Not a Trainer This Time Chapter 324

 Chapter 324 Second Contact

“Here we are, here is the place where the three companion Pokémon are buried.”

 The two of them continued along the path of Apple Hill, and finally arrived at an open and flat clearing.

The open space is circular and surrounded by wooden fences. There are beautiful park chairs placed on the edges. Some townspeople are sitting on the chairs with their children and Pokémon to rest.

In the innermost part of the square, there is a small shrine, with three statues of different Pokémon placed in the shrine.

Zhi Shu looked at them. It was obvious that these three were the companion Pokémon mentioned by the mayor.

“Thanks to them, we protected the town from the ghosts and saved everyone in the town.” The mayor's tone was full of gratitude.

Zhi Shu asked with great interest: "Are their remains down here?"

"Yes." The mayor nodded. He saw a stain on the shrine, so he stepped forward and cleaned it up.

At this time, a villager ran over from behind and shouted: "Administrator, it's bad! The truck transporting apples fell into the ditch!"

"What?" The mayor was immediately shocked and said to Naoki quickly: "That's it for today's exchange activities! You can take a walk around the area as you like, and I'll go over there to take a look at the situation."

 “Do you need my help?” Naoki asked.

The township chief thanked him, then shook his head with a smile and said: "Thank you very much, but there are staff in the town who are responsible for handling this kind of thing, so I won't trouble you."

Seeing this, Naoki didn't force it. He watched the mayor leave in a hurry, and then turned his attention again to the shrine in front of him that enshrined the Three Treasures Companion.

There are three very small statues placed in the shrine. Just by looking at the statues, it is impossible to see the original appearance of these three treasure companions.

At this moment, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind.

Zhi Shu turned his head and saw Helian running in from outside excitedly: "Zhi Shu? Are you here to see Samboban's grave too?"

"Huh?" Naoki was a little surprised: "I thought you had left Beishang Township and returned to the Sinnoh region!"

"Don't worry, my practice this time has ended, so I plan to take a stroll here and enjoy the pastoral scenery of this place." Helian said.

"I see."

Zhi Shu nodded, and then he and Helian looked at the shrine in front of them.

On the right side of the shrine stands a stone tablet, which records the heroic deeds of the three treasure companions.

“Pokémon Statues” - The brave Pokémon who guarded Verdant Town a long time ago fought fiercely with the ghosts that attacked the village, and eventually died unfortunately.

 Their fallen remains were buried under the statues and paid solemn tributes. "

Helian read it word for word.

 Zhishu listened and watched silently.

 So, could the green Pokémon he saw on the back mountain yesterday be a ghost?

 But it's impossible! That Pokémon seemed so timid, how could it possibly wreak havoc in the town and kill three of its companion Pokémon.

 Zhishu had various doubts in his heart.

 After a short period of thinking, he decided to go to that place again to have a look.

 Thinking of this, Zhi Shu said goodbye to Helian, turned around and told Gu Ledun his plan.

 “Ah gah!”

Hearing this, Luton immediately walked to Naoki and asked him to ride on him.

 When Naoki sat firmly, Luton jumped up, the wings on his head suddenly spread out, and flew towards the ghost mountain that was filled with terror.

Ten minutes later, Zhi Shu came to the entrance of Ghost Teeth Cave again.

 Going further, passing through the narrow suspended mountain road, you will arrive at the cave where the mysterious Pokémon lived yesterday.

With yesterday's situation in his mind, Naoki felt that the reason why the Pokémon was so scared that it ran out of the door was probably because of fear.

After all, Guluton, who was summoned from ancient times, looks too ferocious.

To modern Pokémon, its existence is like the dinosaurs living in the Jurassic era to modern hens.

“Wait for me here, I'll go over alone to verify it.” Zhishu placed Guluton in a large bush.

Hurton obediently agreed, and squatted obediently behind the bushes, with only half of his head exposed, looking pitifully at Zhishu's back.

 After confirming that Guluton would not be discovered, Zhi Shu walked towards the cave.

As soon as he got closer, he saw the figure of the Pokémon from yesterday.

He seemed to have heard the movement outside, and the Pokémon immediately looked over nervously.

The next second, the eyes of one person and one Pokémon met in mid-air.

 Zhi Shu tried his best to express his kindness: "Hello, do you remember me? I was here yesterday."

However, as soon as he finished speaking, a panicked expression appeared on the Pokémon's face. His little hands hurriedly took out the remaining green grass mask from under his coat and put it on his face.

 As soon as the mask is put on, all the emotions of this Pokémon are hidden behind it.

Naoki was very surprised when he looked at this scene, because he found that this mask unexpectedly suited this Pokémon!

