[The Spirit World? I know about that! Lots of xianxia, fantasy, and even urban supernatural novels have a setting like that!]
[I heard Teacher Mo ran into a ghost. I even stopped playing games and rushed over. Where's the ghost? Why can't I see anything?]
[Teacher Mo, I've got a question. You said that whether it's humans or Pokémon, they all go to the Spirit World after death. So what about Ghost-type Pokémon?]
[If people continue to exist as spirits after they die, suddenly dying of old age doesn't seem nearly as scary. When I die, I'll be able to reunite with my parents, won't I?]
[Speaking of Ghost-types, the whole concept of lifespan has always been pretty vague for them. My guess is that Ghost-type Pokémon might actually come from the Spirit World in the first place. From the perspective of the Pokémon world, they'd count as invaders from another dimension.]
[More! More! I need to know more about the Spirit World! Teacher Mo, hurry up and keep going!]
Ever since the Pokémon world descended upon this one, it had added countless mysteries to human civilization. And exploring the unknown had always been humanity's instinct.
As a result, whenever Chen Mo covered topics that lay beyond ordinary human understanding, the livestream's popularity would invariably explode, with the chat flooding nonstop.
Noticing some of the more interesting comments, Chen Mo patiently explained,
"There are way too many questions."
"But even in the Pokémon world, the Spirit World is an incredibly mysterious place. Even the greatest scholars and Trainers know very little about it. So I'll just briefly talk about what I do know about the Spirit World, along with the things we should understand and be cautious about."
"First of all, as for the relationship between Ghost-type Pokémon and the Spirit World... honestly, I don't know for certain either. However, according to research conducted by some scholars in the Pokémon world, there are two Pokémon species that have been confirmed to share a very close connection with the Spirit World."
"You should remember that when I previously introduced Ghost-type Pokémon, I mentioned that some of them were especially dangerous—Pokémon you should avoid whenever possible if you happen to encounter them."
"Mm, I see a lot of people have already guessed it."
"That's right. Litwick is the first Pokémon species related to the Spirit World that we're going to talk about today."
"If you're unfamiliar with Litwick, you can look it up in the Pokédex. To put it simply, it looks very much like an ordinary white candle you'd find on the market, making it highly deceptive."
"When I introduced Litwick before, I mentioned that its greatest danger lies in the way it pretends to light the way for humans and other Pokémon. It appears to be a kind act..."
"...but in reality, the flame Litwick burns is fueled by the life force of humans and Pokémon."
"That's what I explained before."
"But there was one detail I didn't emphasize at the time. I simply told everyone never to follow Litwick's guidance under any circumstances."
"Exactly."
"You guys are pretty sharp this time."
"The place Litwick tries to lure you to... is the Spirit World."
"Although information about the Spirit World is still extremely vague, believe me—"
"To the living, it is absolutely not a friendly place."
As he said this, Chen Mo's expression became incomparably serious.
The Spirit World was the final destination of the dead.
But it was also forbidden ground for the living.
Although the original work had never explicitly stated this, it had demonstrated the point through its story.
When Ash and his companions were traveling through the Sinnoh region, they once encountered a ghostly little girl.
Unlike the ghost girl protected by Gastly at Maiden's Peak in Kanto...
This ghost girl was a genuine evil spirit.
She not only wanted to kill people but also sought to lure the living into the Spirit World.
From beginning to end, that episode subtly conveyed one message:
The Spirit World was not a place the living could enter.
Meanwhile—
Standing beside Chen Mo and listening to the young man speak so fluently, Qin Kaicheng's shock only continued to deepen.
Although being "hunted" by Dusknoir wasn't the first time...
He was certain that, for the young man before him, this encounter had been completely unexpected.
Yet despite that, after only a brief encounter, Chen Mo had effortlessly revealed so much information.
Unbelievable... It's simply unbelievable!
Back when Qin Kaicheng had still been alive, no matter what questions he had about Pokémon, his elder brother could almost always provide an answer within a few days.
But...
Litwick.
The Spirit World.
