Chapter no.33 : The Evil of Lavender Tower; Buried Alive

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Despite the bone chilling night air, Butch felt a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead. He had planned this operation for weeks, ever since he had gotten word that the ghosts that haunted the tower had been weakened by the use of special crystals. With the ghosts in a weakened state, Butch had believed that he could finally capture them and add them to his organization's collection.

But there were variables that Butch had not accounted for. As he and his team had crept into the tower, they had encountered unexpected resistance from both living and dead alike. Now, Butch was starting to worry that his plan might not go as smoothly as he had hoped.

"Is it ready?" Butch questioned into his earpiece, his voice tight with nerves.

"We're ready, sir," came the response from one of his team members. "Targets locked on."

Butch nodded, feeling a small measure of relief. He had positioned his team and the Umbreon packs in strategic locations throughout the tower, creating a literal kill box that would trap the ghosts and make them easy targets.

With a smirk, Butch watched as a wave of dark energy blasted toward the hordes of zombies that had been attracted to the tower. The corpses were instantly vaporized, leaving behind only a thick mist that coalesced into a couple of Ghastly and Hunters.

Butch could see that the ghosts were struggling to maintain their corporeal forms, weakened as they were by the dark energy. This was his chance to strike.

"Capture them!" he yelled to his team. "Every single one of them. Leave the rest to the Umbreon."

But as his team moved in to make their capture, Butch noticed two unexpected variables on the periphery of his vision. A Munna and a Marowak had joined the fray, complicating matters.

Munna's eyes glowed pink as the entire graveyard was filled with a misty terrain, which helped the ghost-type Pokemon to stabilize their corporeal forms. Butch glared at Munna, recognizing the danger it posed.

Before he could do anything, however, a blur of red streaked past his position, critically injuring his entire team and blasting away a section of the tower's floor. As the dust cleared, Butch saw that it was a Scizor that had caused the damage.

"Why are all these Pokemon interfering with my plan?" he muttered under his breath, his frustration growing.

...

It was surreal. In the pitch blackness of the Lavender Tower, the majority of the ghostly species—Hunter, a ghostly species that possess an incorporeal gaseous form, were getting attacked from every side by vicious Umbreon, quickly followed by getting sucked into those characteristic black pokeballs that Team Rocket used. By the looks of it, they seemed like unregistered, and slightly weaker versions of the Ultra ball, but did their job with ease. On the other hand, the Hunter population, reduced to less than ten, were fighting back some of the Umbreon, raising dismembered corpses to slam towards the grunts, even succeeding in tearing through some of the men—killing them instantly, though the latter couldn't be said about the Umbreon, which were much more nimble than their owners.

Meanwhile, Austin and his pokemon shot toward the Rocket Executive, with Marowak—despite her already tired disposition, was fighting a losing battle against a more powerful Dusclops, who seemed to be empowered with dark-type moves as well. With the already existing dark-type energy inside her body, the battle was becoming more and more difficult for the shadow pokémon.

A couple of Haunters had jumped to kill the Executive, only to be intercepted by a Houndoom, belching out flames at the gas pokémon, who instantly pushed away, having to engage the fire types. The dark types barked, belching out more flames toward the pokémon, who tried to counter with shadow balls.

"Bah!" The executive barked. "Useless vermin. Magmortar, burn them to crisps."

And the giant spitfire pokémon came into view, sprouting flames all over, propelling fireballs from the two cannons its upper appendages had transformed into. The fireballs fell all over the place, setting fire to the corpses, much to the ghosts' screeches, seeing their haven being destroyed to ashes.

"Wartortle, use water pulse. Krabby, bubble beam. Clear the flames!" came Austin's voice, who somehow managed to stand on the ground, holding his hand close to his mouth as he gagged at the smell of burnt corpses that had filled the room.

"Charmeleon, tackle that Magmortar. Scizor, help him." Austin paused. "Clefairy. Leave me here. Charmeleon needs your help. Pikachu-"

{ I can do better from a distance. Let Pikachu do the brawl. I will protect you and deal damage from afar.}

Austin considered Munna's suggestion. "All right." He turned to the ground. "Pikachu, Charmeleon… don't hold back. Fire with everything you've got. We need to stop that man." He held two pokeballs in his hand. "Go !"

