Marn had no idea what Agatha was up to. The moment he saw her expression change, he instinctively turned and bolted out of the living room, running faster than ever before. He only felt safe once he realized she wasn't sending Gengar after him.
Walking through the dimly lit corridors of the old house, Marn couldn't help but feel excited. Finally, after years of training, he was going to become a real Pokémon Trainer. He greeted the Pokémon he passed along the way—most of which were Ghost- and Dark-type Pokémon.
As a member of the Elite Four, Agatha specialized in Ghost-types, but in reality, things weren't quite as they were portrayed in the games. In the games, her team was made up of two Gengars, a Haunter, an Arbok, and a Golbat, giving the impression that she was just as much a Poison-type specialist as she was a Ghost-type user.
But in the real world, Agatha's team was much more terrifying. While she did have Poison-types like Crobat, Arbok, and Weezing in her second lineup, her true power came from her army of Ghost-types led by her ace—Gengar.
As Agatha's grandson and someone who possessed the mysterious dark power, it was only natural that Marn would choose a Ghost-type Pokémon as his starter. He had already begun training it early on.
---
Marn's First Pokémon
When Marn finally returned to his bedroom, he immediately started packing. The Pokémon world had some incredible technology, and one of the most useful was the space backpack. While not infinite, it had more than enough capacity for survival essentials—camping gear, spare clothes, medicine, and a few other necessities.
"You can go on a journey tomorrow… This is so exciting!" Marn muttered to himself as he packed.
As soon as he spoke, a Haunter silently emerged from the shadows beneath him. It floated in front of Marn, grinning widely, its inky-black body standing out in the dimly lit room.
Unlike ordinary Haunter, which were a deep purple, Marn's Haunter was completely black, resembling pure darkness itself.
Two years ago, when Marn finally gained control over his dark power at the age of fifteen, he was given the opportunity to select his first Pokémon. Unsurprisingly, he chose a Gastly, the offspring of Agatha's ace Gengar.
The moment he saw it, he knew it was special. Born with elite-level potential, it had outstanding talent and was destined for greatness. But Marn didn't choose it just because of its strength—he had always loved Gengar. After all, who wouldn't want a mischievous ghost companion that could act as an air conditioner in the summer and a storage space for random items?
---
The Effects of the Dark Power
Marn had spent years training Gastly, carefully nurturing it with his dark power. At first, its appearance was no different from a regular Gastly, but as time passed, its color gradually darkened.
The usual purple mist that surrounded it slowly turned black. When it finally evolved into Haunter two months ago, the transformation was complete—its entire body had become pitch black, as if it had absorbed the very essence of darkness itself.
But the changes weren't just cosmetic.
Haunter's strength had skyrocketed.
In the Pokémon world, there was no game-like leveling system, but there was still a clear hierarchy of strength:
Novice (Newly hatched Pokémon)
Ordinary (Standard trained Pokémon)
Advanced (Well-trained Pokémon)
Elite-Level (The limit for most trainers)
Gym-Level (Strong enough to compete for badges)
Quasi-Elite (Approaching top-tier status)
Elite-Level (The rank of the Elite Four)
Champion-Level (Among the strongest in the world)
Master-Level (The absolute pinnacle)
Most Trainers never reach the Elite level. It was considered the upper limit for those without special resources, talent, or sheer determination. But Marn's Haunter, at just two months into its evolution, had already stepped into elite-level strength.
Marn lay back on his bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. The thought of finally starting his journey filled him with excitement.
Tomorrow, everything would change.
---
The Harsh Reality
The next morning, Marn woke up brimming with anticipation. He hurried downstairs, ready to officially begin his journey, when he was hit with a bombshell.
"Grandma Agatha… Did I mishear you?" Marn asked, his voice shaking slightly. "You're giving me 10,000 Pokédollars as travel funds…?"
"That's right," Agatha responded nonchalantly.
"But… 10,000 Pokédollars is barely enough for transportation! It won't even cover food!"
"That's correct," Agatha said with a smug smile. "You'll have to figure out how to earn the rest on your own."
Marn's brain short-circuited.
What…?
Wasn't I supposed to be the heir of an Elite Four member?
Wasn't I supposed to have unlimited resources?
Seeing his exasperated expression, Agatha chuckled. "This is part of your training, Marn. A real Trainer doesn't rely on handouts—they earn their own way."
Marn felt like he had been betrayed.
"But that's not fair! What about Steven Stone, the son of the Devon Corporation? He gets whatever he wants from his family!"
Agatha remained unfazed. "Ah, so you know about Steven Stone. Then you should also know about his hobby, right?"
"...Mining stones?"
"Exactly. That boy spends his time digging up rare stones and evolution items. His family's resources? He earns them by sending back rare gems and evolution stones to Devon Corporation in exchange for funding."
She smirked. "If you happen to find any high-quality evolution stones or rare gems, send them to me. I'll pay you a fair price."
Marn was defeated. He realized he had no choice but to start from scratch.
---
A Parting Gift
Just as Marn was about to give up arguing, Agatha handed him a notebook and a letter.
"Take this."
Marn took the notebook and flipped it open. His eyes widened—it was filled with Ghost-type training techniques, strategies, and move combinations written by Agatha herself.
"This…"
"If you were to sell that notebook, it would probably fetch the price of a pseudo-legendary Pokémon," Agatha said proudly.
Marn clutched it tightly. He knew just how valuable this was.
Then, his gaze shifted to the letter. "And this?"
Agatha's face stiffened slightly. After a moment, she sighed. "Take it to Pallet Town. Give it to Samuel Oak."
Marn froze.
Professor Samuel Oak.
Agatha's former friend… and greatest rival.
Agatha didn't give him a chance to ask questions. "That's all. Now get out of here!"
She turned and walked away, leaning on her cane.
Marn watched her retreating figure, his heart swelling with complicated emotions.
He knew that Agatha and Professor Oak had drifted apart long ago. If she was willing to reach out to him after all these years, it was only because of him.
Taking a deep breath, Marn tightened his grip on the notebook and the letter.
His journey had just begun.
But his first stop…
Pallet Town.
---