Based on past experience, a guess quickly emerged in his mind - "Is it possible that this mask, like Dialga's Diamond Orb, is an exclusive prop for this Pokémon?"

Zhi Shu looked at the mysterious Pokémon wearing a mask. Fortunately, this time the Pokémon did not run away after seeing him like it did yesterday.

Zhi Shu was very happy, thinking that his guess was indeed correct, this Pokémon was afraid of Gullton!

 “Don't worry, I have no ill intentions and I won't hurt you.”

To avoid scaring the Pokémon, he lowered his voice while observing the mask.

I don't know what this Pokémon encountered before, but there were several damages on the mask. It looked very old, as if it had been made for a long time.

 While Naoki was observing this Pokémon, the other Pokémon was also looking at him quietly.

　　It's just that its face is all hidden behind a mask, making it impossible to see its emotions.

Zhi Shu moved his eyes away and looked at the stone table. The berries placed on it were visibly missing. It was obviously eaten by this Pokémon.

 The Pokémon also noticed what he was looking at, and its movements immediately became a little panicked, even a little cautious.

Naoki noticed this keenly, shook his head and said:

“Don't be nervous, those are the gifts that Babu Tubo and I gave you. Do you remember Babu Tubo, right? It's the pink Pokémon from yesterday.”

 The mysterious Pokémon hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly.

 “That's good.” A smile appeared on Naoki's face, but he was full of thoughts in his heart.

 Is this the masked ghost described in the legend circulating in the town?

 He did not speak again, and the atmosphere in the air fell into silence for a while.

Zhi Shu suddenly remembered the stone bed and table in this cave, and asked: "Have you always lived here alone?"

 But he never thought that after hearing this, this Pokémon suddenly felt a strong sense of sadness.

Zhi Shu was slightly stunned.

 At this moment, various thoughts came to his mind.

 Could it be that someone or other Pokémon lived here with this Pokémon before?

 But this topic seemed to make this Pokémon feel sad, so Naoki did not go any further.

The purpose of this trip has been achieved. He stood up suddenly, and the Pokémon in front of him also became visibly nervous, looking at him through the mask.

Zhi Shu was slightly startled, and quickly explained: "Don't be nervous, I just have to go back, so I won't bother you here anymore."

As he spoke, he took off his backpack, took out a bottle of the ranch's specialty milk and a few poffins and placed them on the stone table: "This is a gift for you, goodbye!"

 After doing this, Naoki turned around and left the hidden cave.

He found Gulton hiding behind the bushes, touched its head, and said, "Let's go!" Gulton looked at the direction behind Zhishu, then took him away from Ghost Teeth Cave and returned. to Green Town.

 Unconsciously, the time has reached noon.

The more Zhi Shu thought about it, the more something was wrong. There seemed to be a problem with the legend in Emerald Town, but he didn't have any clue.

With no choice, he could only go to have lunch first and discuss the specific matters later.

Today's lunch at the public hall was very sumptuous, and Zhi Shu felt as if he was experiencing a farmhouse.

Both the food and the environment are full of rural customs.

 After lunch, Naoki planned to take the Pokémon to take a rest and take a nap.

However, as soon as he returned to the room, released a few Pokémon from the Poke Balls and fed them Poffins, he heard a knock on the door.

 Opening the door, an old lady with white hair was standing outside the door with a complicated expression.

 Zhi Shu was very surprised when he saw the visitor: "Grandma Xuezi?"

Xuezi nodded and asked straight to the point: "You broke into the Ghost Teeth Cave yesterday. Did you see a ghost there?"

Zhi Shu was stunned: "How did you know?"

Xuezi: "This matter has spread throughout the town! You are so brave, how dare you go to that place!"

　　Naoki: "..." That's the bad thing about being in the countryside. You can't hide anything.

Naoki originally thought that Xuezi, like the mayor, had come to persuade him not to enter the Ghost Teeth Cave again, but what the other party said next was beyond his expectation.

 Xuezi asked with a complicated expression: "Have you seen a ghost with your own eyes? How is it?"

Zhi Shu felt something was wrong in his intuition: "I saw it, but it seems a little different from the ghost described in the legend..."

“Oh, it's true.” Xuezi sighed, and then said, “Come with me! My husband has something he wants to tell you.”

Zhi Shu was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted and followed decisively.

　　He took Guluton and the others and followed Xuezi out of the public hall and came to a house on the outskirts of the town.

Under the eaves, an old man with a stooped back, a wrinkled face and a middle-parted comb was waiting.

 “Come into the house and talk!” said the old man.

Zhi Shu nodded, and then walked into the living room with Gu Ledun and the others.

