CHAPTER 2 POKEMON TOWER
Lavender town, at the time, was packed close enough together that you could run across town in five minutes time. This was a good thing because the Pokemon center and the tower were on opposite sides of town. The Rattatas body was beginning to reek. Rigomortis was setting in. The smell was attracting attention of passersby and wild Pokemon from the west. I saw a flock of spearows heading my direction. The site of them made me run even faster.
By the time I made it to the Pokemon tower, the spearows were getting close, very close. One started dive-bombing me when I reached the door. I swung it open and slammed it shut; the spearow ran directly into the glass doors. I ran to the reception desk (even though no one was behind it) and grabbed the keys to the upper floors. I then proceeded up the tower.
The tower didn't have an elevator so I had to run through each floor. All of the lower floors (up to the sixth) were large and mazelike, because when the tower was built all those years ago, people just picked a spot in the ground to bury their Pokemon, with no pattern or form. Once I made it to the third floor I encountered trouble, the bag holding the Rattata began to levitate. "You guys, I don't have time for this!" I yelled. I could not see what force was doing this because my mind was going a million miles an hour. I stopped when the bag did not return to my hands. After years in the tower, allot of practice and a near death experience, I was sometimes able to see the ghosts that haunted the tower. I did my best to clear my mind and focus only on the force that held the sheet/bag above the ground. Finally a group of three Gengar appeared. "Cut it out!!!" I yelled as forcefully as little ten-year-old me could. I was shocked at my attitude. I had never yelled at anyone like this before, and apparently the Gengar could sense my seriousness as well.
The bag fell back into my hands and the Gengars said in unison "Gen Gengar gar" I didn't fully understand what they were saying (human-to-Pokemon is near impossible to translate.) but I think they were apologizing in a melancholy way. "Sorry, this has been a terrible day" I gave them a rushed explanation of my day's events. "So you see why I'm like this." "Gen Gengar" one of them said. Then I had a thought. "Could you all please do me a favor?" I asked. They nodded. "Please bury this on the eighth floor with the other wild Rattatas?" They all nodded again and levitated the bag with them, this time completely through the ceiling.
I continued up the tower, hoping to find Mr. Fuji on the seventh floor. The seventh floor didn't have gravestones like the floors, it was a shrine. We spent a lot of time there, Mr. Fuji and I. It was blocked off from normal trainers (they had to continue directly to the next floor.) The only people who were aloud inside were Mr. Fuji, any trainer with at least gym leader rank, priests, mediums and me (but only with Fuji's permission).
I opened the door. It was very dark because this floor had no windows and no artificial lighting. I remember as a small child, I would hide behind Mr. Fuji when we entered this room. Now I was older, I could do this myself. I walked down the dark hall; the only light came from the open door. The hall was long and the soon the light diminished. I couldn't see where I was going, but I knew the layout like the back of my hand. I continued down the corridor, I heard a soft sound, like someone pacing back and forth. "Hello. Is anybody there?" I called. "Down here my boy." The voice called. "Mr. Fuji! I finally found you!" I cried. "You have to come to the Pokemon center! Curly caught the virus!" "Curly? The Chansey?" He asked as I saw him emerge from the darkness. "Yes! We must hurry!" I choked out; I was still close to tears. "Lead the way Trevor, her time is running out." He said sympathetically.
As we reached the main floor, I tossed the keys back over the counter. Mr. Fuji gasped. "Trevor, you're not going to like this." He pointed to a large flock of Spearow. I walked over to the door; there were about twenty Spearow standing in front of the glass doors. "I might be able to outrun them...but what about you?" I asked with arrogance. "Hohoho... I think we should just call for help, and besides, even if you could outrun them, could you outrun that?" he chuckled as he turned my head to see a large, angry Fearow glaring at us. I sighed. "You're right, he could be a problem, but I have to get back to curly!" I was becoming angry, but not with Fuji. He moved closer to the door, the Spearows did the same.
I went back to the desk and grabbed the phone. No dial tone. "The line has been cut." I said indifferently. "Darn birds, getting smarter all the time. Well, then we have to wait for them to leave." He lectured. "They have ten minutes...then I'm leaving," I grumbled. "Have patience my young friend. Let's do something to pass the time." He reasoned. "Fine. Tell me, why didn't you come to the party?" "Ah, I had a feeling you would ask. I had allot of sorting out to do, with you leaving and all." He trailed off. I shot a puzzled look. "Well, without your help, it will be tough to keep this place up and running. A radio company in Johto has offered to purchase the tower and turn it into a radio station." He sounded so depressed and yet tempted at the same time. "What if we can hire help? I could even wire some money back here to pay for it while I'm gone." I said quickly. I was slightly upset by the thought of loosing the tower to a radio. "Don't worry; it would be at least a year before they would buy it, that is, if I sell it." He replied.
