A bright gibbous moon radiated through the clear night sky. Its light reached Lavender Town, and died. The dark, quiet town was stubborn in its eeriness, almost supernaturally so.
The massive Pokémon Tower stood before us—a black silhouette before the moonlit sky.
"Prepare yourselves," said Bird Jesus. "Our task is hardly less difficult than it was before. Nonetheless, we must not give in to fear. We must boldly go forth, and—"
"GHOST TOWER 3SPOOKY5ME!" Red shouted, running away from the tower.
~·~
Start Time: 6d 23h 47m
~·~
The wild Gastly broke out of its Poké Ball, and cackled. "Nice try," it taunted.
"2SPOOKY4ME!" Red shouted, running away.
[Got away safely!]
"Phew," I sighed, relieved. "We didn't catch it."
"Aw, I don't know," said Cabbage. "Would it really have been so bad?"
"Yeah," said Dux. "Like—maybe to beat ghosts, you've gotta use ghosts."
"Use ghost beat ghost!" said Dashbat. "Ghost beat ghost!"
"Except we wouldn't use it," I pointed out. "It'd go to the PC—and complicate things."
"It could be our backup, though," said Cabbage.
"Yeah," said Dux. "Like some kinda… emergency backup ghost."
"I'd rather we keep things simple," I replied. "We'll have to use the PC eventually. Better to keep it empty until then—and avoid giving Red any extra temptations."
"It matters little," said Bird Jesus. "We have but one Great Ball remaining."
"Yeah—hopefully, we won't catch anything with it."
Another wild Gastly drifted down to us.
"Did somebody say 'catch'?" Gastly said, grinning widely. "'Cause I think I heard someone say 'catch.'"
"Hey—butt out!" Dux said, jumping out to face Gastly. "We're having a private conversation over here!"
Gastly cackled. "A private conversation, is it?" he said, chuckling. "Well, I won't interrupt your private conversation. However, if you just happen to be looking for an 'emergency backup ghost,' I'd like to apply for the position."
"Forget it," I said. "Our team is full. We don't need another—"
"CATCH IT!" Red shouted, throwing his last Great Ball.
The ball hit Gastly, beamed him inside, and fell to the ground.
It and shook, and shook, and shook.
Click.
[All right! GASTLY was caught!]
"Red catch ghost!" said Dashbat. "That… good, right?"
"Who even knows at this point," said Dux.
With his leek, Dux pressed the button on the Poké Ball. It opened, and our new Gastly beamed out.
"Welcome to our team, Gastly!" said Cabbage.
"The name's Dux," said Dux. "And—"
"PRAISE DOME!" shouted Gastly. "DOME WILL WIN! DOME RULES HELIX DROOLS!"
"What did you say?" Bird Jesus asked, brow furrowed.
Gastly laughed maniacally. "You fools! You absolute cretins! You've just brought one of Lord Dome's agents into your own team!"
"Wait… what?" said Dux.
"Oh, no…" said Cabbage.
"Oh, yes!" Gastly said, still cackling. "It's over for you now! I am the curse that shall doom you! I am the destruction that shall end you! I am—"
"Lying," I finished.
"Huh?" said Dux.
"He's lying," I said, monotone. "He overheard us talking about Helix and Dome, and decided to mess with us."
Gastly laughed. "Oh, is that what you believe?" he said. "How very—"
"I can read minds," I said, still monotone.
Gastly frowned. He stared at me.
"Spoilsport," he said.
Suddenly, Gastly was beamed back into his Poké Ball. The ball transformed into pure light, and vanished.
[GASTLY was transferred to BILL'S PC!]
"So… he was just joking?" said Cabbage.
"Ghost joking?" said Dashbat. "Ghost not bad?"
"Even I was fooled," Bird Jesus said, smiling at me. "Your perception is keen, Keeper."
I faced the spectral mist. It was as eerie as ever. But now I felt something new. Something pushing me forward. Maybe it was my newfound strength—and my desire to test it.
"In any case," I said, "we have other things to worry about right now." I turned, and looked at Digrat. "Are you ready, Digrat?"
"Hell yeah!" said Digrat. "Let's kick some ghostly keister!"
I smiled. For all the crap he pulled, Digrat was always there for us when we needed him.
…It's too bad he fainted five minutes later.
"Um… oops," Digrat said, limping back to us. "Sorry, guys."
"GHOST 2SPOOPY!" Red shouted, running away from the wild Gastly.
I sighed. "I suppose it's up to me, now," I said.
"You can do it, Drowzee!" said Cabbage.
"Yeah," said Dux. "You haven't even used your secret weapon yet!"
"That's true," I said. I was dying to test Psychic out. But using it had proven difficult.
We climbed the next staircase, and reached the fourth floor, where the fog was a bit thicker. Red took a few steps forward, and…
"Woooo…"
There she was. That woman again. The Channeler who'd defeated us three times already.
"BURN THE WITCH!" shouted Red.
The Channeler's Gastly came out to face us. Bird Jesus flew forth to… "fight" her.
Another frustrating battle. Red kept switching between us, as usual. Cabbage managed to paralyze Gastly with Stun Spore—but then fainted from self-damage thanks to Confuse Ray. Dashbat got in a Leech Life, but quickly fainted from Night Shade. Then Bird Jesus was out—and couldn't do anything, really. Sometimes he used Sand-Attack, but mostly he used useless attacks as Gastly slowly chipped his health away.
Finally, it was my turn.
Gastly was paralyzed and partly blinded. She kept trying to use Night Shade—but I avoided it easily.
Unfortunately, I kept retaliating with Pound, which went right through her gaseous body.
I stopped, and tried to concentrate. I listened to the Mob. Eighty thousand voices. Eighty thousand realities. I tried to synchronize with them. To let my soul blend in with theirs.
I held out my arms—and released a powerful wave of energy.
