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Chapter 15

Village School

The night was still young, with the moon hanging in the dark sky enshrouded by the dark clouds, allowing no moonlight to shine down. Within the school, the glorious Vice Principal Watchog was completing his rounds of the school grounds. With a sigh, he exited the building, grumbling to himself silently. Farfetch'd had exited his area of the school as well, and the two nodded at each other, their rounds completed. Farfetch'd descended the stairs, startling Audino, and releasing a hearty laugh as she huffed angrily.

This task is really beneath me... Watchog thought angrily. The Principal and her superstitions, always believing in the most ridiculous things. The rumor that Ghosts like to emerge out of the Barrow during this time of year is simply preposterous. So long as the Ghosts stay out of my house here, I don't care if they rough up the classroom a bit. Why, I'd welcome it. It's summer vacation!

"Vice Principal. Lost in your thoughts again?" Audino asked curiously. "You have finished your rounds, have you?"

"Bah. Of course I have." Watchog replied proudly. "You should be worrying about your pretty white fur there yourself, Ms. Audino. You don't want to let the Ghosts get you."

Farfetch'd chuckled. Audino shook her head, shrugging.

"Unfortunately, Vice Principal, I'm not worried about Ghosts." Audino explained, gesturing her arms as if she was presenting herself. "We Normal-types have little to fear about them, do we not? Of course, Vice Principal, perhaps the Ghosts won't attempt at scaring you. You're a bit too dense for that."

"Hah! Dense! Watchog, I think she's got you there!" Farfetch'd chimed in, smirking. "Y'know, maybe the Ghosts will just skip you entirely! Nevertheless, if a Ghost does come, you can always hide behind us while we deal with it, Vice Principal. Such is our job description, no?"

"Aye, it's the first thing I saw in my contract when I applied!" Audino added, a warm smile on her face. "Written in bold: "Protect Watchog" and then some! Hah!"

"Yuck it up, why don't you? I'm heading to the plaza." Watchog announced angrily. "Perhaps Kangaskhan is still open. That's, of course, saying she wouldn't open for me, the Vice Principal."

"Sure she wouldn't." Farfetch'd added, a snide remark. "Regardless, Watchog has the right idea. Shall we head to the Plaza?"

"Let's." Audino replied. The three Pokémon began to head towards the School gate, and ultimately, towards the village, when a eerie sound began to reveal itself to them, a sound that was like a rock being scraped along a stone surface.

Ksst...Ksst...

"What was that?" Watchog asked, glancing around. "I swore I heard something. Am I going mad?"

"No, I heard it too." Audino assured, tense. "It's nearby, definitely."

The three teachers glanced around for the source of the sound, but the darkness, for some reason, had grown ever thicker. The area was enshrouded in a way that made it difficult for the teachers to even see the school gate, in spite of the fact that it was directly above them. Again the sound came, louder, yet still lacking a source. And suddenly, out of the darkness, there stood a lone figure. It was difficult to tell what it was, but it was small, with pointed ears. And it was not alone. Several blue tongues of fire rested in the air above it, before they moved in to protect the figure's face from the teachers.

Ksst...I've waited a long time for this...my undying lust for vengeance...I shall show you rage built over years of torment!

"Wh-What?! Who are you...?!" Farfetch'd demanded, but his demands fell on deaf ears. "What are you-!"

The Wild Duck Pokémon would have demanded more, if not for the fire's intervention. They whizzed through the air, slamming into the Duck's beak, scorching it, and then spreading like wild fire over his body, the intense burns leaving black marks all over his brown fur. Finding it hard to breath from the fire, Farfetch'd soon found himself unconscious. Audino shrieked, before more tongues of fire whizzed over and did the same to her. Watchog growled, flying at the figure enshrouded in darkness, the blue tongues of fire enclosing in on him. Watchog's teeth found their mark-or did they? Watchog straightened himself, spitting out the fabric his teeth had scraped off what should have been the attacker's body. Watchog, confused and distracted, did not notice the fire closing in on him. With a howl of pain, the fires rapidly spread over his body, scorching him and silencing him. With no other options, Watchog did the only thing he could, as the painful, burning fire spread across his body at an alarming rate.

GYAAAAAAARGHHHHHH!

Serene Village

The sunlight streamed in on Charmander's face, but he didn't mind. In fact, he liked the warmth, not that the cold would particularly bother him right now. Regardless of the nagging voice in his head, ordering him to wake up, he was out like a log, and now that there was no school to worry about, he made it an effort to sleep in, defying this nagging voice in his head, and enjoying every moment of it. Unfortunately for the Lizard, the voice didn't go away, in fact, it got stronger, begging, pleading with him to wake up. What a nuisance! Was it Nuzleaf? That's the only Pokémon it could be.

"Mugh...five more minutes..." Charmander muttered, much to the voice's dismay. "Can't a guy get some sleep around here?"

"Wake up already! I've never seen anybody who sleeps in this late!" the voice replied loudly. "Wake up!"

Charmander groaned, opening his eyes, only to see the familiar blue Turtle standing over him. Getting an old and unusual sense of deja vu, Charmander sighed at the sight of Squirtle.

"What are you doing, Squirtle?" Charmander asked, sitting up, still sleepy. "I just wanted to sleep in today..."

"Ugh, don't tell me you're going to start getting lazy over the Summer." Squirtle replied, sighing. "We still have Society work to do, even over the Summer. Because the work of a Expedition Society member is never done!"

Charmander groaned at Squirtle's proud pose, and fell back onto his bed, yawning. He would have closed his eyes if not for the sudden, unpleasant sting of cold water. Pins and needles couldn't begin to describe the feeling Charmander was experiencing, it felt more like he was being burned, if that makes any sense. Charmander leaped up, the water dripping down his body.

"G-Gah! What was that for?!" Charmander demanded angrily. "That's worst than when Nuzleaf dropped water on me!"

"Are you up now? Geez." Squirtle asked, turning towards the exit. "Come on, I wouldn't have bothered you if this wasn't important."

