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Yamask was gone now.
It just disappeared into thin air which might be weird but is still a good thing.
And while the others are glad that the haunting of the museum is now gone, Cilan was still a bit silent from all of the events that just happened.
He looked pale and upset as that was because a few minutes ago, he was possessed.
Possessed by the same Yamask who forgave Hawes for mistaking it’s own mask for a fake display. And being controlled by a ghost type pokemon was actually pretty scary.
All he could hear was Ash having a conversation with Lenora, who is the owner of this museum and the second gym leader.
But his silence didn’t go long as suddenly Iris taps him on the shoulder.
“Cilan? Are you ok?” She asked.
“Yes I’m fine Iris, I was just thinking about how wrong I was with the whole ghost being fake stuffs.” Cilan replied while also trying to make sure that he just brushes off what just happened.
So after Ash has a conversation with the second gym leader, it was now time for the trio to do some stuff in Nacrene City.
As the sun was shining and the museum is now open again.
But it might be hard for Cilan to have fun because he’s still thinking about what happened.
But it will be all fine right?
Right?
————————————————————————————————————————————————
First stop was the park where Ash and his 2 pokemons Oshawott and Tepig will be trianing as they need to come up with a way to beat Lenora
As her Watchog was really strong and can blind people with the light on it’s chest.
And while Iris was the only one who is watching the whole thing, Cilan was too focused on something.
Something reminding him of the event.
As the pokemon cutout that Ash is using for training suddenly turns into a Yamask.
And when it charges at Cilan, this causes him to scream and fall of the bench.
Leading to Ash and Iris to hear it and see their friend on the floor.
Oh no. Their looking concerned now, quick think of a way to make sure that they don’t see him like this.
“Sorry guys. I saw a purrloin on the floor which is why I screamed.” Cilan said as he lies to his friends.
“I don’t see a purrloin anywhere.” Ash said while looking around confusedly
“That’s because it ran off and good riddance too.” Cilan said with more lies.
Thankfully both Ash and Iris buy it and goes back to what they were doing.
Hopefully the next stop will be easy to manage.
But it wasn’t
As their next stop was going to the Pokemart to stock up on some stuffs like potions, pokeballs, foods and medicines.
And it would’ve been fine if he didn’t see his own reflections through the windows of another store.
And while it was just him standing, something was a bit off.
As his eyes were the same colour as the Yamask’s and there was a dragonite statue standing behind which was starting to freak him out. But when he looked, he saw that nothing was there and he was fine.
Until he sees his own reflection with the same yamask mask on which gives him a scare so much that it caused him to trip and fall onto the road.
And he would’ve been hit by a moving car if Ash didn’t summon his Snivy to sop it on time.
“Cilan, you need to watch where your going. You almost gotten yourself killed!” Iris said worriedly
“Well at least he wasn’t killed back there.” Ash said.
“Man Ash, your such a little kid.” Iris said.
So after that fiasco they moved on.
Where at the Pokemart, the trio was buying everything they can so that they can be prepared for when things happens during their journeys.
And when it was time to pay for those stuffs, Cilan {being the responsible teenager that he is} decides to pay for the items.
But then he notices something was a bit odd, as before he was about to give the clerk some money, he sees that him including Ash and Iris are wearing the same masks that the ghost type pokemon was wearing.
Ok this looks bad. As even though he was hallucinating, Cilan was still scared about what’s going on and how the memories of him being possessed was starting to mess his head up.
Then when Ash tries to touch him, he did something that he didn’t realised what he was doing.
“Hey Cilan, you ok in there?” Ash asked.
“No! Get your hands away from me!” Cilan screamed.
He proceeded to slap Ash’s wrist, which was enough to make him go back to reality and see what he has done.
“Ow! I was just asking if you were ok.” Ash said to Cilan with a angry look on his face.
“Do you still want to give me the money or not. Because, that was harsh dude.” The Pokemart clerk said.
This was starting to stress him out a lot.
————————————————————————————————————————————————
A few hours after the Pokemart Incident, the trio went to the same cafe where Hawes told them about the ghost type pokemon Yamask haunting the museum.
And while Ash and Iris seems to have forgotten about that incident, Cilan did not.
In fact he didn’t forgotten about what he did to ash, that he couldn’t even eat the food that he and his friends ordered. Which was a Hamburger Steak.
Iris then noticed that her friend was picking his food with his fork while looking really sad again, and this causes her to become very concerned about him again.
It must be because he starting to feel guilty of slapping Ash back at the Pokemart, so she tries to cheer him up.
“Hey Cilan. I just wanted to let you know that, it wasn’t your fault that you did that to Ash. I don’t know what gotten into you but we just want you to be happy and kind.” Iris said to the gym leader.
“Thanks Iris. I also don’t know what gotten into me.” Cilan said as he starts to eat his food.
