The Vampire of Lavendar Town
By Ree-chan Peekster, Dugtrio16, and Dessa
Chapter 6
The group stood once more outside the Pokémon Tower.
"I don't want to go in," Ben said.
"You aren't the only one," David replied. "I'm not sure I want to see my friend in this condition."
They entered. The door slammed shut behind him.
"It's locked," Brandon said without trying the door.
"Where's your pack?" Sarah asked.
"Um... it's been moved."
"To where?"
"How should I know? Chan probably followed us down here and took it upstairs."
David suddenly sensed danger and motioned for everyone to be quiet. Brandon soon sensed it too.
"Who?" Nishu whispered.
"Don't know," David answered. "Whoever it is, it isn't Chan."
"You got that right," a voice echoed coldly across the room. No one could see the speaker.
"Where are you?" Brandon asked.
"That's what Chan asked before my Gastly attacked him," the man replied.
"Count Victor," Ben said.
"Correct."
"Where's my brother?" Sarah demanded.
"I wouldn't worry about him. I'd worry about yourselves," Victor growled.
Brandon finally located him near the stairs. "You don't like light?" he guessed.
"No," Victor replied. "Why should I?"
"Gastly?"
"Oh my..." Nishu said looking up. There hovering above them was the Gastly.
"Can I ask you a question?" Brandon asked.
"Yes."
"How did you get that Gastly to be so big?" Brandon questioned.
"Long time and tough training." The Gastly could easily put all of them to sleep in a matter of seconds.
"What do you want?" Nishu asked.
"Hmm.. interesting question. I take it you're Chan's father," Victor guessed.
"Yes..." Nishu replied nervously.
Victor finally stepped out of the shadows revealing himself to be a fairly young man, possibly younger than Brandon, before his vampire years. Brandon and Victor eyed each other for a long time. The others watched on warily.
"Well, what do you want?" Nishu repeated.
"First, let me guess what you want," Count Victor replied. "You want Chan, don't you?"
"Yes," they all answered.
Count Victor let out a small chuckle. "You see," he said, "that is impossible. He is now one of me. He cannot go with you, nor can he go outside period. He is a vampire now. In fact..."
Victor trailed off and gazed to a spot a few yards away. It was hard to make out, but they could all see a figure standing there. It moved out of the deep shadows, and they all gasped. It was Chan, dressed in a long, black cape and dark suit.
"Yes," Chan said, in a voice that didn't even sound like his own, "I am a vampire now. How long did it take you to figure it out? Bug bites, Ben? There are no bugs in this area."
Ben stood still, fuming. "I should've known that," he mumbled to himself.
Chan chuckled. "Yes, you should have. Perhaps then you could've done something. But it is too late now. There is no way to return to normal."
"Wait," Victor interrupted, "I am a sporting man. I will give you one way to change your friend back. I will give you three tasks. If you can complete them within two weeks, I will change Chan back."
Nishu looked at Chan, then the group. "If we can get Chan back, we should do it." He then addressed Victor. "We accept. What is the first task?"
Chan's eyes widened. "No!" he cried.
Brandon saw fear in his eyes. He saw the real Chan behind the vampire's mask. A Chan that was desperate to free himself but knew that it was almost impossible.
Chan started to come over. Victor raised a hand causing Chan to groan in pain and sink to his knees, obviously controlling him.
"You won't interfere, young one. I have made a deal on the way you shall live. You should be happy I'm willing to give this chance to you," Victor told him.
"Stop. He's in pain!" Ben cried. Victor eyed Ben darkly but released his hold on Chan.
"Gastly, make sure our young guest here does not try to interrupt these negotiations."
Turning to the group he added. "Are you sure you want to do this?" The group nodded.
Victor smiled mysteriously. "Okay... there is a small island just south of Cinnabar Island. It holds a very rare flower that I love and I would want to have one of my own. I saw it once when I was mortal, which was a very long time ago. I know they still exist. You are to go there and find it. I'll give you a hint on how to find it... do not try to find it during the day. Like vampires, it only comes out at night. It is very beautiful. You can't miss it. You'll know when you find it. Once you find it, you are to bring it back to me. I'll give you your next challenge then. Remember, you have two weeks to fulfill three tasks of my choosing. This is the first and by far the easiest. Do not waste any time, for it is precious."
Nishu nodded. It wouldn't be easy if it was rare but they had to do it... for Chan.
Chan winced. He looked scared again. Not at all like the hungry vampire that he seemed to have been at first when they had seen him step out of the shadows. More like a mortal.
"Oh and one more thing..." Victor said as they were turning to leave. "Chan becomes more vampire each second... when you return... I would recommend you be careful when looking for me."
It was a plain warning Brandon realized. Victor didn't have to warn them. Was there still some human left in him too after all these unknown years?
*******
After the group left Victor allowed Chan to stand.
"That was foolish of you, young one," he said.
"But... it's impossible for them to be able to complete the three tasks in two weeks. Not with them as challenging as they are," Chan whimpered.
"Heh... they'll do it if they work together. Especially since they want you back so badly."
"You'll stick to your word?"
Victor laughed. "Of course. I never have broken my word... of course, no one has ever been able to complete those tasks either..."
Chan swallowed and backed away. He ran into the Gastly which he had forgotten was behind him.
"I'll stick to my word if they complete the tasks, young one. I may be more of a sport than ever..."
Victor walked slowly up the stairs. Chan followed reluctantly behind knowing if he didn't do it willingly, Victor would force him to do it. As he did, he took one last longing look towards the door.
