Chapter 98: Hide-and-Seek and an Encounter

“Hide-and-seek?” Su Yi paused in surprise.

“Exactly. In fact, many Ghost-type Pokémon aren’t malicious at all. They’re just playful and mischievous.”

“It’s just that some of their abilities can unintentionally harm people, so ordinary folks tend to be afraid of Ghost-types.”

“But if you come to understand them, you’ll get along with them quickly. They’re a very lovable bunch.”

Onio said this, and his tone had softened without his noticing.

A few Ghost-type Pokémon drifted closer, answering him with tones of fondness and affection.

“Come now,” Onio extended his hand toward them.

Gastly, as soon as it felt the touch, pressed in eagerly. Even though it passed through his body, it still struck a hugging pose, trying to show how fondly it felt toward him.

“Meow!” Luca cried happily, then turned and held up a stone, showing it off to Su Yi.

“Meow! I made a friend, meow! This is the gift it gave me, meow!”

Luca then pulled a deep-blue chrysocolla from her little pouch and handed it over.
“This is my return gift, meow!”

“Meow-ee!” Sableye gleefully took the gemstone and bit down on it.
“Crunch!”
“Meow-ee?!” Sableye covered its mouth in surprise, staring at the stone now marked only by a neat row of bite marks. Whenever it had chewed gems before, they cracked like candy. How could this be this hard?
Luca scratched behind her ear, never expecting her new friend to be a mineral eater.

“Hoop!” Haunter came up before Su Yi, nuzzling him with an eager, impatient sound.

He looked at the group before him—Gastly, Haunter, Sableye, Pumpkaboo, Mimikyu—
a gaggle of little cuties watching him with expectation, much like the ones he had met back in Focus Grove.
Ignoring their Pokédex descriptions—the strange, frightening ones—they were still very sweet creatures.

“All right, all right. First rule: Gastly, Haunter—you two are not allowed to pass through walls,” Su Yi said with a helpless laugh.
“Hide-and-seek, meow! We want to play too!” Luca and the others chirped with interest.

Su Yi leaned against the wall and shut his eyes. “Ready… go.”
Then he began to hum a brisk, cheerful tune, and the light melody seemed to urge the Pokémon to run faster.
They cheered and scattered in every direction.

Onio watched quietly from the side, feeling quietly relieved. If everyone could treat Ghost-type Pokémon this way…

After one verse, Su Yi smiled softly. “I see you.”
Thunk!

No sooner had he said it than the storage cabinet beside him made a clattering sound.
Su Yi stiffened, then hurried over and opened it. He found Pumpkaboo staring back with wide eyes, as if to say, How did you notice so quickly?
He couldn’t help but laugh. The little fellow was bold enough to hide nearby, but not clever enough; one casual trick from Su Yi had startled it into making noise.
“Purr~” it drifted out.

Then Su Yi started bounding around the car, searching everywhere like a little troublemaker aboard a train.
“Found you!” he called when he found the chubby Jili Egg hiding on the luggage rack above the passenger seat, trying to make its round frame look smaller.
“Next time choose a better hiding spot.”

Then he found Mimikyu underneath a chair, Haunter and Gastly inside the compartment, and Larvesta hiding in the washbasin of the restroom.

“Don’t choose places like that next time.” Su Yi said with laughter, holding Larvesta close.
Yet the last one still not found was Luca.

“Hmm? Aibo can hide well, all right.” Su Yi said, still carrying Larvesta, trying to think of where a cat might vanish.

“Uh-huh?” As he was thinking, he caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye—a figure passing in the next car.

He moved in softly, smiling, and suddenly flung open the door. “Found you, Aibo!”
“Who is it?!”

A startled shout came, followed by a whipping spin of a leg.
Only when the person saw it was Su Yi did the kick halt just before him, the rush of air lifting his hair.

Su Yi: Σ(⊙▽⊙)
Caidou: (°ー°〃)
At that instant, it was just like that first encounter back then.
But unlike that time in Focus Grove, Caidou held herself back in time this time.

Su Yi: Thank you, miss, for keeping your foot merciful.
“Su Yi?!” Caidou gasped.
“Caidou?!” Su Yi was startled too.
“How did this happen…?”
“Say it first!” they both said at once.
“……”
“I’ll speak first.” Su Yi sighed and explained everything.

“Onio?” Caidou said, astonished. “The gym leader from your own town riding a ghost train that is meant for transporting Ghost-type Pokémon?”

“What were you doing earlier, then?” she asked, clearly perplexed.
Su Yi admitted awkwardly, “We were playing hide-and-seek with the Pokémon.”

Caidou’s expression turned odd at once. On a ghost train, of all places, to play hide-and-seek?
“Given how much fun you seemed to be having, I was worrying for nothing,” she said with a light snort.

Su Yi recovered instantly, pulled out a few dessert snacks from his bag, and said with a bright smile, “Then thanks for your concern. Here—have some sweets.”
Caidou’s face flushed pink; she took a few and ate quietly, one bite at a time.

“Meow! Su Yi, you were sneaking sweets with me and Caidou behind my back, meow!” Luca’s voice came from behind.
“Meow?!” Su Yi cried, turning around.
Luca appeared from nowhere, glaring. “You two were eating behind my back, meow! Didn’t we agree to share good things together, meow?”

Seeing Caidou’s embarrassed redness, Su Yi quickly shoved a sweet into Luca’s mouth and said in a rush, “Aibo, don’t say things that lead to misunderstandings like that!”

“Meow…!” Luca chewed, swallowed, and then looked at Su Yi in confusion.

Su Yi led Caidou back to that carriage.
Onio was surprised to see her come along too.

After Su Yi explained, Onio apologized with genuine regret. “I’m truly sorry for getting both of you pulled into this.”
Su Yi shrugged and put his hands behind his head. “It’s nothing. It felt like quite an adventure, honestly. Isn’t that right, Aibo?”
“Meow!” Luca agreed, waving a paw.

Gastly and the others cheered happily, circling around Su Yi as if thanking him for the game.
“Thank you. If everyone could treat Ghost-type Pokémon this way, things would be so much better.”

Su Yi called everyone together, brought out pastries and sweets, and shared them with the Pokémon.

“Do you always carry this many desserts and snacks with you?” Caidou asked in surprise at the table of treats.

“Some people like them, so I just bring more,” Su Yi said with a smile.
Caidou turned her head aside and kept nibbling.

Onio tilted his head, watching the two of them, his expression hidden and unreadable behind his mask.