"I traveled thousands of miles from Mauville City to Meteor Falls, and now you want me to go back?"
"Are you kidding me right now?!"
The veins on Kashiwagi's forehead were practically throbbing.
There were so many Dragon-type Pseudo-Legendaries in the Dragon's Den, and not a single one of them was "destined" for him? Was the universe seriously being this stingy?
And then there was the hint itself.
The Mauville Hills Hotel used a coordinate-based numbering system. It only had four major sections—A, B, C, and D—followed by three digits. For example, Glacia was in Room B113, and he was staying in Room A105.
Where the heck did "Room 1608" come from?!
Furthermore, the instructions told him to lie in a bathtub at 2:30 AM without making a sound, no matter what noises he heard...
"What kind of horror movie side-quest is this?!" Kashiwagi muttered.
If something was going to appear in such a creepy scenario, it had to be a Ghost-type.
If it's a Ghost-type... Could it be Dragapult? But Dragapult didn't seem like the type to pull "haunted bathtub" pranks. Its pre-evolution, Drakloak, was even classified as the "Caretaker Pokémon."
Had the later generations added some weird new lore to Dragapult's Pokédex entry? Or was it a completely different Ghost-type with a 600 base stat total?
Either way, if he didn't want to waste this opportunity, he had to get back to Mauville City. And it had to be before tonight...
Wait.
He re-read the prompt. It didn't actually specify tonight. It just said to be in the bathtub of Room 1608 at 2:30 AM.
"So, the clue isn't going to vanish instantly?"
He looked down at the Dragon's Den within Meteor Falls, watching the groups of dragons frolicking below. After a moment of internal struggle, he reached out and patted Hydreigon's neck, shouting over the whistling wind:
"Turn around! We're heading back to the station!"
"Hy-drei?!"
Hydreigon's middle head let out a confused cry
"Maw??"
Mawile looked up from his arms, blinking in surprise
Both Hydreigon, who was just about to descend, and Mawile, who was nestled in Kashiwagi's lap, froze. They both craned their necks to stare at him.
"There's been a slight change of plans. We're going back to Mauville to meet a new partner," Kashiwagi explained helplessly.
"It seems these mighty dragons down there aren't destined for me. Let's head back and find the one that is."
"Maw-ile!"
Mawile puffed out her cheeks in annoyance
She was finally ready to land and catch up on her favorite TV dramas, and now he was telling her they were pulling a U-turn?
"Hy-drei-gon~"
Hydreigon, however, hummed happily as he turned around
For Hydreigon, as long as they weren't hanging out with those "posers" down there, he was fine with it. To be honest, aside from a few ancient elders, he looked down on almost every other Dragon-type.
Too weak!
"Sorry, sorry! My fault," Kashiwagi apologized to Mawile. He promised her that while they couldn't stream videos at this altitude, they could definitely play some games.
Under his personal guidance, Mawile started playing a "Match-3" puzzle game. Within seconds, she was completely hooked.
Watching the joyful Mawile and seeing Hydreigon's left head desperately trying to peek at the screen, a thought grew stronger in Kashiwagi's mind:
Education! I definitely need to start an education program for these guys!
.....
Meanwhile, at the Mauville Hills Luxury Hotel...
A tan-skinned girl with a tropical vibe skipped up to the front desk with a cheerful bounce in her step.
"Good morning~!"
"Good morning! How may I assist you today?" the receptionist replied, bowing respectfully with a practiced, perfect smile.
"I'd like a room where a guest has passed away, please!" Phoebe chirped, her smile brightening.
The receptionist's smile instantly froze. "...Eh?"
"If you didn't hear me clearly—"
"Phoebe! That's not something they can just decide on!"
Glacia interrupted before Phoebe could repeat the request. She gave the receptionist a polite nod.
"Please call your manager. Tell them that Glacia and Phoebe of the Elite Four are here on business. Thank you."
"Y-yes! Right away!"
The receptionist scrambled for the phone to call her supervisor.
Glacia turned to give Phoebe a quiet scolding. As the youngest member of the Elite Four, Phoebe—who had been raised on Mt. Pyre by her grandmother—was... lacking in certain social graces.
To put it mildly, she was a "social butterfly" with the emphasis on "socially terrorism".
A moment later, a middle-aged man in a sharp suit came rushing over, apologizing profusely before he even reached them.
"My sincerest apologies for the lack of a proper welcome! To have Lady Glacia and Lady Phoebe grace our establishment... it truly brings light to our humble hotel! Ho-ho-ho! If there is anything we have overlooked in our service, please, do let us know..."
"Hey, Uncle! All that stuff doesn't matter!"
