This person would be the last to be expected here.

"You`re here, again." I suspiciously said to her.

"Talks later. Do you need a ride or not?" She looked at me with an irritated look.

"Well, seems like I actually don`t have a choice."

I sat on a bike behind her, got my greatcoat up so it doesn`t get in the wheel, and grabbed Leaf.

"Whoa, easy there…" She said and started the bike. We quickly headed away from the cursed Lavender town, forward to the cursed Celadon City.

Some minutes passed in a complete silence between us, it was just the roar of engine and the wind… I needed some time to pull all my thoughts together. To understand whether I trust Leaf or not… Whether I should thrust her… Too many facts speak against this. And yet she again appeared to help me. I think I should give her another chance. Maybe I should not.

"Do you know where are we heading?" I finally asked her.

"Yep. To the Celadon City."

"Do you know why are we heading there?"

"Yep. To defeat the gym, to save some pokemon and to find a device for ghost-destroying!"

Hell, now she really scared me. She knows even about the things that just I and Mr. Fuji know!

"Do you know why I can`t trust you?"

"Yep! Because I talk too much about you and too little about myself."

And she said it exactly right. She is whether a perfect journalist or a really professional spy.

"Maybe you`ll talk about yourself a little bit more?"

"Nope."

I don`t know now… She really doesn`t look connected to Team Rocket or… those guys… But who is she connected to then?

"You know… I am sorry that I hurt you back there…"

"Don`t worry! I expected you to rape me, so I was ready to scream for help at any second!" She destroyed all the moment with this joke of hers. Okay, we`ll play too.

"You wouldn`t need to. You would like it."

"Okay, okay, stop. This is now scary…"

"Ah, nevermind, let`s just get to the Celadon City already."

To the beginning of a new day we reached the entrance to the subway on Route 7. We stopped near it and read the sign.

The road to Saffron City is blocked. Use the subway for getting to Route 8.

"Looks like this route will lead to the closed city of Saffron too." Leaf stated.

"Do you know what`s happening there?" I asked her. "It was blocked too when I was on my way to Vermillion, and the cops sent me to subway too. A secret operation they said."

"Honestly, I have no idea. An operation… against Team Rocket, maybe?"

"This makes some sense, actually…" I looked at the road following further to the closed city. "I would like to try to investigate this too. But not now, let`s go to Celadon City!"

"Right!"

Leaf nodded in agreement and headed into the side road to subway, on an underground road for cars. To our surprise, there were not that many cars here and they were heading mostly towards us, and away from the Celadon City. I noticed a very sad crying family moving in the wagon. Wonder what happened to upset them all.

And this was not the only people in deep sadness on our way. There were more and more of them, literally… surrounding us? The sobs were becoming louder and louder as the whole bunch of people in cars were moving on our line now on left and right, on a meet line!

"Idiots…" I scolded them quietly.

"What did you say?" Leaf asked me again. I wanted to tell her what I`m thinking about all these drivers, but suddenly noticed one of them heading straight at us, honking very loudly.

"Away!" I pushed Leaf`s right hand to dodge the mad driver. We managed to evade the collision, but leaned too much and fell on the ground, right under the wheels of passing cars. I rolled away from one car to another and reached the safe wall and survived. But Leaf was lost for now, and I started to look for her with my eyes. And then I heard the horrible sound of crumbling bones…

"LEAF!" I shouted in fear that she got under the car.

The never-ending car stream suddenly vanished, and just the motionless body of girl remained in the middle of road. The pool of blood is slowly spreading from her.

"Oh, no-no-no…" I quickly rushed to her to check whether she is still alive. She had no pulse on her arm and neck, but when I turned her face to me…

Two large evil eyes appeared right before me, screeching loudly in my mind.

"What the heck…" The worried voice of Leaf reached me.

This shit startled me so I felt the feeling of falling… And found myself on ground. Leaf stopped her bike nearby and rushed to me.

"What`s happening?" She asked me.

