Lavender Town
As Brock predicted, it took the gang roughly two days of traveling to reach the fabled and spooky Lavender Town. They arrived just after sunset. An eerie mist covered the town and it was unsettlingly quiet. Likewise, a soft wind was blowing, carrying the sounds of what seemed like soft moans. The group moved swiftly, heading for the local Pokemon Center. As they headed deeper into Lavender, they noticed that the town mostly consisted of homes and small shops, with one large structure towering over everything else.
Unfortunately for the group, they soon found themselves lost in the misty maze of a town.
"Brock, where are we?" asked a clearly agitated Misty.
"The Map says the Pokemon Center should be right around here!" exclaimed Brock.
"WELL THEN YOUR MAP IS WRONG!" yelled back Misty.
"Guys... please be quiet," loudly whispered Ash.
"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO ASH RED KETCHUM!" continued Misty, in her fear induced tirade.
Ash grabbed the both of them, forcing them to look straight ahead. What they saw shut everyone up. The wind was picking up, mist started to swirl madly, and the moans were turning into ghostly wails.
"W-w-whats's going on?" trembled Misty.
"He he he he he..." laughed an unearthly voice that seemed to come from all around them.
"GO AWAY! GO AWAY!" yelled out another voice full of anger. A giant purple shade formed from where the voice was. Empty black eyes and a vicious smile full of sharp teeth formed on the ghoul.
"PIKACHUUUU!" cried out the yellow Pokemon on Ash's shoulder, as it sent a wave of lightning at the specter. Sadly, it seemed to pass right through.
"GO AWAY! GO AWAY!"
The group lost their composure and screamed in terror.
"Hoothoot, use Foresight!" called out a voice in the distance. A short strange brown and white bird with one leg and red eyes hopped into the middle of the group at once.
"Hoothoot!" cried the creature, as its red eyes shined on the mist all around them, dispelling the mist, winds, and revealing a fleeing ethereal form that soon disappeared in the distance.
"Are they gone?" asked Brock, who had a frying pan out trying to defend himself.
"I-I think so," added Ash. "That mysterious bird Pokemon seemed to have driven the ghosts off."
"Where did it even come from?" wondered Misty.
"That would be me," answered a kind older voice. The man looked to be older than Professor Oak, had no hair, and possessed bushy white eyebrows. He also wore a plain white outfit.
"Good work Hoothoot," added the man. The little Pokemon hopped back to his master and rubbed his leg in response.
"Thanks for the help sir, but who are you, what was with that weird ghost, and what kind of Pokemon is that?" asked Ash.
"Patience children. The night is still young and the ghouls could be back at any moment. My house is not too far from here. Follow me and your questions will be answered," assured the old man as he began to walk off with his Pokemon. Not wanting to be left behind, the group followed closely.
A Few Hours Later at the Mysterious Man's House
The gang was curled up by a small fireplace and drinking hot chocolate. The chills the earlier scare had left upon them were quickly being washed away.
After some time, the old man himself made an appearance with his own hot beverage and sat himself down on a comfortable reclining chair.
"Ooooh. That hits the spot," sighed the man with contentment. Then he turned his attention to the youngsters he had recused from earlier. "I believe you had some questions for me."
"Yes sir. We appreciate the help, but who are you?" Ash reiterated his question from before.
"My name is... Well people around her call me Mr. Fuji, and I suppose you can too," said the man, offering up nothing else about himself.
"Mr. Fuji, I don't think i've seen that Pokemon you had before. It's not native to Kanto is it?" asked Brock
"Well observed young man. That Pokemon is a Hoothoot and hails from the neighboring Johto region. It is a Pokemon I picked up in my younger days," said the man wistfully. "In any case, Hoothoot used the move Foresight earlier, which has the ability to show things for what they really are."
"So thhat's why that creepy Ghost changed shapes after Hoothoot's attack. What was that thing anyway?" enquired Misty
At that question, the man's face turned grim. "That young lady is the result of a long and sad story. You know, I run a rescue center for abused and abandoned Pokemon here in town. It was not that long ago that a Cubone appeared at the center. My staff and I certainly did our best to help the poor creature, but Cubone was catatonic and refused any aid. We could barely even get the Pokemon to eat," sighed the man.
"A few days after Cubone appeared, I overheard some men in strange clothing, while visiting the Pokemon Tower here in town."
"Sorry to interrupt, but what's the Pokemon tower?" asked Misty.
