Chapter 28: The Haunted Mansion

As Hu Yang wrestled with the decision of whether to go to Autumn Leaf Town or Furnace Flame Town, something significant happened at the school.

Three students went missing in the Orange Blossom Forest.

“What happened?” Lijia asked urgently, her expression grave as she rushed over.

“Xiao Ye said there was a haunted mansion in the forest and took us there to explore. Everything was fine at first, but when we turned around, we realized he, Xiao Liang, and Xiao Ming were all gone…” The boy who spoke was trembling with fear.

His terror made his explanation somewhat unclear, so Xitian Gang, who had arrived earlier, clarified, “Six boys went into the forest after school to prove they weren’t cowards. Only three came out; the other three vanished without a trace.”

For a moment, Lijia didn’t know what to say. She asked, “Did you hear any strange sounds when they disappeared?”

The boy shook his head, still frightened. “They were walking behind us, then suddenly they were gone. When we turned around, there was nothing.”

“What now?” Xitian Gang asked.

A student disappearance was no trivial matter. The forest at night was dangerous. Lijia took a deep breath and said, “Report this to Officer Junsha. Meanwhile, we’ll organize the teachers who are capable of fighting to search the forest.”

By the time Hu Yang heard about the incident, the teachers had already begun to organize a rescue mission.

Hearing words like “mansion” and “haunted,” a peculiar expression crossed his face.

Orange Blossom Forest, haunted mansion…

Wasn’t this a plot point from the fan-made Pokémon game, Phantom of Darkness? It wasn’t part of the original story; more accurately, it was added by the author who adapted Phantom of Darkness for dramatic effect.

The mansion was said to be haunted because it was inhabited by many Ghost-type Pokémon.

With this in mind, Hu Yang sought out Officer Junsha, who was overseeing the matter, and said, “This may not be a simple missing persons case. There could be Ghost-type Pokémon causing trouble in the forest.”

Officer Junsha stared at him for a moment in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

Hu Yang: “…”

He immediately realized this was the same Officer Junsha who had helped him register his identity before.

“I work here,” Hu Yang explained.

It was clearly not the time for idle chatter, so he reported his suspicions to her. Officer Junsha’s expression became much more serious.

“Thank you for the information. We’ll be mindful of it!”

However, this information didn’t help their search efforts at all; instead, several officers and teachers were lost in the forest as well.

“What do we do? What do we do…” Officer Junsha paced back and forth anxiously.

If the mansion truly existed, it surely hadn’t just appeared overnight.

Hu Yang thought for a moment and asked, “Haven’t you dealt with similar disappearances before?”

Officer Junsha replied, “Of course we have. Every year, some people go missing in the forest—some are attacked by wild Pokémon, others get lost. Wait, are you saying those cases are related to this one?”

Hu Yang: “…I never said that, and they’re two separate things.”

Upon reflection, disappearances were not uncommon in this world. If an inexperienced trainer annoyed a powerful Pokémon in the wild, their fate would likely be disastrous.

Or, if they encountered some evil organization, they might be kidnapped and forced into labor at some shady coal mine.

Just like in the special manga, where the Masked Man kidnapped young Blue and Silver for training.

He sighed and said, “I might be able to help.”

“What?” Officer Junsha was taken aback.

The teachers and parents of the missing children, waiting anxiously nearby, all turned their eyes toward him.

A well-dressed man rushed over—his son’s disappearance was a devastating blow, and he no longer cared about dignity. Grabbing Hu Yang’s hand, he pleaded, “Please, save Xiao Cheng! If you can do it, I’ll give you anything you want!”

Hu Yang gently pulled his hand away. “Calm down. I’ll do everything I can to help.”

He remembered Xiao Cheng—a lively boy from another class whose favorite Pokémon were the strong, rock-type ones like Onix.

Hearing this, the father managed to regain some composure.

Hu Yang thought for a moment and said to Officer Junsha, “But I’m not sure if my method will work.”

Officer Junsha frowned. “It doesn’t matter. We have to try anything we can.”

Hu Yang nodded, returned to his dorm, and brought out the orb that sealed the soul of Gengar.

“What is this…” Officer Junsha was startled as Gengar emerged, floating in the air.

“My companion, Gengar,” Hu Yang said.

Gengar glared coldly at the group, muttering softly, “I can help, but you’ll have to do one more thing for me!”

Hu Yang: “…What do you want?”

Gengar: “I’ll tell you when I figure it out.”

Hu Yang: “No arson or murder, but I’ll buy you gifts.”

Gengar mumbled in exasperation, “I never asked for that. Why do you always think the worst of me?”

Hu Yang: “…Because apart from you, Ghost-type Pokémon are notorious for scaring and kidnapping humans.” And some even drain people’s life energy.

Gengar protested, “They’re them, I’m me!”

Hu Yang: “Alright, alright, little Gengar cutie. So, can you help with this?”

Hearing the nickname, Gengar’s face flushed. “Yes. If things are as you said, just take me there and I can help you find the real path.”

At that, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief.

As Gengar’s current “owner,” it was natural for Hu Yang to go with them.

But he never did dangerous things alone, so at his insistence, Officer Junsha assembled a squad of officers, each accompanied by well-trained Pokémon, and together they entered the forest.

Surrounded by more than a dozen officers, Hu Yang felt an unprecedented sense of safety.

“This is where they disappeared,” said one of the accompanying teachers.

Gengar looked around, then pointed toward a large tree. “There.”

Officer Junsha hesitated. “There’s no path there.”

Hu Yang explained, “Ghost-type Pokémon can confuse human senses—what you see isn’t necessarily real.”

Seeing is not believing.

In horror movies, this would be the Pokémon version of the “ghost wall.”

An officer stepped forward and reached toward the tree; sure enough, her arm passed right through it.

Her face lit up with delight. “It really works!”

The squad captain waved her hand and commanded, “Advance!”