Misdreavus, the Friendly Ghost
Rating: PG
Genre: General/Humor
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights of the little monster.
Summary: Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu are looking for a Ghost Pokémon to defeat Sabrina, which means a trip to the Pokémon Tower in Lavender Town! Based on Episode #23 in the Pokémon anime with a similar plot to the movie Casper as well as a twist to the original Pokémon story.
Author's Notes: I am fully aware that Misdreavus is a Jhoto Pokémon, and you will see for yourself later in this chapter. Expect to see more parallels!
Chapter Two
Just as Brock had predicted, it was nightfall in Lavender Town by the time Ash and his friends arrived. The young boy looked at the town, gulping from the fear that had taken over him. "Guys, are you sure this is the right place?" he asked.
Misty and Brock nodded their heads. It was hazy and quiet, too quiet. It was the perfect setting for a ghost story, but this was more than just a ghost story. This was a ghost story coming to life. "Yeah, this would be Lavender Town all right," said Brock.
"Brr! It's freezing!" said Misty, shuddering from the cold.
"Don't worry. I'll have us warm in no time," assured Ash. Taking out one of his Pokéballs, he tossed it into the air and cried out, "Charmander, I choose you!"
The red and white ball was activated and opened itself up, letting out a little red dinosaur with blue eyes full of happiness, a white tummy and a flame burning at the tip of his tail. "Charmander!" he squeaked.
"Can you stay really close to us and keep us warm as we walk to the Pokémon Tower?" he asked the creature.
"Char!" affirmed Charmander.
The quintet walked on the main street of the small town, staying close together as much as possible as they traveled through the thick haze. Pikachu, who was sitting on Ash's shoulder, was barely receiving any heat from Charmander's fiery tail. So, he jumped onto his feet once he had landed on the rocky terrain and walked beside his dinosaur friend for the rest of the journey.
Once they had reached the other side of Lavender Town, Ash noticed a strange building that was on the other side of the haze. He also was aware of his surroundings. No longer did he hear the tiny squeaks of a family of Zubats and Gobalts in the woods. No longer did the streetlamps light his way.
That only meant one thing to the group. The Pokémon Tower was very close.
And it was. When Ash stepped out of the hazy patch of fog, he stood before the entrance of the haunted Pokémon Tower of Lavender Town. "So, this must be it," he said. "This must be the Pokémon Tower."
"It has to be unless there is another creepy tower in this town that no one has ever heard of," said Misty.
"Do you think the ghosts are out and about?" asked Brock. "We might be lucky enough to get out alive if there are none but one inside."
"Well, we will have to find out about that," said Ash.
Just as he took one step ahead, he felt small hands tugging at his pants legs. Pikachu and Charmander were pleading him not to go inside. "Pika! Pika! Pika! Pika!" cried the little electric mouse.
"Pikachu, I have to go in there if I want to win our next badge," protested Ash. "And you're coming in!"
Pikachu let go of the boy's pants leg and shook his head. "Pika!" he huffed, crossing his little arms in defiance.
"Fine then. You can stay out here and wait for the ghosts if they are outside, okay? Charmander will come with me."
"Char!" said the red dinosaur as he joined with Pikachu, also folding his arms across his chest.
"I give," sighed Ash. "You two stay out here and let us know when you see a ghost, okay?" He turned to his friends and said, "Let's go. Bulbasaur and Squirtle can help us instead."
When Charmander heard his other two friends' names, he rushed to Ash, fearing that the green plant dinosaur and the blue baby turtle would take away his glory. "Charmander!" he cried.
"That's one," chuckled Ash. "Well, Pikachu? Are you coming?"
The yellow mouse stood his ground and shook his head. "Pika!"
"Suit yourself," said his friend. With Misty and Brock behind him and Charmander gripping onto his left pants leg, Ash bravely ventured into the mysterious building. Just as he opened the main door, everyone heard the hysterical cackle of several ghosts in the distance. "What was that?" he asked.
The next thing the aspiring Pokémon Master knew, he felt Pikachu jumping onto his right shoulder and hid himself in the green backpack. "Pika!" whined the mouse.