[DROWZEE used PSYCHIC!]
The purple-tinted wave hit Gastly; she gasped, and fell to the ground.
[It's super effective!]
[Enemy GASTLY fainted!]
"Yes!" I cheered, pumping my arm. I heard the others cheering on the sidelines. I was pumped. That felt incredible. Such a powerful move. I couldn't wait to keep using it.
But I wouldn't get the chance.
[CHANNELER sent out GASTLY!]
The second Gastly came out to face me. And before I could land a single blow…
[Enemy GASTLY used NIGHT SHADE!]
[DROWZEE fainted!]
~·~
"RIOT!" Red shouted. He was running around outside the Saffron City Pokémon Center—the last place where he'd healed his Pokémon.
"Well, that sucked," said Dux.
"It's no different than before," I growled, fists clenched. "It took all we had to defeat just one Gastly. And then she sends out a second Gastly, and wrecks us."
"Stay focused, Keeper," said Bird Jesus. "Frustration is our greatest foe."
"Yeah," said Cabbage. "Plus, I have a good feeling about next time!"
~·~
[RED blacked out!]
~·~
"RIOT!" shouted Red.
I sighed. It was even worse, this time. We'd lost to her first Gastly.
I watched Red, and wondered how long he'd put up with this. This tower had already driven him into the Dome's embrace once. Would it happen again? Surely, he was near his breaking point. How much more of this could he endure?
~·~
This time, we healed up at Lavender Town's Pokémon Center before moving on. That way, we'd at least get sent here if we blacked out, rather than Saffron City.
We entered the tower, climbed to the second floor, and made our way across the room.
"I can't beat her alone," I said, preparing for the coming battle. "Digrat—when we reach the Channeler, try to use… your special move."
"But I forgot Thunderbolt," said Digrat.
"Not Thunderbolt, you dingus!" Dux snapped. "Your other special move!"
"My other special move?" Digrat said, scratching his chin. "Hmm… which move is that, again?"
"Dashbat know!" said Dashbat.
"Well, hold on—" I started.
"Really?" said Digrat, gazing up at Dashbat with large, innocent eyes. "You do?"
"Dashbat know!" said Dashbat. "But… Dashbat not allowed to say."
"It's okay, Dashbat," said Digrat. "I give you my permission to say it."
"Yeah, right!" Dux growled. "Your permission doesn't mean squa—"
"Dig!" said Dashbat. "It Dig! Move is Dig! Dig, Dig, Dig!"
I facepalmed.
[AAJST(? ? ? ? used DIG!]
~·~
"Um… oops," said Dashbat. "Dashbat make mistake."
"Wow—way to go, Dashbat," Digrat said, rolling his eyes. He nudged Dux. "This bat, amirite?" he whispered. "Like… there she goes again."
Dux glared at him.
He swung his leek, and bonked Digrat on the head.
~·~
Bird Jesus flew straight into the ground.
[It hurt itself in its confusion!]
[PIDGEOT fainted!]
The Channeler's Gastly cackled.
"THE WITCH IS OP PLZ NERF!" shouted Red.
[RED blacked out!]
~·~
Finally, we reached the fourth floor again. We braced ourselves.
"Wooooo," the Channeler wailed, approaching. "Be cuuurrrssed with meee…"
"NOOOOO PLZ NOT CURSE US K THX!" shouted Red. "A, a, b, democracy…"
Digrat ran out to fight her first Gastly.
"You can do it, Apollo!" said Cabbage. "Now's your chance! Dig as much as you want!"
But Digrat was hit by Confuse Ray, and kept hurting himself.
Finally, he attacked—and used Tackle, going right through Gastly.
Fortunately, he got another chance—and used Quick Attack, going right through Gastly.
A Night Shade took him down.
"Oh, well," Digrat said, running back to us. "I'll get 'em next time!"
"That's the spirit," Cabbage said, her smile a bit smaller.
I sighed, and clenched my fists. "Spirit" wasn't good enough. We had to win.
"Are you frustrated, Keeper?" Bird Jesus said softly. He was leaning down beside me, giving me a peculiar look. "I cannot tell you how to feel. However, you must not let your emotions control you."
I closed my eyes, and tried to clear my mind. I breathed in, and breathed out. Forget about anarchy and democracy. Forget about our past failures. Just focus on the task at hand.
I opened my eyes, and stepped forth.
[Go! DROWZEE!]
Immediately, Confuse Ray hit. But I kept calm, and thrust my arms toward Gastly.
[Enemy GASTLY's CONFUSE RAY was disabled!]
Gastly hit me with a Night Shade—but I shook it off, and kept fighting. I was in the zone now, despite my confusion, despite the Twitch. Frustration and anxiety nibbled at the back of my mind—but I ignored them, narrowing my thoughts to this one moment, this one battle.
I thrust out my arms—and released a powerful purple wave.
[DROWZEE used PSYCHIC!]
It hit Gastly, distorting the air around her. She fell to the ground.
[It's super effective!]
[Enemy GASTLY fainted!]
Everyone cheered—but I ignored them. I couldn't let emotion sway me now.
The Channeler sent out her second Gastly.
Without hesitation, I thrust my arms toward her, releasing another strong wave.
[DROWZEE used PSYCHIC!]
[It's super effective!]
But Gastly held on. She grimaced at me. She flew toward me, shot out her tongue… and used Lick. Which had no effect on me—psychic-types, like normal-types, are immune to most ghost-type moves. Gastly flew right through me, causing no harm.
Again: no hesitation, no anxieties, no second thoughts. I immediately turned around, thrust out my arms, and used Psychic.
It hit. Gastly shrieked.
[Enemy GASTLY fainted!]
[RED defeated CHANNELER!]
Everyone cheered. I finally relaxed, and smiled.
"About damn time!" said Dux.
