Pokémon: Adventures in Sinnoh Chapter 12: Shivers in the Old Chateau!, a pokémon fanfic

Nick wiped the sweat from his brow as he walked into the cool afternoon air of Eterna again. Olive followed closely behind and stood enjoying the breeze as the boy adjusted his backpack. He turned to look at her and got lost in his senses as he gazed at her beautiful profile, her rose-red cheeks practically glowing beneath her blowing bob. She turned to him and he quickly tried to avert his gaze, only to connect with her eyes.

'Where's your next stop?' she smiled.

'I… I don't know,' he admitted, 'Where is the nearest gym?'

'Well, there are a few gyms to the south in the cities of Hearthome and Pastoria, and the town of Woodsthrone opened a gym recently too.'

'Do you have directions?' he asked, smiling.

'No, and even if I did, I wouldn't give them to you.' she beamed back. He stared at her in confusion and disbelief. He opened his mouth to say something that he had not decided on yet, when she spoke again.

'Setting off on travels into the unknown, discovering your own path and learning from strangers and other wandering spirits… that's what builds character and makes a real trainer. The path to the Pokémon League doesn't – and shouldn't have – signposts.'

His smile widened and he nodded in agreement, understanding and appreciating every word she said. Another cold breeze swept past, but he was only shivering with the excitement of continuing his journey.

'Thanks.' he rattled, checking the time on his Pokétch and scribbling some words into the electronic notepad. He refrained from looking at the map application. 'I really enjoyed our battle.'

'Me too, until you flattened me!' she laughed. 'I'll register your victory on the database later today.'

'The… database?' he asked.

'You haven't registered, have you?' she sighed.

The boy shook his head, embarrassed.

'You need to submit your details to the Pokémon League if you're taking on gyms, otherwise you can't enter the tournament after collecting eight badges. They keep track of how well you are doing and whether they should expect you or not, as well as the types of Pokémon you are raising.'

'I had no idea.' he grinned sheepishly. 'Where do I sign up?'

'Hearthome City has a Gym Management Centre. You can do it there.' she nodded.

'But… I've already defeated two other leaders…' he mumbled.

'And I'm sure they were confused when they tried to submit your details only to find you weren't on the registry.' she stated, her voice becoming more and more imposing. He felt that he had let her down in some way. 'I will remind them to try again in future.'

They stood in silence until a car sped past, its engine tearing the quietness to pieces.

'I guess I should get going.' he sighed.

Her stern mouth curved into a pretty smile once more.

'It's been great.' she said softly, shaking his hand. 'I know you're going to be one heck of a trainer.'

They held hands for a few seconds longer than seemed normal. Nick blushed and Olive giggled, as though trying to evoke such a reaction from him.

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The surrounding mountains were much closer to the city than he had realised. He stood at the exit of Eterna, looking across the marshy ravines and wooden bridges that made up the next route. Only a few hundred feet separated the buildings and homes with the base of the incredible, monolithic Mount Coronet. Its incline was not entirely steep, but it towered high into the atmosphere, its unsympathetic, colourless walls sitting silently and mercilessly, its summit veiled by wispy clouds. He had heard stories about it as a child: how it split Sinnoh into two halves; how it was the closest place to the sky in the region, and countless folktales of mysterious presences that had been sensed by travellers following its treacherous paths. These stories had scared him when he was younger, but now he was looking at it through different eyes; what kind of Pokémon lived high up in the extreme conditions of the mountaintop? Did rare, powerful creatures dwell within its maze-like tunnels and caverns? Perhaps, one day, he would venture onto its harsh surface and see if the rumours and his ideas were true. For now, however, he had to follow the path around its perimeter to reach Hearthome City and ultimately his Pokémon League victory. Having missed breakfast, he had eaten a hearty meal at the Pokémon Centre before departing, and his stomach now moaned under the weight of all the food as he trod through the dry mud and cracked ground. The recovered Elekid skipped along by his ankles, while Nosepass and Shellder slept in their Pokéballs.

