Chapter Ten: Darkness and Light, part one
Hostile spirits of the dead entered her line of sight, as Fantina led the way back to the rift opening. Normally, she'd catch a glimpse of at least three hostile spirits with each visit, but there was more than usual today. The strangest thing was they were huddling in groups of three, as if they were banding together, bracing themselves of an attack of some sort.
One of the Haunters spotted her and broke away from its group, floating towards her and Morty, its claws outstretched. "We've been spotted," Fantina hissed. "Keep your guard up." She focused her mind on the Haunter before her and nothing else. Allowing another thought to enter her mind while she was here was a dangerous thing to do.
The Haunter stopped in front of her, sunken eyes staring into her own. It stretched out its arm, trying to touch her, but its arm made no contact. As long as she thought of nothing else, the Haunter would not be able to touch her. In the corner of her eye, she noticed Morty had closed his eyes, as if he had chosen to meditate on the spot.
An icy wave raced throughout her body as the Haunter drove its arm through her stomach. It felt as if she had been dunked into a pool of ice-cold water with nothing to protect her skin from the biting cold. The Haunter drove another arm through her body, wrapping its long claws around her location of her heart. Fortunately, her mind was guarded otherwise she'd be in a great deal of trouble.
The hostile Pokemon held its place and she held hers, each one waiting for the other to break. Tortured screams rang out through the realm as the Haunter tried to tear her mind apart. The spirits were obviously ravenous – normally, they'd leave a walker alone if their mind was unbreakable, but this one was determined. The behaviour wasn't normal and suggested only one thing – there was a greater power here at work.
After what seemed like hours of waiting, the Haunter finally withdrew, returning to the shadows of the trees. Fantina exhaled, loosening her grip on Morty's right hand. "That was unsettling," he commented, readjusting his purple scarf around his neck. "The spirits of the deceased Pokemon do not normally behave like this."
"They're afraid of something."
"Afraid of what?"
Fantina shook her head, troubled. "The shadow beast."
"Impossible. You said it yourself earlier – the creature is trapped in its realm. It can't escape unless someone opens the gate to his cage and there is no one capable of achieving that task," Morty replied heatedly.
She thought hard, reflecting on recent events. There had been reports of thieves in spacesuits giving local trainers a difficult time. She hadn't caught a glimpse of trouble in Hearthome City, but thanks to the media, she knew their names. The thieves called themselves 'Team Galactic'. Were the thieves behind the imbalance she sensed? "The chains are weakening – the shadow beast… it's feasting on the hostile spirits here weakening them. That is why they are desperate to feast on us. It would explain why the Ghost-type Pokemon in the Lost Tower are unsettled."
"You believe someone has found a way to open the gate?"
Fantina nodded, giving her friend a fearful look. "Yes."
"The gate can't be opened by normal means. It would take a great amount of energy to open it – where could such energy be found?"
"The Lake Guardian trio," Fantina said slowly, recalling on the stories she read in the book 'Sinnoh's Legendary Pokemon'. "The legendary gem-holders of knowledge, emotion and willpower. When the three creatures come together as one, they will create the key, the Red Chain. The Red Chain has the power to summon the creators of time and space to unlock the gate to the shadow beast's home realm."
"Why would someone want to unlock the gate?"
Fantina thought hard. "The shadow beast was cast down into the pit because as punishment for betraying Arceus and was sealed behind a magical door… or at least that's what my mother told me when I was a young child. The stories say the creature has the power to create a new universe from nothing although there is no research to prove this can actually be achieved."
"That means…" Morty trailed.
"Someone else has done their research." She suspected someone within Team Galactic had done heavy research into the matter. With a name like Galactic, it would make sense they were interested in the workings of the universe. But why would they want to create a new one? And how had they obtained research on the shadow beast? Only ghost-type masters knew of its existence, but some refused to acknowledge it, claiming it was just a wild theory. This was why they had not shared such information with the rest of the world because they could not come to an agreement.
Morty looked troubled. He ran a hand through his blond hair and opened his mouth to speak further when a Gastly moved past them. The Pokemon appeared to running away from something because it ignored their presence. "We should follow it. See where it leads. We can learn more about this shadow beast."
"We do not have much time left."
"Just a quick glimpse? I admit, I wasn't keen on coming here, but you've piqued my curiosity and I'm interested in learning more."
Truth be told, Fantina wasn't keen on leaving just yet either. The gym could wait. This was far more important. She had heard much about the shadow beast when she was growing up, but had never seen pictures of it before since no images had been released since no Ghost-type trainer had ever laid eyes on it.
Only one person had seen the creature – a self-proclaimed genius called Pluto. She had never actually seen him before either since he didn't share photos of himself nor of the shadow beast, but she loved reading his research articles, particularly the one about Rotom. She hoped to one day cross paths so she could discuss ghost-types with him.
She was pulled out of her thoughts by a rough jerk and found herself falling to the ground. A tree landed a few inches away from where she had originally been standing moments before. Trees falling down in the Spirit World were not common occurrences. "Please get off me…" a voice murmured.
Glancing down, she noticed she was sitting on top of Morty's stomach. She quickly rolled off and climbed to her feet then glanced around. What had caused the tree to fall? A hostile Pokemon spirit did not have the strength to do that. "Where did the Gastly disappear?"
Morty stood up, dusting the wilted leaves off his clothes with one free hand. "I don't know but whatever it was, it's powerful."
