"So this is the twisted forest..." said Maya and Serena looking at their surroundings amazed at the unique trees as they traveled with Ash using his Pokedex to search for something. However, this was then stopped when Ash suddenly stopped in his tracks as if he was seeing someone.
He felt a strong presence with him looking straight at a tree that seems to stare right at him. 'I feel like I'm about to get jumped' thought Ash which made the figure slowly curl up in a sad-like stance making Ash and the crew awkward.
But then Ash looked at the situation from reading the figures Aura and walked toward it making Serena and Maya at first worried but after Maya used a bit of Aura to see the figure's soul he calmed downed and went with Ash to the figure who produced a sniffing noise as if it was crying.
"Hey...I'm sorry that I hurt your feelings..." said Ash trying to calm down the person who seems to have two streams to purple like tears run down his face making Ash worried as he saw that the figure was losing its soul energy.
"Please stop crying... I didn't mean what said in my mind okay" said Ash while making a small smile hoping it would cheer up the child who seems to start sniffing and calming down with him tilting his head to the side exposing how he looked.
The boy was short but his hair was long and raven black with his eyes being brown and black making Ash feel uncomfortable as the boy looked a lot like him with the exception of his hair but slowly he noticed a thin and semi-transparent string making him put all the clues together making him think.
As he was thinking about the string Maya had the great idea of pulling the string making the boy disintegrate into dust making them jump back. And a screaming coming after that...
"OUCH!!!!" screamed within the forest making Serena and Maya scared and Ash worried as he used Aura Vision to see who it was. "Please...stop it was a Gym Test..." said a short boy who had full white hair with a tint of purple at the back with a tired face and seems to move in a weak and frail motion making it as it was a living dead.
As the short boy moved toward the crew he then fell down and stopped all movement making the gang have the assumption of him being dead.
They were about to see if he was alright but then the body started to quickly animate making Serena scream thinking that the boy was a zombie but it revealed that the boy was a robot with a face of it is having a jolt of electricity.
Ash and the crew were sick of this weird prank but suddenly a cold presence right behind them. As they slowly turned around they saw three Ghost-type Pokemon with scary faces making Serena and Maya scared out their bits making them grab hold of Ash's arm and leg who was standing completely still due to him processing the whole situation.
"Wait...aren't you the Ghost-type Gym Leader Garl's Pokemon..." said Ash finally understanding the situation to only see Serena holding onto his arm and Maya holding onto his leg like a Koala.
The Ghost Pokemon then started to laugh until they felt a colder presence behind them to only see a ghostly figure with a half-smiling and frowning theater mask and dark purple eyes making them hide into Ash's shadow who was sweatdropping seeing everyone's reaction.
"Do...any... of you all...learn...about scaring...challengers..." said the ghostly figure which had the exact features of the robot before. "So you are the Gym Leader Garl right?" said Ash who was sick of the weird situation.
"Right...and I'm...sorry about...my Pokemon's... behavior..." said Garl slowly as his Pokemon returned to him and sweatdropping at their behavior. "I...think it...would be...best to...explain...the whole situation," said Garl who sweatdropped rethinking about similar encounters.
(After a good explanation)
"So it happens that you intendedly died to feel more ghost-like," said Ash taking in the information with Serena shivering at the room they are in as it was a cemetery filled with Ghost-type Pokemon.
"Right...I...got the...idea from someone...I looked up to..." said Garl petting a Shuppet who was semi-enjoyed it. "And the robot is from the Electric Gym Leader to have a physical form, but instead you rarely use it," said Ash trying to make sense of the situation.
"Right...but when I'm...not using...it's my Pokemon...Rotom who controls it...to scare and 'play' with... people" responded Garl who then looked at Ash's badge case and had a grim smile. "It...seems...that you are...here for a...Gym battle..." said Garl making the cemetery filled with dense and cold mist making Serena shiver more making Maya and Serena's Pokemon hug her.
"Right..." said Ash seeing the environment now to only see a dead grass patch with dense mist covering it making the ground impossible to see.
Ash then looked forward to only see the ghostly Garl hovering right around the heavy mist. Ash then started to focus on preparing to analyze the battlefield and try to find out something to use to his advantage.
But Garl then called out his Pokemon being a Chandelure and stated the battle was a three on three making Ash worried. As he called out his Pokemon being Aggron, whose defense then fell making Ash now understand one of the mist's purposes.
