A late upload due to Writer's Block! Trying my best to get past it right now. I'm going to edit the previous chapters for increased quality and length. Do review on the new updated chapters when I upload them!
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.
Xxx
Lavender Town
"So basically, I want you to use a modified version of Scratch. The only difference is you would be hitting a fiery scratch." Cynthia told Braixen. "Also, try to make the Scratch stronger and focused into a single attack instead of smaller hits."
"Just transform the Scratch into Slash." Cynthia said after seeing her look. Braixen nodded and tried what she said. Cynthia noticed her hands were lit up in flames. The Fire Fox tried some experimental scratches but the flames faded midway.
"You've got some of it down," Cynthia praised. "Just keep practicing. Once you are able to use Fire Scratch properly, practice and turn it into Fire Slash."
Braixen nodded and began to practice. Cynthia smiled at her determination and walked to her other Pokémon. Her entire team was on fire since losing to Paul and she herself was too.
The first two matches were a tie and Cynthia really felt she would win it. But then his Grotle crushed Buizel so quickly and the gap was evident.
Cynthia had decided to fight more with Squirtle and Roselia to increase the synergy between them. Better to face the problem right now and then.
She also planned to use Squirtle in the battle against the Fuchsia Gym Leader. Cynthia had a lot of strategies in mind for the gym and was already preparing her Pokémon.
The blonde didn't know how many Pokémon the gym would use. Pewter and Cerulean both used two Pokémon each while Celadon and Vermillion both used three, the latter sometimes four. Cynthia was training her entire team against his battle style.
Fuchsia Gym relied on traps and tricks to fight instead of a direct offensive approach. Moves like Toxic, Sticky Web, and Leech Life were common.
Cynthia didn't have much of a defense against that. Squirtle's Rapid Spin could undo any traps but there was no guarantee the Gym Leader wouldn't lay them again.
It was a good thing Paul's Sandslash had pulled her awareness to Stealth Rock. That was the first time Cynthia had faced against such a technique.
'Hi Ma!' Riolu waved as he completed his second lap around them. The Fighting Type was undergoing some exercises Cynthia had laid out for him. The blonde figured she'll mark his boundaries first and then work on extending them.
"Keep it up Riolu." Cynthia nodded and walked over to Roselia. She was practicing Sunny Day so she could harness the dangerous 'Sunny Beam' combination as the blonde aptly named it. She knew it wasn't that clever or unique but it did the job.
Cynthia noticed that inventing a new name for a combination of moves was better than giving a long string of commands. For example, Sunny Beam was the combination of Solar Beam and Sunny Day, just like Nidorino's 'Focus Up' was for Focus Energy and Work Up.
The blonde had a few more ideas for such combination moves for the others. She had a lot of plans which she hoped to carry out before reaching Fuchsia.
Route 17 was left even though they were about halfway through. It wasn't the largest route for nothing.
"How's it going Roselia?" Cynthia asked, crouching down next to her. Roselia answered by demonstrating Sunny Day. Cynthia noted that it still had some work to do. "Nice job girl," She praised. "Try to make it a bit shorter to form though. And try to make it last longer during battles. We'll work on it after you gain some experience." The blonde added.
"I want you to learn this move alongside Sunny Day." Cynthia said, pulling out her pokedex and showing her the usage of the move. Roselia watched carefully and nodded. "You'll have to pull your less dominant typing for this." She told her. "We need to focus on both typing, okay?"
Roselia nodded and told her to show the demonstration of the move a few more times. Cynthia did as she asked and Roselia finally nodded. "I'll give you your space. Remember to take a breather in between too." The Thorn Pokémon was left to her devices then.
Cynthia reached Nidorino who was learning Mega Horn. The blonde smiled at his determination and didn't interrupt. Nidorino didn't like when anyone broke his focus.
She headed towards the last of her team, Buizel and Squirtle. They were the Pokémon she had the biggest ideas for currently. One being 'Ice Aqua Jet', and the other being 'Counter Shield'.
"How's it going guys?" Cynthia asked. Buizel responded with a frustrated grunt while Squirtle sighed. "Having trouble with Ice Aqua Jet?" Buizel nodded. "What is it exactly?"
The Sea Weasel explained it to her and she nodded. Cynthia didn't need Riolu to understand her team. "You cannot control it and your aim wobbles." Buizel nodded and conveyed another message.
"That and you don't think you'll be able to do it in Solo?" He nodded. "Don't worry about that." Cynthia assured him. "Practice on controlling your Ice Aqua Jet Buizel. We'll work on the solo thing later." He nodded and exhaled to clear his frustrations.
"And Counter Shield?" Squirtle nodded and said that it was going comparatively better than Ice Aqua Jet. "How about you Buizel? How's your Counter Shield going?"
Buizel gestured that he hadn't worked that much on Counter Shield and was practicing more on Ice Aqua Jet. "If you want to, you can drop Ice Aqua Jet for now." Cynthia told him. "Learn Counter Shield first. It'll help a lot against the Fuchsia Gym."
Buizel considered it before nodding. "Take a short break and then continue. We're leaving for Fuchsia in a few hours." She left the two then.
Ice Aqua Jet, as you have guessed from the name, was a move that involved Aqua Jet, obviously. But instead of the free flowing liquid that enveloped Buizel, the water would be frozen into thick ice and the entire move would be converted into an Ice Type move.
