The moment Roy stepped into the ancient tower, the mist behind him seemed to be severed by something.
Completely cut off.
The inside of the tower was pitch black.
The air was thick with a stale scent, like an old house that hadn't been cleaned in decades, mixed with the musty smell of damp wood.
Roy stood at the entrance, his eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness.
He could vaguely make out a staircase.
Spiral-shaped, it extended upward and vanished into the gloom.
The surroundings were very quiet.
Abnormally quiet.
Even the sound of his own breathing became exceptionally clear.
Although his vision was unclear, his Aura Power had already sensed them.
On the third floor, three clusters of energy were gathered together, shaking with excitement.
At the corner of the second floor, a slightly larger cluster of energy lurked; that was the Thousand-Year Gastly. This old fellow was hiding well, its presence completely suppressed.
As for what was right in front of him... Roy looked straight ahead.
Less than two meters away, a small cluster of energy was floating, poised to act.
A Gastly.
This little guy was hiding the most shallowly, just lurking in the darkness, waiting for him to walk forward.
Roy found it amusing.
But he didn't show it.
He just feigned ignorance.
He lifted his foot and took a step forward.
Two steps.
Three steps.
He walked right in front of where Gastly was hiding.
Then!
A massive ghost face suddenly exploded out of the darkness!
A pale face, blood-red eyes, and a wide, bloody maw lunged directly at Roy's face!
For an ordinary person, this would definitely cause a heart attack.
But Roy?
He didn't even blink. After all, fright stems from the unknown; it's quite difficult to be scared by something you've prepared for mentally in advance.
The ghost face froze.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
The ghost face slowly retracted, revealing a round, purple little fellow.
Gastly floated there, its expression shifting from fierce to confused, and then to utter bewilderment.
It tilted its head, staring at Roy.
Its gaze seemed to say: What's with this guy? Why isn't he following the script?
On the second floor.
At the corner of the stairs.
Haunter poked half its body out, also looking dazed.
It had been planning to wait for Gastly to finish scaring the person, and if the target tried to run, it would block the stairs for a second scare.
The result?
The person didn't run at all.
On the fourth floor.
Gengar was leaning over the stair railing, its eyes nearly popping out of its head.
The three brothers had collaborated for many years, but this was the first time they had encountered such a situation.
Is this guy blind?
Or... stupid?
Roy looked up at the partial purple silhouette showing at the corner of the stairs.
"Come out, I see you."
Haunter stiffened.
After a moment's hesitation, it slowly floated out.
Immediately after, the Gengar from the fourth floor also floated down.
The three Ghost-type Pokémon gathered together, floating in a circle around Roy, their expressions very complex.
Gastly: He had no reaction.
Haunter: He really had no reaction.
Gengar: How could he have no reaction?
The three little ghosts looked at each other and sighed simultaneously.
They looked quite aggrieved.
Roy was amused.
"Alright, don't be depressed," he waved his hand. "I know you wanted to have some fun scaring people, but I'm not an ordinary person. You can't scare me."
The three little ghosts looked up at him.
Their eyes were filled with: Are you here to ruin our business?
Roy didn't feel like wasting words and got straight to the point.
"I'm looking for you because I have serious business."
He paused.
"I want to capture you..."
The three little ghosts were stunned.
Then... Jie jie jie jie jie!!!
They all laughed at once.
They laughed so hard they doubled over, rolling around in the air.
Gastly laughed until tears came out, pointing at Roy as if to say: Is this guy crazy?
Haunter clutched its stomach, barely able to stay afloat.
Gengar laughed the loudest, its laughter echoing throughout the tower.
Once the three little ghosts had laughed their fill, they exchanged a look.
Ignore this madman.
Float away.
They turned around and leisurely floated back upstairs.
Back to the small room on the top floor to continue watching their black-and-white television.
Roy stood where he was, watching them float up.
He counted down in his head.
Three.
Two.
One.
BANG!!!
