Chapter no.31: Lavender Town
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Pikachu, please stop eating that ketchup."
"Chu Pikachu."
The first half of June had slipped away, leaving Austin standing on the shore of Birth Island, the vast sea stretching out before him like an infinite, shimmering canvas. Cynthia had departed for Sinnoh just a day earlier, and her absence left a gaping void in Austin's life. Clad in a simple T-shirt and shorts, he gazed at the horizon, thinking of Vermillion Harbour—his destination and connection to the world.
Cynthia's training and her unwavering efforts to help him had carved an indelible mark on his heart. The morning after her departure, Austin experienced a longing he had never known before. He missed her. And in that moment of realization, he was struck with horror—he was falling for her. This wasn't a fleeting crush like with Jane; Austin wanted to share countless hours in conversation with Cynthia, to walk beside her, to discuss strategies, and even to argue lightheartedly. If the hints she had been dropping were any indication, she felt the same way.
Austin pinched the bridge of his nose, acknowledging the impossibility of their situation. He was still trying to return to his own world, and a relationship was not an option. With a melancholic gaze, he placed a hand on the small casket containing Raticate and thought, 'My life has truly become something else.'
(~ Ting ~)
The notification on his Pokedex informed him that a trainer awaited at Vermilion Harbour to teleport him to Lavender Town. Taking a deep breath, Austin silently thanked Cynthia for covering the cost of his expensive transportation. He recalled her final words before she left, 'You are going to call me up every week on that number. Is that clear, Mister?' "I wonder if she arrived in Sinnoh," he mused.
Over the past few days, Austin had trained relentlessly, honing both his and his Pokémon's skills. There were no new moves to learn, only old ones to perfect. After a week of acquiring advanced techniques from Champion-level Pokémon, it was time to implement them and create a well-ordered team. Older, basic moves were replaced with more powerful ones, and the goal became clear: master a few techniques to absolute perfection.
This had not been an easy process, especially for Wartortle and Shedinja. While Wartortle adjusted to his new body and power, Shedinja's behavior left Austin anxious. The Pokémon would only act when specifically instructed, performing tasks tirelessly for hours on end.
Despite the challenges, Austin's team made significant progress. Charmeleon had finally mastered Draco Meteor, and although he wasn't as natural with it as Garchomp, his determination led him to become one of the strongest offensive battlers on Austin's team, rivaling Pikachu and Scizor.
His hand found its way to the tear-drop ornament hidden beneath his shirt, a gift from Cynthia. In the twenty-six battles they had fought, she had outmaneuvered him with strategic brilliance. Each night, Austin studied and documented the day's battles, analyzing techniques, strategies, and his own mistakes. He had dedicated himself to incorporating these lessons into his battling style, resulting in his victory against Garchomp, even though she had held back.
Kanto awaited Austin's return, as did his friends. He had reassured them through Professor Oak that he was fine, but now, he was ready to face them and deliver the news of Raticate's passing.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
[ Indigo Plateau ]
By tradition, a meeting of the Elite Four and the Gym Leaders was held twice a year, the first being just after the day the registrations for the upcoming Indigo Conference had finished, which was usually sometime in the middle of February, and the next being just after the Celebrations party held in honor of the new winner and the Top-4. This one was usually in the last week of March, after which, the declaration of results for the Trainer Certification was released. Today's meeting, however, was more of a special session, one that was being presided over by the Champion (a rare thing) and not related to the Indigo Conference at all.
Inside the large, stone-walled conference room, seated across two concentric U-shaped tables, were the Gym leaders and the Elite Four, the latter seated up front, facing the elevated podium upon which Lance stood, with a sprawling table behind him.
"As you well know, the SS. Anne's event has hit Kanto hard, with several questions raised over our administration and security, especially with this…" Lance paused, "... Mewtwo business."
"But we haven't detected any Team Rocket activity ever since then." Blane, spoke up meanwhile he glanced at a black-haired woman, in her early twenties, who was always dressed in Japanese kimono and professionalized in grass-type pokémon, her demeanor showed that she was extremely relaxed in such a serious meeting.
