Hello everyone, and welcome to my next story. Let's hope it goes pretty well.
Something you should know about me: I enjoy mysteries, whether they are the two-minute mysteries or the Sherlock Holmes variety. So couple this with my obsession with Pokémon, I decided to write my own Pokémon murder mystery after being inspired by Dark Amphithere's Unova Mansion.
Just so you know, I don't own the characters, just some of the personality I gave them. If you wonder who the characters are, look them up on .com. But some of them should be pretty recognizable as all of them are Trainers from the games and show. Try to guess the murder from the clues and if anyone can guess it correctly and PM me the answer, I'll include a bonus chapter at the end.
So please, enjoy the murder mystery! Also, welcome to…
Pandora Manor
Chapter 1: Clunk!
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Greetings Lyra! I'm pleased to announce that you've won your own mansion! This may seem a bit out of the blue, but you won through a random drawing from the Pokétch Company. To move in, please take a boat, as it is located on its own private island. Please try and arrive by next week. And once again, congratulations!
- May Miller, HR manager of the Pokétch Company
Lyra frowned down at the letter as she re-read it for the hundredth time. The circumstances for the drawing still confused her. She never entered the contest, but she vaguely guessed that they drew the winner from customers. And it was no joke either; even from here she could see the sprawling mansion on the small island before her from the boat.
Lyra was currently leaning against the railing on the boat that was taking her to the island, her face shaded by the large white hat with a red ribbon around the brim. She was pale with large lite brown eyes, her chocolate brown hair was tied in two bunches. She wore a long-sleeved red shirt with a white collar and black tank top underneath with a pair of dark blue short overalls. A pair of red sneakers was on her feet with a pair of long white socks. Lyra's Partner Pokémon, Quilava, sat beside her Trainer, guarding her rucksack. Quilava was a yellow weasel with blue covering her back and the top of her head, a flaming Mohawk on her head.
Quilava made a soft rumbling noise. Lyra glanced down, stuffing the letter in her pocket. Quilava gave her a look, making her fears and worries about the mysteriousness of this voyage apparent. Lyra smiled softly, reaching down to stroke her Fire-type's head. Quilava purred, her worry gone.
"It's okay girl," Lyra said. "I'm sure everything will work out. We're almost there."
"Yeah, it just ahead," a voice from behind them said.
Lyra and Quilava looked up, catching sight of their fellow traveler and her Pokémon. Her name was White. Her chocolate brown hair was tied up in a Ponyta tail as white hat with a pink Poké Ball symbol on it sat on top of her head. She wore a white tank top with a black vest and ripped shorts, her messenger bag on her shoulder. A lite-blue bipedal otter stood by White. She had a small red nose and tiny black ears, her long white whiskers shaped like a V. Her front and lower paws were tipped black and a darker blue fringe embraced her waist, with a pair of scalchops attached to her thighs, a black paddle-like tail poking behind her back.
White's icy blue eyes had portrayed her confusion when she and Lyra had first met at the gangplank to board the boat. Apparently, White had received the same exact same letter as Lyra, even though she was a native from Unova, rather than Johto. Perhaps there was a larger, more extensive drawing taking place.
"Yep," Lyra agreed. She still wondered…Had the Pokétch Company sent out multiple invitations? Was it actually another raffle waiting to auction it off? Or was there a separate mansion? …On the otherwise deserted-looking island? Just thinking about it made Lyra's head ache a bit.
"Huh?" White said, looking in confusion at the horizon. She raised an eyebrow as she and Dewott walked to the railing beside Lyra. "We're getting closer to the island," she noticed.
"I think we established that," Lyra said, looking back at the island. Then she understood White's confusion. Standing just on the boardwalk and growing smaller even though the boat was getting closer was, as though they were just walking away were…
"There are more people!" she said in shock.
White nodded solemnly as Dewott fingered the scalchops on her waist. "It would appear that at least two others and their partners. Can't help but wonder why there are so many of us."
Another small boat pulled away from the island as their boat drew in closer. Soon enough, both girls unboarded the boat with the captain waving from behind the wheel as he steered the boat back to port his Wingull wheeling around in the air. Lyra and White walked down the dock, heading over to the pair of people sitting at a picnic table, their Pokémon trailing behind them.
One of them, a guy, stood up from his seat, heading towards them with obvious relief on his face. He had deep blue hair and eyes and his outfit was of the same color scheme, a hat of sapphire blue tilting over his eyes sitting on his head. A tall, blue jackal-like Pokémon with dreadlocks walked with him, spikes on his knuckles and a tan belly. Both boys were welcome, but confused to the two girls as they approached.
"…Let me guess, are you both here for the mansion?" Both girls nodded as he let out an embarrassed laugh. "Yeah…You can imagine my surprise when I met her," he said, pointing on the other person sitting sprawled out on the bench. "I'm Riley, by the way, and this here is Lucario. Hang on a second, please. Hey, Roxie," he said turning around and heading to the girl, both Lyra and White following.
Lounging on the bench was a girl with a shock of white-blonde hair, her eyes closed as she strummed out on her own pink and black striped bass. Her purple and blue stripped shirt, ragged at the end, matched both of her boots, black with mismatched trim, and the hair bands that held her hair up in a spiky point. A tall, dark-blue skinned amphibian sat beside her, a red sack attached to his throat as he bobbed his head to his master's tunes.
Sighing, Riley flicked the girl's nose, causing her sapphire blue eyes snapping open with surprise, before turning into anger. The girl's Toxicroak growled as she jumped up to glare at Riley in the face.