Charmander dried himself off, before following Squirtle out of the house. He broke into a jog to catch up with the Tiny Turtle, and when he was close enough, he matched his pace with Squirtle's.

"Are you going to tell me what it is?" Charmander asked, confused. "If we're going to fight another Salamence, I'm going back home."

"...It's worse than a Salamence." Squirtle replied, serious. "Much worse."

The serious tone and expression of Squirtle forced Charmander to mull it over. What ever was going on, he doubted he was going to like it. Not at all. Charmander and Squirtle entered the plaza, where a huge crowd had gathered. Squirtle lead Charmander over to where Goomy, Deerling, and Pancham had assembled. Deerling and Goomy greeted Charmander quietly, but Pancham didn't seem to notice their arrival until Deerling pointed it out. The Playful Pokémon, however, was not quite himself, he was disturbed, as if he had witnessed something terrible.

"What's going on?" Charmander finally questioned, whispering. "What's with the gloomy faces?"

Deerling, Squirtle, and Goomy glanced at each other, before Deerling shook her head, sighing.

"Espurr, Shelmet, Watchog, Audino, Farfetch'd..." Deerling muttered quietly, hesitating with every word to acknowledge the fact. "They've vanished. They disappeared without a trace last night, and nobody has seen them since."

"Wait, what?! Really?!" Charmander asked, dumbfounded. "How do five Pokémon just vanish in the middle of the night?"

"Ghosts!" a voice cried out, as if to answer Charmander. "It was obviously Ghosts! That's the only explanation for why they not only vanished, but the Barrow's lock's removal!"

It was one of the village adults, whose words sparked murmurs in the crowd. Magnezone flashed his magnets rapidly.

"Those are just coincidences!" Magnezone replied, angrily. "There is no proof that Ghosts are at work here!"

"Then show us the evidence that points to the contrary!" Lombre replied furiously. "Who abducted them in the night?!"

"Lombre, boy, hush! Ghosts have no business with the Pokémon of Serene Village." Carracosta explained confidently. "There is clearly another reason for their disappearance."

"Lombre has za point however." Hippopotas chimed in, concerned. "Zere is no clues as to where or whom abducted ze victims. It iz entirely possible dat dere iz Ghostz among our happy village."

"See? See? There's Ghosts in the Village!" Lombre shouted. "Ghosts!"

The crowd broke into a mess of excited chatter, with one side adamant that Ghosts are plaguing Serene Village, with another side dismissing it as a ridiculous and improbable idea. Deerling stared at the sight, sighing.

"This is chaos..." Deerling muttered quietly. "Nobody knows what's going on..."

"Do you really think it's Ghosts...?" Goomy asked, quietly. "I mean..."

Charmander glanced at Squirtle, who was shivering at the multiple mentions of Ghosts.

"...Ghosts or not, we should find Espurr and the others." Charmander said, confidently. "Let's not dwell on that, let's just focus on saving them."

"Where do we even begin?" Deerling asked, tilting her head. "I'm all for saving them, but there's no clue as to where they are! We can't just-"

"They're inside the Barrow." Pancham muttered quietly.

"What?" Charmander asked, confused. "They're in the Barrow?"

"...That's right." Pancham assured, sighing. "They're in the Barrow."

"Wh-Pancham, how do you know this?" Deerling asked, turning to the Fighting-type. "And why is it just coming up now?"

"...It'll be better if I explained on the hill." Pancham replied, hesitant. "I don't want to talk about it in front of the adults."

Without waiting for a response, Pancham trudged past the others, heading up towards the Hill with the big tree. Charmander and Deerling shot each other an confused look.

"...What's gotten into him?" Squirtle asked, quietly. "I'm almost disappointed. No insults, rude comments, nothing."

"Whatever it is, if he knows where the others are, we should hear him out." Deerling replied, her ears flicking. "I'm not sure if he's lying or not, though."

"We can decide later." Goomy added, sighing. "We should go."

There was an unanimous agreement, and the four Pokémon headed out of the plaza, still loud from the arguments of the adults.

Hill with the Big Tree

Everyone gathered in front of Pancham, whose chewed on leaf moved slightly in the wind's breeze. It was noon time, and the sun bathed the hill in it's harsh rays. Pancham nodded confidently to himself, turning towards the assembled group.

"Regardless of whether or not you believe me," Pancham began, crossing his arms. "I'm telling the truth when I know that Shelmet and the others are in the Barrow. I saw Shelmet and Espurr get dragged down into the Barrow."

"By who?" Deerling asked, confused. "And why didn't they take you?"

"That's just it-it's not a who...it's a what." Pancham replied, sighing. "The only reasonable explanation for what happened is Ghosts. Plain and simple."

"G-Great...I was afraid you'd say that." Squirtle muttered quietly.

Pancham pointed a finger directly at Charmander's fire, before shaking his head sadly.

"Yeah, there's little doubt about it. Shelmet, Espurr, and I went down to the Barrow last night." Pancham explained, gesturing towards the Barrow which the Hill overlooked. "After we opened the Barrow, there was some weird scraping noise, and suddenly, the doors opened on their own. And I saw those...blue flames. Arceus, they were eerie as Hell, and before any of us could react, they just...moved. They were all of a sudden on top of us, and they dragged Shelmet and Espurr into the Barrow. I...heard them screaming for help as I lost unconscious. I bet the same thing happened to the teachers too. It's obvious we're dealing with Ghosts here."

"Sounds troubling..." Deerling finally said, closing her eyes.

"It is. So listen-I want to save Shelmet. And I guess Espurr." Pancham sighed, shaking his head. "You want to save them and the teachers too, don't you? Well, we need to work together for that."

"B-But! Going into the Barrow would be...well, it would be suicide! We'd be right in the Ghosts' territory!" Goomy protested. "Besides, the adults would never let us in there!"

"Not to mention, it's suspicious how you haven't told anyone else." Charmander added, his arms crossed. "Don't you think this is important information to share with the adults?"

