Chapter 35: Hunting Voices

The two teams continued to travel through the town and avoiding as much as possible the contact with the other spirits. They couldn't afford to let anyone standing in their way or it would cost them time. With everything they learned, time was somethings they couldn't lose anymore. They had to press forwards as fast as possible.

Heracross looked at their destination. They were getting closer. The closer they were, the more damaged the skyscraper was, "Do you really think it is safe to go in there?" the Pokémon asked as he saw a large hole in one of the floors, "I have the feeling it will break down if we touch it."

"We too," Scyther agreed.

"If we try to fly up there, there, they will notice us much quicker than if we try by staying as close to the ground as possible," Dusknoir replied.

"In those buildings… Dad said that what makes them hold up is inside and not outside," Angel commented. She did notice how the buildings were different between humans and Pokémons.

The only exception she found was in Ruby City. Especially in the museum where she remembered seeing some pillars to support the place while the rest had none.

"We cannot see anything inside," Ariados commented, "So it remains the same."

"It's a risk we have to make then," the green bug type concluded. He looked in the air and felt like the black orb where the spirits energy assembled was watching them. It was as if that was a giant black eyeball pointed at them. Watching and judging them. It made him nervous, especially when he knew that they hated the Pokémons. It was a weird feeling to know that you were targeted by the ancient beings who once existed.

After this, they continued their way. As they went forward, everything was oddly quiet. As they got closer to their destination. They encountered no spirits at all. It was as if they left the place or kept their distance.

"Could it be a trap?" the spider Pokémon asked as the ghost type took the lead.

"I am not sure," the ghost Pokémon replied as he used his antennas to detect any spirits around them. He found none at proximity, "But I know that none of them are around us," he grew a little nervous at that revelation.

The nothingness of their surrounding was unnerving. It made them a little paranoid, expecting something to happen, but nothing ever came. It was all quiet. As quiet as a city in ruined should be.

"Let's keep up," Heracross gulped as he accelerated his pace, this is the scariest mission I ever took, he thought. He wanted this mission to be over.

"Dusknoir. You sure you didn't find anything around us?" the green Pokémon asked.

"I am sure of it. I tried to find anything, but there is nothing close to us. A spirit cannot hide his presence from me when I put my entire attention in finding them. It's something that I cannot fail at. I'm the best after all," he concluded as his red eye looked around, "Maybe they find it pointless to get close to us thought. Be careful."

They finally reached the skyscraper and looking up-close, it was intimidating to know that they had to go inside.

"That thing is so tall," Ariados commented.

"It's way bigger than I thought," Angel agreed as she looked at the place.

The building was in horrible conditions. The walls were cracked and used up by time. There were fragments of glass everywhere around the building. The child knew that the windows all broke down with times and it was only what was made of rock and metal that remained. It was a miracle, to say the least, that it didn't collapse on itself after so long.

"I'll take a quick look inside," the ghost type warned as he became transparent and phased through the wall.

The rest waited for a few minutes, before the Pokémon came back.

"So. What did you see?" Scyther asked a little nervously.

"The inside looks as terrible as the outside, but I don't think it will fall down. Everything that hold this place together is fine and lightly damaged. We are too light to make it fall. Good thing Groudon isn't with us," Dusknoir added as he turned around.

The girl remembered that the rest of her spirit was somewhere in there. Somehow, she believed that it might be in the dark orb where the spirits contained their energy. She remembered a little of what happened when she came to their world. She remembered that she encountered them before meeting her partner.

Thinking about that made her think back of her entire adventures with her partner and the Pokémons she encountered. Some Pokémons were bad or evil like the Crimson Hunters Scyther had to fight against, the evil Pokémon spirit. Many were more complicated like Nidoran who a thief was, but never really wanted to hurt anyone. Many good Pokémosn like the Historians, the Explorers, everyone in Dawn village and Dusknoir.

Think about all, she knew that those human spirits were wrong. She will protect the Pokémons, I won't let fear get me this time, remembering the times she couldn't help her partner, I won't be scared from this. After all, what she was missing was there. She grabbed her courage and took the lead, "Let's go," Angel said as she went inside first, I will not fail.

