Part XXXIII: A Ghostly Problem

Misty wasn't sure what it was about Lavender Town that made her skin crawl but she knew it was crawling as soon as she entered it. Maybe it was the low-level mist that permeated the town despite the sunny day that left an unnatural chill in the air. Maybe it was the furtive, hushed, near quiet actions of the people here which felt out of place in a decent sized town. Or maybe it was the just the really creepy street musician on a flute playing an eerie tune that carried in the still and quiet town.

It could also be the massive imposing tower in the distance that seemed to loom over the entire town and radiated sadness for some reason, that could be it. Misty wasn't certain but given what she'd heard about the Pokémon Tower from Ash the other day she had a gut feeling that it was the source of all the problems they'd been told about.

Misty had never been to a place like this before, not even when they had to deal with that Spiritomb back in Sinnoh and it unnerved her to be here. However, they had decided to investigate it after Sabrina had told them something was going on here and once Ash set his mind to something, nothing would change it. Besides, they had already agreed to come here before Ash's battle with Sabrina though Misty was starting to regret that decision.

"So Ash, what is so special about this place?" Misty almost whispered as she pressed herself against Ash for comfort as they made their way to the Pokémon Center to check in. "Why does it feel so off?"

"Pokémon Tower." Ash replied quietly, even he was being affected by the odd feeling in the town. "That is what does it, I am sure. Nothing else could cause this and Sabrina seemed sure about it and I'm willing to trust her on this."

"What's so special about Pokémon Tower?" Misty asked not doubting Ash's evaluation of Sabrina's word, the gym leader had no reason to lie to them. "You mentioned it back in Saffron but all you said was that you may have died there and ran into a few ghost Pokémon including that Haunter that Sabrina now has."

"Yeah that's the overview of it but seeing as I think we will have to go there I should explain what I recall of the place." Ash said causing Misty to slightly glare at him for that. "It's known for the ghost Pokémon that gather there but that's not all the Tower is known for. It is also where Pokémon who have passed on are buried."

"It's a Pokémon cemetery?" Misty asked shivering and not from the unnatural chill in the air. "I've never heard of such a place existing before but it makes sense when you think about it."

"It's something that few want to think about but it is for that reason that Lavender Town is known for." Ash said. "There is no gym here and as far as I know no Contests, it's just the Tower. I have only been here once and was too focused back then on getting a ghost Pokémon to realize anything else but I think Brock and Dawn felt it more. I feel like it has gotten worse though. Sabrina said something was up here at the Tower which can't be good so I want to find out what it is."

"Maybe Nurse Joy knows what's going on." Misty said as they reached the Pokémon Center. "If anyone here would it would be her."

"True she may, let's ask after checking in and dropping our stuff off." Ash agreed as they entered to Lavender Town Pokémon Center.

It had been 2 days since Ash's full battle with Sabrina at the Saffron Gym. Over that time they had let their Pokémon heal up and rest while staying with Sabrina and her family. They traded stories of their adventures and learning more about Sabrina's past struggles and how she overcame them while also dealing with Haunter's constant shenanigans when he returned, shenanigans that he had apparently began to teach Piplup much to Misty's annoyance. Sabrina had also been true to her word about Lavender Town and told them what she knew about the current goings on here.

It wasn't much as she seldom traveled to Lavender Town despite its proximity to Saffron City but Sabrina had heard the reports about it from trainers who had challenged her after visiting it. Sabrina would have checked it out herself but other than Haunter she was not a big fan of ghost types due to their advantage over psychic types and knew that they were prevalent in the area.

The most important thing that Sabrina told them was that the reports all seemed to point to Pokémon Tower and a strangeness going on there beyond the normal strangeness of the place. That was all they got out of Sabrina so now they had to ask a local about it and who better to ask than Nurse Joy.

"How may I help you?" The Lavender Town Nurse Joy asked them in a quiet but polite voice when they walked up to here. "Checking in or just here for a quick healing and some food?"

"We'd like a room for a bit." Ash said keeping his voice low even though he wasn't sure why, it just felt appropriate for some reason. "We are expecting to be here a few days to see the town a bit. I want try and learn what the strangeness that seems to be going on in the town."

"Ah trainers seeking to help." Nurse Joy said with a nod as she handed them a key. "Your room is upstairs, I have a few things to sort out here first while you drop your stuff off. Then I can help you out as best I can, I've been here for years so I probably know as much as anyone would about the goings on here."

