Chapter 288: Acerola's Arrival
On the third day following the disappearance incident, Yuga was busy with Misaki in their studio in New Store, crafting Pokéblocks.
Usually, only Misaki worked in the Pokéblock studio, and Yuga occasionally lent a hand, as he had to train his Pokémon on one hand and take care of the Ecopark's Pokémon on the other – he had a lot on his plate.
In New Store, Arata Sena lay bored on the table, tilting his head and lightly tapping the table with his fingers, as there were no customers in the shop at that moment.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a figure entering the shop. He quickly lifted his head, ready to greet the customer.
"Welcome," Arata Sena politely said, rising from his seat.
The newcomer was a petite girl with deep purple hair, wearing a purple dress that gave her a playful and cute appearance.
The girl glanced around the shop but, finding nothing of interest, locked eyes with Arata Sena. She shook her head and said, "Hmm... It's not you!"
Arata Sena was puzzled. "Not me? Then who should I be?"
"Excuse me... Are you looking to buy Pokémon Eggs?" Arata Sena cautiously asked.
The girl shook her head gently, then walked straight towards the studio where the Pokéblocks were being made.
"Hey, you can't go in there," Arata Sena said, trying to stop her, but the girl moved so swiftly that he couldn't intervene.
"Hello!" Both Yuga and Misaki, who were focused on making Pokéblocks, didn't notice the newcomer until they heard her voice.
They both stopped what they were doing and turned to the door.
"Who are you?" Yuga asked, feeling a sense of familiarity as he looked at the girl who had appeared at the door.
Arata Sena hurriedly ran over and told Yuga, "I'm sorry, boss, I couldn't stop her."
Yuga shook his head at Arata Sena, not blaming him, as he sensed a similar aura to the mysterious girl from three days ago emanating from this new girl.
The girl paid no attention to Arata Sena as she approached Yuga directly and smiled, saying, "It's you! Have you seen Cecilia? Where is she?"
Yuga was puzzled. "Cecilia? I'm not sure..."
"Don't try to deceive me. I sense her aura on you," the girl said with a smile.
Yuga couldn't recall meeting any strangers recently except for the girl three days ago, who had a similar aura to the one before him now. He speculated that this girl might be referring to her.
With that in mind, Yuga told Arata Sena and Misaki, "You two carry on with your work. I'll be back shortly."
Then he turned to the girl and said, "Please follow me." After that, he walked out of the studio.
The girl nodded and followed Yuga's steps, leaving Arata Sena and Misaki looking at each other in confusion.
Yuga led the girl to the meeting room in New Store, a specially arranged area for receiving customers.
He gestured toward a chair and said, "Please have a seat. I won't offer you tea, as I assume you're not here for that."
"Thank you, that's fine," the girl replied with a slight nod and took a seat.
"I don't know your name," Yuga said.
The girl, a bit embarrassed, stuck out her tongue playfully and said, "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Acerola, from Alola."
Acerola, from Alola!
Hearing these words, Yuga finally remembered why the girl in front of him seemed so familiar.
She had appeared in the original story.
However, what intrigued Yuga was that her current appearance and age matched his impression of her exactly.
Originally, Yuga had assumed that she and Ash Ketchum's group were around the same age, but now it seemed not to be the case. She might even be older than him.
"I hope your arrival won't cause trouble," Yuga said.
Upon hearing Yuga's words, Acerola's expression instantly turned serious.
"I didn't intend to cause trouble, but I must take Cecilia with me. Regardless of your relationship with her, she shouldn't stay here," Acerola replied.
Yuga sat down across from Acerola and said, "First, I don't even know who this Cecilia is."
Before Yuga could finish his sentence, Acerola gave him a look that said she wasn't buying it.
Yuga continued, "However, three days ago, I encountered a girl with a similar aura to yours."
At this point, Acerola's eyes lit up, and she immediately said, "That must be Cecilia! Tell me, where is she?"
Acerola hadn't expected Yuga to sense the unique aura they both possessed, which surprised her. Still, she couldn't ignore the extraordinary power she felt emanating from Yuga, even if it made her uncomfortable.
Yuga looked at Acerola for a moment and said, "I can tell you where she is, but you need to tell me who she is, who you are, your relationship with her, why she has the ability to open the Ghost World Gate, and whether she might reappear in Verdant Town."
After hearing Yuga's words, Acerola fell silent for a while before saying, "I'm sorry, I can't answer those questions, but I hope you can tell me where Cecilia is. It's crucial for me."
Seeing that Acerola refused his request, Yuga said, "In that case, I can't tell you her whereabouts either."
The reason Yuga wanted to know Cecilia's identity was to be prepared, as who knew if she would go insane again and try to abduct people back to the Ghost World, which he couldn't tolerate.
Seeing Yuga's firm stance, Acerola sighed and said, "Do you really want to know?"
"Of course," Yuga nodded.
Acerola then said, "I can tell you, but you must promise that what you hear from me today will remain a secret, known to no one else."
Yuga nodded and promised, "Of course."
The secrecy of the matter piqued Yuga's curiosity even more.
Acerola continued, "Alright, Cecilia is a Specter from the Ghost World, and I'm also half from the Ghost World."
While it was surprising that Cecilia was a Specter, what puzzled Yuga even more was Acerola's claim that she half from the Ghost World.
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