"Well done, Keeper," Bird Jesus said, smiling proudly.
"I knew you could do it!" said Cabbage.
The Channeler withdrew her Gastly, looking confused. "What… what happened?" she said. "Was I… cursed?"
"WITCH TRIAL COMPLETE!" shouted Red. "PRAISE HELIX!" He ran around in circles, arms raised. "Up, down, down, anarchy…"
"Um… sorry I couldn't get a hit in," said Digrat. "I really wanted to, though!"
"No worries," I said. "You've had plenty of wins already. It's about time I had my turn."
"Such is the benefit being part of a duo," said Bird Jesus. "You may lean on each other, and share the burden placed upon you."
"That's right," said Cabbage. "Two ghostbusters is better than one!"
"Two better!" Dashbat agreed.
"Begooooone," said a woman's eerie voice.
Another Channeler approached, and sent out a Gastly.
Soon, Dux and Bird Jesus had fainted to Gastly. Dashbat was out next. I watched from the sidelines, cracking my knuckles, awaiting my turn.
"Think you can win two in a row for us?" asked Dux.
"Probably not," I admitted. "Without Digrat, my chances of victory aren't high. That's fine, though. At least we made some progress this time around."
Meanwhile, Dashbat screeched loudly.
[JJSSSSS- used SUPERSONIC!]
Gastly squinted. She zipped around in the air—and flew into the ground.
[It hurt itself in its confusion!]
"Alright, Dashbat!" cheered Dux. "Soften 'em up for the Keeper!"
The fight continued. Gastly used Lick. Dashbat retaliated with Leech Life. Gastly tried to hit back—but flew into the hard tile floor, and hurt herself. Dashbat flew at her, and bit down, draining Gastly's energy. Gastly backed away, and used Night Shade—but Dashbat was able to dodge it, thanks to some Sand-Attacks dealt earlier.
The fight continued. Gastly hurt herself. I prepared, waiting to deal the final blow.
Gastly hurt herself again.
And again.
And before we knew it…
[Enemy GASTLY fainted!]
[RED defeated CHANNELER!]
"Holy crap—Dashbat just won!" said Dux.
"Almost singlehandedly," I added, eyes wide. "Or, um… single-wingedly."
"DASHBAT HAS BEEN BLESSED BY THE HELIX FOSSIL!" Red shouted.
"Dashbat win!" Dashbat said, zipping around happily in the air. "Dashbat help! Dashbat do good!"
"You did very good!" Cabbage affirmed.
"Indeed," Bird Jesus said, smiling. "It appears I was mistaken. We have a trio, not a duo."
"That makes you our third ghostbuster!" said Cabbage.
"Dashbat third!" Dashbat said, still frantically buzzing around. "Dashbat bust ghost!"
"You sure are, Dashbat!" said Digrat. "I believed in you every step of the way!"
"Do you get it now, Dashbat?" asked Cabbage. "Do you feel that satisfaction, deep down inside?"
"Dashbat… think so," said Dashbat. "Dashbat feel… feeling. Good feeling!"
After that, Red ran around the fourth floor, picking up items and battling wild Gastly. I defeated a few with Psychic, testing the limits of my power. Inevitably, however, I took more and more damage—and eventually fainted. Others met the same fate. Soon enough, Red blacked out.
But it was a good run. We'd finally made progress. And now we were ready for more.
~·~
As we approached the Pokémon Tower again, I saw a little girl walking out the door. Only… was it just me, or… when she touched the wall… did she go through it a bit?
"Did… did anyone else see that?" I asked.
"See what?" asked Dux.
"…Never mind," I muttered. "Must have imagined it."
~·~
I wasn't as anxious, this time. I was more confident that we could succeed.
Without those worries guarding my mind, the gloomy atmosphere found an opening. It seeped into me, and pushed my thoughts down a strange, melancholy spiral.
I thought about C3KO's words. The Great Outside. Was it real? If so, where was it? What was it like? Were Abby and Jay there? Could they see us now?
And if it wasn't real, then… Abby… Jay…
I shoved those thoughts aside, and focused on battling.
~·~
Gastly's Night Shade crunched down on me. I groaned in pain.
[DROWZEE fainted!]
"NOOOOO KEEPER!" Red shouted, running away from the wild Gastly.
[Got away safely!]
"Dammit," I muttered. "Digrat, Dashbat, and I have all fainted, which means…"
"RIOT!" Red shouted, running around aimlessly. "RIOT! RIOT!"
He approached the staircase to the fifth floor. There was a woman standing guard. A Channeler. "Yoouuuuu theerree," she said, locking eyes with Red. "Dooo nottt passss…"
She sent out a Gastly.
So began a long, grueling, frustrating, hopeless battle.
~·~
"BOX THE RAT!" Red shouted, running around outside the Pokémon Center. "BOX HELIX! BOX DOME! BOX DONGERS!"
I sighed, and shook my head. Of course it wouldn't be that easy.
I felt sparks of frustration creep into my psyche.
~·~
Before we entered the tower, I saw that girl again. Her shoulder brushed against the wall… and… appeared to go right through it.
But no one said anything. Was I the only one who saw it?
We entered the tower.
"Hey, Dux," I said quietly. "Do you… believe in ghosts?"
Dux gave me a strange look. "Seriously?" he said. "What the hell have we been fighting?"
"Ghost-type Pokémon. A different thing entirely… or so they say."
"Well, I'm keeping my mind open."
"There are often reports of true ghosts within this tower," said Bird Jesus. "I believe those reports are authentic."
Eventually, we reached the third floor, and felt that ghoulish fog surround us.
"In a place like this… it's hard not to believe in ghosts," Cabbage said, frowning.
Cabbage was right. This tower… it was like a living grave. All around us were blurred lines between existence and nonexistence, daring us to find a distinction.
