A/N: Hi, my first story (multi-chapter) is about a young boy named Gold and he will live all sorts of things…Slightly creepy at times, but more friendship and romance-aimed. Hope you like it!

Title: Void
Chapter 1: Gastly

Hello. My name is Gold. But I'm better known as Void. I know, it's a really weird name for a human, but it's fitting for me. I come from New Bark Town. I am eleven years old. But I have a secret.

I'm CURSED.

Why? : For the simple reason that I transform into a horrible creature when the night falls.

Usually, in the day, I just walk around in my red sweater and yellow shorts. However, I have scars all over my body. That way, people look at me with troubled faces.

Oh, by the way, I had that CURSE when I was young. It all started one night as I wandered carelessly around Route 29…

Flashback.

"Mom, I'm gonna play with Kris outside, okay?", my 8 years old self shouted as I ran outside.

"Okay, Gold, but please be careful. You know there are wild Pokémon outside at night!"

"Yeah, yeah!"

I ran outside to go get my friend Crystal. I knocked on the door to her house, which was very near my own. She came out a few seconds after I did so.

"Huh? You wanna go play outside?", Kris said. "Okay. Mom, I'll be right back!"

And with that, we strolled on the way to Route 29. It was a hot summer night and we didn't have a care in the world. Back then, we we're just kids that wanted to have fun.

We never thought this simple gesture could change my life.

"So, what do you want to do?", Kris said as she sat in the grass.

"Hm. Do you wanna go catch some bugs?", I said in a joyful tone.

"…You don't mean…Pokémon catching?..."

I nodded quickly in response to her question.

"…But…our parents said we shouldn't go near Pokémon at night. We don't even have anything to protect ourselves anyway."

"Who cares!", I shouted. "I want a Pokémon now!"

My foot hit the ground. I wasn't going to wait for whiny little Kris. No way.

"Gold!", Kris yelled, getting up in panic in front of my attitude. "Are you stupid? You could run into a Rattata, or a Pidgey, or, or…Or even worse, a GASTLY!"

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "You've got Chumee, don'tcha? " Kris looked down.

"Yeah, but…" I was getting angry.

"Come ON! Kris! What's wrong with you?"

She gulped down. "I don't even recognize you anymore!", I spat. "Where is your tomboyish attitude gone to?" Kris was going redder and redder by the seconds.

"Gold, shut up!", Kris shouted, her fists clenched. "Besides, you don't have the right to tell me what to do!"

She looked me in the eyes, her blue eyes shooting dagers.

"…A-Anyway." Kris crossed her arms. "Let's go."

That's my Kris. Always up for any adventure.

"Then…" I gripped tightly the pokéball Prof. Elm gave me as a gift when I went to his lab earlier in the day. "Let's go!" And with that, we went into the tall grass, my empty ball in hand, and Kris with her Smoochum's pokéball.

"Go, Chumee!", she said, releasing her Pokémon out. It made a cute cry as it began to follow us around. "So we're finally going into the tall grass, huh?", I said, unable to keep a straight face with all this excitement.

"Yeah…", Kris whispered in a barely inaudible tone.

Suddenly, a vicious sound was heard: like a howl, a lament of some sort. My heart started racing. The grass rustled quickly all around us and we were waiting for our opponent to show up.

"It's there", I muttered. "Be ready…!"

My ears almost split as yet another ear-splitting cry was heard in the dead of night. This time, we saw the one who made it. A huge Gastly came out of the grass, looking at us with mean frightening eyes.

"Oh no!", Kris sais with fear in her voice. "Gastly! It's using MEAN LOOK!"

Huh?

"Y-You're right…? I'm paralyzed…in fear!..."

Gastly used yet another attack. He took advantage of my position to come lick me. However, Kris ordered a command. "Chumee, use BLIZZARD!", she yelled at the top of her lungs. The Pokémon obeyed. It let out an amazing snow blizzard at Gastly, who was caught off guard.

"Good!", I said as I could finally move again since Gastly stopped looking at me. "Time to throw the ball!" I took a step back to take aim at the foe.

"GOLD, WAIT!", Kris shouted. She grasped my wrist, who was standing in mid-air, holding the ball. "It's not weakened enough!"

"YES IT IS!", I replied, irritated. I shook Kris' hand off me and threw the poké ball at Gastly with all my strength.

"So?" The poké ball effectively landed on the Pokémon. It was sucked up inside, and shook one…two…POOF! "NO!" Gastly shot out of the ball, angrier than before. The ball rolled to the side, useless.

"Gold! Why did you use it, I told you that…", Kris began scolding me. In a flash, Gastly flew to her and licked my friend all over the face. "GAAAAAAH!"

Kris fell down to her knees. She held her face in her hands. "SHOOT!", I cursed. "Smoochum, use BLIZZARD!" But the Pokémon stood in place. Of course, it would only listen to its trainer…

Suddenly, Gastly became weird. It seemed to be suffering and cried loudly to extract its pain. "K-Kris!", I screamed in panic. "What's it doing?"

Kris seemed to think even when her eyes were blinded by the paralyzing saliva. She had a lot of knowledge about Pokémon. "Urrgh…I…I-Is it suffering?"

"Yes", I whispered. "Oh no!", Kris said. "It's using…CURSE!"

Then I saw it. Some kind of nail was coming out of Gastly's gas body. It quickly oriented itself in Kris' direction. Without thinking, I ran in front of her and covered the vulnerable girl with my arms in order to protect her from further harm.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! NO!"

I couldn't help but yell in utter pain. The nail was digging into my back and I couldn't do anything about it. The suffering continued for several minutes, minutes in which the small Kris was shaking in my arms and couldn't help me. I heard Gastly's diabolical laughter as it escaped the battlefield, making yet another victim. I collapsed.

…

"…oh…" Something fell on my chest. "No…nh…why…" Someone was sobbing. Those were tears. Huh? I opened my eyes.

The first thing I saw was my mom's spectacled face. I apparently was laying on my bed because I recognized my room with my beloved Teddiursa doll on the table.

"GOLD!" That was my mom, Kris and Prof. Elm's worried voices. But, instead of hugs, which I expected, the people surrounding my bed all had horrified looks on their faces. What? Did you prefer me when I was sleeping?

"…What?", I growled, my voice surprisingly dry. "What…happened to…me?" Kris composed herself. "D-Don't you remember? The wild Gastly attacked us. It used…"

Oh? Why is she shaking? "…c-curse…a-and youuu…y-you col-l-lapesed…huh…uh…" She was crying. You don't have to! I'm okay! I suddenly got the urge to get up. I needed to know what was wrong with me.

I got up on my feet and Prof. Elm jumped. He put his hand on Kris' shoulder like to protect her. This is annoying, you know. I ain't no killer!

"Okay, calm down." I muttered. I walked to my mirror. I almost yelled when I saw my reflection. But I was paralyzed in horror.