Everything was dark and cold as the gas continued to fill him. Unable to scream, he tried to grasp for air, to be free of his hazy and poisonous prison, but he couldn't make it. The infernal giggling rang through his ears.
Weaker and weaker, his vision dimmed, the darkness surrounding him. The giggling continued, and raised, until it was almost deafening.
He struggled, shook, tried to scream, but his body was heavy, his movements sluggish, and even his coughs grew less frequent. His body yearned for air and freedom, and only got nothing in return but laughs.
Laughs aimed at him, at how powerless he was. At how pathetic he was. All around him, the eyes continued to stare at his pain with mirth. He tried to stare back, his vision foggy and the pain too much to bear.
He couldn't be defiant. He couldn't be strong. And shortly after, he couldn't be anything. His body sagged to the ground, his breathing stopped, and for just a second, he ceased to be.
And then he was again, yet wasn't. He couldn't feel anything, even as the pain had ended.
The red eyes homed on him again, and the purple claws grasped at him. The laughs continued all around him. He tried to break free, but the pressure was too great. It kept him plastered in the claws, the red eyes still on him. The laughs never stopped.
The gas returned again, filling him. Overwhelming him. Becoming him.
And then he had a mouth again, and he could scream his pain for all to hear.
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He woke up instantly, taking shallow breath as he held a hand over his chest. Only when he recognized the familiar confines of his own room did his breath subside, everything just as it had always been. He wasn't in the forest, he wasn't surrounded, and it was just him. Everything was fine, and it was just a nightmare that had passed long ago. As he realized that, he sighed and faced the mirror on the other side of the room, wishing that he could really say that.
His body was still purple, stubby and even a bit chubby. His eyes were still crimson red, and his mouth still big and at the center of his body. He could still phase through things if he wished to. And he didn't actually need to sleep as much as he tried to just for a semblance of normalcy.
His name was Antonius Grimm, and he had been living that nightmare for more than four decades.
Antonius, or Tony as he preferred to be called, still couldn't believe that so much time had passed since his experience in the Drowning Woods. It took several years for him to stop waking up every day hoping for his transformation to have just been a fever dream he'd wake up to, and in his mind he still felt like the stupid kid that rushed into a dangerous forest of Ghost-types just to spite his sister.
His gaze lingered over his features before he averted his eyes, sighing. Ever since he became a Ghost-type, his reflection brought way too many bad memories of the Pokémon that turned him that way and his cronies, and it was an experience he'd rather not remember at all. As it had become customary, he banished those thoughts to the back of his mind as he floated up, observing the calendar on the wall, and in particular the day circled with a red marker, the one in which he and his sister would have an important appointment with very special people. And that day had arrived.
As he heard no other sound but some soft snoring through the house, Tony sighed and faced a nearby wall, phasing through it until he ended up on the other side, ending up in an even more sparely decorated room than his own with just the bare essentials, and under the bedsheets was his sister, Agatha Grimm, Ghost-type Elite Four member of Kanto, still sleeping quietly and with a smile on her face. Tony gained a smile of his own as he observed her, and then caught sight of the alarm clock on the bedside table. They had barely got three quarters of an hour to prepare, and he knew how little that was for Agatha.
Thus, he observed his sister, took a deep breath, and concentrated. He visualized his sister's mind, and a few seconds later he found himself able to enter. It took way too much time to come up with such a variation of Nightmare, but it was well worth it.
Now in Agatha's dreamscape, Tony found himself floating through a field of flowers, chrysanthemums if he had to guess, and not too far from him were two people: a young woman in her twenties or so, and another kid just a few years younger, yet still older than he had ever been in life. The two were talking and walking through the field, with the brightest smiles Tony had seen on both their faces in forever.
Tony sighed. Of course she was having that dream again. He didn't know whom it hurt more, himself or Agatha, with how much false hope it gave them. Nonetheless, he had no time to ponder that, for he snapped his fingers and the dream instantly paused, with the exception of the girl, with everything taking on a greyscale coloration.
"It's time to wake up, Agatha," Tony said, his voice just the same as he remembered.
The girl, Agatha's dream self, turned towards him with only mild confusion before she became aware. She took on the cocky smirk that was a trademark of hers through the ages at that, folding her arms. "It's not polite to barge into other people's dreams like this, you know?"
"Gee, sorry if this is my only way to really talk with you. I'd not barge in if you weren't still sleeping." Tony rolled his eyes in mock anger, even if his own smirk betrayed how he really felt.
For a second Agatha's smirk widened, only for it all to drop as her eyes lingered over the dreamscape. "I'm sorry you had to see that."
"Meh, better that than some unsavory dreams. Or one where you're drunk again."
"Come on, that happened only a few times." Agatha stared at him.
Tony folded his arms at that. "And don't you dare let it happen again. It was already hard enough to keep you at bay during Lorelei's birthday..."
"Sure, commander Tony." She pulled off a mock military salute, then turned serious again. "Will you do the honors, then?"
"With pleasure."
Thus, Tony snapped his fingers, and the dreamscape melted like snow all around them. A few seconds later, Tony found himself back in the real world, while Agatha slowly opened her eyes and smiled at him. She finally got out of the bed at that point, and started her morning routine with Tony in tow. It was a habit they had taken to follow ever since they ended up alone again: sure, Tony didn't need to wear clothes and not even to really eat or sleep, but going through breakfast and most of the morning ritual together really helped both to not be lonely. They always had each other, and it was one constant Tony was glad never changed throughout his life, even if he couldn't deny the constant sad looks Agatha gave him when she thought he wasn't looking continued to make him feel guilty of everything that happened.
After a healthy breakfast and quick trip to the shower, Agatha was now ready to undertake her day, with Tony giving her a thumbs up as she left her room wearing the usual purple clothes she always wore when acting as an Elite Four member, with a good five minutes to spare before their appointment.
Now with some free time to use, Tony allowed himself to get lost in his thoughts. It was so weird to think that one of the oldest and most well-regarded members of the Elite Four started out as a young girl way over her head that would've never touched a Ghost-type with a ten feet pole. Not that she was that mature even in her old age, but time and pain had definitely hardened her away from her past mistakes. To most people, she was a cranky old woman that probably nobody would've liked to spend much time with, but Tony knew that there was more to her than that, and he was glad to not have been the only one.