~·~
Wild Pokémon inundated us. I defeated a few of them, as did Digrat. But there were too many. Before long, Digrat fainted. As did I. As did Dux, Dashbat, and Cabbage
When Red faced that same Channeler again, only Bird Jesus remained.
The battle went on, and the Mob grew louder.
~·~
"RIOT!" Red shouted, running in circles near the Pokémon Center. "DEMOCRACY! ANARCHY! USE PC! NO DON'T USE PC! ANARCHY DEMOCRACY PC NO PC…"
Unfortunately, these weren't idle words. Red was seriously considering the PC. He was seriously considering democracy. His internal battle was reaching a boiling point.
I felt my body tense up. I felt my teeth grit, and my fists clench.
"You've been doing well, Keeper," Bird Jesus said, leaning down so his eye was level with mine. "Move beyond these setbacks, and you shall continue to lead our way forward."
"Easier said than done," I mumbled. "It's hard not to feel tense about this. Every defeat brings Red closer to the brink. Brings us closer to the Dome, and to the PC."
"Your passion is admirable," said Bird Jesus. "Yet it comes with a price. This was on full display in the Rocket Hideout; for a time, you lost control of yourself, giving in to frustration and despair. You must not let it happen again. Change yourself. Change your way of thinking. Relieve yourself of past and future burdens. Focus on the present—on the task at hand."
I sighed, trying to relax. Failing.
"How?" I asked, looking at him. "How do you do it?"
Bird Jesus looked up, toward the peak of the Pokémon Tower.
"By having faith," he answered.
~·~
We reached the third floor. Fog surrounded us, and that morbid aura seeped in once more.
It filled my head with thoughts of Abby, and Jay, and the Great Outside.
~·~
"Bird Jesus," I said nervously. "Do you remember… what C3KO said? He said that Pokémon who are released end up somewhere called 'The Great Outside.'"
Red stumbled around in the fog. Bird Jesus and I watched him from a distance.
"So the followers of Old Amber believe," said Bird Jesus.
"And… what about the Helix?" I asked, looking at him. "What does it say about… what happens to a Pokémon who's released?"
Bird Jesus's face fell. He looked at his feet, then looked up again, his eyes apologetic.
"I cannot provide the answer you seek," he said. "I know you well, Keeper. You have a rational mind, swayed by evidence—yet I have none to present, and I suspect that none exists in this world." He paused. "The only thing I can tell you with certainty… is that we will never know for sure. Throughout the rest of our time in this world… we will find no trace of Abby or Jay. We will learn nothing of their true fate. It will remain a permanent hole in our knowledge. Only faith can fill such a hole. Whatever you believe, that shall be your own truth."
"And what about you?" I asked. "What do you believe?"
Bird Jesus thought about this for a moment.
"All beings who contribute to this world," he said, "become a part of the Helix for the rest of time. Whether alive or dead, whether released or not, whether they remain in this world or have crossed over to another—their inputs remain, spiraling outward with all others; for we are all the sum of our inputs. Our spirits, our souls, our very beings—none ever truly disappears. And so Abby is still with us. And so Abby is still watching. That is what the Helix teaches. That… is what I believe."
~·~
I blasted the wild Gastly with Psychic, and defeated her.
"Another victory for the Keeper!" Dux cheered.
I barely heard him. I was deep in thought.
"Is everything okay, Drowzee?" asked Cabbage.
"Is our conversation still on your mind?" asked Bird Jesus.
I nodded, looking around at all the graves. "I understand your point," I said. "It's just… a shame, how little we know. We never even gave them a proper send-off." I sighed. "We never got to dig a grave for them. We—WAIT CRAP—"
[AAJST(? ? ? ? used DIG!]
~·~
"Goddammit," I muttered, palming my forehead, wincing.
"You little…!" Dux growled, seething at Digrat.
"Oh, well," Digrat said, shrugging, smiling slyly. "There I go again."
"You little…!"
"C'mon, it was getting way too heavy in there. At least I lightened up the mood, right?"
"You LITTLE…!"
~·~
"Ha!" Dux gloated. "Now we'll know what to really call you!"
Once again, Red had entered the Name Rater's house.
"Enough of this 'Apollo' stuff," said Dux. "Time to give you a nickname that fits!"
Red handed a Poké Ball to the Name Rater. But, um…
"That's… Dashbat's Poké Ball," I muttered.
"Seriously?" Dux said, disappointed. "We're renaming her again?"
"Name Dashbat?" said Dashbat. "But Dashbat have name! Dashbat Dashbat!"
Meanwhile, the Name Rater put the Poké Ball in his little machine. "JJSSSSS-, is it?" he said. "That is a decent nickname! Well, it's the nickname you chose the last time you were here, but…" He cleared his throat. "In any case… perhaps you've thought up a better one?"
"RENAME THE BAT!" said Red. He ran to the keyboard, and mashed buttons.
"Okay!" said the Name Rater. "This Pokémon has been renamed, uh…" He read each character out loud: "ABB-? ?AAJ."
"YEAAAAHH A BUNCH OF RANDOM LETTERS AND SHIT!" cheered Red. "PRAISE HELIX!"
We looked at each other.
"…What the hell is that?" asked Dux.
"Well, it does have a dash in it," I said. "So… 'Dashbat' is still on the table."
"I guess 'Jessie' isn't going to work anymore," said Cabbage.
"Who Jessie?" asked Dashbat.
~·~
With that little excursion behind us, we reentered the Pokémon Tower. We climbed to the second floor, and made our way across.
"You'd better behave yourself, ya dumb rat!" said Dux.
"Okay, okay," said Digrat. "I promise, I won't do that again—unless I really feel like it."
"That's no promise at all!"
"We need to work together as a team, Digrat," I said. "Your little pranks aren't helping."
"Drowzee say word!" said Dashbat.
We looked at her. "…What?" I said.