'We might have to spend a few nights outside, Elekid. Hearthome is a few days of walking away.' he thought aloud.

'El!' sparked his partner, with a sideways glance at him.

'Oh, yeah,' he laughed in reply, 'You're used to sleeping outside. That's what you did before you became my Pokémon.'

He was glad that he had packed his sleeping bag. This would be the first night that he had not slept at a Pokémon Centre but, in a way, he was looking forward to spending a night in the wild surrounding by nature and Pokémon. As these happy thoughts filled his head, a small moving object suddenly seized his attention. It seemed to bounce, but remained in mid-air for more time than seemed normal. Looking at it, he realised the tiny, spherical yellow thing was decorated with little living eyes and a mouth; it was a Pokémon.

'Wonder what that is…' he muttered, aiming his Pokédex at the creature.

'Chingling, the Bell Pokémon. Chingling is the pre-evolved form of Chimecho. It is a rare Pokémon that creates a bell-like sound by agitating an orb in its throat. Its high-pitched cries can hurt the foe's ears.'

'A rare Pokémon!' exclaimed Nick, ignoring the warning of Chingling's offensive capabilities.

'Chiiii!' it chimed. Its voice was sublime and relaxing.

'Are you ready, Elekid?' grinned Nick, clenching his fist.

'Elekid!' it replied, doing the same. They turned to each other and nodded, only to see their new foe scurrying away far in front of them when they looked back.

'Hey, wait!' cried Nick, eager to make this sought-after monster his own, 'Come back!'

'Chiiiing!' came its pleasant voice from the distance. It was moving much quicker now, interspersing its running with big jumps.

'After it!' commanded the trainer.

They chased it across the damp grassland, ending up on a narrow cliff edge against a vertical wall of the mountain, a river gushing by far below. Chingling hopped and bounced its way onto a higher platform, where it began to giggle and sing as its pursuers frowned at it from beneath its perch. There were no ledges to use as a stairway to continue the chase, but rather than accept defeat, Nick hatched a plan:

'I'm going to climb up the rock face.' he smirked.

'El! Elek!' yelped his Pokémon, tugging at his shirt in protest. It motioned to the frothing waters below that would carry him into oblivion should he fall.

'Don't worry, I'll be fine! I'll catch that Chingling!' he laughed, grabbing onto the wall above him and beginning to pull his way up, using small craters as footholds. He slowly pulled himself higher and higher, his desire to fill his Pokédex overriding his common sense. His hand finally grabbed the edge of the cliff on which the wild creature sat, then his stomach jolted and his voice ceased as the stones gave way and he began to plummet. He could hear nothing but the rushing river, not even Elekid's cries of panic. Fear and the acceptance of fate overcame all other senses as he fell through the air, his heart trying to escape through his throat. He closed his eyes in preparation for the water's icy embrace, but instead felt a rubbery, warm surface break his fall. He lay on his back, heart still pounding and eyes still closed, until he heard a familiar voice bark at him.

'What the heck do you think you're doing! Do you have a death wish?'

He opened his eyes to see the angry ones of Pearl staring at him from above. Regaining his senses, he sat up and observed the surroundings. He was sitting on top of a large, floating ball, Pearl standing over him.

'I… I was…'

'Trying to finish yourself off, by the looks of it!' she snapped back.

He felt a pound on top of his head as Elekid leapt from the cliff and punched him, snarling as it landed in front of him.

'It's a good thing my Wailmer and I were surfing past!'

'Wailmer…?' he asked, groggily. He suddenly realised that the buoy on which he sat was a living thing, a whale-like Pokémon.

'What were you trying to do?' she asked, no longer shouting but still stern.

'I was trying to catch a Chingling. It was up there on the mountainside.' he admitted.

'Well, you went about it in a really silly way. There's adventuring, then there's being an idiot.' she growled.

He sat in silence, thankful for her rescue but not wishing to express it when she was speaking to him like this.

'Well, let's get to somewhere safer. Wailmer, go!' she sighed.