The Pokémons quickly followed her.

When they entered in the skyscraper, the inside was as expected. Everything was in ruins. The walls were cracked and damaged, just like the floor. The ceiling was the same. It was just where the furniture was put that changed.

Angel looked around and saw a damaged panel with the image of a stair on it. She went to it, the Pokémons following her. Dusknoir made sure to be by her side, just in case the spirits decided to attack.

The girl took it and saw where the arrow was pointing. She knew that left was the right way, since the other side was just the wall.

"I think we can go to the next floor this way," she pointed to their left.

They went that way and found the stairs leading to the other floors. The two teams looked up and they had a lot to climb. Heracross put his arm in front of Angel and said, "Let me try it first. I'm heavier than you. Those don't look solid," he pointed at himself, "But I am," he smiled.

Scyther nodded, giving his authorisation.

The blue beetle began to climb the stairs, putting some pressure to test it. Dusknoir floated by his side and quietly listened to the sound of the metal.

"I think we should slowly climb one at the time," the bug type said to the others.

"Agreed," Scyther replied while Ariados climbed by the wall.

"I'll remain under, just in case I need to catch someone," she told them.

"Good. Angel, you are next, and I'll climb last," the leader of Team Tempest said.

"Okay," the girl replied.

Once Heracross reached the next floor, he went in the next room and waited for them. Climbing one floor was easy and nothing bad happened. It was going to take some time, but safety came first.

The ten other floors went smoothly and without anything bad happening. Despite that, they were uneasy. The spirits didn't react or do anything to them. The apprehension was getting to them.

"Hold on. I'll try to find the spirits," the ghost type said as he noticed the tension. He put his hands on his antennas and searched. He frowned as he looked around, "Some of them are nearby, but I don't know where. There's… interference."

"That black orb I bet," the green but type grunted.

Look. We have intruders in here. A voice was suddenly heard.

The five looked around, ready for battle.

Yes. It's Pokémons.

They look as horrible as I expected.

"Careful," the ghost type warned them as he stood in front of his partner.

Look. A human.

She is not dead.

Think of what we could do with a body.

The five didn't like where this was going.

Ew. A girl. No way I'm going to possess that.

Only one of us will anyway. So, you're out?

Of course.

Look. She is friends with those murders.

That's what they all are.

"We didn't kill anyone," Scyther replied. He almost but didn't.

Liar!

Why do we all have to die, and Pokémon survives? It's because you killed us.

Obviously.

I want her body. A spirit cut the others.

Dusknoir frowned and replied, "None of you are getting Angel!"

The Pokémons could feel the air starting to get disturbed. It was getting colder and colder as the presence of the spirits increased. The ghost Pokémon used his antenna to find where they were hiding. Once he found it, he grabbed his partner and pulled her away, "They are under us!"

The Pokémons split up and saw six black form near them. They were barely looking humans anymore. Their limps were of different size anymore and their heads were just at the wrong place. One of them had it head on the knee for some reason.

They were dead for so long that the perception of their form greatly deteriorated.

"Did you had to deal with those before?" Scyther gulped as he gazed at the horror of the after life.

"Yes," the ghost type replied.

You caused this!

All of you caused this!

The spirits chanted together.

"So, what do we do now?" Ariados asked.

"We don't let them take Angel first," Scyther stated the obvious, which she was already aware off.

"We have to weaken those spirits. We cannot permanently send them to rest as long as that thing in the air is preventing them to do so."

One of the spirits came and Dusknoir used a Shadow punch to send him away.

The spirits became restless and all became more aggressive. Five of them were clearly aiming for the human, which the last one just wanted to assault them.

One of them almost snatched the girl, but she avoided it at the last second.

Murderers like you should die! One spirit declared as it grabbed the green bug by the neck. Scyther immediately cut the arm with his blade and countered by tackling it away.

Another want came from behind, but Heracross blocked its attack and threw it at a third one. Their last member trapped one of them with her web.

"How come we can hit them?" the blue beetle Pokémon wondered.

Dusknoir threw a shadow ball at one of them and replied, "Because they are tangible right now. Same reason they can't leave our world."

