Chapter Eleven: The Marketplace of the Pokémon World

Heath looked at the little girl before him and couldn't help but swallow nervously. Though he had often boasted that if a female ghost dared to appear, he'd grant her maternity leave, actually facing one now... Heath admitted he was somewhat frightened. He took several deep breaths, then eyed the little girl warily and asked, "Who are you?"

Heath studied the girl. She didn't seem to be a ghost—after all, in the world of Pokémon, only ghost-type Pokémon existed, not actual ghosts. He remembered seeing something ghost-like in the anime once, but it turned out to be a Gastly in disguise. He never understood how Gastly could possess such peculiar abilities.

"Are you not afraid of me?" The little girl hugged her battered teddy bear, tilting her head as she questioned him.

Heath frowned. The girl gave him an odd feeling, especially with the heavy mist swirling around them, which only intensified the strangeness. The last time he’d seen something emerge from such thick fog was in Sword and Shield.

Just as Heath was about to say something, the girl in white vanished like a breeze. The mist dissipated alongside her, and the Viridian Forest appeared once again before Heath’s eyes.

Heath, still confused, walked to the spot where the girl had stood. He found nothing of value, but the scene he’d witnessed was undeniably real.

"Heath!" As he was about to further investigate what that girl in white might have been, a voice thick with anger rang out.

Heath trembled and turned around gingerly, only to see Junsha Maple smiling at him while holding a whip.

"Ma... Maple," Heath stammered, awkwardly facing Maple. He was already imagining what should be inscribed on his tombstone.

"Heath, I recall telling you not to enter Viridian Forest, didn’t I?" Junsha Maple smiled as she gripped her whip, the veins on her hand visibly bulging.

Heath quickly shot a pleading look at the Arcanine standing beside Maple. As the saying goes: raise a dog for a thousand days, use it for a single moment.

Heath had often given Arcanine tasty treats precisely for moments like this.

Arcanine beside Maple shook its head sorrowfully, as if sighing, then lay down, covering its eyes with its paws, unable to bear watching.

Heath’s lips twitched. Traitor! All the food he’d prepared had gone to waste, and now he wished he could tie Arcanine up and roast it.

"Heath!" Junsha Maple’s face was practically bulging with fury.

"I was wrong!" Heath jolted upright, knowing that if he didn’t answer, Maple would truly explode.

Despite all the unequal treaties he’d signed, Heath was still thoroughly beaten by the furious Junsha Maple. By the time he returned to the dormitory, he was limping badly.

"Oh dear, little Heath, what happened? Did you finally become a man today~?" A Junsha lady, off duty and dressed in casual clothes, approached him with a mischievous smile.

Heath rolled his eyes. Where was the serious and adorable Junsha lady he’d heard about? Why was the Junsha he knew such a tease? She could turn into a seasoned flirt in an instant, making Heath’s scalp tingle.

Enduring the playful banter of the Junsha ladies along the way, Heath felt as if he were about to grasp the true meaning of Buddhism and become an enlightened monk. At last, he reached his own place.

"Maple, are there ghosts in this world?" Heath asked carefully, watching Junsha Maple, whose mood seemed much improved.

Having lived in this world for quite some time, Heath only remembered some main storylines and Pokémon; most of the anime’s plot escaped him. But he vaguely recalled seeing actual ghosts in the show—ghosts not as ghost-type Pokémon, but as the souls of humans transformed.

"Hmm? Why ask that? There can’t possibly be ghosts. Our Junsha family patrols Kanto and other regions, and we’ve never received any ghost reports." Junsha Maple shot Heath an annoyed glance, then took her clothes and went to shower.

Heath stroked his chin. If that little girl wasn’t a ghost, could she be some kind of Pokémon?

A talking Pokémon would be remarkable.

With this curiosity, Heath tossed and turned on his bed for a long time before finally falling asleep. He suspected he might have further encounters with that little girl in the future.

The next morning, before dawn, Heath crawled out of bed and tiptoed out of the dormitory. Junsha Maple was still asleep, and he didn’t want to disturb her.

Pushing his small cart, Heath headed toward the Viridian City market. Although the sky was still dark and the streetlights were on, the marketplace was already bustling with people.

"Hey, little Heath, here to buy groceries again?" At the market entrance, Heath spotted the fishmonger, whom he called Uncle Nord.

Heath greeted Uncle Nord warmly and glanced at the fish pool before him—most of the fish were familiar.

Pokémon’s world still had ordinary animals, though they were rare and mostly raised in captivity. Some Pokémon coexisted and mutually aided wild animals.

Uncle Nord sold common fish: grass carp, magikarp, and even sea delicacies like grouper and tuna.

Heath enjoyed visiting the market because it was richer than those on Blue Star. Sometimes he saw strange vegetables and fruits, but the price difference between fruit and berries was striking.

One berry could buy a lot of fruit; it seemed anything related to Pokémon was more expensive.

That was likely why becoming a trainer was so difficult. Fortunately, Farfetch'd wasn’t picky about food, saving Heath quite a bit of money.

Heath went to his usual shops, replenished his missing ingredients at a bargain price, and prepared to leave.

Before departing, Heath glanced at the meat stall. There, he spotted a piece of pork that looked particularly good. He wanted to use it to make a dish he used to love, though meat was much more expensive than vegetables and eggs.

Luckily, Heath had paid off his debts, so he could grit his teeth and buy the pork.

"Leek?" Leaving the market, Heath released Farfetch'd. The Pokémon immediately showed intense curiosity about the pork.

Heath suddenly had a bad feeling.