Chapter 40: Come out, Squirtle; return, Squirtle.
Page (1/3)
With the theoretical knowledge fully covered, Brock took off his academic robe and handed the stage back to Ash.
Naturally, the next step was practical training.
Though, for some reason, Ash now seemed more like the student than the teacher...?
After receiving quite an education, Goh also grew interested in catching Pokémon and asked curiously, “So you’re going to catch that prankster now...?”
According to Professor Cerise, that Pokémon would not reveal itself easily. Thus, even now, nobody knew what type of Pokémon it was.
“Actually, figuring out its type is quite easy...”
At some point, Brock had put his white lab coat back on.
His eyes, hidden behind his glasses, were sharp and gleaming with wisdom.
Ash quickly applauded. “Please continue your performance, Professor Brock.”
“Ahem. Judging from Professor Cerise’s description, we can basically conclude that it’s a Ghost-type Pokémon. And in our Kanto region, there is only one commonly seen Ghost Pokémon—or rather, only one family.”
He slowly announced three names.
“Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar.”
Ash nodded along, though this was also the first time he had heard those names.
He rubbed his cheek thoughtfully.
“So our target is a Ghost-type Pokémon... In that case, the first step is to lure it out.”
The other three brightened and looked at Ash in surprise.
“You’ve already thought of a way to draw it out?”
In situations like this, Ash’s flashes of inspiration were usually the most reliable.
Food?
But even the academic world had yet to reach a consensus on what food Ghost Pokémon liked.
Beauty?
There was a dark-skinned pervert here, certainly, but he was a perverted human, not a perverted Pokémon.
...
“Don’t talk. Watch me work.”
Ash looked confident. With two quick steps, he opened the main door, then swept out his arm and dragged the other three to the farthest corner of the room.
Under their bewildered stares, Ash suddenly called toward the air by the doorway:
“Hey, is there a ghost over there? Give me a hand and close the door.”
The other three: “???”
After a long while, the door did not move.
Brock could not help sighing. “Is this the best idea you could come up with? I’m deeply disappointed.”
Misty added, “Perhaps I should take back your Cascade Badge.”
Ash frowned, feeling that something was off. This method had always worked for him before.
For example, when he was little and home alone, afraid that there might be ghosts in the house, he would deliberately open the door and shout, “Is there a ghost here? Close the door for me.”
Ten years had passed, and not a single ghost had ever come to close the door for him.
That proved there had never been any haunting in his house. It was a residence blessed with excellent feng shui.
By that logic, this method should work.
Besides, a prankster’s whole purpose was to attract human attention.
Surely something like that would make it show itself, right?
Page (1/3)
Page (2/3)
Ignoring the three people’s exasperated expressions, Ash tried the same thing in several more rooms, but there was still no response.
“Oh, come on, Ash. Let’s think of another way already. This is complete nonsense.”
“I say we fight ghosts with ghosts. We should go to the haunted house next door, catch a Ghost Pokémon, and then come back and use it to defeat this one.”
Misty made the suggestion.
Ash raised an eyebrow. Misty, you really are a genius in the strangest way.
Ignoring everyone’s objections, he forcibly dragged the other three to the final room.
...
This time, however, the situation was finally different.
The moment he entered the room, Ash suddenly seemed to sense something. He stopped and lowered his voice.
“I have a feeling there’s a traitor in this house!”
Even Pikachu’s ears twitched. That alone instantly put the other three on edge.
The four of them once again retreated to the corner of the room, while Ash made a gesture telling them not to panic.
After taking a deep breath, he slowly called toward the doorway.
“Hey, is there a ghost? Close the door for me.”
Bang!
The moment the words left his mouth, the door really did swing shut!
There really was a traitor!
Then the door opened again, closed once more, opened again...
Bang, bang, bang!
The door continued opening and closing, as though an invisible force were playing a prank on it.
The four exchanged glances. Sure enough, an invisible Ghost Pokémon was manipulating the door.
If they stared hard enough, they could just barely make out a transparent, pixelated silhouette.
Brock’s eyes were especially sharp. His focus was so precise that he could even faintly discern the Pokémon’s shape.
It seemed to be a Pokémon even fatter than Pikachu...
Misty hurriedly asked, “Ash, what do we do next?”
“You’re asking me? Who am I supposed to ask...?”
Ash answered bluntly.
He had always taken things one step at a time. He never made predictions, and had remained firmly stuck on the first level of planning.
“Farfetch’d, aren’t you supposed to be acting like everyone’s father right now? Hurry up and think of a way to catch that Ghost Pokémon!”
Misty complained as she shoved Ash forward.
She was afraid not only of Bug-type Pokémon, but ghosts as well.
“Who am I supposed to ask...? Wait!”
Still troubled, Ash muttered under his breath. Then inspiration suddenly struck him.
There really was someone he could ask!
He slapped his own chest, then sent a message through his mind.
“Hey, Red, stop researching how to steal my body and help me figure out how to deal with this Ghost Pokémon!”
Red: “?”
He had hidden himself so carefully. Had Ash really seen through him...?
Still, a senior had to act like a senior. Red merely glanced at the situation before him, and the strategy immediately became clear.
Without hesitation, he said, “Ahem. That’s a Gengar, a Ghost Pokémon. It’s merely invisible to the eye; that doesn’t mean it can ignore attacks. Just attack it directly.”
“I knew there was a method!”
Page (2/3)
Page (3/3)
Ash was overjoyed after receiving the information.
Before disconnecting, Red added, “However, this Gengar is not weak. Even while invisible, it is beyond your current ability to handle. Without battle instincts, you’ll only become a living target for it.”
Battle instincts were a mysterious sensation. A Trainer who had not undergone years of training could never master them.
And Ash had only been a novice Trainer for three weeks.
Ash: “Meaning?”
Red thought for a moment, then finally offered a hint.
“Your Squirtle has an item that might prove useful...”
Sunglasses could increase the power of Dark-type moves.
And Dark-type moves were highly effective against Ghost types. Perhaps they could even reveal Gengar’s true form.
Such tricks did not exist in the game world, but in this real world, things were different.
As long as one dared to imagine it, anything was possible...
...
Returning to reality, Ash once again wore an air of confidence and limitless promise.
He had stabilized the situation.
With a casual flick of his hand, he threw out a Poké Ball.
“Come out, Squirtle!”
A small blue turtle appeared before them all.
“Squirtle, Squirtle!”
Squirtle looked adorably foolish, but the instant it saw that a battle was about to begin, its expression became eager.
It had not fought since being caught and was longing for the chance to enjoy a proper battle.
“Squirtle, Squirtle? (Let Squirtle see who today’s opponent is!)”
Squirtle narrowed its eyes and raised a paw, scanning the room. Yet it could not find an enemy anywhere.
How puzzling...
“Squirtle, hurry and take out your sunglasses!”
Ash immediately issued his command.
“Squirtle!”
Without hesitation, Squirtle pulled its sunglasses from its shell and held them high above its head, like Doraemon introducing one of his gadgets.
Ash took the opportunity to ask, “Squirtle, can I borrow your sunglasses for a moment?”
“Squirtle, Squirtle...?”
“‘Borrow them’? So you agree to lend them to me. I’ll just take them for a little while, then.”
Ash casually accepted the sunglasses Squirtle was holding aloft, then pressed them against the Poké Ball.
“Return, Squirtle.”
Squirtle: “?”
In the next instant, Squirtle dissolved into a streak of red light and returned to its Poké Ball.
...
-------
I’m still going through a difficult trial, and the results have been average so far... Please favorite and recommend the story...
Page (3/3)