Cynthia figured that a block of ice would hit harder than water. Besides, Aqua Jet was more useful for getting around due to the speed boost it provided. The only problem Cynthia hadn't gotten around was also brought up by Buizel.
Moving on to Counter Shield, it was something inspired from Squirtle's Water Gun usage against Sandslash. He had managed to use as both an offense and defense against him, hence the name Counter Shield.
It'll be heavily useful against a lot of enemies, especially the Fuchsia Gym Leader. Both of the above Combination Moves were inspired during the battle with Paul. In fact, the concept of these Combination Moves was created due to her loss.
Cynthia pulled out her pokedex and scrolled down to Roselia's move pool, sitting down. While Roselia lacked the raw power that Braixen or Nidorino possessed while also failing to properly fit into the hit and run strategy she uses with Buizel nor did she have the defensive capabilities of Squirtle.
What she did have was her unique typing. Roselia could act as a staller or as a hazard setter, or maybe both. Her ability to put the foe into a status ailment coupled with the fact that she had some moves that could bend the environment in her favor, Roselia had potential.
Cynthia had tried a lot of battle styles, ranging from her own usual battle style to Erika's Grass Types and all of them suited her rather awkwardly.
That was until Cynthia remembered May's advice. She had said that each Pokémon had their own style and she could not force one to change itself.
Cynthia thought she had understood the advice. But she actually hadn't. If she had, Cynthia would've solved this matter a long time ago and wouldn't need a defeat from Paul.
Cynthia sighed, trying to let bygones be bygones. Her mind had other plans however. Cynthia focused on her pokedex and bookmarked some moves.
Riolu came stumbling near her, catching Cynthia's attention. "Hey Riolu," Riolu didn't reply, climbing in her lap and sprawling. "Tired much?" Cynthia asked, running a soft hand through his sweaty fur.
'Training is so hard!' He whined. Cynthia smiled at that.
"Achieving one's goals is never easy. We need to work hard to even think of achieving our dreams." The blonde told her. Riolu looked at her with one open eye.
'What are we aiming to be anyway?' Riolu questioned. Cynthia paused at the question.
"That's something I don't know." Cynthia told her Emanation Pokémon truthfully after a few Moments. "I want to be a Pokémon Researcher just like Professor Oak." She told him. "Everyone has different dreams. What's yours?"
'How am I supposed to know?' Riolu asked. Cynthia chuckled a bit at his statement and put her pokedex away, deciding to play with the Fighting Type.
Xxx
"Ready for your first battle as a Servine Viper?" Ash asked. They had just finished breakfast and Viper was ready for her first match. Ash's statement got his entire team's attention.
Viper nodded, getting up and walking near him. "Who'll battle her?" Ash muttered, looking over his team. Mystic, Skylar, Bulbasaur, Lairon or Charmander?
Lairon roared challengingly, stepping forward. Viper looked at him with narrowed eyes. "You wanna fight?" He nodded. "Remember guys, this is a friendly battle. I'll call it off when it gets too intense."
Viper nodded, having no problem with that. Lairon grunted at the commands and settled eyes on the Servine. "That's for you too Lairon." Ash warned him. "Ready Viper?"
The Grass Snake nodded and readied herself. She didn't activate Overgrow yet, wanting to get a feel of her new body in battle first. She had done some testing early morning but that was all she did.
Viper gestured to Ash. "Want me to guide?" She nodded. "Okay then." Ash stood behind Viper, looking at Lairon. "Let's begin!" Lairon grunted and charged forwards with a Take Down.
"Counter with Leaf Blade!" Viper's tail elongated, sharpening, and she moved forwards at her fastest speed yet. Viper slammed her Leaf Blade on Lairon's head, stopping him completely in his tracks.
Lairon grunted in surprise, not quite digesting Viper's new power. The Servine grinned and powered up with Swords Dance, pressurizing Lairon and making him struggle against her.
Lairon boosted up with Iron Defense and let out a Metal Sound making Viper flinch. Finding out an opening, Lairon rushed forward and slammed into her with Iron Head, throwing her back.
"Vine Whip!" Viper understood his command, releasing her vines and slamming them down. The maneuver sent her in the air, evading the Iron Head.
Lairon turned around and triggered his Stone Edge, sending sharp rocks towards the airborne Viper's approximate landing point. "Leaf Tornado!" Viper unleashed sharp leaves around her, the myriad of leaves taking the form of a tornado.
Viper flicked her tail towards the stones. Her Leaf Tornado hit the series of rocks and tore through them, slicing them into small pebbles and continuing towards Lairon.
Lairon rushed forwards, Iron Head around him. Lairon growled challengingly and rushed straight into the leaves, pushing through and emerging on the other side.
"Leaf Blade!" Lairon again met Viper's Leaf Blade, his Momentum breaking and coming to a complete stop. Viper grinned, boosting up with Swords Dance and pushing the Rock/Steel Type back.
Lairon released another Metal Sound making Viper struggle against him. "Vine Whip! Jump back!" Viper jumped back and released her vines, hitting them on the ground and jumping back.
Lairon roared and rushed forwards with another Take Down, wanting to keep the battle close range. Ash noticed Lairon had only Stone Edge and Rock Slide as long range moves. He'll have to work on her versatility.
"Leaf Storm!" Viper blasted the approaching Lairon with a storm of leaves, stopping him in his tracks and making him stumble back. Lairon used Iron Defense, enduring the storm the best he could. "Now Leaf Blade!"
