The Vampire of Lavendar Town
By Ree-chan Peekster, Dugtrio 16, and Dessa
Chapter 4
Ben looked at the ground. Someone had come in and taken Chan's body from the Pokémon Center and had dragged it out the window. Then, from the looks of it, they had picked it up and carried it off. The awkward thing about it is that none of his pokémon were able to find a trace of the intruder.
Who'd want a dead body? a voice asked.
Ben turned around slowly. He saw a young man standing behind him. He had short brown hair and light brown eyes. He seemed to be looking beyond Ben at the Pokémon Tower. Behind him was another boy about Ben's age. He had black hair and darkly tanned skin, like Chan's.
"Sorry," the man said quickly. "I'm Brandon. This is David. We're friends of Chan's. We just heard the news..."
"Terrible, isn't it?" Ben asked shaking their hands.
David nodded. Ben knew he was trying not to cry.
"As I was saying," Brandon continued. "Who'd want a dead body. It's disgusting."
"I don't know. Probably the guy that attacked him to begin with. He owned a large Gastly, biggest one I've ever seen. Somehow Chan got these deep bug bites. We think that's what he died of," Ben explained.
"Bug bites?" David said skeptically. "I didn't know Chan was allergic to bugs."
"Neither did I," Brandon said quietly. "Chan's father and sister are coming soon. That's why we're here."
"How'd you get here so quickly?" Ben asked.
"Teleported," Brandon replied.
"Oh. What about Chan's brothers?"
"I doubt it," David said. "They're part of Team Rocket."
"Oh!" Ben said, slightly embarrassed. "I didn't know."
"Don't be concerned, they're not very good Team Rocket members," Brandon replied.
"Maybe they were connected with this," David commented.
"Chan's brothers?? I don't think so. Why'd they do something like this??" Brandon said, aghast.
"No, no. Not them, Team Rocket in general," David replied, rolling his eyes.
"Err, could someone fill me in here?" Ben said, confused. "Why would Team Rocket want Chan?"
Brandon hesitated for a moment before telling. "Chan's brothers wanted him to join Team Rocket. When he refused, they kidnapped him and his sister, Sarah and took him to see Giovanni. When that didn't convince him to join Giovanni arranged a little 'accident'. The result was Chan gaining powerful psychic powers and the ability to transform. His body was exposed to Ditto DNA. Team Rocket wants to do experiments on him now. He's been on the run since. Chan is sixteen. This happened when he was twelve," Brandon told him. David continued looking around in hopes of finding something.
"Wow..." Ben said. "It's a possibility but I'm sure someone would have noticed Team Rocket around here after what they've done in the Pokémon Tower. I think it was that guy who attacked him. Don't ask me why though..."
"Um, guys. Is it me or is there a light on in the Tower?" David called.
Brandon and Ben followed his gaze. A window on the top floor had light coming through it. Dim candle light from the looks of it. In an instant though, it was gone.
"It wasn't you," Brandon said.
"I think we should check it out," said David.
Ben hesitated, "I don't know. I'm starting to not like that place..."
"But," replied David, "we may find some clues up there. We may even mind Chan."
"And we all want to find Chan," Brandon added.
"Yeah, that's true," replied Ben, sighing. "Ok, let's go. But let's sneak out. I don't think Nurse Joy would like it if she knew we were going up there again."
Ben, Brandon, and David crawled under the windows outside the Pokémon Center. They didn't want Nurse Joy to see them in fear that she might try to stop them from going into the Tower.
"What makes you think it'll do any good to find Chan?" Ben asked. "He's dead."
"I'm not so sure about that," Brandon said mysteriously.
"Huh?"
Brandon sighed.
"I'm also a psychic, Ben. As is David. We both have links to Chan and judging from what I'm feeling at the moment from Chan, he is quite alive," he explained.
"But how? We were trying to revive him for half an hour and he didn't respond. We even used the electric paddles. There's no chance that he could be alive," Ben stated.
Brandon thought for a moment. "It does seem impossible," he commented.
"We'll have to find out if and when we find him," David said.