Fantina searched her surroundings, keeping her eyes focused in the direction in which the tree had fallen from. She couldn't see much because of the mist, but eventually her eyes adapted and spotted two glowing red eyes staring back. A cold chill raced down her spine. She wasn't a woman easily frightened, but looking into those deep red eyes, she felt the rare fleeting emotion of fear course through her veins, causing her to freeze in place.
The red-eyed creature let out a deafening ferocious roar, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand erect. It was enough to pull her out her trance. She tugged on Morty's arm. "We have to leave now." Morty didn't argue; he was speechless. The creature trudged through the mist towards them, each footstep causing the ground beneath their feet to shake.
"Run!" Morty said.
Fantina didn't need to be told twice. They hurried towards the rift opening, not daring to spare a glance over their shoulder. Fantina could hear the creature's footsteps closing in on them. Fear spurred her to run faster than she ever had before. The rift opening came within her line of vision. So close…
She tripped, face first into the ground, bringing Morty down with her. She dared herself to glance over her shoulder, and catch a glimpse of the red-eyed beast. Blood-coloured eyes stared right back at her, a mere inch away from her face. Hot breath reeking of decomposing flesh washed over, causing her stomach to churn. It opened its mouth revealing two rows of razor sharp teeth that looked to be at least nine inches long. A forked tongue came forth from the cavern of its enormous mouth, brushing up against her face, leaving a copious amount of saliva behind.
"Fantina!" Morty urged. "We have to go now before it's too late!"
She tore her gaze away from the beast, climbed to her feet and sprinted with Morty, towards the rift opening. The beast was still behind them but by now they had reached the safety of the rift. Together, they jumped through and landed on the ground of Hearthome's Contest Hall. "That was it. That was the shadow beast that roams the Spirit World," she said, lying on her back, eyes staring up at the ceiling.
Morty stood up. "You need to inform Cynthia immediately. If that gate opens all hell is going to break loose. We don't even know the full extent of the shadow beast's power or what its proper name is even. All we have to go by are some old unproven stories and one theory by some guy we have never seen a picture of before."
"I will speak to her as soon as possible."
He nodded. "I need to return home. Sinnoh's not the only region under threat." Fantina didn't even try to stop him as he left the building, removing the scarf around his neck. Her heart was still racing from the adventure within the Spirit World, but she had to pull herself together and act calm in front of the public. Returning to the gym would help calm her racing heart beat.
Out of all the cities she had visited so far, Hearthome was certainly the most desirable place to live in, and by far the most beautiful. Three beige coloured classical garden fountains designed to look like Clefairies spread across the southern part of the city, surrounded by a couple of neatly trimmed hedges giving it a rather relaxing atmosphere. There were park benches opposite to the fountains stationed black classical lamp posts. Even the buildings had a classical feel to them – important buildings had impressive engravings of Sinnoh's Pokemon above the main entrance columns.
It was also a rather busy place, but not in the same sense as Jubilife. Many of the locals in Jubilife were business people or researchers, while the vast population of Hearthome seemed to consist of mothers with young children. She spotted a couple of mothers with prams across from her, exchanging words as they walked down the street. There were children playing around the fountains partaking in a game of tag. This was truly a place for families.
The northern side of the city had the infamous Contest Hall and Amity Square. Contest Hall was the place to be for all lovers of fashion while those who wanted to bond with their Pokemon could spend time in the world famous botanical gardens of Amity Square. Only trainers with specific types of Pokemon could enter the place though according to news reporters. She suspected it was because it was such a child-friendly environment the owners didn't want scary Pokemon giving children nightmares.
She found it strange that the local gym was located close to Amity Square's entrance because the gym looked like it had featured in a horror movie set. Apparently it was once an abbey but it had been turned into a gym by the order of the gym leader, Fantina. There was no doubt it was a beautiful building even though it looked out of place in a jovial place like Hearthome.
The gym had two identical towers with a circular window in each. The lower part of the towers had two smaller glass-stained windows non-circular in their design. Engravings of various ghost-type Pokemon from around Sinnoh, Johto and Kanto decorated the sides closest to the entrance. A much larger glass-stained window joined the two towers together and below that was the entrance.
Hearthome's Gym put the other buildings to shame in terms of design. She was about to walk through the gym doors when she spotted a lady with dark blue hair exiting the Contest Hall, pushing through a sea of eager people. There was only one female in Sinnoh aside from herself with hair that colour. Her mother. "Mum!" she called, turning away from the gym's entrance to chase after her mother.
Fortunately, the distance between the gym and the Contest Hall was short and it didn't take her long to reach her. She called her name again and this time Johanna looked in her direction. A broad smile spread across her face. "Dawn!"
Dawn wrapped her arms around her mother's waist and gave her a tight hug then pulled back, noticing how tired her mother looked. She also noticed that her mother had taken to wearing a shirt with a high collar which was bizarre because her mother never wore collared shirts. Her mother seemed uncomfortable with her new look as well because she kept playing with the collar, readjusting it every couple of seconds as if she were trying to hide something.
"Did you get bitten by something?" Dawn pointed out, as Johanna rubbed the right side of her neck. Dawn caught a brief glimpse of what appeared to look like a bruise of some sort. What sort of Pokemon attacked the necks of people?
Her mother's brows lifted, surprised. "Oh, just a bug bite. Nothing serious."