A few people sat down on the sofa. The old man looked at him and Gu Ledun for a long time before he asked, "Have you seen ghosts at the Terror Cave?"

Zhi Shu was a little confused: "If the green Pokémon wearing the mask is a ghost."

"Sure enough!" After hearing this, the old man understood: "I can't believe that the ghost is willing to take the initiative to appear in front of you. It seems like it's time!"

 Naoki: “…”

He said in his heart that he didn't appear in front of him on his own initiative. If Gu Lerton hadn't noticed the other party vigilantly, he probably wouldn't have known anything!

“Have you heard about the ghost legends circulating in the town?” the old man asked.

 Zhi Shu nodded: "I heard about it."

 “Then what do you think of the legend of ghosts?” the old man asked again.

Naoki was stunned, what do you think...

“I suspect that the masked Pokémon I encountered was not a ghost.”

 Otherwise, ghosts have two personalities, one is timid and fearful, and the other is ferocious and decisive in killing.

 Just like Nightshade in Sword and Fairy Tale.

However, the old man shook his head: "No, it is a ghost. That incident also happened in history. It is just different in the records. The real history is the opposite!"

 “On the contrary…? What do you mean?”

"Since you have met the ghost... no, it should be called the ghost, let's tell it to you together! Let me tell you the true history of our family that has been passed down from generation to generation!" The old man looked serious and slowly said He spoke.

"I also heard this story from my father. This is a real story. You must not tell other people in the village! If it weren't for the ghost willing to appear in front of you, I... well, you will definitely not do this. You can pass it on!"

Seeing the seriousness on the old man's face, Naoki nodded and agreed: "I promise."

 The Motorized Lizards and Babu Wooddogs who were following them also nodded their heads.

The sun was shining brightly outside the window, falling through the cracks in the living room, leaving mottled shadows on the floor.

 A large amount of dust was slowly floating in the beam, and the old man's voice was heavy and simple, as if an ancient book was slowly unfolding in front of Naoki.

“A long time ago, there was a man and a ghost from a foreign country who got lost and came to Beishang Township.”

“People in the village were afraid of their appearance that was different from their own... so they did not allow men and ghosts to come near their village.”

“The man and the ghost felt sad because they were not welcomed by the villagers, but as long as they could be together, they were happy.”

“So they left the village and lived a simple life in the caves in the back mountains.”

“Only the mask craftsmen in the village thought they were pitiful, so they made several masks for men and ghosts.”

“The mask is decorated with gems brought by men and ghosts from foreign countries. It is sparkling and extremely gorgeous.”

“As long as you put on the mask, you can hide your face and get along well with the people in the village. The men and ghosts are very happy because of the kindness of the mask craftsman, and they are very grateful to the craftsman.”

“From then on, men and ghosts would wear masks and secretly participate in village celebrations.”

“However, those masks were so ingenious that they quickly became popular and the news spread to many distant countries.”

“Perhaps after hearing rumors about the rare shining mask in this world, a few greedy Pokémon came to Beishang Township..."

“They sneaked into the residence of the man and the ghost, trying to take away the mask that was carefully kept. The man happened to be present and barely managed to save a mask.”

“But he was more ambitious than capable, and the remaining three masks were taken away by those Pokémon, and the man was seriously injured and lost his life.”

“A few hours later, when the ghost returned to the cave, he witnessed all this..."

“Finally, it went down the mountain to the village wearing the only remaining green mask, and then killed a few Pokémon who were happily holding up their shiny masks.”

“The unsuspecting villagers were completely confused about what was happening. All they saw was the angry appearance of the ghost, and they were very frightened by it.”

“The villagers thought that the three Pokémon protected the village from the clutches of ghosts, so they affectionately called them treasure companions and buried them generously.”

“The injured ghost was immersed in sorrow and returned to the cave in the back mountain alone.”

“Our ancestor, the mask craftsman, tried his best to tell everyone the truth, but not only did no one pay attention, but he was regarded as a heretic and was brutally persecuted.”

Zhi Shu became more and more silent. At the end, he couldn't help but said: "How could such a thing happen..."

Guluton and Motorized Lizard on the side lowered their heads sadly.

Bobby clenched the small hammer in his hand. He thought of the Pokémon he saw yesterday and his face was filled with anger.

Even the fluttering hair floating in the air showed its small fangs, and it made an angry sobbing sound from its mouth.

 The old man looked at their reactions and then said:

 “Since Ecuite is willing to appear in front of you, it means that it has a good impression of you, so I hope you can leave here with Ecuite and live somewhere else.”

“Rather than continue to stay in Beishang Township and suffer the disgust and hatred of the people here for nothing.”

 (End of this chapter)

Chapter end