A loud crash suddenly came from the top floor!
Immediately after, three shrill screams erupted simultaneously!
Roy raised an eyebrow and smiled.
This old ghost is really good at scaring others.
He lifted his foot and walked up the stairs.
He pushed open the small door on the top floor.
The scene inside made Roy's lips twitch.
In the center of the room, three giant ghost-exorcising talismans floated in the air, glowing with golden light and tightly wrapping the three little ghosts.
The three little ghosts were wrapped up like three Mummy, struggling desperately but unable to move at all.
Beneath the talismans, a massive copper bell hung upside down, covering the three "Mummy" inside.
On the wall of the bell, a bloody maw was slowly opening.
Inside the mouth, fangs were sharp and numerous, the tongue was bright red, and the depths of the throat were an endless darkness.
The three little ghosts watched the approaching giant mouth, their souls nearly flying out of their bodies.
Gastly's eyes rolled back, and foam began to form at the corners of its mouth.
Haunter shook all over, tears streaming down.
Gengar was the most pathetic; it was scared directly back into its original form, a cluster of purple mist shaking incessantly.
Just then.
All the illusions suddenly vanished.
The talismans were gone.
The bell was gone.
The bloody maw was also gone.
The room returned to its normal state.
The three little ghosts slumped on the floor, panting heavily.
Then, they saw the two people in the room.
Roy stood at the door, his expression calm.
Beside him, a massive cluster of purple mist condensed, finally turning into a Gastly three times their size.
The Thousand-Year Gastly floated there, its smile as bright as a blooming flower.
It looked down at the three little ghosts, its eyes narrowed into slits.
"Hehehe, was that fun?"
The three little ghosts were stunned.
Three seconds later.
They suddenly bounced up and charged toward the Thousand-Year Gastly at maximum speed!
"Senior!!!"
"Your ghost-scaring is too amazing!!!"
"Can you teach us!!!"
The three little ghosts circled the Thousand-Year Gastly frantically, their eyes more exaggerated than a die-hard fan meeting their idol.
Gastly's eyes sparkled: "Senior, how did you make those talismans? It was so realistic!"
Haunter was so excited it was incoherent: "And that bell! That mouth! I thought I was really going to be eaten!"
Gengar directly hugged the Thousand-Year Gastly's leg: "Senior, take us as your disciples!"
The Thousand-Year Gastly was getting a bit carried away by the praise.
It cleared its throat, preparing to deliver a speech as a "senior of the scaring world."
Then, it saw Roy's gaze.
That look seemed to say: Don't forget the business at hand.
The Thousand-Year Gastly instantly snapped out of it.
It coughed and waved its hand.
"That human guided me through all of it."
It pointed at Roy.
The three little ghosts turned to look at Roy.
Their expressions were a bit complicated.
This guy... just tried to capture them earlier.
The Thousand-Year Gastly floated to Roy's side and patted his shoulder.
"This kid taught me how to scare you. That whole routine just now was all his planning."
The three little ghosts were stunned.
Planned?
By this guy?
Gastly stared at Roy, its gaze changing.
Haunter also stared at Roy, deep in thought.
Gengar floated directly in front of Roy, sizing him up from top to bottom.
Roy remained expressionless.
But in his heart, he gave the Thousand-Year Gastly a big thumbs up.
This old fellow really knows how to talk.
The three little ghosts exchanged a look.
Then, they all floated in front of Roy simultaneously!
Their eyes were fanatical!
"Human!"
"Can you teach us?"
"We'll follow you!!!"
Roy's lips twitched.
This turnaround was a bit fast.
But he kept a straight face, merely glancing at them indifferently.
"Follow me?"
The three little ghosts nodded frantically.
Roy smiled faintly and began his capture plan.
"Then are you willing to be captured by me?"
The three little ghosts were used to being free and easy, so they were still a bit hesitant about being truly captured.
Roy glanced at their current entertainment environment: "I can provide you with a specialized entertainment room."
