting perished over two thousand years ago!"

"Two thousand years…." Brock said, mesmerized.

"She was in love with a brave and handsome young man, but he left her and sailed away to fight in a war." explained the old man.

A strange and mysterious voice echoed through Angelina's mind. "I'll wait for you forever…. Come back to me…. Farewell…."

"She did wait for him a very long time, hoping to see his ship on the horizon. But her true love never returned to that place again. Still, she waited and waited, never moving from that spot, until finally, her body was turned to stone, just like the cliff upon which she stood. To this day, she still waits for her love to return."

"Just tell me, where's this rock?" Brock asked.

"Maiden's Rock is not far from this shrine." the old man replied.

Angelina followed Ash and friends, and strangely Team Rocket, up to Maiden's Rock.

"So that's Maiden Rock! It's the most beautiful rock I've ever seen!" Brock exclaimed.

Angelina was standing next to Ash and Misty, not believing that Brock was fawning over a dead two thousand year old woman. She then saw Team Rocket on the other side, Jessie was holding James back from reaching out to the rock.

"I don't care if she's made of stone!" James yelled. "I'm still in love with her!"

"If she were my girlfriend, I'd make sure she was never out of my side!" Brock demanded.

"No one will steal her away from me, not even Team Rocket! I've fight them to keep her safe!" James reached out over the railing, his hands flailing dramatically.

Angelina overhears Meowth say something about the painting, then Jessie and James fall over the railing and into the ocean.

"Team Rocket is really slipping!" Meowth sweatdropped.

Later that evening, Brock was still staring at Maiden Rock. Ash and Misty's patience were running thin, and Angelina wasn't too far behind them.

"No matter how long you wait here, a rock is a rock, Brock." Ash said.

"Yeah, let's go back to the festival." Misty complained. "This is boring."

"Come on, Brock!" Angelina said sharply. "It's time for bed!"

"Why don't you go back?" Brock said, which Angelina highly doubt he was even listening. "I wanna stay here a little bit longer."

"You remember where we're staying tonight, right?" Ash asked.

"The Pokemon Center near the port, I'll make it back by curfew." Brock promised.

Ash and Angelina exchanged doubtful glances.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be okay." Brock assured.

Angelina walked to the Pokemon Center with Ash and Misty. She sat on a bench with them as they waited for Brock to return. Suddenly, the Pidgey clock screeched "Eleven o'clock! Curfew time, curfew time, curfew time…."

"I'm really getting worried," said Misty, looking through the glass doors. "Brock still isn't back yet."

"Hmm," Ash nodded, looking to his Pikachu whom also agreed, "Huh?" He looked up and saw the metal gate closing on the doors. "Wait, I'll go and look for him!"

"Hold it!" Nurse Joy grabs Ash by his collar and pulls him back. "Don't you realize it's your bed time?"

"Yes but-" Ash tried to explain, but Nurse Joy interrupted him.

"Staying up late is bad for your skin, and it makes you irritable and ruins your appetite! I won't allow it! Now get to bed this instant!"

Ash and Misty followed orders and trudged off to bed. Angelina wanted to go up to Maiden Rock and see what Brock was up to, but reconsidered and went off to bed. She took off her backpack and changed into her pajamas, then she fell asleep.

The following morning, Angelina followed Ash and Misty up to Maiden's Rock where Brock had been the night before. The only difference this time, he was nowhere to be found after searching the whole area.

"Brock!" Ash yelled.

"Brock, where are you?" Misty also yelled.

"Hey Brock!" Ash yelled one last time, then he looked over and saw Team Rocket. Only it was just Jessie and Meowth. "It's you!"

"Yuck!" Jessie cursed.

"Double yuck!" Ash agreed.

"I've finally found you-" Jessie said, then realized something. "Oh, wait a minute! You're not the one I'm looking for!"

"Hey, are you looking for somebody, too?" Ash asked.

"Prepare for trouble! And make it double!" Jessie began, then sighed. "Doing this by myself is a real drag…. To protect the world from devastation. To unite all peoples within our nation. To denounce to evils of truth and love…."

"To extend our reach to the stars above," James' voice echoed from somewhere.

"Jessie?" Jessie blinked.

"James!"

"Ah…. Team Rocket! Blasts off at the speed of light!" Jessie said loudly, everyone else looking around.

