Having successfully caught Golurk and Golett, Yong and Larvesta headed back the way they had come.
The gray mist had originated from Golurk. Once Yong caught him, the mist naturally lost the power sustaining it and gradually dispersed.
This allowed Yong to move much faster.
By now, the sky had darkened. Beneath the dim moonlight, the strangely shaped dead trees and shrubs looked even more eerie.
The fuzz on Larvesta's body glowed with his own light and heat, rising and falling like little flames as it swayed gently in the gloom.
Along the way, faint cries resembling those of a baby drifted from deep within the dead woods.
Watchful eyes also lurked in the dark shrubs around them, accompanied by cackles of "Hehehehe..."
Yong remained entirely unfazed.
He even headed toward the sounds with interest, hoping to investigate... only for several spheres wrapped in Poison Gas to flee in a panic.
"So it really was Gastly..."
Watching the Gastly disappear into the darkness, Yong grinned, took out a Pokémon Ball, and released Aerodactyl.
Although the air was still cold, that sinister chill was gone. Holding Larvesta, Yong swung onto Aerodactyl's back, patted his neck, and said softly,
"Let's go, Aerodactyl! We'll spend the night in Coumarine City and head back tomorrow."
"Raaah!"
With a roar, his intimidating presence spread outward, sending the creatures in the surrounding darkness scrambling. As the boy chuckled, Aerodactyl beat his wings, soared into the sky, and vanished into the night...
During the year Yong had been away from the Eastern Hemisphere, the regional Pokémon Leagues had flourished. Their substantial investment in nurturing Trainers had uncovered a steady stream of promising talents, adding depth to their ranks.
The Kanto Region.
With the Kanto League and the Johto League supporting one another, both regions had grown