The three little ghosts' eyes lit up.
"The TV will be replaced with a color one, a large screen."
The three little ghosts' eyes lit up even more.
"Every day we'll play comedy programs, all kinds, you can watch whatever you want."
At this point, the three ghosts were indeed excited.
How many years had they stayed in this broken tower, stuck with that crappy black-and-white TV, only able to watch a few blurry channels with constant static!
Now someone was saying they'd get color! Large screen! Watch whatever they want!
Gastly was the first to speak up: "Boss! I'm going with you!"
Haunter was second: "Me too!"
Gengar floated directly onto Roy's shoulder: "Let's go right now!"
The corners of Roy's mouth curled up.
It worked.
He pulled three empty Poké Balls from his waist.
"Then get in."
The three little ghosts didn't hesitate, actively bumping into the Poké Balls.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Three crisp sounds.
The Poké Balls didn't even wobble.
Captured directly.
Roy opened the system panel, and the information for the three little ghosts popped up.
[Pokémon: Gastly]
[Type: Ghost, Poison]
[Level: LV12 (Novice Level)]
[Potential: elite four level]
[Ability: Levitate]
[Moves: Hypnosis, Mean Look, Confuse Ray, Payback]
[Held Item: None]
[Special Augment: None]
...[Pokémon: Haunter]
[Type: Ghost, Poison]
[Level: LV28 (Common Grade)]
[Potential: pre-elite four level]
[Ability: Levitate]
[Moves: Hypnosis, Confuse Ray, Payback, Shadow Ball]
[Held Item: None]
[Special Augment: None]
...[Pokémon: Gengar]
[Type: Ghost, Poison]
[Level: LV32 (Elite)]
[Potential: pre-elite four level]
[Ability: Levitate]
[Moves: Hypnosis, Mean Look, Shadow Ball, Dark Pulse]
[Held Item: None]
[Special Augment: None]
After Roy finished reading, he made a rough assessment.
Although Gengar and Haunter's levels were higher, their potential was only pre-elite four level, so their training value wasn't very high.
Gastly had elite four level potential.
Even though it was only LV12 now, once trained, it would definitely be a major powerhouse.
He thought about it and took out the Poké Balls for Gengar and Haunter.
"You two, go to a better place."
Gengar and Haunter came out of their balls, looking bewildered.
Roy explained: "Pallet Town. There's food, drink, and fun. An old man in a white coat will welcome you."
The two little ghosts looked at each other.
Food, drink, and fun?
That sounds great!
They nodded and actively went back into the Poké Balls.
Roy put the two balls away, preparing to transfer them back.
Then he looked at the Gastly floating next to him.
This little guy was looking at him expectantly.
"As for you, you're staying with me," Roy said. "Later, I'll have this old fellow teach you a few things."
Gastly's eyes lit up, and it nodded frantically.
The Thousand-Year Gastly, floating nearby, raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.
"Hey, hey, hey, I didn't agree to teach anything."
Roy turned to look at it.
"Old ghost, your junior admires you so much, and I've given you 20,000 back and forth. Aren't you going to show your junior some appreciation?"
Since he couldn't capture this Thousand-Year Gastly, Roy's other plan was to fleece some of its signature moves and have the highest-potential Gastly learn them. This was essentially another way of capturing its essence.
The Thousand-Year Gastly looked at the Gastly.
The Gastly was looking at it with starry eyes.
That look seemed to say: Senior, please teach me!
The Thousand-Year Gastly fell silent.
Three seconds later.
It sighed.
"Fine, fine. Seeing as this kid is so straightforward and generous."
It floated in front of Gastly.
"Little ghost, tonight I'll teach you one move—Super Hypnosis."
Gastly's eyes widened.
The Thousand-Year Gastly continued: "This is a unique skill I developed myself. it's a hundred times stronger than your basic Hypnosis."
"I'll keep teaching you until that girl's problem is resolved. How much you can grasp depends on your own talent."
