New Year and the Return Journey (Two Chapters Combined)

To help Axew overcome its fear of water, Hu Yang brought it to a lake near Fiery Path.

Because it was very close to Mt. Chimney, the temperature here was not as low as outside. Not only had the lake not frozen over, faint wisps of mist even rose from its surface.

"Roserade..." The Grass-type Roserade did not like this kind of environment.

"It is a little hot." Hu Yang looked around and spotted several Slugma behind a pile of rocks.

They were mollusk Pokémon that looked like shell-less snails. Their bodies were red, with a pair of yellow eyes, flame-shaped antennae on their heads, and droplet-like appendages hanging beneath the sides of their mouths.

Honestly, real-life Slugma that had not evolved into Magcargo really looked like red slugs...

"Do you want to go back into your Poké Ball?" Hu Yang asked, turning his gaze back.

Roserade hesitated, looked at the timid Axew, and shook her head.

Hu Yang smiled slightly. "Then hang in there a little longer."

"Roserade!" Roserade looked delighted.

"Axew..." Axew looked at the bottomless lake before it, its expression showing a hint of retreat.

Hu Yang first took off his shoes, rolled up his pant legs, and sat by the shore. The lake water immediately submerged his calves, reaching his knees.

"Can you tell me why you are so afraid of water?" Hu Yang asked, picking Axew up and placing it on his lap.

"Axew..."

Gengar translated from the side:

"It says that it and a companion were trying to retrieve a Berry that had fallen into the water. Its companion accidentally failed to hold on to it, so it fell in and was swept away by the river..."

Hu Yang: "..."

He lowered his head and glanced at Axew's arms. They were so tiny and short—who could it possibly hold on to...

"Can we try again? River water is not as scary as you think." Hu Yang did his best to make his voice gentle.

Since he had lured this Axew away, he naturally had to take responsibility for it to the end.

"Axew..." Axew hesitated, but ultimately nodded.

Seeing that, Hu Yang held its arm and slowly lowered its little legs into the water.

At first, it was fine. Axew was not that panicked. Only when the water submerged its chest did it start to grow nervous.

The fear buried deep in its mind spread outward. Axew's claws tightened, and it suddenly began struggling violently.

Water splashed everywhere.

Hu Yang held it down with one hand while soothing it. "Calm down! It is okay, I will not let go!"

"Axew..."

Perhaps because it did not feel water creeping into its nostrils, or perhaps because of those words, Axew gradually calmed down.

"Do you feel it? I am holding on to you." Hu Yang squeezed its little claw and spoke softly.

"Axew..." Tears filled Axew's eyes as it returned the squeeze with equal strength.

At that moment, Hu Yang saw Axew's affection level suddenly rise to 90.

Pokémon really were such simple creatures.

Give them even the slightest kindness, and they would trust you completely, offering everything they had to you.

Hu Yang felt slightly moved. Looking at Axew, he asked with a smile,

"It was not as scary as you imagined, right?"

Axew lowered its head to look at the water. Amid the rippling waves, its face was reflected upon the surface in a blur.

"Axew?"

Axew patted the water's surface with its other claw.

It discovered... it really did not seem that scary anymore.

Hu Yang asked, "Can you try it by yourself?"

Axew hesitantly nodded.

Hu Yang slowly let go. Having lost its support, Axew immediately panicked. It lost its balance and swallowed a huge mouthful of water.

Hu Yang: "..."

He swiftly pulled Axew out.

He planned to teach Axew how to swim and Surf later—not the move—so it could gradually become familiar with the feeling of touching water while playing.

Axew spat out water while looking embarrassed.

"Roserade!" Seeing this, Roserade was genuinely happy for it.

Roserade was a gentle Pokémon that disliked fighting, and Axew had much the same temperament.

Axew recalled how Roserade had helped it get milk the previous night. It leaned closer and gave her a friendly cry. "Axew~"

Hu Yang watched the scene happily. As a Trainer, he naturally hoped every one of his Pokémon could get along well.

But why did he always feel like he was raising children?

Hu Yang looked at Axew and fell into thought.

"..."

Forget it. Why think so much? Once they returned to Petalburg City, he would put Axew through strict special training.

As for Roserade...

She seemed to really like Pokémon Contests, the sort of competitions where one could show off.

Hu Yang began considering whether it would be feasible to take her to participate in Pokémon Contests.

He had indeed considered becoming a Coordinator before.

If one became famous on that path, one could become something like a celebrity and earn a great deal of money.

