Obsidian and Plum 2: Haunting Disturbances
Chapter Six – Sundown!

A five-star, luxury building was not what Paul had in mind when he visualised The Quaintestial Hotel… but that was exactly what it was.

It was located about a mile north of Saffron City Gym, sat on the very edge of the expensive shopping district, and everything about the hotel was grand and overdone: a grand entrance, complete with railed steps that lead up to the golden framed revolving doors, and a smiling doorkeeper – dressed in a dark red jacket with golden buttons, and a black hat to match his trousers: a massive lobby, adorned in shades of black, creams and golds: overly helpful staff that insisted on taking their luggage – two backpacks: and the large shiny elevators – that they actually bypassed, along with the grandiose stair cases that lead to the upper floors, as they were in fact, staying on the ground floor.

It was more like a mansion – which in hindsight, it actually might have been at one point.

The distasteful people they'd passed, that looked ridiculously wealthy – the type that wanted their rich status obviously known and broadcasted, had Paul frowning at the impudence of some people. There had been one woman, maybe in her forties, whose noes had wrinkled at them when they passed her – she obviously overindulged in food considering her girth, and she was wearing one of those shiny expensive dresses, with lace, and covered in jewellery. The woman had been followed by two fat Delcatty wearing diamond collars, each decked out in bows and ribbons – it took the term pathetic to a whole new level.

Paul had also noticed that the hotel was positively pokémon friendly. Many people here had pokémon outside of their pokéballs as they stood around gossiping and what not, and there were even Clefable helping in the lobby and at the desk.

When they were finally alone in their oversized room, Paul checked his watch. It was four-fifteen, so they had to be in the conference room in forty-five minutes.

"Hey Paul!" Ash shouted from the adjoining room. "Get in here and check out this bed!"

Paul glanced around at his surroundings – the room had a modern sort of elegance to it. The cream tones against the light grey carpet, with the big window that was framed in light golden curtains, made the room feel bright and regal. Positioned in front of the three-seater chesterfield sofa, was a simple glass-top table with golden legs.

Paul shook his head; just as long as there was a working shower and a clean bed, he didn't care about the hotel décor all that much. He walked past the desk area – complete with a golden lamp and a phone for room service – and over to the door from which Ash's voice had traversed. The bedroom was large – although, it was not as big as the main room.

Ash was spewed out on his back, a top the king size bed that carried the same décor form the main room he'd just left – creams, golds and greys. Ash looked as if he had sunken into the mattress, and the grey coverlet pooled around him.

"Hey," Ash smiled up at him, "this bed is so soft! It's like laying on fluffy clouds."

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed, palming the pillow above Ash's mop of messy, obsidian hair.

"You should come try it, Paul."

Paul ignored Ash, glancing around once again: glass-topped bedside tables, made of golden wood, stood either side of the bed: a cream bell lamp, with a golden base, stood on each bedside table, with plugs for charging which every device that the occupant of the room required: an armchair sat by the window: a large chest of draws stood to his left against the wall, matching with the bedside tables: and a door to the right lead to the en-suite.

"I'm going to have a shower." Paul decided, moving into the en-suite bathroom without another word.

With a slight frown, Ash sat up and blinked at the closed door.

"…the results are the same – fluctuating data that spikes in various places after sundown."

"Thank you, Tim," The Mayor of Kanto – Mrs Millarson nodded, "it has come to my attention however, that instead of a gas leak, we could actually be up against illusive, angry ghost type pokémon."

Matthew Anderson frowned in confusion, and he whispered something to his colleague, Tim Aitken, whom nodded. "But the results – the AQI levels have even shown readings that range between 181 all the way up to 412. It is obviously a gas–"

"Well young man," Agatha interrupted him, "what do you think Gastly is made up off then, huh? Purple fog? Do you have one of them AQI reader thingies with ya by any chance?"

"Y-Yes." Tim Aitken stuttered, taken by surprise at being address so bluntly by the old woman.