The clock struck ten, and with perfect timing two very loud knocks came from the door. Agatha and Tony shared a nod, and the sister went to open the door, only to be tackled on the ground by a rather energetic set of twins with dirty blonde hair.
"Hi, Granny Agatha!" they said in unison with bright grins, hugging her tightly.
Agatha chuckled out as she hugged them back and then unwrangled herself from the two. "Hugo, Alma, what did we say about not crushing me?"
"Sorry," Alma said sheepishly as she and Hugo got back up, allowing Agatha to do the same. "We were just happy to see you, is all."
"Heh, you two can really be a handful." Agatha grinned as she kept a faux annoyed tone. "But I'm glad to spend some time with you, too."
Both twins beamed even more, before they turned back to Tony and smiled at him, giving the closest thing to a hug they could. "Hi to you too, Tony! You look well!"
Tony had a bright smile of his own as he hugged the kids back, before Agatha led them to the kitchen to get some cookies. They weren't aware of his real identity, but it was good that in spite of a rocky first impression, he was mostly accepted by all branches of his family.
Family. It was such an odd word, considering how much of his and Agatha's childhood was spent in almost complete loneliness, beyond the occasional meeting with their Sinnoh cousin Bertha. He thought that was how things would've ended up staying after the Drowning Woods, save for the off chance of Agatha and Samuel getting together, which didn't happen.
However, Agatha did end up meeting a man that made her feel loved and special, and in a few years time they married and started a family, one where Tony was also welcomed in. Things weren't always perfect, especially when they came clean to him on Tony's true identity, but Agatha's husband was exactly the kind of man she deserved. It was still a shame he passed away some years before, but by that point Agatha's children had gotten old enough to have children of her own, and their little family continued to grow little by little until they she was surrounded by several grandchildren. Agatha usually put on a faux grumpy act around her descendants, but almost everyone could see the love she held for each and every one of them. Of all the achievements she had in her life, that was probably the one Tony was the most happy for.
And yet, he still couldn't forget the eyes Agatha often had. The ones she sent to him whenever no one was looking. The utter disappointment of never finding a way to restore him to human form no matter how hard they tried. Tony attempted to pay no mind to it, but considering it was all his fault she was saddled with that problem in the first place, it was hard to do so.
Tony slapped his cheeks and took another deep breath, banishing away his forty years old regrets, and floated back to his sister and his niece and nephew, who just finished to snack on some homemade cookies he had made for them. Seeing their pleased expression was all he needed to smile some more.
"So, are you all set to go to the Festival?" Agatha asked, holding onto her cane and looking at the twins.
"Yes!" Alma said, nodding and pumping her fist.
Hugo instead tilted his head. "How are we gonna go there, granny?"
"With my favorite way of transportation." Agatha then turned away and moved towards the house's garden. The kids and Tony followed suit, and once they were out, the Ghost-type specialist palmed a Poké Ball and tossed it skyward. "Go, Drifblim!"
The ball hit the ground, and from it emerged the big, hot air balloon-shaped Pokémon. He wasn't part of Agatha's official team, having been a gift by Fantina some years before among several others, but it was always good to see him as he smiled at his trainer and her grandkids.
"Woah! Your Drifloon evolved!" Hugo said, running closer to the Ghost/Flying-type with a big grin, with Alma just as excited as she checked the other side.
"Yeah, just recently. It sort of happened." Agatha smirked at the twins, pressing her cane down and inching closer. "I hope you haven't been naughty, though. Bad kids are a Drifblim's favorite meal."
Both kids paled, stepping back and giving their grandmother fearful looks. "You're kidding!"
"Who knows, who knows," Agatha said in a sing-song tone.
"Granny!"
Agatha allowed herself a few chuckles before she patted her annoyed grandchildren on the head before she allowed them over the Ghost-type, Drifblim's feelers wrapped around their bodies like a seatbelt. Agatha took her place on the lead and got a feeler of her own, before she turned back to Tony. He nodded and floated next to her, making sure to stand his ground. Seeing that Agatha preferred to keep him outside his Ball as much as possible rather than treat him as a random Pokémon on her team was probably the thing he was most grateful for towards her.
All four people onboard, Agatha looked down to her Ghost/Flying-type. "Very well, then. Drifblim, let's go to Maiden's Peak!"
And with an affirmative cry, the hot balloon Pokémon took flight towards their destination.
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The trip towards Maiden's Peak was a rather short and uneventful one, though one would've been forgiven for thinking the opposite, the way Hugo and Alma looked around in excitement while looking over the tiny cities several feet down. Even if he had grown rather accustomed to flying and floating, Tony couldn't help but chuckle at that. His nephew and his niece were extremely infectious bundles of energy and happiness, and it was probably one of their best qualities.
Once Drifblim touched down and Agatha recalled him, the foursome didn't waste time to shoot straight for the festival, one of the few attractions Maiden's Peak had beyond such a minor Gym that Tony couldn't remember its type specialty. It was a bit of a surprise that the twins asked Agatha to bring them there, apparently just because she was a Ghost-type specialist and they wanted to spend time somewhere she would've liked. Regardless of the reasoning, though, Agatha accepted it in earnest to close her grandkids' summer on a good note, and spent the last few days researching the local legends in case they asked for anything.
Which was fortunate, considering the twins were going through questions like there was no tomorrow, from stuff as simple as explaining some games to them to much more interesting and intriguing inquiries.
"So, why is this called the Maiden's Peak? What's this festival for? I know ghosts are involved..." Hugo asked, eyes on the female statue at the city's entrance.
"It's a rather long story, the details of which are lost to time," Agatha said, pressing her cane to the ground as she stared at the human-shaped rock over a hill just outside the city, with a temple at its side. "It's said that its name comes from a maiden that faithfully waited for the return of her beloved after he departed for a war two thousand years ago, only for the soldier she fell in love with to never make his return. Legend says she died standing there and her whole body became part of the promontory itself, and to this day her spirit still lingers in the world of living, eternally waiting for her beloved. This festival celebrates both her memory and the end of summer."
Alma looked over the distant statue herself, her smile turned upside down. "Wow, that's sad."
"And spooky..." Hugo gulped, tensing up and forcing a nervous grin. "N-none of this is real, right? Legends like these never are."