"Not to worry. The Pokemon Tower is the place where we bury our Pokemon that have passed on. It is a sacred place of sorrow, mourning, and memories," said the man. "As I was saying, I heard these strange people speaking. One of them mentioned a Marowak and its child. The things they claimed that they did to the poor creature... and then they laughed about it!" Fuji angrily let out.
"Poor Cubone," muttered Brock.
"Yes, poor Cubone indeed. There is more to the story though. I soon noticed even more of these villains roaming in and out of the Pokemon Tower, and harassing anybody trying to pay their respects. As a result, I made a call to the Pokemon League. Champion Lance himself led a task-force here and cleared the rouges out. I thought that would be the end of it, but I was wrong," said the man in a sad expression.
"What happened next?" Ash pushed, engrossed in the story.
"A week after Lance and his team left, a strange mist started coming from the Pokemon Tower, flooding the village as well. Soon there were claims of strange and ghostly phenomenon appearing with the Tower, not unlike what you kids witnessed. We are used to ghost Pokemon here in Lavender Town, but this was something of a different sort. Around this time, Cubone disappeared as well. One of my aids claimed to have seen it heading in the direction of the Pokemon Tower, but they too were scared off by the apparition," sighed the man.
"Since then, this ghoul has been appearing more often, keeping people from visiting the Pokemon Tower entirely. It might interest you kids to know that you came awfully close to the Tower itself earlier this evening," added the man.
"Do you have any idea what that strange ghost is Mr. Fuji?" asked Misty.
He nodded his head. "This is not the first time I have seen it, nor is it the first time I used Hoothoot to force it to show its face. I encountered the creature a few days ago when I tried approaching the Pokemon Tower. Like this evening, it appeared to stop me. Hoothoot aided me in battle and revealed the creature's true nature with Foresight... I saw the visage of a Marowak, but it was far different. The creature glowed, had black skin, and flames danced around the bone it carried. Before I could do anything, it instantly knocked out my poor Hoothoot with a Flame Charge, forcing me to flee."
"It was Cubone's mother wasn't it?" Ash asked sadly.
"I believe so my boy. Now it seems that it will not let anything close to the Pokemon Tower in an attempt to protect its child," said the old man.
"We'll go!" Brock exclaimed, standing up.
"What?" asked the old man.
"Are you crazy Brock? You saw what that thing could do!" pointed out Misty.
"It doesn't matter. Cubone is in pain and Marowak needs to move on. We have to help!" defended Brock passionately.
"I'm with you Brock-o!" a fired up Ash added.
"You two are crazy... But I guess i'm in too," Misty smiled softly.
"Do you truly mean to help?" asked a hopeful Mr. Fuji.
"Yes. We will save Cubone and Marowak!" repeated Brock.
"Perhaps with your help we can help the Pokemon and the townspeople," smiled Mr. Fuji. "Very well, but you will need my help and Hoothoot's. It would also be better to head to the Pokemon Tower during the day. Marowak's spirit tends to keep itself inside when the sun is out," explained the old man.
With the plan decided, and everyone onboard, the group decided to retire for a good night's sleep. Mr. Fuji graciously provided rooms for them to stay in as well.
Outside the Pokemon Tower
As soon as the sun rose, the gang and Mr. Fuji started the trek to the Pokemon Tower. Everyone was full of confidence and determination for what had to be done that day. Looking up, the gang saw the towering seven-story Pokemon Tower, but nobody even thought about backing out. Still, nothing could possibly prepare them, especially Ash, for what waited inside.
Walking through the entrance, the group found the way ahead blocked, by a familiar and sinister boy with blue hair and his trademark leather vest.
"Well well well... Looks like they were right," smirked the boy.
"DAMIEN!" Ash yelled out in shock and anger.
"Hello there Ash. Bet you thought you wouldn't see the likes of me again huh?" chuckled Damien.
"Who is this guy Ash?" asked Misty.
"Bad news that's what," Ash muttered softly. "How are you even here? I heard you were supposed to be confined to your home town for at least a year!"
"I was... thanks to you and that goodie-good Professor Oak," snarled the boy. "But certain other individuals saw some potential in your truly and made all of my problems disappear. They even gave me some rare Pokemon. In exchange, all that they wanted me to do was to make you disappear... Like I would say no to that," laughed the boy.
"I don't have time for this Damien. Move!" yelled Ash.
"You better make time, because your journey ends here and now!" yelled back Damien.
Cubone and Marowak are in trouble, but this jerk is going to keep interfering! I have no choice. Besides, the others will be fine, thought Ash. "Fine. You and me will settle this now. Guys, go on ahead and help those Pokemon. Leave Damien to me."
