"Reiji, I can't run a castle that big by myself. Even if I turn it into a haunted house, I'll be drowning."
Saya sighed and finally said it aloud.
"Can't you hire help?" Reiji asked.
"I don't have that kind of money. Dad holds the purse strings."
"You can 'hire' Pokémon. Costs nothing. Catch some in the wild. And the castle's Ghost types—free labor, right? Have them tend the garden, clean rooms. Unless they don't listen…"
That flipped a switch. Her eyes lit, thoughts racing. The Ghost types did listen—to her.
"You could become a Trainer. Grass types to groom the grounds, Bug types at the door to greet, and the castle sits on the coast—make it a Pokémon Haunted Seaview Castle Hotel. Service by Pokémon, haunted thrills, ocean view, and the castle's charm—that's your package…"
"Your idea's great, Reiji. It gets me through the hard part—opening. But once it's open… how do I pull guests in?"
Two seconds of joy, then the frown returned. A haunted-house hotel needed a megaphone.
"Ads," Reiji said, smiling as she sprinted ahead of him in her mind. "Your dad posted a 'castle investigation' at the Pokémon Center, right?"
"Post a 'hotel test-stay' the same way. If a guest makes it through without getting scared, comp the room—and add a prize. A photo with a Ghost type. A snapshot with you. The hotel's signature souvenirs. Give out 'Courage Badges,' 'Bold Badges,' a 'Gengar Badge'—little emblems for guests."
"When they leave, they'll do your marketing for you. If someone gets spooked, hand them a 'Timid Badge' or a 'Crying Face Badge.' Tier them—like Trainer ranks. Let guests decide whether to take them home."
"Once a few Trainers run the gauntlet, the 'Pokémon Haunted Seaview Castle Hotel' starts to spread on its own. More Trainers come to try it."
"'Did it scare you?' becomes a running joke between Trainers. Every retelling is more publicity. Charge later—after the name's out."
The more he talked, the brighter her eyes got. She fished out a small notebook and scribbled furiously, head bobbing as the plan took shape.
This world's tech sat somewhere around the millennium mark from Reiji's last life—pre-data deluge.
Back then, big data ate the world: collection, analysis, slicing audiences, ad targeting, loops that pounded a user into a neat little box. The endgame of "precision push" was the information cocoon—seeing only what someone wanted you to see unless you clawed your way out with a deliberate search.
Here, that future was still a ways off. By the time Rotom Phones hit, he intended to be strong enough to keep the worst of it in check.
And a Rotom Phone wasn't just a phone—more like an AI you could talk to, a kind of man-made Pokémon.
His old world chased "artificial intelligence" for a decade and printed "artificial idiot" instead—and still made money lying down. In a world where Pokémon are literal productivity, AI would sprint.
That was tomorrow. Today's job was the castle: win the girl over, and earn a cooperative Gastly.
"Saya, how does it sound?" Reiji twisted a cap and took a long drink. The pitch had dried him out.
"It's… amazing. Mr. Reiji, your idea is just… just—unbelievable!"
Saya sprang off the bench and hugged him outright, jostling the bottle and splashing water.
He didn't stop her. She hadn't smiled like this in a long time; better to let the pressure bleed out now.
So he let the hug ride.
She didn't know how long she held on. She circled the plan again and again, breathless, until the rush ebbed and awareness crashed in—this pose, this closeness—too much.
She slid off him, cheeks hot. Grandma had taught her to be a lady. She'd never even held a stranger's hand—now she'd hugged one.
"Mm—Miss Saya, I've said my piece. Can I tell you what I need?" Reiji asked lightly, tossing her a lifeline out of the awkwardness.
"O-okay. Please go on, Mr. Reiji."
Great plan or not, no one gave this much away for free. He was asking for something—she just hoped it was within reach. Otherwise she'd owe him something she couldn't repay.
"I want to catch a Gastly. Do you have any in the castle?"
"If it's Gastly…"
Saya snapped her fingers. "Misdreavus, is there a Gastly in the castle?"
A translucent shape slid out of the air. Misdreavus.
