The Ghost Specialist

The Stantler were already on high alert. About two dozen of the deer Pokémon made up the valley’s herd. This area was only a hundred feet apart at most, but it was still wide enough to support enough Stantler that they could threaten anything that threatened them back. They grazed among the foliage, foraging for food beneath the trees. Most stayed close to the trunks, where the canopy best hid them, but others positioned themselves off to the side and stared at the sky with a watchful gaze.

It was only thanks to the boulder Sam and Redi crouched behind that the guarding Stantler didn’t find them. It was unfortunately midday, just past noon, so it was too bright for any of Sam’s Ghost Types to hide them in darkness without standing out.

“I think our biggest issue is figuring out how to catch one,” Sam said, whispering to Redi.

“Well, duh, that’s the whole reason we’re here, but I don’t think it’ll be that bad,” she said, sending Sam a flat look. “I’m pretty sure I can just walk down there, make myself obvious, and then challenge and catch any of them that get too close.”

Sam hesitated. He reached into his backpack and pulled out the New Pokédex, flipping to Stantler’s entry and handing it to Redi. Seeing his expression, she actually read through the small blurb he pointed out.

“...Oh,” she said.

“Their horns are prized, and we aren’t on an official Route. Approaching like that might make them think you’re a poacher,” Sam said.

He didn’t need to voice his real concern—doing anything to panic the Stantler would mean Redi herself would be attacked.

While Sam had seen off-route groups of Skiploom and Spearow numbering in the hundreds, these Stantler were members of a much larger species. Their herd consisted of fewer numbers, but each one could probably defend itself much better in exchange. Yet, there was still strength in numbers, and if Redi was attacked, she wouldn’t be dealing with just one. With how many Stantler there were, if she made them think she was hostile, then even with both Ursaring and Porygon by her side, she’d likely be trapped in illusions and immediately trampled.

Even more, this place wasn’t part of any claimed forest. Stantler tended to choose densely wooded areas to protect themselves from intruders via a generous use of Confuse Ray. This herd looked migratory given the sparse foliage of this section of Johto. The valley was the lushest area Sam had seen in several days. Since these Pokémon had likely traveled to get here, they were likely more wary of unknown threats, too.

As Sam mused on the best methods to go about this, Redi grumbled and rubbed her head. She handed the New Pokédex back once done reading, and Sam skimmed through the list of Stantler’s known moves.

“So what do we do?” Redi asked.

“My first thought is to try to lure one away, but that’d probably just cause it to panic. Trying to talk to it alone would be a way to scare it but not really negotiate,” he said. “If you want one of these Stantler to become your Pokémon, you can’t afford to not be upfront about it. Capturing means becoming partners. We can’t just randomly throw a Pokéball and hope everything works out.”

And even if they did, the Stantler would likely just break out on its own or run away the second it had the chance.

Frowning, Redi stared below her and watched the Stantler graze. One of the herd’s Pokémon seemed to finish eating, moving to the side. It replaced a Stantler standing on guard to give that Pokémon a break and a chance to eat its fill.

The valley’s tall cliffsides helped protect the herd from being easily seen. Given the shape of its walls, the valley’s two opposite entrances were narrow and could serve as chokepoints if needed. However, anything standing in those chokepoints would just make itself a target. They’d be too obvious and easily hit by every single Stantler’s Confuse Ray.

Sam tried to look for anything else they could use, but the only things that stood out to him were a few stony areas. Those sections had thick claw marks on the walls and floors, but they were old. Likely, they were remnants of a battle that took place some time ago.

Not like my idea to lure any Stantler away would have worked in the first place. This valley is basically just a wide hallway. Where would we even bring them?

Eventually, Redi sighed and pushed away from the boulder.

“Yeah, thanks for the warning, Sam, but I think I need to challenge them head-on.”

She stood up before Sam could stop her, but he could understand her reasoning. While she’d been slowly adding more and more tricks into her strategies, Redi’s primary way of battling was still facing her opponents head-on. Presenting herself in any other way would mislead the Pokémon she wanted to join her team.

So, she stood, and the moment she did, the herd’s guards immediately snapped her way. The horns on their heads were split and curved, forming shapes that resembled eyes. In the crooks of those horns were brown spheres that mimicked pupils, and in front of those faux pupils, space itself vibrated as they prepared defensive moves.