Dimensional invasions and worlds invading one another...
For the first time, Qin Kaicheng—who had always believed his brother knew more about Pokémon than anyone else in the world—found himself beginning to doubt.
No... Chen Mo said earlier that he's an official science educator.
The fact that he knows all this doesn't necessarily mean he's extraordinary... maybe it's because the authorities now...
His expression gradually became dazed.
In his memories, the authorities had never treated Pokémon kindly.
The information published on the Bureau of Countermeasures' official website was worlds apart from what his brother had taught him.
But...
Why?
A headache began to creep into Qin Kaicheng's mind.
It felt as though he had somehow traveled into the future.
The world had changed so drastically that he could no longer understand it.
Still...
If it was this man...
He had to know the answer.
After hesitating for a moment, Qin Kaicheng finally decided to ask directly.
"Um... that one-eyed Pokémon from earlier... I remember you called it Dusknoir, right?"
"If possible, I'd like to know more about Dusknoir."
"It's very important to me."
"Could you help me?"
"..."
Chen Mo glanced at Qin Kaicheng's pleading face before slowly smiling.
"Of course."
"As it happens, the Dusknoir line is the second Pokémon species connected to the Spirit World that I was planning to introduce to everyone."
"Dusknoir is connected to the Spirit World too?"
Qin Kaicheng froze.
Somehow, he felt he was about to find the answer he had been searching for.
Chen Mo nodded gently.
"Dusknoir, the Gripper Pokémon."
"It travels back and forth between this world and the next."
"Its role is somewhat similar to the soul-reaping messengers in our myths."
"It is said that Dusknoir receives signals from the Spirit World through the antenna on its head. It then seeks out those whose lifespan has come to an end and guides their souls into the Spirit World."
"Compared to the Litwick line we just discussed, Dusknoir are relatively friendly Ghost-type Pokémon."
"That said, I still don't recommend deliberately approaching one."
"Dusknoir are generally taciturn and simply carry out the duties they were born with."
"Because of that, they're often mistaken for Pokémon without self-awareness."
"If you get too close, they might mistakenly assume you're someone whose time has come and escort you straight to the Spirit World."
Qin Kaicheng listened attentively until Chen Mo had finished explaining the important points to the viewers.
Only then did he continue.
"How exactly does Dusknoir take away the souls of the dead?"
"Oh, that..."
Chen Mo turned his head and looked at him calmly.
"You should already know the answer, shouldn't you?"
"..."
Qin Kaicheng remained silent for a long while before giving a bitter smile.
"I suppose you're right..."
"I do."
Since the viewers couldn't see Qin Kaicheng or hear his voice, all they witnessed was Chen Mo speaking a series of seemingly nonsensical sentences into empty air.
Seeing that the chat was on the verge of exploding again, the ever-considerate Chen Mo patiently explained the situation before describing how Dusknoir escorted souls away.
"Dusknoir's body is incredibly elastic."
"You all saw it during its battle with Pikachu."
"The large yellow mouth on its stomach can open extremely wide."
"When guiding the souls of humans or Pokémon away, Dusknoir simply opens that mouth and swallows the soul directly."
When Qin Kaicheng had first mistaken Chen Mo for another dead soul, the very first thing he'd done was tell Chen Mo to run while warning him that Dusknoir ate people.
The fact that he'd said that made one thing obvious.
He had personally witnessed Dusknoir "devour" other people's souls.
After explaining everything that needed to be covered to the audience, Chen Mo briefly mentioned that he might not be able to keep watching the chat for a while.
Then he turned his attention back to Qin Kaicheng.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"You already heard why I 'rescued' you from Dusknoir."
"I have a few questions, Mr. Qin Kaicheng."
"I hope you'll answer them honestly."
"It's important to me as well."
"The first question concerns something you mentioned earlier."
"The souls Dusknoir took away before..."
"They were your companions who died alongside you during the Pokémon invasion incident in Crescent Moon Town, weren't they?"
Understanding his current situation—and fully aware of who Chen Mo represented—Qin Kaicheng answered without hesitation.