"You are right, we didn't. At least, not in Kanto at least." It was Steven Stone, who answered the impending question. "However, we have received… intelligence about a large-scale Team Rocket attack on the outskirts of Mirage Island, in Hoenn."
One of the higher-ups of the Indigo Plateau, the man whose authority rivaled the Elite four, Giovanni, the former Viridian city gym leader and current minister of finance posed. "I wasn't informed that Team Rocket has been active outside of Kanto."
Steven glanced at Lance, before answering. "An Executive had attacked the mystical Forest of Illusions, notorious in Hoenn for being the abode of several Ghost-types. We believe that they were quite… successful in their endeavor"
"Did they capture them or kill them?" Daisy, who was representing the rest of the Waterflower sisters, put forward.
"Capture, to my knowledge," Steven answered.
"Why would you think that the ghosts were killed?" Lance inquired.
"Well… It would have gotten a similarity with what happened with the Tauros herd at the Meadow." Daisy answered, feeling sickened just by the mere thought of it.
"To my knowledge, the… massacre was done by Mewtwo, though it can be agreed that he is, after all, working for Team Rocket, or at least, with them."
"I don't understand." Giovanni interrupted. "This… Mewtwo, as you call him, seems like a Legendary, at least as far as his powers are concerned. Why would a pokémon want to… systematically cause the deaths of other types of pokémon?"
"That… is indeed one of the main topics behind this meeting," Lance answered. "We have gathered intel that Team Rocket has been… experimenting on pokémon, trying to create, and stable hybrids by combining DNA of multiple types to create a better version of both."
"They are, aren't they? Bloody bastards." Lt. Surge exploded. "Do we have any details?"
Lance paused, sending a meaningful glance at Steven. "We do."
"Like?" Giovanni pressed.
"Lance… Allow me." Steven intervened.
Lance considered it for a moment. "Go on."
Every eye turned to Steven, who cleared his throat. "We have a specific Charmander in question, whose genetic typing is… interestingly, dragon/fire. His move set, to my knowledge, is composed of draconic attacks, and his inner flame is much lower than is imaginable for a fire-type. Also, his DNA is an unnatural cross-breed of a male Garchomp and a female Charizard. To my knowledge, he was found on a solitary route, from where he was picked up and taken in by a trainer."
"An unstable hybrid." Lorelei declared.
"It would seem so, but the experiments made on this… Charmander's DNA reveals that not only is this hybrid pokémon stable, but also capable of mutating to create an almost new species, with evolution."
"Then where is this Charmander?" Blaine inquired, his face holding a frown. "I expect he is already being tested out at the Labs?"
"The Charmander in question…" Lance admitted, "-is with his trainer."
"And why?" Blaine argued. "According to protocol, the Charmander must already be in League custody for experimentation."
"We have received assurance that we will be getting all the data revealed through the tests made on Charmander's DNA."
"And why?" Blaine argued angrily. "Either way, the tests could be wrong as well! Why are we accepting that at face value?" Blaine barked.
"We do when the researchers are Samuel Oak and Bill Montgomery," Steven replied from his place.
That shut everybody up.
"I am not even going to ask how Oak and Montgomery came into this business," Blaine muttered.
"Good," Steven replied merrily. "We aren't going to talk about it anyway."
"Who is this… trainer?" Erica asked softly but her voice seemed weird as if she had taken something before coming to the meeting.
Steven sighed. "Ash Ketchum."
"Ash?" Flint recognized. "The one from Pallet Town?"
"Yes," Steven muttered.
"You know him?" Blaine grunted, glaring at Flint as if he was the source of all evil in the world.
"He… defeated my son on the first go. Currently, he and my son are on a journey together."
"So…" Giovanni mused, "It seems like Steven here, knows this Ash Ketchum personally."
"You might… say that," Steven agreed.