The whale creature bellowed as it carried them along the river towards some distant woods.

They strolled through the scenery of the southern route. It was not as dense as Eterna Forest, but the trees still towered above them. The sky was darkening quickly, lending a blue glow to the surroundings. Nick, still shaken from his accident, walked in silence, his Pokémon all inside their Pokéballs. Pearl was also strangely quiet, her usual jeers and remarks being kept to a minimum.

'Are you alright?' she asked through a mumble.

'Yeah… I'm fine.' he replied, with a deep breath.

'I know that adventuring and catching Pokémon can be overwhelming sometimes,' she continued, 'But you need to be careful. It can be dangerous out in the field.'

'I… I just…' he stuttered, trying to find the words, '… I know.'

They continued through the wooded trail.

'Where did you catch your Wailmer?' he asked, perking himself up.

'Near Lake Verity… an area where Wailmer shouldn't be found in the wild.' she replied, her tone rising with interest.

'I found Elekid at Lake Verity, and they're not native to the area either!' he exclaimed.

'Strange…' she muttered, 'These Pokémon showing up in places they haven't been observed in before.'

Nick smiled. Despite the sinister subject matter, this was the most civilised conversation he had ever had with Pearl. She did not seem as uptight or as self-important as the last time they had met, but he got the impression that she could easily fall back into such a persona if pressured or annoyed.

'It's… such a playful, funny thing.' she smiled. Nick's grin widened as he saw her smile for the first time; her new partner had changed her for the better.

'So, have you been collecting badges?' she asked, regaining her dignified posture.

'Sure have. I've got three so far, I just defeated Olive in Eterna City today.' he beamed.

'Well done.' she said monotonously. 'Where are you going now?'

'Hearthome City, to register for the League.'

'I'm going there too to watch contests,' she revealed.

'Contests?' he asked.

'Trainers enter their Pokémon and show off attacks and skills to judges. I think viewing some of the entrants' abilities could help the Pokédex.'

'Sounds cool, maybe I'll come watch one too.' he smiled, looking to her. She did not look back. Suddenly, a voice cried from round the corner of the forest walk:

'Pikachu! Come back!'

Nick and Pearl stopped in their tracks and looked ahead. A small Pikachu dashed round the corner, running on all fours, and disappeared into the thickness of the trees. Moments later, a young boy appeared from the same direction, reaching out to the mouse creature. As he got to the side of the road, he stopped, unable to keep up.

'P-Pikachu…'

The two companions approached the little boy, who turned and spoke to them, his eyes lined with bubbling tears, his thick brown hair sticking to his sweaty face.

'My Pikachu… it ran away…'

'Why?' asked Pearl, her voice not as sympathetic as Nick had expected.

'My friend and I… we were having a Pokémon battle, and my Pikachu got hurt and ran off…'

At these words, as if heralding their arrival, another young boy came running towards them, a small horned monster by his side. Thick glasses sat askew on his freckled face, his red hair as overgrown as Eterna Forest.

'Alex, I'm sorry! Larvitar didn't mean it!' he cried, almost as upset as the Pikachu's trainer.

'I just want my Pikachu, Rob!' sobbed Alex, 'But I think it went into the Old Chateau!'

'Calm down!' pleaded Nick, trying to silence the boys. He had never been good with children.

'The Old Chateau? That's near here?' inquired Pearl, kneeling down to the boys' level. Alex wiped his face, nodded, and pointed through the trees. Nick looked; in the distance, wrapped in greenery, was a large stone house, barely visible in the darkness.

'What's that place?' he asked.

'I've heard about it,' she replied, standing up, 'It was abandoned long ago, and is supposedly haunted.'

Nick raised his head an inch in curiosity; the idea of ghosts did not phase him after his experience in Mauheru Town.

'We need to get the kid's Pikachu back.' he stated, a sense of heroism surging through him. Pearl looked at him and, after a moment, nodded in agreement.

'You will?' gasped Alex, grasping Nick's shirt.

'Sure we will.' He smiled back. 'We can't leave your Pokémon all alone.'

