During their journey, Xiao Zhi, through his own efforts, caught an underdeveloped Krabby and also met Masahiro and the enormous Dragonite.
After these events, they finally successfully arrived at Kuye City!
'Kuye City, huh? I remember at this point in time... Professor Sakuragi hasn't established the Sakuragi Research Institute yet, but Gengar must still be there.'
Li Qingfeng muttered to himself, thinking about how to get Xiao Zhi to catch that Gengar. Although catching it now would most likely result in disobedience, if they could get its help, it would definitely be much stronger.
As soon as Xiao Zhi and his group entered Kuye City, they heard someone in a corner discussing something. The three of them leaned in to listen, wanting to know what it was about.
A woman dressed as a noble lady spoke first: "Have you heard? It seems there's a haunted house in our Kuye City. It's supposedly haunted and has scared away many people who were planning to move in."
Another noble lady, wearing pointed glasses, was holding a branded magazine, flipping through it while listening to the woman in the noble lady's attire. She stopped her actions, looked up, and showed a surprised expression:
"Eh? Is that true? I originally wanted to visit it. After all, the environment there is good, the living area is large, and it even has a backyard!"
The woman waved her hands repeatedly, advising, "I think it's better not to live there. Last time, there was someone in our noble circle who didn't believe in evil, and as soon as she went in, she saw a vase fall. That place must be cursed!"
Hearing the other person mention the falling vase, the noble lady's brows furrowed even more, and she couldn't help but purse her lips, her expression becoming more serious: "Hmm, thank you for the reminder. I will definitely not go there."
Xiao Zhi's trio glanced at each other, tacitly understanding each other's meaning.
After the noble lady with pointed glasses and the woman in noble lady's attire left, Xiao Zhi was the first to speak: "I think, after we get the Gym badge, we can go check that place out, what do you think?"
"But it's haunted, even if it's a Ghost-type Pokémon causing trouble, it's still very scary..." Xiao Xia hesitated, ghosts and such were too terrifying.
Xiao Zhi could only turn his gaze to Xiaogang. Seeing Xiao Zhi's look, Xiaogang also felt a bit awkward to refuse: "Alright then, let's go do a reconnaissance first, then prepare to challenge the Gym, and then come back to check it out. How about that?"
Xiao Zhi nodded slowly upon hearing this, his voice revealing a hint of determination: "Alright, in that case, let's go to the Pokémon Center first, and then do the reconnaissance. After all, safety first, we can't take risks."
After speaking, Xiao Zhi took out his pokémon index again, wanting to check what Ghost-type Pokémon were in the Kanto region.
pokémon index: "Gastly, Gastly, Gengar."
"Got it, it might be a Gastly that was abandoned!" The words from the pokémon index gave Xiao Zhi a clue. The Pokémon he had caught before were all in their first form, so it must be a Gastly causing trouble here.
Li Qingfeng: ...
Thinking that way did indeed make some sense. The Gengar shown in the pokémon index didn't indicate a wild habitat, plus Xiao Zhi believed Gengar was a final form Pokémon, so how could a Trainer abandon it?
After Xiao Zhi's trio left, a two-person and one-Meowth combination emerged from the bushes behind them.
Kojiro was flipping through the pokémon index encyclopedia: "You guys, do you think it could be a powerful Ghost-type Pokémon?"
"I think it's very possible." Musashi agreed with Kojiro's words. She lowered her head, pondering how to catch that Pokémon.
Meowth stood out at this moment: "In movies and games, they use vacuum cleaners to catch ghosts. I think that makes a lot of sense, so let's start making a ghost-catching vacuum cleaner now, Meow!"
...
Xiao Zhi and his group first arrived at the Pokémon Center. After handing their poké balls to Nurse Joy, Xiao Zhi saw a Trainer run in, holding his Pokémon.
"Nurse Joy, what's going on?" Xiao Zhi asked in confusion. He saw that this Pokémon's body was completely scorched black, as if it had been electrocuted by an Electric-type move.