Clang! The Fearow was now ramming the glass doors. "If this keeps up were done for," Mr. Fuji said. "Man, if I had a Pokemon we wouldn't be in this mess." I said angrily. "Really?" Fuji said with a laugh. "Not many Pokemon can take on a group of Spearow like this. Ha ha, I'm glad you think so highly of your skills."
His attempt to lighten the mood was broken by aloud noise. CCRRAASSHH! The glass doors shattered, shrapnel flew across the lobby as we ducked for cover. The birds flooded the room. Mr. Fuji's voice was now dead serious, like I had never heard it before. "Trevor, you may be starting your journey in a few days but your training begins now. Do you have any ideas of how to escape?" I tried to think of another way out, a means of escape, but I knew the only way in (or out) was through the front doors. Then it occurred to me, on the sixth floor there lived a young female Marowak. I had been in the tower a year before to help her give birth to a litter of baby Cubones. (The babies were now strong enough to fend for themselves, but she still tried to baby them with food, new bones and that sort of thing.) In exchange for my help she rewarded me with her trust and friendship. (Incase you haven't noticed yet, I get along with Pokemon very well.) This Marowak was also one of the best swordsmen (or bonesmen in this case) I had ever seen! She was capable of anything when she swung that beloved bone of hers. She could take out these monsters like they were nothing.
"Mr. Fuji! I have a foolproof plan!" I exclaimed. "Well, out with it, we must get moving! Your friend is in need!" He rushed. "I'm aware of that!" I whined angrily. "Hide behind the desk until the birds are all up the stairs, and then you have to run out the door as fast as you can. Don't worry about me; I can catch up once these things are taken care of." I said quietly. "What are you planning?" he asked. "My secret weapon. No time for questions, hurry and hide!" I whispered assertively.
I am so glad he listened to me because my plan was already risking the lives of too many friends. "Hey, You stupid birds! Yeah you! You want some of this? Come and get it!" I yelled as I threw a nearby chair as far as I could. (About five feet, not to bad for a ten-year-old.) The spearows began flying at me as fast as they could, the Fearow was also with them, but could not fly in the current surroundings of chairs and graves. I ran up the stairs.
"Don't you want to get me?!?! You wouldn't even make a good dinner! Come on!" I continued to shout mocking comments and taunting remarks as I ran. "Spear Spearow!" they shouted. I looked behind me to see the rage in their faces, The Fearow picked up the rear, still not able to spread its wings in the stairway. (I look back at this instant now and realize just how cocky I really was.) I was getting closer now... Third floor... Fourth floor... Fifth... Finally...
Lavender town, at the time, was packed close enough together that you could run across town in five minutes time. This was a good thing because the Pokemon center and the tower were on opposite sides of town. The Rattatas body was beginning to reek. Rigomortis was setting in. The smell was attracting attention of passersby and wild Pokemon from the west. I saw a flock of spearows heading my direction. The site of them made me run even faster.
By the time I made it to the Pokemon tower, the spearows were getting close, very close. One started dive-bombing me when I reached the door. I swung it open and slammed it shut; the spearow ran directly into the glass doors. I ran to the reception desk (even though no one was behind it) and grabbed the keys to the upper floors. I then proceeded up the tower.
The tower didn't have an elevator so I had to run through each floor. All of the lower floors (up to the sixth) were large and mazelike, because when the tower was built all those years ago, people just picked a spot in the ground to bury their Pokemon, with no pattern or form. Once I made it to the third floor I encountered trouble, the bag holding the Rattata began to levitate. "You guys, I don't have time for this!" I yelled. I could not see what force was doing this because my mind was going a million miles an hour. I stopped when the bag did not return to my hands. After years in the tower, allot of practice and a near death experience, I was sometimes able to see the ghosts that haunted the tower. I did my best to clear my mind and focus only on the force that held the sheet/bag above the ground. Finally a group of three Gengar appeared. "Cut it out!!!" I yelled as forcefully as little ten-year-old me could. I was shocked at my attitude. I had never yelled at anyone like this before, and apparently the Gengar could sense my seriousness as well.
The bag fell back into my hands and the Gengars said in unison "Gen Gengar gar" I didn't fully understand what they were saying (human-to-Pokemon is near impossible to translate.) but I think they were apologizing in a melancholy way. "Sorry, this has been a terrible day" I gave them a rushed explanation of my day's events. "So you see why I'm like this." "Gen Gengar" one of them said. Then I had a thought. "Could you all please do me a favor?" I asked. They nodded. "Please bury this on the eighth floor with the other wild Rattatas?" They all nodded again and levitated the bag with them, this time completely through the ceiling.
I continued up the tower, hoping to find Mr. Fuji on the seventh floor. The seventh floor didn't have gravestones like the floors, it was a shrine. We spent a lot of time there, Mr. Fuji and I. It was blocked off from normal trainers (they had to continue directly to the next floor.) The only people who were aloud inside were Mr. Fuji, any trainer with at least gym leader rank, priests, mediums and me (but only with Fuji's permission).