"Suspicious? Don't tell me you think this is a prank or something." Pancham replied, narrowing his eyes. "This is-"

Pancham stopped himself, staring straight into Charmander's eyes and understanding. An overwhelming sense of Deja Vu washed over him as he realized this exact situation was all to similar to a previous one. A complete role reversal, one could call it, and Pancham hated it. He gritted his teeth, as the two Pokémon stared at each other, locked in fierce yet silent combat.

"We both know what you're trying to start, Charmander." Pancham announced, annoyed, whilst getting in Charmander's face. "Just spit it out already, we all know you're still mad over that Meadow crap."

"I'm just asking for a reason for us to believe you. But since you nice enough to bring up the Meadow, yeah, this is pretty similar to it, isn't it?" Charmander explained, returning the annoyed tone. "I'm all for saving the others, but we can't be wandering into dangerous places because somebody asked us too. Don't want to follow anyone delusional into a deathtrap."

"Charmander!" Deerling called, beginning to realize what was going on. "That's-!"

"I believe him." Squirtle interrupted in a confident tone, causing heads to turn, compelling the Tiny Turtle to repeat himself. "Yeah, I believe him."

"What?" Charmander and Pancham said in unison, completely dumbfounded.

"Well, I mean...this does remind me of the Nectar Meadow situation. Back then, I gave Charmander my trust, and it paid off, huh? In more ways than one, really." Squirtle explained, glancing at Charmander. "So, I'm willing to trust Pancham, just like I did with Charmander. Especially if the others are in danger. It's not like I can't understand his desire to save Shelmet either. I'd probably do the same thing if it was...er, well, you get the picture"

Squirtle... Charmander thought to himself.

The four Pokémon glanced at each other for a moment, before Pancham backed away from Charmander.

"Squirtle's right." Deerling finally said, breaking the short silence. "Squirtle's definitely right. We have more than enough reasons to trust Pancham and go down into the Barrow. The others deserve saving, they're out teachers and our classmates. And, I think Goomy and I owe it to Charmander to trust in Pancham, believe it or not. We weren't able to trust him before when someone was in danger, but I think now's our chance to try and make up for that."

"Yeah...I don't want that whole thing with Budew to happen again, at least not without helping." Goomy added, confidently. "I'm in! I'll definitely help!"

"Yeah! That's the spirit, Goomy!" Squirtle said, cheerfully. "It's settled then! We'll go-"

"Hold it, Squirtle. I didn't hear everyone agree to heading into the Barrow." Deerling interrupted, glancing at Charmander. "Isn't that right, Charmander?"

"...Yeah, I'm coming." Charmander replied, crossing his arms. "If Squirtle trusts him, I trust him."

"Fine. If we're all in agreement, then, we'll need to go into the Barrow when the adults are asleep." Pancham explained. "We all should meet at the Barrow's entrance around midnight. This will require you sneaking out of your houses, of course, so you'll have to plan for that."

"Sounds like a plan then. I'll see you all at midnight." Deerling replied, nodding. "Goomy, I can come to your house early, and we can go to the Barrow together."

"Alright, I'll be waiting for you." Goomy said, relieved at Deerling's offer. "I hate walking around the Village at night..."

"Just stay close to me, Goomy." Deerling replied, smiling at Goomy. She turned to the others. "We all should get some rest before night. I'll see you then, alright?"

"Alright. I'll head home as well, then." Pancham explained, nodding at Charmander and Squirtle, and following Deerling towards the Village.

"Yeah! See you later!" Squirtle called, excited. "Oh, I can't wait! Walking around the Village at night is amazingly fun!"

"Well, color me surprised, Squirtle." Charmander said, tilting his head. "I thought you'd be against going the Barrow. Y'know, there might be tons of Ghosts in there or something."

Squirtle paused, processing Charmander's statement. The Tiny Turtle Pokémon promptly fell on his back, his previous excitement replaced with intense fear. Charmander glanced down at Squirtle, sighing.

"Oh, great...You didn't think about that at all when you made that speech, huh?" Charmander sighed, sitting on the ground. "Don't tell me you're regretting this already."

"G-Ghosts...You should have stopped me!" Squirtle managed to say.

"Well, I didn't know you were going to say all that!" Charmander replied. "What was I supposed to say? 'Hey, Squirtle, remember your immense fear of Ghosts, buddy!'"

"Gah! Look, Charmander, let's just not go!" Squirtle whimpered. "We'll tell them we came down with something!"

"What?! What about the others?" Charmander asked, tilting his head. "Like it or not, we have to go help rescue them. You'll just have to stay close to me in the Barrow, if you're that scared."

"Fine..." Squirtle muttered. Charmander got up, satisfied. "Hey, uh, can you help me up, though?"

Charmander glanced at Squirtle struggling to get up, and nodded, reached down and grabbing his hand, then pulling him up. The slight change of wind compelled Charmander to glance at the sky for a moment, ignoring Squirtle's words of gratitude. The familiar sensation began to make itself known to Charmander, an odd sense of tension.

"Charmander?" Squirtle asked, managing to grab Charmander's attention. "What's wrong? You're spacing out."

"Oh, it's nothing." Charmander replied confidently. "Just the wind."

"Alright. Well, I guess I should go..mentally prepare myself for this." Squirtle muttered, sighing. "Uh...instead of heading straight to the Barrow, can you wait for me at your house, Charmander? I, uh, don't want to walk there alone."

"Huh? Sure, no problem." Charmander replied, nodding. "You're really that scared now?"

"Well, it is Ghosts! I told you before, I just can't stand Ghosts!" Squirtle explained, worried. "There's just something about them. So, yeah, I am scared. Promise me we'll stick close together tonight, alright?"

"Alright, I promise." Charmander replied, nodding. "Just don't pass out on me or something when we get there."

"I'll try." Squirtle said, smiling. "I'll see you later, Charmander."

Charmander watched Squirtle head down the hill to the village. Charmander glanced at the sky again, the odd sensation still present within him.

