Chapter 18: Tower of Sorrow

"It's mine! Go Fluffykins!" Morgan shouted as she released a strong-looking Umbreon.

"Go Hotrod!" Lucas announced as he sent his own Pokemon against the Spiritomb.

For Lucas and Morgan, it was hate at first sight. After leaving Hearthome City for the next gym, Lucas had come to examine a strange well he stumbled across on his way to the next city. While noticing the well was made out of the same stone he received from a crazy old man he met along the way, Morgan, a Trainer specializing in dark-type Pokemon ambushed the teen boy, accused him of trying to steal 'her' Pokemon and challenged him to a battle over the semi-mythic creature that was supposed to live in the well. Though she forced the teen to forfeit after bringing out her titanic Tyranitar, Lucas didn't leave, and put the missing stone back into well. As the two teen continued to butt heads, the Pokemon inside, Spiritomb, seeped out of the stone structure and was ready for battle. Now both bad tempered Trainers were battling to catch it first.

"Back off Metal-head! I've been here for two weeks, I'm not leaving empty-handed!" the girl snarled, "Fluffykins! Use Shadowball!"

"Up yours, Emo-girl, Spiritomb wouldn't have even showed up if it wasn't for my rock!" Lucas snapped back, "Hotrod! Use Ember!"

The battle over the ghost/dark Pokemon was vicious. The two Trainers altered between attacking the wild Spiritomb and fighting each other. A dark/ghost-type had virtually no weakness, and the Spiritomb's attacks were damaging the Charmeleon and Umbreon as badly as the two were damaging each other. Though the dark-type evolved form of Eevee was more resistant to the ghost's attacks than the fire-type's, Hotrod was tenacious, and a prideful fighter. Fluffykins got hit with a Hypnosis attack, falling to the ground asleep. Now with the advantage, Lucas grabbed an empty Pokeball from his pocket and tossed it at the wild Pokemon.

"Go Pokeball!"

"No you don't! Go Greatball!" Morgan snarled frantically.

Both Pokeballs hurtled towards the Spiritomb, and collided into each other before reaching the Pokemon. Morgan's Greatball bounced off of the Pokeball and landed uselessly on the ground, and boosted the other Pokeball closer to the ghost. The Pokemon-catching device sucked the ghost-type in and landed on the ground with a thud. It rocked violently at first, but each rock became calmer and calmer until the ball stopped moving with a definitive click. Lucas smugly strode over to the Pokeball on the ground, picked it up and spun the ball on the tip of his pointer finger, "Ah yeah, victory is mine,"

"You asshole, you absolute asshole," Lucas turned to his opponent and saw that she had her head down and her body seemed to be trembling. Much to his shock, her voice didn't sound angry or shrill, or full of the nasty attitude she had shown to him so far. Instead, she sounded stunned and almost sad, "I needed that Pokemon. I need all the dark-types I can get, I need to be the best dark-type trainer. I have to rebuild my dad's gym. I just have to. I traveled all this way. I came out here day and night, for two weeks, trying to find that Spiritomb. And you just took it away from me,"

Lucas started to feel badly. He never once stopped to think why this girl was so determined to get the Spiritomb, he was just so off-put by her personality. Most of his life, the teen boy resented people for judging him without knowing him, and now he had done the exact same thing to this girl. The more he thought about it, and the more she slouched her shoulders in defeat, the more he realized how alike the two of them were. He walked over to the girl and she threw a punch at him. Catching her wrist, he pushed the Pokeball into Morgan's hand, "Here."

"What's this for?" the dark-trainer eyed him suspiciously.

"I said I needed to catch all the Pokemon I can to complete my Pokedex. I never said anything about having to keep and raise the Pokemon," Lucas grinned.

"So, does this like make us friends now or something," Morgan huffed.

"Good god no. But you did let me forfeit instead of annihilating Gizmo with that monster of yours. So that means you can't be a total bitch," Lucas said casually, "And I could always use a rival. You know, one of those people who motivates you to keep getting better even if you don't entirely like them. I don't like to lose and one of these days I want to beat your Tyranitar,"

Morgan looked down at the Pokeball containing the Spiritomb and moved it around in her hands. She finally put the ball into her purse with her other Pokemon and stated indifferently to Lucas, "Your team is in really bad shape after our battle and the fight with Spiritomb. I can show you where the next town is so you don't get lost or anything,"

"By the way, I nicknamed that Spiritomb King Lucas. Have fun with that,"

"Jackass,"

Morgan picked up her unused Greatball and started heading down the path. Lucas whistled to his two Eevee and started following her. The path was getting a bit hillier now, and the trees thicker. The teen boy was beginning to get a little grateful to the other Trainer, he could see how it would be easy to stray off the path. With two of his Pokemon totally knocked out, and only three Pokemon that could be considered in fighting condition, he wanted to avoid trouble.