"Riley," the girl growled angrily, "I was in the mood!" Then she caught sight of both White and Lyra standing behind him and she blinked, confusion filtering into her gaze. "Huh? More people? I thought it was just us!"
"Apparently, that's not true," Riley answered, a frown forming on his lips. He turned back to the new girls and said, "This is too confusing. You weren't, per chance, invited here by the Pokétch Company?"
"Yeah," Lyra said, White nodding her head as their Pokémon started to talk amongst themselves.
"Same thing here," Roxie offered, plucking a few random notes on her bass. "But my letter said that there'd be a killer rave later. Hence, the reason I came."
Riley sighed, glancing up at the elaborate brown-stone manor that stretched out with the well-tended gardens surrounding it in a sea of flowers. Lucario scanned his red eyes across all the numerous windows that faced them, searching for a sign of anyone. He shook his head at his partner, who announced, "Lucario does not seem to detect anyone besides us here. But we should probably go inside and try and find our host."
"Finally, someone with a good idea on this crummy island," a new voice said. Everyone and their Pokémon whirled around, Roxie hefting her bass in the air like a baseball bat, just in case.
Standing before them where two more people, one girl and a boy. The boy, the one who had spoken, wore a blue shirt and brown paints and his hair was an auburn-ish color while his black eyes scanned the crowd, a towering purple skinned Pokémon with a large horn on his head, a Nidoking. His companion, a slight teenaged girl with dark brown skin and deep purple hair, waved cheerfully at everyone, wearing a yellow shirt and white shorts, a pink piece of fabric embracing her waist. The strange thing was, this girl was accompanied by a large Pokémon, covered in yellowish-green armor with large red tipped axe blades sprouting from the sides of his face and red talons, its mighty tail thumping the ground. Despite its monstrous appearance, the Haxorus let the girl scramble over its back like an Aipom, gently patting the girl's head when she hopped down.
"Hi there! Who are you all?" the girl asked, revealing a pair of slightly buck teeth, her amber eyes displaying her happiness.
"I could ask you both the same question," Riley replied with a smile to the girl as she giggled.
"I'm Iris and this grumpy-pants is Blue," she said, jerking a thumb to her companion. "We met on the boat ride here and his meanie Nidoking almost knocked me off the boat." She huffed angrily and gave said Pokémon a glare as her Haxorus gently patted her shoulder. That drew her attention back to her enormous friend and her face lit up. "Oh! And this," she beamed, gesturing at the Dragon-type, "Is Haxorus! My awesome partner!"
Lyra smiled at the young girl's enthusiasm. She could remember when she herself had been that peppy. She did however hear Blue mutter, "Longest boat ride of my life," as Iris bounded over to study the others' Pokémon. A quick introduction between everyone occurred and soon they were making their way to the door of the manor, lugging along their rucksack or backpacks as Iris kept a steady stream of conversation with everyone.
When Riley opened the door, nothing they had seen from the splendor of the manor from the outside had prepared them for the inside. The thick oak door opened up into an impressive foyer, decorated with large paintings and a hardwood floor as an imposing grand staircase stretched up to the second floor. Branching off from the foyer at the end were two hallways while on the right a doorway led into an elaborate dining room with a very long, mahogany table surrounded by matching chairs. Another entrance led to a modern kitchen outfitted with granite counters, a massive fridge, and a fully stocked pantry, as Roxie reported, sharing a large bag of chips with Iris after exiting.
The left side there was an opening into the living room, with thick, plush carpets and overstuffed couches covered in deep blue fabric. There was a large television with a DVD player as a small bookcase was stuffed full of various movies. Long coffee tables stretched out in front of the numerous couches as gold trimmed lamps stood up, all on the off position for the moment, as the room was flooded by natural sunlight from the huge bay windows. A large fireplace was also present beside a massive, black ebony grand piano, a crystal chandelier positioned in the middle of the room, with a billiards table near a back corner.Several potted plants, lush and vibrant colors, were scattered around the room as well. Many of the guests' mouths were hanging open as they gazed at the splendor before them
"Score!" Roxie shouted, running over to a large radio with a CD player and even a vinyl record player built in, several CD towers full of different music next to it, along with a cabinet. She hurriedly opened the cabinet and pulled out a drawer full of the classic vinyl records, whistling in appreciation. "They've got stuff back from before the Beatles, Toxicroak!" she called, glancing over her shoulder.
Her partner darted over and began to scour through the different genres with her as Iris flopped down onto a couch. She laughed and said, "Wow! I never thought a mansion out in the middle of the ocean could be so spiffy!"
Lyra timidly walked forward to the piano and played a few notes. Perfectly tuned. She gave a soft smile. Maybe this confusion was going to be worth it soon enough. She glanced up to find Roxie back from the radio, holding a black disk in her hands as she talked with Blue and Riley while White walked over to the windows and fingered the satin curtains as Iris jumped up and down on the couch, Haxorous watching her carefully.
"…Kinda weird for the circumstances," Roxie continued as Lyra stopped nearby them. "But the house is really awesome so far, even if it's not outfitted for a rave. Maybe the basement's where the party's supposed to be…"
"Isn't it a little concerning though?" Riley asked her. "We haven't seen anyone since we've got here…"
"Where the hell is the host?" Blue said, asking the million dollar question for them all.
"Hey, Miss Miller?" Riley called, glancing down to his letter to make sure he had the right name. "Anyone from the Pokétch Company?" he added.