"Well, I might have something in my bag that can make it less itchy," Dawn said, reaching down to her bag to search for a bug-bite cream for humans. "It looks pretty nasty, mum." And it looked painful, although her mother showed no signs of pain, only discomfort and… embarrassment?
Johanna placed her hands on her daughter's arm. "It's nothing to be worried about, I assure you, sweetie." She brought up the collar again to cover the mark. Her mother's eyes fixed on her lip and the woman frowned. "What happened to your lip?"
"Oh, I ran into some trouble earlier, but it's all right."
Her mother's frown remained. "Team Galactic?"
Dawn shook her head. "No. Just some girls at the Cycling Road. You know Team Galactic?"
"I heard about it on the news that some thieves called Galactic are causing trouble in some cities." Johanna placed a hand on her shoulder staring deeply into her eyes. "Have they caused you trouble?"
"The girls at the Cycling Road were more of an issue than the Galactic people," Dawn pointed out. At least the members of Galactic didn't harass people by giving trainers busted lips for fun. "I'm going to purchase some cream for my lip before I take on the gym."
"It seems like you've been doing this for years," Johanna said proudly, beaming her daughter a dazzling smile. "To have come this far already in such a short amount of time… I know you'll go the distance, Dawn. I am so proud of you."
Dawn smiled. "Thanks mum." She hugged her mother again then drew back. "What brings you to Hearthome City anyway?"
"There's a fashion show taking place and I'm coordinating some of the events, but don't let its presence distract you from obtaining your next gym badge." She glanced down at her watch and gasped. "Oh, that reminds me, I need to head to the store and purchase some supplies!" Johanna gave her daughter an apologetic look. "If you ever need to talk, just call me on the Xtransceiver! Good luck, sweetie!"
Her mother hurried away towards the nearest shop and Dawn just chuckled. The woman looked like she hadn't gotten much sleep last night. She was probably too busy stressing out about that weird mark on her neck and coordinating some of the events. She glanced down at her pokebelt. "Are you ready for the next battle?" The balls shook, showing their eagerness. Dawn chuckled. "Of course you are. Let's give it our best."
Before entering the gym, Dawn had stopped by the Pokemon Centre and Poke Mart for healing and supplies. It had been a fair bit of time since she last purchased valuable items and figured now was a good time to do so. She took in a deep breath and walked through the wooden doors stepping into a dark room. It was so dark that she couldn't even see her own hands in front of her.
A pair of cold hands grabbed her shoulders. "Boo!" Dawn screamed, taken by surprise. She staggered backwards, her back pressing up against the wall, as she tried to find a way to leave the place but the doors had closed behind her. White light flashed in her eyes. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you there, trainer!"
Even though she couldn't see the other person, she recognized the voice. Malcolm, the gym advisor. She heaved a sigh and looked at the torch holder, heart hammering away in her chest. Was she that easy to startle? "What was that for?" she replied, holding up her hands to shield her eyes from the powerful light.
"It's a habit."
She grumbled. "Are you sure this is a gym and not a horror house?"
Her words were greeted by a light-hearted chuckle. "Hearthome used to be an abbey as you are probably aware of, but do you know why it was built in the first place?" Dawn remained silent. The gym advisor continued. "The Hearthome you see today is a stark contrast to what it used to be. It used to be an ambush site for ghost-type trainers to prey on adventurers many centuries ago. The Lost Tower built to the east of this city helped the ghost-type trainers lay traps for their victims."
A cold chill raced down her spine. Never had she thought such a delightful place like Hearthome had such a dark history attached to its name. "Please, go on."
"The ghost-type trainers were eventually defeated and banished from the lands by the psychic-type Masters. They decided to build an abbey here to bring beauty to a place tainted with a dark past and they turned the Lost Tower into a place where the dead could rest in peace. The abbey was designed to unite trainers from all backgrounds and bring peace to the lands. People from the surrounding regions moved to Hearthome, attracted by the impressive structure. The psychic-type masters left afterwards and were replaced by a pair of ghost-type trainers."
"And what did they do?"
"They wanted to prove to the world ghost-type trainers were not to be feared like the previous ones were. The bodies of those who had lost their lives had their coffins built into the walls and floors of which you now stand upon."
Although she couldn't see the ground beneath her feet, Dawn glanced down anyway. She was standing on history right now and it was somewhat chilling to know she was standing on the coffins of the dead. "That's unsettling."
"Fantina arrived several decades later and purchased the abbey and turned it into a gym for trainers to strengthen their bonds with the spirits. There are no lights in this place to remind everyone of the darkness that once gripped this city, but challengers are given lanterns to help them find their way around."
He moved the light away from her face and pointed to a nearby shelf where there were a couple of handheld lanterns. He grabbed one, lit the flame inside and gave it to Dawn. She grabbed it with both hands, surprised by the lightness of the item. It looked cumbersome, but it could be held without problems with one hand. "There are trainers who prowl the halls waiting to ambush you so be careful. Also, be wary of the spirits. They cannot harm you in this realm, but it can be unsettling to have one pass through you. Keep your lantern close though and they will stay away. Good luck, trainer!"
Be wary of the spirits? What was that supposed to mean? Dawn was going to question the man further but she heard his footsteps walking away somewhere in the opposite direction. She was alone with nothing else than a dimly-lit lantern to show her the way. She held the lantern a few inches away from her face. The lantern emitted just enough light for her to see a metre ahead and behind her. As she moved forward, she could see the details of the dead on the ground below.
