Pokemon: A different Ash

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"Two thousand years have passed since then." 

"Two thousand years is enough to make people forget many things, including this Legend." 

"And her husband may be dead. Once dead, he may become a Ghost, or he may have been reincarnated into another person." 

"In order to keep this Legend alive and attract more people, I take advantage of the temple fair crowds every year to deliberately create supernatural events. This way, people continue to believe in this Legend, drawing in even more visitors." 

"That way, more people can come, and perhaps somewhere in the world, her husband's ghost might also learn she's still waiting for him." 

Gastly revealed its true intentions. The reason it orchestrated these events was to ensure the story endured. It worried that if people stopped believing, the girl would be left waiting alone, a fate Gastly found unbearably sad. 

"So that's how it is!" Misty said, visibly moved. Brock seemed equally touched, and their initial fear of the supernatural started to fade. 

"This method, while touching, can also be frightening," Ash commented, leaning against a tree. 

"It's heartfelt, but most people are still afraid of supernatural events. If her husband is also a Ghost, that might work. But if he's been reincarnated, he could be too scared to come after hearing stories of ghosts haunting the area." 

Gastly's actions, while noble in intent, might scare off anyone who didn't understand the full story. 

"And if her husband is a Ghost, he should have returned by now. Unless... he doesn't care for her anymore. If that's the case, she doesn't need to wait any longer. But if he's already been reincarnated, stories of hauntings may deter him from ever coming back." 

Gastly fell silent at Ash's words. It hadn't considered these possibilities, having only wanted to help Stephanie. 

"Then what do you think should be done?" 

"For her, leaving here to start a new life might be the best relief," Ash replied thoughtfully. 

After such a long time, if her husband hadn't returned, it might mean he no longer held her in his heart. Expecting her to wait for him forever would be unfair. 

But for a woman like that girl, perhaps it didn't matter. Even if her husband had been reincarnated, she might simply wish to see him once more. Still, reincarnating and starting anew could bring her peace. 

Gastly hesitated. Despite only coming here yearly and claiming it was just a part-time effort, it truly wanted to help her. 

"Then what do you think we should do?" Gastly asked Ash, its tone earnest. 

Ash paused before responding. "You can hypnotize people and Pokémon, but... can you hypnotize other ghosts?" 

Gastly tilted its head in confusion. "Um??"

Gastly fell silent. While it had hypnotized humans and Pokémon countless times, the thought of hypnotizing ghosts had never occurred to it. However, theoretically, it wasn't impossible. 

Ghost-type Pokémon themselves exist in a spectral state, meaning Gastly's hypnosis could potentially work on human ghosts too. 

"Since you can take on any form, maybe you could transform into her husband to help fulfill her wish!" Ash suggested, looking at Gastly. 

"That's… possible," Gastly admitted hesitantly. "But she knows her husband so well. She'd see through me instantly. And… I've never even seen him. I wouldn't know how to mimic him!" 

Gastly explained that it had met the woman by chance and never knew her husband, making it likely to reveal itself if it attempted the disguise. 

"That's why I asked if you could hypnotize ghosts. If you can, you don't need to look exactly like him," Ash replied confidently. 

He explained further. "When people dream, they often feel close to someone without seeing their face clearly. Hypnosis could work the same way. The appearance doesn't need to be perfect—just enough to trigger her feelings." 

Gastly considered this. Ash's idea made sense. Dreams and hypnosis often blurred reality, and in this case, it might work to fulfill the woman's longing. 

"It's a clever plan," Gastly acknowledged, "but if it fails, it could break her heart even more. I don't want to hurt her." 

"Even if she finds out," Ash reasoned, "it's better than letting her keep lying to herself forever, isn't it?" 

Gastly fell silent again, pondering Ash's words. After a moment, it nodded. "Perhaps you're right. The sun will set soon, and I'll act then." 

Although Ghost-type Pokémon could act during the day without losing their power, the night always felt like home for them. Gastly decided to proceed with the plan. 

After their discussion, Gastly began its preparations. Ash, Misty, and Brock stayed, curious to see the Legendary ghostly girl for themselves. As they followed Gastly deeper into the woods, an ominous rustling came from the bushes nearby. 

From the shadows emerged three familiar figures. 

"Did you hear that? That Gastly can *talk* like Meowth!" Jessie exclaimed in excitement. 

"And it's strong enough to battle Pikachu—it's *Mega Strong*!" James added, his voice trembling with a mix of awe and fear. 

If Ash and his friends had been present, they would've immediately recognized the trio: Jessie, James, and Meowth of Team Rocket. 

"If we catch it and hand it over to the boss, we'll definitely get a huge bonus!" Jessie fantasized aloud, stars in her eyes. "We might even pay off all our debts and get promoted to department heads!" 

"But… if there are real ghosts, isn't it dangerous?" James asked nervously, recalling the earlier mention of a ghostly girl. 

"You're such a scaredy-cat, meow!" Meowth shook his head in exasperation. 

"Idiot!" Jessie snapped, grabbing James by the collar. "If you're so scared, how do you plan to win the boss's favor? Quit whining and get ready!" 

As they squabbled, Meowth sighed. "I swear, working with you two is the real nightmare, meow!" 

Unbeknownst to Ash and his friends, Team Rocket had set their sights on Gastly, preparing to launch yet another of their schemes.