I have a bad feeling about this... Charmander announced to himself.

Serene Village

Charmander headed home, deciding to get some sleep. He'd need it for tonight, after all. The afternoon sun beamed it's rays on Nuzleaf's House. Charmander entered the house, and was surprised to see none other than Nuzleaf inside. Nuzleaf turned, a warm smile forming on his face upon seeing Charmander.

"Well! I was wonderin' when you'd show up." Nuzleaf said, beaming. "Come over here, little sprout, it's been some time."

"It sure has! Where have you been?" Charmander asked, excited. "You had me worried, you know!"

"Aw, shoot, I didn't mean to scare ya or anything." Nuzleaf replied, crossing his arms. "I reckon I just had to take care of something. But it ain't important, so don't worry too much about it."

"Alright. I'm just glad you're back." Charmander said, nodding. "I'll be in my room, okay?"

"Alright. Although...it's a bit early, isn't it?" Nuzleaf asked, curious. "Why are you back home so soon?"

"No...real reason." Charmander replied, pausing to think of a response. "I just, uh, got tired today. I think I feel like taking a nap."

"Alright. I'll wake you up for dinner later, then." Nuzleaf said, turning back to what he was doing. "I think we'll have Chesto berries today."

"Sounds like a plan." Charmander replied, nodding. "I'll be up later, then."

"Right. Have a nice nap, little sprout." Nuzleaf said, not glancing up.

Charmander walked into his room, who had enjoying the pleasant surprise of Nuzleaf's return. Of course, the fact that he was back wouldn't make sneaking out tonight as simple as walking out the door now.

"Looks like I'm using the window again." Charmander muttered, glancing up at the broken window.

Charmander sat in his bed, and after a few minutes, proceeded to lay down and fall asleep. As promised, later on in the day, Nuzleaf woke him up and shared a dinner of Chesto berries with the Lizard Pokémon, who quickly found himself up for the rest of the day, much to his dismay. Although it felt longer than it really was to Charmander, midnight eventually came, and, after making sure Nuzleaf was asleep, he climbed out the window quickly, walking along the side of the house until he came out in front of it.

Charmander glanced around, scratching his head.

"He didn't really chicken out, did he?" Charmander wondered aloud. "Honestly, it won't be that bad."

"Ugh...what do you mean, it won't be that bad?" Squirtle whimpered, emerging from the side of Nuzleaf's house. "This is the worst idea ever."

"Were you hiding?" Charmander wondered, crossing his arms. "It's going to be fine in there! We go in, explore a little, and if we don't find the others we leave."

"And if we run into any Ghosts?" Squirtle asked, not convinced. "How are we going to handle that?"

"Are Ghosts fireproof?" Charmander questioned.

"No, I never heard of one being fireproof..." Squirtle replied, mulling it over.

"Then I burn them, Simple!" Charmander announced, confidently. "There's nothing to worry about!"

"Ugh. I hope so..." Squirtle sighed, following Charmander towards the Barrow. "But I don't know if you can just...burn Ghosts."

"Well, you're about to find out." Charmander replied, a bit too eagerly. "Come on, we're here."

Charmander and Squirtle approached the other students that had gathered in front of the Barrow. Deerling was relieved at the sight of them, turning to Pancham with a smirk on her face. Pancham sighed, shrugging.

"Well, it looks like we're all here." Deerling announced proudky. "Here it is: The Ancient Barrow."

Charmander glanced up at the Ancient Barrow. Dead, eerie oak branches covered the small hill that made the entrance to the Barrow, which was blocked by large steel doors, doors that have stood there for years. Long since rusted over, the doors were locked open in place, as if inviting foolish adventurers in to the horrors that awaited inside. The cold wind from within the Barrow blew out past the doors, it's ghastly touch enveloping the students present.

"Well, who's ready for some rescuing?" Pancham said, staring at the Barrow. "Can't waste any time, can we?"

"We can't just march in there without organizing ourselves. The Barrow's a Mystery Dungeon, they love to form around natural caves." Deerling replied, sighing. "Charmander should take the lead for obvious reasons. He's the one with the fire."

"Fair enough." Charmander said, crossing his arms. "Squirtle needs to stick by me, though."

"That's fine." Deerling assured, turning to Goomy. "Goomy will stick with me, as well. I'll hold the bag...which leaves Pancham..."

"I'll bring up the rear, then." Pancham announced, pointing triumphantly at himself. "Just don't hold me back, alright?"

"Hold you back?" Charmander scoffed, tilting his head. "Aren't you a Fighting-type? How are you going to handle those Ghosts if they just ignore your attacks?"

"I have a few tricks to deal with Ghosts." Pancham replied, shrugging. "Don't think I'm all about Fighting moves."

"Uh, just to put it out there..." Squirtle muttered, shuddering. "If we see a G-Ghost, let's just go in the opposite direction."

"Squirtle, there's a good chance we'll have to fight a Ghost in there." Deerling mentioned, concerned. "If we're going to save the others, we'll have to subdue whoever-or whatever-took them."

"Y-Yeah...I was afraid you'd say that." Squirtle whimpered. "But I guess I'll just have to muster up the courage."

"I'm scared too, Squirtle, but even I know we have to do this." Goomy replied confidently. "Audino was always so kind...and Farfetch'd was the best teacher I could ask for. Shelmet may not be perfect, but he's still our classmate. And Espurr wouldn't hesitate to do the same thing for us. I'd bet she'd even enjoy it, honestly. She really does like creepy places."

"What about Watchog?" Pancham questioned. "You didn't mention him at all."

"...Uh, he's funny?" Goomy replied, hesitating to think of a better response. "I-I mean..."

"We know what you mean." Charmander said with a laugh. "Let's just get in and out."

The other students spoke their agreements in unison, and Charmander lead them all into the Barrow, past the large, rusted, steel doors, and into the dark, cold wind that blew from within. The wind obscured their vision for a brief moment, until finally, they were inside the Mystery Dungeon.

