Chapter 129: The Spirit Realm
Agatha was slightly surprised by Asahi's willingness to act.
No wonder both Lance and Bruno spoke so highly of him. This sense of responsibility, so naturally ingrained, already set him apart from 99% of Kanto's new-generation trainers.
But…
"I didn't ask you to wait just because of the rampaging Ghost Pokémon," Agatha said.
"Oh?"
Asahi was curious—was there another reason?
Agatha didn't keep him in suspense. "If it were only the Ghost Pokémon, my Gengar army could suppress them, even if it took some effort."
"The real reason I sealed off Pokémon Tower… is that I sensed the presence of the Spirit Realm inside."
"The Spirit Realm?" Green's eyes widened. "It actually exists?"
According to legend, souls of the deceased enter the Spirit Realm. But most people regarded it as mere myth.
Agatha didn't mind explaining. Leaning on her cane, she spoke with a nostalgic look in her eyes:
"The Spirit Realm is very real. It is a forbidden land, a place where only souls may tread."
"I encountered my Gengar at the entrance to the Spirit Realm when I was young. That experience… was something I can hardly put into words."
As she spoke, a purple Gengar rose from her shadow and playfully made a face at Asahi and Green.
Agatha chuckled as she patted Gengar, though her expression suggested that her past encounter hadn't been pleasant.
Even as a Ghost-type specialist, she would rather wait than get involved with the Spirit Realm.
"So my advice is… you should wait," Agatha warned.
Eevee, clutching Asahi's clothes, nodded fervently—it wanted nothing to do with Pokémon Tower.
But Asahi was deeply intrigued by the Spirit Realm.
He lifted his head and smiled. "Elite Four Agatha, isn't that all the more reason to investigate?"
"If a passage to the Spirit Realm has truly opened inside Pokémon Tower, it's a major threat."
Agatha was taken aback. In that moment, she saw a glimpse of a young Professor Oak in him.
She gazed at Asahi for a long moment before finally nodding.
"If you insist, I won't stop you."
"Follow me."
With that, Agatha took the lead, stepping outside. Gengar followed closely behind her, occasionally making faces at Asahi and Green.
Of course, neither Asahi nor Green were intimidated, which left Gengar somewhat disappointed.
But soon, it found a new target—Eevee, nestled in Asahi's arms.
A single eerie laugh from Gengar was enough to make Eevee tremble.
They made their way from the manor to Pokémon Tower.
The area around the tower was already cordoned off with warning tapes. Several priests, dressed like mediums and holding divination staffs, stepped forward upon seeing Agatha.
"Elite Four Agatha!"
Clearly, they were her subordinates.
"What's the situation inside Pokémon Tower?" Agatha asked.
"As per your instructions, we've strengthened the seals. Things have calmed slightly, but some Ghost Pokémon are still escaping," the lead priest reported with a guilty expression.
"I see. Remove the seal on the entrance," Agatha ordered.
Her subordinates were visibly puzzled by this command. If they removed the seal now, wouldn't all their efforts go to waste?
But Agatha offered no explanation.
She beckoned a Gengar to her side, then turned to Asahi.
"This one knows Pokémon Tower's layout well. It will guide you. However… be wary of anything unusual inside."
At Agatha's words, all eyes turned to Asahi.
Did she mean to say that this young man was going inside Pokémon Tower?
Was he insane?
Or perhaps…
The priests glanced at Asahi's unwavering expression, and a bold thought crossed their minds.
Then, they saw Asahi smile slightly. "Leave the situation inside to me."
As the staff removed the talismans sealing the tower's entrance, Asahi stepped inside with Green, Eevee, and Gengar.
Thick mist poured out from within, swallowing Asahi's figure until he disappeared.
The priests looked at Agatha anxiously. The leader hesitated before speaking.
"Elite Four Agatha…?"
Agatha didn't need to hear the rest—she knew what they were worried about.
They were concerned that Asahi was too young, and that bringing Green along made it even riskier. Would they really be okay inside?
But if Asahi were just an ordinary young trainer, would Lance speak so highly of him?
"Just watch…"
Even Agatha was curious—what method would Asahi use to resolve this situation?
---
Pokémon Tower
As soon as Green followed Asahi into Pokémon Tower, a wave of cold air hit her, making her shiver involuntarily.
"So cold!"
Pulling out a communicator with a temperature detection module, Green adjusted the settings and reported, "The temperature dropped by about ten degrees..."
"That's because of the Ghost-type Pokémon," Asahi explained. "Assuming each Ghost Pokémon lowers the temperature by about one degree, there must be at least ten wild Ghost Pokémon around us."
With that, Asahi released Gardevoir.
Eevee, nestled in his arms, clearly wasn't reliable for protection—he needed Gardevoir's support.
"Really?"
Green was skeptical and immediately put on her scanning goggles to check.
Half a minute later, she removed the goggles, her face pale.
The moment she put them on, she witnessed a sight she wouldn't forget for a long time—a dense swarm of Ghost Pokémon crammed together, lurking invisibly right in front of Asahi.
"You knew all along?" Green asked.
"Of course. I noticed the moment we entered."
With such a massive wave of Aura reactions, he would have to be blind to miss it.
But with this many Ghost Pokémon… it seemed the situation in Pokémon Tower was even worse than Agatha had predicted.
As the specters crept closer, one of the Haunter crossed into Gardevoir's alert zone. Asahi barely had time to pity it before Gardevoir swiftly eliminated it with a single Psychic.
One Haunter was easy to deal with. Even if more came, Gardevoir could handle them effortlessly.
But… there were just too many!
And now, Gardevoir's action was like poking a hornet's nest—the mist in the hall roiled violently.