Viper reached Lairon while he was recovering from the Leaf Storm and slashed at him. Lairon stumbled back from the hit and growled at her. "I think that's enough!" Ash intervened.
Viper relaxed and gave Lairon a friendly gesture which he responded to with a grunt. "I think I have a pretty nice understanding of your new stats." Ash told his newly evolved Grass Type. "Great fight Lairon, you delivered a lot more than I expected."
Lairon grunted in reply and decided to walk away, not interested in his praise. "I have a few plans for you Lairon." Ash called out. "You lack a bit in long range fighting. And there's your move pool too. We need to expand on it."
Lairon looked at him. "We'll train and you'll get real stronger, kay?" Lairon looked at him, not quite believing that. "Just trust me. You can give me that much am I right?" Lairon grunted and nodded, walking away.
Ash looked at Viper and gave her a proud smile. "You've grown ready strong. Just need some firepower." Ash pulled out his pokedex. "How about Solar Beam? You already know Synthesis. You just need to learn how to use the gathered energy to attack instead of healing." Viper thought about it before nodding. "We'll train later on. Let's get a move on first. Lavender Town isn't that far off."
Xxx
Ash's entire team had developed quite a bit over the course of Route 10. He obviously avoided the abandoned Power Plant, not wanting to take fights he wasn't sure he'll win.
For one, the Power Plant had a lot of Electric Types and Ash wasn't sure he could take them on in their own natural habitat. Second, the area was sealed off for rookie trainers, a rank he obviously belonged to.
Besides, he already had his Electric Mouse. The Pikachu was one of his strongest Pokémon, maybe a bit lower than the newly evolved Viper. Ash would switch out him for maybe Bulbasaur or Viper.
That was the biggest problem Ash was facing currently. He didn't want to separate anyone from his team but had to due to the six Pokémon limit. If only he got the limit expanded…
But that was hard. Only the League Members and winners of a conference got their limits extended. Ash had a long way to go before he could even dream of achieving either of those. One day maybe…
"Hey Mystic," Ash spoke to the Evolution Pokémon on his shoulder. "I was thinking of recalling Zeus." Mystic yipped. "But I'm not sure on who to send to Professor Oak." Ash frowned in thought. Mystic also fell in thought. "I was thinking of sending Bulbasaur. Viper has recently evolved and Charmander and Lairon both are a big no for obvious reasons. Skylar was recently called back too."
Mystic yipped, saying that Bulbasaur hadn't exactly spent much time with him compared to the others. "With that logic, you'll have to go to Professor Oak." Ash commented. Mystic yipped in protest. "I'll have to be unbiased girl. Everyone's equal."
Mystic grumbled. "I'll regularly rotate my Pokémon girl. Don't worry." Ash told her. "When we'll reach Saffron, I'll send in Viper for you and Bulbasaur for Oceanus." Ash frowned with that arrangement. "That'll leave me with no Grass Types. Man, this is hard!"
Mystic yipped and said that he should focus on the present and focus on the future later. Any further conversation was halted as Ash's pokégear notified a message. "That's Cynthia." Mystic smirked and teased him. "She's just a friend Mystic." Ash said. "I thought you'll know that."
Mystic chuckled and nuzzled him soothingly. "We're about to reach Lavender Town in a few days." Ash took off his hat and ran a hand through his sweaty hair. "Need to get a haircut man." The rookie commented. "The hottest part of summer approaching Mystic. We'll have to reduce travelling and training if we want to leave unscathed." Mystic agreed with that. "Think we'll find a barber in Lavender Town." Mystic rolled her eyes and nodded. "I know, lame question." Ash typed in his reply and rolled his neck. "How about we set up camp now? We're not that far from Lavender Town anyway. No need to push it."
Mystic nodded and jumped off his shoulder. Ash spotted a nice camping spot and dropped his backpack. Ash typed in his pokégear, replying to Cynthia.
Mystic yipped, asking what she was asking. "Nothing special. Just normal hi hello." Mystic gave her equivalent of 'Oh' and curled up. Ash called out his team and settled for the night.
Xxx
"Is it me or are you feeling chilly too?" Ash questioned Bulbasaur. The Seed Pokémon nodded. There were a day away from Lavender Town and Ash wanted to believe he was overthinking things.
But deep down he knew he wasn't.
There were no Wild Pokémon rustling or playing around. That was never a good sign. Plus, there were very few trainers around here and most didn't even ask for a battle. They were in a hurry and paranoid.
Ash also felt chills ever since they were closing in on Lavender Town. He thought he had spotted things from the corner of his eye but there was nothing. He felt someone sneak up on his back but when he turned around, there was nothing.
His Pokémon were a bit overworked as well. Viper even activated her Overgrow a few times, trying to use the boost to spot someone. Skylar stayed close to them instead of stretching her wings.
Ash also noticed he had trouble sleeping. Vague nightmares and dreams assaulted him, destroying his sleep quality and making him cranky during the day. Even having Mystic close didn't help since his team sometimes suffered too.
That's why Ash had at least two Pokémon out at all times. Currently, Skylar patrolled from above while Bulbasaur remained close to him. Ash felt someone sneaking up beside him and tensed.
"Bulbasaur," Ash whispered. "Feel that?" Bulbasaur nodded and growled warningly. Ash felt the feeling vanish and sighed. "Let's just setup camp. The sun has fallen anyway."