Ancient Barrow B1F

The Barrow was eerily quiet, with the occasional dripping of water into small puddles the only sounds that were made known to the group of students. The Dungeon's wall were composed of light gray bricks, which directly contrasted with the dark yellow stone floor, dotted with numerous dead flowers and clumps of grass that Charmander's feet walked on. Each step was taken with caution, as the dark, foreboding, and eerie atmosphere the Barrow gave off required no verbal acknowledgement. Charmander didn't need to glance back to know Squirtle was close behind, the Tiny Turtle quietly humming songs to himself to keep from completely losing it.

"Is it always going to be this cramped?" Goomy complained. "I hate these corridors."

"Just tough it out." Pancham replied confidently. "It'll even out soon."

Eventually, the corridor did lead into a small room, with four diverging paths. As the group entered the room, glancing around, Charmander scratched his head in both frustration and confusion, staring at the paths with contempt.

"This is a first." Deerling muttered quietly. "We'll have to inspect them all. Give me a hand over here, will you, Pancham?"

"Fine. What do I need to do?" Pancham asked, following Deerling towards the left side of the room. "Just look down it?"

Charmander sighed, glancing at Squirtle, who was spacing out a bit. Tapping him to get his attention, Charmander lead him towards a path on the right side of the room, inspecting the path that lead further into the Dungeon. Charmander waved his flame around a bit, trying to get some light.

"Do you see anything?" Squirtle asked, glancing around occasionally. "I can't really see all that far."

"No, I don't see anything..." Charmander muttered. "Maybe it's a dead en-"

Charmander stopped himself upon seeing a small white flame appear down the path. It flickered softly, floating lightly, it's glow and color extremely pleasing to the eye. Almost too pleasing.

"What is it, Charmander?" Squirtle asked, peering down into the path. "I don't see anything. Where are you going?"

Charmander ignored Squirtle's questions. He was focused on the small flame that seemed to dance in the air. And then it began to get closer, and closer. Rather, Charmander himself was moving towards it, as if his feet moved on their own. But he couldn't care about that, how could he? The fire was so alluring, so warming, so inviting. As he got closer, Charmander realized the fire had formed two other tongues of that same fire, and once Charmander was directly upon them, it had split again into six. Emerging into a small room, Charmander was greeted by the six tongues of fire, which quickly enclosed the Lizard in a circle.

What's this, hm? Oh, a Fire-type! How lovely...

Kekeke...Fire-types are a rarity down here. When was the last time we've seen a Fire-type?

Oh, so long, very long ago...must have been...a millennia!

This is telepathy, isn't it? Charmander thought. It's similar to..

Oh, you catch on quick! So very smart!

Yes, yes! Were you attracted by our white fire, my friend?

Oh, yes, they glow very brightly. Of course...they're dwarfed in comparison to yours.

My fire? The one on my tail? It's a decent size, but it's not as fancy as any...white flames.

Hoho! Not the fire on your tail, my friend. But your inner fire...we can see it, see how it glows so very brightly..

It's quite large, I must say. But it requires a bit more air, wouldn't you think? You should let it out more often...let it burn everything.

Burn...everything? Charmander questioned, confused. By now, the white flames had completely enclosed Charmander, a situation of which he was incapable of noticing. He was being disconnected slowly from the world around you, his mind being keep focused on the voices within his head that complimented him. The voices of his friends that called for him were but unknown murmurs to him now.

Correct...burn everything in sight. That's what Fire-types were truly created for, right? To burn...

Burn. Burn...Burn! Burn!

That's...I mean, maybe I...

That's all you truly want to do. Burn your enemies, correct? You...want them destroyed. So why fight it? Burn...everything! You feel it, whenever you let your fire out, don't you?

The sheer pleasure of it...let your fire loose. Ignite all in flames.

No, I can't. I have to..

Little Charmander, just submit...and BURN EVERYTHING!

Charmander wanted to scream no, but there was no sound. Nothing, just silence. By now, the white flames had revealed their true forms, three Gastly, and three Shuppet, who were enjoying their feast on Charmander's mind. Charmander felt himself stumble back, mentally exhausted and weak. Everything was blurry, he could just make out the shapes of his allies fighting the Ghosts off.

"Hey. Hey! Are you alright?" Squirtle's voice called. "You don't look good at all!"

Charmander ignored Squirtle's voice, trying in vain to process the blurry scene that was occurring in front of him. Alongside a severe headache, Charmander wasn't exactly in fighting condition-at least in a condition not to be a hazard to his friends, that is.

Burn. Although the Ghosts were currently too occupied with the others to really begin their torment on Charmander, they had already left their mark on him. Their voices echoed within his head, rebounding within the confines of his mind. And something clicked. He didn't care who he turned his fire on, he just wanted the voices to stop. And so, he chose to obey, to burn. And he let loose his flames. The blurry scene was immediately lit up, an orange-red glow enveloping the area, with streaks of fire blazing throughout the scene. There were howls, hisses, and a ear-piercing shriek. The fires blazed for a few moments, leaving the crackling of flames the last sounds Charmander heard before he blacked out.

Ancient Barrow Rest Area

"Gah, that's bitter. One's enough, thank you."

"Eat it. You're trying to get better, aren't you?"

"I'm fine. Give that Rawst Berry to someone else, alright?"

"Nobody here was burned as badly as you. Is the bag okay?"

"The bag's fine. I'm more concerned about Charmander."

"He's coming to, Deerling. Look."

Charmander stirred a bit, before managing to open his eyes, albeit slowly. Blinking thrice was enough to get the view in clear picture, and he was staring straight up at Squirtle, who smiled warmly. Deerling emerged into the view as well, holding hear head up, so the top of it could not be seen by Charmander. She breathed a sigh of relief. Charmander sat up, glancing around. There was no real corridors in sight, except for one leading backwards and forwards. They both lead to and from a circular shaped room, lit by numerous candles. Charmander recognized it as a Rest Area, similar to the ones in Nectar Meadow and the Drilbur Coal Mine.