"Let me enlighten ya then, young man!" Agatha pulled out a pokéball and released the pokémon inside it.

It was a Gastly.

Gastly floated above the oval table that they were all currently sat at, and it looked around happily at all the faces in the conference room before turning back to Agatha.

"Go ahead then, we don't have all day! Do your reading thing!" Agatha told the scientists.

"Is that Gastly yours Agatha?" Ash asked, he just couldn't help himself. Even Pikachu hopped onto the table to introduce himself to Gastly.

"Yes, Ash. After I retired from the elite four, I started studying Ghost type pokémon. I found this little one following me and my Gengar around town." Agatha chuckled. "Suffice to say, he stuck around."

"That's so cool!" Ash said, turning to watch the Gastly disappear, before re-appearing on the opposite side of the room. Gastly even appeared coming up through the table in front of Tim and Matthew, making both the scientists jump while they were conducted their readings. Pikachu was following the Gastly around.

"Playful thing. A mischief maker, and always pulling pranks." Agatha smiled fondly. "Well?" She then asked Tim and Matthew.

"It's… just like before," Matthew answered in disbelief, "the readings are showing fluctuating AQI."

"Yes," Tim added, nodding, "the higher the reading, the closer Gastly is."

"There ya go then." Agatha nodded. "Come on Gastly, time to return your ball. I'll let you out when we get home."

Agatha returned her Gastly, which Ash thought was a shame; the meeting had been rather boring up until this point. Pikachu returned to Ash's shoulder.

Officer Jenny had given her report earlier, on the actions she'd taken to maintain the City's safety, along with updates from the officer Jenny in Celadon, Cerulean, and Vermillion City respectively. She'd then gone on to explain the work she and her team had been doing to limit the travel in and out of Saffron.

Sabrina had explained that a few people sort shelter last night at her gym, and she offered up her gym again tonight as a refuge for people caught outside after curfew. She was also ready to offer her assistance elsewhere as needed.

Now, finally, they could get to the part about the ghost pokémon.

"It seems we now have further evidence to support Ash and Agatha's theory. Tonight, we shall be cautious in case there is still a gas leak, however, we will be looking for ghost type pokémon instead." Mrs Millarson explained. "Ash, Agatha, we will need as much information as you can give us … you have the floor."

Paul, who was seated to Ash's left, remained quite as he listed to everyone else discussing and planning. It was good to be prepared for tonight, but he wasn't happy that Ash was expected to be right in the heart of everything they had planned – especially when Agatha reminded them that…

"It won't be pretty if the evacuation of Lavender town has angered them."

"Right!" Ash agreed with Agatha. "Ghost pokémon generally stick to scaring people as pranks, and they are mostly harmless, but an angered Ghost type… Oh man!"

"What would you and Agatha say was the best course of action to take, to resolve this issue permanently?" Mrs Millarson asked.

"I think we need to fix Lavender town!" Ash said.

"Ash is right," Agatha agreed, "Lavender town is their home. Without souls to scare, without fear to feed from, they're angry. They won't leave Saffron unless Lavender Town is repopulated. The people that lived in Lavender town were used to the antics of happy little ghosties, not hungry pokémon that are infuriated at being left behind."

"We can't authorise the work on Lavender town until the region is out of distress." Officer Jenny said.

"And we can't lift that until this matter is settled." The Mayor finished, taking a moment to think. "Can we not find a way to calm the ghost types, find a way to allow them a peaceful coexistence, temporarily, here in Saffron City until Lavender town can start reconstruction?"

"It's possible…" Agatha said, taking a moment to think on it herself, "but I have a feeling they won't come easily."

Ash limped to the dining area of the hotel with Pikachu on his shoulder. Paul walked alongside them, still being quiet liked he'd been since they'd met his pokémon earlier. It was really starting to bother Ash now.

It was nearly seven o'clock that evening, and they would be picked up at seven-forty-five to meet with Officer Jenny and Sabrina outside Saffron city gym. He'd been meaning to say something to Paul, but he didn't know what to actually say, and just as they'd sat down at one of the four-seater dining tables, a male waiter approached them.

