Chapter Fifty-Six: The Phantom Tower in the Volcanic Ash

"Lost again, huh." Zhao Fang sat on the ground, scratching his head helplessly.

"It's nothing, kid. After all, Dujuan sent out one of her main Pokémon, and Nosepass is a Pokémon she's trained for a long time," the referee uncle walked over and patted Zhao Fang on the shoulder.

Zhao Fang nodded. He could clearly see that Nosepass was indeed an excellent Pokémon, but compared to Graveler, there was still a considerable gap. Yet, thinking that he had still lost, Zhao Fang felt a headache coming on—losing meant he wouldn’t get the winner’s reward.

"You and your Pokémon have impressive willpower. This time, let's count it as your victory," Dujuan stepped forward. She had just finished treating her Pokémon, and Zhao Fang's Pokémon had also received medical attention. Dragonaimia was still hanging around Zhao Fang’s neck.

Zhao Fang looked at Dujuan in surprise—he hadn’t expected this to count as a win. Did that mean there was hope for the information he sought?

"About that fossil, I actually stumbled upon it by chance. You know the mountain next to our Kanaz City, right?" Dujuan sat down beside Zhao Fang. After the battle, she looked just like an ordinary girl from the neighborhood.

Zhao Fang nodded. Of course, he knew about that mountain. Behind it, a tunnel was being constructed—the Kanaro Tunnel. In the game, the protagonist is responsible for opening the tunnel and can obtain an HM. But what it was like now, he couldn’t say.

"Our city is working on opening a passage to Verdant Town on the other side of the mountain. The League sent me over to have a look... One day, after finishing my survey and heading back, as volcanic ash drifted all around, I saw a faintly visible tower. Out of curiosity, I went in. The Pokémon inside weren’t very strong..." Dujuan seemed lost in thought, as if recalling that day.

"...Later, I climbed to the top of the tower and saw two fossils placed there. But before I could grab them, the tower started shaking, and I found myself right back at the entrance. After that, the tower was simply gone." Dujuan shrugged.

Zhao Fang maintained a calm exterior, but inside, a storm was raging. Listening to Dujuan, everything sounded just like the Mirage Tower in the desert.

In the Ruby and Sapphire games, in the desert area, players sometimes encounter a tower. You must climb it, and at the top, you can find two fossils. Taking either one causes the Mirage Tower to vanish. Zhao Fang remembered that in the game, one was the Lileep fossil and the other was the Anorith fossil.

But the problem was, the Mirage Tower was supposed to appear only in the desert, so why had Dujuan encountered it on a mountain, and in volcanic ash, no less?

"This is the map I drew afterwards. I’ve gone back many times since, but I never came across the tower again. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be for me. Let’s see if you’re luckier." Dujuan spoke lightly, pulling out a piece of cloth with a rough map on it.

"Thank you so much," Zhao Fang said, clenching his fists. He was determined to investigate the tower himself. If he could really get a fossil, he wanted to see exactly what it was.

"With your current strength, entering the tower shouldn’t be a problem. There are some Ground-type Pokémon living inside, but your Gyarados should be able to handle them," Dujuan concluded after glancing at Zhao Fang.

After bidding farewell to Dujuan and the chatty referee, Zhao Fang sat excitedly on a bench, pondering his next steps.

Originally, Zhao Fang had planned to head to Dewford Town, challenge the local Fighting-type Gym, and win his second badge. But now, his goal had changed—he wanted to check out the Mirage Tower he had never heard of in his previous life. He was very curious about the connection between the Mirage Tower in the volcanic ash and the one in the desert.

"If I’m going, I’ll need at least fifteen days’ worth of food and some protective gear. After all, breathing volcanic ash isn’t safe. I’ll need medicine, too..." Zhao Fang looked at his empty wallet and fell into deep thought.

If he wanted to explore the Mirage Tower, he’d first have to make some money. Without supplies, the expedition would be impossible, and Zhao Fang didn’t know how long he’d have to wait for the Mirage Tower to appear.

So Zhao Fang returned to the Pokémon Center and found the Kanaz City job board. Thanks to his Pokédex, his badge, and his Gyarados, he could now take on a lot more tasks.

He wasn’t picky. Kanaz City was bustling, with many rookie trainers coming to challenge the Rock Gym, so jobs were quickly taken. But with the staff’s recommendation, Zhao Fang managed to land some high-paying tasks.

There were elite beginner tasks like "Help me defeat the troublemaker at my fishery," each paying over a thousand League coins. In five days, Zhao Fang, with the help of Gyarados and Dragonaimia, swept through the city’s tasks like a storm. To earn even more, he even took on quite a few beginner-level jobs.

At night, he stayed at the Battle Hotel. If he defeated three trainers each evening, he could keep staying for free—a very convenient arrangement.

He took on so many jobs that the staff eventually had to gently suggest that if he kept going, there’d be none left for the other rookie trainers. Only then did Zhao Fang stop.

"Only eight thousand League coins... Still, it should be enough if I’m frugal. Besides, Gyarados is eating a special diet now." Zhao Fang checked his account balance with some dissatisfaction. But he had no better way—eight thousand plus his savings would support him for two weeks.

What concerned Zhao Fang most during this time, besides the fossil, was Gyarados’s diet.

The Pokémon food he’d made before would increase base stats by 0.3, but now things had changed.

"A serving of ordinary sweet and sour ribs increases Gyarados’s base stat by 0.001, and Dragonaimia’s by 0.2."

Gyarados’s stat growth had slowed, something Zhao Fang had noticed after battling Dujuan. He suspected it might have to do with whether a Pokémon had evolved.

"Well, 0.001 is still something. As long as it increases, I’m happy... Now it’s time to check out that mysterious Mirage Tower." Standing outside the shop, Zhao Fang stretched lazily—he was back to being broke once more.