THE GHOST OF MAIDEN'S PEAK

Today we have our heroes traveling by the ferry to Maiden's Peak a place where a festival is now taking place. But is the festival only thing that's there?

"Saffron Gym..." ash muttered, silently lending on the ferry rail, thinking about the gym.

Alain walked towards ash, "What's wrong?" He asked.

ash looked up, seeing the oldest Sycamore, "Nothing much. I'm just thinking about Saffron gym leader, somehow I have a bad or good feeling." She answered.

Brock walked towards them, "You might what to listen about this." He said.

"Listen about what?"

"I've heard some weird rumours about Sabrina the Saffron Gym Leader that she's psychic and a dangerous one."

ash eyes narrowed, "Psychic huh?"

Brock nodded, "Yeah and some trainers actually avoid going to Saffron City because they don't want to meet Sabrina." He said.

"I see." ash frowned.

Mairin ran towards them, happily. "Look! We're here!" she pointed.

They looked in the direction the kid pointed and they were right; the place they were stopping by was Maiden's Peak.

Having docked from the ferry the gang found out something exciting going on.

"Maiden's Peak welcomes the passengers arriving from Porta Vista! We invite you all to attend our annual Summer's Festival now in process!"

"Heh~ A festival, sounds great." ash smiled.

"Wah~ Looks fun," Mairin started. "Lets check it," she continued. "Out!"

The older kids sweat dropped.

Brock notice someone on one of the docks, "Huh? Who's that?" He asked.

pikachu turned and saw a really young girl or woman with long lavender hair wearing a white shirt and long white skirt, standing at the docks.

The electric mouse Pokémon blinked, "Pika... Cha?"

The young woman turned her head to the side, facing pikachu and Brock, she faded and showed something completely different.

Brock frowned, "She's gone?"

pikachu frowned as well, "Pikachu...? (Strange...?)"

[Break Scene]

At the festival the gang was enjoying it to their fullest.

Mairin dragged her older sister like and brother towards different booths, they were having so much fun...

The group decided to head to the Shrine of the Maiden, it sounded interesting.

Once they arrived they see the shrine's greatest treasure, which is a painting of the maiden.

Brock and pikachu was shock, that's the girl they saw at the dock.

The man began to speak about the maiden, "This painting is of the Maiden from Maiden's Peak. Two thousand years ago, men from Kanto were sent away to war. The young Maiden was in love with one of the soldiers and waited for him to return, on the cliff. But her lover never returned, they say he died in that way." He explained.

"But the Maiden never believed that and waited for him to return, for the rest of her life and they say that when she died, her body became one with the cliff and they also say that her spirit still waits for her lover."

"How sad." Mairin looked at the painting sadly.

"She waited and waited, all that time for him only to die and turned to stone and then her lover never came back." Brock said, sadly, "He must not have made it."

"... Where have I heard of this story before...?" ash thought, she hand a finger on her forehead trying to remember.

Also, the end of the Summer Year Festival was also the anniversary of when the soldiers left for war.

The gang found out that tomorrow night is a special event; The people of Maiden's Peak would be sending out candles on paper lanterns onto the ocean. The candled lantern are to help lost spirits to find their way.

[Break Scene]

That evening the gang were resting in the their tent, they set up near the Pokémon Centre; apparently other people brought tents, they wanted to get prepared for the festival night.

ash was helping Mairin, choosing their Festival outfit; kimono, to wear. ash also made some kimono out of some materials she bought for Alain and Brock, she wanted to see if they are the right style for them.

The gang was now sitting in the living room and eating some snacks.

Mairin was munching on some biscuits, she thought back at the story she heard and wanted to say something, "Hey, you know its really sad that the Maiden never got to live the rest of her life with the one she loved dearly." She sighs.

ash blinked a couple of times, then snapped her fingers together, "That's it! I remember now." She got up and walked towards one of the bookshelf in the room, she searched thought it.

"Remember what?" Brock asked.

"The story about Maiden's Peak." ash continued to search, "Here it is!" She grabbed a small wooden brown box and a journal that was side it. She walked back to the others and place the box on the table.

mairin tilted his head slightly, "What's this?" "Its very old." Mairin stated about the box and journal.