"Mr Ketchum, Mr Mackeller?" The man asked with a deep accent, signalling to another waiter once he'd received confirmed that they were whom he'd been expecting. "My name is Philip, I had orders from the Mayor, to be ready to serve you both at seven o'clock."

They both nodded, having expected something like this.

The mayor realised how pushed for time they'd be that evening once the meeting ended, and had thought ahead – especially when Ash's stomach interrupted them half way in. Ash and Paul were both wondering what they would be served, when at that very moment, three waiters with large trays of food came out from the kitchen and approached their table.

"Woah!" Ash exclaimed, his eyes widening at the sheer amount of steaming food that was placed on their table – in fact, there was so much of it that one of the waiters pushed another table against theirs to hold it all.

"I was told no allergies?" Philip asked for confirmation, receiving two nods. "Good! Good! I hope there is something to both your liking."

"This looks great!" Ash exclaimed loudly, eager to tuck in. There was beef stew, chicken stir fry, steamed fish, various vegetables, potatoes, mash potatoes, chips, soups, salads, warm rolls, rice, noodles, chicken strips, and even a kind of lime prawn cocktail.

"Yes, this is more than enough." Paul was worried about offending the chef, or the staff, when they failed to consume everything. They would be lucky to get through a third of it.

"I see you are overwhelmed, yes?" Philip smiled at Paul. "So much food, not so much stomach. It's all good! See, I have a Snorlax myself, and he will be happy for the treat of leftovers. He often gets treats from this restaurant." Philip chuckled. "What drinks can I get you both?"

"Coke please." Ash automatically decided.

"Lemon water please." Paul said.

"And Pikachu? Shall I get him bowl of water?" Philip asked.

"He's good with a glass, but water would be great – thanks." Ash smiled.

"I be right back gentleman, please, enjoy the food!"

Ash wasn't sure where start, but he was starving! He went for the beef stew with carrots, the chips, the rolls, and a big helping of rice.

Paul decided to help himself to some of the steamed salmon that sat, perfectly cooked, in a silver serving dish. It had a creamy butter and dill sauce with lemon wedges, and he added some green beans to his plate, with a scoop of mashed potato.

While Ash shovelled food into his mouth with one hand, he added a few chips to his Pikachu's plate with the other. Paul frowned as he glanced over, deciding then, to add some salmon to the rodent's plate too.

"Just try it." Paul told the yellow rat when it just stared at the fish.

Pikachu picked up a small piece of salmon as if it would bite him, and he slowly placed it into his mouth. One chew, two… his little face light up in delight. "Pi! Pikachu!"

Paul huffed a chuckled, shaking his head – maybe he could get the little rat to eat some veg next. He was just wondering if it would eat the carrots from the stew, when he noticed Pikachu tapping Ash's arm.

"What is it Pikachu?" Ash asked, but the obsidian haired man was still focused of his own food. "You like the Salmon huh?"

"Pika, Pikachu?" Pikachu looked down at his chips, and then back up at Ash – it obviously wanted something.

"Oh, come on Pikachu!" Ash complained around a mouthful of food. "You really shouldn't have ketchup with everything you eat. Reggie was right ya know, it isn't good for you."

"Piiii." Pikachu looked utterly depressed, staring down at his chips as if they had personally offended him for not producing their own sauce.

"Well, don't eat the chips then. There are loads of delicious things here to eat!" Ash continued eating his own food as if to prove a point.

"He won't eat chips without ketchup?" Paul asked with a drawl.

Paul thought it was bloody ridiculous how bad Pikachu's eating habits were, but then his trainer was nearly as bad. Pokémon food wasn't always better then fresh food, he knew that, and it was only good if it was tailored to the pokémon. The problem was, that many trainers didn't know how to make it, and they couldn't exactly carry tons of food around with them all the time, so their pokémon ended up eating the same as their trainers. Pikachu was a mouse Pokémon – it should be eating a wide variety of seeds, grains, fruits and vegetables, with the occasion meat product if it wanted too.

