Chapter 16: - The Ghost of Maiden Peek!
Lyra and her friends soon came to a place called Maiden's peak. "Hey, I heard of this place," Lyra said, "they say a woman died here and became part of the cliff here. They even say her spirit still haunts this place."
"Wow really?" Misty asked.
"Well, that's what the story says about it." Lyra answered.
Brock then saw a pretty woman, with light purple hair, on the docks. He found her very pretty but what he didn't know was that pretty woman was actually a Ghost Pokémon in disguise.
The gang saw that a festival was going on.
One of the residents explained; "This is our end of summer year festival. We always have one every year to celebrate the end of summer and our legend of the ghost of Maiden's peak."
While Lyra, Brock and Misty enjoyed the festival, they also heard the story about the maiden of Maiden's peak.
The story was two thousand years ago, men from Kanto were sent away to war. The maiden, from Maiden's peak, was in love with one of the soldiers and waited for him to return, on the cliff, but her lover never returned, they say he died in that war. The maiden never believed that and waited for him to return for the rest of her life and they say that when she died her body became one with the cliff and they also say that her spirit still waits for her lover.
Apparently, the end of summer year festival was also the anniversary of when the soldiers left for war.
Lyra, Misty and Brock also found out that tomorrow night, the people of Maiden's peak would be sending out candles on paper lanterns onto the ocean. The candled lanterns were to help lost spirits find their way.
That evening Lyra, Brock and Misty were resting in the Pokémon Centre.
"I keep thinking about that story," Misty said, "it's sad that maiden never got to live the rest of her life with the one she loved."
"You know guys I just remembered something." Lyra said as she took out a small brown box and a journal book from her backpack, in the brown box was a very old ring, with a purple stone. "Professor Oak told me about this. A man named Yamato from Pallet Town was in that war two thousand years ago. He survived and when he returned home, he wrote about it on some parchments. He even wrote that he made friends with the soldier that the maiden fell in love with." She explained.
"Are those parchments still around?" Brock asked.
"Not really," Lyra said, "those parchments worn a very long time ago, but his story was kept from scrolls to books. This journal that I have is about his story."
"I'm amazed by that." Misty said, "Does it say anything about the maiden's lover?"
"Yes, I do actually." Lyra answered, "The truth was her lover was killed in that war. Before he died, he asked Yamato to give the ring to his lover."
"But how come you have it and it's not with the maiden?"
"Well Yamato said that after he returned home to Pallet Town, he became dreadfully ill," Lyra explained, "and they say he died not long after. So, it must mean that Yamato's friends and families never knew who the ring belonged to. His ring and story had been in a monument for him and the other soldiers of Kanto ever since."
"So why have you brought it with you?" Brock asked.
"Well apparently," Lyra said, "before I turned ten Professor Oak had a look at Yamato's story. He even read about the ring, which was supposed to have been delivered to the maiden a long time ago. So, before I turned ten Professor Oak told me and Gary about the story and asked us if one of us would take to the maiden. Gary didn't want to more like scared to, so I offered to return it."
"Are you giving her the ring tonight?" Brock asked.
"Of course, I am." Lyra answered, "This ring had been separated from her for four thousand years already. It wouldn't be fair if it was separated from her another year longer."
Misty and Brock agreed and they all set off into the moonlight night.
Lyra, Misty and Brock walked all the way from the Pokémon Centre to the cliff of Maiden's peak, carrying torches there they found the statue of the maiden.
"Wow," Misty commented, "even though it is two thousand years old, it looks beautiful."
Lyra had the ring in her right hand. She had put string through the ring; her plan was to put it round the maiden's neck.
Lyra was about to walk up to the statue, when a voice came up to her. "I've been waiting for you." It said in a young women voice.
Lyra, Misty and Brock turned round and saw a pale woman, with purple hair, in front of the
Lyra bravely stepped forward. "You're the ghost of Maiden's peak, aren't you?" She asked.
"I've been waiting for you." The woman said to Brock.
"Listen Brock is not your lover." Lyra explained, "Your lover died in that war two thousand years ago."
But the woman just kept on saying, "I've been waiting." Lyra felt another presence with her Aura and it feel that something wrong with women and felt that a Pokémon is at word so she held her X-Dexter out towards the woman.
Gastly, the Gas Pokémon.
A Pokémon born from poison gases. It defeats even the largest foes by enveloping them in gas.
"Reveal yourself Gastly!" Lyra shouted.
The woman turned into a dark purple Pokémon. It consistently appears as a black, spherical Pokémon surrounded by a purple haze. It has a wide, pink mouth with two visible fangs. Though its eyes seem to extend past its round body, visible eyelids surround them.
"What's the big idea?"
"If you must know," Gastly spoke, "I guard over the stoned maiden of Maiden's peak."
Lyra, Misty and Brock were amazed that this Gastly can talk.
"Listen Gastly," Lyra said, "I'm not here for a fight or for any trouble. I'm here to give this ring to the maiden. It's from her dead lover." She showed it to Gastly and explained about Yamato.
"I see, very well I will let you give it to the maiden. Besides I sense something peculiar about that ring."
Lyra walked up to the statue and placed the necklace round the maiden's neck. But just then the ring shimmered and then a spirit of a young man appeared.
"That's the maiden's lover." Gastly stated.
"What? No way!" Lyra gasped in shock.
Then the real spirit of the maiden appeared. "My love," she said, "you have come back to me at last."
The maiden and her lover embraced and the maiden cried tears of joy Lyra, Misty, Brock, Pichu, Pikachu and Gastly were touched by this scene.
The man explained that after he died, he put himself in the ring, so that he could rest in peace after seeing his love again.
"But since the ring never got to her," Lyra explained, "that means your spirit was trapped in the ring. And you could only be free if the ring got to her."
The man nodded. He and the maiden thanked Lyra and Gastly for their help and finally rested in peace in the afterlife together.
After the maiden and her lover disappeared, the sun was beginning to rise.
"It's time for me to leave," Gastly said, "I only come out at night."
"What are you going to do now?" Lyra asked Gastly, "now that the maiden and her lover are in heaven together?"
"I will still be wondering around, there are still many spirits that are lost, so I intend to help them all." Then Gastly left to who knows where.
Lyra sigh, "What a night. I need a nap now."
Misty and Brock agreed with Lyra.
Lyra, Pichu, Pikachu, Misty and Brock slept through nearly the whole day, since they were awake all through the night belong.
Then as evening came, they enjoyed the festival. Right now, they were watching the citizens of Maiden's peak put the candled lanterns on the water.
"I hope that all the wondering spirits will be able to rest in peace." Lyra said.
"Me two." Misty said.
"Come on you two," Brock called out to them, "time to join the festival."
They both put on kimonos and had the time of their lives; Lyra's kimono is dark blue with white cherry blossom pattern with a light blue sash her hair was in a half ponytail that had red ribbon and two crystals bells on.
Lyra even dressed up her Pichu and Pikachu, Pichu was in a red kimono with yellow rose and Pikachu was in a simple red with white strips.
Misty kimono is a light pink with goldfish patterns she even let her hair out.
They all enjoyed the festival with dancing and eating.
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Thank you for reading this chapter!
See you in the next episode of Pika Ball Z! ⚡