"I see you have two Eevees, are you planning to evolve one of them into an Umbreon? They're good Pokemon. Fluffykins is probably one of my best. Though all of mine are pretty great," Morgan said, trying to start some harmless small talk for the long walk. She picked up Gizmo and scratched the normal-type's head. Lucas could see that like him, Morgan was someone who got along better with Pokemon than people.

"Actually, Gizmo can't evolve," Lucas replied.

"What about the other one?"

"You mean Donna? Um, I don't know. Never thought about it, I guess," the teen boy was telling the truth. Lucas accepted that Gizmo was unable to evolve and was just fine with it. It meant no pressure on his part. But he forgot that Donna was normal, and had the inherent Eevee ability to evolve. She had the possibility to become one of seven other Pokemon through one of several ways. The decision would be difficult, "I guess for now I'll just leave her an Eevee, too. So where are you from, anyway? I get the impression you're not originally from Sinnoh,"

"Cherrygrove City, in Johto,"

"No way! Get out of here. I'm from Cherrygrove! I wonder why we've never met before,"

"I left when I was ten. I actually have more Pokemon than the ones I have with me because I went on a Journey. I was actually Champion of Johto for a little while. I don't like going back there if I don't have to. For now I'm just training and catching my dark-types,"

"Yeah, I don't blame you, Cherrygrove isn't very exciting. What was that you said earlier, about wanting to rebuild your dad's Gym? What happened to the old one? I don't remember there ever being a Pokemon Gym in Cherrygrove,"

Morgan suddenly stopped in her tracks, "We're not too far now. And if you're trying to catch some Pokemon, there are Scyther and Chansey in these grasses,"

For whatever reason Morgan clearly didn't want to talk about the Gym anymore. Lucas was not about to push her. Everyone was entitled to their secrets. The two continued to walk in silence, until the teen boy noticed the air around them becoming murkier and murkier as a thick fog set in, "Wow, this is weird. Don't you usually get fog in the early morning or at night, right? Now would be too warm for fog in the middle of the day,"

"Not if it's caused by Pokemon," Morgan stated. She stopped walking again and looked around, frowning as she observed her increasingly obscured surroundings, "Do any of your Pokemon know Defog?"

"De-what now?"

"Well, that answers my question. Shoot. It looks like we're stuck here," Morgan sighed and sat down on a fallen log.

"Why don't we just keep going? You said we're not far from town,"

"Because this fog is so thick we can barely see each other. We could literally be feet from Solaceon Town and walk right past it. We could wander around for hours and never find it," Morgan explained, "And you might want to call back Gizmo and Donna too. You don't want them to get lost either,"

Lucas followed her advice and called his two Eevee back, but didn't join the girl on the log, "Yeah, but if a Pokemon caused the fog, that means that this could hang around for days. That's as bad as being lost. If we follow the path we should be okay, shouldn't we?"

"Crap, you have a point. Unless the Pokemon causing it goes away, gets caught or knocked out, this fog isn't going anywhere. We might have to risk it after all," Morgan got back up and held out her hand, "We probably don't want to lose each other either. You still need to go to a Pokemon Center,"

"Awww, are you getting sweet on me?" Lucas joked as he reached out for the girl's fingers, "Ouch!"

Morgan pinched the webbing between his thumb and forefinger with her nails.

The two Trainers walked slowly through the mists, taking each step carefully to avoid tripping or straying off the path. The hours crawled by but the fog didn't clear up at all. Finally, through the identical-looking scenery, a tall building came into view.

"This isn't Solaceon Town, is it?" Lucas asked cautiously as he looked at the ominous-looking building.

"No, it isn't." Morgan said quietly, "This is the Lost Tower. It's a Pokemon graveyard,"

Lucas knew about Pokemon graveyards. They were reverent places where the bones and ashes of loyal Pokemon would be laid to rest. They were often visited by the former owners of the deceased, and haunted by ghost-types drawn to the somber setting. He remembered some controversy in Lavender Town in Kanto when the Lavender Tower was torn down in favor of a radio tower.

"I had hoped I could avoid ever running into this place," Morgan seemed to get more sullen by the second. A feat Lucas had thought impossible.

