Author's Notes: There was a writer and a computer. The two of them got along just fine, until one day the computer changed. It got angry and uncontrollable, often deleting the story that the writer was trying to create. The writer first thought it was a virus making the computer so mad. When the computer was taken to the computer doctor, a small problem had been discovered. The computer was healed. The writer was finally able to complete the chapter.

There's a moral to this story. In fact, there are two. (1) If you get into an argument with a broken computer, you will always lose. (2) Save and backup your stories often.

I apologize for the wait. Thank you for reading.

Disclaimer: Pokemon will never belong to me.

~~~~

"Are you afraid, Talon?"

"Forgot you do… I live in night my whole life. We see who scream first, Firebringer."

"Well, well. Our challenge begins."

The pleasant smell of mint hung in the air, covering up the musty scent that the wooden walls absorbed over time. There was no trace of the monks from earlier. The five awakening bodies were truly alone.

 "Up and at 'em, friend! It's time for-" Korba picked Agility up off the ground and made her stand. "Our mission!" An arm snaked around Agility's waist. Korba's second hand flew to the panicking trainer's nose, clamping it shut. Caught in an unbreakable grip with the threat of suffocation, Agility finally gasped for breath. "You did it! I knew you could!" Korba playfully shoved her away. Her attention drifted to Scavenger, who she immediately started playing with.

Agility sought out her pokemon. "Way to come to my aid!"

Pyra dismissed it. "Ah, she's just playing. A little roughhousing never hurt anyone."

"Sure, all fun and games…" Agility activated her pokegear, scrolling down and selecting Gerald's name. His face soon appeared on-screen. He was noticeably tired, but he perked up when he saw who it was.

"Hey Agility! Need my help? Some of my contacts? My brilliant mind?"

She yawned. "What've you got on Sprout Tower?"

Gerald looked defeated. "You could at least act pleased to see me… Well, anyway… Good luck getting in. The Tower's closed to all trainers."

"Just give me some facts. Humor me."

"Fine. Let me pull a few things…" He disappeared from view, but he spoke as he went. "It was built pretty long ago for pokemon training. Monks travel here to be at one with their pokemon, and the place is usually open to trainers…. You can even challenge the leader to learn a secret technique! Hmmm. Some storytellers claim that a hundred foot tall Bellsprout became the center of the tower."

"A what-?" Pyra questioned, unpleasant memories flying through her head.

Talon was quick to taunt her. "Afraid of Thorn-Weed? Scared, yes?"

"Thorn-Weed?" Scavenger's voice added to the conversation. Agility noticed the Rattata was free, and realized that Korba had nothing to busy herself with.

"Gerald? You want to hurry it up?!" She urged the boy on, not knowing when the playful girl would strike.

"Okay, jeez! Sprout Tower has some ties to the towers in Ecruteak City. They were in balance for a long while, until… Well. You're going to have to call me back. If the place opens again, give me a ring!"

"What? That's it? Gerald, that doesn't help at all!"

"Let someone wake you up in the middle of the night to look up information on the Sprout Tower! I'll have some more stuff tomorrow!" He hung up shortly after that. Agility sighed.

"Assuming that I'll survive the night… Guys? Are we ready to go?"

"N-no!" Scavenger cried, having finished listening to Pyra's description of a "Thorn-Weed." "I don't wanna go! We're gonna die!"

"We're not going to die." Agility didn't even bother to reprimand Pyra. "We're not in a haunted house. There are no such things as spirits."

"What about ghost pokemon?" Korba asked, proud to apply her education to real life.

"Ghost pokemon?" Agility scoffed. "Right. That's just a scientist's way of scaring pokemon trainers… It's just like the myth of the Legendary Birds and Dogs. They're all fairy tales and hoaxes." She found herself shivering. The temperature of the room had dropped dramatically, and the group lapsed into silence. Wind blew past the holes left in the rotting wood, a sound that accompanied the creaking tower, and then strengthened enough to send slivers of wood throughout the room.