And the entire battle stopped still for a moment, as two overly large avians appeared in the air, screeching angrily at the fighting all around.

"Wreak havoc!"

Ninjask and Charmeleon were, trying to do their best to strike at the Umbreon who was nimble, more than they had any right to be along with the fact that these pokemon seemed to ignore all the damage that was accumulating on their bodies.

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Grady and Brady walked briskly towards the mansion, their feet pounding against the cobblestone pavement as they hurried towards their destination. The twins had been on edge ever since they sensed the disturbances in Lavender Tower via the talisman that they gave Austin. As they drew nearer to the mansion, they noticed the eerie silence that hung over the town, punctuated only by the occasional hoot of a nocturnal bird.

The mansion loomed ahead of them, its Gothic architecture standing in stark contrast to the small, quaint buildings that dotted the town. The walls of the mansion were made of dark stone, and the windows were tall and narrow, with intricate carvings etched into the frames. The metal chain that functioned as the doorbell hung from the left, glinting in the moonlight.

Grady reached out and pulled the chain downwards, and they both jumped as the sound echoed through the stillness of the night. They waited expectantly for a response, but there was none. Ten seconds passed, then fifteen, and the twins exchanged a worried look. Brady was just about to pull the chain a second time when the door creaked open, revealing the Ghost Mistress of the Elite Four, Madame Agatha.

Agatha was a striking figure, with jet-black hair that was swept up into an elaborate bun atop her head. Her dress was a deep shade of purple, and it flowed around her in a swirl of fabric as she moved. Her sharp eyes were fixed on the twins as she surveyed them, and Grady and Brady couldn't help but feel a shiver run down their spines.

"Madame Agatha, or should we call you 'Elite Four Agatha'?" Brady croaked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"It is Agatha and nothing else," the old woman replied sharply, her eyes darting between the twins and the sky. "Don't tell me," she added, her voice trailing off.

"Yes, some people are causing trouble in Lavender Tower, and we are afraid that 'it' will awaken," Grady replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Agatha sighed heavily, her eyes closing for a moment before she spoke. "The Evil of Lavender Tower, Buried Alive," she murmured, her staff glowing with an eerie light as a pair of Gengars emerged from her shadow.

The twins watched in awe as the Gengars materialized, their translucent bodies hovering just above the ground. The surrounding mist grew thicker and more suffocating, and Grady and Brady struggled to breathe. It was as if the wails of the dead echoed throughout the land, and the twins couldn't help but feel a sense of dread wash over them.

"Let's go!" Agatha called out, and the twins nodded eagerly, their hands shaking as they followed the Ghost Mistress towards Lavender Tower. The mist swirled around them, and the sound of ghostly moans filled the air as they made their way towards the source of the disturbance.

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With Pikachu and Charmeleon doing their best to deal with that annoyingly powerful Magmortar, the Haunter had left their flank, to use their ghostly abilities on the grunts, using their claws to tear through the grunts, digging into their entrails whenever getting the chance, along with the occasional hex and dream-eater to regain some of their power to carry out the next attack.

The haunters used the bodies o the dead as a marionette to cause even more chaos as the ghost type pokemon were becoming more and more aggressive as if something was affecting them

The Haunter focussed their ghostly energies, getting in tune with the ambient energy of the graveyard. It was time for them to use their powers to the fullest.

...

Fearow was loving it as he raced with Pidgeot

Due to all the training with their trainer's mate, the air slashes that were needed to be smaller, and more precise, so that they could focus the shockwaves enough to weaken the opponent. Now though, it was hardly a matter, since they could automatically channel energy at much higher quantities without batting an eye. The air slashes tore through the zombie grunts, sometimes even slicing them into halves, a fate that some of the Umbreons shared with them as well—though, Pidgeot and Fearow couldn't help but notice that majority of the ghost population had already vanished—captured- Pidgeot translated, which meant that victory was pyrrhic at best. They would need to do some damage control.

