Chapter 185: Is It Really Just a Ghost-type Pokémon?
"Some of the old-timers say the castle has been like this for over twenty years. At first, the noise was very small... but it's been getting louder and louder in the last two years," Seigo explained. "And when I checked the travel logs of past teachers from the procurement department, I found one who had written a note over a decade ago about the castle making noise at night."
"According to our academy's research on Ghost-type Pokémon, they can be broadly divided into two groups," he continued. "One type is fierce and reclusive and doesn't want to be disturbed by humans. That kind wouldn't live in a populated town. The other type is mischievous and active. And while they like to scare humans, they would never stay in the same place for decades, doing the same thing. It would drive them crazy."
"So, I think there's something in that castle that the Kalos League hasn't found."
A teacher from the Orange Academy... their abilities were no joke. After hearing Seigo's analysis, Will felt that he had a point.
"In any case," Seigo said, "even if it is just a Ghost-type, we have to find a way to make it quiet down, or just drive it out of the castle. The commotion these past few years has already scared away too many of the town's residents."
As they got closer to the castle, Will began to feel a strange, eerie sensation.
"Someone is watching us," he murmured, his eyebrows raised. He looked up at the distant castle. They were still too far away to see what was on the other side of the dusty glass.
"Meow!"
Meowscarada was terrified by Will's words. She immediately hugged his arm, her large ears flattening against her head.
"It's fine," Will said, rubbing her head. If he could sense the gaze, it meant the entity was either weaker than him or was intentionally letting itself be seen. In any case, he hadn't sensed any malice from the gaze, just a feeling of "observation." There was no need to panic yet.
"There's another story about Shabboneau Castle... that it's a cursed house," Seigo said. As he spoke, he couldn't help but swallow, as if he had scared himself.
"Did someone die?"
"It happened over twenty years ago. A young master from a prominent family in the Unova region came to visit the castle. He suddenly fell ill and died right there. It was only after that the castle began to change."
"Meow..." Meowscarada was already trying to back out. She pawed at Will, her eyes begging him not to go.
"Interesting," Will just grinned. He hadn't been that interested in this ghost story at first. But that gaze, combined with Seigo's story, had truly piqued his curiosity.
Before they knew it, they had arrived at the foot of the hill. At the top stood Shabboneau Castle.
As the saying goes: We're already here.
"Let's go," Will said, taking the lead.
Five minutes later, they were at the castle gate. A grand, ancient aura washed over them. This castle was just as impressive as Liz's palace had been a thousand years ago. It was just that, after so much time, the walls had been badly weathered.
As Will stepped forward to enter, he felt a huge pulling force from behind. He turned. Meowscarada was pulling his left arm, and Seigo was pulling his right. The only one who seemed unafraid was the Sprigatito, who was sitting obediently on his tail.
When did she get up there? he wondered. But he was more exasperated with Seigo. Weren't you the one who wanted to come?
"What? Getting cold feet? It's all the same to me."
"Wait, give me a second. I feel like my heart is going to jump out of my chest," Seigo panted, his legs feeling a bit weak.
"Meow-meow!!" Meowscarada, at this point, couldn't care less about her image. She was practically kneeling, begging her "father" not to go into the scary castle.
BONK.
In response, Will gave her a loving fist to the head to help her clear her mind.
It was at that exact moment...
"Meow~"
The Sprigatito on his tail suddenly spoke. The scene instantly fell silent. All three of them, including Will, jumped, a chill running down their spines. Because what the Sprigatito had just said was... "Hello~"
Will was the fastest to react. He immediately looked in the direction she was greeting. In a second-floor window, a pair of oval red eyes and a fanged mouth flashed for an instant... and then were gone.
After seeing those eyes, Will, instead of being startled, let out a sigh of relief. If they could see it, it was a real, living creature of this world, not a "spirit." A spirit... one of those energy-based life forms from the Spirit World... was invisible to most Pokémon and humans.
"So it really is just a Ghost-type Pokémon messing around?" Will frowned, then glanced at Seigo. The man was already snapping pictures, all fear forgotten.