"He won't eat many things without it!" Ash mumbled around a mouthful of food.

Paul contemplated for a moment, finally deciding to do something before the rat ruined his appetite with its sulking. He snatched up Pikachu's plate, ignoring its feeble protests seeing as it wasn't eating it anyway, and tipped the chips onto a serviette. To the plate he then added: some more of the salmon: three pieces of the chunky carrot from the stew, along with some of the liquid: a small spoonful of corn: some salad leaves from the mixed salad: and three green beans, before placing it back down in front of the yellow rat.

Pikachu just stared it.

"This is a posh hotel restaurant; they don't have ketchup!" Paul lied, "It's good food, and I suggest you eat something before we leave or you can starve until breakfast. Your choice!" Paul then sat back down to resume his own dinner.

Ash wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, looking over at Paul with a frown.

"What?" Paul asked, when he noticed the way Ash was looking at him.

"Why have you been so quiet today?" Ash blurted out the question that had been on his mind all day. He'd meant to ask Paul to be more patient with Pikachu, seeing as his bad eating habits were his – Ash's fault, but that didn't seem as important right now. "You haven't really said much ya know, you didn't seem interested in my pokémon friends, and you just vanished into the shower when we got here. Have I done something to bother you?"

"I didn't mean to give you that impression." Paul answered truthly, eating another forkful of food before adding – "I have been… ruminating, I guess. It's been a busy day."

"Ruminating about what?" Ash asked.

"Eat your food; we need to be out front in about forty minutes." Paul said, avoiding a conversation that they just didn't have time for. "We can talk about it later." He offered, when Ash didn't seem pleased with his deflection.

The man that chauffeured them to the gym that night had been sent by the Mayor herself, and he'd explained that he was staying at the gym tonight due to the curfew. They felt bad for taking him away from his family tonight, but he assured them that it wasn't an issue at all – that he was only too happy to help.

On their arrival, they were greeted by Sabrina. She informed them that they were waiting for officer Jenny and her team to arrive.

"Nearly sundown." Sabrina whispered a few minutes later, looking up at the orange sky being consumed by the returning darkness of night. It was eerie, that vanishing orange that swept the horizon, a countdown until the night brought with it the issues that have been plaguing Saffron City for the last three nights.

The winds picked up, and Ash stumbled slightly as he lost his balance when his leg twanged with nerve pains.

"Call out Tauros!" Paul ordered, looking at him pointedly. Ash had been stubbornly, standing around for at least twenty minutes by this point, and it didn't evade Paul's notice that his boyfriend was increasingly relying on his cane as the night went on. The journey over had barely lasted five minutes, and Ash had walked from the dining hall to the car park out front before that – the hotel wasn't exactly small.

Ash sighed, but he decided he might as well give in - his leg was being a fucking pain in the arse! He knew Tauros was there to help him, but being the only one that had to sit down made him feel embarrassed.

Paul had just helped Ash up onto the bovine pokémon, when Officer jenny arrived with four other officers in police cars. The headlights blinding in the darkness.

"Sorry we're late. Are well all set?" Officer Jenny asked.

"As ready as we can be." Ash answered, nodding along with everybody else.

Their mission tonight, was to prove that the issues were caused by ghost pokémon alone. If they could, they were to try and pacify the ghost types, hoping that they would stop raging on the town.

Sabrina called out a pokémon – it was Haunter!

"Hey Haunter!" Ash yelled, but then he got berated for being so loud. "Sorry," he mumbled, and whispered instead, "how's it going?"

Haunter flew over excitedly, turning upside down as he pulled faces at him, making him laugh. "You haven't changed!" Ash chuckled. "Glad to see you doing well."

"Is this the Haunter that helped you beat Saffron gym?" Paul asked Ash.

