Happy Halloween, everyone! Whew, this took a lot longer than I thought it would, but it's finally done! Chapter 46 is finally done! :D

I must say, since there are ghost-types in this chapter, the timing feels pretty good. It's probably not that scary, though. Oh, well! I hope it turned out well. Also, it might be a bit long, but I didn't think I had enough more in mind for this chapter to justify splitting it.

Anyways, here's an interesting question for you all:

If Azure had been a part of this mission, what kind of test would she have faced?

Feel free to leave a comment/review/whatever! I always appreciate seeing what my readers think about my story, and if there's anything I can keep in mind in order to improve my writing.

Well, here's chapter 46! I hope you enjoy it!


Chapter 46: You're about one-hundred-and-eight years too early to be facing me!


Frederick had been following Lodestone through a few more floors of the dungeon, as they continued looking for Blitz, Sera and Chiaki. They hadn't run into anymore wild ghost-type Pokémon since they got separated from the others, and Frederick wasn't quite sure how to feel about that. They had found a few items on the way, but since they didn't have the treasure bag with them, there were limits to how many of them they could bring along as they continued their search.

"See any apples lying around?" Frederick asked, sniffing the ground. "I'm getting kind of hungry…"

"Nothing in this room," Lodestone responded, looking around. "Let's try the next one. Come on, this way."

Frederick had eaten a few berries they had found throughout their search, but they weren't enough to fill the young dragon's stomach.

"If only I hadn't run away earlier…" Frederick thought out loud, sighing. "That way, we wouldn't have gotten separated…"

They entered another room, where Lodestone spotted a piece of cloth on the ground. He picked it up and examined it.

"Hmm… Just as I thought," Lodestone said, before offering the item to Frederick. "I think this might help."

"Is it food?" Frederick asked, sniffing the item.

"It's a Stamina Band," Lodestone responded, tying it around Frederick's waist. "It should provide you with a little more energy, which should hopefully help a little."

"Oh, okay," Frederick replied, nodding his head slightly. "I still want something to eat, though."

"Well, let's keep searching for your friends," Lodestone said. "We might find something more for you to eat on the way."

"I hope so," Frederick responded. "Having to deal with scary ghosts is bad enough; I don't want to do it on an empty stomach…"

They kept walking for a bit, finding the stairs and moving on to the next floor before Lodestone spoke up once more.

"Frederick, could you explain to me why you are afraid of ghost-type Pokémon?" Lodestone asked, looking over at Frederick.

"Um… It's because they're scary?" Frederick responded.

Lodestone did not seem satisfied with this answer.

"… That wasn't the answer you were looking for," Frederick said, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Let me ask you another question, then," Lodestone responded, clearing his throat. "It is my understanding that your species are unable to see until you reach your final evolution stage, correct?"

"Yeah, that's right," Frederick replied, nodding his head. "I tend to bump into things sometimes, but it doesn't really bother me that much."

"And because you lack sight, you rely on your other senses to find out who and what is around you," Lodestone said, glancing at Frederick. "As you said earlier, it is hard to pick up on a ghost-type Pokémon's scent."

"Yes, it is," Frederick responded, nodding his head again. "I have a really good sense of smell, but most ghost-types just don't leave much of a scent for me to track them…"

"Ghost-types are also good at sneaking up on others without making any sound," Lodestone added. "Like you said before, they could be nearby without you even realizing."

"Huh… That's right," Frederick responded, shuddering a little.

"Well, it's understandable that the idea of something that could easily get close to you like that without you ever noticing would be frightening," Lodestone said, nodding his head slightly.

"Oh, I… I guess you're right," Frederick responded, thinking about it for a few moments. "I also heard certain stories when I was little…"

"Ah, ghost stories," Lodestone replied, nodding his head slightly. "You are aware that most of those are made up, right?"

"Um… Yes, but… the ghost-types are capable of doing the things from those stories, aren't they?" Frederick asked, tilting his head slightly. "Cursing young Pokémon who misbehave, eating our life forces, sneaking into our houses at night and rearranging our furniture while we sleep…"

"Yes and no," Lodestone responded, shaking his head. "Ghost-types tend to exaggerate their abilities for the sake of making the story more interesting."

"Why do they do that?" Frederick asked, looking a bit confused.

"Most of them just really like those types of stories," Lodestone responded, shrugging slightly.

"Well… I guess I just have a different taste in stories," Frederick replied, sighing. "Ugh, I bet there are Pokémon who would make fun of me right now, for being a coward who is still afraid of ghost stories and stuff…"

"You should stay away from Pokémon who say such things," Lodestone responded.

"Ah, well… I mostly hang out with Azure and the others these days," Frederick replied, smiling. "They're really nice, and don't hang out with me just because they want me to do something for them."

"Good for you," Lodestone responded, smiling and nodding his head.

