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Ghost-Trainer
By : Almister
Category: Pokemon > General
Views: 3125 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, I make no money from this story.
Chapter List
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                "Atticus? Atticus, come down here please!" A gentle voice called from down stairs, urging the boy away from his studies. Even at the age of five he was already a strong reader, and would often spend entire days with his nose buried in books. Placing his latest one down next to the others, with an old ribbon to mark his page, he wandered down to see what his mother wanted.

                "Ah, there you are, reading again?" His mother asked. She was a kind lady, always speaking softly and treating everything with a gentle hand. He shared his light brown hair color with her, although his pale complexion ran in his father's side of the family. Seeing the young boy nod once she smiled, and tousled his hair affectionately. "Auntie Linda is coming over, she's bringing your cousin as well."

                Atticus smiled, he'd grown up alongside his 'cousin' for most of his life. Their parents were friends, close enough that they considered themselves sisters. While he wasn't technically related to Emily, their daughter, he was expected to treat her like family. They quickly became best friends, and in Atticus's case, his only friend.

                They didn't get along perfectly of course. Even at a young age Atticus was fond of books, reading through sections of their family's old library at a time. He adored myths and legends, and any stories dealing with the supernatural, often reading them to Emily at night when the two were supposed to be sleeping. His goal in life was to one day take over for his father, tending to their villages famous shrine.

                Emily was more into Pokemon, and loved hearing and learning all she could from trainers that passed through the town. They didn't have a nearby professor, living in the hills in Northeastern Unova, but the occasional wild Pokemon would wander through their yards, and she would always drag Atticus to observe it. Even at such a young age she would go on and on about one day going on a Pokemon journey.

                Smiling he returned to his room to grab an interesting book from the pile on his desk. It was old and dusty, but had plenty of pictures of Pokemon, and it was certain to impress his friend. "Atticus!" A much younger voice called up from downstairs, followed by the sound of rapid footsteps. "Atticus guess what?" A girl his age, with long blonde hair, called rushing into his room and belly flopping onto his bed giggling. "I saw a Vulpix in the yard today!"

                "That's really cool! Did you catch it?" Atticus asked, joining in her excitement and climbing onto the bed with her.

                "Nuh uh, Mum said I'm too young to have a Pokemon, and it was wild. I didn't even get to feed it like Miss Autumn's Chimecho." She pouted, rolling over onto her back. "But it would make a great first Pokemon don't you think?"

                Atticus laughed along with her as she described her latest idea for becoming a Pokemon master. They talked and laughed until bedtime, when they fell asleep beside one another. Their parents both found the scene adorable, and merely tucked them into bed.

O~O~O~O~O

                Years passed, and the two entered the local school. It wasn't much, there was only class for each year up to grade 8 and there were still only eighteen students per grade on average. Passed grade eight they'd have to travel to a nearby town to attend school, there was only one teacher in their village.

                Over the years his relationship with Emily had changed. They were still close, but in public they fell into different social circles, or at least she did. She was popular, always cheery, kind, smart and beautiful. He was quiet and reserved, finding more comfort in isolation with a good book. During recess she would have crowds of children around her to play with, while he would sit under the same old tree, reading away his free time.

                In private they still hung out, still confided in each other and had their regular sleepovers. She shared with him all of her ideas for possible Pokemon teams in the future, and travel plans she drew up that would take her all across several continents. His heart would lurch when she spoke of crossing deserts or climbing mountains, his overactive imagination would show him images of her meeting terrible ends. Somewhere along the way he'd become protective of her, watching over her like a big brother, always from a distance. He would smile when she was happy, and ache whenever she wasn't.

                "Don't you see it?" Atticus asked, whispering to Emily in class when the teacher wasn't looking.

                "I don't see anything, there's no Pokemon in the classroom." Emily frowned, causing Atticus to once more point at one of the corners.

                "It's right up there, how can you not see it?" He asked again. It was clear as day to him, a small black orb in a cloud of purple mist, looking down over the class with big white eyes. "It's a Ghastly, I'm sure of it."

                "There's nothing up here, stop trying to scare me." Emily whispered, returning to her assignment.

                "I'm not trying to scare you, it's not even doing anything. It's just watching us work." The young boy whispered back, getting a stern look from their teacher. Emily refused to reply.

                That night he told his father about what he had seen, and he was brought out to the shrine. "There has long been a history of Mediums in our family. People gifted with the ability to see spirits, even when they didn't want to be seen. It was once part of our duties as shrine guardians to help spirits find the rest they desire."

                "You mean like Ghost-type Pokemon?" Atticus asked.

