POKEMON AQUA

Episode 8: The Tunnel and the Tower

"So, where are we headed?" asked Mahogany.

"Lefos Town," Olive replied. "But we'll be going through Shados Town first."

"What's in Shados Town?" Aqua asked.

Olive pored over her Pokedex. "It's known for its graveyard in the middle of town, and for its abandoned tower, which is said to be haunted."

At the words graveyard and haunted, Aqua and Mahogany felt like they were going to be sick.

"Isn't there another way to Lefos Town?" Mahogany asked.

"Unless you mean going through uncharted and untamed forest," Olive began. "Then swimming across Rough Waters Bay, then no."

"I'd take my chances with the Bay," Aqua said.

"Then go right ahead," said Olive.

Aqua looked at the forest and decided to take his chances with Shados Town.

Reese then caught up with them.

"Oh, hey Reese!' Aqua said to him as Reese sped away.

"See you in Shados Town!" Reese called back to them.

"You guys aren't just going to let him get away, let's go!" Aqua said. And they all took off running towards Shados Town.

After a while Aqua began to lag behind. In fact, no one noticed when he fell.

It was dark, and he couldn't reach the opening. He stood there for a very long time. Then, he decided he would try to find the end of, what he thought it was, the tunnel.

He continued along for a very long time until he thought he saw the end. It was still pitch black when he fell once again. He hit the ground, or whatever, since the ground was way above him. Aqua heard mumbling, and then the sound of a Pokemon coming out of its Pokeball.

Then, he felt a powdery substance come over him and he fell asleep.

When he came to, he could hear the voices of Olive and Mahogany.

"Is that you, Aqua?" he heard Olive ask.

"Yeah, it's me."

"Great, we saw you weren't behind us and when we saw this tunnel, we knew you must've fallen in." Mahogany said. "Follow us, we know the way out."

They kept walking forward until Aqua saw a staircase leading into light. Aqua ran ahead. When he exited he looked behind him to see if Mahogany and Olive were coming. But they weren't there.

Aqua turned around and saw a huge tower. It had windows shaped like eyes and a door shaped like a mouth. There were big spikes protruding from either side.

To his side, Aqua saw a town. Then, Mahogany and Olive came running towards him from out of the town limits.

"Wait, how did you guys get over"—Aqua began to say when Olive gave him a quick hug.

"We were looking everywhere for you!" she said after letting go.

"What are you talking about?" Aqua asked. "You guys were with me in the tunnel."

"I'm not sure you know what you're talking about," Mahogany said.

Aqua decided to drop the subject.

"So anyways, where are we?" Aqua asked.

"Right now," Mahogany answered. "We are standing in front of Shados Tower."

"So that means that we're in Shados Town!" Aqua said.

"Great detective work!" Mahogany said sarcastically.

They went into Shados Town and instantly saw a café.

"Boy, am I hungry!" Aqua said. "Let's eat." Then he went right into the café.

"Umm," Olive said to Mahogany. "Which of you has money?"

"Us?" Mahogany asked. "I thought you did!"

They both sighed.

Mahogany and Olive followed Aqua in.

"Hey, Aqua..." said Olive.

"Yeah, what's up?" he asked.

"We kind of don't have any money, sorry," Olive said.

They all sulked out of the cafe.

Even though they seemed to be in a ghost town, there was still people milling about. Aqua also saw lost Pokemon. He thought he even saw a Zigzagoon that didn't touch the ground!

Aqua went into the Pokemon Center while Olive and Mahogany were doing who knows what. Aqua spotted Augie laying down cards with pictures of Pokemon on a table. Across from him was another kid doing the same thing.

"Here, I'll trade my Bagon for your Gliscor and Registeel," Augie said.

"No way!" exclaimed the other kid. "You think I'm so dumb that I don't know the low value of an HS Undaunted Bagon!?"

"Sorry, just checking..." Augie chuckled.

"Go away!" Augie said to Aqua as he came closer. When Aqua didn't leave, Augie and the other kid left.

"Wait, hey," Aqua went up to Augie and grabbed his arm.

"Get off of me!" Augie complained. Augie wrenched his arm away and gave Aqua an evil glare.

"Sorry," Aqua apologized. "But I was hoping you had passed the Gym around here and could tell me how to get there."

"There isn't a Gym in every Town, you know," Augie said. "Besides, if there was one, you wouldn't ever get to train and you would always lose."

"I'm taking there isn't a Gym here," Aqua finished.

"No, but if you are lost, that guy sitting across the Center," Augie pointed to a man on the other side, "he'll give you a map." And with that, Augie was out of there with the other kid following his actions.

Aqua didn't need a map, he had the MapApp, but he knew Mahogany's Pokedex didn't have it, so he might as well get a map for him.

"Excuse me, mister," Aqua said to him.

"Yeah, what is it, kid?" he answered.

"Someone told me you could give me a map?"

"He probably didn't explain everything to you," the man said, getting up from his lunch to turn and face Aqua.

"I can't give you a map," he started to explain. "But I can give you a MapApp card. Plus, nothing comes for free."

"Well, then, what's your price?"

"If you can find a scroll in Shados Tower, I'll let you have it."

"What do you mean, 'a scroll'," Aqua questioned.

"There's only one," the man answered.

"Come on, Aqua, it won't kill you," Mahogany said.

"Are you sure?" Aqua asked. Then, "Oh my gosh, Mahogany, how long have you been there!?"

"Long enough," he said. "Let's go!"

So they headed out towards Shados Tower. After about a minute, Mahogany disappeared. Aqua looked behind him to see Olive and Mahogany running after him. When they caught up to him, they asked him what he was doing. Aqua knew that Mahogany already knew, so he explained it to Olive.

"All this for Mahogany's MapApp?" Olive asked.

"I'm really doing it for the challenge," Aqua said. "Who knows, maybe we'll find some Pokemon!"

Aqua was still confused about how they keep disappearing.

On the way to Shados Tower, Mahogany said, "Did you ever think that maybe the reason Augie hates you so much is because you both have the au sound in your name and you live up to it more?" He was probably joking.

"Mahogany, that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard!" Olive said to him.

They went into the tower and instantly realized their mistake. The tower was a maze!

To Be Continued…