Out Of The Ashes (A Pokémon Fanfiction) ~on Hold

Chapter 11: A New Addition To The Team

Chapter 11: A New Addition To The Team

"Tank, prepare a Mud-slap," he muttered. Though obviously just as disturbed as him, the Pokemon obeyed promptly, cradling the energy between his jaws. They waited for a minute or two. Finally, Ash slumped, suspecting that the creature had fled.

He turned, preparing to try and go back to sleep, only to encounter the same terrifying white smile hovering soundlessly only inches from his face. A yelp immediately punched the breath from his lungs and he fell back in shock. His heart stuttered in his chest. The being laughed in malignant delight, twirling and rolling backwards. This close, Ash didn't need a Pokedex to identify it. Judging by the gaseous matter swirling around a spherical, slightly more dense center, and the glowing eyes and huge mouth, the Pokemon was a Gastly.

Ash heard a warning growl from Tank and ducked immediately. A Mud-slap went soaring over his head. The ghost/poison-type cackled and dissipated its body, allowing the attack to pass harmlessly through.

Ash's heart was racing. How could he combat a ghost-type? Ground-type moves didn't affect them due to their levitation and ability to banish and summon their physical bodies at will. Normal attacks like Headbutt and Tackle would likewise sail meaninglessly through its body.

Their only advantage was Tank's immunity to poison. Gastly were infamously known for rushing their foes and enveloping them in their smog-like bodies and suffocating them to unconsciousness, or worse. Their polluted gaseous state also contained many toxins, which would leave a victim with lasting effects. Thankfully, none of this would affect Tank, but it sure as heck could affect Ash.

They were stuck.

He backed away, debating whether or not they should flee, but the Gastly had other plans. It sank into the earth with a malevolent grin, one of its eyes winking at Ash as it disappeared. He spun on his heel, searching the clearing.

"Tank-" he began, but stopped. What was the point? None of Tank's attacks would harm the creature.

Tank's growl had picked up again. He pressed against Ash's legs, herding him to the side. His head was turned to the right, as though sensing something Ash couldn't. Ash walked backwards, his brain racing. He dug his hand into his bag, hoping he would find something that would be of help. His palm bumped into an object and he pulled it out quickly, recognizing the spherical shape. A Pokeball!

But how could he catch the Gastly when it wasn't damaged in the slightest, or afflicted with any status problems? He wracked his brain, thinking hard, as Tank's continuous growl rose in pitch and he readied himself for round two.

An idea came to him then, and he prepped the Pokeball, taking a deep breath. If this didn't work, then they would have to run, as it seemed like the Gastly wasn't interested in just having a little bit of fun at their expense.

A second later, the Gastly coalesced, this time right over Tank's figure. Impressively, the steel/rock-type didn't flinch, but instead sidestepped to block the line of sight between Ash and the tongue-lolling ghost.

"Mud-slap!" Ash ordered, praying for his strategy to work. Tank obeyed after a moment of hesitation. Clearly, he knew his attack was practically useless. He hurled the sphere regardless and sent a sizeable wave of mud flying towards the giggling Pokemon.

As Ash had predicted, the Gastly carelessly stretched its body thin to form a cut-out in its middle, allowing the attack to pass through seamlessly. It pulled a face in Ash's direction and cackled.

Ash glared and threw the Pokeball. It took a moment to suck up every particle of the Pokemon's body due to it having been dismembered and spread thin. Ash was hoping that maybe encapsulating it while its body wasn't quite pulled together would hopefully make it an easy catch.

The Pokeball rocked once... twice... three times... and clicked.

Ash sat down abruptly, his breath leaving his chest in a great exhale of relief. His heartbeat began to settle slowly as the threat of danger passed. Tank trotted over to where he sprawled and crowded against his side, only now revealing how spooked he had been.

Ash stroked his back spike, not forgetting how fearlessly the little Pokemon had interjected himself between the ghost and Ash. "You were very brave, Tank," he murmured soothingly. "Thank you."

Still understandably unsettled, Ash collected Gastly's Pokeball and stuffed it far inside his pack, shakily resolving to deal with the matter in the morning, when he could think more clearly and Gastly's strength would be weakened by the sunlight.

He didn't sleep well for the rest of the night.

****************************************************************************

Find out what happens in the next chapter as the journey continues!