As Albus debated whether to head to Manchester or Fuyan Town, a major event occurred at the school.
Three students had gone missing in Orange Forest.
"What happened?" Elvina asked, rushing over with a serious expression.
"Little Ye said there's a haunted mansion in the forest. He took us there to explore. The road was fine at first, but when we turned back, he, Little Liang, and Little Cheng were gone..." The student who spoke looked terrified.
Still shaken, he struggled to explain clearly, so McGrath, who had arrived earlier, stepped in.
"Six boys went into the forest after school to prove they weren't cowards. Only three came back. The other three vanished without a trace."
Elvina fell silent for a moment before asking, "Did you hear any strange noises before they disappeared?"
The boy shook his head, his fear evident. "They were walking behind us. Suddenly, when we turned around, they were just... gone."
"How did it happen?" McGrath asked.
The disappearance of students was a serious matter. The forest at night was dangerous. Taking a deep breath, Elvina said, "We need to inform Miss Wednesday immediately. We'll organize a search party with teachers who can fight and go into the forest."
By the time Albus heard about the incident, the teachers had already mobilized for the rescue operation.
Hearing the words haunted mansion and ghosts, he couldn't help but feel something was off.
Orange Forest… a haunted mansion…
Wasn't this the same plot as Phantom of the Dark, the Pokémon remake game?
There was no such setting in the original. It had been added by the author of the adaptation.
The mansion was considered haunted because it was home to a large number of Ghost-type Pokémon.
With that in mind, Albus approached Miss Wednesday, who was in charge of the situation, and said, "This may not be a simple disappearance case. There could be Ghost-type Pokémon playing tricks in the forest."
Miss Wednesday was startled when she saw him. "You again? What are you doing here?"
Albus: "..."
He immediately realized that this was the same Miss Wednesday who had registered his identity when he first arrived.
"I work here," he explained.
Now wasn't the time for small talk. After reporting his theory, Miss Wednesday's expression grew more serious.
"Thank you for the information. We'll take that into account!" she said.
However, even with that knowledge, the search effort was not progressing smoothly. Several officers and teachers had already entered the forest with Growlithes but lost contact with them.
Miss Wednesday paced anxiously. "What do we do now?"
Each station only had a limited number of trained Growlithes, and those inside the forest had stopped responding.
Without them, scent tracking was impossible.
If the mansion truly existed, it hadn't just appeared overnight.
Albus frowned. "Have there been similar disappearance cases before?"
Miss Wednesday nodded. "Of course. Every year, people vanish in the forest—some attacked by wild Pokémon, others simply getting lost. Wait… are you saying those incidents are connected to this one?"
Albus shook his head. "I'm not saying that. But they could still be related in some way."
In this world, disappearances weren't unusual. If a weak trainer angered a strong wild Pokémon, they could be completely wiped out.
Or worse, they could be kidnapped by criminals and forced into labor, just like what had happened in the special episode where Sammy, Silver, and others were abducted by the Masked Man as children.
He sighed. "Maybe I can help."
Miss Wednesday blinked in surprise. "What?"
The worried teachers and frantic parents turned toward him.
One of the parents, dressed in an elite uniform, rushed forward. His son's disappearance had devastated him. Grabbing Albus's hand, he pleaded, "Please, save Little Cheng! I'll give you anything you want if you bring him back!"
Albus pushed his hand away gently. "Calm down. I'll do my best to help."
He recalled Little Cheng—a lively boy from another class who adored strong Pokémon like Onix.
Hearing Albus's words, the father collected himself, albeit still shaken.
"But I can't guarantee my method will work," Albus admitted.
Miss Wednesday frowned. "It doesn't matter. We have to try."
Albus nodded and returned to his dormitory. He retrieved an orb containing Gengar's soul and brought it back.
Miss Wednesday's eyes widened when Gengar floated out.
"This is…"
Albus explained, "My companion, Gengar."
Gengar glanced at the people around him coldly. "I'll help, but I have one condition!"
Albus sighed. "What do you want?"
"I'll tell you later," Gengar replied.
Albus frowned. "I won't do anything illegal, but I can buy you gifts."
Gengar scoffed. "You think I'd ask for that? You really don't trust me, huh?"
Albus hesitated. "Well… most Ghost-types do enjoy scaring and kidnapping people. Some even drain human life energy."
Gengar huffed. "That's them. Not me!"
"Fine, fine," Albus said. "You're different. So, can you help us?"
Hearing that, Gengar blushed. "Yes, if things are as you say, just take me there. I'll find the real path."
Everyone let out a sigh of relief.
Since Gengar was technically his, Albus had to go along. But he refused to go alone.
At his insistence, Miss Wednesday organized a squad of officers and well-trained Pokémon to escort them.
Being surrounded by over a dozen officers, Albus suddenly felt safer than ever.
"This is where they disappeared," a teacher said.
Gengar observed the area and pointed at a large tree. "Over there."
Miss Wednesday frowned. "There's no path there."
Albus explained, "Some Ghost-types can create illusions to trick people. What you see might not be real."
In horror movie terms, this was the Pokémon version of ghosts leading people astray.
One of the officers hesitated before stepping forward and reaching toward the tree. To everyone's shock, her arm passed right through it.
She gasped. "It's an illusion!"
Miss Wednesday, now fully convinced, raised her hand. "Everyone, move in!"
The search party carefully stepped through the illusionary barrier, revealing a hidden path leading deeper into the forest. The air turned colder, an unnatural chill sweeping over them.
Albus clenched his fists. "Definitely Ghost-types at work."
As they moved further, the eerie silhouette of a decrepit mansion came into view. Its once-grand structure was now overgrown with vines, its windows shattered.
"We're here," Gengar murmured.
The group exchanged nervous glances. The mansion exuded an unsettling energy.
Miss Wednesday gave a sharp nod. "Stay together. No one wanders off."
With that, they stepped inside. The doors creaked as they pushed open, revealing a vast hall filled with floating candles and faint whispers in the air.
The search was just beginning.
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