"Surrender now…." James' voice is louder this time, the doors to the small shrine open and James tumbles out looking very loopy. "….Or prepare to fight!"

"He looks awful!" Jessie cried.

"Worse than usual!" Meowth agreed.

Brock then falls out of the shrine in the same condition.

Ash kneels down and sits Brock up. "Pull yourself together!"

James grabs hold of Jessie's leg.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" Jessie yells and shakes her partner.

"So everything turned out just as I predicted." said a mysterious female voice.

"Huh!" Everyone looks up and sees a squat old lady with gray hair.

"It's the old woman." Ash said.

"Obviously these two have seen the ghost of the maiden!" the old woman informed.

"The ghost of the maiden!" everyone exclaims.

"I love her, I love her!" James and Brock babble giddishly.

"They're possessed!" Ash exclaimed, turning to his Pokemon. "Pikachu!"

Pikachu nodded, his cheeks sparking. "Piiii-kaaaa-chuuuuuuuu!"

The electric attack shocks Brock and James, bringing them back to their senses.

"Uh, who am I?" Brock said blankly, sitting up. "I am Brock," then he nods to no one in particular.

"Brock's back!" Ash said, Misty and Angelina smile.

"I'm James, from Team Rocket! Eeeeeeh!" James said woozily and jumps around.

"He's back," Jessie sighed.

"But no to normal." Meowth said.

Everyone follows the old woman inside the small shrine, they sit on the floor. James and Brock sit in the back, Jessie and Meowth sit to James' right, Ash and Misty sit to Brock's left. Angelina sits in the middle with Pikachu. The old woman is standing behind a counter near a fireplace.

"All men who pass this way fall under her spell. It's always the same story over and over," said the old woman. "We find them here acting like zombies with the life sucked out of them babbling like idiots. It's the work of the maiden's ghost, still waiting for her young soldier to return. It's just as I warned you!"

"So what, who cares!" Brock said dazily. "Just as long as I can be with her!"

Angelina waves a hand in front of Brock, "Oh, he still isn't cured!"

"I'm scared!" James cried, shaking his head. "You have to do something!"

"Yeah, how can we stop her from taking them again?" Angelina asked.

"Well, there's only one thing we can do," suggested the old woman. "I have these stickers, anti-ghost stickers! However…."

"What's the catch?" Ash asked.

"I can't just give these stickers away for free." The old woman laughed.

"Here," Angelina said, handing over a five dollar bill. "Give us this much worth!"

Ash and Misty went outside to stick stickers all over the building while Jessie and Angelina were sticking stickers all over Brock and James. Meowth and Pikachu were helping somewhat.

"Brock, I know you can hear me." Angelina said. "I don't know what I'd do if that ghost maiden gets you. You don't need to find some girl, you've always had someone by your side the whole time. I…." She stopped and realized she wasn't the only one in the room. Then looks up as the old woman returns from outside. "Will these stickers actually work? I really…. it'd hurt me to see Brock taken away from me." She turns to the young man, whom is still spaced out. "Please, tell me he'll be safe."

The old woman stares thoughtfully at Angelina. "May the devil curse me if those stickers don't work and that ghost girl comes!"

Angelina bit her lip as tears formed at her eyes and trickled down her face. She got up and ran out of the small shrine, passed Ash and Misty, and away from Maiden Rock. It wasn't till after 11 o'clock when Angelina returned to Maiden Rock, she was about to go inside the shrine when a fierce wind blew the doors open.

"She's here!" shrieked the old woman.

The stickers were blowing off the small shrine. Angelina caught a glimpse of the old woman inside the shrine and mysteriously disappears. She gasped when she saw the 2000-year-old maiden standing in the doorway.

"I've been waiting for you." said the ghost girl.

"Yes, and I've been waiting, too." Brock replied.

"I'm scared! Really, really scared!" James cried.

The fierce wind picked up, Angelina saw the ghost girl float outside and following behind was Brock. Ash and Misty ran out and grabbed hold of Brock.

"Brock!"

"Wait Brock!"

Then the dreamy look was wiped off Brock's face. "Hey, let me go!"

"I don't wanna go!" James cried.

Suddenly, Angelina heard a blast and then James scream. She turned to see where it came from and had to laugh when she saw Jessie holding a bazooka.

"Hey girl! You can't take him!" Jessie yelled. "You haven't got a ghost of a chance!"

