Chapter 199: The Guardians of Phantom Town

Chapter 199: The Guardians of Phantom Town

"Hm?"

Hikaru was momentarily stunned.

("Aren't you a Pokémon?")

This eerie atmosphere...

Was just the work of a few Ghost-types playing tricks.

("What are you afraid of?")

But—

Through his Aura, Hikaru could clearly sense Latias' fear and nervousness.

So he suggested, "Latias, do you want to go into your Poké Ball?"

That way, she wouldn't have to deal with the Ghost-types around them.

After all, his Aura had reached an advanced level.

And with his "Malicious Target" trait—

No wild Ghost Pokémon could easily approach him.

But—

"No, it's fine. Let's keep going," Latias said, as if hyping herself up.

She even patted her chest in confidence.

But—

As soon as she looked up at the Yamask on the withered tree,

She quickly shrank behind Hikaru again, cautiously clinging to his back.

Hikaru didn't think much of it.

He simply held her hand and continued forward.

However—

Behind them, the Yamask that had been watching Hikaru's retreating figure...

Slowly melted into the shadows of a nearby building.

To Hikaru's surprise—

While the town looked desolate from the outside,

Once inside—

It actually had some life to it.

On both sides of the wide street,

There were small houses and two-story buildings.

A few elderly women sat chatting by the roadside,

While some older men played cards, occasionally getting so worked up that they blew their beards in frustration.

It didn't feel like the site of a National-Level Gym at all—

More like a retirement home.

Upon seeing Hikaru and Latias,

The townsfolk started whispering among themselves.

"Another kid coming to challenge the Gym, huh? And bringing a girl along?"

"There sure are a lot more challengers this year... In past years, barely anyone came to challenge this Gym."

"Well, our town is remote, plus there's that secret realm behind the mountains... And Grandma set that rule—trainers have to stay here for three days before challenging the Gym."

"That alone scares off half the challengers. And let's not forget how tricky Ghost-types are in battle..."

"Over time, barely anyone dares to challenge it anymore."

"Also, look at that girl—she looks scared to death... Heh, my guess is, she won't even last three days."

Thanks to Hikaru's Aura,

Every word of their conversation entered his ears clearly.

He already knew about the Gym's rules.

In fact—

Most National-Level Gyms had unique challenge conditions.

After all—

There were only nine of them in the entire country.

They were widely renowned.

If they didn't have any special requirements,

They would be swamped with endless challengers every day.

And this Ghost-type Gym was built in Phantom Town for a reason.

Behind the town was an SSS-ranked secret realm,

Filled with wild Ghost-type Pokémon.

Part of the Gym's responsibility was managing that realm.

As for the three-day stay rule...

At first glance, it seemed simple.

But over the years, countless trainers had failed the challenge.

And because of its infamous reputation,

Fewer and fewer trainers chose to challenge the Ghost Gym.

Just as Hikaru was following his GPS toward "The Haunted House,"

A loud voice called out from the street.

This startled Latias so much that she nearly leaped into the air.

If she wasn't clinging to Hikaru,

She probably would've instinctively reverted to her true form.

Hikaru firmly gripped her hand,

Then turned to face the group of elderly townsfolk.

He was a little surprised.

("Aren't Ghost Pokémon supposed to feed on human life energy?")

("Aren't they supposed to create terrifying illusions to scare both humans and Pokémon?")

("That's their best source of nourishment.")

But here—

These elderly people had lived in Phantom Town for decades.

And yet, they looked remarkably full of life.

Their spirits were strong.

The one who called them over was an elderly woman.

Her hair was completely white,

She wore round glasses,

And her face had a gentle, kind expression.

Hikaru asked, "Is something wrong?"

These people were locals.

They might know something useful about the challenge ahead.

But—

As soon as Hikaru stepped closer,

The elderly woman's expression turned slightly puzzled.

She adjusted her glasses,

And then—

"Wait a moment..."

She stared at Latias.

"Now that you're up close..."

"That girl... isn't human, is she?"

Hikaru froze on the spot.

His expression instantly turned serious.

("She figured it out?!")

Before he could react,

Another elderly man in a sleeveless vest chimed in—

"Well, well... Pokémon with shapeshifting abilities are quite rare."

At his words—

The old card players set their cards down,

And a small crowd quickly gathered.

"Her life energy seems a bit weak, though..."

"But even so, it's still incredibly powerful...!"

"And the boy's life energy is strong too... Must be a Master-Level Trainer at least."

"Maybe he actually has a shot at passing the challenge."

The more the elders discussed,

The stiffer Hikaru and Latias became.

("What the hell...")

("How did they figure it out so quickly?!")

Hikaru immediately used his Aura to communicate with Latias.

("If anything seems off, be ready to retreat.")

But—

Before he could make a move—

The elderly woman spoke again.

"Don't worry, boy."

"We've lived in Phantom Town for a long time."

"We can easily distinguish between human and Pokémon life energy."

"But your Pokémon... is quite an interesting one."

Hikaru's Aura fully activated,

He hesitated for a moment,

Then asked cautiously—

"...You don't recognize me?"

After all, he was the National College League Champion.

Surely they had heard of him.

But—

His question only confused the old man next to them.

"Why would we recognize you, kid?"

This response made Hikaru relax a little.

("So they really don't know who I am...")

("That means this was just a coincidence.")

More importantly—

He didn't sense any hostility from them.

If they had ill intentions,

He would have fled immediately with Latias.

Suddenly, one of the elders chuckled.

"Haha! Old Qin, I bet this boy is famous in some trainer tournament!"

Another old woman nodded in realization.

"Oh, I see! Apologies, young man. Our town doesn't get many visitors."

"But this year, quite a few trainers have come through."

"That's true! The damnson Clan sent quite a few young trainers... But only one of them passed."

"Speaking of which—that kid with the Pikachu and the cap, I liked him."

"Hah! That guy? He was an absolute fool..."

And just like that—

The old folks completely ignored Hikaru and Latias...

And started gossiping about other trainers instead.

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