Chapter 678 - 678: 678. None of My Concern

It was a truly strange sensation.

Floating above his own body, Kai stared down at himself lying on the bed. Though his chest rose and fell with steady breaths, he could no longer feel the rhythm of breathing at all. Existing in this soul-like state felt surreal detached, weightless, and faintly unsettling.

Beside the bed, Misty knelt anxiously. Seeing him lying there as if fast asleep, she gently nudged his arm.

"Kai… have you left already?"

Left? She makes it sound like I died…

Kai turned toward Gengar. "If I speak now, she can't hear me, right?"

Gengar nodded. "In a soul state, you can't communicate with ordinary people. She won't hear your voice. Though… you could pull a little prank if you wanted."

"A prank?" Kai shook his head. He had no interest in teasing a young girl especially not now.

Meanwhile, Misty, receiving no response, seemed to assume he was truly gone. A strange smile curved across her face as she slowly reached a hand toward his chest…

Black lines practically appeared over Kai's head.

What is she trying to do?

He shot Gengar a sharp look. "Tell her I'm still here, and tell her to behave!"

Gengar, who had been watching with a mischievous grin, sighed in disappointment before relaying Kai's words aloud.

"Eh?!"

Misty jolted like a startled Pidgey, quickly withdrawing her hand. Her face flushed crimson.

"I—I was just fixing your clothes! They looked messy, so I wanted to straighten them out!"

Inside, she was mortified.

What was I thinking?! Gengar never left—of course, Kai didn't leave either! And I chose that moment to make a move?!

Hopefully that excuse works…

Hovering midair, Kai didn't buy a word of it. Her bright red face had already betrayed her intentions.

I should've sent out Gardevoir to guard my body…

Before he could press further, Gengar urged, "Enough talk. As I said, staying out of your body during the day is unstable. We should handle business quickly."

Reluctantly, after one last uneasy glance at Misty, Kai followed Gengar straight through the wall and into the corridor.

---

Since he couldn't control his movements properly, Gengar practically dragged him along.

"Where are we going?" Kai asked.

"Back to the deck where you met Diane. They shouldn't have left yet."

"Can other Pokémon see me like this?"

"Only Ghost-types. Why, planning to avoid them?"

"This is sensitive business. The fewer who notice us, the better."

"Got it. We'll move from above."

They drifted silently to the sunlit deck. Sure enough, Diane and the magician Butler were still there, reclining under the blazing sun. Other passengers lingered nearby, so the pair spoke little, simply basking in silence.

Their behavior seemed ordinary but that normalcy made Kai even more suspicious.

"They might stay here for a while," Gengar muttered, glancing at the cloudless sky. "And don't forget stay away from your body too long, and you'll actually die."

"Then make them leave," Kai said calmly. "Force them to move."

"I knew this job would fall to me…" Gengar grumbled.

Moments later, in an unnoticed corner, Gengar transformed into a massive electric fan and unleashed a powerful gust.

WHOOSH!

Hats flew off. Hair whipped wildly. Tourists scrambled in confusion. Amid the chaos, Diane and Butler were forced to retreat inside.

Satisfied, Kai followed them at a cautious distance, wary in case they possessed Ghost-type Pokémon capable of spotting him.

They entered a higher-tier cabin two decks above his own. After confirming the room was safe, Gengar pulled Kai through the wall.

Inside, Butler removed his glasses.

"You shouldn't have approached him," he said gravely.

"So what?" Diane poured herself a glass of wine. "You've already left Team Magma, He's not your enemy anymore."

Team Magma?!

Kai's suspicions were confirmed.

"Ignore the risk and our plan could collapse!" Butler snapped.

Diane smiled faintly. "Wouldn't that be convenient? Then you could finally abandon that unrealistic dream."

"Impossible!" Butler's voice hardened. "I'll make those who mocked me regret it! Once we reach Forina and obtain Jirachi's crystal, my wish will come true!"

Jirachi…

Everything clicked.

Jirachi, the Steel- and Psychic-type Mythical Pokémon said to awaken once every thousand years, could grant any wish written upon its head tags—so long as it heard a pure voice for seven consecutive days.

Most dismissed it as a mere legend.

But not someone as obsessed as Butler.

Kai now remembered clearly that these two were figures from the Jirachi movie, and Butler was its antagonist.

With that realization, his interest faded.

He had no desire for Jirachi, nor any intention of traveling to Forina over such matters.

That headache can be left to Ash.

He signaled Gengar, and together they returned.

---

Back in the cabin, Misty was asleep—curled up beside his body. Her Starmie stood nearby, standing guard.

Kai sighed before slipping back into himself.

His eyes opened.

Misty stirred immediately. "Big Brother Kai? You're back?"

He eyed her suspiciously. "You didn't do anything to my body, right?"

She shot upright. "Of course not! What do you take me for?!"

Though doubtful, Kai checked himself. Everything seemed in order. He let it go.

"What did you find out?" she asked quickly, eager to change the subject.

"Nothing concerning us. They have their own objective, and it isn't me."

And so, the voyage continued peacefully. Kai and Misty devoted themselves to training Feebas. Though it still hadn't evolved, its improvement was obvious.

Diane occasionally visited, chatting casually. She seemed unaware that her secrets had been overheard.

Kai remained polite—but distant.

---

Eventually, the ship docked at Sootopolis City.

Sootopolis City—the mysterious city slumbering in history.

Located in eastern Hoenn, it rests within the crater of an ancient volcano, its central lake formed by rainfall over the ages. The city's architecture is said to resemble Greece's Santorini.

As Kai disembarked, intending to challenge the Sootopolis Gym, he spotted a familiar figure in the distance—

Shelly of Team Aqua.

Why is she here?

Instead of heading for the Gym, Kai motioned to Misty and followed her.

Given their bitter history, even hearing Team Aqua was nearby would've been enough for him to act.

Yet Shelly walked alone no subordinates in sight. Lost in thought.

"Could this be about the failed Deoxys operation?" Misty whispered.

"Unlikely," Kai muttered. "She's not that fragile."

They tailed her into a quieter cargo area. Once isolated, Kai and Misty moved in, cutting off her path.

Shelly froze when she recognized him.

"Didn't expect to meet here, did you?" Kai smiled thinly, hand drifting toward his Poké Balls. "Unfortunate for youbut today, you're out of options."

"W-Wait!" Shelly raised her hands. "I have something urgent to deal with. Please just this once—let me go!"

Her usual arrogance was gone.

Kai narrowed his eyes. "Interesting. Then tell me—"

"What's so important?"

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