Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Guiding Light (Vol. 2) (2024)

So, here's something unexpected. Or possibly not. If you remember, I did put up 2017's Halloween special back in Volume 1. This year, I've gone and written a standalone bonus chapter, which means I can actually post it here right away. No knowledge of the story thus far is required to read this piece, though knowing about Special Episode 3 from Explorers of Sky might help. Enjoy!

I see you trying to stray from the path. Cease your foolish actions or I will employ Thunder Wave and return you to the prison.

Electricity crackled in Magnezone's appendages, frightening the Haunter floating in front of him. "Yeesh! Sorry, sorry, I'm just tired, that's all," Haunter said. He floated down the gray, dirt-filled path, passing puddles of water dripping from the ceiling. Ahead of him, two slightly-larger members of his species floated in single-file line behind a Magneton deputy. Light shined from the end of a tunnel.

Sir, we've arrived at the entrance, the deputy announced, turning around and flashing his six magnets.

"Excellent! At long last, we're finally free! Kee hee hee!" the largest of the three Haunters said, bursting out of the tunnel entrance, only to shrink back immediately with a hiss. He wrung his hands out until black smoke stopped trailing off them. "Urgh… geez. You louts couldn't have brought us out after sundown?" he grumbled.

Negative, Magnezone replied, fixing his central eye on the three Haunters. In the past, former inmates have used the cover of night to slip away and return to their criminal ways. We are no longer taking that risk.

"Eee hee hee! Now, now, there's no need to worry about that," the last Haunter said, his black tongue flopping out of his mouth. "We're fully rehabilitated! No more sneaky thefts for us. Isn't that right, Chief?"

The largest Haunter nodded, his eyes bouncing in his spectral sockets. "Of course. Of course. Kee hee hee!" Chief said. "We'll promise to be good, well-meaning ghosts from now on. After all, who'd want to end up back in Craggy Side Path Prison again, anyway? It reeked in there."

"Yeah! And that's coming from guys without nostrils," Haunter said, waving a hand in front of his face. Chief had made it clear to him that he needed to be on his best behavior so they could head back into the world without drawing any suspicion from Officer Magnezone's team.

You know the rules, Magnezone said, shoving Haunter forward. We escort you on this trail until we're one mile from Treasure Town. Provided you behave appropriately, you will be free to go.

"We're well aware, Officer Magnezone," Black-Tongue said. "We'll leave it to your… uh… wonderful deputy to lead the way.

Oh. Why… thank you for the complement, Magneton said, chuckling robotically.

Haunter followed his teammates out of the cave, shaking his head. These idiot cops were so dense. If it wasn't for the explorers lending them a hand, they'd be completely ineffective. In fact, just hearing mention of Treasure Town dredged up unpleasant memories of their defeat and humiliation at the hands of that gods-awful Wigglytuff Guild. What kind of chumps couldn't take down a 'mon they had a type advantage over?

He looked to his left, focusing on the waves rolling across the ocean. Haunter heard some smacking up against the cliffside path they were on. Sea spray occasionally drifted right by him. The mist felt great after the many months locked away inside a cave. Of course, he would never admit that to his teammates. Ghosts were supposed to like dark, dreary places. But that prison somehow sucked the life out of him.

The group continued forward in silence. Haunter kept switching his gaze between the ground and the ocean. He was pretty sure his partners tried to get his attention a few times, but he ignored them, lost in his own thoughts.

So, what's the game plan once we're free, Chief?

Kee hee hee! Are you serious, dude? What do you think it is? We're gonna make a comeback, of course. "The Invincible Haunter" will strike again!

Oh… uh… right. Yeah, how silly of me. Mwee hee… hee…

Oy, what's the matter with you, Purple-Tongue? Where's your haunting spirit? I guarantee you we'll find some saps to scare with our routine and it'll be utterly hilarious!

Haunter shook his head. Of course he wanted to scare people. That's what he lived for!

'But does that really mean we have to go back to the same routine that got us put in here in the first place?' he wondered. It was around the time that the path turned inland and a small forest took the cliff's place that Haunter finally stopped mulling over that conversation and reached a conclusion.

He didn't want to use his scaring prowess to harm other Pokémon anymore.

Attention: we have reached the designated drop off area, Magneton announced, his limbs humming with vibrations. Ahead of them, the path sloped down. However, their vantage point at the top of the hill allowed them to see a beach, as well as several thatched buildings and tents. A large pink tent styled to look like a Wigglytuff stood on a second hill in the distance. There was no mistaking it. Treasure Town was right nearby. No doubt bustling with Pokémon going about their day to day lives.

Both of Haunter's teammates frowned. "Well, as much fun as this little sightseeing moment is, I think we're going to have to bring it to an end," Chief said. He turned to Magnezone. "You said we'd be free to go once we reach this spot."

Correct, Magnezone said.

"Then, we'll be taking our leave," Chief said, grinning so widely his mouth outgrew his body.

I expect you three to behave yourselves from now on, Magnezone said. The last thing any of us want is to place you all under arrest once again.

