"Oowu—"
"Driiii~~"
Near the strait by Bill's lighthouse, Dratini called out toward the enormous shadow in the mist.
"C-can it communicate?!" Bill exclaimed, visibly thrilled.
The shadow looming in the fog was one of the main reasons he had established his laboratory here.
"Ka-kaah~~"
Gengar also called out to the shadow, flailing its stubby arms enthusiastically like it was saying hello.
Vulpix and Tinkatuff, on the other hand, were just as puzzled and astonished as Bill.
A shadow that massive... was it really a Pokémon?
If so, just how big would it have to be?
"Gengar, you can understand it too?" Johan asked, a bit surprised.
He knew the enormous shadow was actually a gigantic Dragonite.
But if ordinary Pokémon could communicate with it, Bill wouldn't have spent so much time here, nor would he still have no information about the giant Dragonite.
Ice Vulpix and Tinkatuff's reactions also made it clear that not just any Pokémon could understand.
It made sense for Dratini to understand—it was of the same species line. But Gengar?
"Ka-kaah?"
You guys don't understand?
Gengar tilted its head in confusion.
Ice Vulpix, Tinkatuff, and Bill's own Vulpix all nodded in unison.
"I've long suspected it's a Pokémon, but I've tried countless methods and still couldn't communicate with it..." Bill explained.
Gengar grinned sheepishly, as if suddenly realizing something.
"Ka-kaah~~"
Oh, right. I forgot—it's speaking an ancient language.
Ancient language?
So Dratini could understand because of its time in the Dragon Sanctuary.
As for Gengar, being a thousand-year-old ghost, it might not remember its past, but it wasn't surprising for it to retain some ancient knowledge.
"Oowu~~"
The deep, resonant cry of the giant Dragonite echoed once more.
"Driii?"
Dratini's eyes lit up with excitement.
Gengar cupped its hands around its mouth and shouted loudly:
"Ka-kaah~~"
After yelling, Gengar puffed out its cheeks, letting ghostly energy swell within its body. It then began to wobble upward, "swimming" through the air.
"Be careful," Johan warned, immediately realizing what Gengar intended to do.
"Ka-kaah~~"
Gengar flashed an OK sign and grinned mischievously. Then, with its signature wicked laugh, it began to float toward the giant Dragonite.
"Gengar is..." Bill started.
"Going to collect a gift," Johan replied.
"A g-gift?!" Bill blinked in confusion, then hurriedly added, "Gengar, could you also collect some data for me?"
He retrieved an old Pokédex—a bright red one from the early generation—and handed it to Gengar with a pleading look.
"Ka-kaah!"
Gengar thumped its chest in agreement, snatched the Pokédex with its tongue, and resumed its "swim" toward the giant Dragonite. Soon, it disappeared into the mist.
"Driii..."
Dratini let out a soft, disappointed whimper, its excitement fading. It seemed to have heard something from the giant Dragonite that dampened its mood.
Johan patted Dratini gently on the head.
The giant Dragonite had been wandering the seas in search of its companions. Every now and then, it would return to this spot and call out, but it had never received an answer.
The calls from Dratini and Gengar had given the Dragonite a glimmer of hope, but it realized they weren't its long-lost companions.
Still, the fact that someone could understand it seemed to lift its spirits.
In the fog, the massive shadow gradually receded.
Gengar soon returned, strolling back nonchalantly through the air.
It was clear that Gengar was quickly mastering the art of energy-assisted flight.
"Ka-kaah~~"
The grinning Gengar gave Bill a reassuring pat on the shoulder, then spat out the Pokédex—drenched in ghostly saliva.
Bill didn't even flinch. He snatched the Pokédex eagerly and opened it.
His eyes widened.
"Dragonite?! A Dragonite that enormous?!"
Clutching the Pokédex like a priceless treasure, he dashed back toward the lighthouse to analyze the data.
Left alone by the strait, Johan turned to Gengar.
"Don't tell me you went all that way just to collect a few photos and some data."
He knew Gengar too well—this was the kind of Pokémon that wouldn't hesitate to snatch a feather from a passing bird.
Gengar chuckled slyly.
"Ka-kaah~~"
You know me too well!
It gestured for Johan and the others to gather around.
Once they were close, Gengar pried its mouth open wide, reached inside, and rummaged around. Its eyes sparkled as it pulled out a massive object.
"Driii?!"
Everyone stared in shock at what Gengar had retrieved: a giant dragon scale that shimmered with a faint glow, its colors shifting in a gradient.
Even Johan, usually unshakable, was stunned.
The scale radiated an aura of power, its size and brilliance unparalleled.
Gengar handed the scale to Dratini.
Among Johan's Pokémon, only Dratini had the potential to "digest" something like this.
Dratini sniffed the scale cautiously, then exhaled in relief—it didn't smell like Gengar's saliva.
Fortunately, Gengar had stored the scale in its spatial dimension, not directly in its mouth.
"Did you pluck this off the Dragonite?" Johan asked suspiciously.
"Ka-kaah!"
Gengar wagged a finger with a smug grin, mimicking the cheeky mannerisms of a certain iconic movie character.
It cackled, reached back into its dimension, and pulled out another massive dragon scale.
Two scales?!
With a satisfied pat of its belly, Gengar indicated there was nothing left.
Even so, these two enormous dragon scales were worth dozens, if not hundreds, of ordinary scales.
That night, as the Pokémon enjoyed their feast, Johan's thoughts drifted.
"Ancient Pokémon in Kanto aren't limited to this Dragonite, right?"
He remembered stories from the anime: the colossal Gengar and Alakazam that clashed, and the gigantic Jigglypuff that appeared later.
If these were all ancient Pokémon, Gengar might actually be able to communicate with them...
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
Too dangerous.
If Gengar found out about them, things could spiral out of control.
The next morning, Johan was rudely awakened by a lick from Gengar.
The night before, he'd had a bizarre dream:
Gengar, having undergone Mega Evolution, challenged Giratina to a fight. Armed with Ice Punch, it pummeled Giratina mercilessly and tore off a chunk of the dragon's scales, devouring them to claim their power.
Afterward, it declared itself "Ghostina" and pranced around in triumph.
"Strange dream..." Johan muttered, rubbing his tingling cheek.
It must have been a lingering impression from the ghostly shadow he saw during Gengar's evolution.
Later, he found Bill, who looked absolutely exhausted but brimming with excitement.
"Did you even sleep last night?" Johan asked.
"Johan!" Bill cried, rushing up to him.
Grabbing Johan by the shoulders, he pleaded, "Could you do me a favor?"
Johan blinked. "What favor?"
Bill produced the old Pokédex from before.
"Please deliver this to Professor Oak in Pallet Town!"
Then, as if remembering something, he rummaged through a pile of junk and handed Johan a TM as compensation.
"Here's your reward—please, I'm counting on you!"
With that, Bill's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.
"Ka-kaah?"
Gengar tilted its head, poking Bill lightly.
Is he dead?
Johan shot Gengar a look.
"He's just passed out from exhaustion."
Looking at the items Bill had handed him, Johan sighed.
"Pallet Town... Professor Oak... How is my to-do list getting longer and longer?"
He glanced at the TM.
TM: Pain Split.
Well, at least that's useful.
"Vulpix!"
"Oowu?"
"Make sure Bill has a good dream, will you?"
----------
Powerstones?
For 20 advance chapters: patreon.com/michaeltranslates