Chapter 711: Gengar Acts

Curtain City.

A city with a strong commercial atmosphere and well-developed warehousing industry.

The familiar night seemed to possess a special magic, reviving the spirit of the Spiritualist despite her exhaustion.

【You urged Gengar and the others to go to Curtain Game City】

Gengar's pixelated face was filled with shock; Misdreavus and Rotom stared at each other as if half-asleep, while the newly joined Rotom flew wildly around.

Then.

The Spiritualist demonstrated what a nighttime call meant—she played nonstop in the all-night game city until dawn, returning to the Pokémon Center so late that Nurse Joy mistook her for a trainer who had traveled overnight to Curtain City.

【You received a scolding from Nurse Joy, who said traveling through the wild overnight was extremely dangerous, especially for a young girl like you】

The Spiritualist dared not admit she had played all night and quickly went to sleep.

The Ghost-type Pokémon who had kept her company all night also began to rest.

"Seems pretty interesting…"

Baimu rubbed his chin against the head of the Shiny Gengar; Game City existed only up to Generation IV in the game, vanishing entirely from Generation V onward.

Maybe I'll get a chance to experience it someday.

Of course, Game Cities exist in many places—Huang Tie Town even has one—but it's about childhood nostalgia.

Simulation screen transition.

Refreshed and invigorated, the Spiritualist challenged the Curtain Gym.

Unexpectedly.

The Curtain Gym Leader was not the pink-haired fighting girl Li, whom Baimu knew, but a disheveled middle-aged man.

Hmm!

So does this mean the story takes place before Ash arrived in Sinnoh?

Baimu carefully recalled the plot and suddenly remembered that Li had once been brutally beaten by Shinji, losing her confidence until Light helped her overcome her psychological trauma.

At that time, she had claimed to have been Gym Leader for less than half a year.

Did she take over from her father?

Baimu watched with interest the crude Pokémon battles in the simulation.

Fighting-type Pokémon battling Ghost-types would likely be at a severe disadvantage without the Insight ability or the Courage trait, since they lacked a crucial same-type move while their opponent remained unaffected.

The Spiritualist exploited this to defeat the Gym Leader's Machoke and Marshtomp consecutively, only barely struggling when Lucario entered.

But that was all.

When Gengar raised its Shadow Ball and slammed it down onto the kneeling Lucario, the fourth Gym was successfully cleared.

【You defeated the Curtain Gym Leader and received the Curtain Badge】

To celebrate her successful Gym challenge, the Spiritualist stayed an extra day in Curtain City, playing every attraction she had missed at the Game City before boarding the train to her next destination.

Destination—

Snowpeak City.

The winter city where ice flowers shimmered.

But shortly after arriving, the Spiritualist collapsed again.

【You hadn't even admired Snowpeak City's snowfall before the cold virus struck you】

She had to stay confined in the Pokémon Center until she recovered, fortunately, since Nurse Joy not only healed Pokémon but also knew how to treat humans.

Through narration, Baimu learned that many trainers arrived unprepared in Snowpeak City.

Nurse Joy had long grown accustomed to caring for trainers felled by the freezing winds.

"Really reliable…"

He couldn't help but sigh, but what puzzled him more was that even after the fifth Gym, the Spiritualist's constitution hadn't improved like Man Chong's.

Could it be related to her never venturing into the wild?

Baimu watched the Spiritualist shivering under thick blankets despite the warmth, shook his head—he hadn't been sick since arriving in this world, and his physical condition improved daily.

The weakling buff seemed utterly unrelated to him.

Screen shifted.

Time moved to midnight.

The Spiritualist's Spiritual Nature seemed to activate again—a Snorunt passed through the wall, its body wreathed in white mist symbolizing cold.

The sleeping Spiritualist immediately shivered from the chill; Gengar and the other Pokémon in the room awoke as well.

They drove the Snorunt away.

However.

The next night, the Snorunt returned—and the third night, the fourth night…

The narration stated that Gengar, seeing the Spiritualist's prolonged illness and the Snorunt's frequent harassment—likely worsening her condition—did something extremely bold—

It captured the Snorunt.

【Your Gengar captured a Snorunt; your Ghost-type partner increased】

Baimu: "... Damn."

Pokémon capturing Pokémon was unheard of, and wild Snorunt… didn't seem entirely impossible.

He suddenly recalled the Snorunt he had seen in Zi Jin's Spirit Realm—that thing was no different from a real ghost, already playing with human souls.

In short.

When the Spiritualist awoke from her feverish daze, she was astonished to find a new partner.

