Pokémon: Raising Abandoned Pokémon into Legends

Chapter 275: Gengar Returns to the Past

It had been waiting forever—and finally, the moment had arrived to return to the past and see Gus again.

[Gengar’s friendship increased.]

[Friendship: 94 (from -30 to 94)]

Rio could feel Gengar’s joy through the system notification. Seeing that friendship value sitting at 94—just a Poké Ball away from unlocking two tiers of rewards—Rio felt a pang of regret. But he had no choice. This was what he’d promised Gengar: to send it back to the past to reunite with its former trainer, in exchange for its trust.

A man had to keep his word. If he went back on it now, the friendship would plummet—and not just Gengar’s; Charizard and the others would also be affected. They might not lose much, but they’d feel the ripple effects. So letting go was far better than holding on against its will. It would only highlight his integrity.

"Don’t rush—you’ve waited this long. A little more time won’t hurt. Let Celebi recover its temporal energy, and then we’ll send you back," Rio said with a smile, seeing Gengar’s eagerness.

A day later, Rio returned to Ilex Forest with Gengar. Lance and his crew had already been taken away by the Pokémon Police. As for Pryce, Rio didn’t hold it against him—he even promised to come back with Celebi and send him to the past as well. Pryce was just a grieving old man who wanted to save his two Lapras. If he could fulfill that wish, he’d earn Pryce’s loyalty—and that was worth more than any punishment.

Though in the original story Pryce had failed to change the past, that wasn’t Rio’s concern. He’d given Pryce a chance to make amends for his regrets. Pryce would owe him a debt—a debt from a trainer slightly stronger than an Elite Four. That was still a win.

But today’s focus was on Gengar.

"Gengar—before you go, say goodbye to everyone."

Rio released all his Pokémon. Charizard, Munchlax, and the others appeared, looking at Gengar with reluctant affection. Even Annihilape, known for its temper, wore a wistful expression. They’d all grown used to Gengar—the century-old ghost with a sharp tongue, a wealth of knowledge, and a kind heart. It always knew when someone was feeling down, often before Rio did, and would cheer them up.

"Eevee~"

Facing the farewell, Eevee burst into tears. It would never forget the day it first met Gengar and Greninja in the bushes—how Gengar had done everything it could to make it laugh, easing the pain of its genetic instability. Even afterward, Gengar had always found ways to make it smile, teaching Greninja how to be a gentleman.

"Gengar~" — Don’t cry, little Eevee. If you cry, you won’t be cute. Come on—smile. You should always be a happy girl.

Seeing Eevee cry, a wave of sadness washed over Gengar too. But it kept its composure, floating over and making funny faces until Eevee giggled through its tears.

Gengar smiled, then turned to Greninja beside it. "Gengar~" — You’ll take good care of her, right? Don’t disappoint Old Ghost.

"Gren~" — I won’t let you down.

Gengar grinned.

"Roaar~" — Old Ghost, I’ll always remember the time we shared.

Charizard spoke up too. It had strong feelings for Gengar—they’d talked about its former trainer, and in Gengar’s eyes, its old trainer meant as much to it as Rio meant to Charizard. So even though it was sad, Charizard fully supported Gengar’s decision to return.

"Gengar~" — Me too.

Gengar and Charizard locked eyes. It believed this hardworking young Charizard would one day stand at the top of the Pokémon world.

"Ka~" — Here—take this.

Munchlax pulled out some snacks it had hidden in its fur and offered them to Gengar.

"Gengar~" — Thanks, little chubby. I’ll miss you.

Gengar swallowed the food in one bite and thanked Munchlax. Then it said goodbye to all the others, one by one.

Half an hour later, Rio pulled out the dark Poké Ball. With a flash of black light, Celebi appeared.

"Celebi—take Gengar back to a hundred years ago," Rio said.

Unlike regular Poké Balls, the dark Poké Ball had many limitations—no friendship growth, for one. But the Pokémon inside was entirely obedient to its trainer. So when Rio gave the command, Celebi sang and began to glow, channeling its temporal power. The voice of the forest echoed through Ilex Forest once more.

Moments later, Gengar and Celebi vanished from sight. A minute after that, the shrine glowed, and the time tunnel opened again—but only Celebi emerged.

Rio couldn’t help but feel a void where Gengar used to be. But life went on. He’d already decided—he wouldn’t catch another Gengar. He’d joked to the old ghost that he’d find another one on the island where he caught Mewtwo, but that was just to make Gengar jealous. Now, the only one hurting was himself. Catching another Gengar would just remind him of the one he’d let go.

"Alright, everyone—Gengar may have left, but we still have our own lives to live. Don’t be sad—don’t dwell on the past. Look forward," Rio said cheerfully, reaching for the Poké Balls to recall them.

But just as he pulled out the balls, he noticed a look of shock on his Pokémon’s faces. He sensed something behind him—and turned.

His pupils contracted.

There, grinning at him, was a familiar sight—a shiny Gengar.

"Gengar~" — Long time no see, Rio.