The Lone Cubone

"Looks like road work up ahead." Brock spoke as construction workers came into view, the road entirely blocked off with heavy machinery of all sorts.

"Hey you kids, didn't you hear? The road's closed! Ain't nobody getting to Saffron City through here!" The foreman approached with a rather stern look.

"What's going on?" Ash asked only to be promptly shut down.

"None of your concern kid but rest assured this is perfectly legal." The man flashed some documents before putting them away. "You kids have to head east towards Lavender Town, from there you'll be able to head through the eastern entrance to Saffron."

"You mean we have to backtrack? Aw man, Gary will be even further ahead now!" Ash couldn't help but groan.

"Gary didn't have Saffron's badge, he'll be taking the same path we are." Chloe reassured as she placed a hand upon his shoulder. Ash gave her a light smile before the three turned around and headed back down the street.

A thick fog approached the small group as they arrived in Lavender Town making it quite difficult to see. Fortunately it was a small town much like Pallet so they didn't need to worry about bumping into somebody or walking in front of a moving vehicle, however it was quite peculiar as the town was slightly larger than Pallet Town as there were just enough homes to warrant a Pokemon Center and Pokemart but all of the lights were off and the streets were seemingly deserted!

"That's odd... I guess most the town are night owls?" Chloe guessed with a light shrug as they continued towards the Pokemon Center for a quick check up however the automatic doors weren't opening and it was complete darkness inside!

"Hello? Nurse Joy you in there?!" Brock shouted against the glass hoping for an answer only to be greeted by silence. "That's quite strange, usually there would at least be a Chansey present if Nurse Joy wasn't. What's going on here?"

"Chased away by spirits!"

"Gah!" Ash, Brock and Chloe all screamed while leaping up in fright before turning around to see what appeared to be an old man whom chuckled at their reaction.

"Sorry but I didn't mean to scare ya, I'm Mr. Fuji the caretaker of Pokemon Tower and those that reside within it!"

"You mean the Pokemon graveyard?" Chloe asked. She'd completely forgotten about that being there, even the massive tower was masked by the fog! Only the blue and red roofs of the Pokemart and Pokemon Center really stood out.

"Yes yes I do! I've been looking after the Pokemon there for quite a few decades now and perhaps more to come." Mr. Fuji chuckled apparently finding something amusing. "But I was driven off by an angry spirit, you see two poachers came along and began murdering those poor Cubone and Marowak for their skulls as they bring in big bucks on the Pokemon black market. I tried confronting them, hoping to put an end to their greed but I only ended up joining those poor souls." Fuji hung his head. "It was at that point an evil spirit arose and banished me from the tower! I've tried to get back into the tower to try and reason with the spirit but all my attempts were in vain, those bad men are still up there for all I know!"

Brock, Larvitar, Vulpix, Eevee, Pikachu and Croagunk all tensed up at what Fuji was implying, Ash however brushed right past it.

"If there's Pokemon in danger up there then we've got to help them! Come on Pikachu, let's go!"

"P-Pikachu..." Pikachu gave Mr. Fuji a nervous look as he went flying by on Ash's shoulder as the raven haired boy raced towards the tower!

"Togepriii!" Togepi happily chirped, blissfully unaware of the approaching danger.

"S-So what are you a gh-?" Chloe received the answer to her question as Mr. Fugi disappeared right in front of her and Brock. The two's eyes widened before they took off running after Ash.

"Hey Ash wait up!" Chloe cried out.

"Yeah slow down, you might need us!" Brock shouted.

The Rocket trio poked their heads around the corner and smirked to themselves as they watched the twerps race towards the tower.

"Did ya hear that? We can just let the twerps tire themselves out on da poacher and then swoop in and take Pikachu and Eevee once they're too tired to put up a fight!" Meowth cried out.

"Couldn't we just ambush them before they reach the poachers? It's a pretty big tower and we've got a balloon, we could plant ourselves higher up and ambush them!" Jessie pointed out.

"True but we're against poaching, we may be bad guys but we're not villains!" James explained.

"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet chimed in as he burst from his Pokeball. Jessie gave him a look before returning him to his ball.

"Plus we really ought to keep an eye out for the ghost!" James added, lightly sweating as he shivered from fright.

"Oh James you know that humans can't become ghosts, it was probably just some scare tactic the poachers planted in the hopes of scaring away troublemakers such as the twerps!" Jessie dismissed his fear with a loud laugh. "Now let's follow those twerps!"

"Right!" James and Meowth shouted before the Rocket trio quickly made their way after the twerps!

Upon entering the tower the group was greeted by a vast selection of gravestones with pictures of various Pokemon engraved upon them. Ash recognized a vast majority of them as they were primarily Kanto Pokemon however there were a few that didn't ring any bells though he had a good feeling most were Johto Pokemon due to the regions being right next door to each other.