                "Not quite. Ghost-type Pokemon are not really dead. They live and reproduce just like other Pokemon, and will eventually die of old age. What makes them unique is they exist partly within the realm of the living, and partly across the veil to the afterlife. This is where all of their power comes from." His father explained, patting a few old looking tomes next to where he sat. "When a person dies with great regret in their heart, sometimes they will not cross the veil right away. Then it becomes the duty of a Medium to help them cross over."

                "I'm not sure I really get it." Atticus said, looking puzzled.

                "That's quite alright, you'll have plenty of time to learn. Your uncle was the last in our family with the gift, and he left quite a number of journals behind for you to read. There's a lot about Ghost-type Pokemon as well, if you're interested." His father said, rising from his chair to return to the house.

O~O~O~O~O

                Emily eventually resumed speaking to him, and after quite some time began believing him when he said he could see ghosts. Their friendship continued on through school, until at last graduation had come. Atticus stood out in front of the school under an umbrella, waiting for Emily to join him. It was their last day of classes, his final tests were done, after this he'd be able to devote his full time to studying for his duties.

                His thoughts were interrupted by two cold hands reaching out to cover his eyes. "Guess who?" A familiar voice chimed musically.

                "Hello Emily, how were the tests?" Atticus replied, unsurprised by the antics.

                "Boo, you're always so dull and lifeless. If I wasn't here to lighten you up, people would think you're already dead." Emily complained, moving her hands to embrace him from behind, hiding under the protection of his umbrella. It always rained in their village, the price of living on a coastal mountain range. The trees were all evergreen, the only ones able to thrive in the thin layers of dirt, and every where they looked the spongy green of moss clung to every surface. Today it was drizzling, which made it 'nice weather' to the locals.

                "Those tests suck. Why do I need to know about history or math, they should teach battle strategies and move tutoring techniques instead, those are way more useful." Emily continued to whine as the two walked into town, following the large gutters carved into the sides of the road. "Or survival tactics, or camping techniques, stuff that is really important."

                "Not all of us are going to be trainers Emily." Atticus replied with a small sigh. They'd discussed it millions of times, but he still refused to put his duty to his family on hold to hike around the country.

                "I still wish you'd reconsider, it'd be a lot more fun with you there next to me."

                "Really?" This was the first time Atticus could recall her speaking of any insecurities at all.

                "Well... yeah... I mean you've always been there for me. You're the most reliable person I know. It'll be weird not having to keep your chin up all the time." The blonde girl shrugged, pulling ahead a few feet so he couldn't see her face.

                "Come on, you've been dreaming of this for years now, your whole life has been Pokemon since you were old enough to point them out. I dimly recall your first word being 'Pidove'." Atticus joked, trying to lighten the mood.

                "Not all of us were reading before we could walk." Emily grumbled, looking away to hide her embarrassment.

                "Not all of us were catching dangerous Pokemon with our bare hands before we could speak." Atticus countered, grinning at his success. "I remember your parents got you all dressed up in that beautiful Kimono for the shrine festival when you were four. You ran off into the bushes and came back dragging a Shuckle and covered in dirt. I think you wanted to start your journey right then and there."

                The two both broke into laughter at the memory, the heavy mood form earlier vanishing. Emily skipped ahead a few feet to splash through some puddles. "I'm thinking of starting with the Water-type. That way, if I get homesick I can make it use rain dance."

                "Your travel partners will love you." Atticus quipped, smiling at her antics.

                "Speaking of, Zach spoke to me today." The blonde girl said, spinning around to look at his reaction.

                "That obnoxious rich boy? What did he want?" Zach was a kid their age from school. He'd moved to their small village a few years ago, when his family opened up a superstore on their main street. Since then he'd been strutting around like he was better than anyone in their 'hick town'. Despite that, most girls still saw him as a heart-throb.

                "He wanted me to meet him tonight on the old bridge." She shrugged, pretending it was no big deal.

                Atticus scowled, "You mean the old bridge? The one where if two people confess their love for each other their souls will forever be entwined? The bridge that has been the most popular make-out location for the village for the past fifty years?"

                "Relax, sheesh. You and your superstitions. Yes, he asked me to meet him on the bridge, no I don't think it's going to be romantic." Emily turned around, and began kicking puddles once again. "He probably just wants to ask me to travel with him. Which would be nice, I guess, having someone I know to travel with. You don't need to get jealous."

                Rubbing the bridge of his nose, the young medium hid a scowl. Over the years his 'protective streak' had become a bit more romantic in nature. He never pushed things, unwilling to risk ruining everything on an impulse. "I don't think you should go. To the bridge I mean. You need to be up early tomorrow don't you? What if he's just doing this as a joke, to make you miss the bus?"

