62: Section 62

As the Firefighter spoke, he couldn't help but sigh, a bitter smile gracing his lips.

They were truly helpless in the face of what they were currently encountering.

As of now, almost half of their people had disappeared, and they didn't even know how they vanished.

Many people would be on the phone with you one second, only to suddenly disappear the next.

[Hoo~ At first, like Anchor, when I saw the Firefighter, I thought it was a Pokémon arson incident or something similar, but I didn't expect it to be a false alarm.]

[It can't really be considered a false alarm. From the current situation, this incident is most likely related to Pokémon.]

[No, there's still a difference. After all, the nature of arson is too malicious. But the current situation is different; it mainly depends on whether those missing Firefighters are actually in danger.]

[I feel like they should be fine. Since they said they couldn't find any traces, it means no one should be injured yet. At most, they've just been hidden.]

[Indeed, if the Pokémon that did this was truly only trying to harm people, there would be no need for such an elaborate scheme. It should have another purpose.]

[So the question is, what is its purpose?]

[You'll have to ask Anchor. Maybe Anchor knows?]

[I doubt it. Anchor probably doesn't know the Pokémon's purpose either, as this behavior seems somewhat inexplicable.]

[Is this really caused by a Pokémon? Or rather, besides a Pokémon, could someone else be involved? Why do I always feel like someone is causing trouble? After all, if it were only a Pokémon, how would you explain that initial phone call?]

[Hiss~ That makes sense!]

[Now that you mention it, something does seem off. Could there be a mastermind behind this incident?]

[Don't scare people here! If that were true, things would be troublesome, and who would do such a thing?]

[That would be the United States, of course! I heard that the reason the United States is so actively fighting Pokémon is to capture and control them for their service. Maybe this is the result of their research?]

Upon hearing the Firefighter's description, the Water Friends were very surprised.

They clearly hadn't expected such a thing to happen.

This was truly beyond their expectations!

And some more quick-witted people discovered some inconsistencies and made an extremely bold guess.

"Regarding this matter, I think you might be overthinking it."

"If nothing unexpected happens, this should just be a simple prank caused by a Pokémon, and there's no mastermind behind it."

"After all, even if someone genuinely wanted to take advantage of the situation, there would be no need to attack Firefighters, right?"

"This would not only fail to gain any substantial benefits but also expose himself."

Seeing the bullet comments in the live stream becoming increasingly outrageous, turning a simple matter into something incredibly complex, Zhang Yu quickly spoke up to put a stop to their wild speculation.

Otherwise, who knew what else they would say.

"As for the phone issue you mentioned, it should be a trick played by a Pokémon using a skill that can create illusions."

"Even the sudden disappearance of those people is very likely due to the influence of an illusion."

"As for what kind of Pokémon caused this prank..."

"From what I know, Ghost-type Pokémon are very fond of pranks, and they also happen to have illusion-type skills."

"This incident was most likely caused by them."

To prevent the Water Friends from continuing to overthink, he immediately stated his guess.

"What? Ghost-type Pokémon?!"

Upon hearing Zhang Yu's words, the Firefighter was immediately startled.

He never imagined they would be so unlucky as to encounter such a rare Pokémon.

And Ghost-type Pokémon... would they be difficult to get along with? Or, would those missing people be in any danger?

[Yay! Finally, I can see a Ghost-type Pokémon!]

[Hey, hey! Is it really okay to say something like that at a time like this?]

[Yeah, and didn't you forget that Rotom is a Ghost-type Pokémon?]

[That's different. I want to see a traditional ghost, not an electronic ghost like Rotom, or a cyber ghost.]

[Exactly! Pokémon like Rotom clearly aren't like typical Ghost-type Pokémon, okay? I want to see the kind of ghosts from ghost stories, not its electronic ghosts!]

[Speaking of which, Rotom really doesn't give me that ghost-like feeling I want.]

[But isn't that better? Look how cute Rotom is!]

[Exactly, Rotom is much cuter than traditional ghosts! And honestly, do you really think there are traditional ghosts like the ones you want to see among Pokémon?]

[With illusions even coming out, why wouldn't there be traditional ghosts?]

[I think so too, so I believe such Ghost-type Pokémon definitely exist!]

[That's hard to say. At least in terms of appearance, it should be different from what you imagine.]

