The Ghost Specialist

“Haunter!” Sam yelled. “Darkness!”

As the flock of Murkrow dived down, Sam hit the floor and covered his head with his hands. A reverberating cry came from his shadow, and the area was plunged into the pitch-black of Haunter's Night Shade.

Small pinpricks of light hinted at Quilava's Will-O-Wisp, and a few of those glowing stars were snuffed out as the wild Murkrow unleashed their attacks. The cries from the flying Pokémon were muffled, and Sam could feel air currents shift above his head as Ghost Types began to float up out of the floor.

“Primeape, defend! Build up Bulk-Up! Quilava, reposition and harass for Haunter to—”

A sharp exhale left Sam as something latched around his gut to yank him away. Blindly, he tumbled onto his side as claws unwrapped from around him. Several thunks hit the ground where he’d just been shouting.

His stomach churned.

We need to leave.

“Got her!” a voice yelled out. “I managed to return Parasect to her Pokéball!”

Shin’s shout was followed by a surprised yelp and an annoyed grunt as Primeape pulled him back, saving him the same way Haunter had saved Sam seconds before. Caws filled the air as the angry Murkrow began to yell taunts and directions to their allies.

Beneath it all, Sam crawled.

Laughter echoed through the air. Adding to the chaos was the noise of Haunter’s cackles coming from everywhere at once. Behind it, other, more muffled laughs joined in as Gastly from Sam’s shadow chose to join Haunter’s call. They served as a distraction, focusing on dodging and weaving through all the moves to lure the blind Murkrow away. Sam wriggled and moved forward, as since Night Shade was a sphere, as long as he was moving somewhere, he’d eventually find his way out.

And then, light.

Compared to the darkness of the Night Shade, the dim light of the incoming dusk was almost blinding.

More wild Murkrow circled Haunter’s move, their angry gazes trying and failing to pierce through black marble. Sam was only halfway out of the darkness, so he stayed there to not reveal more of himself. As he tried to stay quiet, he looked around to search his surroundings, he made eye contact with a very unfortunate target.

The dark eyes of an enormous arachnid met his own.

“Ariaa—!”

“—lava!”

As the pincers of the wild Araidos’s maw peeled open to make way for a barrage of dripping needles, Quilava darted over to stand in front of Sam and unleash a Flamethrower. Her move seared the Poison Sting out of the air.

Quilava had a few scuff marks on her; some of the Murkrow’s attacks had hit. Yet, in a dangerous situation like this, her flames still burned bright. The fire forced the Ariados back, and she managed to breathe in to pull her move away from the trees to prevent them from becoming alight.

She looked back at Sam, waiting for further instructions.

“We need to leave,” he said quickly. “Where’s—”

“Over here!”

From the shadows, Shin emerged. He was being carried by Primeape, who had a vein throbbing on his head. Like how he was being carried in Primeape’s arms, Shin was carrying that basket of mushrooms in his own. Within it, a Pokéball that likely contained his Parasect balanced on top.

“I don’t get why this is happening, but I have to say y’all are at the top of your game!”

He yelped again when Primeape dropped him, and he rubbed his bruised backside. Above, a Murkrow’s cry alerted the rest that Sam and everyone else had managed to escape.

They’d been dawdling for too long.

Rushing, Sam scrambled to his feet, and Shin did the same not too far away.

“Haunter, stalk!” Sam yelled.

And then they took off, racing away from the site of the ambush. Behind, Haunter dropped his Night Shade to reveal that all Ghost Types had already vanished. Blinded once more by the sudden presence of light, the Murkrow that were once lost inside the move now flew out chaotically, bumping into others and interrupting the attacks that would have otherwise been aimed at Sam and the rest.

The flock soon steadied itself to give chase, but everyone else still had a momentary head start.

Sam ran. Quilava easily kept up to his side. Shin and Primeape followed, with Primeape punching in the air to follow Sam’s previous order of setting up with Bulk-Up.

None of them were that fast, especially Shin, who was already out of breath. However, Quilava was able to use Quick Attack—she was yet to pick up Agility or Double Team—to run ahead, breathe in for a move, and unleash clouds of smoke that helped to cover their path.

