Xia You took out a Poké Ball and slowly extended it towards Gastly.
Gastly didn't hesitate; its body touched the Poké Ball's switch, and with a flash of red light, it went inside the Poké Ball.
The Poké Ball swayed slightly, and with a soft 'pop', it completely stilled.
It actually succeeded in being caught!?
But before Xia You could even be happy, the Poké Ball, which had just successfully captured the Pokémon, suddenly opened, and Gastly flew out on its own again.
"I can't stand the environment inside, it's dark and cramped," Gastly complained, swaying its body. "I'm used to being free; I still prefer to stay outside without restraint."
"Then you don't have to go into the Poké Ball," Xia You said indifferently. "Actually, I don't like traveling alone either; it's perfect to have a Pokémon by my side."
Gastly nodded and floated to Maiden's Rock again.
"This year's summer festival is over, and your legend will probably continue to be passed down in the future."
A blurry female figure floated out of Maiden's Rock; it was actually a real female ghost!
The ghost softly said, "Thank you, Gastly."
"You're welcome, don't mention it," Gastly chuckled. "I just wanted to revive this gradually forgotten legend in people's memories."
The ghost clasped her hands together: "For so long, I have been here, waiting for the day of reunion with him. No matter how long it takes, I will continue to wait."
Gastly moved aside a bit, allowing the ghost to see Xia You, and said, "I assume you heard what just happened. From now on, I will be going on a journey. Perhaps I might meet your lover somewhere, and when that happens, I will definitely convey your feelings to him!"
"Thank you so much!"
The female ghost's tone became a bit more cheerful. As she spoke, she floated backward and dissipated onto Maiden's Rock.
…
When they returned to the Pokémon Center, the sky was already faintly lit. Xia You, who had been forcing himself to stay awake, instantly felt his eyelids grow heavy upon entering the warm room.
Ash was sleeping soundly, while Brock, having slept too much during the day, opened his eyes when he heard the noise.
His complexion, after sufficient rest, was much better than before.
"Why are you back so late?"
Yawning, Xia You said, "I took care of the ghost matter during the night."
"Oh, right," Xia You suddenly remembered something and said to Brock, "Gastly was quite rude earlier; how about I let it apologize to you?"
Brock asked in surprise, "You caught it?"
Xia You didn't speak, and from within his shadow, a black orb enveloped in purple aura suddenly floated out.
"Woah~"
Brock was startled and couldn't help but cry out. Hearing the sound, Pikachu rubbed its eyes, poked its head out, and looked around curiously. Only Ash turned over and continued to snore.
"You small-eyed man, besides being lustful, you're not very brave, are you?" Gastly chuckled. "What happened before was just me playing a prank on you; please don't mind it."
Brock's temper was originally very good, and he hadn't really cared about that incident. Now that he heard Gastly apologize, all his previous feelings vanished.
Xia You took out his phone and checked the time.
"I don't know how long I'll sleep this time. When Ash wakes up later, you two should leave first. I still need to stay here for another day or two. If there's a chance in the future, we'll see each other again."
"Haven't things already ended? Why do you need to stay here?" Brock was puzzled, but seeing that Xia You didn't explain further, he still nodded, "Alright then, we'll leave first."
After a quick wash, Xia You collapsed into bed and slept. When he opened his eyes again, it was already afternoon.
His excessive fatigue over the past two days, staying up at night and sleeping during the day, had completely disrupted his biological clock, so much so that his mental state was still not fully restored.
Ash and the others had left long ago. Originally, Xiao Xia heard that Xia You wanted to stay for a few more days and also wanted to stay with him, but since Xia You didn't actively ask her to, she could only give up, looking back with every step as she set off again with Ash and the others.
The reason Xia You wanted to stay here was naturally to hope that this beautiful legend would spread even better.
His personal involvement in this event made him believe that there truly exists a kind of love in the world called 'until death do us part'.
However, Gastly's previous method was not advisable; it was not only inefficient but also incapable of effective dissemination.
Now that Gastly had become his Pokémon, Xia You felt that he could also do his best to help accomplish this matter.
He wrote down what had happened since arriving at Maiden's Peak, then went to Maiden's Shrine, learned about the love and hate stories of the past two thousand years from the Old Shinto Priest, and integrated all of these, editing and refining them slightly, to compile a poignant and heartwarming short story of over six thousand words.
Remembering a conversation he once had with Koharu, he heard that her mother, Yoshino, had not only taught herself painting but also dreamed of becoming an illustrator. So he sent this story to Koharu's email and asked her to convey his request, hoping that Yoshino could add some illustrations to the story.
Koharu replied with an OK emoji.
Soon, an unfamiliar number called.
Upon answering the phone, a cheerful female voice on the other end said, "Hello, this is Sakuragi Yoshino. Is this Mr. Xia You?" (Here, Yoshino is not a common surname but her given name, originating from Somei Yoshino cherry, a type of cherry blossom.)
Knowing this was Koharu's mother, Xia You quickly and politely said, "Hello, Auntie. I am Xia You."
Sakuragi Yoshino said, "Koharu just told me about you. The story is very well written. I had also heard of the legend of Maiden's Rock before, but I never expected it to be true!"
Xia You chuckled, "Although it's somewhat unbelievable, I did indeed personally see that woman's ghost. However, please keep this matter confidential, Auntie, otherwise that Maiden's Rock might attract the attention of some ill-intentioned people."
Sakuragi Yoshino: "I know. Just like some of my husband's research, it needs to be kept confidential. From what Koharu said, you need my help with some illustrations?"
"Yes," Xia You hesitated for a moment. "It's really troubling you, Auntie. After deeply understanding this matter, I also believe it's necessary to pass on this legend."
Sakuragi Yoshino laughed, "It's nothing, and you don't need to be so polite. After all, you're also a member of the Sakuragi Research Institute, aren't you? But I think making it into a manga would have a better effect than just illustrations."