Chapter 142: Hypnosis

Night had fallen, and Ash, Brock, and Misty gathered in Ash and Brock's dormitory. None of them planned to rest tonight—they would be leaving this place first thing in the morning. Their plan was simple: head directly to the harbor, buy their tickets, and set sail at dawn.

Misty stretched her arms and yawned slightly. "But what about tonight?" she asked, absentmindedly stroking Pikachu's fur. "If we don't have anything to do, we'll just get sleepy and doze off."

"Brock and I are going to discuss some training techniques," Ash explained. "You're welcome to join us."

Misty sighed. "I mean, I don't mind talking about training and Pokémon battles, but staying up all night just doing that? It's going to get boring fast. And when you get bored, you get sleepy."

"We'll figure something out when the time comes," Brock said, shaking his head. "The important thing is that we stay awake until morning."

"Pikachu, don't fall asleep!" Misty suddenly exclaimed as she felt Pikachu growing drowsy in her arms. She shook him gently to keep him awake.

"Pi… ka…" Pikachu yawned loudly, rubbing his eyes with his tiny paws. It had been a long day, and with nothing exciting happening, sleepiness crept in quickly.

Seeing this, Misty took it upon herself to keep Pikachu entertained while Ash and Brock continued their discussion. She playfully moved Pikachu's paws, making them mimic a small battle between its own limbs. In Misty's eyes, Pikachu was still awake and playing with her, its little paws engaging in a playful fight.

But the reality was different.

Without anyone noticing, Pikachu had already fallen asleep.

Ash and Brock remained deeply engrossed in their conversation, completely unaware of the unnatural silence settling around them. It was as if the world outside had vanished, leaving nothing but an eerie stillness.

After a while, Ash rubbed his temples, trying to ease the fatigue creeping up on him. That was when he noticed something strange.

"Hey… don't you think it's a little too quiet?" he asked, glancing between Brock and Misty.

Misty blinked. "Now that you mention it… yeah, it is kind of quiet," she admitted. "But it's already late at night. Most people should be asleep by now."

Ash shook his head. "No, that's not right. Today's a festival. There should still be people celebrating outside, right? Even if the main events are over, there should be tourists walking around, enjoying the night."

At Ash's words, Misty and Brock exchanged uneasy glances.

He was right. The silence was unnatural.

Even during a normal night, the sounds of waves, the occasional distant chatter, or the hum of insects could be heard. But now, there was nothing. No laughter. No music. No footsteps. Just an overwhelming, suffocating stillness.

A shiver ran down Misty's spine. She instinctively tightened her hold on Pikachu, as if seeking comfort—

And then she froze.

Ash and Brock stared at her in shock.

"Misty…" Ash's voice was tight with concern. "When did Pikachu fall asleep?"

Misty's eyes widened. She quickly looked down at Pikachu, still nestled in her arms. It was completely still, its breathing soft and steady.

"No way…" she whispered. "It was awake just a second ago! I was watching it play with me!"

Ash took Pikachu and gently shook it, his worry increasing with every second. "Pikachu! Wake up!"

No response.

Pikachu remained fast asleep, completely unresponsive to Ash's voice or touch.

Brock's face turned serious. "This isn't normal," he muttered. "For Pikachu to fall asleep so suddenly and so deeply… it has to be Hypnosis."

Ash and Misty turned to him in alarm.

"Hypnosis?" Misty repeated.

Brock nodded grimly. "There are only a few Ghost-type Pokémon capable of naturally learning Hypnosis—the Gengar family, Spiritomb, and Palossand." He paused before continuing, "But Spiritomb and Palossand don't exist in this region. That means it has to be a Gastly, Haunter, or Gengar."

Ash clenched his fists. "Then that means… it really is that Gastly from earlier!"

Just as Brock was about to say something else, his body suddenly swayed. His eyelids drooped, and he let out a slow breath before collapsing back into his chair, asleep.

"Brock!" Ash shouted, shaking his friend, but there was no response.

Before he could react, Misty also staggered. "Ash… I feel…" she trailed off, her body falling limp as she, too, succumbed to sleep.

Now, Ash was the only one still awake.

He stumbled backward, gripping Pikachu tightly. "What the hell is going on?!" he muttered, his heart pounding. He reached for one of his Poké Balls, hoping to call out another Pokémon for help—

But his vision blurred.

A wave of exhaustion crashed over him like a tidal wave, making his limbs feel impossibly heavy.

Ash gritted his teeth, fighting against the overwhelming drowsiness. He knew this wasn't normal sleep—this was Hypnosis.

He had to stay awake.

He had to—

His body swayed.

Then, with a final, unwilling sigh, he collapsed to the floor.

Darkness swallowed him.

A soft, eerie giggle echoed through the room.

A shadowy figure materialized, its form shifting and swirling like smoke. A mischievous grin stretched across its face as it floated over Ash, Brock, Misty, and Pikachu.

Gastly.

"Hee hee hee… too easy," Gastly murmured, clearly pleased with itself. "Hypnosis works like a charm every time."

Suddenly, another presence emerged from the shadows.

A silent, watchful figure.

Marshadow.

The small, legendary Pokémon stepped forward, its eyes cold and unreadable. "Don't go too far," it warned, its voice calm but firm.

Gastly smirked. "Relax. I'm not some nightmare-inducing freak like Darkrai," it said with a chuckle. "I'm not here to hurt the kid. I just want to test him."

Marshadow's glowing eyes remained locked on Gastly, unblinking. After a long pause, it seemed to accept the explanation and melted back into the shadows.

Gastly sighed in relief. "Geez… that thing gives me the creeps," it muttered before floating down toward Pikachu.

Its mischievous grin faded slightly as it studied the electric mouse.

There was something… off about Pikachu.

Gastly narrowed its eyes. It could feel something powerful radiating from within the small Pokémon.

It wasn't just raw strength—it was something divine.

Pikachu's power wasn't normal.

Gastly, despite being an old and experienced Pokémon, had never sensed anything like it before. It was as if Pikachu carried a fragment of something greater—something beyond ordinary Pokémon.

"A simple Pikachu… with the aura of a god?" Gastly murmured in disbelief.

What was this Pikachu?

Gastly hovered closer, staring intently. "What are you hiding?" it whispered, an eager curiosity sparking in its ghostly heart.

If it could uncover Pikachu's secret—

If it could understand that power—

Then maybe, just maybe—

It could take the next step.

It could cross the threshold.

It could step into the realm of gods.

Gastly's eerie laughter echoed once more as it faded into the darkness, its excitement growing.

Tonight had been just the beginning.

And it intended to learn everything.

Everything.

End of Chapter 142