"Yeah, yeah, message received," Chief said, waving Magnezone off. Haunter followed Chief down the path until the police force was safely out of view. Chief turned around, rubbing his hands together gleefully. "Kee hee hee! At long last, we're free!" he said. "You know what this means, right?"

"We're going to find us some chow that doesn't taste like puke?" Black-Tongue said, contorting his body into a question mark.

"What? No!" Chief said, slapping Black-Tongue hard enough to revert him back to normal. "It means it's time for us to start planning our big comeback."

Haunter grimaced. Chief was ready to do that now? "Uh, can't we at least take a couple of weeks to enjoy our freedom? Get used to life outside again?" Haunter said.

"Are you kidding me? What, do you just want to lay around in the shadows of a tree or something? That's not fun at all!" Chief said. "There are Pokémon out there waiting to be scared away from their belongings. The world is begging for the return of 'The Invincible Haunter.' Kee hee hee!"

"But Chief, you don't really expect us to be able to go back to our old routine here, do you?" Haunter said. "The guild blabbed about our secret. The Glameow's outta the bag. We're just gonna end up back in jail."

Chief turned to Haunter, frowning. "You can't be serious here. Of course I'm aware of that! Which is exactly why we're going to take our act on the road," he said, contorting into an arrow and pointing at the forest. "Time to leave the Grass Continent behind and head for greener pastures."

"Eh? I thought the Grass Continent had the greenest fields across the world," Black-Tongue said.

"Oh for the love of–" Chief smacked his forehead. "It's a figure of speech. I mean we need to move to a place where nobody knows who we are. Now, I was thinking either the Air Continent or the Mist Continent. I don't think either place has established guilds, so we should be able to settle there without any issues. Which one would you guys prefer?"

"Mist Continent… duh!" Black-Tongue says. "If there's nothing but mist there, we'll be able to blend in so masterfully we'll make Dittos jealous." His body dissolved into a stream of mist that wrapped around a nearby branch. Black-Tongue's eyes appeared on the edge of the branch, looking down at his partners.

"And what about you?" Chief asked Haunter.

"Uh… well…" Haunter's voice trailed off and he rubbed the back of his head. He wanted more time to figure out what to say to his teammates, because he hoped he could convince them not to go back to lives of crime. "Here's the thing, Chief. I don't want to return to the Invincible Haunter schtick," Haunter said.

Chief threw his head back, laughing heartily. Likewise, Black-Tongue fell out of his tree branch, laughing. "Kee hee hee! That's hilarious! Nice one, Purple-Tongue, but save the funny jokes for our would-be targets in the Mist Continent," Chief said.

"It wasn't a joke," Haunter said, frowning. The smiles disappeared from his teammates' faces.

"What are you saying? That you want to back out?" Chief said, narrowing his eyes.

Haunter sighed. This was it. "Yeah," he said. "I've had enough of being a crook and I certainly don't want to risk getting tossed back into a jail cell."

"You can't back out of this!" Chief said. "You're a ghost. If you're not spending your time scaring folks, then what else are you supposed to do, huh?"

"I'm not saying I'm giving up scaring," Haunter said, shaking his head. "I'm just saying that… well… I don't think I have to be an outlaw to scare folks. And… um… you guys don't, either." Haunter knew that wasn't an eloquent attempt to appeal to his friends. Still, he hoped they'd at least hear him out.

Chief and Black-Tongue looked at each other, then burst out laughing. Comically large tear streams shout out of Black-Tongue's eyes. "H… hey! What's so funny?" Haunter said, puffing up his cheeks.

"You!" Black-Tongue said. "That's gotta be the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

"Yeah. You think 'mons want to be scared by ghosts like us? Of course not. Don't be ridiculous!" Chief scoffed, shoving Haunter lightly. "You've gotta be an outlaw if you want to scare someone… it's the only way you'll be taken seriously."

"I don't believe that," Haunter said. "I think we can find a way to scare folks and help those who need it." His teammates continued laughing to the point where they sank into puddles of purple goo on the ground. "I'm being serious!" Haunter fumed. "Like, why can't we stalk outlaws and scare them into turning themselves in? If anyone deserves a scare… it's a crook!"

"Pfbt! Yeah, sure, like that would really work," Chief said. "Look, if you want to go frolic with the goody-goody losers in Treasure Town, then go right ahead." He gestured down the trail. "We can find someone else to pick up the slack. You were always the weakest one out of us three, anyway."

Haunter recoiled. There was no way that was true! They were on equal footing with each other. That's what made their trick work so well.

"Yeah, I never said anything, but I always thought you were holding us back," Black-Tongue said.

Haunter slumped over, eyes and mouth dropping to the ground. His friends had brushed his suggestion off without even giving it a fair shake. "So, you guys are just gonna leave?" he whispered.

"Duh," Chief said. "I'll give you one last chance to join us. Or do you mean to tell me you really think you can fit in in a place like Treasure Town?"

"I can fit in," Haunter said, picking his eyes and mouth up. "Heck, I can do better than that. I'm going to be an explorer! I'll use tricks and pranks to solve other Pokémon's problems… and prove you two wrong."

