Leaving

Roy had long known that there would come a day when they had to part, but he hadn't expected it to come so soon. While cultivating Ghost Power, he could even feel Pheobe's Ghost Power, which should have belonged to her, being drawn toward him.

Since the system had already upgraded his Ultimate Ghost Power, he didn't really need the Ghost-type energy from Mt. Pyre anymore.

All he needed was the system's Popularity Points to raise the level of Ultimate Ghost Power, though the required amount was a little excessive.

Not to mention that ever since the elderly couple had saved him, they had never treated him poorly. From the moment they adopted him, they had treated Roy as their own, taught him their family's secret arts, and helped him awaken Ghost Power.

Naturally, Roy was grateful for their adoption and for saving his life.

Besides, they had long since arranged a path for him. They weren't simply sending Roy off to travel alone.

Rustboro Academy was, after all, a renowned Trainer academy in Hoenn.

"I understand. Registration at the academy should be the day after tomorrow, so I'll leave tomorrow."

"Roy... you..."

Seeing how naturally Roy accepted it only made the two elders feel inexplicably worse.

"I know neither of you wanted this either, but I think Pheobe's inheritance is more important. Besides, it's not like I won't come back to visit you."

The two elders sighed. Roy ate dinner as though nothing had happened, and the three of them silently agreed not to tell Pheobe, who had been out playing and returned late.

"Idiot Roy, why are you only getting back now? Did you go bother Sister Yazi again?!"

"What do you mean, bother her? We're clearly in love! She was captivated by my handsome face, you little charcoal ball."

"Roy! Don't call me little charcoal ball!"

Haunter watched the two bicker from the side. Imitating Pheobe's angry expression, it puffed out both cheeks as well.

"Oh, right. This is for you."

Roy took Gengar's body pillow out of his Spatial Bracelet.

Pheobe first looked enviously at the Spatial Bracelet Yazi had given Roy, but her gaze was quickly captured by the purple Gengar plushie he took out of it.

"Is this for me?"

"If you don't want it, I'll give it to Honoka down the mountain."

Roy made a show of getting up to head down the mountain.

"I want it!"

Pheobe stopped Roy and took the enormous plushie from his hands. Hugging the Gengar doll, which was even bigger than she was, she couldn't put it down.

Her coffin had always lacked a body pillow. Last time, she'd only complained about it to Roy a couple of times, but she hadn't expected him to remember.

Gengar, who had been staying beside the old woman, could only look helplessly at the sight.

The real deal was clearly right here, yet she insisted on hugging some lousy doll.

"Thank you, Roy."

Pheobe put down the plushie, ran to Roy's side, and planted a fierce kiss on his cheek.

Roy wiped the spot Pheobe had kissed with a disgusted look, feeling that it had been better when Haunter licked him that morning. The result was another barrage of slaps from Pheobe.

The two elders didn't know what to say when they saw this scene.

Early the next morning.

Before dawn had even broken, Roy had already packed his luggage.

His belongings were simple: a shabby backpack, the Spatial Bracelet Yazi had given him yesterday, and the 30,000 Poké Dollars he had saved over the past two years.

"Lit."

The little candle-headed Pokémon on Roy's shoulder rubbed the small ghostly-blue flame atop its head against Roy's cheek. It wasn't hot at all; it felt a little like a cat nuzzling him.

"Yeah, I already said goodbye yesterday. As for telling Pheobe, I'm afraid she'd... sigh."

Roy wasn't someone who liked farewells, especially after growing attached to the two elders and Pheobe during his time at Mt. Pyre.

In the end, he decided to leave alone. Since he had already decided to go, there was no point hesitating. The longer he dragged it out, the worse he would feel.

"We have our own path to walk too, don't we?"

"Lit."

Compared to Litwick, Duskull was rather carefree. After absorbing Roy's Ghost Power, it had gone into its Poké Ball to sleep soundly.

Roy bent down and gave the mountain gate a deep bow. Only after two minutes did he slowly straighten up and descend the mountain.

He had always understood that the two elders owed him nothing. Back then, they could have let him be pecked to death by the flock of Spearow in the forest, but they hadn't. They had even helped him awaken Ghost Power.

Just as Roy stepped one foot off the mountain, a large purple Gengar appeared before him.

This was the Gengar that had saved him back then, and also the old woman's Pokémon.

"Gengar!"

Gengar was reluctant to see Roy leave as well. Roy had often asked it to help train Litwick before. It had been too lazy to bother with such trivial matters, but Roy had been far too persistent, following it around every day with Pheobe in tow.

They had pestered it so badly that it had no choice but to hide in the shadows.

Today, the two elders had specifically sent it to see Roy off.

After stopping Roy, Gengar pulled a transparent black stone and a black paper talisman from its abyssal mouth.

Item: Spell Tag (Perfect)

Effect: Raises the power of Ghost-type moves used by the Pokémon holding this item by 10%.

Item: Dusk Stone (Perfect)

Effect: A mysterious stone that can evolve certain Pokémon. Its appearance is as black as night.

It was actually a Dusk Stone and a Spell Tag, and both were even Perfect quality!

Pokémon items were also divided by quality: low-grade, mid-grade, high-grade, and Perfect, which was above high-grade.

The quality of Evolution Stones could even affect the potential of Pokémon that evolved through them.

A Pokémon's potential could also be improved after birth.

These two items were precisely what Roy's two Pokémon currently needed.

He didn't know their exact prices, but judging by the Dusk Stone's scarcity on the market, its price far exceeded that of Leaf Stones, Fire Stones, and other Evolution Stones of the same quality.

Only a Shiny Stone could compete with it in price.

"This..."

Gengar patted Roy's shoulder in a humanlike manner, stuffed both items into Roy's hands, then slung an arm around his shoulders. Through telepathy, it told him that young people should look ahead and that it would wait for Roy to return to Mt. Pyre to visit it.

Gengar understood its master's feelings. The two elders had sent it to see Roy off because they didn't want to witness the parting themselves.

Roy didn't stand on ceremony. He put away the two items Gengar had handed him. Once he grew stronger, he could come back and repay the two elders.

"Thank you, Gengar!"

"Gengar."

As Gengar turned around, Roy used the system's [Scanning Eye] to scan it.

System Scan

Pokémon: Gengar

Level: 84 (High-level Elite Four)

Gender: Male

Ability: Cursed Body (When attacked, it may put the opponent's move into a Disable state.)

Moves: Mean Look, Lick, Hypnosis, Spite, Curse, Hex, Night Shade, Pursuit, Sucker Punch, Dark Pulse, Shadow Ball, Destiny Bond, Dream Eater

Held Item: Spell Tag

Inherited Moves: Toxic, Haze, Perish Song

Individual Values: 23

Technical Machine/Move Tutor: Nasty Plot, Energy Ball, Focus Blast, Protect