[PKMN FULL] Trainers & Hoenn Saga Extras

[QueenNothing]

Flynn C. A. Sting
May 25th, Saturday, Afternoon

---

"Man, today really sucks."

Flynn sighs as he fishes in the ocean, standing along the rocky shore, his Poliwag and Pokey standing by his side. He's humiliated himself in-front of both Gwen AND his family twice in one day. It really didn't seem things could get any worse. To counteract these negative feelings, he resorts to a favorite pastime of his- Fishing. It always puts his mind at ease, and since he was by a large body of water for the first time in about a week, he might as well take advantage of it as much as possible.

He patiently waits for something to bite, and is rewarded when he sees the bobber attached to his rod move up and down. With all his might, he reels in his catch, pulling a Horsea out of water. Flynn smiles at the struggling Pokemon that he's fished up. Quickly he commands Pokey to Yawn, and the Horsea's movements slow down the drowsier it becomes- Perfect time for him to toss a Lure Ball at it. The ball lands on the ground, shaking three times before clicking, cheering him up, even if just a little.

Even if life could be rough, fishing was always something he could fall back to.

Poliwag walks up to the Lure Ball with his mouth and wobbles back to his trainer to hand it to him. While Flynn feels the weight of the freshly occupied Lure Ball, his spirits are raised. Time to go for round two.

The fisher boy tightly grasps the rod and flings the hook into the sea. Once again, he patiently waits for a bite, feeling optimistic about what he might see next.

Even if it takes about twenty minutes, it feels like in no time at all something tugs on the bait. But unlike his newly acquired Horsea, whatever this is feels much heavier than just an average water Pokémon, and while not nearly as heavy as the large Magikarp, it's certainly enough to nearly pull him into the water.

"Woah! It's huge!" Flynn excitedly shouts, catching the attention of his older sister, who sighs "Not again," and runs over to help Flynn stand his ground. As he continues to reel in his catch, both siblings firmly plant their feet into the ground, and successfully pull it out from the surface of the ocean- Although it isn't something either of them were expecting to see.

It is a Pokémon alright, a Feebas to be exact, but something- No, someone has their arms tightly wrapped around the fish Pokémon. Anything about their identity was unknown to both Flynn and Fay, and the most their was to go off of was a soaked white gown and blonde hair that was darkened from being sopping wet.

"Oh no!" Flynn runs up to the unidentified person, getting on his knees, and tries to push away the Feebas- It puts up a fight by flopping super aggressively, but his human strength was enough to overpower it. Flynn then tilts her head back and opens her mouth to open an airway.

"Sis, call for help!" He shouts. "Now I just need to-"

Flynn suddenly stops when continuing to focus on the girl in-front of him, the more he looks at her the more he realizes that this is actually somebody he's familiar with- Not exactly someone he's fond of though.

"Flynn! What's stopping ya!?" Fay yells behind him, dialing a number on her phone. "Don't just let her die!"

She's right. Even if Flynn doesn't like her very much, not doing anything would be incredibly cruel. He gets ready to place his hands on the middle of her chest, but feels himself blush when he realizes what he's doing. "S-S-Sis, a-a-a-am I allowed t-t-t… Y'know?"

Fay rolls her eyes. "Oh my fucking- YOU'RE SAVIN' HER LIFE, FLYNN!"

"Well alright… Here goes nothing." Flynn gulps nervously before quickly pressing his hands against the middle of the girl's chest, counting with every press. It is an awkward feeling, but better than letting her die at least. She's hacking up water, so he knows he's doing something right.

After thirty pumps, this leaves the next step- Two rescue breaths. Flynn takes a deep breath and says "If only you were Gwen," before nervously leaning in with his mouth open. He mentally prepares himself to make contact with his mouth, but is interrupted with a sudden "WHIT TH'-!" and is thrown off when the girl suddenly leans forward, bumping her head into Flynn's.

Flynn recoils, holding his head in pain. Based on the girl's sudden reaction, his method worked at least.

"Fisher loon!? Whit waur ye daien, sneakin' up on a vulnerable bonnie loch 'at!"

There is the Bethany he's ever so familiar with. "I just saved your life, y'know…"

"Why'd th' hackit fisher loon hae tae sae mah life? Ah'd raither drown."

Flynn groans to himself and dreads every word that leaves the girl's mouth. Of course, when it seemed like things couldn't get any worse, he accidentally got involved with...

Bethany Miller's Solo Adventures
Adventure No. 4​

---

Bethany sits under a tarp set-up by Flynn's family, endlessly engorging through the meals offered to her. Krabby, Corphish, Seaking, and a favorite of hers- Kantonian Slowpoke tail, flattened to cook thoroughly without charring the outside.

She was obviously being hyperbolic when she said she'd rather drown than be saved by Flynn, but it did suck when compared to her fantasy that an attractive prince or princess could swoop in to save her- But being alive is nice with the wide variety of seafood she in-front of her. If only Flynn could stop giving her a weird look.

"Oi, fisher loon, whit are ye lookin' at?"

"N-nothing!" Flynn flinches. "It's just that… Y'know that's real Pokémon meat, right?"

Bethany raises an eyebrow. "Whit abit it?"

"Do you not care where that came from?"

"Ah ken where's it frae. Ah dornt min', it's delicious." Bethany focuses on the Slowpoke tail on her plate and starts cutting it up with a plastic fork and knife. "Ye ken how rare Kantonian Slowpoke tail is Galar?"

"Ohh, that's where you're from!" An old man wearing fishing gear walks up to Bethany, drawing her ire. "Thought you talked funny! What's Galarian Slowpoke tail like!"

"It's jist spicier. Nae as good, honestly."

"I've heard lots of good stuff 'bout them, but if that's the case, glad I don't have to break the bank to get some spicy Slowpoke tail!" The old man guffaws. "Now then girlie, what's your name? You a trainer?"

"Aye." Bethany winces. "Ahm Bethany Miller, frae th' Miller family. Ah'd loch it if ye treated me as sic'."

"Why shucks, I don't know anything about what you're saying but it sounds fancy." He chuckles again. "Can't say the same about my grandnephew, Flynn. HAH!" The old man slaps his knee to finish off his sentence.

Bethany remains unamused by the antics of these people. "Ahm leavin'. Cannae stain bein' around chavs." She stands up and carelessly tosses her empty paper plate to the ground. Seemingly unconcerned with the pouring weather, she walks out from under the tarp, letting the rain further soak her already drenched clothes. Better than being around these hicks, although she doesn't make it too far away from the tarp before hearing someone approaching her.

"Wait!" Bethany turns around to see Fay running towards her. "You said you're from the Miller family. That means you're good at battling, right?"

The Galarian girl gawks in disgust. "Ay coorse, ye bampot!"

The older woman wipes her forehead in relief. "Oh, good. I'm Fay, Flynn's big sister. I noticed my little brother has been down from his losses lately, and I wanted to ask if you could please help him out? And if you do, please make sure you do it in the sea! He only has water-type Pokémon right now."

"Pah!" Bethany scoffs. "Ahm nae primary skale teacher!"

"I worried you'd say that." Fay sighs. "Look, it's not much, but I'll give you some raw Slowpoke tail if you do."

---

"Oi! Fisher loon!"

Sulking among a crowd of people dressed similarly all sitting around wooden tables under a large tarp, Flynn slowly stands up to begrudgingly look back to Bethany. "What do you want?"

"Ahm gonna make ye th' strongest trainer!"

"...What?"

"Ah said whit ah said! Come here!" She aggressively beckons Flynn forward, who complies mainly out of fear. He's led back to the rocky shore the two reunited at. "Now, release her Pokémon intae th' brine!"

"Wait, do you want me to set them free!? How could you!? My Pokémon are my friends! They-"

"That's nae whit ah meant, ye bludy dobber!" She barks. Send them out!"

"Oh, right. Of course."

One by one, Flynn's Pokémon are sent out into the water. Pokey, Poliwag, Horsea, and especially shocking to Bethany, his massive Gyrados that unleashes a shattering roar. "Bloody hell!!!" Her eyes nearly pop out of her head. "That's a big fockin' beast!!"

"Uh, yeah, I guess so… Although uh, he ain't very strong."

"Ay course. Fisher loon needs practice." Bethany takes a deep sigh before she studies the oversized Gyrados. After a thorough examination, she grabs an Ultra Ball to send Feebas out to accompany the water-types. "Yer Gyrados knows Whirlpool, right?"

Flynn anxiously nods. "Perfect! Hae him use Whirlpool!"

"But-"

"AH SAID, HAE HIM USE BLUDY WHIRLPOOL!!!

