The night grew deeper.
No results whatsoever.
This was normal; after all, this was only the first day.
If they could make a connection on the very first day, the compatibility would simply be too high.
The sea breeze blew away the last wisps of mist lingering before the shrine, and it also extinguished the secret anticipation in the hearts of the Trainers.
It seemed there was no hope for today.
Those Ghost-type Pokémon, drifting and swimming in various forms, after a round of curiosity, scrutiny, or merely mischievous play, had not found anyone among this group of Trainers who particularly captured their hearts.
Unlike the conventional method where a Trainer defeats a Pokémon to capture it and then nurtures a tacit understanding, the Ghost-type Pokémon here really had a backer, so one shouldn't think about defeating them and taking them away by force.
Rather than thinking about using force, it would be better to think about how to use eloquence like Brock.
Who knows? Maybe after chatting for a while, you might just talk your way into getting one.
A Misdreavus flew one last circle around Misty, emitting a laugh as crisp as a bell yet ethereal, before suddenly rising high and melting into the deep night.
Several Gastly bumped into each other, letting out strange "Gya-gya" snickers, and vanished silently like a receding tide behind the shadows of the shrine's ancient Torii gate.
The ghostly blue flame atop that Litwick flickered slightly, as if casting one last glance at the crowd, before vanishing silently around the corner like a candle blown out by the wind.
Very quickly.
The clearing, which had appeared somewhat "lively" just moments ago, was left with only the Trainers looking at each other in dismay.
The lingering cold aura and subtle energy fluctuations in the air were the only proof that they had ever existed.
An atmosphere mixed with faint disappointment and understanding spread through the crowd.
Everyone had come with at least a little hope, but they all understood that fate with Ghost-type Pokémon could not be forced.
Why come here?
Because it is certain that the Ghost-type Pokémon here are close to humans!
At least, they are close to humans in the early stages.
As for whether the Trainer can maintain this personality after being with the Ghost-type Pokémon, instead of letting their nature take dominance... that depends on each individual's capability.
This is a good start.
It is certainly better than Ghost-type Pokémon caught randomly in the wild... those are very difficult to tame.
The nature of Ghost-type Pokémon is uncontrollable.
And the reason the nature of the Ghost-type Pokémon here is controllable is that they were taught by the Thousand-Year Gastly.
Do not look down on this kind of thousand-year-old ghost just because of its previous performance.
Perhaps they possess some kind of cognitive barrier in their perception, prone to ignoring small problems due to inertial thinking or failing to keep up with the times.
But regardless of intellect or ability, they are not lacking in the slightest.
"As expected, it's not that easy..." A Trainer sighed and withdrew his gaze.
"After all, they are Ghost-types; their minds are the hardest to guess," another echoed, though his tone was fairly open-minded.
The crowd began to turn sparsely, walking down the mountain toward the brightly lit Pokémon Center.
After a busy night, once the excitement passed, exhaustion surged up.
There was no point in staying here anyway.
Brock looked at the departing figures, then looked at Ash and Misty beside him, who were still a bit dazed:
"No need to feel regret; this is very normal."
He motioned for the two to follow the flow of people down the hill while continuing to explain: "The temple festival usually lasts for a whole week."
"Today was just the first night."
"In the coming nights, similar opportunities will arise again."
"Perhaps tomorrow, or the day after, some little guy will take an interest in one of you."
"After all, if you want to gain the recognition of these little guys with unfathomable minds, patience is often more important than strength."
As for Brock, he wasn't particularly interested himself.
Although he had chatted very happily just now, this didn't mean he wanted to take these Ghost-type Pokémon away.
Among these Ghost-type Pokémon, there were none with Rock or Ground as a secondary attribute.
Brock still had his own future career plan.
He wanted Ghost-type Pokémon whose secondary attribute was Ground-type, like Palossand or Golurk.
This would be most suitable for him in the absence of Ghost-type Pokémon with a Rock secondary attribute.
There is a Pokémon attribute selection issue here.
Strictly speaking, there are no attribute restrictions for Pokémon Trainers regarding their choice of Pokémon.
A Trainer can have many Pokémon of different attributes and species.
But the same Trainer can also specialize in one attribute.
Because Pokémon of different attributes and species are different in training and growth.
But if one specializes in a single type, then much of the training experience and the materials used can be universal.
The disadvantage of specialization is that the adaptability is not as broad as that of a mixed-attribute Trainer.
The advantage of specialization is that the speed of improvement is faster than that of a mixed-attribute Trainer.
Anyway, it depends on personal choice.
Misty rubbed her slightly sour eyes and let out a small yawn:
"That's true... we have to stay for a few days anyway."
"And they do look... well, quite full of personality."
She recalled the Misdreavus that had approached her; she wasn't very afraid, but instead felt it was a bit novel.
Misdreavus and Mismagius were among the few Ghost-type Pokémon whose looks were online.
Most of them looked rather shabby.
Ash also nodded, and Pikachu on his shoulder seemed to relax as well, crying out "Pika..." as if to express agreement.
Although he looked forward to capturing new partners, he also knew deeply that encounters with Pokémon required timing and fate.
Especially Ghost-types and Psychic-types... these two really could not be forced.
The three followed the sparse flow of people, stepping down the stone stairs of the small hill.
Unlike the secluded and ancient shrine on the mountain.
The Pokémon Center at the foot of the mountain was still shining with warm lights, like a tranquil harbor in the dark night, waiting for the weary travelers to return.
The dutiful Nurse Joy was extremely gentle.
Because the area of Maiden Gorge had long been under the influence of that Thousand-Year Gastly and its clan, forming a certain unique ecological balance, the League had not established a gym in the traditional sense here.
Therefore, this fully functional Pokémon Center became the main gathering and supply point for Trainers here.
If the Thousand-Year Gastly felt there was a problem with a gym... the League really didn't think anyone's gym could remain open here.
If Ghost-type and Psychic-type Pokémon chose to fight guerrilla warfare instead of frontal combat...
...Then the trouble would be raised to another level.
After all, it is impossible for a normal person not to eat, drink, poop, pee, or sleep.
And as long as one relaxes their vigilance, they might be struck by a cheap shot.
But Nurse Joy is different.
For most Pokémon, Nurse Joy has a lot of affinity.
Walking into the bright Pokémon Center lobby, Nurse Joy was still standing behind the counter with a professional, gentle smile.
The Trainers returning one after another either conversed softly or silently handed their Poké Balls to Chansey to be sent for recovery, the atmosphere peaceful and tinged with weariness.
Ash and the other two also completed their check-in procedures.
"Alright, it's been a long enough night today," Brock said to the two, holding the room key.
"Rest well and build up your energy for tomorrow; there are plenty of fun things waiting at the temple festival."
"As for capturing, just let nature take its course."
This could also be considered a tacit understanding between the League and this Thousand-Year Gastly... in a sense, this was also a breeding base for Ghost-type Pokémon under the League.
There has never been a rule that members of the Pokémon League can only be humans and not Pokémon, right?
High-intelligence Pokémon themselves can also exist as independent members, without needing to rely on Trainers.
Typical examples of this are Alakazam and Metagross, which can serve as formal employees in most research laboratories.
____
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