"Oh, brother," Black-Tongue said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, tell me about it. Gag," Chief said, tongue falling out of his mouth. "Black-Tongue and I are leaving. Keep your ears open, because it won't be long before you start hearing about the return of the Invincible Haunter! Kee hee hee!"

"Eee hee hee!" Black-Tongue added. He and Chief then melted into the ground, disappearing from Haunter's view. Haunter continued to float there for a few minutes, then dropped to the ground, sighing.

What was he supposed to do now? He had no money, no resources, and no one to turn to. The obvious choice was to go to Wigglytuff's Guild, but he doubted he would get a warm welcome there after the trouble he caused. As much as he didn't want to admit it, his now-former teammates were right.

If he wanted a fresh start, he would need to move.

Haunter dissolved into a cloud of mist and snaked through the shadows of the trees flanking the trail. All the while, he considered his options. There were other towns in the Grass Continent he could go to, but none of them held a candle to Treasure Town. As far as he knew, it was the hub for explorers. Sure, the Air Continent to the north had some rescue teams, but they were all self-contained and kept to themselves. His best shot was with an established organization.

'But all that leaves me with is Wigglytuff's Guild,' Haunter concluded.

He continued drifting aimlessly through the forest, mulling over his apparent lack of options. Haunter was so lost in thought, it took the burning rays of the sun to make him release he'd left the safety of the forest and found himself in Treasure Town's beach. He ducked into the shadows of a rock to avoid detection.

It was from that hiding spot that Haunter heard voices. Close examination revealed a familiar Sunflora and Loudred standing with a small group. It was Wigglytuff's Guild! Haunter creeped along the shadows, eavesdropping on the group as they conversed with two Pokémon he had never seen before: Incineroar and Lucario. As he listened in, he learned they were from a continent he had never even heard of. Better yet, Incineroar ran a guild of his own. Haunter briefly wondered if fortune had actually smiled upon him.

Throwing caution – and his pride – into the wind, Haunter went up to the group and proceeded to beg Incineroar to take him back to Horizon. He employed every trick in his arsenal, from large pouty eyes to giant tear streams. Haunter won Incineroar over, despite his mate's suspicions. She tried to tell him Lapras wouldn't have any room and they didn't have the supplies for an extra passenger. Haunter waved it all off. He was a ghost and, as such, could go several days without eating. Haunter also offered to coil himself around a spoke on Lapras' shell to make sure he wasn't taking up any room.

Lucario eventually acquiesced. Just like that, Haunter had a plan. Sure, he had no idea what an entrance exam was supposed to entail, but Incineroar seemed confident in him. What could possibly go wrong?

"Augh!"

Haunter struck a tree, ending up as nothing more than a purple splat on its bark. His eyes and mouth tumbled to the ground, followed by the rest of his body. How could this have happened? The test sounded so easy! He had to get a looplet back from this forest. But then he got jumped by an angry Leafeon and everything went south. How could he have lost? He resisted her strongest attacks!

"Well, I think that settles that," Leafeon said, walking toward Haunter. "The treasure is mine."

"But I need… nrrrrgh," Haunter groaned, unable to pick himself up off the ground. He didn't even have the strength to phase into the dirt.

"You're not getting it," Leafeon said. She walked past Haunter and disappeared behind a large tree root. She popped back up seconds later wearing a sunny-yellow vest with a platinum guild badge on it. "The fact is that this was all part of your test. And… you failed," she said. "I'm not exactly in the prime of my youth, but you couldn't even land a single blow."

Haunter looked up. Sure enough, the tips of Leafeon's ears and tail were yellow instead of green. A clear sign Leafeon was entering her later years. "You're kidding," he whispered. "P… please! You've gotta give me another chance. I'll… uh… I'll do better next time, I swear. I'm still tired from the trip, that's all."

Leafeon produced an oran berry from her satchel and rolled it over to Haunter. "It's not my place to say whether you can have another chance. I'm afraid that's up to the Guildmaster," she said, pulling out an Escape Orb. "Now, eat up, so I can take you back to Aeon Town."

To Haunter, the berry might has well have been rotten. It was a sad consolation prize for failing to meet his goal. It looked like he had traveled halfway across the world for nothing. As soon as he was back in Aeon Town he'd be back to square one. No, it was even worse. He'd be at square zero.

"Look, the sun's setting. Either you can come with me or not," Leafeon said, flicking her tail. "You wouldn't be the first 'mon to go wild after failing our exam."

Haunter ate the berry whole and floated dejectedly beside Leafeon. Together, they warped back to Dewdrop Woods' entrance. Haunter marveled at the wall of impossibly tall trees, with just a small black gap in the middle marking the way into the dungeon.

"Well, this is where we part ways," Leafeon said. "You're welcome to drop by the Observatory any time to see if you can try again." She walked off, leaving Haunter floating by the trees.

He thought this was all rather harsh. Failure meant getting left alone in some place he didn't know? Though, it stood to reason that the only folks who had failed this test before him were Horizon natives.

Haunter was prepared to sink into the ground and wallow in his misery when he spotted two bubbling puddles of purple ectoplasm in front of him. "Eh? Look… if you've come to spread the good word about Giratina or some nonsense like that, I ain't interested," he said, flicking a hand dismissively at the puddles.