"Thank you." Ash said with a smile as he and Misty left to head upstairs and drop their stuff off, both burning with questions about Lavender Town.

The room was a standard Pokémon Center room with 4 bunk beds instead of a single double bed that the young couple preferred so they couldn't share. Well they couldn't share it comfortably but given the strange feeling Misty wanted to be in Ash's arms tonight. Piplup and Pikachu each claimed a bed to themselves in one of the bunks while Misty and Ash dropped their stuff off on the bottom of the other bunk. It was time to look for answers.

Grabbing their Pokémon, they left their room, locked it, and went downstairs to wait in the lobby for Nurse Joy to be done doing whatever it was that she was doing. It was quiet and the couple didn't feel like talking though Ash did hold Misty close to him the entire time they waited as much for his own comfort as hers given the general uneasiness in the air. It was only a few minutes before Nurse Joy came out of the back room and returned to her desk. As soon as she was settled they got up and went to see her.

"So you want to know about Lavender Town's current and ongoing problem." Nurse Joy said with a sigh and Ash and Misty nodded. "Well as you have probably already guessed it all has to do with the Pokémon Tower; it's haunted."

"I know that much, it is where Pokémon like Ghastly, Haunter, and Gengar gather." Ash said with a confused look on his face. "I was there many years ago, I remember meeting the Pokémon there vividly. Shouldn't' the Tower being haunted be normal."

"Historically that has always been is the case, given the Tower's purpose it was only natural for it to attract ghost types." Nurse Joy said shaking her head. "However over the last few years it has changed. It's not the same as it used to be."

"What do you mean?" Misty asked confused. "Surely even historic haunting isn't a good thing regardless of the situation."

"You aren't from Kanto are you." Nurse Joy said kindly and Misty shook her head. "Didn't think so, Sinnoh native?"

"That is correct." Misty confirmed. "This is actually my first time in Kanto so I am not too familiar with a lot of the things here as they are a little different to what I am used to."

"Figured as much with that Piplup on your head." Nurse Joy said with a smile at the Penguin Pokémon.

"Piplup?" Piplup asked at the sound of his name for once not feeling his usual perky self in this odd and unwelcoming place.

"I am from Kanto." Ash said shifting the focus back to the topic at hand. "I know the story of the Tower and its purpose historically. Back when I first visited the Tower it was an odd place but it didn't feel so unsettling while I was there, nor did Lavender Town in fact. This feels different however."

"Then you know its importance to the region." Nurse Joy said and Ash nodded at that. "Sinnoh doesn't really have anything like it from what I've heard but here in Kanto the Pokémon Tower is a solemn place where people go to honor their Pokémon who are no longer with them and pay their respects to long lost friends. It is this very purpose that many believe drew in ghost types in the first place, maybe even helped create the type though that is pure speculation."

"It is the last resting place for many Pokémon." Misty said. "At least that's what Ash has told me about it but I am not sure I realized just how significant it was."

"That is correct." Nurse Joy said with a small nod. "It was created for that very reason many centuries ago from what I understand. Originally it was the Kanto ghosts like Ghastly, Haunter, and occasionally a Gengar that came here because of the Tower. However over the years more have come from all over and now Misdreavus, Shuppet, Duskull and their evolved forms dwell there as well. At least those are the species we know about, there are likely others there as well."

"That sounds like a lot of Pokémon make their homes there." Ash said thinking. "Pretty much every ghost type from several regions. No wonder it has a bad reputation now."

"That's not it." Nurse Joy said shaking her head. "Usually we get along with the ghost types there. They stay away from the places with cleanse tags that are set up to honor departed Pokémon and trainers came to catch them or just face them as a way to practice against the type. Most of the time they failed as the ghost types there love their tricks but a few years back it all began to change."

"How so?" Ash asked his curiosity now peaked, this was what he was here for.

"One of the ghost types there slowly became malevolent and hostile." Nurse Joy explained. "No one knows what it is, how it got there, or why its so angry but the rumors are that it is an abandoned Pokémon who still thinks its trainer will return and is waiting for him or her there. That would make sense as it became malevolent over time likely because of the wait and unfortunately ghost types are second only to starter Pokémon when it comes to abandonment due to perceived curses they cause their trainers."

"That's horrible." Ash said clenching his jaw. "I can't stand people who would do that to Pokémon."