'You're really brave!' smiled Rob.

'Larvi-tarr!' cried his companion. Despite its small size, it looked strong; Nick did not doubt that it was capable of hurting a Pikachu.

'Ready, Pearl?' he grinned, turning to his unfriendly acquaintance.

'As I'll ever be, Nick…' she sighed, pulling the strap of her backpack further up her shoulder.

With a nod to the young trainers, they began to wrestle their way through the overgrown bushes and into the encapsulation of the trees.

Upturned roots continually made them trip as they ventured towards the supposedly haunted mansion. Pearl stayed relatively composed while Nick clung to trees to keep his balance. The chateau loomed from a small hill, its large, rusty doors and windows ominously reminiscent of a face. Only small gaps in the canopy above them lent any light to the scene, and the rustling of wild creatures in the surroundings added to the sense of foreboding. His bravery had become partly replaced with fear as he again found his sense of adventure rising above all other logic; he really needed to work on it. Eventually, they found themselves at the front door.

'Look.' said Pearl quietly, pointing down. A small chunk of the frame was missing, leaving a hole just big enough for a Pikachu to squeeze through.

'But what if it still didn't come in here?' he asked.

'Let's find out.' she replied, taking out a Pokéball. 'Ralts, come on out!'

Ralts appeared, looking up at its trainer with the same stony expression she often showed.

'Ralts, can you detect Pikachu anywhere?'

The little psychic-type bowed its head, and its horn started to glow a light blue colour. It spun round for several seconds before pointing at the Old Chateau.

'Raaa!'

'It definitely went in there.' she stated, gesturing towards the hole.

The cold steel handles had been rusted stiff against the wooden panels. They stood for a few moments before Nick broke the silence:

'Ladies first?'

'… Fine, whatever.' she snapped back, pushing the doors open slowly. He grinned and followed her inside to find a large, pitch-black room.

'We'll need some light.' came Pearl's voice. Moments later, a light illuminated the room. Nick looked down to the source – Ralts was creating a continuous flash from its horn.

'Pikachu? You in here?' she called. There was no reply.

'Maybe we should go further in…' mumbled Nick.

'Let's go then.' said Pearl softly. She was acting much braver than he had expected.

They searched room after room of the dark house. The atmosphere had grown cold and tense, the two trainers holding their breaths as they creaked open every door, fearing that an unfriendly spectre would suddenly emerge from the shadows. But it was quiet. Nothing went bump in the night, and no eerie moaning came from any of the corridors. The rooms were largely empty; decrepit furniture lined most of them, but apart from that, there was very little of note. Paintings of various men, women and children were the only exception, their pale faces buried by dust and time. Who were they? Had they lived here many years ago?

'Pearl…' he began, 'Why was this place abandoned?'

'Well, from what I've heard,' she whispered back, 'A rich family once lived here, and all but the father died from a strange illness. Such loss drove him to despair, and he became something of a recluse in his later years. After he died, no one wanted to enter a house that such misfortune had befallen, and it was left to ruin.'

Nick's sweat got colder; people had died in this place?

'Just one room left to try now…' she breathed as they follows Ralts' torch down an empty hallway towards a set of black wooden doors.

'Pikachu just has to be in here…' he whispered. They had abandoned calling out for Pikachu, so as not to wake anything that might have been sleeping somewhere in the house…

The doors creaked open to reveal a large study room, a large marble mantelpiece framing a fire that had long since burned out. A chandelier hung forlornly above their heads, its once beautiful crystals now dusty and forgotten like the large armchair and wide oak desk. The latter was home to only a bronze picture frame, in it a portrait of a chestnut-haired man, a thick moustache stretching from one puffed cheek to another. Lining the sides of the room were towering bookshelves, ancient-looking, yellow-paged works crammed into every available inch of space. And atop one of these old pieces of furniture, curled into a ball and trembling, was Pikachu.

'Look! There is it!' cried Nick, breaking the silence and making Pearl jump in fright.

