After the bicycle race, Xiao Yan and his companions arrived in Lavender Town, but the scenery looked nothing like the photos in the travel guide. In the photos, it was a sunny, picturesque tourist destination, complete with several pretty women in bikinis. The place before them, however, felt downright eerie, and there wasn't a single bikini-clad woman in sight. So, let's not put too much faith in photos on the internet. The entire town was shrouded in white fog, and visibility was extremely low.
Suddenly, a hand rested on Xiao Yan's shoulder. He turned around and found a young woman with an expressionless face.
"You look like a trainer passing through. Have you heard? The town's Pokémon Tower was originally a resting place for Pokémon that had died. Their owners would visit regularly to tend their graves, but lately, there have been reports of ghosts inside."
"Ghosts?!"
They're probably just Ghost-type Pokémon! Xiao Yan thought calmly.
"They don't seem to be Ghost-type Pokémon. Every time someone enters the tower, they hear 'Get out!' The townspeople are too frightened to go anywhere near it." This young woman could actually read minds. At that, Xiao Yan looked as steady as a rock on the outside, but inside, he was freaking out. He had even broken into a cold sweat.
"There's no way ghosts actually exist."
"Sir, your Pokémon have recovered. Please come and collect them."
Nurse Joy's voice came from behind him. When Xiao Yan turned back again, the young woman had vanished without a trace.
"Nurse Joy, are there ghosts in the Pokémon Tower?" Asking the local Nurse Joy should get him the most reliable answer.
"You can go to the Pokémon House. Once you're there, you'll find out."
So Xiao Yan took Xiao Lan along to the Pokémon House...
"Hi, I'm Xiao Yan, just a passerby. This is the adorable little Xiao Lan."
"Are you trainers? Why don't I show you around first?" A fresh-faced girl with twin ponytails approached them.
"I came to ask about the ghosts appearing in the Pokémon Tower."
In an instant, a tear streaked down the girl's face.
"Hey! Xiao Yan, how could you just go and make a girl cry?"
Xiao Lan was the first to jump in.
*...*
"If something's troubling you, tell me. I'm an expert in emotional counseling." The moment Xiao Yan finished speaking, Xiao Lan rolled her eyes at him.
"Actually, this used to be Grandpa Fuji's home. He took in lots of stray, homeless Pokémon here. After he heard that ghosts had appeared in the Pokémon Tower, he went to investigate. But it's been three days since he left, and he still hasn't come back." Having a pretty girl cry in front of him made Xiao Yan feel guilty, while everyone else gave him strange looks.
What the hell did I even do?
Passerby A: "I heard several trucks drove into the Pokémon Tower a few days ago. They even chased away people who wanted to go inside."
Passerby B: "Aren't there ghosts in there?"
Passerby C: "The ghosts seem to appear only on the top floor. Maybe their resentment is too strong."
The passersby who had just been giving Xiao Yan those looks began discussing it among themselves. Then the girl with twin ponytails suddenly stepped in front of everyone.
"We can't just wait here like this. We have to rescue Grandpa Fuji. Who's willing to come with me?"
"..." The whole room fell utterly silent.
"When Grandpa was here, you all came to play with the Pokémon, and he took care of you, too. How can you be so heartless?" the girl with twin ponytails demanded angrily.
"I want to go, too, but I heard the newcomers there are really nasty. None of us want to get hurt." The others nodded in agreement.
"Then I'll go myself." Just as the girl with twin ponytails was about to run outside, Xiao Yan caught her from behind.
"I'll go for you. I'm leaving Xiao Lan in your care." Xiao Yan flashed everyone a smile he thought looked very cool, but at that moment, a dark figure lurked outside the window. No one noticed.
"I don't really want to go exorcising ghosts, but I've already put on this damn act. If I turn back now, won't all my dignity end up scattered across the floor? Whatever, let's go in. Pikachu and my other Pokémon are with me, anyway." After knocking out the guards stationed outside, Xiao Yan slowly pushed open the Pokémon Tower's main doors. Standing in the doorway was none other than...
Before you continue