I run an orphanage in the Pokémon world.

But then Teng Shu realized something. Although he was a living person and not afraid of any ghost messengers, the problem was that the guy behind him was a ghost.

Isn't this just a case of a mouse encountering a cat?

"But it has already seen you and is still coming this way." Teng Shu was quite nervous as it was his first time facing a ghost messenger who could restrain spirits.

What to do now?

"It's over, it's over... I'm really done for." Xingyi seemed to have given up struggling. He stared blankly at the Night Demon floating towards him, his entire body unable to move.

Just as the Night Demon was about to reach Koichi's side, a faint silver light emanated from Tengshu's chest.

The Night Demon paused for a moment, then turned and left.

"Huh?" Koichi was a little surprised. Tengshu touched the silver feather in his pocket. This feather could actually glow?

Also, what's with this feather? Why did the Night Demon leave after it glowed?

Although Teng Shu was very confused, the Night Demon had already left, so no one came to answer his questions.

With a sense of bewilderment, Teng Shu led Xingyi to a dilapidated residential building in the eastern part of Changqing City, following the information that Miss Officer Jenny had previously helped him find out.

"My mom and dad live here?" Koichi looked at the dilapidated apartment building in front of him, somewhat incredulous.

"How dare you say such a thing? Didn't you squander their family fortune?" Teng Shu looked at Xing Yi coldly. He really couldn't understand how Xing Yi had the nerve to say that.

What's the difference between this and stabbing someone and then asking them in surprise why they're bleeding so much?

Xingyi fell silent, his fists clenched, his eyes bloodshot.

Teng Shu ignored Xingyi and focused his gaze on the outside of the residential building, where a Night Demon was following them.

Is it the same one that was just outside the orphanage?

Upon reaching the sixth floor, Teng Shu couldn't help but catch his breath. He frowned slightly. Xingyi's parents lived so high up.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. For older residential buildings without elevators, generally speaking, the higher floors are cheaper, while the lower floors are more expensive.

"This should be it." Teng Shu nodded, looking at the number 601 written in chalk on the dilapidated door.

Koichi, standing to the side, looked somewhat apprehensive.

However, Teng Shu still knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" An aged voice asked, and Xingyi froze. The voice belonged to…

The door opened, and an old man looked at Teng Shu with a puzzled expression.

Chapter 66 A Dilapidated Home

Teng Shu fell silent.

The person in front of him should be Koichi's father, Koichi, but Fujiki remembered that Koichi had said in a rambling conversation that his father was only in his forties, but now he looked like he was in his sixties or seventies.

"Hello, are you Xingyi's..." Tengshu asked politely.

The old man's expression changed, and his eyes widened.

"We don't have this person here!" Accompanied by an angry voice, Teng Shu trembled all over, and the door panel almost burned his nose.

Teng Shu touched his nose, relieved that it hadn't been hit.

Yuki stood there, looking utterly lost. Had his father really become like this...?

"Who are you? What do you want with Xingyi? How much money does that stinking beast owe?" The door was not opened, and the old man's deep voice came from behind the door.

Teng Shu paused for a moment.

It seems that Koichi's parents were unaware that Koichi was dead.

That makes sense. According to Koichi, his internal organs were removed and he was thrown into the sea.

The body behind them went unclaimed, and the two elderly people in front of them didn't seem to have seen the newspaper.

“…Xingyi…” A weak voice rang out; it was a woman’s voice, but it was equally old and weary.

Koichi gritted his teeth, strained his eyes, and tried to hold back the tears welling up.

"I'm his friend. I came here this time because I have some things to discuss with him..." Teng Shu could only come up with a different reason. He couldn't very well say that he came to visit the two elders and that their son's spirit was right next to him, could he?

Tengshu just noticed that not everyone can see Xingyi.

Before Teng Shu could finish speaking, the door was opened, but it was an old woman with a full head of white hair who stared intently at Teng Shu.

"Wife, you're still sick, go back and rest. That beast's matter..." the old man said in a low voice, his face not looking good, and he glared at Teng Shu.

