Author's Note: About the last installment... Water Sphere is meant to be Water Pulse. Sorry 'bout that!
A Kricketot and a Bidoof were hanging out near the Lost Tower. They were laughing, and watching the other playing Pokemon pass them by.
"Hey, Bibbo!" grinned the Kricketot. "Wanna dare?"
The Bidoof called Bibbo laughed openly. "Bring it on, yeah!"
The Kricketot looked around for inspiration, then looked up at the Lost Tower. He grinned and picked up a nearby rock. Tossing it to Bibbo, he said, "I dare ya to throw that rock into that window up there!"
Bibbo looked up at the window that his friend was pointing at. It was two Bibarel high.
Bibbo snorted and took aim. "I think that I can do better'n that, eh, Korotock? Yeah!"
"Let's see ya do this first then!" laughed Korotock. "I'd'a think that ya wouldn't dare to anger the departed souls that rest in the Lost Tower!"
He spoke the last ten words in an exaggerated spooky manner, waving his small black limbs.
Bibbo guffawed and threw the stone neatly into the window. "I don't believe in those dumb old tales, yeah!"
"I betcha I can gettit higher!" snorted Korotock, and did so.
The two friends continued throwing stones at the Tower for the rest of the afternoon.
A Misdreavus passing by sighed and shook her head at the two Pokemon.
"Ah, the fools! If they only knew how easily my mother is angered..."
Team Awesome were hanging out at Route 209. They had befriended the Pokemon that lived there, and currently slept in the Pokemon Day Care. When the sun was high in the sky, however, they went out exploring and helping out with minor problems. However, no actual Job Offer had managed to find its way into their waiting paws... or wings.
Availa was flying high in the sky when she spotted it. Two Pokemon were running, full-tilt, towards Solaceon Town. With help from her eagle eyes, Availa realised the outline of a Kricketune and a Bibarel. They were screaming, their faces pale.
The Staravia swooped down towards them. She kept pace with them easily in the air.
"What's happening?" asked the Starling Pokemon.
"WE'VE ANGERED THE DEPARTED SOULS THAT REST IN THE LOST TOWER!" sobbed the Kricketune, still running.
"And they've come to take us to the grave, yeah!" cried the Bibarel.
"Souls? Grave?" Availa blinked, then flew off. "I'll be right back!"
While she flew, she thought. This calls for a Job Offer!
"Lemme get this straight."
Voltage paced back and forth in front of Korotock the Kricketune and Bibbo the Bibarel. After about three full paces, he stopped and looked at the two.
"You're telling me that because you threw rocks at the Lost Tower, the dead Pokemon are gonna come back as ghosts and haunt you?"
Korotock and Bibbo nodded frantically.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!"
The Mouse Pokemon fell on the floor, clutching at his sides. He rolled around and positively screamed with laughter.
"G-ghosts!" he snorted. "Pokemon ghosts!"
"Voltage, pull yourself together!" snapped Will, though it was clear that he was trying hard not to grin.
"R-right," said Voltage, still chuckling, as he staggered to his feet. "Th-this is serious. A Job Off... HAHAHAHAAA!"
"Y-you didn't see them, yeah!" whimpered Bibbo, who was still trembling.
"White eyes... gaping mouths..." Korotock shuddered. "You ain't catchin' us back there!"
"Yeah!" added Bibbo.
Voltage stopped ROLF'ing and stood up. He was frowning.
"Don't tell me you actually think that the Tower's haunted?" he asked. "I mean... there's such a thing as Ghost-type Pokemon... but actual ghosts?"
"There has been reports of ghost sightings," admitted Will.
"But they were all fakes!" exclaimed the Raichu.
"Voltage," pleaded Availa, "please help them. We have to at least explore the Tower!"
Voltage sighed and resumed his pacing. "Fine. We'll go."
Suddenly, a shadow cut through the forest clearing like a knife through melting butter.
"I may be able to assist with this Job Offer," said a cold voice.
Five Pokemon whipped around. Two pairs of eyes widened. One voice spoke.
"D... Dreava?"
The Mismagius called Dreava hovered at the edge of the clearing. She had a sinister air about her, and the three spheres of her "necklace" weren't red, but as dark as dark can be... like a Dusk Stone. Her thin mouth moved.
"Korotock and Bibbo have angered my mother... as a result, they will be haunted for all eternity, and will not be offered redemption."
"Whaaaat?" yelped Voltage. "Your mother is a... a ghost?"
"Seeing as she has been disturbed from her eternal slumber, yes, she is a ghost," said Dreava calmly.
"And what's this about redemption and all that ridicule?" demanded Will.
"They will be condemned to an afterlife of imprisonment."
