Chapter 273: Capture! Rotom!

Qihuan Bridge connects Route 15 and Route 16 in the Unova region. Its peculiar feature is that its two ends do not directly link to the land on either side; instead, elevators transport people to rest stations beneath the cliffs.

Yet what left the deepest impression was how often this technological bridge malfunctioned. When Guang Tai arrived at the rest station riding Shieldon, it was nearly midnight, and the rest station was still packed with people.

Sun Umbrella Sister: “It looks like it won’t be fixed today.”

Doctor: “The workers say it should be fixed tomorrow. Why hasn’t it been repaired after days of work?”

Bald Guy: “I don’t want to cross this bridge anymore. If I had this time, I’d just fly out of Zhui City.”

Backpacker: “I’m still on my journey. Looks like I won’t make it today either.”

Businessman: “I need to get to Heibei City—my work is falling behind! Why can’t we pass yet!!!”

Shorts Kid: “Hmph, let that foolish Trainer enjoy a few more days of freedom. When I reach Heibei City, their good times will be over.”

Strange Gentleman: “.”

All kinds of people crowded into the rest station. Unlike in the game, this place offers rest and lodging services—after all, it’s the most advanced technological bridge in Unova, so it must have some unique features. There’s also a Pokémon Center nearby, allowing people to heal their Pokémon without trekking all the way back to Lei Wen.

Guang Tai flew here, so his speed was naturally fast. But for those without flying Pokémon, walking or cycling were the only options. Driving wasn’t impossible, but one stretch of the road was treacherous—perhaps that’s why most vehicles in the Pokémon world are off-road models.

“Everyone, I’m very sorry.”

The Qihuan Bridge staff didn’t know how many times they’d apologized—they were utterly exhausted. The repair workers were equally frazzled; the bridge had worked perfectly just once before, only to break down again immediately after transporting a group of people.

What was going on? It made no sense. And Qihuan Bridge suffered this kind of incident one or two times every month, each delay lasting several days. Altogether, it spent nearly a quarter of the year under repair!

“So many people even at night?”

Guang Tai had assumed there wouldn’t be many tonight—he’d hoped to resolve this quietly. Now it was clear he couldn’t stay unnoticed.

But that didn’t matter. He’d treat it as a “performance.”

Guang Tai carried a large backpack and wore a ukulele on his chest. After recalling Shieldon into its Poké Ball, he walked in. His slightly unusual appearance drew attention from other backpackers.

“Oh, are there bards in Unova too?”

“Hey! Does anyone want to watch Tan Tan Mouse’s performance?”

“Take a little break. Hurrying won’t help.”

A woman with a single ponytail looked timid. Watching the anxious crowd around her, she tried to calm their emotions, hoping to ease their frustration.

“Ah, Miss Xiang Zi—if this were normal circumstances, I’d love to watch Tan Tan Mouse’s show. But everyone’s in such a bad mood now. If you guess wrong during the performance, your mood will only get worse.”

“It’s already midnight. We were supposed to be able to cross by now. Looks like we still can’t.”

“Yesterday they said the same thing. The day before, too. But at least the day before yesterday, it actually worked once.”

An Elite Trainer with blue hair in twin ponytails rubbed his forehead. Miss Xiang Zi, the single-ponytail woman, offered an embarrassed smile.

Guang Tai saw this scene.

Xiang Zi was the Tan Tan Mouse performer on Qihuan Bridge. Her four Tan Tan Mouse performed spinning dances while the audience guessed which one carried a big mushroom. If guessed correctly, the guesser received the mushroom as a prize. In the game, this guessing game could be done once per day.

Sensing their owner’s timidity, the four Tan Tan Mouse drooped their heads, looking dejected. At that moment, Guang Tai found an empty resting spot near the elevator and began playing his ukulele.

Boong boong~

A strange melody began to sound.

The four Tan Tan Mouse were the first to be drawn in. They opened their mouths, gazing toward the sound with curious eyes.

The ukulele’s strange melody didn’t just soothe Pokémon—it calmed human hearts too. The anxious people turned toward the music.

A backpacker with a strange backpack, playing a strange guitar.