"Mom!" A desperate cry rang out. Upon seeing the old woman, Koichi burst into tears. He knelt on the ground in anguish, wailing loudly.

He reached out with trembling hands to help his white-haired mother up, but his hand passed right through the old woman.

"He is my son! I...I..." the old woman cried out sharply, then collapsed weakly, unable to breathe. Teng Shu quickly helped her up.

"Wife!" The old man hurriedly helped his wife up, his eyes full of concern.

"Xingyi... I will pay back the money I owe. I will pay back the money by washing dishes and serving food..." the old woman said weakly, clutching Tengshu's clothes tightly.

"Where is my son? My son... Is he alright?" The old woman looked at Teng Shu earnestly, and Teng Shu fell silent.

He glared angrily at Koichi beside him.

Damn it, that beast!

"Auntie, don't worry, I really didn't come here for money. Your son has stopped gambling," Teng Shu said reassuringly. He didn't dare to tell her that Xingyi was dead.

If he were to say it now, Teng Shu was worried that the old woman's health wouldn't be able to handle it, which would cause a lot of trouble.

"He really stopped gambling?" The old man looked at Teng Shu suspiciously. He knew his unfilial son's character very well. For that crazy guy, getting him to stop gambling was harder than killing him.

"There really wasn't any gambling," Teng Shu said earnestly, and he wasn't lying.

Looking at Koichi, who was still wailing, Tengshu realized that the guy definitely couldn't gamble now. After all, he was already dead, so even if he wanted to gamble again, he couldn't.

"It's good that you didn't gamble...it's good that you didn't gamble..." The old woman seemed to have lost all her strength all at once. She slumped softly into the old man's arms, letting him help her to the dilapidated bed.

Teng Shu followed him inside. Looking at the dilapidated house in front of him, Teng Shu fell silent. This house could be on the list of people in extreme poverty.

There was hardly any decent furniture in the whole house; the only things that could be called furniture were a table and a bed.

"I'm sorry, there's not much at home." The old man poured Teng Shu a glass of warm water, then went to the old woman's side and handed his wife a glass of water and some medicine.

"It's alright, it's alright." Teng Shu looked around, his heart heavy. It seemed that the old lady's family was living in more hardship than he had imagined.

"My son... cough cough, Xingyi, is he really not gambling anymore? Then why hasn't he come back?" The old woman took a sip of her medicine and asked anxiously.

"Mom, I'm right here..." Xingyi knelt beside his mother, sobbing softly.

Teng Shu nodded seriously, and seeing his serious expression, the old lady breathed a sigh of relief and showed a relieved smile.

"Hmph! This is really strange, it's like a cow has appeared out of Tauros." The old man sneered, his expression not very pleasant.

Teng Shu was also somewhat amused and exasperated; the old man's words were truly interesting.

It was at this moment that Tengshu couldn't help but turn his head to take a look. He saw a Pokémon floating in the darkness. It was Dusknoir. This made Tengshu a little puzzled. Was this Dusknoir so persistent?

"It's good that Xingyi is alright, but why doesn't he come back..." The old woman let out a long sigh. She slowly leaned back on the pillow, then held her husband's hand in one hand, staring blankly into the distance.

Teng Shu's pupils contracted; he had a bad feeling.

The old man seemed to sense something as well. He held his wife's hand tightly, his eyes filled with sorrow, while Koichi looked at his mother with a bewildered expression.

"I really want to see Koichi..." the old woman said weakly and feebly, her voice tinged with a sense of exhaustion.

"It will be alright... You'll definitely get better after taking the medicine..." The old man said, his voice trembling as he held his wife's hand tightly.

"Mom? Don't scare me, don't scare me!" Xingyi said in a panic, his hands groping unconsciously for something, but he couldn't find anything.

The old woman closed her eyes, and her breathing became slower and slower. Teng Shu could see clearly that the Night Demon outside the window had also crawled in. It reached out its hand, and then the old woman's soul emerged from within and grasped the Night Demon's hand.