"Where?" cried Availa.
"To Morterra."
"M... M... MORTERRA?" screamed Korotock and Bibbo, clutching at each other.
Voltage went pale. Will flinched involuntarily. Availa shuddered.
Morterra was Pokemon hell, kind of like the Underwhere in the Marioverse. If you want to know what heaven is in the Pokemon regions, it's called Viterra. Morterra is too horrible, horrific and tortuous to be wholly described. No-one escaped from Morterra once imprisoned there... no-one.
"I DON'T WANNA GO TO MORTERRA!" sobbed Korotock.
"ME NEITHER, YEAH!" cried Bibbo.
Will set his mouth and stomped over to them.
"Now listen here, you crybasics," scolded the Water-type. "You are not going to Morterra. You are not going to be haunted. We are going to help you. But if you're gonna sit here crying like the world's ending, then fine. Go. Remember to send us a postcard from Morterra, alright?"
They shut up instantly.
"Very impressive," said Voltage, nodding.
"How'd you do that?" asked Availa.
"I've been spending some extra time at the Day Care," replied Will.
"O-kaaaay," said Voltage. "Creepy new talents aside, if you're all acting this serious about these so-called ghosts, then I accept your Job Offer."
"You mean..." said Availa incredulously.
"Yup," said Voltage, nodding. "To the Lost Tower!"
"It's awful dark," said Availa, gulping.
The Lost Tower had once been filled with Trainers, around the Team Galactic days. However, now the place had been left behind after a series of "supernatural hauntings". Left alone, the inside of the Tower had fallen to grime, dust, decay, and darkness. The torches had died away, the gravestones were crumbling, and every other floorboard creaked underpaw (the term "underpaw" referring to a number of other feet equivalents).
"Don't worry," assured Voltage, and summoned a light yellow electric glow around his tail.
"How'd you do that?" asked Will, amazed.
"Tons of practice," replied Voltage. He turned around and came face to face with a staircase.
"That's the floor we saw the ghosts," whimpered Korotock.
No-one moved. Then, Dreava moved forwards.
"Follow me," she hissed, and proceded up the stairs.
They made their way up the long, winding staircase. Once or twice, Bibbo stumbled and almost dislodged a floorboard. But no shadow stirred. No eyes gleamed out at them in the darkness.
As they scaled the ever-climbing stairs, Voltage began to realise something. Along the stone wall, there seemed to be some carvings, spaced out unevenly. He had to strain in the little light they had, but he soon made out what Pokemon they were.
Unown.
Voltage was a bit shaky with Unown runes, but he could still read them. He felt his blood run cold as he slowly made out the letters.
L EAV ENO W
Leave now, hissed a ghostly voice in his ear. Voltage yelled with fright and leaped backwards, crushing Will's tails.
"AARGH!" shouted Will, and stumbled into Bibbo, who crashed into Korotock, who yelped, lost his balance and tumbled down the stairs, pulling a Bibarel, a Buizel and a Raichu with him.
Availa and Dreava - who had been flattened against a wall - peered down at them.
"You okay?" called Availa quietly.
"Yep," grumbled Will, getting to his paws and dusting himself off. "No thanks to Mr. Scaredy-Skitty."
"Th-the walls!" stammered Voltage. "U-Unown runes! L-leave now, it said!"
Dreava looked at the walls.
"There's nothing there," she said softly. "My ancestors can create very realistic illusions, you know..."
"It wasn't an illusion!" huffed Voltage crossly. He stormed up to the walls and looked at them himself.
They were smoother than the batter for a Level 60 Poffin.
"Wha...?" The Raichu gaped at the walls, dumbfounded.
Availa looked up the stairs and jumped.
"Oh! The stairs! We're up to the next floor!"
"I guess none of us were looking up," said Will weakly. He went up the stairs and peered at the next floor.
"I just wanna get outta here, yeah!" moaned Bibbo, scrambling to get up the stairs, Korotock in close pursuit.
The floor looked exactly the same as all the other floors: dusty and grave-filled.
"Nothing's here," said Availa in dismay.
"Looks like there's no ghosts!" exclaimed Korotock in a falsy cheery voice. "We'll just be going now..."
But before they had even turned to go, Voltage yelled in shock and fright. "NO!"
"What?" yelped the two in unison, whirling around.
There it was, plain to see. Twenty-one Pokemon, each one with whited-out eyes. They stared, silent, at the six living Pokemon, their outlines shimmering. Illusions.
A Yanma. An Oddish. An Umbreon. A Rattata. An Elekid. A Dugtrio. An Onix. An Octillery. A Marill. An Exeggcute. A Delibird. A Torterra. An Omanyte. A Machop. An Omastar. A Roserade. A Teddiursa. An Eevee. A Rapidash. A Remoraid. And finally, an Absol.
