Elf: I have a secret realm of emerald green.

After Xia Shen disappeared from this world, a dark demon spirit suddenly appeared and followed Xia Shen into the spirit realm.

He didn't forget to close the door behind him.

…………

How many grams does the soul weigh?

Xia Shen had pondered this question during his teenage years, never expecting to have the opportunity to explore it firsthand today.

Strictly speaking, the Gate to the Spirit Realm is not just a door, but more like a passageway.

In the passage, Xia Shen walked forward unconsciously, yet it seemed as if he was still going in circles. He noticed that his body was becoming lighter and lighter.

On the contrary, consciousness became increasingly clear.

The memories in his mind were so clear that they seemed almost transparent, allowing Xia Shen to easily recall his short life.

Is this what they call the memories that flash before one's death?

As his memories came to an end, a light suddenly appeared before Xia Shen in a void of the spirit world.

He didn't know whether he was moving towards the light or being swallowed up by the light.

In short, a period of time passed in a daze.

Xia Shen regained consciousness as if he had been through another world.

The first thing he did after waking up was not to observe his surroundings, but to check whether the Arceus space in his mind still existed.

Xia Shen breathed a sigh of relief as he looked at the Poké Balls of Garchomp and the others, which were quietly placed in the space.

As long as the cheat code is still active, there's nothing to be afraid of.

After confirming this most important matter, Xia Shen began to carefully examine his surroundings.

All I could see was darkness; I couldn't see clearly with my eyes alone.

Xia Shen tried to explore with his mental power, and unsurprisingly, his superpowers were still there.

Superpowers sound like they're related to the soul, so it's not surprising that they can be used in the spirit world.

Xia Shen first checked his body and had a very strange feeling.

It seems to have a physical form, yet it also appears to resemble the soul state of Yukshi.

Next, he tried to take an empty Poké Ball out of the space and found that he could touch it with his hand.

Xia Shen pondered for a moment.

I feel like my current state is similar to many Ghost-type Pokémon, with my mental state being greater than my physical state.

If I had to put it into words, it's like being cast [Halloween Night] by the Pumpkin Monster, gaining an extra ghost attribute?

I wonder what would happen if we took Garchomp and the others out of their Poké Balls.

Xia Shen did not attempt it rashly, but continued to use his mental power to explore his surroundings.

The good news is that there's nothing around me, so I don't have to worry about any sudden danger.

The bad news is... there's nothing around, and I don't know where to go next.

Logically, Rowlet and Meltan should be here after passing through the Spirit Gate.

Where will the two of them go?

Rowlet may be greedy for food, sleep, and play, but... it's still quite sensible.

In this situation, he would probably stay put with Meltan and wait for his rescue.

Now that it's gone, could it have encountered some unexpected situation?

Xia Shen thought and thought but still couldn't come up with a solution, so he decided to summon Zoroark to test the waters first.

Having a helper would give me some peace of mind, and the Ghost-type Zoroark is the best choice.

…………

The Poké Ball didn't change much in the spirit world; its appearance and weight were the same as in reality.

Xia Shen felt a little relieved and pressed the button.

A flash of white light, and Zoroark emerged safely from the Poké Ball.

Upon arriving in an unfamiliar environment, the first thing Zoroark did was to examine Xia Shen.

Before entering, Xia Shen explained the situation to all the elves, and they were aware of the risks involved.

Therefore, Zoroark was very worried about Xia Shen's condition.

[Xia Shen, are you alright?]

[I am fine, and you?]

Despite his earnest concern, Xia Shen suddenly felt an inappropriate urge to laugh; this conversation was ingrained in his DNA.

The illiterate Zoroark had never taken an English class and didn't understand the joke.

She looked at Xia Shen, whose mood had inexplicably and suddenly relaxed, and was somewhat puzzled.

[I'm fine too, um... I should say even better. I really like the atmosphere here.]

Xia Shen wasn't surprised. It would be strange if a Ghost-type Pokémon disliked the atmosphere here.

As he thought this, he suddenly felt a strange sense of familiarity with this place.

Xia Shen's heart skipped a beat. Oh no, am I going to become a Ghost-type Pokémon too?

With a wry smile, Xia Shen managed to convince herself to accept reality.

Well, I guess I'll just treat it as experiencing what it's like to be a ghost...

As he was trying to comfort himself, Zoroark suddenly let out a sharp roar towards a shadowy spot beside him.

Xia Shen suddenly became wary.

[Zoroark, what's wrong?]

[There's an elf watching us.]

Zoroark replied telepathically, his gaze still fixed on that spot.

Xia Shen quickly released his mental energy to search, but still found nothing.

Is it that mental energy has no effect on that elf?

Or... is it not actually present in this plane of existence?

…………

Many Ghost-type Pokémon can hide in shadows, making them undetectable by psychic abilities.

Perhaps, it's a Gengar secretly watching me?

Xia Shen immediately thought of the most famous elf that could hide in the shadows.

However, there was no sound in the shadows where Xia Shen and Zoroark were looking.

Is there a way to force it out?

Although he didn't know if they were friend or foe, Xia Shen disliked being spied on, so he asked Zoroark.

[No, I can't crawl into shadows... otherwise I'd be crawling into them every day...]

Perhaps out of embarrassment, she didn't finish her sentence, but that didn't prevent Xia Shen from understanding what she meant.

Xia Shen frowned slightly. Does being able to slip through shadows mean you're invincible?

Gengar isn't such a shameless Pokémon, is it?

Otherwise, wouldn't drilling into the shadow during a battle be equivalent to advanced protection?

[Can Shadow Ball attack the Pokémon inside?]

This was also the first time Zoroark had encountered such a situation. After a moment's thought, she replied.

I'll give it a try.

After saying that, he condensed a ghost-type energy ball containing an explosive aura.

Perhaps because it was in the spirit world, the Shadow Sphere condensed much faster than in the real world.

In just half a second, the deep purple energy ball, brimming with shadowy aura, flew towards that location.

[Wait, don't hit me, I'm coming out!]

A timid voice echoed in Xia Shen and Zoroark's minds, but it was too late.

Spilled water cannot be gathered up again, and the same applies to moves that have already been made.

The Shadow Sphere exploded in the shadows, as if the world had been created, and Xia Shen found that everything around him had suddenly changed drastically.

The previously empty, enclosed space suddenly vanished, and the surroundings instantly became bright.

Xia Shen and Zoroark suddenly found themselves in a dark, empty hall with flickering will-o'-the-wisps!

…………

Chandelier, dining table, sofa, fireplace...

The layout and decoration clearly indicate that this is a person's residence.

At the long dining table, Xia Shen also saw Mumu Xiao and Meilutan.

Their figures were slightly transparent as they played carefree with several Ghost-type Pokémon.

Candlelight Spirit, Lament Tea, Pumpkin Spirit...

Although they were mostly baby-level Pokémon, Xia Shen's worries did not diminish at all.

Because that white candle-shaped spirit with purple flames on its head, Candlelight, is described in the Pokédex as a terrifying spirit that drains life force and souls!

The younger the souls they absorb, the more intense and eerie the flames above their heads will burn.

Xia Shen looked at the Candle Spirit whose head was almost bigger than its body, and his face turned green.

Rowlet and Meltan, they're probably completely drained...

"Zoroark, hurry and bring them back!" Xia Shen shouted anxiously.