Flynn yelps and reluctantly looks up to the Atrocious Pokémon. "W-well, Gyrados, use Wh-Whirpool please!"

At his trainer's request, the serpentine Pokémon swims around in a wide circle that encompasses the rest of Flynn's Pokémon and Feebas. The fisher boy is visibly concerned when seeing his water-types being swept up to the center of the mighty whirlpool, but when shifting his glance over to Feebas, gives a puzzled expression to see such a notoriously weak Pokémon going against the coarse current with relative ease.

"Tell them tae gang faster!" Ahh, so that's what she's trying to do. Having them adapt to such strong currents probably does make them stronger, but he's unsure if his Pokémon can even do that. But with Bethany continuously scolding him, he doesn't have much of a choice. "Okay you guys, uhh, swim against the whirlpool!"

There's some hesitance in their faces when Flynn calls that out, but they all obey, kicking their swimming speed up as fast as they all can. Horsea and Poliwag, while not nearly as successful as Feebas, are able to go against the current with their Swift Swim ability, pushing themselves to their absolute limit. Pokey however, strays far behind, dangling right in-front of the center of the Whirlpool.

"Uhm, Bethany?" Flynn preemptively winces to prepare himself for her shouting. "Are you sure Pokey should be out here? I mean, the species is literally called Slowpoke, and I figured maybe we could practice with him on land…?"

The Galarian girl thinks to herself before sternly looking to Flynn. "Good idea, fisher loon." She grabs a Pokeball from her drenched purse, and tosses this one onto the rocky shore, sending out Honedge. Flynn recalls Pokey from the sea and sends him back out close enough to the steel-type Pokémon. The two Pokémon stare intently into each other's eyes, doing nothing but blinking at the other.

"Hae yer Slowpoke use Disable!" She calls out before ordering Honedge to attack. He suddenly sinks into the ground, causing Flynn to gasp.

"Where'd he go!?" He frantically looks around, but stops when seeing Honedge rise from Pokey's shadow behind him. Flynn squeals as the sword Pokémon slashes his blade across Pokey, dealing super effective damage to him.

"Be alert, fisher loon!" Bethany barks, commanding Honedge to slash with a Furry Cutter.

"Ah!! Pokey, Disable!" The Slowpoke eye's flash pink, and Honedge is stopped in his place. The green energy surrounding his blade disappears, and he lets out an exhausted sigh.

"That's how ye dae it!" For the first time ever, Bethany encourages someone she's battling. Before Flynn can get comfortable, Honedge plants his arm into the rocky surface and swings his body in the air before letting go and flinging himself forward, blade aimed straight toward Pokey's face. The brown haired boy calls out for a Disable, which again freezes the steel-type in place. Flynn is about to exhale his relief, but Honedge sinks into the ground again. Seeing this play out before, he shouts at Pokey to use Disable once more, but the psychic-type Pokémon's head turns around too slowly to activate it and is hit with a ghost energy powered slash.

"Ye hae a lot of work tae dae, but we're gettin' somewhere!" Flynn is jarred by how out-of-character the Galarian girl is. She's usually never this forgiving, and she won't even bother to battle people on his level- What happened? Maybe the week of their graduation journey has changed her and made her more compassionate. Many trainers who appeared at Cape to give encouraging speakers always told tales of how their graduation journey helped them grow not just as a trainer, but as a person as well. It's possible that Bethany's journey changed her for the better, giving Flynn hope that he'd be able to pull himself out of his current rut.

"Yer sister is givin' meh juicy Slowpoke tail for this, so Ah'm drillin' this intae ye loch an Excadrill!" Oh. That makes a lot more sense, but it's kind of crushing to hear. But regardless, at least he's getting training, even if her motivation is meat as opposed to her own goodwill.

---

Flynn's team

 

[QueenNothing]

Bethany Miller's Solo Adventures
Adventure No. 5

---

"Fisher loon! How much longer are we goin' tae be haur!"

Flynn looks back to the Galarian girl, raising an eyebrow. "Come on now, patience! It's only been like an hour."

"An hour tay long! Ah jist want tae gie tae Vermillion!"

Somehow, Bethany and Flynn are still together after their encounter on Saturday. By all means, Flynn wanted to part ways as soon as humanly possible, but he knew he couldn't just leave a lady to wander off, not someone who gets lost as easily as Bethany. Especially not with Fay watching over his shoulder. She'd never let him hear the end of that.

Route 12 was a disaster to get through. It was coming down real hard that night, and for whatever reason Bethany didn't pack anything to protect her from the rain, so Fay had to lend her a poncho. They spent the next few hours wandering in circles until Flynn decided to set up camp for the night. Unlike Bethany, he was very well-prepared for a journey across Kanto, and had brought along a water-proof tent… but having to stay in a tent with the Galarian girl might have been a downgrade from just sleeping in the mud. He didn't get a lot to eat because the only food Bethany had was the Slowpoke tail, which as it turns out, can't exactly be cooked over a fire when it's raining out, so she pillaged the canned beans Flynn brought along, barely leaving him with anything.

In the morning, they trained a little near some abandoned factories, and accidentally destroyed some weird machine in the process. They didn't think much of it, but the Pokémon living there offered them an egg for their troubles- Bethany is waiting for it to hatch first before deciding who gets to keep it.

Without the pouring, Route 11 has been a little better. Currently, the two Cape students sit on a large rock sticking out from the ground only because Flynn wanted to fish for a Sandile. While the Galarian girl thinks it's a pretty clever way to catch a Pokémon that lives underground, the actual process is incredibly tedious.

"For fock's sake, why dornt ye jist battle th' bludy creature!? An' dornt ye 'specialize' in water-types anyways? Why dae ya even want a ground-type!?!?"

"Sandile are pretty tough. I'm not sure if I can even take one on…" Flynn shudders. "Secondly, I don't 'want' one, I need one because Gwen's si-"

"Ah cannae believe it!" Bethany groans, planting her face into her palm. "Yer aff yer heid! It's aw abit Gwendolyn, is 'at it?"

"W-well…" Flynn blushes. "I'm not gonna give up that easily."

Bethany rolls her eyes to the back of her skull. "Ah cannae lie, ye woods make a good couple wi' yer combined incompetence, but e'en ye deser'e be'er."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ah said whit ah said. She can barely min' 'er ain name."

Flynn's eyebrows start to furrow. "Hey, listen here you little-" The tugging of his fishing rod is enough to stop him from going off, and he turns his attention completely towards that. He turns the reel on the rod and within an instant, a Sandile is yoinked from the dirt.

This Sandile is a little off though- it's body is yellow instead of the usual tan color, and Bethany finds it pretty ugly. Flynn doesn't mind one bit. "I got it!" He squeaks as he watches the rather sad looking Pokémon dangle from the hook. With no time to spare, he tosses a Pokeball at it, and within three shakes the Sandile is his.

"Now there's absolutely no way Gwen won't be impressed with me!" Flynn says, caressing the Pokeball. Bethany cocks an eyebrow. "Ah dornt 'hink she'll be impressed by a hackit Sandile- actually, nae, she most definitely be. 'er standards are lower than th' depths ay hell."

Flynn's face turns red from rage. "Could you stop talking about her like that for one second!?!"

"Oooo, ah'm sae scared." She comments sarcastically. "Whit are ye gonna dae? Lae th' bonnie in roote 11 aw by herself? Ah thought ye were a gentleman."

Flynn clutches his fists. She's really taken advantage of a weakness of his by now. "Well we got what I wanted- let's go already." Flynn flings his heavy bag over his shoulder and jumps down from the rock, waiting for Bethany to do the same. He keeps telling himself that this won't be much longer. The second he sets foot in Vermillion, he's getting as far away from her as his worn-out legs will take him.

 

[Eleanor]

art by Rin7914, from https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/61477678

Serenity Laurier
Snowbelle City, Kalos
December 30^th, 4 p.m.

Snowbelle, oh how have I missed you! You're the white shrine of my childhood, and even if I've spent considerably more time in the bustling Lumiose, all of the memories I cherish the most seem to always point back to you. My first snowman, my first strides on ice, the hot chocolate that grandma would always make for me and my cousins. After all these years I still feel at home, and I can't seem to understand why my parents decided to move to a place that is poles apart.

From what I know, Snowbelle is where it all began, not for me necessarily, but for my family as well. The family roots go deep down in this area, even before the time of my grandparents and dare I say it, even before this town would be deemed worthy of a dot on Kalos official maps. Apparently, it shows, given my above average height, pale complexion, light eyes, and blonde hair… all rather common traits amongst people who come from this area. It actually looks as if I borrowed those directly from my grandfather, though.

