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Perhaps due to some special internal structure of the shop, Sato found that the store he saw before entering and the one he was in after stepping inside were like two completely different places.
From the outside, the interior looked gloomy and dark—completely unlit, pitch black. But once inside, he discovered the room was lit by numerous candles.
However, it seemed the light inside was trapped, unable to spill out through the doorway and illuminate the exterior.
Although the lighting in the Ghost House was still quite dim, once his eyes adjusted, Sato could make out the situation inside fairly clearly.
Naturally, he also noticed that ever since he stepped into the shop, the temperature on the thermometer he was holding had dropped several degrees—immediately putting him on alert.
He already knew that this was a store specializing in Ghost-type Pokémon, and there was a high chance it was a black market operation. So, Sato came fully prepared.
The thermometer doubled as an excellent ghost-detecting tool, which was exactly why he had brought it with him.
"Swampert, use Foresight."
The sudden drop in temperature made Sato realize there were definitely ghosts nearby, so he immediately instructed his powerful bodyguard on his left—Swampert—to activate its unique spirit-vision.
Clang~
In the next second, Swampert's eyes lit up with a piercing white glow. Wherever the light shone, the Ghost-type Pokémon hiding in the vicinity were immediately revealed, their cloaking rendered useless, all appearing before Sato's eyes.
What he saw was startling—he was completely surrounded by a large group of Ghost-type Pokémon, all eyeing him with ill intent. His scalp tingled.
Luckily, he had Swampert and Crobat by his side. Without these two powerful bodyguards, these malevolent-looking Ghost-types might have already treated him like their daily snack.
The ghosts weren't just numerous, but also diverse. Almost every Ghost-type from all seven regions was represented here.
What made Sato's skin crawl even more was that the candles illuminating the room were none other than Litwick—a very well-known Ghost-type Pokémon from the Unova region. A Chandelure even hung from the shop's ceiling.
Based on Sato's understanding of Ghost-types, the most dangerous among them were undoubtedly members of the Litwick line.
When they're still just Litwick, their food source is primarily life energy—which is already bad enough.
But once they evolve into Lampent and Chandelure, their diet shifts from life energy to soul energy. And that soul energy is the perfect fuel for the eerie blue flames they produce.
As a result, Lampent and Chandelure possess the terrifying ability to burn souls/spirits. It's said that any soul burned by their flames loses the chance to reincarnate.
That alone shows just how frightening these Pokémon are. Not only are humans and normal Pokémon afraid of them—most Ghost-types fear them too.
Seeing Litwick and Chandelure made Sato immediately feel a sense of doom. These Ghost-types were even more dangerous and troublesome than Gengar—one misstep could cost you your life.
Even if you survived, just getting singed by their special flames could leave you in unbearable pain and severely weakened—burning away several years of your life at the very least.
Because of this, the Litwick line was the most unwelcome among Ghost-types—treated like living plagues.
But after regaining a bit of composure, Sato realized something strange: although the surrounding Ghost-types were all eyeing him with ill intent, they seemed frozen in place—like they'd been hit with a Disable spell. Only their eyes moved; their bodies were stiff and unmoving.
"Hehehe~~ A guest has arrived. If you wish to discuss business, please follow me to the main hall. You've come at the perfect time—I've just brewed a fine pot of tea for tonight."
Just as Sato was about to approach a nearby Gastly to investigate further, an eerie voice suddenly came from behind him.
He spun around instantly. A chill ran down his spine and cold sweat broke out across his back and forehead.
A middle-aged man in a black mourning suit had silently appeared behind him—so silently that even Crobat hadn't detected his presence.
This ghost-like arrival made Sato feel an immediate and intense sense of dread.
He knew that if the man had intended to kill him just now, given that stealth technique, he likely wouldn't have stood a chance.
"Then I'll trouble you. Here's my letter of introduction."
Taking a deep breath and suppressing the tension in his chest, Sato pulled out a sealed letter and handed it to the middle-aged man.
Selling Pokémon was illegal, after all—so this line of work came with plenty of unspoken rules.
As a stranger stepping into a store run by Pokémon hunters, Sato knew it was safest to present proper identification to avoid unnecessary trouble.
And since Joe was a "regular" of this store, the letter he had written would serve as perfect credentials. Sato had shamelessly asked him for one beforehand.
The unnaturally pale-faced man's eyes flashed slightly. Without hesitation, he took the letter and opened it right in front of Sato.
After briefly reading the contents, the man's previously stiff and cold expression visibly relaxed. Then, as if it were a piece of trash, he casually tossed the letter away.
Before it could even hit the ground, a crimson tongue shot out from the shadow behind the man, snatched up the letter, and pulled it back into the darkness.
"So you were recommended by that brat Kondo. In that case, there's no need for tea. To avoid wasting your valuable time, let's get straight to business. This way, please."
After reading the letter, the man's gaze toward Sato was still cold, but no longer hostile. A chilling smile even formed on his pale face.
It was obvious the man had learned from the letter that Sato was a member of Team Rocket. The fact that his attitude changed so quickly likely had to do with Sato being a direct subordinate of Boss Giovanni.
"It's good to have powerful backers—nothing beats having shade under a tall tree. Boss Giovanni, you're amazing."
Sato could clearly sense the shift in the man's demeanor, and inwardly gave another mental salute to his boss's overwhelming influence.
Despite knowing Sato's importance within Team Rocket, the man remained extremely cold and aloof. The whole way, he maintained zero conversation with Sato, showing no intention of befriending him.
To him, Sato was just another customer. Whether Sato might be worth befriending probably depended on how deep his pockets were.
Guided by the man, Sato entered an underground passage. They walked for over ten minutes through the dim corridor.
By Sato's estimate, they had walked nearly a kilometer underground. It was now obvious that the shopfront labeled "Ghost House" was just a façade—the real transaction site was much farther in.