OK, I'm really sorry about the terrorism references in the last chapter, but this one will be better.

Thanks again to the Sailor for her third review. For this chappie, in the Burned Tower, Ash & co. find the next gym, but all is not as it seems. The question is that after facing a gym that attacks more than the Pokémon, Pokémon that only know HMs and two of the most intelligent Pokémon working together, will it all be too much for them, in...

Nyctophobia

Disclaimer: Oh COME ON! Do I really need to tell you I don't own Pokémon after counts on fingers one, two...EIGHT chapters do ya? Well, I won't tell you. So sue me. Not literally.

"Okay, so what are we doing in the Burned Tower?" asked Ash.
Ad peeked over the map, which seemed to have grown four inches on each side since their last check.
"Really?" said Ash, taking the map. "What extras have they included?"
By way of answering, the first four inches on each side said SEA and in smaller font, WE RAN OUT OF BLUE INK.
"OK, scratch that. But what are we doing here?"
Ad wandered around, looking down one of the many holes. "You know that these holes lead to the basement?"
"Oh yeah," said Ash, thinking back to the last time they were there.
Flashback

"What a cool place," said Ash, looking up at the ceiling and walls.
"Yeah, but all those holes are creeping me out!" said Misty, shivering.
"All those what now?" asked Ash. He walked straight into a hole. "Oh nuts."

End of Flashback

"Painful," said Ad.
"Yeah, it was."
"Well, anyway, one hole," Ad gazed down again, "leads to the basement's basement. And that," he said, staring down below, "is where we want to be."
"Alright," said Ash, "but does the basement's basement have a basement?" Ad stared at Ash.
"Now you're just being silly."

"I think we're here!" said Ad triumphantly after a little while. In front of him was a large hole, so deep the bottom could not be seen.
Misty stood back. "You expect me to jump down there? I don't know what's down there."
"But I do. And it is totally safe. I'll show you." Ad hovered downwards.
Misty shouted after him. "You can hover!"
Ad floated back up again. "Sorry." He tucked his wings behind his body, and fell downwards; however, Misty was still not convinced.
"Okay then, see you!" said Ash, jumping down. Pikachu and Brock followed him. Misty looked around the damp cave.
"I'm not staying up here!"

"Whooooooooaaaaaa!"
Ash fell down for what seemed like an hour. The hole was deep and dark, and Ash had a hard time believing he was falling and not hallucinating because of the walls. Grey. More grey. And if you got tired of grey, there was grey as well. It was depressing, all the darkness and despair. Looking about him at the sadness, Ash was surprised when he hit something. Not hard. Not soft. It was...kind of wet. He sat up, and felt around him. There was a deep pool of water. Her pulled a PokéBall out and called out Squirtle. As he grabbed onto the dark shape of the turtle, he heard another splash behind him. That must be Misty, he thought. He asked Squirtle to swim to the edge, and soon he and the Pokémon were lying on the shore of the cave, soaking. He slowly wrung his trousers, grasping loose bits of the baggy cloth and squeezing them. A lot of water was pouring out of his clothes as he stood up, making him feel heavy enough to sit back down again.
It was fifteen minutes before anyone dared to get up.

"I don't like this place."
"Was that you, Misty?"
"Yes, it was me, Brock. Why?"
"I didn't say anything."
"Hang on." Ad drew a match from his wing and struck it against the wall. It lit, and Misdreavus split off a bit of ghost-air from itself and ignited it. It burned surprisingly well.
"I could set fire to myself and feel nothing if I fancied," it thought to itself.
"Thank goodness for that. It was pitch black back there."
"Yeah Misty. I couldn't see my hand in front of my face."
"Too right. How long'll it be until we reach the Gym, Ad?"
"About two-and-a-half minutes, if we're lucky."

Footsteps. The woman paced over to the door, and opened it. It creaked. She looked around. She could actually see in the darkness. She had been boxed down here for years – as long as she could remember. She hated it. Black. Everywhere outside was just the same as she felt inside. More footsteps. Talking. Snippets of casual speech. The woman cautiously stepped outside and surveyed the area. There was a gleam of light from the rocky corner. Startled by the brightness, the woman leapt inside, bolted the door, and adjusted the dark glasses she always wore. Murkrow flew down to comfort her.

