Chapter 145: Mega Evolution Stone

Gastly was deep in thought, contemplating whether it should follow this human chosen by Ho-Oh. This person not only had Ho-Oh's favor but also carried many secrets.

If Gastly followed him, perhaps it would truly have a chance to reach the realm of the gods.

However, after careful consideration, Gastly dismissed the idea. This human was still too weak. He wasn't worth following yet. Besides, Gastly cherished its freedom. It didn't want to be tied down to anyone.

Ash glanced at Misty and Brock, both still asleep. He turned to Gastly and asked, "When will they wake up?"

"Don't worry. Their dreams are different from yours," Gastly reassured. "I only put them into a deep sleep, nothing more. When they wake up, they'll feel refreshed."

Ash's eyes flickered with curiosity. His dream had indeed been different—it had felt too real. For a moment, he had even thought that his current reality was the dream.

Since Gastly was the one who created that dream… did it know what had happened in it?

Dawn, May, Iris, Serena, and Lillie... In the dream, they had played a significant role in his life. But in reality, he had never met some of them before. Did Gastly know about them?

"You seem to have a secret in your dream," Gastly remarked, reading Ash's expression. Having lived for over a thousand years, Gastly had seen it all. Just by observing Ash, it could guess what was on his mind.

"But unfortunately," Gastly continued, "I'm not the Nightmare Pokémon, nor do I have the power to know what you dreamed about."

Ash let out a breath of relief. If Gastly had been able to see everything in his dream, things might have gotten complicated.

"Nightmare Pokémon... You mean Darkrai?" Ash asked with curiosity.

Gastly nodded, its eerie smile never fading. "That's right. Darkrai."

Ash made a mental note of this information. He had never encountered Darkrai before, but it seemed like a Pokémon worth learning more about.

Gastly then floated closer to Ash. "Since I've already tested you, I suppose it's time for me to leave."

Ash folded his arms. "Tested us? So that's what all this was about."

Gastly chuckled. "You make it sound like I put you through some great trial. All I did was play a little trick on you."

But then, just as Ash was about to turn away, Gastly suddenly gathered Ghost-type energy around itself. The dark purple aura condensed, forming a small, glowing object in midair.

Ash instinctively stepped back, eyes narrowing. "What are you doing?"

Gastly grinned. "Relax. If I wanted to harm you, you wouldn't even have time to react."

As the energy faded, a round gemstone remained floating in front of Gastly. It looked like a glass marble about ten centimeters in diameter. Most of it was transparent, but in the center, a dark purple and red spiral pattern ran through it—resembling a genetic chain.

Ash's eyes widened. "Is that... a Mega Evolution Stone?"

"Correct." Gastly smirked. "This is a Mega Evolution Stone."

Ash hesitated. "Why are you giving this to me?"

Gastly waved its smoky tendrils dismissively. "Consider it a gift. A little compensation for the trouble I caused you. And a reward for passing my test."

Ash didn't move to take it. "I don't take handouts."

Gastly chuckled. "So cautious! But if you don't take it, I'll just keep it for myself. I really have no other motives."

Ash remained skeptical. Even though the Mega Evolution Stone was incredibly valuable, accepting gifts from Gastly didn't seem wise.

Just then, a soft voice echoed through the room.

"Take it."

Ash turned sharply toward the source of the voice. His eyes widened in shock—it was Marshadow.

"Marshadow? You can talk?!" Ash was stunned.

Previously, when they had encountered the giant Dragonite, Marshadow hadn't spoken a single human word. Was it because others had been present back then? Or was this something new?

Marshadow didn't respond. It merely glanced at Ash and Gastly before silently merging back into the shadows.

Gastly smirked. "See? Even Marshadow thinks you should take it. You trust Marshadow, don't you?"

Ash exhaled, then finally reached out and took the Mega Evolution Stone. "Alright, thanks."

Gastly grinned. "Good choice. This one is meant for Gengar. If you can find the corresponding Key Stone and a Gengar, you'll be able to use it."

Ash inspected the stone in his hand. "A Mega Evolution Stone for Gengar, huh...?"

When he looked up again, Gastly was already vanishing into thin air.

The room fell silent again. Everything that had just happened seemed surreal—like a lingering dream.

Ash shook his head and turned his attention back to Misty and Brock. First, he carefully moved Brock to his bed. Then, he carried Misty to her own. Pikachu, still asleep, was placed beside Misty.

After checking on them, Ash glanced at the clock. It was already past 1 AM. He let out a tired sigh.

Too exhausted to bother with the bed, he pulled a few chairs together, lay down, and closed his eyes.

As he drifted off, one final thought crossed his mind.

"I wonder if I'll enter that dream again..."

And with that, Ash fell into a deep sleep.