                "Just relax, I'm going to show up at the right time, and wait like ten minutes. If he doesn't show it's his loss." They had reached her home now, and both paused on her porch. "I'm certain you won't be up early enough to see me off so... This is goodbye."

                "Yeah... I guess it is." Atticus said, pausing nervously. He really didn't want to say goodbye, not having her around would be a major change.

                "I'll call you all the time of course, to brighten your gloomy day with awesome stories of my journey. The one you aren't joining me on. Which I'll remind you of constantly." Emily joked, smiling up at him.

                "You have reminded me every day for the past... 13 or so years. I'm still not going. You'll be fine on your own, and be champion within the year. I guarantee it." Atticus replied, sharing her grin. He was shocked when she suddenly shot forward, throwing her arms around his neck in a tight hug. They hadn't done this in a while, their level of physical contact had dropped steadily over the years.

                The embrace held for several moments, longer than simple friends would be comfortable with, but neither seemed to mind. Eventually Emily drew back slightly, moving her head in front of his, her eyes closed and nose along side of his. Sighing slightly Atticus pushed forward, pressing his forehead against hers like they had in their childhood to check for fevers.

                Her eyes fluttered open, glimmering blue meeting soft brown. For a moment raw emotion seemed to flow between them, saying millions of hidden thoughts and secrets. "I will miss you." She whispered, sweet breath washing over him.

                "Every day?" Atticus asked with a small grin.

                "Every day." She agreed, closing her eyes again.

                "I'll see you in the morning, to send you off." The young medium said, giving her a last squeeze.

                "You'd better be there, I want a kiss goodbye." She said, turning and entering her house before he could reply.

O~O~O~O~O

                The storm grew worse as the evening progressed, becoming a downpour that darkened the sky. Atticus distracted himself by pouring over one of his Uncle's old journals, this one on helping spirits cross over. According to the book there were several ways to do it, including 'sending rituals' for benign spirits, or exorcisms for violent ones. Both of these would push the spirit across the veil into a sort of limbo, the in-between that several Ghost-type Pokemon drew their power from. Once within the void they were harmless, and when the world had forgotten about them they'd finally pass on and find peace.

                The best way, according to his uncle's research, was to help a spirit cross over naturally by settling whatever unfinished business kept them bound to the realm of the living. This was often the fastest way, and lead to the least amount of suffering for the ghost.

                A crack of thunder distracted him from his readings, and he rose to look outside. "She wouldn't be stupid enough to go out in this would she?" He asked out loud, staring out into the inky darkness and pouring rain. It came down in sheets, blowing the branches of trees in the yard about violently. Another flash of lightning illuminated the yard, revealing an Absol that sat staring up at his window.

                Atticus's blood ran cold, remembering all of the folktales about that particular Pokemon, and how it predicted disaster. Another jagged bolt of lightning fell from the sky, once more revealing the Pokemon, that remained staring directly at him. Reaching for the phone he dialed the familiar number, impatiently pacing as it rang.

                "Hello?" A familiar voice said from over the line, amidst a burst of static. The storm must be affecting the phone lines.

                "Auntie Linda? It's Atticus, is Emily there?" He asked, tension obvious in his voice.

                "Of course dear, she's upstairs, probably packing for her trip. Let me just go get her."

                Letting out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, Atticus let himself flop down onto his bed.

                "Emily? Emily are you in here? Oh dear, she isn't here... You don't suppose she went out in this do you? Hello?" The phone clattered to the floor. The young medium was already out the door, not even stopping for his raincoat as he darted into the night, following the well-worn path to the bridge.

                He slipped several times, forced to slow down around sharp corners, until he finally reached the river. It was swollen form the rain, and overflowing with fast moving water, and the bridge was no longer there.

                "Emily!" He yelled, voice cracking as he felt his heart leap into his throat. "Emily where are you?" Warm tears fell down his face, mixing with the rain that sapped every ounce of heat from his body.

                "Atticus." Came a soft voice from behind him.

                Startled he whipped around, eyes lighting up as he gazed upon his childhood friend. His dread returned as he realized she was floating about a foot off the air.

                Atticus... I think... I think I'm dead.

O~O~O~O~O

                The young medium sat in the police office, wrapped in a grey wool blanket and clutching a cup of hot chocolate. Around him several adults made themselves busy, organizing search and rescue teams to find his missing friend.

                This is pointless. You know it's too late, and you know who's responsible. It had quickly become obvious that only he could see and hear the girl. The police had arrived shortly after he had, and quickly brought him back to the station. He'd remained silent, and his parents arrived shortly afterwards to talk to the police.

