Pokémon: Adventures in Sinnoh Chapter 7: A Chance of a Ghost, a pokémon fanfic

Mauheru Town was quaint and quiet. An orange afternoon sky yawned above the white, dusty buildings as Nick approached the small Pokémon Centre. A strange clown-looking Pokémon swept the garden of a nearby house, whistling a discordant tune. As he pushed his way through the grimy glass doors, a familiar voice startled him out of his tired silence.

'Hey, rookie!'

Nick turned to see the smiling face of Jay, slumped on a sofa with Arbok coiled around his feet and a small, blue animal asleep on his lap.

'Oh, hello!' chirped Nick, wandering over and sitting opposite his acquaintance.

'So… how's the training going?' asked the other boy. His hair was greasier than when they had first met, his shirt marked with dark patches of sweat.

'Great, I got the Coal Badge!' he blurted out. His desire to impress Jay was strangely overwhelming.

'Well, fancy that.' grinned his rival, stroking the creature in front of him. 'I didn't think you had it in you.'

Nick elaborated how he achieved the badge, and the occurrences that he had witnessed. Jay listened intently, but seemed to be trying not to look as interested as he was.

'Team Obsidia… they've been in the news in the past. How they handle Pokémon is disgusting.'

'Yeah…' sighed Nick. His attention was diverted to the new member of the group that yawned as Jay moved his legs.

'What is it?' he asked.

'A new Pokémon I caught on my way here.' smiled Jay, stroking its fur. 'It's a Shinx, an electric-type. Just like your Elekid.'

Nick took a closer look at Shinx.

'It's so cute!' he laughed, subsequently feeling silly for saying it.

'Not only that, but it's a strong little thing too… unfortunately not as strong as the Mauheru Gym Leader.'

'What do you mean?'

'Well, she uses fire-types. My Pokémon weren't even at a disadvantage, but she flattened us with ease.'

'Sounds nasty…' mused Nick, looking out the window at the darkening trees.

'You caught any new Pokémon?' asked Jay. Nick had to consider his answer for a moment.

'Oh, yeah. A Nosepass.'

The other boy suddenly started laughing.

'What's so funny?' questioned Nick.

'Well, it's… a pretty dumb-looking Pokémon.' sneered the other. Nick frowned.

'I like it. I think it's a strong, cool Pokémon.'

'Well, whatever floats your boat, I guess. Are you going to challenge Flannery?'

Nick assumed that this Flannery was the Mauheru Gym Leader.

'Yes.' he snapped. He was still annoyed by Jay's ignorance.

'Well, good luck to you.' his rival replied. 'The Gym is closed until tomorrow, so you might want to rest up here and do some training.'

'Thanks… I will.' nodded Nick, standing up and retiring to the bedrooms, picking up a magazine (Pokémon Watch) as he went.

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The room was dark when he woke up to a cry of 'Elek!' and he took a few moments to remember where he was. Pokémon Watch lay open across his chest; he had been looking at pictures of Wailord leaping out of the ocean and an article detailing the discovery of new Pokémon species in some faraway land when he had fallen asleep. Staggering to the other side of the room, he turned on the light to see Elekid standing on the bedside table, holding a wireless telephone receiver.

'Huh? A 'phone?' questioned Nick, the light hurting his tired eyes.

'El, Elekid!' his Pokémon replied. It suddenly dawned on him that Elekid thought he should call his parents.

'Mom and Dad, of course…' he muttered, taking the receiver and slowly pressing in some numbers. He looked out to the trees as the tense dialling tone rang. Moments later, his mother's voice spoke.

'Hello, Azalea residence…'

'Hi, Mom. It's Nick.' greeted her son.

'Oh, hi, Honey! Where are you? Are you okay?'

'I'm fine. I'm at the Pokémon Centre in Mauheru Town.'

'Mauheru Town!' gasped his mother. 'That's so far away!'

Nick thought for a moment; it really wasn't that far from Twinleaf Town. Her motherly worry was just getting the better of her.

'How are you, Mom?' he asked, somehow already knowing the answer.

'We're doing alright.' she chirped back. The fact that she had said 'We' clearly meant that things between his parents were still uneasy.

'I see.' he muttered.

'Nothing for you to worry about.' she concluded. 'How is your Pokémon journey going?'

'I got a badge from the Oreburgh Gym, and I caught a wild Nosepass.' he grinned.

'Wow! That's fantastic, Son. I didn't know you had it in you to be a trainer!' came the reply. Nick didn't know whether to take it as a compliment or an insult.

'T-Thanks.' he said. 'Anyway, I suppose I better go… I'm challenging the Mauheru Gym Leader tomorrow.'

'I'm rooting for you, Honey!' she cheered back.

'Thanks, Mom. Bye.'