"Ash Ketchum is… an honorary Associate of Indigo league." Lance declared in a monotone. "For reasons which are on a need-to-know basis."
"And I suppose that Mr. Stone here has a hand in his sponsorship?" Giovanni put in slyly.
"I did," Steven admitted, staring hard at the other man.
Giovanni checked in, on the laptop in front of him. In a matter of seconds, Ash's trainer profile was on his page, and he eyed through the contents. "Interesting… and quite an interesting group of pokémon under his registration." He looked up. "How long has this kid been in training?"
"I'd take a rough guess at four months," Flint answered. "He challenged my son back in April, and it was his first week of traveling, from what I remember."
"Interesting." Giovanni mused, his lips curling.
"I think we might be digressing from the point?" Lorelei rebuked everyone, much to Steven's chagrin.
"Thanks, Lorelei," Lance muttered, clearing his throat. "Intel suggests that someone out there, has been working on pokémon-hybridization, and we have a specimen to prove that. Also, we know that Team Rocket has been capturing pokémon of various types in large quantities- Beedrill from Viridian forest, the Rhyhorn population from Grandpa Canyon, Tauros from the Isle Meadow-"
"Wait, I thought that the Tauros were killed," Daisy interjected.
"They were, but stats have revealed that over forty of them were unaccounted for in the deaths," Lance answered.
"And now the ghost-type from Hoenn," Sabrina muttered.
"Rock, Bug, Ground, Ghost—anyone notices a pattern?" Lorelei muttered sarcastically.
"And we should not forget that Team Rocket has been found to have a surprisingly large number of Magnemite, Umbreon, Goldbat, and Muk under their command."
"Electric, Dark, Flying, and Poison," Lorelei commented darkly.
"And Charmander- surely, the one Ash has is not the only one out there?" Steven proposed.
"Add fire to that list, Lorelei," Lance replied with a sigh. "Nine types out of eighteen."
"You are forgetting something else. All nine types are offensive ones." Lt. Surge voiced, "And if you count this Mewtwo, then you have psychic in them as well."
"This looks more serious than I had anticipated," Erica exclaimed.
"We should not forget Mewtwo," Blaine muttered.
"Yes," Lance muttered as well, "-we have a Legendary… well, or one that might pass for one, working alongside Team Rocket, though its aims aren't… clear at the moment."
"Is it not possible that Mewtwo could be you know…?" Lorelei put it forward, not sure how to put it.
"I must confess I have given a lot of thought to that," Lance admitted. "The name Mew-two does suggest a similarity to Mew, and given the nature of his powers, or at least those that have been publicly spotted anyway, are more likely something that Mew could probably do."
"Wait," Flint asked, anxious, "are you seriously suggesting that Team Rocket got its hands on the Legendary Mew, who is more of a myth to most people?"
Lance paused, gathering his words. "There might be a sneaking suspicion, yes. If not the Legendary, then at least some portion of DNA belonging to Mew."
"From what?" Blaine scoffed meanwhile his eyes narrowed on Giovanni wanting to see his reaction, "A fossil? Come now, Lance… the textbook definition of a Legendary is that they are singular. There isn't a Mew fossil lying around somewhere. Unless Team Rocket has managed to spot a Demigod Mew, who might I state—hasn't been spotted in several hundred years, it is simply inconceivable that-"
"Wrong assumption," Agatha spoke up, her rather harsh voice enough to stop Blaine midway. "Mew or rather one of the Demigod Mew was spotted in Cameran Palace, in Rota, some fifteen years ago."
Blaine couldn't help but frown as while true Legendary Pokémon were Gods compared to normal pokemon, the chances of such Legendary Pokémon conceiving an offspring with a normal pokemon would create a legendary Pokémon whose power is a slight downgrade to the original hence the term Demigod but this is only speculation done due to records of Legends found in the ancient ruins city of Athens of the Sinnoh Region which tell of the tale of the Legendary Avian God of Thunder descending upon the land and leaving behind his child to roam the land.