Phoebe stepped forward, her eyes sparkling.
"Which room in your hotel has had someone die in it?"
Glacia, having failed to stop her in time, facepalmed in silence.
The manager's expression stiffened.
"You must be joking, milady... How could such a thing happen in our hotel? Hahaha..."
Phoebe pouted, ready to argue, but was quickly cut off.
"You, stay quiet!" Glacia said, grabbing Phoebe's shoulder. She turned to the manager.
"She is a medium; she can communicate with Ghost-type Pokémon. We are searching for a lost Ghost Pokémon, and we were hoping for your cooperation."
As the words left Glacia's mouth, a small, peculiar silhouette shimmered into existence beside her.
It was a sleek creature, its body a mix of deep forest green and navy blue. It had a wide, flattened head that looked almost like a stealth bomber, and bright yellow eyes that glowed like miniature headlights. Instead of feet, its tiny arms ended in a long, tapering tail.
Floating effortlessly in the air, it looked like a phantom from another world.
"Dre-yaaa!"
"Eek!"
The manager jumped, nearly tripping over his own polished shoes at the high-pitched cry.
Phoebe giggled. "Don't be scared! This is Dreepy, a Ghost-type Pokémon from the Galar region~"
"Dre-yaaa~"
Dreepy zipped over to her, affectionately nuzzling her cheek. Phoebe laughed and stroked its flat head.
"Good boy, good boy."
"This... well..."
The manager hesitated. To a hotel, having a guest pass away in a room is a "stain" on their reputation—most people aren't exactly lining up to sleep in a room with a history.
But the request was coming from two members of the Hoenn Elite Four. Even if he said no now, they'd probably just come back an hour later with an official permit from Officer Jenny.
"Very well," the manager sighed, defeated.
"Please follow me to the VIP lounge so we can discuss this in detail."
Under the watchful eye of the receptionist, the three of them headed toward the back.
But for a split second, the receptionist's vision blurred. Was it just her imagination? One moment there were three people walking toward the corner... the next, there were four.
Before she could rub her eyes to get a better look at the extra figure, the manager and the two Elites had already disappeared around the bend.
"Brrr!"
She rubbed her arms, a sudden chill prickling her skin. "Is the AC acting up?" she muttered, quickly finding the Rotom-Phone terminal to bump up the temperature. As the warmth returned, she let out a sigh of relief.
.....
Half an hour later.
A black-haired young man walked in, accompanied by an exceptionally cute Mawile.
"Hello, I'd like to check into a room, please."
The receptionist bowed instinctively and took the Trainer ID card.
"Of course, one moment please... Wait? Mr. Kashiwagi?"
She looked up in shock. If she remembered correctly, this guy had just checked out this morning. She had personally handled his paperwork—and scored a signed photo in the process.
Why was he back so soon?
"Had a little change of plans," Kashiwagi gave her a charming, slightly sheepish smile.
"By the way, does the Mauville Hills Hotel have any other branches?"
The receptionist shook her head as she processed his ID.
"As far as I know, we don't have any other locations."
"Then... Room 1608. Does that number ring a bell?"
Kashiwagi leaned over the counter, his voice dropping to a low whisper. The receptionist thought for a moment and shook her head again.
"1608? I... I don't think we have a room with that number..."
Kashiwagi couldn't hide his disappointment. "
In that case, could you put me in touch with your manager?"
If the front desk didn't know, the boss was the next best bet.
"The manager?"
The receptionist blinked, her mind flashing back to Phoebe's weird request and that eerie feeling from earlier. She glanced toward the corner where the trio had vanished—and her heart nearly stopped.
A dark, grayish shadow was standing there, perfectly still.
As she stared, a pair of hollow, terrifying black eyes locked onto hers. A chilling, sobbing sound echoed through the lobby.
"Woooo... woooooo..."
In an instant, goosebumps exploded across her arms and back. Her face went pale, her expression twisting into pure terror as she scrambled backward. "
EEEEK—!"
"Sweet Scent"
A calm voice cut through her panic right next to her ear. Suddenly, a firm hand gripped her arm, steadying her before her knees could give out. A gentle, relaxing floral fragrance filled her lungs.
"Maw-ile~"
The receptionist turned her head to see Kashiwagi standing there with a strange expression. Beside him, the massive black jaws on the back of Mawile's head were open, releasing a soft pink mist.
"Since when did a wild Ghost-type start crashing your hotel?" Kashiwagi asked.
"Eh?"
"A wild Pokémon," Kashiwagi explained, looking toward the corner.
"That wasn't a 'real' ghost just now; it was a shadow created by a Pokémon. They do that to scare people so they can feed on their life energy."