“Focus on escape! Haunter’s following on defense! Primeape is our last line, and Quilava can—”

Sam was forced to stop speaking as he tried to catch his breath. It was hard to give orders while also running away.

Since he’d already told his Pokémon what they needed to do, he chose to run straight ahead with his whole focus on getting away. He followed paths worn by gatherers and wild Pokémon. The trails gave him a somewhat clear way forward.

However, the Murkrow weren’t giving up. They never stopped their chase. Sam knew that each of his Pokémon were stronger individually, but with so many in the flock, there was no point in trying to win a battle.

He could feel the heat from a Fire Type move being used behind him. Quilava controlled her attack to prevent it from spreading, but that meant all it could do was serve as a warning for any Murkrow trying to rush their way. She traded damage for area, trying to lean into the fact that, out here, wild Pokémon didn’t have any reliable methods of healing. Faced with the potential of burns and damage, the flying Pokémon should have backed off.

But they didn’t.

The Murkrow flew right through the flames, the scorch marks of the Flamethrower blending in with their black feathers. A cruel gleam passed over Murkrow’s eyes as if the fire had done nothing but motivate them to chase even harder.

No, they weren’t going to turn around.

They’d keep chasing Sam and everyone else forever.

He forced himself to breathe, still running, but he couldn’t hide his bewilderment at just how determined their attackers were.

These are wild Pokémon! They aren’t supposed to take moves so willingly? What way do they have to heal? What’s even motivating them to attack us?

Unsure what else to do, Sam kept running, and Quilava shook herself to break out of a similar surprise. One brave Murkrow pulled ahead of the flock, zipping forward toward where they ran, but Primeape spun on a heel to step to the middle of the path and take that attack head-on.

Briefly, Sam got a flashback to Primeape’s preliminary battle as a Mankey back in Olivine. However, instead of smashing a Karate Chop to the Murkrow’s throat, he used the enhanced defenses of Bulk-Up to withstand the attack before rearing back to aim his fist right into its exposed stomach.

“Rage Fist!” Sam called out.

The move used wasn’t a Rage Fist. Primeape was yet to master that attack, so even as a vein throbbed on his head, the punch that came out ended up as just a basic Rage.

Still, the damage was enhanced by his growing level of anger, and the Murkrow fell back after suffering from the move.

As Primeape turned to keep running, the Murkrow tried to bring itself back into the air despite its injuries, but purple hands shot out of a nearby bush to yank it into shadow.

Horrific, slurping noises rang out, and over his shoulder, Sam could see the chasing flock slow down.

Haunter wasn’t alone wherever he had brought the Murkrow. Whatever Gastly that were tagging along had managed to eliminate that Murkrow from this fight via a generous application of Lick.

Thanks, Haunter.

Unfortunately, even with one of their allies taken out of the battle, the flock of Murkrow weren’t scared off. Instead, they seemed emboldened by the act, as if the threat of violence confirmed their assault was justified. Their eyes burned with malicious determination as they adjusted their path to avoid any outstretched branches or bushes. Quilava’s frequent use of Smoke Screen made that difficult, and the occasional Murkrow was plucked out of the swarm by Haunter, but it still wasn’t enough.

He was only one Pokémon. Quilava could only conjure Smoke Screens every so often. There were too many Murkrow for their combined efforts to make anything other than a slight dent.

No group of wild Pokémon should have ever acted like this.

“Over here!” Shin shouted. “My cabin is—”

“No!” Sam tried to control his breathing as they continued their mad dash through the woods. “It’s not safe! We need to get to town!”

In response, Shin readjusted his grip on his basket and nodded.

“This way, then!”

He took a hard left turn through the woods, and Sam had to skid to a halt before being able to follow after him.

With that sudden change in direction, a Smoke Screen blocked line of sight to their adjusted path, and a few of the Murkrow kept going, unaware their quarry wasn’t running the same way anymore.

The rest still followed.

Briefly, Sam debated calling for Primeape to use Rock Slide, but that move wasn’t one he was too skilled with, and it took time to use. The resulting attack might have hit one or two Murkrow, but it would have been at the cost of Primeape falling behind.