"So all these Pokemon are dead?" Ash questioned. Though he was knowledgeable when it came to the majority of the Kanto population he wasn't quite as informed when it came to locations within the region.

"Yep, there are also some trainers who'd chosen to be buried here alongside their Pokemon after they both passed." Chloe explained as she shot a quick look around. "It's cheaper to have your graves placed on the lower levels so they're more populated than the upper floors." Of course the tower wasn't the only gravesite available, there were plenty of other options which people chose as they feared the tower falling down one day.

"Ah so the upper level is full of upper class individuals and their Pokemon." Ash quickly theorized.

"Pretty much but some former champions and their partners are resting up there too." Chloe pointed out. "For instance some of Professor Oak's personal Pokemon are up there along with whoever it was that came before him." She didn't really know. "But he chose to be buried alongside Blue and his family when his time comes to pass."

"Makes sense, from what I hear Professor Oak really cares about his family." Brock spoke as they made their way up the stairs.

Chloe's eyes briefly flickered towards a gravestone as she recognized a name. "Huh, I guess we really won't be seeing him after all."

Ash's eyes were brought to a different gravestone. "Huh, I didn't know Gary owned a Raticate." There were flowers lined up before the grave indicating Gary or possibly Leaf had been there recently but based on the appearance it was from before the poachers unleashed the angry spirits so thankfully no harm had come to his friends!

Some movement appeared out of the corner of Brock's eye as they advanced another floor causing the elder boy to pause, going unnoticed by Ash and Chloe as they were determined to get to the poachers. Brock could hear some sniffling coming around a gravestone so he slowly made his way towards it as to not make any noise, quickly peering around once he got there and was met with quite the heartbreaking scene as a Cubone could be seen crying before a limp Marowak that was missing it's skull helmet.

"C-Cubone..." Cubone cried, unable to hold back his tears as he shook his mother's body. "Cubone!"

"Vul..." Vulpix spoke with a sad tone.

"I know, it's so heartbreaking to watch." Brock and Vulpix couldn't help but tear up as they remembered their own deceased loved one. Brock wanted to go after Ash and Chloe but he couldn't just leave Cubone here, it was defenseless in it's current state and could potentially starve himself if he'd truly been crying for as long as Fuji had suggested. "Cubone..." Brock softly spoke causing Cubone to tense up as he heard his name.

"B-Bone...?" Cubone stuttered briefly with a frightened look as his gaze fixated upon Brock. "C-Cubone bone bone!" Cubone began fearfully backing away, slowly as he dragged his mother's body along. "Bone bone!"

"Cubone wait, we're here to help!"

"Vulpix!"

"Croa." Croagunk croaked out. The Rocket trio caught up and snuck a quick peek from a safe distance.

"That's so sad!" James teared up.

"That poor Cubone!" Meowth cried.

"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet burst into tears as he burst from his Pokeball once more.

Jessie attempted to hold back tears of her own but quickly lost the battle, shaking her head before clenching her fists as she lowered her head to hide her tears from the others. "C-Come on, we've got to help the other twerps fight those poachers. They'll pay for this!"

"Right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

As they neared the top a sudden chill filled the air while the room's grew dimmer, they hadn't encountered any angry spirits yet but there was definitely something up with the air around them. "A-Ash where's Brock?" Chloe suddenly asked.

Ash was quick to turn around, it was apparent that they'd lost Brock had some point. It wasn't best to worry though as Brock could definitely handle himself and if he were in trouble then they'd have heard it. "Brock can handle himself, come on maybe if we hurry there's still some Marowak or Cubone to save!"

Chloe didn't like leaving Brock behind but Ash was right, Brock had Croagunk with him!

On the next floor they were greeted by a large memorial, Ash recognized a statue as a former Pallet Town trainer one whom had passed shortly upon leaving on his journey a mere six years ago! "That's Trace..." He hadn't really interacted with the boy much, they were more acquaintances than friends.

"Pika..." Pikachu's ears flattened as he gazed towards a Charmander statue standing next to him.

'Here lies Trace Shin, beloved son and friend. And his beloved partner Pokemon Charmander.'

"And his partner!"

"He's not the only one," Chloe pointed towards other statues and the gravesites they were paired with. "It looks like somebody paid a good amount to have all those trainers that died set up here! That's Brendan Birch, Lucas Koki, Hilbert Touko, Victor Masaru and Calem!" Lucas had been found a mere week after the age requirement was changed to sixteen, cementing the status as it left the Pokemon League committee with no doubt that ten years wasn't old enough! A Treecko, Chimchar, Tepig, Grookey and Froakie statue were lined up alongside their respective trainers.

"I wonder who paid for all of this?" Ash questioned before doing a double take. "Wait a minute, isn't there a Hoenn Professor that goes by the name of Professor Birch?"

