Chapter 97: Hiring

The sentence was like a stone tossed into a calm lake; Old Ghost's violet aura burst instantly, then quickly reconvened, clearly startled: "What did you say? You want me to be your partner? Do you know how many years I have lived?"

"I know," Huo La nodded, his tone firm. "You have lived nearly two thousand years; if I'm correct, your former master was either that maiden, or the person she was waiting for."

Old Ghost's aura suddenly stalled, his eyes fixed on Huo La, his tone tinged with curiosity: "You truly are odd— not only can you see through my disguise, but you also dare make such a request of me."

Huo La spread his hands, expression calm: "Whether it's strange or not is relative. You have lived two thousand years; the oddities you've seen may not be fewer than mine."

"Hmph, you do know how to speak," Old Ghost's aura quivered, as if humming lightly, his tone laced with self‑mockery. "Fine, be as strange as you like; in this form, I am rather strange myself."

It paused, its tone turning solemn, bearing undeniable authority: "To have me as your Pokemon, Xiao Gui, you are still unqualified."

Huo La offered no rebuttal, merely nodding lightly: "I know. From the moment I first saw you, I understood."

He lifted his gaze toward Old Ghost, his eyes full of comprehension: "May I ask, a Pokemon that can freely assume human form by day and master both illusion and ghost powers— its strength must already approach, perhaps even touch, the realm of a 'god'? How could such a being, with just a single sentence from me, willingly bow beneath a human and become my partner?"

Upon hearing this, Old Ghost's aura visibly relaxed, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes as he slowly nodded: "Good that you know! At least you're not hopelessly foolish."

"But…" Huo La shifted his tone, a hint of cunning entering his voice.

"But what?" Old Ghost asked immediately, clearly intrigued.

"But," Huo La continued, his posture straightening and his eyes brightening, "your inability to be my partner doesn't prevent us from being friends. I'll pay to hire you; you help with some simple tasks— how does that sound?"

"Hire?" Old Ghost murmured, repeating the word, then his pale‑violet aura quivered violently, emitting a deep, hoarse laugh: "Hahaha! Interesting Xiao Gui! In two thousand years, countless have tried to capture me as a Pokemon— nobles, League champions… Yet you are the first to propose 'hiring' me!"

His laughter carried a note of mockery mixed with curiosity, his eyes scanning Huo La up and down as if appraising a novelty.

"I am a Pokemon; what use is money?" Having finished his laugh, Old Ghost switched tone, his voice dripping with contempt.

"Money useless?" Huo La raised an eyebrow, replying firmly, "If it truly were useless, why do you open a Divination Hut at the temple fair every Summer Festival, collecting those tourists' offering money?"

Old Ghost's aura stiffened sharply, as if his secret had been exposed publicly, and he fell silent for a long moment— Damn! How does this Xiao Gui know such a detail? Has he already investigated me?

After a while, he finally spoke reluctantly, his tone probing: "Fine, you are impressive. Now tell me, hiring me— what tasks do you want me to do for you?"

"Simple," Huo La smiled, leaning forward slightly, "you are the second Pokemon I've met that can speak human language; when I need to communicate with special Pokemon, I'll need you as a translator. Moreover, if I face danger that even my own Pokemon cannot handle, you just lend me a hand."

He paused, adding, "And I won't restrict your freedom. You may leave me at any time, just let me know; as for each Summer Festival… I can teleport you back to the local Pokemon Center so you can continue running your Divination Hut— how's that, satisfactory?"

Old Ghost's aura drifted in two circles in the air, a flicker of doubt flashing in his eyes.

Having lived two thousand years, it was long weary of the endless days guarding a stone statue, yet could not relinquish its old obsession. Huo La's proposal gave it a reason to 'leave' while leaving the path back open, far more agreeable than forced subjugation.

"Xiao Gui, what about the fee?" it finally asked the crucial question, its tone cautious— it could not let this Xiao Gui think it was easy to dismiss.

"Two hundred thousand per year," Huo La stated without hesitation, "the standard Pokemon League salary, paid directly into the 'human identity' account you use for the Divination Hut at the fair. If that's insufficient, we can negotiate further."

"Two hundred thousand?!" Old Ghost's aura exploded instantly— it earns only a few ten‑thousands each year from running the Divination Hut, yet this Xiao Gui demands two hundred thousand? And that's 'per year'?

Its scarlet eyes stared intently at Huo La, as if confirming whether he was joking.

Seeing Huo La's calm demeanor and sincere gaze, Old Ghost's pale‑violet aura gradually steadied, the scarlet eyes losing a hint of mockery and gaining seriousness: "Two hundred thousand… not a bad deal for me. However, I have a condition— aside from translating for you, unless it's a life‑or‑death situation, I won't act lightly."

Having lived two thousand years, it had long outgrown the age of rivalry and no longer wished to become a mere 'tool' at someone's whim for a modest fee.

Huo La pondered briefly, quickly grasping its concern, and followed up: "What about small favors? For instance, masking my presence to avoid enemy detection; or occasionally releasing a bit of your intimidation to scare off those short‑sighted brutes— those wouldn't count as 'acting', would they?"

Old Ghost's aura quivered, as if nodding: "Those are acceptable."

"Then that's settled," Huo La replied instantly, without hesitation— for him, getting this millennial Old Ghost to lend a hand was already a pleasant surprise, no need to quibble over such details.

Old Ghost stared at him for a while, seemingly gauging his sincerity, and after a long pause said, "The Summer Festival is two days away; each year at this time I must attend to 'that person', leaving me no time to waste with you. This interval, however, gives me a chance to think."

It paused, its tone gaining resolve: "If, after the Summer Festival, I come to you of my own accord, that counts as accepting your hire; if I don't…"

"If I don't come, I'll immediately leave Maiden's Gorge with my two companions, never disturbing you," Huo La replied instantly, adding, "And before I go, I'll leave you a 'tribute'— a thank‑you for sparing my Pokemon tonight and not striking them down."

"Ha ha! You little Xiao Gui, you're surprisingly sensible!" Old Ghost's aura quivered violently, emitting a hearty laugh; the earlier sense of intimidation faded considerably.

The pale‑violet mist thinned gradually, as if blown away by wind, and its voice grew distant: "Alright, I'll return now. By the way, your Pokemon are only trapped by my Hypnosis; they'll awaken on their own tomorrow morning, no need to worry."

When the words faded, the last wisp of violet smoke drifted out through the doorway, and the room fell into complete silence, leaving only Huo La seated on the bedside.

He exhaled a long breath of stale air, raised his hand to wipe his forehead— at some point his palm had become slick with a thin sheen of sweat.

That was Old Ghost, who had lived two thousand years; even a casually released breath from him carried a soul‑piercing pressure, far beyond any ordinary Pokemon.

If this millennial Old Ghost truly agrees to the hire, then heading to Goldenrod City to challenge Natsume will no longer make him nervous as before— with such a 'big brother' backing him, even Natsume's Psychic power can't threaten his survival.