Episode 18: A Ghost of a Chance
After driving out Team Rocket, Sora, Kairi, Pikachu, and Angel have made it back to the Pokémon Center to rest their Pokémon before they left to head back to Lavender Town to rescue Mr. Fuji from the Team Rocket agents stationed there. They gotten hold of the Silph Scope, so it'll be useful to see the ghost for what it really is.
Once their Pokémon were healed up, they started to make their trip back to Lavender Town.
"Alright, back to Lavender Town we go!" Sora said.
"Pika, Pika," Pikachu said.
"Eevee," Angel said.
"We should hurry!" Kairi said.
In Lavender Town, Reina thought a lot about Mr. Fuji and hoped he was okay.
"Mr. Fuji. If only there was something I could do," Reina said.
Up in the Pokémon Tower's top floor, several Team Rocket grunts are sitting around. Mr. Fuji, being a man with light skin and a bald head tied up in a rope. His eyes are small and brown, and he has large, white eyebrows. He has a pointed nose. The skin on his face is lightly wrinkled. He is seen wearing a button-up shirt with a collar.
"Hey, did you guys hear about the rumors?" One of the male Team Rocket grunts asked.
"What rumors?" Another male Team Rocket grunt asked.
"There's some talk about a ghost lurking around here," the first Team Rocket grunt said. Some of the Team Rocket grunts started to shiver.
"A ghost?" Another male Team Rocket grunt asked.
"Yeah. That's the talk of the town," the first male Team Rocket grunt said.
"You mean, a Ghost-type Pokémon, right?" The second male Team Rocket grunt asked.
"No, it's not a Pokémon, it's an actual ghost. And get this. The ghost came around the same time as we did," the first male Team Rocket grunt said.
"If only we had the Silph Scope. We could have used it to see these so-called ghosts," the third Team Rocket grunt said.
"Well, we'll just have to keep the people out," the second Team Rocket grunt said.
"Why would we want with this place, anyway?" The first Team Rocket grunt asked.
"Not sure, but he's right. These people are too scared to stand up against us," the third Team Rocket grunt said. They all laughed.
Back in Lavender Town, Jessie, James, and Meowth dragged their feet on the ground as they head up to the Pokémon Tower.
"We blew it again, especially with the boss right there. And I thought we thought we were laughing stocks before," James said.
"We just went from laughing stocks to roaring-with-laughing stocks," Meowth said.
"Meowth, that doesn't even make sense," Jessie pointed out.
"I'm just spouting something that didn't make sense because I'm upset," Meowth said.
"We can make up for it by catching the ghost," Jessie said. "You see, once we've caught the ghost, we'll sic it on the twerps, haunting them. And then, scare them into giving us Pikachu. A brilliant plan." James and Meowth just rolled their eyes over how stupid a plan it was.
"Out of all of the ideas you have ever had, this is by far the most stupidest idea you have ever had," Meowth said.
"I'm with Meowth. We don't know if it's a ghost or not and we're not exactly Ghostbusters," James said. "Also, even if we did catch the ghost, how are we going to control it."
"Leave that to me," Jessie said. She chuckled.
Team Rocket walks in, carrying nets and traps.
"This is ridiculous. How are nets going to hold a ghost?" James asked.
"Shut up and keep walking," Jessie said.
They walk up even further right up to the sixth floor.
"Well, this is the sixth floor," Meowth said.
"Just where is this ghost?" James asked.
"A ghost isn't just going to come right at you," Jessie said, "you got to make the ghost come out."
"Get out!" A voice said.
"Don't interrupt me!" Jessie said.
"That wasn't me," Meowth said. She looked at James.
"It wasn't me either," James said.
"So, if it wasn't you, and it wasn't you-" Jessie said, pointing to Meowth and James. She froze when she realized they weren't alone in the tower. She slowly turned around and she saw the ghost.
"Get out! Get out! GET OUT!" The ghost roared.
Team Rocket screamed and ran as fast as they could go. They ran right out the door and straight out of town. They ran right up to a tree and huffed to catch their breath.
