Chapter 10: Ghosts
I sat down with a sandwich, noting how the crust was cut off. It felt like someone's mom had just made me a sandwich, but it'd been John. I looked over at Demi, expecting her to have half her sandwich stuffed into her face, but she sat there waiting patiently, her hands folded together and her eyes beaming at me.
"Oh, that'd be cute, don't you think?" Demi commented and puffed out her cheeks as if they were full of food, "I'd look like a Dedenne! Oh, I love Dedenne! Aren't they cute, Paul?"
"The cutest." I said dryly, hearing Dawn hold in a giggle. I kicked her gently underneath the table.
John sat down with his own food and clapped his hands together, "Alright! Who wants to say grace?"
Not me.
"Me! Me! Pick me!" Demi raised her hand, her chair wobbling with her enthusiasm.
"Go for it." John chuckled.
Everyone bowed their heads and closed their eyes. I looked down, staring at my hands and listening.
"Dear God." Demi breathed, "Thank you so much for my new friends and that we all get to have lunch together. They're very nice and I think you're going to do big things through them. I really hope so. Thank you for this meal that we get to share and please be with all the hungry people in the world and the people that are hurting. Show them how much you love them, Daddy. Oh, and be with my brother as he goes and talks to people in town today. Help him do your will. Amen!"
"Amen." John and Dawn said together.
I looked up, noting everyone's smiles again. What was it with these people and their smiles?
Demi then dug into her sandwich, giggling pretty madly as if it was the funniest thing in the world. Dawn started laughing, "Wow, Demi. You're really cute."
"Oh, I know." She said after swallowing.
I rolled my eyes. Kind of arrogant if you asked me.
"Oh, I'm just truthful." Demi commented on my thoughts.
"So what's your brother doing?" I asked, changing the subject.
"He's going to talk to people in town about what they believe about God. He said he was going to go alone because God wanted him to, so I didn't go." Demi explained.
"And how does he know God wanted him to do that?"
"Because we talk to God all the time." Demi took another bite of her sandwich, seeming unconcerned.
"And He talks back?" I asked.
"Yep. He's really funny, you know. Once Roric said Jesus said that he was the best comfort food ever. You know, since he's Jesus and comforting."
"Wow. So you both really hear from God?" Dawn asked.
"Yep."
"Since you can hear my thoughts, I'm just going to say it." I said, putting down my sandwich, "I don't believe you."
"Oh, I know you don't." Demi said.
"You're just imagining things."
"Oh, I love imagining things, but this isn't imaginary." Demi explained, "He answers my prayers."
"Name an example then." This would be good.
"Well, let me think of one." Demi put her sandwich down and began murmuring to herself, "Wow, this is hard. So many. Ok! Well, this is someone me and Roric know, but it's one of my favorites because it's romantic. Ready?"
I could see that Dawn was leaning forward in anticipation.
"Ok, so Roric has this guy friend and he's like my brother too. Anyway, last year he really started getting closer to God and he was really close to his girlfriend. Too close, actually." Demi wrinkled her nose, "But then he realized that God comes first in a relationship and he ended up praying 'God, I understand that I always need to put you first and not my girlfriend, but I really love her. And it's ok if you say no, but should we get married? If you think so, make it start raining now' and it did right that second! Isn't that amazing?"
I frowned. How was I supposed to know he wasn't lying? What if it had been raining just seconds before? What if it was forecasted to rain?
Demi sighed, "Paul, my friend wouldn't lie. Besides, the next year on that day's anniversary it rained at the same time too."
"How do we know you're not making this up?" I asked out loud.
"That's such an amazing story, Demi." Dawn said.
"I know, right? I mean, could you imagine getting permission from God to marry someone like that? And then to surprise them again the next year!" Demi sighed cheerfully.
"Roric was telling me about them yesterday." John commented, "They seem like a very godly couple."
"Yeah. They're very nice and they put God first." Demi agreed.
I really didn't want to be here for this conversation anymore.
"What is it that you have a problem with, Paul?" Demi asked.
I cringed, "Stop commenting on my thoughts."
"Well they kinda stab at me when you're grumpy." Demi put her hands up innocently.
Dawn frowned in disapproval at me and I shrugged. What was I supposed to do? Think more quietly? I couldn't change my thought process.
"So what makes you mad about that?" Demi asked.
"I just don't believe it could happen." I said truthfully.
"Why not?"
"Because things like that don't happen."
"Why not? Can you prove that?"
I thought about it, "No."
"Exactly."
"But you can't prove that it's God either." I countered.
Demi smiled, "Well, I feel like I could sit here and talk about so much proof that you wouldn't believe me, but it wouldn't matter right now because your heart isn't open to it so that's ok. I'll pray for you instead."
I was about to comment, but John said, "Hey, did you see the news this morning?"
"No, I slept in. What happened?" I asked, glancing at Demi who went back to eating her sandwich with gusto.
"They said that they think some of the activity around Mt. Pyre has been caused by Ghost Pokemon at the cemeteries."
"Ghost Pokemon?" I repeated, trying not to think of my dream last night. The only one I'd had that I didn't want to remember.
"Yeah. And what's weird about it is that it was mostly Ghastly. I didn't even know we had many in Hoenn, much less that sort of population the reporters are claiming."
I took a deep breath, but couldn't stop myself from remembering what I'd wanted to forget.
I inhaled sharply, gripping my Uncle Ben's shirt as I stared at the purple mass in front of me, a mass that continued to hover closer.
"It's ok, Paul. It's just a Ghastly."
I told myself that as well, but my five year old body continued to respond poorly. I hid my body behind my uncle. He knelt down next to me, "Hey, it's alright. He won't hurt you. Look."
