Chapter 12: Grandpa Maren's Farewell Gifts

The morning sun peeked through the curtains of the family home, casting a warm glow on Gladion's face. He stirred, rubbing his eyes as he sat up in bed. The events of the past few days weighed heavily on his mind – the revelation of Grandpa Maren's impending passing, the encouragement to become the best trainer that he could be, and Grandpa Maren's visit to Mt Silver.

As if on cue, a gentle knock sounded at his door. "Gladion, sweetie?" his mother Erza's voice called. "Are you awake? Grandpa Maren is here, and he has something for you and Gwen."

Excitement coursed through Gladion's veins as he scrambled out of bed, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste. He flung open the door to find his mother smiling down at him, her kind eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Easy there, champ," she laughed, ruffling his hair. "Grandpa's not going anywhere just yet. Come on, let's go see what he's brought."

Gladion followed his mother down the stairs, his heart pounding with anticipation. In the living room, he found Grandpa Maren seated in his favorite armchair, looking tired but sporting a broad grin. Gwen was already there, bouncing on her toes with barely contained excitement.

"Ah, there's my boy!" Maren boomed, his voice still strong despite his frail appearance. "Come here, you two. I've got something special for both of you."

As Gladion approached, he noticed a large, oval-shaped object wrapped in a thick blanket resting on Maren's lap. The old man's eyes twinkled with mischief as he slowly unwrapped it, revealing a massive Pokémon egg.

"This here," Maren said, his voice taking on a reverent tone, "is a Larvitar egg. It's not just any egg, mind you. This comes from a wild Tyranitar I saved back in the Pokémon wars, decades ago."

Gladion's eyes widened in awe. He knew that Tyranitor was a powerful pseudo-legendary known for its immense strength and imposing presence. It was one of his favourite Pokemon.

To think that Grandpa Maren had not only encountered one but saved it... and now its offspring was here, in their living room!

Maren continued, his voice growing softer with nostalgia. "That Tyranitar never forgot what I did for her. When she heard I was looking for a special Pokémon for my grandson, she insisted on giving me one of her eggs." He carefully handed the egg to Gladion, who cradled it in his arms, feeling the warmth emanating from within.

"Thank you, Grandpa," Gladion whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I'll take good care of it, I promise."

Maren nodded approvingly before turning to Gwen who looked quite happy to see the egg as well as jealous "And for you, my little ghost whisperer, I have something equally special." He reached into a bag beside his chair and pulled out a Pokéball with an intricate purple design etched into its surface.

"This," he said with a flourish, "contains a Gastly raised by none other than Agatha of the Elite Four herself."

Gwen's eyes grew as wide as saucers. "The ghost type specialist?" she gasped.

Maren nodded, a twinkle in his eye. "The very same. She's an old friend of mine, and when I told her about your budding ghost aura powers, she insisted on providing a Pokémon that could help you harness your abilities."

With trembling hands, Gwen accepted the Pokéball. She pressed the button, and in a flash of light, a Gastly materialized before her. The ghostly Pokémon's eyes locked with Gwen's, and an instant connection seemed to form between them.

'It's quite big for a Gastly, looks like Lady Agatha is investing in my daughter.' Erza thought looking at the Gastly.

"Oh, Grandpa, he's perfect!" Gwen exclaimed, her face lit up with joy as the Gastly laughed with her.

Maren chuckled, clearly pleased with her reaction. "That's not all, little one." He produced a leather-bound book from his bag, its cover adorned with ghostly symbols. "This is a tome on ghost aura powers, straight from Agatha's personal collection. It should help you understand and develop your unique abilities."

Gwen hugged the book to her chest, her eyes shining with gratitude. "Thank you so much, Grandpa. I'll study it every day!"

As the twins marveled at their gifts, their parents watched from the doorway, their faces a mixture of pride and slight concern. Ben, their father, stepped forward and placed a hand on Maren's shoulder.

"Dad, are you sure about this?" he asked quietly. "These are pretty advanced Pokémon for kids their age."

Maren's expression grew serious. "The world isn't getting any safer, son. These two have potential like I've never seen before. They need to be prepared for whatever comes their way."

Ben nodded solemnly, understanding the weight of his father's words.

The somber moment was quickly broken by a mischievous giggle from Gwen. She had already begun bonding with her Gastly, whispering to it conspiratorially. Gladion, still cradling his egg, eyed them warily.

"Hey, Gwen," he said cautiously, "what are you up to?"

Gwen's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Oh, nothing," she said in a singsong voice that fooled no one. "Gastly and I are just getting to know each other."

Before Gladion could respond, Gastly suddenly vanished from sight. He felt a chill run down his spine, and then –

"Boo!"

Gladion yelped in surprise as Gastly materialized right in front of his face, its tongue lolling out comically. In his shock, Gladion stumbled backward, arms flailing as he tried to keep his balance while protecting the Larvitar egg.

Gwen burst into peals of laughter, clutching her sides as she watched her brother's predicament. Even Gastly seemed to be chuckling, its gaseous body rippling with mirth.

"Gwen!" Gladion shouted, his face flushed with embarrassment. "That's not funny!"

But his protests only made Gwen laugh harder. Soon, the entire room was filled with laughter – even Grandpa Maren was chuckling, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Oh, lighten up, Gladion," Gwen giggled, wiping tears from her eyes. "It's just a little ghostly prank. You should see your face!"

Gladion tried to maintain his scowl, but seeing Gwen so happy with her new Pokémon... well, he couldn't stay mad at that.

"Fine," he grumbled good-naturedly. "But just wait until this egg hatches. We'll see who's laughing then!"

As the laughter subsided, Erza clapped her hands together. "Alright, you two. Gladion, there should be a Pokemon egg incubator in your Dad's research room. Go there and bring it and Gwen, I'm sure Gastly would love to stretch its... well, I suppose it doesn't have legs, but you know what I mean. Go outside and play."

The twins nodded eagerly, Gwen already heading for the door with Gastly floating behind her. Gladion carefully wrapped the Larvitar egg back in its blanket before following.

As soon as the kids left, Erza spoke to Maren "You think that the kids would be targeted?"

"What do you mean Erza?" Ben asked confused

"While this may be just a gift from a grandpa to his grandkids, Dad here could have got them Pokemon in far easier ways instead of traveling to Mt.Silver or contacting that witch Agatha. If I am not wrong that Tyranitor was one of the strongest Pokemon on Mt.Silver and still is while that Gastly looks to be special too, he is preparing the kids for something." Erza explained

"Right as always Erza. Both of their aura powers are exceptional. They would become strong Pokemon trainers if given the time to grow. But there are still forces out there that would try to take them out before they grow too much. Well, those fools would have to watch out if they think that those two kiddos are easy to deal with. I am just giving them some insurance in the form of a powerful starter Pokemon. And well there is nothing to worry about. I doubt anyone would target the kids of the fire queen of Kanto." As Maren said that Ben felt a chill as he looked at his loving wife.

He suddenly felt the temperature rise as Erza chuckled and said "My Lil munchkins would have a safe journey. I would make sure of that."

--------Author Note-------

Thankyou Ouraga_n, Faysal Muhumed, Baselisk and Horizon Gaming for supporting me!

Y'all can now read 12 extra chapters on my pat*reon.

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