Chapter 3: Logging In from a Distant Land?
Chapter 3: Logging In from a Distant Land?
A gentle breeze rustled the dark, velvety clouds, and delicate raindrops trickled down the eaves.
In the narrow alley, small puddles formed, reflecting the grayish-white night sky.
A plume of warm steam, accompanied by a sizzling sound, rose from a small window, adding a touch of warmth and vitality to the chilly night.
Jing He lived in an old apartment building not far from the school, a mere ten-minute walk away.
After returning home, he took a brief rest before preparing a simple but tasty dinner for himself.
The slightly worn-out sofa, though old, was soft and clean, perfect for lounging.
He covered himself with a blanket, brought over an old second-hand laptop, and began browsing the web.
Although Jing He, as a seasoned Pokemon enthusiast, knew the ins and outs of Pokemon, his knowledge of the Pokemon world was limited.
For instance, modern Poke Balls were invented in the year 1925 of the League Calendar by Dr. Nishino Sen of Yuhong University.
A thousand years ago, a massive meteorite struck the Hoenn region, eventually forming the present-day Lavaridge Town. This was also the first time humans in the Hoenn region encountered the legendary ancient Pokemon, Rayquaza!
More recently,
A few years ago, the Giant Violett Corporation went bankrupt due to the termination of the New Violett project. As a result, the Sea Violett closed, and the project's director, Iron, stepped down from his position as one of the Elite Four and became the Gym Leader in Violett City.
" Giant Violett Corporation, huh. I remember Dr. Solans' father, Solans Reizan, was once a part of that company, right?"
Additionally, he learned a lot about the current policies for trainers in the League.
For example, how to become a registered trainer with the League, the benefits and responsibilities that came with it, and the perks of becoming a researcher, even a doctor, with their own independent research institute.
In summary,
The benefits for a regular researcher were similar to those of a regular trainer, but researchers and doctors with their own independent research institutes were far superior to ordinary trainers.
"It's really cold tonight."
Midway through his browsing, Jing He felt the night seemed unusually cold.
He pulled the blanket tighter around himself.
Suddenly, a wave of drowsiness washed over him.
He yawned deeply, placed the laptop on the table beside him, and fell asleep without even making it to the bed.
As he drifted off, the atmosphere in the room became eerie.
The fluorescent light on the ceiling flickered with a buzzing sound, and despite the lack of wind, the curtains by the window and the plants in the pots swayed.
Bang!
Suddenly, the light went out.
Everything seemed to fall into a dead silence.
"Kehe"
A sudden, ethereal voice echoed through the small room.
Then,
Thousand threads of black energy converged from all directions, forming a black, mist-like sphere. It had a pair of large, white, bulging eyes, mostly filled with the whites, and a wide, grinning mouth with sharp fangs visible, emitting a faint, sweet aroma.
It stared at the sleeping Jing He on the sofa with a sinister grin.
If Jing He were awake, he would have recognized this strange creature as a Ghost-type Pokemon, Gastly!
Buzz—
Gastly's eyes glowed red, and a peculiar energy surged from its body, enveloping the sleeping Jing He.
The peaceful expression on Jing He's face slowly turned into a frown.
"Is this... a dream?"
For some reason, Jing He's intuition told him this was a dream.
The sky was dark and oppressive, the clouds seemingly just a few meters above him. The dilapidated, low houses around him were clearly from a different era, overgrown with weeds and scattered with broken stones.
What made Jing He feel the most uneasy were the countless small mounds, about half a person's height, scattered across the vast plain in front of the houses.
Graves.
Jing He finally understood what it meant for graves to be as numerous as stars and tombstones to stretch like a mountain range.
Whoo—
Suddenly,
A deep, resonant sound drifted from a distance, accompanied by a bone-chilling cold wind.
He couldn't help but shiver.
Experiencing such a realistic dream was a first for him.
"Poof!"
Suddenly,
A mound a short distance from Jing He burst open, and a pale hand shot out.
Then,
The sound seemed to trigger some mechanism, and one by one, the mounds began to shift. Hands, wooden branches, and even heads broke through the earth.