"I knew you didn't want to be alone outside," said Ash. He gulped loudly as he took a step inside the building and added, "I don't know who would tonight."
Peeking into the haunted lobby, Ash motioned his friends to follow him. "The coast is clear," he whispered.
Misty and Brock huddled together while Charmander stayed close to Ash's side. "Charmander," he said, shuddering at the sights of his surroundings.
"Yeah, I know it's scary, Charmander," said Ash, "but we need to get a Ghost Pokémon before we can do anything else in our journey. Why you use your tail as our light or something? It's too dark to see in here."
"Char!" The little red dinosaur grabbed his flaming tail and held it like a lantern to light up the lobby. Everyone marveled at the sight of the room. Though it was dusty and old, it was a beautiful.
But it was still haunted for they were hearing a squeaking nose from somewhere nearby. Ash looked up and saw an old chandelier sawing back and forth, as if there was something that been recently near the ceiling of the lobby.
"G-g-guys, we better be careful," he said.
Suddenly the door behind them slammed itself shut. "W-w-what was t-t-that?" asked Ash, nearly jumping out of his skin.
"That was the door," groaned Misty.
"Y-y-yeah, but a d-d-door that c-c-closed itself," added Brock, who was huddled with Ash and Charmander.
"You guys are a bunch of scaredy cats," scoffed the redhead. She found the mirror near the waiting area and cleaned a portion of the dust on the glass with her hand. Looking at her reflection, she said, "Well, at least I know I'm not a vampire."
Suddenly, she felt a strange cold presence behind her, but she could not see it in the mirror. Slowly turning around, she found herself staring at Misdreavus, nearly blanching when their eyes met. "Hi!" he said cheerfully.
"It's a ghost!" she shrieked. She took three steps forward and then jumped behind Ash and Brock for protection. "Save me! That ghost is going to attack me!"
"Calm down!" cried the little Ghost Pokémon. "I'm not going to hurt you."
"But you're a ghost! You hate us!"
"I don't hate you."
The three travelers looked confused. "Huh?" they asked.
"I'm not like those other ghosts who like to scare people at night, especially the people here in Lavender Town," explained Misdreavus.
"And you can talk like us too!" exclaimed Brock. "How is that possible?"
"Again, I am not like most ghosts. Even my uncles can tell you that."
"Uncles?" asked the trio.
"Yeah, my uncles," replied Misdreavus. "They live here, but they're out right now, probably scaring some people who are really dumb enough to be outside at a time like this.
"By the way, my name is Misdreavus. What's yours?"
"I'm Ash," said the leader of the group.
"I'm Misty," said the Cerulean City Gym Leader with a peace sign.
"And I'm Brock," said the Pewter City Gym Leader.
"And these Pokémon, they aren't going to hurt me, right?" asked Misdreavus.
"Char!" squeaked Charmander.
"Pika!" added Pikachu.
"No, they won't hurt you," said Ash. He took out his Pokédex and searched for information about the mysterious Ghost Pokémon, but for the first time since he left Pallet Town, the answers that lied in his Pokédex came up short. "Misdreavus: Ghost Pokémon. Information unknown. Please upgrade to receive more information about this Pokémon."
"Upgrade already?" groaned Ash.
"I wonder why the Pokédex has no information about Misdreavus," said Misty.
"Could this be a new Pokémon?" asked Brock aloud.
Meanwhile, the Team Rocket trio hid themselves among the bushes outside of the Pokémon Tower. Jessie poked her head out from the leaves and looked around for any sign of Ash and his fiends. "The twerps must be inside the tower," she said.
She turned to her partners, who were huddling together for protection, and grabbed them both by the neck, forcing them to stand up with her. "Come on, you two! We don't have much time!"
Suddenly, they felt a great cold breeze pass over them and three voices cackling with glee. Sure enough, they saw a Gastly, a Haunter, and a Gengar flying toward the Pokémon Tower.
"Ahh!" screamed James as he jumped into Jessie's arms. "This town is VERY haunted! Even more haunting than a Haunter by himself!"