"Drowzee say word!" she repeated. "Drowzee say D-word!"
Dux and I glanced at each other, then looked at Dashbat.
"You mean… Digrat?" said Dux.
"Dux say word!" said Dashbat.
"Oh, I get it," I said. "Look, I know this is confusing, but… even though you can't say the first part of 'Digrat'… the name 'Digrat' itself is fine. Right, Digrat?"
"Yep!" said Digrat. "I mean, I wasn't actually listening, but the answer is probably 'yes'!"
"But that's the one context it's okay in," Dux told Dashbat. "So, you shouldn't say the word 'Dig' in any other—OH GODDAMMIT—"
[AAJST(? ? ? ? used DIG!]
~·~
"RIOT!" Red shouted, running in and out of the Pokémon Center. "BOX THE RAT! RETRIEVE GASTLY! RIOT!"
Dux glared at Digrat.
"Aww, c'mon," Digrat said, smiling. "You sorta walked into that one."
Dux glared.
He whacked Digrat on the head with his leek.
~·~
We reached the ghoulish fog again, and made our way through it. Bird Jesus's words bounced around in my head, along with several emotions I couldn't quite place.
Red took out the Helix Fossil. "CONSULT HELIX!" he said, banging it on his scalp.
The fog was thick and dreary—but the Helix Fossil seemed to shine a light through it.
I stared at it, and thought about the nature of faith. Faith in this world. Faith in Helix. Faith in the chaos it represents—and in all the things that arise from that chaos, spiraling outward from randomness, becoming something more. Faith in myself, and in my team, and in Red.
I put my hands together, and said a short prayer. For all who had fallen, and for all whom I wished to protect.
~·~
We made our way across the fourth floor. There, guarding the next stairway up, awaited a Channeler—the "witch" who'd defeated us twice already.
We braced ourselves, preparing for battle.
Red… ran around the Channeler, never locking eyes with her.
He reached the staircase, and started climbing it.
"Holy crap!" said Dux. "That… worked?"
"That worked!" Cabbage cheered.
"Looks like we got lucky this time," I said, sighing with relief.
"This was not mere luck," Bird Jesus said, smiling. "The Helix has willed…"
Red tripped, and fell down the stairs.
"…Hm."
"WAIT CRAP NO SHIT FUCK," Red shouted, tumbling down. "Down, down, democracy…" He reached the bottom, and stood up—and faced the Channeler.
"Leett us dooo battttle," she said.
"BURN THE WITCH!"
"Well, so much for that," Dux grumbled.
I sighed again. "Guess we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way."
Dashbat was out first—but quickly fell to Gastly's Night Shade.
Dashbat returned, and I ran out to replace her.
Immediately, a Night Shade crunched down on me. I shook it off, and took a fighting stance—only to get hit by a Confuse Ray. The world around me swayed and swirled. I was hurt, and dizzy, and fighting an opponent I'd lost to twice before.
But none of that mattered. I pushed it out of mind. I had to have faith.
I believed in my victory. And when I remembered that belief, I saw it clearly. Through the Twitch, and fog, and confusion, and pain, I saw exactly what it was I had to do.
I thrust out my arms, and released a powerful psychic wave.
It hit Gastly. She squealed—and fell to the ground.
[RED defeated CHANNELER!]
"WITCH BURNED!" shouted Red. "PRAISE THE KEEPER! A, a, anarchy…"
Everyone cheered—even harder than usual. This was a big win. We'd now defeated every trainer on the fourth floor.
"Drowzee win!" said Dashbat. "Drowzee do good!"
"That was pretty cool!" said Digrat. "I'm glad I let you have that one!"
"Anytime, partner," I replied, smiling.
Meanwhile, the Channeler's eyes widened; she touched her head "What…?"
But before she could say anything, Red was already running up the stairs. We followed.
The fog was thicker yet on the fifth floor. We trudged through it, battling wild Pokémon, awaiting our next great challenge.
Instead, we found something miraculous.
Near the center of the room, a small section of the floor was glowing white. Just beyond these illuminated tiles, there stood a Channeler, facing us. But her eyes held no malice. She looked at Red, and smiled warmly. "Come, child!" she said. "I sealed this space with white magic. You can rest here." Then she leaned closer, and whispered: "Praise Helix."
"HEALING TIME!" Red shouted, running onto the glowing tiles.
Suddenly, my whole body felt warm, and relaxed, and full of energy.
[RED's POKéMON are fully healed!]
"But… wait a moment," I said, my eyes widening. "This changes everything."
"It sure does!" said Cabbage. "This will be like a checkpoint!"
"It check point?" said Dashbat. "How check point?"
"One of our biggest problems was getting damaged by wild Pokémon," I explained. "But that won't matter anymore—anything before this point can be healed, so long as we reach it." I smiled. I felt pumped—more pumped than I'd been in quite a while. "This tower won't stand a chance."
~·~
Near the healing pad, another Channeler challenged us.
Soon, Dashbat and Dux had fainted. Bird Jesus stalled for a while with Sand-Attack.
Then it was my turn. I faced down Gastly, feeling the Twitch flow through me.
It wasn't easy. I kept using Pound, and getting hit with Night Shade. I struck Gastly with Confusion—but it wasn't good enough. Gastly cackled, and used Confuse Ray.
…And missed! I was able to dodge it, thanks to Bird Jesus's Sand-Attacks.
I stopped, held steady, and thrust my arms.
[DROWZEE used PSYCHIC!]
A purple wave shot through the air—smashing into Gastly. She shrieked, and fell.
[RED defeated CHANNELER!]
Everyone cheered. "Way to go, Drowzee!" said Cabbage.
"You're on one hell of a roll!" said Dux.
"It's nothing," I said, trying not to smile too widely. "I'm only doing as the Helix wills."
~·~
[RED's POKéMON are fully healed!]