"You really do care!" James awed, Angelina rushed over and helped him up.

"It's not cause of you." Jessie growled. "Girls like her disgust me. Always waiting around for her man as if she were his faithful pet. She can't stand the thought of losing him. She cries, but I'd say, see ya later. There are plenty more fish in the sea."

"I could sure go for some fish." Meowth piped.

"I've been waiting. You cannot interfere." said the ghost girl. Out of nowhere, a swarm of ghostly skulls was summoned.

Everyone huddles together in fear.

"What is that?" Misty asked.

"Not any Pokemon I know." Ash said, taking out his Pokedex and pointing it at the skulls.

"No Pokemon entry found." pinged the Pokedex.

"They're not Pokemon?" Ash looks scared. He points the Pokedex around the flying skulls. "Still searching…." Then he passed it by the ghost girl.

"Pokemon entry found." said the Pokedex. "Gastly, a Ghost Pokemon. It is usually invisible. It's specialty is Hypnosis!"

"Gastly? You're really a Ghost Pokemon?" Ash asked.

"So you finally figured it out, sometimes I'm the ghost of the 2000 year old maiden." Then the girl changes form into the old woman. "And sometimes I'm the mysterious old woman, but no matter what the disguise, I'll always be…." the old woman changes form within the skulls and into a dark purple ball floating within lavender gas. "Awfully Gastly!"

"Well Gastly, time for a battle!" Ash yelled, turning to his Pokemon. "Pikachu!"

"My hypnotic powers can work on other Pokemon, too." The Pokemon bellowed. "Including little rodents!"

"Pika!" Pikachu blinked.

"Stop a rodent with a mouse-trap!" Gastly changed into a giant mouse trap.

"Chaaaa!" Pikachu cried, being chased by the mouse-trap.

"Mouse traps won't hurt Meowth!" Meowth growled.

"So Meowth, you want to play games with me?" Gastly asked, changing it a huge colored ball. "Here's a cat toy I think you'll enjoy!"

"Meow! Meow! Meow!" Meowth was playing with the ball.

"Go Ekans!" Jessie threw out her Pokeball.

"Ekans!" the snake hissed.

"A snake snatcher's enemy is a mongoose!" Gastly replied as a mongoose appeared.

"Dinner time!" the mongoose smirked.

"Kaaaans!" the snake Pokemon screeched and fled.

"Your turn!" Jessie tagged James.

"Um, uh…. Koffing, Poison Gas attack!" James called.

"Koffing!" grinned the gas Pokemon, then it was stomped on by a giant mongoose wearing a gas mask. "Koff!"

"Smoking is prohibited!"

"My turn now!" Ash said, throwing out a Pokeball. "Charmander, I choose you!"

"Char-Char!" chirped the lizard.

"Well now!" Gastly snickered, changing into a fire-exstinguisher and sprays out water. "Here's some for you, Squirt!"

"Chaaaaar!" Charmander runs from the water while holding its tail.

"Now, who shall I defeat?" Gastly asked.

"Errrrr!" Ash growled, bringing out two more Pokeballs and throwing them. "Squirtle! Bulbasaur! Attack together!"

"Bulba!" said the plant Pokemon.

"Squirtle!" said the turtle Pokemon.

"What a nuisance! This is too easy!" Gastly laughed. "Here are Bulbasaur's and Squirtle's evolved forms, Venusaur and Blastoise." Gastly changed into the final evolution stages of Squirtle and Bulbasaur. "And just for fun, I'll combine them into one super Pokemon to create Venustoise! Try that on for size!" the two big Pokemon stepped together and changed into a combinated Pokemon.

"Squirtle/Bulba!" the two smaller Pokemon run scared.

"We lose. It's just too strong!" Ash exclaimed.

"Guess it's all up to me, now!" Angelina stood up, taking a Pokeball off her belt. "Go Rai-" she stopped suddenly upon seeing Misty stand up.

"Then how about this!" Misty held out something gold that Angelina soon knew what it was.

"What's that?" Gastly asked.

"It's a cross!" Misty said, then taking out other objects. "I also got garlic, a stake, and a hammer!"

"Oh, what do I look like to you, a vampire or something?" Gastly sweatdropped, then it blinked and grew disturbed. Everyone heard the distant sound of a bell tolling.

"Huh?" Ash looked on, confused. "What's going on?"

