"This is Sevenleaf Town. Looks like this trip might actually be worth it," Jack said with a hint of excitement in his voice as he stared at the bustling town ahead.
Sevenleaf Town was famous for one thing—the Sevenleaf Herb.
This unique medicinal plant was a staple in crafting high-grade recovery medicine. When processed properly, the medicine made from Sevenleaf Herbs could not only heal wounds and restore a Pokémon's stamina, but also temporarily boost their combat strength.
The boost wasn't dramatic—roughly 10%—and it only worked on Pokémon at the senior level or below, but even a slight edge could decide the outcome of a life-or-death battle. That alone made the Sevenleaf Herb incredibly valuable.
Because of that, even though it was technically just a town, Sevenleaf had grown into a prosperous hotspot. Trainers from all over came here hoping to stock up on the herb's powerful medicine directly from its source.
Jack had three goals in coming here:
To stock up on healing supplies made from Sevenleaf Herb.
To scout for any trainers selling ghost-type Pokémon.
To test his luck and see if he could encounter a wild ghost-type Pokémon himself.
Despite their rarity, ghost-types were notoriously difficult to tame. Many of them had life-draining abilities that could threaten both humans and other Pokémon. Trainers who caught one without knowing how to control it often found themselves in danger.
And for those who couldn't sell them through official channels—or didn't dare to use the black market—Sevenleaf Town offered a legal grey area. The town's prosperity, remote location, and lack of heavy oversight made it a perfect place for subtle trades under the guise of "trading" or "gifting" Pokémon.
Of course, that didn't mean it was safe. These kinds of under-the-table deals always came with risks.
Jack also had another reason for believing ghost-types would appear here: the way Sevenleaf Herbs were cultivated.
If fresh blood or meat was buried in the soil, the herbs would grow faster and stronger. And thankfully, the plant wasn't picky—it didn't need human remains. Regular animal blood would do just fine.
Still, this kind of large-scale slaughter had an unintended side effect—it attracted ghost-type Pokémon.
Jack wasn't the first to think of this. Many trainers had already come here hoping to catch a ghost-type, and now, Jack was one of them.
As he entered town, Jack could immediately feel the energy. Trainers strolled the streets with their Pokémon, sampling local snacks and browsing stalls. Stores showcased all kinds of potions and tonics infused with Sevenleaf Herb, and since it was the source town, prices here were far lower than in the cities.
Even roadside vendors were selling wound medicine—though their quality was questionable.
Jack didn't rush into any purchases. Instead, he took his time surveying the prices, comparing reputations of the different stores, and asking around. After narrowing down the options, he picked a reputable shop and bought thirty bottles of Sevenleaf Recovery Medicine—each priced at 11,000 credits.
These were large bottles. For a Pokémon like Haunter, one bottle could handle 2–3 uses if it was just physical fatigue. Even in the case of serious injury, one bottle would be enough to bring him back to fighting shape.
Of course, Jack didn't lug them around in a regular backpack.
This is where the oddity of the Pokémon world's tech really showed. What looked like a simple backpack was actually a high-grade spatial folding pack. Jack had invested early in one, knowing that mobility and storage were everything for a mercenary like him.
With his supplies secured, Jack didn't rest. He activated the humanoid robot he'd exchanged from the system and began using it to probe for information on ghost-type Pokémon in the area.
The robot was indistinguishable from a real person at first glance. The only drawback was that its movements were slightly stiff, and it lacked any combat ability—even less than a normal human. Its only real strength was durability, thanks to its specialized internal structure.
While the robot was out gathering intel, Jack himself spent his days wandering the outskirts of town, especially the fields where Sevenleaf Herbs were grown.
The locals were used to people like him. Trainers came here often hoping to spot ghost-types. But even if they were desensitized to these treasure hunters, the herb farmers never let their guard down. After all, not everyone pretending to be a trainer was harmless—some were criminals looking to steal their valuable crops.
Jack spent several days like this, but neither he nor the robot found anything useful. Eventually, his enthusiasm started to wane.
Sigh… one last try, he thought. That night, while getting ready for bed, he turned to Haunter and said, "You're on watch tonight. We'll try again in the morning. If nothing turns up, we'll move on to the next town that's rumored to have ghost-type activity."
Even though Jack was confident no one knew his true identity, he was never careless. Each night before sleeping, he left Haunter on patrol to act as an early warning system.
That night, while Jack slept soundly in his hotel room, something began to stir near the Sevenleaf fields.
A black mist rose from the soil and slowly began to condense. It was a phenomenon known to researchers—the birth of a ghost-type Pokémon.
The most reliable way to obtain ghost-types was through breeding. But sometimes, under the right conditions, the souls of the dead—or echoes of intense emotion—would manifest and form wild ghost Pokémon.
If any scientist specializing in ghost-types had been around, they would've immediately recognized that this fog was the sign of a new Pokémon's emergence.
But at four or five in the morning, all the opportunistic trainers had already left, and no one was there to witness the miracle.
By the time the sun rose over Sevenleaf Town, a strange shimmer flickered in the newly born Pokémon's eyes. It instinctively turned toward the town.
Something there… was calling to it.