I was too confused to say anything, and just let her move me away from the carriageway.

"Don`t scare me like that, Ven! Are you okay?"

I had to take some seconds to realize that the girl is standing right before me, much more alive that I am at the moment.

"Leaf?"

"What, what?" She seemed to worry a lot about me now. "Here, drink this."

Girl took a small flask from her bag and gave me to drink. I made a few sips and exhaled loudly. The senses are slowly coming back to me, and I looked around. There were absolutely no cars around us. Just the dusty dark underground road and faded light.

"How many cars were there a second ago?" I cautiously asked Leaf.

"What are you talking about? We have seen the last car nearly ten minutes ago!" She confusedly replied.

Ten minutes ago… Then how could I…

"Come on." I got up and headed to the bike. The quick movement made my eyes go dark for a couple of seconds, and Leaf hold me like I`m going to fall. "I`m okay, let`s move."

"What`s happening?" The girl really started to worry.

"We need to get outside. Quickly. And then… I`ll need your help."

"You`re scaring me." She replied but yet took her place on bike and started it.

"This is vengeance… For talking too little about yourself." I closed my greatcoat tightly, covering the last pokeball on my shoulder belt. I could literally feel it emanating the energy that makes people mad.

Ghosts.

The way was long. Too long, I think, it seemed to be an eternity to me. Madness didn`t strike me again, but worried me a lot. Leaf tried to make me talk about it, but I can keep silent when I need to.

And finally, we reached the other side of this damn underground tunnel and Route 8. The day was slowly coming to an end, and I definitely had no time to lose. But there were some urgent problems that have to be solved here and now.

We stopped near the road and took some time to breathe the fresh air and come back to senses after such long and uneasy ride. My ass will remember this damn bike for long time, I`m sure of it.

"Looks like we don`t make it in time until the dusk." I looked high above me and stared at the sky for some time. "I have to challenge the gym tomorrow, but now…" I lowered my eyesight at disturbed Leaf. "I want a rematch."

"A rematch? What for? You`ve won the last time!" Leaf questioned me confusedly.

"Yeah, right, and this time I`m going to lose. So come on, show me your best pokemon!" I pointed at the meadow nearby where we can battle a bit and quickly proceeded to the further side of it standing opposite Leaf and slowly taking the first pokeball.

Girl shook her head negatively but then sighed and stood opposite of me and took her pokeball from the bag.

"Okay, Dude, let`s do this!"

She easily threw the pokeball in the air, making it open and release a shining form of a pokemon in flight. I knew that pokemon.

"Pidgeotto, huh? I expected your Bulbasaur… Maybe, Ivysaur now… But this is even better. Harry, you`re on!"

I threw my pokeball on the ground and released the grim figure of scarred Weepinbell.

"Why him? You know that…" Leaf tried to ask.

"I know, right? Just give me a second." I put Harry`s pokeball near me and took the TM Case. "In the Lavender tower you tried to do something curious… You attacked the ghost with something poisonous…" I quickly found the correct interface in the device and checked Harry`s status.

"What are you…"

"Sh-sh… Wait a second… Right! Harry tried to learn Acid! A dangerous attack that may poison the target… Man. This is really, really good, we should fix this! You`re actually learning move after move…"

Harry turned away from his opponent and looked at me suspiciously.

"Okay, but again we need to choose a move that have to go… Vine whip, Stun spore, Flash or Wrap? Damn this is so tough to choose. Everything could be useful."

"Ugh…" Leaf snorted and sat on ground. Her Pidgeotto landed nearby and looked at us with curiosity.

"Well… Wrap was quite useful sometimes… But the rest could be more useful."

I pressed the button on a screen, and the device quietly beeped.

Harry forgot Wrap!

Harry learned Acid!

"Oh, come on, let`s go already! Dude, use Gust!" Leaf already tired of waiting and finally made her first move. Dude the Pidgeotto croaked and rushed to Harry.

"Let`s try your Acid again, Harry!"

