"Meow!" Meowth cried out in fright.
"I want to see you. I want to see you."
The maiden's spirit emitted faint white light while her voice echoed from nowhere.
When Meowth heard the voice, he seemed hypnotized and his eyes gradually lost focus.
"What exactly is that, Meow?" Meowth said before falling asleep again. "I really want to see you."
"Huh? Who is it? Who is it?" James opened his blurry eyes and looked down.
The maiden's spirit stood silently in front of him.
"It's you. So it was you!" James's eyes lit up as he recognized the maiden he had seen earlier at the dock.
At that moment Brock was still sitting in front of Maiden's Rock with furrowed brows while recalling the legend from two thousand years ago.
Suddenly Brock turned his head and saw the ghostly maiden.
"It's you, isn't it? It's you, right?" Brock said in surprise.
"I've been waiting for you for a long time. I've been waiting here for you," the ghostly maiden nodded.
Raj, who was at the Pokémon Center, also heard the same summons. He did not understand why the ghostly maiden, who originally only called Brock and James, was now calling him as well.
"It seems I have no choice but to follow her."
Raj followed the ghostly maiden outside.
The next morning Ash discovered Brock and Raj were missing, so he and Misty immediately went out searching for them.
At the same time they ran into Team Rocket, who were searching for James.
"Brock, Raj, where are you? Answer if you can hear us."
"James, James, where are you?"
Soon both groups met in front of the shrine.
When they entered the shrine, James suddenly flew out from inside.
Then Brock was also thrown out.
Both of them had silly smiles on their faces.
"Brock, pull yourself together."
"James, what's wrong with you, James?" Jessie asked anxiously while shaking his shoulder.
"My fear has indeed come true."
At this moment the shrine elder's voice sounded from behind them.
"Shrine elder?" Ash, Misty, and Jessie asked in confusion.
"Those two have been possessed by the maiden's ghost."
"The maiden's ghost?" everyone asked in surprise.
"What is the maiden's ghost?"
"I really want to see her. I really want to see her," Brock and James said while looking completely entranced.
The two of them even hugged each other foolishly.
"Strange. Why isn't Raj here?" Misty looked around worriedly after failing to find him.
Everyone followed the shrine elder back to her house.
"Every year during the festival male travelers are attacked."
"Their physical and mental strength is completely drained and eventually they become mummies."
"Later they are discovered inside the temple. This is all the work of the maiden's ghost who died unjustly while waiting for her lover."
The shrine elder spoke angrily.
"But if I could be with her..." Brock still said dreamily.
"So scary, so scary," James said while shaking his head.
"However it is not hopeless. I still have this."
The shrine elder placed talismans on Brock's and James's faces.
"These are demon-expelling talismans, but they cost money."
"Since this is the only way then let's place them everywhere," Ash said.
Ash and Misty covered the outside of the shrine with talismans.
"Sigh. Is this really effective?" James asked while Jessie continued sticking talismans onto him.
"Your mouth is too noisy. Be quiet," Jessie said as she placed another talisman over his mouth.
By evening Brock and James were sitting inside the shrine.
Ash and Jessie hid nearby.
"Will it really come?" Jessie asked while looking toward the shrine elder who was still preparing talismans.
"It definitely will," Meowth said.
"But if it comes then where will it come from?"
Suddenly a strong eerie wind blew and scattered all the talismans outside the shrine.
At the same time the talismans attached to Brock and James were blown away as well.
"It's here," the shrine elder said seriously.
Even the flames inside the shrine were extinguished.
Suddenly the maiden's spirit appeared again at the doorway.
"You. Who are you?" Brock looked up at the ghostly maiden.
"So scary," James said while trembling.
"I've been waiting here for you. I really want to see you," the ghostly maiden said as her voice echoed again.
"I had the same feeling," Brock replied.
Then both Brock and James slowly floated into the air and drifted outside.
"What's going on? Didn't we place talismans? Why is this still happening?" James shouted while clinging to a pillar.
"As expected. Those talismans were free," Jessie and Meowth said helplessly.
"Free? Why were they free?" James asked.
"Because they were leftovers after bargaining and they were given to us," Jessie said while pointing toward Ash and Misty.
"Leftover talismans?" James looked at them blankly.
"Sorry. We really didn't have any money," Ash said awkwardly.
"What? I'm going to be taken away because I used leftover talismans?" James said sadly.
"Are you really that unwilling?" Jessie asked suspiciously.
"You and I aren't just ordinary acquaintances. I don't want to separate from you," James said seriously as his body continued floating away.
"Don't go. What are you doing?" Ash and Misty grabbed Brock's legs and pulled him back down.
"Huh? You all..." Brock looked down at them in confusion.
Just as James was about to reach the ghostly maiden, a cannonball suddenly struck her.
Although her form scattered briefly before reforming, James dropped back to the ground.
"Miss, don't go too far. He already said no," Jessie said angrily while holding the cannon.
James crawled toward her emotionally.
"Jessie."