"Yeah, I'm really glad I met them," Frederick replied, nodding his head. "Azure even thinks I can overcome my fear of ghost-types… I don't really want to let her down…"

"Well, if you really wish to overcome your fear, then there are a few things you can try to keep in mind," Lodestone said.

"I'm listening," Frederick replied, nodding his head.

"Frederick, you are part dragon type and part dark type," Lodestone said, glancing at the young Deino. "I know that some kinds of Pokémon might find certain species of either of those types intimidating."

"Oh?" Frederick responded, tilting his head slightly. "No one has ever called me intimidating before…"

"Well, you're still young," Lodestone commented. "However, as I'm sure you are aware of, most fully evolved dragon-type Pokémon tend to be rather big."

"Hmm, I guess you have a point there," Frederick responded, nodding his head slightly. "A bigger Pokémon would probably be scarier than a smaller one."

"Indeed," Lodestone replied, nodding his head. "It's not uncommon for Pokémon of certain types to feel nervous around Pokémon of different types, especially among wild Pokémon. It is usually because those types embody an element that can be outright harmful to them."

"Huh," Frederick responded, looking thoughtful.

"However, as you have probably seen, Pokémon of very different types can also work very well together as a team," Lodestone said, smiling at Frederick.

"Well, yeah," Frederick responded, nodding his head slightly. "Most of the rescue teams I know of have Pokémon of different types on them."

"Exactly," Lodestone replied, nodding his head. "Pokémon of different types that work together as a team can cover each other's weaknesses and can each contribute something different to their team."

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Frederick responded, nodding his head.

"So, you understand what I'm saying?" Lodestone asked, looking over at Frederick. "We all have our differences, our strengths and weaknesses, but in the end, we're all Pokémon."

"Uh… I guess," Frederick responded.

"Among the seventeen types of Pokémon, the ghost-type is rather unique," Lodestone explained, glancing around for signs of anyone else. "However, they are still just Pokémon."

"I see…" Frederick replied, nodding his head slightly. "Huh… When you put it like that, it seems kind of silly of me to be afraid of them…"

"Do you think you're a bit closer to overcoming your fears now?" Lodestone asked, glancing over at Frederick.

"… Yeah, I… I think so," Frederick responded, nodding his head again.

"Good," Lodestone replied, smiling. "Anyways, do you smell any of your friends around here?"

"No…" Frederick responded, sniffing the ground. "… I think I smell an apple nearby, though!"

Frederick quickly ran up to the apple lying on the floor and picked it up in his mouth, swallowing it whole.

"Ah, that feels much better!" Frederick said, smiling.

"… You should really chew your food," Lodestone commented.

"Oh, right…" Frederick responded sheepishly.

"Well… Let's just keep going," Lodestone said, looking around.

"Okay," Frederick responded, nodding affirmatively.

The two Pokémon continued their search for Blitz, Sera and Chiaki. Lodestone still wondered what exactly was going on, and where the ghost-types had taken the three of them. Frederick quietly resolved that he would finally overcome his fear of ghosts so that once he and his friends were reunited; he could help them fight the wild ghost-types and retrieve the crystal they had come for. He also thought about how impressed Azure would be when they got back from their mission, and kept this in mind in order to keep his motivation up as he and Lodestone continued their search.


Sera ran as fast as her four legs could carry her, before finally spotting a familiar blue figure curled up in the grass. Sera stopped for a moment to catch her breath, noticing that a bigger Pokémon was standing in front of Blitz, staring down at him with glowing golden eyes. The Luxray's ear twitched slightly and he turned his head to look in Sera's direction, seeming surprised to see the young Eevee approaching them. Sera simply glared at the Luxray for a moment, before running up to Blitz's side.

"Blitz, snap out of it!" Sera shouted, nudging him with her paws.

"I always knew…" Blitz whispered, not even looking up at Sera. "There's no way I can escape my destiny…"

"Why is she here…?" the Luxray said, looking around. "What is the meaning of this?"

"My apologies for interfering," the Dusclops' voice responded. "However, this was necessary in order for Miss Serafina to complete her test!"

"What?" the "Luxray" replied, looking around for the Dusclops' hiding spot. "We're not supposed to-"

"Just watch them," the Dusclops responded. "You'll understand."

"Blitz, listen to me!" Sera cried, shaking him with her paws. "That Luxray is just an illusion!"

"An illusion…?" Blitz responded, glancing over at Sera.

"Yes, an illusion!" Sera replied, nodding her head. "I mean, think about it! Isn't it awfully strange that your father would show up here of all places?"

"… You… have a point," Blitz responded, thinking more about it. "We were told that the ghost-types could create illusions to mislead travelers…"

"Yes! That's it!" Sera replied, nodding her head again.

"Still… it doesn't change anything…" Blitz said, sighing. "I still have to become the leader of the Luxray pride of Lightning Plateau someday…"

"Do you really have no choice?" Sera asked, her ears drooping down slightly.