"Yeah…" Ash answered, scratching at the back of his neck. "You see-"

An incoming van, with its blinding headlights, abruptly caught all their attention. It belonged to Saffron city times – or the SCT News – and a young brunette reporter emerged with a mic, followed by the camera men.

"Are you here to find out the cause of these strange occurrences? Are the rumours true, that all these issues are in fact the workings of ghost pokémon?" The young lady asked, approaching Sabrina and officer Jenny.

Paul inwardly scoffed, he hated reporters – they always got in the way.

"I don't know where you heard these rumours," Officer Jenny said, "but I must ask that you immediately leave this area tonight. It isn't safe! Surely you received the alert that all reporters where to obey the curfew for tonight?"

"My manger ordered me to be out!" The brunette reported informed them, ordering her camera men to cut the recordings. "I never received a message to obey the curfew."

"I suggest you-" Officer Jenny was cut off when they all heard an eerie cry pierce the quiet night air. It was a chilling, high pitched, depressive sort of sound, and to Ash… it was familiar!

"Mismagius!"

"Ash?" Officer jenny turned to asked.

"It's a Mismagius!"

"How do you know?" Sabrina asked.

Everyone had now turned to face Ash, watching him as the trainer looked around listening from his place on Tauros' back. "I have dealt with them before… many times." Ash then reached for two of his pokéballs. "Noctowl, Greninja, I choose you!"

Paul decided it would be wise to call out a pokémon of his own – "Honchkrow, standby!" He wasn't sure what to expect. Mismagius and Misdreavus were often found in Sinnoh, but he'd never studied them. He knew the basic information about them, including some of their possible attacks, but that's as far as his knowledge went.

Then three of the male police men called out their own dark types – Bisharp, Sableye, and Umbreon – the fourth officer didn't have a dark type, but he called out his own Gengar.

All the pokémon appeared, waiting for orders, and everyone else stood frozen in place, listening.

"There it is again!" One of the male officers unhelpfully informed them, when a cry rang out for a second time… it was closer.

"If anyone falls asleep, remember that you're dreaming and try to wake up!" Ash told them. "Noctowl, try foresight! Greninja, you know what to do!"

Greninja nodded before moving toward the sound.

Paul was confused – 'what was Ash and Greninja up to?' He ordered his Honchkrow to be alert and ready.

Noctowl didn't find anything, so Ash told it to keep checking and to be ready, especially if it heard anything.

Then, one of the police officers yelled out when the ghost of his late father emerged out of nowhere and started chasing him.

Everyone had also forgotten about the SCT News reporters, that was until one of the camera men yelped as their camera started floating up and into the air.

"Show yourself!" Ash shouted at the floating camera, knowing that it was Ghost type pokémon, and then, against Paul's protests, Ash slid down from Tauros' back and went after it. Pikachu chased after him. "I know you're there! I just want to talk to you!" Ash yelled.

Paul had just started chasing Ash, when all of a sudden, the camera just fell to the floor and shattered as it hit the concrete. The camera man looked horrified – whether that was because of the ghostly activity, or because of the smashed camera, Paul didn't know.

Then other objects started levitating, stones and rocks were being sent their way by an invisible force, and the second camera man fainted… or was asleep. Some of them even started getting a headache or were feeling sick, and Officer Jenny was at a complete loss – they couldn't battle that which was invisible!

Greninja suddenly jumped out of nowhere, up into the air, and used night slash which revealed a Mismagius that had been sneaking up on Sabrina. Everyone had been so distracted by the chaos, and the shocked that Greninja had known where to strike, that they'd failed to notice how Ash was now being lifted into the air and taken away.

"Paul!" Ash yelled.

Paul turned at the urgent cry for help, as did everyone else that was otherwise distracted by their own dilemma, but Ash was already too high and rapidly getting further away. Paul noticed how Pikachu was with him, clinging on tightly, and Greninja and Noctowl had taken off quickly after them.

"Honchkrow! Follow them!" Paul loudly ordered, leaping up onto Tauros. "Let's follow them too!" He told the bovine pokémon.

