"Could that be the Paldea Giant Pit?" Naoki thought.
Just by looking from the outside, one could feel the grandeur and majesty of the Paldea Giant Pit. Who knows what it's like inside?
Naoki wanted to go in for a visit, but feared it wouldn't be permitted.
The two entered Cascarrafa City. Naoki dismounted from the Cyclizar, which transformed into an upright form and walked alongside him through the streets.
The streets were paved with a layer of blue and white tiles, and at intervals, beautiful fountain parks could be seen, with huge, magnificent water curtains flowing from the top layer, connecting the entire city.
People in hot bikinis and shorts strolled leisurely nearby, with a lively atmosphere everywhere.
Allen watched the scene and laughed, "Look, isn't it lively?"
"It sure is!"
Naoki nodded, and Cascarrafa City gave him the feeling of being in the Water City Venice, where water-based elements could be seen everywhere.
However, they didn't have much time to enjoy the sights. Taking an elevator to the third floor, Allen turned a corner, passed through a bustling district, and reached a luxurious manor.
Two guards stood in front of the manor. As the two approached, Allen stated their purpose.
Upon hearing this, the guard on the left glanced at Naoki for a moment, then stepped aside, opened the door, and respectfully said:
"The master has been expecting you for a while, please come in!"
The term 'master'... How rare that sounds, Naoki couldn't help but muse internally.
Following Allen into the manor, Naoki looked at the vast expanse of land before him and his first thought was, "Isn't this place too big?"
Allen whispered, "I was startled the first time I came too! But don't worry, the owner here is very amiable, nothing like the pompous rich people you see on TV."
Naoki nodded and continued forward. Yet soon, they found themselves lost in the vast manor.
Allen: "…Strange, did I remember wrong? How is this not the right path?"
Looking at the huge garden maze around them, Naoki finally noticed something was amiss.
He asked, "Did you not have someone leading the way last time you came?"
All along, they hadn't seen a single person.
Allen: "I did! There were quite a few people in the manor last time! Gardeners trimming the gardens, housekeepers in black tailcoats, maids watering plants..."
As he spoke, he suddenly realized something was wrong: "Huh? Why isn't there a single person today?"
Naoki thought of scenes from movies and asked, "Could this be a ghost manor? Like in the movies, where everyone is a ghost trying to lure people in to kill them."
Just then, a chilly breeze blew past, as if something was watching them from the dark.
Allen was very scared, "Don't scare me!"
The two Cyclizars following them trembled in fear, "Gaaa…"
Naoki: "…I was just joking."
Allen then heaved a sigh of relief.
Naoki added, "But there are indeed ghosts in this world."
Allen and the two Cyclizars widened their eyes. They traversed the garden maze, frightened yet curious.
"Have you seen one?" Allen asked.
Naoki nodded, "I encountered one when I traveled through the Galar Region before."
He then vividly described how he had met a ghostly little girl and helped deliver her letter to an old friend, only to find out that her old friend was already an elderly man in his sixties or seventies.
The old man said the little girl was his childhood sweetheart, whom he hadn't seen since they grew up.
Naoki: "This means the girl had already died when she was a child, wandering the streets as a ghost."
After hearing this story, Allen held his Cyclizar tightly in fear.
Naoki chuckled, "Is it really that scary?"
Allen and his Cyclizar nodded in unison.
Naoki wanted to say more, but when he turned around, he saw his Cyclizar was also very scared.
"Gaaa…"
"Don't be afraid!"
Naoki patted Cyclizar's shoulder and then took its paw, comforting it in this way.
Seeing that Cyclizar was not so afraid, he continued to move forward while saying:
"Actually, that ghost girl meant no harm. Someone once said, the ghosts you fear are the individuals whom others long to see but never can again."
"And after I delivered her letter, she gave me a gift, a Reaper Cloth imbued with amazing power."
"Look, thinking of it that way, it's not so scary, right?" Naoki spread his hands. Although these were just encounters he had in a game.
Allen felt a little better, contemplating Naoki's words carefully, and nodded, "Indeed."
He wanted to say more, but at that moment, they finally passed through the garden maze and saw a beautiful fountain on the lawn ahead.
A circle of Pokemon was gathered around the fountain.
There was a Sprigatito, Fuecoco, Quaxly, Pawmi, Tandemaus, Fidough…
Suddenly seeing these rare Pokemon, Naoki couldn't help but show surprise.
But soon, he noticed the small creature surrounded by the Pokemon.
Allen saw it too; it was a Meowth.
To be precise, an injured Meowth.
"It's injured!" Allen exclaimed.