Speaking of granddad… as soon as I knock on his door, he comes to open. His hair is now white as snow, but his eyes are still blue and sharp, probably even more than mine. "I hope Avalugg was serviceable." He alludes to his own Pokémon, who helped me and my family move all of our luggage all the way to the entrance. Further inside, grandma is waiting for me with a genuine smile, as she sits closer to the fireplace. Albeit old, their house has gone through many renovations and still holds up well - it's still luxurious and large for being built up in the mountains. Not as much as the hotel that made my family known in the first place, the so-called Laurier Manor closer to the city centre, but still more than enough for all of us!

Now… it's nearing the end of the year, it's cold and snowy. Snowbelle can be really harsh during these times, but we were lucky to find a sunny day, and even if there's snow all around and the lake is still frozen, it's not an inconvenience to us. Rigel is the luckiest of us all though - my small Eevee pet is released from her Pokéball directly inside the hall, and doesn't have to walk outside at all. Unlike the rest of us, who have to immediately change shoes and hang their coats before doing anything else.

Some more formalities and adult talk later, we're finally sitting in front of that very same hot chocolate I used to love as a child. If there's one thing that grandma Janice will always do herself without any help, and that she still excels at, is brewing this marvelous drink. This is what gives us the occasion to focus more on how I've been doing back in Cinnabar.

"I've been balancing the new school and my previous activities quite well this far," I begin with a smile, "and while I sometimes miss some of my old friends, I'm getting to know new ones at this new place." Granddad Albert looks at me proudly, before turning towards my parents and nodding his approval. This is nothing new - even when I lived in Lumiose years ago, my parents were against isolating me from everyone else my age, and when they moved to a smaller, safer community like Cinnabar, they really pushed me to attend public schools and make friends there. All things considered, I'm happy with their choice, but…

"I still stand out among the rest of the students, although a bit less than during my primary school years." I point out. Especially in Cinnabar, the difference was evident, with me being the only blonde girl in class… I let out a small chuckle as I recall that memory, spending the whole first day of school looking around wide-eyed for blonde people and not finding any. But I was surely more clueless back then. "Still! Scores are something I may still improve upon, but are still above sufficiency."

"Oh, I had no doubts about it! Don't fret and stay focused - you're already doing better than you give yourself credit for." Albert nods, half way between happy and stern. He's right, I sometimes downplay my efforts, but at the same time I have come a long way since when I was younger and more clueless. I… do however look at my parents, hoping for a nod or a reassuring look, which I do get in the end.

"Speaking of friends, how has Rigel been?" Janice asks, right as the small Pokémon climbs up on the sofa and curls up next to her. I speak up again. "She's grown quite a lot and has learned some new moves since the last time she came here, but she still remains as finicky as ever… even then, though, I love her and I'm very glad to be able to enjoy her company. Lately I've been needing it more than usual, too…"

This causes some raised eyebrows here and there, some ever so slight adjustments that I still notice in my grandparents' expressions. "As I said… I miss some of my old friends sometimes. My closest friend I made in Cinnabar Island, Arianne… she's trying to pursue a career as a Trainer, and has moved to a different town for the time being. We keep in contact with phone calls and such but it's not the same thing!" I don't think my family knows too much about Arianne and if anything, I'm afraid they could think of her as not a good friend for me, but it's true that I miss her.

While I do have other friends, Arianne was the easier to hang out with. I don't often take the initiative in that regard, and she complimented this trait of mine very well with her enthusiasm and outgoing attitude. She was also the first girl I got to know in Cinnabar, too, and it's often because of her popularity and previous friendships that I was able to expand my network… Valerie, Courtney, the other Cinnamon Girls, and even a few boys from school. Now I have to wonder, does that group still exist? It sure was fun while it lasted.

"That's quite a difficult life, isn't it?" My mother chimes in, alluding to the trainer career that Arianne is pursuing. I nod, but don't say anything, and take a sip of my hot chocolate instead. Being a trainer is surely hard, but it must be very rewarding too, from what I can tell by having Rigel as a pet. And she's just an Eevee that my parents gifted me when we moved to Cinnabar for the first time! I have no aspirations to be a trainer as of now, but the admiration for those who do is still there.

Then again, all the people I've met in Cinnabar don't seem to be like my family. They don't like meticulously planning their future, as far as I can tell, but always try to live the present intensely - which is a perfect fit for the trainer's lifestyle, from what I've heard. They'll be having a swim in the ocean in a few hours, when the new year starts, because that's just how they are. Of course, Arianne was no exception, with her antics… the whole Cinnamon Girls idea, the day she helped me swim all the way to an empty, tiny rock surfacing from the sea which she called "home base"... she knows how to make the most of what she has at her disposal.

I can't always bring myself to do that though, I have a big legacy to carry, and the people all around me keep reminding me of that. Their eyes are all on me, the next Princess of the Laurier family. We're not of royal ancestry, but it feels like we are, and surely being an only child doesn't help in this regard. But it's ok, I'd do anything for my family! Even be their living manifestation out in Cinnabar, the one person everyone associates with the name I carry.

"If being a trainer isn't for you then what have you been up to, Serenity?" Albert asks.

"Other than school?" I reply, adjusting my glasses. "Well… obviously I can't keep skiing or ice skating in Cinnabar, but I've been to Indigo Plateau a couple times now and I've been practicing over there. Right dad?"

He smiles. "Yes, it may not be as gorgeous as Snowbelle but it's a valid mountain resort for shorter holidays." Dad confirms, and given that his childhood was spent right here in Snowbelle, he surely knows what he's talking about.

"I picked up roller skating as a surrogate while in Cinnabar, of course, and it is a fine sport. But I've also tried to swim, and I think I have the basics down by now." I add, before being interrupted by some kind words of praise coming from Janice. "A Laurier who knows how to swim is not something to take for granted! Good work, Serenity!"

"Of course, I've still dedicated most of my time towards school work, reading, or playing the piano." This time it's my mom who smiles, as it was her - a Lumiose girl through and through - who pushed for me to learn an instrument. And so I did, even if progress seemed so slow and stagnant at times. So much so that I would often do two or more of the things I've mentioned at the same time, hoping to gain some time… especially if I knew I had to hang out with friends later. "How could I forget about Rigel, too!" I smile, gesturing for her to come into my lap… but apparently, she's just too comfortable around Janice. A small, unsteady "Awh…" coming from my vocal chords causes everyone to chuckle.

I try to keep my composure as I always do, though. I have to say, I don't enjoy all of these activities all the same and it does get taxing to take care of all these things, but I have managed so far, thanks to time management and self discipline. The name of my family is too important for me, and the judgment of other people - including myself of course, as I'm definitely the harshest in that sense - is what keeps me going. If this wasn't enough, I'm probably going to practice some self-defense and meditation in the near future, as my parents have already hinted at. I repeat to myself that all I need to do is to be methodical and steady and I just hope it will keep working in the future.

The silence that has ensued is broken by grandma Janice. "Oh Serenity, you're just like Albert over here… all fancy and it's still December 30^th..."

"Uh?"

Given my position about carrying the legacy of the Laurier family… it's no wonder that I wear excessively fancy stuff even when no outsider is here to see it… I guess. In fact, this doesn't even look that fancy to me, but just appropriate for being in the presence of some of the most important members of my family. Albert seems to agree with me, with his white beard hiding a slight giggle as he looks down at his shirt and waistcoat combination.

"Careful with those, they can be painful…" Janice continues. She's definitely talking about my heels.

"Oh, I can endure it."

More like I have to, don't I?

 

[Groc]

"We got one!" The secretary's voice rang out across the empty station. In the staff lounge, Edison was absorbed in reading a technical manual, but when she specifically called out his name, he jumped from his seat, hurrying out to the front desk.

When he arrived, he found Winston, his supervisor, already talking with the secretary. He really couldn't remember her name, but he had other things on his mind. "You want me along on this case, sir?" Edison surmised, putting two and two together.

Winston turned to Edison, smiling easily as he leaned on the desk. "Not quite. This looks like a routine job, so I think you should take the lead. I won't be needed on this one."

That took Edison by surprise. He'd only recently been taken on as an intern here in Goldenrod, so he was still learning the ropes. "I'm... grateful for the opportunity, but I've never been on a solo mission before."

"You'll do fine." Winston waved off his concerns. "This time of year, the Kanto branch gets extra busy, so they're asking for help with some of their smaller cases from outside the country. We'll get you on the train to Saffron, and you'll be able to stop by the Kanto office in Lavender Town before nightfall. Don't worry, you won't be dealing with any cases there, it'll just be a pit stop. They'll have a full case file waiting for you, along with some gear you can borrow."