"Huh?" Iris said, perking up from where she had been fiddling with the TV remote, checking the channels. "The Pokétch Company?" Her expression was of confusion, as was Blue's.
"Yeah, they're hosting this event," White answered from the window where she was studying the clear ocean, not a ship in sight. Strange...
"My letter's from the Pokédex Company," Blue said, pulling out his letter from his pocket. "It's supposed to be for a resort called the Dex's Deluxe Villa-your next adventure is about to begin," he said, reading the description.
Iris nodded her head. "My uncle got that same letter from the Pokédex people too, but he got sick and asked if I wanted to go. So…Here I am!" she cheered.
Lyra frowned and held out her hand. "Can I see everyone's letters?"
With a rustling, Lyra soon had all six letters and was shifting through them all. As predicted, the handwriting between the ones from Pokétch Company were the same, all were written by Miss Miller. But the writing also matched that from the Pokédex letters, who was also a Miss Miller. Same first name too.
"Okay, either the same person works for both firms and wrote them all or someone found a program online that just happened to us the same style of writing," Lyra announced, glancing up from the pages.
"Why would someone do that?" Iris asked, interested.
"Well, the Pokétch and Pokédex Companies are owned by two brothers," White said, petting Dewott, burnt out from her rolling. "What?" she asked when everyone looked at her in surprise. "I worked for them through an internship program a few years back. I thought the ownership was common knowledge."
"Really?" Lyra asked. "Have they ever done a collaboration raffle or anything like this."
White nodded. "It's never been a mansion or anything, but they've hosted tons of raffles in the past. Previous and present employees were entered in along with customers. The two brothers do this every year, trying to thank their customers and workers with cruises and the like. Guess they decided to host a big benefit or something," White said with a laugh, rubbing her neck. "There's a third brother too, I think. Can't remember what company he owns…"
It made Lyra feel a bit better, knowing that and some of the others relaxed too. But Blue scowled and asked, "But did they ever make people wait?"
White thought carefully then shook her head. "Usually they had a representative at the doors, except once," she added thoughtfully. "They ended up late due to a storm and everyone was really upset in the beginning."
"But the weather's fine," Riley said with a glance out the bay windows.
Still, there was no sign of any approaching vessel, but then, there was the sound of the front door opening.
"Finally," Lyra said softly, "We're going to get some answers."
But as they left the living room, save for Roxie who was still messing around with the stereo, they were stopped suddenly. Two more people and their Partner Pokémon had entered the mansion, and they didn't look like business representatives. One was a girl with peach colored hair tied into curling pigtails with purple ribbons and red eyes wearing a blue dress and white cardigan with a dark blue Dragon-type. The other was an older man with blonde hair and glasses, dressed similarly like a researcher with a white lab coat covering his black outfit with blue trimming, his olive green eyes glancing up from the letter he was reading. A grey, oval-shaped Pokémon floated beside him, with two bolts and a yellow antenna sticking up while a trio of magnets was attached to the bottom.
The man calmly folded up his letter, stowing it in his pocket and was about to speak when the woman asked, "Who the heck are all you people? Isn't this Dex's Deluxe Villa? I thought I won the contest, not this guy I had to ride with!"
Here, she cast an angry glare over at the man, who just ignored it, heading over to the rest of the group with his Magnezone. He politely smiled and said, "Sorry about her, she's just huffy I think…"
"That or she's a plain bitch," Blue said aloud, making the girl sputter and glare at him.
"Regardless," the man continued, before she could reply, "I'm as perplexed as she is. I wasn't expecting anyone here either. Does anyone have an explanation?"
Riley shook his head. "We're as baffled as you are."
"Strange," the man muttered softly. "Very strange."
"Hi mister!" Iris cheered, running up to him and thrusting out her hand. "I'm Iris. Who are you?"
"Ah! Forgive me," he said, shaking her hand happily. "I'm Colress…And she's Ursula," he explained with a nod in the girl's direction.
Ursula gave a huff, as did her Gabite, before she crossed her arms and said, "Moving on, where are the employees? The hosts? I need someone to get my luggage."
"Unfortunately, no one else is here," Riley explained.
"Couldn't you have grabbed your own stuff?" Blue asked with a grimace.
Ursula's face went red and thus they started an intense argument while the others introduced themselves, ignoring the ruckus.
"By the way," Lyra said while shaking Colress's hand, "Who did you receive your letter from?"
He produced the letter from his pocket, passing it to her as he said, "I received it from the Pokégear Company, but I assumed that since Ursula's is from the Pokédex Company, the two firms are working together. I guess that the Pokétch Company's involved too; the owners are all related…"
"That's the third brother," White said, snapping her fingers. "I'd forgotten. And I'm not the only one who knows," she said with relief.
Colress was interested. "Did you work for one of the companies?"
"Yeah, Pokétch, it was a summer internship. Great benefits," she said with a proud smile. "I worked in customer service. You?"
Colress chuckled. "Indeed, I worked for Pokégear developing different gadgets and the like. I left a few years ago after I decided to pursue my dream to be a Pokémon researcher, but..."
Rock music suddenly blared out from the living room, causing everyone to start.
"YEAH BABY!" Roxie's voice could barely be heard over the blaring bass and pounding of drums.
"I've got it," Lyra said, heading back inside the living room. She and Quilava covered their ears as they got closer to the sub-woofers as Roxie added her own bass to the music, Toxicroak bobbing his head to the beat. Lyra hit the pause button and watched with slight amusement as Roxie continued to play for a few moments before she startled and spun around in confusion.