"Are you sure you got this Ash?" questioned Brock. Ash gave a firm nod.
"Misty. Mr. Fuji. Let's go!" called Brock.
"But Brock..." started Misty.
"He will be fine. Now let's go!" The three left, sprinting past Damien, who kept his eyes on Ash.
Now that he was alone, Ash turned his eyes back to Damien as well. "How did you even know I was here Damien? Who sent you?"
"I don't have to tell a dead man anything, and believe me, you are a dead man walking!" Damien said with a cruel grin. The boy then reached for his belt, which had 2 Pokeballs attached to it. Grabbing one, he tossed it in the air. Out popped a Pokemon with three heads and skinny necks that connected back to a light brown body. It also had two chicken feet and red tail feathers.
"Recognize my Doduo? I got it back already evolved as a Dodrio. I didn't even have to train the thing," laughed the boy.
Ash shook his head in disgust. "That is why you will lose. Go Pikachu!" Pikachu leapt off of Ash's shoulder and a rematch from Oak's ranch began.
"Fury attack Dodrio!" started out Damien. The bird gave a cry and then charged towards Pikachu, ready to impale the small mouse with its sharp beaks.
"Double Team," Ash called with no emotion. Pikachu instantly split itself into 15 identical copies, who surrounded the now confused Dodrio.
"TAKE THAT PIKACHU DOWN WITH TRI-ATTACK!" screamed Damien. A beam of energy, comprised of lightning, ice, and fire, shot out of Dordrio's center head, aiming to mow the copies down one by one.
More direct attacking with no strategy. Damien has not improved, even if his Pokemon have more power, thought Ash. "Agility." Pikachu and his copies began sprinting around Dodrio in a blur, easily avoiding the beams of energy. Thanks to the endurance training, Pikachu was able to keep this up far longer than Dodrio's attack. Soon Pikachu and his duplicates seemed like a yellow blur that formed a rapidly spinning wall. The constant yellow and speed, quickly started to confuse the poor bird Pokemon.
"KEEP ATTACKING YOU STUPID BIRD! TRI-ATTACK!" yelled Damien once again. It was for naught though. Dodrio was clearly confused and far too agitated to listen to anything its trainer had to say.
Ash felt for the bird Pokemon, but he needed to get upstairs fast, so he moved to end things. "Thundershock at full power!" Pikachu and his copies abruptly stopped in place.
"PIKACHUUUUU!" lightening came from all directions and slammed into the delirious bird Pokemon. The direct hit combined with the super-effective attack downed Dodrio on the spot.
"Useless bird," muttered Damien with loathing, as he called back his Pokemon. His cockiness came back though when he grabbed his second and final Pokeball.
"That was just a warmup. You and your rat won't have any chance beating RHYDON!" yelled the boy as he released the beast onto the field. The Pokemon was grey, tall, and bulky. It also had a sharp horn protruding from its body near its nose.
"Return Pikachu," Ash said, and Pikachu jumped back to its trainer's side.
"Too scared to give it a go with Pikachu," mocked Damien.
"No. Just smart. Unlike you, I actually use my brain when I battle Damien," Ash smirked.
Anger, and a hint of madness, grew on Damien's face. "HORN ATTACK ON THAT PUNK KID NOW RHYDON!" ordered the boy with manic glee.
Rhydon did not hesitate and began a charge, straight for Ash. Time seemed to slow down for the boy, as he took in the situation. Scumbag tried the same sneak attack last time. In any case, that Rhydon looks powerful, even if the trainer is a moron. I'll need every advantage I can get, which means Bulbasaur is coming out. The type-advantage may not be enough though. I'll need to use Rhydon's weight against it, thought Ash as time sped back up.
Ash quickly threw out his Pokemon, calling for an attack as it was released. "Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip on Rhydon's legs!"
The grass type appeared and almost instantaniously, vines shot out from Bulbasaur and whacked the charging Pokemon's legs out from right under it. Rhydon's speed and momentum caused it to trip, hit the ground, and slide forward hard, stopping right in front of Bulbasaur.
Before Damien could say a word, Ash took advantage of the situation yet again. "Razor Leaf straight into Rhydon's head," calmly called the boy. Bulbasaur blasted razor sharp leaves into the Rhydon right in front of it, dealing a great amount of damage, and sending the Pokemon sliding back.
"GET UP RHYDON! WE HAVE A USELESS PLANT TO CRUSH!" Damien yelled, eyeing Ash's Bulbasaur with disdain. Bulbasaur gave as good as he got though and fired back an equal look of hatred at Damien. Meanwhile, Rhydon slowly managed to get itself up, albeit shaking, but it was ready for battle once more.