"Few can but alas people can be bad." Nurse Joy said as Misty squeezed Ash to help calm him down, she knew this was something Ash couldn't stand and she fully agreed with him on it. "Thankfully the good ones outnumber the bad but there will always be bad trainers."

"I know." Ash said reciprocating Misty's squeeze as he calmed down, he was definitely going to solve this problem now, if this Pokémon was abandoned then he would save it. "What else can you tell us about the Pokémon causing the problems?"

"Well based on the reports it is definitely a ghost type and fully evolved based on power that has been observed." Nurse Joy said. "But no one has ever actually seen it, it scares them away long before then for some reason so we can't tell if it is a Gengar, Dusknoir, Banette or something exotic like a Chandelure, Aegislash, Trevenant, or Gourgeist. It could even be a powerful Spiritomb or one of the other ghost types that don't evolve. We just don't know though given the lack of reported illusions we're certain that it's not a Mismagius but that is the only one we are certain it's not. It scares off people and that has been slowly effecting the town for a while now."

"What do you mean?" Misty asked confused. "How can a single malevolent ghost type affect a whole town?"

"Lavender Town has always been a place of quiet contemplation and reflection." Nurse Joy answered. "It is the nature of the town because of the Tower and what it is used for. The amount of sorrow, pain, and remembrance coming from it has always affected the very nature of the town by proxy but with the changes, it has become sinister in a sense. It is hard to really explain it, you just feel it. Nothing yet bad but if it doesn't change who knows. Freaks people out and we don't see that many people these days likely because word of it has spread causing people to stay away."

"You said that you get trainers here though." Ash said recalling what Nurse Joy had told them earlier. "Ones who come to face the Tower."

"Every few weeks we get one or two." Nurse Joy said. "I send them there with the same info I've just given you two but none have ever confirmed what it is. They go and face it but are always defeated or scared away by an unseen ghost type and quickly leave. It seems that the Pokémon there attacks them, both the Pokémon and the people, which adds to its reputation. I assume that you going to go to the Tower?"

"That is the plan." Ash said with a nod and then his stomach rumbled loudly breaking the somber mood that Nurse Joy's information had put them in and causing Ash to chuckle. "After a meal and hopefully a good night's sleep."

"If one can sleep well here." Misty said still feeling it and thinking back over one of their past adventures back in Sinnoh. "We've experienced nightmares before because of a Pokémon."

"Oh sleep is not a problem." Nurse Joy said helpfully. "No nightmares here so we know it's not a Darkrai or using an ability like Dream Eater on the town. It's just the presence, you may not sleep as long as you would normally but that is the only known effect that presence has."

"Well that isn't something that's a problem." Ash said and Misty had to agree, they'd had their fair share long nights during their many adventures. "Thank you Nurse Joy. We will look at it tomorrow and try to solve it. It sounds like a challenge that I am looking forward to."

"That's one of the many reasons why I love him." Misty said with a smile at Nurse Joy's confused look at Ash's desire to face such a challenge before Ash's stomach growled again and reasserted itself into the situation. "And that is another reason."

"Well the dining room is over there." Nurse Joy said pointing to a room off to the side as she regained her composure. "There are a few other trainers in there but otherwise you should have the place to yourself."

"Thanks." Ash said as he turned and practically dragged Misty to the food, Pikachu and Piplup left trailing in their wake.

"Of course." A slightly perplexed Nurse Joy said, trainers did come in all shapes and sizes after all but this one was certainly one of a kind.

Ash hurried to the dining room and immediately loaded up his plate with burgers from the buffet while Misty went for a more balanced meal. They then got bowls of food for their Pokémon and found a table off to the side to eat at and tucked in. The only other people present where a blond trainer and his green haired girlfriend by the looks of it a few tables over that had just finished their meal as Ash dove head first into his own one with reckless abandon.

"You've been here before?" The greenette asked her boyfriend, their voices carrying in the almost unnaturally quiet dining room. "To this creepy place."

"Yeah I have." The blond guy said loudly, clearly not affected by whatever force had affected Lavender Town. "First time I was here about 3 years ago to sort something out that I had to do and haven't returned since. It was best thing I ever did."

"How can you come back to a place like this?" The girlfriend asked. "It feels cursed in sense, like something here doesn't want people around. I can't explain it but it can't be natural."

