Because of the existence of Ghost-type Pokémon, the word "ghost" carries a far more layered meaning in the Pokémon world.
In the field of Pokémon research, Ghost-types have always held a veil of mystery.
Many of them are connected to themes of death and the afterlife.
To this day, even renowned Professors can't agree on how to define the "death" of Ghost-type Pokémon, nor why their lifeforms manifest in such unusual ways.
Much of the earlier research was fragmented or lacked proper scientific rigor. True large-scale advancements in Pokémon studies have only occurred within the past twenty years. And in just two decades of rapid progress, how much could really be uncovered about Pokémon, creatures that have lived alongside humans for millennia?
Luther's reading led him to conclude that perhaps less than twenty percent of the Pokémon world has been truly understood.
In short, Pokémon remain steeped in mystery. The entries in the Pokédex merely reflect the most up-to-date research findings available. Some descriptions still read more like folklore or ancient legends than science.
For example, Shedinja is said to steal your soul if you peer into the hole on its back.
Drifloon is noted as a guide for lost spirits, and it's rumored that children who grab hold of one are never seen again.
Dusknoir is bluntly described as a Pokémon that can travel between the physical world and the spirit realm.
Professor Rowan once explained to Luther why such eerie descriptions appear in the Pokédex at all.
There are actually two versions of the Pokédex: the public edition and a prototype model. Luther possessed the prototype, a device that syncs automatically to receive live updates from ongoing research.
The public version, on the other hand, only gets new data during major updates. The prototype could also collect field data and recognize patterns based on the user's Pokémon encounters.
The public Pokédex would begin wider distribution later this year to Trainers who registered through their local Pokémon Research Labs. But due to current laws not yet adjusting the age requirements, most of those recipients would still be children.
These younger Trainers lacked even basic knowledge of how dangerous some Pokémon could be. And with researchers themselves still learning how to interpret these creatures' behaviors, sometimes old folklore or urban legends were woven into Pokédex entries to serve as warnings for overly eager Trainers venturing into unknown territory.
"Have you heard the urban legends about the forest near Hearthome City?" Gardenia suddenly asked.
"You mean the haunted stuff?" Luther replied, surprised to hear her bring up ghost stories so seriously.
Just hearing Luther casually mention hauntings made Gardenia shiver again.
"There are a few abandoned mansions out that way," She said, "But only one has really taken off as the subject of online rumors."
"And this is why you wanted me to tag along? Don't tell me… you're planning to explore a haunted house?"
"Not explore, investigate," Gardenia corrected. "Someone spotted a Breloom with rare coloration nearby, and I want to check it out."
"The last time I had this idea, I was looking for a Heracross and came up empty. But hey, you've seen the posts, early bird gets the catch!"
"I've got to try! A rare Grass-type! I don't have one like that in my team yet! If it weren't for all those creepy stories… I'd have gone by myself already."
Luther raised an eyebrow. "Even if there are ghosts, they'd be stuck in the mansion, right? What are you so afraid of?"
"You think ghosts can't come out for a stroll?" Gardenia said it with dead seriousness.
Luther blinked at her conviction before replying, "Maybe I'll bring Mai with me."
"The more the merrier!"
"Alright, I'll go get ready."
After agreeing on the time and meeting spot for the evening, Luther returned to the hotel, only to find that Mai still hadn't come back.
He had dinner alone and then paced the room restlessly. Though he told himself there was nothing to be afraid of, the mention of the Forest Mansion still sent a chill down his spine.
After a bit of thought, he called Mai to check if she had everything she needed.
Her cheerful confirmation put him at ease.
By nine o'clock that night, Luther and Mai met up with Gardenia, who was waiting at the entrance to the Hearthome City Forest.
"You two are so late." Gardenia grumbled, though she didn't have much room to talk as she wasn't about to go deep into Forest at night on her own.
"Mai's been busy helping out at the Day Care lately and got back late. Anyway, here, take these."
Gardenia gratefully accepted the water and snacks Luther handed her.
"I can't say we'll definitely find that rare Breloom, so get ready to pull an all-nighter. Just so you know, Mai shuffled her schedule around to come with us, and I'm taking the morning off, too. But still, you owe her. Call it overtime pay."
"No problem, no problem," Gardenia said, brushing it off. The thought of finding a uniquely colored Breloom made those details seem insignificant.
Compared to the Purpleleaf Forest near Oreburgh City, Hearthome Forest wasn't especially large. But at night, its thick foliage turned it into a maze of shadows, the tree canopy so dense that even the moonlight struggled to break through.
Gardenia's Exeggutor took the lead, its head glowing brightly with 'Flash', casting light all around them like a miniature sun. The three of them stayed close, their eyes scanning the underbrush and tree trunks beyond the glow.
Night wasn't when Grass-type Pokémon were most active, but Gardenia couldn't wait for daylight. If she passed up the chance to see a rare Grass-type Pokémon, she knew she'd regret it.
Luther looked again at the picture Gardenia had sent, this Breloom wasn't just shiny; it had a small blue crescent marking on its chest. It was certainly no ordinary color variation.