"Wooooo…." Korba tried to mimic the moan of a ghost. "I've read ghost stories before! This always happens when-"

"Don't scare Scavenger. Everything's going to be fine."

It wasn't known if Scavenger was just scared or cold, but he trembled uncontrollably. "I wish I was a-as brave as you guys…"

Agility smiled reassuringly. "Have no fear, Scavenger. We're gonna be there for you. We're a team. And as a member of our team, it's Pyra's duty to turn up the heat."

The Cyndaquil did so. As soon as the fire emerged, someone- No, something shrieked. It fled across the floorboards and into the darkness, stirring up dust in its wake. Pyra snorted into the chilled air before following after it. "Show yourself!"

It came as a gentle command. "Leave…"

"I won't move until my opponent accepts my challenge! I demand a duel!"

"Leave…"

Agility felt around for her pokedex and held it like a gun, looking around for the voice Pyra had been speaking to. Unfortunately, it echoed all over the room. Her machine understood what she was trying to do. "Species unidentifiable. Target is out of range or not defined as pokemon. It is recommended to use the attack Foresight, and then try again at a later time. One related topic(s) found… 'Objects Often Mistaken For Pokemon.' Do you want to view this file?" She chose to ignore that.

"Talon!" The trainer called. The Hoothoot hopped forward to where Pyra was, her eyes slowly brightening to a flood of crimson. The light that radiated from her eyes spread out in steady rays, bathing the unknown being in red. The shout that followed came from Korba, who pointed at the vague shape and cheered for the successful strategy.

But there was one who didn't share the enthusiasm. Scavenger was backing away. It was only when he reached Agility did he get a good view of the coming fight… And he realized that everyone else was confronting the problem head-on. But what could he do? Pyra had the power of fire, Talon had incredible eyes, Agility had her knowledge, and Korba was so brave… They were all brave. He tried to speak with Agility, tried to tell her he was ready for battle, but his throat had gone dry. Was he really that much of a coward…?

"Sandstorm!" A young voice ordered. Wind swept into the room. A whirlwind was soon created, birthed of dust gathered from the floor, the ceiling, and the outside.

Agility now realized the danger everyone was in. That attack wasn't meant for indoor use! "Change of plan! Let's get out of here!" She grabbed her stiff Rattata and yelled for her pokemon to follow along. "Scavenger, what's wrong with y-"

 Korba grabbed her by her arm. "Wait! We've got a mission to accomplish!"

Agility wrestled free. "I don't care!" Her voice faded in the violent winds. She tried to shield her eyes and pokemon from the dust. She did well at first, but soon she felt her fingers slip through Scavenger's fur. The Rattata tried to dig his claws into Agility's arm, but the strength of the storm proved to be too much. Scavenger was thrown into the chaos.

Talon had to shut her huge eyes. She screeched with the hope that someone would hear her. "Come near Talon! This sandstorm work of spirit! We find each other and leave, yes!"

"No!" Pyra brushed past her terrified companion, not needing sight as much as the others. "It may be a spirit, but it's a powerful spirit! We will not flee because if we do, we run away from our fears and cannot grow strong!"

Agility grasped Korba's hand. The two of them bumped into Talon, who was slowly loosing her footing. "No can hold on much longer!"

"Get behind me!" Agility crouched down and ordered Korba to do the same. Talon was given a chance to secure herself. "Is Scavenger here?"

"I thought he was with you!" Pyra groaned. She tried to cheer herself up with another thought. "Believe in ghosts now?"

The trainer clenched her fists, mulling over a crazy thought. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt her friends, but… "You're right about one thing, and that's about how powerful this pokemon is. But it's not a spirit! Now, everyone down! Pyra, Ember attack!" Red-hot cinders were added to the mix. Pyra sent out as much as she could before her back flames were worn down to heat spurting through clogged holes. The fire bombarded everyone, eating through clothing, feathers, fur, and skin. "Come on Pyra! Dig deep!"