The trio agreed and cautiously approached the Tower.
David opened the door and peered in. He saw no danger but taking no chances scanned the floor psychically. Nothing.
"Okay," he said. "Let's get in before someone sees us."
Brandon and Ben followed him in. He, then, closed the door. "No sense in sending someone up after us when we're trying to find something," he said.
Brandon nodded and squinted. "We need a light."
"This place gives me the creeps when it's dark like this," Ben whispered nervously.
"Isn't always this dark?" David asked finding a lantern and lighting it. He handed it to Brandon and then went to find two more.
"No, it's usually more lighted than this," Ben explained.
Brandon shrugged, "Maybe it's because something happened to Chan in here somewhere."
"Maybe."
"Hey, guys. Look what I found," David said coming back with two lanterns... and a wallet.
"It's Chan's."
"That means he is in here," Ben shuddered. "I didn't take anything off him and I doubt that Nurse Joy did either. We were too busy trying to save his life."
"Well, it's a start," Brandon said.
David lit the other two lanterns and handed one to Ben.
They all looked at each other. "Should we go up?" Ben asked, and the others nodded. As they walked, Ben asked the others if they had ever been to the tower before.
"No," they both responded.
"Why, is there something we should know?" Brandon asked.
"Well, the graves are kinda crowded together, so the floors are kinda like a maze," Ben said. "I come here really often, so I know the quickest way around them to the stairs to the next floor. There's also this white zone that someone once created on the 5th floor. Nothing evil can affect you when you're in there."
"That should be of some help in the future." David said. By then, they had reached the 3rd floor. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened yet. Suddenly, a Haunter appeared out of nowhere. It looked around, then saw the group. It sneered at them and moved closer...
"Haunt..." it threatened.
Ben gulped. "Where'd that thing come from?"
"Well, it is the Pokémon Tower. It's home to ghost pokémon," David pointed out.
Brandon growled. "I don't have any pokémon that would do particularly well against a ghost pokémon," he said. "I would recommend that we retreat upstairs." The other two agreed and ran towards the stairs.
They got halfway there when the Haunter reappeared in front of them.
"Haunt, haunt, haaauuunnt," it said, shaking its head.
"I don't think it's gonna leave..." David said. "Do you have any Pokémon that could help?" he asked Ben.
"Actually, yes," said Ben. "It looks like he's going to give us the first move. Let's see... Haunter is Ghost/Poison, which is weak against two types: Psychic and Ground. I have a Dugtrio, which is only Ground type. Poison attacks aren't very good against Ground, and Ghost attacks aren't that much better..."
He trailed off as he notice Brandon and David staring at him. "What?" he asked.
"You know a lot about Pokémon," Brandon said. "I'm impressed."
Ben smiled. "Thanks," he said, "I've studied Pokémon for a long time. Anyway... Goooooo Dugtrio!"
"Dug!" the pokémon cried.
And the battle was under way. After several minutes, the Haunter collapsed. Brandon through an Ultra Ball at it.
"This might come in handy later," he said to the other two.
The Ultra Ball captured the Haunter and hummed before returning to Brandon's hand.
"Whew!" David said. "Let's just hope we don't run into that Gastly."
Ben and Brandon agreed and continued upstairs. Eventually the found the safe zone on the fifth floor and stopped there to rest and to eat.
Brandon sat down and looked uneasily at the darkness beyond the zone.
"It's a good thing nothing can get to us here," he said quietly.
"Why?" David asked.
"Because someone is watching us and I don't like the feeling I'm getting about the area beyond the zone..." Brandon replied. He opened his backpack and took out a sandwich. He seemed to relax while eating it. Suddenly he stood up.
"I'll be right back," he said. He disappeared into the darkness leaving Ben and David feeling very uncomfortable even though they were in the safety zone. A couple minutes later he returned carrying something. Chan's backpack.
Ben dropped his sandwich. "That-that-that's..."
"Chan's backpack..." mumbled David, who had also dropped his sandwich.
"How did you know it was out there?" Ben asked.