Alain took the old journal and looked through it, he can barely make out the words since it was very worn out.

ash opened it and inside the box was a very old ring with a purple stone, "I remember something that Professor Oak told me about. A man named Yamato is from Pallet Town and he was in the war thousand years ago. He survived the war and he returned home, he wrote about it on some parchments, he even wrote about friends he made and the maiden he fell in love with." She explained.

"Are those parchments still alive?" Brock asked, interested.

"Not really, those parchments worn out a very long time ago, but his story was kept in scrolls to books. That journal is about his story."

"Wow. Does it say anything about the maiden's lover?" Mairin asked.

"Yeah it does. The truth is, the maiden's lover was killed in the war and before he died, he asked Yamato to give the ring to his lover." ash answered.

"Eh, then why do you have it ash- nee-chan and not the maiden?" mairin asked, curious.

"Well, Yamato said that after he returned home to Pallet Town he became dreadfully ill and they say he does not long after. So, it must mean that Yamato's friends and families never knew who the ring had belong to. His ring and story hand been in a monumental for him and the other soldiers of Kanto ever since."

"So why have you brought it with you?" Brock asked.

ash shrugged her shoulders, "Its been in this tent ever since Professor Oak told me about about this. Apparently the ring was supposed to have been delivered to the maiden a long time ago. So before I turned ten, Professor Oak told Gary and I about the story and asked us one of us if we would take it to the maiden." She explained.

"Lets me guess. Gary didn't want to, he is scared or chicken to do it and so ash-nee-chan, you offered to return it." mairin deadpanned.

Alain shut the journal it was quiet interesting, "And so your giving the ring to maiden tonight?" He asked.

ash nodded, "Yeah, its been away from her for two thousand years already and it wouldn't be fair for it to be separated from her another year." She answered.

"We better get flashlights or torches." Mairin said.

The gang nodded and they gathered the supplies to set of into the moonlight night.

[Break Scene]

The gang was heading their way to Maiden's Peak, carrying torches and soon they stopped at the cliff where the statue of the maiden was.

"Wow, its been two thousand years the statue is still beautiful." Mairin awed.

ash had the ring in her hand, she put a string through it and her plan is the place the ring around the maidens neck.

ash took a step and she heard a voice.

"I've been waiting for you." A young woman voice said.

"Wha-?" Mairin shivered.

The gang saw the statue of the maiden began to shimmer and the ghost of the maiden appeared.

Brock gasped, "Its her." He said.

"She's the Ghost of Maiden's Peak." alain pointed.

"Not funny!" Mairin shouted.

alain ducked, "Sorry."

The ghost maiden headed towards Brock and stood or floated in front of him.

"I've been waiting for you." The maiden repeated, towards Brock.

Alain sighs, "Sorry, but Brock here isn't your lover." He explained, "Your lover died in the war two thousand years ago."

The ghost woman didn't listen and repeated the same words, "I've been waiting for you."

"Oh man..." mairin sweat dropped, "She's not listening."

ash hasn't been using her aura powers, it was a good time to and she felt another presence. "Something is wrong-"

"Pikapi! (She feels wrong!)" pikachu exclaimed, cutting ash off.

Chespie shook his head, "Chespin Ches! (She's not a ghost but a Pokémon!)" He revealed.

ash eyes widen that's the presence she felt, she pulled out her Pokédex and pointed it at the ghost maiden.

[Gastly, the Gas Pokémon. A Pokémon born from poison gases. It defeats even the largest foes by enveloping them in gas.]

"Of course." Alain said, "Show yourself now Gastly!"

The gang watched as the woman turned into Gastly the Ghost Pokémon.

"What's the big idea?" ash asked.

Gastly looked at the trainer, "If you must know, I know guard over the stone of Maiden's Peak." He spoke.

"Woah!" The kid exclaimed in shock and surprised.

"He talks like Meowth." Brock said, surprised.

"Okay, but listen Gastly." Alain started, "Were not here to pick a fight or cause any trouble."

"That's right, I'm here to give this ring back to the maiden. Its from her dead lover." ash showed the ghost guard the ring and explained to him about Yamato.

Gastly nodded, "I see... Very well, I will let you give it to the maiden. Beside I sense some particular about that ring." He said.

ash nodded and walked up towards the maiden statue and place the ring around her neck and once the ring was place, it began to shimmer and a spirit of a young man appeared.