"Near this place lie the remains of John Tonman and Elizabeth, his wife. He died the second day of September, seventeen eighty-six, aged twenty one years. She died the ninth day of April seventeen eighty-seven, aged twenty two years," Dawn read aloud. There were a few more words written underneath but it was in such small font she would have to lower herself to her knees. She didn't have time to read every description on each tile – she was here for her gym badge, not here to study history.
She continued moving forward through the darkness taking cautious steps. The gym advisor had said that the gym trainers were patrolling the halls, waiting to ambush challengers to Fantina. She kept darting her gaze back and forth, keeping her eyes peeled for signs of danger. Relying on her vision alone wasn't going to help much though; she also had to rely on her sense of sound.
She held her lantern up high again and moved it from side to side checking out her surroundings. Nothing. No sign of spirits nor trainers wandering about. She was beginning to think she had avoided them when a cold breath washed over her back. Immediately, she spun around, but saw nothing. The coldness disappeared, replaced by warmth again.
Now she was nervous. The spirits that roamed these halls couldn't be seen with the naked eye. Their presence could only be felt by a cold touch. She brought the lantern closer to body, unsettled. Cold laughter filled the air, sending a chill down her spine. It felt as though she was being watched, but when she turned around she saw nothing. Were the spirits of the dead watching her?
Her heart beat began to quicken. The laughter was louder now, sounding more demented as she drew closer to the source. Instinctively, she moved a hand to her pokebelt and summoned her Gastly. Gastly would be right at home here and perhaps he could warn her of any approaching spirits or trainers. She threw her pokeball onto the floor. Moments later, her Gastly appeared, hovering before her.
Her Gastly floated around her head, stopping every couple of seconds to observe its surroundings. When Gastly stopped moving, Dawn did as well. Gastly's eyes narrowed into slits and he moved away from Dawn disappearing into the darkness. Dawn felt a bout of panic rise up within her. "Gastly, wait!" she called, chasing after her Pokemon.
She spotted her Gastly moments afterwards facing another Gastly. They were circling each other, waiting for the other Pokemon to move. "Gastly, use Night Shade!" a male voice ordered. The opposing Gastly attacked. The realization began to sink in that she had never battled in complete darkness before.
"Gastly, use Night Shade!" Dawn commanded. Her Gastly's purple hue faded temporarily as it launched its attack. A pained hiss escaped from the other Gastly's mouth.
"Drifloon, use Ominous Wind!"
Her lantern's flame flickered. Dawn's eyes widened. She brought her free hand to protect the flame from the breeze to prevent it from dying. A wave of unexplainable sadness overcame her, as she felt the chilling breeze brush up against her body. An urge to break down in tears overwhelmed her, but she managed to fight off the temptation. Moments later, a small purple balloon-type Pokemon floated emerged in her line of vision. She withdrew her hand protecting the lantern and brought out her Pokedex.
Drifloon. Because of the way it floats aimlessly, an old folktale calls it a 'Signpost for Wandering Spirits'.
She put the Pokedex away, glancing at the opponents. Two against one wasn't a fair fight. "Murkrow! Come out!" She summoned the avian. The bird flapped over to Gastly's side. "Use Pursuit!" It was hard to tell what the physical attacks did since it was so dark, but judging by the mournful moan that left the Drifloon's mouth, it must've dealt significant amounts of damage. The balloon slowly floated to the floor.
"Gastly, Night Shade!"
"Dodge it, Gastly!"
Her Gastly swooped down, avoiding the attack. "Use Night Shade Gastly! Murkrow, use Pursuit!" Murkrow's move worked well against the Drifloon. She assumed Dark-types were super-effective against Ghost-types.
"Oh no, my Gastly!"
The trainer's Gastly's purple hue faded as it dropped to the ground. She heard the sounds of a boy sobbing from somewhere to her right. The boy turned on his lantern and stepped towards her. "Keep moving north. You'll find Fantina eventually, but be warned, other trainers wait in ambush. I will remain here with my lantern to help you get your bearings. Proceed." He stepped back, holding his lantern before him.
Dawn continued to move forward. The effects of Ominous Wind were disappearing, but she still felt depressed for no real reason. Fortunately, her lantern's flame was still alive. Coldness brushed up against her again, this time scraping the back of her legs. She spun around and glanced down. A human figure with charred skin and no eyes, reached for her with two hands, emitting a deep mournful sound of longing. Dawn yelped and jumped back.
"Pain… in so much pain…" the spirit chanted.
It seemed the effects of Ominous Wind allowed her to temporarily see the dead spirits. She wished she couldn't because it was truly a frightening sight to behold. Without thinking, she kicked a leg at the spirit. Her leg went right through it. The spirit hissed and swiped at her again. Dawn leapt out of the way and swung her lantern at the spirit, forcing it to retreat from where it had come from. It backed away, shielding its eyeless face with a dismembered arm.
She started to run. She didn't want to be in this place for any longer than she had to. More spirits rose up from their graves and tried to grab her, but Dawn nimbly avoided their lunges and continued sprinting down the hallway. Two Gastly's rose up from the ground and were soon joined by a Pokemon with two three fingered claws which did not appear to be attached to its body. She held up her Pokedex again.
