Summer returned to Mt. Pyre with Weldon and Lightning, hoping to overcome her fears and learn more about the source of the incident at the Ranger Festival. After they paid respects to Summer's deceased relatives, they ran into the Nuzlocker, Lapis Eurig, who was escaping from a female spirit. The Hoennese realized the ghost's identity and soon felt an overwhelming power controlling her. Summer did what she could to escape the spirit's grasp, but she failed. How will Summer escape the ghost's clutches and return to the mortal world?

Chapter 43- A Spiritual Reunion

Ugh… My head… I probably shouldn't have ran into that tombstone…

I groggily opened my eyes and was shocked awake by the surroundings. It was white like the dreamscape, but there were swirls of light gray clouds. As I stood up, I felt something was different. I looked at my somehow smaller hands and gasped. Then, I saw my clothes and touched my hair.

Where did this blue dress come from? Why is my hair longer? And, more importantly, why am I a kid again?! H-How can this be happening?!

"Oh, there you are, Jīnglíng!" The little girl I feared skipped towards me.

Jīnglíng? Who's Jīnglíng?

The girl giggled. "What's wrong? Meowth got your tongue?"

"Look-" I replied, stopping in mid-sentence when I realized my voice was also different. After taking a deep breath, I continued. "Look, I don't know who you are, but I think you're mistaking me for someone else."

She gave me a blank stare but responded with a laugh. "You're funny, Jīnglíng! How can you not remember your best friend, Ena?"

Ena? I don't know anyone by that name.

Before I could say anything else, Ena grabbed my hand. "Come on, let's play!"

I tried to resist, but her grip was really strong. She dragged me into a small living room with a very old television set. An animated show of a girl with long blonde hair tied in pigtails with a blue Psyduck was playing on the screen.

"Don't you remember this, Jīnglíng? It's our favorite anime!"

"But I don't know-"

"Jīnglíng…" the girl pouted. "Did you hit your head or something? It's not like you to forget. We always waited for it to come on at 7pm every Friday! Oh, maybe this will jog your memory!"

She ran over to a radio sitting on a table by a green sofa and turned it on. It played a pop song I didn't know the words to, but it sounded similar to the songs my dad liked to listen to when he was younger. I pondered everything I experienced as Ena continued to convince me with a toy Chimecho. Hiding a flinch, I realized when, or more exactly, what time period this was.

This must be the mid- to late 1970s. Was this when Ena was alive? I bit my lip as she shoved a plush Vulpix in my face. I want to keep telling Ena I'm not her friend, but I don't think I can; not if I want to figure out why she brought me here.

I took a deep breath and, after thinking more about the show, replied, "Oh yeah, now I remember. That show…it's Sweet Psyduck, right?"

Ena's eyes sparkled. "Finally! I really thought you lost your memory, Jīnglíng! Now that you remember…let's see if you remember this…"

Her voice turned sinister, making my hair stand on end. The sparkles in her eyes transformed into dark stars, and our surroundings reflected that look.

"Wh-What's going on?"

"Oh? Don't you remember?" she inquired, her voice growing deeper. "You abandoned me when I needed you! I died because of YOU!"

The area shook in response to her anger.

What is she talking about? Jīnglíng…abandoned her? "H-How did I do that?"

Ena scoffed. "What kind of friend are you?"

"Well…" I bit my lip. How should I go about this? I need more information but I can't let Ena get angrier.

"Th-Then tell me why you're so angry with me! I-Isn't that what friends do? Tell each other everything?"

The blonde-haired girl calmed down, but her eyes reflected her inner fury. "Fine then. If it'll jog that part of your memory too. I called you to do me a favor the night before I died. But…you never fulfilled it. I died because you didn't help me, and you didn't even bother to attend my funeral. That's why…I've been searching for you from the confines of this cemetery. And when I found you, you tried to run away from me!"

Does that mean she thought I was Jīnglíng when I was seven years old? No wonder why she changed my appearance. She still thinks I'm her.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to run away. I was scared, that's all. I didn't expect to see you in front of me. But to be honest, I'm…" Come on, Summer. You have to tell her the truth. You can't keep lying to her…

"What, Jīnglíng?"

"I'm…I'm not Jīnglíng. I'm Summer Scorcher, a different person. The real Jīnglíng should be much older than me."

"N-No…" Ena stuttered. "That can't be right. Y-You have to be her! YOU HAVE TO BE!"

But before I could respond, the spirit slammed me into the floor.

