"A Marowak?" Douchebag surprisingly exclaimed.
"A Marowak…" I quietly repeated and quickly pulled out my PokeDex to check whether I have this pokemon here - some info could be useful. He looked suspiciously small comparing to the size of his… cloud form.
"Are you crazy?" Suddenly Douchebag shouted. "It`s not going to stand there and patiently wait when you finish reading!"
"Well, it`s standing there and waiting for you to finish talking!" I replied to him and made a step back. "Dumpling, let`s try attack with Embers!"
"It is a GROUND type!" I didn`t like his tone this time, it sounded like he`s talking to an idiot. But he was not! Still, he was right about one thing. I don`t have time to check his PokeDex entries. Not sure about the rest.
"At least, it`s vulnerable now. I can handle it!" Erika stepped forward with her Exeggutor. If Douchebag is right about Marowak being a ground-type pokemon, she can actually be good with her grass-type Exeggutor.
"No, that`s my job. Let`s go!" Douchebag stopped her and threw his great ball. With the energetic explosion, a familiar Gastly appeared on the battlefield. The one Douchebag caught simultaneously with me catching mine.
"Then it`s a BOSS battle!" I shouted and released my Gastly on the field too. These two looked pretty glad to see each other, and even exchanged with some cheering screeches.
"Mind your own business, loser. This one is ours!" Douchebag arrogantly said to me. "Use Night Shade!"
"Caesar, use it too!" I commanded to my Gastly.
The ghost of Marowak finally recovered after my flash and rushed into the battle. I wonder what moves it can use. And if it is a ghost, does that mean ghost-type attacks will be super effective? Douchebag didn`t tell anything about ghost-typing.
I think we will find out now. The phantom of Marowak lowered his head and rushed to our pokemon to attack. So did them, vanishing into the shadows and then striking him at once. This didn`t look super effective at all. And after our attack the ghost quickly recovered and tried to hit Douchebag`s Gastly with his head, but suddenly just flew past it.
"Ha! Headbutt… Not effective at all!" Douchebag cunningly laughed. "Let`s do that again!" He commanded.
"And so are we!" I joined him and pointed at the phantom Marowak. My Caesar gave me a misunderstanding look. "Come on, use Night shade!" I commanded him.
Another couple of good hits damaged the phantom Marowak. In return, he threw a scratched bone at my Caesar, but it was flying too low to touch our hovering Gastlys. They dodged it so easily we even got some hope for the victory.
"Ha! So much for a scary ghost-monster, yeah?" Douchebag laughed at him and grabbed an ultraball from his pocket. "They`re not your level. So… get over here!"
He swung his hand and threw the capsule at the ghost, but Marowak struck it with his bone and sent back at Douchebag at doubled speed. He barely dodged it, but the ultraball crushed into the wall and fell into pieces.
"You little damn…" My troublesome partner swore.
"You can`t catch a ghost! It is not a pokemon anymore… And not a pokemon yet." Erika explained to him. I was actually surprised she understands something in all this mystical shit. Because I do not.
"But… The Silph Scope must…"
"No 'Buts'!" I yelled at him. "We`re proceeding to my plan. Everyone, follow me!" I turned around and made an obscene gesture to Marowak. I don`t know whether he actually knows what it is or not, but this angered him much and rushed straight at me.
"You`re idiot!" Douchebag shouted to me and ran behind. The rest followed him.
Erika very quickly caught up with me.
"What`s the plan?" She asked me with interest. I can already see the anticipation of real action in her burning eyes.
"The Purification Zone." I replied shortly and accelerated.
Very soon we returned back to the fifth floor and found a ton of wild Gastlys attacking us. But with the first sight of Marowak following us they scattered in fear.
"Douchebag, keep attacking it!" I commanded to my life-long rival. "We need to use the Circle!"
"Damn you…" He swore again and stopped. "Use Night Shade!"
"Yeah, Caesar, Night shade too!" I repeated after him.
"Exeggutor, use Stomp!" Erika attacked too.
Our pokemon all assaulted the poor Marowak at once. Firstly, our Gastlys landed their hits from the shadows, and after another failure attempt to attack them with the bone, Marowak also was stomped with mighty foot of Erika`s Exeggutor. All that seemed to damage it, but… it was not weakening at all.
"So, it`s not a ghost-type…" The gym leader concluded.
"That`s logical." Actually, I have already lost the sense of what is logical and what`s not, but I was sure in one thing – the Purification Zone was created for a reason.
THIS reason.
Suddenly I noticed something suspicious right near the ladder. In a quick sight I saw a fresh grave… A plundered grave. How come this actually possible in a ghost tower? Who could be so brave to do such a thing?
Damn, running around the tower awakened my pain, especially in the shoulder. Maybe I should use the Circle for myself before, but I was afraid it`s power vanishes soon. Marowak needs it more than me.
So I ran around the Circle and stopped on the other side of this huge shiny rune. The phantom followed me despite the obvious trap of mine.
