T/N: I knew I couldn't trust the translation... There wasn't any Gastly in the previous chapter, I'll change it now. It was a Misdreavus.
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"Misdre? Misdre?" — Who are you? Why am I here?
The little Misdreavus showed unexpected courage — upon seeing Cole and the other strangers (Pokémon), it not only remained calm but even dared to ask questions.
"Misdreavus, do you remember how you were captured?" Cole asked.
His words instantly unlocked Misdreavus's memories, and fear crept into its gaze.
"Misd… Misdreavus!" — Hu... humans... Help! There are humans!
Seeing this reaction, Cole pressed on, "Right now, Ghost-type Pokémon led by a Mismagius have taken over the island's supply station and research facility. We need to understand what happened."
At the mention of Mismagius, Misdreavus's expression brightened instantly, its fear of humans forgotten.
"Misdre~ Misdre~" — Mama~ It's Mama.
Cole nodded to himself: Just as I thought.
The Misdreavus and Mismagius were mother and child.
This Misdreavus was male. Like Gardevoir, both Misdreavus and Mismagius species have male and female members, despite their feminine appearances.
"If your mother keeps this up, she'll draw the League's attention, and things could get dangerous. Can you tell us what happened?" Cole asked gently.
"Misdre~ Misdre~" — I'll tell you, I'll tell you.
The warning about its mother's safety agitated Misdreavus severely. Its emotional state spiraled quickly — its aura turned violent and its expression twisted in distress.
"Mis~Dre~ Misdre~" — So... so painful! Help... help me...
Cole was startled and quickly called out: "Mom!"
"Garde~"
Daisy responded quickly, using Psychic Power to restrain the out-of-control Misdreavus.
"Mis~Dre~"
Within seconds, Misdreavus had lost all control, snarling at everyone with a twisted expression — completely unlike its previous timid, cowardly demeanor.
It became clear that Chikorita's leaves could only temporarily suppress its violent nature, not solve the underlying problem.
"Chikorita, I need your help again!" Cole called out.
"Chiko~ Chiko~"
Chikorita immediately trotted to his side. Its body began to glow as it activated Overgrow, sprouting new leaves. Then it shook its head.
With a crack, the newly grown leaf fell from its head.
Cole swiftly picked up the leaf, crushed it, and fed it to Misdreavus.
After about ten minutes, Misdreavus regained consciousness Cole said gently, "You need to control your emotions. Don't get too excited, or you'll lose your mind again."
Terrified by the memory of that numb, confused state, Misdreavus could only nod tearfully.
Then it began to tell Cole its story.
Before coming to the island, Mismagius and Misdreavus had lived at sea. Mismagius led a group of Ghost-type Pokémon aboard a ghost ship, where they lived freely without constraints.
One day, they encountered a fierce storm. Their ghost ship was caught in a tornado, severely damaging the hull and scattering the Ghost-type Pokémon.
Separated from its mother, Misdreavus was washed ashore on this island, where the supply station manager found it.
Misdreavus had been severely injured. The manager took it home, treating its wounds and providing good food.
Over time, Misdreavus grew to trust him completely. Under his care, it made a full recovery.
At this point, Misdreavus expressed its desire to find its mother and shared this plan with the supply station manager. The manager readily agreed and even wished it a safe journey.
He then claimed he had grown attached to Misdreavus and asked if it would stay one final night so they could spend their last moments together.
Touched by the manager's words, Misdreavus happily agreed.
But when it awoke the next day, instead of being in the manager's home, it found itself in a strange white room.
The room was filled with people in white coats who moved about with serious expressions, speaking in terms Misdreavus couldn't comprehend. Their cold stares frightened it — they looked at it as if it were merely an object.
Misdreavus was trapped inside a special transparent dome. Despite being a Ghost-type Pokémon, it couldn't phase through the barrier to escape.
Later, Misdreavus discovered a terrible truth: its supposed savior wasn't the real supply station manager at all — he was actually the director of the research facility, working with the scientists.
Even worse, the original supply station staff had been killed, replaced by imposters from the "New Life" organization!
In the research facility, Misdreavus suffered cruel treatment. Each day brought new torments: machine testing, chemical baths, injections, forced medication, and beatings for disobedience.
As time passed, its mind grew increasingly clouded until all memories faded away.
Misdreavus's recollection ended there, and then Cole heard Chatot speak:
"Cha~ Cha~" — Let me tell you what happened next.
Though the bird didn't know exactly what had happened to Misdreavus, it had witnessed everything that followed.
"Where exactly are you from? How do you know so much?" Cole looked at Chatot curiously. Since arriving at the research facility, he had sensed something unusual about this bird.
At these words, sadness flickered in Chatot's eyes.
I am actually...
It turned out that Chatot had belonged to an employee at the weather research facility — the only one who had refused to cooperate with the "New Life" organization. That employee was killed.
After losing its trainer, Chatot had been secretly observing the activities at both facilities until a group of Ghost-type Pokémon arrived on the island, led by Misdreavus's mother, Mismagius.
They arrived on a battered ghost ship and immediately began searching for Misdreavus.
The Ghost-type Pokémon first inquired among the wild Pokémon, but when they found no trace of Misdreavus, Mismagius turned to questioning the humans.
With its immense power, capturing humans proved effortless. By chance, it caught the very same fake station manager who had deceived Misdreavus.
