Chapter 38: Gengar: Everyone, I’ve Finally Made It
The video continued playing.
Pokémon Tower.
The tower was dark gray, its outline faintly visible through the morning mist.
Raina stood outside the entrance with her hands on her hips and her head held high, projecting an impressive air of confidence.
Eevee was still lying atop her head.
Gengar stood to her left, clutching a bag of Berries. It looked even more nervous than Raina, its chubby claws constantly kneading the bag.
"All right!"
Raina took a deep breath.
"Our exploration of Pokémon Tower begins now!"
She pushed open the doors.
Creak——
The hinges released a long, mournful groan.
Beyond the entrance lay complete darkness. Nothing could be seen.
Raina took half a step backward and swallowed.
"...Wait until I count to three."
"One."
"Two."
......
"Eevee?"
"I haven’t finished counting! We can’t go inside yet!"
[Regular-Seat Chat Group]
"Hahahahaha! She hasn’t finished counting to three, so they can’t go inside!"
"Raina: I have my own pace, thank you very much."
"Day one of challenging Pokémon Tower: Still trapped at the entrance."
"The most difficult part of challenging Pokémon Tower isn’t facing the Ghost Pokémon. It’s walking through the door."
[VIP Chat Group]
[Acerola]: You can do it, Raina! Ghost-type Pokémon are all very friendly~ It’s just a little dark inside~
[Fantina]: The lack of lighting is part of the Ghost-type atmosphere~ Ghost Pokémon do not have much need for illumination, after all~
[Misty]: How long has she been standing there?
[Daisy]: Approximately two minutes.
[Misty]: She still hasn’t gone inside after two minutes?!
[Violet]: Don’t rush her. She’s mentally preparing herself.
The video continued.
Raina finally completed her mental preparations and stepped forward with her eyes closed.
Then she took a second step.
A third.
Her foot landed on a loose floorboard.
Creak.
Raina’s entire body froze.
Eevee brushed its tail against her cheek as though reassuring her that she was still alive.
Gengar floated over from the side and poked Raina’s arm with one chubby claw. It then pointed at itself before pointing ahead.
"You mean... you’ll walk with me?"
Gengar nodded and opened its mouth in a smile that it was clearly trying to restrain, though it remained remarkably bright.
Raina fell silent for several seconds.
Then she threw her arms around Gengar.
"Thank you!"
Gengar’s expression changed from surprise to pride as Raina hugged it. It even puffed out its belly.
[Regular-Seat Chat Group]
"Hahaha! Look at how smug Gengar became after she hugged it!"
"Gengar: Do you see this, everyone? I’ve finally made it."
"Eevee: Fine. Gengar can serve as the bodyguard today. I’m taking the day off."
"Eevee brushing her face with its tail to confirm that she was alive looked far too practiced! Hahahaha!"
[VIP Chat Group]
[Phoebe]: Ghost-type Pokémon rarely initiate physical contact with humans unless they truly like them.
[Agatha]: Hehehe. That is simply how Gengar are. Once they accept someone, they become extraordinarily attached.
[Acerola]: I’m so jealous! I want to hug that chubby Gengar too! ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و
The video continued.
Raina cautiously proceeded one step at a time.
Gengar led the way, carrying a ball of eerie blue ghost fire in one hand to illuminate their surroundings.
Eevee rested atop Raina’s head, occasionally swishing its tail.
The first-floor hall was spacious. Large cobwebs filled the corners, and a Venonat was sleeping in the center of one web.
Deeper inside the hall, three Gastly floated in a circle around several Berries.
They remained silent.
All three Gastly turned toward Raina simultaneously.
Then they opened their mouths at the same time, revealing perfectly synchronized "welcome" smiles.
Raina’s pupils trembled.
Gengar immediately moved in front of her and made a gesture with one claw that clearly meant, Tone it down.
The three Gastly looked at one another and reduced their smiles by one degree.
Raina poked half her head out from behind Gengar’s shoulder.
"...Thank you."
The three Gastly each displayed a satisfied expression before returning to their original smiles.
[Regular-Seat Chat Group]
"Those three Gastly smiled at exactly the same time! Did they rehearse this?!"
"Gengar: Stop smiling! You’re frightening her!
Gastly: We already made our smiles smaller! What more do you want?!"
"Gastly: Our smiles are professional. No matter how small they are, they will always convey a welcoming atmosphere."
"Raina: Th-thank you.
Gastly: She thanked us! We’re happy! Increase smile size!"
"Do not increase the size of your smiles!"
[VIP Chat Group]
[Acerola]: The Gastly’s new smiles are so funny! It looks as though they genuinely understood what Gengar was telling them~
[Agatha]: Gastly are highly intelligent. Adjusting their expressions is not difficult. No one has simply told them the limits of what humans can tolerate.
[Phoebe]: So after frightening Raina away, Gengar learned how much humans could withstand and is now acting as an interpreter?
[Fantina]: Ghost-type Pokémon are extremely adaptable~ They learn especially quickly when it comes to social interaction~
[Dawn]: In that case, Gengar used its own experience of frightening Raina away to help the Gastly communicate normally with her?
[Piplup]: Piplup, Piplup! Moved.
[May]: I suppose this is what people mean when they say, "I stepped into the trap first so you wouldn’t have to."
The video continued.
After the Gastly had properly adjusted their smiles, one of them picked up a Berry from the pile with its mouth and carried it over to Raina.
Raina accepted it.
Gastly revealed a smile that was clearly being restrained, though its happiness was still obvious, before floating back toward its companions.
Gastly A poked Gastly B.
"Gastly, Gastly~"
She accepted it!
Gastly B poked Gastly C.
"Gastly, Gastly~"
Are we still going to perform?
Gastly C poked Gastly A.
"Gastly, Gastly!"
Of course! Those are the boss’s orders!
The next moment, all three Gastly began spinning in place.
Raina held the Berry and watched as they rotated through the air like three purple tops. She couldn’t prevent the corners of her mouth from rising.
Eevee poked half its head forward, looked down at the Berry, then at the spinning Gastly, and covered its face with one paw.
Gengar puffed out its belly, its face filled with pride as though declaring, These little brats haven’t embarrassed me.
[VIP Chat Group]
[Viola]: Valerie, Valerie! I captured the three Gastly spinning! We can turn it into an animated reaction image!
[Valerie]: Wonderful~ I also captured the moment they gave Raina the Berry. I’ll send it to you later~
[Acerola]: The Gastly have already presented the Berry! From now on, this will be Lavender Town’s official welcoming ceremony!
[Brock]: Was Pokémon Tower always this lively?
[Ash]: I didn’t encounter this many Ghost Pokémon the last time I visited, but those details aren’t particularly important.
[Gary]: Someone who was frightened by them has no right to say that "the details aren’t important."
[Ash]: Gary, are you deliberately keeping track of all my embarrassing memories?!
[Gary]: No. I simply have an excellent memory.
[Ash]: Just admit it! You’re memorizing all my embarrassing moments so you can distract me with them during our future battles, aren’t you?
[Gary]: ...You’re overthinking it.
[Delia]: Ash, Gary, the two of you need to get along.
[Professor Oak]: Delia is right. You’ve been arguing since childhood. Can’t the two of you behave peacefully for once?
[Ash]: He started it!
[Gary]: You were the one who—
[Delia]: That’s enough, Ash and Gary. No arguing. You need to be good friends.
[Ash]: ...All right, Mom.
[Gary]: I won’t lower myself to his level, Aunt Delia.
[Ash]: Gary, you—
[Professor Oak]: That’s enough from both of you. Focus on the video.