"New people showed up," she explained to the rocker gal. "Come and say hi."
"No sign of the host?" the white-blonde asked.
"Nada."
Back in the hallway, Riley and Colress were discussing what was occurring.
"…In the meantime, I suggest we settle into rooms while we wait for the host or hosts to arrive," Colress said.
"I like that idea," White agreed. "Lyra, let's try and get rooms next to each other!" she said, grabbing her new friend's arm. Lyra nodded and they were just about to head up the stairs after Iris, who had raced up them earlier and slid down the banister and was going for a second turn, when the front door opened again.
Timidly, a green haired girl poked her head in through the door before she was shoved in by a cheerfully red haired girl, saying that she shouldn't worry so much. The green-haired girl was willowy, her hair tied in a long braid, and her dress had a brown top with a deep green skirt that had a boarder like leaves. A green and white trimmed jacket with long sleeves sat on her shoulders. A pink Pokémon with an egg poking out of a pouch stood near her brown boot clad feet, a Chansey. Her green eyes glanced up shyly from the floor and widened as they took in how many people were there. Her friend, however, grinned cheerfully, her read hair hanging in long bangs with part of it held up with a blue flower scrunchie. She wore a sky blue long sleeved top and shorts attached darker blue fabric. Another set of blue gloves covered her hands and matched the boots she wore. A lovely brown bird followed her, an Unfezant.
"Whoa!" the blue-clad girl said. "Didn't expect so many others! Least it won't get boring. I'm Sklya, flier extraordinaire." She then turned to her companion and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Now…Introduce yourself."
The girl smiled nervously, but took in a deep breath and said, "Hi, I'm Cheryl," in a slightly meek voice.
"Better!" Skyla announced, slapping Cheryl's shoulder cheerfully, happy for the girl to start opening up.
After a few minutes, they learned that Skyla had gotten an invitation from the Pokétch Company and met Cheryl, who had been invited to help in case of medical emergencies, as she was studying to be a nurse.
"Do things normally get dangerous at these sort of things?" Riley asked.
Cheryl blushed and said, "Well…I'm ah…here for anything that's…just in case something bad happens…"
THUMP!
"OUCH!" Iris shouted as she landed on her butt after riding the railing again. "Got anything for butt related injuries?" she asked, getting up and rubbing her backside.
Everyone laughed at the remark and Iris joined in too.
"Hopefully, it'll be peaceful and I won't have to use any of my equipment," Cheryl continued. "I better…Find a room and put it all away…"
With that she walked up the stairs with Iris hot on her heels. Iris, however, was lugging her large backpack with her, no doubt recalling what had happened the last time she slid down the banister. Lyra and White went up too, along with a few others.
Just like White said, she and Lyra found rooms right next to each other. White tossed her bag onto the bed while Dewott tested the second smaller bed that was her. Next door, Lyra set her bag down next to the desk and sighed, beginning to unpack some of her clothes. Quilava helped her, setting book onto the desk along with a binder. Lyra glanced around her room.
The finery continued upstairs too, it would appear. The wallpaper was deep blue with red vines and a dark brown wooden border. The bed was a thick, finely sewn blanket made of black fabric and the windows let in plenty of light and faced the ocean. The desk itself was oak with a fancy lamp and the drawers contained paper, pens, and pencils. Lyra flopped down onto a small couch and drew her knees up to her feet as she watched the waves, thinking to herself. She spotted a boat in the distance and side, getting up.
Either the hosts were finally arriving…Or someone else was showing up.
The latter was proven true as she slid down the staircase with Iris, both using pillows as she spotted four new people rather than two. She landed on her feet and tossed the pillow aside as a flaming haired guy, standing with his Pansear, asked Riley, "What do you mean the host isn't here yet?"
The other new arrivals were confused too. One was a bespectacled black haired boy dressed in a white shirt, black pants, and a blue jacket, a Beheeyem floating beside him. Another was a girl with lemon-colored hair and a green hat. Her white dress was covered by a short sleeved orange vest and her cheerful green eyes portrayed happiness, unlike her sulky companion, who's black eyes were narrowed in suspicion. A grey Chinchilla with white fur sprouting from its ears and two twin scarves curling around its body was making small talk, for a Pokémon, with Quilava who had arrived earlier. The last member of the motley group was a woman with large round glasses and large brown eyes. Her deep purple hair was cut in a fashionable bob and her clothes were a purple short dress with long sleeves and black tights with reddish shoes. She glanced up from the notebook she was writing in as Lyra walked over, her Froslass timidly floating beside her.
"More people?" Lyra asked Riley.
He sighed and nodded. "This is Chili, Cheren, Bianca, and Shauntal, respectively."
Chili glanced at Lyra before he and his Pansear headed for the stairs, muttering angrily under his breath. Cheren gave Lyra a look of thoughtfulness before sighing and said, "I knew this was too good to be true…"
"Ah, lighten up!" Bianca said cheerfully, patting his back. "You're such a worry-wort! He's a pessimist."
Cheren sighed and walked up the staircase, ignoring most of the people with Beeheeyum. Bianca accidentally rammed into Lyra and said, "Oops! Sorry!" The blonde quickly raced up the stairs while Blue muttered, "And she's an optimist…Which do I hate more?" Soon though, he was arguing with Ursula again while Gabite and Nidoking had a glaring contest of epic proportions. White, went up to the much ignored Shauntal.
