Leaving behind Saffron City, where the atmosphere had been rather subtle, especially for Ash, the group followed their plan and headed toward their next destination. North of Saffron lay Lavender Town, famous for the Pokémon Tower and cloaked in an air of mystery and sorrow.
Before they even stepped into town, a faint chill wrapped around them.
The air was quiet, but it was an oppressive kind of quiet, as if even the wind had deliberately lowered its voice.
"So this is Lavender Town… It feels… kind of cold," Misty murmured, instinctively moving closer to Ash. As a Water type Trainer, she was especially sensitive to this sort of eerie atmosphere.
"Yeah. This is the most well known resting place for Pokémon in the Kanto region. The Pokémon Tower stands in the center of town, honoring the souls of departed Pokémon," Brock said, glancing at his guidebook with a solemn tone. "We have to pass through here to reach Celadon City."
Ash's Aura sensed something similar to what he had felt at Maiden's Peak, yet far larger and more complex. Countless faint, peaceful consciousness fragments, occasionally tinged with confusion or lingering attachments, drifted through every corner of the town like silent whispers.
The Gastly perched on his shoulder, however, seemed unusually excited. It inhaled deeply, eyes narrowing in delight.
"Hehehe~ The 'scent' here is wonderful! Full of old friends!" Gastly spun in midair happily. "Way livelier than that lonely place at Maiden's Peak!"
When they entered the town, the streets were nearly empty, adding to the cold, desolate feeling. They headed straight for the towering Pokémon Tower.
Inside, the lighting was dim. Candle flames flickered, and the air carried the faint scent of incense. Rows of grave markers stood in silence, marking the boundary between life and death.
Ash and his friends walked forward respectfully.
Misty clutched Ash's arm tightly, her eyes scanning every shadowed corner.
Brock pressed his palms together, offering silent condolences to the resting Pokémon.
As they reached one of the upper floors, a rustling sound suddenly came from the shadows ahead. In the next instant, a purple ghostly figure with a mischievous grin burst out, waving its hands and letting out a loud, "Woooah!"
"Ahhh!" Misty shrieked and immediately ducked behind Ash.
It was a Haunter.
Seeing Misty's reaction, Haunter clutched its belly and laughed, its body shaking in midair. Clearly, it lived for pranks.
"A Haunter!" Brock jumped but quickly steadied himself.
Ash remained calm. The ancient Gastly on his shoulder floated forward with interest, examining the younger ghost.
"Hey, kid. Scaring little girls is pretty low level," the thousand year old Gastly said in a seasoned, teasing tone. "If you're going to play, play at a higher level."
Haunter blinked at the sudden appearance of such an ancient and powerful fellow Ghost type. It hesitated for a moment, then crossed its arms, or what passed for arms, in defiance. "Higher level? Who are you, old timer? If you've got guts, let's see who's better at scaring people!"
"Hehehe, you're on!" Gastly grinned, its form twisting and shifting. In an instant, it transformed into Sabrina holding her doll, her face cold and eyes hollow, her voice echoing eerily. "Stay… and play with me…"
The illusion was so vivid that even Ash and the others, who knew the truth, felt a chill run down their spines. Haunter itself shrank back slightly, startled by the performance.
"T That doesn't count! You're copying!" Haunter protested, trying to maintain its composure.
"Oh? Then how about this?" Gastly shifted again, this time becoming the massive, raging form of a Tentacruel bursting from the sea, accompanied by a crushing psychic roar. The candles on the entire floor flickered violently.
Haunter nearly lost its form from fright and waved its hands frantically. "Stop, stop! You win! You're amazing, okay?!"
Gastly reverted to its original shape, chuckling smugly. "Kid, scaring people is the lowest form of fun. Come with us. There's way more excitement outside. For example… pranking a certain unlucky trio called Team Rocket. Now that's entertainment."
Haunter blinked, clearly intrigued. "Team Rocket? That does sound interesting…"
Watching this exchange, Ash stepped forward. "You've got real talent for pranks. But if you stay in this tower, there are only so many people to scare. Why not travel with us? The world outside has countless people and Pokémon. You can show off your 'talent' to your heart's content. And…" He paused, a slightly sly smile appearing. "We often run into certain bad guys who really deserve a good prank. Team Rocket is the perfect target."
Haunter looked at Ash, then at the powerful ancient Gastly, and finally at the girl behind Ash who still looked easy to scare.
"Hey!" Misty protested.
Haunter's eyes rolled thoughtfully. It could sense the Aura around Ash, something that made it feel oddly comfortable, though it did not understand why. And following them definitely sounded more fun than staying in the tower forever.
"Hehehe, sounds good!" Haunter rubbed its ghostly hands and floated in front of Ash. "Alright, human. I kind of like you. And tagging along with you seems like it'll be full of fun! I'll generously agree to go with you!"
True to the Gastly line, that self important catchphrase never changed.
With that, Haunter lightly tapped the empty Poké Ball Ash held out.
A flash of red light.
Capture successful.
[Ding! The host has captured Haunter. Reward: 150 World Points.]
[Current World Points: 11650.]
Ash raised the Poké Ball with a smile. "Alright! I caught Haunter!"
Gastly nodded in satisfaction nearby. "Not bad. Having a junior to run errands isn't so bad."
Misty finally recovered from her fright and pouted. "Honestly… One prank loving Gastly wasn't enough? Now we've got two!"
Brock chuckled. "Well, with them around, our journey definitely won't be boring."
Having gained a new companion, Ash and his friends left the quiet Pokémon Tower with reverence for the departed Pokémon.
Their eerie adventure in Lavender Town came to a close, and their team gained a new Ghost type member full of mischievous potential.
Since he had encountered a Haunter that fit the original story's vibe so perfectly, of course he had to catch it.