Even as fellow Ghost-type Pokémon, most won't dare get too close to Litwick. Its ability to absorb souls and life force can affect other Ghost-types too.
Julian felt a bit nervous now. Just moments ago, he thought he was perfectly safe, but it seemed he'd underestimated the situation.
Even an Elite-level Pokémon would experience a gradual drain of its soul and life force when near a Advanced-level Litwick. The process is so slow that it's barely noticeable, yet Litwick could quietly drain its opponent until it's lifeless.
This draining is almost impossible to detect, and the victim wouldn't feel any pain.
Among all Ghost-type Pokémon, Litwick ranks among the top three in terms of danger, and they are relatively rare.
Besides these characteristics, there's no denying its strength. Its final evolution, Chandelure, is a powerful Ghost-type Pokémon, rumored to have the ability to communicate with the spirit world.
However, to control one safely without backlash, a Trainer's own strength must be formidable.
After all, human souls and life force are highly nutritious to Litwick.
The flames atop these two Litwick flickered. If you kept staring at their flame, you'd be unknowingly drawn in, eventually losing your life. At least it wouldn't be a painful end.
Julian had turned off his flashlight. In this Dark Forest, it was like a beacon, constantly alerting the surrounding Ghost-type Pokémon of a fresh human and a delicious soul nearby.
"Metagross, Dragonite, handle them."
With dozens of ghostly eyes fixed on him like he was a meal, Julian felt a chill and kept Lucario close to guard him against any sneak attacks.
'What are you looking at, Gengar?'
Julian thought, catching the mischievous Pokémon's stare.
The wandering ghosts were no match for Metagross and Dragonite. The two Pokémon swiftly cleared them out, though the Ghost-types' elusive movements made them tricky opponents.
Some didn't even have physical bodies, making them immune to physical attacks.
Julian sensed the surrounding temperature dropping rapidly, and an Aura filled with malice radiated from his left.
"Luca!~"
Lucario, his bodyguard, swung a Fire Punch into the empty space beside Julian. With a thud, a Gengar appeared, its face absorbing the Fire Punch.
After dealing with the dozens of Ghost-types, including the two Litwick, Julian quickly moved on with his Pokémon.
They headed east, guided by his Dowsing Machine, where a large red dot appeared on the display, hinting that the treasure might be quite valuable.
Though the Shadowed Forest lies underground, it still has a vast stretch of trees. But unlike those on the surface, these trees have no leaves, only bare branches.
And soft green light glowed from the branches.
It's said that this glow comes from the essence of Ghost-type Pokémon that perished in the Shadowed Forest.
"This kind of wood would be perfect for making beads"
Julian mused as he snapped off a branch. The inside of the branch was a dark yellow, laced with a hint of gold—a prime material for bead-making.
In fact, beads crafted from the trees of Shadowed Forest were sold on the market at premium prices, affordable only to a select few.
Nearby, a Trevenant had camouflaged itself as a large tree, lying in wait for unsuspecting prey—only to be knocked out by Metagross's Bullet Punch.
Julian walked over and gave it a kick, sending the Trevenant flying due to his own impressive strength.
"Can't even play your part right," he muttered.
All the trees here were bare, yet this one had forgotten to blend in and added some green on its head. What kind of dead wood are you trying to pull here?
And the spot where the Trevenant had stood happened to be where the red dot was marked on his Dowsing Machine.
A few minutes later, Metagross flew back, holding a marble-sized bead.
"A Shadow Orb—not bad"
Julian remarked as he took the orb.
The Shadow Orb could be carried as a held item to enhance Ghost-type moves, particularly boosting the power of Shadow Punch by 30%.
It could also be grounded into powder and combined with other ingredients to create potions that strengthen a Ghost-type Pokémon's potential.
Of course, if you were rich enough, you could even wear it as an accessory. It had a natural cooling effect, perfect for summer—like carrying a portable air conditioner around with you.
"Alright, let's move to the next—whoa!"
Julian's words were cut off as his Dowsing Machine suddenly displayed a red dot covering nearly a third of the screen.
For context, even the Fire Crystal, the ultimate treasure of the realm he'd found in the intermediate-level secret realm, only took up a quarter of the display.
This new dot's size suggested something even more valuable than the Fire Crystal.
"Strange"
Julian recalled checking the Dowsing Machine earlier, and this red dot hadn't been there. It was as if the treasure had just appeared out of nowhere.
"What the—it's gone!"
Just as he prepared to set out, the large red dot vanished.
Metagross watched his Trainer's surprised reactions, sighing slightly. When would he be able to keep his cool in the face of anything, like Metagross could?
"Dragonite, head this way!"
Julian wasted no time, hopping onto Dragonite.
"Metagross, stop dawdling and follow!"
As Metagross snapped out of its daze, Julian and Dragonite had already taken off.
On Dragonite's back, Julian wore a look of contemplation. The sudden appearance and disappearance of the red dot couldn't mean his Dowsing Machine was malfunctioning.
Most likely, the treasure had already been claimed by a Pokémon.
So this red dot would move along with the Pokémon carrying it.
For something that takes up a third of the Dowsing Machine's screen, even if it wasn't the Ultimate treasure of this Advanced-level secret realm, it must be an extraordinary treasure of some type.
Since it appeared in the Shadowed Forest, it was highly likely to be a Ghost-type treasure.
Fortunately, Julian had memorized its direction before it disappeared. A few minutes into Dragonite's flight, he noticed the red dot reappear on his Dowsing Machine, confirming the treasure was indeed moving, though not too quickly.
At Dragonite's speed, they'd be able to catch up in a few minutes.
"It stopped"
Julian's expression shifted slightly as he realized the red dot had halted in the territory of the Elite-level Gengar.
Could the treasure actually be with that Elite-level Gengar?
The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
Sure enough, that Gyarados was dirt poor, just look at the contrast—that Gyarados barely had anything better than a top-grade Water Stone. But here's a Gengar, potentially holding something as valuable as a realm's Ultimate treasure.
How could there be such a big difference between two Elite-level Pokémon?
Julian didn't dwell on why the treasure hadn't been snatched by other Trainers who had previously explored the forest.
There were several possible reasons: Gengar was a Ghost-type, and if it really wanted to hide, only a skilled Trainer would have any chance of finding it.
Or perhaps Gengar had only recently acquired the treasure, and Julian just happened to stumble upon it at the perfect time.
*****
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