They were all Ghost-type Pokemon!
Wandering Spirit, Haunter, Duskull, Gastly, Gengar
The scene, combined with the environment and atmosphere, was enough to terrify anyone.
“Hiss—”
In the corner, behind a bare, withered tree, Gastly watched Jing He, who was standing motionless with a stern expression, and let out a smug laugh.
Its trick had scared Solance so badly that he hadn’t dared to sleep for days.
Jing He, who could put Solance to sleep without using any skills, moves, or energy, piqued Gastly’s interest.
Gastly extended its long tongue, covered in a crimson coating, and licked its lips, smacking them in anticipation.
The dreams and fears of this person should taste quite delicious, it thought.
But the next moment, Gastly froze.
It noticed that while Jing He’s face remained stern, the initial fear in his eyes had quickly been replaced by contemplation.
"So many Ghost-type Pokemon."
To be honest, Jing He had indeed been startled at first.
The Ghost-type Pokemon he had seen in games might look somewhat decent or even cute, but encountering them in real life was a different story.
The bone-chilling cold that hit him made his hair stand on end.
However, after the initial shock, he quickly calmed down.
On one hand, he could sense that this was a dream.
If it’s just a dream, what’s there to be afraid of?
On the other hand, seeing so many Ghost-type Pokemon sparked a thought in his mind.
"Why isn’t there a Giratina?"
Giratina?
"Hiss?"
Gastly heard Jing He’s muttering and froze.
It shook its head vigorously, as if trying to dispel a delusion.
It must be a delusion. Yes, that must be it.
Gastly concluded that the Ghost-type Pokemon just didn’t look scary enough.
"Hiss."
Clearly, it had to take matters into its own hands.
It licked its lips, took a deep breath, and its body visibly swelled.
On the other side, Jing He, observing the “terrifying” Ghost-type Pokemon, rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Is this really a dream? It feels so real."
Everything he saw and sensed through his five senses—smell, touch, and hearing—was so vivid.
"If it’s a dream, then I should test it."
Jing He began to recall something in his mind.
At the same time, in the dim, oppressive black clouds, a silhouette slowly took shape.
It was massive, dragon-like, with a grayish-white body. A golden half-ring encircled its neck from its back, and it had two ghostly wings with claw-like red structures at the tips, along with six thick, powerful legs ending in claws.
"Hiss!"
Confidently, Gastly floated toward Jing He, its long tongue wagging and a low, menacing growl emitting from its mouth.
But as it approached Jing He, it suddenly looked up.
The next second, its expression froze.
"Hiss, hiss, hiss."
"Jing He?" Jing He, now aware of Gastly’s presence, followed its gaze and looked up.
There, standing proudly in the clouds, was a massive creature.
"Giratina?"
Jing He was taken aback.
It really did appear?
So, it is a dream.
"Aaaoo—!!"
A long, roaring cry echoed like a hurricane, sweeping through the area.
The surrounding Ghost-type Pokemon scattered like bubbles, and the large Gastly rapidly shrank, the black gas surrounding it seemingly blown away.
"Hiss!!"
Gastly shuddered.
Crack—
Suddenly, the scene in front of Jing He began to crack like a mirror.
The cracks spread like a spider web.
Finally, it shattered completely.
In a distant world, a massive dragon-type Pokemon, which had been intently peering through a glass pane, suddenly lifted its head.
"Roar?"
It blinked its fierce, crimson eyes, showing a look of confusion.
A remote login?
It closed its eyes and focused, but it seemed to be a delusion. It shook its head and resumed its covert observation, or rather, surveillance.
"Ugh."
On the couch, Jing He slowly woke up, rubbing his temples, feeling a bit groggy.
As his vision cleared, he noticed a Gastly floating nearby, its expression frozen in terror.
"Gastly?"
Hearing his voice, Gastly gradually recovered.
The two, human and ghost, stared at each other from less than a meter apart.
A few seconds later.
"Hiss!!!"
Gastly let out a shrill cry, like a wild cat with its fur on end, and quickly retreated, as if Jing He were some terrifying monster.
(End of Chapter)
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