The stairwell opens into a small landing where the Gastly family materializes from the shadows. Their forms are brighter now, almost playful, and the oppressive atmosphere has lifted entirely.
Gengar's grin seems genuine rather than mocking. The smaller ghosts hover eagerly, their purple forms pulsing with what Orion recognizes as contentment.
The Gastly family's forms pulse with satisfaction, their mischievous energy settling into something warmer. Orion watches them drift lazily around the landing, no longer testing or teasing.
"They seem satisfied now," Orion observes, his voice carrying the quiet certainty of someone who has learned to read the subtle shifts in ghostly emotion.
Jessica pulls out her phone, scrolling to the photos she took of the missing streamers. "Do you remember anyone else coming in besides us?" she asks, holding up the screen.
Gengar's grin widens, and a psychic voice resonates in their minds—not words exactly, but clear meaning. Yes. Small ones. Bright lights. Fear.
Jessica shows him pictures of the three comatose streamers. "These people you remember—are they in this picture?"
Gengar drifts closer, studying the frozen faces. Yes. All three.
Jessica holds up her phone, the screen illuminating Gengar's shadowed features. "These people are in comas. Did you do something to them?"
Gengar's grin doesn't fade, but his psychic voice carries a note of something like embarrassment. We played, he sends, the mental words carrying the weight of ghostly mischief. They came with bright lights and loud voices. We thought... fun. Pull pranks. Make them float like us.
Jessica's grip tightens on her phone. "What kind of pranks?"
We tried taking their spirits, Gengar admits, his form flickering slightly. Just for a little while. Let them see the world like we do. But then more humans came. Took their bodies away. We couldn't put spirits back. His psychic voice carries genuine regret now.
Gengar's stomach ripples like liquid mercury, and his clawed hands dive into the impossible space within. Jessica stumbles back, her breath catching at the sight.
Orion places a steadying hand on her shoulder. "His stomach exists in a pocket dimension," he murmurs, watching Gengar's antics with scientific fascination. "He can store far more than his size suggests."
From that impossible void, Gengar produces glowing orbs that drift like captured starlight. They pulse with soft, ethereal light—blue, amber, and silver—each one humming with barely contained consciousness.
"What are they?" Jessica whispers, reaching toward a blue orb that responds to her presence by flaring brighter.
Gengar's psychic voice carries both sorrow and pride. They are souls. The ones who fell asleep here. We kept them safe, fed them dreams so they would not fade away.
Orion's eyes widen as understanding dawns. "You've been preserving them."
Yes. Gengar's mental voice softens. When humans took their bodies, we feared the spirits would scatter. So we held them close, gave them form. They are not lost—they are waiting.
Jessica's fingers brush an amber orb, and suddenly she's seeing flashes: a young man's face, a streaming setup, the moment of panic before darkness. She jerks her hand back, her face pale.
"They're still aware in there," she breathes.
They dream, Gengar corrects gently.
Jessica stares at the floating orbs, their gentle pulses reflecting in her wide eyes.
"Can they still go back?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper. "Their souls—I mean, can we return them to their bodies?"
Gengar's grin softens into something resembling a smile. Yes, his psychic voice resonates through the dusty air, carrying a note of relief. They are whole. They are safe. They only need to be taken home.
Orion watches the ghostly Pokémon carefully, noting how the orbs respond to Gengar's mental reassurance. "May we take them?" he asks, keeping his voice respectful. "To return them to their families."
Gengar's form seems to brighten, and he nods eagerly. From his spectral stomach, he produces the three glowing spheres, their colors now steady and calm. They drift toward Orion and Jessica like obedient fireflies, settling gently into their waiting hands.
Jessica cradles the blue orb, feeling its warmth seep into her palm. "Thank you," she says, though she knows Gengar cannot understand spoken words.
With the light balls secured, Jessica's commission is nearly complete. All they need now is to return these souls to their waiting bodies.
Jessica holds the blue orb carefully, its gentle pulse echoing against her palm. "We shouldn't just take someone's soul out of their body carelessly," she says, her voice carrying the weight of someone who understands the sanctity of life and death. "These people—they need their spirits returned properly."
Orion nods, understanding the gravity of what they carry. "Of course. That's why we'll do this right." He turns to Gengar, his expression thoughtful. "What if I told you there's a better way? A festival coming soon—thousands of people will celebrate Pokémon and the bonds we share."
Gengar's psychic voice ripples through the dusty air, curious and eager. Festival?
"Yes. Games, food, demonstrations. And I thought—" Orion pauses, considering, "what if we created something special? A haunted house attraction, but one where visitors understand and respect ghost Pokémon. You and your family could show them wonder instead of fear."
Gengar's grin stretches impossibly wide. Fun games?
"The most fun games," Orion confirms. "Where people come willingly to meet you, to learn."
The smaller Gastly and Haunter cluster around Gengar, their forms brightening with excitement. They cannot speak, but their eagerness radiates through the psychic connection.
Jessica smiles despite the seriousness of their mission. "That sounds perfect for them."
They make their way back through the textile mill's maze of corridors. Pikachu stays close to Orion, occasionally glancing back at the ghost Pokémon with wary relief. The electric mouse's usual confidence has been thoroughly shaken by the encounter.
Celebi floats ahead, her expression serene. She had enjoyed the experience, finding the ghost family's perspective fascinating rather than frightening.
At the exit, Jessica checks her phone. "I'll head to the hospital where the coma victims are being treated. These souls need to go home."
Orion nods, feeling the weight of responsibility settling on his shoulders. "I should return to Pokémon Home. Latias has been handling everything alone for too long."
As they part ways outside the mill, Orion watches Jessica drive toward the city's medical district. The afternoon light feels different now—charged with possibility. Gengar and his family would bring something unique to the festival, something that would help humans understand that ghosts weren't monsters, but guardians of memory and mischief in equal measure.
The festival would be better for it.
***
Give power stones to support this book.
Advance chapters in P@T0n Najicablitz.