Haunter. The evolved form of Gastly. It likes to lurk in the dark and tap shoulders with a gaseous hand. Its touch causes endless shuddering.
She put it down. Endless shuddering? That didn't sound good at all.
"Stop right there, trainer! You don't get to face Fantina until you defeat me! You may have been fortunate to avoid some of the trainers here, but there's no way to get around me!" A lanky teenage male with green hair walked up towards his three Ghost-type Pokemon.
Triple-battle time, thought Dawn. She summoned her Deino to join Murkrow and Gastly. The moans and continuous chants of, 'Pain, in so much pain' filled the air around her as the spirits moved towards her position. She had to end this battle quickly. "Gastly, use Night Shade! Murkrow, use Pursuit! Deino, use Dragon Rage!"
"Gastlys', use Night Shade! Haunter, use Lick!" The Haunter moved first, floating towards her Gastly. Its gaseous hands grabbed the Gastly and held it in place, long enough for the Haunter to lick it in the face. Gastly shuddered. His purple aura disappeared and he floated to the bottom. Dawn cursed inwardly. One Pokemon down. Fortunately, she had two dark-types in her possession. The trainer's two Gastly's attacked afterwards, but their attacks did little damage.
Now it was her turn for her Pokemon to make their moves. Deino brought his head back, conjured a beam of draconic rage and sent it forth, smashing into the body of the Gastly's, causing it to faint immediately. Murkrow dashed forward and struck at the other Gastly bringing it to a fainted state. All that remained was the Haunter.
"Haunter, use Sucker Punch!" Haunter dashed forward, and drove one of its gaseous hands into Murkrow's face. Murkrow was thrown off balance, but fortunately remained in the air. The move didn't seem to do much damage at all.
"Finish him off with Pursuit, Murkrow, and follow that move up with Dragon Rage, Deino!" Murkrow regained his composure and flew towards the Haunter, driving its talons into its grinning face. Deino conjured another beam of energy and sent it forth, bringing the Haunter to the ground. "We did it!" Dawn cheered.
But her cheer was short-lived. The spirits were than a metre away from her now and there were quite a large number of them. Each spirit was deformed in different ways – some spirits were headless, and others had various limbs ripped off. Some spirits even had their stomachs torn open – she could see their entrails hanging out. She scrunched up her face in disgust. When did the affects of Ominous Wind fade?
"You might have Dark-type Pokemon your side trainer, but that won't be enough to defeat Fantina. Fantina has power over the spirits in this building and she can use their power as her own to aid in battle. The battle you face will not be as easy as you think it will be. You can choose to turn away now and train to battle another day or are you brave enough to face the wrath of the spirits?"
She didn't want to have to go through this all again. "I want to battle Fantina."
Cold laughter exited his mouth. "I would wish you good luck, but you'll need more than that to stay alive." He stepped aside. "You'll find the entrance to the dungeon through here." He pointed towards a trapdoor leading to the level below. This really felt like she had stepped into some castle of horrors.
.
Dawn lifted up the wooden planks and glanced down through the trapdoor. A wooden ladder led down into complete darkness – there was no telling how deep down this dungeon was. She gripped the ladder then placed her feet onto the rungs and tested the ladder's steadiness by giving it a slight shake. The ladder didn't even budge. Well, she thought. At least I know it's not going to collapse on me, she added, as she descended into the darkness.
She climbed further down with caution – the place was so dark she couldn't even see the next rung beneath her feet. Tortured screams bounced off the walls of the dungeon, sending a chill racing down her spine. The above floor was scary enough, but this place was something else. Eventually, she reached the bottom of the ladder after climbing down for what felt like an hour.
As soon as her feet touched the floor, the lights turned on. They were not bright lights, but there was enough for her to see her new environment. It was a small room – she was reminded of the ground floor of her house back in Twinleaf Town – except this place was far less cheerful. The walls were a dark grey colour and there were a couple of manacles scattered around the floor. She even spotted what looked to be a human skeleton slouched in a corner.
Creepy.
"Can you feel it?" a voice said. "Can you feel the sadness and pain of the spirits who rest here?"
Dawn jumped. One of the walls had opened revealing a tall lady dressed in a long purple dress. She hadn't even noticed that one of the walls had opened. "I… uh…" This was obviously the gym leader. It was weird seeing a lady in a fancy dress standing in a dark place like this.
"I am Fantina, a ghost-type specialist. You have shown tremendous courage entering my lair, but do not think this battle will be so easily won." The woman stepped forward and raised her hands into the air holding them above her head. "The spirits are restless. Your presence has awakened them."
Dawn took a step back. Unfortunately, her foot got caught in a manacle and she fell backwards landing on her backside. Her arms flailed in an attempt to keep her upright, but they only brushed up against some cobwebs. "Ahh!" she yelped, waving her arms around, batting the cobwebs away. Heart racing, she moved away from the webs, and rubbed her arms as if they were covered in spiders.
Fantina lowered her arms and brought her hands to her temples. Tilting her head forward, she closed her eyes. The lights flickered. Dawn took in a deep mouthful of air and clamped her mouth shut. This definitely wasn't what she was expecting. "There's something special about you… I can sense power… the spirits can feel it too… the blood… the darkness… the pain… it's a part of you… that's why the spirits are restless." Fantina opened her eyes and squinted.