The receptionist looked back. The terrifying shadow was gone.
"A... a Pokémon?"
"What else would it be?"
Kashiwagi noted her trembling hands.
"Did something else happen before I got here?"
"Yes! Everything!"
The receptionist didn't hold back. She spilled the beans on everything—Phoebe's arrival, her creepy request, and the weird vibes. As she finished, she gritted her teeth.
"I knew it! She must have brought it in with her!"
It's only natural for someone to lash out after having their life force drained by a jump scare.
A normal person would be dazed for a while, and when your energy is low, your temper is rarely at its best.
Kashiwagi listened to the receptionist's venting with a thoughtful expression before nodding.
"Thanks for the info. I'll see if I can catch that Ghost-type for you. You should take a breather—maybe swap shifts with a colleague?"
Without wasting a second, he and Mawile hurried off in the direction Phoebe and the others had gone.
As they rounded the first corner, a small boy in tattered, dirty clothes appeared. His face was a blur, but he pulled a twisted, mocking "smile" and let out a wailing, piercing shriek.
"WAAAAAAH!!"
"Jackpot!"
Instead of being terrified, Kashiwagi looked delighted.
"You walked right into this one! You're not getting away! Crunch!"
"Maw-wile!"
Mawile didn't hesitate for a heartbeat.
She spun her body, the massive, prehistoric jaws on her head snapping forward like a steel trap. They clamped down hard on the "boy" just as he tried to flee in a panic.
The illusion shattered instantly.
The figure transformed into a green, doll-like creature with floating, flame-like hair and a string of red beads around its neck—a Misdreavus.
"Mis-dreav-uuu-s!"
The Pokémon let out a high-pitched cry, sounding like a wailing infant.
The noise was loud enough to prompt a nearby door to creak open, revealing a very grumpy, sleepy-looking guest.
"Hey! It's too early for battles in the hallway!"
"Sorry about that," Kashiwagi apologized with a quick nod, then gave Mawile a meaningful look.
She understood immediately. A sweet, pink mist began to waft from her giant jaws, and the struggling Misdreavus's expression quickly turned dazed and sluggish.
Taking the opportunity, Kashiwagi led Mawile further down the hall to a lounge area.
Large floor-to-ceiling windows opened onto a wide balcony, offering a sweeping view of the central park in Mauville.
After a quick inspection, he confirmed his suspicion: this Misdreavus was definitely wild. Based on the receptionist's story, he'd almost assumed it belonged to Phoebe.
"Stop scaring people for fun!" Kashiwagi told it, as Mawile finally released her grip.
The Misdreavus didn't seem particularly grateful. Once it was a safe distance away, it turned around and stuck its tongue out.
"Mis-dreav!"
Still, the little ghost was clearly rattled by Mawile's raw power.
Seeing the Steel-type take a step toward it, the Misdreavus spun around and bolted, flying away as fast as its spectral body would carry it.
"Maw-ile!"
Mawile huffed, unimpressed
She wasn't afraid of things that went bump in the night. Ghost-type Pokémon? Real ghosts? It didn't matter. If her Trainer said "hit it," she hit it.
Kashiwagi, knowing his partner's fearless nature, headed back toward the VIP lounge, hoping to do a bit of eavesdropping. Unfortunately, by the time they arrived, the room was empty.
The manager, Phoebe, and Glacia were gone—likely headed to the "haunted" room Phoebe had requested.
But why would searching for a lost Dreepy require going to a room where someone passed away? Kashiwagi wondered. Is there some kind of medium logic I'm missing?
And then there was the "Medium" thing itself...
Kashiwagi didn't know too much about Phoebe, the Hoenn Elite Four member, but combining his knowledge from his past life with what he'd looked up online, she was definitely a powerful psychic.
Her abilities were specialized, though; she could speak to Ghost-types and even actual spirits, likely due to growing up on Mt. Pyre, the final resting place for Pokémon souls.
Calling her a "Medium" was an understatement.
"The boundary between life and death, huh..." Kashiwagi mused.
He thought back to the Dreepy the receptionist mentioned.
Dreepy was two whole evolutions away from being a Dragapult. Could the "destined partner" mentioned by the simulator really be that little guy? Or perhaps the lost companion she was looking for?
Could the lost one be a Dragapult?
As he walked down the hall, lost in thought, a voice suddenly chirped nearby.
"Hmm... doesn't seem to be here either."
Kashiwagi snapped his head up, coming face-to-face with Phoebe and her entourage as they stepped out of a room.
Before he could even say hello, Phoebe's eyes widened in genuine shock.
"Whoa! Your soul... it's so unique!"