Ash sat down near the route, releasing his entire team and letting them huddle close to him. Charmander was in his lap, being a baby and all, with Viper and Mystic protectively flanking him. Skylar was lazily trailing circles above them, her Keen Eye trying to spot anyone.
Lairon was a few feet away from them, feigning sleep. Ash knew that he was a bit disturbed from all the happening despite the Iron Armor Pokémon's best tries to hide it.
"Relax guys." Ash said, pulling out food for everyone. "Whatever it is, it won't dare attack us." Ash let the threat hang in the air. For a few Moments, the air stilled.
Ash's entire team stiffened, looking around to spot anyone daring to hurt their trainer. Charmander gave a questioning cry to Ash who pulled the Fire Lizard close to himself.
Viper activated her Overgrow, trying to spot anyone around. Mystic nuzzled Charmander soothingly while Lairon was ready to unleash a Metal Sound. Bulbasaur kept a sharp eye on Ash's side, ready for any ambush. Skylar silently glided upwards, having an aerial view.
The atmosphere went back to normal after a few seconds and his team relaxed. Viper shook her head and gave the bewildered a smile, tickling him with her vine. Charmander giggled, breaking the heavy atmosphere in the air.
"Eat up guys." Ash said, dishing out their food. Ash noticed they were wary of eating and smiled comfortingly. "I know you don't have much of an appetite right now and I don't have it too truthfully, but we need to be at our best."
His team decided to eat up at that. Ash smiled and ate up himself. Mystic fed Charmander so Ash left it to her. Charmander was handled much better by her aunt than him.
"I'm going to sleep now." Ash said, yawning. "Mystic," The Evolution Pokémon looked up and nodded. "Good night guys."
Xxx
Charmander was sleeping contently at Ash's side, snoring away. He growled when feeling someone poke him on his side. Using his tail to hopefully dissuade the one who was poking him.
The poking resumed much to his chagrin and Charmander opened his eyes. Charmander's eyes widened and he tried to wake Ash up when the figure grabbed his hand.
Gesturing him to stay silent, the intruder spoke to Charmander in hushed voices. Charmander replied likewise as well. Unknown to them, Viper was waking up…
Viper's eyes opened up, having just seen a nightmare in which Charmander was talking to a Ghost Type and Charmander was replying and-
Viper activated Overgrow in an instant, letting the boost shake off any sleep, and she used Vine Whip. Charmander let out a surprised cry when Viper pulled him back.
Her other vine shook Mystic awake who scrambled to her feet and growled at the figure. Mystic fired off a Shadow Ball which was retaliated with a Night Shade.
The two exploded against each other, the crossfire waking up Ash and his team. Viper rushed forwards, Leaf Blade ready, and swiped at the shady intruder.
It simply dissolved into the shadows making her look around. Mystic called out for her to look behind and Viper ducked, spinning around and countering the Shadow Claw with Leaf Blade.
The figure stumbled back from the hit and disappeared inside the shadows again. "Skylar!" Skylar got up, preparing her Sky Attack for a possible OHKO when a pulsing light lit the campsite.
Ash and his entire team's pupils diluted as they lost all sense of reality. The figure laughed evilly and was ready to push on when another figure hit him.
The two fought, struggling against each other. A Metal Sound rang across the campsite, hitting the two and forcing them away. Lairon thrashed around, the strange light having sent all of them in hallucinations.
Viper blinked before struggling and falling on her face. She saw things which wouldn't have made sense had she been thinking with a clear mind.
The six Pokémon and trainer spent the entire night under the influence of Confuse Ray.
Xxx
"Mystic? Mystic, wake up." Mystic blinked, stirring. She blearily opened her eyes and saw a very tired looking Ash shaking her gently. The Eevee got on her feet, looking around.
She yipped questioningly to Ash about what happened. "We got attacked by a Ghost." Ash replied, showing her his pokedex. Mystic blinked when she realized the Pokémon. "That's the Haunter haunting us from the past few days. He fled after affecting all of us with Confuse Ray."
Mystic saw their entire team looking tired as if they had fought the entire night. "Confuse Ray is a very dangerous move. Very taxing on the foe." Mystic didn't have any doubt about that. "We're in no condition to move or fight."
Mystic couldn't believe it. A single Confuse Ray was strong enough to defeat all of them?! All their training, preparations, and power yet they lost.
"I don't know why it didn't finish us off." Ash told her. "I don't think any of us would've been strong enough to hit it back." Mystic, realizing that her trainer was as shook as them, climbed into their arms and nuzzled him soothingly.
"I'm fine." Ash said, giving her a smile. "Let's begin the morning. We'll camp early today. Kay?" She nodded and Ash began to tend to everyone.
Xxx
"What the?" Ash gasped as he stepped foot in Lavender Town. Skylar, perched on his shoulder, let out a wary cry. Lavender Town was…
It was way scarier than what Ash had heard.
He had heard stories and myths about Lavender Town and Lavender Tower but never had he thought that Lavender Town would be like this. In no story did they mention it being so deserted.
"Where is everyone?" Ash muttered, walking through the empty streets. The atmosphere was heavy and unsettling, the air chilly and downright scary. Ash could've sworn he saw shadows dancing around him and saw some unbelievable things as well.