Get the first letter of their names, put them together, and what do you get?
"You're doomed to Morterra." Voltage felt his mouth move, heard the words leave and implant themselves in Korotock and Bibbo's minds.
Voltage suddenly felt weak all over. He could hear yelling, and shouting, and his name, a thousand times over...
"VOLTAGE!"
"Volt... VOLTAGE! Speak to me!"
"What's wrong with him, yeah?"
"Is he... dead?"
"This... cannot be..."
"VOLTAGE!"
"No... no, no, no..."
And then the flashback started.
The Pikachu called Voltage turned to face the humans, the humans that had imprisoned him. He shot a Thunderbolt at them, but they dodged it like it was nothing, laughing at him, sneering, jeering, sniggering. He was in a cage, that was clear from the moment he clutched at the steel bars. His eyes swam with tears as they laughed at him, his mind filled with memories of home... Sweet, glorious home...
One Grunt held out a Sitrus Berry to him. Voltage hung back, wary, but after a while, he couldn't resist the aroma of the Berry. He reached out for it, his starving belly roaring... his paw was inches away...
And then the Grunt's Glameow slashed at him with Fury Swipes, and snatched up the Sitrus Berry, swallowing it whole.
The Grunts roared with laughter. Voltage felt his blood suddenly turn into something like lava. He was filled with anger, like a volcano, ready to burst... to erupt...
He hurled a Thunderbolt at the Grunts. They yelled and scattered, for the attack was like a tidal wave. It would swallow them up, just like that Glameow swallowed that Berry... they would all pay...
And then came the Commanders. A Crobat, a Purugly and a Skuntank flew towards him, accompanied by an army of Golbat, but Thunderbolt took care of them quicker than a blink of the eye. He threw himself at the bars, punching them with Brick Break. They broke, and he forced his way out.
Voltage located a Thunderstone, lying on the counter like a stone of glimmering hope. He lunged towards it, but Dustox by the thousands crowded around him, pushing him away...
The Pikachu threw Thunderbolt after Thunderbolt at them, leaving them lying on the steel floor like leaves in autumn. He pushed through the throng, and grabbed the Thunderstone.
His whole body started glowing with evolution light. The Grunts stopped and watched, held by awe. Voltage's tail grew longer, and a lightning-bolt formed on the top. His ears changed shape, and his feet elongated. His paws grew stronger, and he grew altogether. The light then vanished, and there stood a Raichu, his eyes narrowed, his fists crackling with ThunderPunch and glowing with Brick Break.
A flash of yellow, magenta and cyan...
"VOLTAGE!"
"Uungh..."
"Voltage...?"
"H-huh?"
"HE'S AWAKE! HE'S ALIVE!"
Voltage staggered to his paws amidst a crowd of cheering Pokemon. He appeared to be outside of the Tower. Korotock, Bibbo and Dreava were nowhere to be seen, but Will and Availa were already upon him, hugging him until Voltage felt that his ribs would break.
"Get off me or I'll Thunderbolt you both!"
They got off him.
"What happened?" asked Voltage. "In the Tower... and the ghosts..."
"You went crazy and tried to kill us!" exclaimed Availa.
"You were convinced that we were Team Galactic, 'cause you kept calling us 'the Commanders'," grinned Will.
"I think it's because of this... flashback... I had," muttered Voltage.
"What kind of flashback?" asked Availa.
"I'll tell you later," said Voltage.
"Wooooooah," said Availa, awed.
"That would explain why you thought we were Team Galactic," smirked Will.
"Yeah, but did we help Korotock and Bibbo?" asked Voltage impatiently.
"Oh, yeah!" came Bibbo's voice.
Voltage whirled around to see Korotock, Bibbo and Dreava at the edge of the clearing.
"We talked to Dreava's ancestors, and it turns out we AREN'T going to Morterra!" exclaimed Korotock happily.
"As long as they don't try to throw anything else at the Tower, they are fine," smiled Dreava.
"That's great!" grinned Voltage.
"We'd like to thank ya, though," said Korotock. "If it weren't for you guys, we would still be petrified of the Tower!"
"It's Dreava who you've got to thank," insisted Will.
"By the sounds of it," added Voltage.
"Well, we're gonna have to leave now," sighed Availa. "The humans will obviously have realised those Thunderbolts from the windows of the Tower."
"It was great meeting you," smiled Voltage. "We hope to see you again!"
He held out a paw. Korotock shook it.
And so, Team Awesome left Route 209. They were sure to come back, but when? They didn't know. But there was one thing to be sure of...
Nothing can scare Team Awesome from doing what's right!