"Oh, golly, we're not here for that!"

A Misdreavus with hot-pink tips at the ends of her ghostly hair popped out of one puddle. The other puddle produced a Drifloon. "Yeah, we're here because we were looking for you," Drifloon said.

"Me?" Haunter said, pointing at his face. Were Haunters a rare sight in Horizon?

"Hoo-whee, you got it," Misdreavus said, nodding vigorously. "We were just hanging around in the alleys in Aeon Town and heard Leafeon and Incineroar coming by, yup yup. When we saw you with them, we both waited around to see what would happen. A half-hour later, we saw you floating off to Dewdrop Woods, so we figured you were trying to join the guild." Her expression deflated. "It looks like you didn't do so hot on the entrance exam, huh?"

Haunter blinked. They knew about the guild's entrance exam? Were they gossipers? Did this mean he was going to be a laughing stock in Aeon Town?

"W-Wait a second," Haunter said, panic spreading across his face. "It's not my fault! I came from overseas, so I was just tired, that's all. With a little rest… I'll be ready to tackle the test and emerge victorious!"

"Golly! You're quite determined," Misdreavus gasped, hair shooting up. "Shucks, I wasn't trying to insult you or anything."

"Yeah, we came out to offer some support," Drifloon said, extending a string toward Haunter. "As fellow ghost-types who failed the guild's entrance exam, we're here for you." Drifloon looked around the area. "Actually, why don't we buy you something from the café in town. You sure look like you could use a pick-me-up."

Haunter blinked in surprised. He wasn't expecting the first ghosts he met in Horizon to be this friendly. Was it a trick of some sort? Haunter looked them over, but didn't see anything malicious in their eyes.

"I think that sounds pretty good," Haunter said and followed them down the trail.

Difloon and Misdreavus emerged with what they called a berry sorbet. Haunter thought it looked like colored ice, but a single spoonful assaulted his tongue with a mixture of sweet berries. He dropped his spoon into the bowl in sheer surprise.

"I think he likes it," Misdreavus said with a giggle.

"I'll say," Drifloon said as Haunter eagerly downed the rest of the treat. "I don't think I've ever seen a ghost tear through food that quickly. Maybe we should've gotten him a malasada instead?"

"Heh, you're right. That was a good pick-me-up," Haunter said, spoon sticking out of his mouth like an oversized toothpick. "Err… I don't have any money right now, but if you give me time–"

"Golly, you don't have to pay us back," Misdreavus said. "Like we said, we were looking for you. Consider it an introductory gift, of sorts."

Haunter wasn't about to question the good fortune. Instead, he lazily drifted down into the grass and rested up against a tree. Drifloon and Misdreavus did the same, the latter lying on a tree root.

"So, you both want to join the guild, too?" Haunter said, tracing the spoon through the dirt. They nodded in unison. "Does that mean you guys joined together?"

"Nope. We only met a few weeks ago," Drifloon said.

That surprised Haunter, given how chummy they acted. "Right," he said, trying to think of something else to ask to avoid making things awkward. "Um, are there a lot of ghosts in Horizon?"

"If you know where to look, there can be," Drifloon said. "Most of us prefer to be active wherever it's dark. And, well…" His voice trailed off and he hovered into the air. Haunter looked in Drifloon's direction and saw a dim glow surrounding many of Aeon Town's buildings. "Most of the communities in Horizon aren't what you would call 'ghost-friendly,' so we tend to stick to the wild… or even the Mystery Dungeons."

Drifloon's revelation made Haunter accidentally toss the spoon behind him in surprise. It banked of a tree and fell into the bushes. "Wait, hold on. You guys live in Mystery Dungeons? How is that possible?" Haunter said, sticking his tongue out to scratch his head.

"Oh, golly, we're sorry," Misdreavus said. "We assumed you already knew how Mystery Dungeons work here in Horizon."

"Uh, not quite," Haunter said. "Think you can give me a quick rundown?"

"Of course," Misdreavus said. "See, the dungeons here are landscapes. Occasionally, our continents' guardians, the Tapus, reshape the terrain. It's safe for wild 'mons to live in them as long as they take shelter when the Tapus tell them to." Haunter didn't respond, so Misdreavus covered her mouth with a tendril of spectral hair. "Err… that wasn't too much for you to take in, was it?"

"No… I think I get it," Haunter said. "So, you two both lived in the wild, then?"

"Actually, I'm from Dewdrop Woods, yup yup," Misdreavus said. "That's the dungeon you did the exam in."

"And I used to live in Aurora Vale. It's a pretty dungeon. There's always an aurora in the sky," Drifloon said, lazily floating hire until he phased through a tree branch.

Haunter found their answers strange. Why would a couple of Pokémon who had lived in Mystery Dungeons suddenly decide to join a guild? How did they even find out about it? Haunter tried to think of the best way to phrase his questions without sound rude, but eventually decided to take the blunt route.

"Why would a couple of wild 'mons want to be explorers?" he asked as Drifloon poked his body out of the tree branch.