Weepinbell quickly turned around and faced the approaching Pidgeotto. Maybe usually Pidgeottos are faster than Weepinbells but mine was definitely trained better. He spit so powerful blast of acid right in Dude`s face so the opposing pokemon was literally shot down and barely kept himself in the air. Of course, the acid itself hurt him, he felt it very good, and so he gave us some more time.

"Repeat the Acid, Harry! Again and again!"

Like a minigun shooting acid blasts, Harry shot poor Pidgeotto from the sky and to the ground. The opponent couldn`t do anything as one shot after another were hitting him in the face, disorienting and causing the real pain. I don`t even know whether it had some additional effect – and that actually didn`t matter. Pidgeotto fainted very soon, leaving his trainer alone and shocked.

I could actually see the eagerness in my Harry so he could even shoot at Leaf too if I let him. But I won`t.

"Great job with Acid, Harry. Return." I delightfully complimented my pokemon and returned him back to pokeball.

Leaf sadly returned her Dude too and looked at me with determination. I decided not to make her waiting for too long.

"Okay, now it`s your turn!" I released the pokemon on the battlefield with cautious. The light formed a ball of gas and turned into Gastly. My new pokemon.

"So, that`s why you were behaving so strange…" Leaf realized and, maybe, even guessed my plan. "Okay, I`ll do what`s needed. Roarer, come on out!"

Girl threw her another pokeball on the field, releasing a large blazing figure, appearing to be Arcanine.

"Now THIS is becoming interesting…" I surprised. Actually, I was really surprised to see a really tough-looking Arcanine under her possession. If her secondary pokemon is so good, then how strong her main pokemon – Zaura can be? Is she a Venusaur already? Damn, if it`s true, then I need to hurry up and evolve my Dumpling into Charizard too.

But before the battle of suspiciously looking around Gastly and determined Arcanine I had to check my pokemon`s moves in the TM Case. Actually, I wasn`t sure he will obey me – I was sure in the opposite, but still I had to try.

"Okay, Gastly, use… Lick? Is that a move?"

Angry smoke ball with eyes turned back to me and quickly approached, trying to lick me instead of the opponent. I was expecting that and dodged the attack, smacking Gastly in the face. My hand went through his body, leaving some horribly itching feeling.

"Lick! The opponent!" I ordered to him. Stubborn pokemon tried to lick me again, but I jumped to the side again, dodging his long and nasty tongue.

Gastly couldn`t reach me, but this didn`t anger him at all – seemed like he actually enjoyed this game - chasing his trainer during the battle. But, actually, I didn`t like this at all.

"Okay, Roarer, let`s help him. Use Bite!" Leaf commanded to her pokemon.

Arcanine rushed into our direction, opening his mouth with rows of sharp teeth. Gastly noticed this and left me alone for a moment, preparing to catch another toy. He stretched his tongue to opposing pokemon, but Leaf`s Roarer was faster, larger and stronger, and he bit Gastly right in the tongue. Ghost pokemon screeched loudly from the pain and looked angrily at the opponent. Arcanine returned back to his position in a single jump and bellowed in reply.

"Look, look at him! Look at this big, scary Arcanine…" I playfully told to Gastly. "He bites quite painfully, yeah?"

"Roarer, repeat your Bite attack!" Leaf continued the battle without hesitation.

Her Arcanine opened his mouth wide again and rushed to my Gastly.

"Dodge his attack and use Lick!"

But Gastly gave me a nasty look and turned to the approaching Arcanine. Ghost pokemon` eyes suddenly turned purple and shined brightly as the opponent approached and bit him one more time. Another horrible screech from Gastly, and his own attack didn`t worked.

"That was hypnosis, right? Good choice, but I know better." I told him. "I know how to protect you. Listen to me and we`ll win!"

This time Gastly looked at me really angry. Looks like I have really pissed him off. This time he directed the Hypnosis attack on me, causing the world to distort in my vision. Everything slowly became red, especially his big eyes, Arcanine grew a pair of disgusting tentacles, and Leaf turned black and… dead.