Agatha leaned over her cane and chuckled right on Hugo's face. "It might be, you never know. I've met real witches once, who am I to think real ghosts can't be a thing?"
"Now you're just joking." Hugo huffed, even if still tense and even shivering.
"Who knows. You would be surprised at what I encountered throughout my life."
Alma tilted her head in curiosity. "Like what?"
"It's a secret." Agatha gave a quick laugh, sharing a knowing glance with Tony.
"Oh, come on! You need to tell us now!" Hugo said, his earlier fear replaced by curiosity as he folded his arms.
Agatha's smile turned sly as she looked away. "Maybe once the right time comes."
Hugo and Alma grumbled in unison at that, eliciting yet another chuckle from their grandmother, and even one from Tony. Their grumpiness went away as soon as it came however, as the twins rushed ahead to check some new booths with Agatha and Tony watching after the pair, giving Tony some time to look at his surroundings.
The Festival itself wasn't really anything to write home about after the customary honors given to the Maiden's statue, mostly consisting of several stands selling food, masks and other souvenirs with the occasional game, but the atmosphere was pleasing and warm enough that Tony didn't think that was a bad thing. He managed to pull off a brief smile, which only faltered and disappeared as he noticed some people giving him confused and sometimes wary looks, prompting him to get closer to Agatha as he felt tension running through his body.
His eyes travelled through his surroundings, lingering briefly on Hugo and Alma playing around with a couple of masks before he glanced at other boys and girls running around, some alone and others playing with their parents, all as happy and carefree as they should've been. He tried to ignore the jealousy welling up inside himself, but having been a nine-years old trapped in another body for several decades didn't make it easy.
He couldn't study at school, he couldn't have fun with most human activities, he couldn't talk with most people, he couldn't get a job, and he couldn't even start a family of his own. As much fun as it was to fight himself for his sister, there wasn't a day that went by without Tony wishing he could be more, and that things could've gone differently that day in the Drowning Woods. He wanted to be a real great-uncle for his nieces and nephews, and not just their grandmother's partner Pokémon, but he knew they likely weren't ready to know the story.
But as it was, he was too human to really blend with Agatha's Pokémon, and he was too much of a Pokémon to really pass off as human, never even managing to relearn how to talk in spite of several attempts to do so. It didn't matter how much time had passed, he still couldn't come to terms to what he was now and with each passing year, his hopes to return human became increasingly smaller, no matter how many artifacts, spells, and researches on Ghost-types he and Agatha tried to use. He felt bad wasting her time and efforts like that, when she had better things to focus on.
Tony clenched his fists. In the end, he was still nothing but a selfish kid.
"Tony, is something wrong?"
The Gengar snapped back to attention, staring back at Agatha's concerned expression. He forced a smile and shook his head, even as Agatha continued to observe him. Tony gulped and pointed away, towards a random booth. Agatha turned there, confused.
"You want to go there?" his sister asked. Tony nodded at that, and Agatha smiled. "Sure, you can, I'll look after Alma and Hugo in the meantime. Just... make sure to be careful, right?"
They both knew he didn't actually risk anything by going around on his own, but they also both knew the real reason Agatha said that. Tony gave an affirmative nod, and then floated away from his sister, keeping an eye towards where she was to join up with her later, a brief smile forming as Agatha helped out Alma out at a booth, with Hugo cheering them on before he went his way. He had no right to ruin their fun like that with his own problems.
He continued to watch all the other people and Pokémon going through their own business, trying to imagine himself in their place. He never got to spend much time in festivals and fairs while he travelled with Agatha, and in hindsight he really wished he could've done that some more. He tried to ignore all the people and Pokémon staring at him, and especially one little girl that decided to hide behind her mother while pointing at him. He knew it was just first impressions, but it still hurt.
His eyes went to the promontory in the distance, the part of Maiden's Peak known as 'Maiden's Rock'. A girl that had waited for her beloved for years only to never see that person ever again, dying unfulfilled. Tony couldn't help but feel a kinship at that. Too bad that as a Ghost-type he would never die, and would probably even outlive Agatha and the rest of his family. He gave a bitter smile as he turned away, back towards the dock.
And then he widened his eyes.
Right on the docks, staring into the ocean, was the transparent figure of a young woman, looking very much like the maiden of legend. Tony blinked a couple of times: sure, he had no right to be skeptical of ghosts when he was one himself, but seeing another one was still a rare and surprising sight. He was almost tempted to go closer to try to strike a conversation, until he noticed a couple of men walking closer to the spirit. The phantom turned to them and gave a smile, before she disappeared from view.
The men were distraught, and quickly rushed away, towards Maiden's Rock. Tony blinked a couple times, until he looked back where the ghost had been, and he paled.
Right where the young woman stood was now floating a Gastly wearing a face-splitting grin, laughing heartily before he floated away. Tony remained there, eyes wide and mouth agape, before he frowned and bared his teeth in rage.
It was one of them, an evil Ghost-type, just like that Gengar had been. As his mind relived his transformation and what followed after, he thought of the helpless men that were now heading right into that Pokémon's trap.
Clenching his fists, Tony floated in pursuit. He had no idea what he would deal with, but he wouldn't allow others to suffer his same fate.
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Tony hid in the shadows as he stalked after the Gastly, back in the form of the Maiden's ghost as the men hopelessly tried to reach for her and ask her to remained with them, that they loved her and so on. The ex-human's stomach turned as he continued to follow the scene, memories of the Drowning Woods' Gengar toying with Agatha and Samuel whirling on his mind. He frowned; even if this Gastly might not have been on the same level of power, he needed to stop him before anything bad could happen.
Their pursuit continued for a little while as it went up to the temple, the 'maiden' letting the doors open as 'she' invited the men to come inside. Her enthralled victims just smiled at once before throwing themselves inside, and the temple doors snapped shut behind them, sealing all inside.
Tony jumped off of his shadowy pool and pressed his body behind a nearby rock, a heavy frown and fists clenched as he studied the temple room. Why did that Gastly choose to bring those people on the temple of all places? It seemed suspiciously public for a place to bring victims to. Did he brainwash the monks working there already? Did he kill them? Was he planning to slowly cull the entire population of Maiden's Peak? Tony tried not to think of Agatha, Hugo and Alma ending up as victims as well.