The second he stepped inside the Circle, he shined brightly together with the symbols and a huge light pole appeared in him. I don`t know if that was hurt or not, but the rock face of Marowak slowly became… calm and peaceful. Then it`s silhouette slowly became to dissolve into the light, until it disappeared completely together with the Circle.
"We did it!" Erika shouted happily and rushed to hug me. I stayed motionless not paying attention to her and just stared at the point where that ghost was a second ago. I tried to understand and pull together everything that just happened there, and everything that came before. The result was not very optimistic.
The joyful screeches of the wild Gastly surrounded us. Ghost-type pokemon slowly appeared from the shadows, not to attack us but to thank. The loudest of them all were our two Gastly as they exchanged their emotions with each other.
Suddenly they began to shine too and in a second started to deform. The round head turned into a gaseous triangular form, and two clawed hands hovering separately from body appeared out of nowhere.
When forming was over, the light faded and two new pokemon appeared in front of us. Their eyes looked even angrier than before.
"Great!" Douchebag gladly looked at his pokemon and took the PokeDex to register him. I snapped out from my own shock after so many events happening and did the same.
Device scanned Caesar`s updated pokeball and showed me his new specie.
Haunter. The gas pokemon.
It strikes at humans from total darkness. Those licked by its cold tongue grow weaker with each passing day until they die. It fears the light and revels in the dark.
Wow… How… interesting.
I raised my eyesight at the Haunter before me. This pokemon actually became much more dangerous that it was while being just Gastly. Another pokemon that can easily kill me… Just great.
Caesar looked at me and cunningly smiled. I didn`t like that. Just in a second he approached me and tried to lick, but I dodged that and seriously looked at him in return.
"No, you will not!" And I returned him back into the pokeball.
"Don`t even look at me!" Douchebag strictly said to his Haunter and returned him back to greatball too.
I took some time to look around. The wild ghost pokemon realized we noticed them and then carefully retreated back into the shadows.
"Looks like we have… calmed him down." Erika looked at the Circle while it slowly disappears. "The troubled spirit is finally in peace…"
"That means we can finally get to the top!" Douchebag shouted and ran towards the ladder.
"Hey!" I called out to him. When he stopped and turned back, I threw the Silph Scope to him. I don`t need this anymore. He understood and nodded, putting the device on his neck and then continuing the running up.
Erika returned her Exeggutor back and followed him too, but when she noticed that I don`t go, she stopped and turned back to me.
"Aren`t you going?"
"I am. But I need to check one thing here. Take care of the people up there." I replied and headed to the grave I noticed before. Erika nodded and ran away.
I approached the remains of grave and carefully looked inside. The ground was excavated pretty roughly, and small clods of this are thrown all over the place. Interesting… But what`s more interesting – is a body of Marowak lying in here. Dead, but untouched.
I think my theory proves itself again. I need to ask some involved people about this, and those people are definitely among the group on the highest floor.
So I stood up and ran to the ladder too. The wild pokemon disturbed me no more and I quickly crossed the wretched sixth floor and got to the final seventh one.
The horrible stench hit me right when I got up. I don`t know what that actually is – but it was damn DISGUSTING. For a second I wanted to make a silly joke and ask "What`s died here?" But then I remembered that actually this is a place where all are dead lying.
This floor was a place for the noble people in former times. I could still see some portraits in silver and gold frames and other expensive attributes. I wonder why this place isn`t plundered yet? Maybe the ghosts actually protects it? This makes sense.
But in the whole, the sight was really disturbing. Team Rocket grunts were lying near the very old graves, very, very tired. The most of group were already unconscious, but some of them could still show some signs of life. Three Rattatas were out too, but exhausted and fainted too. We were lucky that I actually returned quite soon – the Marowak ghost blocked their way out anyway. All look extremely in the edge. Judging by a couple of emptied cans, they actually had some field supplies to survive for three days. But if we would be later for another day – and the situation would be much worse.
Erika tried to give some drink to some woman from Team Rocket. Actually, she was too young for this, I think.
"Oh… What did you drag yourself into, young lady?" I quietly and disapprovingly said to this female rogue and proceeded further.
Douchebag was shouting at some other guy that looked the most alive of them all.
"What were you doing here? Answer me!"
"Step back, Douchebag. You can`t interrogate people." I moved him away from the grunt and looked at this bastard from Team Rocket. Such bandit look…
This guy reminded me of Mark Steam. Absolutely the same beaten and confident look, absolutely the same situation. Despite of me obviously being a little bit further from death, I didn`t like this at all.
"Hello there, my little criminal." I made the silliest smile I really could. "My name`s Vengeance, and I want to ask you some questions. See this guy? Yeah, the one shouted at you and threatened. He`s a Douchebag. Really. And he will be a good cop comparing to me. Get it?"
Judging by the confused but angry look, he didn`t get it.
"Okay. Let`s see what you can tell me… Have you ever seen your boss? The Giovanni?"
His eyes went wide in surprise, but he didn`t reply anything.
"I guess you at least know who it is. Okay… Let`s add some details to our dialogue. I have defeated your respectable boss tonight!"