Brandon set the backpack down gently. "I don't know," he said. "I just sensed that something of his was nearby. I found it hanging from a rafter below the ceiling. We walked right under it and didn't notice."
David noticed that the bag was shaking. A Cubone popped out and looked at the three nervously before scurrying off.
"A wild Cubone?" David asked.
"Apparently," Brandon replied watching it go.
Suddenly Chan's Mew appeared. I sensed it nearby... I gave you the feeling to find it, it told Brandon.
Brandon grinned. "Thanks, Mew. What did you hope to find in it."
Hopefully a scent of who took Chan's body, it replied sniffing the bag inside and out. I don't like this smell.
"Yeah, I don't like the presence on it either," Brandon said. "It gives me the creeps."
"Why?" Ben asked.
"Because, this person that took Chan is not normal by any means. I don't know how to explain it."
David sneezed. "Sorry," he said.
"Shh..." Brandon said.
The trio listened for a moment.
"I sneezed," David said after hearing nothing.
"I know, but I heard something," Brandon replied. He was about to say something else when the sound came again. A dry cough.
"What?!" David asked standing up almost stepping on his forgotten sandwich.
Mew swooped under and grabbed it. Floating in front of David's face, it handed him the sandwich.
"Oh, thank you."
No problem.
Another dry cough.
Brandon's eyes narrowed. Ben stepped back behind him next to David. Mew twitched nervously between them.
"Chan?" Brandon called.
"It can't be," Ben replied.
"I know," David said. "But it's him. I can feel his presence."
Sure enough Chan responded. "Brandon? David? You two are here too?" was his quiet reply.
"Chan!" Ben cried. "How'd you get revived?"
"You don't want to know," Chan replied from the shadows. "You guys need to get out of here, now." Chan's voice was pleading and desperate. A fear hung in it. A fear that something would hurt them.
"Chan, talk to us," Brandon said. "We need to know what's going on."
Neither of them stepped out of the safety zone. They were too afraid of what might be with Chan.
"We're in the Safety Zone, Chan," Ben told him, "Nothing can get at us."
"I'm afraid that doesn't matter," Chan said, fear still sounding in his voice. "You need to leave, now."
The emphasis in his voice startled all three. "Chan, we can't leave you," David said and the other two murmured in agreement.
Chan sighed. David sensed that he was smiling. "I knew you guys wouldn't leave," he replied, "you are true friends. But you have to go. You can't do anything to help me. I-I-I want to explain, but you would never understand. You need to get out before anything happens. I-I've changed. Part of me wants to attack you, and it's taking all of my strength to prevent myself from doing it. But I feel it waning. Get out."
"But-" Brandon began.
"NOW!" Chan yelled.
Ben jumped. "Guys," he said to David and Brandon, "I'm no psychic, but I think he means business. I think we should go."
Brandon nodded. He was shaken by how Chan's voice had carried.
"Chan," he said. "I'm not fighting you. We'll leave... but you know that we'll be back." He sensed a nod from Chan. There was a sound of retreating footsteps.
"Go now. Before I lose control of myself," Chan whimpered.
Brandon, Ben, and David ran from the safety zone as fast as they could. Brandon had to go back and grab Chan's Mew by the tail.
I want to stay! it cried.
"Sorry, Mew, but Chan doesn't want that," Brandon said.
Looking into the darkness he could see Chan leaning weakly against the wall watching him. "Chan..." Brandon whispered before turning and running to catch up with the other two. He found them at the door.
"It's locked," David informed him.
"There's someone who really doesn't want us leaving," Ben added.
"It isn't Chan," Brandon said, "He wanted us to escape."
"Did he follow?" David asked.
"I don't think so. But he could be down here anytime now."
The trio looked at the door nervously. Ben remembered Mew.
"Mew," he begged, "Get us out."
Mew looked longingly towards the stairs but turned towards the door and nodded. In seconds the door was unlocked and the group was outside in the safe daylight. They ran towards the Pokémon Center. Brandon looked back and could have sworn that he saw Chan standing in the doorway.