At this point, the short passage that connected Route 43 to Mahogany Town wasn’t too far ahead. However, Sam had never run so far for so long in his life, and Shin was basically unresponsive. The man could focus on running and only running as he struggled to catch his breath.

Yet, despite how tired they were, Sam knew he still had one card up his sleeve:

Misdreavus.

Three out of the four members of his team had been working to hinder their attackers, but she was still in her Pokéball from when he’d returned her to let her think. Sam swore he could feel just how eager she was to help out, but couldn’t afford to release her just yet. Having a rested Pokémon would be key to getting through any further emergencies.

And, that decision proved to be prescient when a dark blur dived at them from above, piercing through the canopy of the forest itself.

Primeape shouted, lunging to the front of the group, where he pushed both Sam and Shin back.

He stopped their run, but he also stopped them from being hit by the blur. Whatever Pokémon it was, it crashed into him, and he was sent tumbling to the side where he came to a halt against the trunk of a nearby tree.

“...Primeape?” Sam asked.

He groaned, trying to steady himself. In front, a cawing laugh entered the air. From its source’s body, a long, black wing stretched out to adjust plumage in the shape of a hat on the wild Pokémon’s head. It puffed out its chest with a great mass of feathers, a white section of them resembling a scarf around the Pokémon’s neck.

“A Honchkrow,” Sam said, breathing out.

Facing them was the evolution of Murkrow.

In Johto, Murkrow rarely ever evolved. This Pokémon had either found a Dusk Stone, or someone had evolved then released it. Alternatively—the most likely answer—was that given how wild it looked, this Pokémon was old and experienced enough to spend nights upon nights training under the moonlight. If Sam had to guess, it had spent years absorbing the right kind of energy before eventually evolving, where it had then taken control of this flock.

“...Misdreavus,” Sam said, releasing his final Pokémon.

As his Ghost Type appeared in the air, Quilava turned around to face the remaining Murkrow with a newfound determination. Haunter left the shadows to join her, and a few Gastly showed up to help, too.

The Honchkrow chuckled and gestured dismissively with its wings. With a single flap, it entered the air, demonstrating both the power and control it possessed. A commanding caw echoed out, and Sam felt the heat coming off of Quilava behind him. She and Haunter prepared themselves to defend against the coming flock.

Sam had no doubt in his mind that this was the Murkrow’s boss.

Except, this Honchkrow might explain why the Murkrow are so organized, but it doesn’t explain why they’re so determined. It doesn’t explain why an Ariados was helping them, either.

It can’t just be this Honchkrow. There’s something else going on.

As Sam struggled to figure out why this was happening, Honchkrow maintained its smirk and confidently snapped out its wings. Staying in the air, a strong wind blew, but Misdreavus focused, her eyes gaining a glow.

Motes of flame, a Will-O-Wisp, sparked up around her. Darker than Quilava’s, this late in the day, it cast the area under the forest’s canopy into deep purple hues.

In response to her move, Honchkrow’s wings turned as black as a midnight sky, and then it dived for what would likely be an instant knock-out Night Slash. The move was strong enough to break apart the Will-O-Wisp without any burn affecting it, but Misdreavus was just barely able to let herself fall out of the air to avoid the move.

Injured, Primeape scrambled to stand in front of Sam and Shin. The Honchrkow was forced to adjust its dive to not slam into the angry Fighting Type intent on not repeating the previous crash.

“Will-O-Wisp again!” Sam shouted.

Shouts came from behind him. Quilava, Haunter, and the Gastly faced the many Murkrow in an ongoing fight.

Ahead, Misdreavus conjured even more motes of fire, which reflected off of the Honchkrow’s eyes and made them gleam.

In the face of so much heat, the Honchkrow’s smirk faded. It tilted its head to lower its hat and hide its stare.

Its scowl was one of anger.

No, Sam realized.

The Honchkrow’s expression was one of hate.

Once more, the Honchkrow dived through the Will-O-Wisp, not even blinking as its wings disrupted the move. The super-effective attack, aided by the move’s high chance to crit, would likely see Misdreavus faint in an instant. Her expression was panicked.