'Come on down!' she called to it. It looked down at them and snarled, its red cheeks crackling with electricity.

'We're not going to hurt you, we're here to rescue you.' smiled Nick, reaching up for the mouse. As he approached it, it let out an angry cry and fired a bolt of electricity towards him, missing him by inches and scorching the decayed red carpet.

'Whoa!' exclaimed Nick, stepping back.

'Ralts, Disable.' sighed Pearl, putting her hands on her hips, as though despairing of Nick's behaviour. Her Pokémon raised its tiny hands and a blue light glowed around Pikachu. Its aggravated expression turned to one of confusion as it was lifted through the air and carried into Pearl's arms, unable to resist.

'Good, Ralts.' she said to her Pokémon. It did not reply. Nick looked on in begrudged admiration before something else caught his eye; a large, open book lying on the floor below where Pikachu had sat. He picked it up and observed its pages, his eyebrows raising.

'Look at this,' he gasped, 'It's all about ancient myths of Sinnoh…'

'What does it say?' she asked, stroking the helpless Pikachu's long ears.

He looked at the long passage on the stained page, reciting it to Pearl as he read:

In the beginning, there was only a constant chaos. From the void came the Original One, creating the world with its 1,000 arms. From itself it created two beings – the Being of Space and the Being of Time. The universe began to expand and time spurred life to evolve. Three other beings did it then create, who gave all life the wisdom, emotion and will to survive. From the highest summit the Original One looked down on its finished work, and ascended the golden steps to a higher plain of existence, taking to eternal rest.

He looked up at Pearl, hoping deep down that she could explain further.

'I've heard that before, I think…' she declared, closing her eyes in thought, 'Pokémon that made the world.'

Nick's eyes widened.

'You mean everything was created by a Pokémon?' he exclaimed. He had often thought about how vast space was and how everything had began, but the idea that a wild creature could have done it all was mind-blowing.

'It's just a legend.' she replied, as though brushing it off. 'No one knows the answer to such questions. Even if those Pokémon existed, the stories about them could have been changed over time.'

'Oh, right…' he said, slightly disappointed. He put the book back onto the shelf and turned back to her.

'We should get going. I'm sure that kid wants his Pikachu back.'

'Yeah, let's go.' she nodded, clutching the little mouse.

He gazed around the room one more time, his eyes focusing most on the man's portrait; it somehow looked different than when he had first looked at it. Just then, a cold chill roared through the room, almost blowing them off their feet. The chandelier swung violently as the shadows in the corners began to move and converge into one entity. Its floating black figure looked down at them, a large, rotund torso decorated with what appeared to be an evil face, a single, red glowing eye peering from beneath a shining helmet, two thick arms hanging by its sides.

'That's a…' began Pearl, lifting her Pokédex.

'Dusknoir,' it stated, finishing her sentence for her before continuing, 'The Gripper Pokémon. The antenna on its head is said to receive messages from the spirit world, commanding it to take lost souls there.'

'Wow…' sighed Pearl, staring in disbelief. Nick, however, was not as impressed as he looked at Dusknoir's glaring eye.

'Pearl…' he whispered, 'I think we should leave… now.'

He grabbed her arm and they began to pace backwards from the towering ghost-type, the still-shining Ralts following closely at its trainer's feet. Dusknoir hovered in a motionless silence before raising its arms.

'Dusk-noiiiiiir!'

Another chill blew from its body, imbued with purple smog. It enveloped the whole room in the thick fog, and both human and Pokémon were filled with unaccountable terror, Ralts and Pikachu shaking in pain.

'That's… Ominous Wind!' spluttered Pearl, her heart racing in fear.

'Go, Shellder! Aurora Beam!' commanded Nick, taking it upon himself to start the fight. Shellder appeared and shot a cold blast through the fog. Dusknoir, however, disappeared before the attack hit it. Moments later, its powerful arm came swinging from the void, knocking Shellder into the nothingness and out of sight.

'Shellder, no!' shrieked Nick.

'Ralts, your turn!' coughed Pearl, 'Confusion!'

