Ghosts?!
The players who had come to assist Leon froze in alarm when they heard Dylan's terrified scream, nervously scanning their surroundings.
Yet they saw no trace of any supernatural beings—only two Pokémon in the graveyard.
"You must be hallucinating. There aren't any ghosts here," Ethan Carter said as he helped Dylan up from the ground.
"There really was one! A horrifying ghost face and a female ghost in a red wedding dress! They chased me for ages!" Dylan insisted, his face streaked with tears.
Hearing his certainty, the other players grew uneasy. Could this game actually include ghosts?
They turned to Leon for answers.
Leon observed the frightened players and felt an urge to tease them.
He deliberately paused for effect before continuing, "This world does indeed have creatures resembling ghosts."
The players immediately panicked.
"Holy shit! There really are ghosts in this game?!"
"Don't scare me like that! Is this secretly a horror game?!"
"I'm out. Nope, nope—my helmet just moved on its own!"
Their reactions amused Leon. In other games, ghosts wouldn't be a big deal—just a jump scare behind a screen. But this was a virtual reality experience, with sensations indistinguishable from real life.
Encountering ghosts here would feel like facing them in reality. No wonder they were terrified.
"But these beings are actually Pokémon—Ghost-type Pokémon," Leon clarified, finally putting their fears to rest.
"Ghost-type? So they're still related to ghosts?"
"As long as they're Pokémon, I'm not scared anymore!"
"Then why did Wind see a female ghost?"
"Yeah, I really did see one!" Dylan demanded an explanation.
"You were likely hit by Gastly's Confuse Ray. The move induces mental confusion," Leon explained.
"What you saw—the ghost face and the bride—were projections of your own fears. In short, you hallucinated."
"Confuse Ray? Hallucinations?"
Dylan replayed the memory in his mind.
"Wait! Before I saw the ghost face, I did notice a strange light!"
He slapped his knee in realization. There had never been any ghosts—just a Pokémon move playing tricks on him.
Those two Pokémon had made him embarrass himself in front of everyone!
Furious, Dylan glared at the two Pokémon, itching for a fight.
"Ghost-types are relatively rare. Their designs often incorporate elements of death and the macabre. Their bodies tend to appear ethereal and elusive, aligning with common perceptions of ghosts."
"The two Pokémon ahead both possess the Ghost type. The black, spherical one is called Gastly. Legend says it forms when grudges attach themselves to graveyard miasma, eventually manifesting as a Pokémon. Of course, that's just folklore!"
Despite Leon's disclaimer, the players instinctively backed away from the shadowy orb.
The graveyard setting made it hard to dismiss the tale.
Leon shook his head but didn't press further. Once he captured the Gastly, they'd see the truth for themselves.
And capture it he would.
Leon had always been fond of Gengar—powerful yet oddly endearing. Now that he'd found a Gastly, he wouldn't let it slip away.
He had already discreetly directed Poliwhirl to flank Gastly and Misdreavus while keeping his hands near his remaining Poké Balls, ready to intercept if they fled.
But the two showed no intention of retreating.
After roaming the wilds for so long, they could gauge opponents' strength. The players' weakened, injured Pokémon posed no threat. Only Poliwhirl matched their level, but they had numbers on their side.
Misdreavus, though weaker, could escape if needed.
Confident, they decided to scare the humans again.
For Misdreavus, fear was sustenance—its very reason for existing. And the terror Dylan had radiated earlier was delicious. It craved more.
Unaware of their thoughts, Leon continued, "Gastly's body consists mostly of toxic gas, granting it both Ghost and Poison typing—a dual-type Pokémon."
"It has a mischievous nature, delighting in pranks and scares."
"The emerald-green one is Misdreavus. Don't let its cute appearance fool you—it feeds on human fear. The red orbs on its neck—"
"Aron, use Rock Tomb! Ursaring, Payback!"
"Poliwhirl, cut off their escape!"
Leon suddenly hurled two Poké Balls, releasing Aron and Ursaring.
The moment they materialized, they struck.
Aron's Rock Tomb boxed the Ghost-types in, creating the perfect opening for Ursaring.
Purple energy coalesced around Ursaring's arm before it slammed into Gastly.
"Gaaass!"
Gastly wailed in agony, its gaseous form nearly dispersing from the blow.
Misdreavus froze, stunned.
Weren't they supposed to be scaring the humans? How had they become the ones under attack? And where had these two Pokémon come from?
Even the players were caught off guard, having been engrossed in Leon's lecture.
But Leon had anticipated this. Ghost-types like Gastly were notoriously slippery—only a surprise assault would work.
"Ursaring, Payback again!"
"Groooar!"
Another violet-clad paw smashed into Gastly, knocking it out cold.
"Poké Ball, go!"
Leon pitched an empty Poké Ball, capturing Gastly with a single shake.
He turned back to find the players staring at him expectantly.
"What... do you want?"
"Lord Leon, you forgot to say the line!"
"Yeah! It's tradition!"
Leon stiffened. He'd walked right into this.
He'd enjoyed teasing them before, but now the tables had turned.
Saying that phrase in front of everyone was mortifying!
But as the lord, how could he disregard tradition?
Gritting his teeth, he raised the Poké Ball and shouted the iconic line:
"I caught a Gastly!"