Tony took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down as he stared at the temple again. It wasn't time to think, it was time to act. Thus, he slowly charged a couple of Shadow Balls, relaxed his posture, and then plowed straight inside the temple, where the 'maiden' was towering over the unconscious form of the 'suitors'.
"Take this!" Tony yelled with no warning, tossing the Shadow Balls at once.
The ghost snapped to attention and narrowly dodged the Ghost-type attack, morphing back in his true form as Tony's attack slammed on the wall. He stared back to Tony, and took on a mildly annoyed frown.
"Hey, don't you know about privacy? I was doing my job here-"
"Free those humans and go away from this town!" Tony said, charging and flinging another Shadow Ball.
"Sorry, but this is my turf and I've got no intention to hand it over!" Gastly floated out of the Shadow Ball's trajectory, before he glared at the ex-human. "Let's see if you like being vacuumed away!"
The Gastly disappeared in a puff of smoke, replaced by a vacuum cleaner pointed at him. Tony didn't have the time to raise an eyebrow in confusion when the vacuum cleaner started up and tried to absorb him in. The Gengar didn't waste time before he jumped into a corner, avoiding to be sucked in as he kept his eyes on the Gastly's current form.
"You aren't so sure of yourself now, right?" His enemy laughed. "Maybe I should try with something different! I'm sure you'd like to have some fans, right?"
Another puff of smoke, and the vacuum cleaner was replaced by a pair of giant fans, who didn't waste time before they flapped a gust of wind at Tony. The ex-human crossed his arms ahead of him, trying to shield himself from the winds.
Tony was beyond confused. What was even going on? He had fought several battles as a Pokémon, and even with the occasional unorthodox strategy he never met a Pokémon fighting like that. He didn't have any clue what to do, and he needed to find a way to overcome the wind-
Just as he thought of it, however, he noticed something quite odd. And then, he blinked.
"Wait a second." Tony beamed. "I get it!"
Still with a grin, Tony abandoned any attempt at defense and rushed straight towards the fans. Two Shadow Balls were flung, and the giant fans smashed on the wall, puffing back into a rather surprised Gastly.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
The ghost blinked a couple of times, and then frowned as he dodged another Shadow Ball, glaring at Tony.
"Well, now you've done it." The Gastly bared his teeth. "I guess it's no use to hold back. I'll show you what I'm made of!"
Another puff of smoke, and were once stood a puny Gastly, now towered a shadowy black Gengar roughly three times Tony's size, with eyes of fire and a wicked grin of sharp teeth, glaring down at Tony.
The Gengar let out a booming laugh as he folded his arms. "Now, try to challenge me! There's nothing you can-"
He got another Shadow Ball to the face, and the nightmarish Gengar turned back into Gastly, falling on the ground with a weak grunt of pain.
The Gastly tried to float back up, only to find Tony looming over him, two Shadow Balls ready to be fired.
The ghost could only blink. "Well, that was unexpected."
"I've met Pokémon like you before." Tony bore his stare into the downed Ghost-type. "It's just illusions, right? They only hurt as much as one thinks they do. The moment your opponents catch on, they're useless."
"And I'm usually very good at selling my illusions," the Gastly said with a quick grin.
"I don't care. I've seen what you did to those guys." Tony's Shadow Balls became bigger as his glare sharpened. "Restore them to normal and never return here."
Gastly assumed a far more serious expression at that, matching Tony's stare. And then, he shook his head. "Sorry, but I can't do either of those things. I have a promise to keep."
Tony tensed up at that. His Shadow Balls increased even more in size as he bared his teeth.
"I knew it! You're just like that Gengar!" Tony snarled up to Gastly's face, smashing and fusing the two Shadow Balls into a bigger one above his head. "I'll never forgive those like you! You tortured humans for your own amusement for the last time!"
"Wait, what?" Gastly only quirked an eyebrow, rather nonplussed.
"Don't act all innocent! I saw what you were doing!"
As the combined Shadow Ball became bigger and bigger, Gastly just observed his human victims in complete silence. And then, he fell back on the floor laughing.
Tony squinted his eyes. "What's so funny?"
The Gastly continued to chuckle for a little while before he calmed down, never losing a playful smirk on the way.
"Sorry, it's just... I see what happened now. This was all a big misunderstanding." His smile turned sunnier as he floated back up, looking at his victims some feet away. "I didn't really do anything bad to these guys, they're just fast asleep. They will wake up tomorrow to no ill effect, still dreaming of the can check them yourself ."
Tony stared blankly at the Gastly, before he turned back to the humans. Now that he looked at them more closely, he could notice that they had no lasting injury whatsoever and looked rather serene in their sleep, with no signs of violence or terror on their faces. And he knew enough of Ghost-type curses from Agatha's researches to be aware they weren't under any. Realizing that, his anger subsided almost immediately.
Uncertainty filled him as he faced Gastly again. "Wait... I thought you wanted to kill them or something..."
"I'm greedy and like to toy around with people, but I don't kill." The Gastly rolled his eyes.
"Oh..." His Shadow Ball dissipated as he gave the other ghost a sheepish grin. "Well, this is kinda awkward."
"Meh, no biggie, it was a nice break from routine."
Tony scratched his neck, his cheeks redder as he looked back at Gastly. "Why did you do all this, though?"
"It's a long and complicated story. If you want to listen, I can make some tea." The Gastly smiled.
Tony sighed and shrugged. "Well, why not..."
And thus, Gastly floated out of the way and took the form of a very short, old white haired woman as he went to take a pot, all while Tony couldn't help but think an awkward situation had gotten even more awkward now.
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Now sat in a seiza position outside of the temple, Tony stared at his tea with a frown as the sun started its slow descent towards the horizon above them. Opposite to him, Gastly was still wearing his old lady form, drinking his own cup with a pleased expression.
"Aaaah, nothing better than a nice cup of tea after a hard day of work. Don't you agree?" Gastly asked, smiling.
Tony breathed over the hot drink and took a few sip, managing a subdued smile in response.
"I guess." He took another sip, and then he sent Gastly a quizzical look as he recalled the main topic before the tea. "So... why are you doing all this, exactly?"
Gastly took one last sip and placed his cup down, shedding his disguise to go back to his true form, then gazed towards the ocean. "As I said, it's a long and complicated story, but for the most part I'm doing a favor for someone I knew two thousand years ago. Keeping interesting old tales alive is a bit of a hobby of mine, and Rhian's story is one of them."