“Yo!” Redi said. She stretched out her arms to show her hands were empty, silently stating she came in peace while also attempting to appear relaxed. “I’m a Pokémon trainer. I have two Pokémon on my team. Any of you want to join me? I’m really desperate for a third catch!”

Sam wanted to drop his head into his palms. Redi saw his crestfallen expression and grinned, though she took care not to accidentally expose her teeth.

Below, her bold declaration caused the warbling of space to slacken. Some stayed on high alert, but the vast majority of the Stantler looked among themselves, as if confused or in disbelief.

If Sam had to describe it, it was like a question was being silently exchanged throughout the entire herd at once:

‘There's no way someone would be this stupid, right?’

Redi had just revealed herself to an entire herd of wary Pokémon and effectively placed herself at their mercy.

Beginning to move along the narrow ledge of the cliff, Redi kicked up her legs as she walked, acting casual with her arms continuing to be raised. She moved over to where the ledge connected to a dirt slope, which she stepped on to slide down to the valley’s floor.

“So... Any of you want to fight? I’ll show off my team! I’ve got some really great Pokémon with me. They’re both really cool!”

She grinned, and another wave of disbelief passed through the herd. None of the Stantler moved, but they didn’t attack, either. Sam looked on with slowly growing awe.

There was a difference between being bold and being stupid. Redi was presenting herself like this as a way to sell herself. She wanted—needed—to find a Pokémon that would resonate with her in a fight. Alongside Porygon and Ursaring, catching a Stantler would form a strong core for her team, but she needed her next catch to be a Pokémon that worked with her well.

The Stantler would obviously attack the second Redi made the wrong move, but she didn’t, and none unleashed their prepared moves outright. Somehow, by making herself so vulnerable, Redi gave a lot of credence to her claims.

“Can you two get ready to save her?” Sam whispered. “Just in case. Please?”

Haunter poked his head out of Sam's shadow, and Misdreavus entered the air to float at his side.

Sam watched the Stantler continue to glance among themselves. If anything, they seemed to be calming down. Their conversation was silent, occurring through body language alone. At one point, a slightly smaller Stantler—a young one, most likely—spoke its name only to get shot down by an older Stantler whose facial fur had whitened with age.

“Gas-tly.”

As Sam watched the ongoing exchange, he felt something nudge his leg. Glancing down at the Gastly in his shadow—Tibia, he was pretty sure—he was met with red eyes looking up at him in worry.

“What’s wrong?” Sam asked. “...They’re not becoming aggressive, are they?”

Tibia shook his head and nudged Sam again, leaving the floor to float at his side and stare up into the distance. Sam followed the direction of the Ghost Type’s gaze to peer into the sky.

He had to squint to see it, but he could make out the smallest of orange dots slowly coming their way.

“There’s no way you detected something that far off,” Sam mumbled. “How did you even notice it was there?”

Tibia nervously shifted side-to-side. He nudged Sam’s leg again.

In the valley, that pale-faced Stantler stepped forward. It clearly didn’t intend to get caught, but it was the oldest of the bunch and apparently most willing to risk itself. If anything, Sam guessed it was going to test Redi. A Pokémon battle was a good way to gain a better understanding of whoever you fought.

Seeing it approach, Redi grinned and picked up a Pokéball.

Sam glanced back to the sky.

He was starting to understand that this encounter was a distraction. No one else had noticed that orange dot, and it was rapidly growing larger by the second.

If that’s just a Pokémon passing by, we don’t have anything to worry about. But then if it was just passing by, Tibia wouldn’t have alerted me. He can detect hostile intent.

Sam swallowed.

I’m right that he can’t detect something from that far away in most situations. He’d only be able to detect something like that if the Pokémon is extremely strong, extremely angry, or in a large enough group.

Something clicked in Sam’s mind as he remembered exactly where they were. Yes, they were off-route, searching for a Pokémon for Redi to catch, but they had also been traveling to Blackthorn City, and this valley was located rather close by.

He remembered the clues he’d seen. The Stantler had been paying more attention to the sky than their surroundings, and the claw marks in the canyon around them were evidence of past fights. Blackthorn City was known for its Dragon Types, and that dot was an awfully distinct orange.

“Ah.”