[That's true too. Pokémon generally have very good appearances, with only Pokémon like Rattata being a bit ordinary.]

[Compared to those things, shouldn't we be more concerned about the safety of the missing Firefighters?]

[There shouldn't be anything wrong, right? After all, didn't Anchor also say it? It's just a prank by a Ghost-type Pokémon.]

Upon hearing Zhang Yu say that this incident was related to a Ghost-type Pokémon, some Water Friends immediately became excited.

Clearly, they were already eager to see a Ghost-type Pokémon.

However, their behavior was also criticized by some other Water Friends.

"Don't worry, those people will be fine."

"Although Ghost-type Pokémon are very fond of pranks, they usually don't harm humans, at least not intentionally."

"While Ghost-type Pokémon can be mischievous, they primarily rely on skills that can create illusions, or abilities that most Ghost-type Pokémon have, like invisibility and phasing through walls, to play pranks."

"Overall, most Ghost-type Pokémon are quite harmless."

Seeing the worried expression on the Firefighter's face, Zhang Yu immediately guessed what he was thinking and promptly spoke to comfort him.

Even though Ghost-type Pokémon can be quite mischievous, perhaps due to their extensive experience with pranks, they haven't actually caused any major incidents.

"In that case, I'm relieved."

"But how do we rescue those missing team members?"

Although the Firefighter was slightly relieved after hearing Zhang Yu's words.

The problem was, the situation hadn't been resolved yet, and he couldn't completely relax.

"This problem is actually very simple. You just need to find some Berries or snacks to lure it out."

"Berries go without saying, but for snacks, it's mainly about those that look good and are fun to play with. The taste is not as important. If these can't be found quickly, some toys can also work, but the effect might not be as good."

Zhang Yu pondered for a moment upon hearing this, then offered a solution.

For others, finding Berries at this time would be extremely difficult, but Firefighters, after all, have the backing of the country, so getting some Berries shouldn't be a problem.

After all, Zhang Yu knew that Long Country had long been trying to collect Berries and had already achieved some success.

And even if there were no Berries, taking some interesting snacks should also be able to lure out that Ghost-type Pokémon.

After all, Ghost-type Pokémon are famously playful; when they see something delicious or fun, it's very hard for them to resist coming out.

As for why Zhang Yu said that toys might not be as effective... of course, it's because some Ghost-type Pokémon might directly take things they like, and it's hard to say if this Ghost-type Pokémon would be like that.

If they really encountered such a Ghost-type Pokémon, the extent of the toys' appeal to him would be questionable.

"Okay, I understand."

Upon hearing Zhang Yu's words, the Firefighter immediately sent people to prepare these items.

"Oh, and I must remind you that while most Ghost-type Pokémon only play pranks and don't harm people, there are a few exceptions."

"For example, a Ghost-type Pokémon made of gas called Gastly. Because its body is almost entirely composed of poisonous gas, even if it doesn't intend to harm humans, it can still cause some harm."

Chapter 81: Gengar! Super Evolution! Gigantamax! (Please Subscribe)

"Besides that, there's also a Ghost-type Pokémon that looks like a burning candle, called Litwick, which is also very dangerous."

"This Pokémon has the ability to absorb the life force of surrounding creatures. Although the extent is not large and has almost no effect on humans in a short period, prolonged contact with it can be very dangerous."

"Moreover, this is a passive ability, or rather, an instinctive ability for it. Unless it has undergone special training, Litwick usually cannot control this ability."

"Because for them, it's almost as instinctive as breathing."

"So, even if you see a Ghost-type Pokémon, it's best not to approach it rashly, especially if you feel unwell; you need to get away as quickly as possible."

Seeing the Firefighter begin to get busy, Zhang Yu immediately spoke up in the live stream to warn people, to prevent anyone from getting themselves into trouble just because they liked Ghost-type Pokémon.

[Ghost-type Pokémon only like pranks and don't harm people? Then I'm relieved.]

[So, luring out a Ghost-type Pokémon is actually that simple? I'm going to try it now!]

[Hey, hey! You're completely asking for trouble!]

[Isn't that asking for trouble? While Ghost-type Pokémon may not intentionally harm people, that doesn't mean they're truly harmless.]

[Speaking of which, Ghost-type Pokémon can be invisible, pass through walls, and create illusions. Isn't that a bit too outrageous?]