*******
Original # of parts: 13
Chapter 4
Ben looked at the ground. Someone had come in and taken Chan's body from the Pokémon Center and had dragged it out the window. Then, from the looks of it, they had picked it up and carried it off. The awkward thing about it is that none of his pokémon were able to find a trace of the intruder.
Who'd want a dead body? a voice asked.
Ben turned around slowly. He saw a young man standing behind him. He had short brown hair and light brown eyes. He seemed to be looking beyond Ben at the Pokémon Tower. Behind him was another boy about Ben's age. He had black hair and darkly tanned skin, like Chan's.
"Sorry," the man said quickly. "I'm Brandon. This is David. We're friends of Chan's. We just heard the news..."
"Terrible, isn't it?" Ben asked shaking their hands.
David nodded. Ben knew he was trying not to cry.
"As I was saying," Brandon continued. "Who'd want a dead body. It's disgusting."
"I don't know. Probably the guy that attacked him to begin with. He owned a large Gastly, biggest one I've ever seen. Somehow Chan got these deep bug bites. We think that's what he died of," Ben explained.
"Bug bites?" David said skeptically. "I didn't know Chan was allergic to bugs."
"Neither did I," Brandon said quietly. "Chan's father and sister are coming soon. That's why we're here."
"How'd you get here so quickly?" Ben asked.
"Teleported," Brandon replied.
"Oh. What about Chan's brothers?"
"I doubt it," David said. "They're part of Team Rocket."
"Oh!" Ben said, slightly embarrassed. "I didn't know."
"Don't be concerned, they're not very good Team Rocket members," Brandon replied.
"Maybe they were connected with this," David commented.
"Chan's brothers?? I don't think so. Why'd they do something like this??" Brandon said, aghast.
"No, no. Not them, Team Rocket in general," David replied, rolling his eyes.
"Err, could someone fill me in here?" Ben said, confused. "Why would Team Rocket want Chan?"
Brandon hesitated for a moment before telling. "Chan's brothers wanted him to join Team Rocket. When he refused, they kidnapped him and his sister, Sarah and took him to see Giovanni. When that didn't convince him to join Giovanni arranged a little 'accident'. The result was Chan gaining powerful psychic powers and the ability to transform. His body was exposed to Ditto DNA. Team Rocket wants to do experiments on him now. He's been on the run since. Chan is sixteen. This happened when he was twelve," Brandon told him. David continued looking around in hopes of finding something.
"Wow..." Ben said. "It's a possibility but I'm sure someone would have noticed Team Rocket around here after what they've done in the Pokémon Tower. I think it was that guy who attacked him. Don't ask me why though..."
"Um, guys. Is it me or is there a light on in the Tower?" David called.
Brandon and Ben followed his gaze. A window on the top floor had light coming through it. Dim candle light from the looks of it. In an instant though, it was gone.
"It wasn't you," Brandon said.
"I think we should check it out," said David.
Ben hesitated, "I don't know. I'm starting to not like that place..."
"But," replied David, "we may find some clues up there. We may even mind Chan."
"And we all want to find Chan," Brandon added.
"Yeah, that's true," replied Ben, sighing. "Ok, let's go. But let's sneak out. I don't think Nurse Joy would like it if she knew we were going up there again."
Ben, Brandon, and David crawled under the windows outside the Pokémon Center. They didn't want Nurse Joy to see them in fear that she might try to stop them from going into the Tower.
"What makes you think it'll do any good to find Chan?" Ben asked. "He's dead."
"I'm not so sure about that," Brandon said mysteriously.
"Huh?"
Brandon sighed.
"I'm also a psychic, Ben. As is David. We both have links to Chan and judging from what I'm feeling at the moment from Chan, he is quite alive," he explained.
"But how? We were trying to revive him for half an hour and he didn't respond. We even used the electric paddles. There's no chance that he could be alive," Ben stated.
Brandon thought for a moment. "It does seem impossible," he commented.
"We'll have to find out if and when we find him," David said.
The trio agreed and cautiously approached the Tower.
