Chapter 28 The Haunted Mansion!

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At the school, while Hu Yang was contemplating whether to go to Fortree City or Lavaridge Town for vacation, a major incident occurred.

Three students had gone missing in Petalburg Woods.

Rika, who hurried over, asked with a solemn expression, "What happened?"

One of the boys explained with a terrified look, "Little Ye told us about a haunted mansion in the forest and took us there to explore. The journey in was fine, but when we turned back, we realized that Little Ye, Xiaoliang, and Xiaocheng were missing."

Due to his fear, he couldn't provide all the details. Nishida Gang, who arrived a bit earlier, elaborated, "There were six of us. In the afternoon, to prove we weren't cowards, we ventured into the forest after school. Only three of us returned, and the other three disappeared."

Rika was left momentarily speechless and asked, "Did you hear any strange sounds when they disappeared?"

The boy shook his head fearfully and replied, "They just vanished suddenly. The three of us were walking ahead, and when we looked back, they were gone."

Nishida inquired, "What should we do?"

The disappearance of students was a serious matter, and the forest at night was perilous. Rika took a deep breath and said, "We should inform Officer Jenny about this and organize teachers who are capable of combat to enter the forest for a search and rescue operation."

By the time Hu Yang learned of the situation, the teachers had already begun their search and rescue efforts.

His expression turned peculiar when he heard terms like "Western House" and "Haunted."

Petalburg Woods, the haunted mansion...

Wasn't this part of the plot in the Pokémon remake, "Phantom of the Darkness"?

This wasn't part of the original storyline, it was a plot added by the author of the Dark Phantom adaptation.

The mansion was considered haunted because it was inhabited by many Ghost-type Pokémon.

Realizing this, Hu Yang approached Officer Jenny, who was overseeing the situation, and told her, "This may not be a straightforward case of disappearance. Ghost-type Pokémon might be involved in the forest."

Officer Jenny was surprised to see him and asked, "Why are you here?"

Hu Yang replied, "I work here."

He knew that Officer Jenny had registered his identity when he first arrived in the town.

However, it wasn't the right time to chat. Hu Yang provided this information to Officer Jenny, who became notably more serious.

She said, "Thank you for this information, we'll take it into account."

Unfortunately, this information did not immediately aid their efforts and instead presented them with a dilemma. Officer Jenny and the teacher responsible for Growlithe had entered the forest, losing contact with their Growlithe Pokémon.

Officer Jenny outside the forest, without Growlithe, couldn't accurately pinpoint their location using Odor Sleuth.

If the mansion did indeed exist, it would not have appeared just recently.

Hu Yang pondered and asked, "Have you encountered similar disappearance cases before?"

Officer Jenny replied, "Yes, we have experienced such cases every year, with people disappearing in the forest. Some were attacked by Wild Pokémon, some got lost, but do you think these incidents might be related?"

Hu Yang responded, "I didn't say that, they could be entirely different things."

In this world, it was normal for people to go missing. Trainers lacking the necessary strength could easily provoke powerful Pokémon in the wild, leading to disastrous consequences. Some might also become entangled with evil organizations or be forced into dangerous situations, like the children abducted by the masked man to work in the Black Heart Coal Factory in a special episode.

He sighed and said, "I might be able to help you."

Officer Jenny was taken aback, and the teachers and parents of the missing children, who were anxiously waiting nearby, also turned their attention to him.

A man in formal attire approached, deeply affected by the disappearance of his son. Regardless of his identity, he seized Hu Yang's hand and pleaded, "Please, save Xiaocheng! I'll give you anything you want if you can help!"

Hu Yang withdrew his hand and said, "First, let's try to stay calm. I'll do my best to help."

He remembered Xiaocheng, a boy from another class with a lively personality and an affinity for strong Pokémon like Onix.

The father's agitation lessened somewhat upon hearing this.

Hu Yang contemplated for a moment and told Officer Jenny, who was awaiting his input, "But I can't guarantee the success of this method."

Officer Jenny frowned and responded, "We're willing to try, it's our best option right now."

Hu Yang nodded and returned to his dormitory to retrieve the orb containing Gengar's soul.

Officer Jenny, perplexed, looked at the suddenly appearing Gengar.

Hu Yang explained, "This is my companion, Gengar."

Gengar gazed coldly at the people around and whispered, "You can help me too, I'll let you in on a little secret!"

Hu Yang inquired, "What do you want?"

Gengar replied in a hushed tone, "I'll tell you when I think of it."

Hu Yang offered, "I don't want to commit any crimes, but I can get you a present."

Gengar responded silently, "I never asked you to think for me, you know?"

Hu Yang said, "Because, apart from you, most other Ghost-type Pokémon tend to frighten humans or abduct them. Some even drain human life energy."

Gengar seemed dissatisfied, "They're them, I'm me!"

Hu Yang pointed out, "Fine, sweet Gengar, can you assist with this matter? Are you busy?"

Upon hearing this, Gengar blushed again and conceded, "Alright, if it's for you, I can accompany you and assist in finding the right path."

The onlookers couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief at this. As Gengar's current "owner", Hu Yang was determined to go along, but he never engaged in risky endeavors alone. Therefore, Officer Jenny assembled a group of her battalions with excellent Pokémon bred for the task and ventured into the forest.

Being surrounded by a dozen Officer Jenny, Hu Yang felt an unprecedented sense of security.

One of the teachers who had joined the search operation pointed out the location, "This is where they disappeared."

Gengar surveyed the area and indicated a large tree, saying, "There."

Officer Jenny appeared puzzled and remarked, "But there's no way through there."

Hu Yang clarified, "Some Ghost-type Pokémon possess the ability to deceive human vision. What you see might not be real."

This situation seemed reminiscent of scenes from horror movies like Pokémon's version of "Ghostbusters", where things weren't always as they seemed. An Officer Jenny tested the tree by reaching her hand through it and confirmed its illusory nature.

With a satisfied expression, she declared, "It's true!"

The Captain Officer Jenny in charge waved her hand and instructed, "Let's proceed!"

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If you want to read 5 chapters ahead go to

patreon.com/Blaze987