"Okay," the other Pokémon replied as he punched another spirit away.

Angel wanted to help and was about too when her partner said, "Save you strength for the real fight Angel!"

The girl wished she could help without her power but didn't really know how to fight. One spirit approached her. She rolled out of the way and the ghost Pokémon quickly fend that spirit off.

His red eye checked on the six spirits and they were starting to corner them. Three of them behind and the others in front.

The child didn't want to be just in the way. After everything, she must do something. There was one thing she could do if not fighting, "Why are you doing this? Why do you believe the Pokémons are responsible?" the girl asked.

Because they are the only one remaining, human.

They killed us. There is no one else responsible!

They hid their true nature for so long. They aren't monsters for nothing.

"You are wrong!" the girl yelled.

The spirits were more agitated and aggressive.

"Don't provoke them Angel," Scyther said as he avoided the assault of a spirit and countered with everything he had.

"Keep it up Angel!" the ghost type yelled, "If they are agitated by that, then they are acting more without thinking!"

Team Tempest noticed that the spirits weren't trying to surround them anymore, but only attacking them. There wasn't any strategy coming from them. They never noticed if the spirits had a plan or now. Their anger changed their course of action, so they probably had something.

"You said that the Pokémons are responsible for this. Then why am I with them? Why am I fine?" the girl asked the spirits.

Quiet!

One spirit came at her, arms ready to kill her. Dusknoir stood in the spirits way and sent a powerful ice punch on the spirit, following by another one and concluded with a Dark Pulse. He watched the spirit leaving the place. I weakened one.

You know nothing of us!

They just felt pity for you!

Or they just want to use you as a tool for whatever machination they had.

Team Tempest held back the other spirits why tried to come to Angel, forming the first defensive line. Dusknoir remained behind just in case they passed them. The spirits weren't trying kill them. They only wanted to shut their human friend.

"Angel is our friend spirits!" Heracross said as he threw one away from them, "We will never hurt her. Even when our leader Scyther was tempted with vengeance, he didn't kill anyone!"

"Angel. That spirit and his Pokémon partner," the ghost type whispered.

"What about the Pokémon spirits who remained with their partner, even after death?" the child asked them, "Why would they refuse to leave this world after they died? Are they just the monsters who killed every human?" the girl put her hand on her chest, "Because-" She called all of her courage and convictions. She had much more than expected, "I know they aren't the murders you claim to be."

Enough with your lies! The spirits yelled together.

The ghost type concluded, "They are too tainted for words to reach them."

The spirits charged at the girl, but they were blocked by the Pokémons. One of them tried to snatch her with its long arm, but the girl jumped backward and avoided the long arm. She lightly gasped when it almost reached her.

Dusknoir replied with a shadow punch, sending the spirit away.

"I won't hold back," the green bug type said as he slashed his enemy. Another spirit was down and the remaining disappeared through the walls, "Don't hesitate to get rid of them!"

The spirits were getting even more agitated when Ariados trapped one in her web and Heracross finished it with a powerful tackle.

Dusknoir remained behind as the remaining spirits suddenly disappeared.

We will be back!

Our revenge shall now begin!

When They will come, you will all fall!

"They?" they asked as everything was quiet now.

They all sat down and regained their breath.

"Fighting spirits is weird," Ariados commented.

"This is the strangest battle I ever had. They aren't using any ability like another Pokémon. Dusknoir, how does human fight?" the leader of Team Tempest asked.

"They aren't physically powerful, so you have to fear what's in their mind," the ghost type replied. He thought more and added, "Unless they trained in battle techniques. Then you can consider them a fighter type."

"Those spirits didn't use their mind," the blue beetle Pokémon commented as he crossed his arms.

"They weren't really thinking," the ghost type replied.

"We're back to climbing," Angel said as she looked around.

They two teams prepared to continue their journey to the top of the skyscraper, wondering what would come in their way next.

AC: This is the end of this chapter. It was shorter because I would be busy for a few days.

Next: The Way To The Top.

For the next chapter, it will take a while. It's not because I need extra time, but I'll be much busier than usual during my writing time, so the next chapter will be release in two weeks.