The more Ash spoke, the more excited he became. Just thinking of reuniting with his old friends set a fire in his heart! He could even feel the faint Auras of those he couldn't "call" yet, like Larvitar and Solgaleo.
Professor Cerise was floored. He was shocked by the Aura, but even more shocked that Ash had "free-ranged" so many rare Pokémon like Lapras and Greninja. Talk about a generous trainer!
[Lance: Haha, look at their faces! They're finally experiencing the shock of Ash's absurdity!]
[Diantha: Don't mock them, Lance. Your face wasn't much better when you found out.]
[Bruno: Master Ash, wait for me! I'm almost at the Oak Lab! Teach me, Aura, and I'll be your bodyguard forever!]
[Lorelei: ??? They say the shameless are invincible under heaven. Bruno, you really are becoming the strongest.]
[Bea: If it's possible... could you teach me too? I want to learn... Aura Power...]
Bea was naturally competitive and hated asking for favors. But for a martial artist dreaming of being the world's strongest, Ash's Aura was irresistible.
At the Oak Lab Backyard:
Cynthia stopped Ash before he could agree to everyone in the chat. "Ash, if you agree now, the whole world will hunt you down for that training manual.
Everyone thinks they can do it if they just try. Besides, your training method is a priceless treasure. If the Elite Four and Gym Leaders want it, they can't just 'leech' it for free. Don't worry, Big Sister will handle this for you~."
Cynthia wore a bright but dangerously sharp smile. She knew Ash's personality; he'd give the manual away without a second thought. Since she had already "invested" so much in Ash, she wasn't going to let him get short-changed.
"Uh... Cynthia-san... your expression is a bit scary," Ash mumbled. "Oh? Is it? Misty, don't I look pretty when I smile?" "P-pretty. Very pretty," Misty stammered. It was beautiful, but terrifying!
In the footage—
Things remained quiet for the rest of the day, but soon Ash felt something was off. He seemed to become incredibly unlucky, and a chilling aura clung to him.
"Ash... did you catch Gengar's bad luck?" Chloe asked worriedly. "They say Gengar can curse trainers. Even if you aren't his trainer, you fought him, so maybe..."
Ash went silent for a moment, then spoke softly. "Chloe, don't say that about Gengar. Ghost-types are born that way; it's not their fault.
Some people think they're unlucky because of their Pokémon, but I think... maybe it's because they don't treat their Pokémon well, or they doubt them. As for 'curses'... I don't believe in them! If they exist, I'll just smash through them!!"
Chloe dropped the subject. However, Ash's "bad luck" continued, so she suggested they go for a walk in Vermilion City to clear his head. Ash agreed.
As Ash stepped out of the institute, a pair of red eyes glowed within his shadow. Gengar was preparing to leave. Having heard Ash's kind words about Ghost-types, he decided this kid was "alright" and wanted to stop messing with him. Plus, he didn't want to leave his "home."
However, as he tried to jump out of the shadow, a mysterious force locked him inside!
The audience saw Ash's "demonic" grin. They knew exactly what was happening: a faint blue glow shimmered on Ash's shadow. It was Aura! Ash was pinning Gengar inside his own shadow.
As an Aura Guardian, did people really think Ash wouldn't notice his shadow was "cold"? He knew Gengar was there the whole time.
He had let Gengar prank him as penance for trying to kick him out earlier, but now he was taking Gengar out for some fresh air—not to evict him, but to help him move on from whatever was weighing on his heart.
[Lance: That smile... why does it look so familiar?]
[Flint: Familiar? It's identical to Cynthia's mischievous 'black-belly' smile!]
[Cynthia: Who are you calling 'black-belly'?]
[Flint: Sorry, my mistake.]
Ash and Chloe wandered into downtown Vermilion City. Suddenly, a blonde man accidentally bumped into Ash. The man was knocked back several steps, held up by his female companion.
The man rubbed his chest, glaring at Ash. He was shocked—this kid was tiny, but it felt like hitting a brick wall! His chest still throbbed.
"What's going on? Am I still cursed?" the man grumbled. "No way, just a coincidence!" He waved it off and put an arm around his companion.
"You have no idea how unlucky I used to be! Two or three years ago, I couldn't win a battle or catch a thing. I was falling down stairs, losing my keys... it was a nightmare! But ever since I dumped that thing, life's been great! I even hit Rank 9,500 in the WCS.
Honestly, Gengar-type Pokémon... are just trash."
The man laughed arrogantly. Ash clenched his fists. Hearing the word "Gengar" from this man's mouth made him think of the Gengar in his shadow. Could it be...?
"Ging-ga!!"
A scream erupted from Ash's shadow, startling Chloe. Ash released the Aura, binding the shadow, and Gengar lunged out, his blood-red eyes locked onto the blonde man with pure hatred.
In that instant, Ash understood everything. This man was the scumbag who abandoned Gengar.
A flashback played: Years ago, before Cerise bought the building, this man told Gengar to "wait here" and promised to come back.
Gengar waited for years. He scared away anyone else who tried to enter, which is why the lab was known as a "haunted house."
He waited until today, only to find out his trainer never intended to return. He was trash to be discarded.
He had waited faithfully for years... only to be told he was the reason for his master's "bad luck."
[Lance: Another scumbag who abandoned his Pokémon!]
[Agatha: Blaming your own failures on your Pokémon... someone like that doesn't deserve to be a trainer!]
[Karen: Heh, blaming Ghost-types for bad luck? Should I blame my Dark-types every time I go out and do something wicked? People will find any excuse, won't they?]
[Shauntal: This person... is clearly uneducated. He needs to be sent back to school for some basic ethics.]
[Charles Goodshow: The League has long had strict regulations; those who abandon Pokémon recklessly will face severe punishment! However... since this guy hasn't technically caught Gengar yet in the real world, it's both bad and good news.]
The bad news was that they couldn't prosecute him yet; the good news was that Gengar hadn't been abandoned yet and might still be living in the wild!
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