Such Demigod ranks had been captured by humans because the notion of a human even catching a true Legendary Pokémon was laughable at best. Demigods can fall to the hands of a master but never a true God.
"And who was the one reporting this information?"
"A freelance researcher," Agatha spoke with unnatural fondness. "Red."
"Wait… Red as in 'The Red?'" Daisy spoke up. "The one credited with-?"
"Yes, we do not need further exposition on him. Thank you." Agatha barked, enough to make Daisy shut up.
Lance almost face-palmed. Red was coming up with startling frequency. Whether he liked it or not, it seemed like a meeting was to be in order, and very soon. Somehow, Lance could feel in his bones that it wouldn't be a good thing.
"Either way," He spoke up, attracting everyone's attention. "Whether Mewtwo is just a… manner of emphasizing the near-Legendary power of this pokémon, or if it is really…" he paused, "really created as a hybrid clone from Mew's DNA, is not the main focus. I have arranged teams to look into this Mewtwo matter, but I believe it is our prerogative to consider Team Rocket as a significant enemy and take appropriate measures."
"As Gym leaders, we can enforce a little more security in our respective zones." Boyd, the Gym leader of Chrysanthemum Island, spoke up. "Though maybe posting a pair of Ace trainers in every city and town would be beneficial as well."
"Group B could be a good option." Surge muttered.
"We do not know why Team Rocket has gone silent in the aftermath of the SS. Anne event. There are theories about the mythical Dragonite being one of the said reasons, but either way, we cannot afford to wait for them to make the next move. We must be proactive in this situation." Lance declared.
"So we are to believe that Team Rocket is mass-capturing pokémon to create Hybrids? " To start a war?" Giovanni asked.
Not a single member wanted to voice their agreement to the remark.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
[ Vermilion Harbour ]
A young trainer with a Pikachu on his shoulder walked along the harbor with a small casket in his hands.
" Excuse me? Are you perhaps… Ash Ketchum?"
Austin spun back at the source of the voice, finding himself face-to-face with a young woman. She looked a little past twenty, black-haired and wearing a traditional Japanese outfit. On one hand, she held an old-fashioned lantern, which emitted a pale, dusty light.
" Yes ." Austin calmly answered as he had his guard up.
The young woman gave Austin a ticket with a QR code on it that he immediately recognized.
The woman glanced at the casket her eyes in understanding as to why such a young man had his guard up even in a safe city like Vermilion.
Taking out a PokeBall, Alakazam appeared beside them.
" Are you ready ?"
" Yes."
The Alakazam took out a pair of spoons which glowed with an Eldridge aura of psychic energy before the surroundings began to warp as Austin was teleported from Vermilion Harbour towards Lavender town.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
[ One Year Ago ]
Marowak always kept an eye on her son.
She watched him now as he walked in the tall green grass.
Her son took slow, small, steps, the movement of his feet difficult to see.
Uncertainty was written on his frowning face as he meandered timidly and carefully.
After a few hesitant steps, her son stopped in his tracks.
He glanced around wildly, even though he knew she was watching.
Still, her son always tried to be alert for danger, especially since he was too young to fight it off.
And being alert was never a bad thing, timidity or not.
Yet once her son saw there was no danger around, his frown turned into a small smile.
Within another minute, he scampered further into the grass. She still glimpsed happiness shining in her son's eyes as he dashed away.
A smile formed on her face.
She couldn't help smiling when she saw her son delighted.
And that was even more so if he seemed to be overcoming shyness.
The shyness that she didn't have, and hoped he would one day overcome.
Aside from the fearfulness, her son was a smaller, younger version of herself.
He walked on brown stubby legs, with almost all of his body the same color. His tiny brown arms were at his sides, the right one tightly clutching a gleaming white bone. Said bone was equally tiny, yet fit squarely into her son's hand. He carried it with such ease that it could've been a feather.
But she knew the bone was hardly a feather.
Instead, bones were the signature item all members of her and her son's kind carried. These bones were what made them instantly recognizable to all
And the bones themselves became renowned for a specific purpose.