"I wish I did," Blitz responded, looking away. "If only I could decide my own future… If only I could find something I want to do on my own…"

"Blitz…" Sera said softly, gently petting him on the head with her paw. "This… this isn't fair! If this makes you so miserable, then… then…!"

"Sera, there's nothing you can do about it," Blitz responded, still looking away.

"I… I won't accept that!" Sera exclaimed, shaking her head. "I don't know how destiny works, but it isn't right for anyone to be forced into something they don't want to do for the rest of their lives!"

Blitz didn't say anything, but he did look over at Sera. Noticing that she had his attention, Sera smiled.

"Blitz, do you know what I've learned from our missions?" Sera asked, closing her eyes for a moment. "It's not just luck that has gotten us this far. We were able to retrieve the crystals through hard work, quick thinking, and most importantly, teamwork."

Sera looked at Blitz with a determined grin.

"Hey, you remember right?" Sera asked, glancing up at the trees surrounding them. "How we worked together with the Pansage, Pansear and Panpour tribes of Harmony Forest, taking down that magical plant? Or the time in Clarion Desert, where we worked together with Sting and Mirage's rescue teams to find the Desert Spirit so she could put a stop to the sandstorms blocking off part of the desert?"

Blitz blinked a few times, lifting his head slightly as he listened to Sera.

"Or when Azure joined us underwater and that underwater rescue team helped us retrieve the crystal after we helped save the prince and princess of the underwater kingdom? And don't forget how Megara's old friends helped us get the crystal from Mt. Caldera!" Sera exclaimed, smiling at Blitz. "Do you understand?"

"Well, it's pretty obvious that teamwork is important when you're part of a rescue team," the "Luxray" commented, rolling its eyes.

"Don't be rude, Candelaria," the Dusclops responded, emerging from the shadows. "I can tell that Miss Serafina knows what she is doing, so for now let's just be quiet and watch."

Sera wasn't even paying attention to the other two Pokémon that were watching her and Blitz at this point, and they suspected that she had even forgotten that they were still there. Even so, the Dusclops gave Sera a thumbs-up to show his support as she continued making her point to Blitz.

"We may not be able to do anything about it on our own," Sera said, grinning. "But if we all work together like we always do, then I'm sure we can even change destiny!"

"Sera…" Blitz responded, staring wide-eyed at the Eevee.

"We'll find a way together, Blitz!" Sera said, smiling at him. "We'll definitely change your destiny!"

"Y-You… you really mean it?" Blitz asked, tears starting to well up in his eyes.

"Of course I do!" Sera responded, nodding her head. "I'm sure there are plenty of things you could use your leadership skills for other than leading the Luxray pride! We just need to figure out what you like best!"

"Sera…" Blitz replied, smiling as he wiped away a tear with one of his paws. "Yeah… it just might work…"

"It will definitely work!" Sera responded, grinning.

"Sera… Thank you," Blitz said, getting back onto his feet.

"Oh, it was nothing, really," Sera responded, shaking her head. "I just think you're really amazing, and I wanted you to know that… that's all."

"You're pretty amazing yourself, you know," Blitz commented, smiling at Sera.

"Huh? Me?" Sera responded, blinking a few times. "I don't know about that… I'm always depending on you."

"To be honest, I often feel much stronger when I'm with you," Blitz explained, blushing slightly. "Even when I have my doubts, you insist that we can do it if we try!"

"Wait… so you're saying that actually trust my judgment, even those times when I kept dragging us into potential danger?" Sera asked, seeming a bit surprised.

"Well, most of the time we did succeed, didn't we?" Blitz responded, chuckling a little. "And besides, I… I really love your smile!"

"Blitz…" Sera replied, blushing slightly before bursting into laughter.

"Yeah, that's the one!" Blitz cheerfully responded, before joining her in laughter.

The Dusclops and the "Luxray" quietly watched the two friends cheerfully laughing together, the "Luxray" nodding and giving an approving smile before dissolving into its true form, a ghost-type Pokémon resembling a black lantern with yellow eyes and a purple flame burning inside of its glass-like head.

"Well, it may not have been how the test was supposed to go, but I'll admit, you were right about them," the Lampent admitted, as she touched one of her black arm-like extensions to the bottom of her glass-like face. "Their true strength comes from the bond between them."

"It's quite wonderful, isn't it?" the Dusclops commented, as Blitz and Sera gently touched their foreheads together. "They have certainly passed our test, as far as I'm concerned."

"I suppose," the Lampent responded, shrugging slightly.

Blitz and Sera eventually calmed down and approached the two ghost type Pokémon, both of them beaming with determination.

"I assume you are ready to move on?" the Dusclops asked.

"Yes, we're ready," Sera responded, nodding her head. "You know where the others are, right?"

"Lodestone and the Deino are searching the main part of the dungeon," the Lampent explained. "While I believe the Mienfoo is still being tested."

"Then take us to Chiaki," Blitz responded, grinning and exchanging glances with Sera. "We'll head back to the main dungeon together."