Until the Honchkrow got close.

Then, she smirked.

“Now!”

So used to Will-O-Wisp, the wild Honchkrow wasn’t prepared for her to suddenly switch strategies. Her eyes flashed, and a Confuse Ray struck the Honchkrow right under its hat, piercing the center of its forehead.

It squawked in surprise, its attack missing and carrying it into a tree. A painful thud rang out, and it hit the ground, looking around in a daze after that impact.

“We can go,” Sam said quickly. With the Honchkrow fainted, he could finally tell his team to abandon their losing battle and continue to flee.

“Wait! But we’re in the perfect position!”

Shin then dug through his mushrooms to pull out Parasect’s Pokéball and release his Pokémon in front of him.

“Spore!” Shin yelled.

“They have Insomnia,” Sam quickly informed him.

“Stun Spore, I mean!” Shin shouted in an attempt to change Parasect’s move.

Thankfully, Parasect was able to adjust her attack. Her mushroom vibrated, and from within and underneath, yellow spores puffed out. Floating through the air, they coated the confused Honchkrow and made it hack.

Spore was more powerful and would have lasted longer, but given this wild Pokémon had evolved, they couldn't risk the chance it had managed to train its Insomnia, an ability that made it immune to sleep.

Stun Spore, instead, caused a Pokémon to lock up in the equivalent of paralysis. Unlike the chill of Lick or the lingering electricity of Thunder Wave, Stun Spore’s paralysis was inflicted via an allergenic effect.

Still suffering from Misdreavus’s confusion, Honchkrow sneezed, and it struggled to do much else as its body became locked up with the spore-inflicted reaction. A few more shouts later, and the battle against the rest of the flock died down as another cloud of spores caused the remaining Murkrow to lock up.

“Told you Parasect was good at using spores,” Shin said, smiling.

“Couldn’t you have done this at the beginning?” Sam asked flatly.

He laughed.

“Ha ha! Um... maybe? I panicked!” Shin said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head.

Sam sent the man a flat look before returning what injured Pokémon he could. Misdreavus was the only one still out as he took off running, and as he left the bounds of the forest, he could feel the hateful stares of the many paralyzed Dark Types burning into his back.

Shin stopped at a Pokémon Ranger outpost located at the edge of town. He stayed there to give the local Rangers a rundown of what was going on, and Sam continued to the Pokémon Center.

When he arrived, it was crowded. Specifically, the place was absolutely packed.

As far as he could tell, just about every trainer that was in or near the city was here. Questions and requests for healing were repeatedly shouted at the sole nurse on duty.

“Please, if you have any large Pokémon out, return them unless you can hold them in your arms!” she yelled.

Sam could hear the distinctive sound of Pokéballs being used, but the place was so packed that it hardly made any difference.

“Sam!”

Redi managed to push through the crowd to reach him. People were more willing to let someone move away from the counter than to let someone move closer.

“Are you alright? A bunch of people were attacked!”

She had to yell just to let him hear her voice above the crowd.

“They were Murkrow!” Sam responded. “A flock of Murkrow chased after us! Other than just general exhaustion, Primeape was hurt by a Honchkrow, but Misdreavus managed to ward it off!”

Redi sighed in relief. After a bit of awkward shuffling and maneuvering through the crowd, they managed to reach the corner of the room, where they were a bit more isolated and able to talk.

“I was out back when the first person came in,” Redi said. “Apparently, a group of Spinarak tried to web up him and his Pokémon. Right after, another person said they were attacked by a swarm of Ekans, another said they were attacked by Pidgey and Pidgeotto, and then someone else was attacked by a single, very angry Girafarig?” She shook her head. “Something is going on. Not everyone here had wild Pokémon going after them, but things like this just don’t happen. People are freaking out.”

“I...” Sam wasn’t sure what to say. “There aren't any land routes on Dewford. Has stuff like this happened before?”

Redi frowned.

“I mean, Pokémon can get aggressive after natural disasters, but that’s usually just stress? Except when that happens, wild Pokémon still only attack when they feel trapped. I’ve never heard about so many wild Pokémon going after people like this. There’s something else causing this.”

