Chapter Ninety-nine: Meeting and Parting

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.

The Ghost Train stopped and started again, with many ghost-type Pokémon disembarking in groups.

Pumpkaboo drifted into the forest under the night sky, guided by a Gourgeist.

Sableye entered the mines, welcomed by companions eagerly offering gems.

Gastly and Haunter entered the graveyard, while Mimikyu slipped into an abandoned old mansion on the outskirts of town...

"Meow, everyone's going home now. I wonder when we'll ever meet again." Luzca said goodbye to each of those Pokémon one by one.

Even though they had only played for a short while, Luzca had already come to regard them as friends. Yet in the blink of an eye, these newly made friends were all returning to the places that belonged to them.

For a moment, Luzca felt sad and lost.

Su Yi gently patted Luzca's head and comforted her, "Aibo, encounters and partings—that's just the nature of travel. Every person and Pokémon has their own journey. Rather than grieving over farewells, it's better to treasure and remember the beautiful memories."

Just as in the world of Monster Hunter, where every creature has its own unique ecology, in the world of Pokémon, Pokémon too have an ecology that belongs to them alone.

They live in places suited to them, meeting and parting with different people and Pokémon.

Some embark on new lives and journeys alongside their Trainers; some eventually return to their homes.

And this Ghost Train—though mysterious—carries wandering ghost-type Pokémon back to the homes that await them.

This cycle constitutes a unique and fantastical ecology.

There is a saying that some ghost-type Pokémon are born from the souls of humans after death.

Perhaps becoming a carefree Pokémon after death isn't such a bad thing?

Maybe that's the romance unique to the world of Pokémon.

Su Yi quietly reflected on how these two worlds, though different in nature, shared such similarities.

Luzca nodded. "I understand now, meow! And besides, I already have a lot of friends now, meow!"

"Master Ma and Aunt Miye, meow! Leon and Sonia, meow! Hop and Gloria, meow! Bea, meow! Coral and everyone from the Highland Performance Clan, meow! And also Chansey, Kubfu, and Larvesta, meow!"

"Most importantly—Su Yi, the one who introduced me to so many friends, meow!"

Luzca counted on her little cat paws, her eyes sparkling.

Su Yi crouched down, patted the little cat on the head, and smiled. "So you have to face the journeys and adventures ahead with anticipation, okay?"

"Meow!"

Luzca raised her little cat paw, and Su Yi laughed as they high-fived.

---

"Your bond really is something special," Onio remarked with a sigh.

Seeing this heartwarming scene, Bea too couldn't help but smile.

"Meow~ Onio, can you be Luzca's friend too, meow?" Luzca turned her head, gazing at Onio with big, watery eyes.

"Of course I can." Faced with the adorable little cat looking up at him with such eager eyes, Onio—usually shy and reserved—nodded without a second thought.

"Meow~ I've made another friend, meow!" Luzca spun around in delight.

"Wyndon City, we have arrived," the train's announcement chimed.

"We're here."

Su Yi stood up and said with a smile, "What a wonderful journey. Though I'm sorry to have troubled you, Onio."

He figured Onio had boarded the Ghost Train because he was afraid of others' gazes, afraid of crowded places. Only when surrounded by ghost-type Pokémon could he feel at ease.

"No... not at all. I've made friends, and I've helped others understand ghost-type Pokémon a little better—that makes me really happy," Onio quickly replied.

"So that's why you became the Ghost-type Gym Leader—to help people understand and accept ghost-type Pokémon? That's truly admirable." Su Yi praised him from the bottom of his heart.

Despite being introverted and timid by nature, afraid of others' eyes, he had still become a Gym Leader in the spotlight, all so that people could understand the charm of ghost-type Pokémon.

It was fair to say that Onio had overcome countless obstacles to reach where he was today.

"It's... it's not as great as you make it sound," Onio said bashfully, a genuine, heartfelt smile spreading beneath his mask.

In awe of the wonders of the Pokémon world, Su Yi and the others stepped out of the carriage and left the Ghost Train.

Just then, a rust-covered, battered Honedge cautiously peeked out from behind the train door, then drifted over to the table where the Pokémon had enjoyed their desserts earlier.

A few ghost-type Pokémon drifted out as well, happily eating the sweets Su Yi had deliberately left behind.

"Ding-yinn..." The Honedge used its ribbon to wrap around a pastry, took a bite, and let out a joyful little chime.

"The train is about to depart," the announcement came.

"Ding-yinn!" The Honedge froze, then, as if making up its mind, quickly wolfed down the sweets on its ribbon before dashing off the Ghost Train.

The Honedge hurriedly drifted out of the Ghost Train's platform and arrived at Wyndon Station.

And at that moment, the Honedge was dumbfounded.

The vast waiting hall was empty, with only a few office workers sitting in their seats, and a handful of Pokémon idly wandering about.

"Ding-yinn!" The Honedge rushed out of the station in a fluster and came to the streets of Wyndon City.

"Yinn!?" The Honedge was completely bewildered.

---

Beneath the moonlight, the city was nothing like the dark and quiet outskirts. Instead, it was a riot of neon lights in every color, of dazzling, colorful billboards.

Cars shuttled back and forth along the roads, hurried and noisy. The streets bustled with people, alive with excitement.

Under the cover of night, Wyndon City appeared all the more vibrant and prosperous against the darkness.

"Ding-yinn..." The Honedge looked left and right, but could no longer find that figure.

In the sea of people, the endless stream of traffic, the little one lost its way.

This wasn't at all what it had imagined.

"Yinn!" With a resolute chime, the Honedge made up its mind and drifted off in one direction.

...

"So, Onio, you're here for the exhibition match too, right?" Su Yi walked along the street, making casual conversation.

"Y-yes. But I can go by myself. I won't disturb you all." Onio shrank his body slightly, looking at the crowd with unease.

"Then let's go together. What's there to be afraid of?" Su Yi patted Onio on the shoulder.

"I... I'd better not. I don't like crowded places. I'm afraid someone will recognize me." Onio held his mask as he spoke.

Su Yi stroked his chin and said, "I have an idea."

"?"

"Think about it—you always wear a mask, right? Very few people have ever seen your real face."

"Th-that's right." Onio nodded, though he wondered what Su Yi was getting at.

"Then why not take off your signature mask? That way, people won't recognize you as Onio." Su Yi flashed a grin and gave a thumbs-up.

"Meow!" Luzca mimicked the gesture.

"That actually makes sense." Bea frowned in thought, finding the shift in perspective rather clever.

"It does seem to make sense... wait... no! Ugh, what exactly is wrong with it?" Onio felt something was off, but in his fluster, he couldn't find the flaw.

Su Yi chuckled inwardly.

The truth was, Onio wore the mask because he was timid and fearful of others' gazes. It had nothing to do with being recognized or not.

A true social phobic.