Edison nodded, already feeling his anticipation fading. He'd read the handbook, worked with the equipment, and had trained with his Pokémon on how to deal with Ghosts. This was his chance to show how much he'd learned, to graduate from the rank of Rookie. "I won't let you down, sir!"

"Damn right." Winston grinned, holding his hand up for a high-five. "Who ya gonna call?"

Edison met his hand with his own, and they announced in unison, "Ghostbusters!"

---

Halloween 2024
Something Strange in Celadon Woods

---

The Magnet Train made the trip from Goldenrod to Saffron in just under an hour, and from there Edison was able to take a bus to Lavender Town. Winston wasn't kidding when he said the Kanto branch was busier than Johto's. Lavender, long known to be a hot spot of Ghost activity, was even more supernaturally active as Halloween approached, and it seemed another call came in every few minutes to whisk away another Ghostbuster on some new job. Edison didn't stay long, as he'd barely introduced himself before the receptionist was handing him a case file and directing him to the quartermaster for his gear. Luckily, Edison was vehicle certified, so he was granted use of a company vehicle, identified as Ecto-81, for this assignment.

Although he would have loved to stay and talk with other, more experienced 'busters, none of them had time to spare, and he had a mission of his own to get to. He sat in the Ecto-81 and skimmed the file before leaving, learning that his mission would take him to Celadon City, and the nearby Pokémon Road.

This gave him an idea. He might not have been able to talk to an experienced Ghostbuster, but he did know someone who used to live in Celadon. Winston said it would be a routine mission, but someone familiar with the area could expedite the process. He hooked his watch's phone to the Ecto-81's Bluetooth so he could talk while driving, then gave his old friend Natsuko a call.

"Hey, Ed! Long time no see!" Her cheerful voice came over the speakers. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Hello, Miss Tsu. I'm afraid I'm calling for business reasons today."

"Don't you work at Silph Co.? What, are you calling about my phone's extended warranty?"

"Not entirely accurate, actually. I'm working for a smaller company founded by former Silph employees, who went off in more of a Ranger-styled direction. They sent me over to Kanto to deal with a series of incidents around the Celadon area, near Route 17?"

"Oh, the old Cycling Road? Well, Pokémon Road, now. Wait... you're coming to Celadon? No way, I'm here now! When will you arrive?"

"Well, I'm taking the express route through the Underground Path, so it should only take an hour or two to arrive." Edison had looked up the route he'd need to follow before leaving.

"Underground Path? You're driving? You do know that there's no vehicle access to Pokémon Road, right?"

"No? But, how do vehicles get to Fuchsia, then?"

Tsu chuckled once, amused by something. "You know how it is in Kanto. Vehicles get their own roads, away from pedestrians and Pokémon. There's a road leading out of Celadon, down Route 16 and to a bridge all along Route 17. Takes you straight to Route 18 and into Fuchsia."

"I see..." Edison put his hand to his chin, processing this new information. Truth be told, he didn't think he'd actually need the Ecto-81 for anything but hauling himself and his gear to Celadon. He'd been given a handful of Ghost Traps, which should be sufficient if this case was as cut and dried as implied, but if it came down to it...

"Ed! Tsu said his name loudly, snapping her fingers to get his attention. "You said 'I see' and went quiet for a moment, did I lose you?"

"No, no, not at all!" Ed quickly refocused on the conversation, and more importantly, on driving. He'd drifted in his lane a little while lost in thought, something he'd need to ensure didn't happen again. "I was just thinking that once I arrive, I won't actually need my vehicle, so I should be fine to just park it somewhere."

"Probably for the best." Tsu laughed. "I know of a few places that would work for that. I'll take you there once you arrive."

"You'll take me... oh, yes! You said you were already in town, didn't you? I just wanted some directions, a little insider knowledge, you don't have to accompany me. I wouldn't want to inconvenience you."

"Hey, it's no problem! I'm here all week, and I'm free tonight! You want directions and knowledge, then let me be your guide. Besides, I've heard the stories from Sunny and Marie, you should not be left alone, mister!"

Edison sighed deeply. His friends loved to tease him for some of his misadventures he'd had in his youth, which he was fairly certain he'd never live down. "Those days are behind me, Tsu. And again, this is a business trip."

"What, your job doesn't let you get help? I thought they called you in from Johto for this, they could use all the help they can get. Besides, I've also done some work in a... how did you put it? A 'more Ranger-styled direction'?"

There was logic in what she said, and Ed couldn't argue with his own words. "Oh, alright. I suppose I could use your help. Maybe it will be a bit like old times, then. But I'm about to enter the Underground Path, Miss Tsu, so I might lose you. I'll call you on the other side."

"Sure thing. Let me know when you get out, and I'll meet you at the Pokémon Center. I can guide you from there."

---

Natsuko sat idly on a public bench outside the Celadon Pokémon Center, one with a view of the small parking lot out back. It was a mild October evening, but her blue windbreaker and deep purple midi skirt kept the cool breeze off her limbs, her ears kept warm under a black wool beanie. The sun was starting to go down, tinting the sky with soft pinks and warm orange. It was beautiful, and comforting, like much of Celadon.

Tsu found it rather tiresome.

She hadn't lied to Ed, she really would be here for the rest of the week, but in truth she hadn't been looking forward to this trip. Visiting her parents had been the main point of coming, but they were so boring, and her mother hadn't even bothered to take time off work to see her visiting daughter. She considered this trip an obligation, something she had to do rather than something she wanted to do.

Which is why she'd suggested tagging along with Ed on... whatever he was here to do. He hadn't shared many details over the phone, but that was typical. Tsu could never get a read on Ed. She didn't dislike him, they just rarely hung out. He was more a "friend of a friend". But, he was very smart, and very weird, so maybe he could at least entertain her for tonight.

He'd told her that he would be in a white "combination car", which she presumed meant a hybrid, but the truth left her surprised, and equal parts amused and dismayed. The car looked like a hearse, with a stylized Ghost behind a red "no" circle emblazoned on the sides. She remembered something she'd read online about that, how some company had used the Ghost as their logo, and the outrage some had felt as the symbol had been synonymous with Pokémon Tower in Lavender Town. From what she'd heard, Pokémon Tower had sued the company for 50 million Pokédollars, but the case didn't go anywhere and they'd dropped the suit after two years.

At first, she wasn't sure if it was the right car, but when the driver stepped out, she was certain. Tall and gangly, with messy blond hair that stuck up in random spikes like a Joltik (no matter how much Ed denied it), eyes always darting around to take in his surroundings and his mouth set just a little too thin, as if he would rather be somewhere else. He normally had a very formal fashion sense, but his current getup was something else. A beige jumpsuit, somewhat baggy on his lanky frame, with black boots and gloves, the same "No-Ghost" logo on his right arm and a black name tag on his left breast that simply read "ROOKIE" in big red letters.

It confirmed what the car implied: Edison had become a Ghostbuster.

Tsu got up from the bench, taking a moment to stretch before heading over. She saw Ed retrieve his Pokétch from the car, rolling up his left sleeve slightly to put it on. That was consistent, as were the goggles atop his head, though he'd apparently replaced his old red-lensed ones with some more high-tech goggles.

"You never really change, do you, Ed?" Tsu called out, pulling her camera up and quickly snapping a picture when he looked her way. "I won't say the costume looks good on you, but it certainly fits you. In a way."

Ed sighed slightly before smiling at her. "It's not a costume, it's a uniform. Nice camera, by the way."

"Thanks! It's good to see you." She reached for his shoulder, rather than go for a hug, but stopped when she noticed him tense slightly. Right, he has a thing about being touched... She instead pointed at his name tag. "What's with this? They couldn't get you your own cos- uh, uniform?"

Ed's smile became a bit more genuine as he glanced down at his tag. "Apparently a lot of people drop out within the first month, so they don't spend the money on custom uniforms until you've stuck through the trial period. Especially in Johto, we're a smaller group than the Kanto branch."

"Yeah, I was surprised when I heard that they were opening up shop in other countries. It kinda made sense, being near Lavender, but are Ghosts really that big of an issue? I mean, most people just call the Rangers if there's a Ghost-type causing trouble, don't they?"

Ed tapped his hand to his chin, but didn't get lost in thought this time. "The Rangers are more well-established, sure, but remember how I said the company was formed by former Silph Co. employees? The technology they were working with and techniques they employed were specifically designed to deal with Ghosts and their unusual abilities. Their ability to phase through solid objects, traverse shadows, and immunity to trapping moves make them hard to pin down, even for experienced Rangers."