Sam felt the blood drain from his face as he immediately stood up. Redi hadn’t sent out any of her Pokémon just yet, and his sudden presence interrupted the imminent battle. He didn’t bother to hide himself, and almost every Stantler turned his way out of surprise.

“Redi! Fibula!” Sam shouted. He pointed toward the dot in the sky.

Fibula wasn’t hiding in Redi’s shadow. The Gastly phased out of a nearby stone to look to where Sam was directing. Upon seeing the orange circle, Fibula reacted with an expression that Sam had never seen on a Ghost Type before.

The Gastly visibly paled out of fear.

To make matters worse, that circle was no longer on its own. Not only was it coming right at them, but two serpentine streaks of blue were following in its wake.

“Get out of here!” Sam shouted, panicked. “All of you! And, Haunter, Misdreavus, please help!”

Fibula raced over and pushed against Redi’s chest, desperately trying to get her to move. Confused, she stayed where she was, staring at the sky with a squint to make out whatever was coming closer. Meanwhile, that older Stantler about to face her turned around only to freeze in place.

It recovered quickly. A loud, bellowing cry left its throat and echoed between the other members of its herd. Names were shouted in alarm, and the rest of the Stantler stopped watching to turn and run.

The earth shook under the impact of their hooves. Almost two dozen Pokémon raced toward the canyon’s exit, where Redi was standing right in their way.

“Protect her!” Sam yelled. Both Misdreavus and Haunter were already moving down the cliff.

The noise snapped Redi out of her stupor. She hurriedly released Porygon as Sam’s team members rushed to reach her.

The stampede of Stantler was already almost upon her, but a Shadow Sneak saw Misdreavus move faster than anyone else. Haunter wasn’t as fast, but he could still float, and his direct path meant he reached Redi less than a second behind.

Together, a dual Night Shade popped up to obscure her, hiding her behind a threatening sphere of perfect darkness. A full section of this valley was made impossible to make out, and rather than blind themselves and face whatever was within, the Stantler began to swerve to avoid that hazard.

Sam could see Redi bracing herself behind his Ghost Types’ sphere. Porygon floated in front of her as she turned around, recognizing she was trapped. The Stantler might have been running around her, but their narrow charge toward the valley’s exit meant they encircled her. She would be unable to escape until all of the Stantler were gone.

Sam ran along the cliffside ledge. He could see the slope of dirt Redi had slid down only a minute before. However, at this point, he heard it—an ear-piercing roar shook the air. It was so loud that pebbles dislodged from the valley’s walls and fell to the ledge around him.

At the same moment, a gale-like wind. Sam had to stop running to brace himself, and he swore several trees bent from the force.

“I hate it! I hate being right!” he yelled.

Something rumbled above.

In the dead-center of the sky above the valley, a Pokémon flapped its wings with a scowl on its face. Its body was protected by orange scales that gleamed under the midday sun, and the antennae on its head waved in its created wind.

Dragonite were known to look a little goofy. The general pudginess of their bodies alongside their soft eyes and kind demeanor made most people underestimate the Dragon Type that they were. This one, however, could not be described as goofy at all. Its eyes were sharp and focused, and it flexed the claws on its hands. Sam could see that they fit the shape of the marks in the stone that he’d noticed before.

The Pokémon strong enough to be compared to legends briefly looked at Sam and Redi before gaining a smirk. It raised its arms and breathed in while a white light glowed in its mouth. Smiling, it turned toward the still-running Stantler herd as the move continued to grow. Singled out, one member looked up at the Dragonite in both terror and awe.

Thankfully for the Stantler, the Dragonite’s Hyper Beam was never sent out. A blue blur slammed into the Dragon Pokémon to wrap it up and send it careening to the forest floor.

At the same moment, that lingering Stantler panicked. Turning away from the falling pair of dragons, it ran with a newfound vigor. More determined than ever to escape, it chose to head right to the ongoing Night Shade, attempting to save time by taking the most direct path out.

The charge threatened to send it crashing into Redi, and Sam jumped onto the dirt slope to slide down while yelling a command.

“Hypnosis!”

Alongside his shout, a flash of light marked the release of Ursaring right as the Stantler leaped into the air.

The ground shook when the Dragonite hit the earth. Sam almost fell when he reached the forest’s floor. Terrified, that young Stantler was too panicked to think to close its eyes. Haunter burst out of the Night Shade with his own eyes glowing blue, and the Stantler immediately went limp.

