Chapter 140: Gastly

The ghostly girl in the anime was revealed to be none other than a Gastly in disguise. Ash couldn't quite remember all the details, but he had a vague recollection that after some amusing and strange events, Gastly eventually vanished at dawn.

However, this particular Gastly seemed unusually powerful. Ash pondered for a moment—if he could capture such a formidable Ghost-type Pokémon, it might be a valuable addition to his team.

The old woman sitting before them continued speaking, her voice deep and serious.

"Yes, I did say there are ghosts, but they are not the spirits of deceased humans. Instead, they are Ghost-type Pokémon," she clarified.

"Ghost-type Pokémon?" Misty echoed, her fear momentarily subsiding. If it wasn't a human ghost, she could handle it. After all, Pokémon were still Pokémon, and that made the situation feel less eerie.

Brock, however, was still struggling to process what the old woman had said earlier. His brows furrowed as he asked, "Wait… Grandma, are you saying that the Stephanie I saw was actually a Ghost-type Pokémon in disguise?"

The old woman nodded, sipping from her cup of tea before replying, "Yes… and the form it takes is the same as the statue of the maiden in Maiden's Gorge."

Brock's jaw nearly dropped. His mind was spinning with questions. "But… why? Why would a Ghost-type Pokémon take on such a form?"

The old woman sighed as if burdened by an ancient secret. "I do not know for certain," she admitted. "But perhaps… it simply does not want people to forget the legend of Maiden's Gorge."

Misty, who had been silent for a while, was visibly moved by those words. "A Pokémon trying to keep a legend alive… That's kind of sad in a way," she murmured.

The old woman placed her cup down and glanced at her guests. "The Pokémon you encountered is most likely a Gastly," she revealed.

At the mention of the name, both Brock and Misty fell into deep thought. Meanwhile, Ash stared at the old woman with suspicion. Something felt off.

She knew too much.

Not only had she identified that the girl Brock saw was actually a Pokémon, but she had also immediately determined it was a Gastly.

How?

Even Pikachu seemed to sense something was amiss. The electric mouse's ears twitched, and it subtly pressed closer to Ash's leg. There was an odd sensation in the air, similar to when they had encountered the enormous Dragonite at Bill's lighthouse. It wasn't fear, exactly—but an overwhelming presence.

But there were no powerful Pokémon here, just an elderly woman sipping tea.

Right?

The old woman met Ash's gaze, and for a brief moment, her cloudy eyes seemed sharper than before. Then she looked away, shaking her head.

"You should all be careful," she warned. "That Gastly has already set its eyes on you. It's best not to wander alone at night."

The room fell into silence.

Then the old woman lifted her cup and took another slow sip. The way she moved made it clear—this conversation was over.

Ash, Brock, and Misty exchanged glances before rising to their feet.

"Thank you for the warning, ma'am," Ash said politely.

"Yes, we appreciate it," Brock added, still feeling uncertain.

"Pika pika," Pikachu waved its little paw in farewell.

The old woman gave a slight nod but said nothing more.

As they stepped outside, Misty shivered. "I don't like this," she muttered. "That woman gave me the creeps."

"You're not the only one," Brock admitted.

Ash didn't speak. Instead, he turned back to glance at the hut one last time.

Something was definitely wrong.

Inside the hut, the old woman sat with her eyes closed, listening to the fading footsteps of her visitors.

Then, slowly, a strange transformation took place.

Her wrinkled skin began to darken. Her form grew smaller and rounder. Wisps of purple mist curled around her body as she floated into the air, her white eyes glowing eerily.

Where the old woman once sat, a Gastly now hovered, grinning widely.

"Heh… I might've overdone it," Gastly muttered to itself. "That kid was definitely suspicious of me."

It frowned, replaying the interaction in its mind. Something about Ash and Pikachu had felt… different.

Gastly was old—far older than most humans could comprehend. It had played tricks on countless travelers over the years, yet this was the first time it had felt truly uneasy.

It narrowed its glowing eyes.

"What are they…?"

Before it could ponder further, the shadows in the room stirred.

A second figure emerged from the darkness, its small form barely visible.

Marshadow.

The legendary Pokémon simply stood there, watching Gastly in silence.

Gastly jolted in surprise. "Wha—?! Marshadow?! What are you doing here?"

Marshadow didn't reply right away. Its eyes flickered with an unreadable emotion.

"I've always been here," it finally said.

Gastly's grin faltered. "Always?" it repeated, then glanced toward the door where Ash had left. Realization dawned. "Wait… are you saying he is—?"

"You shouldn't speak of him that way," Marshadow interrupted. Though its voice was calm, there was an underlying sharpness to it.

Gastly stared.

"That boy…" Gastly whispered. "He's the Rainbow Hero, isn't he?"

Marshadow did not confirm or deny the statement, but the silence was answer enough.

Gastly let out a slow exhale, its mist swirling around it. "I never thought Ho-Oh would choose someone so young."

"It's not just Ho-Oh," Marshadow said, glancing at the lingering shadows in the room.

Gastly caught the meaning immediately.

A chill ran through its spectral body.

It wasn't just Ho-Oh who had chosen Ash.

Others were watching, too.

Marshadow turned back toward Gastly. "Don't do anything unnecessary," it warned. "Or I won't hold back."

With those final words, Marshadow melted back into the darkness.

Gastly remained floating in place, silent. It wasn't scared of many things, but Marshadow was one of the few exceptions.

And yet…

It couldn't deny its curiosity.

That boy—Ash—was special. More special than he even realized.

Gastly chuckled to itself. "Well, this just got a lot more interesting."

It shimmered, its form shifting back into that of the elderly woman. With a creaky motion, it opened the door and stepped outside.

Little did it know, Marshadow was still there, hidden within the shadows, watching its every move.

And this time, it wasn't leaving.