The group's legs pumped fiercely, carrying them deeper towards the distant peak. Louis wanted to speak, he wanted to ask questions, but the party continued on in silence, the boy allowing his father the peace to remember. His feet felt like dead, heavy timber, weighted by their travels, and yet he, and his group, continued on their shadowed path through the darkness.
Miguel leaned close to Taki, out of Louis' earshot.
"I was too panicked to say this earlier…" he paused. "...but thank you for looking after my son. ...um…"
"Taki," the girl answered. "My name's Taki."
Eventually, a question loosened itself from Louis' grip and found its way to his mouth, where he spoke.
"Dad, how much do you remember?" asked Louis.
Miguel chewed the question for a couple of minutes as his brain began reigniting lost memories. With a grin, he turned to his son and spoke.
"Everything," he answered.
Movement ahead. Something falling through the darkened forest between the adventurers and their goal. It fluttered, back and forth on the breeze, until finally coming to rest upon Miguel's forehead.
Taki burst into an uncontrollable giggle, and pointed at Louis' father, her face distorting in an attempt to stifle a burst of loud laughter.
"What's so funny?" questioned Miguel.
"Heh, nothing," answered Taki. "You've got something on your head."
A rather big, pink, delicate bow now adorned Miguel's head in an unwanted fashion display. Totodile jumped up and down, trying to get the bow from the man's head.
Louis's eyes shot skyward and locked to an orange shape circling above. Its wings beat at the darkness around as it descended rapidly toward the group.
"Err... Louis...Taki...get some cover!" yelled Miguel, and launched himself into a nearby bush, landing in a cacophony of disturbed shrubbery.
The rest of the party stood and watched Liza descend nearby, Charla's wings forcing dust and dirt into a cloud as its massive claws met the earth.
The girl with green hair dismounted the giant Pokémon.
"Liza!" yelped Louis.
The newcomers ran to the group. Miguel, meanwhile, poked his head out of the shrubbery to see the girl and her Charizard.
"Oh...it's just a Charizard," he muttered, emerging from the leafy growth.
"Hey! What's going on?" inquired Liza, pointing to the void-like darkness surrounding the area.
"Liza, there's no time to explain," answered Louis.
He outstretched an arm toward the looming peak.
"Can you get us to the top of that mountain?"
Charla spotted Miguel approaching the group. It turned to Louis.
"Is he with you?" it asked.
"Yeah, that's my Dad," answered Louis.
Turning her attention to Miguel, Liza noticed the pink bow lying on top of Miguel's head.
"Oh, there's Charla's bow," she said.
"Huh?" replied Miguel.
Liza trotted over and lifted the bow from the man's head. She walked back over to Charla and placed the bow back on its head. Charla smiled.
With renewed vigour, Liza leapt onto the back of Charla.
"Hop on," she said. "She'll struggle, but Charla will make it."
With everyone aboard, Charla began beating the air with its wings as the group held on tight. Soon, the strenuous effort carried them into the dark sky above, as Charla grunted under the strain.
The wind slapped them in a series of cross-breezes as they ascended, and Taki squeezed Totodile close to her body. The little Pokémon shook, decidedly unfavourable toward this mode of transport, and with a thrust of Charla's wings, they soared toward the peak.
Below, the usually quiet lands bustled with movement, a disturbed movement of irregular panic sending the occupants of the land to a scurry.
"Whoa, look at the commotion down there," said Louis.
"You're telling me," replied Liza.
Suddenly, Charla dropped a-hundred-and-fifty feet, sending its passengers' stomachs to their throats. Miguel forced a hand to his mouth and managed to contain the wave of sickness.
The glinting peak light, now a large white orb, sat merely metres before them.
"We can't land here," cried Liza. "We'll need to find a flat spot."
The group circled the peak, descending a further hundred-feet and Charla reared in the air, dropping its feet to the shale cliffside. She slid a further distance and nearly faltered until it finally found purchase on the barren rock.