"Hi," she greeted, making the other woman almost drop her notebook.
"Hi," the purplette replied timidly.
"I'm White," she explained. "What are you doing?"
"Oh…I'm writing," Shauntal admitted. "Sorry if I ignored you, I'm not a very good people person…"
White smiled and looked at the book with interest. "What are you writing about?"
Shauntal smiled, obvious calming down as she started to talk about the idea for a mystery novel she was hoping to publish when a knock came from the door.
"Hello?" a tough sounding voice asked. "Is it open?"
"The door's unlocked," Colress called to whoever was at the oak doors. "You might be surprised by what you see though…"
The door opened and a tall African man with short yellow and black hair dressed in fighting clothes walked in. He carried two suitcases in his left hand while his right hand held the strap of a large duffle bag hanging over his shoulder. A lean, blue skinned Pokémon in karate gi and a black bet walked with him, a Sawk as silent as his Trainer.
With a slight BUMP, the man set down the suitcases and dropped his duffle bag on the ground, stretch a bit before turning to the door. He turned back to the door and said, "You sure you don't need a hand, mister?"
"No thank you, I've got it," a raspy voice said as an old man followed by tiny yellow furred Pokémon with pink cheeks strumming a little ukulele while the man held a small suitcase. He took in the semi-crowded foyer and asked, "Who are you all?"
"Sorry, sir, we're just as confused about the circumstances," Riley explained. "I'm sure we can make introductions easy enough though."
"Hmm, I'm Booker, a retired ship maker," he explained as his tiny Pichu waved at everyone. "And this is Ukulele Pichu."
"I'm Marshal," the other man said. "And this is my partner Sawk. I guess the host is late, huh?"
"Unfortunately yes," Colress said, coming down the staircase, Magnezone floating beside him.
"Huh," Marshal said before picking up his duffle bag. "Well, who's stuff is this? I found it outside and I decided to bring it in."
"Thanks!" Ursula said, running over and grabbing the two handles of her suitcases. She shot Blue a glare as she and Marshal went up the stairs, Booker remaining to talk to Riley and Colress. Lyra sighed and moved away, Quilava padding beside her master.
"Where you going?" Iris asked, running up to her side, interested.
"Just going to see where those hallways lead," she replied, nodding to the two branching off sections.
"Oh! Exploring!" Iris cheered, following at Lyra's heels. "I'm coming too!"
With Haxorus and Quilava following behind them, Iris and Lyra searched the two hallways, but they were pretty normal, branching off with a few closets and a couple luxurious bathrooms outfitted with marble flooring and large bathtubs. There was a glass door that led into a medium sized fitness center, the different exercise machines lined neatly beside the wall with racks of dumbbells and even a few yoga balls scattered about. Another glass door led outside to the stone patio with a few metal tables and chairs, umbrellas shading the tables' surfaces. A large pool with a diving board was also present, a small shack nearby that the girls discovered was full of gardening tools and even a few tennis rackets.
Lyra led her younger friend, who was very disappointed not to find any secret passages, back inside before stumbling across an oak door leading into an extensive library. The bookcases reached the ceiling and were absolutely filled to the brim with hard covered and paperback books. A small desk and several couches were present near a marble fireplace, wheel able ladders attached to the bookcases to gain access to the higher up books. Lyra wanted to go in, find a nice novel, and curl up in the big leather chair for a few hours when she heard footsteps behind them.
"Hey White!" Iris said to the brunette as she and Dewott headed towards them.
"More people showed up again," White told Lyra, making the girl close the door to the library sadly. Maybe later…
Indeed, there were two other people and their Pokémon in the main hallway now. One was a girl with orange hair, wearing shorts and a tee-shirt, a yellow starfish with five arms standing beside her. The other was a tall, slim woman with long purple hair with matching eyes, wearing a dress and a white lab coat. Her partner was a pink and purple elephant-like creature that admitted a pinkish-purple cloud of vapor from its head as it floated beside the woman.
"…These circumstance are just too peculiar," the woman was saying as the trio entered the foyer, nodding her head as she spoke to Colress. "I'm just so confused…"
"I guess the letter was wrong about a swimming convention, huh?" the orange-haired girl said with a sigh, her Staryu giving a weird shrug with two of its arms.
"Well, there's a pool," Lyra announced. "But I don't think it's fit for a contest."
"At least there's a pool…Anyways, I'm Misty," the orange haired girl said.
"I'm Fennel," the other woman stated, before gesturing to her partner, "And this is Musharna."
"How many more people are coming?" Iris asked, White and Lyra, tilting her head curiously.
"Who knows…"
The next two that arrived were Bugh and Trip. Bugh was a tall older man, with brown hair and brightly colored clothes, a Leavanny accompanied him, and the two were very cheerful and kind. Trip was a guy in his late teens, early twenties, like most of the others. He had a straight mop of dirty blonde hair and pale gray eyes, wearing an orange jacket, a camera sticking out of the pocket. A large serpent-like creature, with curling yellow partners on its green and cream body slithered in after him. Trip, unlike his companion, wasn't very talkative, even with Iris.
"I can't believe it," Trip muttered softly. "Where is the host?"
Riley shrugged. "Who knows?"
"Well, I'm going into the gardens to paint, okay?" Burgh said cheerfully, taking his bag out with him, no doubt filled with his art supplies.
Trip pulled his camera out and snapped a picture of everyone and their Pokémon, mentioning that he was trying to create a scrapbook of his vacation. After that, everyone didn't have long to wait for the final guests.
