2nd Floor: Hallways

Ninetales and Itchy came to the end, where there were two rooms on either side. Ninetales opened one, then the other, and saw that they were both elegant bedrooms: fireplaces on the sides, a window as big as the wall itself, a queen sized bed taking up most of the space, drawers and cabinets and even mahogany chairs and tables.

"It looks like rooms you'd find in an elegant hotel room," said Itchy. "I remember when Bess took me to her last Dog Show. She and her owner had a room similar to this one, but… a lot smaller".

"Perhaps," said Ninetales. "Okay. Let's search these two for anything. Vaporeon, you and Itchy take that one while I…" Something flashed before Ninetales. Ninetales blacked out as he saw flashes of the Suicune again. One where it was looking out to a lake…. Then a field of flowers and what looked like ice… then the Suicune again in white flowers, approaching him and lifting its lips to Ninetales… Ninetales was surprised, but he could feel it…

"NINETALES!!" rang a voice through him.

"GGAAHH!!" Ninetales shook his head, the hallway returning as Vaporeon and Itchy were both looking at him. "What happened?"

"What happened is that you zoned out again," said Vaporeon. "Good thing I snapped you out of it".

Ninetales grabbed Vaporeon with his tails, "And you're dead for screaming in my ear!"

"You're… wel-come…aack!" coughed Vaporeon, his face turning a darker shade of blue.

Ninetales released him. "So, what happened to me?"

"You just dazed off," said Itchy. "By the way, were you thinking about Shaina?"

"No, why?"

"Because you were making a kissing face," said Vaporeon, getting up and puckering his lips, "Like this".

Ninetales was shocked. "I made that expression just now?!"

"Yeah," said Itchy, looking at him, "You okay, Ninetales?"

"I'm fine! I'm fine!" Ninetales took a deep breath, then turned to them. "Okay, Itchy, you and kissing-trout take that room there while I search this one".

"Okay!"

"Kissing-Trout?" said Vaporeon as he followed the Dachshund. Ninetales entered the other room.

Mistress Bedroom

Itchy looked around the room, the lights from the chandelier casting dancing shadows of the cabinets and trinkets on top.

"Ooh…" said Itchy, "Wish the chandelier would stay put".

"Don't be such a chicken," said Vaporeon, opening a music box. "Ooh, nice".

"But what about all those weird stuff going on? Like the armor and that stuffed Ursaring?"

"Good point, and that bookshelf with the octopus behind it".

The lights begin to flicker, causing the room to turn dark for seconds.

"Eek!" yelled Itchy, jumping onto Vaporeon.

"I can see how Ninetales feels when you do it to him," said Vaporeon.

Master Bedroom

Ninetales looked and saw an old rifle hanging on the wall over the bed. As he looked around, he couldn't help but wonder why those images kept flashing through his mind.

Just what does Suicune have to do with me? thought Ninetales, turning his back to the closet as he looked at the cabinet. He doesn't notice that the red faced demon began to sneak up behind him. Great Arceus, what is my connection to Suicune?! Just give me a sign!

Just then, he got pushed into the bed, then being wrestled as the red faced demon begins to tie him up inside the sheets.

"Hey!! Let go!!" Ninetales pops his head out, but his muzzle gets caught and tied up, unable for him to use his fire abilities. Then, the demon tore down the curtains and wrapped Ninetales up into a sheet of mess. With Ninetales struggling to get out, the demon made his leave to the other room.

Mistress Bedroom

Itchy perked his ears up. "Hey, did you hear that?"

Vaporeon looked at him. "Hear what?"

"I could've sworn I heard Ninetales just a moment ago".

"Heh. Probably doing another one of his dazed moments". Vaporeon approached the closet. "Either way, this room is clean and monster free". He opens the door, the red faced demon looking at him. Vaporeon, his eyes wide, closed the door, then turn to Itchy. "I take it back… RUN!!"

The closet bursts open as the demon comes out, roaring with anger.

"GAHH!!" yelled Itchy as he and Vaporeon leave the room and into the other.

Master Bedroom

Itchy and Vaporeon, panting, closed and locked the door. Itchy fanned himself with his hat.

"I… want… to go… home," he said.

Just then, the sheets from the bed began to rise. Vaporeon began to shake as he pointed to it. Itchy turned around slowly as the sheets began to mumble and move.

"Eek!" Itchy yelped, but holding his muzzle. "The ghost!"

"Ibshe? Bad phew?" mumbled the sheets.

"Aack!"

"Get it!" said Vaporeon, whacking it with his tail.

"Good idea!" Itchy grabbed a nearby item, which turned out to be the curtain rod, and began hitting the sheets.

"SPOOOP!!" mumbled the sheets again. "IB'S BEE!!"

"What's it saying?" said Itchy.

"Who cares! Just hit it!" continued Vaporeon with his tail.

"SPOOOPP!" The sheets flung both of them off, revealing an angry white fox, his muzzle bound.

"Ninetales? That was you?" said Itchy, hiding the rod.

"Put bi-bee pow!!!"

"Hold on". Itchy removed the muzzle restraint, allowing Ninetales to speak.