Every step he took could be heard due to the startling silence surrounding Lavender. Ash looked around, taking in the feeling. It was unsettling. He felt on edge, like someone would rush from the shadows and hurt him.
Ash heard voices, undecipherable and barely audible. Skylar let out a shriek, ruffling her feathers as a sign she was unsettled. Ash scratched her under the beak to calm her.
Ash saw dark clouds loom above Lavender for whatever reasons, covering the sun and preventing any sunlight from reaching downwards. It certainly added to the effect.
Ash spotted the main attraction of Lavender Town, the Lavender Tower, looming over the town, the top covered in mist. Ash saw faint purplish sparks cover the tower and the longer he looked at it, the more he felt his mind tugging at straws.
"Holy…" Ash gasped when he thought he saw ghoulish faces in the mist. Ash clenched his fists tight, taking a deep breathe to calm down. "Easy," Ash told himself. "Where is the darn Pokémon Center?"
Ash reached the Pokémon Center after a few minutes and entered inside. The lobby was completely empty which was surprising. "Hello and welcome to the Pokémon Center!"
Ash unclipped his pokéballs and handed them over to Nurse Joy. "What's up with Lavender Town Nurse Joy?" Ash asked her. The pinkette gave him a sad look.
"That's something only the elder can tell you." She replied. "But if you are here to catch a Ghost Type or to roam the Lavender Tower, I highly recommend you come back later on."
"What exactly is happening?" Ash asked her again as Skylar fluttered over to her shoulder.
"The Ghost Types are highly agitated and are attacking anyone in sight." Ash remembered the Confuse Ray incident. "So far, there are no casualties, only injured trainers."
"Where are they?" Ash questioned.
"They fled Lavender Town the Moment they were able to." She replied bluntly. "Except a few. They-" She hesitated. "They didn't heed our warnings and entered the tower."
"What happened to them then?" Ash asked, feeling fear nagging in his gut.
"Let's just say the rest of their journey got a lot harder and leave it to that shall we." Ash agreed completely. "A couple of trainers have yet to return. We fear they will be the first casualties ever recorded."
"Why has the League done nothing against it?" Ash asked again.
"They sent a trainer and she entered the tower." Nurse Joy sighed. "The last time we heard from her was a few nights ago, when her screams rang across the Town."
"You think she's…" Ash didn't end the sentence for obvious reasons.
"We're trying to remain optimistic." Nurse Joy answered. "Now, do you want to rent a room for the night?" Ash nodded and handed over his pokedex.
"Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town…" She hummed to herself. "Say, do you know Leaf Verdant?" Nurse Joy asked him. Ash nodded dread crawling inside for no apparent reason.
She gave a dreaded look at him. "What is it Nurse Joy?" Ash asked, voice coming out uneven.
"She's inside the Tower."
Xxx
"Do you see that Riolu?" Cynthia said, seeing a trainer scolding a blue bipedal Pokémon. The trainer had blue hair and an Australian accent as well.
"You're a dragon for God's sake! You can't win a single fight?!" The Dragon Type heard, head low. Cynthia got close enough and finally recognized the Pokémon.
"That's a Gible." She mumbled to Riolu. "A Dragon/Ground Type and a Pseudo Legendary." The trainer seemed to overhear her.
"And despite that, it cannot win a single match!" He turned at her. Cynthia was startled at that. "My father just bought this useless Pokémon and for nothing!"
"Maybe the fault isn't in the Pokémon," Cynthia uttered darkly, crouching besides the Gible. "It's in the trainer." She said, looking over Gible and seeing bruises.
"What you know about training Missy?" He sneered.
"More than you do, obviously." Cynthia muttered. Riolu gave the Land Shark a wave which he replied to with a tired grunt. "Have you even healed him?"
"He doesn't deserve it." Cynthia's head whipped up at the statement. "Father imported this useless piece of shit from Sinnoh for such a high price for my fourteenth birthday and guess what? He ain't worth it!"
He reared his leg back to kick Gible. Cynthia's eyes widened and she tackled him back. "What the hell are you doing?!" She shouted, grabbing Gible and pulling him in a hug.
"He's not yours!" He shouted. "It's my wish to do what I want to do with him!" Cynthia saw down at Gible and saw him looking at her pleadingly.
"He doesn't want to be with you." Cynthia replied back. The trainer clenched his fists.
"I don't care what he thinks!" He yelled. "He's mine and that's it! Father wasted money for him! I don't care what it thinks! It's legally mine and I own him!"
"The way you're treating him comes under Pokémon Abuse!" Cynthia replied. "I can take him from you and no amounts of money would recover him." She warned.
"Who'll save you then?" Cynthia paused at that.
"Is that a threat?" The blonde asked.
"Let me make myself clear then." He cleared his throat. "I'll kill you and no one would be able to pin it on me. You'll be just another trainer on the list, killed by wild Pokémon."
"You won't escape unscathed." Cynthia retorted.
"But you'll die!" He grinned. "And then your sweet Pokémon would be alone. You cannot even begin to think what can do with them." Riolu felt a bit scared at the aura he was radiating.
"Do you even hear yourself?" Cynthia questioned, shocked at his mentality.
"Want a demo?" He questioned. Cynthia didn't reply. "Good. Return Gible." Gible was about to let out a protest when he was sucked in. He approached Cynthia making her tense up.