My body tingled. A mysterious energy soothed all my wounds.
Then I faced forward, ready to fight on.
~·~
Another Channeler awaited, guarding the staircase leading up to the sixth floor.
To my surprise, she sent out a Haunter—Gastly's evolved form. It didn't look much like Gastly at all. Its body was purple and spiky—unlike Gastly's black, spherical shape. It had two claw-like hands, which seemed to exist as their own entities, separate from its body. It bobbed in the air, staring at us with its mean-looking eyes, cackling through its wide, unsettling mouth.
Thus began our longest, most grueling fight yet.
Dux fought, but couldn't do anything; eventually, he fainted.
Dashbat fought, and was able to do some damage. But after a while, she fainted, too.
Red kept switching between us, over and over.
Digrat got hurt. I got hurt. Switch, switch, switch.
Red consulted the S.S. Ticket. He consulted the Lift Key. He tried to run.
I fainted.
Digrat fainted.
The fight went on and on.
~·~
"RIOT!" Red shouted, running in and out of the Pokémon Center. "USE PC! WE NEED RICK GASTLY! CONSULT HELIX! BURN THE WITCH! RIOT!"
He was really worked up now. That battle was a heavy blow. It just kept going and going.
I looked east, toward the twilit orange sky. The sun was rising; its light hit the Pokémon Tower, casting a long shadow over northern Lavender Town.
I was annoyed, yes. But I wasn't panicked. I was ready to fight back. I was ready to win.
I stared at the tower, and felt adrenaline flow through me. I pictured myself using Psychic… and smiled to myself.
~·~
Dashbat fainted to wild Pokémon. Digrat defeated a wild Gastly—but as we climbed the tower, he sustained more and more damage.
And then…
[RED's POKéMON are fully healed!]
…That damage disappeared.
~·~
We ended up in a different corner of the fifth floor, where another Channeler awaited. She, too, sent out a Haunter.
Cabbage paralyzed Haunter with Stun Spore. Dux and Bird Jesus used Sand-Attack.
Finally, it was my turn.
I stared Haunter in the eyes, and pictured her defeat.
I thrust my arms, and used Psychic.
[It's super effective!]
The purple wave threatened to tear Haunter's gaseous body apart. She tried, with all her might, to pull herself together. But it was too late. She dropped to the floor.
[RED defeated CHANNELER!]
"GO KEEPER GO KEEPER GO!" shouted Red, running around in celebration. "THE KEEPER OP PLZ NERF!"
Once again, everyone congratulated me. I tried not to let it get to my head. But, truth be told, I was getting more excited with each passing minute.
~·~
I was prepared to fight "the Witch" again. But this time, Red approached the staircase from the opposite side. He reached the staircase, undetected—and started climbing.
"Wait—did that actually work?" said Dux.
He was skeptical. We all were. We waited for Red to trip. But he didn't. He reached the top, where the sixth floor awaited.
"Hooray!" said Digrat. "A new place!"
Unfortunately, Dashbat soon fainted to wild Pokémon. Digrat fainted, as well.
"I don't know," I said. "We might want to go back down, and heal before—"
"Woooo…" a woman wailed, stumbling closer. "Give… me… blooooood…"
I sighed. "Never mind."
"Bah, whatever," said Dux. "The Keeper can handle it! Right, Keeper?"
I smiled. "Yeah. I can."
The Channeler's Gastly hit me with Confuse Ray. But I shook it off, and used Psychic.
[Enemy GASTLY fainted!]
"THE KEEPER FOR HALL OF FAME!" shouted Red. "PRAISE THE KEEPER!"
The Channeler sent out a second Gastly. I faced it down.
This was a harder fight. I hurt myself a few times. But then I snapped out of my confusion—and used Psychic.
[Enemy GASTLY fainted!]
[DROWZEE grew to level 24!]
"THE KEEPER MVP!" shouted Red. "GO KEEPER!"
"Heck, yeah!" said Dux. "Take 'em all down, Keeper!"
"It seems the Helix is strong with you today," Bird Jesus said, smiling proudly.
"Drowzee win lots!" said Dashbat. "Drowzee win lots and lots!"
For a moment, I let all my barriers recede, and felt every suppressed emotion rush in.
But they were all positive emotions. Pride. Contentment. Glory. Excitement. I was winning. I was helping. I was leading our march toward victory. We'd been in such a bleak spot—and I'd saved us from it, and brought us forward.
Everyone knew it. They were all cheering. They showered me with praise.
For once, I let myself soak it in. I listened to their cheers, and felt myself smile widely.
It was incredible. A perfect moment. Like a dream come true.
I basked in it.
…And then everything burst into flames.
I looked around, panicked. The world had disappeared. There was just fire. Fire everywhere. Fire and darkness. Dark flames. A fiery void.
"So this is your dream, Dream Eater?"
I looked around, but saw no one. Now I was really panicked.
Because I recognized that voice. I'd know it anywhere.
Her voice.
The False Prophet.
"Then I shall eat your dream, as you ate mine."
A dark, fiery figure stood before me. It only lasted a fraction of a second; I couldn't make out any details. But just one brief glance unsettled me to my very core.
Before I could react, it had lunged into my scalp. My head seared with pain.
Then the fire was gone, and the world was back to normal.
"What…?" I said, clutching my aching head. "What… happened?"
"Drowzee?" said Cabbage, sounding concerned.
"What's wrong?" asked Dux.
I looked at them. "You guys… didn't see that?" I asked.
"See what?" asked Dux.
They'd seen nothing. Had it been an illusion? A hallucination?
"Are you hurt?" asked Cabbage.
I clutched my throbbing, searing scalp. "My… my head…"
[1, 2 and… Poof!]
[DROWZEE forgot PSYCHIC!]
[And…]
[DROWZEE learned HEADBUTT!]