After these words I could actually feel how the conscious grunts stared at me. The level of their shock couldn`t be described by words. Especially the shock of the guy in front of me. Now I could see real worry in his eyes.
"So, how about now? Will you tell me anything? Just anything?" I began to playfully beg him.
"He… he will tell you nothing. He is mute." Suddenly the girl near Erika said to me.
How interesting. At least someone can speak here without any swears after each word. That`s something already.
"Okay… So, you can talk. Too bad I can`t break your pretty face if you tell bad things to me. Or something I don`t like."
"Ven!" Erika yelled at me severely. "Can we talk for a moment, please? You too… Douchebag?"
She grabbed both of us and led a little away from the Rocket grunts.
"Guys, can you be at least a little… softer with them?" Erika asked us.
"What for? They`re Team Rocket!" I said her, but this wasn`t enough to convince this woman.
"You treated them really brutally! They were locked here for three days because of you!" She began to shout at us, but very quietly. "Show some compassion and let them restore at least!"
"Hey, that wasn`t us! The Marowak ghost blocked them here. We actually saved them!" Douchebag tried to justify himself and he was right about that.
"Well… Maybe. But still, that`s not the reason to scorn them!"
"Woman, right at this moment they can easily come back to senses and run away WHILE WE TALK!" I gently yelled at her.
"They will not, they just can`t! Look at them, they can`t even talk now. Have some trust at them."
"Never." I replied shortly and turned away.
"Maybe, have some trust at me?" She continued to bother me.
"No, sorry. You were the first suspect, Erika. I can`t trust you too. I can`t trust anyone here." I headed to the girl and squatted before her.
"Okay. I will let you recover; I will not even punch your face. Maybe you disgust me as a person, but you still attract me as a woman. A little bit. So… Just answer me one question. Where is Mr. Fuji?"
She guiltily lowered her head.
"Damn… We closed him in that door so he would not escape… And… forgot about him."
I closed my eyes and made a deep breath trying to calm myself down. At this moment I really wanted to hit her. To hit her as hurt as I can. To overstep my principles at least once.
But I didn`t. I just loudly exhaled and stood up.
"This is what cruelty looks like, Erika." I said to the gym leader without turning and headed quickly to the door behind. I grabbed a small travelling flask from my pocket prepared to use it.
The awful stench in this, I guess, former service room hit me immediately. I expected the worst, and found the body lying in the middle of it at once. I rushed to him and firstly checked the pulse – he was unconscious too, but alive.
"How is he?" Erika carefully asked me behind.
"Critical. We need to get him out right now." I replied to her and tried to take the old man on my hands. This happened to be pretty tough task, considering all my own wounds and especially the damn shot shoulder.
"You can`t carry him!" Woman tried to help me, but I didn`t let her.
"Move away, woman! I will do this myself."
I managed to overcome the extreme pain and return to the main hall of seventh floor. I felt the warm stream of blood coming down my shoulder, but I tried not to think about it.
Douchebag was standing in the middle of all mess, looking around and waiting for us. He didn`t have a slightest idea of what to do next.
"So, Douchebag, stay here and watch for them. Erika, go down and inform the cops… And also call an ambulance." I instructed my companions.
"But… what about the wild ghosts?" Erika asked worried.
"They will touch us no more." I confidently replied and nodded in the direction of ladder. Gym leader shook her head disapprovingly and rushed there.
"Since when you began to give me orders, ScrewDriver?" The nasty voice of Douchebag sounded behind me.
"ScrewDriver never did this. But Vengeance always does." I replied and continued to carry Mr. Fuji down the stairs.
Floor after the floor, step after step I was moving forward. This was extremely hard, but I couldn`t give up. I just have no right to give up. This old man knows something I need to know, so I must do everything possible to save his life. And, maybe, my own in the end.
Soon a group of cops rushed inside the building and passed near me. They looked at me suspiciously, but even didn`t try to ask about my or Mr. Fuji`s condition. Just moved forward behind me. I couldn`t say anything to that, I didn`t even want to.
But soon after that a girl ran to me – the one that was working at the tower`s counter. Dark-violet hair, short ponytail on the side… Yes, that`s definitely her. The granddaughter of Mr. Fuji.
"Grampa! Are you… are you all right?" She cried out to me.
"He is unconscious. We need to take him to the hospital…" Just according to the Sod`s Law my right hand had to turn off for a second and made me lose my grip on the body of old man.
"Aah! You`re hurt too!" The girl exclaimed. "Can I help you somehow?"
"No, just… tell me your name."
"Susan…" She quietly said and moved from my way.
"Thank you, Susan." I even let myself smile a bit. Not because that made me somehow happier – it actually didn`t – but because I finally could see the way out and Erika waiting for me. My own strength is almost depleted.
"Here, here!" She shouted to someone from outside, and two nurses appeared with a stretcher. When I finally made the last step down the ladder, I carefully put Mr. Fuji on the stretcher and made a step back. When I made sure that I`m far enough from him, I let myself faint from the fatigue…