He went around to the back of the car, opening the hatch and revealing some more gear. He gestured to a large backpack-looking device. "The Proton Pack produces highly focused and radially polarized protons that electrostatically control the negatively charged energy of a Ghost."

Tsu blinked, having lost the thread when Ed said "radially polarized". Ed must have noticed her confusion, as he became a bit less excited and slowed down for her benefit.

"You know how most Ghosts feed on negative emotion? Fear, sadness, anger, that sort of thing? This causes their energy to be negatively charged. The pack produces positively charged energy. Kind of like magnets, opposites attract."

"Oh, magnets, yeah! I know what those are!" Tsu smiled sweetly, nodding in understanding. She saw a bit of spark return to his eyes. She had no qualms playing dumb if it made her friend feel smarter.

"Right! At first, they directed the streams using neutrona wands, which created an energized stream of plasma, kind of like a bolt of lightning. As you can imagine, those weren't very safe and could cause quite a bit of collateral damage. So newer models use a bit of Ranger tech and implement a Capture Styler." Edison gestured to a bracer on the wall, which clearly was designed to be wrist-mounted.

"These are modified, so instead of using ground-based Capture Discs, these are a hovering drone attached to a tether. The tether is positively charged, allowing it to wrangle the Ghost, without needing to use Capture Lines to influence the Pokémon's friendship levels. Of course, by containing the stream into the tether, it can quickly overheat, so they can be quickly swapped out on the fly."

Tsu again nodded, not fully understanding, but getting the gist of it. Lightning lure controls Ghosts. It was a bit like fishing, now that she thought about it. "And what are those?" She pointed to five small circular boxes, the tops decorated with the No-Ghost symbol.

"These are Ghost Traps." Edison stated, as though that explained everything. "Once a Ghost has been wrangled, we maneuver it over the Trap, and it pulls them inside. It's a lot like a Poké Ball, but it's infused with more proton energy, so the Ghosts don't break out."

"Okay, but why not just use Poké Balls?" Tsu pointed to a row of pure white Poké Balls on the wall of the vehicle, again noting the No-Ghost logo on top.

Ed tapped one of them delicately, as though reluctant to touch them. "These are a last resort. These are similar to Dusk Balls, specifically designed to be more effective in the dark areas Ghosts live in, but they aren't a guarantee. You're a Trainer, you know that when you capture a Pokémon in a Ball, it forms a Bond between you and the Pokémon. Even if you release them later, there's still something there, on both ends. When we capture Ghosts, we put them in stasis in the traps, similar to the Storage System, without Bonding with them. It's strictly catch and release, taking them away from the places where they're disrupting people and setting them free somewhere else. Using a Ball leaves a trace and can lead to repeat incidents."

Tsu shuddered at a memory of a Sandygast she had captured once. She had caught it out of desperation, to not lose a fight, but even after she gave it up, she still thought about it, from time to time. It had a happier life now, but she wonders what would have become of it had she just let it go back to the wild. Would it keep looking for humans to Bond with? Would it be one of the repeat incidents Ed mentioned? Suddenly, she didn't think of Ed's job as a joke anymore.

"Of course, there are exceptions!" Ed chuckled, snapping Tsu out of her ruminations. "Sometimes a Ghost forms genuine bonds with a 'buster, and they capture it in a Ball. Like with the Kanto branch's unofficial mascot, Shadow the Gengar. He was causing a ruckus at a hotel in Lavender, and was able to disarm the trap they had set before they could wrangle him, so they ended up catching him and keeping him as a mascot. That's also why we carry multiple traps these days."

Tsu smiled at the thought. Shadow the Gengar had been causing trouble and scaring people, but had made a friend and made a new life for himself. She knew full well that even a Pokémon with a scary appearance or demeanor could be friendly and lovable.

"But!" Ed again brought her back to the present. And I teased him about getting lost in thought earlier... "Enough chit-chat, I have a job to do. How about I show you how all this works in the field?"

"Sounds good to me! Head west, there's a convenience store out near the gatehouse that validates parking. We can grab a snack and leave the car there until we're done. And you can fill me in on the details of this job on the way."

Ed nodded as he closed the hatch, and Tsu happily climbed into the passenger seat. There were other places that offered free parking, but there was no harm in getting a free snack out of this, right?

---

While Ed drove, Tsu looked over the file he'd brought with him. There had been several calls and complaints over the past month of strange occurrences and mysterious encounters out on the road, but apparently none of them had enough evidence to justify sending someone to deal with it. Strange sounds following people, voices calling out from the darkness, even occasional bursts of electricity or freezing winds. Items were stolen when people weren't looking, mostly food or small trinkets, and many of the complaints mentioned feeling watched while walking the road at night.

Edison had mentioned Route 17, but as Tsu looked over the complaints, most of them mentioned the victims either heading out to Pokémon Road or coming back from there, with only the vaguest of the complaints taking place on the Road itself. It seemed that most of the incidents had actually occurred on Route 16, in between Celadon and Pokémon Road.

Also, very few mentioned encountering an actual Ghost, with most only describing seeing shadows out of the corner of their eye, or the sounds and feelings. To Tsu, this was more of a mystery than a simple catch and release mission, and she said so to Ed after they'd left the store.

"You have a point..." He conceded as he retrieved his gear from the back of the car. "This is actually my first solo case, so I'm not entirely sure what to expect. Most of the cases I've been on have been more direct, someone saw a Ghost, they couldn't get rid of it, they called for help. So the first thing to do is try to figure out exactly what we're dealing with!"

Tsu rolled her eyes at him. Good ol' weird Ed. "You ain't afraid of no Ghost?" she teased him lightly.

Ed grinned as he strapped on his Proton Pack, sliding the Styler onto his wrist and connecting it via a slender cord to his pack. "I'd be a lousy Ghostbuster if I was."

"Rookie Ghostbuster." Tsu reminded him. "Besides, don't you have a few Ghost-types?"

Ed merely hmm'd at her as he put the emergency Buster Balls into his pocket. He retrieved a Cherish Ball from a separate pocket, sending out his Golett. "Automaton is very much a valued member of my team, thank you very much, and he has every right to be here. More so than you, I dare say." There was no malice in his tone, just joking haughtiness. Ed acted that way whenever he got teased, which honestly only made most of his friends want to tease him more. Tsu decided to lay off a tiny bit instead.

"So, what's the first step? This isn't like scanning for specific Pokémon, all we have are wild tales and vague clues. And it's getting dark out here."

Indeed, with the sun nearly set, the warm orange sky was giving way to dull red, with dark indigo creeping in overhead. The town itself would be well lit, but here on the outskirts the lighting was more sparse, and would fade entirely once they were out on Route 16, with relatively few lamp posts until reaching Pokémon Road proper.

"Then we have everything we need." Ed pulled his goggles over his eyes, adjusting some dials on the side. "These incidents only occured at night, so we won't have to wait around long. It was a good idea to stop for snacks, we can use some of them as bait. Remember that most of the thefts were of food items, implying the Ghost was looking for physical food as much as mischief. We simply scout the area, locate our wayward Ghost, then Zap 'em, Cap 'em, and Trap 'em."

Bravado was a new look for Ed. Tsu wasn't quite sure it was a good one, though. Especially with Tom carrying all the traps. But he seemed confident, and she'd follow along to see where things went. She'd never had reason to doubt Ed's plans in the past.

---

Tsu was starting to doubt Ed's plan.

They'd been walking along Route 16 for nearly an hour, Ed stopping to scan the trees with one of his gadgets or listen for strange noises periodically. At first, Tsu had watched with interest, but Ed refused to share what he found or elaborate on his occasional mutterings, and it got dull quickly. Occasionally, she thought she saw something move or felt a chill at her back, but every time she dismissed it as the wind or a trick of the light. They hadn't even encountered many other people on the road.

Something needed to change, or they'd never get anywhere. What were they missing?

She thought back to the files again. Shadows and sounds as people were walking, but all interactions happened when people were distracted. Food stolen when they weren't looking, a brush against them after hearing voices in the dark... This Ghost was smart, and wouldn't show itself with Ed scouring the woods with his tools.

They'd have to trick this trickster.

"Ed, can we stop for a bit? We've been walking for hours!" She complained, crossing her arms and stamping her foot petulantly "There's nothing out here, and I can't capture any good shots in this lighting anyway!"

"...hm? What?" Ed glanced over to her, visibly confused even with his eyes hidden. "It hasn't been that long, surely. Are you tired already?" He lifted his goggles back on top of his head as he looked down at his watch, but Tsu didn't let up.