"Don't misunderstand. As a woman I get angry when I see another woman treating a man like that."
"Even if someone gets rejected they should cry for a while and then move forward."
"That is a woman's dignity."
"What is she even talking about?" Meowth muttered helplessly.
"I don't understand either, but anyone who interferes with me..." the ghostly maiden said coldly.
Suddenly her hair rose and a violent storm burst outward from her body.
After the storm stopped countless ghostly faces appeared in the air.
"What is that?" Misty said while hiding behind Ash.
"Is it a Pokémon?" Ash asked while opening his Pokédex.
"No Pokémon detected," the Pokédex replied.
"Huh? It's not a Pokémon?"
The ghostly faces then rushed toward everyone and surrounded them.
"Pokémon detected," the Pokédex suddenly announced.
Ash pointed the Pokédex at the ghostly maiden again.
"Gastly. A Ghost-type Pokémon. It usually remains invisible and Hypnosis is its specialty."
"Gastly? You're a Pokémon?"
"Now that I've been discovered there's nothing I can do," Gastly said.
"Sometimes I become a legendary maiden, sometimes a mysterious fortune teller, and sometimes a pale old woman."
As she spoke she transformed into the shrine elder's appearance.
"And my true form is Gastly."
The figure flickered and returned to Gastly.
"It's a Pokémon. Then let's battle. Pikachu, go," Ash said.
"Hypnosis works on Pokémon too. You're an electric mouse so I'll use a mousetrap," Gastly said.
Gastly transformed into a giant mousetrap and chased Pikachu.
"In that case it's my turn," Meowth said while extending his claws.
"Here's catnip for the cat," Gastly said calmly.
Meowth immediately began rolling happily with the catnip.
"Ekans, go," Jessie said.
"A snake's enemy is a mongoose," Gastly replied.
Ekans immediately retreated in fear.
"Tag," Jessie said while slapping James's hand.
"Koffing, use Poison Gas," James said.
"I have a gas mask," Gastly replied.
"Charmander, I choose you," Ash said.
"To deal with fire you need a fire extinguisher," Gastly said while transforming again.
Gastly chased Charmander with a fire extinguisher form.
"Squirtle and Bulbasaur, go," Ash said.
"Too troublesome. I'll Slack Off and use this instead," Gastly said.
Gastly transformed into a fusion of Venusaur and Blastoise.
"Bulbasaur's evolution Venusaur and Squirtle's evolution Blastoise combined together."
"Let's call this Venusaur-Blastoise."
Squirtle and Bulbasaur both ran back in fear.
"There's no way to fight like this," Ash sighed.
"If only Raj were here. His Haunter could defeat it," Ash thought.
"Stop, Gastly," Raj's voice sounded from behind.
Raj ran toward them with Haunter.
"Gastly stop this. Your goal was only to make people remember the legend of the Ghost-type Maiden. Everyone already remembers it now so stop frightening them," Raj said calmly.
"If we really fight you won't be able to defeat my Haunter," Raj said with a smile.
Gastly quietly disappeared.
"Before next summer arrives you must not forget the legend of the Ghost-type Maiden," Gastly's final voice echoed.
"Raj where did you go? Were you alright?" Misty asked worriedly.
"I'm fine. After I left that night Haunter sensed something unusual so I followed it into the forest and got lost. Later I heard noises from here so I came to check," Raj said while scratching his head.
Officer Jenny spoke while everyone released lanterns into the river.
"During the Obon season many spirits return to visit their relatives and then leave again with the lantern lights. This is a very old legend of our port."
"I really didn't expect the maiden's ghost to be Gastly," Ash said.
Raj quietly snorted inwardly.
At that moment the maiden's spirit appeared again beside Maiden's Rock and thanked Gastly.
"This summer has ended and your legend may continue in the future but there is no longer any need because someone already understands your story," Gastly said.
"Thank you Gastly," the ghostly maiden replied.
"I only appear once each year to keep your legend alive and to wait for someone who can truly understand your story," Gastly said.
"You won't need to do that anymore. My wish has been fulfilled," the maiden's spirit said with a gentle smile before disappearing.
...
📢 Author's Note
Part 1 of Pokémon: Rise of the Dark Trainer! is now completed and available on Patreon!
🔗 patreon.com/Shadow_demon_007
✅ Part 1 Complete — 100+ Chapters
Join Raj on his journey through the Pokémon world as he gains the mysterious Strongest Villain System, captures terrifying Pokémon, and walks the path toward becoming the most feared villain in history.
🔥 I also have additional 18+ fanfics available for readers who enjoy exclusive mature stories. 😉
1. Dragon Ball: Oolong's Sex Adventure
2. Elements of Lust – ATLA & Korra Mixed Smut
3. Doraemon: Filtering with Nobi Tamako
4. The Naive Me Who Became Someone's Everyday Secret
5. High School DxD: Rias Gremory, the Phenex Bride
6. Versatile Mage: Awakening the Succubus System
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Thank you all for your continued support and happy reading! 💙