"Golly, I bet you'll think this sounds dumb, but I wanted to meet other people," Misdreavus said, her hair tendrils knotting up. "When I woke up, I was alone in Dewdrop Woods. I drifted around aimlessly for such a long time. It was dreadfully boring. So, the first time I saw other 'mons, I was so excited! I flew up to them, eager to talk, but…" She melted part way into the tree root. "They got scared when they saw me… and ran away."

Misdreavus sighed loudly. "And that's pretty much how it went for a long time… until I managed to find the entrance to Dewdrop Woods," she said. "I was curious, so I went through it and soon found myself in Aeon Town. That's when I heard about the guild from listening in on Incineroar. I didn't exactly understand what being an explorer meant… but it sounded like a perfect way to meet people."

Haunter wasn't sure how to respond. When he woke up in his shadowy body, he found Chief and Black-Tongue within days. He hadn't even considered the possibility that there were lonely ghosts out there. Luckily for Haunter, Drifloon took the silence as his cue to speak up.

"For my part, I was just looking for a change in my routine," Drifloon said. "Something different, y'know?"

Haunter did know, but thought it polite to interrupt, so he nodded.

"Aurora Vale's a nice place. There were all these Miniors floating about that I could interact with whenever I wanted," Drifloon said. "But, well, they weren't much for conversation, so it was hardly interesting." He twisted his strings around. "The most interesting things that happened were when explorers from the guild came into the dungeon on missions. I'd follow them around… pretending I was part of their group. But I was always too afraid of actually saying anything to them."

"One time, Leafeon showed up," Drifloon said. "She was… well, she's really pretty. I couldn't help but try saying something to her. She seemed a bit annoyed that I snuck up on her, but she was willing to talk with me about the guild. Eventually, she agreed to take me out of the dungeon so I could try and join."

"Interesting," Haunter said. Their motives weren't exactly the same as his, but the idea of wanting something different out of life certainly resonated him. "To be honest, I understand where you guys are coming from," he said, then lapsed into an explanation of what brought him to Horizon in the first place.

"Golly! That's quite the tale," Misdreavus said when Haunter was finished. "It's a bit unnerving to hear I'm talking with a guy who used to be a criminal, but I'm glad you changed your mind. It's good knowing there are other ghosts out there who aren't looking to be so mean, yup yup."

"Yeah! And those two teammates of yours sound positively rotten," Drifloon said, blowing a few leaves away with a gust of wind. "Don't you worry. I'm sure you'll get into the guild and prove them wrong."

"Well, what about you guys?" Haunter said. "You took the exam too, right?"

"We sure did, yup yup! Failed spectacularly, too," Misdreavus said, her enthusiasm betraying the glum look on her face. "I couldn't even last thirty seconds against Leafeon."

"I didn't do much better. Only managed to nick her rear with one attack. And that was the one part of her I didn't want to hit," Drifloon said, sighing. "I had type-advantage on my side and it didn't do a thing."

Ignoring the strange part about Leafeon, Haunter blinked in surprise. He didn't feel all that bad about failing to get a hit in, anymore. Instead, another thought came to mind. "Wait, so all three of us failed the exam against Leafeon?" he said. Haunter received nods in response. "Huh. Has anyone else tried to join the guild and succeeded?"

"Yeah. There was a Brionne who passed about a month ago… and an Eevee passed just last week," Drifloon said. "Neither of them looked like they had that tough of a time."

"What? Are you kidding me?" Haunter said, eyes bugging out of his head. "Of course Leafeon's gonna let an Eevee join." He didn't know what a Brionne was, but he imagined it wasn't a ghost-type. Haunter pondered things for a minute, before sighing. "I think I might have an idea what's wrong."

"Oh?" Drifloon said.

"Well… it's just, we are ghosts," Haunter said. "When it comes to battling, we're pretty fail. If we can't get solid hits in our foes… we don't tend to do very well."

He hated admitting it, but it was true. When he was the Invincible Haunter, he never needed to win, because his team's trick would suck the fighting spirit out of anyone who he battled. Haunter imagined that, from what Difloon and Misdreavus told him, they didn't have any real battling experience to speak of. No wonder they all got swept aside by Leafeon!

Haunter rubbed his chin. Maybe he had gone about this the wrong way. After all, the reason he was successful as an outlaw was because he had backup. Likewise, Sunflora was able to arrest him and his teammates because Loudred stepped in to help her when she needed it most. Perhaps, if he was to make his dream a reality, he needed new friends for this new continent.

"So, are you two still interested in joining the guild at all?" Haunter asked.

"Hoo-whee, I sure am," Misdreavus said.

"You betcha," Drifloon said. "It's just… how am I supposed to get past Leafeon, huh? Misdreavus and I met up after I blew it on the exam a couple of weeks back. We've been trying to practice our attacks with each other, but I don't think it's helped all that much."

"Well, what if we all tried to join together?" Haunter proposed. "Y'know… be a team."

"An exploration team?" Misdreavus said.

"A spooky exploration team," Haunter said, beaming. "Think about it. I may not know everything about the exploring business, but one thing I know pretty well is that most 'mons don't want to go out at night. Well, what if someone needs help around that time? Who better than a team of ghosts to do the job?"