"Let's just take a quick break, please? For five minutes?" She sat down on a nearby log, letting out a long breath as she stretched her legs. Route 16 was cut through some natural woods, and the city's Beautification Committee had protested man-made structures along this part of the path. Pokémon Road had plenty of benches and picnic tables along it for people to stop at, but out here, places to rest had to at least look natural.

"We should probably keep moving..." Ed protested weakly, but his shoulders slumped when Tsu pulled out a bag of convenience store donuts. He came over and sat beside her. "Oh, fine. For five minutes."

Tsu almost felt bad for her act. Ed was such a pushover, it barely took any effort to convince him. But then, he had a habit of hanging out with strong-willed women who didn't mind pushing him around, he was probably used to it. He was still glancing around the area, and frowning down at his gadget. He's not distracted enough.

"So what made you decide this is the job you wanted?" She idly ran her finger along the No-Ghost symbol on his arm, noticing him tense slightly at even that.

"Uh, well... I applied at the Goldenrod branch of Silph, but my internship request was denied. I saw an ad for the Ghostbusters, and they were looking for someone to help develop and test new equipment. You know I've always liked to tinker, and I thought it'd be a good chance to work with Ghost-types."

Tsu nodded, keeping her attention on Ed, but she faintly heard a flutter in the dark, felt the air shift subtly. She wasn't the only one here paying attention to Ed.

"I'm sure the mystery of it all appealed to you, too. You've always been a curious boy. Remember when we met, back in Granite Cave? You were looking for Pokémon in dark places then, too." She ran her hand down his arm, toward his Styler. "You broke your watch back then, but it looks like you found some new toys to play with."

"I... uh... Tsu, are you... what is this, all of a sudden?" The poor boy was almost panicking, but Tsu was positive she heard something rustle above them. Her tactic was working! But she'd need to sacrifice something even greater than Ed's comfort to lure out their prey. She dropped the bag of donuts as she put her arms around Ed, her precious pastries spilling onto the path.

Two things happened simultaneously. Ed leapt from the log, causing Tsu to fall to the ground, and a dark shadow swooped down to grab the food.

Too easy.

"There! Zap 'em, Ed!"

"Huh? Wha- I'm not turned on!" Ed fumbled for his pack, the device emitting a high whine as it powered up. Luckily, he had a back-up plan. "Telekinesis!"

Tom dropped the ghost traps they'd been carrying, their eyes glowing yellow as they extended a hand toward the Pokémon. A similar glow surrounded it, holding it in place before it could escape.

Tsu hopped up from the ground, her camera raised to take a picture of the mysterious phantom, but to her surprise it wasn't a Ghost, it was a bird. A Murkrow struggled in Tom's psychic grip, squawking loudly for help.

A chorus of caws echoed around them as over a dozen more Murkrow launched themselves into the air, their focus now fixed on the Golett restraining one of their own.

Ed froze, the color draining from his face as he stared up at the murder of Murkrow above his head. "Oh no..." he croaked. "Birds..."

---

Edison liked to think he didn't scare easily. Fear is logical, a sign of danger, but it can blind you to the finer details and cloud your judgement. It had served him well in his other cases, as his curiosity and fascination with Ghosts merely drove him to get closer, not to run away. Like Tsu had joked, he ain't afraid of no Ghost.

Birds were a different matter.

Memories can be a tricky thing. A thing can happen, and within seconds your mind can convince itself it happened differently. Things fade, get lost to time, even terrible things can become softer in your memory. But for Ed, just seeing a bird brought back primal terror. The pain of sharp talons piercing his shoulders, the weightlessness as he was lifted into the air, the pit in his stomach when he was dropped and gravity reasserted itself...

None of these Murkrow were a threat to him on their own. But they had numbers on their side, home field advantage, and evoked fear that he couldn't shake. They were Birds, and Birds were his nemesis.

He became aware of someone grabbing his arm, glancing away from the Murkrow above to see Tsu looking up at him in frustration and vexation.

"Hey! Shouldn't you get to busting these? It's your job, right?"

"I..." Ed looked at her, his breathing rapid and his eyes still wide with panic. What was he supposed to do here? "My gear is designed specifically for use on Ghosts! I can't even use the Styler regularly, it's too heavily modified!"

"Are you a Trainer or not?" Tsu reached up, slapping him full in the face. "Use your Pokémon!"

The sudden slap sent pain through his face, which quickly faded as adrenaline and endorphins flowed from his brain. He actually laughed, much to Tsu's confusion. "Of course! Thank you! Hell of a right hand you've got." He patted Tsu's head, smooshing her hat a little, but his focus was now on the threat before him. "Come on out, Neo!"

He tossed a Poké Ball, sending out his Magnemite. Tsu glowered at him as she adjusted her hat, but tossed a Ball of her own to send out a Ponyta.

"Shiny, use Sunny Day!" Tsu's Ponyta tossed a bright ball of energy into the air, where it burst and filled the area with artificial sunlight. The Murkrow were taken off guard, and they no longer had the darkness to hide in. Neo started blasting at the cawing corvids with bolts of electricity, while Tom stood close to Ed to punch down any Murkrow that tried to get close.

Trusting his Pokémon to keep him safe, he quickly pulled up the PokéDex app on his watch, scanning the entries on Murkrow. Many of them state that Murkrow have an interest in sparkling or shiny objects, which would line up with some of the reports of stolen items. Them stealing food, though, implies that these Murkrow aren't getting enough on their own. He quickly tries to count how many are here, but with them moving and diving as they are, he can't get a precise number. At a glance, he'd guess no more than twenty, but reports say Murkrow can gather in murders of up to one hundred. So this group is on the smaller side, all things considered. This would imply that something was competing with them for resources, something they couldn't easily face.

"Automaton, release our captive." Ed gestures to the Murkrow still struggling in Tom's telekinetic grasp, and they dutifully released their hold on it. It flew up to join its brethren, and they quickly scattered to get away from Neo's unavoidable shocks.

"We're just letting them go?" Tsu questioned. Ed expected annoyance from her, but Tsu seemed more confused and genuinely curious. "Should we follow them?"

"That would be unwise. If a Murkrow spots someone following it, it will deliberately lead the pursuer on a false trail into dangerous territory, where they will get lost. Neo, give me a sonar pulse."

Neo beeped an affirmative, their magnets spinning as Ed pulled out more gear from his belt. He didn't wait for Tsu to ask before explaining. "They've scattered so we can't follow all of them, but they'll no doubt regroup to tend to the ones we electrocuted. If I can figure out which direction they went, we can find their nest. If we find the stolen trinkets, we've solved our mystery."

Tsu nodded, but she continued to look at him, her brow furrowed as though she were trying to solve a complex problem. He looked back at her, and she met his gaze, holding eye contact.

Ed coughed and looked back at his gear awkwardly. Tsu sidled up closer, looking at it curiously. "What's your gizmo say?"

Now it was Ed's turn to confusedly look at her, but this time she didn't meet his eyes. She could be very easily distracted, prone to bizarre mood swings, and occasionally possessed of great clarity and intelligence. She vexed him, and he found it annoying. But he pushed it from his mind, focusing on the task at hand. "It appears that they've moved north, back towards Celadon. Even the ones that went south have looped back around. My guess is that they'll have a nest in the northern part of Route 16, so that's where we'll go. Come on."

Ed led the way, Neo providing a continual signal boost, Tom picking up the Ghost Traps, and Tsu and her Ponyta providing gentle light from the Fire-type's flaming mane. It was a peaceful night, and the two enjoyed a companionable silence for a bit, before Tsu broke it.

"Here's what I don't get: why call you? Ghostbusters, I mean. Don't you guys need evidence that it's Ghosts before you head out? Wouldn't this be a job for Rangers?"

"I suppose... but this case was near the bottom of their pile, and perhaps it would have been simply ignored if not for the most recent complaint, when someone actually saw a Ghost. Or, part of one. They saw something phase through the trees after it tried to steal their food. I'm not comfortable making any guesses until I have more data, but my current working theory is that this Ghost may be what is muscling in on the Murkrow's territory, and their antics are what people are reporting."

Tsu hummed in thought, putting her hand to her chin in much the same way Ed was prone to do. It shouldn't bother him, and yet...

"Why?" Tsu asked, earning a confused response from Ed. "Why aren't you comfortable making guesses?"

"Ah." Because I hate being wrong in public, he thought. "Because it's backwards thinking and can cloud your judgement," he said. "You end up looking for evidence to support your theory, rather than making theories that fit the evidence."

"That makes sense." Tsu shrugged, but didn't add anything else to the conversation.

Tracking the Murkrow, they ended up leaving the main road behind. There was a smaller foot traffic path leading into the woods, but the area had mostly been cleared. Ed consulted his guide on what the area was for, but she just shrugged again.