We gaped.
"NO WHAT NO WHAT NO WHAT NO!" Red shouted. "NOOOOOOO! WHAATTTTT? NONNOONONOONO! WHATWHATWHATWHAAATT?"
Red said it better than any of us could have.
Then—as if things weren't bad enough—the Channeler sent out a third Gastly.
We hadn't defeated her yet.
And now I'd lost my strongest attack.
"No," I muttered, staring wide-eyed at Gastly. "I… I don't believe it. I won't believe it."
I hardened my gaze. I tried to use Psychic.
Instead, I found myself running into Gastly head-first.
[DROWZEE used HEADBUTT!]
…And going right through her.
[It doesn't affect Enemy GASTLY!]
Gastly cackled, and used Night Shade. I felt the dark energy crunch down on me.
[DROWZEE fainted!]
"NOOOOO!" shouted Red. "RIP THE RUN RIP RIP RIP RIP!"
~·~
"RIOT!" Red shouted, running around inside the Pokémon Center. "WE NEED DEMOCRACY WE NEED PC WE NEED HELIX RIOT RIOT RIOT RIOT!"
He was in a complete frenzy. There was no softening this blow. We'd just lost our greatest weapon—a weapon we'd spent hours obtaining. I'd lost it. My best move—gone.
"Well, this royally blows," said Dux.
"Keeper," said Bird Jesus, looking at me with concern. "What exactly did you see?"
"It's… hard to explain," I replied. "I'm not… entirely sure, but…" I buried my face in my hands. "Goddammit," I mumbled, feeling all my dreams shatter at my feet. "I fucked up. I completely fucked up."
If someone replied, I didn't hear them. I could barely hear anything, over sound of Red's Twitch exploding. The sound of seventy thousand people screaming bloody murder. Screaming at each other, at themselves, at the world around them. At me.
I knew what would happen next. I dreaded it. But it was as predictable as the sun rising.
Slowly, Red stumbled toward the PC.
"No!" Bird Jesus said, wide-eyed. "We must not resort to that!"
"It's no use," I grumbled, rubbing my temples. "Whenever Red gets this upset, he's… drawn to the PC, somehow. It's like a magnet for his misery. If Red can't accept the status quo… any shake-up will do. And the PC… promises to shake things up. It whispers sweet promises in Red's ears. In that way, it's not unlike the Dome."
"C'mon Red!" Dux yelled. "Snap out of it! You gotta resist!"
"Left!" shouted Bird Jesus. "Left!"
But Red didn't go west. He slowly circled eastward, toward the PC.
Until he stood right in front of it.
"PC no not pc YES PC NO DON'T USE PC PC PC USE PC," Red babbled, his internal battle boiling with furious intensity.
Within Red, however, the active always had an advantage over the passive.
I knew how this would end.
[RED turned on the PC.]
We stood before an enormous black box. Hundreds of tentacle-like appendages sprouted from it. Some of these tentacles reached deep behind us before curving back around, and grasping our limbs and bodies from various angles.
The beast was riled up. Angry. I sensed its maleficent aura, filled with evil intent.
"Oh, no…" Cabbage said, frowning.
The appendages vibrated rapidly. They pulled us forward. I tripped, and fell over. Others did the same. They struggled against their restraints.
"We must resist!" shouted Bird Jesus.
"Dammit," I muttered. "How are we going to stop this? Red isn't likely to leave until we've made some kind of change."
"Do you mean… that one of us has gotta go in there?" Dux asked nervously.
"No," said Bird Jesus. "We should not resort to such—"
"Dashbat go!" said Dashbat.
Dashbat flew forward, no longer struggling against her restraints. She faced us, flapping in place, in front of the black box.
"Dashbat?" said Cabbage.
"Hey—what're you doing?" asked Dux.
"Dashbat go!" Dashbat repeated. "This how Dashbat help!"
"Dashbat… are you certain?" asked Bird Jesus.
"Dashbat certain!" Dashbat's flapping slowed. She didn't have eyes, or much of a face—but I detected her melancholy aura. "Dashbat… not very strong," she said. "Dashbat… not win lots. But… Dashbat win one! Dashbat bust ghost! Dashbat beat trainer! And… Dashbat feel satisfaction! Dashbat feel it inside Dashbat! Dashbat like feeling!
"Dashbat… carry feeling! Dashbat never forget! Dashbat… happy Dashbat part of team! Dashbat happy Dashbat help!"
Her restraints pulled her backwards. She didn't resist.
"Dashbat… done all Dashbat can," she said, receding. "Dashbat… thank team for being friends to Dashbat!"
"Thank you as well, Dashbat," Bird Jesus said, smiling sadly.
"You'll always be a part of our team!" Cabbage said, her eyes watering up. "Never forget that, Dashbat!"
"Dashbat not forget!"
Our Zubat receded into the black box.
[ABB-? ?AAJ was stored in Box 1.]
We said our goodbyes to Dashbat as she receded further, until her pixelated form was hidden behind some dark mist.
But, wait… mist? Why was there mist?
Something was coming, I realized. A dark, gaseous object. It blended in perfectly with the indiscriminate darkness of the box around it.
It got closer still—and I saw the purplish haze surrounding it.
[GASTLY is taken out. Got GASTLY.]
Suddenly, we were back in the Pokémon Center.
"YEAAAHH WE GOT RICK GASTLY!" Red cheered, running in circles with his arms raised. "WAIT WHAT HOW DID THAT GO SO WELL? HAHAHA WHATEVER WHO CARES PRAISE HELIX!"
"PRAISE DOME!" shouted Gastly, grinning menacingly. "Helix is for losers! Helixlovingmoronsayswhat?"
"What?" said Dux.
Gastly chortled with laughter.
"We know you don't mean any of that, Gastly," said Cabbage.
"Yeah," said Dux. "The Keeper read your mind, remember?"