Misdreavus and Drifloon looked at each other in a way that suggested the thought had never crossed their minds. "That's a good idea, yup yup," Misdreavus said.

"Totally. With the three of us working together, I'll bet we can take out Leafeon for sure," Drifloon said, raising a string into the air.

"So, you're with me?" Haunter said. The other ghosts nodded. "Mwee hee hee! Excellent! Come tomorrow… Leafeon won't know what hit her!"

A metal tail hammered Haunter into his teammates, turning them into a giant purple puddle with their three grimaced faces mixed up among one another.

"O… oogh. No… not again," Haunter groaned.

"We blew it, didn't we?" Drifloon said.

"Yup yup," Misdreavus whispered.

"Well… that was… something," Leafeon said, shaking her head. "Did you three even try to come up with a plan or did you just blindly charge into battle hoping the extra numbers would make all the difference?"

Haunter and his teammates struggled to pull themselves apart. They each exchanged eyes until they knew they had the right ones and fixed them back on their bodies.

"Uh… well… let's say, for the sake of argument, that I picked the second option," Haunter said, blowing on his right eye and rubbing out the dirt. "What would happen?"

"I'd give you my 'I'm not mad, just disappointed,' look," Leafeon said.

Haunter stuck his right eye back in its socket. "And that's bad because…"

"It's broken more than a few hearts at the guild," Leafeon said. She frowned, jutted out her lower lip, and shook her head disapprovingly.

"Oh gods, you're right! It's awful! Awful! I'm sorry!" Haunter said, cupping his hands over his face and writhing on the ground. "Just put it away, please!"

Leafeon resumed her stoic expression and dug three oran berries from her bag. "Well, I suppose you could always try again. I'm not sure what the Guildmaster sees in you three that he's willing to keep giving you chances, but I do appreciate the exercise. It can get so stuffy in the Observatory," she said, rolling the berries toward the ghosts.

They ate their consolation prizes in silence, and then Leafeon warped them out of the dungeon and back to Aeon Town. She left them behind without another word. "Golly, so what are we supposed to do now, huh?" Misdreavus said. "That went about as badly as it could've gone."

"Yeah. Even in a three-on-one, we couldn't do anything," Drifloon said, tearing up slightly. "I guess this just wasn't in the cards for us."

Haunter frowned. For the second time, he and two teammates were beaten by a surprisingly-strong grass-type. And Leafeon didn't even have any backup. He was glad his ex-teammates weren't around. They'd never let him live this down. Still, Haunter didn't want to give up. There had to be something they could do to get the upper hand on Leafeon.

"Wait, that's it!" Haunter shouted, his teammates backing away in surprise.

"Hoo-whee, sounds like you've got yourself an idea," Misdreavus said. "What is it?"

"We went about it the wrong way," Haunter said, slamming a fist into an open palm. "We can't just bum rush Leafeon and hope for the best. We're ghosts, dang it! Sure, we're not the toughest fighters around… but who said anything about having to fight?"

"Uh, it's part of the requirement for the test," Drifloon said.

"No. The requirement is we have to get the treasure back from the 'unruly character' that took it," Haunter said. "I say, we stop trying to think like your average exploration team… and start thinking like folks who stick to the shadows!"

"Golly, what are you saying, Haunter?" Misdreavus asked.

Haunter beckoned them to follow him into the shade of a nearby tree. "I'm saying… that we should try to make off with the treasure. Y'know… swipe it out from under Leafeon's nose," Haunter said.

"Can we do that?" Drifloon wondered.

"Well, we can certainly try," Haunter said. "We found that totter seed in the woods today, right?"

"Got it right here, yup yup!" Misdreavus said, holding up the seed in a tendril.

"Hang on… are we allowed to use items?" Drifloon said. "I don't want to get disqualified or anything."

"Incineroar didn't say we couldn't use items," Haunter said. "That totter seed could be a good way to disorient Leafeon, so we can make off with the treasure."

"Err, not to say I don't like the idea or anything, but wouldn't it be kinda hard to find the entrance to the dungeon again?" Drifloon said. "Especially if Leafeon gives chase."

"Well, we do get a map," Misdreavus said, pulling the scroll out of her hair with another tendril.

"And that's assuming we don't automatically win by 'snagging' the treasure," Haunter said. "It's at least worth a shot, isn't it?"

"I'd say so. I'd rather not get thumped by Leafeon's Iron Tail… even if it is a wonderful view," Drifloon said, twisting his strings around.

"Maybe we should try to strategize, then?" Misdreavus said. "We can figure out a way to try and draw Leafeon away from the treasure box."

"That's a good idea," Haunter said. "Let's do some brainstorming, team."

Their strategy session wound up lasting well past sunset. The result being a three-tiered approach. Haunter planned to try and grab Leafeon's attention with loudmouth antics. If that failed, Drifloon would use his Ominous Wind– not to attack Leafeon, but to darken the area and hopefully restrict her visibility. Misdreavus would try and use Mean Look to freeze Leafeon in place. If those all failed, they had the totter seed at the ready.

They emerged from the forest, looking to practice their routine in an open clearing, when a loud shout rang out.

"Stop, thief!"

