The setting sun plated the Maiden's Rock with a mournful golden rim for the last time, before quietly fading away.
One day.
Then another.
The sea breeze brought the chill of the night, and also the message of the temple festival's final, and most solemn, "performance."
Today was the last day of the temple festival.
Clang—Clang—Clang—
The simple and ancient sound of bells resonated through the small town in the twilight, like gentle sighs, declaring that the feast which had lasted for several days was approaching its end.
On the high platform.
The "Old Hag" transformed by the Thousand-Year Gastly appeared once again.
Using a voice that seemed to have weathered the vicissitudes of life, it told the story of waiting and obsession that had entangled this coastline for two thousand years one last time.
The music sobbed, illusions multiplied, and the emotional rendering seemed exceptionally intense due to it being the "Grand Finale." Many tourists below the stage quietly wiped away tears once more.
After receiving Ash's reminder.
The Thousand-Year Gastly had slightly modified the direction of its Hypnosis—making the couple tourists who came here like each other more and value their feelings more.
Of course, the level of this Hypnosis was actually very low.
After all, the reason it could hold temple festivals here for hundreds of years as if it were just a single day, without being crusaded against by humans... was precisely because it never did anything that crossed the line.
It had even thought of the name to register with the League.
What Hypnosis?
This is called [Blessing of Love].
Hilarious.
The story ended, and the applause was thunderous, lasting for a long time.
It was as if they were offering their final respects to this legend that spanned across time and space, and to this carnival at the end of summer.
The audience today felt easier to move to tears than usual.
Smile.
The crowd began to disperse slowly, blending into the night with satisfaction and lingering memories.
For the vast majority of tourists who were ordinary people, this was already the end.
What happened next had nothing to do with them.
Unlike the previous nights.
About thirty or forty Trainers did not leave.
Their gazes met in the air, and with tacit understanding, they walked toward the open space behind the shrine.
Under the cover of the Thousand-Year Gastly's illusions, their actions went unnoticed by anyone else.
After several days of getting along, the tension and unfamiliarity had long been replaced by a peculiar sense of affinity.
The Trainers' expressions still held expectation, but there was a bit more calmness and understanding.
A silent communication permeated the air.
Several Trainers were taking out various carefully prepared small gifts from their backpacks.
There were special Pokéblocks emitting a gloomy glow, exquisite small ornaments polished from Dusk Stone fragments, and even small cards drawn with luminous paint by dexterous Trainers.
...Ash wasn't the only one who would feed the little ones.
Compared to Brock, Ash, and Misty who were just here to attend the temple festival, these people had come specifically to capture Ghost-type Pokémon, so naturally, they were prepared.
One point needed to be emphasized.
Most of the Ghost-type Pokémon that would leave with Trainers were little things that hadn't been born for very long.
The little guys were full of curiosity.
And under the guard and teaching of the Thousand-Year Gastly, on one hand, they hadn't done anything bad, and on the other hand, they didn't have much contact with the outside world.
So they were innocent and easy to trick.
Smile.
Those old geezers who, although not as long-lived as the Thousand-Year Gastly, had at least lived for decades or hundreds of years, were not so easy to recruit.
These people were no longer as eager for quick success as they were at the beginning.
Instead, acting as if treating a shy friend, they gently placed the gifts on tree roots, stone steps, and other conspicuous but not overly intrusive places.
Then they retreated a few steps, leaving a friendly space.
This was all they could do.
Give some gifts to grind affection, and then leave it to fate.
Anyway, it was impossible to use violence to capture them here and then cultivate feelings later.
...If sending gifts for so many days in a row still didn't work, then there was no way.
"Hey, little guy, this is the last of my stock. Take it if you like it," a young male Trainer said with a smile to an empty shadowed area, putting down a small bag of incense.
"Thank you for your company these past few days, I had a lot of fun," a female Trainer whispered, putting down a small bouquet of Ghost-type plants that glowed faintly at night.
Brock was observing from the side.
He hadn't been idle these past few days. Relying on his unique appreciation for non-human forms, he had ostensibly become a "celebrity" among this group of Ghost-type Pokémon.
He not only helped Ash prepare snacks but also conveniently provided suggestions to several other familiar Trainers on how to please specific Ghost-type Pokémon.
At this moment, he was whispering to a Trainer beside him: "That Gastly prefers shiny things. It's been staring at your Badge reflection box for several days."
Ash and Misty stood together.
Ash still held a small saucer in his hand.
Inside was the upgraded version of the special snacks that had received "wide acclaim" over the past few days.
When Brock was studying the cuisine, he was also improving it based on the tastes of these local Ghost-type Pokémon.
He added the latest adjusted secret spices that were more attractive to Ghost-type Pokémon.
"It feels like everyone... has become much more skilled," Misty sighed softly, watching the natural and friendly actions of the surrounding Trainers.
"This is one of the qualities of a Trainer," Brock said, crossing his arms and watching this scene with gratification. "Capturing isn't limited to just battling."
"Understanding, respect, and even 'currying favor' are all ways to establish a bond with Pokémon. Especially when facing these sensitive and intelligent little guys."
He looked at Ash: "Your 'investment' over these past few days seems to be having good results."
Indeed.
Compared to the first night, the number of Ghost-type Pokémon revealing themselves seemed to be greater.
They were no longer eager to hide or merely playing pranks.
Instead, they floated in groups of three or five at the boundary between shadow and light.
These Ghost-type Pokémon whispered with fragmented, ambiguous murmurs and laughter, sizing up this group of humans who were about to leave.
And in everyone's gaze, the most conspicuous one was still that Litwick.
The ghostly blue flame atop its head burned quietly, appearing slightly brighter and more stable than in the previous days. Those white eyes looked in the direction of the Trainers, then looked at its wavering companions beside it, seeming to hesitate about something.
Obviously, on one hand, it wanted to go out and travel.
On the other hand, it didn't want to leave its friends.
Although it was a soul-devouring Litwick, apart from that, it was also a good baby who loved its companions.
The Litwick and Chandelure line of Pokémon indeed belonged to the category of naturally evil from the human perspective.
But for the Ghost-type Pokémon themselves, there was actually no difference.
A Gastly mischievously passed through the gift a Trainer had just put down, taking away a wisp of energy aura and emitting a satisfied Gya-gya sound.
A Drifloon floated leisurely above a glowing small toy, curiously poking it with the thin strings beneath its body.
The atmosphere was no longer eerie; instead, it had a subtle warmth peculiar to the night before parting, mixed with a faint reluctance and a final opportunity.
All the Trainers understood that this was the last chance.
But they also understood equally well that forcing it was useless.
All they could do was show their greatest goodwill and patience.
And then wait for someone in that gloom to be willing to extend its hand and take the first step toward the human world.
This was also the cooperation between the Thousand-Year Gastly and the Pokémon League.
Ghost-type Pokémon also needed to integrate into human society.
And for this, they needed to nurture Ghost-type Pokémon that had friendly relationships with humans.
This kind of thing might not show any changes in the short term.
But in the long run, it was very necessary.
______
New Story: Bleach: Dominating Soul Society in One Sting
🔥We're handing out that '30% bonus' that makes your wallet smile. 😄
✅ Gain early access to 40 chapters for all stories.
✅ Enjoy exclusive content and special announcements.
We have set new community milestones:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for all readers
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 additional chapters for all series!
👻 P - Walnutchan