Chloe quickly nodded. "Mhm! I haven't met him but I did hear some things from my dad, apparently he took the loss hard and he absorbed himself into his research to escape reality. Losing his wife in the process as he's too engulfed in his research now and a bit on the wild side too from what I hear he's a bit of a daredevil. I don't think his son's actual body is here though, unless his mother moved."

"Huh," Ash glanced towards Calem's. "It says he has a younger sibling."

"If that's the case his parents likely became highly protective over their remaining child! Something tells me whoever that is ain't leaving the house until they're eighteen." It was at that point Chloe noticed there were flowers lined up at the base of each statue, somebody had definitely been there and based on the petals scattered across the floor had been doing so for quite some time! "Y-You think whoever it is is still here?" Chloe cast a quick look around.

Ash knelt down and examined a flower as close he could without touching it before shaking his head. "Nah, it looks like they've been out for a few days. Whoever it was wasn't here when this went down," The two continued advancing up the tower and upon reaching the second topmost floor they were greeted by large statues of various Pokemon belonging to former and current Elite Four members and Champions. Ash could make out Blue's Blastoise and Professor Oak's Charizard but didn't have time to fully look it over, nor did anything really strike out. None of Red's Pokemon appeared to be present indicating that they were either still alive or hidden wherever he was put to rest.

Upon reaching the top floor Chloe covered her mouth and gagged as her face turned a green color, before them laid a mountain of limp Marowak with a crate full of skulls next to them! Ash clenched his fists as he could feel rage boiling up inside of them. How could anybody do that sort of thing to a Pokemon?!

"Hey Hun you wanna catch a flick once we're done here?" The two quickly hid as a large bulky blonde in a grey colored uniform walked into view.

"What like a date or as partners?" A silver haired male asked while coldly tossing a Marowak onto the pile.

"As a date, duh! Everyone knows Team Rocket agents have the hots for their partner, why bother hiding our feelings?"

"Simple because growing too attached means your feelings will get in the way of the mission, Attila." Hun lightly rolled his eyes. "But I'll consider it, until then we're going as partners."

"Still a date!"

"No it's no-oh why bother fighting with you, you're just going to say it is regardless of what I say." Hun crossed his arms and lightly shook his head before giving the Marowak pile a light kick. "But thank you for the distraction!"

"Distraction? Distraction from what-Oh!" Attila quickly leaped back as Chloe and Ash ran out of the way before the Marowak fell atop of them.

"Ew, I think one touched me!" Chloe couldn't help but make a disgusted face.

"Team Rocket! I had no idea you guys were in the poaching business!" Ash angrily shouted, gritting his teeth as he glared at the two.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu snarled out.

"It was back in the good old days but we're bringing it back baby!" Attila smirked as he flexed his arms. Hun facepalmed before giving his partner a glare.

"Why did you go and tell them that?! If they tell you know who, we're screwed!" Hun hissed.

"Well we're gonna kill them ain't we? Don't tell me you're going soft, ya already spared that Agatha broad." Attila pointed towards an unconscious old lady laying safely in the corner, curiously there was no Mr. Fuji in sight! "I want some violence!"

"Of course cause you're a mindless brute, killing an Elite Four member would bring way too much heat!" Hun ran his palm down his forehead before uttering a sigh. "Well I guess we don't have a choice now do we?" Attila flashed Ash and Chloe a sinister smirk as the Rocket agents enlarged a Pokeball.

"Abomasnow, let's annihilate these kids!" Attila tossed a ball into the air, releasing what appeared to be a sentient tree covered in snow.

"W-What type is that?" Ash quickly asked Chloe as he didn't have time to look it up himself.

"Grass/Ice, so a Fire type would work great against him." Chloe informed.

"Says you," Hun formed a light smirk as he tossed his own Pokeball forward. "Slowbro let's do this!"

"Slowbro!"

"Okay Slowbro, let's show them our true power." Hun raised his arm to reveal a Mega Ring.

Attila smirked as he lifted his own arm. "Abomasnow,"

"Mega Evolve!" Both Rocket agents shouted simultaneously as they activated their Mega Rings, a bright pink glow enveloped the Pokemon's bodies as they began taking on the form of their Mega Evolutions!

"Well that complicates things, okay Pikachu use Splishy Splash!"

"Eevee use Sizzly Slide!"

"Splishy Splash, Sizzly Slide?!" Attila threw his head back as he uttered out a deep laugh. "What kind of childish names are those?!"

"They're the moves we were warned about!" Hun exclaimed. "Quick Attila, order Abomasnow to freeze that water wave!"

"Right, Abomasnow do what he said!" Attila smirked as he watched Abomasnow fire a beam of ice towards the massive electrically charged wave, freezing it solid and trapping Pikachu atop the wave. The ice began cracking as the attack fought back but Attila was quick to fire out an attack! "Smash the ice with Wood Hammer!"

Abomasnow's fist became surrounded in a light green aura as he pulled it back before striking out, the ice shattered and sent Pikachu falling towards the ground!