"This is some kind of residential area, I think? Used to be a campground up here, but people stopped coming after Cycling Road got revamped into Pokémon Road. There's a few houses back here, I think, but I don't know who lives in them."

"Well, hopefully whoever they are doesn't mind us cutting across their yard." Ed didn't plan on doing so, not when there was plenty of space to walk, and he doubted the Murkrow or their Ghostly oppressor belonged to anyone here, anyway.

According to Ed's instruments, the Murkrow were likely nesting in a lone tree atop a small hill, separated from all the other trees. They would likely find the stolen goods there, but recovering those was a side objective to flushing out their real target. Putting his Ecto-Goggles on, Ed could detect faint traces of ectoplasmic residue in the area, confirming that one or more Ghosts had traveled through these woods recently. Ectoplasm evaporated quickly, and sunlight would destroy 90% of any residue within moments of sunrise, so the Ghosts in question must have passed by within the last day or two.

Tsu asked if there was anything she could do, but she just didn't have the same tech as Ed. He did have a spare lens for his goggles, and with a bit of tinkering he was able to affix it to the front of her camera, which would let her see any invisible Ghosts so long as she was looking through the lens. Together, the two patrolled the area, all the while aware that something was watching them.

Midnight came and went, with the pair no closer to finding their Ghost. Ed refused to give up, and (seeing Tsu grow more tired) decided that desperate times would require desperate measures. "Tsu, do you still have any snacks on you?"

She opened her satchel to reveal various sweets she'd grabbed at the store, and Ed grabbed all of them. After all, he'd paid for them. "If these Murkrow need food, let's feed them. We might also attract our Ghost."

"Won't that just lead it right to their nest?" Tsu looked at the tree with concern, but Ed lightly rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Maybe. But if we capture it, we can relocate it and they won't have to worry about the competition anymore. High risk, but also high reward." She glanced at his hand, and he quickly removed it from her.

Tsu pouted as Ed opened all of her snack packages and emptied them onto the ground. The rustling coming from the tree was definitely not from the wind, and Ed stepped away from the pile of snacks with arms wide open. "Come and get some! We're sorry about earlier! All this yummy food is yours! Ask my friend, she loves this stuff!"

The Murkrow remained hidden, and Ed was starting to feel foolish, until one Murkrow, more brave or more hungry than the rest, peered out from the top of the tree to eye the snacks. Ed immediately pointed it out to Tom. "Telekinesis! Bring it down here!"

Tom grabbed the bird with his mind, pulling it from the tree as it loudly protested and called for help. It could have been the same one they'd grabbed earlier, which, if true, must have been horribly confusing and humiliating for the poor bird.

A few more Murkrow cried out as their friend was dragged into the open, and some even leapt from the tree, earning more cries from the others. But they sounded off. The birds seemed scared. Ed thought his plan might work, until a different sound rang out around him. Not the hoarse cawing of corvids, but the sharp shriek of a more aggressive predatory bird. More shrieks rose up after the first, and the trees all around rustled as birds flung themselves from their boughs.

"Tsu, some light, please!" Ed cried out, his voice a higher pitch than he'd intended, but as Shiny set up another Sunny Day, the fake sun revealed dozens of Spearow now flying around them, awakened from their rest by the noise and the smell of food. "Why? Why is it just more birds?"

Tom released his grip on the captive Murkrow, which wasted no time returning to the lone tree with the rest of them. A couple Spearow tried to intercept it, but Tom telekinetically grabbed one and Neo hit the other with a Shock Wave, stopping them from attacking the (relatively) innocent bird.

Ed was breathing heavily, seeing all the birds around him, but he forced himself to think rather than panic. Comparatively, a Murkrow is larger than a Spearow, stronger, tougher, and faster. But the smaller birds had the advantage in numbers, and by a fair margin, outnumbering the Murkrow nearly two to one. Was this the cause of their behavior? Were they simply being pushed out by an aggressive flock of Spearow? And if so, what of the traces of Ghostly presence?

He was still missing something...

"Hey, Edison!" Tsu's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "I could use a hand, here!"

...he was missing a fight, apparently. The Spearow had attempted to get closer to the pile of food at some point, so Tom and Neo had been keeping them away from Ed. This must have angered the rest of the flock, who had shifted their attention to Ed's Pokémon, so Tsu was having Shiny intercept them. The Ponyta was quite impressive, her Agility letting her leap high enough to hit Spearow with her hooves. This in turn just made her a target as well.

So far, his Pokémon were just guarding and riposting, which wouldn't get them very far. Neo's shocks would hurt the Spearow, but a Thunder Wave would more effectively hinder them. Their goal would be to dissuade the Spearow from fighting, not rile them up with painful shocks. Meanwhile, Tom retracted his limbs into his body, his internal engine revving before he dashed forward. The quick defense boost would be useful, and his Ability allowed him to telekinetically pull a creature closer to him, ensuring he didn't miss, but leaving him open to a counterattack he couldn't dodge. His goal would be to thin the flock's numbers by simply rolling over them.

The Spearow were getting wise to the notion that the humans were calling the shots, and started dive bombing Ed and Tsu. Before Ed could fret too much over this development, Tsu decided to not only turn the tables, but absolutely flip them by sending out Stacy, her Gyarados.

The draconic fish flew into the air, chasing down the tiny birds and snapping at them with her powerful jaws. The flock were wholly unprepared for Stacy, as Gyarados weren't found this far inland. Not that many creatures are prepared to fight a massive flying sea serpent. Ed breathed a sigh of relief, confident the danger would soon be behind them.

That confidence wavered as another cry came on the wind. The Spearow had the numbers to bully the Murkrow, but they had another ace up their metaphorical sleeves: A Fearow joined the fray, no doubt spurred into action by Stacy's arrival. Ed felt his stomach drop at the sight of a bird with a wingspan greater than his own height. With one flap of those wings, it was aloft and furiously attacking Stacy, stabbing its long beak at her like a fisherman with a spear.

"Aut-t-t... Aut-t.. T-tom! New target!" He choked out a command, but the Spearow had apparently learned that Tom wouldn't dodge them, and the devious birds knew Dark moves that only got stronger as he fought them. Tom was rapidly overwhelmed, so Ed quickly pulled him back into his Ball for safety.

Thinking quickly (but not clearly), he finally found a use for his Proton Pack, attaching the Capture Disc to Neo and letting the energy flow through them. "With this much power, you should be able to use a Thunderbolt!" Neo's magnets spun wildly as the positively charged ions mixed in their body, then a bolt of blue lightning was unleashed from their eye, accompanied by a red Proton Stream. The Fearow didn't have time to dodge, merely to brace for the oncoming blast.

Neo started to drift in mid-air, weakly beeping out an error message. Ed quickly detached the Capture Disc from them, fearing he may have shorted out some circuits with that stunt. He looked up at the Fearow, and saw, to his horror, that it had somehow endured the blast. Stacy roared, but several Spearow got between her and Fearow, preventing her from approaching. Fearow's eyes shone in the light of Sunny Day, reflecting the light like a mirror, and Ed could swear he saw Neo reflected in those eyes.

When Fearow unleashed a Thunderbolt of its own, he realized it wasn't a trick of the light, but Mirror Move, and Stacy crashed to the ground as electricity coursed through her. Tsu cried out in alarm, but Stacy was wracked with paralysis. It all sounded somewhat distant to Ed, and as Fearow turned to glare at Neo, his instincts took over. Fear won over logic, and Ed turned and started running.

---

Tsu wasn't sure what just happened, but Neo had almost won the fight for them, until the Fearow pulled some anime bullshit and tanked the Hyper Lightning, only to redirect it back at Stacy. And she would have won if those meddling Spearow hadn't gotten in the way! She still could, if she could just get back up! "Come on, Stacy! Don't give up now!"

Stacy growled, her body still spasming from the shock, but couldn't get back into the air. Seeing her like this almost made Tsu tear up, and she turned to Ed to see if he had anything to fix this.

He was gone.

Fearow landed on the ground with a light thud, ruffling its feathers and lowering its head. Tsu may not have Ed's encyclopedic knowledge of Pokémon moves, but she could recognize Roost when she saw it. Fearow was getting its second wind, taking a moment to recover from Neo's attack. But the Spearow either didn't know Roost or weren't taking that chance, as they all turned to attack Stacy while she was down. Very not cool.