Riolu let out a scared whimper, clutching Cynthia's pant leg tightly. "What?" She asked fearlessly, staring him in the eye. He infiltrated her personal space, standing nose to nose.
Grabbing her chin, he lifted her face up to his height. "I won't hurt you since you're cute. But Gible wouldn't escape unscathed." Cynthia's eyes widened.
"Don't you dare- oof!" She grunted when he kneed her hard. She stumbled back, clutching her stomach. Riolu felt all fear escape his body and leapt forwards, slamming into him with Quick Attack.
'Don't you dare touch Ma!' He growled out in warning. The trainer reared his foot back and tried to kick Riolu. The Fighting Type dodged, jumping back.
"Why you!" He grabbed a pokéball. Cynthia grabbed Riolu and covered him protectively, hand on Buizel's pokéball. "Stay in your limits bitch." He spat. "Hope our paths don't cross ever again." He began to walk away.
"How much for Gible?" Cynthia called out. The arrogant trainer paused and turned around with an arrogant look.
"More than a peasant like you could afford." He walked away at that.
'You okay Ma?' Riolu asked. Cynthia nodded. 'I hate him.' Riolu growled.
"The feeling's mutual."
Xxx
"What?!" Ash shouted out in alarm. Nurse Joy nodded gravely.
"She's one of those trainers who hasn't returned." Ash frowned in worry. "As I said before, we're trying our best to be-"
"-optimistic. I know." Ash sighed and decided to retreat to his room. "Thank you Nurse Joy." She smiled comfortingly as he climbed upstairs.
"Don't worry. The League will take action real soon." She added.
"They better." Ash reached his room and entered inside, lying on his bed. 'Lavender Tower.' Ash grunted, looking at the large tower from the window of his room. He had a window attached room this time. 'What is inside it?' Ash stared at the tower. 'Leaf, is she okay?'
Ash sighed and took off his jacket and cap, putting them away. Taking off his sweaty shirt as well, Ash sighed and fell back down. 'Don't worry Leaf. I'm coming to save you.'
With that vow, Ash entered the realm of sleep.
Xxx
"Ash!" Ash looked around wildly, trying to spot from where the shouts were coming. "Save me! Ah!"
"Leaf!" Ash screamed. "Where are-" Ash paused. Leaf was hovering in front of him, a dark glow around her. Behind her was a slightly cracked rock with purplish gas swirling in circle above the stone, vaguely making a face.
"Save me." Leaf gasped. "Help me Ash! Help me- Ah!"
Ash jerked awake, panting heavily and looked around. "Leaf!" Ash shouted, looking around. "Damn," Ash cursed, clutching his head as a searing headache hit him. "Ow, what was that dream?"
Ash got up and decided to take a cold shower. 'What was that…' Ash struggled to find the proper word for that face of gas. 'Strange rock thing? A Rock/Ghost Type?'
Ash turned on the cold shower and let it wash off any sleep he had. Wearing fresh clothes, Ash headed down. He spotted Nurse Joy and waved.
"Where can I find the elder?" Nurse Joy pursed her lips.
"At the East edge of Lavender Town." Ash nodded. "Your Pokémon are all ready." She handed over the tray and Ash, thanking her, clipped the spheres to his waist.
The Kantonian left the Pokémon Center, heading towards the East and releasing Mystic. "Hey girl," Ash greeted. "You remember Leaf?" She nodded and shivered a bit, the ghostly influence on Lavender Town making her feel uneasy.
Ash exhaled before continuing, "She's inside Lavender Town." Mystic yipped in alarm, climbing to his shoulder and looking at him for more information. "Nurse Joy told me that she was one of the few trainers who entered the Lavender Town and never returned as of yet."
Mystic yipped sadly, looking at the looming tower above them. "We're heading to the Elder for more information on what happened." Mystic licked his cheek reassuringly making Ash rub her head. "I hope she's fine."
Ash felt like he was walking through an abandoned town. There was no pokémon or human in sight. Though not that populated, Lavender had its fair share of people and Pokémon. For it to be so empty…
They reached the Elder's house, a simplistic house that seemed empty. Ash doubted he was at the right place. "You sure we at the right place? It seems… unoccupied." Mystic replied that every house seemed like that.
The rookie raised his knuckle, rapping it against the door. There was no response so Ash tried again. "Anyone home?" Ash called out. "My name is Ash. I'm here to meet the Elder. Nurse-" Someone clasped his shoulder making Ash freeze.
Mystic yipped in alarm and jumped off his shoulder. "You wanna meet the Elder?" Ash turned around, realizing that it was a human.
"Yeah," Ash replied, nearly having a heart attack. "Who're you?" The boy, who was a few years older than Ash, looked at the Eevee at Ash's feet.
"I can ask you the same." He said, smiling and crouching down. "You're a Pokémon trainer, am I right?" Ash nodded. "What are you doing here?"
"Came here to get myself a Ghost Type." Ash responded. "But Lavender Town says otherwise."
"This is the worst time you could've picked to check out my town." He said, getting back up. "Come inside. I'll fill you in on everything." The boy produced a key from his pocket and inserted it, opening the door and entering inside.
Ash followed him inside, picking up Mystic in his arms. As soon as he entered the room, Ash felt a pressure he hadn't really felt before lift off his shoulders.
"Grandpa, there's someone who wants to meet you." He called out. "Come on," He said, looking at Ash. Ash took off his shoes and entered inside, taking in the house.