The Cyndaquil braced herself and tensed. Her internal heat rose to painful temperatures. Without a clear pathway for the heat to escape, Pyra was roasting her insides with all the effort she was giving. Her determination was rewarded by an explosive blast of flame, drowning out Agility's encouragements and the sound of dirt scraping against the wooden walls. The storm stopped immediately. All of the dust emptied through the holes in the walls, until all that remained was a faint wail and much panting. Pyra groaned and collapsed, prompting Agility to search her backpack for a bottle of water. Her search resulted in an apple juice box she'd stuffed into her pack before leaving New Bark. It served its purpose well enough. Pyra sipped the cool liquid through a straw, thanking her trainer with an absent mumble.

There was no time for rest. Agility shot a desperate look at Talon and Korba, who shook their heads sadly. Scavenger was nowhere to be found.

There was another room in the Tower. It was obviously not maintained, as it was even in worse condition than the room from before. Holes from termites and wood rot were plentiful in the ceiling and walls. The newest addition to these damages was a gaping break in the floor. It had probably existed beforehand, but it was widened after Scavenger had been sent flying through it.

It took a while before he woke up again. "Agility? K-Korba? Pyra? Talon?" He croaked, very disoriented. His head was pounding, the sounds of the battle echoing in his skull. Nothing was bleeding… But that was the only good news. He remembered nothing after Agility lost hold of him. "Wh-where did everybody go? Don't leave me here!" There was no response. "I'm scared…"

"Yeah…" He whirled around in a panic, trying to find the voice. It was so soft and familiar… "I don't like this place either." Scavenger strained to see the speaker in the darkness. His night vision should have been better than that…

"Hey…" Scavenger hesitated. "How did you get here?" It was another Rattata!

"I'm just so s-scared…I just wanna get outta here!"

At least there was someone who was as scared as he was. "I do too, but my trainer and my team wants to stay. I could have pointed the way out for you… If I knew where I was." Scavenger scratched at the floor, sniffing it curiously. There was a mix of scents, but none of them were his friends.

"I think I know a way out! You oughta come with me! They'll find their way out, I bet. It's just too cold, too dark, and too dangerous for us! An-And we can go and play under the stars an' catch fireflies an'… Fun stuff!"

"I want to, but…" Scavenger shook his head regretfully. "I can't just leave them behind."

"Well…" The new Rattata grinned childishly. "You wanna go look at my collection then? Its not very far, and you can look for your friends right after. My c-collection has a buncha shiny stuff in it!"

"Okay… Yeah. Let's go! What's your name?"

"Ken-Ken." He pushed open a door and trotted down a corridor. "You're Scavenger?"

"How'd you know that?"

Ken-Ken shrugged. "You said somethin', I think. I've been here s-so long that I catch things up p-pretty quickly! You could even call this my home…"

Scavenger had no fond memories of home. He often wondered what would have happened if Pyra hadn't shown up when she did… She was kind of tough on him at times, but she cared. He had a hard time believing it, but Talon cared as well. Ken-Ken let out a few bitter coughs. "Are you okay?"

Ken-Ken shook it off. "Y-yeah, I'm fine… C'mon, let's go s-see that shiny stuff!" Scavenger stepped into something soft. It was a large clump of fur that Ken-Ken left behind… He drew back with a squeak. "You okay?"

"Yeah… I am." They went on after a few seconds (the Rattata species was not known for lengthy attention spans), squeezing through several holes and tunnels that ran throughout the entire structure of the tower. The passageways were of varying sizes, and in one of the larger ones was Ken-Ken's collection. It was well timed; the Rattata was running out of energy. He gnawed at the dead roots that covered his prizes.

"Here. T-take a look!"

"Ooh…" Scavenger couldn't help but paw at a shiny gold bell, relaxing at the pleasant jingle it made. There was everything from ribbons to the silver wrappers of Rare Candy.

"It's safe, but it's lonely here. I wish I had company… I-I…"

"Huh?"

"D-do you wanna stay with me? We'd be r-really close friends and I'd like it!"

