Gastly glanced at Jessie and the others, mocking, "Compensation only happens when powers are equal. When they're not... heh, you might as well go home and sleep!"
Jessie and the others: ###
How dare you look down on us!
"James, get ready to show him our strength!" Jessie said as she released Ekans, and James followed her lead by releasing Koffing.
The two of them ordered their Pokemon to attack Gastly, but Gastly instantly conjured a pitch-black Energy Ball in front of it, and then fiercely launched it, hitting both Pokemon that were charging directly at it.
The Pokemon returned as quickly as they had approached, in fact, they returned faster, as if it had been doubled!
"Bang!!"
Koffing and Ekans collided with Jessie and the others, blasting them into the sky, turning into nighttime stars.
"Tch, and you want compensation with this level of strength? Go home and dream!" Gastly said with a sneer, then turned its gaze back to Ash.
"So, how about it, young man? I'll leave this to you, and if there's nothing else, I'll be on my way," Gastly's attitude toward Ash was completely different from its attitude toward James and the others.
This left Misty and Brock full of questions.
They knew Ash was strong, but only in relation to humans. From Gastly's simple attack just now, it was at least Gym Level, and it mentioned the Spell Tag in its hands had been nurtured for a thousand years, meaning it had lived for a millennium!
A millennial Gastly, a Pokemon above Gym Level, was actually intimidated by Ash? Could Ash really be that formidable?
Upon hearing Gastly, Ash said nothing, closing his eyes, lost in thought.
Gastly paused, its expression turning somewhat unpleasant. It had already compromised significantly, yet this young man simply ignored it. While the aura he possessed vaguely made Gastly uneasy, it was not one to be frightened so easily!
It was only to avoid complications that it offered something in compensation to Ash, hoping they would leave quickly. Did it really think it would lose in a fight against Ash?
Seconds later, Ash opened his eyes, determination mirrored in his gaze.
"Gastly, you're using Hypnosis here to make others remember the Legend of the Girl at Maiden Gorge because of that girl, right?" Ash said, glancing at a nearby statue of a girl.
Gastly's face changed dramatically at this: "You can see her?"
"Since you know about Aura Power, you should know its effects. Even if she exists in this form here, it means her life hasn't completely faded. If her life hasn't faded, then there's Aura. So naturally, I can see her."
Ash explained, though this left Brock and Misty puzzled.
What kind of riddle was this?
"Ash, what are you talking about? See who? There's nothing there, so what are you seeing?" Misty asked, looking at the spot Ash was focused on, which appeared empty to her.
"Really? I can see her clearly; it's a girl in a white dress, and she looks quite beautiful," Ash remarked with a calm demeanor.
In his perspective, he could see a girl in a white dress floating in the void, a girl believed to be a... ghost!
Ghosts are essentially human souls. Even if they're in a soul form, they contain Aura, or rather, as long as you are a living being, whether a ghost, a human, a Pokemon, plants... you all possess Aura.
If there is Aura, Ash can observe it.
This explained why Misty and the others couldn't see the ghost.
"I do know about Aura Power, but I only knew it was strong in battle; I had no idea it had such varied applications. The more I discover, the more amazed I am by its wonders," Gastly said. After its initial surprise faded, it regained its composure.
Ash's ability to see the girl was indeed shocking to Gastly, but that was all. Seeing her wouldn't cause any harm, and Ash's sight of the girl could help spread the legend of Maiden Gorge further in the town.
As long as someone believes in her existence, she can continue living in this form.
"If no action is taken, will she turn into a ghost like you? A newborn Gastly without memories or past," Ash spoke astonishingly once more.
This time Gastly couldn't hold back: "You know even that? Boy, what on earth are you?"
Not just Gastly, but Misty and Brock also looked at Ash with strange expressions. When did Ash learn so much? Ash had been leading ahead without them knowing?
"It's just something I happen to know," Ash waved his hand dismissively, though his face tried to appear calm, his slightly upward-curving lips revealed a great deal of satisfaction within him.
These insights... were given by a group of mighty people in the chat!
Initially, he was startled when he saw the girl's ghost, which was clearly a soul form, but Misty and Brock beside him didn't react at all, so Ash found it peculiar.
Couldn't they see the ghost?
Then he asked in the chat to find out he could see ghosts thanks to his Aura Power.
The applications of Aura Power are endless. Even though the chat group provided an explanation when granting him Aura Power, the miraculous aspects couldn't be fully conveyed, and many uses had to be explored by Ash himself.
Today, Ash discovered a brand-new application on his own.
Afterward, Ash repeated his encounter to the mighty people in the chat to make a decision: should he take the compensation and run, or was there room for other moves?
At that moment, the knowledgeable Champion Ash proposed an idea—to capture Gastly!
Ash originally planned to go to Celadon City first, then to Saffron City, as Saffron Gym was known as one of the top gyms in Kanto, without pulling any punches. Facing it with his current strength would be suicidal!
Even defeating Celadon Gym before challenging Saffron Gym would leave him with nearly no chance of winning.
But if he could capture Gastly, his odds of winning would be at least sixty percent!
Yes, even with an Elite Advanced Level Gastly, his chances were just over sixty percent, highlighting Saffron Gym's terrifying prowess.
As for how Ash would capture an Elite Advanced Level Gastly... Champion Ash already suggested a method. It depended on Ash's negotiation skills and whether Gastly's obsession matched their assumptions.
"Gastly, your reason for staying here is because of that girl, right?" Ash initiated the conversation once more.
"Yes, as you said, if left alone, she would eventually become like me. Hence, I constantly spread her related legends here. As long as people remember her, without forgetting, she can avoid becoming a ghost like me," Gastly spoke frankly to Ash, no longer hiding anything.
This type of Ghost Type Pokemon was generally evolved from human souls.
The ghost residing in Maiden Gorge had existed for so long; despite Gastly's efforts to maintain its presence yearly, the girl's soul continued to deteriorate.
But what could he do? His capabilities extended only this far.
"What if I could purify her?" Ash announced surprisingly.
Gastly: !!!
"You can let her return to Paradise?"
"With Aura Power... it should be possible."
"What are the terms?"
"A battle: if I lose, I'll purify her soul; if I win, you become my Pokemon, and I'll still help purify her soul." After much negotiation, Ash guided Gastly to this topic.
Now it was up to whether Gastly would accept these conditions.