Petalburg Woods was placed under emergency lockdown.
Zane found out about this just as he was preparing to take Roselia into the forest for some battle training. But when he reached the entrance, he found it blocked off with warning signs and police tape. Several Officer Jennys were standing guard, currently in discussion with a dark-skinned young woman with black hair and blue eyes.
"...and that's the gist of it. Those Ghost-type Pokémon could reappear at any moment..." one of the officers was reporting.
The young woman frowned. "Who were the ones who experienced this incident?"
The officer replied, "Many people. Besides us, there were also teachers and students from this Pokémon elementary school."
"I need more information..." the young woman said.
Zane didn't stick around to hear the rest. He recognized the young woman.
She was Phoebe, one of the Hoenn League's Elite Four, a master of Ghost-types. Rumor had it she could communicate with Ghost Pokémon. In the games, her grandparents lived on Mt. Pyre and were the guardians of the Red and Blue Orbs. [Image]
Looks like the Hoenn League is taking this seriously, Zane thought. Usually, for incidents like this, the League would send investigators first. Sending an Elite Four member right off the bat showed just how much importance they placed on what happened in Petalburg Woods.
Zane had assumed the whole affair was no longer his problem. But less than ten minutes after he got back to the school, he found himself face-to-face with phoebe once again.
...
Phoebe had come to the school to question the survivors of the incident. But after interviewing numerous people, she had learned almost nothing useful. Their answers were all variations of "I saw ghost Pokémon glowing with blue light," "I was so scared I fainted, I didn't see anything," or "I don't know what happened, those things just vanished right in front of us."
"Did you hear any strange noises?" Phoebe pressed.
The answer was still no.
Phoebe frowned, puzzled. She had personally inspected the massive, hundred-meter fissures in the forest floor. Whatever Pokémon had caused that kind of destruction couldn't possibly have done so without making a sound. From the look of the cracks, they had clearly been formed all at once. That meant the Pokémon had used only a single move.
Just how terrifyingly strong must a Pokémon be to possess that kind of destructive power?! Even the Pokémon trained by the Elite Four for years couldn't tear the earth apart like that with just one attack. And if it has a trainer... then that... no, that master trainer... just how strong are they?! Phoebe couldn't even begin to imagine.
According to Officer Jenny's report, the fissures were clearly connected to the disappearance of the Ghost-type Pokémon. It was highly likely that the one who created the cracks was the one who had driven them back.
"Miss Phoebe, this is the teacher who managed to break through the ghost Pokémon's illusions at the time," Officer Jenny said, walking back into the room and interrupting Phoebe's thoughts.
Phoebe looked over and saw a very young boy. Judging by his appearance, he couldn't be much older than ten. She was momentarily taken aback, but as an Elite Four member, she possessed not only great strength but also high emotional intelligence. A child capable of becoming a teacher must have extraordinary talent in their field. Phoebe quickly adjusted her expression and offered a polite greeting. "Hello."
Seeing her expression, Zane had braced himself for another round of questions about his age. But she didn't ask, which immediately earned her a few points in his book.
Looks like this Ghost Elite Four member has some tact, Zane thought, returning the greeting politely. "Hello."
"Could you tell me in detail what happened that night?" Phoebe asked.
"Okay." Zane gathered his thoughts and recounted his experience, deliberately omitting any mention of Cramorant. "I encountered a group of Litwick and Chandelure. Just as they were about to attack me, a very large Gengar suddenly appeared and drove them away." He decided to mention the Totem Gengar because he wanted the forest situation resolved quickly; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to train there safely.
Gengar. Hearing those words, Phoebe's eyes lit up. Finally, a new piece of information.
"That Gengar took me to an old-looking mansion," Zane continued. "It said that it was the one suppressing those Ghost-type Pokémon there. But recently, the ghosts had worked together to put it to sleep and snuck out. After telling me that, the Gengar sent me away."
"Mansion... Gengar... suppressing..." Phoebe's brow furrowed at these keywords. Her mind recalled a confidential rumor she had heard within the League. Supposedly, shortly after the League was founded, there had been a massive incident involving widespread human disappearances. The League had dispatched the first Ghost-type Elite Four member to handle it. Although the incident was resolved, that Elite Four member lost contact with the League afterward and was never seen again. She remembered that the case file in the League archives was labeled "The Missing Elite Four Incident." And that predecessor of hers... had owned a Gengar.
A chill ran down Phoebe's spine.
This information needed to be reported to the Hoenn League immediately.
But before she left, she had one more question. "Besides the Gengar, did you hear any strange noises at the time?"
"What?" Zane blinked.
"The sound of battle," Phoebe clarified. "You saw it, didn't you? That huge fissure in the forest?"
Zane kept his face blank. Right. The one my dumb bird made. He hadn't expected Precipice Blades to be quite that destructive. Note to self: never use that move anywhere near civilization. But he couldn't say that. "I didn't hear anything," he lied.
Phoebe's brow furrowed deeper, a hint of disappointment in her eyes. "Thank you very much for the information. Officer Jenny, I'll leave the rest to you." She needed to report this to the League headquarters as soon as possible.
"Yes, Miss Phoebe!" Officer Jenny saluted, watching her leave.
Zane left as well. Winter break was just around the corner. He needed to book his ferry ticket to Fallarbor Town in advance; otherwise, he'd get caught in the rush of trainers heading home for the holidays and wouldn't be able to get a seat.
The Hoenn region was surrounded by sea. Petalburg City didn't have a port, so he'd have to go to Rustboro City first and catch a ferry from there, traveling across the northwestern sea to reach Fallarbor Town.
His plan was set: spend a few days battling in Fallarbor Town, then take Roselia, Cramorant, and Gengar on the scenic cable car up Mt. Chimney to Lavaridge Town for a hot springs vacation.
Hopefully, he thought, by the time I come back next spring, the League will have sorted out this whole haunted mansion mess.