"Ugh, what happened?" Charmander muttered, holding his head. "I've got the worst headache."

"The Ghosts got to you." Squirtle replied sternly. "We managed to get to you before they could do anything bad, but you..."

Squirtle stopped himself, glancing over at Deerling and Goomy, who avoided Charmander's gaze. Charmander got to his feet, shakily, trying to figure out the problem.

"But I what?" Charmander questioned, confused. "I can barely remember..."

"I'll tell you what you did, it's quite simple, really." Pancham replied, crossing his arms. "You used Flame burst and almost killed us all. You got the Ghosts, sure, but you burned some of my fur off. Of course, that's nothing what happened to Deerling."

Charmander glanced over at Deerling, who tried in vain to hide the burnt yellow flower on her head from him. The flower had been darkened by the ashes of the previous fire, and was missing about two petals, maybe three. She smiled weakly, but it did nothing to dismiss the fact that she was a bit disturbed over the whole incident.

"I-I did...that?" Charmander muttered, in disbelief, searching for something to say. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...!"

"It's fine. It's fine, Charmander." Deerling assured, glancing towards the exit. "The Ghosts are getting to us all."

"Yeah. It's annoying, but if it wasn't for Squirtle's humming and singing, I think I'd be going insane myself." Pancham added, chewing on a leaf. "At least his song helps me come back to reality quickly enough. Props for that."

"Y-Yeah, try not to tell the others about it, alright?" Squirtle replied, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm only singing because of how creepy this place is..."

"Do you mind if we all rested here for a few more moments?" Goomy piped up, sighing. "I don't think I'm quite ready to go back in the Dungeon."

The others nodded silently in unison. Charmander sat on the ground, out of pure exhaustion and disbelief. He stared at his claws for a moment, wondering how harsh the fire he made was. The scene played out in his head, which only served to exaggerate the severity of what really happened and to make Charmander feel even more guilty. He closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them and facing Squirtle.

"Squirtle...how long was I out?" Charmander asked quietly. "How deep are we in the Dungeon?"

"You were out cold for a long time. We had to drag you by the tail and use your fire that way." Squirtle replied, recalling past events. "You kept muttering 'No' to yourself, too. We managed to make it to the seventh floor without you, so it's good that you woke up now."

"Did the Ghosts get you too?" Charmander questioned. "I didn't mean to pass out and abandon you for that long..."

"Well, like Deerling said, they got to us all." Squirtle sighed, a frown on his face. "Deerling got hit by a Psychic attack, and screamed for minutes. She doesn't want to talk about what she saw...Goomy ran into a Ghost's attack, and he was out cold for a floor."

Charmander gritted his teeth as Squirtle recounted the group's struggles just to make it to the rest area. The Ghosts had forced the others to suffer for seven floors, all the while dragging his supposed limp body throughout the Dungeon. It made him mad, knowing he was the first to be wiped out, knowing that some of them suffered on account of him. He hated being useless, being dead weight, being helpless. Charmander got to his feet, glancing at the exit, the quiet, yet still present, echoes of the Ghosts that tormented him before still floating within his mind. He was ready to burn something, whatever got in his way had best be prepared for a bombardment of fire.

"Are you all ready?" Charmander called out, taking a step towards the exit. "We're going to save the others, right now."

"...Fine. I'm ready." Pancham sighed, getting to his feet. "Let's go."

The others nodded at each other in unison, stirring themselves. Charmander lead everyone to the stairs down the path leading out of the Rest Area, and up the familiar stone stairs.

Ancient Barrow Pit

The perpetually darkness that enshrouded the room only gave way to the orange light emitted by Charmander's flame tail-and his fire attacks. Blasting an Gastly angrily out of the air, he followed the path until he entered another room that expanded into a large spherical shape. The darkness revealed nothing, with only a foreboding and tension-filled atmosphere making itself known to everyone.

"We've come pretty far." Squirtle suggested, glancing around. "You think the others are on this floor?"

"It wouldn't hurt to try calling them." Goomy added, taking a breath. "Espurr! Mr. Farfetch'd!"

"Ms. Audino! Can you hear us?!" Deerling called, listening for a response. "Vice Principal!"

"Shelmet! Come out, already, mates!" Pancham shouted angrily. "We're here for you guys!"

Ksst...Ksst...They can't hear you.

Everyone froze, glancing around for the sound of the raspy voice, accompanied by the sound of what appears to be a stone scraping along the floor. Charmander shot a few embers into the room, hoping to see something, but nothing made it's presence known, except for the quiet dripping of water, coupled with the raspy voice's quiet cackling.

"Who's there? Come out!" Charmander ordered, sternly. "None of us here are in the mood for games!"

Neither are We...Kssst...For years We sought our Vengeance. Stand not in the way of it, lest you suffer the other's fates!

Ksst...Ksst...their souls shall be sentenced to eternal damnation in the world that exists below...Do you wish to join them?

"What have they done to you?!" Deerling demanded angrily. "What could they have possibly done to make you swear vengeance on them?"

Ksst...Their families have wronged us. Their ancestors cannot be harmed physically, but knowing that their descendants suffer eternally within the world that exists below will trouble them greatly. They shall squirm for eternity in agony. Ksst...but fools like you could never understand our pain. We see no further reason to continue our conversation with you. Depart now, or suffer eternal pain.

"Not gonna happen, mates." Pancham replied, shaking his head. "We want the others back, now."

You wish to die, then? Foolish of you to toss your lives away, but very well. We shall grant you the reunion with your allies that you seek. In the world that exists below, eternal torment!

Immediately, the circular room lit up, tongues of blue fire floating within the air, connected to nothing at all. The darkness quickly retreated from the bright flames that lit up the room with the proper colors, regardless of their blow glow. Charmander's eyes adjust quickly, and he was staring at a small path across from the group, that lead a little further up to a decently-sized purple portal with swirling white lines, with wisps of energy flowing out of it on rare occasions. Before the path stood a single stone, quite larger than the other stones in the Dungeon. Two sharp crack ran down the stone, and, combined with the small circular indents in the stone, formed what appeared to be a face. The cracks pulsed purple eerily.

