Fortunately, only the front door had opened. Gardenia waited on tenterhooks for a dozen seconds, and when nothing else happened, her wildly pounding heart slowly settled back into place.
Could it... have been the wind?
At this point, she could only keep comforting herself that way. In particular, when she turned and saw that neither of her Pokémon had noticed anything unusual, she decided she had simply been overthinking things.
After all, who knew how long this abandoned building had stood in the forest? It had long since grown rotten and fragile, so a few noises when the wind blew were perfectly normal.
Pulling herself together, Gardenia stepped into the Mansion for the first time.
The interior was indeed just as she had imagined: filthy and chaotic, covered in dust, and badly damaged. Chilly drafts blew through it, and the smell of decay filled the air.
Most importantly, creaking noises from some unknown source kept echoing in her ears, leaving her uneasy and suspicious, constantly worrying that a ghost might spring out from somewhere.
Fortunately, even after she entered the hall, nothing happened.
Did that mean the ghosts really had disappeared?
No, I couldn't say that yet...
I'd only just come in. I had to check every room and make sure they were safe before reaching that conclusion!
At that thought, she grew a little braver and slowly felt her way toward the back of the hall.
Meanwhile, out of Gardenia's sight, the Ghost Girl floated on the second floor, watching this uninvited visitor.
Just then, a shadow flickered beside her, and the Ghost Butler floated to her side.
"Miss, this person is a little different. She doesn't seem to be here to spend the night. She seems to be looking for something. Should we..."
The Ghost Girl frowned slightly.