"Bite though his neck, Roarer! Taste his blood!" The horrible zombie Leaf shouted with wheezing voice.

But I gave myself a slap, immediately awakening from this damn dream and turning everything back to normal. Gastly looked caught by surprise with this and right after that Arcanine bit him once more, this time finishing the poor ghost pokemon. The alive ball of gas cloud fainted and fell on floor with his tongue outside and big eyes closed.

I nodded to Leaf and approached the lying ghost. Roarer slowly retreated back to his trainer, leaving me alone with my pokemon. I carefully stretched my hand to the body and made a touch.

This pokemon felt really different. The ethereal body is so strangely solid on the first touch… But then hand just goes further, deeper in the body, like in the water or a very dense cloud… And hand even shakes by itself inside it… Awful feeling.

I grabbed a small yellow crystal from my pocket and revived Gastly. Pokemon came back to senses and suspiciously looked at me.

"Feeling better?" I carefully asked the pokemon. Just now I realized that I`m actually talking to a ghost. This made me shudder a bit, but I calmed down. This could be something really new to me, but all that comes later.

Pokemon disappeared from my hands and materialized right before my face. He smiled widely and showed me his long tongue.

"Okay, I understand. You like to scare people. You like this too much, I get it. But you will scare me no more…"

Suddenly Gastly disappeared again. I looked around in an attempt to find him, but then loud and very sudden screech startled me from behind. Damn that was disturbing! I looked back and found Gastly making some noises that sound like laugh.

"We`ll deal with this habit of yours. I chose you for a reason, pal, and I need you to listen." I noticed the nasty look on Gastly`s face once more. "Listen! Not startle me! No more scaring people! Why scare when you can battle? This is much better!"

And after these words ghost pokemon suddenly licked me. The horrible tongue moved through my face leaving even worse feeling after this. The shiver passed through all my body, and even now I was too lucky not to get paralyzed. Actually, I could.

I gave him another serious look, but the ghost pokemon couldn`t take me seriously. At least, not now…

"I`ll prove to you that us trainers are really cool guys. You see that monstrosity?" I pointed at the large blazing pokemon near Leaf. "He defeated you so easily and you didn`t even notice. Want to take revenge?"

The pokemon slowly turned away from me, showing the condescension with all his moves. Too proud to give up that easily.

"Okay, listen to me and follow my commands. This time we`ll win."

I carefully sprayed the pokemon with my potion and looked at Leaf.

"But your pokemon isn`t at its full strength. Simple Revives don`t restore him completely, you know…" My opponent reminded. "Are you sure one potion is enough?"

"It doesn`t matter. Everything depends on luck now… If we fail once – then we`re doomed anyway." I replied.

"As you wish …" Leaf commented with sudden determination. "Roarer, let`s Bite him one more time!"

"Use Hypnosis!" I ordered to Gastly. He hesitated for a bit, but then actually listened to me. Ghost pokemon gave Arcanine a dangerous look with his glowing eyes, and the opponent suddenly closed his eyes and fell on ground, moving a bit further by inertia.

Roarer fell asleep.

"Roarer, no!" Leaf shouted in despair.

"Roarer, yes." I interrupted her. "Gastly, now use… Curse!"

Leaf wasn`t aware of this move, and simply ignored my command. She tried to wake her own pokemon.

"Roarer, get up! Bite him! Bite him!"

My Gastly suddenly swelled and exhaled a strange mystic stream of gas that reached Leaf`s pokemon and soaked inside his body. Arcanine shivered in pain while asleep. It worked!

But then I looked at my Gastly. This move actually hurt him too, and I can see him right on the edge.

"Come on, buddy, get up!" Leaf literally begged her pokemon to wake up and continue the battle.

"Hold on and use Night shade!"

Gastly seemed to get into the battle. This time he executed my command without hesitation, sending a mirage image of himself right into the sleeping pokemon and exploding the phantom on contact. This did not damage the opponent too much, but that`s not the point.