To be used as weapons in battle, striking foes with terrifying strength and precision.
The bone her son carried may have been tiny, and he may have been young and inexperienced, but the weapon was no less deadly.
Still, she would have to keep a close watch on her son, as she still doubted he would be able to hold his own in battles.
Knowing him, he would probably run from a fight.
...
Marowak glanced at her son's torso, yellow color completely contrasting with his brown body. But the contrast did not hold her attention. For on her son's head was a horned skull helmet, the same bright white as the bone he held. It was another thing unique to their species, something that all members displayed proudly. As the cheerfulness still showed in her son's black eyes, she knew her son understood the value of the object that protected them.
After all, he was not too young to understand some things.
For that, he and his mother were called pokémon.
Or that his species was known as Cubone.
For a time, he thought his mother was the same, but he was quick to learn such was not the case
They had the same brown body, but most of the similarities ended there. She no longer walked on short and stubby limbs but stood tall as she traversed the world on full-length ones. Her torso was more prominent, yellow fading away to tan. Her deadly white bone stood tall and large as she gripped it in her hand. Anyone who tried to harm her son would quickly know why her species prided themselves on using bones as weapons, as she would instantly utilize hers to deliver furious blows to any opponent. Curious black eyes had been replaced by brown ones, keeping a sharp watch for any potential threats. She still wore her cherished horned skull helmet, the item as prized as what her son had despite the former's larger size.
But the most noticeable change was perhaps her name.
Her species was known as Marowak, a mature and stronger form of Cubone.
A form she hoped her son would take someday.
But someday it was not now, so she simply continued watching.
She could pick up the fine movements of the rustling grass, and hear the quiet sound of the nearby river flowing. She had heard there was some sort of human settlement across there, but she didn't dare go. It wasn't like she and her son could swim well enough to get across, and it wasn't worth bothering the humans if they didn't bother them.
An imposing cave loomed to the south, swallowing all with its darkness inside. The outside of the cave towered over almost everything, with brown rock resembling a natural building.
Intimidating, to be sure.
However, she understood it wasn't completely hostile, as there were others of their kind that lived there. There were different species of Pokémon as well, so being careful was required. She planned to take her son there eventually, but he was too young and helpless now.
To the west there laid a long stretch of land, filled with ledges and another natural road. She knew many humans liked to train on that road, and once again, she did not bother them. The humans being there were no surprise. She had heard that even further west was a massive human city. But once again, she didn't dare go. Better not to bother humans and possibly put everyone in danger. Besides, if the humans wanted to train, there were plenty of other ferocious Pokémon they could fight against.
Of course, there were other species of Pokémon here too. They were far fewer in number, however, and none of them were where she and her son were.
At this point, the only thing here was familiarity and safety.
But that didn't mean she could stop watching her son.
His earlier fear and uncertainty had vanished, replaced by an even wider smile. Her son's scampering had broken into an all-out sprint, and she could hear the grass rustling loudly as her son ran even further into it.
She returned her son's smile with her own.
But there was more to think about.
Such as the future.
She wanted many things for her son.
She wanted him to be strong, brave, and fierce, as the strongest members of her kind were.
But more than that, she wanted to tell him something.
She turned to the side, using her free hand to delicately pick up something on the ground. She brought the object even closer to her, her gaze now relaxed but focused.
For in her hand was a flower.
The petals displayed a deep, dark, but brilliant pink. The petals were woven around a round, yellow center, and she could also see a bit of red staring back at her.
Yet she didn't tear her gaze away.
For this was more than just a flower.
Its name and meaning had been passed down from generation to generation.
She knew it all like her name.
Magenta zinnia is a symbol of lasting affection.
Between family, friends, and even lovers.
And now, a symbol of the lasting affection between her and her son.
A sentimental symbol, one that could guide others through dark times.
Perhaps that's why those of her and her son's kind, chose to pass the knowledge of the flower down.
Which meant that she would pass the knowledge down to her son, trusting him to carry on the tradition.