“Like Iris said, everything’s going to be A-OK. And besides I hope this mark goes away before my big gym battle with Lenora.” Ash said.
“I’m sure it will Ash. I’m just surprise that your not crying about it like a little kid. Even though you are a little kid.” Iris playfully said to Ash.
“Iris, I thought you agreed not to call me a little kid again.” Ash said being annoyed at her.
“Did I?” Iris said with a sassy tone.
This causes the two of them to have another arguement over who is the little kid, which Cilan finds it funny.
But it wasn’t enough to make him feel better about the situation.
A few hours later, it was now nighttime.
The trio decided that it would be a good idea to sleep at the pokemon centre, since it was a bit weird to sleep in the museum.
So one they got to their room and put their pyjamas on it was now time for the 3 of them to go to bed.
“I sure did have fun today even though Cilan was acting a bit weird lately right Pikachu?” Ash said to his partner pokemon.
“Pi, Pikachu Pika-Pi.” Pikachu replied.
Are you sure your fine Cilan. I know your always happy and flawless but, still are you?” Iris asked Cilan.
“Yeah, I’m gonna be just fine after we get some sleep.” Cilan said to Iris.
And just like that the trio all head to sleep.
And Cilan can have a normal dream without having to worry about his friends knowing about how he feels after being possessed by that Yamask.
But for some reason he didn’t get a normal dream.
————————————————————————————————————————————————
“Huh? Where am I?” Cilan thought as he sees himself in a familiar location.
It turns out that he was at the museum with his friends and Hawes again.
This seems like a Deja Vu or a Time Loop, which is pretty weird to him.
But never mind that as he needs to protect everyone from getting killed by that Dragonite statue.
“Alright Pansage, use bullet seed!” Cilan said as he throws the pokeball in the air and it releases Pansage {his ace pokemon at the Striaton Gym}
And just like that the Grass Monkey Pokemonb was able to take down the dragonite statue and cause it to fall apart.
Now all that’s left is to check if the mask will be safe. And that’s what Hawes does.
This causes Cilan to realise that he’s reliving the same event where he got possessed by that Yamask.
And it was happening all over again, with Hawes using the keycard to open the glass case, the mask suddenly beginning to float towards the gym leader, and the mask being put on him by Yamask.
“No, no! This can’t be happening aagin! I won’t let that evil pokemon control me again. Not again!” Cilan thought as he tried to pull the mask off his face.
But it proves to be difficult again, even with the help of Ash and Iris.
“It’s stuck! It won’t come off!” Ash said.
Until like before the Yamask takes full control on Cilan and pushes both Ash and Iris out of the way.
Only this time, things we’re different
As once the the ghost type pokemon was taking full control of his body, Cilan finds himself as a spirit, a lost soul without it’s body/host.
And seeing that he has become a ghost really freaked him out to the max.
“No, no, no, no, no, no. Why am I ghost? Am I dead? What’s happening to me?” He thought as he becomes really scared of whats happening.
And the bad thing was that he was going to witness the thing trying to kill his friends.
But when he tried to stop it suddenly he gets stopped by something. And when he looks at what’s causing him to stop, he sees that he has been bound in chains and is forced to see his friends being helpless of this situation.
“And now. I SHALL PUNISH YOU!!!” Yamask said in anger as it uses Will-O-Wisp on the 3 of them.
He hoped that his friends and Hawes would be able to dodge those attack right?
Well except not.
As while Ash and Iris were able to dodge the attack, Hawes did not.
He instead ends up getting hit in the face by 2 of them and starts to burn alive in front of Ash, Iris and their pokemons.
“Hawes!” Ash screamed.
“Don’t look Axew! It’s ok, everything’s all fine.” Iris said while trying to comfort her Axew.
They were forced to hear the museum director’s cry in anguish as the flames were consuming him.
Until he stops screaming and is now burnt to a crisp.
They just witnessed someone dying.
“Now that the thief is killed. It’s time for me to head out with this mask.” Yamask said as it begins to walk away.
Until it gets stopped by Ash as he grabs him by the arm.
“Hey you monster! I don’t know what you did there? But it was very rude and evil of you for burning our friend to death and taking over Cilan’s body.” Ash yelled at it.
“I was doing the right thing. He stole that mask from me, and I’m not gonna let anyone else steal it from me.” The ghost type pokemon told Ash.
“Well that doesn’t mean that you have to kill him. You know what Ghost, your a bratty and salty little kid!” Iris yelled to it as well.
This causes the pokemon to become really angry at them.
“Did you just call me a little kid?!” Yamask said in anger.
“Yes, and what are you going to do about it?” Iris asked.
“I’m going to make you two perish. JUST LIKE THAT THIEF!!!” The pokemon said as it suddenly use it’s powers to reawaken the Dragonite statue.
And with one single word “Kill” the statue walks towards Ash and Iris.
And begins to crush all of them with it’s feet.
