No.
Ruins?
Yes.
18: Chapter 18: Dormitory?
No.
Ruins?
Yes.
After leaving the Academic Affairs Office, Lina led Roy toward his dormitory.
But after walking for a while, Roy began to notice something was off.
He clearly remembered Lina mentioning earlier that the student dormitories were located near the main academic building.
Yet the two of them were now walking in the exact opposite direction.
“Teacher Lina, aren’t the student dorms back where we just came from?”
“They are…”
Lina hesitated, looking rather embarrassed.
“…But…”
“The academy was concerned that, as a Ghost-type trainer…”
She paused before continuing.
“…and for the sake of the other students…”
“…they decided not to assign you to the regular dormitory.”
“Instead, they’ve arranged for you to stay near the academy’s back mountain.”
Roy simply nodded.
So I really am being treated differently.
From the Bug Catcher who had nearly wet himself…
To the poacher who had done exactly that…
To Officer Lira warning him not to release Ghost Pokémon inside the city…
And now, even being separated from the other students.
Everything reinforced one fact.
People in this era misunderstood Ghost-type Pokémon far more than he’d imagined.
No wonder earning Popularity Points is so difficult.
After another twenty minutes of walking, the outline of a mountain finally appeared ahead.
If Lina hadn’t told him they were still inside the academy grounds, Roy would have assumed they’d already left campus.
“We’re here.”
“This is the academy’s back mountain.”
Roy’s dormitory stood before him.
Or rather…
An old, weathered building that looked ready to collapse at any moment.
It had once served as a storage warehouse for Rustboro Academy’s original campus.
It was hard to believe that such a battle-scarred building still existed within an elegant European-style academy.
Roy’s expression suddenly became serious.
Seeing his reaction, Lina felt even more guilty.
From everything she’d seen today…
Roy had behaved like a perfectly ordinary student.
He didn’t deserve to be isolated.
Finally, she clenched her fists.
“I’ll speak to the principal.”
“I’ll ask him to move you into the boys’ dorm with the rest of our class.”
Roy immediately shook his head.
“That’s not necessary, Teacher Lina.”
“I actually prefer quiet places.”
“This is great.”
“I even get a room all to myself.”
“I’ll stay here.”
Roy genuinely didn’t mind.
A private room?
That sounded amazing.
Sure, it looked a little run-down.
But…
After living in a coffin for two years…
What difference did an old warehouse make?
Seeing that Roy truly wasn’t bothered, Lina let out a relieved sigh.
She wasn’t even sure what condition the inside of the warehouse was in.
After all, it had been abandoned for years.
What Roy didn’t tell her…
Was that the reason he’d looked so serious had nothing to do with the building itself.
The Ghost Aura here…
It felt almost as rich as Mt.
Pyre.
How is that possible?
Walking to the entrance, Roy pushed open the heavy wooden doors.
The hinges creaked loudly.
It sounded as though the entire door might fall off at any moment.
Inside…
The warehouse was packed with forgotten junk.
Compared to everything else inside…
The old wooden door was somehow the newest piece of furniture.
Beyond the warehouse lay the academy’s back mountain.
The entire area had been sealed off behind tall chain-link fencing.
That much security?
Did something happen here?
Lina explained quietly.
“This used to be one of the logistics warehouses for the back mountain.”
“But after…
that incident…”
“The entire area was sealed.”
“And this warehouse was abandoned.”
“…That incident?”
Roy asked.
Lina instinctively lowered her voice.
“They say…”
“A female student once took her own life here after suffering from unrequited love.”
“Since then…”
“Strange sounds can supposedly be heard coming from the mountain every night.”
“The academy hired several Gym-level Trainers to investigate.”
“They even invited a Dark-type trainer who was nearly Champion-level.”
“They all entered the mountain…”
“…and never came back.”
“No bodies.”
“No clues.”
“They simply vanished.”
Roy had originally dismissed it as nothing more than a ghost story created to keep students away from the mountain.
But…
When he heard that several experienced trainers, including a powerful Dark-type specialist, had disappeared…
His expression became much more serious.
Even Gym-level trainers never returned?
Could the legend actually be true?
And what exactly is producing such concentrated Ghost Aura here?
Questions piled one after another inside his mind.
Just then…
Duskull floated out of its Poké Ball.
The moment it sensed the surroundings, it became excited and began phasing happily through one wall after another.
Lina jumped in surprise.
Fortunately, Duskull showed no intention of harming anyone.
It simply seemed thrilled by its new environment.
“Roy…”
“Please make sure it doesn’t go around frightening people.”
Roy smiled.
“Don’t worry, Teacher.”
“They’re both good kids.”
“They’re very well behaved.”
Lina looked at the floating skull-faced ghost passing through walls with its hands behind its back.
Good kids?
Yeah…
sure.
She wasn’t convinced for a second.
…
Soon afterward, Lina rolled up her sleeves.
“Come on.”
“I’ll help you clean the room.”
“After that, we’ll pick up your school uniform and textbooks.”
It was obvious she was someone used to doing housework.
Roy carried the larger pieces of furniture outside while sorting everything into piles. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
Useful.
Trash.
Broken.
Hidden deep inside the warehouse…
He unexpectedly found an old mountain bike.
Although dusty and worn, the frame and pedals were still intact.
Only the chain had rusted over.
It actually looked rideable.
Inside one of the wheel hubs was a manufacturer’s stamp.
Production Date: Five Years Ago
Miracle Cycles
Roy’s eyes widened.
Miracle Cycles?
That’s the bicycle shop from the games!
Back in his previous life…
He had ridden one of those bicycles across the entire Hoenn map countless times.
Grinding his bike skills just to clear all those ridiculous cycling road puzzles.
Before he could finish every challenge…
He’d been reincarnated into this world.
Lina looked at the bicycle.
“That’s probably a first-generation Miracle mountain bike.”
“It might even be older than you.”
Roy immediately asked,
“Teacher…”
“Does this bicycle still belong to anyone?”
“If nobody wants it…”
“Can I keep it?”
“…Uh…”
“I suppose you can.”
“I doubt anyone else would want it anymore.”
She looked at the rusty old bike uncertainly.
Roy mentally celebrated.
Obtained: 99% New Beautiful Teacher’s Bicycle ×1
Duskull immediately stopped floating through the walls.
Without hesitation, it drifted into the bicycle basket and sat down proudly.
It had already claimed its seat.
Roy polished the frame until it shone.
The old bicycle seemed to regain its soul.
Although…
Actually riding it felt even rougher than the old-fashioned bicycles from his previous life.
Still…
Machines built in the first generation were known for one thing.
They lasted forever.
After clearing away the useless junk, Roy set up a hammock inside the warehouse.
Duskull floated out of the bicycle basket…
Straight onto the hammock.
Its life philosophy was simple.
If you can lie down, never stand.
Watching Roy interact so naturally with his Pokémon…
Lina couldn’t help smiling.
While she cleaned another corner of the room…
Litwick quietly floated beside her.
The little candle illuminated every dark corner she couldn’t see.
Instead of frightening her…
It was helping.
Lina froze.
“…Th-thank you.”
Hearing her gratitude…
The blue flame atop Litwick’s head transformed into the shape of a tiny heart.
For the first time…
Lina realized…
Maybe Ghost-type Pokémon weren’t nearly as frightening as everyone believed.
After finishing the cleaning, Roy followed Lina to collect his academy uniform…
Along with all the textbooks he’d need for his classes.