Xia You and the others joined the crowd, slowly making their way forward with the tourists.
Two rows of stalls lined the street, selling all kinds of delicious snacks and little trinkets. Seeing that Ash was tempted, Xia You bought a few snacks to share with everyone.
When he saw Misty linger at an accessory stall before silently walking away, Xia You went over, carefully picked out a hair clip, and bought it for her.
Misty wore a smile. Although she said little, her expression made it clear that she loved the gift.
As in previous years, the festival was bustling with activity. They walked a little farther and even saw an elaborately dressed woman performing an exotic dance to music and the crowd's cheers.
Unlike the relaxed Xia You, Ash, and Misty, however, Brock had no interest in enjoying the festival. He followed behind with his head lowered and a lovesick look on his face, clearly still unable to forget the woman at the dock. He even kept muttering something under his breath.
"Please wait!"
An aged yet powerful voice suddenly rang out behind them.
Xia You turned around and found a white-haired old woman less than a meter tall, holding a walking stick and wearing a purple robe.
The old woman had a large mouth and very dry skin, but her eyes were especially sharp.
Brock was still lost in thoughts of the woman's beauty. When he turned around, the old woman's appearance startled him so badly that he fell flat on his backside.
"Whoa! A shriveled... shriveled old kappa!"
"Who are you calling a kappa?!" the old woman snapped. Then her gaze swept back and forth between Xia You and Brock, and she said mysteriously, "Listen carefully. You must beware of beautiful women, or you'll suffer bad luck today!"
"What are you talking about?!" Misty pouted, stealing a quick glance at Xia You before saying bashfully, "I'd never bring him bad luck!"
"Fool!" the old woman shouted. "I said beautiful women, not a little girl who's still wet behind the ears!"
"What?! You're calling me a little girl?!" Misty bristled instantly. The remark had clearly struck a nerve.
Beside her, Brock looked thoughtful after hearing the old woman's warning. Only Xia You knew that she was actually a disguise created by Gastly, who had simply set his sights on them. He merely smiled and paid little attention to her words.
Misty, however, had no intention of letting this old woman ruin their rare chance to enjoy the festival.
"What a load of nonsense! Come on, let's stop listening to her and get out of here."
With that, she pushed Xia You's back with one hand and grabbed Brock's ear with the other, turning to leave.
The festival's final stop was a shrine at the far end of town.
When Xia You and the others followed the crowd to the shrine, they saw an Old Shrine Priest striking the bell and drum to mark the hour.
"Quiet, everyone! The treasure of the Maiden Shrine is about to go on display!"
A hanging scroll stood beside the Old Shrine Priest, but it was covered with a white cloth, making it impossible to see what was painted on it.
The crowd gathered around the shrine as the Old Shrine Priest continued, "This painting is a secret treasure passed down at the Maiden Shrine for two thousand years. It is displayed only once a year, during the summer festival. Now, honored guests, please take the time to appreciate it!"
With that, he pulled away the white cloth, fully revealing the scroll to the crowd.
The painting showed a woman facing forward, her eyes looking straight ahead and her hands held before her chest, as though she were praying.
Although the painting was only in black and white, with no other colors, it still conveyed the woman's beauty and her profound sorrow.
Brock was astonished. The beauty in the portrait was none other than the woman in the white dress he had seen at the little dock that afternoon!
The Old Shrine Priest's voice echoed in their ears like a narrator's: "Two thousand years ago, there was a young couple who loved each other dearly. But war came, and the man was conscripted into the army and sailed away to battle. Before leaving, he promised that once the war was won, he would return in triumph.
"And so the woman waited for many years, but in the end, the man never returned. Her endless, anguished wait turned her into a rock standing atop the cliff. Even now, she is still waiting for her beloved."
It was indeed a sorrowful legend, and after hearing it, the crowd could not help feeling downhearted.
Then Brock, as though possessed, suddenly asked, "Could you tell me where that rock is now?!"
"Huh?" The Old Shrine Priest paused in surprise. "You don't know about Maiden Rock?"
Night blanketed the land.
A wooden hut stood alone atop a cliff by the sea.
When Xia You and the others climbed the rugged mountain path to the cliff and walked around the hut, they immediately saw a stone figure of a woman atop a crag just offshore.
Who knew how many years had passed? The stone figure seemed to have become one with the crag.
Waves crashed against the rocks. In the distance, the lights of Maiden's Peak Town shone brightly. Even this far from town, they could still faintly hear the joyful sounds of the festival.
Here, however, everything seemed steeped in loneliness, just like the legend.
Looking at Maiden Rock, Misty asked quietly, "Do you think that rock really used to be that woman?"
"Who knows?" Xia You shook his head. "At least I can't see any signs that it was carved by hand."
It was already ten at night. Dark clouds suddenly covered the moon, and a breeze swept past, bringing a chilly touch.
Acting on instinct, perhaps sensing that something was about to happen, Xia You took out two Poké Balls. Blue light flashed, and Charmander and Jolteon appeared at his feet.
The flame on Charmander's tail and the occasional sparks flickering over Jolteon's body not only lit their surroundings but also made him feel much more at ease.
"There's nothing much to see here. Let's head back to town."
Compared to the lively streets, this was naturally not somewhere Misty wanted to linger. But as soon as she turned around, she unexpectedly saw the door of the hut behind them slowly opening.
Creak...
At first, she thought the wind had blown the door open. But a moment later, a hazy, glowing figure suddenly floated out from inside.
"Ah! It's a ghost!!"
Before you continue