"What is that?" Goomy asked, quietly. "It's odd..."

"I don't know." Deerling replied silently. "Keep on guard, everyone."

This is a similar aura...yes, of course, how could I be so careless? HaLvAr, what an surprise. Ksst...it appears We'll be knocking out two birds with one stone, then. Are We not correct, Mimikyu?

Halvar again...Just like Gabite. Who is he...? Breaking himself out of his thoughts, Charmander suddenly realized that a doll was next to the odd rock, a grayish doll whose head was seemingly teared from the body, knocked to the ground. The doll wasn't there before, however, and it left Charmander confused as to it's sudden appearance.

Ksst...Ksst. Correct, correct. Ah, it's been so long since I've taken someone who resisted down...I hope my..."talents" haven't diminished.

Ah, but we can't horde all the fun. Come out, ye who seek vengeance!

And, as suddenly as the doll appeared, there stood four stumps directly in front of the odd stone and the doll. The stumps were hollowed out, with two branches protruding on their sides. Two small leaves extended out of the branches on both sides.

"Not good..." Squirtle muttered, worried. "Not good at all..."

Ksst...We shall show you...you, who seek your allies, the vengeance built over years of torment! KSST!

And suddenly, the odd stone flashed a purple light, and a spherical vortex of purple coloration burst out of the stone. The vortex immediately started to swirl clockwise rapidly, with green orbs forming within the vortex, and then following the swirl, matching it's speed with their own. Green eyes emerged, coupled with swirls for pupils, in the middle of the vortex, completing the sinister Pokémon known as Spiritomb. The doll that was previously lifeless, stirred a bit, and it's head immediately propped up, revealing a face that appeared to be drawn on with permanent marker. A squiggly line for a mouth, along with light orange cheeks, and eyes that were creepy in the fact of how they looked like a two-year old drew them on, masking the demon behind the face that inhabited the doll. The four hollow stumps floated into the air, and black spectral bodies emerged from within, with the stump's hollow eye slits gaining red pupils. There was no doubt that the Ghosts were hostile, and the group crouched into their battle stances, preparing for the inevitable showdown.

"Yuck...Creepy..." Squirtle murmured, disgusted. "They're so weird looking!"

"They're threatening to send us to what sounds like Hell and that's what you're creeped out by?" Deerling asked, confused.

"Yeah, I know that!" Squirtle replied quickly. "But I would rather be sent to Hell by something that doesn't look like a-"

"Focus! They're coming!" Pancham interrupted angrily. "Look alive!"

The Ghosts had charged up several spheres of black and purple energy, which sparked with black static. And they quickly fired them at the group, with the spheres of energy making crackling noises as they whizzed through the air at the party.

Boss 03: Spiritomb and Mimikyu

The party dodged in their own unique way, as the Shadow Balls bombarded the ground, kicking up dust in the process. The distinct sounds of attacks being fired off quickly filled the room, resulting in utter chaos. A loud crackle was heard as an attack hit a Phantump, which flew into Charmander's view. Charmander moved to fire off an fire attack, but stopped himself, realizing that he needed to use his fire carefully in such a battle, for fear of hurting his allies instead of aiding them. Charmander then ran after the Phantump as it arced towards the ground, and as it came close to the floor, Charmander slashed at it with his claws that were enveloped with a turquoise aura. One Dragon claw to grip it out of the sky, slamming it on the ground, and another to finish it off...with an extra dose of ember for added measure, to appease the pleas in his head.

"Incoming!" Pancham's voice called, compelling Charmander to turn around, spotting Pancham in the air. He spun in midair once, tossing the Phantump he held by the stump at the ground at impressive speed. Charmander moved out of the way, watching the Phantump slam into the ground, bite marks all over it's face. Pancham landed, dusting his hands off, a job well done.

"That makes two down." Pancham announced triumphantly. "Better hurry up, Charmander, don't want to miss out on this."

"I'm right behind you." Charmander replied, smirking.

Meanwhile, Squirtle and Deerling had their own problems to deal with. They were back to back, being attacked by the remaining two Phantumps. Deerling fired an Energy Ball that collide with her Phantump's Shadow Ball, while Squirtle tried in vain to blast his Phantump with spirals of water.

"Hold still, already!" Squirtle ordered, frustrated, really not trying his best to hit the Phantump. "It's so unnatural..!"

"You're going to have to be more accurate than that!" Deerling called, charging towards the Phantump. She pretend to tackle, which the Phantump moved to the left as expected.

"Got you!" Deerling reported triumphantly, as she whirred around, her hooves surrounded in a dark aura. She slammed them into the Phantump, knocking it away. Squirtle tucked into his shell as the attacking Phantump slammed into him with it's glowing light green branches. It was painful, but the shell managed to mitigate most of the damage. However, the Phantump formed another Shadow Ball, that crackled, alerting Squirtle of it's presence. From within his shell, Squirtle watched how the sphere of energy spun, spiraling clockwise just like the Spiritomb he saw earlier.

It's worth a try... Squirtle thought to himself, getting an idea.

The Phantump fired it's Shadow Ball, flinging Squirtle into the air, who promptly emerged out of his shell, landing on his back. The Phantump positioned itself for another attack, to which Squirtle pointed his hands at, spitting water into the air. Forming a cup with his hands, the water following the shape, forming itself into a battle of water that slowly grew to a decent size. It held it's shape, spinning clockwise as Squirtle had visualized, although it was unstable, with water periodically splashing out. A few more spits of water, and it had grown to a large size. By now, the Phantump's Shadow Ball was flying through the air towards Squirtle. Bringing the sphere of water to his side, he forcefully pushed towards the Phantump, ejecting the Water Pulse at the Shadow Ball. It's large size, and unstable power easily burst through the Shadow Ball, slamming into the Phantump, ejecting the water from within the shape of the sphere, resulting in a wave of water crashing into the Phantump, bringing it down in a waterfall-like fashion.