"Slowbro use Water Pulse!" Slowbro fired a pulse of water from his mouth, splashing it over Eevee and causing her flames to die out for a brief moment as she slid towards Abomasnow. Hun bit his lip before shouting. "Use Psychic and toss her at Pikachu!"

"Slowbro!" Slowbro's eyes began glowing bright blue as a similar light surrounded Eevee, making her run in place before she was lifted off the ground.

"E-Eevoi!" She was flung through the air and sent flying towards Pikachu, the two met in a midair collision before crashing against the floor!

"Eevee!"

"Pikachu!" Ash and Chloe shouted, concerned for their partner's as they raced towards them before scooping up the two unconscious Pokemon. Although their moves were quite strong they didn't prevent them from having a hard time against opponents that out classed them! It was clear that there weren't any Cubone or Marowak left within the tower but they couldn't just run and let the two poachers get away with this! Attila was about to order an attack while they were within range but Larvitar was quick to step in to save his parents.

"LAR!" He screeched causing Attila, Hun and their Pokemon to cover their ears while Ash and Chloe safely resumed their positions, holding their fallen partners with one hand as they reached for another Pokeball.

"Spearow I choose you!"

"Nidorina we need you!"

"Spearow!"

"Nido!"

Spearow took one look at the two Mega Pokemon before turning his back to them as he swiftly flew out a nearby window, leaving Ash to his doom yet again! "Spearow!"

"Spearow get back here!" Ash shouted with a light growl.

Attila chuckled at his dismay while Ash was quick to resort to a different Pokemon. "Alright then, Nidorino I choose you!"

"Nido!" Nidorino and Nidorina gave each other a quick nuzzle before focusing their attention on the enemy.

"Aw look Hun, two couples are battling against each other!" Attila laughed. Hun lightly rolled his eyes while Chloe shot a dark red coloring.

"P-Poison Sting!"

"Nidorino you use Poison Sting as well!" Both Nidorino and Nidorina fired off the purple poisonous darts at their opponents causing their cheeks to become tainted with a purple coloring!

"Oh you'll pay for that ya punks, Abomasnow use Blizzard!"

"Slowbro use Psychic!"

The two Poison types began shivering as their bodies were hit by the fierce cold.

"Gyarados use Hyper Beam!"

"Wobbuffet use Counter!"

"Gya!" Gyarados burst out in front of Slowbro, growling viciously at Slowbro before blasting the Mega away with the familiar orange-yellow energy beam! Slowbro was sent spinning across the floor like a top as his attack was cancelled out while Wobbuffet spread his arms as he stood protectively before the Poison Pokemon, an orange glow surrounded his body as he reflected the blizzard back at their opponents! Gyarados swiftly maneuvered out of the way as Abomasnow and Slowbro were pelted by the ice and snow! The two Pokemon shook it off while Attila and Hun let out an agitated growl.

"Who dares?!"

"Prepare for trouble, it's time you poachers pay!"

"And make it double cause you won't get away!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blasting off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Y-You're those clowns!" Attila shouted in recognition while Ash and Chloe stared at the Rocket trio with a shocked expression.

"T-Team Rocket..." Chloe started.

"You're helping us?!" Ash exclaimed.

"Indeed twerps!" Meowth smirked.

"Right, we don't approve of poaching heck our boss even blacklisted it from the organization altogether so we can't get in trouble for this!" James grinned.

"Just stand back and let us handle it!" Jessie waved her hand in a dismissive manner.

"Not a chance, if we can't handle them on our own then there's no way you three can! We've got to work together!" Chloe shouted.

"I hate ta say it but the twerpette is right, we don't stand a chance against Mega Evolution." Meowth stated.

"C-Cubone!" Cubone teared up once more as he couldn't drag his mother away anymore, his own body giving out on him as he collapsed upon the floor. "C-Cubone, bone bone..."

"Cubone," Brock softly spoke as he caught up to the ground type, dropping down to one knee as he gently placed a hand against Cubone's backside. "I know what you're going through, Vulpix and I... we lost somebody we deeply care about recently. She passed recently and I'm actually attending her funeral in a few weeks." Thankfully the detour didn't put them that much off schedule.

"Vul!" Vulpix cried as she confirmed Brock's words.

"C-Cubone?" Cubone sniffled as he slowly turned his gaze towards Brock.

"She may not have been my mother but she meant the world to me, I love her and it's painful imagining a world without her but I have to move on for both her sake and mine!" Brock offered Cubone a light smile as he began shedding tears of his own. Cubone looked tearfully up but shyly turning away as his stomach rumbled. "Your mother wouldn't want to see you starving yourself out of sadness for her, why don't we bury her? It's only right that her body be properly put to rest and not left out in the open, I'll even get you some food once we're done!" Brock offered as he extended a hand to Cubone.