David opened the door and peered in. He saw no danger but taking no chances scanned the floor psychically. Nothing.
"Okay," he said. "Let's get in before someone sees us."
Brandon and Ben followed him in. He, then, closed the door. "No sense in sending someone up after us when we're trying to find something," he said.
Brandon nodded and squinted. "We need a light."
"This place gives me the creeps when it's dark like this," Ben whispered nervously.
"Isn't always this dark?" David asked finding a lantern and lighting it. He handed it to Brandon and then went to find two more.
"No, it's usually more lighted than this," Ben explained.
Brandon shrugged, "Maybe it's because something happened to Chan in here somewhere."
"Maybe."
"Hey, guys. Look what I found," David said coming back with two lanterns... and a wallet.
"It's Chan's."
"That means he is in here," Ben shuddered. "I didn't take anything off him and I doubt that Nurse Joy did either. We were too busy trying to save his life."
"Well, it's a start," Brandon said.
David lit the other two lanterns and handed one to Ben.
They all looked at each other. "Should we go up?" Ben asked, and the others nodded. As they walked, Ben asked the others if they had ever been to the tower before.
"No," they both responded.
"Why, is there something we should know?" Brandon asked.
"Well, the graves are kinda crowded together, so the floors are kinda like a maze," Ben said. "I come here really often, so I know the quickest way around them to the stairs to the next floor. There's also this white zone that someone once created on the 5th floor. Nothing evil can affect you when you're in there."
"That should be of some help in the future." David said. By then, they had reached the 3rd floor. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened yet. Suddenly, a Haunter appeared out of nowhere. It looked around, then saw the group. It sneered at them and moved closer...
"Haunt..." it threatened.
Ben gulped. "Where'd that thing come from?"
"Well, it is the Pokémon Tower. It's home to ghost pokémon," David pointed out.
Brandon growled. "I don't have any pokémon that would do particularly well against a ghost pokémon," he said. "I would recommend that we retreat upstairs." The other two agreed and ran towards the stairs.
They got halfway there when the Haunter reappeared in front of them.
"Haunt, haunt, haaauuunnt," it said, shaking its head.
"I don't think it's gonna leave..." David said. "Do you have any Pokémon that could help?" he asked Ben.
"Actually, yes," said Ben. "It looks like he's going to give us the first move. Let's see... Haunter is Ghost/Poison, which is weak against two types: Psychic and Ground. I have a Dugtrio, which is only Ground type. Poison attacks aren't very good against Ground, and Ghost attacks aren't that much better..."
He trailed off as he notice Brandon and David staring at him. "What?" he asked.
"You know a lot about Pokémon," Brandon said. "I'm impressed."
Ben smiled. "Thanks," he said, "I've studied Pokémon for a long time. Anyway... Goooooo Dugtrio!"
"Dug!" the pokémon cried.
And the battle was under way. After several minutes, the Haunter collapsed. Brandon through an Ultra Ball at it.
"This might come in handy later," he said to the other two.
The Ultra Ball captured the Haunter and hummed before returning to Brandon's hand.
"Whew!" David said. "Let's just hope we don't run into that Gastly."
Ben and Brandon agreed and continued upstairs. Eventually the found the safe zone on the fifth floor and stopped there to rest and to eat.
Brandon sat down and looked uneasily at the darkness beyond the zone.
"It's a good thing nothing can get to us here," he said quietly.
"Why?" David asked.
"Because someone is watching us and I don't like the feeling I'm getting about the area beyond the zone..." Brandon replied. He opened his backpack and took out a sandwich. He seemed to relax while eating it. Suddenly he stood up.
"I'll be right back," he said. He disappeared into the darkness leaving Ben and David feeling very uncomfortable even though they were in the safety zone. A couple minutes later he returned carrying something. Chan's backpack.
Ben dropped his sandwich. "That-that-that's..."
"Chan's backpack..." mumbled David, who had also dropped his sandwich.
"How did you know it was out there?" Ben asked.