At least towards the grunts' side of the battle, so that they could begin to deal with the Executive and that annoying fire-breathing abomination of his.

It didn't matter to the two if their approach could be lethal to them or someone else as long their family was safe and to keep them safe, the two avians were willing to kill.

Quickly deciding on an approach, Pidgeot raised her wingspan, manipulating the ambient ghostly energies of the graveyard, and began to weave a devastating combination.

...

Wartortle slammed another powerful aqua jet into Magmortar, this time striking true as the monster fell to the back, only to lift one of his cannons and blast scorching flames at him, the flames slamming him to the ground, as the Magmortar jumped off the ground, ready to end the battle with a powerful body slam. The funny thing was, even Wartortle knew it. After that kind of firepower hits him, a single body slam from that giant of a fire monster would send him reeling into a world of pain.

That, however, was not an option.

He watched the body of Magmortar, which shot high up into the air, propelled by his flames, before stopping in mid-air, and using the full might of gravity to end up on him.

Butterfree used baton pass as he gave the increase of power to Clefairy who concentrated as his eyes began to glow.

Fairy power flooded through him as his entire body flooded with raw power, as he shone like liquid light, before concentrating all that energy into the orb on his front, almost demanding an outlet to destroy. Clefairy gave it one.

Magmortar.

The shaft of liquid light slammed into a surprised Magmortar face-first, stopping his descent and instead, pushing him further upward until the light died out, and Magmortar, now wounded, fell from the sky, speeding towards the earth. Meanwhile, Clefairy concentrated his remaining energy into his top-right appendage, and just when Magmortar was at his height, slammed a full-powered Meteor Mash into him, sending the spitfire pokémon tumbling down the earth, before striking against a rock, which cracked instantly.

Wortortle, it seemed, was merely waiting for this, as he made an excited roar before slamming his feet on the floor, sending a Surf, that shocked the hell out of most of the pokémon standing there, including and especially, the injured Magmortar.

Just how he liked it.

Wortortle grinned as he fixed his specks.

This is how you deal with bad guys; with style.

Clefairy let out a mental sigh. Maybe there was a chance for them after - the thought died midway, as he saw the fire monster slowly push one of his appendages up.

Oh, come on. This is simply unfair.

...

Ominous wind. A powerful wind-based attack in which the caster channels ghostly energy to flow with the wind created, to attack the opponent. The attack is useful against those who are sensitive to ghostly energies—humans, psychics, and the like. However, some ghost types, like Haunter, can use will-o-wisp, or ghostly flames to combine with ominous wind to create a more deadly combination. One, which in terms of a fire attack, is more devastating than a full-powered flamethrower, and in terms of ghostly attacks, leaves little for the opponent to do besides groaning in pain.

However, neither ominous wind and will-o-wisp separately, nor any combination of them thereof, could ever hope to match that which then manifested inside the graveyard courtesy of Pidgeot and Fearow.

Using their innate ability to shape the air currents, the two avians manipulated the ambient ghostly energies to their will, channeling them into specific paths just like the ominous wind, only this time, it was in the form of a twister.

An extremely large, extremely powerful twister of swirling ghost energy.

With one single pair of beats from their wings, the avians directed the ominous wind twister into motion.

"Ha!" Butch laughed. "The kid never learns. Magmortar, they have high hopes for that twister. Burn their hopes like the previous time."

Magmortar, who seemed to get up and stand, no matter the attacks on its person, grinned maniacally before belching huge torrents of flame into the twisters.

That, in hindsight, was a mistake.

As Pidgeot and Fearow, were able to create twisters, controlling them once formed was beyond their scope and ability.

With little effort, Fearow and Pidgeot took the swirling disaster- a fusion of Magmortar's powerful flames coupled with the twister of ghostly energy—and directed it toward the grunts and their pokémon—evaporating them once the swirling monster ravaged past them. In exactly twenty-seven seconds, not a single grunt, nor his Umbreon, was left alive and standing. They weren't present there at all.

Only if that were the end of it all.