"I do not understand what you are saying." Her fingers dropped to her pokebelt, brushing up against one of her pokeballs.
Fantina reached a hand forward, her fingers reaching for her forehead. Dawn tried to move out of the way, but stopped herself at the last minute, remembering what happened the last time she moved around the place. Fantina wouldn't hurt her, right? This was probably just part of her act as the gym leader of the ghost-types. "I will not hurt you, but I am curious to see why the spirits are acting the way they are. Your presence darkens even this place." Fantina pressed her fingers against Dawn's forehead.
A cold chill spread throughout her body. It reminded her of having a spirit move through her. It was as if the blood running through her veins had suddenly turned into ice. "What are you doing to me?" she gasped.
Fantina didn't reply to her question, instead she said something else. Her words were muffled though and Dawn couldn't decipher them. A few moments later, Fantina pulled her hand away, as the lights stopped flickering. Her eyes were wide. "What is your name, trainer?"
"Da-Dawn," she stuttered.
"Dawn, I do not wish to be the bearer of bad news, but your journey must end here." Fantina raised a hand above her head. "Come to me, Duskull!" Once again, Dawn felt a chill race down her spine. Duskull was obviously a Pokemon, but Dawn couldn't see it. Fantina hadn't even thrown a pokeball. She wasn't even wearing a pokebelt.
Get a grip, Dawn, this is just a battle, she scolded herself. Taking in a deep breath, Dawn reached down and selected a pokeball. She threw it forward, summoning her Murkrow to the field. The dark-type avian fared well in battle earlier against the ghost-types, this battle should be no different. "Murkrow!" The avian flapped around in circles above her head, searching for his target. Still there was sign of the Duskull.
"Duskull, use Will-O-Wisp!" Fantina ordered.
Dawn brought out her Pokedex ready to obtain data the moment the Pokemon revealed itself. A ball of purple fire emerged through one of the walls, striking her Murkrow in the side, exploding upon impact. Tiny purple flames burst out and enveloped her Murkrow, shrouding it in fire. Murkrow flapped his wings, trying to fan out the flames, but they remained. The smell of burnt feathers filled up the room.
A few moments later, a floating body clothed in a black robe with two visible bones appearing through the back appeared. It emerged through one of the walls. Dawn's jaw dropped. This creature appeared to be wearing a mask resembling a skull. A single red eye floated between the two eye sockets.
Duskull. It loves the crying of children. It startles bad kids by passing through walls and making them cry.
She was reminded of the Grim Reaper, only this Pokemon didn't wield a bloodstained scythe. "Murkrow, use Pursuit!" she ordered.
Murkrow flew forward, and launched himself at the Duskull. Duskull retreated back into the safety of the wall just as Murkrow prepared to strike. Murkrow hit the wall, temporarily stunning himself. Duskull emerged again. "Duskull, use Shadow Streak!" Before Dawn could think of a counter-strategy, Duskull morphed into a black ball and flung itself at Murkrow, knocking it down from the air. It returned to its normal form moments afterwards.
"Come on Murkrow, we can do this! Use Pursuit!" Murkrow tried to launch an attack again, but once more, the Duskull retreated into the safety of the walls. Murkrow collided into the wall again, this time succeeding in giving himself a concussion. He flopped to the ground, talons held up in the air, his wings outstretched. Dawn cursed inwardly as she recalled her Murkrow back to his ball. How was she supposed to fight against a Pokemon that could make itself invisible?
"You should surrender while you have the chance, Dawn. The bond I share with my Pokemon is much deeper than the one you share with yours. A battle against the ghost-types can't be won by your Pokemon's strength alone – the trainer must be strong as well. Pure-power will only take you so far. You lack faith. A lack of faith opens your mind to the dark spirits of the world."
Dawn dropped to her knees, a wave of helplessness washing over her. Fantina was right. She had no chance of winning this battle. The ghost-type Pokemon were far too strong. This was their natural environment. "I…" she stuttered. Her battles leading up to this seemed so insignificant in comparison. Gardenia… Roark… both battles had been won because of her Pokemon's power. But weren't battles supposed to be won by a Pokemon's power? Trainers didn't fight.
"Until you learn how to strengthen your mind, you will never win against me."
"I… don't understand…"
Fantina's expression remained hard. "Then you will never succeed. Duskull, return!" Duskull retreated back into the wall. "Do not face me until you are ready. Battling a trainer with a weak heart and mind is a waste of my time. Leave." Dawn couldn't find the words to speak, so she remained silent, her head hung low. She wasn't worthy enough of fighting. Not strong to continue on. She climbed back up the ladder.
Being back outside in the sunshine would normally lighten her mood, but she didn't feel any better. She had lost the battle all because she didn't have the strength to carry on. Fantina called her weak, but the gym leader was right. Even though she was quite the eccentric character, she spoke the truth. She saw her weaknesses.
Dawn made her way over to bench and sat down, watching two young male trainers face off against each other. Two Bidoofs stood between the two boys. The male wearing a blue backwards cap thrust his finger forward and gave his Bidoof the order to attack. His Bidoof leapt forward, tackling the other one. The other male with no cap shouted. His Bidoof freed itself from the other one's grip and fought back, managing to drive the Bidoof back a couple of steps.
Dawn found herself unable to tear her gaze away. Fantina had spoken of a bond between a trainer and their Pokemon, but what did she mean by that? A trainer couldn't fight a Pokemon's battle – the trainer only issued orders and formulated a strategy to overpower the other.