                "Why were you even out there? What could possibly have made you go out in that storm?" He whispered, keeping his head looking down.

                It's not like I knew the bridge would collapse. It's survived years of rain.

                "But why? What could he have that would make you go out to see him in that kind of weather?" He sighed, the part of him that was slowly getting over the shock was furious.

                I just wanted to see what he'd say. Nobody likes going on a Pokemon journey alone.

                "I suppose you're staying for your funeral then." He said solemnly, hands trembling slightly against the cup of hot cocoa.

                Where else would I go?

                "The afterlife? Where all dead people are supposed to go?" Atticus said, sitting up straighter to look at her. She was floating a few feet away, wearing the clothing she had prepared for her trip. High socks and hiking shoes, with a pair of Capri pants and a long sleeved shirt. The entire ensemble was dripping wet, as well as her hair, and would likely remain so. Her fingers and lips seemed almost blue.

                No way! You can't just send me away like that! I'd never see you again!

                "Think of it as a different sort of journey. You can't remain in the land of the living, it isn't natural. This is hard for me too you know." Atticus said, unwilling to look the girl in the eye.

                The only reason I even consider going on that trip was because I'd be able to call you every day. You're my closest friend, you always have been. I couldn't imagine not being in your life.

                Her voice cracked, and even though she couldn't cry, it was obvious she was trying to. "You know I care about you just the same. You're a huge part of my life."

                Let me stay then. Someone has to keep your chin up.

                "It goes against all of my training. But I absolutely refuse to send you away if you're unwilling to leave." Atticus said, leaning back against his seat. Emily followed, floating down to pretend to sit next to him. It was amusing to watch, as she fidgeted so that she wasn't sticking halfway through any object.

O~O~O~O~O

                A month had passed, and with it, Emily's funeral. The spirit still refused to pass on, instead hanging around Atticus, preventing the boy from grieving. They'd fallen into some semblance of a routine, although her presence still garnered him odd looks from much of the village.

                WAAAAAAAAAKE UUUUUUUUUUP!

                Atticus shot out of bed with a start, looking around the room in blind panic. "What, what is it?" A soft melodic giggle sounded to his left, where Emily lay in mid air, head cradled in her arms.

                It's 8am, time go get up.

                "It's the weekend. Give me a break." He grumbled, laying back down on the bed.

                But I'm boooooooooooored. I don't sleep anymore, remember? And I can't even touch anything to entertain myself. I spent all night floating around the village.

                "I'll leave the TV on for you or something then." He muttered, getting up and walking over to the bathroom. "No peaking."

                Oh please, just because I can pass through walls, doesn't mean I suddenly want to see you naked. We used to take baths together all the time remember?

                "Things change. I'll be out in a bit, and we can decide what to do today."

                Morning routine completed he went downstairs to join his family for breakfast. The atmosphere had been subdued since Emily's death, and her funeral had only been bearable because of her phasing her hand into his. As he sat eating, Emily hovered behind his father, reading the paper over his shoulder.

                Man, he reads slow. And he skips over the tournament results. Can you change the TV to channel 42?

                Seeing neither of his parents were interested in the news, he grabbed the remote and flipped the channel over.

                "I didn't know you were interested in competitive training." His mother commented, but he merely shrugged in response, looking on in feigned interest as a trainer in flashy clothing swept the final round of a tournament.

                "Ladies and gentlemen you just saw it here, Adrian Montague has just won the Hearthome Grand Prix. This is truly the trainer to watch these days, winning five tournaments in the past year alone. Let's see what he has to day!" An announcer stood in front of the field, waiting as Adrian ignored his tired Pokemon and collected his trophy.

                "I stand before you today not as a Trainer of Pokemon. I stand here, upon the stage reserved for victors, as a Master of Pokemon. If you want to know how to become strong, there is only one thing you must know. Pokemon. Are. Animals! They are beneath humans, they are there to be dominated, not to be treated as friends. Strength comes from purity! This world is full of the impure, the contaminated, the corrupt. Purity is power, Master your Pokemon, they are your tools, not the other way around." The speech ended to mixed reactions from the crowd. Disturbingly enough, many of the audience applauded wildly as he left the stage.

                "Well, controversial views or not, you can't really argue with results." The announcer said, and the TV cut to commercial.

                "What a bunch of junk. Damn Purists are spreading like the plague." Atticus' father muttered, turning the page of his newspaper.

                Purists?