"Yeah! I did it! I got him!" Squirtle cheered, before realizing he was on his back. "...Deerling! Someone! Help me up, here!"

"Oh, for the love of Arceus..." Deerling complained, lifting Squirtle onto his feet. Suddenly, her ears flickered, as the Mimikyu from earlier finally made itself known. Enraged at the defeat of it's lackeys, it extended an sinister black claw, completed with a purple aura. The pure hate it had had manifested itself as an purple, broken aura around the Mimikyu.

"Don't worry, we saved some for you too." Deerling assured, confidently, firing an Energy Ball at the Mimikyu.

The Mimikyu, however, didn't dodge. It simply took the hit, with the attack slamming into his head, breaking the seams of the doll and causing it to fall backwards. The small black dots on the Mimikyu's body flashed, and it cackled evilly.

Poor child...your attacks barely hurt! However, I take the destruction of my...work a bit personally. I'll make sure the last thing you see is my claws!

Four swords materialized out of thin air around the Mimikyu, and they quickly parried and danced with each other, before vanishing, with the Mimikyu's aura gaining a red tint as it's attack rises. After the red tint faded, the Mimikyu leaped into the air, two claws extended as it flew through the air. Preparing for the painful attack, Squirtle was surprised when it didn't come. In fact, quite the opposite happened, the Mimikyu screeched in pain as purple fire blazed across it's body from Goomy's Dragon breath.

"Looks like I found you just in time!" Goomy said, smiling warmly. "Let's take care of the Mimikyu quickly!"

The Mimikyu squirmed, glaring with contempt at it's adversaries, who were quickly surrounding it. Deciding to attack the weakest link in the circle, Mimikyu, showing impressive agility, leaped over Goomy, landing behind him softly. Mimikyu extended it's claw, too fast for Goomy to dodge. Goomy closed his eyes, shivering as he awaited the attack. But again, it didn't come. Rather, the Mimikyu was shuddering, it's claw barely remaining in the physical plane. On closer inspection, the Mimikyu's entire backside had been ignited, with the smell of burnt leather rising up from it. With a final groan, the Mimikyu collapsed, it's doll sinking to the ground as whatever inhabited it fainted.

"Charmander...!" Goomy announced, cheerfully.

Pancham walked up beside Charmander, the group finally reunited after being separated by the chaos of battle. With no real attacks being fired off, the group was able to see clearly, glancing around for their final enemy: the Spiritomb. The Spiritomb was floating near the path leading to the portal in the back, and when it realized it had been noticed, it quickly fled down the path, with the group promptly chasing it. In the back lied it's captors, surrounding in a purple energy field, with green orbs coursing through it. They were bound, unable to move.

"Shelmet!" Pancham called out.

Ksst...Ksst! You've defeated the others, but you'll find I'm an tougher opponent than them!

"Come on, then!" Charmander taunted, smirking. "It's five against one, here!"

Ksst...Ksst! Ksst!

The Spiritomb's vortex swirled faster than usual, and a purple wind immediately blew out from behind it, enveloping the entire party within the malicious gust, forcing them to shield themselves. Deerling fought back, firing an Energy Ball through the gust, slamming into the Spiritomb, stopping the wind. Pancham took the opportunity to rush at Spiritomb, his left fist glowing black. Using Payback, Pancham performed an uppercut, knocking Spiritomb into the air. Charmander, Goomy, and Squirtle fired their attacks at Spiritomb, bombarding it with fire, water, and draconic energy. After releasing Spiritomb from the attacks, it fell to the ground, it's vortex slowed down immensely, incredibly weakened.

Ksst...We...All 500 of us...We will not like this next part, will we?

"Not at all." the group said in unison.

And, in a brilliant display of several types of Pokemon attacks, with Pancham throwing multiple punches infused with darkness rapidly from behind Spiritomb. who was simultaneously being bombarded by the powers of fire, water, grass, and dragon. The echoes of the voices in his head chanted Charmander on, compelling him to put everything he had into his next burst of fire, which erupted into a stream of fire from his mouth that he was able to hold for as long as he required. Curious as to just how much fire he contained inside him, he was happy to oblige with burning something, these Ghosts deserved it, didn't they? Yes, he enjoyed this a lot. After a few moments of fun, the attacks were called off, with Spiritomb's vortex barely spinning at all, as steam rose from his body from the combined fire and water.

K...s...st...Kss..t? De...fe...ated?

"Too fast for your liking?" Pancham sneered, placing another leaf in his mouth. "You didn't have much of a chance, y'know."

"Release the others, Spiritomb." Deerling pleaded, her ears flicking. "That's all we want."

Ksst...But our Vengeance...Bah! Grah...Fine!

The purple energy surrounding the captured Villagers dissipated, releasing them from their bounds. The students ran over to them to check for any severe wounds. Charmander observed the scene, relieved that the battle was over. Crossing his arms, a slight ringing was heard within his ear, and he turned back towards the place where Spiritomb laid, who had retreated into it's keystone. The Keystone turned silently, facing Charmander, the ringing in his ears getting louder.

You've caught quite a nasty bug there...Ksst...it'll only bring pain in the future. It'll grow like a tumor until it forces you to destroy yourself...

What? Get out of my head.

Oh, but I can't. After all...you...you are a problem. For Him.

Him? You don't make any sense.

Hehe...Sense? Ksst. Perhaps not, not now. But you'll learn. You'll learn soon enough...for now...you should rest.

Charmander attempted to protest, but the ringing in his ear drowned his own thoughts out, the sound now getting extremely loud, and annoying. Charmander felt his consciousness slipping away. He tried to call out, but there was no sound, he felt disconnected from the world, similar to before. And the echoes came back in full force, ordering him to burn once again, their short appeasement wearing off. And then, everything went black, save for the white orb encased inside branches in the shape of a diamond.

I'Ve wAiTeD a LoNg tImE fOr A cHaNcE tO mEeT yOu oNcE mOrE.