"What? No way! How did your Bidoof get out of that?" the cap-wearing boy exclaimed.
"I believe in myself and in my Pokemon! My Pokemon is strong, but when we're together, he's much stronger than your battle hardened Bidoof!" The two Bidoofs ran into each other and the cap boy's Bidoof was overpowered once again.
Dawn glanced down at her pokeballs. What was she missing? Something nagged at the back of her mind, but she couldn't quite figure out what it was. So far, her battles had been won by exploiting the weaknesses of her opponents. It had been a strategy that had worked well up until now. "What am I missing?" she murmured.
She was engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't recognize the presence of someone else besides her. It was only when the other person spoke did Dawn come back to her senses. Immediately, she turned to her left and spotted a lady dressed all in black sitting next to her. Dawn raised a brow. Was this someone she should recognize? She had never seen this person before – the woman hid her hair beneath her cap and black shades concealed her eyes.
"Dawn," the woman spoke softly, removing her shades. She removed her cap as well, letting long blonde curls fall down around her head and back. Now Dawn recognized her. The lady back in Oreburgh City who told her about the mining clothes.
"How do you know my name?" The words left her mouth before she even gave it much thought. She realized now it probably sounded rude. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude."
The woman chuckled. "No harm done."
"Let me guess, you are part of the International Police Force?" It would make sense that she did. She was keeping an eye on Dawn. Why else would she be here now? Looker and this lady were probably taking turns keeping track on her. It would explain why this blonde-haired lady had been at Oreburgh at the right time.
The woman raised her eyebrows. "International Police?"
Perhaps not. Dawn frowned. "You don't know Looker?"
"Should I?"
Awkward moment. "So if you're not part of the International Police, how did you learn my name?" Although this was her first real conversation with the lady, it felt rather easy talking to her, as if she had known her since birth.
"I've known you since the day you were born, Dawn. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but I didn't have the chance. My name is Cynthia."
Dawn frowned. Was Cynthia telling the truth? She tilted her head to the right, trying to work out whether or not the woman was lying. She seemed sincere though and didn't look like the type to lie, but it was hard to trust people when there were people like Galactic running around the region causing all sorts of trouble. "The name doesn't sound familiar."
"I don't blame you for not remembering. I didn't have the chance to spend much time with you – I was on my own Pokemon journey," she said softly.
"You're a trainer?"
Cynthia chuckled. "You seem surprised."
"Mum never mentioned you."
"Johanna didn't see much of me herself – she probably thought it was best if you didn't know me."
"Because you're a trainer, right? She didn't want me to become a trainer for so long." Dawn looked down at her hands resting on her lap and sighed. "Can't say I blame her though… I'm not exactly doing a good job at being a trainer."
Cynthia frowned, and placed a hand on Dawn's shoulder, brushing a strand of blue hair away from her face. "What makes you say that?"
Dawn lifted her chin up and met Cynthia's gaze. "I couldn't beat Fantina even though I have a type-advantage against her. She said I wasn't worth battling because my bond wasn't strong enough. I don't understand what she meant by that. What does she mean by a bond?"
"A bond is a connection you form with your Pokemon. You have a special bond with each individual and it grows deeper over time. I guess you could say it's a form of energy that comes from within. Some trainers abuse their bonds with their Pokemon and so they walk down a different path than the ones you and I choose to walk," Cynthia explained. She paused for a moment allowing her words to sink in then continued. "When you retrieved your Turtwig from Professor Rowan, you created a bond with him."
"Fantina said my bond wasn't strong enough, but what does she mean? I defeated Roark and Gardenia. I fought and defeated some Galactic grunts. I battled against numerous trainers on the journey here and won. Doesn't that strengthen my bond?"
"There's more to battling than pure power, Dawn. That's a mistake many trainers make – you can defeat your opponent by exploiting their weaknesses, but what do you gain from that other than the thrill of victory?"
Dawn thought hard. "A badge?"
"Think about your early battles, Dawn. How did you defeat your early opponents?"
The first trainer she battled against was her best friend, Barry. It seemed like ages ago since that day, but in reality it had only been a few weeks. Her Turtwig had a type-disadvantage against Chimchar, yet her Pokemon had managed to pull out a miraculous win in both situations. Fantina's ghost-type Pokemon had a type-disadvantage against her dark-type but she still won. "I believed in Turtwig."
"Some trainers believe that a bond only grows stronger the more battles their Pokemon wins, but that is not true. Love is the strongest weapon – if you love your Pokemon and believe in yourself, seemingly impossible battles will become possible. It was a lesson I had to learn when I was starting out on my journey." She smiled.
"You speak as you have experienced it."
"Every trainer experiences it at some point in their career, but unfortunately, many trainers discover it in their late years. I was fortunate to have learned about the bond in my first few weeks – I don't know how I would've managed my later battles if I hadn't." She gave Dawn a reassuring smile. "Trainers who lose their way will begin to fail. They become trapped in a vicious cycle of constant failure. When the light fades, there is darkness. When hope is gone, all is lost. You need to know what you are fighting for because it gives the battle more meaning."
Dawn sunk back in the bench, reflecting on Cynthia's words. She reflected on her previous gym battles and realized she had relied on a type-advantage to win. She went into battles thinking about the quickest way to obtain victory rather than think about the reason for battling in the first place. "I've been battling for the wrong reasons…" she said slowly.