"Rhian?"
"You might know her as the 'Maiden' of Maiden's Peak. She usually keeps to herself on the rock these days, still waiting for her beloved Griffith after all these years." Gastly turned towards the titular Maiden's Rock, and as he did the same Tony could swear to have seen a young, ethereal girl standing right next to it.
Gastly turned serious at that. "I couldn't allow her story to be forgotten, so I pulled a few strings so her legend was remembered some millennia or so ago, and this town formed around Rhian. I return here every year for the summer's end festival to keep her memory alive and make a few bucks along the way."
"So, you're basically a con artist."
"I prefer 'interactive storyteller'." Gastly rolled his eyes. "And while I certainly don't mind getting some money out of this, I mostly do it to make Rhian happy. Whenever I'm not reenacting an old legend I try to track down Griffith, but so far I haven't had much luck. I'm not going to stop trying, however."
As he noticed how serious Gastly had been going, Tony could only blink, taking one last sip of his tea. "And you've been doing this for two thousand years?"
"For people I care about, I'd do this and much more."
Tony couldn't help but stare as Gastly continued to stare onward, with a much more serious and determined stare than he had seen from him so far. He looked almost like a completely different Pokémon now. "Wow."
"What can I say? I'm an extremely dedicated person." Gastly chuckled, only to grin back at Tony as he inched closer. "I'd love to know what your story is, though. You weren't born a Ghost-type, right?"
Tony paled and widened his eyes. "How do you-"
"You spoke of a Gengar as if you weren't in the same evolutionary line. And the way you attacked me and accused me, you must've had some bad experiences with one."
Tony gulped, eyes back on the empty cup of tea as he clenched his hands tightly on it, remaining silent all the while.
Gastly's look softened as he stepped back. "You don't have to talk about it if it makes you uncomfortable."
The gas, the laughter and the screams all played at once in Tony's mind. He gulped and attempted a smile. Gastly had shared his past, it was only fair for him to do the same now.
"No, it's okay, it happened a long time ago." He sighed and stared at the sea. "It went something like this..."
And thus, Tony relayed all of his personal history to the other Gastly. Of how his parents died in a car accident, leaving Agatha alone to take care of him; of how she constantly tried to keep him away from danger, and how he thought she just wanted him not to be a Pokémon trainer; of her rivalry and friendship with Samuel Oak, something Gastly seemed rather interested in; of how he ran away to show Agatha he could be a trainer, and his meeting with the Gengar that changed his life forever. He could feel the guilt of all he caused resurfacing, barely reining in the negative thoughts he had lived with for four decades and the sinking feeling that he was the one to blame for everything. He had to stop more than a couple of times during his tale, but after a long while, he finally finished as the sun started to set, coating the sea and everything in an orange hue.
"And that's why I'm a Ghost-type now." Tony gulped, feeling a weight off his chest as his tale finally ended.
Gastly observed him wordless, then shook his head. "That sounds rough. I'm sorry."
"Don't worry." Tony put the cup away, playing with his hands as he kept a stern expression. "I've felt like a burden for Agatha for years after that. Sometimes I still wonder if she would've been better off without me giving her grief. She had a full and happy life and is a very powerful trainer, but I can't help but think..."
"If she stuck with you for so long, you likely don't have to be worried."
Tony scoffed at that. "Knowing and feeling are very different things."
"I can understand that." Gastly's gaze turned upward, as if reminiscing. "The Gengar of the Drowning Woods, huh... no wonder you were so aggressive here, with the stories I've heard."
"Which stories?" Tony crooked an eyebrow.
"Mostly hearsay of his exploits. No one's sure if he's a pure Ghost-type, a human reincarnated as one, or something else altogether, but he caused several incidents in various forests and cities, always staying under the radar, until he decided to conquer a forest to call his own and took home in the Drowning Woods. A lot of other Ghost-types found him too vicious and unsettling and tried to keep away from him, but we should've probably done something."
Tony wasn't that surprised. Between the Drowning Woods' reputation and the way Gengar had dealt with him, Agatha and Sam, it was clear that he had been doing that for a very long time. He clenched his fists at all that.
"Me and Agatha dealt with him. He won't be able to cause anything ever again now." His eyes fell back to his hands. "And he's done enough damage already, anyway. I'll always be like him."
Gastly seemed mildly annoyed at that. "Not all the Gastly line is made of evil ghosts, you know. You're talking with one of them."
Tony didn't know what to say in response. Even if he knew Gastly was right, he couldn't help but think of what happened in the past whenever he saw another Gastly, Haunter or Gengar. No matter how hard he tried to be positive, his past was always there, and he had no real future ahead.
Gastly's gaze softened as his smile was replaced by a frown. "You still want to return human, right?"
"Yes, always." Tony sounded resolute, only for that to falter as he gazed groundward again, dread running down his spine. "But then I think about it and I'm not so sure. Agatha's approaching old age by now and the majority of people I knew either passed on or are too old as well. And staying like this is not a option: I tried to blend with Agatha's team and other Pokémon, but even if we get along, it's obvious I'm not one of them. They would never really accept me..."
He tried hard to fight back tears, rubbing his eyes and gulping. All the while, Gastly could only look at him in sympathy.
"I'd not be so sure. I think one of the Sinnoh myths said something about human and Pokémon eating at the same table, or maybe it was about humans and Pokémon marrying each other, I'm not sure." He forced a smile, but Tony could tell how forced it was.
He couldn't blame him. It must've been hard to give advice to someone that had nothing valid to himself. He turned away, hoping to shake that feeling off-
And then found a bloodshot purple face stare straight at him.
"Ah!" Tony yelled, falling on his back and stepping away in fear, heart racing as he called upon a couple of Shadow Balls. He looked back up and found himself face-to-face with a Haunter, one who inched closer to him. His heartbeat became even faster.
And the Haunter giggled right on his face.
"You should've seen your expression! You looked so scared!" Haunter said, giggling all the while, an infernally familiar kind of giggle, one that another, younger Gastly and a Gengar joined as they phased out of the ground and floated closer to the Maiden's Peak Gastly.
Tony held a hand over his chest, then his eyes fell back to the newcomer ghosts. His Shadow Balls subsided as they just started to slap themselves with fans and laugh at each other, detecting no ill intent from any of them.