The answer was on his lips, but Scavenger was forced to reconsider. He wanted nothing more than to be with Agility and the team, outside the tower and in broad daylight. But now that he was with Ken-Ken, where he was able to talk and play, he was having second thoughts. How could Agility let him go like that? Didn't she say that they were all a team and they'd be there for him? How could she lie like that? He couldn't have possibly refused Ken-Ken's request!

What if the "team" was looking for him, though? His conscience reminded him of that possibility constantly. What if they got hurt and lost, or worse? Scavenger whined. He hated thinking about things for too long… Now his head was hurting. "Well, maybe Agility will let you come with us. Can we go find her now?"

In the quiet that followed, Scavenger swore he heard a sniffle. "I guess I-I'll help you find 'em…" Ken-Ken trudged through a different tunnel now, Scavenger not far behind. "There's a f-fire up ahead. It's getting kinda c-cold…"

It didn't take long to reach their destination. The fires were made by candlelight, all of them positioned in the corners of the room. Scavenger was warmed up and turned to thank his friend, then immediately wished he hadn't. All of this time Ken-Ken had been partially hidden in the darkness. Now that he was in a well-lighted area, Scavenger could see the true form of his friend.

The small Rattata was almost bald. His small frame was visible through the blotchy skin that wrapped tightly around him, revealing a tiny rib cage.

Scavenger was horrified. "You look so…"

"Scary? Ugly? Nasty?" Ken-Ken choked back tears. His hairless ears drooped, exposing their ragged edges.

"N-no, I-"

"I t-try to make friends… I do! But all the trainers call me n-names, and their pokemon are all so m-mean!" He waved his tail with difficulty. It too had lost most of its fur. "Figures. Nobody w-wants me around..."

"But I do! And Agility will! If you just come with me-"

"I'll be attacked. The trainers always attack me!""

"She's different! I swear!"

Ken-Ken's puffy eyes were not the same color. Scavenger discovered that one eye was more pink than red. "Everything out there is scary! I can't help it… I don't have anyone to talk to, and I can't fight! I just wanna be safe!"

"I understand…" Scavenger nodded. "Maybe I can stay just a bit longer."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" A familiar voice hissed, causing both Rattata to whirl in its direction. A lone Cyndaquil stood, pawing at the ground with a blunt hoof.

"Pyra!" Scavenger beamed. "You found me! Where's Agility, I-" He continued looking at Pyra, and slowly his smile faded. "Pyra?"

"I heard you talking to that runt over there. You were going to ditch us all for him, weren't you?"

"N-no!"

"You're a coward and a liar! The punishment for this is death!" She charged at him, yelling his fate all the way. Scavenger's breath caught in his throat. He remained motionless for a few suffocating moments, but he managed to pull away at the last second. It had been so close he felt her snorts as she passed by. Instinct told him to follow after her. His body didn't obey. The shaking little Rattata held onto his tail, tears welling in his eyes.

"You can't!" Ken-Ken begged. "You can't hurt her! She's so strong!"

"But she's going to kill me!" Scavenger cried back. Pyra's skull connected with his head. His body received an almost paralyzing shock from impact. That was enough to sway him. He turned and ran, his smaller friend at his heels and urging him on with talks of torture and injury. Scavenger didn't get far. Talon stopped his frantic run, releasing a Fearow's wicked caw. Her eyes reminded Scavenger of blood more than ever. Though her wings were puny, she managed to take flight and dive at him. His speed came through for him again.

"I don't wanna lose you…" Ken-Ken pleaded. He slumped on the ground, silver tears soaking his fur. "I don't want to be alone!"

Scavenger knew that fear perfectly. "Why are they trying to hurt me? I didn't do anything wrong! I'm not a coward or liar, am I?"

"Nuh-uh! You're great! But you want to go hurt yourself, don't you?"

"Not if I can avoid it…" He licked the youngster reassuringly. "I don't know what's going on, but I'm not leaving you here! We're gonna find Agility and Korba."

"No need." Korba was right behind him. Her normally happy grin now looked truly demented. Her eyes were completely obscured by the tint on her glasses. "You're a bad rat, Scavenger! Never battling! Always letting Pyra and Talon do it for you!"