"I may not be a vampire, but I hate sunlight." Gastly replied, wincing in pain. "I have to go until the next festival. Don't forget the 2000 year old maiden, she and the old woman will return next year, too!" the ghost Pokemon disappears.

"That WAS Gastly!" Misty exclaimed.

"Right." Ash nodded.

"I'll say." Angelina agreed.

"Hey look, the sun!" Meowth pointed.

Everyone watched as the sun rises, bringing the new day.

Later that evening, Angelina rested up at the Pokemon Center, then she went with Ash and his friends to the festival. She stood atop a little hill with Brock and Officer Jenny watching Ash and Misty help Nurse Joy light a candle in a tiny boat and set it in the water.

"What's going on?" Angelina asked.

"At the end of every summer, the visitor sent out tiny boats, each one with a candle to help light the way for any wandering spirits who can't find their way back home." Officer Jenny explained.

"Oh, i see." Angelina said. Then she saw Gastly resting on one of the candles, she walked closer to the waters and a little farther down the shore. "Hey Gastly!"

The Ghost Pokemon looked up, grinning. "Ah, the lovestruck girl. How may I help you, my dear?"

Angelina blushed. "Just wanted to say I know what you do every summer's end, and I'm glad that you do it."

"Yes, it is something I like doing for the maiden of this peak and if I do a good job I get a few bucks." Gastly said with a smile. "I must go, my friends are waiting. Don't give up hope on what you're after in life, the least expected that happens may surprise you in the end."

"I'll remember that, take care of yourself and I'll try to visit you every year." Angelina said to the retreating figure and rejoined the others.

There was a summer's end celebration to finish off the day. A lot of the visitors that attended the festival earlier were dressed up in kimonos.

Angelina stood off to the side dressed in a dark blue satin kimono with a silver satin obi. Her strawberry-blonde hair was cascading her shoulders and wore a silver flowered hair ornament, dark blue sandals, and held a dark blue fan. She saw Jessie and James playing the drums and Meowth playing a flute. Her eyes searched around, she found Pikachu perched by Ash dressed in a light green kimono with a blue obi and looking at something on his Pokedex. Then Misty approached him, wearing a pink kimono with blue bubbles on it and a red obi, her hair was out from her sideways ponytail and looked nice.

Angelina giggled and saw Misty take Ash's hand and walk off to dance with everyone else. She hoped that some day they would admit to their feelings. She then realized someone was missing, 'Where's Brock?' She looked around, though no signs, but her mind knew where he might be, 'It's too far to just walk up, maybe….' She didn't know what made her turn around, but she did and found Brock standing against a tree and looking out at the perfect view of Maiden Rock across sea.

"If only you were 2000 years younger," Brock said, then looked down at the ground and sighed. "Maybe next year."

"Are you seriously gonna wait that long?" Angelina asked.

Brock turned around, he blushed. "Well…. Uh…."

Angelina giggled, smiling softly. "It's okay, you don't have to answer. So you don't want to celebrate with us?"

"Of course I do," Brock said wistfully, looking out at Maiden Rock then to Angelina. "I heard what you said earlier…. Do you really care that much?"

Angelina was at lost for words. She blushed under his gaze; marvelling the chestnut colour that tinted the chocolate of his eyes. "Brock, I wanted to stay with you the other night up at Maiden Rock, but I was so scared when that ghost Pokemon got to you, and I thought I'd lose you forever." her voice was slightly cracking and her hazel eyes were on the brink of tears.

Brock looked concerned, he took Angelina in his arms and hugged her assuringly. "Hey now, you haven't lost me, I'm still here. I'll take you up on your suggestion and go with you. Tomorrow, okay?"

Angelina nodded, smiling as she relaxed in his arms. "Let's go back to the party before Ash and Misty worry over us."

And so, the summer festival draws to a close and autumn is right around the corner. For Angelina and her friends, there's a lot that can happen in a year's time. Who knows what new adventures and romances are waiting just above the horizon.

§To Be Continued§

*This chapter is based off my favorite episode "The Ghost Of Maiden's Peak"
*Angelina has feelings for Brock, he understands to an extents.
*James's Koffing is revealed to know Poison Gas.
*Maiden Peak is a real mountain in Oregon.
*There are many Japanese cultural references, especially during the festival at the end.
*Gastly is the only known one to date that is able to speak and shape-shift.