"Some plan, Jessie. We catch the ghost and sic it on the twerps to scare him into giving us Pikachu. Should have guessed that plan would backfire," Meowth said.
Over to Ash, he had just arrived, and he spotted Sora and Kairi coming right back to Lavender Town.
"Hey, Sora, Kairi," Ash greeted.
"Hey, Ash. No time to talk. We got something to do," Sora said.
"What?" Ash asked.
"Team Rocket is in Lavender Town right inside of the Pokémon Tower. They've been there for days," Kairi said.
"Team Rocket? I don't like this," Ash said.
"They showed up just days ago. Not sure why, but Team Rocket has taken over the Pokémon Tower and they're using it as their secret base," Sora said.
"Also, they've been chasing out people who comes to the Pokémon Tower," Kairi added. Ash growled.
"How could those guys be so cruel?" Ash asked.
"And there's something else," Sora said.
"What?" Ash asked.
"The Pokémon Tower is also haunted. Haunted by a ghost," Sora said. Ash just looked at him.
"You mean a Ghost-type Pokémon, don't you?" Ash asked.
"No, it was a real ghost. We saw it as clear as we see you," Sora said.
"Come on, Sora, you know there are no such things as ghosts," Ash said.
"He's telling the truth, Ash. There was a real ghost in the tower," Kairi said. "Also, there some other people who saw it."
"Vee," Angel said.
"Team Rocket weren't looking at the time, so we snuck in," Sora said. Ash was still skeptical, but he saw how sure Sora was about it.
"Okay, let's pretend that I believe a word of it for the sake of argument. But what were you doing there in the first place?" Ash asked.
"Okay, the caretaker of the Pokémon House, Mr. Fuji was taken hostage by Team Rocket," Sora said.
"Team Rocket kidnapped someone? How can these guys sink?" Ash asked.
"Pretty low. Where did you come from just now?" Ash asked.
"From Celadon City. We were there to get the Silph Scope," Kairi said.
"We went there to get it from Team Rocket," Sora said.
"Wait, you just said Team Rocket is here," Ash pointed out.
"They are," Sora said.
"We didn't say they were all there," Kairi said.
"And what are you talking about a Silph Scope?" Ash asked. Sora unzipped his backpack and pulled it out.
"She was talking about this. We can use it to identify the ghosts inside," Sora said.
Unknown to them, Gary was listening on their conversation and laughed.
"A ghost. That's a laugh. This whole is probably a scam cooked up by Team Rocket just to scare the locals, and I'm gonna prove it, too," Gary said. He started to make his way to the Pokémon Tower and went inside. He grabbed his flashlight and walked forward. He arrived ahead of them and entered inside the Pokémon Tower.
Over to Sora, Kairi, Ash, Pikachu, and Angel have arrived to the Pokémon Tower. Sora went forward and saw no one inside it. Sora gestures to Kairi, Ash, and the Pokémon that the coast is clear. They went right inside.
"And it looked creepy outside," Ash said.
"It gets creepier the further we go," Kairi said.
"And another thing. When exactly is this ghost going to show up?" Ash asked.
"I knew you were gonna ask me that. The ghost has shown up on the sixth floor," Sora said. Pikachu's ears perked up as well as Angel's.
"Pika!" Pikachu said.
"Eevee!" Angel added.
The three kids saw shadows moving about. Sora quickly puts on the Silph Scope. The Silph Scope revealed them to being Pokémon, and not Heartless, much to Sora's relief.
One is a ghostly Pokémon that consists of a dark sphere surrounded by light purple gas. Gastly has large, white eyes and a large mouth with a small pair of fangs. This Pokémon is known as Gastly.
The other one is a purple, spiky, floating Pokémon with triangular eyes, tiny pupils, fangs and disembodied, three-fingered, clawed hands. This Pokémon is known as Haunter.
"Those are just Gastly and Haunter," Sora said, lifting the Silph Scope off his eyes. He and Kairi each took out their Pokédex and scanned them.
