"Good work, Kadabra. Let's rest in this town for a while."
Looking at the exhausted Kadabra, Gu Yuan spoke softly.
Kadabra nodded and obediently returned to its Poké Ball.
Once inside, it glanced around, feeling uneasy about the strange atmosphere.
"Let's go inside."
Bringing Sylveon, Ditto, and Mankey with him, Gu Yuan entered the small town. He could clearly sense that the air felt cold and eerie.
Looking around, the townsfolk on the streets seemed nervous and frightened.
When he reached the Pokémon Center, Gu Yuan noticed that even Nurse Joy looked listless.
"Hello, I'd like to check in for the night."
"Oh, yes, of course. Please wait a moment."
Nurse Joy froze for a second before responding.
Forcing a smile, she took Gu Yuan's Pokédex and began registering him.
As he studied her carefully, Gu Yuan couldn't help but notice that this Nurse Joy looked exactly like the others he had met before, and he marveled at how mysterious the Pokémon world truly was.
"Miss Joy, did something happen in this town? Everyone looks so tired and gloomy."
Taking his room key, Gu Yuan asked curiously.
Since he might stay here for a few days, he didn't want any hidden dangers nearby.
"I was just about to tell you," Nurse Joy said with a sigh. "Our town has been having trouble lately. There's a Gengar causing chaos here."
"These past few nights, it's been sneaking into town to scare people, and anyone it frightens ends up exhausted for a day or two."
"Even the Pokémon Center hasn't been spared. I and several Trainers have been frightened already. It's really awful."
"But we've been trying to find a way to drive that Gengar away. Until then, please be careful. It's very hard to prevent a Ghost-type Pokémon like Gengar from sneaking in at night."
Nurse Joy complained helplessly.
Gu Yuan had to admit, Brock's taste in women really was excellent.
Even when she was complaining, Joy still looked adorable, stirring a sense of protectiveness.
Once again, Gu Yuan sighed inwardly. If only I were a little older.
"Thank you for the warning. If I get the chance, I'll try to drive that Gengar away myself."
Keeping his thoughts to himself, Gu Yuan took the key and left.
Without using Kadabra, he used his own psychic power to scan the room.
Although his psychic strength wasn't enough for offense, it was more than enough for detection.
Once he confirmed there were no hidden dangers, he relaxed.
As for that Gengar, it probably wasn't very strong. Since Nurse Joy hadn't mentioned it hurting anyone, he wasn't too worried.
He let Charizard and the others rest properly while he stood guard.
After all the battles in the forest and the fierce fight against Kuro's group, his Pokémon needed time to recover.
By evening, Gu Yuan woke them up for dinner.
Afterward, he decided to let them rest for a full day before training again.
As night fell, Gu Yuan activated his system's detection function.
After scanning the surroundings and confirming there were no overly powerful Pokémon nearby, he relaxed.
Lying back on the bed, he studied information about Ghost-type Pokémon.
After a while, he opened his system.
If that Gengar shows up nearby, I don't mind having a battle.
Maybe I could even catch it. That would help me understand Ghost-types better and help Mankey grow stronger.
Once rested, Sylveon and the others became lively again.
Charizard lay comfortably in the corner, while Kadabra sat quietly, training its psychic power.
Then, Gu Yuan noticed a red warning flashing on his communicator.
Scrolling down, just as he was reading about Ghost-type traits, the system suddenly detected a Senior Rank presence nearby.
Turning off the communicator, Gu Yuan immediately ordered his Pokémon to prepare.
He pulled out the town map, comparing it with the Pokémon's approximate location.
Soon, he found that the Pokémon was moving through residential areas.
Remembering what Nurse Joy had said, Gu Yuan realized it must be Gengar.
And this Gengar wasn't content with haunting small houses; it was heading straight for the Pokémon Center.
"Get ready, Charizard, Sylveon. A Gengar is coming."
"This is our first battle against a Ghost-type Pokémon, so be careful."
Hearing there was an opponent, Charizard immediately became excited.
Sylveon sighed softly but knew this battle was unavoidable, so it prepared for combat.
Gu Yuan didn't tell Nurse Joy about it to avoid having to explain how he knew. He quietly readied himself.
Before long, screams echoed outside, and Gengar appeared near the Pokémon Center.
"Chansey, get ready! We must protect the Pokémon Center this time!"
At Nurse Joy's command, Chansey clenched its fists.
"Chansey, use Disarming Voice!"
Nurse Joy's voice rang out, and Chansey attacked immediately.
Gengar's red eyes gleamed with malice. Before the attack hit, it vanished into thin air, dodging away.
Invisibility, one of the Ghost-type's unique abilities.
With the target gone, Nurse Joy quickly ordered Chansey to expand its attack range, but she knew Gengar would be hard to locate while invisible.
"Will the Pokémon Center ever have peace again tonight?" she muttered.
"Charizard, use Flamethrower!"
As her words fell, another voice came from behind.
Blazing fire roared forward, striking something solid.
A painful cry echoed as the invisible Gengar reappeared, glaring furiously at Gu Yuan and Charizard.
"Charizard, keep using Flamethrower! Don't let Gengar disappear again!"
"Miss Joy, please help me defeat it first. We can talk about driving it away afterward."
"O-okay!"
Seeing Gu Yuan arrive with Kadabra, Nurse Joy froze for a moment, then nodded and followed his lead.
Facing their combined assault, Gengar bared its fangs and charged forward, showing its ferocity without fear.