Sam recalled Shin mentioning a forest fire, but there was a Gym right here in town. Pryce specialized in Ice Types and wouldn’t have let it spread far. At most, the forest fire would have been intense but otherwise contained.

But then why are so many Pokémon attacking like this? That still shouldn’t be enough to make them this aggressive.

Shouts continued to ring out and, somehow, more people squeezed in. The nurse was assaulted by countless requests for healing, questions, or just desires for advice. Some people stopped trying to get a response through the chaos, and as the noise died down somewhat, Sam looked around.

Most of the faces here were worried. Others were seriously concerned. This “late” in the season, trainers on their journeys were generally more experienced, but having an entire route turn this aggressive was unprecedented.

“Hold on.” Sam paused when he saw someone he recognized. “Xavier’s here.”

He hadn’t seen the other boy since Azalea Town. Sam stared at Xavier, who was having a hushed conversation with two other people.

The last time we met, we faced a ghost together. Well, it was more that we fought a ghost, and Xavier was only there because I was rude and made a bet that forced him to come along.

Sam felt his stomach churn again. There was too much going on.

“Should I go over? Should I talk to him? Or should I just—”

A voice pierced the air.

“Excuse me!”

Nurse Joy’s shout silenced the room. In just two words, she gathered the attention of every single trainer here.

“Thank you.”

She sighed out, relieved.

Her head then poked above the crowd as she stepped onto a stool and quietly thanked a Chansey beside her.

“From the reports I've been given, I can confirm a trend of unusually aggressive Pokémon on Route 43 and around the Lake of Rage. We have several Pokémon in care suffering injuries from those attacks, but I can gladly say none are in critical condition. However, with so many people in the Pokémon Center, I will ask for you to wait and only hand over Pokémon if they need to be treated.”

Primeape had suffered an attack from the Honchkrow, but it wasn’t anything more serious than the damage from a strong move. Sam could treat him with a Potion and hand him over once things had calmed down.

I wouldn’t be surprised if other trainers went through worse.

“...Yes. Thank you. Please, give me one moment to take Pokémon in need before I get to the rest of the announcements,” Nurse Joy said.

A few trainers were able to move to the front counter now that a semblance of calm filled the room. However, an unmistakable tension lingered in the air.

“...So a Honchkrow, huh?” Redi whispered.

“It led the flock, but it was still a wild Pokémon. Misdreavus tricked it pretty well.”

Redi smirked, but her expression quickly schooled itself as she looked around the room.

She and Sam waited in silence until Nurse Joy finished taking in the Pokémon that required healing.

“Okay.” The nurse returned to her elevated position on her stool. “Now that the Pokémon that need to be treated are being treated, I have a few more announcements to make. Primarily, I will say that there is no need to worry. The League is sending its best Pokémon Rangers to assist, and Gym Leader Pryce is keeping a close eye on the situation to see if he needs to step in.”

“Why isn’t he helping now!?” someone shouted.

Others grumbled in agreement.

“Problems primarily involving wild Pokémon are handled by Pokémon Rangers,” Nurse Joy said. “But be assured, Pryce will step in if his expertise is needed.”

People murmured among themselves at that, and Nurse Joy took a second to breathe. Her pink hair stuck out here and there, and she looked to be among the younger head nurses Sam had seen.

The Nurse Joy in Violet City had at least a decade of experience over her.

“Additionally,” Nurse Joy continued, “due to the ongoing mission, Route 43 and the Lake of Rage are too dangerous for any unapproved trainers. Those routes will be closed off, and any listed jobs taking place north of the city will be suspended until further—”

Yells.

Her announcement was cut off by a fury of shouts.

Jobs were the primary source of income for most trainers without sponsors. With so many suddenly being taken down at once, it’d suddenly become much harder for most of the trainers here to get the funds they needed—especially with such a large number of trainers having been unexpectedly forced to return to town.