I opened the door. It was very dark because this floor had no windows and no artificial lighting. I remember as a small child, I would hide behind Mr. Fuji when we entered this room. Now I was older, I could do this myself. I walked down the dark hall; the only light came from the open door. The hall was long and the soon the light diminished. I couldn't see where I was going, but I knew the layout like the back of my hand. I continued down the corridor, I heard a soft sound, like someone pacing back and forth. "Hello. Is anybody there?" I called. "Down here my boy." The voice called. "Mr. Fuji! I finally found you!" I cried. "You have to come to the Pokemon center! Curly caught the virus!" "Curly? The Chansey?" He asked as I saw him emerge from the darkness. "Yes! We must hurry!" I choked out; I was still close to tears. "Lead the way Trevor, her time is running out." He said sympathetically.
As we reached the main floor, I tossed the keys back over the counter. Mr. Fuji gasped. "Trevor, you're not going to like this." He pointed to a large flock of Spearow. I walked over to the door; there were about twenty Spearow standing in front of the glass doors. "I might be able to outrun them...but what about you?" I asked with arrogance. "Hohoho... I think we should just call for help, and besides, even if you could outrun them, could you outrun that?" he chuckled as he turned my head to see a large, angry Fearow glaring at us. I sighed. "You're right, he could be a problem, but I have to get back to curly!" I was becoming angry, but not with Fuji. He moved closer to the door, the Spearows did the same.
I went back to the desk and grabbed the phone. No dial tone. "The line has been cut." I said indifferently. "Darn birds, getting smarter all the time. Well, then we have to wait for them to leave." He lectured. "They have ten minutes...then I'm leaving," I grumbled. "Have patience my young friend. Let's do something to pass the time." He reasoned. "Fine. Tell me, why didn't you come to the party?" "Ah, I had a feeling you would ask. I had allot of sorting out to do, with you leaving and all." He trailed off. I shot a puzzled look. "Well, without your help, it will be tough to keep this place up and running. A radio company in Johto has offered to purchase the tower and turn it into a radio station." He sounded so depressed and yet tempted at the same time. "What if we can hire help? I could even wire some money back here to pay for it while I'm gone." I said quickly. I was slightly upset by the thought of loosing the tower to a radio. "Don't worry; it would be at least a year before they would buy it, that is, if I sell it." He replied.
Clang! The Fearow was now ramming the glass doors. "If this keeps up were done for," Mr. Fuji said. "Man, if I had a Pokemon we wouldn't be in this mess." I said angrily. "Really?" Fuji said with a laugh. "Not many Pokemon can take on a group of Spearow like this. Ha ha, I'm glad you think so highly of your skills."
His attempt to lighten the mood was broken by aloud noise. CCRRAASSHH! The glass doors shattered, shrapnel flew across the lobby as we ducked for cover. The birds flooded the room. Mr. Fuji's voice was now dead serious, like I had never heard it before. "Trevor, you may be starting your journey in a few days but your training begins now. Do you have any ideas of how to escape?" I tried to think of another way out, a means of escape, but I knew the only way in (or out) was through the front doors. Then it occurred to me, on the sixth floor there lived a young female Marowak. I had been in the tower a year before to help her give birth to a litter of baby Cubones. (The babies were now strong enough to fend for themselves, but she still tried to baby them with food, new bones and that sort of thing.) In exchange for my help she rewarded me with her trust and friendship. (Incase you haven't noticed yet, I get along with Pokemon very well.) This Marowak was also one of the best swordsmen (or bonesmen in this case) I had ever seen! She was capable of anything when she swung that beloved bone of hers. She could take out these monsters like they were nothing.
"Mr. Fuji! I have a foolproof plan!" I exclaimed. "Well, out with it, we must get moving! Your friend is in need!" He rushed. "I'm aware of that!" I whined angrily. "Hide behind the desk until the birds are all up the stairs, and then you have to run out the door as fast as you can. Don't worry about me; I can catch up once these things are taken care of." I said quietly. "What are you planning?" he asked. "My secret weapon. No time for questions, hurry and hide!" I whispered assertively.
I am so glad he listened to me because my plan was already risking the lives of too many friends. "Hey, You stupid birds! Yeah you! You want some of this? Come and get it!" I yelled as I threw a nearby chair as far as I could. (About five feet, not to bad for a ten-year-old.) The spearows began flying at me as fast as they could, the Fearow was also with them, but could not fly in the current surroundings of chairs and graves. I ran up the stairs.
"Don't you want to get me?!?! You wouldn't even make a good dinner! Come on!" I continued to shout mocking comments and taunting remarks as I ran. "Spear Spearow!" they shouted. I looked behind me to see the rage in their faces, The Fearow picked up the rear, still not able to spread its wings in the stairway. (I look back at this instant now and realize just how cocky I really was.) I was getting closer now... Third floor... Fourth floor... Fifth... Finally...