But now, if he ran out of money, he could go stock up at Meteor Falls. His need for money was no longer as great as before.

However...

Hu Yang recalled Roserade's expression when she watched the Pokémon Contest.

Well, since she liked it, he would take her to a Pokémon Contest to have some fun later!

After settling on the plan, Hu Yang brought his Pokémon back to Lavaridge Town.

Time passed without notice, and in the blink of an eye, the League Calendar had changed from 208 to 209.

On New Year's Day, Lavaridge Town held a grand fireworks celebration to welcome the new year.

Hu Yang and his Pokémon stood by the second-floor window of the hot spring inn, looking up at the sky.

Fireworks bloomed one after another in the night sky, fleeting yet brilliant.

Other than Hu Yang, everyone present was seeing such a sight for the first time.

Even Cramorant quietly lifted its head to gaze outside.

This was the Pokémon's first New Year, and Hu Yang's first New Year in this world.

After the fireworks display, Hu Yang bought back a huge feast from outside.

He and his Pokémon sat around a table piled high with food, every one of them filled with joy.

Of course, except for one Gengar filled with Grudge.

Gengar really wanted to eat. It kept its mouth tightly shut to stop drool from flowing out.

Hu Yang: "..."

He recalled some things from his previous life and asked, "You are in a soul state right now, correct?"

Gengar nodded as though it understood.

That seemed to be the case?

A soul...

"Then can you take someone else's soul and occupy their body?" Hu Yang continued.

Gengar froze for a moment, then shook its head.

Hu Yang sounded a little regretful. "All right, if that is the case, forget it."

Gengar did not understand. "What do you mean?"

Hu Yang said, "I mean, you can use my body to eat. Once you are full, you can switch back."

Gengar thought his heart was far too big. "Aren't you afraid I will hurt you?"

Hu Yang asked in return, "Would you?"

With a thought, Gengar's information appeared in his mind.

[Species: Grudge Gengar ♂]

Type: Ghost, Poison

Ability: Cursed Body

Base Stats: 520 (HP: 60, Attack: 65, Defense: 60, Special Attack: 150, Special Defense: 75, Speed: 110)

Known moves: Hypnosis, Grudge, Mean Look, Night Shade, Confuse Ray, Sucker Punch, Shadow Ball, Dream Eater, Dark Pulse, Hex, Nightmare

Current mood: ???

Physical condition: Spirit Form (A special state after dying with lingering obsessions. Unlike ordinary Ghost-types, it cannot touch the real world, nor can it be touched.)

Friendliness: 100 (It likes following you like this. You can take it wherever you want.)

Gengar truly would not, but it did not want to admit it, nor did it want to show itself drooling outside, so it returned to the jewel without looking back.

Hu Yang's brows furrowed slightly.

Gengar's condition did not seem like an ordinary death.

He took Ho-Oh's feather from his bag.

Then.

The question was, could Ho-Oh's power revive Gengar?

Finding Ho-Oh now was simply too difficult.

And Azure Mountain was far away in Kanto. Ho-Oh was still flying all over the world, so even if he got there and successfully summoned it, it might not arrive immediately.

After thinking it over, Hu Yang decided to return to Petalburg City first.

He remembered that the Totem Gengar had seemed to glance at this Gengar last time.

Perhaps it could provide some information.

After the New Year, Hu Yang took the cable car back to Fallarbor Town, then boarded a passenger ship to Rustboro City along the same route he had taken before.

The return trip was not as exciting as the journey there had been.

They encountered neither a storm nor Ho-Oh.

Hu Yang brought Cramorant to stand watch on deck for two whole days, yet they did not catch even a glimpse of the photographer. He felt quite regretful.

Finally, on a bright and sunny day, the passenger ship safely arrived in Rustboro City.

Seeing Steven's photos plastered across the streets, Hu Yang finally realized something.

Steven seemed to have successfully defeated the Elite Four and become Hoenn's Champion.

That was rather fast...

But for Steven, it was only natural.

The person most excited about Steven becoming Champion was Stone President, the owner of Devon Corporation.

It was obvious without even thinking about it that these photos and promotions were his handiwork.

Hu Yang did not pay much attention to it.

Although he had happened to meet Steven last time, they were still strangers to each other.

They had not even exchanged names, only contact information.

Hu Yang did not plan to stay long in Rustboro City.

He had been gone for nearly a month and had no idea how things were in Petalburg City.

After so much time, the Hoenn League should have resolved the matter of the Mansion, right?

