Arcanine and Misako continued their search for Haruko. Arcanine followed her scent to determine where she was. They realised that she wasn't in the Duscnoir territory anymore!
Arcanine then followed her scent to a location a little further right from the Duskull Territory. On their way, they ran into many Pokemon but they ran away after feeling the pressure Arcanine was releasing.
Then, under a tree surrounded by a lot of under growth, they found Haruko resting and treating her Pokemon.
"Big sis!"
"Arc!"
Haruko's head snapped up. Her eyes went wide, then narrowed.
"What are you still doing here, Misako?" Her voice was sharp, but mixed with relief.
"I told you to go home. And you too, Archie!" She glared at Arcanine. "Why didn't you take her back?"
Misako slid off Arcanine's back and rushed forward, throwing her arms around her sister.
"Don't be like that! We were worried about you!"
Haruko stiffened, then softened. She hugged back, wincing as Misako pressed against a wound.
"You're hurt!"
"It's no big deal. I'm a Pokemon Ranger, this much is nothing to me."
She patted Misako's head. Arcanine got closer and nudged her shoulder, whining softly. Haruko reached up and ruffled his mane.
"Sigh. Look at you two."
She glanced around. "So… what happened to the Pokémon chasing after you? I was worried sick."
Misako's face brightened. "Oh, that…"
Misako then started explaining to Haruko everything that happened. How she escaped, about Eric and how he saved her and so on.
"I see. Eric was it? We'll repay this favour to him later."
She then looked at Misako,
"You looked really excited talking about him as well…"
Yup! He's really cool!" Misako's eyes sparkled. "That cold, indifferent way he talks, but you can tell there's kindness underneath. You'd like him too if you met him!"
"Is that right?"
Haruko ruffled Misako's hair, shaking her head.
Suddenly, they felt a bright purple light hitting them through the canopy made by the black branches above them.
"What is that?"
An ominous feeling filled their hearts…
----
Some time ago.
Eric's group.
"Fearow, Aerial Ace! Poliwag, Muddy water!"
After separating from Misako, Eric quickly made his way towards his destination. On the map, it showed a cave where the Ghost Pearls grew.
The deeper he went, the denser the Ghost energy became. Even with Gastly absorbing most of it, Eric could still feel it around him. The number of wild Pokemon increased as well.
Eric couldn't avoid so many of them, and had Fearow and Poliwag handle them, with the occassional assist from Gastly.
Strangely enough, he didn't encounter any Pokemon above the beginner level despite the dense Ghost energy. One would think stronger Pokemon would be attracted to such areas.
There wasn't time to think about it, so he pressed on.
The number of Pokemon kept increasing, making his own Pokemon stronger and stronger.
Fearow leveled up to 23, and Poliwag to 21.
But the problem lied with Gastly. He was already too close to leveling up and the number of Pokemon were too much to handle without him.
In the end, Gastly reached lvl 25 and began to evolve!
"Gastly!"
If he evolved now, all of this effort would be wasted.
Gastly understood that. He knew how much Eric was doing for him, and wanted the best for him.
Gastly always had a strong willpower, from the moment he met Eric. He still remembered their first meeting vividly. Back then they were both captured by the same people, and Gastly didn't trust him.
He remembered their first conversation. They were partners who were going to reach the top together!
Evolving is a very natural thing for Pokemon. When they're evolving, every instinct in their body tells them to go through this process.
Gastly, through his sheer willpower alone, fought this instinct, and suppressed his evolution.
The white light slowly faded and Gastly returned to normal.
"Gaastly!"
He shouted, finding it difficult to hold this energy in.
"Gastly, are you okay? If it's too much, you can evolve! "
Eric was worried about seeing Gastly's state.
The energy of evolution didn't disappear, it was just that Gastly was suppressing it with force, delaying the process just a little longer.
Seeing Gastly like this, Eric's resolve grew. He was not going to let him down.
"We're hurrying to the cave! Fearow, Poliwag. It's up to you to face the remaining Pokemon!"
With Fearow and Poliwag in the vanguard, and Gastly assisting when necessary, Eric quickly advanced towards the cave.
We're almost there," Eric said, checking the map. "The cave is just ahead. No more problems—"
Eric swallowed his words as a bright purple light hit him through the canopy.
He sat on Fearow's back and had the bird lift him just above the treeline.
Then he saw it. A column of bright purple light shooting through the sky like an arrow, and landing on the cave he was headed towards.
'…Well shit.'
---
Duskull Territory.
The cloaked figure stood at the center of the core pile, arms outstretched, laughing.
"Ku… hahahaha…" The sound echoed through the dead clearing. "The Psychic wasn't lying. And to think I'd be the one to find it."
They reached into their robes and tossed a Poké Ball into the air.
Flygon.
The dragon materialized with a roar, its wings shimmering green.
"Sucks for the others." The figure leaped onto Flygon's back. "Looks like I'll be the one to earn the Lord's favor."
"Follow that light."
Flygon shot into the sky, chasing the violet beam toward the cave.
---
"This has to do with that cloaked figure," she said, her voice flat. Certain. "Misako, I'm following it. You head back home."
"What? No!" Misako grabbed her sister's sleeve. "Big sis, it's dangerous!"
"I am a Pokemon Ranger. I can't just leave this be. Besides, I'm confident I can beat him this time."
Although Haruko said, she was only doing so to comfort Misako. She could tell that the cloaked figure didn't go all out in their last fight.
Misako hesitated, but then forced herself to calm down.
"Fine! But I'll head back on my own. Take Archie with you this time! And stay safe!"
Misako unwillingly gave in.
"Alright. You also get back to town safely you hear. No detours."
Haruko said as she patted Misako's head.
She then recalled all her Pokemon, and got on top of Pidgeot.
"Pidgeot, fly at full speed to wherever that light is going."
Pidgeot shot into the sky and the 2 disappeared from Misako's sight.
Misako stood their for a moment. She looked at the light, then back at the path that would take her back to town.
She then started running. Not towards the town, but towards wherever the light was headed to.
She couldn't leave her sister alone.
---------------------
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