She glanced back at her son, as he still frolicked in the grass without a care in the world.
Her gaze slid back to the flower, still unruffled in her free hand.
Her son was still very young, so he might not understand the symbolism or its importance. Besides, she wasn't going to interrupt him for something so serious when he was finally so carefree.
She could wait another day.
The next day, the peace and tranquility of the green grassland was shattered by the sound of heavy footsteps. Marowak's ears perked up as she heard the approaching noise, her instincts on high alert. The grass was trampled and torn as the men ran, their footsteps pounding the ground like a drumbeat. The sound of the river was drowned out by their thundering footsteps, to the point where the men didn't even seem to realize the river was there.
Marowak watched in horror as the men approached, their black outfits emblazoned with a bright red letter "R." She could hear the screams of Pokémon in the distance, the sound of suffering, sorrow, confusion, and agony echoing through the air. She knew that the men were up to no good, and her heart sank as she thought of what they might be doing to the innocent creatures.
Suddenly, Marowak heard a familiar wailing cry, the sound of her son in distress. She turned to the right and saw him, scared and helpless, surrounded by the men. Without hesitation, Marowak closed her eyes and used the move substitute to create a copy of herself, distracting the men while she made her escape with her son.
They ran towards a place Marowak had heard about from the flying Pidgeys, a tower full of ghosts. She knew that humans rarely ventured into such places, and hoped that they could find safety and solace there. But little did she know that what lurked within the tower was a malevolence and terror so unspeakable, that it had been banished from the realm of humanity for centuries. Its wickedness had festered in the darkness, waiting patiently to unleash a horror upon the world that would chill the bones of even the bravest souls.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
[ Lavender Town ]
Austin stood in front of the wrought iron gates of Lavender Town, his heart racing with anticipation and apprehension. The ancient conurbation stood before him, like a lost city in time, with its stone walls, cobbled streets, and tall, pointy rooftops. The smell of desolation lingered in the air, an ever-present reminder of the town's eerie reputation.
As he walked through the town, he noticed the strange shadows that seemed to follow him, the sudden chills that ran down his spine, and the odd sensation in the air. The buildings were old, and the streets were quiet, giving the town an otherworldly feeling.
Austin wore a black jacket with a red T-shirt, blue jeans, and black sneakers. He carried a small backpack on his back, containing his Poké Balls and a few supplies. His Pikachu, by his side, wore his red and white cap.
The centerpiece of Lavender Town was a massive stone mansion, with seven towers spiraling out of it from the periphery. Each tower had a large stone gargoyle carved out of single monoliths, and a large Haunter sculpted on the pointed top of the main roof, with its malicious eyes looking way too alive than it had any right to be. The home of the Ainsworth family, one of the oldest and most notorious families in Kanto, was also known as the Ghost Tower.
" Pika !"
" Then I leave you, young trainer to your time of mourning." The young woman said as her Alakazam looked extremely uncomfortable before the duo disappeared.
Austin sighed as he looked at Raticate's casket," Pikachu, do you think she was happy with us ?"
" Pika, Pi ." Pikachu nodded his head as he reassured his melancholic trainer who brushed the casket with his hand as if he was brushing Raticate.
Austin closed his eyes before he began his walk through the eerie lavender town with his goal as the center.
Maybe if he had turned around, then the horrors that awaited him in the tower wouldn't have come to fruition.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. If so, please fav/follow us, and more importantly, do review. Feedback gives us the motivation to write.
If you have something to share with us, or just want to talk to us about our stories, join us at our Discord Server - discord. gg/ h3kDw7ma
(Remove the space).
You can also support us and our work on Patre-On at
p.a.t.r. Adamo_Amet
( Add www at the beginning and remove the dots and spaces or if the link doesn't work search Adamo_Amet Patre-On on Google )
Here read the more recent arcs of the story that is 300k above where we are currently.
Thanks once again, and we hope you continue to enjoy our stories.
~Adamos_Amet~