"Don't be too hard on yourself, Dawn. You have just started on your journey and you are doing much better than most people your age do. Many trainers fail to realize how difficult a trainer's journey is – you should be proud of yourself that you've made it this far." Cynthia removed her hand off Dawn's shoulder.
"When did you start your journey? Were your parents trainers too?" Dawn blurted unable to stop herself. Cynthia was like the sister she never had. "We have a lot of catching up to do," she added, a slow smile crossing over face. Cynthia had given her a lot to think about and helped her better understand the bond Fantina had mentioned.
"I started my journey when I was ten years old in Celestic Town. I didn't have the option of selecting a starter Pokemon because I lived so far away from Professor Rowan, and so I was given a Gible by a couple of dragon tamers from next door."
"Did you take the gym challenge?"
Cynthia shook her head, blonde locks falling around her eyes. She brushed aside her bangs and continued speaking. "Yes, I did, but obtaining badges wasn't my primary goal. Taking the gym challenge allowed me to travel across the region and learn more about the bond between trainers and Pokemon. A Pokemon is only as strong as their trainer is, you see. I wanted to learn how to maximise that bond."
"And have you?"
"There are times I feel like I have learnt all there is to know about the bond, but we have yet to fully understand Pokemon."
"Were your parents trainers?"
"They were, but they chose not to take on the gym challenge, preferring the quiet life. My father left before I commenced my journey and my mother came down with a sickness that claimed her life. My grandmother raised me. It was her who convinced me to take on the gym challenge in the first place. It was my grandmother who asked me to keep an eye on you."
"Keep an eye on me?" Dawn studied Cynthia's expression carefully – did her grandmother feel she was in danger? Cynthia had known her from birth so perhaps she knew something she didn't? She caught a brief glimpse of hesitance in the trainer's eyes. Cynthia knew something. "What is it?"
Cynthia's smile faded. "These are troublesome times, Dawn. You are aware of Galactic's presence, yes?"
Dawn nodded. "What do you know of them?" Cynthia bit her bottom lip and averted her gaze. She knew something about them, but she seemed conflicted whether or not to inform Dawn. "Cynthia? Please, tell me. Why does your grandmother want you to keep an eye on me? Am I in danger? Is that why my mother tried to hold me back from becoming a trainer?"
"I shouldn't be the one to tell you this, but no one else will." Cynthia leaned closer, lowering her volume to a whisper. "We are all in danger but you more so than anyone else." Dawn drew in a sharp breath and jerked her head back. "I don't mean to frighten you, but you must know. Team Galactic are trying to create a new universe using energy from Pokemon."
"How does it involve me?"
Cynthia hesitated. "It involves you because…" She paused suddenly, raking a hand through her hair. She looked into Dawn's eyes and Dawn could see conflict within them. Whatever information Cynthia knew must be something groundbreaking. "I… I can't tell you. I'm sorry, Dawn." She stood up.
Dawn leapt to her feet and grabbed Cynthia's arm. "You have to tell me!"
"I've told you too much already." Cynthia gently removed Dawn's fingers from her arm and put her shades back on. She tied her hair up into a bun and stashed it under her cap and started to walk away. Dawn followed her. Cynthia stopped and glanced down at the younger girl. "I wish I could tell you, but I realize now it's not my place. I know who your father is."
Dawn froze. "You know?" she said, her mouth suddenly dry.
Cynthia bent down and grabbed Dawn's hands, tightening her fingers. "Keep your Pokemon close and remember what I told you today. There is always hope as long as you believe." She released her grip and stood up again then walked away without saying another word. Dawn remained in place, watching Cynthia's retreating form.
No one wanted to tell her the truth – what were they afraid of? Was he linked somehow to Team Galactic? Was that why her mother refused to speak of it with her? So many questions to answers she did not have. Her father's identity was something her mother wanted to hide and Cynthia was tasked with watching over her from her grandmother. Fantina seemed to sense there was something about her that was unnerving. Even Charon, the creepy guy at Valley Windworks seemed to know her as well.
That confirmed it. Her father had some connection with Team Galactic. Perhaps he was the brains behind the organization. She wondered if she had crossed paths with him already. Charon… Jupiter… Mars… Cyrus. Jupiter and Mars were out of the question since they were both female and she knew who her mother was already. Charon was old enough to be her grandfather, but she didn't recognize any similarities in his appearance.
That left Cyrus, the guy she had run into on multiple occasions. He had given her a dusk stone. He seemed to genuinely worry about her busted lip and he seemed to always be in the place she was visiting or near it. He too had blue hair no one else aside from herself and her mother had. The signs were all there. The realization that her father could possibly be the guy in charge of Galactic began to sink in. It wasn't a realization that brought her great joy and not anger, but sadness.
"There is always hope as long as you believe," Dawn said aloud, recalling Cynthia's words. Her mother didn't believe people were born evil but rather their company and surrounding environment impacted their decision-making. Dawn felt the same. She couldn't, and would not cast judgement upon her father until she had a chance to speak with him and understand things from his perspective.
Now it was just a matter of finding him again, but first she had to obtain her third badge. Find a reason for battling, Cynthia had said. She had found it now – this was no longer about winning badges to gain entry into the league challenge. Her journey was about finding the truth to bring her family back together again.