"Yes that is precisely the word I would use." The blond guy said with a laugh. "Cursed, it was what I was before I came here. I left my curse at the Pokémon Tower where it belonged and moved on from it. That act freed me of that fucking curse right away."

"Wait you were the one who did this?" The girl asked incredulity in her voice. "You caused whatever it is that is happening to this town?"

"Well I can't confirm it but I have been through a few times since I left it here and it has been getting worse ever since." The blonde guy said with a shrug. "So I think it is responsible for this, it is certainly a possibility. After the grief it gave me I am not surprised that its problems could cause this. It's a cursed Pokémon and I left it here where all curses should be."

Misty saw Ash stop eating abruptly and tense up as the blond guy laughed. Instantly she reached across the table and grabbed his hand pouring her love into the touch as she squeezed it. She knew how much Ash hated people who abused and mistreated Pokémon, it was part of his big heart that she loved so much and one of his many great qualities but he had to control his temper right now. Misty met his gaze and slowly shook her head at him, silently telling him to listen and not act. This could be the key to understanding the Pokémon in the Tower.

Ash sighed and nodded, gripping her hand in his for comfort as he trembled slightly with rage. He knew Misty was right, it was best to listen and learn what they could before they acted. If this trainer was a callous asshole then Ash could use that to help the mysterious Pokémon when he faced it and showed it that not all humans were bad. If it had been abandoned then that might explain its feelings and actions towards people. Ash knew how to handle abandoned Pokémon and show them what a good trainer who bonds with his Pokémon could do for them.

"How did it curse you?" The girlfriend asked, the pair lost in their own conversation and not noticing Ash and Misty there. "This was before wee met so all I've ever heard is you just bitched about the Pokémon but that is it. You didn't explain why it was bad. It's a strong Pokémon, if it is the one I'm thinking about, many trainers would want one."

"So did I when I first caught it." The blond guy said. "And at first it was a great Pokémon to have but then the curse happened. Whenever it was out with me I couldn't catch anything new. Whenever I used it in battle, even against a type advantage, it couldn't win the battle despite its power. It was a curse, a blight on me so I had to get rid of it if I wanted to get better."

"Not an easy thing to do, letting a Pokémon go like that." The girlfriend said. "I don't think I could do it unless it was a special case. It just seems cruel to me."

"Nah it's easy especially if that Pokémon is so stupid that it doesn't realize that it's been abandoned." The blond guy said with a laugh that really got under Ash's skin, only Misty's hand and her love was keeping him from decking this asshole there and then. "I just told it to wait in the Tower for me to return and collect it. Then I left, destroyed its Poke Ball and officially released it. Since then it's been haunting the Tower and I've never been better."

"Really?" The girlfriend asked. "Leaving it here actually worked?"

"Yeah I rarely lose whenever I battle now and I have caught a bunch of Pokémon." The blond guy said clearly pleased with himself. "In fact I am in the area right now to try and catch some powerful rock types in the nearby caves. I couldn't be happier with life. I broke my curse and moved on from it. Now it's the town's problem, not mine."

"Well you had better hope it never sees you again." The girlfriend warned. "It might be pissed."

"Yeah well I am leaving here in 2 days and I am not going near that cursed Tower, I never do." The blond guy said as he stood up his buddy following suit a moment later. "Come on, let's have a battle outside, I need some practice and I know you always keep a rock type in your rotation. After bolstering my own roster it is onto the Battle Dome to the south, I need my next frontier symbol."

"Sure sounds fun." The girlfriend said with a shrug as they bused their trays and left leaving Ash and Misty alone.

"What a monster." Ash growled out as soon as they were gone. "How can he treat a Pokémon like that? How can anyone? I've met some sick fucks in the past and that guy is right up there with Paul and Shamus, the asshole that tied up a Tepig just because it was too weak for him."

"Some people are just bad just like Nurse Joy said." Misty said reassuringly squeezing Ash's hand again. "We both know that and we both oppose it whenever possible. I know you will do the right thing for that poor Pokémon my love."

"Oh I will." Ash said with a nod as he finally returned to his food but didn't let go of Misty's hand. "I transferred most Pokémon back to Professor Oak before we left Saffron but I brought in Scraggy and kept Krookodile as Sabrina suggested because this I had a feeling that we would be dealing with a ghost type. I am more than ready for tomorrow."

"What's the plan?" Misty asked. "I know you already have one Ash, you may be rash at times but this is something I know you won't rush into."