"Razor Leaf again Bulbasaur," said Ash, not letting up.
"HORN DRILL!" responded Damien, not even caring that super-effective razor sharp leaves were coming for his Pokemon. Rhydon charged through the leaves, taking damage, but getting closer to Bulbasaur with its deadly spinning drill.
"YOU CAN DO IT BULBASAUR! KEEP IT UP BUDDY!" encouraged Ash.
"BULBA!" cried out the Pokemon with ferocity. Suddenly, it began to glow a shining bright white. Bulbasaur's body starting growing and the bulb on its back sprouted. As the light faded, the Pokemon was now a light blue with a red bulb surrounded by leaves where the original bulb once was.
"Ivysaur," Ash said in awe.
Leaves began to pour out at even greater speeds and numbers, stopping Rhydon in its tracks, before the Pokemon finally collapsed from exhaustion and injury. Like his Pokemon, Damien also fell to his knees. "I-I-It was just a stupid plant... How could I lose? HOW COULD I LOSE?" asked the unwell boy as he slammed his fists onto the ground.
Ash looked on in pity. "Sleep Powder Ivysaur." Green spores shot out of Ivysaur's bulb and put Damien to sleep in an instant. I'll deal with him later. Right now I need to catch up to everybody else, thought Ash. He recalled his Ivysaur at once, speedily running up the stairs. Hopefully, his friends were all right.
Top of the Pokemon Tower (During Ash's Battle)
Brock, Misty, and Mr. Fuji made good time, after leaving Ash to handle Damien. The old man was still spry for his age and had no issues keeping up. Soon enough, the group found themselves on the 7th floor, which was the last one according to Mr. Fuji. Looking around was especially difficult on this floor, as the fog was far more intense than normal. Still, the group could make out several graves on the periphery and what looked to be a shrine in at the very back.
Squinting his eyes, Brock was able to spot something small laying at the base of the shrine. "Guys, I think that may be Cubone laying down near the shrine," whispered Brock.
"Let's get closer," quietly responded Misty.
The trio slowly walked toward the small Pokemon, careful not to attract the attention of a certain angry spirit.
"That is Cubone!" Mr. Fuji exclaimed in a low voice, once the group was practically on top of the Pokemon. The old man bent down, aiming to cradle the sleeping Cubone in his arms. However, the moment he made contact with the small ground-type, he was immediately flung back by an invisible force, flying across the room, and landing with a sickening crunch.
"MR. FUJI!" screamed Misty, who quickly rushed to aid him.
"Ooooh, I can't move," moaned the poor man in pain.
In the middle of the room, between the now separated group, the wind started to blow violently and the same ghostly figure from the previous night formed.
"GET OUT! GET OUT!" screamed the terror.
Brock looked down at Cubone, who was now shaking in fear at the sight of the angry ghost. Cubone need me, thought Brock. His resolved strengthened, Brock looked the ghoul straight in the eye with defiance.
"No."
"GET OUT! GET OUT!" yelled the specter louder, creeping closer to Brock and Cubone.
"NO!" said Brock, standing in front of the terrified Pokemon.
The ghoul slowly raised its claw in the air, preparing to slash down on the teenager.
"Foresight Hoothoot!" weakly cried Mr. Fuji. Light pierced the ghoul, revealing the black Marowak with a bone and two flames.
Marowak was momentarily distracted with its true form being revealed, and Brock took advantage. He silently released a rock Pokemon. Then he attacked.
"Magnitude Gedodude!" called Brock, hoping it wouldn't mess with the surrounding graves too much. Geodude obeyed and slammed his fists onto the ground, sending seismic shockwaves towards Marowak, which connected. Marowak screamed in pain, indicative of a super-effective blow, before angrily focusing on Brock and Geodude again.
Marowak held its club high and charged ahead towards Geodude, intending to use a Bone Club attack.
"Defense Curl Geodude!" Brock called out in response. Geodude managed to curl into a ball and lower its head, just before the attack landed. The club slammed into the curled up Geodude, sending it rolling back at a high speed, which was just what Brock wanted.
Taking a page out of Ash's book of unique strategies, Brock made his move. "Use the momentum from the blow and turn that roll into a Rollout!" Geodude gained a massive amount of speed and spun back around, heading towards Marowak. The ghost would not back down and met the attack head on with a Flame Charge.
The two Pokemon crashed into each other with a bang, and into a deadlock. Marowak continued to press-forward head first, coated with flames, while Geodude spun on. Each Pokemon tried to move the other, but neither gave in.