Under the Ghost-type Pokémon's hypnosis, the manager revealed everything. The man, a true psychopath, confessed not only to tricking Misdreavus but also described his twisted thoughts and detailed the torture Misdreavus endured in the laboratory.
Upon hearing this, Mismagius flew into a rage and wanted to kill him instantly. However, the other Pokémon convinced it to wait — not from mercy, but because they felt a quick death would be too merciful.
Mismagius found their logic convincing and agreed with their suggestion.
Afterward, Mismagius led the Ghost-type Pokémon in a forceful takeover of both the research facility and supply station, seizing control of everyone inside.
Unfortunately, when Mismagius rescued Misdreavus, the little one had lost its mind completely and couldn't even recognize its mother — which only fueled Mismagius's fury.
While housing Misdreavus temporarily in the research facility, Mismagius spent each day leading the Pokémon in tormenting the staff at both locations.
The supply station became Mismagius's primary target since its manager was the main culprit.
Chatot had gathered all this information openly. Though the island's wild Pokémon feared Mismagius and its group, the Ghost-types weren't guarding against observation, allowing Chatot to witness everything they did.
After hearing the story, Cole sighed deeply and said, "Ah~ I was thinking of saving those people, but it turns out they got what they deserved!"
Chatot, however, disagreed with Mismagius's methods. In its view, these people should face proper justice through the League — otherwise, Mismagius and the others would eventually face consequences.
Ghost-type Pokémon were naturally prone to extreme emotions, and continuing to torture humans would inevitably corrupt their own nature.
Chatot shared these thoughts with Cole, who agreed.
"I didn't expect you to be such a thoughtful Pokémon!" Cole praised it, then furrowed his brow, "But to untie a knot, you must find its end. To get Mismagius and the others to stop..."
He looked at the poor young Ghost.
"Misdreavus, would you help us convince your mother?"
"Misdre~ Misdre~"
Misdreavus nodded repeatedly — it didn't want its mother to clash with humans, as they now terrified it.
Its experiences in the laboratory had clearly left it with severe psychological trauma.
Cole declared, "Good, then let's go to the supply station again."
So he led the Pokémon away from the research facility, heading once more toward the supply station.
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The supply station hadn't changed since they left — it remained shrouded in darkness, presumably because Mismagius felt there was no point in hiding now that other humans had discovered them.
"Misdre~ Misdre~" — Is Mother here?
At the prospect of seeing its mother, Misdreavus's emotions began fluctuating noticeably. Cole quickly advised, "Misdreavus, stay calm, stay calm. Your mother's inside, she won't run away, don't get excited."
Misdreavus recognized it was getting too worked up and made an effort to calm down.
Taking a deep breath, Cole entered the supply station area with Daisy, Chatot, and Misdreavus. The environment suddenly shifted as they entered Mismagius's illusory space.
A group of red-eyed Ghost-type Pokémon immediately surrounded them.
Mismagius slowly floated out from among the Ghost-type Pokémon, projecting strong mental waves.
"Human, you've returned..."
But halfway through its message, it spotted Misdreavus beside Cole.
"Misdre~ Misdre~"
Misdreavus saw its mother and happily wiggled its body toward her.
"Misma~ Misma~"
In an instant, Mismagius appeared beside Cole, its red eyes fixed on Misdreavus, afraid the sight before it was just an illusion.
Seeing Misdreavus's clear eyes, it knew its child had returned to normal.
As mother and child were about to share a tearful reunion, Cole quickly cautioned, "Misdreavus, watch your emotions, watch your emotions."
Hearing his words, Misdreavus's crying abruptly ceased, and its expression grew troubled.
Emotions aren't something that can be suppressed at will. As Misdreavus's aura began to shift again, Cole quickly released Chikorita from its Poké Ball.
Without waiting for instructions, Chikorita immediately snapped off its leaf.
Cole swiftly fed the leaf to Misdreavus, preventing it from losing control.
He urged earnestly, "You must control your emotions! My Chikorita doesn't have many leaves left!"
The newly recovered Misdreavus looked down at Chikorita and saw that its once lush, glossy leaf had withered like a potato, filling it with guilt.
Fortunately, Chikorita was stronger than before — after briefly wilting, it recovered through Overgrow. But if anyone asked for another leaf, there were none left to give.
My poor potato had given its all!
Mismagius watched the interaction between Cole and Misdreavus, looking puzzled at its child.
"Misdre~ Misdre..."
Seeing this, Misdreavus explained to its mother how Cole had helped heal it.
After hearing the explanation, Mismagius bowed its head in deep thought, its large witch's hat concealing its expression.
"Misma~Misma~" — Human, thank you for saving my child, but if you want me to release these people, that's impossible!
The mere thought of Misdreavus's torture filled it with renewed anger.
Cole said, "But my Chikorita can only temporarily relieve Misdreavus's condition, not cure it completely. Isn't your priority now finding a way to heal Misdreavus? Why waste time on these scum?"
Hearing his words, Mismagius looked at its still-lucid child and recognized the truth in the human's words, though it remained reluctant to release the members of the "New Life" organization.
Cole pressed on, "I'm not asking you to let them go free, but to hand them over to the Pokémon League for punishment. They'll still face justice, and if you're concerned, you can monitor what happens."
After this heartfelt appeal, Mismagius finally decided to put its child first — these people would be left to human justice after all.
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