"Go to the Tower and confront it." Ash said simply. "Hopefully we can find a helpful Pokémon there to direct us but if not then we explore until we find it no matter how long it takes or whatever tricks it tries to pull to get rid of us. I will stay there as long as it takes to prove to it that I am different from that asshole who abandoned it."

"I know you will and I will be by your side the entire time no matter what." Misty said firmly and Ash squeezed her hand again and smiled at her showing how much her words had meant to him. "So what happens when you finally do confront it?"

"I face it and try to persuade it of the truth of what happened to it especially if it doesn't realize it's been abandoned." Ash said. "If I have to face it I will with Krookodile but I won't catch it only defeat it so that I can talk to it. After that, well we shall see what the best course of action is."

"You must have a preference for what to do if you get through to it." Misty said. "I may have only see you deal with Chimchar before but I know that you've dealt with other abandoned Pokémon in the past, both before and after Sinnoh. What will you do this time?"

"I seem to always find at least one on my adventures." Ash admitted. "Which I am fine with as I like helping all Pokémon. If I can I want to take it to its former trainer and confront him about how badly he treated his Pokémon. From there on, who know but I will do everything I can to make sure that it is helped and realizes that humans aren't bad, just a few like its old trainer."

"That's the Ash I love." Misty said with a smile at the man she was deeply in love with. "Always thinking of how to help Pokémon."

"Pokémon and people should always be friends with each other." Ash said missing Misty's statement because he was worked up. "I will always show them that. I have yet to meet a Pokémon that is truly bad, other than Meowth that is but he's an exception."

"What Pokémon do you think it is?" Misty asked knowing that Ash needed to talk about this and deciding to focus on it. "I know that what it is doesn't matter to you given the circumstances but you must have some idea what it is."

"No idea but my money is on it being a Gengar or Dusknoir, those make the most sense but as it was abandoned it could be any powerful ghost type including one I have never seen before." Ash said as he finished his now cool food. "This will be a first for me though, in the past it has only been starter Pokémon that I have dealt with after their abandonment. That doesn't matter, I will get through to this Pokémon and make it whole again."

"Well we have time to prepare for it." Misty said letting go of his hand and standing up. "Let's go back to the room and plan from there. Then we can cuddle and fall asleep together, I don't think I can sleep her unless it's in your arms."

"Agreed." Ash said as he joined her and they cleared their food. "I want to be fully prepared to face this poor Pokémon tomorrow."

After that the young couple went back to their room where they planned for their trip to the Pokémon Tower. All of this was out of their way and taking them away from their journey but it was important and had to be done. Ash wasn't going to let a Pokémon think that its trainer was returning when it had in fact been so callously abandoned and was clearly upset about that. He was going to go and help it any way he could, no matter what Pokémon it was.

Ash was so focused on the next day that he fell asleep as soon as they wrapped up and Misty just had to snuggle up to him for the night. This was why she loved him though, she wouldn't trade this for the world. Tomorrow was certainly going to be interesting. When Ash got like this, anything could happen.


Ash and Misty stood hand in hand at the entrance to the imposing Pokémon Tower in the northwest corner of Lavender Town. It was the next morning and the young couple were ready to enter and confront the Pokémon that dwelled inside.

As the eerie quiet of the place washed over them Ash shivered but steeled himself for what he had to do, the circumstances may be different but this was something Ash had done before and would continue to do whenever a Pokémon was in need. Fortunately the area around the tower was completely deserted due to the strange goings on in the Tower that had affected the whole town so they would be alone as they dealt with the Pokémon. It was time.

Adding to the situation was the fact that it was pouring down with rain and soaking the couple. The storm had begun during the night and continued through the morning. Misty had wanted to wait it out but Ash was not so patient when it came to helping Pokémon. This was something he had to do and Misty knew she would be by his side for it no matter the conditions, conditions that were already affecting one of them more than anticipated.

They had eaten a quick breakfast, borrowed some rain gear from the Pokémon center and come straight here, Ash leading the way and getting drenched in the process. Now it was time to enter and find out who this mysterious ghost type was and if Ash's unique way with Pokémon could get through to it.

"Are you ready Misty?" Ash asked.

"For you, always." Misty replied with a warm smile. "Let's do this. It's time to save a Pokémon."

Ash just smiled back at her as they walked up and pushed the doors open to the Pokémon Tower. It was time to meet the boss of Lavender Town.