The first impression's shock now gone, Tony grumbled and stared back at the first Gastly. "Who are those?"
Gastly gave a sheepish grin, then looked over at the trio. He gave a good-natured sigh.
"Guys, where are your manners?" Gastly asked with only a light scolding tone, then turned back to Tony. "I apologize, these three are... let's call them my 'colleagues' for the year. They're some pranksters from Lavender Town that used to live in the Pokémon Tower, until the local mediums decided they needed to get out. Since they had nowhere to go and nothing to do, I asked them help to cover more ground in spreading the legend of the ghost of Maiden's Peak."
"And it went great, boss! They all looked scared of the wrath of the maiden now!" the other Gastly said, while Haunter and Gengar shared a high five as they continued laughing.
The Maiden's Peak Gastly blinked a couple times. "Uhm, I like creepy, but that's not exactly the kind of image I've been going for-"
"But it's funnier this way! People love a good horror story!" Haunter said.
"Yeah! I can already see all the humans doing tests of courage at night to challenge the ghost of the Maiden to come out!" Gengar chimed in.
The other Gastly joined in with a cocky grin. "It will bring even more attention to this place, for sure!"
Neither Tony nor Gastly seemed to know what to tell them: Tony wasn't sure how much effort and planning it took to keep things working, but he was quite certain those weren't deviations he accounted for.
Gastly's dumbfounded expression made way for a light grin and the closest thing to a shrug he could do with his gas. "Well, as long as Rhian's memory is preserved in some way. I can put a patch on people's perception later."
Haunter gave him a double thumbs up. "That's the way! Just wing it and nothing will go wrong!"
"And if you need more help, we can give you a hand next year!" Gengar raised a hand, with Haunter and even the other Gastly joining in cheer.
Tony couldn't help but notice the confused look making its way back on Gastly's face. With how dedicated to his job he seemed to be, having to account full time for their deviation on his two thousand years old job was likely a surprise he didn't want to repeat. That's why he was rather surprised to see him smile at the trio of Ghost-types.
"Sure, why not. I'll keep that in mind."
Tony blinked, while the other Gastly, Haunter and Gengar cheered at once.
"Great! You rule!"
"We'll prank this place as best as we can next year, too!"
"It will be the best festival this town will ever have!"
The older Gastly chuckled along and shared a few hugs and high fives with the pranking crew, until he took notice of Tony's confused expression.
The ex-human didn't know what to say, until he folded his arms and stared back at Gastly. "You're just letting them tag along like this? You didn't seem so sure about their changes."
Gastly returned the stare, only for his eyes to glimmer as a sincere smile dotted up his face. He glanced back at the Maiden's statue, at the trio of ghosts now making funny faces at each other and laughing all the way, and then finally returned back to Tony with the brightest smile he pulled off throughout the discussion.
"If there's something I learned throughout my travels, is that things are bound to change, that's the natural state of things. I've seen empires rise and kingdoms fall, once important events and people forgotten by the shadow of history, and many, many more: some changes were for the better, other for the worse, but the change was constant, and fighting it back would lead to nothing but oblivion. I'm not gonna get obsessed with keeping my usual routine if there's a chance to improve it, and think these guys deserve a shot."
Tony listened to Gastly with attention, the sheer positivity and energy in his statements almost overwhelming him as he thought of his own future prospects, or lack thereof. He glanced back down and shook his head. "You're very optimistic for the future."
"Being cynical just makes you unable to find joy in life. I prefer to have a fun ride for as long as I'm here. The world's always spinning, and improving little by little on big and small things." Gastly's eyes went back to the sea, the sun now almost gone from the horizon as night started to fall. "That's why I appreciate what the Oak guy did, changing the world for the better: sure, some Pokémon weren't pleased to see their levels of aggressivity reduced, but the majority was happy to live in a far less brutal world. I've seen what others planned to do to deal with it, and Oak's solution was by far the most merciful and peaceful."
Tony didn't knew all the details Gastly was mentioning, but he did know of what Samuel did: after all, he and Agatha were there with Oak and Hastings as they went to that island for the last thing they needed for their research. They had to fight hard and in secret to make it, and the bright smile Samuel and Adalbert shared that day was something he could never forget. The way those two and Samuel in particular worked hard to change something deemed to be impossible was one reason he held nothing but respect for his oldest friend.
Gastly could see Tony's expression unconsciously change into a fond smile, and gave a quick laugh.
"You said you know Oak personally, right? Then, how and why did he change the world?" Gastly asked, his grin almost challenging.
Tony sighed and thought once more about Samuel, his smile widening.
"He just used his mind and his strength to find a solution, in the thick of the Trainer-Ranger wars, all because a group of aggressive wild Pokémon was the spark of the last great one. He worked tirelessly day and night, and while his friend Hastings definitely helped out, most of the project was his brainchild." He sounded progressively prouder, until his expression dropped slightly. "And for why, it was because... He didn't want other people to pay a heavy price to be a Pokémon trainer, especially after what happened... to me..."
Tony paused as the meaning of his own words sunk in. Gastly took his chance to inch closer, his trademark grin back in place.
"So, we could say you're one of the major reasons the world became a better place. Pretty good achievement I'd say."
"That's what I'm good at. An inspiration and nothing else." Tony sighed once more.
"In this case, yes. But think about it: what was Samuel Oak, by himself? One guy with a way too famous grandfather struggling to forge his own path, and yet he made it on his own merits with only his ingenuity to help him, and he changed the world. Some other people might've achieved a different solution, or even wasted their talents, but we're in the world we live in now due to Samuel Oak's efforts."
Even if his smirk never left his face, Gastly's tone turned noticeably more serious. "You treat being stuck between the human and Pokémon worlds as a curse, and I can't fault that. But what if it could be used as a gift? What if there's something that only you can do, with your unique situation?"
"Like what, exactly?" Tony squinted at Gastly, skeptic.
"I've got no clue!" Gastly laughed out, while Tony quirked an eyebrow. The ghost of Maiden's Peak started to twirl in the air almost theatrically in response. "So, surprise me! Make something amazing that's truly your own! You're quick-witted and resourceful, I've seen it. Do something that will make you famous, and worthy of having your tale narrated to the future generations! Stop fearing the future, and don't let your past shackle you!"
