Pokémon: I Am a Dragon Tamer!

Beside Ryuuske, Sabrina was also fully prepared for battle. Although Agatha's earlier words seemed primarily directed at Ryuuske, the two of them were now tied together on the same rope. Who knew if this was one of Agatha's tricks—trying to lure Sabrina into standing by idly and disarming herself? Someone as sharp as her would never fall for such an obvious ploy. 

For the two of them right now, no matter whose enemy they faced, it was a shared enemy. 

Just as Ryuuske and Sabrina tightened their grips on their Poké Balls, Agatha's expression suddenly shifted again, reverting to that of a kindly, grandmotherly old woman. The speed at which her demeanor changed was downright terrifying. 

"My, my... When you get old, you always end up reminiscing about the past and saying unpleasant things. I hope I didn't scare you just now." 

Ryuuske and Sabrina exchanged a glance. Through their psychic connection, Sabrina ceded the right of communication to Ryuuske—she was never one for words anyway, and with Ryuuske's wit, he was unlikely to easily fall into any verbal traps. 

"Not at all, not at all. We understand that your words were just the guidance of an elder. How could we possibly take offense?" 

Since Agatha was pretending not to recognize them, Ryuuske had no choice but to play along. 

"Keh keh keh... As long as you don't mind, as long as you don't mind. It's been a long time since this old woman had a chance to chat with young people. It's getting late, and you two don't have a place to stay, do you? No matter what brings you to Lavender Town, you'll need proper rest, won't you? The people here won't even acknowledge outsiders now—you won't find an inn willing to take you in." 

Agatha hunched slightly as she spoke slowly. If not for her well-maintained appearance that masked her true age, Ryuuske might have mistaken her for the child-snatching witch from fairy tales. 

"Oh? Why is that? Does Lavender Town really dislike outsiders that much?" Ryuuske asked, narrowing his eyes. 

"That's a long story. Tell you what—since no one here will talk to you, why don't you stay at my place? As payment, just keep an old woman company for a while. I'll even tell you what you want to know." 

Agatha chuckled as she made the suggestion. 

Ryuuske very much wanted to refuse, but the moment he opened his mouth, every hair on his body stood on end. Beside him, Sabrina shuddered slightly. 

For no discernible reason, the two psychics' sixth senses screamed at them—if they refused now, they would be attacked immediately. It was as if an unseen pair of eyes had been watching them this whole time, lurking somewhere they couldn't pinpoint. The sensation of danger was everywhere—behind them, around them—yet its exact source remained elusive, gnawing at their nerves. 

For psychics, this feeling was the most infuriating thing possible. 

Truly worthy of a Ghost-type specialist among the Elite Four. She's studied how to counter Psychic-types to perfection. 

Ryuuske was about to ask Sabrina for her opinion, but she had already crossed her arms and closed her eyes, as if silently declaring that she would leave the decision entirely to him. 

With no other choice, Ryuuske weighed his options and ultimately agreed to Agatha's proposal. 

If they refused now, they would have no choice but to fight—and their only viable option would be retreat, which meant their mission would fail. Besides, Lavender Town was clearly Agatha's territory—no matter where they went, they'd be at a disadvantage. 

But Ryuuske was confident in his abilities. Even if they couldn't win, escaping was always an option. 

No matter how skilled Agatha was with Ghost-types or how well she countered Psychic abilities, she couldn't possibly grasp the true essence of psychic power like Sabrina did. There was no way she could set up barriers to prevent Mewtwo from using Teleport. 

Sabrina was likely thinking the same. Both Ghost and Psychic types were elusive and unpredictable—when it came to escape tactics, neither was inferior to the other. 

At this moment, Ryuuske couldn't help but sigh inwardly—Dragon-types really are the best. His Dragon's Power negated all of their weaknesses, whereas even Mewtwo had to tread carefully against this Ghost-type master. 

In silence, the two followed Agatha to her residence—a two-story Western-style house that looked somewhat dilapidated from the outside. However, upon entering, they found the interior surprisingly cozy, completely at odds with the oppressive atmosphere of Lavender Town. 

Yet the moment Ryuuske and Sabrina stepped inside, an inexplicable sense of revulsion washed over them. It wasn't that they had detected any traps—rather, their instincts screamed that something about this house was wrong, just like the unseen gaze from before. But no matter how they searched, they couldn't pinpoint the source of the unease. 

Knowing that taking the initiative was key to gaining information—and with Sabrina unwilling to speak—Ryuuske had no choice but to ask: 

"...If the people here refuse to talk to outsiders, why did you approach us?" 

"I'm not from Lavender Town either. I only moved here two months ago. As far as the locals are concerned, I'm just another outsider they won't speak to." 

Agatha leaned her cane against the wall and gestured for Ryuuske and Sabrina to sit at the table. Slowly, she prepared two cups of tea and set them down. 

"...I don't have any of those fancy drinks young people like these days, so tea will have to do." 

"You're too kind. Just letting us stay the night is more than enough—we wouldn't dare trouble you to prepare tea for us." 

Ryuuske quickly stood up to accept the tea, his face the picture of bashful gratitude. Sabrina shot him a sidelong glance, thinking to herself how well this guy could act—from his speech to his mannerisms, no one would guess he wasn't even sixteen yet. 

"Could you tell us why the people here refuse to speak to outsiders?" 

"It's not really a secret in Lavender Town. Since you're keeping me company, I'll gladly tell you..." 

Agatha paused for a moment before continuing. 

"...The most famous landmark here is the 'Tower of Prayer.' Visitors always go there to pay their respects. But starting last month, outsiders who entered that tower... never came out. They all vanished without a trace." 

"...That alone wouldn't be so bad. The truly terrifying part is that whenever a local spoke to an outsider before their disappearance, that local would fall gravely ill. Over the past month, the rumors have grown wilder—people say the town is haunted, with urban legends like 'the Spirit Tower' and 'the Buried Humanoid' spreading fear. Now, no one dares speak to outsiders, and no one dares approach the 'Tower of Prayer,' afraid they'll disappear too." 

Ryuuske fell silent. He was almost certain that all of this was the doing of the old woman before him. To terrorize an entire town like this, turning its people paranoid—she truly had skill. 

Just then, Ryuuske noticed a photo frame on a nearby shelf. His sharp eyes caught a particular picture—a young man and woman standing together. 

The man was someone Ryuuske recognized instantly, even though the photo was over thirty years old. That square-jawed face belonged unmistakably to Professor Oak. Though not conventionally handsome, there was an inexplicably compelling charm to him. 

Beside the cheerful, laughing Professor Oak stood a petite, beautiful woman. Both wore matching lab coats. The woman, though posing for the photo, wasn't looking at the camera—her gaze was fixed on Professor Oak beside her, her expression brimming with unmistakable happiness and adoration, like a woman deeply in love. 

"...That's a photo from my youth." 

Noticing Ryuuske's attention, Agatha spoke up—though her voice had grown noticeably darker. 

"You were truly a stunning beauty in your youth!" 

Ryuuske's compliment wasn't mere flattery—it was the truth. The woman in that photo was every bit as beautiful as Sabrina beside him, or the likes of Caitlin and Green he had met before. 

"Hear that, little girl? This is how men are—always sweet-talking women, even when it's just an old hag like me. They'll say anything to flatter." 

Agatha suddenly turned to Sabrina, her tone dripping with venom.

To be continued…

Guys, I apologize for being inactive for a long time. Some poisonous bug had bitten me on my arm on multiple spots which I mistook for some allergy and things got bad. My skin literally got burnt cuz of the poison and the wounds took days to recover.