"As you wish," the Dusclops replied, looking over at the Lampent. "Candelaria, would you like to light the way for us?"

"Leave it me," Candelaria responded, nodding slightly.

Candelaria began floating away down one of the nearby paths, leaving a trail of floating purple flames behind her for the others to follow. The wisps of fire faded away one by one as Blitz and Sera went off in the direction Candelaria went, hoping to find Chiaki.


Chiaki's doppelganger quietly waited as Chiaki thought about everything the doppelganger had said. Chiaki felt that his doppelganger was correct in his statement that a part of him already knew the truth, but he still couldn't find it even as he focused on this thought. His doppelganger had asked him if he would accept the truth, should he find it. However, there was also the question of what would happen once his memories returned. Chiaki didn't want to leave Blitz, Sera and the others friends he had made in Fenix Town, yet deep down, he knew there was somewhere else he needed to be.

Chiaki didn't think he would be able to reach a proper conclusion about what was right to do without his memories. However, he eventually turned back to face his doppelganger, who stared at him with crossed arms.

"Well? What is your answer?" the doppelganger asked, watching expectantly.

"… I don't think I'm ready," Chiaki responded, shaking his head. "If I were, I would've been able to find the truth that is hidden inside me."

"So… That's your answer?" the doppelganger asked.

"I guess there are still some things I need to figure out," Chiaki responded, shrugging slightly with a sheepish smile. "Once I do, I will find the truth, and I will accept it, no matter what it is."

"Hmm… And what if you are forced to face the truth before then?" the doppelganger asked.

"Uh… In that case, I'll… um…" Chiaki responded, rubbing the back of his head.

"We'll be there to support him, no matter what!" Sera called out.

"What?" the doppelganger exclaimed, turning in the direction the voice came from.

"Sera! Blitz!" Chiaki exclaimed, smiling. "You're okay!"

"Wait, what?" Chiaki's doppelganger said, blinking a few times. "What's going on?"

"They passed the test," Candelaria responded, hovering up to the doppelganger.

"Well, that's good," the "Mienfoo" replied, pointing at the two. "But why are they here?"

"Because we're a team, that's why!" Sera responded, grinning.

"Chiaki, it's okay to worry about the future," Blitz said, smiling at him. "If you need anyone to talk to about it, Sera and I are willing to listen."

"We'll do what we can to help!" Sera added, happily wagging her tail.

"Guys… Thank you!" Chiaki responded, smiling at his friends.

"Hey, this isn't how this is supposed to work!" the "Mienfoo" shouted, his disguise dissolving into purple smoke to reveal his true form, a ghost Pokémon with a body formed from purple gas, its two hands detached from the rest of his body.

"We know," Candelaria responded, looking over at the Haunter. "However, this is a rather special situation, is it not?"

"You do not need to worry," the Dusclops added, also looking over at the Haunter. "These Pokémon are definitely strong enough."

"Do you honestly think they can face Nereza?" the Haunter asked, looking skeptically at the other two ghost-types.

"Um… I don't fully understand the situation," Chiaki said, raising his paw. "But… we'll do what we can to help!"

"But…" the Haunter protested.

"Perhaps we should bring these three back to their other friend and their Marowak guide," the Dusclops suggested. "I think it is best to inform all five of them of our current situation."

"Agreed," Candelaria responded, nodding slightly.

"I don't quite understand this, but okay…" the Haunter replied, still seeming slightly confused as he and the other two ghost-types gathered around the rescue team.


Lodestone and Frederick had made it to the last floor of the main dungeon, and were perplexed over the fact that they still hadn't found the others anywhere. However, as they were heading towards the stairs, Lodestone suddenly noticed a blue flash of light from behind them. Lodestone turned around, and saw that the rescue team had reappeared along with the three ghost-type Pokémon. Blitz, Sera and Chiaki quickly ran over to Lodestone and Frederick upon realizing that they had returned to the main dungeon.

"You're back!" Frederick exclaimed, sniffing his teammates. "Where'd you all go?"

"Long story short, the ghosts wanted to test us," Sera explained, giggling a little.

"Is that how it is?" Lodestone asked, looking over at the ghost-types.

"I guess we owe you an explanation," the Dusclops responded, looking down at the ground.

"Yes, do explain," Lodestone replied, crossing his arms. "I hope there is a good reason for all of this."

The group decided to head up the stairs, and found themselves in an area splitting the mystery dungeon into two parts. The three ghost-types explained everything that had happened, and why they had found it necessary to test the rescue team members that Lodestone had escorted into the dungeon.

"… I see," Lodestone responded, nodding his head slightly. "So, defeating Nereza should bring her back to her senses?"

"If Erebos used the same spell on her that he used on Blaze, then yes," Blitz replied, nodding his head.

"Nereza is pretty strong," Candelaria commented. "But hopefully our combined power is enough to defeat her."

"We should come up with a strategy before we proceed," Blitz said, looking around at the ghost-types and Lodestone. "You guys have any ideas?"

