Ghost Types Anonymous

"I'm glad you all could make it," said Gengar as he stood at a podium in front of a large group of other ghost Pokémon. "I honestly didn't expect such a large turnout."

"Well, it's about time we ghosts did something about this!" said Banette, and the others voiced their outraged agreement.

"Yes!" shouted Frillish in her sweet, yet angry voice. "I mean, we've endured so much slander! We're completely misunderstood! I don't know about the rest of you, but I sure did nothing wrong!" Another cry of support echoed through the room, and Gengar held up his clawed hands.

"Settle down," he said gently. "First, let's start out with expressing specific reasons to hold resentment against our trainers." There was a small sob within the crowd, and Phantump floated high above his chair.

"I was in the forest," he whimpered, "and I saw a group of campers around a fire. I wanted to try and make friends with them because... because..." He sniffled, and then wailed, "I have no trainer!" The others cooed with sympathy.

"I don't either..." said Drifloon.

"Go on, Phantump," said Gengar.

"When I approached the campers, I was very shy, so I made a soft sound so as to not alarm them... but they all yelled and jumped up, sending out their Pokémon to attack me! I ran away, but they managed to hurt me pretty bad... it took me two days to recover!" Phantump wiped his tear filled eyes. "Luckily, I ran into a wild Audino that was kind enough to take care of me using her Heal Pulse."

"I've noticed normal type Pokémon tend to be more friendly toward us since we can't hurt each other," said Gastly. The others agreed, murmuring softly. Phantump returned to his seat, having finished his story.

"Anyone else want to share?" A medium sized Gourgeist stood on her chair, beginning to speak in her soft voice.

"I had a trainer," she said. "He cared for me deeply when I was just a little Pumpkaboo. But even so, his mother didn't like my restlessness at night, so she demanded he trade me away for a more tame Pokémon. I was traded over for an Alomomola because his mother said she was pretty... And then when I was traded, I evolved, and my new trainer wasn't happy about that because she found out that I like to sing, but I didn't know my singing curses anyone who hears it! I didn't know!" Gourgeist gave a light sob. "So I was traded again, and thankfully I was adopted by a trainer who specializes with ghost types."

"The nerve of that trainer!" exclaimed Drifloon. "I rather enjoy the songs of Gourgeists! I don't think it curses anyone at all, I bet some people just have a bad taste in music! I mean, what makes Jigglypuffs so special? Their singing puts people to sleep!"

"YEAH!!" shouted everyone.

"Speaking of fairies..." Gengar spat nastily, stepping from behind his podium. "People keep spreading rumors about how us Gengars are the dark side of Clefables or something! Look, I have nothing against fairies, but last time I checked, I was not a Clefable! What about you, Gastly?"

"Hell no!" Gastly growled. "I mean, it'd be different if Gengars weren't our third evolution..." Gengar gave him a look of indignation.

"Thanks," he snapped sarcastically.

"I have a complaint!" squeaked a voice, and everyone looked around curiously. It took a moment to realize that the voice came from a tiny Litwick. "Am... am I creepy?"

"No!" said Banette. "You're adorable! You and Phantump are easily the cutest ghosts out of us all!"

"Well," continued Litwick, "before I was caught by my trainer, I was living in a dark, abandoned mansion with many other Litwicks and some Haunters. People who would pass through always pointed at the Litwicks and said we had creepy eyes, and I nearly cried so hard, my flame was in danger of burning out!"

"THE NERVE!" cried Frillish.

"I've had the same problem," muttered Froslass. "I've been called creepy, but also have been blamed for the death of female Snorunts. But I was given a Dawn Stone, I never died when I was a Snorunt!"

"Okay, so what do we do?" buzzed Rotom.

"I say we kick something over!" bellowed Golurk, and it actually stood and kicked its chair down. The room was silent for a moment, and Golurk looked around, as if surprised that its action wasn't copied. "What? I'm angry..."

"I say we take down dark types!" cried Rotom. "They're just as badly perceived as us, but people still like them more!"

"Hey!" shouted Sableye. "That's not cool! I'm a dark type too!" Rotom frowned and went silent.

"We don't want to make people think of us even worse," whispered Gourgeist. "We need to show people that we can be friendly and love just like any other Pokémon."

"I agree!" chirped Phantump. "I want to be hugged!"

"Me too!" said Litwick.

"Okay, okay," said Gengar quickly. "So let's brainstorm. How can we get people to see that we're not all that bad?"

"Befriend psychic types?" suggested Froslass, but she flinched as the others jeered in anger.

"Do you know how many Musharnas have laughed at me because they can keep me from eating dreams?" said Gastly with a growl.

"Not to mention how pretty Gardevoir is compared to us Frillish!" said Frillish with resentment.

"Well, they are kinda pretty..." muttered Drifloon.

"Shut up!" Frillish snapped.

"Hey, don't fight," Gengar demanded. "Okay, it's true that we've never quite gotten along with psychic type..."

"I concur!" said Frillish.

"But personally I think we should stick by our secondary types, like Gastly, Haunter, and I with our poison counterparts."

"Easy for you to say!" said Banette. "What about those of us who are pure ghost?" The other pure ghost types yelled in agreement.

"Oh yeah..." Gengar muttered. "Well... that's why we ghosts have to stick together! No matter which types are our friends!"

"Here, here!" said Frillish with a graceful wave of her tentacles.

"So, we just have to keep trying to show our friendly side?" said Rotom.

"Yes," replied Gengar.

"And you know," said Phantump suddenly. "Like with the Audino who helped me, we could try to win over the normal types. I mean, we have no reason to fight if we can't hurt each other."

"I know a dashing Persian who is very popular in her community," said Frillish excitedly. "I can try talking to her about it and see what she thinks!"

"Great thinking!" boomed Golurk, standing again. "And then we can kick stuff over!!" There was another moment of silence following this, until Gengar finally furrowed his brow in bemusement.

"What is with you and kicking stuff?" he said lowly. With that, the GTA was dismissed with the plan to talk to all the normal type Pokémon they knew to get on their side.

It was one small step for Pokémon, but one giant step for ghost types!