Brock's eyes widened when Geodude started to slowly get pushed back and he reacted. "DON'T GIVE UP GEODUDE! CUBONE IS COUNTING ON US!" Inspired by his trainer's words, Geodude redoubled his efforts and pushed with all his might.
Then, at the same time as another Pokemon several stories down, Geodude started to glow, stunning the inhabitants. White shining light surrounded the Rock Pokemon as it grew several times its current size and small stubby legs sprouted below it. The light ceased, revealing Graveler. The added weight and increased speed made the difference, as Graveler pushed back hard, sending Marowak crashing into the ground.
The ghost tried to stand, but her strength failed. Cubone's mother fell to the ground, desperately staring at its child and reaching for it.
Brock picked up on this and immediately recalled his new Graveler. "Good work Graveler, but I think I can take it from here."
The teen slowly scooped up and cradled Cubone, before walking to his downed mother, and getting down on both knees. Looking Marowak in the eyes, Brock began to speak softly. "Marowak, enough. I know you are just trying to protect your child, but you don't have to anymore. Cubone is safe. Look at it."
The mother's angry eyes shifted toward her baby in the human's arms. They immediately softened when she noticed that he was asleep, and comfortably snuggled against the human's chest.
"Marowak." pleaded the Pokemon, as it looked back it Brock with intensity.
"I promise. Cubone will be safe. I will take care of him as if he was my own child," smiled Brock.
Marowak looked into his eyes for a long while, judging the human before her. Finally, she returned the gesture with a small smile on her own. Content with the human's promise, and with the last of her strength gone, the Pokemon stopped fighting the inevitable. Marowak laid her head on the ground, and allowed herself to fade away for good, finding peace at last.
The effects of Marowak's departure were immediately felt and seen by all. The air seemed to grow warmer and the fog completely dissipated.
It was at this very moment that Ash rushed up the final set of stairs. Taking in his surroundings, Ash noticed Misty on the ground with what looked to be an injured Mr. Fuji. Meanwhile, Brock was rocking Cubone in his arms, with his attention completely focused on the baby Pokemon.
What did I miss, thought the boy in wonder. He supposed he could get the specifics later. His friends were ok, well relatively ok, and Cubone appeared to be fine too. That's all that mattered in the end.
Lavender Town Pokemon Center
Ash laid in his bed at the Pokemon Center, as he reflected on the day. A few hours had passed since the events that transpired at the Pokemon Tower. Mr. Fuji had been taken to a local hospital, though he assured the youngsters that he was fine. Misty went with him to make sure he cooperated though, much to Ash's amusement. Cubone was currently undergoing treatment. Brock never left the Pokemon's side. All the while, he didn't spare a single glance at Nurse Joy.
The one rotten thing from all of this was that Damien managed to escape, Ash thought with a scowl. The group had taken their time heading down the tower due to Mr. Fuji's injuries. When they arrived at the bottom floor, Damien and Rhydon were nowhere to be seen. Ash had filed a report with the local Officer Jenny, but didn't expect to hear anything soon on the subject.
In other news, Ash realized that he still had not captured a Ghost Pokemon. Oh well. There's always tomorrow, thought the boy. With this in mind, Ash fell into a restful sleep.
END CHAPTER
Unlike the previous chapter, I am pretty proud of this one. Misty had her time to shine last chapter, so this chapter Brock got a moment in the sun. The double evolution might have been a tad cliche, but Geodude evolving was essential to the plot, and I figured why not. Hopefully you guys liked my take on Lavender town. Also, just how did Damien escape his sentence and find Ash?
Next Time - Ash will catch a Ghost Pokemon! We will also get some special training. Who knows what else ;)
DragonEmperor999 - Thanks for the review! Glad you liked Misty catching Horsea. Check out next chapter for some usage. Ash will be keeping his Ghost Pokemon. As Dawn would say, "No need to worry."
Coolguy01 - Thanks for the review! I feel like we addressed this in the PM, but I will add something here for everyone's benefit. Ash will be catching a special Dragon Pokemon in Johto, which is one reason why he did not catch Horsea. No more hints will be given beyond that. I will not confirm guesses either.
Today I am going to recommend Brendan's Journey, by Jmoul18. This follows Brendan's adventures around the Hoenn Region with his faithful Ralts. It ships Brendan/May heavily as well and ages up the characters. Great read!
Remember to review with your thoughts/critique. One person's review already inspired a great scene in a previous chapter, so your thoughts and ideas matter :)
Smell ya later!