"I know this isn't a happy place but don't you think it would still be a good idea to go inside? There will be Trainers in there, and maybe one of them has a Pokemon that knows that Defog move you mentioned and clear up the roads. Your team is probably as exhausted as mine," Morgan made no move to argue and so the two Trainers went inside. The building had an eerie feeling to it, a feeling intensified as no one was stationed at the front desk. The sound of their shoes made soft tapping on the tile lined floor and the mist from the outside seemed to hang in the air of the building as well. The first floor seemingly abandoned, the two went up a flight of stairs.

Pokemon could not be killed in battle, where even the strongest dragon-type could not cause the death of a weakest bug-type with its attacks. They were resilient, fast-healing creatures, but Pokemon were still able to die. Accidents, old age, disease and the abuse of human beings, all could cause the creatures' deaths. The second floor of the Lost Tower was where the actual creatures were buried. Tombstones on the floor and engraved tiles on the walls bore the names of loyal creatures who had passed this world. Some where simple tiles with just the name and age of the Pokemon. Others had carved pictures of what the Pokemon actually were, and bore epitaphs such as 'Diamond, the best Onix that ever lived' and 'Houdini, my partner until the end.' Small piles of berries and other items were laid with reverence all over the floor. Without even realizing it, Lucas was clutching Gizmo's Pokeball around his neck. This place was a monument to the finality of death. While many Pokemon had lives longer than humans could ever dream of, others were destined to have their trainers outlive them. The fact that Gizmo or Franky or Hotrod may not be around one day crystallized the love and concern the boy had for his creatures.

Since coming to this floor, neither Trainer had said anything and Lucas looked around to see if the girl was still even there. Morgan was standing against the wall tracing her finger gently against the letters on a tile, "My father's Pokemon are buried in a place like this," She spoke so softly the young man wasn't even sure if the words were directed at him.

Though her voice was steady, two black lines flowed down her face as her tears liquified the heavy makeup around her eyes. Lucas watched the girl silently, remembering something she said during her outburst over the Spiritomb, and then again while walking towards Solaceon Town and a realization dawned in his mind. When he saw she make no action to continue their search, he finally confronted her about it, "What happened to your dad?"

The question seemed to shock Morgan out of her state and locked eyes with her rival. Though her first emotion was rage, her eyes melted into resignation, realizing dropping or dodging the subject would do neither of them anymore good. She turned her back to the boy and began her story, "It was thirteen years ago. I was only a little kid then and I still remember everything. It was back when Team Rocket was at the height of its power, when they had their tentacles even in the Pokemon League. My dad was the Gym Leader of Cherrygrove City and a vocal opponent. One day my mom asked me 'to bring Daddy lunch' and when I approached the Gym...I was so close to the door I was already reaching out my hand to turn grab the door handle. That's when everything went white,"

"What are you talking about?"

"The Gym exploded. The authorities said it was just an accident, a gas leak that combusted when my dad's Houndoom used a fire attack. My Hounddoom Theenie was one of Trigger's—my dad's Pokemon's—babies. The first Pokemon I ever got. My dad, his team, the poor kid he was fighting against, all killed instantly. The only survivor was Achilles, my Tyranitar. I know it wasn't an accident, my dad's Gym didn't even have a gas line. Most Gyms don't. They murdered him. I know they did. Only a few days before some Team Rocket Grunts were spotted in the city. I know they're responsible, even if I can't ever prove it," Morgan walked away from the wall she had been facing and set her hand on a headstone.

Lucas had always heard stories about the horrific things Team Rocket had done, but it was surreal to actually be speaking with someone directly affected by the group. Morgan's story reminded the teen about his confrontation with Team Cosmic in the mountain. He wouldn't let them do to anyone else what Team Rocket had done to Morgan. The girl may not be the most pleasant of people, but to lose someone that important was unimaginable. As much as Lucas hated his brother and fought with his parents, he would never, ever want to lose them, "I'm...I'm really sorry Morgan,"

Morgan steadied her emotions and wiped her eyes with a tissue from her purse, smudging her already ruined makeup. It didn't seem to bother her, "The League shut down the Gym after it happened, but I'm going to rebuild it. I'm going to be the greatest dark-type trainer that ever lived. I'll avenge my father's honor with his final Pokemon and a team of my own. I try to be strong, but places like this, well, it just reminds me that he's really gone. I'm okay now, so let's keep looking,"

The second floor was as abandoned as the first and exploring the third and fourth floors was just as futile. Outside of a few Zubat, the building was totally devoid of life. Both Trainers started to get suspicious.