It was too graphic and gnarly for Cilan to see. His friends were dying right in front of him and he couldn’t do anything about it.
Even though Lenora’s gonna show up and get the spirit out of his body, it would already be too late as his friends have been killed and everything would be his fault.
He has to wake up now, he has to.
Come on please wake up.
Wake up.
Wake up.
Wake up.
Please wake up. He doesn’t want to hear his friends screaming in anger.
“Oh Arceus! Just please wake me up!!!”
————————————————————————————————————————————————
He woke up screaming in a panic.
Loud enough for both iris and Ash to hear and wake up too.
But he was too busy with remembering that nightmare of how his friends were being killed by that pokemon and how he was just a lost spirit who couldn’t stop the madness.
All of the sudden he couldn’t breathe.
He can’t breathe.
His ears were ringing, his limbs were frozen, he could only hear his heart beating faster then a race car and his vision were blurry to see that Ash and Iris have walked up to him with concerns on their look.
And worse of all he has tears in his eyes and it was pouring down really fast like he is shaking in fear.
“Cilan? Cilan, is everything ok?” Ash asked.
He couldn’t hear him.
Heck he couldn’t hear Ash and Iris having a conversation about this because of how his heartbeat is drowning out the other noises. Including his own rapid breathing.
Then he closes his eyes to try and get all of the pain out of him, but it was pointless and he thinks he’s never going to recover from it.
That was until he feels two hands grabbing him his own hands. And when he looks, he sees Iris who has a warm expression on her face.
“It’s ok Cilan. I can see that your in a lot of panic, so I’m going to help you calm down.”
“I just want you to breathe in and out. Ok?” Iris said to him.
He didn’t know what she was saying but he agrees to do it with her.
“Iris are you sure you know what your doing?” Ash asked.
“Yes I am, you little kid.” Iris replied back.
“Alright ready? Then take a deep breathe in.”
{Inhale}
“And take a deep breath out”
{Exhale}
“Now do it with me.” Iris said to the gym leader.
“In”
{Inhale}
“Out”
{Exhale}
The first time he did it, his deep breaths were a bit shaky from all that fear.
But Iris was gonna make sure that he calms down.
“In.”
{Inhale}
“Out.”
{Exhale}
The second time he did it, the shaky breathes have gone down but not too much.
So they do it again.
{Inhale}
{Exhale}
Third time, he was starting to calm down now.
The ringing in his ears are going away, his heart was starting to beat normally again and he was starting to feel everything again.
{Inhale}
{Exhale}
Fourth time, he did it all by himself as Iris knew that by then he would start to calm down now.
And it worked as when Cilan opens his eyes, he was a lot cool, calm and collected then before.
Then he smiled at Iris.
“Thank you, for calming me down Iris.” Cilan said to her.
“So Cilan. Why were you panicking and crying? Did something go bad in your dreams?” Ash asked.
Seeing his friends really concerned about him, Cilan knew what he had to do.
As it was now time to tell them the truth about how he’s really feeling.
“{Sigh} I’m sorry for making you guys really scared. It’s just that, I was so scared about the whole possession thing and that it was giving me nightmares and visions of that event.” Cilan said to his friends.
“You mean where Yamask took control of your body by placing it’s mask on your face?” Iris asked.
“{Nods his head} yeah. And the reason why I kept it all a secret was because I didn’t want to worry all of you. As I’m supposed to be a perfect guy who is cool, calm and collected. But I don’t know if I am with all of these traumas I have been endorsing. I’m sorry that I haven’t told you all the truth a lot earlier, please forgive me.” Cilan replied.
Ash and Iris looked at each other for a few seconds, until they look back at their friend with a smile.
“You know what Cilan, that event scared us too.” Ash said.
“What, really?” Cilan asked.
“Yeah, we actually got really scared when you were possessed by that Yamask. And the reason why we didn’t tell you all that was because we were worried that you might be extremely worried about us, because your the cool, calm and collected member of the trio who takes care of us like a big brother.” Iris replied.
“Which kinda makes sense since you’re apart of a triplet who also lives in Striaton City.” Ash said.
Cilan couldn’t believe it, his friends actually cared about him and his responsibility as the chef/helper of the trio.
He enjoyed being with them and even cheering on Ash’s training, it was like they were his second family to him.
And this was enough to make him happy again.
“Thanks everyone. I’m so glad that you all care about me even after what happened today.” Cilan said to his 2 friends.
Then both Ash and Iris climbed into his bed and gives him a group hug, which he gladly joins in.
He was glad that they were there to support him and cheer him up whenever things get scary.
And that’s what he’s going to do with both Ash and Iris.
Maybe after Ash wins his gym battle against Lenora and claim his second gym badge.
But never mind that as the 3 of them all fall asleep with smiles on their face.
With Cilan being glad that with the truth now revealed,
He could finally get some rest and not worry about making his friends worry about him anymore.