Cubone stared at Brock's hand for what felt like an extended period of time before placing his hand upon Brock's. "Bone..." Brock smiled lightly before reaching over to pick Marowak up. "I'll handle her for you, you've already wore yourself out quite a bit."

"Cubone." Cubone flashed Brock an appreciative look before following him down the stairs, Brock leading the way towards some undisturbed ground near the outskirts of the city limits. There was a shovel nearby and he was quick to borrow it, feeling that the owner wouldn't mind as he'd put it right back before they even returned! Cubone watched as Brock dug a proper sized hole for Marowak before turning back to Cubone.

"Alright I think we're ready to put her inside, you want to... say any last words to her?" Brock asked while Vulpix and Croagunk quietly turned their gaze towards Cubone.

Cubone began tearing up as he cried out various incomprehensible words, Brock silently watched with tears of his own as he let Cubone let it all out. "C-Cubone!" Cubone eventually finished, tossing back his head as more tears flew from his eyeballs while he waved his paw to signal Brock to go ahead. Brock placed a hand upon Cubone's shoulder before he gently placed Marowak into the ground where he began burying her. Cubone sniffled as he watched dirt cover where his mother laid, his tears slowly drying up as he looked towards Brock.

"C-Cubone..." Brock smiled lightly as he placed a hand upon his shoulder once more. "Come on Cubone, let's get you something to-"

"Get out!"

Brock, Vulpix and Croagunk tensed up at the voice while Cubone looked up in disbelief.

"C-Cubone?!"

"What was that?"

"Vul..." Vulpix leaped into Brock's arms where she began shivering as she huddled against his chest.

"Croa..."

"Get away from him!" The sky darkened as a ghostly version of Marowak rose from the ground, her skin much darker than it had been when she was alive while green flames were visible at the ends of her bone club! "Get away from my son you murderer!"

Brock was surprised he could actually understand the ghost, he didn't cower though that didn't necessarily mean he wasn't shaking as he stood his ground. "I'm no murderer! I was helping your son put your body to rest, can't you see?" Brock motioned towards the disturbed dirt where her body currently laid. Apparently she still had unresolved business though he wasn't sure if it was related to Cubone or her murderers.

"C-Cubone bone bone!" Cubone cried as he raced in front of Brock, raising his arms in a protective manner as he begged his mother not to hurt Brock! Croagunk meanwhile raised his fists as they began glowing a bright purple, preparing to Poison Jab the ghost if she dare strike his trainer!

Marowak's gaze flickered towards Vulpix who hid herself against Brock for protection while Croagunk stood ready to defend him, proving Cubone wasn't being misled as there's no way a heartless individual could have Pokemon that behaved in such a manner. Marowak stood down as she shifted her gaze towards Brock. "What you say appears to be the truth but I can't leave this world without making sure my baby is safe. Human will you take care of him for me? I want to make sure my child is well protected and any friends I may have had are now gone thanks to those murderous scum! You're the only one I can rely on so human... will you take Cubone on as a member of your team?"

"I-It's Brock actually," Brock nervously sweated before he turned his attention towards Cubone. "Well I think that answer relies upon Cubone's opinion as much as my own." Marowak gave a respectful smirk upon hearing his answer. "So Cubone, what do you think? Would you like to join my team? The three of us are like a family and I promise you that you'll be well loved and taken care of, it's my dream to become a Pokemon Breeder so I'll make sure all your needs are taken care of."

Cubone didn't even need a moment to think, the Ground type quickly nodding his head in acceptance of the offer as it was either that or die all alone in Pokemon Tower! "Bone bone!"

Brock formed a smile as he reached for an empty Pokeball and held it out in offering. "Welcome to the team, Cubone!"

"Cubone!" Cubone headbutted the ball and a bright red light soon engulfed his body as he was sucked into the Pokeball, the ball shook once within Brock's grasp before chiming out to announce the capture complete!

"Take good care of him..." Marowak smiled as she closed her eyes, expecting to leave this plane of existence before opening an eye as she found herself still there. "Well looks like I still have some unsettled business to settle."

"If you're talking about the poachers, they're on the top floor according to Mr. Fuji." Brock revealed. "My friends are already up there but based on the fog, they're not done yet and could possibly need our help!"

"Did you say Mr. Fuji? Brock he died over a decade ago!" Brock tensed up at Marowak's words but didn't question it, the safety of his friends mattered far more than an explanation. "But I'm sure I can find some help for us..."

"Gyarados use Hyper Beam!" James shouted out.

"You use Hyper Beam as well!" Attila shouted.

Abomasnow and Gyarados fired off the familiar orange-yellow energy blasts, the two attacks exploded upon impact and knocked the Mega Pokemon back, Slowbow spun across the room like a top once more while Wobbuffet, Gyarados, Nidorino and Nidorina all flew through the air before collapsing in front of their trainers, swirls filled their eyes as Hun facepalmed.

