Ghost prank

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That floating figure was naturally Gastly.

It was a seemingly disembodied Pokémon, surrounded by a cloud of purple, glowing smoke.

In the center was a black, bulbous form with large white eyes, small pupils, and a mouth lined with fangs.

This is a Pokémon with the dual attributes of Ghost and Poison. Although it is a Ghost-type Pokémon, Gastly isn't as terrifying as one might expect. In fact, its appearance is rather cute.

Of course, if someone suddenly encountered a Gastly out of nowhere, they might be startled at first.

For Anko, Kurenai, and Naruto, it was their first time seeing such a creature, and it gave them an unsettling feeling that made their scalps tingle.

"This… What kind of Pokémon is this? Is this really a Pokémon?" Naruto asked, eyes wide in disbelief.

Though the other Pokémon like Vulpix, Snivy, and Hoopa had seemed strange to Naruto, they still appeared to be ordinary creatures. But Gastly—an entity with no solid form—was entirely different, truly bizarre.

Even Kurenai and Anko, who had seen many things, were equally amazed. Yet, being experienced kunoichi, they quickly composed themselves.

"This is Gastly? Actually, it looks kind of cute if you stare at it long enough," Kurenai said, a smile creeping onto her face.

"Kurenai, are you serious? What's cute about this thing?" Anko couldn't help but tease.

Gastly was nowhere near as adorable as her Snivy, in her opinion.

"Gaaaaastlyyy…"

Hearing Anko's remark, Gastly's mischievous nature was triggered. It began to blur and fade from sight, disappearing into thin air.

At this, Anko, Kurenai, and Naruto all widened their eyes in shock.

Even Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was observing the scene through his crystal ball, was astonished. Though he could see everything happening, the crystal ball didn't transmit sound, so he hadn't heard Fuji's earlier explanation.

This was the first time Sarutobi had ever seen a creature like Gastly, and even he, seasoned as he was, found himself surprised by its ghostly nature.

"It disappeared? What's going on? Is it really a ghost?" Naruto shivered, backing up.

Suddenly, Gastly reappeared right beside Anko, making a grimacing face and shouting, "Gaaastly!"

"AAAAAHHHHH!!!" Anko screamed, completely startled by the sudden attack.

Her scream set off a chain reaction.

Naruto and Kurenai whipped around to face Anko, only to see Gastly making its mischievous face.

"Gaaaastly!" it repeated with another grimace.

"AAAAAHHHHH!!!"

Naruto and Kurenai screamed in unison, joining Anko in their panic.

"G-G-GHOST!" Anko cried, swinging a punch at Gastly out of reflex.

However, since Gastly is a gaseous Pokémon, Anko's punch went straight through its body without causing any damage.

Seeing her attack fail, Naruto screamed even louder and fell back, landing on his rear in sheer terror.

Kurenai and Anko, in a full-blown panic, rushed behind Fuji at lightning speed, each clinging to one of his arms, trembling with fear.

Fuji, who had been quietly chuckling to himself as he watched the prank unfold, was now completely frozen in place by the sudden closeness.

Meanwhile, Hoopa was rolling with laughter on the side, holding its stomach.

"Hahaha! You guys are hilarious! So easily scared!" Hoopa giggled.

"You're way too timid," it teased.

"Gaaaastly…" Gastly also burst into laughter, clearly proud of its successful prank.

"Don't worry," Fuji said with a helpless smile. "Gastly won't hurt you. It just enjoys playing pranks like this. That's just its personality."

"Gaaastly, gaaaastly!" Gastly nodded with a grin, clearly pleased with itself.

Seeing Gastly being so obedient, Kurenai and Anko's expressions softened, and their faces flushed with embarrassment as they realized how they'd just acted.

"Fuji, did you know Gastly would pull something like this?" Anko asked, her eyes narrowing slightly in mock annoyance.

Remembering how she had screamed and then clung to Fuji's arm, both Anko and Kurenai felt their faces grow even redder.

"No, of course not! I had no idea Gastly was so mischievous," Fuji replied quickly, distancing himself from Gastly's antics.

"This was all Gastly's idea. I had nothing to do with it!"

But despite his attempts to clear himself, Fuji couldn't help but find the whole thing amusing. Gastly had played its role perfectly, and Kurenai and Anko had definitely given him an unexpected reaction.

"Still, I did know that Gastly enjoys playing pranks," Fuji added. "For Gastly, scaring people is just its way of welcoming them."

As Fuji explained, even Naruto started to feel a bit resentful.