Sora's Pokédex:
Gastly, the Gas Pokémon
Type: Ghost/Poison
Gastly is largely composed of gaseous matter. When exposed to a strong wind, the gaseous body quickly dwindles away. Groups of this Pokémon cluster under the eaves of houses to escape the ravages of wind.
Kairi's Pokédex:
Haunter, the Gas Pokémon
The evolved form of Gastly
Type: Ghost/Poison
It likes to lurk in the dark and tap shoulders with a gaseous hand. Its touch causes endless shuddering.
"If one of those touched me, I'd shudder, too," Kairi said.
"We now know Ghost-type Pokémon makes their homes here," Sora said.
"We should be okay as long as we leave them alone, right?" Kairi asked.
"Ghost-type Pokémon can be unpredictable. They could choose to attack anytime they want," Ash said.
They kept on moving forward. One of the Gastly watches them go. The Gastly turned invisible and started to follow them.
Up on the sixth floor, Gary had made it. He knew there was only one more stop to make, going up.
"Team Rocket has to be up there, I just know it," Gary said. He started to walk, but he didn't go too far, because he saw a shadow moving around. It has taken shape.
"Get out! Leave this place! LEAVE THIS PLACE!" The ghost roared. Gary was now paralyzed with fear, seeing the specter with his own eyes.
Sora, Kairi, Ash, Pikachu, and Angel have made it up to the fifth floor at last. They heard the scream up ahead. Kairi grabbed Sora out of fear. He grabbed her in return. Gary ran down the stairs and right into Ash.
"Gary, what are you doing here?" Ash asked.
"I saw the ghost!" Gary said.
"Not you, too, Gary!" Ash said.
"I'm not making it up! I saw it with my own eyes!" Gary exclaimed.
"The ghost is just above us," Kairi said.
"And this time we're ready for it," Sora said. He went on ahead as Pikachu went right with him. Kairi and Angel followed.
"Come on, Ash! Let's get out of here!" Gary said.
"You run if you want! I'm going with them!" Ash said.
"Ash! Wait!" Gary said. He ran right beside them.
Still invisible, Gastly continued to follow them.
Back in the Pokémon House, Cubone tries to bust out of its pin. Reina ran in to see what all the ruckus was about.
"What's the matter?" Reina asked unlocking the pin. Cubone just ran out of the house with Reina following. "Wait! Hold on!"
Back in the Pokémon Tower, Sora uses the Silph Scope.
"And now, to see what you really are," Sora said. The scope focuses greatly on the ghost. The ghost has slowly began to take shape. It is a bipedal Pokémon with light brown skin and a cream-colored underside. Two small claws, one on each hand, serve as its thumbs, and one large nail on each foot make up its toes. It has a short tail with a small spike near the tip. The Pokémon's head is composed of the skull it once wore as a mask. The skull has two pointed spikes on the back similar to ears and tiny nostrils on the tip of the snout. Its triangular, brown eyes are also located in the skull. It carries a bone club like Cubone, but it's much bigger and thicker. Sora gasped when he realized what the ghost really is. He remembered the Cubone in the Pokémon House. "Marowak!" Pikachu gasped at what he just said. Kairi and Angel also gasped.
"Marowak?" Gary asked.
"I'm just as lost as you, Gary," Ash said.
Outside the tower, Cubone runs up the steps. Reina follows the little Pokémon inside.
"Wait! Don't go that way!" Reina called out.
Back with Sora, Kairi, Ash, Gary, and the Pokémon, they looked at the Pokémon ghost.
"This whole time, the ghost was Marowak, Cubone's mother," Kairi said. "I get it." Ash and Gary looked at her.
"Get what?" Ash asked.
"What are you talking about?" Gary asked.
"That Marowak is the mother of a Cubone we met in the Pokémon House. She was killed by Team Rocket just for protecting her baby, and she was haunting the Pokémon Tower just after they moved right in," Kairi said.
"You mean the ghost was just a mom worried for her baby?" Ash asked.
"Yes," Kairi said.
Cubone ran in with Reina right behind him.