As the shouts went on, more and more people joined the cacophony of anger. Sam glanced over to Xavier to see the other boy was now standing at the room’s edge with his arms crossed. Still standing on the front counter, Nurse Joy stumbled over her words, trying and failing to get the crowd in order. Her voice grew more and more panicked until a single word pierced through the air.

“CHANSEY!”

The Pokémon’s cry made Sam shiver.

As the room fell deathly silent, a pink blob huffed next to the nurse. Nurse Joy breathed out, patted her Pokémon’s head, and looked around the crowd once more.

“Have some shame,” she said, making eye contact with almost every trainer here. “As a Pokémon Center nurse, it is my sworn duty to ensure the health of both Pokémon and trainer. As it stands, the sheer number of aggressive Pokémon means that Route 43 is far too dangerous for anyone without explicit League approval to visit. Before you get upset at the lack of jobs, take a moment to think about what heading there would mean. Is a little bit of money really worth risking your Pokémon? Do you want to see your friends get injured just to make some cash, or worse, do you really want them to witness you getting injured on their behalf?”

People stayed quiet for the most part, but a few mumbled soft apologies. Hearing that, Nurse Joy nodded with a satisfied huff.

She then smoothed out her hair now that the crowd had been sufficiently cowed.

“Good. Now then. Until the Pokémon have calmed down, please stay in Mahogany Town or limit your work to the eastern Route 44. With my authority as this Pokémon Center’s head nurse, I’ll also be putting up a few supplementary jobs to help out around town and spread the message—”

People started to rush the counter again, but this time, their movement was far more constrained. Seeing so many people approach her, ready to help out, Nurse Joy quickly finished by promising it would be over soon before settling down to talk to the people willing to take her proposed tasks.

Sam watched Xavier join them, and the older boy took a stack of paper and moved to walk out. He grabbed the Pokéball that likely contained his Noctowl, stopping briefly when he made eye contact with Sam.

Xavier paused, blinked, and then sent Sam a respectful nod before stepping outside.

Redi nudged Sam’s elbow.

“I told you that you jinxed it back in Ice Path,” she whispered.

“Oh, come on! This isn’t my fault!” Sam shoved his arms into a cross. “There’s always something happening somewhere. I bet if you ask around, there’s at least a few other people who have been through as much trouble as us!”

Redi snickered at Sam’s annoyance, and as he glared at her, she stuck her tongue out. However, with the ongoing threat of overly aggressive Pokémon on the northern routes, her amused expression soon fell.

There was little to laugh about given what was going on.

The reduced number of jobs is going to make earning money a bit harder, and people are probably going to be less willing to bet on battles without the chance to earn more later. This might put a strain on our budget, but we should be fine with how much I have saved up.

As long as this doesn’t last too long.

It helped that Redi was willing to assist with funds, as she was receiving money from Mr. Pokémon every week. Also, only half of Sam’s team needed to eat. Haunter and Misdreavus only consumed the occasional berry as a light snack.

But with all of this going on, Pryce might get caught up dealing with whatever’s going on. Are we going to be able to take on the Gym?

It was a selfish thought he pushed away. Really, he scolded himself for thinking it.

As he and Redi continued to linger off to the side, trainers ran in and out of the Pokémon Center, carrying packages and delivering messages. Others joined together on the couches to talk or moved to the field out back. At one point, a woman in a teal snow coat entered the room, looked around, and moved straight toward the nurse. Sam was pretty sure she was a trainer who worked for the Gym.

At this point, Sam had only been in Mahogany Town for a few days, but he already felt exhausted. He and his team seriously needed to rest.

“I’m going to hang out here until there’s a lull that’d let my Pokémon get healed,” Sam said. “What about you? Any other plans tonight?”

“I might train some more. Maybe people want to battle to work off the stress. But... we’ve also already battled a bunch today. I might just sit.”

Redi shrugged. Sam watched as the crowd slowly filtered out. People were stressed, but they were willing to wait. A strange and tense calmness entered the air.

“Helping wild Pokémon is a Pokémon Ranger’s job. And Pryce will step in if that’s not enough,” Sam said. “Even if they don’t take care of things right away, it should be calmer tomorrow morning. I guess all we can do is sit back and wait.”