The platinum redhead dropped him onto the ground and said, "Listen, you two! I have had enough with your attitude. Now you are going to go into that building catch some Ghost Pokémon! Do you understand me?"
"Yes, ma'am," muttered James and Meowth.
Back in the Pokémon Tower, Misdreavus heard the laughter approaching the lobby closer and closer as the seconds passed. "Hide, you guys!" he instructed.
Everyone found a hiding spot somewhere in the lobby. Brock his behind the receptionists' desk, and Missy hid under the couch. Ash, Pikachu, and Charmander, on the other hand, hid in the broom closet. Luckily, Ash realized that by having Charmander on the floor, it would be pointless to hide due to the flame on his tail. He picked up the dinosaur and tried to hide him so his fire couldn't make an outline around the door.
Without warning, the door burst open, and the ghostly trio of Pokémon Tower made their presence known with their loud laughter. "Boy, what a night!" cackled Gengar.
"It was probably the best night of laughs I have ever had for decades!" exclaimed Gastly.
"Hey, Gastly! Did you see the look of that man's face when Gengar imitated his shadow?" asked Haunter. "One second, he saw him and the next second, he was running off! Ha! Ha! Ha…"
Suddenly the maroon Haunter stopped laughing and began to sniff the air. "Something strange is going on here, guys," he said. "I smell… FLESHIES!"
Everyone cringed for a moment in their hiding place. Ash took a deep breath and tried his best not to make a sound or a movement that would attract the trio to him.
"You don't mean those kind of Fleshies!" cried Gengar. "How can you be sure that is what you're smelling? With the exception of tonight, we haven't had Fleshies in this building for years!"
"I know I am smelling Fleshies; I know their scent when I smell it!"
"Come to think about it, I do too," added Gastly, taking a strong wiff in the air.
The shadow Pokémon inhaled the same scent that lingered in the air. "Me three," he growled.
"I hope those silly children are not back for another round of frights. But in any case…" Haunter took a deep breath and yelled at the top of his gassy lungs, "MISDREAVUS!"
The building began to shake from the high decibels of the ghost's scream, but within a blink of an eye, little Misdreavus appeared from a painting and greeted his uncles with a nervous chuckle. "Hey, guys! You're back! How did the fright fest go, Uncle Haunter? Like you manage to scare anybody tonight!"
"Where are they, Misdreavus?" demanded Haunter, grabbing Misdreavus by his hair with one of his levitating claws.
"Where are who?" asked the tiny ghost innocently.
"We know there are Fleshies in this room," said Gastly. "Tell us the truth and no one will get hurt, not even the Fleshies."
"And you better not be lying or you know what we will do if you are caught lying to us," warned the black Gengar, his eyes glowing bloody red.
Misdreavus gulped and chuckled nervously. "Well, you see…"
"PIKACHU!" All four ghosts were startled as the door to the broom closet was blown off its hinges from Pikachu's Thunderbolt attack. The little yellow mouse ran out to the opening, his red cheeks full of electric energy and his black beady eyes full of anger. "Pika," he growled.
"A Pikachu?" asked Haunter. "I could have sworn I smelled a mortal with that rodent!"
"Pikachu!" cried Ash. "Come back here!"
"Ha! I knew my senses weren't wrong!"
With Charmander chasing after him, the black-haired boy grabbed his companion, only to glance up at the ghostly Pokémon trio before him. Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar were grinning ear to ear in glee. "Oh man," he muttered, gulping in fear. "I blew it."
"Misdreavus?" crooned Haunter, pulling the little ghost close to him. "Were you hiding this kid from us?"
Misdreavus turned his ruby gaze away, nonverbally affirming his answer. What have I done, he thought.
Oops, indeed! Watch out for the next chapter featuring the showdown between the ghosts, the pocket monsters and the "fleshies."
And, yes, I know I used "fleshies," but to see this ghostly trio use the word makes them more intimidating, just like the trio we all know and love (sometimes). Isn't that what their nature supposed to be?
Don't forget to read and review!
TheGoodWitchoftheNorth