'Bye, I love y-'

He had pressed the button to hang up a few seconds too quickly.

'I love you too…' he said under his breath, putting the phone back on the desk. Without him noticing, Elekid had disappeared from the room. Nosepass sat in the corner asleep, looking like a strange, ornamental table. As he turned to go back to bed, Elekid came running back into the room, closely followed by Jay.

'Nick! There you are!' cried his arrogant accomplice.

'What's the matter?' he asked.

'It's the forest outside! Team Obsidia are there!'

Nick's body tensed and a wave of anger surged through him.

'What? What are they doing now?'

'I'm not sure, but they might be after the Pokémon in the forest! I think we should follow them!'

Without a second thought, Nick recalled his Pokémon and followed outside. They found a nurse standing on the cold doorstep, her large blue eyes tinged with despair, her hat slightly askew atop her raven-coloured hair.

'Nick, this is Mona, the chief nurse of the Centre.'

'What did you see?' asked Nick instinctively.

'Two members of Team Obsidia…' she started, clasping her hands together in grief, 'I saw them enter Eterna Forest carrying Pokéballs. I think they might be after the Pokémon that live there.'

'What kind of Pokémon live there?' piped up Jay.

'Ghosts…' said the nurse. Jay's eyes widened slightly, but then he tried to retain his cool. Nick, on the other hand, was more taken aback:

'Ghosts!'

'Yes, Mauheru Town – especially the forest – is home to several species of ghost-type Pokémon. Tourists who want something a little different flock to "The Ghost Town."'

Nick looked around and realised that there was indeed a spooky charm about the area, ghostly faced emblazoned on the bark of the trees and the grime on the white walls of the homes.

'Don't tell me you haven't heard of ghost-types!' chuckled Jay. 'I bet you're afraid!'

His laughter was met by a glare from Mona, and he quietened down.

'Ghost Pokémon are Pokémon just like any other. They may be shunned more than other types, but they are living creatures with feelings too. They don't deserve what Team Obsidia might be trying to do to them.' she scolded.

Nick nodded in agreement; he was not keen on the idea of coming face-to-face with a ghost, but he cared about Pokémon enough to know she was speaking the truth; the way the Nosepass species had been treated by people only reinforced his feelings.

'Shall we follow them?' he asked.

'Yes… let's go.' both Jay and the nurse replied. Suddenly, Mona withdrew a Pokéball and threw it into the air:

'Gengar! Dance through the shadows of the trees and locate Team Obsidia!'

In a flash, a pitch-black creature appeared. Its small demonic frame was decorated with red, piercing eyes and a large mouth lined with white fangs. It floated through the air and instantly vanished into the shadows.

'Gengar, my own ghost-type, will help us find them!' she declared, and she began to run through the trees. Nick and Jay looked to each other, nodded, and began to follow her. Nick hadn't been as scared of the ghost as he thought he would have been.

After minutes of cold, wordless running through contorted, darkly-coloured trees, Gengar's eyes reappeared in the blackness of the air.

'Gengar, did you find them?' asked Mona.

'Gen… gar!' it growled, and began to lead the trio in another direction. They eventually found themselves in a clearing that was flooded with moonlight from above. In the centre stood the two members of Team Obsidia that had been seen earlier, and near the treetops above them floated a large circle of different Pokémon that Nick assumed to be ghost-types. He lifted his Pokédex and surveyed the various creatures:

'Gastly, the Gas Pokémon. Its gaseous body allows it to change shape and suffocate enemies by enveloping them in gas.'

This Pokémon did not sound entirely pleasant. He pointed the Pokédex at two purple creatures beside it:

'Misdreavus and its evolved form, Mismagius. Misdreavus loves to scare people and use their fear as energy, while Mismagius can chant incantations to inflict damage on its foes and make them have hallucinations.'

He observed a ball-shaped creature with spindly, dangling legs.

'Drifloon. A flying- and ghost-type, it floats on the winds and is said to be a signpost for wandering spirits.'

Finally, he paid attention to a motionless bug-like creature.

'Shedinja. It is the exoskeleton of an evolved Nincada that has come to life. While technically undead, it is still capable of battling.'

Putting his Pokédex into his pocket, Nick noticed two other creatures on the scene. Owl Pokémon were flying around the circle of ghosts, encapsulating them in a dome of light. The ghosts began to struggle to move, but seemed to be trapped inside, while a smaller dome was apparently protecting the Team Obsidia members.

'Those poor Pokémon!' cried Mona. 'They're using those Noctowl to render the ghosts harmless!' she added, running forward.

'Come on!' cried Nick, and Jay followed.

'Stop this at once!' bellowed the nurse at the grunts.

'Well, if it isn't the nurse from the Pokémon Centre, come to protect some horrible ghosts!' sneered one of the men.