                Atticus repeated the question. "Started out as some crackpot religious movement against trainers who'd get 'inappropriate' with their Pokemon. Eventually they got it in their heads that any sort of human with special abilities must be the result of someone in their family hooking up with a Pokemon. They'd go after someone like you in a heartbeat, if they knew you were a Medium, but they also go after Psychics, Aura Adepts, anyone they don't see as 'normal'." His father replied, growing more and more upset as he went. "I've had a few threatening letters come from the crazies, demanding I close down the shrine because 'Pure' people shouldn't worship Pokemon."

O~O~O~O~O

                Atticus stepped out into the light rain, followed shortly by his deceased friend. "That's just messed up. I can't believe there's people out there that buy that sort of thing... Emily?" He turned around, glancing around for the spirit. Looking up he spotted her near the roof, locked in a staring contest with a Shuppet. "Huh, they must be attracted by the emotions around here. I'll admit, I hold a grudge against Zach for what he did, accident or not. I can't believe they let him just walk away."

                It can see me... and I can see it. This is so cool. Look, he can understand me too. She giggled, floating around in a circle as the little Ghost-type followed her.

                "Yeah, that's cool I guess. I've seen them around here a lot lately. There's plenty of Ghost-types in Unova." He said, walking closer.

                I could still be a trainer. She whispered, floating down to fix Atticus with a fierce gaze. I could train ghost types, they can still listen to me. It'd be difficult, but there's enough of a type variation to make a somewhat balanced team.

                "Uh, not to burst your bubble, but nobody but me can see you, and you can't touch anything." Atticus said, trying to placate the girl.

                Don't you get it? I can be a trainer! I can fulfill my dream, the dream I've had for as long as I can remember! I can go on a journey, catch Pokemon, win tournaments. Kick Zach's ass! I'll just be a Ghost trainer.

                "A Ghost trainer?" Atticus asked, not quite following.

                You carry the gear, you talk to the other trainers, you play proxy for me. But I'll train the Pokemon, and direct them in battle. I'll do all the 'training', you just have to come with me on the journey.

                "I can help you fulfill your dream..." Atticus repeated, gazing off into the distance. "I'm not sure I can do it..."

                You can! I know you can! Please, this will work! We'll start with Shuppet, we'll travel the world catching Ghost-types. We'll go together, the way we should have gone from the beginning. We can do this...

                "I'll... I'll talk to my parents." Atticus relented. This was what Emily needed. He couldn't just let her haunt him to the end of his days, she deserved to fulfill her dreams and find peace. It was the least he could do for his closest friend. "You're right though. We should have done this together from the start. Taking over as a Shrine Guardian can wait."

O~O~O~O~O

                "You want to do what?" His father asked, his voice surprised but not angry.

                "I want to go on a Pokemon journey. It was Emily's dream to become a champion. I owe it to her to at least try. I'll return, eventually, to take up my duties of course. I just... I need to do this." He sighed, looking down at the table. Emily hovered by his side, looking anxious.

                "I understand." His mother spoke up, surprising everyone. "I know how hard this must be for you. I know how... I know how you felt about her."

                How you felt for me?

                "I think you should go. This can distract you from things, and maybe you can find closure. It's always hard, losing your first love. Especially like this."

                Love!? If the ghost could blush she would, floating a little higher off the ground instead.

                Atticus cleared his throat, fighting down a sudden rush of heat to his face. "I... She left me her old gear, including her Pokedex and Pokeballs. I figure I'll catch one of the Shuppet loitering around the house, and then hoof it down the mountain to the path."

                His parents shared a look, and then nodded. "Alright then, you'll set out in the morning?" Getting a nod of agreement, Atticus rose and went to pack.

O~O~O~O~O

                That night he lay in bed, unable to fall asleep, instead listening to the radio as it played over the pitter-patter of rain. Emily floated around the room, perusing her old maps and notes, trying to plan their trip. Since she couldn't move any of the papers herself, they were scattered around the room, so that they could all be seen simultaneously.

                Was your mother right?

                "Hmm?" Atticus asked, snapping out of his thoughts.

                Did you... Did you really feel that way... about me?

                Atticus remained silent for a few moments. "Does it matter?"

                Of course it matters...

                "It's too late to think that way now. We should just focus on the trip." He said, rolling over to face out the window.

                You're such an idiot... you couldn't tell me before I died?

                "I know, I know. If I'd said something, maybe you'd still be alive. If I'd agreed to come on your journey... you might still be alive... You think I haven't been thinking that this entire time?" He asked, fighting back tears.

                What's done is done. We'll make the best of this. I'll find a way to make you smile again. A small voice whispered right into his ear. He can feel her presence, cool and damp, pressed up against his back, wrapping him in a cold but soothing embrace. We'll find our happiness, together.
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Ghost-Trainer	By : Almister Category: Pokemon > General Views: 3125 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, I make no money from this story.

Ghost-Trainer