*******
Original # of parts: 3
Chapter 6
The group stood once more outside the Pokémon Tower.
"I don't want to go in," Ben said.
"You aren't the only one," David replied. "I'm not sure I want to see my friend in this condition."
They entered. The door slammed shut behind him.
"It's locked," Brandon said without trying the door.
"Where's your pack?" Sarah asked.
"Um... it's been moved."
"To where?"
"How should I know? Chan probably followed us down here and took it upstairs."
David suddenly sensed danger and motioned for everyone to be quiet. Brandon soon sensed it too.
"Who?" Nishu whispered.
"Don't know," David answered. "Whoever it is, it isn't Chan."
"You got that right," a voice echoed coldly across the room. No one could see the speaker.
"Where are you?" Brandon asked.
"That's what Chan asked before my Gastly attacked him," the man replied.
"Count Victor," Ben said.
"Correct."
"Where's my brother?" Sarah demanded.
"I wouldn't worry about him. I'd worry about yourselves," Victor growled.
Brandon finally located him near the stairs. "You don't like light?" he guessed.
"No," Victor replied. "Why should I?"
"Gastly?"
"Oh my..." Nishu said looking up. There hovering above them was the Gastly.
"Can I ask you a question?" Brandon asked.
"Yes."
"How did you get that Gastly to be so big?" Brandon questioned.
"Long time and tough training." The Gastly could easily put all of them to sleep in a matter of seconds.
"What do you want?" Nishu asked.
"Hmm.. interesting question. I take it you're Chan's father," Victor guessed.
"Yes..." Nishu replied nervously.
Victor finally stepped out of the shadows revealing himself to be a fairly young man, possibly younger than Brandon, before his vampire years. Brandon and Victor eyed each other for a long time. The others watched on warily.
"Well, what do you want?" Nishu repeated.
"First, let me guess what you want," Count Victor replied. "You want Chan, don't you?"
"Yes," they all answered.
Count Victor let out a small chuckle. "You see," he said, "that is impossible. He is now one of me. He cannot go with you, nor can he go outside period. He is a vampire now. In fact..."
Victor trailed off and gazed to a spot a few yards away. It was hard to make out, but they could all see a figure standing there. It moved out of the deep shadows, and they all gasped. It was Chan, dressed in a long, black cape and dark suit.
"Yes," Chan said, in a voice that didn't even sound like his own, "I am a vampire now. How long did it take you to figure it out? Bug bites, Ben? There are no bugs in this area."
Ben stood still, fuming. "I should've known that," he mumbled to himself.
Chan chuckled. "Yes, you should have. Perhaps then you could've done something. But it is too late now. There is no way to return to normal."
"Wait," Victor interrupted, "I am a sporting man. I will give you one way to change your friend back. I will give you three tasks. If you can complete them within two weeks, I will change Chan back."
Nishu looked at Chan, then the group. "If we can get Chan back, we should do it." He then addressed Victor. "We accept. What is the first task?"
Chan's eyes widened. "No!" he cried.
Brandon saw fear in his eyes. He saw the real Chan behind the vampire's mask. A Chan that was desperate to free himself but knew that it was almost impossible.
Chan started to come over. Victor raised a hand causing Chan to groan in pain and sink to his knees, obviously controlling him.
"You won't interfere, young one. I have made a deal on the way you shall live. You should be happy I'm willing to give this chance to you," Victor told him.
"Stop. He's in pain!" Ben cried. Victor eyed Ben darkly but released his hold on Chan.
"Gastly, make sure our young guest here does not try to interrupt these negotiations."
Turning to the group he added. "Are you sure you want to do this?" The group nodded.
Victor smiled mysteriously. "Okay... there is a small island just south of Cinnabar Island. It holds a very rare flower that I love and I would want to have one of my own. I saw it once when I was mortal, which was a very long time ago. I know they still exist. You are to go there and find it. I'll give you a hint on how to find it... do not try to find it during the day. Like vampires, it only comes out at night. It is very beautiful. You can't miss it. You'll know when you find it. Once you find it, you are to bring it back to me. I'll give you your next challenge then. Remember, you have two weeks to fulfill three tasks of my choosing. This is the first and by far the easiest. Do not waste any time, for it is precious."
Nishu nodded. It wouldn't be easy if it was rare but they had to do it... for Chan.
Chan winced. He looked scared again. Not at all like the hungry vampire that he seemed to have been at first when they had seen him step out of the shadows. More like a mortal.
"Oh and one more thing..." Victor said as they were turning to leave. "Chan becomes more vampire each second... when you return... I would recommend you be careful when looking for me."
It was a plain warning Brandon realized. Victor didn't have to warn them. Was there still some human left in him too after all these unknown years?
*******
After the group left Victor allowed Chan to stand.
"That was foolish of you, young one," he said.
"But... it's impossible for them to be able to complete the three tasks in two weeks. Not with them as challenging as they are," Chan whimpered.
"Heh... they'll do it if they work together. Especially since they want you back so badly."
"You'll stick to your word?"
Victor laughed. "Of course. I never have broken my word... of course, no one has ever been able to complete those tasks either..."
Chan swallowed and backed away. He ran into the Gastly which he had forgotten was behind him.
"I'll stick to my word if they complete the tasks, young one. I may be more of a sport than ever..."
Victor walked slowly up the stairs. Chan followed reluctantly behind knowing if he didn't do it willingly, Victor would force him to do it. As he did, he took one last longing look towards the door.
*******
Original # of parts: 3