It glanced at Reiji—oh, it had seen that hug—and tugged its lower eyelid with a long tongue out in a rude face before nodding to Saya. "Muuu-maaa…"
"Misdreavus says there is. Do you want to go now?" Saya still couldn't meet his eyes. She smoothed a hand over Misdreavus' head to hide the blush.
"Now?"
Streetlamps were on; the sun was gone. Heading to the castle at night sounded like volunteering to be squeezed dry by Ghost types.
But seeing how close Misdreavus clung to her, he revised down the risk. If even this one was that obedient, the rest probably wouldn't harm him… probably.
"Alright. Now," Reiji said after a beat.
Saya kept her gaze down and led the way; the earlier embarrassment still glued her eyes to the ground.
Misdreavus, of course, cackled in circles around her.
She swatted at it, but the ghost dipped away, giggling. Every time the moment replayed in her head, her cheeks reheated.
They walked in silence to the sea-edge castle. With Reiji's eyes on her back, she fumbled the key ring twice and missed the lock entirely.
A beam cut across the iron door. Reiji's flashlight.
She exhaled, picked the right key, slid it in, and turned.
"Take this."
Reiji handed her the light once the gate swung.
"What about you?" she asked, still looking down.
"I've got another."
He clicked on a second lamp. He'd stocked up on Kinnow Island. Flashlights weren't a resource he lacked.
"Th-thank you."
She pushed into the overgrown garden. Reiji followed; Poliwhirl trailed them with a little backpack, taking in the clutter and the chill.
At the main doors, they heaved, stepped into a hall with no light but what their hands carried.
Saya cupped her hands and called into the high dark, "Everyone, come out."
"Jie-jie-heh-heh-heh, jie-jie-heh-heh-heh…"
Gengar's laugh seeped out of the walls.
"Shi-ta-heh-heh-heh…"
Haunter's reply made the skin crawl.
"Hey-sha-heh-heh…"
Gastly joined in, no kinder.
"Xi-xi-xi, ge-ge-ge, xi-xi-xi…"
Mismagius trilled.
"Xi-xi-xi…" Misdreavus chimed—Reiji had heard that one plenty tonight.
"That's… Gengar, Haunter, Gastly… Mismagius, Misdreavus… Dusclops, Duskull, Shuppet, Drifloon, and—Shedinja…"
They seeped from the corners and the ceiling, one after another—well over a dozen Ghosts. Including the big purple one.
He hadn't forgotten the basement cold. The temperature swing had been Gengar's doing—plus this many Ghosts? No wonder it felt like an icebox. Good thing he'd turned back then.
Tonight he was a guest. Getting Saya onside had been the right move.
There were two Gastly in the mix. The ones he wanted. Now—how was their potential?
With Ghost types, food and trust earned better partners than force. That was why he'd chosen this route—win the girl, win a willing Gastly.
Beat one down, and you might raise a traitor. Not worth the risk.
"Everyone, don't hurt Reiji. He's my guest," Saya said to the circling Ghosts, not a trace of fear in her voice.
Whether they understood, who knew. Misdreavus translated anyway—"treat him like the old master and mistress." Mind your manners.
Which, apparently, they took the wrong way. Heads bobbed. A hush—and then a ripple of snickers.
Saya hadn't expected this many. Years ago the castle had four or five. Now… a small parade.
One Gengar and a Dusclops had been her grandfather's. A Mismagius was her grandmother's. Two Misdreavus—one of those hers.
Then a Haunter and two Gastly, three Duskull, two Shuppet, three Drifloon, two Shedinja…
When had they gathered? Likely Grandmother's Mismagius had been sheltering strays.
"Mr. Reiji, there are only two Gastly. Which one do you want?" Saya asked, still thinking through the crowd and not forgetting why they'd come.
Payment, in thanks for the castle plan.
"I'll need to put them in Poké Balls to observe. Is that alright?" Reiji said, watching the two Gastly. He needed one that was both high-ceiling and easy to work with. The last thing he wanted was a time bomb leeching his life.
"Of course."
Saya nodded to her partner. "Misdreavus, ask the Gastly to come down. Mr. Reiji wants to catch one. See if they're willing."
(End of Chapter)
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/BellAshelia]
[Thanks for your support!]