"Thanks," he said as he untangled himself from the sheets.

"Who did this to you?"

"The red faced demon, that's who". He gets off the bed and heads outside. "When I see him, he's toast!"

"LOOK OUT!!" shot a voice. Ninetales turned to be hit down by a running Jolteon. "Sorry, Ninetales. Bad brakes, heh".

"Get off me now, Jolteon, before I really loose my cool!"

"Alright, just give me a mo-OOF!"

"Gotcha!" said Charlie, right on top of Jolteon, "Thought you'd shock me and get away, did you?"

"Uh, Charlie. I suggest you'd get off me or else"

"Or else what?"

"I'll give you one guess," said Ninetales, poking his head to him. "Now then… GET OFF!"

"Yikes!" Charlie and Jolteon both jumped off the Kitsune. "Sorry, Ninetales. Didn't see you down there".

"No problem. So what's the status of downstairs?"

"Well, the piano was playing itself and the kitchen almost killed us, but either than that, we're okay," said Jolteon.

"I meant about the artifacts!" snarled Ninetales.

"Oh! They're still missing".

"Great!" Ninetales walked up and down, pondering. "Just great. What'll we tell Jaxon? Better yet, Annabelle?"

"Calm down, Ninetales," said Itchy. "We could solve this before daybreak".

"Or before Jaxon returns," said Vaporeon.

"Hmm…" Charlie began to ponder. "I may have seen old cartoons, but I think I got a scam to scam these 'monsters' out of hiding".

"This really feels like I'm in Scooby Doo show," said Ninetales, "In fact, there are five of us!"

"If Eevee was here, that would make him Scrappy-Doo," said Jolteon.

"Didn't many fans say Scrappy Doo was annoying?" said Itchy.

"That fits Eevee very well," said Charlie.

"Charlie, what's your plan?" asked Ninetales.

"Well, let's have a quick think," said Charlie, "Like what else could they do to scare us?"

"I know! I know!" said Jolteon, raising his paw, "That circus episode! The golden coin by that creepy clown!"

"What's so scary about some currency?" asked Ninetales.

"Tch... Ninetales, you should watch TV more," said Vaporeon.

"The coin was used to hypnotize the Mystery Gang into trances," said Charlie.

"Three out of five, but what Daphne and Scooby were done in their trance were FUNN-EY!" laughed Jolteon.

"And what are the chances of this coin being used on US?" asked Ninetales.

"Big time!" said Vaporeon, "I mean, what will we do they use it on us?!"

"Jolteon, Vaporeon... have no fear. I know it won't work on you two," said Ninetales assuring them.

"How can you be sure about that?"

"In order for a mind to fall into a trance, you need a mind... and you two... well.…"

"You two are lacking that," finished Charlie.

"Do you have any proof on that?" asked Jolteon.

"Give me two minutes and I would have written down about 200 reasons why you don't have one," said Ninetales smiling.

"Okay, we get it," said Vaporeon huffing.

"As for Itchy... well.... he wouldn't get hypnotized... he wouldn't stare at an odd coin because he'll be hiding his eyes in fear. And as for Charlie.... well, no one would go near him to hypnotize you... because you hadn't had a bath since.... the Battle of Hastings".

"Oh ha..ha…" said Charlie.

"That just leaves you, Ninetales," said Vaporeon.

"And despite what you think, I think there's about 48% chance you can be hypnotized! And we have proof!!!" said Jolteon.

'Proof?" Ninetales was puzzled. "You don't have ANY proof".

"How about your zonking out moments?"

"That's zoning out. Not really hypnosis".

"If they do manage hypnotizing Ninetales, they'll turn him against us!"

"Then, there's no point on doing that to me then".

"How come?" asked Itchy.

Ninetales sighed as he scratched his head, "Because you four are doing a good job on turning me against you". He points at Charlie, "Pinning Jolteon on me... (Points to Itchy) You for always jumping on me... (Points at Jolteon and Vaporeon) And you two... well, do I need to say more?"

"Oh, come on, Ninetales," said Charlie, "You don't really mean it, do you?"

"No... this is me being in a Very Annoyed Mood... that's all. In any case... your plan Charlie?"

"Okay, here's what we're going to do. You know that chandelier in the foyer? Well, we're going to use it to capture them".

"But how are we going to make them come to the foyer? 'Hi, we want to caputre you. Can you come here please?'"

"We'll go with that!" said Vaporeon.

"I was being sarcastic," said Ninetales.

"So, how do we lure those two there?" asked Itchy.

"Whom else but our own Scooby-Doo and Shaggy," said Charlie.

Jolteon began to sneak away from them, but he gets caught by Ninetales. "Just where are you sneaking off to?"

"Power Rangers Marathon! Gotta see it!" said Jolteon, grinning.

"So, you got your Scooby-Doo, but whose your Shaggy?" asked Vaporeon. Ninetales, Charlie, and Itchy were looking at him, "Um, Itchy? Charlie? Wait! Are you trying to tell me that I'm Shaggy?! Oh, no. I am not going to be partnered with him!"