The ghosts exchanged panicked looks and ducked inside of a nearby tree. There, they spotted two blurry shadows running along the trail. A sword-shaped leaf emerged from the farther of the two shadows, but failed to connect with the closer one. The first shadow drew closer.

"Is that red berry… walking?" Haunter whispered.

"Berry? Golly, no, that's a Pokémon," Misdreavus said.

"Yeah… and I recognize her, too. It's Tsareena! She was on one of the boards in the Observatory," Drifloon said.

"And look… that's Leafeon chasing after her," Misdreavus gasped.

Tsareena bounced skyward, shrouded in blue energy. Leafeon's grassy blade missed by a mile. Tsareena slammed Leafeon from above. Her pained cries reached the ghosts' ears.

"S… stop this," Leafeon said. "I… I won't…"

"Hmph. It's past your bed time, granny," Tsareena said, driving a foot into Leafeon's skull. Leafeon went still. Tsareena stepped off her back, smirking. She tore Leafeon's vest and satchel off. "Hmm… this fabric's pretty decent," she said, running a hand across it. "And this badge should help keep the cops off my back." Tsareena shook Leafeon's bag. "Doesn't look like there's much in here, but at least it can carry my prize."

The ghosts caught sight of a jingling sack as Tsareena placed it in Leafeon's bag. "Nighty night, granny," Tsareena said, patting Leafeon tauntingly on her bruised head. She slung the satchel over her shoulder and took off down the path in a brisk jog.

Haunter popped out of the tree and looked at his teammates. "We've gotta go after her," he said.

"Are you crazy? She beat Leafeon," Drifloon said. "We've got to go get some help."

"Who are we gonna be able to find at this hour?" Haunter said, contorting into a giant hand to point up at the full moon. "Anyone who's awake isn't going to want to chase down an outlaw in the dead of night. And that's assuming we can get the guild to believe us."

Truthfully, he didn't want to go after Tsareena, either. She seemed much more malicious than either of his ex-teammates. A real hardened criminal, by the looks of it. But he couldn't just let her get away. Tsareena had made off with Leafeon's stuff. Not to mention all the money she had taken. Besides, wasn't this what he had come to Horizon to do? To try and stop Pokémon like Tsareena?

"We don't have to fight her," Haunter said. "Our plan… we'll have to make a few modifications on the fly… but we'll use it on her."

"G-Golly… I don't know," Misdreavus squeaked.

"C'mon, guys," Haunter said. "Look, I'm scared about this, too. But we have to try. It's the right thing to do, isn't it?"

Drifloon and Misdreavus exchanged looks. After a few seconds, they both nodded. "Okay, we're with you," Drifloon said. "What's the plan?"

Haunter explained things to them as they floated after Tsareena. As luck would have it, they didn't have to go terribly far. Tsareena had veered off the path into one of the small patches of forestland opposite Dewdrop Woods. She sat behind a tree, counting the coins she had managed to snag.

"Alright, gang, it's showtime," Haunter said. He pointed his teammates twoard two tree roots extending in Tsareena's direction. Then, he worked his way up into the tree trunk opposite Tsareena so he was staring her down.

"Tsareena! I saw what you did, you vile, sinful crook!" Haunter bellowed, deepening his voice and using the tree's trunk to make it reverberate.

Tsareena stiffened. She bolted to her feet, jamming the coins inside Leafeon's satchel. "Who said that? Show yourself!" Tsareena barked, crouching low to the ground. "Did that pathetic explorer call for backup?"

"Backup? Ha! You wish I was merely backup. The fact is that I'm right in front of you!" Haunter said. He glanced in Drifloon's direction, hoping his teammate was keyed into the plan. Sure enough, thick black fog drifted up from the ground around Tsareena. The Ominous Wind didn't hit her, but it darkened the area to the point where Tsareena could only see Haunter's tree.

"Oh, I see. A Trevenant, huh?" Tsareena said. "Well, I don't care about some stupid ghost who wishes he was a tree. Stand aside or I'll make you move." To emphasize this, black shadows enveloped her legs.

Haunter tensed. That was dark energy. She had a dark-type attack? If she connected, he would be knocked out in one blow, for sure. Haunter shook his head. He couldn't back down, now. Haunter had to amp up the routine.

"Foolish mortal! I am not a Trevenant. I am the Forest Spirit!" Haunter declared. "And I have come to make you pay for your crimes!"

"Forest Spirit? You've gotta be kidding me," Tsareena said, laughing. "Nice try, Trevenant, but you're not fooling me. Prepare yours– augh!"

Tsareena faceplanted into the ground. Misdreavus had used one of her tendrils to wrap Tsareena up. She stuck her head out of the ground, focusing her glowing eyes on Tsareena. A red aura encased Tsareena. When she tried to stand up, she found herself rooted to the ground.

"Wh… what the heck? I'm stuck!" she hissed.

"How cute. You were trying to put on a brave face. But I won't have it!" Haunter said, a deep laugh rumbling in his throat. "Tapu Bulu… he heard the pleas of the Pokémon you attacked! And with his powers… he created me to see to it you are punished for each and every nasty deed you've done. Hoo hoo ha ha ha!"

