Hex and Phone Therapy

Ding—

Your account has received 50,000 League Credits. Available balance: 125,000 League Credits.

"Ko-Koujie?!"

Gastly was utterly shocked as it looked at the notification that had popped up on Jing He's phone.

How had he done it? Jing He's mouth twitched. He took a deep breath, then slowly let it out as he looked somewhat forlornly at the passing crowd.

"I sold something."

If he had a cigarette right now, the mood would have been even more fitting.

"Koujie!! Σ(дlll)"

Could it be... Jing He abruptly raised his hand, then remembered that Gastly was a gaseous Pokémon. If he flicked it on the forehead, he might have to eat another Pecha Berry.

After calming himself down, he said irritably, "What are you thinking in that little head of yours? Wait! No, how did your mind even go there?"

"Ko, Koujie koujie~~" Gastly gave an awkward laugh, its eyes darting from side to side.

Um, on your phone before, there was—

"Come on, let's go buy a Technical Machine."

Jing He decisively cut it off, turned with a dark expression, and headed back toward Rustboro Department Store.

As it watched Jing He's retreating back, Gastly's eyes lit up slightly.

It felt like... it had discovered something important!

A few minutes later.

Jing He, his face full of pain, and Gastly walked out of the Department Store holding a box of discs, under the saleswoman's even more enthusiastic smile.

"What a rip-off. A Technical Machine for 'Hex' costs this much?!"

Looking at the available balance displayed on his phone—20,000 League Credits—the pained look on his face deepened.

"Koujie koujie!"

Gastly strongly agreed, nodding again and again.

Exactly! With that much money, how many Energy Cubes and bottles of Moomoo Milk could they buy?

More importantly—

This kind of Technical Machine was not like the kind in games, where a Pokémon could learn the move immediately after using it. They still had to go home, watch the videos, and learn through the instructional material.

However, it also included plenty of little tricks accumulated by trainers, as well as guidance on how to improve proficiency after learning the move, how to master it more effectively, and how to use it in actual combat.

There were even plenty of battle demonstration videos for reference.

"Forget it. I had to buy it sooner or later. The sooner I buy it, the sooner I can learn it."

Jing He had no choice but to console himself like this.

It was still better than Gastly suddenly learning Toxic and using him as a test subject, right?

Otherwise, he might drop dead under one of Gastly's "experiments" someday.

"Gurgle—"

Gastly's stomach growled.

It looked at Jing He pitifully. Hypnotizing those rampaging Pokémon today, plus the afternoon's training, had been exhausting.

It was hungry.

It was about to get skinny.

Hurry home and cook.

"Home, home."

Jing He waved a hand and stopped dwelling on it.

He had earned money for Gastly in the first place. All he was doing now was fulfilling his promise.

Night gradually fell.

With Gastly floating behind him, Jing He passed through one narrow alley after another.

Fortunately, there were few people around. Otherwise, seeing this at night would probably scare quite a few people.

Especially with Gastly's eyes bloodshot at the moment. The area around its already pitch-black eyes seemed sunken in, making them look even darker. With how utterly starved it looked, it could definitely scare the soul out of someone.

Rustle, rustle, rustle—

As Jing He and Gastly hurried past the neighborhood garbage station, they both heard a sound.

Because this was an old neighborhood with many alleyways and few main roads, the garbage station was only cleared every few days. By now, trash had piled up like a mountain.

It was autumn now, fortunately. Otherwise, in summer, the smell would not have been much better than hugging a Grimer.

That was why Jing He rarely took this route. Or rather, aside from throwing out trash, most people never came this way.

Today, he had no choice but to pass the garbage station because Gastly was starving and they were taking a shortcut.

Under the hazy moonlight—

Something seemed to be wriggling amid the disorderly heaps of trash.

"Koujie!"

It's alive!

Gastly called out in a hushed voice.

But in the silent night, with walls and alleyways all around, even its lowered voice was still obvious.

The wriggling sounds stopped as well.

"Probably Grimer, drawn here by all the piled-up garbage. I should call and complain tomorrow."

Jing He did not linger. Instead, he quickened his pace again.

Back home.