"Cubone!" Cubone cried out.
"Son!" Marowak cried.
Cubone ran straight to his mother giving her a hug. They all looked both mother and son reunite for the first time since Marowak had died. Marowak's spirit has finally found peace.
"What is going on?" Ash asked.
"It would seem that the reason Marowak was lurking around here because she was just worried about her baby," Reina explained.
"That's right," Kairi agreed. "And she just wanted to see her son again for one last time."
"Eevee," Angel said.
With that done, Marowak descended into the afterlife. Cubone begged for her to stay, but she told her son that she couldn't stay. Once Marowak's spirit has vanished. Cubone cries out to his mother.
Reina went up to Cubone and picked him up. The infant Pokémon just cried.
"No need to get involved even further. I'll leave the rest up to them," Gary said, leaving.
Sora, Kairi, Ash, Reina, Pikachu, Angel, and Cubone went up the stairs and saw the Team Rocket grunts.
"Hey!" Sora shouted. The grunts turned to see Sora.
"What the?" The first Team Rocket grunt asked. "How did you get up here?"
"Let's just say, we tamed a ghost," Sora said.
"And now, we're going to do the same thing to you," Ash said. Sora and Ash each took out a Pokéball and threw it. "Go! Charmeleon!"
"Go! Primeape!" Sora called out.
Both Pokéballs opened and their Pokémon emerged from inside.
Battling alongside Primeape is a bipedal, reptilian Pokémon. It has dark red scales and a cream underside from the chest down. It has blue eyes and a long snout with a slightly hooked tip. On the back of its head is a single horn-like protrusion. It has relatively long arms with three sharp claws. Its short legs have plantigrade feet with three claws and cream-colored soles. The tip of its long, powerful tail has a flame burning on it. This Pokémon is known as Charmeleon. Sora figured Ash's Charmander had evolved since the last time he saw the.. The first male Team Rocket grunt took out two Dusk Balls and threw them.
"Go! Golbat!" The first male Team Rocket grunt shouted. Two Golbat emerged from inside. "Golbat! Use Poison Fang!" The fangs of the two Golbat fills with purple poison and heads towards them.
"Primeape! Dodge and use Fury Swipes!" Sora ordered.
"Charmeleon! Use Slash!" Ash ordered.
Primeape jumped and gave a series of scratches on one of the Golbat. Charmeleon slashes the other one.
Kairi attempts to make her move when the other grunts stopped her.
"Not another step, girl!" The third Team Rocket grunt said.
"If you won't move, I'll make you move!" Kairi said, taking out a Pokéball and threw it. "Go! Raichu!" Her Raichu came right out to battle. The two grunts took some Pokéballs and threw them. Out came a Koffing and another Pokémon.
The other one is a purple Pokémon consisting of two spherical heads connected by a thin tube with another sphere in the center. The heads have different sizes and features. The left head is larger and has prominent eyebrows, pointed teeth protruding from its lower jaw, and two flat teeth in its upper jaw. The smaller, right head simply has two pointed teeth, one at each corner of its mouth. The larger head has a cream-colored skull-and-crossbones marking below its face, while the smaller head has a ring marking instead. It is covered with many geyser-like protrusions. This Pokémon is Weezing. Angel joined right in the battle to make it an even battle.
"Koffing! Use Headbutt!" The second male Team Rocket grunt ordered.
"Weezing! Use Double Hit!" The third male Team Rocket grunt ordered.
"Raichu! Use Thunder Punch on Weezing! Angel! Use Iron Tail on Koffing!" Kairi ordered. Raichu lands a Thunder Punch on Weezing.
Back to Sora and Ash.
"Charmeleon! Use Fire Fang!" Ash ordered. The inside of Charmeleon's mouth becomes covered in flames and it bites down on one of the Golbat.
"Primeape! Use Seismic Toss!" Sora ordered. Primeape grabbed the other Golbat and tossed it down on the ground. "Great! Use Power-Up Punch!" One of Primeape's hands becomes surrounded in a golden aura and he punches the Golbat with it. Afterwards, an orange glow surrounds Primeape.
