"This is the meeting spot, right?"
Nozomi arrived with Sabrina at the place they had agreed upon with Giovanni. He scanned the area carefully.
It was an abandoned manor situated between Saffron City and Lavender Town.
The surroundings were vast and silent—there wasn't a soul for several kilometers around. It was an ideal place for a battle.
Sabrina clearly understood that as well. As the Gym Leader of Saffron City, she had to take responsibility for the safety of its residents.
If the battle against Team Rocket were to take place within the city, she'd have her hands tied by too many concerns. But here, in the outskirts, she could finally let go.
Using her psychic powers, Sabrina swept her senses through the interior of the manor. Then she turned to Nozomi."There are some Ghost-type Pokémon inside. Do you want me to deal with them first?"
Even as she spoke, a cluster of Gastly and Haunter—alarmed by the psychic waves—burst out from within the manor, their eerie cries echoing through the air.
Nozomi froze for a moment, then smirked. He hadn't expected to see such familiar faces.
Stopping Sabrina from commanding her Alakazam to attack, Nozomi waved toward the Haunter—and the Gengar leading the group at the front."Hey there, everyone. Long time no see!"
Drawn by his voice, the Ghost-types turned toward him.
When they saw who was greeting them, their expressions instantly changed.
All of them halted midair with a jolt—some even flinched backward.
A few timid Gastly outright turned and fled.
At the front, the Gengar looked utterly horrified, its face twisting in despair. Damn it, why did it have to be him again?!
They'd specifically left the Pokémon Tower in Lavender Town to escape this guy—and moved all the way out here to this abandoned manor—yet fate just wouldn't let them off the hook.
Sabrina also recognized them by now."Hm? Aren't these the same Ghost-types that were under control last time?"
Her tone was puzzled."What are the odds of running into them again?"
Nozomi chuckled. "Call it fate." He beckoned at the Gengar.
Gengar hesitated but forced itself forward, step by reluctant step. The trademark mischievous grin on its face had turned into a look of pure misery.
"Don't look like that," Nozomi said lightly. "I'm not here to pick a fight. Smile a little."
Smile, my shadowy butt, Gengar thought bitterly. It was still heartbroken over the Poison Orb it had lost to him before. There was no way it could afford to provoke this demon again.
It tried to twist its expression into a grin—but the result looked more like it was about to cry.
"Pfft… this Gengar's smile is terrible," Sabrina said, laughing.
Gengar's eyes filled with resentment. So what now? Frown and I'm wrong, smile and I'm wrong—what do you want from me?!
"Alright, that's enough." Nozomi waved for Sabrina to stop teasing it and turned to Gengar. "Why did you guys move out here? Isn't the Pokémon Tower a better place for you?"
"Gengengar—geh geh geh!"
Through a flurry of gestures, Gengar explained itself.
Nozomi soon pieced it together. Part of the reason was to get away from him. The other part was that Lavender Town was currently hosting its annual Ghost Hunt Festival—so every year around this time, these Ghost-types would flee the tower to avoid being captured by humans.
"So that's the secret behind why the Tower's Ghost-types never seem to run out," Nozomi muttered with amusement.
It turned out the powerful ones consciously avoided human trainers each year.
Of course, he had no intention of harming or capturing them. Nozomi wasn't exactly a saint, but he wasn't the type to strip Pokémon of their freedom either.
He even offered a reminder: "If you can, you should probably move farther away."
"Geng—?"
Gengar tilted its head, not understanding.
"There's going to be a huge battle here soon," Nozomi said. "If you stay, you might get caught in the crossfire."
Since he had taken Gengar's Poison Orb before, he figured he owed it at least this small warning.
"Geng!"
Gengar shook its head and made another series of gestures.
"You're saying this place is your last home—and you want to protect it?" Nozomi sighed. "Seriously?"
"Don't be stubborn. The fight coming up is way beyond what you guys can handle. The enemies this time aren't ordinary trainers."
"Gengengar—geh geh geh!"
Gengar's eyes burned with determination as it continued speaking.
Nozomi blinked in surprise. "You… want to help me?"
He stared at Gengar, incredulous. Don't tell me this thing developed Stockholm syndrome after our last battle?
But Gengar nodded firmly.
It wasn't out of admiration—it was survival instinct.
As a long-lived Gengar, it had learned to be clever.
Having witnessed Nozomi's terrifying power firsthand, it knew that the upcoming clash in the manor was inevitable. Unless it abandoned its home, the only way to protect it was to side with him.
Over the years, territories among Pokémon had become firmly divided—Forests belonged to Bug-types and Flying-types, plains were claimed by the Nidoran lines and Arbok species. Every inch of land was already taken.
If they left this place, they'd have nowhere else to go.
So to preserve their home, they had to help Nozomi.
"…Fine. Since you insist." Nozomi shrugged.
If they wanted to help, he wasn't going to refuse.
They were strong enough, after all—and when the battle with Team Rocket began, they could prove to be valuable allies.
Sabrina stepped closer. "Giovanni hasn't shown up yet. What should we do in the meantime? Do you think he's realized something's wrong?"
Nozomi shook his head. "Don't worry. We'll wait."
"Wait?"
"I just got word—Lorelei's already pinpointed Team Rocket's base in Saffron City and is arranging an ambush. Lance is on his way here right now. The longer Giovanni takes to arrive… the better it is for us."