Mirage

Michael, the opposing Trainer, seemed not to have noticed. That was only natural. How could an ordinary person be so sensitive to Ghost-type energy unless they had spent as much time around Ghost-type Pokémon as Dian had?

But Dian had no intention of telling Michael. This was something Michael ought to discover for himself, and the discovery would surely be one of the pleasures of his journey.

At that thought, Dian smiled knowingly. This was a senior looking out for a junior.

Thud!

"Baltoy!"

Michael shouted and ran straight into the Battle Arena. Clearly, Baltoy's condition mattered more to him than winning or losing.

Larvitar jumped down from the sky and used the Sandstorm Move to clear the sand and stones from the field.

Bang.

When a broken rock was moved aside, it revealed a dazed Baltoy. "Yaa..."

"Phew—"

Michael patted his chest and gave Baltoy a bright smile. "Are you all right?"

He began checking Baltoy over. "Mm. Looks like you just passed out."

Click!

"Get some rest."

Michael had just recalled Baltoy and was about to say something to Dian when a mysterious sight appeared in the distance: a mirage, that familiar yet magnificent vision of the desert.

The distant sky was dyed gold, though a closer look revealed threads of red in its glow.

Against it floated a mysterious, inverted spire, hazy and impossible to make out clearly.

Yet it carried such a deep, ancient air that the mirage felt real.

"Treasure!!"

Michael lit up. "The legendary mysterious tower—the Mirage Tower hidden in the desert! If it's appearing in a mirage, it really must exist."

He immediately waved to Dian. "Dian, thanks for the Sour Berry! I'm running out of time, so I have to go. If I find the treasure, I'll share some with you later.