Chapter-5: whispers of the departed

A year had passed since David began his training under Agatha's guidance.

The boy who had once been lost and filled with grief was now growing stronger, more disciplined. His daily routine was strict, crafted by Agatha to mold him into a future aura specialist and elite Pokémon trainer.

Mornings began with intense meditation—long, grueling hours of sitting still, eyes closed, reaching into the depths of his own mind to find the energy Agatha spoke of. At first, he could feel nothing. Just silence. Agatha would make him sit until his legs ached, until he was frustrated to the point of screaming. But she never let him give up.

"Again," she would say, her voice sharp yet patient. "You must feel it before you can control it."

It took him months, but eventually, something changed. One morning, while lost in the quiet of his mind, he felt it—like a flickering ember deep within his chest. It wasn't strong, not yet, but it was there. His own aura.

That was his first step.

Aside from aura training, Agatha made sure his education was well-rounded. He studied psychology, learning how emotions worked and how people could be manipulated. He read about Pokémon battling—the intricacies of type matchups, strategic plays, and real-world battle tactics. He practiced reading opponents, watching their movements, predicting their actions before they even made them.

Agatha had suggested early on that he specialize in Dark-type Pokémon, given his aura's nature. At first, David wasn't sure, but the more he learned, the more he understood.

Dark-types thrived in deception, in unpredictability. They didn't fight fair. They turned an opponent's strength into their weakness, breaking them down mentally as well as physically.

David liked that.

And so, he decided. He would be a Dark-type specialist.

Despite his progress, there were still nights when the weight of his past crushed him.

Dreams—no, nightmares—haunted him relentlessly.

His mother's voice, calling out to him.

The sound of chains clinking.

Shadows swallowing him whole.

Laughter—cold, cruel, distant.

Some nights, it was too much to bear. And when it was, there was only one place that offered him peace.

The Pokémon Tower.

Lavender Town's tower stood tall against the evening sky, its eerie presence looming over the town like a silent guardian. To most, it was a place of grief—a tower of the dead, filled with restless spirits and painful memories.

To David, it was calm.

He didn't know why, but whenever he stepped inside, the weight on his chest would lighten, and the constant pressure in his mind would settle. He would often sit among the graves, listening to the quiet whispers of the past.

But today was different.

Today, he could hear them.

As he walked past the headstones, a strange sensation washed over him. The air was thick, charged with something unseen. His skin tingled, and for the first time, he could feel the presence of the departed.

Whispers filled his ears—soft at first, like a distant wind. Then they grew louder.

Images flooded his mind.

A Growlithe, curled up beside its trainer's grave, whimpering.

A Cubone, clutching its mother's skull, crying in the rain.

A lonely spirit, drifting through the tower, searching for something it had lost.

The weight of their sorrow crushed him.

His head pounded, his vision blurred.

It was too much.

Pain shot through his skull, and then—darkness.

David was unconscious, trapped in a nightmare unlike any before.

He stood in a void, cold and endless. Shadows twisted around him, reaching out with clawed fingers. And then he saw it—his mother.

Bound in chains, her face hidden in darkness.

"David…" Her voice was weak, distant.

He ran toward her, but the shadows dragged her away.

"Mom!"

Laughter echoed in the void. A cruel, mocking laugh that sent a chill down his spine.

The shadows closed in.

His body convulsed.

He was drowning in fear, in pain, in memories that weren't his own—memories of the spirits from the tower, of their suffering, their loneliness. It was consuming him.

Then—

A sharp jolt.

Like a burst of cold air, slicing through the darkness.

The nightmare shattered.

David gasped, his eyes snapping open. His body was trembling violently, his breath ragged. He was lying on the floor of the tower, the scent of incense heavy in the air.

Hovering above him was a Gastly.

The ghost Pokémon's usually mischievous grin was gone, replaced by something almost… concerned. Its large, glowing eyes studied him carefully.

David's senses were still raw, his aura buzzing with lingering energy. He could feel Gastly's presence, and something clicked in his mind.

It helped me.

The realization hit him like a wave.

This Gastly had seen him suffering, tormented by nightmares, and had done something to stop them. He didn't know how, but he could sense it. Gastly had protected him from something worse.

David slowly sat up, his body still weak.

Gastly floated closer, watching him carefully.

A small chuckle escaped David's lips. "You're not as scary as you look, huh?"

Gastly blinked, then grinned wide, letting out a playful cackle.

David reached into his pocket and pulled out a small snack—a rice cracker wrapped in seaweed. He held it out. "Here. Thanks for saving me."

Gastly hesitated for a moment, then happily accepted the offering, stuffing it into its gaseous mouth.

David watched it with a soft smile.

He had always been alone in his nightmares. Always fighting them on his own. But this time… someone had helped him.

He reached out, his hand passing through Gastly's ethereal body. He didn't expect it to be solid, but the touch was oddly warm, comforting.

"You wanna come with me?" David asked, his voice steady.

Gastly blinked, tilting its head.

David smiled. "I think we'd make a good team."

For a moment, there was silence.

Then—

Gastly let out a cheerful cackle and spun in the air excitedly, as if to say yes.

David grinned. "Alright, then. Let's get out of here.

As they left the Pokémon Tower together, the shadows didn't feel so heavy anymore.

For the first time in a long time, David didn't feel like he was walking alone.