Albus wasn't sure if ghosts truly existed in the Pokémon world, but he knew that ghost-type Pokémon were real. These creatures had an uncanny ability to come and go without a trace, lurking in the shadows of cities, abandoned houses, and old mansions.
Their presence was often marked by a sudden drop in temperature, and they could instill fear in people's hearts. Some even had the ability to transform into the likeness of the deceased. Because of this, their appearances frequently caused panic among humans.
Moreover, in both animation and games, there was a concept known as the "spirit world"—a realm where ghost-type Pokémon resided. According to legend, it was a place for the dead, and the gatekeeper of this realm, the night demon, traveled between life and the afterlife, guiding wandering souls to their final rest.
So, could the nightmares Albus had been experiencing over the past two days be caused by a Pokémon?
Earlier that morning, Will Young had gone out for a stroll, leaving only Albus and Mimosa in the room. Both of them stared at the mysterious orb that had reappeared, their expressions serious.
A Pokémon that could induce nightmares and cause a chilling sensation...
Could it be Darkrai, the Nightmare God?
Or was it a Lampent, a Pokémon that drained human life energy?
If it was the latter, then would he fall asleep and never wake up again?!
Albus took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "This is reality. A Lampent might not be as dangerous as the anime makes it seem," he reasoned with himself.
Determined to find answers, he quickly got out of bed. Since he had only one class today, he decided to visit the library after breakfast to research ghost-type Pokémon.
According to the books, most ghost Pokémon were cunning and mischievous, with some even being outright dangerous to humans. There had been recorded incidents of ghost Pokémon attacking people, leading to injuries—or worse, fatalities.
Leaving the library, Albus borrowed a camera from Elvina, who loved photographing wild Pokémon, and set it up by his bedside to capture any unusual activity.
Meanwhile, Will Young and Mimosa, feeling uneasy because of the orb, decided to throw it into the river behind the school before nightfall.
After taking a bath, Albus fell into a deep sleep.
Yet, as expected, the night was restless, and by morning, the orb had returned.
Albus wasn't surprised. Picking up the camera, he sat in the living room with Mimosa and nervously played back the footage.
"Gah?" Will Young tilted his head, watching curiously.
Mimosa, on the other hand, seemed tense.
The recording began with some static, followed by shaky footage that soon stabilized, showing Albus adjusting the camera. He fast-forwarded through the video, his eyes scanning the screen.
Outside, the full moon slowly ascended to its peak, its pale glow casting shadows across the room. The contrast between the moonlight and the wooden floor created an eerie division of light and darkness.
One hour passed. Then two. Then three.
Suddenly, a round, black shadow flickered on the screen.
"Gah?" Will Young blinked.
"Nee!" Mimosa let out a nervous cry.
As the moonlight faintly illuminated the figure, Albus finally saw its face.
A dark purple Pokémon with a round body and thorn-like spikes on its back. Blood-red eyes gleamed with mischief.
It turned slightly, as if sensing something in the room, then faced the camera directly.
And then—it smiled.
A sinister, wide grin stretched across its face.
"Nee!" Mimosa squeezed her eyes shut, too scared to watch any longer.
Will Young, on the other hand, remained clueless, still mimicking Albus's head movements.
Albus exhaled slowly.
Well, now he knew who was causing his nightmares.
Gengar—the final evolution of Gastly. Sinister, mischievous, and infamous for playing pranks on people.
But before he could fully process the revelation, a chilling sensation crawled up his spine.
A breath of icy air ghosted over his neck.
Albus stiffened.
Slowly, he turned around—
And came face-to-face with himself.
A pale, ghostly version of himself.
His heart lurched in his chest. He staggered backward, his body instinctively reacting before his mind could catch up.
A triumphant cackle filled the room.
"Heh-heh-heh!"
It was Gengar.
Albus, now sprawled on the floor, took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
"...Really?" He deadpanned, looking up at the grinning Pokémon.
Unlike others who might have screamed or fled in terror, Albus simply stared.
For a moment, Gengar looked surprised.
Then, with an unexpected burst of human-like speech, it asked, "Aren't you afraid of me?"
Albus blinked. It wasn't true speech—it was telepathy.
Before he could respond, Gengar's form shifted back to its usual round, floating self.
Albus studied the Pokémon carefully. In his mind, Gengar had always been depicted as terrifying. But seeing it now, floating in the air with its chubby body, it didn't look that scary at all.
In fact, it seemed kind of... goofy.
Realizing that Gengar might be expecting a reaction, he decided to play along. "I'm so scared! Please don't eat me!"
Gengar's grin widened in satisfaction. "Good! You should be afraid. But if you do three things for me, I won't eat you. And, I'll even tell you where a hidden treasure is."
At that moment, Albus's mind was flooded with information about this particular Gengar.
[Species: Resentment Gengar ♂]
Type: Ghost/Poison
Ability: Cursed Body
Base Stats: 520 (HP: 60, Attack: 65, Defense: 60, Special Attack: 150, Special Defense: 75, Speed: 110)
Known Moves: Hypnosis, Spite, Mean Look, Shadow Sneak, Confuse Ray, Lick, Shadow Ball, Dream Eater, Dark Pulse, Hex, Nightmare
Current Mood: ???
Physical State: Spiritualization (A special state after death due to lingering obsessions. Unlike normal ghosts, it cannot interact with the physical world, nor can it be touched.)
Friendliness: 5 (It appreciates your attitude toward Pokémon.)
Albus narrowed his eyes.
Something wasn't right.
This Gengar's Special Attack stat was abnormally high!
An ordinary Gengar had a base Special Attack of 130, but this one had reached 150!
Could it be similar to the giant Dragonite at Conway's Lighthouse? Or the ancient Pokémon from historical ruins? Or even Sammy's Ash-Greninja, which had transcended normal limits?
Before he could analyze further, Gengar frowned, displeased.
"Are you even listening to me?" it asked.
Albus snapped out of his thoughts. "Ah? Yeah, yeah. You were saying something about three tasks?"
Gengar's expression brightened. "That's right! Do them, and I'll tell you about the treasure!"
Albus couldn't help but feel like this was turning into an Aladdin's lamp situation.
His gaze drifted toward the mysterious orb—and he immediately noticed something different.
With Gengar's presence, the orb's information had changed.
[Sealed Orb: An ancient artifact with the ability to seal spirits. A relic of unknown origin.]
Albus's expression hardened.
Something told him that this was just the beginning of an even bigger mystery.