"Well, she doesn't have many weaknesses, being a ghost- and dark-type," the Dusclops explained. "And she knows some attacks that can be rather devastating, so I hope you brought plenty of Reviver Seeds."

"You won't be able to attack her if she retreats into her keystone to avoid damage," the Haunter added, grinning. "However, the three of us can probably use our powers to make sure she can't do that."

"Speaking of which, make sure you don't damage the keystone," Candelaria said, crossing her arms. "It's necessary to keep her one-hundred-and-eight souls bound to this world, after all."

"I see," Blitz responded, nodding his head.

"Um… I have a question," Frederick said.

"What is it?" Lodestone asked, looking over at the young Deino.

"Do the souls that make up the Spiritomb ever disagree with each other?" Frederick asked, tilting his head slightly. "You see, I've heard that my evolved form has two heads, and sometimes… they fight and stuff. Sometimes they even argue over food, which is kind of strange since they still share the same stomach… Is it ever anything like that?"

The three ghost-types exchanged glances while Lodestone thoughtfully held his free hand to his chin.

"Um… Maybe?" the Haunter responded, blinking a few times.

"Let's keep it in mind!" Chiaki said, grinning. "What else can we do?"

"Hey, do we have any other items that might help?" Sera asked, looking over at Blitz.

Blitz opened the lid on the bag, and looked inside. The orbs were usually useless in the space in the deepest parts of a mystery dungeon, so there wasn't any real point in spending too much time looking over them. They had plenty of Reviver Seeds, but he wasn't sure if they had enough of other types of seeds that would be useful in this situation.

"… Do you know if Nereza has any IQ skills that would make her immune to sleep-inducing moves?" Blitz asked, looking up at the ghosts.

"… I don't think she has that one," the Haunter responded.

"Yeah, I don't think Spiritomb get that particular IQ skill," Candelaria added.

"Good to know," Blitz responded, nodding his head slightly.

"Frederick and I won't as much damage from her ghost-type attacks," Sera said, glancing over at the Deino. "Of course, her dark-type attacks may still be a problem for me…"

"I think I can handle the dark-type attacks," Chiaki responded. "Although, most of my attacks might not be very effective…"

"Do not worry about that," the Dusclops said, looking over at Chiaki. "There is a way to eliminate that problem."

"There is?" Chiaki responded, smiling. "What is it?"

"Just leave that to me, sir," the Dusclops responded, giving Chiaki a thumbs-up. "Anyways, perhaps we should continue our discussion as we head deeper into the forest? After all, I do believe Miss Serafina has to be home before sunset."

"Huh, really?" Candelaria responded, glancing upwards. "What time is it now?"

"I don't think anyone's listening, so it might be okay to keep moving…" the Haunter commented, glancing around.

"I still don't understand how you guys know so much about us," Sera said, looking around at the three ghost-types. "How'd you do that?"

"Ah, an excellent question," the Dusclops responded, looking over at Sera. "You see…"


In the deepest part of Nightmirror Forest, purple wisps of smoke were floating above the odd keystone lying in the grass. More purple smoke flowed out from the cracks in the stone, as the group consisting of the rescue team, Lodestone and the three ghost-types entered the area. Two glowing green eyes and a mouth were visible in the center of the swirling purple mass, along with several green orbs floating in circles around the Spiritomb's face.

"So that's Nereza…" Chiaki muttered, looking over at her.

"My, what a rare sight," Nereza said, her voice sounding like multiple voices blending together, with one voice just barely more prominent than the rest. "It's not often Pokémon from outside the forest dare to enter this mystery dungeon…"

"I-I'm not scared at all…" Frederick muttered, shivering a little at the sound of Nereza's voice.

"Lady Nereza, this rescue team has come to help you!" the Dusclops exclaimed. "They will free you from the spell!"

"Oh, will they?" Nereza responded, smirking as she looked over at the rescue team. "Do I look like I need help? Besides, I know what you're really after!"

"What we're really after…?" Blitz inquired. "Do you mean… the crystal…?"

"Exactly," Nereza responded, giggling. "But you can't have it! It's mine now!"

"So she does know where it is!" Chiaki exclaimed, smiling.

"Don't let your guard down," Lodestone said, glancing over at Chiaki.

Nereza snickered and sank into the shadows in the ground, disappearing from sight. The other eight Pokémon looked around, and Blitz caught a glimpse of a shadow moving towards the Dusclops.

"Hey, watch out!" Blitz called out, and the Dusclops turned around in time to see Nereza emerging from the shadows just before striking him by shaping part of her own ghostly form into a whip.

"Reginald!" Candelaria exclaimed, looking over at the Dusclops. "Are you okay!?"

"Worry not," the Dusclops responded, rubbing the spot where Nereza's Shadow Sneak attack hit as his single eye began to glow red. "I can take a hit or two, after all."