The light on Ralts' head glowed brighter and a blue ray shot at Dusknoir. It was stricken, but with a swipe dissolved the attack. Its fist began to shine with a black light before it returned a move, knocking the psychic-type out. Without Ralts' Flash, the room was cast into darkness until Nick released Elekid to regain visibility, and unveil the sight of their enemy building a ball of dark energy between its hands.

'That's… S-Shadow Ball!' cried the girl.

'We're f-finished if that hits!' stuttered Nick. He was fearful that they might become its latest recruits to the world of spirits. He braced himself.

'Wait, I… I think I know what's h-happening!' came Pearl's voice from the growing mist.

Through his almost-blind eyes, he saw her struggle past Dusknoir towards the other end of the room, grabbing something on the desk and thrusting it at the ghost-type with the arm that was not cradling the trembling Pikachu. It turned to look at her, its Shadow Ball still building with power.

'Stop!' she screamed, and the Ominous Wind began to subside.

'Noir?'

'This was… your master!'

Through the clearer air, Nick could see she was holding the picture of the moustachioed man. Dusknoir seemed to have dropped its attack and adopted an inquisitive stance.

'We don't mean to harm you or your master!' she pleaded.

He had never heard her voice so full of empathy or longing.

'Please, Dusknoir… please…'

Several moments passed before their opponent's energy fizzled out as it lowered its arms and cleared the air completely.

'Is it… over?' asked Nick

'Can we… go?' said the girl to the Pokémon. Its thick frame faded into darkness before its eye appeared from the shadows, many times larger than usual, gazing down at them in a sinister mercy.

'DUUUSK-NOOOOIIIIR!'

The spectral bellow was enough to indicate that they should leave. Pearl quickly put down the portrait, recalled her fallen companions along with Nick, and dashed out of the door. Cold sweat and rushing thoughts distracted them from all else as they ran through the black corridors and out of the house where they had found themselves to be unwelcome guests.

'Thanks so much!' sobbed Alex as Pearl handed him back the helpless Pikachu. 'Are you okay?' he asked looking down at it. It whimpered and licked his cheek.

'We're sorry, Pikachu.' sighed Rob, who was carrying a small lantern.

'Lar!' piped Larvitar.

'Don't push your Pokémon too hard in future.' said Pearl, finding her stern, almost-obnoxious tone once more.

'We won't.' mumbled the boys as they began to walk ahead and into the darkness. Nick smiled as he watched them go, happy that he had helped. He waited until their flickering lantern had vanished before turning back to his female rival, her stiff face illuminated only by Ralts

'Well… I'm glad we got out of there. That was one nasty Pokémon!' he laughed.

'No, it wasn't.' she spat back, pulling a small sleeping bag from her pack and laying it down on the forest floor. She saw Nick's confused expression and sighed. 'It was protecting its master's home… its own home.'

'What do you mean?' he asked, beginning to feel clueless.

'That Dusknoir obviously belonged to the owner of the Old Chateau – the man in the picture.' she explained, gathering sticks and piling them on the ground. 'It thought we were intruders and was defending its owner's property… defending the memory of its owner.'

Nick instantly understood; the presence of such a guardian must have been the reason the house had been left alone – no one would approach it to renovate it or pull it down. A smile flickered on Pearl's lips as she realised he had understood, before she regained her tough posture.

'The bond between a well-cared-for Pokémon and a good-hearted human can last for eternity. They keep each other alive even when they cross into the realms of death.' she stated.

Nick shivered at these words, in awe and admiration of the world that he had immersed himself in during the short period of time since he had left home. Smiling, he pulled out his own sleeping bag and spread it out on the ground opposite Pearl before squeezing himself into it. He released Elekid to spark the bundle of sticks and start a warming fire before resting his head and wishing Pearl a goodnight that was reciprocated via a mutter.

In a nearby dark room, a chestnut-haired man slept peacefully in an armchair as the shadow of a ghost Pokémon floated contentedly and protectively by his side.