12
I push open the large wooden doors that lead into the tower, and am stunned at my first sight. There isn't even a reception desk, just gravestones all over the limestone tile floor. Pokémon are… buried here? This place looks so sad… it is appropriate. I think in my own head, and just walk on. I look around and find a staircase quickly, and rush over to it.
I head up and almost trip as I run into another person. I fall on the floor, but safely use my hands. He runs on, but I catch a glimpse of his brown spiky hair and purple shirt. Must be someone visiting. I tell myself. I get up and come face to face with a ghastly. It rushes at me but I duck behind a gravestone and continue running along the floor to the next staircase.
"Why are you attacking me!?" I yell, but it just looks at me and I notice a black… thing appear behind it, and I realize that is a night shade attack. I sprint toward the stairs, and dare not look back as the ghastly unleashes the attack. I reach the stairs and shut the door, just in time to prevent most of the attack; A small sliver slips through and hits me in the abdomen. I am knocked back against he stairs hard, and grab a rail on the wall to prevent myself from falling back down. I struggle to my feet, and check my stomach. Not even a mark.
I get to the end of the stairs and decide I need help, traversing this place of mourn that is somehow full of angry ghosts. I release Markus and ask of he has any attacks that hurt ghosts.
I do have the Dark Pulse attack, but it is a ring attack. If you don't duck or jump, I may hit you dead on.
I nod and keep that in mind as we go around the floor. There are walls this time, lined with gravestones, and it seems maze like.
"What kind of tower IS this?!" I say out loud.
Perhaps one to test the vigilance of those who want to get to the top… to see their pokémon.
"Or maybe the people who made this oh so long ago weren't very smart."
Markus chuckles, then pushes me back, making me duck. He jumps up and unleashes a dark pulse. I look at what he may be aiming at, but I see nothing. Then after a few seconds, a ghastly appears, and fades away like dust.
All things exude an invisible energy called aura that I can see. This includes invisible ghosts. Markus tells me. I nod and we continue through the maze of walls, and come to the staircase in a few minutes.
Upon opening its doors, A haunter comes out and slashes at me. Lucario jumps in the way and takes the full brunt of the Shadow Claw. I catch him and note the bleeding across his chest.
"Oh shit…" I say aloud, and return Markus to the pokéball to prevent farther harm. I release Abby and she does a flamethrower at the haunter without even being told.
Come, we must hurry. She says. I nod, and we run up the stairs. The next floor is normal now, and a few spirit channellers are around, but have an empty look in their eyes. I caution Abby not to hurt them, and we just jump and dodge past each one, getting to the next staircase.
"Why… what is wrong with this tower!?" I say aloud, not really asking Abby.
But she answers anyway. I feel an odd power at work here. And I don't like it.
The next floor was empty. I decide to take this time to help heal my Lucario. I release Markus onto the floor and lay his back against a tombstone. I swing my backpack around to my front and take out a potion. I look at his chest and notice how bad the wound is. Three stripes, lining up perfectly, are raked bright red across his chest. I take the cap off of the hyper potion I just go out and spray it on his wound. He flinches, but Abby and I hold him down. I decide to empty the whole container on him, knowing that more isn't worse when it comes to potions.
T-thank you. He gets out, stuttering even in his telepathy.
"What are friends for?" I say, and ask if he wants to be returned to the pokéball.
No, I think I can walk, I just need some bandages for this wound. Dark Pulse and my aura sight are something you two need. I don't need to physically strain myself.
I simply nod, bandaging him up, and we continue on that floor up to the next set of stairs. I plant my back against the wall, next to the doors. I command my ninetails behind me and Markus next to me, and I reach forward. I grab the doorknob, but a purple, claw-like hand reaches through the door and grabs my arm. I try to resist, but feel feint, as if losing my body and mind, and almost fall down. Markus acts quickly, kicking open the other door, and uses a Dark Pulse. It hits me straight on, and I'm tossed reeling like a paper bag to the ground. I try to look up, but cough up some blood that lands on the ground next to my head. I see a gengar fly over me, and into the wall near me. Markus runs forward and uses what I suspect to be a Stone Edge, impaling the gengar with the spike on his right wrist. The gengar cringes, and fades away.
I get up to my feet, oh ever so slowly. "Ow…" is all I can get out, but I glance at Markus.