Haunter shook inside the tree. This translated to the trees' branches rustling, scattering leaves all around Tsareena. She tried to stand up, but the red aura intensified, rooting her to the ground. Misdreavus popped up beside her and smacked her with the totter seed. Tsareena's eyes widened. All around her, the black shadows of Drifloon's attack morphed into faces staring back her.

"N… no… what's… going on?" she wheezed. In front of her, strange colors swirled around Haunter's tree.

"What's going on is the beginning of the end for you, Tsareena," Haunter said. "You see, just as you have taken from many Pokémon, so shall I take from you. I'm going to take your soul! I'll rip it out of your body and devour it right before your eyes! Then… I'll eat your empty husk. Hoo hoo ha ha ha!"

"That's… impossible," Tsareena said. One of Misdreavus' hair tendrils wrapped her left leg. To Tsareena, however, it looked like a thorny vine had wrapped her up instead. In fact, numerous thorny vines were surrounding her. "L… let go of me! You can't kill me!" she hollered, legs twitching unresponsively.

"Hoo hoo ha ha! It's no use… you can't escape me! I'm going to savor the delicious taste of your flesh in my gullet," Haunter said.

"T-tree… can't… eat," Tsareena said. Her vision was filled with strobing lights and swirling colors, turning the static brown tree trunk into a hideous blob that pulsated and writhed about. She struggled against Misdreavus as more tendrils wrapped around her. The shadows grew, looking as if they would swallow Tsareena up.

This was it. Time for Haunter's big moment. He sucked in a breath and spread his shadowy body as far down the trunk as he could manage.

"Oh, I can't eat, can I? Tell me then, Tsareena, what do you make… of this?!"

Giant, glowing red eyes and a red mouth filled with jagged teeth appeared in the middle of the blob monster. Tsareena's eyes slowly widened. Her jaw trembled against Misdreavus' hair.

"Surprise! Mwee hee hee hee!"

Tsareena shrieked so loudly she scared Pikipeks out of their roosting spots several yards away. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed on her side, body racked by shudders.

Their plan had worked. They had taken down an outlaw

"We did it! Mwee hee hee hee!" Haunter cackled, flying out of the tree and circling around.

"Wow, she's really out cold," Drifloon said, floating

"Golly, Haunter, I had my doubts, but we actually pulled through," Misdreavus said. "I… I feel kind of bubbly inside knowing we stopped a crook!"

"Yeah!" Drifloon said. "But… uh… what are we supposed to do with her, now?"

Haunter floated over with Leafeon's satchel. "There are some healing items in here," he said. "Drifloon, think you can take this bag back to Leafeon and tell her what happened? Me and Misdreavus should stay here to make sure Tsareena stays immobilized."

"You got it," Drifloon said, taking the bag in his strings and floating out of the forest.

The ghosts watched as Magnezone and his deputy took Tsareena down the hill leading away from the guild's headquarters. All of them had been silent throughout the entire exchange between Magnezeone, Incineroar, and Leafeon, perhaps it was still disbelief that they had actually been successful. Haunter couldn't help but feel it was beginner's luck, yet he didn't question it.

Sure, his naysaying ex-teammates weren't around to see this, but he had succeeded. Or, rather, he and his new teammates had succeeded. They had scared an outlaw into submission. Not some innocent Pokémon, but one they had seen hurt someone and steal their stuff. And Haunter agreed with Misdreavus. It felt great.

Incineroar turned to the ghosts, clearing his throat. "I've got to say, I'm impressed. I mean, that was a bit reckless of you three. You could've come here to get help," he said, scratching his chin.

"Err… we were worried that no one was going to listen to us," Haunter said.

"We're sorry if we acted irresponsibly, sir," Misdreavus said.

"Don't worry about it," Incineroar said, smiling. "All of us at the guild have had our fair share of reckless moments. You'll fit right in here."

"Wait… does that mean what I think it means?" Haunter said.

"It does," Leafeon said. "I'll admit, I was pretty skeptical about you three, but it looks like your hearts are in the right places. Even if your methods are a bit… unorthodox."

"Yeah. I don't think we've had a ghost in our ranks during our time here," Incineroar said, chuckling.

"Guess that means we'll have to keep a close eye on them," Leafeon said. All three ghosts looked hurt at that statement. "Oh, relax. As long as you three follow the rules, there won't be any problems. Besides, you did help me out in a pinch. At the very least, that gets you all a freebie in my books."

"Careful, Leafeon. I'll never hear the end of it from Prisma if I let these guys run wild in the Observatory," Incineroar said. Leafeon nodded, then walked back into the Observatory.

"So, I can get you guys your badges inside," Incineroar said. "Any ideas on a team name?"

"Should we go with your idea, Misdreavus?" Haunter said, looking at his teammate.

"Golly, that'd make me so happy," she said.

"Mwee hee hee! Then it's settled," Haunter said, nodding. "From here on out… we're Team Specter. Just because we're caring…"

"… doesn't mean we won't stop scaring!" Drifloon and Misdreavus added. Together, the new team followed Incineroar into the guild.

Happy Halloween, from your friends on the Horizon Continent!​