Chapter 104: Divergent Paths of Evolution

The Orange Blossom Forest was far from as simple as it appeared. Any place worthy of being called a forest could not possibly be small. To Zhao Fang, it felt more like the mountain ranges of his previous life, and he had no idea how far the Alliance had explored it. The only thing he knew with certainty was that the Alliance had developed a single safe zone along the main road; elsewhere, there were no paths to follow.

To venture deeper into the Orange Blossom Forest, one had to slip into the dense woods and press forward, but what lay within was anyone’s guess. Zhao Fang had seen a fair number of Pokémon in there: some were powerful, others banded together for safety. If he wanted to enter alone and remain unnoticed, he'd have to buy plenty of Repel sprays, but even those were ineffective against some of the stronger Pokémon.

He glanced at the Poké Balls at his waist. Dragomecia could probably handle it, but Zhao Fang was uneasy. What if there was a wild Pokémon lurking inside that could harm Dragomecia?

"Gengar!" Zhao Fang shouted with all his might. He remembered Gengar’s psychic waves were strong; last time, it had controlled the situation at the manor, breaking Swellow’s hypnosis. Perhaps if he called loudly enough, Gengar would appear.

"What are you yelling for, brat? It’s not like I can’t hear you." An impatient voice suddenly echoed in Zhao Fang’s mind, and he was delighted—he had managed to contact Gengar.

Zhao Fang quickly explained that he had found a gemstone very similar to the one Gengar sought. After a moment’s thought, Gengar captured another Swellow and had it carry Zhao Fang to the manor.

"Gengar, aren’t you coming out?" Zhao Fang asked, puzzled. With Gengar’s abilities, it would surely be faster than Swellow.

"I can’t come out. If I do, these little troublemakers will escape and wreak havoc in the Orange Blossom Forest." Gengar’s tone was tinged with helplessness; it felt like a kindergarten principal, constantly worrying about its charges.

Zhao Fang pondered this, then caught sight of the manor in the distance. Gengar was already standing at the entrance, clearly eager—if not for the swarm of mischief-makers inside, it would have rushed over long ago.

"Where’s the gemstone?" As soon as Zhao Fang dismounted, Gengar asked hurriedly.

Zhao Fang immediately took out the gemstone he had kept close, showing it to Gengar. Though Gengar didn’t move its hand, the gemstone was already firmly grasped, astonishing Zhao Fang with Gengar’s formidable power.

Just as Zhao Fang was about to look around, he suddenly sensed a foreboding presence from ahead. A chill ran from his body to his soul; it was as if he had fallen into an ice pit, the feeling of being hunted by a top predator spreading through him.

"You dare! How dare you do this!" Gengar roared furiously, ghostly energy erupting from its body. Its overwhelming aura made the nearby Swellow, who was about to flee, collapse to the ground, trembling all over.

How much time passed, Zhao Fang couldn’t tell, but eventually Gengar calmed down, its aura receding. It tucked the gemstone into its body.

"Sorry. This gemstone is indeed the one I was searching for, but all the ghost-type energy in it has been drained. If I’m not mistaken, someone used my gemstone for something, which caused it to shatter." Gengar seemed much calmer now, though the panic lingering in Zhao Fang’s heart remained.

"Gengar, your power is truly astonishing..." Zhao Fang took a deep breath; the pressure was immense.

"Sorry, though you only found half, half is still half. What do you want? Whether gold, silver, treasure, or a highly promising Pokémon, I can provide it. I even have a Gastly here with incredible potential, sure to grow into a Champion-level Pokémon." Gengar withdrew its aura and spoke kindly.

Zhao Fang gritted his teeth and released Dragomecia. Dragomecia looked confused, but upon seeing Gengar, immediately hid behind Zhao Fang; Gengar’s presence was terrifying.

"Gengar, may I ask if you can teach Dragomecia some ghost-type secrets?" Zhao Fang had already decided on his reward. He didn’t want anything else; he only wished for his Pokémon to become stronger.

Gengar eyed Zhao Fang with interest. It had assumed Zhao Fang would choose Gastly—for even Gengar itself valued that little one highly. But unexpectedly, Zhao Fang brought out Dragomecia. Gengar certainly remembered this unique creature.

"I don’t mind teaching, but are you sure this is what you want? The Gastly I teach has mastered seventy or eighty percent of my skills." Gengar looked at Zhao Fang, a hint of persuasion in its voice.

Zhao Fang nodded firmly. Gengar was even more satisfied, smiling as it extended its hand. A layer of black mist enveloped Dragomecia, who struggled in panic but couldn’t break free.

"Dragomecia, study diligently. I’ll wait for you here." Zhao Fang was reluctant; he had no idea how long Gengar’s teaching would take.

"Don’t act like you’re parting forever—it won’t take much effort. This little one has good aptitude, just a weak constitution. After evolution, it should improve greatly." Gengar looked contentedly at Dragomecia—this unique little creature was just barely qualified as its disciple.

Zhao Fang sighed, then explained Dragomecia’s notoriously harsh evolution conditions. Gengar was surprised; despite its vast power, it had never visited Galar and didn’t know Dragomecia evolved in such a way.

"Now that you mention it, I have a new idea. What do you think I am?" Gengar asked with a sly grin.

"Well... I suppose you’re a very powerful Gengar?" Zhao Fang replied uncertainly—this Gengar was enormous and its strength was astonishing.

"I am the king of this forest. Except for Celebi, no other Pokémon can defeat me." Gengar declared confidently, and Zhao Fang suddenly felt a sense of familiarity—was it...

"Totem Pokémon?" Zhao Fang recalled the Totem Pokémon of Alola, renowned for their power and distinctive aura, a hallmark of that region.

"Totem? That’s a good name. I think your little Dragomecia, since its evolution relies on playing with companions and you can’t provide that now, why not train it to become like me—conquer other companions with strength!" Gengar scratched its head, beaming, and offered a solution.