If I had not done that, the gengar may have pulled out your soul, and you'd have become like those channellers below. A lifeless soul that indulges on the most primitive needs.
I nod, still in pain, but stop coughing up blood. "We need to hurry." I say, and we walk slowly up the stairs. Markus stays in front, to scout, and Abby stays behind me. We go up the stairs, and don't find much on the next floor, but Markus keeps us below.
There aren't many tombstones even, but haunter and ghastly are all over the place. He tells us. I nod, and tell Abby that he may need help.
Yeah yeah, I'll help of course. I'm sure you wouldn't mind a hypnosis or two would you? She asks Markus directly.
That would be most appreciated.
Markus rushes forward, but Abby says to me as she dashes by, He is so… polite.
"You like it?" I ask.
Hardly.
I chuckle to myself, and watch them go forward. Markus uses a foresight so anyone can see them in the room. Unfortunately, he gets pummeled by a night shade, but he stays on his feet and uses a Dark Pulse to take out a few, dodging other attacks. Abby, in the mean time, is his rear help; She is using hypnosis, with sound accuracy, and taking out pokémon Markus isn't hitting.
Eventually, only one haunter is left, and Markus is exhausted on the floor. Abby gets in front of him and uses a nasty Fire Blast and hits it dead on. She then stops and looks like she is in deep thought. I ask Markus what she is doing, and he answers.
Nasty Plot, increases her ranged attacks' power. Useful if all she is going to use is Flamethrower and Fire Blast.
I nod, and just wait a few seconds for her. She comes out of the move, and comes over to me. Markus gets up slowly and walks over to me, and brushes his hand on Abby's side. She blushes a little bit.
I grow alarmed and blurt out loud. "Okay, that is the LAST thing you two need to think about. C'mon, lets keep going."
They both blush, but follow me anyway, resuming our formation again. The next floor we don't see anything, not even by Markus, so I decide to take a little bit to catch my breath and Markus does the same.
You humans are so weak. Says Abby. Why was it you who had to be blessed with intelligence and ingenuity?
I don't answer, and don't particularly care at the moment, because a sharp spike of pain shoots up my leg, and I realize what is going to happen.
"We're going now." I say, and return Markus to the pokéball. I run up to the next flight of stairs, Abby just behind me and swing open the doors. We run up them and come to what I find to be the last floor, with no stairs. We run forward, but I am grabbed by something on my shoulder. I don't take a glance, feeling that same empty feel I had earlier, and hit it away. I just run to the end of the room, which has a huge gold altar. I just sit down and look at what is happening. Abby is using a flamethrower on a ghost pokémon, but I can't see it. I try to take Markus' pokéball off to release him, but the curse's pain hits me entire body now, filling me up more than it ever has before. I just fall to the floor, hardly able to make a sound as it almost is paralyzing my throat, I am conscious long enough to watch Abby get pummeled by the pokémon, and see it walk toward me. Walk? I think… It is a ghost, isn't it!?
I just sit there, the pain absorbing me, as it grabs my shoulder and pulls out what I guess would be my soul, just before I go unconscious. I float there, in its arms, and look at what grabbed me. A marowak with a fire in its eyes looks at me, and hits me, or I should say, my soul, with its bone club, sending me flying into a pillar. It hurts, but not my whole back, just my chest, near my heart. I land on the floor and I see my body on the floor a few yards away. Am I really dead? I think, as the marowak prepares a toss of its bone. I just sit there, realizing I may not know anything past this point, when something rather unexpected happens. A man dashes in from the stairs, with short, blond hair, wearing a black combat kimono and a huge sword, what looks like a black, glowing zanpakto and, from about 25 feet away, swings it, and CUTS the marowak. It gets hit, and is cut clear down the middle. I fade away, but not before releasing a few drops of blood onto the floor.
The man looks around, and looks at ME. How can he see me!? I think, and just sit there. He walks over, and PICKS ME UP. He tosses me into my body, and I go inside, but don't feel so great, as the curse's pain is still in me. He ignores my whining, and rushes over to Abby. He gets a potion out of his pocket and sprays her with it. Oddly enough, she is up in a few seconds, looking totally refreshed.
He runs over to me and says. "Don't worry, you will be fine." He stands up, and chants some incantations I don't hear well, as now I can't breath, and I feel like throwing up, but somehow, am still conscious. He then takes his sword, and raises it above his head, pointing it down at me, and brings it down on me with all his might.