Austin looked at the two avians in horror as his mind had gone blank.

It just happened so fast that Austin couldn't register the scope of what his pokemon had done.

Butch was traumatized beyond comprehension. The grunts were dead. The Umbreon packs were killed. Even his pokémon were on the verge of losing. The only good thing was that the mission—capture the ghost population—had been a success, since immediately after capture, those black pokeballs automatically vanished, teleporting back to the base as they were programmed to do.

Now he just had to kill this kid and then escape from here. "Gaaah!" He roared in unbridled fury. "Kill those birds, Magmortar. Burn them to a crisp!"

Magmortar would, but then he was stopped by Butch, pointing towards something else, much higher in priority, that had begun to take place.

The Haunter, despite the avian's acquisition of the ambient energies of the graveyard, had been busy concentrating on otherworldly energy, fuelling themselves with the ambient energy of the environment. One of the features of ominous wind is that it raises the powers of any nearby ghost, something that the duo had used to maximum efficiency when the duo made the twister.

Scizor and Shedninja were busy battling with the Dusclops, with either of them suffering from injuries, the former more than the latter. The Houndoom had been dealt with already, the sneak attack with the sludge bomb of Bulbasaur more than enough to take them out of commission, leaving the Magmortar, who was being dealt with by the Pikachu, Charmeleon, Wartortle, and Clefairy.

The Haunter concentrated their energies together, creating a mass of pure chaos, molding it into a spherical shape, creating one of their most potent attacks.

The shadow ball.

The hunter grinned, before projecting the shadow ball towards the Dusclops, who also forced out a shadow ball of his own- the two colliding forces of otherworldly energies trying to get the best out of the other, creating a collision in the middle, either end doing their best to propel it further.

"Magmortar!" Butch sneered, making sure that all of his pokémon (save Magmortar and of course Dusclops, who was pushing the shadow ball backward) were back inside their pokeballs, "get ready!" He released a single Abra, who looked surprised at being summoned. "Get ready to teleport." The Executive sneered. "Magmortar, use fire blast on that shadow ball collision."

"NO!" Austin yelled, racing towards the collision, which was only a couple of feet away from Pikachu and Charmeleon.

Austin's eyes glowed red as he felt everything around him begin to slow down.

Magmortar concentrated on a ball of the hottest fires, before propelling them into the ongoing collision.

And the world was consumed by light and fire.

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The entire floor of the Lavender Tower and subsequently the graveyard was in ruins. The tombstones were engulfed in flames, and the Ghastly population was captured and transported to the Rocket bases somewhere on the planet. There were no traces of Haunter either, however few they were initially. The graveyard looked completely alien now, not a single thing reminiscent of how it was a couple of hours ago.

Just like the SS. Anne, before the attack and after the devastation had been wrought on it by Team Rocket.

However, the entire battle had resulted in a pyrrhic victory at best, on both sides. Executive Butch had come in with an army of grunts, each having a single Umbreon at command. He had with him, his precious Magmortar, several Houndoom, and that powerful Dusclops. Sure, he had accomplished his mission—the Ghastly were captured and transported instantaneously to the Team Rocket Base, but the cost had been paid by his entire army.

Not a single grunt, nor any of the Umbreons were left alive. The Houndoom had their entrails expelled out, yelping in pain at the corner. His Magmortar had suffered several injuries and would in all probability, need a lot of treatment before he would be of any actual use in the future. The only one still active was the Dusclops, who was currently, locked in a shadow-ball battle against the three ghosts of the Gastly-line.

Butch stared in horror, as he felt himself surrounded. He had lost, horribly so while the brat's pokémon were still up and battling. And then there were the ghosts to be considered, and the overly powerful shadow-energy flaring the middle of them, formed as a result of colliding otherworldly energies.

Wait.

An idea germinated in his mind. It would not be without cost, but he had lost a lot. What did a single pokémon even matter now? He could always get more. Besides, if done right, it would surely kill the kid, as well as the ghosts. If he were lucky, that powerful; Scizor and Charmeleon would be affected as well.

Yes, revenge did taste good. Butch grinned.