Gastly shook with excitement.
It suddenly turned to look at Roy.
Roy nodded to it.
"Study hard, Gastly. This old fellow is bringing out his 'Flame Mantra'."
Jie jie jie.
Gastly was stunned for a second.
Then it laughed too.
Jie jie jie!!!
The Thousand-Year Gastly looked at this man and his Pokémon, its lips twitching.
How do these two have the exact same laugh?
It shook its head, its body exploding into purple mist that enveloped Gastly.
"Let's go, little ghost. Let's find a quiet place to start the lesson."
The purple mist swirled and floated out the window.
Vanishing into the night.
The room fell silent.
Roy stood by the window, looking at the thick fog outside.
Lavender Town's nights were indeed eerie enough.
But now, the business was done.
Time to go back and comfort his two ghost-fearing wives.
He turned, quickly headed downstairs, and walked out of the ancient tower in high spirits... Pallet Town.
Professor Oak's Laboratory.
Professor Oak was sitting at his desk, happily eating instant noodles.
Today it was seafood flavor, with two eggs added. It was very fragrant.
He slurped a mouthful of noodles, feeling quite pleasant.
Then, the nearby transfer device suddenly rang.
Ding!
Two poké balls appeared on the transfer platform.
Professor Oak was startled.
He put down his noodles and leaned over to look.
"Oh? That kid Roy again?"
His eyes lit up.
"I just talked to him about his capture progress last time, and he immediately sped up! Not bad, not bad, this kid has a great future!"
He picked up the two poké balls and examined them.
"The Pokémon this kid sends back each time always have great research value. I wonder what treasures they are today?"
He pressed the release buttons.
Poof! Poof!
Two clouds of purple mist exploded.
Haunter and Gengar appeared in the lab.
Professor Oak's eyes lit up even more.
"Oh! Two Ghost-type Pokémon! That's quite rare!"
He leaned in close to them and adjusted his glasses.
"You two little fellows, what's special about you..."
Before he could finish his sentence.
Haunter had already floated over to his lab bench.
It tilted its head, looking at the row of test tubes on the desk.
Professor Oak's heart tightened.
"Wait, Haunter, that's not..."
Clatter!
A test tube was knocked over, and the green liquid inside spilled all over the desk.
Professor Oak: "..."
Gengar's side was even more lively.
It discovered the light switch on the wall.
Click.
The lights went out.
Click.
The lights came on.
Click.
Out.
Click.
On.
Gengar thought this thing was too much fun, and the speed of its switching became faster and faster.
The lab looked like a disco, flashing incessantly.
Professor Oak's forehead broke into a sweat.
"Gengar, that's going to break!"
Pop!
The switch emitted a shower of sparks.
The lights went out completely.
The entire lab fell into darkness.
Professor Oak: "..."
Three seconds later.
The emergency lights came on.
Professor Oak had just breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Haunter float over to his computer.
It stared at the flashing cursor on the screen and curiously reached out a claw.
Professor Oak's soul nearly left his body!
"You can't touch that!! That's my research data!!!"
But it was too late.
Haunter's claw pressed onto the keyboard.
A frantic burst of typing ensued.
The document on the screen instantly turned into a pile of gibberish.
Professor Oak was petrified where he stood.
Then, he caught a familiar scent.
Instant noodles.
His seafood-flavored noodles with two eggs.
He turned his head mechanically.
He saw Gengar floating at his desk, holding his noodle bowl and slurping down the soup.
It finished.
Gengar let out a burp.
It looked up and met Professor Oak's gaze.
It blinked and handed over the empty bowl.
Its expression seemed to say: Is there more?
Professor Oak was silent for three seconds.
"AHHHHHH!!!! My ramen!! I only had one bite!!!"
"Roy!!! You sent back two pranksters!!!"
A shrill scream echoed throughout the entire institute.
Startling the Pidgey in the trees outside.
Professor Oak was going to be busy for a while...