Pokemon: A different Ash

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Pokémon: Starting with a Psyduck has been blocked repeatedly, but you can still read it on my P@treon! It's available publicly for all readers.

"James" walked slowly toward the cliff, each step deliberate and heavy. Everyone stared in silence, their expressions blank, but Ash and Gastly seemed to sense something unusual.

The woman poised to attack suddenly froze. Her scarlet glasses glinted as she looked down, her pupils narrowing. Her movements came to an abrupt halt.

By then, "James" had reached the edge of the cliff. The woman's eyes locked on him, yet it felt as though she wasn't looking at James himself but at something—or someone—else.

Her hand lowered slowly, and the energy of resentment she had gathered began to dissipate. The intense light in her eyes faded as well. She extended a trembling hand toward "James," as though yearning to touch him.

"Is it… you?"

"The resentment is disappearing!" Gastly murmured, his expression shifting. The scene confirmed his earlier suspicions—something was indeed different.

"James" stood silently, gazing up at the woman. His voice was soft but clear when he finally spoke.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting for so long."

The woman trembled at his words. Though ghosts were said not to shed tears, it was evident she was on the verge of crying.

"What? James… with her?" Jessie and James, clinging to each other, looked on in shock. Could James somehow be connected to this woman?

"Ash, what's going on? James—he's…" Misty trailed off, unsure how to phrase her question.

"There's something attached to James," Ash said, shaking his head. Both he and Gastly could see a faint figure lingering around James.

"Like when the woman possessed Maiden's Rock?" Brock asked, swallowing nervously. "Are you saying James is… possessed?"

"Yeah." Ash nodded firmly.

The woman's voice broke the tension as she addressed "James" again. "Why don't you come out and see me?"

Her words were filled with both longing and confusion. If he was already dead and a ghost like her, why was he hiding from her?

"Ah…" "James" lowered his head, his voice tinged with regret. "I did come back… many years ago."

"Then why didn't you come to me?" she asked, her tone now tinged with desperation.

"I wanted to," he admitted, his voice heavy with emotion. "When I returned, I learned about the legend of Maiden's Rock. I knew you were waiting for me, but I felt too ashamed to face you.

"So I stayed in the shadows, watching from afar. I knew Gastly was helping you all these years, but the more the legend grew, the more I feared meeting you. I couldn't bear to face the pain I caused you."

He bowed his head deeply, his voice cracking with sorrow. It became clear to everyone that he had returned long ago but had been too consumed by guilt to reveal himself. He was the one who had left her waiting for over two thousand years.

The woman was silent for a moment, her expression unreadable. Though her wait had been excruciatingly long, she harbored no hatred for him. But she struggled to find the right words to respond.

"That's terrible!" Misty's angry voice shattered the stillness.

Everyone turned toward her in surprise as she glared at "James," her face flushed with anger.

"You made her wait for so many years, and you couldn't even show yourself? You knew she was waiting, and yet you just stayed hidden? She's been waiting all this time for you to come back!"

Misty's furious shout echoed across the sea, startling everyone. Her boldness left them speechless, and for a moment, even the air seemed to hold its breath.

"You don't understand the girl at all! If you really think you did something wrong, you should have come out and faced her earlier!" she yelled, her eyes blazing with righteous anger.

"M-Misty…" Brock stammered, taken aback. The normally timid Misty, who often took out her frustrations by punching him or Ash, was now so commanding that even he felt a bit intimidated.

"You're right," "James" said at last, his voice soft with shame. "What a cowardly husband I am."

After a long pause, he lowered his head and smiled faintly, turning to look at the ethereal figure in the air. His gaze softened with affection, and then his body suddenly collapsed, falling backward.

A radiant white light emerged from his body, forming the shape of a man in armor. Slowly, the ghostly figure floated upward, separating itself from James. Everyone, including Ash, Brock, Misty, Jessie, and James, watched in astonishment as the spirit materialized.

"FEEEEEE!" Jessie screamed, clutching James tightly as they huddled together in fear.

The man's ghost fully emerged, his translucent form glowing softly as he turned toward the woman. Her eyes widened with recognition.

"It's really you!" she whispered, stepping closer, her voice trembling with emotion. This time, there was no doubt—her husband had finally returned.

"It's me," the man murmured, his voice filled with regret. "I'm sorry for making you wait so long."

He stretched out his arms toward her, and they embraced at last. Relief and love shone on his face, the courage to appear born from the deep sorrow and resentment he had sensed in her. 

"It's okay," the woman replied, resting her head against his chest, her voice soft and forgiving. "It's fine now that you're back. I would have waited even longer if I had to." She smiled through her tears, finding joy in the moment she had waited two thousand years to experience.

"Beautiful…" Misty whispered, dabbing at her eyes as she watched the tender reunion. It felt like something out of a moving love story.

"What happens next?" the woman asked gently, lifting her gaze to meet her husband's. "We've reunited, but where do we go from here?"

"Let's reincarnate together," he suggested, his voice tender yet firm. "We can start over."

"But… if we're reborn, we might not recognize each other," she hesitated, worry flickering in her eyes.

"It doesn't matter," he said, his voice resolute. "No matter who you become, I'll find you in the next life. This time, I'll come to you."

Touched by his determination, the woman smiled and gripped his hand tightly, as if afraid to lose him again. "Okay," she agreed. "Let's do it."

A radiant white light surrounded them, growing brighter as it lifted their forms toward the sky. Together, they ascended, their silhouettes glowing with the promise of a new beginning. Before disappearing entirely, they turned to address the crowd below.

"We're leaving," the woman said with gratitude. "Gastly, thank you for helping me all these years. And to everyone else, I'm sorry for what happened earlier. Thank you all for your kindness and support."

Her voice was warm, and though she acknowledged the deception they had used to summon her husband, she held no bitterness. Instead, she was thankful, knowing their actions had led to this long-awaited reunion.

As the two spirits ascended, they smiled one last time before vanishing into the heavens, leaving behind a peaceful silence and a deep sense of closure.