Tony continued to look at Gastly as he kept on with his tirade: of all the attempts to cheer up someone he had heard, that had to have been one of the worst ever. And yet, he couldn't help but think of his words, of how he had the potential to do something no one else could ever do, and a long forgotten spark lit back inside him. Tony held his chest proudly as he felt that, heart racing with excitement.
Gastly's challenging grin returned. "You've already thought of something, right? No way you lived as a Ghost-type so long without thinking about many possibilities."
"There might be something. No idea if it will work, but I'll try." Tony replied with a grin of his own. And then, he managed to give him a soft smile as well. "I spent so much time longing to have my life back and worried of what I couldn't have... it's weird to do the opposite now. But I like it."
"It's easy to wallow in despair. It's rising up with hope that's far more difficult."
Tony gave a happy sigh, his mind a whirl of thoughts as he went back to Gastly. "Thanks a lot for the pep talk, though you sure rambled on here."
"I like my lengthy stories with proper buildup and resolution, thank you very much." Tony giggled as Gastly made an exaggeratedly annoyed expression. And then, the Ghost-type grinned as he materialized a cash register ahead of him. "Now, if we want to talk about my payment..."
Tony put his arms up. "Sorry, got no money."
Gastly groaned and rolled his eyes as the cash register disappeared in a poof of smoke, but his smile never faltered through it all.
"Well then. In that case, make sure to provide me with a phenomenal story, worthy of what only you can do. I could use some new material."
It was Tony's turn to chuckle now. "I'll do my best."
Gastly extended his gas into a crude approximation of a hand, and shared a high-five with Tony. The trio of Ghost-types shared a few hugs, high-fives and encouragement of their own even with little to no knowledge of what he had been going through, something that Tony greatly appreciated. It was only after a while that his eyes went back to the now darkened sky, and then at the lights of the town below, all ready for the end of the party. Realizing it was time to go, Tony raised a hand for one last salute and floated back to the festival.
Before he did, however, he launched one last glance at Maiden's Rock, and at the ghost of Rhian right next to it. The human ghost took notice and turned his way, sharing the look for a brief while. They didn't need to talk: they could tell they had each gone through loss for a long time. And yet, Tony's grin and his nod were full of confidence, one that Rhian replied to with one of her own. The maiden turned back to the sea, and Tony returned back on his path.
Rhian couldn't do anything but wait for her lover anymore, and Tony hoped they could reunite. But he still had a chance to do something more with his life, and now he knew exactly what to do.
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By the time Tony returned back to the town of Maiden's Peak, the moon was already shining high in the sky as the crowd had become much larger, no doubt in preparation for the closing part of the festival. Fortunately, even with so many people around, it didn't take long for Tony to finally spot a familiar set of twins and an even more familiar old lady looking after them, all searching around for something. Tony gave a cry and rose his hand in salute before he rushed at them, happy as he saw Agatha's relieved face.
His sister didn't waste time to tackle him into a tight hug. "Where have you been? We were looking for you."
Tony replied with a hug on his own, tilting his head to the temple above in response. Then, he tightened the hug and enjoyed the rare warmth until his sister broke the embrace.
It was then that Tony turned to the side, with Alma and Hugo looking rather apprensive.
"Don't disappear like that. Granny was trying to look everywhere for you," Hugo said with an annoyed glance.
Agatha looked just a bit embarassed at that, which prompted Alma to give her brother an elbow to the side.
Her twin yelped, and then sent her a look. "Hey, come on, you know it's true!"
As Alma started to lecture Hugo on why certain stuff was better left unsaid, Agatha let out an amused chuckle. While Tony could tell that some lingering worry was there, all she needed was one of his smiles for all her troubles to leave. Both Grimm siblings stared at the moon shining above, and then at the crowd moving in the direction of the docks. After all the information on the festival they looked up, they knew what that meant.
"Looks like the festival is about to end," Agatha said as she gestured for the docks. "Let's go there."
Tony and the twins agreed, and they all followed the crowd to one of the most important and well-known steps of the Maiden's Peak festival: the lantern ceremony. It was a short but extremely meaningful part, where everyone would place a small paper boat carrying a lantern towards the sea, in the hopes that the souls of the dead could find their way home, and that the Maiden's lover could come back to her one day. It was a subtle moment of remembering those who had passed, and for them to find happiness in the afterlife. Tony couldn't help but wonder if this was an idea Gastly had or not, especially as he saw a rather familiar short old lady selling some boats to the crowd.
He didn't linger too much on it, however, as he, Agatha, Hugo and Alma placed their boats on the water, looking on as they joined the tiny fleet towards the horizon.
"May the maiden's spirit find happiness eventually," Agatha said, unclasping her hands. The twins and Tony followed suit.
It was then that Hugo perked his head up to his grandmother. "Hey, granny, did you ever do something like this for Uncle Tony?"
Agatha didn't know what to say in response, as Tony stood in wait. Being treated as if he was dead and gone always felt rather uncanny to him.
"There was never a reason to," the Elite Four member said, hands over her cane.
Hugo widened his eyes and paled. "But then he won't find the way home!"
"You know what, Hugo? Let's send a lantern for uncle Tony too!" Alma said, fists pumped.
Hugo went from worried to sunny in a heartbeat. "That's a great idea! Let's do it!"
The twins shared a high five and went to fetch another lantern and boat, which they quickly placed on the water as they clasped their hands together.
"Uncle Tony, we know you never really met us, but we hope you'll be able to come back to granny again. She misses you a lot and you would really make her happy, you know! So, think about it, alright? Follow the candle if you wanna come!" Alma said for both, just before she and Hugo started waving at the candle, as if Tony was already there.
The Grimm siblings traded a glance at that, and Agatha was rather surprised by Tony's serious gaze. She didn't need words to understand what he wanted to say.
"Are you sure?" she asked. Tony nodded back.
Agatha gave a pleased smile and she turned back to her grandchildren, just as they looked away from Tony's lantern.
"What's up, granny?" Hugo tilted his head.
She took a deep breath and placed her cane firmly down. "Well, remember when I said I would tell you something once the right time came? Looks like that time is now."
Hugo and Alma perked their heads up with a desire to know, and Agatha and Tony brought them to a far more private area of the festival. There, Agatha cleared her throat and told them all that was necessary: she didn't go too much in detail on the most gruesome and horrific parts, but by the end of it, the truth was finally known by the twins. Even if he wasn't the one doing the talking, Tony could feel a heavy weight lift off his body and conscience. As Alma and Hugo stared at him in disbelief.