"Something isn't kosher here. There isn't a single person in this tower. No mourners, no spiritualists, no Trainers. The fog wouldn't keep everyone away, and if the tower were closed for any reason, we wouldn't have been able to come in," Morgan observed cautiously.

"Yeah, and haven't you noticed the fog inside is getting thicker, too? That's the third tombstone I've knocked my shin into," Lucas agreed, rubbing his leg gingerly. The two Trainers exchanged looks and nodded, pulling out their Pokeballs, ready for an ambush.

The teens proceeded up to the next two floors, with the fog getting denser and eerier. Finally on the topmost floor of the Lost Tower the fog lifted. The sight presented before them knocked the teens back in fearful surprise. There were dozens of people, all kneeling on the floor with their heads bowed and their hands placed on their thighs. At the very back of the great, clear hall was a woman dressed as a medium seated at the foot of the shrine. It was this woman's appearance that was more unnerving than the unmoving, unresponsive crowd lined in neat rows on the ground. Like the others, she was kneeling, her hands rested on her thighs. Unlike the others, however, her head was straight up, and her eyes were glowing red.

"Morgan, I don't like the looks of this..." Lucas whispered. That same prickling at the back of his neck informing him fear would be an appropriate emotion for the situation returned. The teen girl, however, did not reply, "Morgan?"

The pierced boy turned around to find Morgan unresponsive, though standing, her head bowed like the other people in the room. Lucas furiously shook her shoulders, and flicked her forehead with his fingers, but she would not react. The young man spun back to the seated medium who was smiling sinisterly at him. Whatever was going on, this lady was at the source. A strange grogginess seemed to invade his mind, a sense of exhaustion seemingly counter to his adrenaline-fueled state. Lucas resisted as best as he could, pulling away from the tendrils of sleepiness that seemed to grasp at him, and broke out in a run towards the woman at the shrine. A strange idea sparked to his brain and he pulled the Pokeball from his neck.

"Gizmo! Shadowball!" The Eevee reemerged from its portable storage and his fluffy coat puffed up defensively, clearly troubled by the feeling in the air. The Pokemon gave a confused look to his Trainer, never before ordered to attack a human being. Lucas' gaze told the creature his owner was serious, and summoned a ball of black energy from his head and hurtled it towards the medium. The lady was knocked back but the teen could tell he accomplished what he was attempting. A black, smoke-like substance flowed out of the woman's body and took a solid shape.

Lucas wasn't sure what it was called, but he knew this thing was a Pokemon. The boy pulled out his Pokedex to learn the creature was called Dusknoir, and the ghost-type was at a very high level. Angered, and clearly full of energy from the people of the room, the beast attacked.

"Gizmo! Shadowball again!" Lucas initiated the strategy he used against the Gym Leader Fantina, hoping the Ghost Pokemon only knew ghost-type moves. The Eevee's Shadowball attack did damage his opponent, but the Dusknoir fought back with a Thunderpunch. Lucas desperately commanded Gizmo to attack again, trying to think of a strategy out of this dangerous situation. Calling out Hotrod wouldn't do any good, the Charmeleon was exhausted from the earlier fight even if it weren't knocked out, and if Gizmo lost his only other Pokemon left would be his other Eevee, Donna, a Pokemon that knew no moves that could touch the ghost. Without any Pokemon the teen would be helpless, and the Dusknoir would do to him what it already had done to the visitors of the Lost Tower. The Eevee's attacks hit their mark and did tremendous damage, but the ghost's attacks kept hitting worse. An unlucky critical hit sent Gizmo skidding across the ground and crashing into the shrine's stairs, completely knocking the Pokemon out. Before Lucas could react, a Pokeball on his belt glowed and popped open without being touched.

"Viii! Viiiii!" Donna shrieked as she materialized and ran over to Gizmo. She nudged his body, trying to rouse the unconscious Eevee. When her tender attempts failed, she turned to the Dusknoir and bared her teeth, snarling viciously with her ears slicked back. Suddenly the Pokemon began to glow, and the small normal-type started to get larger. As the light vanished a snarling Espeon had taken her place. Though the ghost-type was taken aback by the transformation, it immediately resumed its attacks. Donna acted without Lucas' control, and though it had a weakness to ghost-type attacks, the issue was non-existent. She managed to avoid all of her opponents attacks, dodging nimbly anything the ghost threw at her. Over and over she used her Psybeam attack, finishing off what the male Eevee had started. Before Lucas even had a chance to catch the rogue Pokemon, the Espeon knocked it out, the Dusknoir's unconscious body sinking into the floor and disappearing.