'She can understand me?' Scavenger thought, astonished. He went back to her false accusations. "Korba, that's not true!"

"You just want to hide in my arms forever, don't you?" Korba raised her foot and stomped, sending the floorboards towards Scavenger like a wave. He was caught in its path. The wave crashed upon his body, splinters driving into his fur.

"Don't fight!" Ken-Ken reminded him. "You promised me! We're gonna be together, right?"

"That's right, Scavenger." Agility whispered from some distance away. She knelt down and spread her arms wide. "Come on! You're the strongest guy around! Let's run away from this, and never have to face pain again!"

The rat tried to pull the slivers from his body to no avail. "Ow… It hurts, Agility…" He painfully made his way towards her. When the others did not attack him, it encouraged him to go faster. All this fighting wasn't really worth it. Ken-Ken was right behind him. Odd, hadn't he refused to see Agility just minutes earlier…? "This really hurts!"

"Shhh…" She embraced him. Her flesh felt like ice.  "It's okay. Stay with me, Scavenger. Stay with me and you'll never get hurt again…"

The pain from the wood was already gone, the chill seeping through to his veins. He shivered and pressed ever closer to her chest. "Really?"

"Why fight?" Ken-Ken asked. "It's just gonna hurt you. Pain is bad… Don't you want to be safe? Don't you want to be with us?"

"Uh-huh…" Scavenger whispered, about to fall asleep. Ice had formed over his whiskers and face, spreading down his throat and beginning to coat his lungs. But it didn't matter. He felt safe for the very first time.

Hey, little one! My first adventure! On an adventuuuuure!

No pokemon get close to attack you! I make sure!

No. Not the first time… They'd made him feel safe many times, encouraging him to fight… And when Agility had grabbed him up to save him from the storm, she was warm. So warm… Not like the cold hug he'd jumped into. He stared at Agility's glassy eyes. They widened in fear and then looked hurt. Agility frowned. "How could you look back? Don't you love me?"

"You're doing it again!" The little Rattata yelled at him. "You trying to take risks when you shouldn't!"

 "They're so strong! Stay with us!" Agility reached out for him.

Cowardice and hiding do not a warrior make!

Scavenger snapped his teeth at her. Agility jerked her hand away, surprised. "You're wrong! I gotta go out there and face stuff! Everybody else on my team does it! And… And I'm a part of the team too!"

"A foolish choice, rat! Run to those two! The second you leave them, we will be ready for you. Run away from your fears and stay safe, it will be for the better!" Pyra sneered.

"Wait… You're not Pyra!"

The Cyndaquil smirked. "What makes you so sure of that?"

"The real Pyra would never allow me to run away! She's always wanting to go forward!"

We will not flee because if we do, we run away from our fears and cannot grow strong!

"I wanna get strong like the real Pyra! And for that I-I can't always be safe… B-but it'll be worth it! I'm gonna be- Ahh!" The Cyndaquil claiming to be Pyra ran at him, looking to drive her hooves into his head. He ducked and stared at Ken-Ken. "It sounds silly, I know! But if you'd just follow me, you'd understand it too!"

Ken-ken shrank away. Pyra laughed darkly. "You think you've got it all figured out, don't you? Don't think I'm real? Let me see… The tale of the Thorn-Weed. I told it to you twice, once outside the tower and once inside. The Thorn-Weed froths at the mouth with a fiery poison that melts stone! It has a toothless mouth to swallow its victims whole! It's as tall as this tower, if not bigger. It has thorns jutting out at every angle, as sharp as the Fear-bird's beak, as the Cat's claws, as the Fire Dog's teeth! It has eyes as dark as night, as its soul was!"

It struck a nerve. "How did you-?"

 "As I said, I am Pyra. A part of her at least. I was just thrown out when Pyra stopped listening to that strong voice in her heart! Now she's a weakling, just like the bird she formed a so-called partnership with, and the trainer that she allows herself to be controlled by! Pyra's rage, Talon's hate, and Korba's secret regrets were all abandoned some time ago, but I assure you they're very real in this Tower! And who else to join us but the most powerful feelings amongst you all! The cowardice of Agility and Scavenger!"