"Here we are," said Ad, holding the burning 'torch' up to the door. It was painted black, and had a hard steel door-knock. Ad banged it quietly. No response, apart from a hardly audible whimper. Ad knocked again, slightly louder.
Still nothing.
Ad rapped on the door impatiently, and shouted, "Mercy, it's me, Ad. Open up." The door creaked open. A dark-haired dark-skinned woman's face poked out from behind the door. She wore a pair of dark glasses, which were impossible to see through. She slowly lifted them for a second to study Ad's face, and then dropped them back over her eyes. Ash put the torch closer up to her face. She stepped back, and a small bird flew in front of her. Ash pulled out his Pokédex and turned it on, shielding the light from the woman's face.
"Murkrow is a Dark- and Flying-type Pokémon. They usually live in caves," said the electronic box.
"Jeez, what a lot of help that is," said Misty.
"Come in. You challenge me? Have battle?" said Mercy, pushing the door open a bit more. The gang came through into the house. Mercy took the torch and blew it out. The house, if you could call it a house, was small, dark and damp. The woman crossed over to the other side of the room, and lay down on a rock. She pulled a sheet of withered leaves over her.
"Make selves at home." Ash looked around, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. There were no beds, or a heater.
"Why is it so dark?"
"Me like dark. Me am lonely. Darkness comforts me. Make sure no one disturb silence. Make Murkrow feel good well." Mercy sat up and clapped her hands. A flutter in the darkness, and Murkrow flew over to her. She held its wing, and lay down again. It was not long before she fell fast asleep.

"But why does she make it so dark?" Brock looked at Ash. They had gone outside of the cave so as not to hurt Mercy's feelings.
"I guess she's just sensitive. She never has any visitors."
"Hmm." Ash turned away. "That must be why she speaks...funny."
Brock twisted to Ash sternly. "Ash, you cannot judge people on the way they speak." Ash shuffled back.
"I'm sorry. It just stood out, that's all."
Brock looked down. "I know you didn't mean to be hurtful, Ash. It's just...Mercy is a very fragile woman. Try not to annoy her."
Ash smiled. "Don't worry. I won't."

The next day (although it was hard to tell in the black cave) the first person up was Mercy. She slowly cooked breakfast, albeit small ("I only cook two. Me, Murkrow,") in a small stove. There was a fire in there, but it was buried behind rocks so no light could get in.
As soon as breakfast was finished, Mercy put her hand on Ash's shoulder and said, "Now battle. Come."
Mercy lead Ash to another room, sheltered from the main cave by a large rock. As soon as they were inside, Ash saw why: there were dim lamps inside which Mercy didn't like.
"It's OK, you can turn the lights off. I can see, and so can Pikachu," he said.
"No. Me insist, light on." Mercy walked to the other end of the arena.

"You don't have a nose. How can you pick up the scent?"
"The cartoonist said he'll let me get away with it for this chapter. Now don't ask questions!"
Meowth crept along the cave sniffing the floor. He noticed a small lump. "Hey, what's that?"
"Looks like candle wax," said James.
Jessie thought. "Maybe it lights then."
Meowth pulled a match out of nowhere and struck it against the wall. He lit the lump and it burned brightly.
"C'mon, we can see now."

"One Pokémon each. You understand? Who use?"
"I'll use Pikachu. He's my strongest Pokémon!"
"Well. I use Murkrow." Mercy clapped, and Murkrow flew out in front of her.
"Alright then, Mercy. Let's go! Pikachu, use Thunder!"
The attack flew through the air, lighting the stadium. Murkrow squinted in the bright light. He flew backwards, almost dashing to get away from the light. The Thunder split the ground in front of him.
"Murkrow, murk Murkrow!" cried Mercy.
"Wha-" screamed Ash, as Murkrow charged at Pikachu and used Bite. Pikachu stumbled backwards.
"What did you do then?" shouted Ash.
Mercy smiled. "Me no speak English. Me speak Pokémon instead."
"No!" Ash sunk to his knees. "I'll never defeat her!"
"Yes," came a voice, "but we will!"
"Oh no..." said Misty, knowing whose voice that was...