"Oh, this. They are Trainers who challenged the Kuye Gym and were defeated by Gym Leader Lt. Surge." Nurse Joy was accustomed to this situation. She looked at the Rattata, regretting:
"This is the fifteenth one this month."
Nurse Joy led the three to the ward, where injured Pokémon were already lying.
Li Qingfeng glanced at the Pokémon in the hospital beds and didn't know what to say about the situation.
Caterpie, Walking Grass, Sandshrew, Rattata...
The sound of treatment completion rang out, and Xiao Zhi's Pokémon were also finished with their treatment. As they were about to walk out of the Pokémon Center, someone else came in holding a Pidgey.
Xiaogang and Xiao Xia looked at each other and couldn't help but begin to privately discuss this scene. They whispered to each other, Xiaogang saying, "If I remember correctly, Kuye City has an Electric-type Gym, right?"
Xiao Xia nodded, echoing, "Indeed, I remember there's a Diglett's Cave nearby. They should at least catch a Ground-type Pokémon to challenge the Gym."
Xiao Zhi's trio asked for directions all the way until they reached the ancient house known as the haunted house. This mansion indeed had some years on it, with very rustic decorations.
On the way, Xiao Zhi's trio also saw a dark-skinned brat. He was being chased by a group of angry Pokémon. He ran behind Xiao Zhi's trio, pleading for their help:
"Hello, my name is Gou Hao, can you help me?"
Xiao Zhi looked at the person, thinking he was a legitimate Trainer in trouble, and sent out Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Charmander to help him out.
The most infuriating part came next!
Gou Hao, without thinking, threw out poké balls, wanting to catch them. Fortunately, Xiao Zhi's starter Pokémon were quick, using their moves to Knock Off the poké balls to the ground.
After the Pokémon left, Xiao Zhi angrily questioned Gou Hao: "Hey, what do you mean by this? I helped you, why are you trying to catch them?"
Xiao Xia saw this situation and was very angry: "Exactly! Do you have no manners? What you're doing is very rude, and Pokémon caught like this won't trust you!"
Xiaogang didn't speak, but he held Onix's poké ball, wanting the other party to give him a reasonable explanation.
'What a moron.' Li Qingfeng also cursed appropriately.
Gou Hao, however, said smugly: "I want to catch Mew, I don't have time to waste on these ordinary Pokémon..."
Saying that, he turned to leave, and before leaving, he added: "You guys just wait for me, when I catch Mew, I'll make you look bad! Your Pikachu isn't even as good as the Diglett in Diglett's Cave!"
Pikachu immediately hit him with a Thunder Shock, the numbing sensation distorting his face.
Xiao Zhi frowned; he didn't like the feeling of being threatened. Soon, he shouted: "Squirtle, quickly use Water Gun to wash his face."
Squirtle quickly spat out a Water Gun, the stream of water shooting out rapidly, hitting the person hard. He lost his balance from the force of the Water Gun, fell to the ground, and ate dirt.
His soaking wet clothes clung to his body, and water droplets slid from his hair and face. His face was muddy, and he looked astonished and disheveled, completely knocked down by Squirtle's Water Gun.
"Let's go, let's go."
"Let's go, let's go."
Xiaogang and Xiao Xia pulled Xiao Zhi away, leaving the boastful brat foolishly standing there.
"Mew, huh? I don't think you can even catch a Caterpie." Passersby also saw this scene and almost spat on his face.
He knew that this Gou Hao, who was an insult to dogs even to call him one, was almost at the age to become a Trainer, yet he spent all day shouting about wanting to catch Mew as his first Pokémon.
If he couldn't catch Mew, he would go to the suburbs to catch other Pokémon, saying that catching all Pokémon was equivalent to catching Mew.
Not only was he seriously disturbing the peace, but he was also like a mental patient.
Always unrealistic, looking down on this and that, he deserved to have no friends.