The ritual ring glowed beneath my feet, humming with energy as the wind around me died.
My breath caught in my throat as the air rippled — space folding, bending like light through water. From that distortion, a silhouette emerged. Floating. Round. Wisps of black mist curling around a wide, mischievous grin.
Then two enormous, glowing eyes opened.
Gastly.
Before I could process anything further, the ghost-type launched forward with a high-pitched "Gaaaastly!" and—
WHUMP.
I hit the grass with a grunt, blinking up at the sky as a cool, foggy sphere of mist pressed against my face.
"...Hi," I mumbled, half-laughing.
Gastly let out a delighted cackle, swirling around me in circles before diving into my chest again like an overenthusiastic balloon.
Dad chuckled from the side of the training yard. "Seems you got yourself a clingy one."
"He's adorable," I grinned, even as Gastly half-phased into my shoulder, humming happily. "A little too affectionate, maybe."
I took a moment to hold the Poké Ball out. "Alright, buddy. Let's get you settled first."
With a swirl of light, Gastly disappeared inside — the Ball sealed with a familiar click.
I exhaled, finally standing upright and brushing dirt from my shirt. "Well, that went smoothly."
Not even five minutes passed.
PING.
The ball snapped open again with a flash of red light.
Gastly popped out, spun twice in the air, then flung himself at me again like a foggy cannonball.
"Seriously?" I said through a laugh as I caught him midair.
He purred — well, as close as Gastly could come to purring — and nuzzled my cheek with icy mist. His round form bobbed against my chest like a balloon that had imprinted on me.
"I think you've been adopted," Dad said with a crooked smile, arms crossed.
"Yeah… by the looks of it, I'm the Pokémon now."
Gastly gurgled in delight, clearly proud of himself.
I didn't mind.
Not one bit.
Because something deep in my gut said this bond was right. This wasn't just a summon. It was a reunion.
As the sun rose higher behind the trees and mist danced along the edges of the ritual circle, I knew one thing for sure—
My journey had just taken a hauntingly adorable turn.
It didn't take long for Gastly to charm his way through the estate.
By the second day, he'd already floated circles around Albus, Lala, and Hooter, David's three loyal Pokémon. Even Albus, who rarely gave anyone the time of day unless they'd earned it, allowed Gastly to tug playfully on his fur and swirl around his legs like a puff of fog. Lala just giggled when Gastly mimicked her singing voice—badly—and Hooter… well, Hooter watched him with those wise, knowing eyes before giving a single approving hoot.
Gastly had been accepted.
But me? I was still adjusting.
Don't get me wrong—he listened to everything I said. Commands, battle cues, training routines—Gastly followed through like a pro. He was quick, clever, and surprisingly tactical for a Ghost-type that behaved like a toddler on a sugar rush.
But the clinginess?
That was another story.
He phased through my shirt during breakfast. Drooled mist onto my math notebook during study hour. Tried to share a pillow with Pikachu at night—and Pikachu was not having it. Even mid-training, while I was sparring with Dad, he hovered half-phased into my back like an oversized haunted backpack.
Cute? Yes.
Suffocating? Also yes.
So, on the third night, after dinner, I finally took him aside.
We sat out on the porch, fireflies blinking lazily across the yard. Gastly floated beside me, quiet for once, looking up with those big violet eyes.
"Hey, buddy…" I started gently.
He perked up immediately, floating a little higher in the air, his mist curling like a cat's tail.
"You know I like having you around, right?"
He spun once, letting out a soft "Gaaastly!"
"But," I said slowly, "you… really don't have to be attached to me all the time. I mean, I get it—you like being close, but I also need a little breathing room."
His form dimmed slightly, like someone had blown out part of his glow.
Those wide eyes dropped to the porch floorboards. He let out a tiny, heartbroken whimper.
And just like that—I felt like the worst trainer in the world.