"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all people within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth that's right! Now that's done, let's battle!"
"Is it just me, or is this really repetitive?" Ash called Pikachu back to him, bored.
"Yes, but this time, we have darkness on our side!" Meowth blew out his torch, and all the other torches flickered out.
"No! Now I can't see a thing!"
"Arbok, use Poison Sting!" In the darkness, there was a muffed "Pika" sound. Ash blundered into the darkness over to Pikachu, and picked him up.
"You were hit!"
"Piii..."
"Hang on." Ash reached into one of his pockets. "Here's a Potion."
"Murkrow!" cried Mercy. Murkrow looked. "Murk murk krow!" Murkrow nodded, and crouched.
Weezing, Poison...YEOW!"
Meowth, startled, turned the lights on to reveal Murkrow pecking at Jessie and James.
"Oww...uch...get off me, stupid bird!" Ash thought, and smiled a wry smile.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt."
"WHAT?" screamed Team Rocket. The Thunderbolt hit them full on.
"Murk, murk Murkrow!" cried Mercy. Murkrow flew into Team Rocket, and they went flying out of the door.
"LOOK'S LIKE TEAM ROCKET'S BLASTING OFF...AGAIN!"

"Mercy, are you okay? Mercy?"
"Leave her Ash. She's fainted because of the light."
"Perhaps we should bring her to the Pokémon Centre."
Brock considered. "That sounds like a good idea. Let's go."

"Where me?"
"You're in the Pokémon Centre. You're safe."
"Light – so bright –glasses. Where glasses? Can't see without them!"
"I have them here."
Mercy sat up. "Glasses, and Murkrow? Where he?"
"Murk!" Murkrow hopped onto the bed with Mercy's glasses in his mouth. Mercy stroked Murkrow then put her glasses on.
"I go now." She swung off of the bed, and jumped down. She walked out.

It hit her in the face. The world – not the world of blackness and dark she loved, but light and colour. She stumbled through it, scared. But every time she passed a person, she felt slightly more relaxed. In the end, just before she went into the cave, she had the courage to say "Good day you." When she got into the cave, she felt brilliant.

A little later, Ash, Misty, Ad and Brock popped around. Mercy was a lot happier, and opened the door.
"Hello! You thank. Me happy now. So Murkrow." Ash looked around.
"I guess you'll get lighting and a bed now?"
Mercy stood up. "No. Me use to live like this. Me like light bit now. You thank."
"Alright then. I guess we'll see you later." The gang left through the door. Just as Ash was going, Mercy stopped him.
"Wait! You forget this." She held out a black thing shaped like a fifty pence piece.
"It Dark Badge. Me registered Alternative League person, so me give Badge."
"But – why?"
"You introduce me light. Outside. Me go outside now. Me friendly. You thank."
"OK then. Thank you. And – bye!"
"Bye! Me see at Alternative Masters place!"

"Alternative what?" asked Ash to Ad a while later.
"Alternative Masters. You know the Elite Four? Our version of them. All the Gym Leaders have to confirm they gave you the Badges. We use it as a chance to meet. We only meet every so often in the Tin Tower here. But Mercy never comes. Too shy and isolated. Hopefully, that'll be different now."
"Who are the Alternative Masters and Gym Leaders then?"
"Oh God, no-one knows who the Alternative Masters are. The next Gym Leader is... don't know. I know where he is though."
"Where?"
"Route 12, Kanto. The old land. In a land called Hoeen, there is something called the Trick House, I think. Well, they've built one there. And that's where we're headed!"

And so, our heroes end the adventure Flying to Goldenrod to catch the Magnet Train back to Kanto. We will see them again soon.

So...how is it? Please review this, even if you aren't Sailor Evanescence, and the next chappie, "Back To The Past," is going to be out soon. And I know that the Magnet Train isn't fixed yet, but I don't care. Watch the episode in Celadon City, series one to find out about the nose thing. (And so, in the immortal words of Keroberos from Cardcaptors...

See ya!

Nyctophobia, n. Irrational fear of the dark.

Source: The Pen Pals Dictionary © 2004