In a café in Parfum Palace Town.
"I assu, Sceptile, with your intelligence, you've heard the stories about Shabboneau Castle? The one on the hill to the north," Seigo said.
"ow!"
Will hadn't even reacted, but owscarada let out a startled cry. He glanced over and saw that her pupils had contracted into ovals. It seed her curiosity was even greater than he'd thought.
But Will had also expected that the matter Seigo wanted to discuss would be related to the castle. After all, this ordinary little town didn't seem to have any other major incidents that would require his assistance.
"But," Will thought, "this is a Kalos region problem. What does it have to do with a teacher from Paldea's Orange Academy?"
He didn't speak, but his eyes expressed his confusion.
"Hehe, a teacher from the procurent departnt doesn't just procure supplies. We also have to procure stories from other regions to take back," Seigo grinned, patting the cara in his hands.
Will stared at him, speechless. So that's why he's so good at coming up with sensationalist headlines. It's part of his job.
"We'll just go and take a look. With your strength, Sceptile, even if there is any danger, we can escape imdiately. The paynt... is this," Seigo said, playing his trump card.
He held out a single seed. Will's eyebrow shot up. owscarada and the little Sprigatito's eyes were also imdiately drawn to it.
"A Miracle Seed. A good item," Will said, recognizing it at a glance. He had one inside his own body, a special one that was imbued with Celebi's power.
He had to admit, he was tempted. The power of a Miracle Seed couldn't be stacked, but he could give this one to owscarada. A 20% boost to Grass-type damage was nothing to scoff at. It was a very rare item. To this day, no one knew which Grass-type Pokémon it ca from.
"If there's danger, we leave imdiately," Will said, taking the seed. Fortune favors the bold. He really wanted to get this for his daughter. And besides, the probability of encountering a real "spirit" was extrely low.
"Hehe. I've booked a hotel room nearby. You two can go and rest. We'll set out tonight," Seigo said, pleased that Will had accepted. He was also secretly astonished. This Sceptile's intelligence was abnormally high. An ordinary Pokémon wouldn't know how to negotiate.
"Fine," Will nodded. He was a rcenary now; he had to follow the employer's lead.
...
In the hotel room, Seigo had arranged for a large bed, five ters long and three ters wide.
"ow?" owscarada asked, looking at Will.
"Yes, we're going. We already promised him," Will said. He then took out the Miracle Seed and handed it to her. "Eat this."
"ow?"
"It's delicious," he lied. He'd never actually eaten one himself.
"ow." owscarada, trusting him completely, popped it in her mouth, chewed, and swallowed.
"How is it? Do you feel any change?"
"...ow!" owscarada looked down at herself, then was shocked to discover... her fur wasn't falling out as easily!
"That's it?" Will's eyes widened. Did this guy give a fake?
"ow!" owscarada, not understanding, pounced on Will and nuzzled him happily.
"Hm?" It was then that Will felt a slight change in her Grass-type energy. It had beco a little more abundant. And her fur seed a little greener, a little "lusher."
Looks like it's real. It just needs so ti to take effect, he thought, relieved.
"Alright. Get so sleep. We're heading out tonight," Will said.
"ow~" she replied obediently.
...
Night fell. The sun had completely set, and the entire town beca eerily quiet. In this unnatural silence, Will's eyes snapped open.
"The difference between day and night in this city is a little too much," he muttered.
Knock, knock.
A knock ca from the door. It must be Seigo.
"owscarada, wake up. It's ti to go."
"ow~" she groaned, then latched onto his chest like an octopus. Will, used to this, simply stood up and walked to the door, carrying her.
"She's still... booting up," Will explained as he opened the door. owscarada always needed three to five minutes of cuddling to wake up properly.
"Your relationship is really good," Seigo smiled. "Let's go. The castle has already started making noise."
...
As they walked through the empty streets, the atmosphere was so tense that even Will felt a little nervous. owscarada was instantly wide awake, but she refused to get down from his arms.
"Those houses with the lights on are mostly people from other towns or regions," Seigo whispered. "The Kalos League has sent people to investigate before, but they all concluded it was just Ghost-type Pokémon playing around. So of the residents believed it, but so of the older ones are still convinced it's sothing else."
So it's just Pokémon, Will thought, and his interest imdiately faded. Old people were always more superstitious. But then he rembered... in this world, the "Gods" were just Pokémon anyway.
"ow," owscarada, hearing this, got down from his arms. She lifted her head proudly, as if to say she had known it all along.
"But! According to my investigation," Seigo added, "what those old people said... it's not all nonsense."
"Huh?"
~~~
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