Ena then had a strange look in her eyes. "I-I'll prove it to you! Yes, that's it. I'll do what I wasn't able to do then!"

My eyes grew wide as she sinisterly laughed. "E-Ena, no…please…"

She ignored my pleas and moved me with her powers. I did everything I could to shake off her control, but my body felt weaker, most likely from being possessed so long. When I felt a strong wind surround us, my heart dropped and I realized where we were. We were outside, the place where I almost died for the second time.

As she lifted me up, I felt a familiar energy nearby. Wh-Who's that?

Ena felt the same presence and looked around. "Where are you? Show yourself!"

An elderly woman in a red kimono approached us with caution. I recognized her as my grandma, Lan, and was about to blurt out her name, but she winked at me.

"I didn't mean to scare you, young ones," Grandma Lan said, showing her warm smile.

The girl shouted, "Go away, old lady! I don't want you here!"

Grandma Lan pressed forward. "I don't mean to intrude, but I saw you needed some help."

Ena tightened her grip on me. "I DON'T NEED HELP FROM ANYONE! YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO I AM!"

My grandma saw my pain and stopped, continuing to reach out to the young spirit. "I do, Enid Ellis. Though, you prefer to be called 'Ena', am I right?"

The girl released me, and I fell onto the ground.

"Y-You…know who I am?"

Grandma Lan nodded. "Yes. I know you've been through a lot in your short life but share the best memories with another girl you hold dear."

"SHE'S NO FRIEND!" Ena pouted. "SHE LEFT AND FORGOT ME!"

"Are you sure?"

"Ena…" A different female voice echoed through the ghostly space. "It's been a while. Can you hear me, Ena?"

"That voice…" the girl bit her lip. "It sounds like an older girl, but it has to be Jīnglíng. I-I need to see if it's really her!" The spirit ran towards the voice before disappearing.

The area shook a little, and I felt some pain. Ena must have dropped my body in the mortal world.

Grandma Lan smiled and held out her hand. "Are you all right, Summer?"

"Gr-Grandma Lan…" I grabbed it and gave her a big hug. "Thank you for saving me."

She chuckled, returning the gesture. "Of course, Summer. I'm always ready to help you whenever you need it." After we separated, she asked, "Did you learn any protective incantations since you became the Legend Guardian?"

"W-Well…"

She sighed. "They really should have taught you some. Very well, I'll do it."

I spent a few minutes with her learning words to protect myself against evil spirits and potential nightmares. It was nice to spend time with her again, even though it was just in the spirit world. As we finished, a warm, gentle breeze surrounded us.

"Ah," Grandma Lan said, taking in its soft scent of incense. "It appears Ena has left the world peacefully. I'm glad she was able to reunite with her friend."

"Me too," I replied as I returned to my normal appearance. "I felt really bad for her, thinking she lost her only friend. When in reality, she never did."

"Yes, Ena's…very lucky."

I didn't need my necklace to feel the anguish in the elder's words. "Grandma Lan, are you all right?"

"Oh, don't worry about me, Summer. It's just something I can never resolve, even in death."

I wanted to ask more but our surroundings shook again.

Weldon's voice reverberated throughout the space. "Summer! Summer! Please, wake up!"

Grandma Lan giggled. "That voice. It does sound a little like his, doesn't it?"

"Gr-Grandma Lan?!" I replied, flustered. "Who are you talking about?"

"Oh, someone from my childhood. Anyway, you should get back to the mortal world, Summer."

After we hugged again, she whispered, "Take care, Summer. And…what you did earlier with Ena, keep that in mind when you meet up with your friends, okay?"

"Wh-What do you mean?"

But she disappeared in a blinding white light, giving no answer. When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying on the grass at the peak of Mt. Pyre. A worried Weldon, Lightning, and Errol welcomed me back.

"Summer!" Lightning cried as she hugged me. "We were so worried about you!"

I hugged her back. "I'm fine, Lightning. Thanks for worrying about me."

The Raichu then hugged the Noctowl, who awkwardly comforted her with his wing.

I looked at my coach, who brushed back his sweaty hair. "How're you feeling, Summer?"

After getting up, I stretched. "Like I had a very good sleep but with vivid dreams." I looked around and noticed someone missing. "Where's Lapis?"

"He left for Lilycove City after I told him we can handle things from here. But he helped me make sure you were okay."

"Oh. Well, if you see him again, tell him I said thanks."

He smirked. "You could tell him that in person, you know."