I peeked up at Ghastly, whose tongue was hanging out. He closed his mouth, turned around, and then darted forward, yelling. I hid my body against my Uncle, refusing to cry.
"Ghastly, behave yourself." My uncle said harshly.
Ghastly seemed annoyed by the command, but sighed and floated lower to the ground. I hesitantly looked up.
"Go on, Paul. He won't hurt you." Uncle Ben pushed me softly before adding warningly, "Right, Ghastly?"
Ghastly sighed again.
I stepped away from my uncle towards the Ghastly, holding my breath, waiting for him to attack or try to scare me.
"He might let you hug him."
I was too overwhelmed by the idea of hugging a Ghost Pokemon, but couldn't express it to him. I was too busy making sure Ghastly wasn't going to hurt me.
"Here, why don't you give him this Pokemon food?" I felt Uncle Ben maneuver it into my hand. He didn't understand I was trying to avoid the most dangerous aspects of Ghastly- his tongue and fangs.
I took a step forward. Ghastly seemed interested in my hand now that I was holding food. Trying not to think, I held out my arm as far away from me as it could go. Ghastly floated slowly towards me, sniffing the air. I cringed as his tongue licked up the food.
He munched happily before giving me a wicked grin.
"Give him a hug, Paul."
Easy for you to say. I thought, annoyed yet strangely thrilled, You're not the one facing your fears.
Before I could move, Ghastly was inches away from me. He blinked a few times, as if waiting for permission. I slowly stood on tip toe to hug him, feeling a chill go through my body on contact. I wasn't expecting warmth, but it was still an odd sensation. I pulled away, but Ghastly nudged me a little, making me fall over.
"Are you ok, Paul?" Uncle Ben looked up from his sketchbook, which I hadn't realized he'd gotten out.
I sat still, analyzing myself. Before I could reply, Ghastly was behind me, pushing me to stand up. After I was on my feet, he levitated so that he was in front of me again, giving me a worried look.
"I'm ok."
Ghastly flipped around in the air, like a ball floating in outer space, exclaiming his joy. I smiled and started laughing. Ghastly bumped gently into me, implying a game of tag, and I chased after him.
Half an hour later, Ghastly and I were friends. My uncle drew as we played.
"Paul, I need to take you home. I kept you too late."
I frowned, looking away from Ghastly, who'd been showing me how easy it was to fly through walls and turn invisible, "I don't want to go. I like this Ghastly."
Ghastly spun in a circle, laughing hysterically. Uncle Ben raised his eyebrows, "I guess there's a first for everything. Never would have thought you'd become friends with a Pokemon who's so loud and obnoxious."
Ghastly mischievously disappeared and reappeared behind Uncle Ben, licking the back of his neck. He let out a scream, which he tried to stifle as he scowled, "Not to mention weird. It's a good thing he doesn't have hands too."
The Ghost type laughed manically.
"So is he going to be here tomorrow?" I asked.
"I'm not sure. He's a wild Pokemon and I don't think he'd be a good partner for me."
"Why not?"
"He's not meant to be my partner." Uncle Ben replied thoughtfully.
I stared at him, "How do you know?"
"I just do. Really, he seems fit for you."
"But I don't think he's that strong." I retorted. Ghastly made an offended face at me, but I didn't apologize.
"Paul, you need to stop talking like that." He sighed, "You'll see one day."
I shrugged.
"Why is it that you were afraid of Ghastly? I didn't know you were afraid of any Pokemon."
Ghastly hovered in front of me. I put a hand on his head, "I thought Ghost Pokemon were actual ghosts. That they were dead."
"Are you scared of dead things?"
"I guess." I answered uncertainly. I'd never told anyone that. I didn't like being afraid of anything.
"I think you should keep in mind that the things we once thought were dead are usually the ones with the most life in them." Uncle Ben smiled at me. I wasn't sure what he meant, but he handed me a sketchbook, one I didn't recognize, "That's for you. I figured you need to start learning to draw like your uncle. I broke in the first page for you."
I opened to the first page, which showed a drawing of me reaching out my hand to touch Ghastly, my fingers brushing his dark body, a light smile on my face. I couldn't think of a better present.
"Thank you." I said, not knowing any words to say.
Uncle Ben put a hand in my hair, "You're welcome. Keep doing things that scare you, Paul. It seems like you smile the most around things you consider to be dead and scary."
I was gripping the sides of my chair as I came back to myself. I stared at my plate, trying to keep a hold of myself.
Dawn's hand rested on top of mine. I still couldn't relax.
"Are you ok, Paul?" Dawn asked.
"Yeah." I tried to say smoothly, "I just really hate Ghost Pokemon."
"Oh, I didn't know that." Dawn said in surprise, "Don't you own a Froslass?"
I nodded and wasn't sure how to reply. I looked up to meet Demi's eyes, knowing she at least had an inkling of what had happened in my head. Her eyes were soft with sympathy, but I could tell she knew I was lying. I hated that I felt weak around her, that she knew what was happening that I didn't want anyone to see.
"I'm going to take a walk." I said abruptly, standing up, "Excuse me."
They let me get up without causing a commotion, which I appreciated. I walked out to the garden and sat on the bench, taking deep breaths as I tried to convince myself that my Uncle was a liar- I did not smile more around dead things. It was the dead things that were burying the dagger.
Hey Readers!
Isn't little Paul cute and so different than his older self? I love this story. I get to actually let you all explore his past. I hope you enjoyed it!
Pokemon Question of the Day: What is your favorite Ghost type?
I guess that's about all I have to say. I've been doing homework all day and I'm so ready to be done. I'm sure you all know what that's like :P
I'm dedicating this to fanfictionranger because she's an awesome friend and always supports my work! Thanks for being amazing <3
God bless!
-Flips