"So, wait... Tony... is uncle Tony? Not just named for him?" Alma said, rubbing her eyes a couple of times.
Hugo gave him and Agatha a skeptic look. "Is this another one of your jokes, granny?"
Tony just shook his head as he placed a hand over each twin's shoulder with a happy grin.
"It's not, we usually keep this secret. It'd cause all sorts of problems if people knew my main Gengar used to be my little brother." Agatha patted Tony's head before she glanced back at the twins. "But he wanted you to know, and I wanted to honor that wish."
Alma and Hugo couldn't help but look back at Tony with uncertainty, seemingly unsure of what to say. It was enough for Tony to gulp and sweat, his worst fears all coming back to him.
And then, they both beamed at him in unison.
"Woah! So cool! Our uncle is a Pokémon!"
"You should've told us sooner!"
The twins then hugged their uncle tightly, leaving Tony speechless. It didn't take long for him to smile and happily hug them back, before Hugo and Alma started to bombard him of every kind of questions about how it was to be a Pokémon and a myriad of other topics, which he and Agatha helpfully tried to answer as they went back to enjoy the closing parts of the Maiden's Peak festival.
As Hugo and Alma continued to pester him and call him 'uncle Tony', the old Gengar almost teared up. After all the worries he had, it really felt like they were all unfounded. Gastly was right: he couldn't allow his past to shackle him and his life any longer. He had to live his life the way he wanted, for as much as he wanted.
Gastly pointed out that he was basically the reason the world became a better place. So, he had a decent idea of what he could've done now...
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On a hill overlooking a quiet town, a pack of Pokémon observed the buildings and roads under them with contempt and rage. They were all members of the Growlithe line, too old and big to be wanted or captured, as wild as they came. Ahead of them stood an old, big Arcanine covered in rugged scars, staring down the place that long ago used to be their home, before the humans forced them out of it to expand their city.
The plan was simple: pay the humans back for what they did, and give them a taste of their own medicine. They would always remember the day the pack finally decided to take back what was theirs.
Arcanine stepped closer to the edge, ready to howl at the night sky.
"I'd not do that if I were you."
Hearing the voice, all the Growlithe and Arcanine tensed up, looking through the darkness only to find no one else but them. All the Fire-types remained on the defensive, teeth bared.
"Who dares speak?" the Arcanine asked, his stance far more relaxed than his packmates.
"I do." A pool of shadows formed at the pack's back, and from there came a Gengar, arms on his hips. "My name is Tony Grimm. I come on behalf of the citizens to talk with you."
As the rest of the Growlithe bared their fangs, Arcanine turned towards Tony with squinted eyes. "Why would they send a Ghost-type to do their bidding? Are the humans too cowardly?"
"Let's just say this is an informal visit." Tony steeled his gaze in turn. "You should abandon any idea of attacking it."
"Give us a good reason why." Arcanine pressed his paws down, standing his ground.
Tony folded his arms as he glanced over at the town below. "The local officer Jenny already took some precautions for your arrival, lots of Water-types and a few traps."
"Then we'll go through them. Humans will pay for driving us out of our home."
"And then what will you get out of this? If you kill the citizens, other humans will come to drive you out and try to kill you in return. You would know no peace. Is it really worth it?"
The Arcanine stared at Tony in pure, barely held back rage. "You can't possibly know what we went through. Humans deserve punishment."
Tony matched the Arcanine's stare, only to shake his head and stride closer, his expression grimmer.
"I don't pretend to, but I died once." He clenched his fists at that. "I hated what happened to me for years, and I even got revenge on the one who killed me... and yet, that didn't satisfy me in the slightest, and I remained unfulfilled and held back by doubts. Most people and Pokémon only get one life, and you shouldn't throw yours away for something that won't be worth it."
Arcanine didn't reply, simply trading his gaze with the ghost. All around them, the reactions from the Growlithe ranged from nuissance to doubt to anything in between.
A Growlithe inched closer with a cocky smirk. "Tsk, who the heck do you think you are, you stupid-"
Arcanine set a paw down, and the Growlithe shut up instantly. The elderly Fire-type strode forward, staring into Tony's eyes, contemplating them.
"You're as old as me. I can tell." The Arcanine managed to smile for just a second before his gaze turned solemn again. "I can feel you mean what you said. But if we can't get our revenge, what should we do?"
Tony smiled at that, pointing at a patch of trees in the distance. "There's another, unclaimed forest not too distant from this city. You can thrive and live peacefully there, and no human will come to harm you. I will make sure they won't."
Arcanine and his pack observed that, a variety of emotions on their faces. And then, Arcanine faced Tony once more.
"Can we trust you?" He squinted his eyes at the ghost.
The Gengar held a hand over his chest and nodded. "You have my word."
The Arcanine continued to stare at the Ghost-type, paws on the ready and his expression grim. He remained that way for several seconds, before he finally sighed.
"I hope you're trustworthy, ghost." The old Fire-type cracked a smile, moving closer to Tony with his gaze still sharp. "Lead the way. And if you're deceiving us, you'll pay the price."
"Great." Tony just chuckled at that as he turned back to the forest, gesturing to the others. "Follow me, then!"
And so, Tony and the now slightly less hostile pack moved forward to the Fire-types' new home, with a rather happy and satisfied grin plastered over the Ghost-type face.
As they all left the hill, Gastly finally materialized and continued to look after the ex-human, his eyes glistening with pride. Throughout his travels after the festival, he had heard rumors about a Gengar travelling around and talking it out with certain hostile Pokémon, the kind on which Oak's treatment didn't work, making sure neither human nor Pokémon ended up caught in meaningless conflicts. Some brief rounds of observation sealed the deal: it was Tony on his time off from helping out Agatha, trying to make the world a better place in his own way.
Gastly grinned a bit more than usual. Helping out people was his fourth favorite thing in the world after storytelling, money, and gaining money, and he was rather glad to see that kid find his calling on his own terms.
As Tony disappeared in distance, Gastly gazed back at the moonlit sky. "'The Legend of Tony the Negotiator Gengar'. Not a bad title."
And with that thought, Gastly went on his own way with one more tale to keep alive.