Brandon set the backpack down gently. "I don't know," he said. "I just sensed that something of his was nearby. I found it hanging from a rafter below the ceiling. We walked right under it and didn't notice."
David noticed that the bag was shaking. A Cubone popped out and looked at the three nervously before scurrying off.
"A wild Cubone?" David asked.
"Apparently," Brandon replied watching it go.
Suddenly Chan's Mew appeared. I sensed it nearby... I gave you the feeling to find it, it told Brandon.
Brandon grinned. "Thanks, Mew. What did you hope to find in it."
Hopefully a scent of who took Chan's body, it replied sniffing the bag inside and out. I don't like this smell.
"Yeah, I don't like the presence on it either," Brandon said. "It gives me the creeps."
"Why?" Ben asked.
"Because, this person that took Chan is not normal by any means. I don't know how to explain it."
David sneezed. "Sorry," he said.
"Shh..." Brandon said.
The trio listened for a moment.
"I sneezed," David said after hearing nothing.
"I know, but I heard something," Brandon replied. He was about to say something else when the sound came again. A dry cough.
"What?!" David asked standing up almost stepping on his forgotten sandwich.
Mew swooped under and grabbed it. Floating in front of David's face, it handed him the sandwich.
"Oh, thank you."
No problem.
Another dry cough.
Brandon's eyes narrowed. Ben stepped back behind him next to David. Mew twitched nervously between them.
"Chan?" Brandon called.
"It can't be," Ben replied.
"I know," David said. "But it's him. I can feel his presence."
Sure enough Chan responded. "Brandon? David? You two are here too?" was his quiet reply.
"Chan!" Ben cried. "How'd you get revived?"
"You don't want to know," Chan replied from the shadows. "You guys need to get out of here, now." Chan's voice was pleading and desperate. A fear hung in it. A fear that something would hurt them.
"Chan, talk to us," Brandon said. "We need to know what's going on."
Neither of them stepped out of the safety zone. They were too afraid of what might be with Chan.
"We're in the Safety Zone, Chan," Ben told him, "Nothing can get at us."
"I'm afraid that doesn't matter," Chan said, fear still sounding in his voice. "You need to leave, now."
The emphasis in his voice startled all three. "Chan, we can't leave you," David said and the other two murmured in agreement.
Chan sighed. David sensed that he was smiling. "I knew you guys wouldn't leave," he replied, "you are true friends. But you have to go. You can't do anything to help me. I-I-I want to explain, but you would never understand. You need to get out before anything happens. I-I've changed. Part of me wants to attack you, and it's taking all of my strength to prevent myself from doing it. But I feel it waning. Get out."
"But-" Brandon began.
"NOW!" Chan yelled.
Ben jumped. "Guys," he said to David and Brandon, "I'm no psychic, but I think he means business. I think we should go."
Brandon nodded. He was shaken by how Chan's voice had carried.
"Chan," he said. "I'm not fighting you. We'll leave... but you know that we'll be back." He sensed a nod from Chan. There was a sound of retreating footsteps.
"Go now. Before I lose control of myself," Chan whimpered.
Brandon, Ben, and David ran from the safety zone as fast as they could. Brandon had to go back and grab Chan's Mew by the tail.
I want to stay! it cried.
"Sorry, Mew, but Chan doesn't want that," Brandon said.
Looking into the darkness he could see Chan leaning weakly against the wall watching him. "Chan..." Brandon whispered before turning and running to catch up with the other two. He found them at the door.
"It's locked," David informed him.
"There's someone who really doesn't want us leaving," Ben added.
"It isn't Chan," Brandon said, "He wanted us to escape."
"Did he follow?" David asked.
"I don't think so. But he could be down here anytime now."
The trio looked at the door nervously. Ben remembered Mew.
"Mew," he begged, "Get us out."
Mew looked longingly towards the stairs but turned towards the door and nodded. In seconds the door was unlocked and the group was outside in the safe daylight. They ran towards the Pokémon Center. Brandon looked back and could have sworn that he saw Chan standing in the doorway.
*******
Original # of parts: 13