"Red eyes! It's most likely a Ghost-type Pokémon!"
"You recovered quick," Will said, rolling his eyes.
As for Meowscarada... "Hey, what are you doing? I don't remember teaching you that it's okay for a young lady to do that," Will said, looking back.
She had buried her entire upper body in the fur of his tail, leaving only her rear end sticking out. Her own short, fluffy tail was puffed up like a hedgehog's, trembling nonstop.
"Meow..." a muffled, pitiful cry came from within.
"You're useless. You're not even as brave as the little cat," Will sighed. He took out her Poké Ball and recalled her. This was the first time he had ever put her in it.
Click.Click.
Seigo, wordlessly, just kept pressing the shutter, recording this world-shocking scene: A Pokémon, using a Poké Ball to capture another Pokémon.jpg
"Let's go. Let's see who this 'divine presence' is," Will said, putting the Poké Ball in his backpack.
They entered the castle. A wave of yin-cold air hit them. The interior was all ruins and rubble. There was no furniture; it had probably all been looted by bandits centuries ago. It was pitch-black, with only the moonlight from the broken windows providing a dim light.
Click!
A sound came from beside him. The next moment, a beam of light illuminated the entire hall. Will turned. It was Seigo, holding a giant flashlight under his arm, one that was over 20cm in diameter.
"Meow!" The Sprigatito on his tail pointed up.
Will looked. A Pokémon's figure flashed past on the floor above.
"Well now~ that's a rare one," Will said, surprised. He had recognized it.
Cofagrigus.
An extremely rare Pokémon. And it looked just as evil as its reputation. In the anime and manga, it was always a villain. And it was an expensive Pokémon to raise. It loved to eat gold.
Will had expected a Gengar, a Banette, or a Mismagius—the usual suspects in a ghost story. He had never expected to find this rare Pokémon. And a Cofagrigus was just as rare in Kalos as he and Meowscarada were. It was a Pokémon from Unova and Galar.
"Meow," Sprigatito said.
"Shh~ don't talk to it. You'll scare it away," Will whispered, picking up the kitten from his tail and stroking her head.
Click.
Meowscarada popped out of her ball and snatched the Sprigatito from Will. "Meow," she huffed, indicating she would hold the kitten, not him.
"You're not scared anymore?"
"Meow," she lifted her chin. She was angry now. Even if a real ghost jumped out, it would have to face her claws.
"That looked like a Pokémon. It's a pity it was too fast. Let's go find it," Seigo said, his courage returning now that he knew it was a Pokémon.
"Let's go," Will said, taking the lead.
They found the Cofagrigus on the third floor. Its red eyes were staring straight at them.
"Is it toying with us? Or luring us upstairs?" Will frowned. He could tell its actions were deliberate, but he didn't know its purpose.
"Meow?" Meowscarada looked at him, asking if they should continue.
Will glanced at Seigo. From his expression, he was clearly going to continue.
"Let's keep going. At least that Cofagrigus doesn't seem to have any ill intent," Will decided. The Kalos League had investigated multiple times and nothing had happened to them. Their own team was much stronger; they should be fine.
"Meow," Meowscarada nodded, holding Sprigatito tight in her arms. She would protect her little sister. Just like Will had protected her!
"Meow!" Sprigatito, in contrast, was perfectly relaxed.
The little cat's big eyes stared at the Cofagrigus, and then she tilted her head. She seemed to see something else in its eyes. It looked like... a human figure?
She followed the Cofagrigus's gaze, and then she was certain. That human figure... at this very moment, seemed to be poking its head into her big brother Sceptile's backpack.
"Meow?" Sprigatito tilted her head, confused. She looked back up at the third floor. The Cofagrigus's eyes were gone.
Why do I feel a chill on the back of my neck? Will frowned and looked behind him. It was just Seigo and Meowscarada.
They continued up to the third floor. Creeeak... An old wooden door opened all by itself, like a gate to the Spirit World, inviting them in.
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