The group scrambled off of Charla's back, preparing to climb here. Louis shifted his attention to Liza and Charla, as loose rocks and pebbles cascaded from their footsteps to the wooded lands below.
"You two, wait here," he said. "We'll be right back."
The quartet bouldered up the rockface, a desperate scramble to the mountain's peak. Louis felt something tug at his chest, but shook the sensation clear, focusing on the climb above.
Their hand and footholds became pained, as sharper, loose shale met their climb, and Taki's hands clenched any available grip she could find. Louis continued scrambling, climbing a further ten feet above the others, occasionally sending more pebbles down into his friend's path.
Then, with a shriek, Taki fell. Her eyes widened, and her face paled, as the mountain began to fall from her view.
Louis froze, peering over his shoulder to see Taki's terrified face plummeting toward the distant ground.
"Taki!" shrieked Totodile.
Suddenly, a hand slapped hers, gripping it in a vice-like clench.
"I got you," yelled Miguel, strained.
"Louis! Keep going!" he ordered.
Louis nodded and quickly climbed up to the peak. Getting close to the source of the ray of light, Louis reached into his pocket but felt nothing inside.
The crystal was gone!
The boy gasped and began sweating profusely, panicking at the now missing crystal.
"Where did it go?! Where is it?!" he shouted.
A chasm of nothingness swept through the child and he struggled to form thought.
'It's gone!' he thought. 'I failed! This has all been for nothing!'
Something nearby cleared its throat, startling Louis as he turned his attention to the origin.
Three pairs of mischievous eyes formed out of the darkness.
Bodies formed around the eyes and Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar appeared before the child and floated around him, mockingly.
"You three again?!" groaned Louis.
Haunter grinned at the boy.
"Looking for this?" it said.
Out of its hand appeared the crystal, beginning to glow brighter than before.
Louis attempted to swipe the crystal from them, but not before the spirit could toss it over the boy's head to one of its buddies. The boy tried again, and the crystal was tossed once more.
Louis growled out of sheer frustration.
"Listen!" he bellowed, stopping the ghost Pokémon in their tracks.
"I don't mind if you're all trying to get back at me for scaring you, but right now, something serious needs to be fixed and you're not helping!"
The three giggled.
Gengar began to wind up another throw, before catching Louis' gaze. It had never seen a face like this, pained, tired, and desperate. It lowered its throwing arm.
"Please...if I don't fix this, the region could be stuck in darkness forever, and you won't be able to scare anyone ever again."
Silence found the confrontation, as the silence of the darkness once again took hold.
"Alright, I'll make you a deal," Louis began. "If you give back the crystal, I'll give you one free scare...to me!"
The three Pokémon looked at each other for a few moments.
"You can get me at any time, even when I'm asleep," added the boy. "Just please give me the crystal!"
The troublesome group exchanged a series of nods, agreeing on the proposition. Gengar walked over to Louis and gave the crystal back.
"Thank you," said Louis.
The boy spun around to the light. He was about to start walking until…
"Boo!" shouted Gastly.
Louis froze and turned to Gastly with an annoyed expression.
"Not now!" he said. "Save it for a better time!"
Louis placed hands and feet to the rockface again and continued up the rough surface toward his goal before some shouted words found him.
"Good luck, Ghost-Kid!" the spectral trio announced in unison.
He smirked and boosted himself higher up the peak. Above, a small outcrop shone with pale, white light, and soon, he set foot in the small alcove.
Louis held up the crystal and moved closer to the shining beam. Suddenly, the crystal began to shake in Louis' hand, vibrating its form in an almost ungraspable manner. Louis clutched it in both hands, containing its awkward vibrato.
One foot in front of the other, Louis arduously approached the ray and with a final effort raised his arms, and the crystal into the light.
Oh, man. This is it. Louis and the others are about to complete their objective. I wonder what's gonna happen next chapter?
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