First and foremost, it’s best to appease the shadow, just in case. How you do this may depend on your specific religion, but I would highly recommend using Hoennian or Johtonian traditions, rather than the more western sorts. The reason why is because oftentimes, western religions design rituals to banish the spirit, which—if you are dealing with a shuppet or banette—may only fuel the shadow’s rage. That and shuppet and banette are born from perceived slights and indignities, so a straightforward exorcism fails to address the possibility that the spirit may simply have been hurt. By contrast, eastern religions, specifically those of the Johto region as well as those of shuppet and banette’s native Hoenn, are designed to acknowledge that the spirit had once been a being of love and life. Thus, when dealing with spirits, the aim is to appease and apologize for any wrongdoing, rather than to banish.

Thus, as odd as this may seem, try to find a Johtonian priest or priestess. A kimono girl (or expert in Johtonian culture—and in some cases, a priestess of one or more of the Johtonian legendaries) or a channeler can work just as well. They should be able to help you construct a household shrine if you haven’t already. If you do have a shrine, leave an offering of food (any sort, although if your daughter “fed” her doll during playtime using toy or imaginary food, use a real equivalent) at the altar, light incense or a candle, and pray directly to the spirit to ask them for your forgiveness. Do this every day before you go to bed and leave the door to your daughter’s bedroom open to encourage the spirit to move to the altar, not the bedside. It may also be wise to ask the priest or priestess for recommended rituals if the haunting seems particularly aggressive. They may also want to purify your household. Let them do so.

Be sure, also, to leave an offering and to cleanse yourself at your local temple as well if you can.

After a few days, if you’ve done everything correctly, one of two things may happen. The shade may go away, at which point you should continue to leave offerings at your altar every year (as doing so will cement its place as a benevolent household spirit and will prevent it from returning in a malevolent form). Alternatively, the shade may take physical form as a shuppet, but by then, it should be appeased enough to be a friendly one. If the latter happens, it would be a good idea to invite it to stay. Always give it the option of doing so.

If it stays, then taking care of your new shuppet will be rather simple. As a ghost, it doesn’t need much cleaning, although it strangely will still eat and sleep (albeit keep in mind that ghosts tend to be nocturnal). Continue to give it the same food you offered it at your household shrine and slowly introduce alternatives whenever it seems like it wants variety. Allow your daughter to play with this shuppet but be sure she isn’t too rough with it, and offer it a warm and dark place to sleep, preferably in your daughter’s room. The more affection you show it, the less likely it will act on vengeful urges—rather, it may develop a sense of loyalty instead. If this happens, the shuppet will often be more than happy to yield to your own needs, including changing its sleep cycle to match your daughter’s and helping out around your household. (It is, after all, a household spirit itself.)

If it does not accept your invitation to stay, however, thank it for its forgiveness, give it one last food offering, and send it on its way. Light incense at your altar every year after it leaves. This will serve as a symbolic invitation: it will continue to be a message to that specific shuppet that if it chooses to come back, it may.

I wish you the best of luck, anonymous, but remember: the best way to face a living embodiment of your fears is not to intimidate them but instead to offer them friendship and compassion.