Chapter Seventy-Nine: The Mysterious Hot Spring Inn

"Ah! We can finally see Mount Moon..." Misty couldn't help but sigh as she gazed at the distant mountain.

At that moment, Misty and Amu were both riding armored Rhydon, standing atop a steep cliff and looking out toward the rising silhouette of Mount Moon, which stretched southeast through the forested hills.

"Don't get too excited yet... We saw Mount Moon two days ago as well," Amu said with a roll of her eyes.

Over the past few days, Amu had needed more rest to recover her strength, making it difficult for her to travel quickly. Still, determined to reach Mount Moon by the 15th of the month, Amu had prepared restorative tonics for herself, which required plenty of sleep to take effect—it was, in fact, more like a sleeping aid.

During those days, Amu spent most of her time lying on the back of her armored Rhydon, sleeping as they traveled—after all, Rhydon was mature and could follow Misty on its own.

As a result, a full week passed and Amu still hadn't reached Mount Moon. Two days earlier, with her need for extra sleep greatly reduced, Amu had even helped Misty with navigation, and they'd managed to glimpse Mount Moon from another direction. However, after Amu took a short nap, Misty had somehow managed to get them lost again.

"What a beautiful mountain..." Misty pretended not to hear Amu's complaint, instead singing the mountain's praises.

Indeed, for Misty, the journey was more challenging than expected, since Mount Moon was surrounded on three sides—west, south, and east—by the dense Viridian Forest.

Today, on May 13th, Amu was finally fully recovered and no longer needed extra sleep. Only then did she lead Misty smoothly to this vantage point.

Afterward, they used the travelers' customary method for traversing difficult terrain: they recalled their armored Rhydon into their Poké Balls, rappelled down the cliff face with ropes, and then released Rhydon again to cross the final stretch of forest.

"Are we off track?" Misty asked as she looked up at the sun through the forest canopy, trying to sound serious.

"No, I intentionally veered a bit west. The main camping area is that way," Amu explained.

"Oh," Misty replied, falling silent—she had actually thought they were heading east.

At last, before nightfall, the two arrived at the Mount Moon campsite. Just like the previous White Dew Lake camp, there weren't many permanent structures—just a commonly accepted gathering spot for travelers to camp.

The only permanent buildings were a simple Pokémon Center and a few shops and restaurants.

This kind of Pokémon Center didn't offer accommodation—it only provided Pokémon medical services.

"Didn't you win a lottery voucher? Shouldn't that be for the resort area?" Misty asked, puzzled.

If it was for the resort, it should have been on the other side of Mount Moon, where there were more hot springs.

"No, I don't know why, but the address on the voucher says it's in the trainer campsite area..." Amu was perplexed as well.

"But I don't see any hotels... Ghostly Spring Inn, Ghostly Spring Inn..." Misty searched the camp's bulletin board for the name.

"Let's go to the Pokémon Center first. We can ask someone there," Amu suggested.

They made their way to the Pokémon Center. In places like this, it was common to see Nurse Joy herself, since there weren't many staff members and usually the young Joys were stationed in the wilderness.

They needed some routine care for their Pokémon, especially for Rhydon. Even though their Pokémon rested daily, the long journey had taken its toll.

For someone with the power of Joy, basic care was a matter of minutes. Soon, Amu received her Poké Balls back. "Your Pokémon are all in great condition," she was told.

"By the way, do you know if Ghostly Spring Inn is nearby?" Amu asked. At the mention of the name, the atmosphere around them seemed to change.

"Why are you asking? You're not thinking of going there for an adventure, are you?" a red-haired trainer nearby looked at Amu and Misty in surprise.

"Adventure? Isn't the place open? I won a lottery for their inn..." Amu was puzzled.

The other trainer shook his head. "Forget it! This is the camp area—just pitch your tent. If you want a comfortable rest, head to the resort tomorrow..."

"Is there a problem with the place?" Amu pressed, sensing from his tone that the inn wasn't simply closed.

The trainer lowered his voice. "That place... is haunted!"

"What?" Misty shuddered, glaring suspiciously at Amu, suspecting he had deliberately chosen such a place.

"Haunted?" Amu's eyes lit up.

"Perfect! I'm a Ghost-type trainer..." The moment he heard there might be ghosts, his interest was piqued.

"I remember... Other Ghost-type trainers have gone before, but even they came back empty-handed," Nurse Joy whispered, though she didn't elaborate. As a proper Nurse Joy, she couldn't very well promote ghost stories, especially since she didn't know the specifics.

Amu inquired about the exact location of the Ghostly Spring Inn—it wasn't inside the campsite, but it wasn't far, though it was much farther from the resort area, deeper into Mount Moon.

"Maybe... you should rest here tonight and meet up in the morning?" Amu suggested, knowing Misty was afraid of ghosts.

But although Misty was frightened, her pride wouldn't let her back down. Feeling that Amu was underestimating her, she retorted, "Why wait until morning? Didn't you say it's a suite? Let's go! I want to soak in the hot springs!"

Amu didn't really believe there were actual ghosts, so he and Misty headed in the direction indicated by the trainer at the Pokémon Center.

They found a secluded path leading to the Ghostly Inn, nestled at the foot of a modest cliff.

When they arrived, they saw a lonely, somewhat dilapidated inn standing in the forest.

"It really looks... like the perfect habitat for Ghost-type Pokémon..." Misty muttered as if trying to convince herself that whatever she saw would just be a Ghost-type Pokémon.

Amu entered the cramped, cluttered courtyard and knocked. The sliding wooden door creaked open.

An old woman, small and deeply wrinkled, her face gloomy, looked them up and down.

Misty bit her lip, managing not to cry out.

"My, my! Guests... hehehe, forgive me, please come in!" The old woman tried to put on a welcoming smile, but it only made her seem even more unsettling.

"Hello, ma'am, may I use this?" Amu produced the voucher he had prepared.

"Cheh... you may," the old woman replied, her enthusiasm fading.

Still, her sullen demeanor was somehow easier for Amu and Misty to handle...