"STOP!" Officer Jenny ordered. "They were heading towards Lavender city, it's under lock down! You're not allowed there. It's dangerous!"

"I don't care!" Paul growled down at Officer Jenny, "My boyfriend just got abducted, so I'm going after him before he gets himself into any more trouble!" With that said, Paul ordered Tauros to get going. Tauros was only too happy to comply, he wanted to help his trainer as well.

Officer Jenny would have tried harder to stop him, however, the situation right there outside Saffron gym demanded her full attention.

The ghost pokémon dropped Ash from about two or three feet and onto paving slabs. He yelped in pain, his cane clanging down next to him, and he rolled onto his back hissing and gasping until the pain lessen enough to talk.

While Pikachu and Noctowl were concerned about him, he heard familiar laughter.

"Oh, you think it's funny, do you?" Ash yelled from his place on the ground. Deciding it was best to remain there for a moment. "Hurting injured people? You should be ashamed of yourselves! You don't even have the guts to show yourselves now. We came to help you, ya know. See what was going on and why you were terrorizing Saffron City. We wanted to help you get Lavender Town all sorted out, and this is how you repay that help! Maybe you're just mean pokémon that we should forget about after all."

Ash hoped that the Ghost types would fall for his manipulation and show themselves, after all, ghost pokémon hated to be forgotten about. Yes, they liked to remained elusive, invisible, but they still liked the attention – even if people didn't know what they were… what they were scared of for example.

The two ghost types did decide to show themselves; Gastly and Gengar. They were familiar too, and it was then that Ash remembered where they had taken him; a seven story, decrepit mansion, that was shrouded in darkness and fog – The pokémon tower, or otherwise known as 'The Tower of Terror'.

"You two!" Ash said, remembering them from his first travels in Kanto. This is where he found…

"Hauntttterrrr!"

…Haunter!

Haunter must have followed them, and judging by the cheerfully welcome he was receiving, they were only too happy to be reunited.

Ash just shook his head, wondering how he was going to get back – even if he could stand up. He was in Lavender Town, and it was abandoned due to that storm. No one but wild pokémon remained here now.

Luckily, he had his back pack with him – which he was currently lying on. He managed to sit up, slip of the backpack, and he dug into it for his pokédex.

"I'll message Paul." He told Pikachu and Noctowl.

Paul and Tauros were traveling at a quick pace down route 8, towards Lavender town, when his pokédex beeped. He pulled it out, the id showing up as Ash Ketchum.

'Hey Paul, some old mischievous friends took me to Lavender Town, the old Pokémon tower – pokémon graveyard. I'm fine, I'll spend the night inside and see if I can figure out what they wanted with me. Maybe get Officer Jenny to come pick me up in the morning please?'

Paul wanted to slap himself for not thinking to message or call Ash himself, but he didn't have time to dwell on that now. He felt every muscle in his body relax in what he could only describe as immense relief. He must have been more anxious than he realised.

'What old friends? Are you safe? Do you have water and food?'

Paul winced at his own message, he sounded far too concerned, but Ash replied almost instantly.

'Gastly and Gengar of course, and Sabrina's Haunter is here too. They're old friends, used to hang out here together and all that. I have water. I'm safe… as long as another chandelier doesn't fall on my head and knock me out, and they don't decide to take my spirit for another night time flying lesson, haha.'

Paul didn't find that funny at all. Did that actually happen? He wondered, hoping Ash just had some sick, morbid humour and thought it would be a good joke. He was also baffled by Ash's nonchalant or relaxed attitude to all this.

'Not helping Ash! I'm on my way, so stay there! I sent Honchkrow to follow you, so, send him back when he gets there.'

'What do you mean you're on your way? Its dangerous Paul! Best you just stay there and wait for Officer Jenny!'

'I know what I am doing Ash! Just stay there and wait for me! I have Tauros."

Paul ignored Ash's protests after that, continuing on his way to Lavender Town and the pokémon tower. He hadn't gone much further though, when he started to wonder why he was going after Ash and not leaving it up to officer Jenny. Why was he was being reckless?

