Chapter 38: Valley of Shadow Gate

"Are we there yet?" Squirtletwo asked.

"Squirts we haven't even been walking very long!" Amber replied. "Why don't you calm down! I know where I'm going!"

The clone of Squirtle tilted its head to the side, closed its eyes and made a smart-aleck face.

"Or maybe that map in your head's phony," she replied.

Amber gave her the best scolding glare she could, which was more pitiful then scolding.

"I'm trying to concentrate!" Amber replied. "Now let's see. We took a right before going on the path that lead straight to Pewter City, then we kept going straight."

Amber looked around. The two of them stood in a valley, where about a mile away on there left was a forest. The valley they stood in was empty. The ground was covered in strange red flowers that had black stems and mounds of stone. It was getting pretty late, as the two of them had been walking until it was sunset.

"It's getting kind of late," Amber said in telepathy. "We should find somewhere to sleep."

Amber heard Squirtletwo sigh.

"The truth is," she said. "That I'm kind of crabby because we haven't found a body of water. I'm kind of tired and it refreshes me."

"Oh," Amber replied. "Water-types like water. Why didn't you just say so? Say, couldn't you make your own pool with Water Gun?"

"My shell can hold water," Squirtletwo replied. "It can't make it. I've got to get the water from somewhere."

Amber looked around for a pond or stream for ten minutes before finding a large pool of water.

"Alright!" Squirtletwo said.

She jumped into the clear water, swimming freely in it as the water on her very glossy, shiny shell made rainbows bounce off.

"Well what are you standing around for?" Squirtletwo asked. "Don't be a Charmandertwo. Get in and have fun."

Amber gently nodded. She looked around, even used her psychic ability to sense if there were any other humans around, and there weren't, and took off her skirt, shirt, and shoes and walked into the water.

"See how relaxing this is?" Squirtletwo asked.

"You're right," Amber replied. "This is very relaxing."

"Vulpix."

Amber and Squirtletwo turned around. They saw a Vulpix, drinking water from the pool, not seeming to mind the two of them.

Amber ran to get her Pokedex to see what it said on Vulpix:

"Vulpix, the Fox Pokemon. Vulpix's tail splits into six red ones, starting from its birth as a single white one. Vulpix controls fire that burns inside its body. When Vulpix release this heat they give off mystical, blue Will-O-Wisp attacks."

"Well they was some boring information we didn't need to here," Squirtletwo replied. "Does that thing ever talk about anything cool, like being able to tear down mountains in a single blow or fly faster then lightning?"

Amber looked at the Vulpix as it calmly drank the water from the clear pond.

Amber put her Pokedex back in her skirt pocket and then walked back into the water with Squirtletwo.

"My Dad has told me about where Vulpix live before," Amber said. "Either they live where other Fire-type Pokemon do, like near volcanoes and other hot places, or they live in…in places like…"

"Like what?" Squirtletwo asked.

"I guess the best way to say it is supernatural places," Amber said. "They live near places like Lavender Town that has the legendarily creepy place the Pokemon Tower, where Pokemon are buried."

"Random coincidence," Squirtletwo said, while swimming on her back.

"There are other places they inhabit that are near spooky areas," Amber said. "And you know what the weird thing is? They stay on the edge of those places like they're afraid to go to the actual source of supernaturalism."

"Oh really?" Squirtletwo asked with a cocky gloat.

"They do have some Ghost-type traits but they're not Ghost-types," Amber said in her defense. "Just like you have abilities and traits of a Psychic-type but not a true Psychic Pokemon."

"I see," Squirtletwo said. "But I still think you're acting too much like Charmandertwo. Worrying about nothing at all."

Amber sighed and started braiding her long, blue hair, something she does when she gets slightly nervous.

"You're right," Amber replied. "Maybe I-"

She stopped in mid-sentence. Amber stared at the figure that seemed to stare at her in the distance. At first Amber thought it might be a man looking at her while she had no clothes on in the water but then she realized it barely looked human. It was maybe seven feet tall, it looked to thin to be a man, it was a dark purple, and it had claws.

The Vulpix that had been drinking water was staring at it too.

Then it vanished into thin air.

"What are you looking at?" Squirtletwo asked.

Amber stared in terror of where the specter had stood. She felt chills run down her spine.

"We should go to bed," Amber said.

Amber and Squirtletwo then got out of the water to sleep. Amber put her clothes on and she and Squirtletwo laid down in the red flowers. Amber thought it was very soft.

Amber went almost immediately to sleep, forgetting she saw the specter.

Amber gently awoke to feel someone's arm wrapping around her midsection. At first, she thought it was Shane.

"Hold me…tighter," Amber whispered.

She turned over, trying to kiss Shane, instead finding a pair of malevolent, red eyes.

"Ah!" She squealed and jumped to her feet

The eyes were gone as soon as she saw them. Amber looked around, to see that she was alone and not in the same place where she had been sleeping. There was no pond or Squirtletwo.

"Hello…" Amber said. "Squirtletwo…?"