Then a young woman came out. She looked around blankly, her eyes filled with confusion, and then she seemed to understand something.

"Mom!" Xingyi frantically rushed over, trying to force his mother's soul back into place.

The Night Demon stretched out its hand, blocking Koichi's movement, and looked at Koichi coldly.

Chapter 67 There are many things in the world that we regret but it's too late.

"Wife..." The old man looked at the old woman whose face had calmed down, and tears welled up in his eyes. He clenched his fists so hard that the veins bulged.

At that moment, the old woman's soul was looking at her body with a puzzled expression, examining her curiously. But the next second, her gaze fell on Xingyi beside her.

"Shinichi?" Monica exclaimed in surprise. She had seen her son!

Teng Shu sighed inwardly, looking at the scene before him with mixed feelings.

I originally thought I was just coming to check on Koichi's parents and then see if the League would issue a bounty. If they did, I would bring it over. But I never expected to encounter something like this.

"Mom!" Xingyi exclaimed excitedly. He tried to pull away the Night Demon and run to his mother's side. Now, now, he could probably push his mother's soul back...

Monica glanced at the Dusknoir beside her. When she saw this Pokémon in its special state, she knew why it had come to her.

I also know what's going on with her now.

"Excuse me, may I speak with my son for a few minutes?" Monica said gently. Teng Shu glanced at Monica. She didn't look like an old woman at the moment; instead, she looked somewhat young. However, Teng Shu noticed that as her soul emerged, it was aging rapidly.

The Night Demon glanced at Monica, said nothing, but stepped aside, her gaze fixed on Koichi.

"Mom!" Xingyi was very anxious, but Monica, who walked over step by step, looked terrible. Tengshu noticed that wrinkles were slowly appearing on Monica's face.

Monica stood in front of Koichi, who desperately tried to pull his mother back into her body.

However, Monica broke free from Koichi's grasp, and then she raised her hand and slapped Koichi hard across the face.

It made a crisp sound.

"Gambling! Gambling until your family is ruined and your life is over! Are you satisfied now?!" Monica's eyes were filled with tears.

She still remembers that day.

The rain that day was light, very light.

But it was incredibly cold.

"Mom...I..." Xingyi covered his face, lowered his head, and murmured.

“Your father and I gave birth to you, raised you, and took care of you. We supported your desire to start a business and become a Master Trainer. But what did you do? You kicked your father and me out of the house for gambling! You left us both outside!” Monica was in tears.

Teng Shu rubbed his face without saying a word. He simply stood up, walked behind Grandpa Xingzhen, and gently patted his back.

"Uncle, shall we... bury Auntie first?" Teng Shu said gently.

The old man definitely doesn't have the money to pay for the funeral. Although the alliance has charitable funds that can help cover the cost, that would be too much trouble.

The need to queue and apply, these cold and ruthless regulations are designed to shut out one greedy madman after another.

"I..." The old man closed his eyes in pain.

He has no money.

There's really no money left in the family.

Every day, the money I earn from working goes towards buying medicine for my wife, but it still doesn't cure her. Now...

The old man clenched his teeth.

While Teng Shu was comforting the old man, Monica was still talking about Xingyi in a trembling voice, and Xingyi lowered his head in shame.

He caused all of this; it was his gambling that led to the current state of his family. He has let his parents down.

“...I went out every day to serve food, work, and wash dishes, and gave you all the money I saved. You took it, but...but why...did you still die? My son!” Monica stretched out her aged hand, trembling. At this moment, she had become just as old as before.

She reached out her hand tremblingly and stroked Koichi's cheek.

The fact that Koichi is still alive and still asks her for money is the third thing that makes her happy.

The second thing that made her happy was that Teng Shu came over today to tell her that her son had stopped gambling.

First...

The first place is gone.

She just wanted to see her son standing in front of her, alive and well, telling her that he would stop gambling and that he would try to live a good life.

but..

After she died, she saw her son.