The last three individuals that arrived were very strange. One was an older man with a typical outfit and brown jacket, his Herdier sniffing in suspicion as they entered the room, making everyone shut up. His serious black eyes took in the room. A tall young man with long tea green hair tied in a scruffy ponytail walked in, one hand fiddling with a cube similar to a Rubik's Cube. He wore a black shirt, white jacket, and brown pants, a white hat on his head. A dark fox with red fur followed in after him, his pale blue eyes glaring at everyone. The final guy wore a black shirt and long blue pants, his hair pure red. A cigarette was in his mouth, a wisp of smoke floating up into the air, his steel eyes shifting through the entire group, including Burgh who had come in a little while ago. A blue skinned crocodile with red spikes forming a sort of Mohawk and a tannish-yellow belly stood beside him, also with a cigarette.
The red-haired guy looked at the crowd and his face splint into a grin. "Okay…I heard that there were going to be some serious drugs here," making a few people snort in anger or stare at him in disgust. "Who's the dealer? Or are all you waiting to get stoned or laid?"
"Honestly," the green-haired guy said with a sigh, turning around to face the red-head. "There is no drug sale present here, and I doubt a fifteen-year old came out all this way to get…laid," he said after a moment, unable of thinking of a better word in the presence of Iris.
"Lyra," the purplette said, "What's 'laid' mean?" Lyra's face flushed, but she was saved from giving the younger girl the "Talk" when the older man began to speak.
"Besides, if there was an illegal sale of drugs or marijuana, I would contact the authorities."
The red head grinned again. "Chill out man. Jeez, you a police officer or something?"
The older man sighed and said, "My names Booker."
"My name is N," the green-haired guy said, before giving a jerking gesture to the redhead who was lighting a new cigarette, "And he's Silver. Sorry if he was improper."
"We already have an asshole on this island buddy," White said, nodding over to where Blue glared back at her. "Nice meeting you though," she said, sticking her hand out for N to shake. After a moment, he did while Dewott began to chat with Zoroark. "So…N…Is that just an initial?"
N smiled at her. "Sort of…"
Silver headed forward, duffle bag over his shoulder, pausing next to Lyra. He looked her in the eyes, bitter, narrowed brown meeting cool grey. Silver grinned, letting out a puff of smoke in her face, making her cough, glaring at him as she waved the smoke away. Croconaw smirked at Quilava who huffed angrily at him, stealing his cigarette and stomping it out under her foot. Croconaw raised an eyebrow, shrugging as he pulled out an entire pack, offering one to Quilava. She made a rasping noise, snatching it from him, lighting it with her Mohawk. She glanced up warily, checking on her Trainer who was too busy fighting with Silver as the youth dragged his bag up the stairs. Quilava sighed in relief and gave the cigarette a good suck, before letting the smoke trail out of her mouth as Croconaw ignited his own from her smoking buddy's fiery mane. Quilava then quickly stubbed out the cigarette before Lyra turned around.
Booker was talking to Colress and Riley. "Are we all candidates for winning this mansion?"
"I'm not too sure," Colress admitted, explaining the situation to everyone in the room again.
"Very curious," Booker noted as Herdier began talking to some of the other Pokémon. "But why should the host be late? Until he arrives, we have no choice but to wait…"
"He's right though," Cheren noted, pessimism sinking into his voice again. "All we CAN do is wait…"
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Soon enough, night had descended across the ocean, the sunset was vivid and bright before things sunk into darkness. There was still, however, no sign of anyone else arriving. Everyone had already set up their rooms, (there were more bedrooms than there were guests, twenty-three total) and were all gathered in the living room to wait. Booker, Riley, White, N, and Looker were sitting on some couches talking, their Pokémon sitting or lying down beside them. Lyra was sitting on the ground with Iris, playing the younger girl in a video game and losing horribly, she had only agreed to keep the girl from trying to literally bounce off the walls. Marshal and Chili were teamed up and playing Silver and Trip in a game of pool with their Pokémon siding with them as well, Silver and Croconaw's smoke creating a slight cloud above their heads. Cheryl was explaining medicine to Bianca and Skyla as Cheren watched the drizzling rain fall, searching the now choppy ocean for anyone or anything. Burgh was drawing something on his sketchpad as Leavanny cooed over Pichu, the little Electric-type strumming his ukulele. Blue and Ursula were at it again as Roxie turned the music up on her headphones, Toxicroak mimicking her actions as Gabite and Nidoking snarled at each other. Shauntal was scribbling in her notebook, lost in thought while Froslass read a book. Fennel and Colress were talking together about technology. Misty entered the room, her hair dripping wet after her dip in the pool as Staryu shook off water droplets on the group by the couches.
Lyra groaned, throwing her controller down as she lost in the seventh consecutive row while Iris whooped happily, slapping her hand into Haxorous' while Quilava patted her Trainer's back. Lyra got up, snatching up the book she had borrowed from the library before settling in a nice rocking chair, Quilava curling up on her lap.
Taking a break from his game, Silver headed up to Lyra before sitting down at the piano and played a D flat, making the brunette glance up.
He grinned at her cheerfully. "I do enjoy playing piano, you know."
"You're drugged and you think you can play?" Lyra questioned, placing a bookmark at her spot before closing the book. She shot him a condescending look.
Silver shook his head, smirking, before he launched himself into a complex piece of classical music. Lyra's eyes widened as he played it flawlessly, trailing off at the end as he snickered at her surprised face. Many people in the room were stunned too, staring at the druggie in a totally new way as he lit another cigarette.
