Knock, knock knock.
The sound of knuckles rapping against the door echoed through the quiet room.
"Come in," Jinghe called out, somewhat surprised to have a visitor but responding nonetheless.
With a soft click, the door opened to reveal a middle-aged man wearing a light brown archaeological jacket and round-framed glasses. His entire appearance suggested someone who hadn't slept well in days, with an air of exhaustion hanging about him like a heavy cloak.
"Dr. Solance," Jinghe said, quickly recalling the man's name from his inherited memories.
Dr. Solance Takao was a researcher specializing in meteorites and geological formations, as well as a history instructor at Kanaz Pokemon University. His office was located right next to Jinghe's Pokemon Psychology Counseling Room.
Much like Jinghe himself, Dr. Solance taught courses that rarely attracted students. His focus on meteorites and rock formations was an even more obscure subject than Pokemon psychology.
The key difference was that Dr. Solance held a genuine doctorate degree.
"Jinghe," Dr. Solance managed a weary smile as he spoke. "Could I trouble you for a cup of coffee?"
Watching as the older man slowly made his way to the desk and pulled out a chair to sit down, Jinghe couldn't help but notice the dark circles beneath his glasses. "I thought you didn't like coffee?" he said with some surprise.
Despite his words, Jinghe was already standing up and moving toward the coffee machine.
"Don't even mention it," Dr. Solance shook his head weakly. "I haven't had a decent night's sleep in the past two days."
Soon enough, Jinghe had skillfully prepared a fresh cup of coffee and placed it in front of his colleague. The rich aroma began to spread through the room.
"I can see that," Jinghe said, gesturing toward the prominent dark circles under the man's eyes.
Dr. Solance gave a bitter laugh and picked up the coffee cup. After a moment's hesitation, he took a large gulp.
The next instant, his entire face contorted like a crumpled newspaper.
"Ugh, so bitter," he said, setting down the cup and furrowing his brow. "I can't understand how you people enjoy drinking this stuff."
His expression soon relaxed, and he appeared to have gained a bit more alertness.
"Does it only work because it's so bitter?"
"But I have to admit, it does seem to help a little."
Jinghe chuckled quietly. "If you drink it regularly, you'll definitely develop a taste for it. You could even request a coffee machine from the administrative office."
Dr. Solance shook his head. "No point. I spend most of my time away from the office anyway. No need to waste public resources."
Jinghe simply shrugged at this response and changed the subject. "So, what's the latest discovery? Something significant enough to keep you awake for two straight days?"
When the conversation turned to his research, Dr. Solance immediately perked up, adjusting his glasses as he spoke:
"This time I really did find an interesting specimen—quite valuable for research purposes. One of my students actually discovered it. But the sleeplessness isn't because of that."
After briefly describing the stone they had found, Dr. Solance's energy deflated once again. He ran his fingers through his already disheveled hair, which resembled a bird's nest, and said with obvious distress:
"I don't know what's wrong with me. Ever since I got back, I've been having nightmares for two straight days—one after another. I simply cannot get any proper rest."
Nightmares?
Jinghe paused, studying Dr. Solance carefully before speaking with a slightly more serious tone: "You didn't disturb something you shouldn't have, did you?"
"Something I shouldn't have disturbed?" Dr. Solance's face went pale instantly, and he stammered: "You—you mean... ghosts?"
As someone who spent his career "digging in the dirt," he had certainly heard plenty of legends about "excavating supernatural entities," though he had never personally encountered anything of the sort.
In the world of Pokemon, however, "ghosts" were far from uncommon.
Jinghe offered a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. It's probably just anxiety or unease caused by something during your exploration, or perhaps some kind of shock that triggered your subconscious defense mechanisms to interpret the experience in a certain way."
He continued in a calming voice, "If there really were ghosts involved, they wouldn't limit themselves to just appearing in your dreams, would they?"
As he spoke, he stood up and walked toward a corner of the counseling room where an extremely comfortable single-seat sofa was positioned. It was where he usually took his afternoon naps.
He patted the back of the chair. "How about I help you get some proper rest?"
Dr. Solance looked hesitant, but after a moment he clapped his hands against his cheeks and drained the remaining coffee in one gulp. "Maybe later. Now that I've finally regained some energy, I need to finish writing my lesson plans first. School starts soon."
Hearing this, Jinghe naturally left him to his own devices and settled himself onto the sofa.
"Well, you'd better hurry then."
His own lesson plans had been completed long ago, mainly because there weren't many of them to begin with.
Dr. Solance clapped his cheeks once more, thanked Jinghe, and strode purposefully out of the counseling room. From his determined gait, it looked like another classic case of "one pen, one person, one night, one miracle."
The gentle patter of raindrops against the window left scattered water traces on the glass like tiny stars.
"Mmm..."
Jinghe opened his drowsy eyes to discover that his nap had somehow lasted until evening. The sky had already grown dark, and what had been a bright afternoon had transformed into a gray, overcast scene. The falling rain created a misty haze that draped the entire city in a thin veil, adding an air of mystery to the atmosphere.
"Jinghe..."
Suddenly, a low, hoarse, and somewhat ethereal voice drifted through the room.
Upon hearing this lifeless tone, Jinghe instinctively jolted awake, sitting up abruptly as he called out: "Who's there?!"
"It's just me, Solance."
Only then did he make out the figure standing in the dim shadows.
Jinghe exhaled in relief, rubbing the goosebumps that had risen on his arms as he slowly stood up. "Dr. Solance, still haven't left work?" he asked with mild irritation.
"Just finished," Solance replied helplessly. "Even if I went home, I probably wouldn't dare to sleep. I saw you were still here, so I thought I'd ask for your help."
"Right now?" Jinghe glanced toward the window. "Not going home?"
"I'm used to it."
As soon as Jinghe got up, Solance immediately collapsed onto the sofa. Being a bachelor, he often slept at the university to save time for his research.
"Alright then."
Jinghe rubbed his dry eyes and yawned, pulling over a chair to sit nearby.
Dr. Solance seemed to have prepared himself for this, placing his hands on his chest and closing his eyes.
"Slowly now... take a deep breath first, hold it, then exhale... Now you're completely relaxed. You're lying on a grassy field, with warm sunlight..." Jinghe's gentle, soothing voice flowed like a spring breeze across one's heart, his magnetic tone naturally causing the mind to relax and unwind.
Hypnosis.
With Solance's active cooperation, providing simple hypnotic sleep assistance was relatively straightforward for Jinghe. In fact, according to his inherited memories, this wasn't the first time he had helped Solance with sleep.
Soon enough, the sound of steady, rhythmic breathing came from Solance's direction.
"Sleep well," Jinghe whispered.
Seeing Solance now peacefully asleep, Jinghe quietly stood up and carefully closed the door behind him as he left for the day.
What he didn't know was that after his departure, a faint reddish glow suddenly emanated from Solance's chest. Wispy black threads began to swirl upward, slowly coalescing into a more solid form.
A pair of eyes materialized in the darkness.
Looking down at Solance lying on the sofa, the eyes showed clear displeasure. But this emotion was quickly replaced by curiosity.
The entity then turned to gaze at the closed door, its curiosity growing even more intense.
"Kou jie?"
How could that human do it too?
After a brief moment of hesitation, it transformed into something resembling gas and effortlessly slipped through the door to follow.