Amber looked around.

No one was there. She was all alone and it night.

"Squirtletwo," Amber said. "Are you there?"

Amber started walking trying to see if Squirtletwo was very far away, when she bumped into something. She looked up at it to see it was the figure, with the evil, red eyes.

Its dark purple body was covered by a black suit. He was very slender, its claws were ominous and deadly looking, its arms and legs were black in color, and its head had three horns on left and right side with a wide mouth that had a blood red tongue.

Its red eyes seemed to look into Amber with a feeling of…desire.

Amber cringed from the intimidation the thing brought on her.

"Hello…," it said.

Amber realized just how sharp its claw was as slipped the tip of its claw on the bare skin of Amber's waist.

"….little girl," it said.

It circled around Amber, its claw revolving around her waist. Amber felt so uncomfortable, terrified, and squeamish at that point her heart started racing and she started hyperventilating. Amber was afraid his claw may accidentally pierce her skin and leave her with a bleeding gash.

"He…he-hello," Amber replied.

"You know," the shade said. "In all my time I've never seen a girl with such…delicious flesh. A beautiful, pure pale, but with a warm glow in it."

This demon or phantom is making a move on me. She thought.

Amber's breathing starting increasing as her panic did. She couldn't help but feel scared at this being. He was supernatural, no doubt, some sort of phantom, but he was human enough to crave Amber.

Amber could feel the other claw start from her stomach and crawl up her chest.

"What a desirable young lass you are," he said. "It is so nice to have the company of such a fine little girl as you."

Not only could Amber feel sharp claws slowly prodding her waist and chest but now another claw sifting through her long hair. Amber placed her left hand on the claw running up to her stomach.

You've got to leave. Amber thought. You've got to run.

Amber couldn't seem to do what she was telling herself. She was frozen in fear, to terrified to make a decision.

"Who…who are you?" Amber asked, her voice shaking.

No reply.

Amber was getting scared now. This stranger was trying to put the move on her, whether Amber wanted him to or not.

Amber could feel the claw of his she was trying to hold in place grab her left hand.

"Ah!" Amber cried in pain.

The claw was so strong, twice as big as her delicate one, and it seemed to puncture into her palm.

"Now, now," he said. "How nice it is to feel your body. I wonder how nice it is to taste it…"

As soon as that thing tried to put his mouth on Amber's side of her chest she made him let go of her and ran away.

Keep running. She thought.

But the more Amber ran the more terrified Amber became, not knowing at all where to go and the darkness of the night seeming to engulf her. The shade was probably right behind her, lurking like creepy the fiend it was, ready to engulf her in his own way. Amber ran for about ten minutes that seemed like eternity.

Finally she got so tired from running she collapsed onto the ground, her knees in the flowers and her hands on the ground. Amber tried to catch her breath, her heart beginning to slow down.

"What are you doing here human?" a voice asked.

Amber whirled around, so her back was to the earth. She looked up to see above her was a Ghastly. Its body was a purple orb with a mouth and eyes with a trail of purple mist flowing behind it.

Amber usually liked seeing mysterious, strange Pokemon like Ghost-types but right now Amber was scared of anything that moved. She slowly crawled away from the Pokemon and then stopped to answer it.

"I was running away from…something that was trying to hurt me," Amber replied in telepathy, just as the Ghastly was using. "I got separated from my Pokemon when we tried to camp here. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you."

Ghastly gave her a perplexed look.

"You? A human? Disturb us?" Ghastly asked almost as if she was stupid. "Do you not know where you are?"

"No," Amber asked. "Why?"

"This place is called the Valley of Shadow Gate," Ghastly said.

"Why is it called that?" Amber asked.

Ghastly sighed and gave her an annoyed look.

"Why am I not surprised a human, even a psychic human, wouldn't know?" Ghastly asked. "This is a valley, a low lying area surrounded by higher ground In the day its as any other ordinary place. But at night reality sort of changes."

"How so?" Amber asked standing up.

"There is power that arises that can be sensed and if one can control it gives them great abilities," Ghastly replied. "I use it to gain telepathy. But this power comes a special attribute of this valley that at nighttime reality seems to come in contact with another reality, different then ours."

"You mean," Amber said. "Like another dimension coming into contact with ours."

Ghastly nodded.

"Quite right," Ghastly replied. "The power comes from either that dimension or the fact the dimensions are coming in contact. And when our dimension comes in contact with another sometimes from this valley at nighttime you can enter it. But sometimes, just as easily, someone or something can come from their reality to ours. Sometimes they can be a bit…sinister."

Chills went down her spine as Ghastly said the word "sinister". He said it not as if it were a legend but as if he knew from personal experience.

"It attracts us Ghost-type Pokemon," Ghastly replied. "And should keep out humans who would otherwise be in a very dangerous situation. Like you appear to be."

She nodded.

"I'll get out of here as soon as possible," Amber replied. "As soon as I find my friend, Squirtletwo."

Ghastly nodded in agreement and Amber ran in a hurry.