After enjoying a dinner cooked by Jing He that was enough for five people, Gastly lay lazily on the sofa, belching with satisfaction as it watched the video on the newly purchased Technical Machine.

As it watched, its expression gradually turned serious. It nodded from time to time, and occasionally looked enlightened.

Meanwhile, Jing He took off his apron and went out alone onto the balcony.

He looked at the contacts on his phone, rubbing the case with his fingers.

A cool breeze drifted past, gently stirring his black hair. A trace of determination flashed across his handsome face.

What was coming would come eventually.

He opened Eevee Eating Cabbage's profile and pressed the "voice call" button.

This was what he had meant earlier when he told Gastly he had sold something.

Of course, those 50,000 League Credits were actually payment for the previous treatments and consultations.

It was just that the other party had once again asked for in-person psychological intervention.

But Jing He had firmly refused.

After some back-and-forth, they had ultimately settled on a consultation and treatment session over the phone.

That was within his acceptable range.

He was already prepared. Even if a rough, booming voice came from the other end, he would keep smiling.

He would uphold the principle of money first—cough, patient first.

It was not long before the call was answered.

"Hello."

Jing He froze when he heard the voice.

It was actually a woman!

And though her voice was slightly low, it was unexpectedly pleasant, especially with that hint of languidness brought on by exhaustion.

"Ahem." Jing He cleared his throat and quickly came back to himself. "Hello, I'm Jing Zhong Zhi He."

For some reason, Jing He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

No matter who it was, everyone hoped their patient would at least be easy to talk to, right? "Um... how much do psychological consultations usually cost? I don't really understand..."

I don't really understand either.

Jing He was not sure himself and cautiously said, "...It should be charged by time?"

"How much?"

For a moment, Jing He, holding his phone, and Cynthia on the other end, also holding hers, wore the exact same expression.

Confusion.

"Emmm... I don't know Feebas's specific condition yet, so how about... one thousand?"

The other party had already paid plenty before. Even if she was a "money tree," Jing He did not dare push things too far. He still had a conscience, after all.

"...Isn't that too cheap?"

Too cheap?

Before he could say anything, Cynthia added, "How about two thousand?"

Jing He thought, Fine. You're the boss. Your call.

Your account has received 12,000 League Credits. Available balance: 32,000 League Credits.

Huh? "I transferred it. Let's book an hour first. If that isn't enough, we can extend it afterward."

Jing He: "???"

So two thousand meant two thousand every ten minutes?

Hiss—

His conscience could step aside for the moment.

"Alright. Tell me about Feebas's condition first."

They had finally returned to the main topic.

"It's like this. Feebas has been much better during the day lately, and a lot more lively too, but it dreams at night."

Cynthia began describing Feebas's recent condition.

"Dreams? What kind of dreams?"

"Feebas can't describe them very clearly. It seems that it keeps dreaming of a Pokémon, a... strange Pokémon."

Dreaming of a strange Pokémon? Jing He turned to look at Gastly on the sofa, hugging the Technical Machine with a solemn, attentive expression.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "How about this? Put your phone closer to Feebas. We'll first try a simple hypnosis treatment. I'll try to relax its mind and determine whether this is caused by an internal factor or an outside influence."

"Alright."

After a burst of rustling and hurried footsteps, the faint sounds of leaves whispering and pond water trickling came through the phone.

"Alright."

"Okay, have Feebas cooperate with me—or have her cooperate with you. It should trust you the most. You can follow along with me. Let's take deep breaths first, slow down the rhythm. Inhale, exhale... slowly."

Jing He's voice became softer and softer, his speech slower and slower, as he gradually painted a beautiful scene of Pokémon.

About twenty minutes later.

"Has Feebas fallen asleep?"

"Hello, are you still there?"

"Hello?"

"Don't tell me you fell asleep?"

"Hello?"

"..."

Only steady breathing remained on the phone.

Should he hang up? Two thousand per ten minutes. More than half an hour later.

Yawning, Jing He returned to bed. He gently wrapped the already sleeping, drooling Gastly in a blanket and placed it on the other side of the bed.

"Good night."

He turned off the light and ended the call.

The second sneak attack battle! I couldn't sleep because of insomnia, so I got up and wrote another chapter. Please keep reading.