"Hey, hey… I didn't mean it like that!" I said quickly, reaching out as he floated a few inches away. "I still want you close, but maybe we can meet halfway?"
Gastly tilted his head.
I smiled. "How about this—you hide in my shadow? You'd still be near me, but no one has to trip over you in the hallway. You can pop out whenever you want… just, y'know, not during bath time."
Gastly blinked once.
Then, slowly, he grinned again—his usual toothy, smoke-wreathed grin.
He floated forward, turned into a misty swirl, and slipped seamlessly into the shadow I cast behind me from the porch light. His presence lingered, like a cold breath against the back of my legs, but it was comforting.
From deep in the shadow, I heard a faint, mischievous giggle.
Pikachu, watching from the window, rolled his eyes.
I chuckled to myself and leaned back against the wooden post. "Guess I really am haunted now."
***
The clearing behind our house was quiet, save for the crack of electricity and the low, eerie hiss of ghostly mist curling through the air.
"Charge Beam!"
Pikachu leapt off a rock with the grace of a practiced warrior, golden light sparking around him. The bolt blasted forward in a straight line, humming with controlled precision as it shot toward the wisp of shadow floating ahead.
"Gastly dodge!"
Gastly giggled as his form split, letting the beam pass harmlessly by his side. He reformed behind Pikachu, tongue lolling out with playful menace.
"Shadow Ball!"
A pulse of dark energy condensed quickly between his fangs, but before it could launch—
"Agility and Thunder Wave!"
Pikachu vanished in a yellow blur, appearing behind Gastly in an instant and sending a pulse of static energy that disrupted the Ghost-type's charge, throwing off his aim.
The Shadow Ball exploded against a tree trunk, scattering leaves and sending birds into flight.
I smiled as the two reset themselves—Pikachu crouched low, tail flicking; Gastly floating in slow, lazy loops.
They were learning each other's rhythm. Growing stronger. Sharper.
And I was noticing something else, too.
Pikachu had learned the move
I looked down at the three Pokéballs clipped to my belt. Two partners summoned. Pikachu. Gastly.
But here's the strange part.
I felt fine.
Dad—David—had warned me the first night I summoned Pikachu. That drawing an Extradimensional partner into this world required Aura. That the strain was permanent. A small, invisible burn carved into your soul. That even he could only manage three without weakening himself too much.
Even Red, a prodigy of his generation,, never went past six.
But me?
Even with two Pokémon out—I didn't feel that drain. Not the exhaustion in my bones. Not the haze behind the eyes.
Nothing.
It was like… the cost just didn't apply to me. Or if it did, it was too faint to notice.
I placed a hand on my chest, closing my eyes. I could still feel my Aura—steady. Strong. Undiminished.
That meant I wasn't close to my limit.
Not yet.
I looked at Gastly and Pikachu as they went at it again, laughter and sparks filling the air.
Eight, I thought. Maybe even more.
The same as Elder Noah.
***
Three years.
That's how long it's been since I summoned Pikachu for the first time.
And every day since, I've been training—sharpening not just my team, but myself. My Aura is no longer some vague sensation in my chest or a burst of emotion during battle.I know it now. Control it. Shape it.
Aura Sensing. Projection. Reinforcement. Healing.
I've mastered every form passed down by the Ketchum bloodline.
And the more I grew, the more I could reach into that other world—the realm where Pokémon live—and bring my partners home.
Now… I have six.
The sky above shimmered with afternoon light as battle cries echoed across the Ketchum training field.
A blur of sleek navy feathers zipped across the air—Corvisquire, fast as a shadow, circled above before diving with razor-sharp precision.
"Steel Wing!" I called.
His wings glowed, striking the ground with enough force to kick up dust and rattle the air.
He hadn't always been like this.
When I first summoned him, he was a feisty little Rookidee—all bark and no bite. But with training, trust, and a few bumps along the way, he'd evolved into the aerial ace I could always count on.