"I could, but you seem to run into him more frequently than I do."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

A group of people approached us as a Shuppet and Duskull floated close behind. I recognized the two elderly people as Fuyō and Yeonhwa, the caretakers of Mt. Pyre. The third, who I hadn't seen before, was a young tanned woman with short black hair and blue eyes. Large pink flower clips were placed behind each ear, and she wore a blue two-piece sarong with a white Poké Ball and flowers design on the skirt portion.

"Oh my, are all of you all right?" the elderly woman asked.

Nodding, I replied, "I'm fine, thanks. It's…been a while, hasn't it?"

Fuyō, the elderly man, knowingly smiled. "Yes, it most certainly has. Welcome back to Mt. Pyre, young Summer."

The younger woman gasped. "This is the girl you told me about years ago, Grandfather? The only who almost…you know…"

I chuckled. "Yeah, that's me. But this time, Ena has given up her quest for revenge."

"So you met her again…" Yeonhwa said with a bitter smile. "At least she has found peace and will not trouble anyone else anymore."

Her husband nodded. "We would have arrived sooner, but Ena put up a barrier that we could not pass through. I apologize."

"Oh no, you did all you could," I reassured. "Besides, Weldon, Lapis, and my Pokémon did all the work."

The young woman rubbed the back of her head. "Oh, silly me! Where are my manners! I haven't introduced myself yet; I'm Phoebe, a member of Hoenn's Elite Four and granddaughter to these wonderful people. It's nice to finally meet the two Trainers I've heard from my Kanto and Johto colleagues."

After Weldon and I shook hands with her, I asked, "How come you're here, Phoebe? I don't think a possession would be the reason that brought you here."

She beamed. "You're pretty sharp, Summer. It's…about the Red and Blue Orbs. They've been stolen by Team Aqua and Team Magma. The PLA was alerted by their disappearance yesterday and asked me to investigate since I know this mountain as well as my grandparents."

Oh yeah, Lapis mentioned this to us too.

Phoebe continued, "If we don't recover the orbs, this year's Hoenn League may be put on hold, or even canceled."

I bit my lip. "I…I understand the circumstances, but we worked so hard this year. Isn't there anything we can do to help?"

"Hm… I'll check with the PLA, but we don't want any civilians getting hurt. In the meantime, it's best to finish collecting your eight badges in case the Gyms don't reopen by the time the tournament starts."

I crossed my arms. If that's the case, I need to resolve that first before I can challenge the remaining Gyms. I…need to see her again and figure out why she's been avoiding me for so long.

"Okay, thanks, Phoebe." I turned to Weldon. "Ready to go to Lilycove City?"

He nodded, and we headed towards the city on Altaria Aviation.

Summer's Pokémon:

Blaze (Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, Blaze Ability, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut

Errol (Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, Keen Eye Ability, moves: Psychic, Hypnosis, Air Slash, Heat Wave

Aurora (Dewgong, female): Calm Nature, Thick Fat Ability, moves: Water Pulse, Ice Beam, Aqua Tail, Signal Beam

Lightning (Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, Static Ability, moves: Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch, Grass Knot

Rocky (Steelix, male): Lonely Nature, Rock Head Ability, moves: Stone Edge, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail

Olive (Grovyle, female): Timid Nature, Overgrow Ability, moves: Fury Cutter, Double Team, Mega Drain, Quick Attack

Weldon's Pokémon:

Venusaur (male): Serious Nature, Overgrow Ability, moves: Solarbeam, Body Slam, Sludge Bomb, Vine Whip; in rotation- Razor Leaf, Earthquake

Fearow (male): Adamant Nature, Keen Eye Ability, moves: Heat Wave, Steel Wing, Fury Attack, Aerial Ace; in rotation- Drill Peck

Golem (male): Bold Nature, Rock Head Ability, moves: Rock Slide, Earthquake, Rollout, Double Edge

Gyarados (male): Sassy Nature, Intimidate Ability, moves: Surf, Ice Fang, Payback, Waterfall

Arcanine (male): Naughty Nature, Flash Fire Ability, moves: Hyper Beam, Extremespeed, Flare Blitz, Fire Blast

Electabuzz (male): Rash Nature, Static Ability, moves: Thunder, Ice Punch, Brick Break, Shock Wave; in rotation- Mega Kick, Thunder Punch

Questions for the Chapter:

What did you think of Ena's backstory?

What did you think of Grandma Lan's reappearance?

What will Summer do in Lilycove City?