"Don't you know that Hyper Beams explode when they hit each other?" He glared lightly at his partner. "If we weren't using Mega Pokemon that could have ended badly for us!"

"Heh, sorry about that!" Attila rubbed the back of his neck while Ash, Chloe, Jessie and James returned their Pokemon to their Pokeballs.

"Alright then I guess it's up to you, Ekans!"

"You too, Koffing!" Jessie and James threw forward the ball's containing their partner Pokemon.

"Omastar we need you!" Chloe tossed the ball containing the prehistoric Pokemon into the air.

"Treecko I choose you!" Treecko burst out and placed a twig into his mouth as he calmly gazed towards the two Mega Pokemon.

"Treee..."

"Omastar!"

"Ekans!"

"Koffing!"

The Rocket trio looked fearfully towards one another.

"What are we doing?! Ekans and Koffing will get destroyed out there!" James cried.

"We can just leave the twerps or they'll end up getting destroyed and we'll never have our chance to swipe Pikachu and Eevee for the boss!" Jessie cried though she did look worried for their partners. Ekans and Koffing cast a loving gaze towards their trainers before summoning all their love for their trainers along with their body strength forward as a bright blue light enveloped their bodies!

"No way!" Meowth gasped out.

"Koffing..."

"Ekans..."

"Are evolving?!" The trio finished simultaneously as they gasped out. The light soon faded away to reveal the form of Arbok and Weezing, the two Poison types appearing far stronger and confident than they were mere moments ago!

"Weezing!"

"Sarbok!" Arbok hissed out.

"You fools don't get it, I still have the advantage against you regardless of your conveniently timed evolution." Hun rolled his eyes lightly before lazily throwing his arm forward. "Slowbro use Psychic!"

"Treecko knock Slowbro away with Bullet Seed!" Ash shouted with a throw of his arm.

"Treekokokokoko!" Treecko began firing out glowing yellow seeds as if they were bullets firing from a machine gun, the seeds pelted against Slowbro's body and sent him spinning against the floor once more as Chloe formed a light smirk.

"Hydro Pump!" Omastar opened his mouth as he fired off a large blast of water which swiftly flew through the air and blasted Slowbro onto his side! Slowbro went limp and a bright pink light surrounded his body as he returned to normal!

"T-Treecko!" Treecko felt power surging through him after Slowbro's defeat as his own body became enveloped in a bright blue light! He began growing taller and a bit more slender, his skin turned a darker shade of green while his large bushy tail extended into two long slender leaves as a long green leaf grew from the back of his head and a smaller group grew at the bottom of his hands.

"Grovyle!" The newly evolved Pokemon cried out and despite the current situation Ash couldn't help but have his eyes light up in excitement!

"Grovyle the Wood Gecko Pokemon, this Pokemon adeptly flies from branch to branch in trees. In a forest no Pokemon can ever hope to catch a fleeing Grovyle however fast they may be!" The Rotom Phone read out from Ash's jacket.

"Wow, you look amazing!"

"P-Pika!" Pikachu faintly spoke.

"Larvitar!"

"Gro." Grovyle placed his twig back into his mouth as he flashed his friends a light smirk.

"Wood Hammer!" Attila shouted.

"Arbok use Bind!"

"Sarbok!" Arbok lunged forward and wrapped himself around Abomasnow, preventing the attack from going off as the Pokemon's arms and legs were locked in place!

"A-Abomasnow!" Abomasnow grunted out as the poison effect from earlier on took effect.

"Now James!" Jessie shouted.

"Right, Weezing use Sludge Bomb!"

"Weez!" Weezing fired a series of sludge bombs from his mouths, pelting Abomasnow's face with them as the bulky Mega Pokemon attempted to break free of his constraints!

"S-Sarbok!" Arbok grunted as he was loosening his grip on Abomasnow!

"Arbok use Crunch!"

However instead of Crunch, Arbok's fangs sparked fiery red as he sank them into Abomasnow's neck! Abomasnow's eyes grew wide as steam began pouring out from his ears. "A-Abomasnow!" Abomasnow waved his arms and threw Arbok off him as he began running across the floor in a panic!

"And time for me ta finish this!" Meowth's claws glowed a ghastly purple as he slashed at Abomasnow! Abomasnow grunted out and toppled forward, Meowth quickly leaping out of the way as Abomasnow slammed against the ground! A pink light surrounded his body as the Rocket trio began cheering.

"Alright we did it, we beat a Mega Pokemon!"

"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet burst out to join in the celebration.

"Don't celebrate too soon you clowns," Attila smirked as he and Hun returned Abomasnow and Slowbro to their Pokeballs. "We still have plenty more where that came from! Steelix let's go!"

"Aerodactyl let's go!" Hun tossed forward a ball causing Omastar to shudder at the sight of his predator!

"O-Oma! Omastar Omastar!" He panicked.