Across the field, a pulse of psychic energy shimmered from a graceful silhouette.
Gardevoir.
Her gown-like form hovered inches above the grass, eyes glowing as she raised her hand. A perfect Calm Mind flowed into a devastating Psyshock, striking the target dummy with surgical precision.
She'd been summoned after gastly—technically a Ralts at the time. Quiet, hesitant, always hiding behind my leg.
Now? She was one of the strongest beings I'd ever known.
Elegant. Focused. Fiercely protective.
A guardian in every sense of the word.
Floating just behind her, grinning like a menace, was a wide-eyed shadow that phased in and out of the visible world.
Gengar.
Yeah. Gastly didn't stay little for long.
He clung to me for weeks after I first summoned him—popping out of his Poké Ball, hiding in my shadow, refusing to leave my side.
Over time, though, he found his rhythm.Found strength. Evolved.Now he was a prankster in the shape of a powerhouse.Still annoying as hell… but mine.
Behind the battlefield, splashing wildly in the pond—
"Karp! Karp!"
I couldn't help but grin.
A Shiny Magikarp.
A complete idiot. Still.
But his scales sparkled like starlight, and when he flailed, it looked like dancing.
He didn't do much in battle, but I had faith.One day, the fish would fly.
And last—bounding toward me with a burst of flame on his tail—
Charmander.
My newest summon. Just two months ago.
"Scratch!" I called.
He dashed at the training dummy, claws glowing as he landed hit after hit, tail blazing behind him like a comet.
He was fast. Eager. Bright.Everything I hoped for.
I crouched as he finished, scooping him up as he chittered proudly in my arms. Heat radiated through my chest, the warmth more than just physical.
"I still can't believe I got you," I whispered, resting my forehead against his.
Out of all the Pokémon I'd dreamed of as a kid—Charmander was the one.
Not just the strongest.
Not just iconic.
He was mine.
"And you're gonna be something amazing. I know it."
He chirped in agreement, curling into my chest.
The sun had dipped low, casting long shadows across the Ketchum training field. The wind stirred gently, rustling the leaves, as Ash sat on a flat stone overlooking the pond. Pikachu sat beside him, tail flicking in the quiet.
Ash leaned back on his hands, exhaling slowly.
"Three years..." he muttered.
Pikachu tilted his head, ears twitching.
Ash gave a small smile. "Feels like we've come a long way, huh?"
He looked down at his hands—scarred, steady, no longer trembling from his first Aura projection or the fear of failing. There was power there now. Precision. Control.
"I think... I'm ready."
Pikachu looked up at him with curious eyes.
Ash chuckled under his breath. "Not for everything. I'm not pretending I can take on Thor or the Hulk or anything crazy like that... but street-level guys? Yeah. I think I can hold my own."
His eyes narrowed as his tone grew thoughtful.
"People like Spider-Man—he's different. He holds back. Always has. Even when he's fighting villains that could level blocks. I respect that. The way he fights with heart, not just muscle."
"But if it ever came down to it…"
He paused, a spark of determination behind his eyes.
"…I could take on a group like the Sinister Six. Easy. Not because I'm stronger, but because I have to be."
Pikachu chirped softly, as if in agreement.
Ash smiled and looked out over the valley. "I've trained every day for this. I've bled for it. Suffered through every burn, every exhaustion. I didn't come here just to survive in this world."
"I didn't come here to start fights—but if standing between danger and the people I care about means taking down villains… then so be it."
A breeze swept by, and his coat fluttered behind him.
He looked down at Pikachu, voice quiet but sure.
"Let them come."
Pikachu's cheeks sparked lightly, a silent oath shared between them.
_______________________________________________________________
A.N. Hope this chapter didn't feel too rushed, but I wanted to get started with the Marvel stuff quickly.
If you felt the Aura stir and shine,And walked these paths with Ash in line—Then lend your strength, just like before,With Power Stones to help us soar!