But it had momentum. Still in its leap, It passed right through him and entered the Night Shade.

There was a pause in the clearing, though the nearby Dragonite continued to roar out of frustration. Sam raced to the other side of Misdreavus’s move only to see Ursaring standing there and looking around awkwardly.

He held the unconscious Stantler in his arms, having caught it before it could slam into Redi. He didn’t seem to know what to do with it. He couldn’t exactly attack with it here, but he couldn’t exactly let it go and leave it behind to the mercy of the Dragon Type.

An answer came in the form of a shout, though it was neither Sam nor Redi who called out. A voice echoed out from above them, and Sam glanced up to see a blue-haired woman standing on the back of a large Dragonair that floated impossibly still in the sky.

“What do you two think you’re doing?! This is Blackthorn territory! No one is supposed to be here!”

Her expression was cross, and she placed her hands on her arms while staring down rather imperiously. Her Dragonair didn’t spare them a glance, but a tiny wing on its head flicked to the side and betrayed its annoyance.

“How were we supposed to know this was Blackthorn Territory? We were just trying to find a Pokémon to catch!” Redi snapped.

“Yeah? Well, you got one! Go!” the woman yelled. “This is my mistake, so I’ll fix it! Dragonite’s actively seeking people out!”

Behind her, that blue blur from before, a second Dragonair, used Wrap to keep the Dragonite restrained on the ground. The fully evolved Dragon Type roared as a white light lit up the sky. A Hyper Beam sliced through the clouds, and the most terrifying part about it was that the Dragonite didn’t seem to need to recover.

The Pokémon pushed against the binding serpent, bending sections of the blue-scaled Dragonair in a failure to escape. The woman on the Dragonair clicked her tongue, and her Pokémon moved down just low enough for her to jump off safely.

“Dragon Rage,” she ordered calmly once she landed.

Indigo flame licked at her Dragonair’s mouth, but Sam never saw the attack land. Having already dawdled for long enough, he dashed towards the canyon’s exit while Redi raced out at his side.

Thankfully, a nearby, partially crumbled cliff base provided them a good enough spot to hide. It obscured them, forming a crook in the wall that meant the darkness of any future Night Shade wouldn’t seem too out of place.

Redi, however, wasn’t as motivated as Sam to hide. She did hide behind the pile of rocks, but she peeked out to try to see what was going on.

“That was... Clair,” Redi said. Sam breathed heavily as he tried to recover from their mad dash out. “She’s Blackthorn’s Gym Leader. What’s she doing out here?”

“Handling a rogue Dragonite, looks like,” Sam said, annoyed.

He figured that a Pokémon as aggressive as that Dragonite had probably been going after the herd of Stantler. Sam and Redi had the unfortunate luck of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Feeling safer, he breathed out and leaned against the cliff to rest. Honestly, traveling off-route was always dangerous, and being subjected to an attack by a Pokémon that strong wasn’t too uncommon. Annoyed, he hit his head.

I really should have expected to encounter a Dragon Type so close to Blackthorn City. Except, aren’t they known for being Dragon tamers? Shouldn’t it have been more... trained?

The more Sam thought about it, the more he frowned. Something had gone seriously wrong if a Dragonite was behaving as aggressively as this.

Sounds of the raging battle continued to echo out from the valley. Occasionally, a flash of light—a Flamethrower, a Dragon Rage, or another Hyper Beam—shot out of its open top.

Redi looked as though she wanted to sneak closer and see more than just a motionless entrance, but Sam grabbed her wrist before she could run off.

“Sorry,” she said sheepishly.

Sam replied by rolling his eyes.

Minutes passed. The battle continued. More roars and horrible noises continued to pierce through the air. Sam was just happy they had a place to hide instead of being caught in the open while trying to flee. Unfortunately, that herd of Stantler was gone, but Ursaring still carried the one that jumped into his arms.

It almost woke up at this point, but Sam had Haunter use Hypnosis to ensure it remained asleep.

Eventually, the noises of the fight faded, and the roars of the Dragonite vanished. Sam and Redi poked their heads out to see if it was safe to leave, but they locked eyes with Clair.

She stood at the entrance to the valley, looking around with her Dragonair floating above her. Upon noticing Sam and Redi, a frown crossed her face. Her hands clenched into fists as she began to march directly their way.