As Nereza prepared to strike once more, Blitz suddenly made his fur light up, momentarily blinding the Spiritomb and allowing Reginald to shine a peculiar light from his eye at her.

"Do it now, Chiaki!" Blitz shouted, looking over at the Mienfoo.

Chiaki nodded and quickly ran up to Nereza, managing to strike her with a Fake Out attack without much difficulty.

"Wow, it really did work!" Chiaki exclaimed, smiling. "Thanks, Reginald!"

"No problem," Reginald responded, nodding slightly. "My Foresight attack will allow the use of normal and fighting type attacks at their full power against a ghostly opponent!"

"Meaning your fighting-type attacks will now be super effective!" Blitz said, grinning.

"S-Sounds like we off to a good start…" Frederick commented, with a nervous chuckle.

"You got that right!" Sera responded, nodding her head.

The Haunter had floated over to Nereza, and stared down at her with his eyes shining with a golden glow.

"… And now, she won't be able to retreat into her keystone to avoid our attacks!" the Haunter announced, looking over at the others.

"Good, our preparations are complete," Lodestone said, nodding his head.

"Hahahaha…" Nereza's many voices laughed in unison. "Quite amusing… but now I think it is time for the real battle to begin."

Nereza began laughing maniacally as a powerful Omnious Wind began blowing through the entire room, doing massive damage to the three ghost types. Blitz, Chiaki and Lodestone also found themselves taking a lot of damage from the attack, while Sera and Frederick were able to get away with less damage thanks to their type resistance.

"Yes, yes… I feel the power!" Nereza exclaimed, cackling madly as she gained a power boost from her attack.

"Not good…" Lodestone commented, wincing. "Her Ominous Wind attack is one of her most devastating attacks..."

"Hurry, you have to use Disable to stop her attack!" Sera shouted at Reginald.

However, before any of the three ghosts had the chance to do anything about it, another Ominous Wind began to blow through the room. This time, it was even stronger, and Sera watched in horror as all three ghosts, along with Blitz and Chiaki collapsed to the ground. Only she, Frederick and Lodestone were barely able to hold on.

"Guys…!" Sera exclaimed, gasping.

"Ah, what do we do…?" Frederick said, shaking a bit.

"D-Don't panic…" Lodestone said, using his bone club to support himself.

"Hahahahahahaha!" Nereza laughed, looking around at her opponents. "You're about one-hundred-and-eight years too early to be facing me!"

"Don't underestimate the power of our teamwork…" Sera said, glaring at Nereza.

"Oh?" Nereza responded, smirking as she looked over at Sera. "You really think that'll be enough to-"

Before Nereza had the chance to finish her sentence, a purple fire ball suddenly hit her in the face.

"Nice shot, Frederick!" Sera said, grinning as she ran towards Blitz.

"T-Thanks, Sera…" Frederick responded, smiling and nodding his head slightly.

Nereza prepared to fire a Dark Pulse attack at Sera, only to spot Lodestone's bone club flying towards her. She quickly slipped into the shadows and dodged the attack, and Lodestone caught the bone as it returned to him like a boomerang. This allowed Sera to reach Blitz, and the bag containing the items they had brought with them. She quickly opened the lid, and grabbed a few Reviver Seeds with her mouth. She immediately gave one of them to Blitz, who soon opened his eyes and looked up at Sera.

"… Thank you, Sera," Blitz said, smiling up at Sera.

Sera just smiled back and was about to go help the others, when a certain Spiritomb suddenly emerged from the shadows next to her and rammed into her. Sera was knocked onto her side, and the Reviver Seeds fell onto the ground. Nereza then turned to Blitz, who glared back at her. Nereza smirked and slipped back into the shadows, as Blitz quickly moved over to Sera and picked up the Reviver Seeds she had dropped. Blitz managed to give one of the seeds to Sera, before jumping out of the way of another one of Nereza's attacks.

"Blitz…?" Sera muttered, looking over at Blitz as she regained consciousness.

"Don't worry, I've got this," Blitz responded, keeping his focus on Nereza.

"Are you going to try to dazzle me with your glowing fur again?" Nereza asked, smirking.

"Not exactly what I had in mind," Blitz responded, shaking his head while kicking the Reviver Seeds back over to Sera.

Sera quickly picked the Reviver Seeds back up, and began running towards Chiaki. Nereza quickly slid back into the shadows and began chasing after Sera once more. Blitz quickly followed after the moving shadow. Lodestone was standing prepared to use another Bonemerang attack, while Frederick was unsure of how he could be of more help.

"She sure is fast…" Frederick thought to himself, trying to listen to what was happening in the area. "I guess the others are trying to slow her down, but it's still not enough…"

As Sera used one of the Reviver Seeds on Chiaki, Nereza once more emerged from the shadows, ready to strike. Just before she could hit Sera with another Feint Attack, Chiaki suddenly got up and pulled her out of the way. Blitz took the opportunity to hit Nereza with a Spark attack, knocking Nereza's keystone over on its side. The three exchanged smiles and glances, before Sera and Chiaki ran off to help the other three ghost-types, while Nereza managed to get her keystone back into its upright position and turned to glare at Blitz.