Ash was his boyfriend, and he was sure that there was some unwritten rule that you were meant to protect your partner… well, he'd failed that job. This was Ash though, keeping him out of trouble was like trying to keep a Snorlax from food. Still, he was acting out of character; he should have listened to officer Jenny and Ash. This was Office Jenny's job … … but he didn't want to wait, Ash had been in trouble and he didn't trust anyone else to save Ash – which was preposterous.

All he knew was that his feelings and actions were confusing him, and that no one would stop him from finding his boyfriend.

That was before he heard an unwanted eerie cry, followed by what sounded like a high-pitched squealing laugh…

…then Tauros stopped, fell to his knees as he became drowsy, and quickly collapsed into a deep slumber. Paul rolled off the bovine pokémon's back, and soon followed him to the land of dreams, muttering – "Have – to get to – Ash."

Ash was feeling indignant that Paul was ignoring him, and he was frustrated that his leg was being a dick. He'd tried three times already to get up, but his leg had other ideas. It was also getting cold.

Luckily, the three ghost types didn't seem that eager to annoy him right now, and they actually looked guilty for harming him – even if it was just accidental. He was starting to feel bad for them though.

He sighed, ready to try again to get to his feet, when Honchkrow found him. "Hey Honchkrow!" Ash called.

Honchkrow came down, happy to have found him, and Pikachu said something to the bird as it gave the ghost types a look of suspicion. He had returned Noctowl to his pokéball a while ago, and he was glad that he had all his Pokémon with him.

"It's okay Honchkrow, they're friends. Paul said to return to him once you've found me. That idiot is on his way here, so you best go back and check that he is okay. Alright?"

"Honch, Honchkrow Honch!" Honchkrow then took to the sky and was off, back the way he came.

"Alright Pikachu, let's try this again, shall we?"

Ash slowly rolled onto his knees, holding his breath and winching slightly at the sharp pain. He slid his left foot out until it was flat on the floor, ready to push himself up with that leg. He reached for his cane, and was just pushing himself up when Greninja appeared and rushed over.

"Hey Greninja!" Ash said in surprise, as the Dark-water type helped him up. "Thanks." Ash nodded, hissing as found his balance.

Now that he was standing upright, he just had to make it into the tower.

"We need to get inside." Ash told Greninja, looking at the decrepit building. He was surprise that it was still standing actually, the storm should have easily taken it down.

Greninja found the door unlocked, and he opened it before returning to Ash's side.

"Think you can help me pal?" Ash asked.

Greninja nodded, and with his pokémon's help, Ash was able to limp into the building slowly.

"This reminds me of that battle in the Veil conference – remember that? Damatrix, and his mega evolved Chesnaught?" Ash asked, recalling how close they had come to losing that last match. Greninja had already battled against the guys Steelix, and it was a no substitute match! They had used their bond, gone full power, and afterwards, Greninja was totally battered. Ash had felt everything, and he hadn't been fairing much better. They had leaned on each other as they both limped out of the stadium, happy to be going ahead to the finals.

Greninja and Pikachu both indicated that they remembered, and Ash felt silly – of course his pokémon would remember their battles – they were some of the best moments of their lives. The adrenaline, the rush, the victories! It was crazy, but it was what brought them closer together – the memories, the experiences, and the growing stronger together. He couldn't be prouder of his pokémon friends – no matter if they lost or won. In the end, they were there for each other.

"Here's good." Ash said, plopping himself down on the hard floor boards, in front of the empty fire place. The room was barren of anything expect cobwebs and dust, the floor and celling had holes, and it was so very dark despite the small ray of moon light that reached the window.

"Greninja? Think you could find some wood for the fire?" Ash asked. He didn't have much, but he'd be fine for tonight. His leg would settle in a few hours too – it had just been irritated in the fall.

Greninja left to see what he could find.