The sound was wondrous and flowing, yet light and cheerful, like a tropical breeze blowing into this space, conjuring images in their minds of distant southern seas they’d never seen.

People were drawn in. The Tan Tan Mouse seemed to have “!” symbols floating above their heads. They bounced away from Xiang Zi and ran to Guang Tai’s side, beginning to spin and dance!

Some Pokémon were born to dance; others simply moved randomly to the rhythm. Yet even so, people watched with delight. As the melody shifted, the Tan Tan Mouse changed their movements—this innate biological instinct made them perfectly attuned to the natural music.

Of course!

The Ukulele Sound: Thunder’s Melody had no official name. It was originally composed by Pikachu playing ukulele for other Pikachu—a Pokémon-made tune!

Human music often carries personal emotions. Pokémon music carries none of that burden. In the game Ranger’s Light Trail, Pikachu’s four-string ukulele could unlock more beautiful melodies through leveling up, transmitting the player’s feelings and thoughts directly into other Pokémon’s hearts like a hunting cursor!

Its highest power could even reach Arceus’s heart!

In a sense, it was the music nature and the world were born with.

“Mina~ Mina~ na~~~”

The Tan Tan Mouse held their tails high, completely immersed in the performance.

“It’s so beautiful… All my fatigue has vanished.”

“My soul feels like it’s been washed clean. A gentle breeze brushes my cheeks.”

As people became lost in the music and watched the Tan Tan Mouse’s dance, the elevator repair workers had also been listening, feeling renewed energy, their fatigue lifted. They’d planned to work hard and finally fix it.

Then, a sudden surge of electricity startled them. Sparks erupted repeatedly from the elevator, accompanied by a strange “heeheehee” laugh—not one, but many!

“Whoa, what’s happening to the elevator?!”

People startled by the elevator’s commotion were still bathed in the lingering ukulele music. As electricity flashed inside the elevator, the ukulele’s melody grew louder and more joyful!

Guang Tai re-entered his musical trance. He knew the elevator was malfunctioning—but this was only the beginning!

Something even more astonishing was coming—both the music and the “electric ghosts” inside the elevator!

“Whoa, things are flying!”

“The trash cans are flying too!”

People were terrified by the sudden phenomena: trash cans, crumpled papers, bottles of Delicious Water, Moo Moo Milk, and Sparkling Soda—all floated through the rest station as if alive. Even Sun Umbrella Sister’s wig and the businessman’s false hair joined the chaos!

“My hair!”

The businessman touched his bald head, staring helplessly as his wig floated above him. Beside him, the real bald guy in a jacket patted his shoulder sympathetically, gave a thumbs-up with a toothy grin, and his shiny scalp flickered with a spark of electricity.

“Mimi nana~~—”

Guang Tai heard the Tan Tan Mouse’s thoughts and understood some of their moves.

As the electric sparks in the elevator echoed like ghosts, Guang Tai heard several hollow, lonely reverberations.

【Spiritual Echoes have attacked you! You are immune to negative status effects!】

【Your Spirit Communication power responds to the Spiritual Echoes!】

The power of the Spirit World arrived! The Pokémon from the Spirit World revealed their true forms!

Guang Tai stood from his seat. The ukulele’s melody surged like a ship battling storm and waves—its urgent, battle-like rhythm raised the Tan Tan Mouse’s fighting spirit!

“Tan Tan Mouse! Detect!”

Though they belonged to Xiang Zi, the four Tan Tan Mouse now obeyed Guang Tai’s command. Holding hands, they formed a “Mouse Wall,” their eight eyes releasing bright, powerful beams to reveal the true positions of their opponents!

Detect: Makes moves that normally fail against Ghost-types or against evasive opponents now hit. Also reveals the true form of Ghost-type Pokémon.

Shhh shhh shhh shhh!

Four beams of light illuminated the path to the elevator. The floating ghostly energy and electric sparks instantly revealed their true forms!

The released electricity crackled through the air, like thunder passing by.

Three strange Pokémon twitched midair, laughing “heeheehee”—but the moment they were detected, their smiles turned into “noooo!”

Three Rotom!

“Dark Gaze!”