Ash, Chloe and the Rocket trio stood ready to fight once more but were in for a surprise as Attila and Hun raised their arms and activated their Mega Rings once more. Aerodactyl and Steelix let out pained shouts and cries as they underwent the Mega Evolution process!

"What do you think you're doing?! Don't you know you need to let it recharge before activating it again? You're hurting them!" Chloe shouted. Even though they were with villains she still felt concern for their Pokemon! Ash clenched his fists and growled out while the Rocket trio looked on with a mixture of alarm and shock.

"So? Beating you clowns is all that matters to us, failure isn't an option! Our boss doesn't accept failure!" Hun flashed a light smirk.

"That doesn't sound like our boss, who are you working for?" Meowth questioned.

"Wouldn't you like to know? Perhaps when you're dying beneath our feet we just might grace you with the answer before you pass!" Attila threw back his head as he laughed. "Beating our first Mega Pokemon was a fluke but there's no way you'll beat these! We've won so you-"

"Get out."

Everyone tensed up at the spooky voice.

"Get out now."

"Meowth that's not funny, you're scaring James again!" Jessie hissed as the two Rocket agents shivered in place.

"Dat's not me, Jess!"

"Get out!" A series of purple shadows formed around Attila and Hun causing the two dastardly villains to shout out in alarm.

"W-What is this witchery?!" Hun shouted.

"It's that Agatha witch, she must have woken up! I told you we should have killed her!" Attila shouted though upon turning around he saw the Elite Four member was still unconscious in the corner.

"Get out. Get out!" The purple ghastly veils began changing form revealing a vast army of ghostly Cubone and Marowak began surrounding Attila and Hun along with their Pokemon.

"Get your hands off of us!"

"Yeah, hands off!" Attila tried swatting one only for his hand to go right through.

"Marowak!"

"Cubone!"

Their eyes widened as they felt themselves being dragged into the ground.

"No no no! What's happening!"

"They're taking us to the underworld!" Hun shouted as the two and their Pokemon clawed desperately in an attempt to escape before a large portal suddenly appeared beneath them courtesy of a Dusknoir as they were sucked right in!

"D-Did they just die?!" Chloe shivered. Ash's eyes widened while the Rocket trio and their Pokemon shivered and hugged one another from fright!

Brock was out of breath by the time he caught up. "W-When I said help I didn't mean kill them!"

"It was the only way for us to truly be at peace! Goodbye Brock, take good care of Cubone for me!" Marowak and the other ghostly Marowak and Cubone began glowing a bright gold color as they flew up towards the stars above! The fog began clearing up proving the Marowak and Cubone's restless spirits had been the cause of the fog. Agatha began to stir moments after and the Rocket trio let out a shout of alarm.

"Twerps you've got to blast us off, she's gonna blame us for this and try ta arrest us!" Meowth shouted while Jessie and James dropped to their knees.

"Please twerp!"

"Blast us off!" They begged.

Ash cast a look towards Agatha as she began rubbing her head. "Okay... Pikachu use Thunderbolt!"

"Pikachuuuu!" Pikachu's body sparked before he blasted the Rocket trio and their Pokemon with a powerful dose of electricity, an explosion occurred before they were sent blasting through the roof!

"Thanks to you Team Rocket's blasting off to see another day!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Oooh..." Agatha rubbed her head before a Gengar appeared next to her, it looked quite similar to Ash's though there was a barely noticeable color difference to hers.

"Gengar!" Gengar threw his arms around his trainer's causing Agatha to let out a light laugh.

"It's good to see you too my old friend," Agatha quickly shifted her eyes about before focusing her attention towards Ash, Chloe and Brock. "I trust that you kids sent those brutes packing?"

"Y-You could say that but the spirits they... they sort of killed them!" Chloe gasped out.

Agatha seemed rather chill about that, shrugging it off as she took their word for it. Most people would think them crazy but Agatha lived a long life and knew quite a bit of how ghosts worked. "I see... well it's certainly an honor to meet the son of Red Ketchum, I wish we could have met on better terms though." Agatha laughed as she rubbed her head. "That brute took me by surprise and knocked me out! Though how did you guys find out about the events occurring here?"

"It was Mr. Fuji's ghost!" Ash was quick to explain. "H-He told us about how the poachers struck him down along with all the Cubone and Marowak!"

Agatha tilted her head before laughing out. "Mr. Fuji? Nah, that was clearly my Gengar trying to get you to help me! He was banished from the tower by the angry spirits, right Gengar?"

"Gengar!" Gengar smirked as he nodded in agreement.

"There's no such thing as human ghosts, silly!" Agatha lightly cackled before looking towards the bodies. "Now if you excuse me, I've got to get to work giving them a proper burial alongside their skulls! I must ask you kids to leave as you've already done more than enough and I sense that your presence is needed elsewhere."

"You sure you don't need our help?" Brock offered.