A curious group of Oddish trailed behind them, cautiously peeking at the lumbering Exeggutor leading the way. As they followed, they shuffled along rhythmically, leaving behind tiny bits of leaf and soil.
Mai checked her Pokédex and confirmed what she suspected: Oddish are nocturnal. They sleep during the day and come out at night to scatter seeds. The data even mentioned that they seek open patches of moonlight to absorb its rays for growth.
At that moment, Luther and Exeggutor had become accidental trailblazers for the group. As Exeggutor swayed and turned, so did the Oddish, mimicking its movements like a choreographed parade.
Mai was tempted to catch one, but Luther shook his head. The Oddish clearly knew each other, and disturbing this gentle rhythm felt wrong.
Eventually, they reached a part of the forest where the trees thinned out and moonlight finally spilled onto the ground. The Oddish, delighted, broke from the group and darted forward. They settled into the moonbeams, swaying their leaves gently in the breeze, gazing skyward and humming as if singing to the night.
Two Pineco, startled by the soft chorus, rustled from their branches and tumbled down, causing a brief moment of chaos as other Pokémon stirred.
From the foliage, glittering Volbeat peeked out at the Oddish and, captivated by their rhythm, began to dance, glowing and zipping in wide loops.
Ledyba and Ledian weren't far behind, flitting into the clearing and twirling through the air in harmony with the music of the leaves.
Even Caterpie were drawn to the display, inching down from tree trunks to watch, their eyes wide in the moonlight.
Luther thought Gardenia might leap at the chance to catch one of the curious Grass-types, but she surprised him. She quietly nudged Luther and Mai, gesturing for them to move along without making a sound.
This little forest performance, this peaceful gathering of Pokémon under the moon, was something even Gardenia didn't want to interrupt.
As they continued deeper into the woods, more silhouettes darted between trees. The Pokédex kept pinging softly, recording new encounters.
Luther and Mai shared snacks and traded jokes along the way, and the search for the mysterious Breloom began to feel less like a mission and more like a late-night adventure.
"Come on, don't get discouraged," Luther told Gardenia when she began looking a little anxious. "You've got the luckiest person in the region right next to you. She's found two rare Pokémon already, caught a pink Lopunny, and once won a prize just by eating a slice of cake. With her on your team, your luck's practically guaranteed."
Gardenia chuckled. With that kind of support, how could she not feel a little more hopeful?
"Up ahead is where those old, crumbling forest mansions are," Mai said, checking the map on her Pokétch and giving a casual reminder.
"I heard people say the place is haunted."
"Haunted?" Luther perked up. "That sounds awesome, I want to see it!"
"I bet it's just Ghost-type Pokémon, like Gastly or Gengar. That's hardly scary."
"Oh? So you're saying you're not afraid at all?" Mai grinned. "Since we're not in any rush, why don't you tell us a ghost story, Luther? Something we haven't heard before."
Gardenia glanced at Luther, who was crouched beside a tree trunk, inspecting a hollow, then at Mai, who was completely unfazed by their surroundings and teasing her Eevee as if they were just on a picnic stroll.
The two of them didn't seem the slightest bit bothered by the eerie forest atmosphere. Instead, they were steering the conversation toward ghost stories and the supernatural if it were all just a game. Strangely, Gardenia felt a sudden drop in temperature around her.
In the middle of this hot, humid night… why was it suddenly cold?
"Maybe… we should talk about something else?" She suggested with a nervous chuckle.
"Oh, come on," Mai teased, "Telling ghost stories on a hot summer night is tradition! Luther said he's got tons we haven't heard yet. We have to hear at least one."
Gardenia slowly realized something unsettling: she was the only one in the group who was actually afraid of ghosts.
So, as they walked deeper into the woods, Luther started recounting a story he'd once heard, one that had been passed around as a local legend from Sinnoh's rural towns. A tale about a wandering spirit that lived in the shadow of old ruins, waiting to possess the body of anyone who dared trespass…
Luther had always thought that the idea of telling scary stories to impress girls was a ridiculous myth. Just look at Mai. The more terrifying the story became, the more fired up she looked. She was waving a stick around dramatically like she was part of a stage play, occasionally poking Luther to act out parts of the scene.
'What kind of person got excited over a tale about a transforming corpse?'
Gardenia, meanwhile, was struggling to keep up. At one point, she jumped and looked around in alarm. "Mai, why are you poking me?!"
Clearly, someone was misunderstanding the entire mood of the story.
Luther turned to her and smiled gently. Gardenia looked like all the enthusiasm had drained from her face.
"Want me to switch it up?" He offered.
"Yes. Please," Gardenia said, her voice small.
"Alright! I've got another one," Luther said with a grin. "This one's about a beautiful girl who crawls out of a television screen. It's a classic."
Gardenia blinked, curious. "A beautiful girl crawling out of a screen? That sounds… interesting."
The tense atmosphere finally lifted. Gardenia refocused, giving commands to her Pokémon to stay alert, her ears tuned in as she waited eagerly for Luther to start his next tale.
(End of Chapter)
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