"You do realize that even if you keep using those items, I'll just use my Ominous Wind to take you all down, don't you?" Nereza asked, smirking as she faced Blitz.

"Instead of focusing your energy on fighting us, why not try to put your energy into breaking Erebos' spell instead?" Blitz responded, staring back at Nereza. "If you're as strong as you claim, then I'm sure you can do it!"

"You're just trying to distract me in order to take the crystal, aren't you?" Nereza replied.

Blitz was about to respond, when another purple fire ball suddenly struck Nereza. The annoyed Spiritomb turned to look at Frederick, who had fired another Dragon Rage attack while she was talking.

"Will you stop doing that!?" Nereza shouted, glaring at Frederick.

"S-Sorry…" Frederick responded, shaking his head. "No, wait… I'm not sorry! Because… we're in the middle of a battle, and I have to attack while I still know where you are!"

"Hmph, aren't you a dragon?" Nereza asked, and Blitz could've sworn that Nereza's blend of voices sounded different just then. "Wait, why would I even need to ask? Of course you're a dragon."

"He's part dark-type too!" Chiaki added, while helping Candelaria.

"I don't care," Nereza responded, glancing around at the others. "I don't care at all!"

Nereza then went back into the shadows, and started moving towards the three revived ghost-types. In the meantime, Blitz walked up to Lodestone and gave him an Oran berry to restore his energy.

"Did you notice that too?" Blitz asked.

"Yes, I did," Lodestone responded, nodding his head.

"What is it?" Frederick asked, walking up to Blitz and Lodestone. "What happened?"

"We're not entirely sure, but we think that the effects of Erebos' spell may be starting to weaken," Lodestone responded.

"Oh, that's good…" Frederick responded, slowly nodding his head.

Chiaki had managed to hit Nereza with a forceful strike with his paw, pushing her backwards. Candelaria conjured up several Will-o-Wisps the same purple color as the purple flame burning inside her head, having them fly towards Nereza and burning her.

"Well done!" the Haunter said, as he charged up a Shadow Ball between his hands.

"Lady Nereza, I apologize for this," Reginald said, as his fist starting crackling with electricity.

Nereza glanced back-and-forth between the two ghost-types currently preparing attacks, before suddenly launching herself at the Haunter. The Haunter barely managed to dodge the attack, but ended up accidentally firing his Shadow Ball attack at a random tree in the process. Nereza then allowed Reginald to hit her with his Thunder Punch attack, before pushing him backwards with a Dark Pulse attack.

"You… won't take… the crystal!" Nereza said, looking somewhat tired.

"Oh, good, it looks like she's finally starting to run out of energy," Sera commented, sighing in relief.

"The battle's not over yet," Lodestone said, looking over at Sera. "Don't let your guard down just yet!"

"I'll just… knock you all out… with my Ominous Wind attack!" Nereza said, giggling. "That will teach you not to mess with me!"

"That is a strong attack," Frederick commented, tilting his head slightly. "But why didn't you just use it to finish us off earlier, you know, before Sera revived everybody?"

"Huh…?" Nereza responded, blinking a few times. "Well, I thought I'd give you a chance to… No, I just thought it'd be too simple that way. It wouldn't be as satisfying… I guess?"

Nereza's voice seemed different once again, and as Blitz was charging up electricity to increase his defense against special attacks in case Nereza did unleash the Ominous Wind once more, he suddenly had an idea.

"Why do you even want to stop us from getting the crystal?" Blitz asked, sparks of electricity rippling through his fur as he looked over at her. "What do you need it for?"

"Well… I don't need it for anything," Nereza responded, looking away from Blitz. "I just don't want you to have it."

Oddly enough, Nereza wasn't attacking anymore. She just stood there, some of the green orbs in her purple body flashing in strange patterns.

"Well… It seems the majority doesn't want to fight anymore…" Nereza said, before looking around at the others. "You guys may want to hurry up and attack before I change my mind!"

"…! She's… going to let us win?" Blitz thought, staring wide-eyed at Nereza.

"You heard her!" Lodestone said, preparing to throw his bone club once more. "Let's finish this and break the spell!"

The other Pokémon nodded in agreement, and began preparing their attacks. As Lodestone threw the bone, Nereza suddenly opened her eyes and dodged the attack. She also moved out of the way of Blitz's Spark attack, but in the process ended up landing right in the path of Frederick's Dragon Breath attack. Chiaki followed up with another Force Palm attack, knocking her keystone over on its side again.

"Ugh… I guess I'm a bit out of practice…" Nereza said, chuckling. "That was a good work-out, though…"

Nereza's ghostly form dissolved back into purple smoke and went back into the keystone. After a few seconds, Chiaki walked up and poked the keystone a few times with his paw.