'What do you think you're doing?' shouted Nick.

'We're capturing these rare Pokémon to sell to collectors and weirdos who would want to keep this type.' laughed the other man, in a matter-of-factly tone.

'You're scum!' yelled Jay 'Shinx, shock that stupid bird!'

Shinx leapt off of its trainer's shoulder and released a Thunderbolt attack, clipping the wings of one of the Noctowl. It fell out of sight into the trees and the attack encapsulating the ghosts weakened.

'Don't get in our way or we'll be forced to take you down too!' snarled a grunt. The two criminals began to throw Pokéballs at the ghost-types, and they were sucked inside. The Pokéballs remained levitating in mid-air, wriggling as the ghosts tried to escape.

'No! You can't capture them!' screamed Mona, her angry eyes filling with tears. She turned to the boys. 'Use your electric Pokémon to stop the Noctowl!'

'Right!' nodded Nick, and he sent Elekid out to join Shinx. Mona lifted another Pokéball.

'Assist us with your haunting electricity, Rotom!'

From the ball emerged a small, pointed creature that seemed to be composed of electrical plasma.

'Altogether, now! Thundershock!' commanded Mona. Elekid and Shinx looked to their trainers for confirmation. After a nod of approval from the two, they attacked alongside Rotom. Three bolts of electricity shot towards the two Noctowl. One of them was struck by two of the attacks and fell to the ground, where it was recalled into its ball.

'You meddling punks!' growled the creature's owner.

'I'll take care of them.' said the other. 'Noctowl, use Air Slash!'

The remaining owl flapped its wings with a great force, and a blade of air sliced through the surroundings and cut into Shinx. Jay saw that his Pokémon was hurt and withdrew it.

'Good job, buddy.' he muttered.

'Rotom, Shock Wave!' ordered Mona. The electric ghost released several bolts of lightning and knocked Noctowl backwards and into is own energy dome.

'We have to destroy that barrier to free the Pokémon and get rid of Team Obsidia!' shouted Mona. She turned to Nick.

'Don't you have a Nosepass?'

'Uh… yeah, I do…' he said.

'Have it use a rock-type move!'

Nick released Nosepass as Noctowl came soaring back at them for revenge.

'Nosepass, Rock Throw!' he yelled. A rock appeared in the Pokémon's hands, and it threw it with all its might towards the oncoming bird. The stone was shocked by Elekid and Rotom, blasting into Noctowl and sending it crashing through the dome, destroying its own defensive power. The Pokéballs containing the ghost-types fell to the ground.

'Now, get outta here!' shrieked Mona at the two Team Obsidia grunts, who were no longer protected.

'Poison Sting!' came Jay's voice, and in a moment, his Arbok was chasing the two men out of the clearing, spitting venomous needles at them as they ran. Mona quickly approached the balls. One by one they began to burst open, the creatures inside howling as they escaped into the night. One single ball, however, remained still. This capture had been successful.

'Oh, no…' moaned the nurse, picking it up. She pressed the button on it and a Gastly appeared.

'What happens now?' asked Nick, concerned for the monster.

'Well, we can't release it,' Mona replied sadly, 'Only the trainer who captured the Pokémon can send it away.'

'We can't just leave it in a Pokéball!' cried Nick.

'I know. I will take it and raise it as my own. In time, hopefully it will grow to trust me.' she said. The Gastly hovered around the clearning looking confused, its large eyes hollow and fearful, it's long tongue hanging out.

'Mona,' began Nick, 'How come it is still bound to the trainer despite the horrible way in which it was captured?'

'There is an unwritten, innate rule that a Pokémon will obey the human who captures it. They do not differentiate between good and evil, they simply follow command. That's why those Noctowl will partake in nefarious deeds – because their trainers are bad people and command them to.'

Nick looked down to Nosepass. He now understood why it had followed his orders right off the bat.

'Treating them with love, trust, kindness and respect, however,' continued Mona, 'Is the correct way, and helps build bridges between the worlds of human and Pokémon.'

Elekid smiled up at Nick, who reciprocated. Nosepass, while lacking any visible mouth, seemed to be grinning too.

'I can't thank you enough for your help tonight.' smiled Mona as they re-entered the Pokémon Centre.

'It was your fantastic Pokémon that did most of the work!' he chirped back. 'Anyway, I suppose I had better get some sleep… I'm challenging Flannery tomorrow.'

'Ah, Flannery. A very good friend of mine.' smiled Mona. 'I shouldn't, but since you helped me, I'll give you a hint: a talented rock Pokémon like your Nosepass will be super-effective against her fire-types.'

'T-Thanks!' laughed Nick nervously. He and Jay wished the nurse goodnight, and returned to the bedroom, as smiling, ghostly faces pressed against the window outside.