"That's right."
"It was them."
Chen Mo nodded, unsurprised.
Then he continued.
"My second question."
"Mr. Qin Kaicheng, this wasn't the first time Dusknoir has 'hunted' you, was it?"
"From what I observed earlier, Dusknoir had countless opportunities to swallow you immediately."
"But it never did."
"Do you know why?"
"I... I don't."
Qin Kaicheng shook his head.
"It wasn't just me."
"The companions who were with me weren't swallowed immediately either."
"Every chase..."
"It was like Dusknoir was playing a game of cat and mouse."
"It used those red threads to whip us until we were half dead."
"Only after a very long time—after it seemed to have grown tired of the game—would it finally swallow us."
"And during all of this..."
"We each had our own 'safe house.'"
"As long as we returned home, Dusknoir wouldn't attack us."
"I've survived this game longer than anyone else."
"But honestly..."
"I really don't know why Dusknoir behaves this way."
Chen Mo stared deeply at Qin Kaicheng.
This time, instead of asking his third question immediately, he looked up at the bright moon hanging in the sky and spoke almost to himself.
"Ordinarily..."
"When humans—or even Pokémon—die..."
"Their souls lose all consciousness."
"After the body dies, the soul instinctively heads toward the Spirit World."
"It doesn't need Dusknoir's guidance."
"So under what circumstances would Dusknoir personally appear beside a soul and forcibly intervene?"
"The answer is actually very simple."
"Attachment."
"Only those with an exceptionally powerful lingering attachment retain a degree of consciousness after death."
"And at that point..."
"They may require a little help from Dusknoir."
"After all..."
"Just as the living cannot enter the Spirit World..."
"The dead likewise cannot remain in the world of the living for too long."
None of this information existed in the Detection Eye.
Nor had it ever been described in the original work.
But—
As the saying went, having an elder in the family is like possessing a priceless treasure.
Although this particular "elder" tended to be rather tsundere and possessed an unexpectedly youthful voice...
As a Legendary Ghost-type Pokémon, Marshadow understood the relationship between the Spirit World and reality, between the living and the dead, far better than Chen Mo did.
Lowering his head once more, Chen Mo looked at the bewildered Qin Kaicheng.
"This is my third question."
"And my last one."
"Mr. Qin Kaicheng..."
"What do you believe is the lingering attachment that's keeping you in the world of the living with your consciousness intact?"
"My... lingering attachment..."
Qin Kaicheng looked utterly lost.
After a long silence, he suddenly raised his head and stared at a spot somewhere behind Chen Mo.
His expression slowly became resolute.
"My lingering attachment..."
"...is that I wanted to see my big brother one last time."
This time—
Chen Mo remained silent for a long while before finally asking,
"Why?"
"Why?"
Qin Kaicheng looked confused again.
Slowly, he scratched his head in frustration.
"I guess..."
"I guess I just wanted to see whether my brother was doing well..."
"As long as I could see that he was still alive..."
"I'd be at peace..."
"Yeah..."
"I think that's probably it..."
"Using words like 'probably' so often is usually a sign of uncertainty."
"And besides..."
"If the brother you're referring to is Yu Heguang..."
"I can tell you exactly what's happened to him."
Chen Mo's calm gaze remained fixed on Qin Kaicheng, whose expression was becoming increasingly anguished.
"Yu Heguang is dead."
"He died alongside you..."
"...in that disaster."
Qin Kaicheng, clutching his head in agony, suddenly froze.
Then his legs gave out beneath him, and he collapsed to his knees.
He kept muttering to himself.
"Impossible..."
"That's impossible..."
"My brother was so strong..."
"He couldn't have died..."
"Everyone saw it..."
"He was still alive..."
His voice grew increasingly emotional, his expression ever more pained.
At that moment—
Marshadow's voice sounded once again inside Chen Mo's mind.
"So your guess was right."
"This guy's memory loss isn't simply because his spirit has remained in the world of the living for too long."
"His memories..."
"...are severely disordered."
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