"Masha?"
This time, Natsuhiko heard clearly and instinctively turned his head. Sure enough, from within his own shadow behind him, he saw the familiar figure with a head black as mist.
Marshadow!
Marshadow again?!
How did I leave Goldenrod City, and even leave the Kanto Region, yet still encounter it?
Marshadow also noticed its own loss of composure, quickly raised its small hand to cover its mouth, turned around, and hid back into Natsuhiko's shadow, disappearing from sight.
Looking at the hiding Marshadow, Natsuhiko felt complicated.
But his attention now was still focused on dealing with the pack of Mightyenas, leaving their territory first before anything else.
After Beedrill's efforts and defeating multiple Mightyenas, they finally escorted Natsuhiko back to the town's area without incident.
The pack of furious Mightyenas just continued barking incessantly at the boundary, similar to last time when Natsuhiko and Beedrill disturbed them.
After barking for a while, they slowly retreated indignantly.
However, in the short term, they probably wouldn't be bothered by Natsuhiko and Beedrill again.
Because his attention was no longer on those Mightyenas.
And the strategies that Beedrill needed to practice were almost done, Natsuhiko had found a way to deal with Druddigon.
Yet, before challenging Druddigon again, he had a more important issue to solve.
Crouching beside a wooden building in the town, casting his shadow on the wall, Natsuhiko pursed his lips while looking at his shadow.
Since entering this island and stepping onto the town, he had felt like he was returning to the Netherworld again.
At that time, he thought it was just a similar feeling, but thinking about it now, it might have something to do with Marshadow.
Perhaps Marshadow's arrival made this place like this.
But Natsuhiko leaned more towards another possibility.
Perhaps, the island and the town are similar to the Netherworld, which is why it came here, seeking a feeling of coming home.
After all.
The town's change definitely couldn't have happened in just a few days or months.
And the rules and boundaries followed by the Wild Pokémon on the entire island couldn't have changed so quickly either.
So he leaned more towards this latter possibility.
Besides, in his impression, although Marshadow was very powerful, it was not violent in nature; otherwise, it wouldn't become the examiner for Ho-Oh's "Rainbow Hero" in the future.
"Marshadow?"
Natsuhiko called out softly.
But the shadow remained unchanged, and there was no sign of Marshadow appearing.
He didn't have Ho-Oh's feather, and Marshadow seemed yet to become the examiner for "Rainbow Hero," so why did it keep hiding in his shadow?
Is it because he brought it out of the Netherworld?
But actually, with Marshadow's ability, as long as it's willing, it could walk out of the Netherworld anytime by itself.
Moreover, wasn't it previously riding that Shining Charizard?
Where's the Shining Charizard?
Seeing Natsuhiko huddled on the ground, continuously calling into his shadow, Beedrill and Abra were unfazed, while Togepi tilted its head and walked step by step towards Natsuhiko.
It reached out its small hand to touch the wall.
Unable to touch anything, the shadow covered its hand.
Turned to look at Natsuhiko.
Hesitated, reached out to touch his forehead.
"Togepi?"
Not feverish?
Natsuhiko just twitched his face for Togepi's action, without saying a word.
Instead, he called for Abra.
"Abra, try using your psychic power to cover my shadow, and attempt to communicate with the little fellow hiding inside."
Since Marshadow didn't want to come out, the only method Natsuhiko could think of was Abra's psychic power and telepathy.
Before Abra took action, he reminded, "Be gentle, don't provoke it."
"Abra." Abra nodded.
It had seen Marshadow with Natsuhiko, and at that time, even the formidable Shining Charizard was not easy to subdue for Agatha and Uncle Liu, the two champions; Marshadow simply patted it gently, and Shining Charizard was subdued and obedient.
Abra was also very wary of Marshadow.
Then, deep blue psychic power extended from Abra, slowly spreading, wrapping gently around Natsuhiko and his shadow.
Attempting to contact Marshadow using psychic power and telepathy.
After a while.
Abra half-closed its eyes, shook its head helplessly at Natsuhiko.
Even Abra's psychic power couldn't do it?
It seems that as long as Marshadow doesn't want to appear, it's beyond reach.
"Perhaps, when I noticed it, it might have already left." Natsuhiko could only use this unreliable explanation to comfort himself.
Just as he voiced this self-comforting explanation, Natsuhiko smiled wryly.
Self-deception, huh.
Slowly standing up, he looked at the shadow in silence for a long time.
Togepi looked up at Natsuhiko, and then at Abra who also seemed a bit solemn. It seemed it finally realized what Natsuhiko was doing.
Its small eyes moved.
Hesitantly, it fumbled around, and nobody knew where it got a crystal Poke Fairy Energy Block from.
With a bit of heartache and hesitation, it moved to Natsuhiko's shadow.
"Togepi?"
Little shadow, want something good?
Togepi was trying its own habit and preference, after all, if it were it, such food would definitely lure it out.
Looking at the soft pink Poke Fairy Energy Block in its palm, Togepi sneakily swallowed a bit of saliva.
It decided that if it counted to three in its heart and there was no movement, it would eat the hard-preserved Energy Block itself.
Staring closely at the shadow.
"Togepi..."
I'm about to count down.
Mouth slightly opened.
"Togepi!"
Three!
Words were quick, fearing the other might regret.
As soon as the words fell, Togepi tossed the Energy Block towards its mouth.
But at that moment, a suddenly black as mist mass emerged from Natsuhiko's shadow, enveloped the Energy Block thrown in the air, quickly rolled back into the shadow.
Clack.
Togepi bit the air, its upper and lower teeth collided, making a crisp sound.
"Togepi?"
Eh?
"Masha Masha—"
Then, they heard sounds from Natsuhiko's shadow, mixed with chewing.
"Togepi!" Togepi's eyes widened.
It lightly tugged on Natsuhiko's trouser leg.
There's really a ghost?!
Natsuhiko naturally saw this too, his eyes gleaming.
He squatted down again, took out a whole box of Energy Blocks from his arms, and handed it to his shadow.
He said nothing.
But soon, that black mist again emerged from his shadow, wrapped around the box, and disappeared again.
"Masha Masha—"
Marshadow's joyful voice came from the shadow.
"Marshadow." Natsuhiko called softly.
A pair of orange oval eyes appeared on his shadow, blinking, with a dynamic glow, carrying curiosity, surprise, timidity, and multiple emotions, looking at him.
It's really there...
Natsuhiko tried to show a smile he thought was amiable, to avoid scaring this extraordinarily powerful, even terrifying presence, yet with a very small courage.
He didn't want to capture Marshadow.
That's an impossible task.
After all, Marshadow is a Phantom Beast, comparable to a Divine Beast, impossible to be captured by an ordinary Trainer, let alone him.
He just wanted to understand the reason Marshadow was following him.
Why did it appear here?
What unknown secrets does this island hold?
Of course, if things went more smoothly, maybe he could establish a friendly relationship with Marshadow.
But before he could speak, Marshadow's gaze landed on Beedrill behind Natsuhiko.
"Masha Masha—"
Marshadow's soft voice sounded.
Natsuhiko didn't understand the meaning behind its words.
"Abra."
Beside him, Abra helped translate.
After listening to Abra, Natsuhiko clearly paused, then reacted, murmuring: "You said, there's a sacred special aura on Beedrill?"
"Masha Masha—" Marshadow nodded gently.
There's a sacred special aura on Beedrill...
The first thought flashing in Natsuhiko's mind was the Pure Gold Feather that Tom Rokicki used to summon Zapdos, back when Beedrill was still a Weedle.
This seems to be the only possibility.
Was that Pure Gold Feather special?