"How…How…"
"The weed, sister," he told her solemnly, "It makes everything easier."
Cheryl gave him a look as Ursula snorted while Chili rolled his eyes, a few of the others shooting the redhead weird looks as he got up, heading back to the pool table. He paused next to Lyra and said, "Why not try your hand? You're no druggie, but…"
Lyra glared at him, getting up and sitting down at the piano bench. She began to play a soft, haunting melody that echoed in the quiet around them, the chords perfect. Lyra glanced up, catching Silver's raised eyebrow as she continued her piece.
"You sure you're not stoned?" he asked her before heading back to the pool table. Lyra snorted, finishing her song before returning back to her book. Riley looked up from the debate that he was participating in, his attention on Cheren.
"Any sign of a boat?" he asked.
"No…Nothing at all, and the weather's worsening," Cheren added.
"It's been hours," complained Ursula. "Where the hell are the hosts or owners of this place?" she asked.
"Once again, that's the million Poké question," Blue said angrily.
"This isn't some kind of trick, is it?" White asked.
"I hope not," N said, speaking for the first time after he entered the hallway. "And we aren't in a good position right now either. Think about it…The boats were instructed not to return until the host had sent for them and there is no one else but us present at the moment. So, until someone finally shows up, we're trapped in a place far from help. And what if there isn't any food?"
"Chill out, man," Roxie said, lowering the volume of her headphones. "Iris and I checked out the kitchen and we've got tons of food."
"Don't be such a downer, N," Bianca added, smiling as she petted Cinccino. "I had to put up with Cheren the whole way here, I can't take anymore pessimists. Besides, don't you think this is exciting?"
"I wish I had your enthusiasm," Blue said, rolling his eyes.
"It is a little unnerving," Colress agreed, frowning slightly.
"Maybe we should-" Misty started to say, but in that instant, a loud boom of thunder shook the window panes and the lights went out sharply. Silence reigned for a moment, before a loud moan started. The lights came back on after a few moments, everyone finding Chili lying on the ground next to Lyra as the girl glared down at him.
"Some idiot's idea to scare me," the girl explained as Chili got up, rubbing his head.
"Sorry if I couldn't ignore an easy scare," he muttered, heading back to the pool table as several people snickered.
"This place isn't in such good condition, really," Ursula said critically, narrowing her eyes. "Yes it's very fancy, but the lights are on the fritz, too much dust, and there's no working phone!"
"We wouldn't be able to get tonight anyways," N said calmly. "The storm outside is too rough."
"Just perfect," Cheren said his eye twitching as he glared out the window.
"Am…Am I the only worried one?" Cheryl asked, shivering slightly.
"No," Riley agreed. "The aura of this place is just…Wrong."
"I don't like it here either," Fennel admitted.
"I sort of do," Shauntal explained. "Great setting for writing."
"As for me and Croconaw," Silver said from where he shot a striped ball into the hole, "We needed a getaway…Some of my buddies were caught dealing and I thought we should keep on quiet. What better place than an island in the middle of the ocean?"
"You're disgusting," Blue told him angrily, Silver shrugging.
"Geez," Chili said, recovering from Lyra's punch. "You guys are just being babies, I can't find anything wrong here! What about you buddy?" he asked Marshal.
"Other than the air of mystery," the buff man said, "I like this place."
"Please," Looker said suddenly. "We're all on edge since no one else is here. But I'm sure…"
Once again, thunder boomed and the light went out. They did, however, remaining out longer this time.
"What's going on?" Cheryl's voice asked, petrified.
"We could have blown a fuse," Booker said aloud. "Anyone knows where the basement is?"
"I suggest ghost stories!" Iris shouted happily, not afraid of the dark.
Then the lights returned, surprising several people.
"Now that," Skyla said, "That was creepy."
"Ahem sister," Roxie said.
"Holy shit, you put this thing here?!" Blue asked suddenly, drawing everyone's attention to the coffee table near him. On the once clear surface sat a small oak box, a note sticking up on top of it. It hadn't been there before the lights went out.
Everyone slowly gathered around it, all curious at the tiny box.
"What is it?" White asked.
"Sure it isn't anyone's?" Riley asked aloud. Everyone shook their heads, it wasn't theirs. Shauntal picked up the letter, unfolding it and began to read it aloud.
"Dear my esteemed guests,
I bid you welcome to my mansion, Pandora Mansion. I regret to not arriving at the same time as you, but I hope you will enjoy yourselves until I arrive. But please, open this box for more information, as my pen grows empty of ink.
From,
Your host."
"If that isn't creepy, I don't know what is," Trip said, taking a picture of the letter and box. Riley rolled his eyes and picked up the box, lifting the lid. As he did so, Lyra caught sight of the words carved on the lid, Pandora's Box.
"Shit," she muttered, remembering something.
Before she could say anything, a prerecorded message began to play, the voice unknown to them and neither male nor female, as if it was a computer. Yet it was diffidently a human speaking.
"Greetings my guests. It is I, your humble host. I regret that I was unable to welcome you to my island, as said before. But I have been unfortunately detained. I will show up soon enough, but until, please, enjoy yourselves. You may not have as much time as you think you do. Be careful, my friends, for you have unleashed the horrors of my Pandora's Box and disasters have been known to follow the people to open the box.
Sincerely, Your Host."
"What the hell was that?" Blue questioned, staring at the now silent music box that sat silently on the table now.