【You stared at the Snorunt inside the Poké Ball, then at Gengar's utterly calm face, lost in thought】

Baimu watched the speechless Spiritualist and wondered: someday, if Bonsly and the others brought back a Pokémon, would he even admit it?

If you acknowledge it, you must expend energy to cultivate it seriously.

The Spirit Seeker seemed to have accepted it.

【You rested another day, fully adjusted your condition, and went to challenge the Gym】

The Snowpeak Gym Leader, Little Song, known as the Diamond Star Girl, a lively black-haired twin-tailed girl who looked nothing like a trainer who raises Ice-type Pokémon.

In this battle, the Spirit Seeker sent out Rotom for the first time, but unfortunately she didn't understand Rotom's true strength, and with such short cultivation time, it was immediately discarded as cannon fodder.

Fortunately, Haunter and the others were strong enough.

【You defeated Snowpeak Gym Leader Little Song and received the Snowpeak Badge】

With the fifth badge in hand, the Spirit Seeker relaxed completely and fled Snowpeak City at top speed, even abandoning the snow scenery, returning as fast as possible to the warm central Sinnoh.

【You arrived in Eterna City, a place where ancient and modern blend together】

The ancient ruins scattered everywhere fascinated the Spirit Seeker.

【You remember your idol Zhulan is an archaeologist, which also made you interested in Sinnoh's ruins—but unfortunately you lack the corresponding knowledge】

The Spirit Seeker, who had been bedridden for years, clearly lacked the knowledge to pursue ancient relics, so she soon gave up studying the statue formed by the fusion of Dialga and Palkia.

She spent the night resting at the Pokémon Center, reported her travel progress to her parents, then remotely asked Mei Mei Lisha for advice on how to cultivate Snorunt and Rotom.

The Snowpeak Gym battle made her realize three Pokémon were far from enough to reach the end.

But Mei Mei Lisha seemed to have studied only Snorunt and knew very little about Rotom, even though it too was a Ghost-type Pokémon.

This left the Spirit Seeker in a bind.

【You decided to seek help online, but you found no cultivation methods—only something interesting】

The scene shifted.

The Spirit Seeker arrived at the dense forest with Haunter.

"She's not going to the Forest Mansion, is she?"

Baimu raised an eyebrow—someone with a Spirit Sensitivity running toward the haunted Forest Mansion? That's like lighting a lamp in a latrine.

【You saw online that in Eterna Forest stood an abandoned mansion where rare Rotom had been spotted, but it was also extremely dangerous, possibly haunted by ghosts】

The Spirit Seeker had indeed gone to the Forest Mansion—and she had no idea how serious the situation was.

The simulation view pulled upward.

A gloomy Western-style mansion came into view—clearly the Spirit Seeker's destination.

Why does it even have special effects?

Baimu stared at the mansion half-shrouded in shadow on screen, wondering if the Spirit Seeker would get sucked into the Spirit Realm.

Her first real adventure leads her straight into such a dangerous place…

Yet.

To his surprise, the Forest Mansion wasn't haunted like in the game—or rather, it only contained the Ghost-type Pokémon Rotom, with none of the butler ghost or girl ghost he knew of.

At least the Spirit Seeker, with her Spirit Sensitivity, encountered no ghosts at all—only wild Rotom that loved flying around household appliances.

The anime version and game version are different!

"Then what was that special effect for? Just tree shade? Pixel art with lighting effects…?" Baimu felt the emulator had tricked him.

Or perhaps he'd simply expected too much from the Spirit Seeker's Spirit Sensitivity.

【You saw that Rotom can change forms through appliances and wield different elemental powers—this discovery delighted you】

The Spirit Seeker's luck was truly good: just as she faced a dilemma over how to unlock Rotom's potential, she made a breakthrough.

Riding this wave of fortune, she transformed Rotom into a microwave form—the Heating Rotom—and returned to Eterna City.

【You began challenging the Gym】

Eterna Gym Leader Cai Zhong, a Grass-type expert from the anime who stole Team Rocket's Cacturne, was no weak opponent.

As the Spirit Seeker's sixth Gym opponent, she gave no advantage to the ever-changing Ghost-type Pokémon.

Had it not been for the Heating Rotom—an existence she'd never seen—its overheating blast taking the unsuspecting Roserade by surprise, the Spirit Seeker would likely have struggled much longer, perhaps even needed a second attempt.

【You defeated Cai Zhong and received the Eterna Badge】

【You increasingly felt the Gym challenges were grueling, making you realize you were approaching your power limit】

The Spirit Seeker started too late, and lacked the heavenly talent of other simulation subjects—she possessed only a frail body granted by her Spirit Sensitivity.