(Ghost-type Gym Battle[Gym Leader Garl])
As the battle started Garl did not say anything but Chandelure started off with a Substitute making Ash call for a Stealth Rock. After that Garl's theater mask turned into a frown seeing the Stealth Rock.
However, Chandelure used Calm Mind to increase its Sp Attack and Sp. Defense. Making Ash worried as Chandelure has a very high Sp. Attack that could really cause damage. Ash then called for an Earthquake to get rid of the Substitute, and as the Substitute was destroyed.
Garl's mask then turned into a smile as Chandelure used a Flamethrower causing massive damage to Aggron making Ash really stressed seeing Aggron taking the hit.
Ash then immediately called for a Smack Down forcing Chandelure onto the ground then Ash called for an Earthquake with Chandelure using Destiny Bond beforehand making both Pokemon faint.
This led to Garl's mask turning into a frown seeing the last resort he needed to pull. Ash then promptly returned Aggron thanking it for its efforts.
Garl then called for another Pokemon it being a Banette making Ash use Bladeon. Garl's mask then turned into a smile and Banette started it off by using Taunt making Ash worried seeing that he could not set up. Ash then started to go on the offensive with Bladeon starting off with a Night Slash which hit landed on Banette causing massive damage.
Garl's mask then turned to a frown with Banette knowing what to do. Banette then started to Mega Evolve with Garl's mask producing a creepy and gurgling noise creating a tight dark purple-like substance that seems to be highly corrosive. This however is covered with Garl's Mega Banette blocking the view of Garl's mask which now seems to be back to normal.
After that Ash called for a Night Slash once again however Mega Banette dodges it and used Destiny Bond making Ash worried as Mega Banette used a fail-safe for itself. Mega Banette then used Shadow Claw that dealt damage to Bladeon, who is now feeling weirdly tired from the fighting.
Ash took note of this and with a heavy heart called for a Night Slash that hit Mega Banette making it faint dragging Bladeon with it having another double K.O. Ash was now sweating heavily as he was now looking at Garl who released his Pokemon being a Dragapult. Ash then released his Pokemon being Melmetal whose appearance made Garl frown seeing the challenge.
As Garl's mask was about to change to a smile but it started to slip out a massive about of the corrosive liquid making everyone worried with Dragapult trying to pry off the mask.
This seems to be useless as Garl's eyes started to glow a tiny ring of purple with the rest a voidness black making Dragapult who looked at its trainer's eye now have the obedience to follow orders.
Maya who was looking at the mask felt something dark and old as if she has seen it before while Serena was trying to control her emotions to not freak out in fear. Ash however saw this and quickly linked and Soul Bonding with Melmetal seeing the true integrity of the mask.
"Finally...I have control of the soul" said the mask who now faced Ash and saw his aura and frowned but then had a scary smile with more corrosive liquid come out. "And you are just the perfect host to manipulate," said the mask talking to Ash who sweated at the situation.
"How about this, we have a battle and if you win I will release this boy's soul and I would perish but if I win, I WILL HAVE YOUR SOUL IN RETURN!!!!" said the mask with a corrupted smile as it ordered Dragapult to use Dragon Darts not giving Ash an answer as Dragapult used its two Dreepy and fired it towards Melmetal.
Ash then ordered a Thunderbolt which forced the Dragon Darts to be sent back to Dragapult as it took the Thunderbolt attack making the mask frown. Immediately Ash thought of a strategy and grinned hoping to put an end to the weird and cursed situation. Ash then ordered Melmetal to get close to Dragapult and use Thunder Wave.
Making the mask to order a Dragon Pulse hoping to stop Melmetal's advance. Ash then ordered Melmetal to use one of its fists to destroy the Dragon Pulse. And as Melmetal got right in front of Dragapult it used Thunder Shock making it paralyzed making it weak. Ash then ordered a direct Double Iron Bash knocking Stealth Pokemon out.
(Battle End)
As the Mask was in shock Ash then appeared in front of it and used Aura Blade slicing the mask in two making the mist around them disappear making all the Ghost Pokemon cheer much to the confusion of Ash to only see Garl coughing and confused with the situation he is in.
After another explanation of the Mask is a cursed relic that Garl had no information about it caused Garl to be a very distant and colder ghost making all the Ghost-Pokemon fear him as the mask took away his fun personality where he would play with them.
And he was thankful that Ash freed him and destroyed the masking parasite and rewarded Ash with the Gym Badge and three tickets to the recently build Pokemon Daycare right around the corner. Which the crew was thankful for and left. Leaving Garl to sigh and play with the Ghost Pokemon who were happy that he returned.