The next day the Gyarados broke through successfully to level 59, opening the gap over Zweilous to a level again.
Vance took his Pokémon across open country, pressing on in one direction, and the destination in that direction was the Indigo Plateau, where the Indigo League Conference was to be held.
There were about ten days left, so there was time enough to get there.
"Here we are. This is Maiden's Peak."
Vance had come to a place called Maiden's Peak.
There were a great many people about, and there seemed to be some sort of event on; the place had a very lively look to it.
One inquiry told Vance that the annual festival was about to be held here, which was why, once summer came round, the people of the place grew so busy.
A great many travellers came here to see it, and since this year's Indigo League Conference fell at about the same time, there were no few young Trainers among them, who by the look of them were of no bad strength either.
A Trainer able to go to the Indigo League Conference had at least eight Badges, and so had a certain strength; these were not the raw beginners just out of the door, and in many ways they were quite seasoned.
"Maiden's Peak — and the summer festival with it. I wonder whether that Gastly will show itself."
Vance went into the crowd and looked about him as he passed.
At one side of the road several old people were telling the story of Maiden's Peak with great animation.
"Two thousand years of waiting. The girl's devotion and her steadfastness go without saying, and that is where our Maiden's Peak gets its name. What is more, every year at this time there are wonders shown in this place, and everyone thinks it is the girl's spirit."
"Hahaha. How could that be? There's no wonder about it. It's probably nothing but a gimmick."
"Quite so, quite so. I don't think it's possible either."
The people below, who had been listening, came straight back at him when they heard that.
They did not believe in such wonders; it was nothing but a gimmick, drumming up interest.
Wanting to make Maiden's Peak a little better known, so as to draw in more tourists and give the place some depth of its own — they had seen plenty of that sort of thing.
What sight-seeing spot these days has no story?
If it isn't tied to one thing, it's tied to another.
And if it hasn't got one, one can be made up on the spot.
The more exaggerated the better, and never mind how scientific it is.
"If you should see a girl all in blue, on no account let your minds be led astray. In past years several people have been led astray by her and lost their lives."
One old man said it, in that solemn tone.
He was so earnest and so solemn about it that the few young ones who had been arguing were struck dumb.
Could it actually be true?
"Hahaha. You really were frightened, then."
A laugh went up from the crowd, which pulled them back to reality; they came to themselves and realised they had very nearly been taken in.
The faces of the few of them went red, and they spoke up in argument, as though to win back the face they had lost.
The whole place was one loud quarrel.
Vance watched it out, smiled a little, and left.
If this were a film or a television drama or something of the kind, those few idiots would certainly die.
Absolute spear-carriers.
Mm. He counted as one too, so better not to get mixed up in it.
Maiden's Peak is a port, with merchant ships coming and going and bringing the trade that follows them.
There is an enormous statue of a maiden set up at Maiden's Peak as well, and the "maiden" in Maiden's Peak owes itself to that.
Vance looked it over a few times and took in the scenery round about. To be fair, the scenery here was rather good.
"Maiden's Peak, and a Gastly. Going by the original, this Gastly would be a thousand years old by now. And this statue is perfectly ordinary — no breath of life in it."
Vance felt it out carefully and could make nothing of it.
He looked up at the sky. The sun stood high and the light was bright.
At this hour no ghost of any kind would show itself.
"I'm not the protagonist. How would I run into it? I'm overthinking it. Haha."
Vance said it to himself, and with the two Kirlia beside him he walked back the way he had come. Since he was here he would have a proper look round the place, and make good on a dream from back then.
"Kirl, kirl—"
While he was at it he bought Kirlia a snack, and now he stood at the edge of a field watching two Trainers sparring in the middle of it.
Both sides were decent enough, both at the Advanced level, and by their faces they were young, probably travellers who had come this way.
"Kirl—"
"Mm. That Machamp will win."
Vance agreed with Kirlia's view, and no sooner had he said it than the situation on the field turned over: the Machamp beat its opponent and took the win.
"There, you see."
Vance smiled. He had not judged it wrong.
"I miss you so. I want... I want to see you."
Ethereal, a woman's voice, the words sounded without warning at Vance's ear.
"Who's there!"
Vance turned round and looked all about him, and saw no figure that could have spoken.
No source for the sound, no trace of anything, as though it had simply appeared — cold and grim, and thoroughly uncanny.
Vance drew a deep breath, let his power open out and searched all round himself, going over every inch of it carefully.
Down to the dust in the air, Vance could feel it all; and after a full sweep of his surroundings he found nothing.
"Is it the Gastly? Is its strength at that level? The thousand-year Gastly — is it that one..."
Vance said it with a grave face.
So the Gastly had come looking for him. There was no telling what it meant by it.
"Kirl—"
Kirlia, at his side, took hold of his hand and asked him with a concerned look what the matter was.
"It's nothing, Kirlia. I was only having a look round."
Vance said quietly.
When he turned his head again he saw a girl all in blue light, not far off, looking at him with eyes full of expectation.
In those eyes he seemed to see a great, great deal.
Under a dark sky, ranks of soldiers drawn up in formation, each with a blade in hand, some with Pokémon at their sides, the killing air rising off them.
"Rumble—"
A peal of thunder in the sky, a dazzling bolt of lightning striking down, and in that flash of light a face could be dimly made out.
The scene shifted: sitting on a pitching ship, going away into the distance, looking back at the shore, where a graceful figure still stood waiting, looking this way, waiting, hoping that among those going away the man of her heart would come back.
"Wait! What's going on here?"
The familiarity of it struck Vance, and his eyes came clear again.
Wasn't this the very scene from the anime?
"An illusion, then."
Coming back to himself, he still had Kirlia by the hand, and the two Trainers over there were still at their battle, having sent out fresh Pokémon that were sparring on the field.
Looking again, the girl of blue light was still there, gazing at him with deep affection.
"Kirlia, look over there. Do you see anything?"
"Kirl?" Kirlia looked, and saw nothing at all.
"Mm. It's nothing."
Vance patted Kirlia on the head and looked at that blue figure.
He had no previous life of that kind. His previous life was as a man of the Blue Planet, not as that soldier.
But this Gastly's power of hypnosis was strong; he had fallen briefly into the illusion himself just now.