Gastly grinned at me. "Oh, the Keeper knows, does he?" he said. "The Keeper is so smart, is he?" Gastly's grin widened. "Yes, the Keeper knows all sorts of things. Like the best move to use against ghost-type Pokémon. Headbutt! Who would've thought? Headbutt over Psychic! The Keeper believes it, so it must be true!" He laughed. "Headbutt! Now, there's an effective move!" He laughed harder.
"Don't be mean, Gastly!" Cabbage said, stepping between me and Gastly. "That's a very sensitive—"
I laughed.
Cabbage looked at me, confused.
"It is pretty funny, if you think about it," I told her.
I laughed. Gastly laughed. We laughed together.
Cabbage's eyes shifted between us. Nervously, she chucked. "I… I guess it's a little bit funny," she muttered hesitantly.
"It's frickin' hilarious," Dux said, frowning at Gastly. "But I don't like your tone!"
"It's fine, Dux," I said, shaking my head, wearing a defeated smile. "Sometimes, you've just got to laugh."
"Oh my gosh—look!" Digrat said, pointing at Gastly. "A wild Gastly! Catch it!"
~·~
"SPOOPY NICKNAME TIME!" shouted Red.
Once again, we found ourselves in the Name Rater's house. Red ran in circles, fumbling around with the Poké Balls on his belt.
"It seems Red wants to nickname his new ghost," I said.
"What, 'Rick Gastly' isn't good enough?" said Dux.
"I kinda like it," said Cabbage.
"Well, I don't plan on giving you up," Gastly said, grinning. "And I certainly have no intention of letting you down."
Red handed the Name Rater a Poké Ball.
"Pidgeot, is it?" said the Name Rater. "That is a decent nickname!"
We all froze up. Our eyes widened.
"WAIT WHAT OH CRAP," said Red. "IT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING WE'RE RENAMING BIRD JESUS OH MAN OH JEEZ OH DAMN… a, democracy, anarchy, b…"
"Oh, this should be good," Gastly said, practically licking his lips.
I watched, nervously, as Red mashed the keyboard. Was this really a good idea? I couldn't imagine any nickname doing our Messiah justice. Another random string of letters would only lessen him.
But it was too late now.
"Okay!" said the Name Rater. "This Pokémon has been renamed, uh…" He read each character out loud: "aaabaaajss."
Dux and I gaped at each other.
"Abba Jesus," he said.
"Abba Jesus," I repeated.
"Abba Jesus!" Cabbage cheered.
"Ohhhh, Cabbage sounds like x(araggbaj," said Digrat. "I get it now!"
"Abba… Jesus…" Gastly said, his smile expanding. "Abba. Jesus." He laughed. "Abba. Jesus!" He laughed harder.
I laughed with him. So did Red. So did everyone.
"Amazing," said Dux.
"Incredible," I said.
"That's… that's…"
"A miracle. It's a miracle." I smiled at Abba Jesus. "The Helix has blessed you with the greatest nickname of all time."
Abba Jesus smiled back. "I will do my best to live up to it," he said.
"ABBA JESUS ABBA JESUS ABBA JESUS!" Red cheered. "THANK YOU BASED NAME RATER!" He reached into his bag, pulled out a Nugget—and threw it at the Name Rater.
[Threw away NUGGET.]
"Um… thank you, I suppose," said Name Rater. "Though, I don't really take payment…"
But Red was already out the door.
The sky was blue, and the breeze was calm. We looked eastward, toward the Pokémon Tower. The morning sun brushed against its peak, giving it a halo of golden light.
"Red will never risk changing Abba Jesus's nickname," I said absentmindedly. "We're probably done with the Name Rater for good, now."
"So much for nicknaming Gastly," said Dux.
"I think 'Rick Gastly' works just fine!" said Cabbage.
"Well, I'm no stranger to nicknames," said Rick Gastly. "You know the rules, and so do I."
"RICK GASTLY AND ABBA JESUS WILL WIN!" Red shouted, running in circles. "LORD HELIX ABBA JESUS AND RICK GASTLY = FATHER SON AND HOLY GHOST!"
Meanwhile, Abba Jesus—standing next to me—lowered his head until his eye was level with mine. "It's understandable if you feel upset, given what transpired," he told me. "I will not tell you that your feelings are wrong, or that you ought not to feel them. I just wish you to remember that they are ephemeral. They define a moment in time—nothing more."
"I actually feel fine, believe it or not," I replied. "Well, not fine, exactly. I do feel bad about losing Psychic. Really bad. But… well… it's hard to explain." I looked toward the Pokémon Tower. "I guess… it's easier if I think about the bigger picture."
It was, indeed, hard to explain. A complex jumble of emotions had swelled up within me. A bittersweet combination of pain and hope. As if my own despair was being slowly eaten by my knowledge of how little it mattered.
We still had Digrat, after all. I had Confusion, too.
We had Dux and Cabbage to back us up.
And now we had a Holy Ghost.
And an Abba Jesus.
~·~
End Time: 7d 11h 30m
~·~
Current team:
AAJST(? ? ? ?, lv.19
• Rattata (Normal)
• Swift, Body Slam, Quick Attack, Dig
···
DROWZEE, lv.24
• Drowzee (Psychic)
• Pound, Headbutt, Disable, Confusion
···
aaabaaajss, lv.47
• Pidgeot (Normal/Flying)
• Gust, Sand-Attack, Quick Attack, Whirlwind
···
x(araggbaj, lv.22
• Oddish (Grass/Poison)
• Cut, PoisonPowder, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder
···
DUX, lv.23
• Farfetch'd (Normal/Flying)
• Cut, Sand-Attack, Leer, Fury Attack
···
GASTLY, lv.20
• Gastly (Ghost/Poison)
• Lick, Confuse Ray, Night Shade