"Kid, I have my Ghost types to assist me. I don't need your help!" Agatha cackled before offering him a smirk. "I do wish you all the best of luck on your journey though and I pray that we meet again under better circumstances."

"You know it, someday the two of us will battle it out!" Ash excitedly clenched his fists as Pikachu raised his own.

"Pika pika!"

Agatha chuckled. "I'm retiring at the end of the year... but seeing as how you're Red's son, I suppose I do owe you a battle. After you win a League though!" Agatha smirked before impatiently tapping her cane. "Now get a move on, you've all got places to be!"

"WHAT?!" Giovanni angrily threw his desk across the room causing the Rocket trio to dive away with alarmed shouts as Giovanni was fuming, his face bright red as steam flew out of his ears. "Don't they know how I feel about poaching?! Poaching hasn't been allowed within the organization since the days my mother was in charge! Nobody is allowed to poach and get away with it unscathed!"

"W-Well you don't have ta worry about that boss!" Meowth shivered.

"Y-Yeah the spirits ended up dragging Attila and Hun into the underworld!" James nervously spoke up.

"W-We won't be seeing them again!" Jessie shook.

Giovanni aggressively paced back and forth before sighing out. "Sorry about my frustration, you three did good bringing me this news. It's clear I have a traitor somewhere within the organization and I must find them and eliminate them!"

"But who would dare betray you boss?" Cliff loyally asked while Archer calmly watched on, not feeling the least bit concerned for his own safety as he knew he wasn't the traitor. The two were loyal to Giovanni without question after what he did for them!

"Somebody who clearly misses the old ways... which leaves about half the organization." Giovanni stroked his chin before turning to the Rocket trio. "But you three deserve a reward for this, a promotion! Butch and Cassidy are off in the Orange Archipelago overseeing another operation so how would you three like to be in charge of the SS Anne heist?"

"The SS Anne heist?!" The Rocket trio's eyes widened as a smile crossed their face, the three gave Giovanni a quick salute.

"You can count on us boss!"

"Wobbuffet!"

The Masked Man calmly turned his back to Lavender Town as it returned to normal and it's citizens could be seen returning to normal life. The man walked and walked until he arrived at an undisclosed location only he knew of. He whistled through his mask and the very same Dusknoir the spirits seemed to be aligned with returned.

"Dusknoir!"

"You played your part well friend, now release our underlings!"

"Noir!" Dusknoir opened up the portal, dropping Attila, Hun and their Pokemon safely back into reality. The four were pale and shivering from the things they'd seen and witnessed.

"W-We were there for so long..." Hun shivered.

"I-I don't wanna go back!" Attila shouted as he got onto his knees. "Please don't send us back!"

"You fools were only there for two hours but it proved to be a suitable punishment regardless!" The Masked Man chuckled as to them it felt like an eternity! "I'll give you one last chance at life but rest assured there will be no third chance, I've already got Annie and Oakley lined up to take your place as my foot soldiers!"

"Y-Yes sir!"

"W-We won't fail you, sir!" The two shivered as they bowed to the Masked Man.

Ash, Brock and Chloe exited Lavender Tower and smiled at the sight of the town's civilians returning to normal life almost as if nothing had happened.

"Cubone bone bone!"

"Yeah Cubone, we'll get out of here as soon as possible." Brock chuckled, holding Cubone with one arm while Vulpix safely nestled against his other.

"So if Gengar was Mr. Fuji all alone, I guess that means that there is no such thing as human ghosts after all!" Chloe smiled lightly as she wasn't wrong after all! Unbeknownst to her however, the real Mr. Fuji briefly appeared behind her and chuckled lightly before disappearing into the wind! "But that does leave one question unanswered, who exactly paid for those trainer's memorials?"

"Well I think we got our answer." Ash spoke as the champion himself approached, bouquets of black roses within Rex and Raichu's grasp as they walked right on by seeming to not even notice Ash's presence.

"Well I guess that makes sense for Trace given he's from Kanto but why the others?" Chloe tilted her head.

"I think that's a question better left for next time." Brock chuckled. "Come on, we've got to get to Saffron City!"

"Right, I can't wait to enter the Fighting Dojo there!"

"Pika pika!"

"Ash, you do realize you need a Fighting type for that?" Chloe quietly asked causing Ash to go pale before face faulting against the dirt.

"That's right, I forgot!"

"Pika!"

And that's another chapter done, happy Halloween everybody! Originally Cubone was going to be Ash's but as the story progressed it changed to Brock being the one that bonds with Cubone as it felt like a suitable focus chapter. Plus Ash hasn't really dealt with losing somebody like Brock had, Red just disappeared and Ash hasn't had enough time to process it or really confirm if he's gone!

Attila and Hun will return but it'll be quite some time before they do. Hope you all enjoyed this, I timed it out so that it'd be released on Halloween haha! Until next time! :)