She returned Stacy to her Ball, when she felt Shiny nudge up against her. Tsu followed her gaze and saw Neo floating slowly back the way they'd come, beeping softly. Tsu could practically hear the little robot crying out for Ed, so she quickly scooped them up into her arms and gave chase, Shiny easily keeping up with her. When she told this story later, she'd be sure to leave this part out. for Ed's sake. She dodged around a tree and ran straight into him, the two going down in a tangle of limbs. She sat up slowly, dazed from the impact, and was surprised when Ed pulled her closer to himself. "I'm sorry! I panicked! I shouldn't have left you behind!"

"Uh... it's fine! No need to worry! You just got overwhelmed, right? Could happen to anyone!" Tsu patted him awkwardly on the shoulder.

"What? I was talking to Neo." Ed pointed to her chest, and Tsu belatedly realized she was still holding the Magnemite close to herself. The poor bot's eye was a little spiral, showing they ware dizzy from the fall or something.

"Oh! Right. Here, you should probably take them back..." She handed Neo over, but the relief was short-lived. The Spearow had caught up to them, Fearow not far behind.

"Come on, there's a house not far from here! We can find shelter there!" Ed jumped to his feet, grabbing Tsu's arm and dragging her up with him. He led her to a nearby house tucked into the woods, It was nice, a quaint little cottage home with a green roof and a nice garden out front. The garden had four plots, each surrounded by wire designed to keep birds out. The windows were dark, so whoever was inside was probably asleep.

That didn't seem to slow Ed, as he charged straight for the door like he was going to break it down. The porch light suddenly turning on did make him freeze up, which Tsu found funny, but it wasn't exactly the best time for laughing. The front door flung open, revealing a grumpy homeowner.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" The woman in question looked to be in her twenties, but was quite pale. Even her eyes were a cool gray and her hair a stark white. She wore navy blue pajama pants and a sleeveless top that looked quite nice. Silk, perhaps? She glared at the two intruders, the bags under her eyes not doing her attempt at intimidation any favors. "What's all this noise out here?"

"Ma'am, please, there's no time! We're being chased by a flock of Spearow and we need shelter!" Ed pleaded. The woman looked at him suspiciously, but the cries of Spearow spotting them was all the proof she needed.

"Damn, those things are loud.." She muttered as she leaned against the doorframe, stifling a yawn. "Ebony, Ivory, will you deal with them?" Something dark rushed out of her house, rustling her hair, followed by a pale white streak that quickly vanished into the snow.

...wait, snow? Tsu looked up, and though there were no clouds, swirling winds carried fat snowflakes and glittering hailstones. She looked through her camera, the enhanced lens letting her see a pale Ghost in the center of the winds, hovering a few feet off the ground. Its white body fluttered like robes in the wind as it directed the storm, sending howling flurries of ice and snow into the flock and scattering them in the frigid breeze.

"Is that a Froslass?" She pointed it out to Ed, who lowered his goggles back over his eyes to confirm.

"It is! Her Snow Cloak hides her from sight in the hail she's summoned, and her Blizzards are scattering the Spearow!" Ed watched in wonder, but his smile faltered. "Wait, but what about the Fearow?"

It didn't take long for the Fearow to try braving the winds, but a glimmering beam of light lanced through the darkness above to knock it aside. Fearow attempted to return fire with Mirror Move, like it had done to Stacy, but Froslass disappeared into the snow. A pair of red eyes appeared before Fearow, draining all the energy for the technique as a second Ghost made itself known, this one dark purple and resembling a cloak and pointed hat.

"That's a Mismagius!" Tsu watched the two Ghosts through her camera, cheering as the birds fled from their combined might. She took a picture of the two together, but the Mismagius somehow heard the sound of her camera as the cold winds died down. It dashed back to the woman in the doorway, who appeared to have dozed off. It tried to hide behind her, which woke her up.

"Huh? Oh... Why are you still here? Shouldn't you be in bed at this hour?"

Tsu raised her camera to take a picture of the Mismagius. It was just too cute, hiding behind its Trainer like that. The woman stepped forward to cover the camera with her hand, and Mismagius panicked and settled atop her head, its ethereal body vanishing into her hair, staining it purple and making it look like she was wearing a witch's hat.

That somehow jogged Tsu's memory, clueing her in that she had seen this woman before. "Hey, aren't you Verity, the Witch of the Woods? I've seen your streams!"

"Oh no, a fan..." Verity muttered, tucking a stray bit of hair behind her ear. "Please tell me you didn't lure a bunch of birds to my house intentionally."

"I'm sorry, miss, but that wasn't our intention." Ed stepped up, bowing his head graciously. "I had no idea who lived here, and in fact I don't even know who-"

Tsu elbowed him to shut him up. Of course poor, terminally offline Edison wouldn't recognize a celebrity when he met one. Tsu didn't want him insulting her favorite variety streamer to her face.

"Of course not, Verity! I actually had no idea this is where you lived! I promise, your secret is safe with us! This is great, I had no idea you lived so close to Celadon!"

Verity rolled her eyes, stifling another yawn. "It's Vera, when I'm not online. But seriously, why are you here, and why is he dressed like a Ghostbuster? Did a costume party go terribly wrong? I think I deserve an answer after saving you."

"For which we are extremely grateful." Ed bowed his head again, reaching for Vera's hand as if to kiss it, but she quickly pulled it away. Tsu also smacked him hard in the arm. "Stop that, you weirdo!"

"I was trying to thank her! It's a gesture of respect!" Ed protested.

"It's old-fashioned and creepy!" Tsu countered.

"Do it again and it'll be your head." Vera grumbled. "Last chance, before I call the police: Why. Are. You. Here?"

"Please, let me explain!" Tsu pushed Ed back a step. "He's not wearing a costume, it's a uniform. He really does work for Ghostbusters, and he's here investigating Ghost sightings and thefts that have been happening around here. We think it was a flock of Murkrow that have been driven from their territory. We confronted them, and accidentally woke up the Spearow. We ran away and they chased us, so we came to the first house we saw looking for help. That was yours!"

Vera merely looked at Tsu, eyes narrowed in suspicion. She then reached up to her head, grabbing a handful of her Mismagius. Although her hand phased through the Ghost, it apparently understood her intent, and allowed her to drag it off her head, returning her hair to snowy white.

"Ebony, do you know anything about Murkrow in the area? Have you been sneaking out after dark and scaring them off?"

Ebony looked at her, eyes wide, before glancing over her shoulder. Vera turned to look and saw her Froslass with one hand to her mouth, shushing him. Vera frowned at her. "Ivory, did you put him up to this?"

Ivory said nothing.

Vera let go of Ebony, who quickly darted up through the ceiling to hide. "Okay, kids, I think I have an idea of what happened here. I have a garden. The Murkrow like to raid my garden. The wire stopped them for a bit, but they just started tearing things up. I had Ebony and Ivory patrol my yard at night to ward them off, and they stopped showing up. I thought that was the end of it, but apparently they didn't stop. I don't know who is calling Ghostbusters on my Pokémon, but that needs to stop. I'll give the Rangers a call in the morning, see what we can do about relocating the Murkrow, or the Spearow, or whatever they do. I don't care. I'll keep my Ghosts inside at night, no one can spot them or accuse them of stealing from or attacking people or whatever is happening. Sound good?"

Tsu nodded, looking to Ed. "Will you still get paid, even if you didn't capture a Ghost?"

Ed thought about it, and winced. "Technically yes, since I get paid on retainer. Without a direct client, there's no one to foot the bill. However, I'll have to go get my gear, and any repairs or replacements will come out of my pay."

"That sounds like a whole lot of Not My Problem!" Vera smiled sweetly, faking a happy tone. "Good luck with all that, but I'm going back to bed. Don't be here when I wake up." She closed the door on them, locking it behind her.

Ed and Tsu walked away from her house, making the trip back to recover Ed's gear. Neither Spearow nor Murkrow bothered them, but they kept an eye out. Ed cleared his throat as they started making their way back to his car. "So, you knew that woman?"

Tsu sighed dramatically, then grinned at him. "Seriously, dude? You need to get on social media or something. Do you even know what a streamer is?"

"Somewhat. It means she has her own show online, yes?"

"Something like that." Tsu laughs. "She plays games sometimes, or does cooking streams, and she talks about her Pokémon a lot. She has this whole witch theme, both on camera and with a VTuber model, and she likes Ghosts, and Fire types, and cute little criaturas, as she calls them."

"Hmm..." Ed put his hand to his chin. "I guess I'll check her out. Maybe I'll 'Like and Subscribe', or 'donate some bits', as they say."

"Oh my god..." Tsu cringes. "Why are you so Old?" The two went back to the car, Tsu glad their Ghost hunt was over and things had worked out alright in the end.

Neither noticed the dark presence, the ghost of a Honchkrow, watch them leave its turf. It turns to look at the reader, smirking and cawing out, "Happy Halloween!"