Thus, she changed her plan.

She abandoned heading to the westernmost Waterfall City and boarded a southbound train to Hearthome City.

The scene shifted.

【You arrived in Hearthome City, a coal-mining metropolis blessed with abundant natural resources and brimming with energy】

The Spirit Seeker first visited the Hearthome Museum, then proceeded to challenge the Hearthome Gym.

The Gym Leader's name was Piao Tai, a red-haired miner safety officer wearing glasses who used Rock-type Pokémon.

【You were locked in a tough battle】

The seventh Gym.

The Spirit Seeker's Ghost-type Pokémon revealed their shortcomings: Snorunt, Misdreavus, and Swinub fell one after another to Rhyhorn, Mini Dachaobei, and Bagon—

Piao Tai actually had Bagon? That was something Baimu hadn't expected.

In the anime, he relied entirely on one Cranidos.

Fortunately, the Spirit Seeker's luck held: first, Haunter's Curse Body triggered, preventing Bagon's Dark Pulse from landing; then she endured the sandstorm and successfully defeated it with Mud-Slap.

Next, Rotom's Water Pulse struck the Cradily's weak point, narrowly securing victory in the Gym battle.

【You defeated Piao Tai and received the Hearthome Badge】

The seventh badge was successfully obtained.

After visiting the Pokémon Center, the Spirit Seeker boarded a train home.

That very evening.

She returned to Kuchiba City, where her parents had been waiting at the station for a long time; the family shared a tight embrace, and All Baimu joined in the commotion as well.

【You hear your mother ask if you still want to go out, and awkwardly reply that you still have one Gym you haven't finished challenging.】

Lingyi Mi's overall progress could already be considered very fast.

Although the simulator didn't give a specific time, judging from the narrator's scattered remarks, it wasn't hard to guess that less than two months had passed from Lingyi Mi's departure to her return.

This was undoubtedly closely tied to her using the tram for travel.

After returning.

Lingyi Mi didn't rest, and hurried straight to the Kuchiba Gym to see Mei Mei Lisha.

【You proudly tell Mei Mei Lisha about your achievements, and also pour out your grievances to her nonstop.】

Lingyi Mi's purpose for coming back this time was very clear: to continue learning from Mei Mei Lisha how to strengthen her All Baimu and other Pokémon. With only a few months left until the League Conference, time was extremely tight.

For the first time ever, Mei Mei Lisha didn't set up any sort of test, and went along with Lingyi Mi's wishes, imparting her knowledge of Pokémon battling.

Among them was no shortage of content about Pokémon Contests.

Lingyi Mi didn't understand at first why those were needed, but later learned that many Contest techniques could work just as effectively when applied to Pokémon battles.

【You study the knowledge with insatiable hunger; your hometown's soil and water free you from the burden of illness, and you grow up strong and healthy.】

The screen flickered.

Even though Lingyi Mi's talent couldn't compare to certain monsters, with the Gym Leader teacher's personal guidance, she was slowly growing stronger after all.

And during this period, her father brought her the sixth, and also the last, Ghost-type Pokémon.

【You obtained a Dusclops; your Ghost companions have increased.】

The addition of Dusclops signified that Lingyi Mi's team had reached its complete form; the 【Elite System】 talent made it impossible for her to add any more.

All Baimu felt a little regret.

To be honest, if the Ghost-type talent had just made a trip around Solaceon Town, she might have been able to capture and seal the Pang Yan Guai there.

Unfortunately, the speed-focused Lingyi Mi had skipped many important Sinnoh towns, only visiting those small towns that had Gym Leaders.

The narrator indicated that her choice of Gyms followed Shirona's trajectory exactly, like a pilgrimage.

"Like a second Caitlin…"

All Baimu couldn't help but quip; he remembered that Caitlin, the current Sinnoh region's Elite Four member and former member of the Battle Frontier's ruling body, also worshipped Shirona to an unusual degree.

Inside the light screen.

Lingyi Mi's sixth Ghost companion successfully evolved with Mei Mei Lisha's help.

【Your Dusclops evolved into Dusknoir.】

This also signaled that she would set off once again.

One had to admit, the fact that in the Pokémon world effort brings reward is also one of the reasons it's called a pseudo-utopia.

Lingyi Mi was admittedly frail of body; her Ghost-type constitution had basically not given her many positive attributes.

But her will drove her to grow into what she was now.

【You have arrived at Veilstone City, a city composed of countless islands.】

It is made up of numerous islands connected by bridges; transportation relies mainly on boats, and within the city there are many dead ends, making it hard to find routes to neighboring islets.

Lingyi Mi nearly got lost on her first visit.