It was an average sized house. Not something Ash expected from someone called the 'Elder'. A few decorations hung here and there but that was it. Pretty simplistic.
Mystic climbed on his shoulder, sitting there comfortably. Ash was led to a room where the boy asked him to wait. "Grandpa, there's a trainer who wants to meet you."
Ash felt someone wash over him and Mystic and shuddered. He saw a Gengar grinning at him with the grin his species were famous for and disappearing in the shadows.
"Anpu, how many times I have to tell you before you understand! I don't want to meet any trainer." Ash heard. "We've risked enough trainers for our selfish desires."
"But he wanted to meet you!" Anpu protested.
"That's what you said about that League Officer!" The elder shouted. "And look where she is at now!" The Elder sighed. "Call him in. Let's see what he wants to know."
Ash entered inside, taking that as his cue. "Hello," Ash said a bit awkwardly. The Elder was an old but fit trainer. A stick rested against the wall which led Ash to believe it was his.
"Welcome trainer." He greeted. "My grandson said you wanted to talk to me?" Ash nodded and sat down in front of him.
"I want to know what's going on." Ash told him. "What's up with Lavender Town?" The elder sighed.
"Another naïve trainer." He looked at Ash. "What will you achieve by knowing all of that?"
"My friend Leaf is in there." Ash cut to the point. "I want to go save her." The elder shook his head.
"Impossible." He retorted. "How will you save someone who is no longer alive?" Ash froze.
"How can you say that?" Ash asked in a small voice.
"The Leaf you're talking about is been in Lavender Tower for more than two weeks." He replied. "There are no signs of her being alive."
"You don't have any evidence she's dead as well." Ash pointed out.
"That's true." Ash nodded, fixing his cap. "But that does not necessarily mean she's alive."
"Tell me what's happening with Lavender Town." Ash switched subjects.
"You seriously believe you can just barge in Lavender Tower and save your friend with the current experience you have?" The Elder asked incredulously. "If it was that easy, we would've gotten rid of it long ago!"
"I cannot let my friend die in there!" Ash protested. The Elder raised an eyebrow at that.
"This attitude will get you nowhere kid." He retorted. "That lady working for the League got defeated! You've got some nerve if you think you can outdo everyone else."
Ash exhaled, clenching his fists to calm down. "Sir," Ash began respectfully. "Will you at least tell me what's happening here?" The Elder grunted.
"Two months ago, a group of scientists entered Lavender Tower, saying that it was for research purposes and that they won't dare hurt or damage their surroundings. They showed the pass the League had probably granted them. We allowed them."
"That was, until one night it happened." The Elder frowned gravely. "It was a normal night when the Ghost Pokémon around us froze and screeched as if in pain. They began attacking all of us for no apparent reasons. We and Ghost Pokémon live in perfect harmony here at Lavender Town. For them to attack us out of the blue was unexpected."
"A lot of residents got hurt. The sky turned dark, the atmosphere got heavy, and scary mist covered the upper parts of Lavender Tower. There were screams, blood curling screams that echoed in the entire town for the next two days." The Elder took a deep breathe. "They belonged to the scientists."
"That's when your friend Leaf comes into picture." He glared at Anpu who shrunk back. Ash stared at the exchange confusedly. "She had recently come into town and was surprised at the condition of it. When she asked about the condition, my grandson Anpu told her everything."
"He talked her into a foolish plan that would eventually lead to her demise. The two decided to enter the Lavender Tower and check it out, without informing any of us. Anpu returned a few days later, hurt and scared, but Leaf was nowhere in sight."
"I still remember her screams." Anpu added sadly. Seeing the Elder's and Ash's look, he winced. "Not helping. Sorry."
"We decided to contact the League. It took them a while to actually dispatch someone to help us." He frowned. "When the League Official came, we were hopeful."
"And she disappeared inside the Tower, never to be seen again." Ash told them sadly. The Elder nodded.
"The League Official was one tough lady yet she failed." The Elder continued. "We've seen a couple trainers enter the tower like they were some sort of Champions and when they returned, it was pathetic."
"And yet you desire to enter the Tower." The Elder looked at him. "What makes you think you'll survive somewhere the strongest couldn't? Anpu may be an idiot, but he knows Ghost Types pretty well yet he failed. The League Trainer you already know. Believe me and stand out. They were foolish, you are not. Save your journey kid. You've got a huge life ahead of you."
"When I was sleeping, I had a dream." Ash began, staring off into space. "Leaf was calling for help, pleading, begging even." Ash broke off his stare and looked at them directly. "It may or may not be a trick played by the Ghost Types to lure me in but I can never ignore a cry for help."
"This Leaf girl, she means a lot to you doesn't she?" The Elder asked knowingly.
"She's a friend of mine." Ash replied. "I cannot leave her alone." The Elder sighed.
"Kid, you don't know what you're getting yourself into!" He growled. "So many have failed! What makes you believe you'll succeed?"
"I don't." Ash looked at him. "I'm sure." The Elder shrugged.
"Suit yourself." Ash smiled. "My blessings are with you. Here, take this." He picked up a necklace made of black beads with a feather between them. "They'll protect you against malicious ghosts."
"Thanks." Ash said, wearing it. He'll give it to Leaf once he met her. "Any tips for me?"