However, when he went to catch a bus back to Petalburg City, he discovered that Petalburg Woods still had not been reopened.

Hu Yang: "..."

Sure enough, the Hoenn League still had not resolved the Mansion incident?

But on second thought, that made sense. There were so many Ghost-type Pokémon hostile toward humans; they really were not easy to deal with.

Half an hour later.

The bus arrived in Petalburg City. As soon as Hu Yang got off, he headed straight for Pokémon School.

From a long way off, he spotted Erika.

Standing opposite her was a handsome man with silver-blue hair.

"Hi, Erika!" Hu Yang greeted her as he stepped forward, carrying several large bags.

"You are back?" Erika asked. "Happy New Year!"

The man beside her turned his head at those words and froze slightly upon seeing Hu Yang.

Steven subconsciously looked at the packages in Hu Yang's hands.

Hu Yang could not help feeling speechless when he saw that.

Steven did not think he was carrying another bag full of stones, did he?

Steven took the initiative to greet him. "Are you a student at this school?"

Hu Yang said, "No, I am a teacher."

Erika first explained to Hu Yang, "Mr. Steven came to investigate the incident involving the Ghost Pokémon in the forest."

Then she said to Steven, "Mr. Steven, this is a teacher from our school."

Hu Yang copied her way of speaking. "Hello, Mr. Steven."

Steven: "..."

After carrying so many things all the way here, Hu Yang's hands were a little sore. He wanted to return to his dormitory and set the bags down first, so he nodded toward the packages in his hands and said to Erika,

"New Year's gifts. Come pick them up from my place later!"

They were Lava Cookies, local specialties he had brought back from Lavaridge Town. Since he had a little money now, he had prepared a portion for everyone.

Erika smiled with pursed lips. "All right."

After saying that, Hu Yang left.

Steven watched his retreating figure. Recalling what Pheobe had said, he suddenly asked, "Was he the teacher who saw the Mansion last time?"

Erika nodded. "Yes. Teacher Little Yang was also the one who broke the illusions created by those Ghost Pokémon."

Steven nodded seriously. "I understand."

When there were no stones in front of him, Steven had always been a serious and diligent person. Having just become Champion, he had been assigned to investigate the Mansion incident in Petalburg Woods.

After asking his questions, Steven returned to the police station.

Pheobe asked, "Well? Did you find anything?"

Steven shook his head with a frown, then suddenly asked, "Your Pokémon can't break the illusion in that forest?"

Pheobe's expression turned serious as well, and she shook her head.

During this time, she had practically been living in Petalburg Woods, trying to find traces of the Mansion's existence, but every attempt had ended in failure.

"That area is shrouded in a very powerful force. The owner of that force is far stronger than my Pokémon." Pheobe said gravely, "Clearly, it doesn't want us to find that Mansion."

Steven sighed. "...I understand."

Sigh. Ever since becoming Champion, he had not even had time to study the stones he had brought back from Meteor Falls.

After being unoccupied for so long, the dorm room had accumulated a layer of dust.

Hu Yang put on gloves and began cleaning with the Pokémon.

In reality, though, he was the only one doing any cleaning.

"You two, go play somewhere else!" Seeing Axew trampling about on the floor he had not yet mopped, Hu Yang immediately felt a headache coming on.

"Roserade, take it to wash its little feet!" he instructed while working.

"Axew!" Axew looked at the row of tiny footprints behind it and gave an embarrassed smile.

Wild Pokémon were used to rolling around in muddy ground outside, so it was normal for it not to notice at first. Hu Yang had no intention of blaming it.

"Roserade..." Having lived here for a while before, Roserade obediently stood to one side as soon as it entered the room.

It took Axew outside and rinsed its feet with the hose.

Since the ground by the door had not been mopped yet, the two Pokémon did not dare enter directly and instead stood outside calling for Hu Yang.

Hearing them, Hu Yang came over, carried them into the room, set them on the cleaned desk, and continued mopping the floor.

Axew and Roserade sat at the edge of the desk, leisurely swinging their little feet. Silly smiles spread across their faces, and they looked very happy.

Gengar: ...

Two little idiots...

Cramorant: "Gah!"

Gengar: You're an idiot too.

Cramorant: "Gah!"

Gengar: ...Not a single normal one among them.

Thanks to Pale Cat for the tip. Thank you, thank you!

P.S. I don't usually post these kinds of thank-you messages, but I do see them all, along with everyone's comments. Whenever I see someone praising me, I grin stupidly at the screen for ages.