He plucked out a single remaining Pokeball from his waist. This, he reminded himself, was a pokémon he had meant to use as a quick exit. Never in his mind had he even suspected that he would need to use it so soon.

The Pokeball released red light, condensing into an Abra, as the psi pokémon looked up at its owner.

"Get ready to teleport." Butch barked, holding on to the somewhat frail arm of the little psychic. One more attack and he would recall Magmortar, escaping before the flames from Hell consumed everything in this place.

"Magmortar," he ordered, as the fire-breathing behemoth managed to stand, ready to fire at his command. "Use fire blast on that shadow ball collision."

...

Fire Blast. A rather powerful fire-type move, in which the caster creates a concentrated mesh of scorching flames, before propelling them toward the victim, who is then scorched in an all-consuming blaze. When used by someone like Magmortar, who had some of the highest stats in all fire types in the world, it was a fatal weapon of destruction. Considering that ghostly energy was a good conductor of fire, an accurate example being the infamous will-o-wisp itself, the addition of such an attack on the colliding shadow-balls could only mean one thing.

Destruction.

Austin was taken aback as he witnessed the fiery spitfire Pokemon send out its blazing attack towards the colliding ghostly energies. The intense heat emanating from the fire was almost unbearable. He watched in horror as Scizor and Charmeleon, who were standing just a few feet away, were caught off guard and unable to react in time to avoid the incoming disaster.

In that moment, Austin forgot that he was not armored like Scizor, nor was he covered with Charmeleon's nigh impenetrable hide. He forgot about the danger that awaited him, forgot about the heat and the flames. All he could think about was saving his precious Pokemon.

His mind flashed back to a time when Raticate had sacrificed itself to save his life. Austin could feel his heart pounding with fear as he remembered that fateful day. But this time, he was not going to let any of his Pokemon die. Not on his watch.

With a sudden burst of energy, Austin leaped towards Scizor and Charmeleon, his lungs aching as he let out a yell that echoed across the battlefield. His eyes glowed with an intense crimson red hue, as the chains around a crimson sphere inside Austin's mindscape loosened. A wave of aura escaped, shocking Austin, but the aura seemed to converge into a barrier that engulfed everyone.

Perhaps it was his subconscious desire to protect his Pokemon or maybe it was just his survival instinct, but Austin was not going to let anyone die. Not even if it meant sacrificing himself.

"I won't let anyone die, even if it kills me!" Austin yelled, his voice ringing with determination.

The world exploded in a blinding light and a deafening roar of fire. The sound of the explosion was so intense that it reverberated across the entire battlefield, shaking the ground beneath their feet. The heat from the flames was so intense that it felt like they were standing inside a furnace.

...

Austin stood his ground, his eyes narrowed in determination. The shockwaves coming out from the colliding shadow-balls pushed him back, but Scizor was there to help him. He ignored the pain that he was feeling all over his body, ignoring the putrid smell of burnt corpses. After all, he needed to save his pokémon and his family. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

The battlefield was a scene of chaos and destruction. Smoke and dust obscured his vision, and he could barely make out the shapes of the other trainers and their pokémon. The once verdant grass was now scorched and blackened, and craters littered the landscape. The air was thick with the acrid smell of smoke and burning flesh, and the ground shook with the force of the ongoing battle.

That was when it happened.

Pure, unadulterated energy coalesced all around the shadow-balls, containing them inside themselves. It was awe-inspiring- a contraption of pure energy created to contain ghostly energy, a juxtaposition if there ever was one. The energy shimmered and crackled, holding the shadow-balls in place. Austin could feel the tension in the air as everyone held their breath, waiting for what would happen next.

And then the fire blast hit the energy shields, and the entire thing exploded out in a mixture of light and fire. The blast knocked Austin off his feet, and he felt himself hurtling through the air. He hit the ground hard, the impact jarring his bones. He groaned in pain as he struggled to his feet, his eyes scanning the battlefield for any sign of his pokémon.

"Sizzor! Charmeleon!" he yelled, his voice hoarse.

"Are you guys okay?"

