Pokemon: Who Let Him Leave Pallet Town!? Chapter 68: Gastly

"So, Natsu, do you have any ideas?" Misty asked, pointing at Brock, who was giggling foolishly.

"Ask him," Natsu replied, pointing at Brock.

"Huh? How are we supposed to talk to him like this?" Misty was puzzled.

"Don't misunderstand. Brock's condition isn't caused by a ghost." Just as Natsu finished speaking, Brock suddenly said:

"Earlier, I saw a super beautiful lady at the cliffside—she looked exactly like this stone!"

Then he went right back to giggling.

Misty: "…"

"You know, being haunted by ghosts isn't sothing to take lightly."

An aged voice called out behind them. An old woman, looking very much like Agatha, stepped forward.

She was short, dressed in shrine maiden robes, and her eyes—like Gengar's—were inverted triangles, giving her a sharp appearance.

"It's that old woman." Ash pulled out another skewer of rice cakes.

"Ah! And Team Rocket!" Misty exclaid, spotting figures behind the old woman.

From the shadows, Jessie, Jas, and owth walked out.

"Seriously, why'd we have to co up the mountain just to eat oden?" Jessie grumbled.

"Forget it, let's focus on helping Jas first, nya," owth said, then noticed Ash and the others.

"It's you lot, nya!"

The tension imdiately spiked.

The old woman rapped one of them on the head with her cane.

"My, my. Since your companions are haunted by ghosts, why don't you all co back to the shrine for treatnt first?"

She clasped her hands together, smiling warmly.

"Ash," Natsu suddenly spoke up.

"Huh? What is it, Natsu?" Ash looked back, cheeks stuffed with rice cake, his hands clutching a bucket filled with wooden lottery sticks.

*Pika!* In the anti, both Pikachu and Midchu swiped two more pieces of rice cake.

"Use your Pokédex to scan her," Natsu instructed, pointing at the old woman.

He raised his gaze slightly—and there it was, floating above her head. A fat purple figure.

Gengar hovered silently, its stubby hand pointing at the old woman—sothing was off about her.

**In truth, the *old woman* is Gastly in disguise. It uses your mories to create this form.**

**Gastly. Lv.22.**

"Whoa, it's Gastly!" Ash shouted in excitent.

"Go, Pikachu!"

*Pika!*

Pikachu stood firmly across from the old woman.

*Hehehehehehehe!* The woman vanished in an instant, her form collapsing into the shape of a shadowy Pokémon.

"It really is Gastly!" Misty gasped.

*You guys aren't fun at all!* Gastly suddenly spoke aloud.

"What the—soone else besides can talk, nya?!" owth jumped in shock.

"That's not really speaking," Natsu explained.

"So Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokémon can use a form of ntal suggestion. If it's strong enough, it makes you believe you're hearing their language."

"Ash, you should catch it," Natsu said, patting him on the shoulder.

He felt this Gastly would be a valuable sparring partner.

To push ntal suggestion to the point of making people think it was speaking—without being noticed—

Not even Agatha's Gengar could do that.

This wasn't about level. Only Ghost Pokémon who had lived long enough, and mastered every thread of their power, could reach that kind of perfection.

That's why Ghost- and Psychic-types born around ancient landmarks were especially sought after.

Beyond battling, they had wide-ranging uses—

Like helping Dragonite train in controlling her energy.

Natsu signaled with his eyes, and Gengar quietly lted into the air.

"Go, Pikachu—Magenitic Tail!" Ash shouted, opening with a full-force attack.

*Pika!* Pikachu suddenly leapt into the air, his tail gleaming with a black light that shimred together with the moonlight.

Suddenly, the Gastly's form shifted.

A giant Kangaskhan appeared, and from its pouch a baby Kangaskhan poked its head out, waving at Pikachu.

*Pika!* Pikachu's heart wavered, the glow on his tail fading as it jumped back in front of Ash.

*Pika… Pika…* For so reason, Pikachu looked disheartened.

"Huh? Pikachu, why don't you want to battle them?" Ash asked curiously.

"Pikachu was taken in by Professor Oak when it was still a Pichu. His foster mother was a Kangaskhan."

Natsu poked his head out, briefly explaining Pikachu's past to Ash.

"I see…" Ash hugged Pikachu, pained, then his face turned furious.

"You sneaky trickster!" he shouted, tossing three Pokéballs.

*Ha ha ha ha!* The opposing Gastly froze mid-laughter.

*Wait a second—wasn't this kid supposed to be a hot-blooded, kindhearted boy? Since when did he think about ganging up on soone?*

Three beams of red light flashed, revealing Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur one after another.

Seeing they were just baby Pokémon, Gastly relaxed again.

"Ha ha ha ha, watch this!" it cackled.

Gastly's body warped, transforming into a massive Charizard.

At the sa ti, a Blastoise's cannon sprouted from its shoulder, while Venusaur's huge flower blood on its head.

*Charmander!*

*Squirtle!*

*Bulba!*

The three Pokémon cried out in terror, huddling together before retreating back into Ash's Pokéballs.

"Mr. Natsu, why can this Gastly turn into other Pokémon?" Giselle asked curiously as she walked over.

"No idea, but its psychic power is strong. It can easily see through an opponent's heart," Natsu said in amazent.

"Wahahaha! You're far too weak!" Gastly roared with laughter.

"Go, Arbok!" Jessie suddenly ordered from behind.

"Hm?" Gastly only glanced at them.

ITS form twisted, turning into Seviper—Arbok's natural enemy.

*Arbo!!*

"Arbok, what are you doing?!"

Terrified, Arbok scrambled backward, crashing into Jessie and sending both her and owth tumbling down the slope.

Jas just kept laughing blankly.

*Gagagagagaga!*

Amused at toying with the humans, Gastly laughed harder—until a shadow lood above it.

It looked up to see a red-eyed Gengar glaring down.

"…"

*Big bro… which crew are you from?*

Gastly's grin froze. Alarm bells rang in its head, and just as it tried to flee, Gengar smacked it across the face, stars spinning in its eyes.

Dark energy flared from Gengar's claws as it slapped again, knocking Gastly out cold.

"Ash!" Natsu quickly reminded him.

Realizing it late, Ash hurriedly tossed a Pokéball.

But midway, Natsu caught it with one hand.

"Hold on. If you capture it directly, it'll just be transferred to Professor Oak's lab."

As he spoke, Natsu raised his device and scanned the unconscious Gastly.

**Gastly, Lv.22**

**Ability: Illusion: (Disguises itself as the last Pokémon in the team to confuse the opponent).**

*Illusion?*

*Isn't that Zorua's ability?*

As far as Natsu rembered, Gastly's only useful ability was Levitate.

But then he recalled Alain's Water Absorb Charizard, and suddenly, an Illusion Gastly felt a lot more believable.

[B-Rank: Shapeshifter Gastly]

[Subject] Gastly

[Reward] Great Ball Scratch Card ×1

The system's voice rang out at that mont.

That ant Alain's Water Absorb Charizard also counted as a special individual.

Natsu rubbed his chin, thinking he'd need to scan Alain's Charizard soti.

After all, for Pokémon with such rare abilities, just one scan with the software ant instant rewards.

Couldn't be easier.

You can read more (around 80 free chapters) of Natsu's adventure ad-free here[sravenarchives/book/pokemon-who-let-him-leave-pallet-town]. Bulk uploads is a ss here, so updates here might be irregular.