c116: The Number Plate in Ghost's
"Aaaahhh!!!"
Even with Ash holding her hand, Bubble Frog (Froakie) sticking close, and Clefairy humming just ahead, Serena still let out a shriek the moment they stepped deeper into the dark forest. Her nerves hadn't settled yet.
But as time passed, the oppressive shadows and eerie noises seemed less threatening. With Ash at her side, Serena gradually relaxed. The whispering leaves, rustling grass, and Clefairy's off-key melody took on a new rhythm.
Walking under the moonlit canopy, Serena found herself feeling something unexpected excitement. A quiet thrill bloomed inside her, and she realized that this night walk, arm-in-arm with Ash, wasn't just scary it was almost… romantic.
Just as she began enjoying the moment, the narrow flashlight beam cast a harsh light on something up ahead something dark, looming, and unmistakably creepy.
Serena gasped. The sight chilled her spine. Reflexively, she grabbed Ash's hand tighter and screamed this time louder than before.
"Kyaaah!!"
"Flap flap!"
Startled by her high-pitched scream, several bird Pokémon probably Pidgey or Spearow fluttered out of nearby trees, startled into the air.
"It's okay, Serena," Ash said gently, squeezing her hand in reassurance. "That's not a real ghost it's just a prop the professors set up for the Courage Test."
He pointed ahead. "We're exactly 200 meters in. This is where the first number plate should be."
What Serena didn't realize was that Ash had already spotted the object long ago using his waveguide perception. He had sensed the fake statue clearly but chose not to warn her. After all, this was Professor Oak's Late-Night Courage Test a chance for students to face their fears.
Even though Serena had him by her side and could pass without issue Ash knew it was still important that she build some courage herself.
According to his waveguide scan, the setup here at 200 meters was the least intimidating of the five scare stations along the route. That was another reason Ash chose not to warn her in advance. This would be the easiest one to face and a good place to begin strengthening her nerves.
"Really?" Serena asked, her voice still shaking slightly.
But now that she understood this was just one of Professor Oak's arranged props, her pounding heart began to slow.
Still holding Ash's hand tightly with one hand, she lifted the other to cover her face. Slowly, she parted her fingers and peeked through, trying to make out the object more clearly.
It was a dark puppet statue, styled after a Pokémon. A ball-shaped black body, faint wisps of purplish mist swirling around it, and stark white eyes gleaming eerily above a jagged mouth with two sharp upper fangs.
Serena froze. Gastly. A classic Ghost-type Pokémon native to Kanto.
"That's all it is, Serena," Ash said reassuringly. "Just a statue of a Gastly. It's harmless. There's a number plate attached to it—see?"
He pointed with the flashlight beam, revealing a shiny metal tag labeled #1 - 200m Checkpoint pinned below the statue.
Serena took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"Mmm…" she murmured, patting her chest. Her face, moments ago pale with fright, began to regain color.
Ash was right. It wasn't a ghost just a puppet modeled after a Pokémon.
There's a big difference between "Ghosts" and "Ghost-type Pokémon." Ghosts the wandering spirits of the dead were the kind of supernatural beings that still terrified most people. Unseen, untouchable, and born from folklore, those were the real source of fear.
But Ghost-type Pokémon, while mysterious and often creepy in behavior, were still just part of the natural Pokémon world. Creatures like Gastly, Misdreavus, or Shuppet had type advantages and learned eerie moves but they weren't undead. They could be caught, trained, and even befriended.
Serena had just forgotten that in the moment.
Now that she knew the truth, her hands stopped trembling.
However, the camp staff really went all out placing the number plate deep inside Gastly's open mouth, right in the middle of a pitch-black forest.
Even though everyone knew it was just a puppet modeled after a Ghost-type Pokémon, it still took a lot of nerve to reach into the mouth of something that looked like it could bite. In that dim forest light, few students had the courage to walk up, let alone stick their hand into Gastly's gaping maw.