Roared shivered again, still cursed and being hurt.

"Okay, okay! Stop this, I give up!" Leaf shouted to me asking for the end.

"There is no running away from a trainer battle." I replied cunningly. "Gastly, you can Lick your opponent."

My pokemon gladly screeched and rushed to the opposing pokemon and licked it. The face of sleeping Arcanine changed into the disgust, but after that final strike of curse finished him off, making him faint while asleep.

"Oh, why you…" Leaf mumbled and returned her pokemon back to pokeball.

"Great job. You see? Battling is fun!" I tried to convince my new pokemon. He gladly screeched again and approached me. Seems like he understands now.

Well, maybe I took him away from home and friends, where he used to scare the shit out of people and tease the grave visitors, but this will be better for him. And for me.

"And now let`s talk seriously. I need your strength for my mission. It is very important and hard, so I look for pokemon that have the potential. I see YOUR potential. Do you… agree to join my team?"

Gastly hesitated for some with the answer. Of course, he is intelligent enough to understand everything I say and mean. This is not an easy choice, and he seemed to start liking the way of trainer.

This is why this cursed ghost rushed THROUGH my head and laughed loudly behind me.

That. Was. HORRIBLE!

I was confused and even lost the sense of direction for some seconds.

"Don`t you... ever do that again!" I strictly said to Gastly. He stopped laughing and flew around to approach me again.

The seconds of silence gave him time to make a decision which he declared with definitely positive screech. I smiled a bit and nodded in reply.

"That`s great. Then… Welcome to the team, Caesar!"

Leaf was patiently waiting near her bike while we deal with our small ritual of dedication. But the night slowly descended on us, and the time to go finally came.

"Come on, let`s go to Celadon City already. We have wasted enough time." She rushed me. And she was partly right.

"Okay, Caesar. I`ll give you the chance to see the world and to do something actually useful. Get back and have a rest." I returned him back to pokeball and fixed it on my shoulder belt.

It`s five pokeballs already. The League rules allow having a team of six pokemon maximum. I wonder what the last pokemon will be given to me by destiny. The time will show…

"You`re right. Let`s move on, we`re done here." I approached her bike and invited her to take place with a jest. "The grass-type gym awaits."

"So, this is exactly what you wanted to do right now?" She questioned while taking her seat and starting the bike.

"Yep. Looks like I got one nasty Gastly in my team." I replied with a bit of sarcasm. "The one that likes to scare people. And, have to say, he can do this pretty well even while being inside his pokeball."

Leaf finally started the bike and we continued our road under the light of moon.

"What happened in the subway?" My companion asked.

"Seems like it was a practical joke from my new team member. I don`t know whether I fell asleep there or not… But I saw a real nightmare. Your de… Ahem… Well, it was frigging awful." I decided to stop myself right here not to scary this girl even more. I hope Caesar will not try to do this instead of me.

"Maybe this could be useful… But don`t you think that having four half-poison-type pokemon in your team is a bit… strange?"

"Really? Four?" I actually didn`t think about it and now checked the count on my fingers. "Reaper, Moment, Harry and Caesar… Damn, you`re right. This could be a problem… Well, maybe there is some sense. I could define myself as a poison type too."

"Nah… You`re the one dark type. Really, really dark type." She continued my joke. But when I thought about it a little bit more… I found her really right.

The rest of our ride through the Route 8 and to the Celadon City itself was spent in deep thoughts. I had to rethink my plan for the next few days. I have to investigate the connection between the Celadon gym and Team Rocket… I have to check the place that Rocket recruiter told me about… I have to save the pokemon and return back to Lavender town where, I hope, Douchebag is keeping the tower closed until my return. These bastards won`t escape now! And, finally, I have to save Mr. Fuji. This old man knows something… I need to find out what.

Oh, the next days are gonna be tough… Well, when it was easy? I guess, it never was. And never will be.