"Not bad, Sora! Your Primeape is tough!" Ash complimented.
"Thanks. I was thinking the same thing about your Charmeleon," Sora said. "Let's wrap this up, right, Ash?"
"Right, Sora," Ash said.
"Charmeleon! Use Seismic Toss!" Ash ordered.
"You too, Primeape!" Sora ordered.
Charmeleon and Primeape grabbed their opponents and threw them down on the ground. Both Golbat were beaten.
Over to Kairi...
"Angel! Swift!" Kairi ordered. Angel fired Swift at the two poisonous Pokémon. "Raichu! Thunderbolt!" Raichu unleashed Thunderbolt, shocking Koffing and Weezing. Both Pokémon had been defeated.
"We lost to some kids?" The Team Rocket grunts growled.
"We're gonna remember you for this!" The first Team Rocket grunt yelled.
"Don't think it's over!" The second male Team Rocket grunt said.
"And don't come back!" Sora shouted after them.
"We make a good team, don't we?" Ash asked.
"We sure do," Sora agreed. They high-five each other. They went even further and spotted Mr. Fuji still tied up.
"Mr. Fuji!" Reina called out.
"Oh, Reina, Cubone. I'm glad to see you," Mr. Fuji said. Sora starts to untie Mr. Fuji. "And who are you?"
"My name is Sora, Mr. Fuji," Sora said.
"Sora defeated Team Rocket in a Pokémon battle, along with Ash and Kairi here," Reina said.
"Is that so?" Mr. Fuji asked. He looked right at Sora and saw so much potential in his eyes. He looked over to Cubone in Reina's arms and he smiled. "It seems Marowak's restless spirit has has finally found the peace she desperately needed. And we have you three to thank."
On the very next morning, everything went back to normal. People were able to come back to the Pokémon Tower without Team Rocket being there and no ghost to haunt them.
In the Pokémon House, Pokémon and people were interacting with one another, and especially Cubone.
"It feels great that we did a good thing for this town," Kairi said.
"It sure does," Sora agreed.
"And you have my gratitude," Mr. Fuji said. Sora, Kairi, Pikachu, and Angel turned to Mr. Fuji. "It must have been quite a trial you went through to make this possible."
"Yeah, it was hard, but it was worth it," Sora said.
"We just couldn't let them do what they want," Kairi said.
"Pika, Pika," Pikachu said.
"Eevee," Angel said.
"I cannot thank you enough," Mr. Fuji said. "By the way. I have something I want you to have." He took out a box, containing a flute with a Pokéball at the end.
"What is it?" Sora asked.
"A Poké Flute," Mr. Fuji said.
"I never seen one before. I heard you play this to wake up a sleeping Pokémon," Kairi said.
"That is correct. Consider it as a thank you present for what you've done for this town," Mr. Fuji said.
"We're just happy to help anyway we can, Mr. Fuji," Sora said.
"Now, I heard you are collecting Gym Badges, yes?" Mr. Fuji asked.
"Yeah. And we already know where to go. Celadon City," Sora said.
"I wish you luck, Sora," Mr. Fuji said. "You as well, Kairi."
"Thanks," Kairi said.
After spending some time at the Pokémon House, Sora, Kairi, Pikachu, and Angel took off for Celadon City once again. They had to admit, their first trip would be more pleasant than the first time. Unknown to them, the Gastly from before is still following them. What could this ghostly Pokémon have in mind for them? I think we might find out.
Over to Team Rocket, they're still up in the tree. They haven't budged one bit since climbing up.
"You think we should climb on down?" James asked.
"We're so high up, I don't want to think how hard we'll fall if we try," James said.
"We'll have to come down at some point," Jessie said.
"But the question is when are we gonna do that?" James asked.
They got their answer when the branch broke and they fell off, screaming. They make a hard landing. Miraculously, they survived their fall.
"Ouch," Team Rocket all said at once.
"Well, we're down," Meowth groaned.
"And we're hurt bad," James said.
And we'll leave it right here for now.