"Hey guys?" Ash called to the ghost pokémon that were hovering around and now pulling pranks on each other, laughing, and seemed to have given up with their guilty sulking. "I don't suppose there is anything warm or comfortable in this place by any chance? Cushions, blankets, towels, sheets, or even clothes?"

It looked like the pokémon in question were discussing something between them, then they zoomed off through the walls.

Pikachu and Ash were left just sitting there, waiting. Ash looked around the room, remembering the last time he'd been there, and how scared he'd been to enter alone when Misty and Brock had chickened out. He looked towards the dark hole in the floor – you could see right down into the basement if you looked over the edge – and he wondered if the wood from the floor would be good burning material.

Greninja returned with some broken branches, which was good but they wouldn't last long, and he decided that it was better the floor boards then he get hypothermia. Ash called out Incineroar and Krookodile to help Greninja fetch any broken floor boards that they could find in the house, and soon, with Incineroar's help, they had a warm fire crackling away that pushed back the draughts and fought at the damp.

Gengar, Haunter, and Gastly had returned with a mouldy pillow from an old armchair… possibly, and a huge, dusty cotton tablecloth. It wasn't much at all, but he made it work: all his Pokémon expect Pikachu had been returned, and Pikachu could sleep curled up on his hoody – that he'd taken off – which he'd placed over the mouldy pillow. Ash would sleep on the table cloth, his head on the same pillow as Pikachu, and he'd fold the excess table cloth over his body like a sleeping bag. The fire should keep them warm enough at least.

The ghost pokémon hung out for a bit, hitting each other, pulling faces, trying to make them laugh – which they succeeded in doing multiply times – but when Ash asked why they had taken him, they vanished, leaving Pikachu and Ash alone in the quite mansion tower. He decided to find them tomorrow, when he could move around more easily.

Ash opened his back pack and pulled out his medication, as well as his water. As he looked down at the three boxes – Himaytoin, Locodaline, and the Tidoloxen – he missed Paul. Paul knew which ones he had to take, and he was reminded again of how much Paul cared about him. It was hard to stay mad at the man for being an idiot when he remembered that.

If Paul had been taken by wild pokémon, he'd have gone after him too. He just knew he would. He could even hear his mother's voice saying something like – the pot calling the kettle black.

It wasn't just what Paul did for him either… he just missed him!

He'd only been dating the man for three or four days, but being alone here in Lavender Town with just his pokémon… something just felt missing… lonely. He'd never really felt lonely on his own before, and Pikachu had always been more than enough company, so why did it feel different this time?

Paul being quiet today, ignoring him on the pokédex… it upset him. Man wasn't that strange!

He grabbed his pokédex on a sudden impulse, ready to message Paul… but he didn't know what to say. Anything that he came up with sounded silly or sappy, or it was just dumb.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked, a look of concerned curiosity.

"It's fine Pikachu, just hoping that Paul is okay, ya know?"

"Pi, Pikachu." Pikachu patted Ash's knee.

Ash decided not to message Paul in the end. 'I miss you' – just sounded corny, 'Hey, what meds should I take?' – made him sound stupid, and 'Hope you're okay, Paul' – sounded as if he was accusing Paul of not being about to take care of himself.

He looked at his medication again. He knew that he had to take the Himaytoin twice a day – morning and night. He was sure the Locodaline was to be taken at night… yes, because it made him drowsy! The Tidoloxen however, he always forgot if it was every four hours, or four times a day. It had defiantly been four hours since he'd taken it, and he was quite confident that he'd only had it two or three times today already… so, he'd be safe to take that too.

Confident that he could take all his medication, he did just that. He then offered some water to Pikachu before they both settled down to sleep.

Ash didn't think he'd be able to sleep that night though, what with worrying about Paul, Saffron city, the ghost pokémon, and thinking about everything else… no to mention that the floor was hard and cold, and the tablecloth smelt musty… but he was tired, and his medication gave him that extra kick he needed to fall asleep…

And he did, hoping Paul was safe out there with all the Ghost type pokémon causing mayehm.