Fix your opponent with a dark gaze that seems to steal their soul, preventing them from fleeing battle!

The Tan Tan Mouse’s eyes shifted from bright light to dark light. The black beams struck the Rotom, freezing them in place like they’d been petrified. They began panicking and shrieking.

Mouse Stare!

“Hypnosis!” Guang Tai gave his final command. The Tan Tan Mouse held hands, drawing large circles in front of their chests, their eight eyes glowing with dazzling light!

Mousey, we’re really putting them to sleep this time!

Mouse Hypnosis!

Hypnosis struck all three Rotom. At that instant, the ukulele’s melody reached its climax!

Guang Tai pulled out three green Poké Balls.

【Item: Strange Ball!】

【Description: A Poké Ball modified from others. It seems to require no standard Poké Ball manufacturing techniques. In capture, it appears no different from a regular Poké Ball. What exactly is its effect? Still a mystery.】

【Effect: Seems to have special effects on Pokémon from other worlds! Try it when capturing!】

These were created by transforming three Poké Balls using Release Jade—consuming ×3 Release Jade.

The three Strange Balls struck the three hypnotized Rotom. With three thuds, they didn’t even shake—capturing all three Pokémon instantly!

【Strange Ball effect activated!】

【Capture rate greatly increases for Pokémon from other worlds. Also seals off their otherworldly power!】

In the game, Strange Balls form automatically when a Poké Ball is transferred across generations and becomes unrecognizable by the next-gen game. Thus, Strange Balls truly do possess the ability to “seal off the power of the previous generation.”

After all, the ability to completely erase a Poké Ball’s type is precisely this: it alters the target’s data at its core.

“Mimi mi~ na!”

After the three Poké Balls landed, the ukulele’s music faded. The Tan Tan Mouse high-fived each other, celebrating their success—elegant, powerful, and above all—

So much fun!

Many Pokémon have simple hearts. Anything fun attracts them. No matter what they do, being happy is what matters most!

Guang Tai picked up the three Strange Balls. At that moment, a voice came from the elevator:

“The elevator’s restored! Those things were causing the trouble! What were they? Pokémon? I’ve never seen anything like them!”

The workers were overjoyed. For the next few days, they wouldn’t have to face this inexplicable breakdown or work overtime on useless repairs. Guang Tai politely bowed to end his performance. People around him slowly came to their senses.

First one person clapped, then three or five, then ten, then dozens!

Even the Tan Tan Mouse were approached by many who petted and praised them, making the Pokémon delighted.

“Miss Xiang Zi, thank you for your Tan Tan Mouse. They were outstanding.”

Guang Tai greeted Shōko.

“No! Not at all! It was your playing that was wonderful! But thank you so much this time!”

Shōko also sighed in relief; the Pancham scampered back to her side, and she looked at the repaired elevator: “Now I can finally go home.”

She lived on the other side of the Village Bridge; performing at Fantasy Bridge was just work and a hobby, but Village Bridge lay in the north of Unova, so she had to cross Fantasy Bridge to get back—and she had no Flying Pokémon.

It was already midnight; theoretically, everyone should have spent the night at the rest stop before returning, but everyone feared the elevator might break again. Even though the workers assured them that the strange Pokémon causing the trouble had been captured, people still didn’t trust Fantasy Bridge’s elevator.

Although the malfunction had been fixed in reality, it had not been fixed in people’s hearts.

“Even if we need to rest, let’s wait until we reach the rest stop on the other side!”

“Exactly! The people on the other side must be thinking the same thing!”

One by one, people boarded the elevator. After thanking Guang Tai, Shōko stepped aboard first. She had a good idea: next time she performed with the Pancham, she’d use the music of Village Bridge as her accompaniment!

When it came to famous musical locations in Unova, Village Bridge was certainly one of them! There were four musicians there!

Oh, and there was also a tone-deaf girl under the bridge, described as sounding like a ghost wailing.

Guang Tai stared at the three Strange Balls in his hand; the Rotoms were sealed inside, powerless—these balls were purely mystical artifacts, completely immune to electronic technology.

Electric Ghost, Electric Ghost—what good are you without electricity?

(End of Chapter)