"Ghost Types are tricky to beat and even tougher to bear. In Lavender Tower, they'll be at their strongest. But due to this necklace, they won't be able to hurt you." Ash nodded. "The Ghosts won't hesitate to play mind games. Keep your head straight and don't let them distort your sense of reality. They do that and you die."
"Real assuring." Ash muttered.
"You find Leaf, you get out of there." The Elder responded. "No need to play hero and try to save Lavender Town. You don't find her, you get out. Don't head over to the higher levels." Ash nodded. "Don't just nod your head! Understand what I'm trying to say! No heading over to the higher levels! Promise me."
"Um…" Ash tried to think of an excuse. The Elder sighed.
"Why did I think you'll follow my rules?" He continued, "Always have an anchor to reality with you."
"Anchor?" Ash repeated.
"An anchor will bind your sense of reality and prevent you from losing it. You feel yourself floating away, you pull on it." Ash nodded. "A tip to get out of illusions. Look for things that are tricky and hard to replicate." Ash blinked.
"The Ghosts will do everything in their power to break you. If you spot Leaf, try to find a birthmark or something that only you know. It'll mark whether you've found her for real or its all fabricated."
"Anything else?" The Elder shook his head. "Then I guess we're ready to go."
"One last thing." He interrupted. "Try to return before dusk."
"I'll try." Ash said and fixed his cap. "Let's go Mystic." The Evolution Pokémon yipped and jumped on his shoulder.
"Your Eevee, that's your starter?" Elder asked. Ash nodded. "She has a really high friendship with you."
"We've been together a lot." Ash replied.
"Not many Pokémon are willing to risk themselves for the trainer." The Elder got up, clutching his stick and walking over to them. "I feel…" He trailed off, rubbing her head. Seeing Mystic's look, he chuckled and nodded. "Tell me your name boy. If you die, we'll remember your sacrifice."
"Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town." Ash responded. "And I'm not going to die, I promise." Ash clenched his fist.
"Pretty bold statement if I say so myself." The Elder stated.
"That promise is my anchor." Ash smirked. "And my second source of determination." Ash looked at the clock hung on their wall. "I'll take my leave now. Kay?"
The Elder nodded. "Good luck Ash."
"We believe in you." Anpu added. "And I'm sorry for putting Leaf in such a mess."
"It's fine." Ash replied. Ash then left the house, leaving the Grandson and Grandpa alone.
"You think he'll succeed?" Anpu asked the Elder. The Elder clutched his stick, in deep thought.
"Only time may tell Anpu."
Ash headed towards the Lavender Tower, epicenter of this disaster that had struck Lavender Town. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to." Ash told Mystic. The Eevee shook her head and yipped determinedly. No way she'll let Ash go in there alone!
Ash reached the path leading to the tower and paused. Taking a deep breathe, Ash closed his eyes and prepared himself.
"Having second thoughts?" Ash's eyes opened wide and he looked at the path. "You should. No one can stop it. Lavender is his now."
"Leaf?" Ash asked in disbelief. "Who's that 'it' you talking about? I'm not leaving you alone!"
"It was my choice that led to my demise." Leaf responded. "You don't have to die for me." Ash chuckled at the statement.
"You don't even sound like Leaf right now." Ash looked at her with a smirk. "If you want to get in my head, you'll have to try a lot harder." Leaf approached him and leaned in.
"I'm already in Ash," She whispered in his ear, grabbing his collar. Leaf giggled hauntingly and ran back, twirling and disappearing into thin air. Ash blinked and found Mystic looking at him worriedly.
"Sorry. The Ghost Types and their illusions." Ash replied. "Let's get going." Ash stepped foot on the path and felt gates close behind him. Ash turned around, spotting nothing. Cursing under his breath, Ash continued.
Mystic yipped warily, looking at skeletal remains probably belonging to the scientists. Ash felt fear grip him as he stared at a skull. "How much of this is real according to you?" Mystic promptly blasted the skull with Shadow Ball, blasting it. "That was real. I guess." Ash had a hard time drawing the line between fake and real.
The duo continued on, covering the distance while trying their best not to look at the environment. "Come on Ash," Ash heard. "Give in already." Ash raised an eyebrow at that. "You cannot save a dead person. Why try?"
"You're not dead. And you're not real." Ash answered bluntly. Leaf giggled.
"Oh Ashy," She caught Ash's attention with that. "You don't realize how foolish you look, talking to thin air." Ash blinked and saw Mystic looking at him concernedly.
"Ok, she's definitely in my head." Ash told the Evolution Pokémon. "Here we are." The two reached Lavender Tower in all its scary glory. Ash shook off the feeling that someone was crawling behind him and clasped the necklace.
Mystic let out a gasp suddenly. She pointed forwards with her tail. "Huh?" Ash opened his eyes and looked at it. His body froze.
The dead, rotting body of Leaf Verdant lay at the door of Lavender Tower, welcoming him to the horrors it possessed.
A chilling laughter rang across Lavender Town.
Xxx
Things are getting spooky! I'll tell you when the chapters are updated so stay tuned! Review if you want faster updates! With that said, let's head on to…
Response to Reviews:
Issei182: Some are planned; some are added as the story progresses like Riolu.
UltimateCCC: Compare her to the Viper in her debut chapter.
Cobb: Thanks for the support my dear reader!
Guest: Sure, I'll keep a list in the near future when there are more Pokémon added with moves, nicknames, and stuff. And that was an editing error. Ash does not have a Riolu. I've rectified it.