Ghost Town

Red meets with Sabrina. The Gym Leader is exhausted and deeply shaken by the Hoenn cataclysm, confessing that she lost a dear friend whose body was never found. Red, using his partitioned self to comfortably discuss difficult topics, asks for permission to join a group searching for Renegades in Celadon. Sabrina approves, noting the importance of psychics maintaining trust in society before their public image as safe and reliable citizens comes tumbling down. Later, Red lowers his partition and wrestles with the terrifying memory of projecting sakki to make a Renegade's pokemon attack its trainer under the Casino. He realizes that if his ability is discovered, psychics worldwide might be feared and hunted, reinforcing Sabrina's fears.

Jason visits Red, deeply anxious about reports that Ghosts at Lavender Tower have dramatically increased since the cataclysm. Unwilling to wait for official action, Jason asks Red to help investigate. Red agrees and recruits Blue, Leaf, Maria, and Jean. The group is equipped with Silph-designed prototype goggles that counter the effects of surreality, allowing them to safely view gastly and other Ghost pokemon. The group travels to Lavender Town, riding their pokemon or bikes. Along the way, Jason expresses his insecurities about leading the group given Blue's natural charisma and status, but Red reassures him. Upon arriving, they meet Artem, a researcher tracking unown, who drops a bombshell: contrary to Jason's reports, the Ghosts in Lavender Tower haven't increased—they've largely disappeared.

Lesson — Meta-trust. When objective verification of truth is impossible (such as dealing with psychics who can perfectly edit their own memories to hide secrets), society must rely on meta-trust—trusting the individual's underlying motives and character rather than the strict factual transparency of their statements.