The S.S. Anne loomed above the Vermilion harbor like a floating palace gleaming white hull, red banners snapping in the sea breeze, and polished decks that shone under the summer sun.
Crowds surged toward its gangplank wealthy merchants, noble families, and trainers in fine suits and dresses. Their Pokémon strutted alongside them like living jewelry: Growlithe with gleaming coats, Persian with jeweled collars, and elegant Seel spraying water for amusement.
Ash's jaw nearly dropped. "Look at this place! It's like… like…"
"Like a festival for the rich," Misty muttered, unimpressed.
Brock crossed his arms. "It's more than that. Trainers from all over come to test their strength here."
Ren stood silently at the edge of the pier, notebook tucked under one arm, Ghastly floating like a mischievous shadow above him. His expression was unreadable, but in his eyes flickered something sharp.
"Battles in confined quarters," he murmured. "Spectacle and pride outweigh caution. Advantage: ghosts."
Cael elbowed him, grinning. "Don't tell me you're actually going to battle this time?"
Ren glanced sideways, his tone dry. "Observation is one form of battle. But perhaps tonight, demonstration will be necessary."
Ghastly cackled, clearly eager.
The interior of the ship was a wonder: glittering chandeliers swayed with the ship's rhythm, carpets muffled footsteps, and the air smelled faintly of salt mingled with expensive perfume. Waiters glided by with trays of sparkling drinks.
Ash, Misty, and Brock gawked at everything. Ren, however, drifted along the edges of the crowd like a shadow, quietly mapping exits, observing trainers, watching Pokémon reflect in glass panels.
The announcement rang out:
"Ladies and gentlemen, the exhibition battles will now begin!"
The crowd buzzed with anticipation. Trainers boasted, money changed hands in wagers, and Pokémon were summoned to flex their strength.
A portly man in a silk vest sneered as Ghastly bobbed beside Ren. "What's this? A child with a balloon for a partner?" He laughed, throwing down a Poké Ball. "Go, Raticate!"
The large rodent landed with a snarl, claws glinting under chandelier light.
Ren's gaze didn't flicker. "Ghastly, Hypnosis."
Ghastly's eyes glowed crimson. A wave of eerie energy pulsed through the air. Raticate froze, its eyelids drooping, then collapsed in a snoring heap before it could even move.
The man's jaw dropped. "Wh-what?!"
Ren's voice was calm, almost bored. "Battle concluded. Next?"
The crowd gasped. Murmurs rippled. Too fast… did he even give a command?
Cael smirked, folding her arms. "Show-off."
But her eyes didn't leave him.
One by one, more opponents stepped forward.
A Seel lunged with Aurora Beam = Ghastly slipped into Shadow Walk, vanishing through the floor, then reappeared behind it with a chilling Lick that paralyzed instantly.
A Pidgeotto swooped with blinding speed = Ghastly split into multiple illusions, forcing the bird to exhaust itself chasing phantoms before dropping with a real Night Shade.
A Growlithe barked fire = Ghastly twisted smoke and shadow, redirecting the flames back like a mirage.
Every victory was swift, eerie, almost theatrical. Gasps turned to awe, awe to unease. Trainers began to step back, whispering:
"His ghost moves like it's reading minds…"
"He doesn't just battle he manipulates the field itself…"
"That boy's no ordinary trainer…"
Ren simply wrote notes after each match, as though none of it impressed him. But the corner of his mouth tugged upward the faintest, ghostlike smile.
Watching from the sidelines, Cael scoffed loudly enough for him to hear. "Hypnosis and illusions… tricks, not real combat. Machop would smash through all of that with one punch."
Ren finally looked at her, eyes calm but sharp. "Yet you cheer for brute force like Surge. Tell me when the fist strikes nothing but mist, who has truly won?"
Cael flushed. "Tch. One day, your ghost will have nowhere to run."
Ghastly cackled at her frustration, its laughter echoing eerily in the chandelier light.
Elsewhere, in Pallet Town, Professor Oak sat at his desk, sipping tea as the evening breeze rustled his papers. Among them lay a thick sheaf of notes neat handwriting, diagrams, and data tables. Ren's handwriting.
Oak flipped a page, frowning deeper with each line.
"Eevee's unstable genetic structure allows branching evolutions depending on environmental catalysts. Known: Fire, Water, Electric. Predicted: Grass (chlorophyll absorption), Ice (cryogenic adaptation), Dark (moonlight attunement), Psychic (psionic resonance), Fairy (aura harmony). Hypothetical: Ghost (ectoplasmic binding)."
Oak set his cup down with a sharp clink. "This boy…"
He leaned back, tapping the notes against his desk. He doesn't hypothesize like a child. He writes as if he already knows.
On his shelf, an Eevee in a small habitat yawned, curling up to sleep. Oak gazed at it thoughtfully. "And if he's right… this changes everything."
Back on the S.S. Anne, Ren's reputation had shifted. Fewer trainers challenged him now. Some avoided his eyes entirely, unwilling to step into his shadows. Others stared at him with morbid fascination.
One wealthy woman clutched her pearls, whispering, "That boy's like Agatha herself…"
Ren caught the words. His chest tightened faintly, but he didn't react.
Ghastly, however, grinned wider.
Ash leaned over to Brock. "Ren's amazing, huh? He battles totally differently than me, but… he wins so easily."
Brock nodded slowly. "It's more than battling. He's shaping perception turning fear itself into a weapon. That's rare. And dangerous."
Misty frowned. "But doesn't it bother anyone that he seems so… detached? He doesn't even celebrate. It's like he's just… testing people."
Ash looked back at Ren, who was calmly writing again as Ghastly drifted silently beside him. "…I don't get him. But he's my friend. And I want to see how far he'll go."
Late into the evening, as the last of the matches dwindled, Ren stood near the ship's railing, staring out into the dark sea. Moonlight shimmered across the waves, and the air was heavy with salt.
"Reputation…" he murmured. "It grows whether I want it or not."
Ghastly bobbed silently, eyes glowing faintly.
Then, in the reflection of the water, Ren saw it again faint, flickering, but real. Two small glowing eyes.
For a heartbeat, the world seemed to still. The ship's noise faded. The sea's waves slowed. Only those eyes, staring back at him through the reflection.
Ren's fingers tightened around his notebook. "…Still watching."
And then, just as before, the shadow vanished, leaving only ripples.
Ren's lips curved into the faintest of smiles.
"Good. Keep watching."