"We won," Lodestone said, smiling. "The spell should be broken completely now, yes?"

"Let's find out," Blitz responded, walking up to Nereza.

Blitz quickly took out one of the remaining Reviver Seeds from his bag, and looked over the keystone. After a few moments of examining the keystone, Blitz inserted the Reviver Seed into the crack resembling a mouth on the stone. They then waited a few seconds, before the cracks in the keystone briefly flashed purple, and Nereza's ghostly form once again emerged from the cracks in the stone.

"Ah, I can't believe it took me this long to shake off the effects of that spell!" Nereza exclaimed, looking rather annoyed. "I thought I was better than that…"

"Lady Nereza, are you all right?" Reginald asked.

"… I am now," Nereza responded, smiling at the ghost-types. "Thanks for helping me out, guys!"

"No problem," Reginald replied, bowing slightly. "We are just glad you're okay."

"That's nice," Nereza responded, looking thoughtful for a moment. "… I guess I should go apologize to the other ghost-types I randomly attacked before when the spell was making me guard that crystal."

"Ah, speaking of which, we-" Blitz said, before Nereza interrupted him.

"Yes, yes, I know," Nereza responded. "Just wait a moment."

Nereza then disappeared into the shadows. After waiting a few moments, Nereza emerged from behind some trees, dropping a purple crystal onto the grass.

"Here is what you came for," Nereza said, grinning. "Take it somewhere Erebos can't find it!"

"We will," Blitz responded, nodding his head. "Thank you."

"Ah, there's no need to thank me," Nereza replied, before noticing a certain Deino walking up to her. "… Is something the matter?"

"Um… Well... This might sound strange, since I'm part dark-type…" Frederick said, taking a deep breath. "But… I kind of had this fear of ghost-types…"

"Oh, don't worry about it!" Nereza responded, grinning. "We ghost-types don't mind if other types of Pokémon are scared of us!"

"Uh… That's nice," Frederick replied, smiling sheepishly. "But you see, I… I think I might be starting to overcome that fear… I mean…"

"Good for you!" Nereza said, still smiling. "If I had hands, I'd start up a round of applause for you!"

"Ah, well… that's not necessary," Frederick responded, shaking his head.

"If you say so," Nereza replied. "Well, then, I guess I've got some explaining to do for some of the other ghost-types in this forest..."

"We'll come with you!" Candelaria said.

And so, Nereza and the other three ghost-types went off to look for the ones that Nereza had attacked while under the influence of the spell, leaving the rescue team and Lodestone behind.

"… They're not bad Pokémon," Frederick said, smiling and shaking his head. "They're not bad at all."

"You did really well today, Frederick," Blitz commented, smiling at the Deino.

"I think we're all a little stronger and a little braver now," Sera said, smiling and wagging her tail.

"I've only known you all for a few hours, but I must say I agree," Lodestone commented, smiling proudly at the rescue team. "And I believe you will get even stronger in the future."

"Thanks, Lodestone," Blitz said, as Chiaki picked up and examined the purple crystal. "We'll be heading back to Fenix Town now."

"Of course," Lodestone responded, nodding his head. "I'll be heading back home as well."

"Maybe… we'll meet again someday?" Frederick asked.

"Perhaps," Lodestone replied, shrugging slightly. "Well, good luck with the rest of your mission. I hope you and the other rescue teams of Fenix Town are able to find the remaining crystals."

Lodestone then began to walk away, while Blitz held up the rescue team badge. In a flash of golden light, he and his three teammates were transported out of the mystery dungeon, having finally retrieved another crystal.


Upon returning to Fenix Town, the rescue team immediately headed for Stella's house to drop off the crystal they had retrieved. As they approached the stone building, they suddenly spotted a certain Marill pacing back-and-forth in front of the front door of the house. The moment she saw the four of them approaching, she immediately ran over to Frederick with a huge grin on her face and hugged the Deino's face against her body.

"You're back!" Azure exclaimed, letting go of Frederick after a few seconds. "I'm so sorry about the way I acted earlier! I only wanted you to overcome your fears so you could feel more confident!"

"It's okay," Frederick responded, smiling at Azure. "I know you meant well."

"So, how did it go?" Azure asked, looking at Frederick with apprehension. "Were you able to overcome your fear?"

"Yeah… I think so!" Frederick replied, nodding his head.

"Really?" Azure asked, grinning and pulling Frederick in for another hug. "That's great! I knew you could do it!"

"Aw, thanks for believing in me, Azure!" Frederick responded, smiling.

The other three rescue team members exchanged smiles and glances, before stepping inside the stone building to give the purple crystal to Stella. Azure and Frederick decided to head over to the café, Azure listening intently as Frederick began telling her about how the mission in Nightmirror Forest went.

It had been a long day, although it certainly wasn't an uneventful for one for Blitz and his teammates. They had made some new friends, recovered another crystal, and most importantly, their bonds were stronger than ever.


End of chapter 46