At the dining table, Ethan looked at Gastly floating quietly beside him.
Then he glanced at his father and then at his mother.
"Would you believe me if I said I really have no idea where this Gastly came from?"
Brian and Linda exchanged a glance and nodded. Indeed, Ethan went out to give food all day long, and the fact that a mysterious Pokémon had followed him home today was already a sign that his charm wasn't quite enough.
Brian looked at Ethan. Little Ethan was quite handsome, but he hadn't inherited the Bell family's genes at all when it came to Pokémon charm.
"Also, I really don't want to become a monk. I'll study hard."
"Are you sure?"
Brian's question carried a clear doubt.
"I don't believe you!"
Linda's denial carried a clear affirmation.
"I…"
Ethan groaned. He looked at Gastly beside him and realized something.
Since you're the first Pokémon to come to my house, don't blame me, you're mine.
Thinking this, Ethan pointed to the Gastly beside him and said:
"Dad, didn't I say I'd show you my chosen Pokémon this week? Bringing back a Pokémon means I have to read Buddhist scriptures, and here it is! So it's reasonable for me to read Buddhist scriptures."
Ethan felt a little guilty saying this. He wasn't very confident in his Pokémon-attracting abilities, and he had no idea where this Gastly had come from.
Brian's expression was serious. A Ghost-type as a starter Pokémon wasn't a great idea, but then he thought, Ethan's almost a monk, so a Ghost-type is reasonable, isn't it? Anyway, Ethan needed a Pokémon—to prove he wasn't a Pokémon rejecter.
So he looked at Gastly seriously and asked:
"Ethan has chosen you, but I still have to ask—are you willing to become Ethan's Pokémon, to become a member of our family?"
Everyone stared at Gastly nervously.
Gastly looked at Ethan's family.
"Gaa!" Gastly nodded. It had been following Ethan for a long time, observing him for months. From the moment Ethan touched that Buddha statue, it had noticed the boy. He seemed to radiate light. After months of watching, it finally decided that Ethan was the trainer it wanted—disciplined and Zen-like. Being around Ethan always brought it a sense of peace. As for the Pokémon Ethan interacted with, it had warned them all off; Ethan was reserved for it, and no one else would join him!
Brian looked at Gastly and smiled. Ghost-type it is.
"Welcome to our family."
"Ghastly!!!"
Linda laughed:
"You little rascal, you probably already picked one, and you only told us today to surprise us, right?"
Emily looked at Gastly with envy:
"Wow, what a cool Pokémon! The color seems a little different from the pictures online?"
Only Ethan was a bit confused.
Holy crap? This already worked? Only Gastly knows my love.
"Gaa!!"
Gastly pulled a Poké Ball from Ethan's bag and put it against its own head.
Click— it was sucked inside in a flash of red.
The Poké Ball hit the ground.
It wobbled and immediately went out.
Hmm… Ethan felt a little unreal at that moment, watching Gastly move so effortlessly, even knowing where Ethan's Poké Ball was.
Why does it feel like I've been captured?
Anyway, from today onwards, Ethan finally had his Pokémon.
Ethan released Gastly:
"Nice to meet you from now on."
"Gaaa!"
Gastly nodded.
It immediately burrowed into Ethan's shadow. Compared to the Poké Ball, Gastly clearly preferred Ethan's shadow.
Ethan looked at his shadow, his expression slightly changing.
How is this guy so skilled? Why does it feel like my shadow has already become its shape?
...
Ethan sat in his room, gently turning the remaining four Buddhist scriptures.
Because of the newly acquired Pokémon, Brian specially took half a day off, so Ethan could spend time with Gastly.
Indeed, a new Pokémon requires proper communication to establish basic trust.
He looked at Gastly and smiled.
"Gaa?" Gastly smiled back.
The atmosphere was a bit awkward, and Ethan felt nervous. He decided to break the ice, sometimes a trainer must take initiative.
"Want to read some Buddhist scriptures together?"
Ethan wanted to slap himself for saying that. Where had his usual wisdom, humor, and charm gone?
Reading Buddhist scriptures with a Ghost-type Pokémon? Was he trying to send it to the afterlife?
While Ethan hesitated, Gastly happily nodded.
"Ghastly!!!"
Then it floated directly into Ethan's arms.
A Buddhist scripture Ethan had never seen before floated in front of him!
"Gaa!"
Then it looked up at Ethan with excitement, its eyes filled with longing.
"Really want to see?"
"Gaa!!"
Gastly nodded in Ethan's arms!
Hmm… a Ghost-type likes Buddhism? Reasonable.
...
Brian stood outside the door, hesitant.
He didn't know how the interaction was going. After all, this was Ethan's first Pokémon, and he had to be careful.
It's not uncommon for people to become Pokémon-haters if their first Pokémon isn't chosen well.
What if Ethan really becomes a monk if things go wrong?
Besides, Ethan's Pokémon was Gastly, known for its strength and mischief.
The king of pranks, a frequent visitor to haunted houses, loving to scare people, and with a slightly violent temperament, it was unpredictable.
It's said that Gastly is a Pokémon often involved in wild Pokémon attack incidents.
Although there weren't many casualties, the social impact was significant.
Rushing in wasn't a good idea. Usually carefree, Brian now felt nervous standing at his son's door.
I wonder how Ethan and Gastly are getting along…
Well, it should be fine, hahaha. After all, he's my son.
Brian opened the door with a smile.
What did he see?!
His son was reading Buddhist scriptures with Gastly! The pair, one human and one Pokémon, quietly reading, exuded a Zen-like tranquility. Seeing this, Brian's mood instantly relaxed.
Then he turned and quietly closed the door. This isn't going badly at all. My son has a knack for it.
He's truly my son. Except for his recent interest in Buddhist scriptures, he's never given me trouble.
Something feels off, like there's a problem…
Hmm… never mind. Ethan can handle it himself. After all these years, I trust his abilities.
...
Ethan closed the scripture, shut his eyes, and meditated for a while.
Buddhist scriptures are quite dry at first, but the longer you read, the more engrossing they become.
There's a certain magic that keeps Ethan reading.
After reading, you still have to use your brain to understand it. To be honest, it's similar to doing math problems.
Solving it is satisfying, but the earlier parts are incredibly boring.
Ethan discovered that the Buddhist scriptures in this world had been modified, with many legends directly linked to mythical beasts.
For example, this Undying Moltres Sutra talks about the Legendary Pokémon, the Moltres. It contains many statements Ethan had never seen before, including a simple description of the Moltres sacred fire:
"Divine Fire descends from the heavens, burning three thousand miles; the good survive, the evil perish, and it shall last a thousand years."
Ancient people may have exaggerated. The saying "the good survive, the evil perish" was likely a Buddhist teaching meant to encourage people to do good.
Ethan tried to imagine the scale of the fire described in the sutra and estimated that it could spread across thirty miles and burn continuously for three days—but even that seemed like an extreme exaggeration.
A Legendary Pokémon, after all, needs majesty. It can't just be captured by a Poké Ball, right?
****
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