"And yet, you've just got yourself that Blue Dragon for the 360," said Ninetales, "It's too bad you won't play it until Christmas 2015"

"Huh?! Why till then"

"Because it'll be a long wait unless you and Jolteon work together and get those crooks down here!"

"Oh... Fine!"

"No way am I going," said Jolteon.

"Would you do it for a Scooby-Snack?" asked Itchy.

"ITCHY!" said Ninetales.

"Sorry. Just wanted to try it out".

"Well, come on then 'Velma'. We need to prepare while our Scooby and Shaggy go and find those two and make them chase you to the middle of the foyer," said Charlie.

Ninetales turned towards Jolteon. "Now, work with Vaporeon... or else... GOT IT?!"

"Yes, sir!" said Jolteon.

*************************************************************************************

"Why do we have to be the bait?" said Vaporeon, walking with Jolteon.

"Probably because Itchy can't run, Charlie and Ninetales are setting up, and we're lucky candidates to play Scooby-Doo and Shaggy, eh, Blubby?"

"What?!" Vaporeon readied himself and fired a Hydro Pump, which Jolteon dodged out of the way as it blasted a door off. The room reveals a bathroom, a skeleton taking a shower inside. The skeleton looks at them, then pulling the shower curtains over itself, shrieking "EEEKK!"

"Uh... sorry, ma'am... sir.... Thing…" apologized Vaporeon as he and Jolteon moved down. "That was weird".

Jolteon opened another door. "Hello? Anyone in here?"

"No!" replied a disembodied voice. "Now shut that door!"

"Yikes!" said Jolteon. "Rude".

Vaporeon opens the next one, revealing skeletons playing cards.

"Ha!" said one, laying his hand on the table. "Read'em and weep! A dead man's hand!"

"UGH!!" said the others, disappointed as the winning skeleton takes their chips, money, and rib bones.

Vaporeon closed the door slowly. "How much stranger can it get?"

Jolteon opens the door, revealing the red-faced demon and the ghost. "Oh, sorry! Wrong door!" He closes it, then reopens it. "By the way, that cloak makes you look fat and those sheets are hideous!" He slams it as both began to roar. "RUN BLUBBY!"

"What you'd call me?!" Vaporeon turned as Jolteon went past him. The door breaks open as the two monsters come out infuriated. "Oh, AAHHHH!!!"

Vaporeon runs behind Jolteon as the two monsters begin to chase them.

Foyer

"I hope this works," said Itchy, holding a rope.

"Of course it will," said Charlie. "When do my plans never work?"

"I'll write you a list," said Ninetales.

Just then, they hear screaming as both Jolteon and Vaporeon were running towards them, the two 'monsters' right behind.

"Itch, on three!" Charlie motioned to Itchy as Jolteon and Vaporeon ran to them. "One… two…" The two 'monsters' were about to reach them. "Three! Now!"

Itchy let go of the rope, causing the chandelier to fall right on top of the two 'monsters', trapping them. "Charlie, it worked!"

"It did? I mean, of course it did!"

Ninetales looked at what happened, "Jolteon, Vaporeon, am I dreaming?"

Jolteon pricks Ninetales with one of his quills, causing him to jump. "Nope. You're awake".

"Charlie's plan worked?!?" Ninetales walked up to the captured monsters, "Do you have anything to say now?"

The two were struggling, but couldn't get out of the chandelier trap.

"Just who or what are they?" asked Itchy.

"Only one way to find out". Ninetales pulls off their masks to reveal…

"Its the Granbull butler and the Medicham helper?!" said Charlie.

"Gideon and Felix!" said Itchy.

"Yep, this really felt like Scooby Doo," said Jolteon.

"Without leaving the clues behind though," said Vaporeon.

"Not true," said Ninetales, "Remember what Jaxon said. Gideon's former owner was a Ventriloquist and that Felix was a Magician's assistant?"

"He told you that?!" said Gideon, shocked.

"Yep. Felix, since he's part Psychic, used his abilities to move things".

"Like the armor and Ursaring?" said Itchy.

"The skeletons and piano?" said Jolteon.

"And the stuff from the kitchen?" said Charlie.

"Actually, the old soda wasn't us. It was there before we came. Jaxon and his owner never bothered replacing much in their fridge".

"Oh. Well, it didn't taste too bad," said Jolteon.

"1989!" said Charlie, disgusted.

"As I was saying, Gideon threw his voice to make it seem like those things had a mind of their own".

"I get it now," said Itchy, "That's how they spooked off the other guards, huh. They made them believe this place was really haunted!"

"And slowly, they stole the stuff from this place and hide it somewhere in the manor," Ninetales paused, "Question is, if you've been doing it slowly, why do it quickly tonight?"

"We wanted to end it all tonight before Jaxon uncovered the truth of who was stealing his artifacts!" said Gideon. "We became worried that only one of you five weren't afraid" Gideon turned to Ninetales. "Just why weren't you afraid when the others were?

"I have my reasons," said Ninetales, "Mainly because I can see how fake that demon mask is".

TO BE CONCLUDED...