"Is this someone's idea of a sick joke?" Cheren asked.
"Horrors…Disasters…I think the host is trying to scare us," Marshal said. "Or he's threatening us…"
"What makes you think it's a guy?" Skyla asked angrily, crossing her arms.
"It's host, not hostess," reminded Riley.
"What's Pandora's Box?" Bianca asked, confused.
"Pandora was the first human created by the gods," Lyra said, drawing all attention to her. "She was created as punishment against the Pokémon who had given humans fire without the gods' permission. Pandora, foolish mortal, opened the box that contained all the horrors of the world, introducing death, destruction, and disease up on the world."
Everyone froze staring at each other. Many of them had concerned looks on their faces. However, some were ignorant to the warning.
"Whatever," Chili said. "Let's finish our game, Marshal, then I'm heading to bed before any more creepy shit happens."
"Actually," Silver said, sinking the eight ball into the far pocket, "We win."
"Fuck it," Chili muttered as the others were remaining around the box.
"Okay, Iris," White said, turning to the younger girl, "Is this some kind of joke?"
"What? No, I'll even write with both my hands to prove I didn't write that letter," the girl said. "I like jokes, but that was sick, not my type of humor."
"It isn't just a prank," N said softly, holding the letter in his hands. "It's a warning."
"For what?" Cheryl asked fearfully.
Blue snorted. "The host said for us to be careful and enjoy our time…While we had it…If that isn't ominous as heck, I don't know what is."
"You might be taking this too seriously," Marshal said, shaking his head.
"It's probably a joke or game the company's throwing," Bianca agreed, but she still hugged Cinccino close to her chest.
"Just a stupid prank," Chili said, leaving the room and heading for the foyer with Simisear by his side. "I'm hitting the hay.
The others began to trickle out as the two made it to the top of the steps. Chili frowned, stopping t cock his head in confusion.
"Er…Which room's mine?" he asked aloud.
"Can't you remember?" Blue asked, rolling his eyes.
"They're all the same fucking white doors, man. Whatever, I think its this one, grabbing the doorknob and pulling the door forward.
It was Chili's last move. With a creak, a sharp axe was propelled into the man's face, sinking into his cranium as a second smacked into Simisear. They didn't even have time to blink or scream. Instead, the pair toppled down the steps, landing in front of the others, their blood pooling as many people screamed.
"What the hell?!" Blue shouted, catching sight of the elaborate device that had made the axe hit Chili and his Pokemon.
Cheryle rushed forward, despite her fear. If there was the slightest possibility…She dropped to his side and began checking for a heatbeat or pulse, Chansey mimicking her actions on Simisear. She let out a strangled cry, her face twisting up to face the others, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"He's dead!"
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…AND…Cut! Not bad for the first chapter, huh? And quite thrilling at the end, too. All twenty-fiv…Er…Twenty-four Trainers and their Pokémon are now trapped on an island in the middle of the ocean, separated from the outside world, with a delusional killer after them.
Good bye, Chili. Sorry man, next time, put up a sign saying which door it was. Honestly, I had no clue who should get the boot…or axe, for the matter*snicker* first, so I just randomly picked someone. You've probably guessed by now that the title of each chapter will correspond with the death of a character. Hence the reason for this title: Clunk.
Here's the cast list of 23 with the stereotypes and to keep the characters and their Pokémon straight, alphabetical order, just to let you know…
Bianca- The Clumsy Optimist; Partner Pokémon: Cinccino
Blue- The Complete Asshole; Partner Pokémon: Nidoking
Booker- The Aged Builder; Partner Pokémon: Pichu
Burgh- The Buggy Artist; Partner Pokémon: Leavanny
Cheren- The Knowledgeable Pessimist; Partner Pokémon: Beheeyem
Cheryl- The Timid Healer; Partner Pokémon: Chansey
Chili- The Hasty Hothead; Partner Pokémon: Simisear (BOTH KILLED)
Colress- The Calm Techie; Partner Pokémon: Magnezone
Fennel- The Shy Scientist; Partner Pokémon: Musharna
Iris- The Dragon-loving Joker; Partner Pokémon: Haxorous
Lyra- The Bookish Beauty; Partner Pokémon: Quilava
Looker- The Silent Stranger; Partner Pokémon: Herdier
Marshal-The Determined Fighter; Partner Pokémon: Sawk
Misty-The Surfer Gal; Partner Pokémon: Staryu
N- The Anti-Social Genius; Partner Pokémon: Zoroark
Riley- The Peaceful Aurist; Partner Pokémon: Lucario
Roxie; The Punk Rocker; Partner Pokémon: Toxicroak
Shauntal- The Mysterious Writer; Partner Pokémon: Froslass
Skyla-The Flyaway Gal; Partner Pokémon: Unfezant
Trip-The Obsessive Photographer; Partner Pokémon: Serperior
Ursula-The Bitch Queen; Partner Pokémon: Gabite
White: The Friendly ; Partner Pokémon: Dewott
Good luck guessing the murderer, folks! I'd love to see your assumptions via PM's over reviews. I won't reply to them, but I'll keep you all guessing…I'm writing this for the suspense and mystery, but it's all done with careful planning. Hopefully, you'll be able to eliminate people, other than those who got croaked, as we go. Also, there is only ONE killer, no accomplices, folks! This killer is flying solo! Anyways, take it away Chili!
Chili: Review, or else Simisear will track you down!
Simisear: Simi sear sea! (What he said!)