Chương 37: 37. Maiden's Spirit
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Kai took out a Poké Ball and carefully extended it toward Gastly.
Without hesitation, Gastly tapped the button, allowing its body to be enveloped in the red light and pulled into the ball.
The Poké Ball shook slightly before stopping with a soft "click."
It worked!?
Before Kai could celebrate, the Poké Ball suddenly opened, and Gastly floated back out.
"I really can't stand the environment in there it's dark and cramped," Gastly grumbled, shaking its gaseous body. "I'm used to being free. I much prefer staying outside."
Kai shrugged. "That's fine. Honestly, I don't like travelling alone anyway. It'd be nice to have a Pokémon by my side."
Gastly nodded and floated toward Maiden Rock once more.
"The summer festival has ended for this year, but your legend will continue to be told," Kai remarked.
A faint, translucent figure of a woman appeared from the Maiden Statue. It was the spirit of the maiden herself!
"Thank you, Gastly," she said softly.
"Oh, don't mention it," Gastly replied with a grin. "I just wanted to make sure this fading legend stayed alive in people's memories."
The spirit clasped her hands together. "For so long, I've remained here, waiting to reunite with him. No matter how long it takes, I'll continue to wait."
Gastly moved aside to let the spirit see Kai and added, "You heard what she said earlier. I'm going on a journey now, but if I happen to meet your lover somewhere, I promise to pass along your message."
"Thank you so much!"
The maiden's tone brightened. Slowly, she floated back toward Maiden Statue and vanished, leaving behind a gentle, lingering warmth.
By the time Kai returned to the Pokémon Center, dawn was breaking. Stepping into the warm room, his exhaustion finally caught up with him, making his eyelids heavy.
Ash was sound asleep, but Brock stirred awake, having already rested plenty during the day. His complexion looked much better after a full recovery.
"Why are you back so late?" Brock asked, rubbing his eyes.
Kai yawned. "I stayed out to handle the Gastly situation."
Suddenly remembering something, Kai turned to Brock and said, "Gastly gave you some trouble earlier. Why don't you let it apologize?"
"You caught it?" Brock asked in surprise.
Kai didn't respond, but a black sphere wreathed in purple mist emerged from his shadow and floated into view.
"Whoa!" Brock exclaimed, startled. His yell woke Pikachu, who blinked curiously, while Ash merely rolled over, still fast asleep.
"Hey, small-eyed man!" Gastly cackled. "Apart from being a hopeless flirt, you scare way too easily. What happened earlier was just a little prank, no hard feelings, right?"
Brock, ever good-natured, chuckled. "I wasn't really upset about it anyway. Apology accepted."
Kai glanced at his phone to check the time. "I'll probably sleep in for a while. When Ash wakes up, you should head out without me. I'll stay here for another day or two. If fate allows, we'll meet again."
Brock was puzzled. "Isn't the Gastly situation resolved? Why stay longer?"
Kai didn't explain further, only nodding as Brock said, "Alright. Take care, then."
After a quick wash, Kai collapsed into bed. When he opened his eyes again, it was already afternoon.
The past few days of nighttime adventures and little rest had left his biological clock in chaos, and even now, he felt drained.
Ash, Misty, and Brock had long since left. Misty had initially wanted to stay behind with Kai, but since he hadn't asked her to, she reluctantly continued the journey with Ash.
Kai's decision to remain stemmed from his desire to preserve the legend of Maiden Statue.
Experiencing it firsthand had convinced him that true, unwavering love existed.
However, Gastly's earlier approach wasn't sustainable it was inefficient and didn't help spread the story effectively.
Now that Gastly was his Pokémon, Kai felt a responsibility to ensure the legend endured.
He documented everything that had happened at Maiden Statue and visited the Maiden Shrine to speak with the old priest.
The priest shared tales of love and tragedy from 2,000 years ago. Combining these accounts with his own experience, Kai crafted a poignant, heartwarming story.
Recalling a past conversation with Chloe, he remembered her mentioning her mother, Talia, who was both an artist and an aspiring illustrator.
Kai emailed the story to Chloe, asking if her mother could help by adding illustrations.
Chloe responded with a simple "OK" emoji.
Shortly after, an unfamiliar number called him.
Answering, Kai heard a cheerful voice on the other end. "Hello, this is Talia Cerise. Is this Kai?"
Realizing this was Chloe's mother, Kai replied politely, "Yes, ma'am. It's a pleasure to speak with you."
Talia continued, "Chloe told me about you. The story you sent is beautifully written! I've heard the legend of Maiden Rock before, but I didn't know it was true!"
Kai smiled. "It's hard to believe, but I did see the maiden's spirit myself. However, I'd appreciate it if you kept this quiet too much attention could bring harm to the site."
"Of course," Talia assured him. "My husband's research also requires discretion. Chloe mentioned you'd like some illustrations for your story?"
"Yes," Kai admitted, "but I hate to trouble you. After learning the full legend, I feel it's important to preserve and share it."
Talia laughed lightly. "No trouble at all! After all, you're part of the Cerise Lab family. In fact, instead of simple illustrations, how about turning it into a full manga or a comic?"
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