Chapter 20

With the night approaching us I could see that Gastly was getting excited about the prospect of leaving the apartment, to be honest I was as well. Seeing what he was capable of by adding another factor into our team meant that it would open up our options for further encounters with the gangs in this city.

Wanting to start a bit earlier than normal it was only just getting dark now when I exited the apartment. Gastly was fine with going inside a poke ball and it was only a moment til we were outside in the alley behind my building.

Making our way into the city to find something to do it took us about twice as long as it normally would to move any distance, mainly due to a certain ball of gas wanting to investigate everything possible. It became quite annoying trying to keep tabs on the guy as it seemed that everything was new and interesting. Yeah I get it, first time being out and especially in a new environment it would be quite the experience but we had a job to do and I had to keep reminding him of that fact.

Eventually we got half way across Brooklyn and while we could have stopped at any point on the way to investigate, I wanted to move further afield due to the police presence. Even though it had reduced it was still obvious that they were casing the area, most likely trying to find me and my team.

Having made our way to our current position I used my aura sense to feel out trying to find something happening; not finding anything initially we moved through the area and it took us about an hour or so until we came across an incident. It was just after midnight and moving through an alley I paused as the sound of whimpering barely crossed my ears.

Trying to pin point the direction the sound was coming from led me down a side path in the alley, and warning Gastly and Cinder to stay close we crept through the darkness. After about 20 or 30 metres I could make out the small figure of child huddled against the wall with a larger man bearing down towards her. I could feel my blood boil as I hear him talking.

"You can't run from me now you little shit! i'm gonna make some good money off you so come quietly and I won't have to hurt you."

"someone help me….please"

The sheer anger and rage burning up my body at what I was witnessing made me see red, taking a few steps forward It felt like I had fire running through my veins and just as I was about to charge in Gastly moved in front of my face. Coming to a halt I moved to order him to the side only to see him shake his body.

With a whisper I asked, "what are you doing?"; seeing him beckon towards the pair and then looking pointedly at myself I asked, "do you want to take care of him?" with a malicious grin he nodded.

Thinking about it, this situation would probably be the best I could think of to see what Gastly is capable of, as long as he doesn't do anything lethal I'm fine with whatever he does to that piece of human filth.

"Go for it, just don't kill him. I want him to get what he deserves!"

Nodding with a sinister grin on his face I saw him disappear into the ground and waited.....and waited, just as the man was getting close to the child and I was worried that Gastly would be too late I felt the temperature in the area plummet and a chill run down my spine. Feeling perplexed at what it could be , the only thing in could think of was Gastly manipulating his Ghost type energy to affect the surroundings. Having an epiphany I thought about the implications behind that and what it could mean for the other Pokémon I get/have.

Not thinking too much on it less I get distracted I look on with anticipation as the man also could feel the difference in the area. Seeing him look around furtively glancing at his surrounds, I could see that he was getting nervous, but upon not seeing anything he continued on for a few more steps.

"HE HE HE HE", that made him pause, hearing the distorted voice echo through the alley.

"WHO IS IT!?" Picking up a broken wooden plank. Spinning around looking for whatever had made the noise, yet not seeing anything. "SHOW YOURSELF!!!" hearing his voice quiver. Yet the laughing continued, I could see in one of the shadows nearby Gastly slowly materialising his body, the man eventually did as well and faced towards him.

Though it was soon after, that within the shadow a pair of large eyes manifested and stared directly at the man; I saw them focus on him and he go glassy eyed as Gastly used hypnosis on him. They stayed locked eye to eye for a minute or so until I saw the man fall to the ground staring towards Gastly his eyes unfocused as if he was staring at something much larger than himself. He swiftly back pedalled on the ground pushing away in clear stress and truly terrified at whatever he saw.

"NO! NO LEAVE ME ALONE!!", "NO, NO, NO, NO I DON'T WANT TO!!" he continued on and on eventually soiling himself, until I saw the moment he snapped out of it, with a terrified scream he scrambled to his feet and tore out of the alley all the while yelling his head off.

Not wanting to know, I could see Gastly fully materialise and look at me with a satisfied smug grin; thinking that I didn't wanting to cross the ghost I didn't ask. Looking around I saw the child still huddled up against the wall, clearly shocked at what just transpired, though she was looking up at Gastly with wonder in her eyes. This was very surprising as I would have thought that seeing a ghost would terrify her, but I suppose being rescued from her pursuer he would ingratiate him to her.

Slowly moving to her as to not spook what I saw now as a young girl, she was dressed very well so she definitely came from a well-off family. I crouched down so I wasn't looming over her. "Are you ok?", I asked gently.

"Yes" getting a short answer with her not wanting to meet my eyes.

"Can I ask what happened? Do you know where your family is?"

Seeing her pause and clearly try to think about the circumstances that put her in that position, she seemed unsure, "I was out at dinner with my parents and needed to go to the bathroom, I left the table and when I was on my way, I felt someone grab me, something was placed over my face and I felt very sleepy, then all I remembered was waking up in the back of a van and seeing the door was open I looked out.

I didn't recognise anyone that I saw, they seemed very mean and angry, I just wanted to get away and I ran, they shouted at me and I tried to get away but they chased me, it was so scary and I just wanted to go home. I want my mum and dad…" starting to tear up. Moving close to her, I kept a bit of distance between us being a stranger to her, despite helping her tonight. But no sooner had I moved close that she lunged into me burying her head into my chest feeling her body shake with her sobs.