"Agility and Pyra…? Weak…?" Scavenger began to growl. "Now I get it… You're the liar!"

She roared with laughter. "And who better to judge that you! Oh, you're the bravest of all!"

"My friend aren't weak and I'm not a coward! I'll prove it!" Scavenger tried to brush the frost from his whiskers. His constant shaking warmed him somewhat, and the heat from rage did the rest. Pyra showed no mercy. Her flames came in a seemingly endless shower. The Rattata lunged in response, moving straight through the fire and at the Cyndaquil who dare take the name Pyra for her own. Pyra leapt high to avoid it, ordering Talon and the two humans to help.

Not stopping for a breath, Scavenger used his impressive speed to run past again, his tail whipping through the air and emitting a loud crack that caught everyone off guard. Scavenger followed through with a charge. He only met icy air. Though the Rattata was fast, Pyra was faster. Because the dodge such a quick and sudden movement, Scavenger wasn't able to land correctly. He slammed into the ground face-first. Pain flared in his sensitive nose and spread to his face. 

He met the force of rotten wood. Korba made the floor crash upon him again, leaving Pyra to deliver the fiery end. Instead of burning his flesh, Scavenger found the flames only made him colder. They rippled, wave upon wave of Hypnosis piercing Scavenger's body.

He barely rolled out of the Hypnosis. Scavenger's move had its consequences; every splinter drove itself deeper into his body. "That wasn't much of a fight, rat…" Pyra drove a hoof into Scavenger's back. "Now do you realize your weakness?"

"W-who's weak?" Scavenger whimpered, writhing underneath her weight. If the real Pyra stopped listening to you… And now you think you can take that out on me…"

"That's not the point."

"T-then why are you trying to kill me?!" Scavenger gained his second wind. "Are you trying to stop me from getting stronger? Y-You're the liar! You're the coward!" With a grunt of exertion, he threw Pyra off of him. Scavenger legs carried him across the floor so fast that the boards didn't creak when he touched down. The high-speed move connected hard, driving both pokemon into and through the floor.

"Scavenger…! Scavenger!" Agility shook her unconscious pokemon, glad to finally get a response. Scavenger groaned and tried to right himself. He failed miserably.

"Where am I?" He asked quietly.

"You're with us again. We found you!"

His instincts screamed at him to run away, but this Agility was warm to the touch. He knew she was truly his trainer. Scavenger relaxed in her arms, and found Pyra doing the same with Korba. Pyra grunted at the girl to let go. Korba got the general idea and released the Cyndaquil, who immediately questioned Scavenger. "What's this? Ah! Were you battling, Scavenger?"

He managed an, "Uh-huh."

Pyra grinned at Talon, trying not to stumble and fall. "Hah! I have a natural sense for this, Talon! Did I not tell you he would be a fine warrior? Why, he just needed a little push! He could take down Water Dragons with my help!"

"No listen to Pyra, Scavenger. She full of herself. Get cocky and I hurt you, yes." Talon joked. They continued further into the tower.

A smile spread on Scavenger's furry face. He wasn't a coward at all! Now he had a reason to face his fears. He had a goal in his life… He thought of his friends. They were his heroes, too. And someday, he would be as brave as they were.

Elsewhere in the tower, an injured Cyndaquil tried to escape. Behind her was a copy of Talon, Agility, and Korba. They all faded after a few moments. Yet Ken-Ken wasn't among them…

None of us could help but think of Scavenger as a meek little child. In a way he is a child, but he is neither meek nor little… He's a child in the fact that he is innocent. The meekness is just a front. He's actually quite courageous, and he's got a huge heart.

We think that he's trying to take after Pyra. This is good, but we'll all breathe a sigh of relief if he wakes up with the unwillingness to fight. Some traits don't need to be shared… But it's funny how we think we're all different. Yet I think we're all after the same thing. We want to be strong. We want to be great. And it's guys like Scavenger that remind us what we're journeying for.

Sprout Tower - Agility