Outsiders were extremely rare in Misty Forest, so the sudden intrusion of Sato's group of five immediately drew the attention of many curious Ghost-type Pokémon.
Ryoko and Mark unconsciously tensed up, moving closer to their own Pokémon for a sense of security.
Sato and Joseph, meanwhile, silently guarded each side, placing the slightly weaker Mark and Ryoko in the middle.
As for Phoebe… hah, she was like a Dragonite soaring through the sky, a Gyarados swimming in water, completely at ease.
All along the way, she took the initiative to chat and greet the wild Ghost-type Pokémon, asking about the forest's details.
And those Pokémon, curious about someone who could actually understand them, eagerly shared everything they knew with her.
Phoebe's ability to communicate with Ghost-type Pokémon fluently was different from the communication ability granted by Joseph's Viridian Power.
The former was like having learned a foreign language, able to converse directly in any situation.
But the Viridian Power required a considerable amount of energy to use, and needed a relatively quiet, undisturbed environment. More like "spiritual" telepathy.
However, Viridian Power could converse with all Pokémon, and just that alone made it vastly superior to Phoebe's special ability.
Of course, in Misty Forest, Phoebe definitely held the advantage. And judging by how smoothly she acted, this clearly wasn't her first time doing it.
"I found a place that really matches the location shown on the map. Let's head over there~"
"That fast?" Mark exclaimed, unable to hold back.
"Of course~ Don't you know who I am?" Phoebe said proudly, tilting her chin upward before striding ahead with excitement. Several wild Ghost-type Pokémon were now accompanying her.
"…" x4
The remaining four looked at one another and had no choice but to hurry after her. Visibility in Misty Forest was extremely low, getting separated would be a nightmare.
Thankfully, they were all Trainers with solid experience in the wild, even Ryoko rarely made beginner mistakes.
The journey was a bit monotonous, and thanks to Phoebe's prior "negotiations", not a single wild Pokémon came forward to provoke Sato's group, so there were no battles at all.
With no way to see ahead, and no way to retrace their steps, the oppressive pace weighed on everyone. Even Mark seemed stifled but had no idea what to do about it.
"Is that it up ahead? Thanks so much~"
Phoebe suddenly stopped. The Ghost-type Pokémon around her waved goodbye and quickly left, clearly unwilling to go any further.
"They're not going any farther? Or are they scared?" Sato glanced at the retreating wild Pokémon and asked aloud.
"They just don't want to, I guess. I can't force them. But clearly, what's up ahead isn't exactly safe either. Are… are you scared~?" Phoebe added a jab at the end, deliberately provoking him.
"Don't forget what type I specialize in." Sato grinned, saying no more.
Dark-type: strong against Ghost-types.
There was no way Sato would be afraid.
After a brief regroup, the five formed into a 1-2-2 formation and pressed forward.
Truthfully, it was only thanks to Phoebe getting help from the wild Pokémon that they even found this place. Otherwise, not getting lost in Misty Forest would've already been a success.
And by the time they noticed a massive shadow ahead… they were less than three meters away from it.
A dilapidated mansion: the perfect haunt for Ghost-type Pokémon.
Deep within Misty Forest, there stood a massive standalone mansion. No matter how you looked at it, it was the kind of place where ghost stories were bound to happen.
Phoebe didn't show a trace of fear and confidently took the lead, striding right up to the front door of the mansion.
Thud~ thud~ thud~
"Like anyone would actually live here. We can just go in," Mark muttered.
"They always knock on TV… It's just instinct, haha!" Phoebe laughed awkwardly, then pushed the door forcefully.
"…"
"Looks like… it's locked?"
"Ahem!" Joseph covered his mouth and let out a fake cough, but his red ears gave him away… he was holding back laughter.
"I was actually kind of scared before," Ryoko said quietly from the side, then couldn't help laughing herself.
"Sableye, Fire Punch." Phoebe commanded coldly, expressionless.
"Sable!"
Sableye stepped forward, its fists wrapped in flames smashing directly into the door lock, warping it completely with explosive force.
Creeaak…
This time, Phoebe didn't need to open the door herself. Sableye, good at reading the mood, "gently" pushed the door open. The group then entered one by one.
Inside the mansion, it was pitch black. Sableye quickly used Flash to illuminate the surroundings.
"Iiick~"
A panicked scream came from a shadow nearby, and the group barely caught a glimpse of a white figure darting by.
"Litwick!" Sato said gravely, his inner alarm ringing. He'd been expecting it, but now that Litwick had truly appeared, he still felt a chill.
By lighting its candle, Litwick absorbs the vitality of whoever is bathed in its light -human or Pokémon- and uses it to grow stronger.
Unless you earn its approval and it willingly restrains its instinct to drain vitality, it will attack indiscriminately.
"Umbreon, use Flash. Zweilous, return for now!" Without hesitation, Sato switched Pokémon.
Though he wanted Zweilous to gain more experience and grow faster, this involved actual life-threatening danger, Sato couldn't afford to be careless.
And the best way to deal with Litwick's glow… was to expose it under intense light, leaving it nowhere to hide.
True sunlight wasn't an option, but creating a bright environment was still doable.
"Litwick is dangerous. It absorbs the vitality of humans and Pokémon alike… Everyone, try to send out any Pokémon that can use Flash to light up the area!"
Sato gave a concise explanation about Litwick, then explained his reasoning.
This time, Phoebe didn't argue, in fact, she became even more serious. In addition to Sableye, she sent out her Froslass, who could also use Flash.
With multiple sources of Flash, the areas they passed through became as bright as day. As they moved deeper, white figures continued to flash into view.
"There's way too many Litwick. Should we really keep going? Maybe we should deal with some of them first?" Mark was holding Togetic, but his hand also stayed near Arbok's Poké Ball.
When things really got dangerous, Arbok was still the more reliable option. Togetic hadn't fully matured yet, and Mark wasn't foolish.
"Don't attack them. Be careful not to poke the hornet's nest," Sato stopped Mark's idea immediately, and the others nodded in agreement.
"Geeen~"
A Gengar suddenly burst out from the floor and rushed to Phoebe's side, rattling off a string of chatter.
"You found something suspicious? Nice work~"