"You know," Ash said as he withdrew the small metal number plate from Gastly's hollow mouth, "even though there's no battling involved, getting points here isn't easy. This might really be the toughest event in the entire Pokémon Summer Camp."
He shook his head slightly as he examined the number tag labeled "Checkpoint 1 – 200m", then clipped it onto his score card.
Beside him, Serena kept her hands half-covering her eyes. She hadn't dared to look directly at the prop, but she nodded quickly in agreement with Ash's comment.
Ash turned to her. "Serena, can you still keep going? If you want to stop here, it's totally fine. We can head back now. The score gap from tonight—we'll make it up in later assessments."
Ash's tone was calm and understanding. He knew Serena had already shown incredible bravery just by coming this far. But what he didn't realize was that Serena wasn't just scared of the props she was terrified of being a burden to her friends. More than anything, she didn't want to disappoint Ash.
Remembering the words Ash had shared with her earlier that afternoon about finding one's dream and not being afraid to chase it Serena's eyes lit up with determination.
"Ash, I'm fine now," she said firmly, shaking her head. "I'm not afraid anymore. Let's keep going."
She straightened her posture. "This Courage Conference may be scary, but it's our chance to widen the score gap and secure first place in tonight's event. I want to earn it."
Part of her motivation was the honor of being recognized as one of the top students in camp. But deeper than that, she wanted to prove her own strength. Inspired by Ash's example, Serena had discovered her dream and now, she wanted to show she was worthy of receiving her first Pokémon early.
Ash saw the resolve shining in her eyes. He smiled, truly impressed.
"Alright," he nodded. "Let's do this."
In Ash's heart, he believed that the true measure of a Trainer wasn't just strength or skill it was the fire in their heart. And right now, Serena's gaze held that exact spark. In that moment, he found her not just brave, but genuinely admirable.
"Then let's keep going," Ash said, stepping forward. "There are four more checkpoints waiting at 400 meters, 600 meters, 800 meters, and 1,000 meters. If we stay sharp, we can collect every single one and earn full points tonight."
"Mm-hmm!" Serena nodded eagerly.
With that, the two teens united by dreams and determination—took off at a light jog. Still hand in hand, with Bubble Frog (Froakie) bounding beside them and Clefairy floating just ahead, they moved deeper into the forest.
Checkpoint 200m – Gastly
↓
Checkpoint 400m – Haunter
↓
Checkpoint 600m – Gengar
↓
Checkpoint 800m – Dusclops
↓
Checkpoint 1000m – Dusknoir
Though a kilometer might not seem far in daylight, in this forest shrouded in shadows, every step required focus and courage.
Ash, using waveguide perception, mapped out the path ahead. At each checkpoint, they faced new puppet models Haunter's long, disembodied hands at 400m, Gengar's mischievous leer at 600m, Dusclops' single glaring eye at 800m, and the imposing figure of Dusknoir looming at the final 1000m mark.
Each time, Serena flinched but never froze. With Ash beside her and her own spirit growing stronger, she reached toward each number plate herself. Her courage was no longer borrowed—it was real.
Once they secured all five plates, Ash followed the return signs posted by the camp staff, which led them along an alternate forest path looping back to camp.
This second trail was clear. No traps, no scare props, no illusions. The camp organizers had made sure the way back was a calm one so students who completed the route could exit without further fear.
And so, Ash and Serena returned hand in hand to the forest camp safe, calm, and victorious.
They hadn't encountered a single scare on the way back. But that wasn't because the trial wasn't difficult it was because they had overcome it.
For others still trapped in the fear of the dark, the challenge was far from over.
As they stepped through the camp gate, Ash and Serena could still hear high-pitched screams echoing from deep within the forest. Some students couldn't take the pressure and were already turning back before completing the route.
Ash glanced at Serena, proud. They hadn't just walked the path they had conquered it.
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