"Ah!" ash yelped in surprise, she wasn't expecting that, she fell backwards and before she could hit the ground a pair of familiar hands caught her.

ash blinked and looked up seeing a pair of blue eyes, she came to secretly like.

"You alright?" Alain asked, softly.

ash had a small blush on her cheeks, "Yeah, it just surprised me." She replied.

Alain smiled and lifted ash up, standing and looked back at the two ghost, "Is he."

Gastly nodded, "Yes, he's the maiden lover." He said.

"NO WAY!!" Brock, Mairin exclaimed.

Then the real spirit of the maiden appeared, she smiled and looked at the man she loved, "My love, you have come back to me at last." She said.

The maiden and the man embraced each other, the maiden cried tears in joy. She waited and waited, she always believed that one day her lover will come back to her.

"Awww..." Mairin whispered.

Brock has a bit of tears in his eyes, "What a lovely touching moment..." He nodded.

The maiden looked at her lover, "My love, where have you been all this time?"

That's a question that got everyone curious, including Gastly.

The man sighs, "... After I died, I put myself into the ring so I could rest in peace, but the ring never made it to you. So I was trapped inside it and the only way I could be free was, if the ring got to you." He explained.

"Oh..." Everyone said, it makes sense now.

The man and the maiden looked back at the others and smiled.

"Thank you Gastly." The maiden thanked. "For all you did."

"And thank you ashley for getting me to my lover." The man nodded.

They both bowed and then they disappeared into the afterlife, then the sun was beginning to rise.

"Wow, its morning already?" Mairin asked, shocked. "We've been here the whole night." mairin finished and yawned.

"Well, its time for me to leave." Gastly said, "I can only come out night."

"What are going to do now?" Alain asked.

"I will continue to wonder around and there are so many spirits that are lost." Gastly explained, "So I intend to help them all." He then disappeared, to who knows where.

ash yawned and she didn't know that she was lending against Alain, "You know what I'm beat, let's hit the bed till night."

"Lets..." The gang expect Alain agreed.

Alain shook his head, he gently grabbed ash's hand, holding it and pulled her along the way back.

[Break Scene]

And so the gang did what ash said and they slept through the whole day till night, they all woke up refreshed.

They watched from the side, they saw the citizens of Maiden's Peak place the candles on the lanterns and let them go floating on the water.

"Wow..." Mairin said. "Pretty..."

"I hope that all wondering spirits will be able to rest in peace." ash watched as the lantern boats sail across the water.

"Me too." mairin said.

Brock looked at the sun, "Come on, its time to enjoy the festival!" He called out.

"Alright!" The  kid shouted happily and ran back into the tent, into her room.

The older kids laughed and went to their room, changing.

The boys came out first wearing their kimono ash made for them.

[alain]

[brock]

Brock looked at his, "I'll say ash out did herself." He commented.

Alain chuckled, he finished the sash and stood up, "That's true." His one was comfortable and simple.

"Were done!" Mairin exclaimed as she walked out of ash's room because she need help with her.

ash and pikachu following behind.

[mairin]

[ashley]

[pikachu]

"Wow, you guys look amazing or beautiful!" brock said.

Mairin hair was in the usual pigtails but with green flowers pin in them along with a green headband.

ash had her hair out and pulled into a half ponytail that had the usual red rope string and a purple flower with a flower pin on the right side.

Mairin beamed at them, "Thanks! ash nee chan did the hair for me." She said. "Brother what do you think of ash nee chan?" She smirked.

ash twitched, she was going for something.

"... Beautiful... Really beautiful..." Alain complimented.

ash blushed madly, "Thanks... You don't look bad yourself..." She silently said, but it was heard by the others.

The others snickered at them.

"Alright you lovebirds, let's get going!" Brock shouted and ran off with the kid, he didn't want to get yelled by them.

Alain and ash had a bit of red on their cheeks.

Mairin, laughed. "Lovebirds!" she called out.

"Hey!" Alain and ash shouted, then they both sigh.

Alain looked at ash, "Well, shall we?" He held out his hand.

ash giggled and place her hand into his, "We shall."

They both held hand in hand and walked towards the festival where there was more people than the mornings.

Everyone enjoyed their time; playing games with prizes, eating delicious food and dancing with each other. Yep it was a great night.

[Break Scene]

And so with the legend of the maiden and helping her reunite with her lover, our hero continued there way to Saffron City.