He couldn't see them through the smoke and dust, and his heart sank. He took a step forward, but a sudden wave of energy knocked him back. He stumbled, almost falling, but managed to keep his footing.

That's when he saw it.

( ~ Sleech ~ )

Austin felt his heart stop as he saw a shadowy tendril a few feet away from his heart stopped by his accidental aura barrier.

If there wasn't a barrier between him and the shadowy tendril then he would be on the ground with a hole where his heart used to be.

" Grrrrr "

A loud, piercing sound filled Austin's ears as the energy barrier erupted around him. It was like nothing he had ever heard before- a combination of a roar, a scream, and a hiss. He could feel the heat and the energy, pulsing all around him. It was like being caught in the middle of a raging inferno.

That's was when he saw him.

Butch.

He was on the ground, a tendril of black energy impaled in his stomach. Another shadowy tendril paraded the head of an Abra like a trophy.

"Kekekekeeke!"

Austin heard the sound of laughter, and his heart sank.

He looked up and saw it.

Austin stood frozen in terror as he beheld the monstrous white Haunter, its massive form looming over him like a god of death. Its gaseous body seemed to pulse and writhe with malevolent energy, its glowing red eyes boring into Austin's soul with a sense of dread that made his skin crawl.

The Haunter's long, blue tongue flicked out of its gaping maw, as if taunting Austin with its power. Its three clawed fingers floated in front of its body like disembodied hands, ready to strike at any moment. Austin knew he was in deep trouble.

As the Haunter tightened its grip on Butch's body, a sickening popping sound filled the air. Austin felt his stomach churn as he realized what was happening. The Haunter was popping human bodies like bubble wrap, reveling in the destruction it wrought. It was a monster, a force of pure evil that had no regard for human life.

Is that Black Fog ?!

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[ Lavender Tower - Hidden Room ]

The ancient Pokeball creaked open, as if protesting the intrusion upon its long-held secrets. The white dismembered hand emerged, twitching with an otherworldly energy. The air grew heavy with a mournful howling, a sound that echoed through the stone walls of the Lavender Tower and seeped into the very bones of those who heard it.

Agatha who was approaching Lavender Tower froze.

Beside her stood the twin sisters, their eyes widening in shock and fear as they watched the spectral faces that floated out of the walls. Grady and Brady, trembled with terror at the sight.

"It can't be," Agatha whispered, her voice barely more than a hoarse croak. "We were too late."

The ethereal malice that seeped out of the walls took the form of floating howling faces, each one twisted into a grotesque expression of pain and anger. The chill in the air grew more intense with each passing moment, and the group found themselves surrounded by a palpable sense of malevolence.

Grady and Brady looked at Agatha, desperation etched on their faces. "What do we do now?!" they cried.

Agatha shook her head, her mind racing as she tried to come up with a plan.

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Butch thought he had had his revenge. He really did. He could feel the satisfaction of it swirling in his gut like a thick, black tar. But then, all of a sudden, the giant white Haunter appeared. It was like a specter emerging from the shadows, and everything that Butch had planned came to a rummaging stop.

He watched with awe and terror as the alpha shiny Haunter controlled the violent mixture that Butch had concocted, stopping it from erupting into a large-scale explosion. Instead, it redirected the mixture towards Magmortar before letting it go.

Butch's whispered command, "Teleport, now!" was filled with fear and urgency as Magmortar exploded outwards. And that's when it happened.

Under the shocked eyes of Butch, Abra's head was cleanly cut off by a shadow claw. Tendrils of ghostly energy latched onto Butch's body as he was held up in the air.

The White Alpha Haunter's eyes glowed red as it gripped Butch's body in one squeezing motion. The pain was like a fire scorching within him, and yet there was nothing he could do about it. His jaws parted in a piercing scream as the invisible flame devoured him from the inside out.

The next second, Butch found himself floating in the air as he gazed upon everyone in the graveyard. Did I just get killed?!

He could see that the alpha Haunter had shifted its gaze towards that medaling brat. Wait, what the hell is that?!

But what Butch didn't realize was that he had left the mortal plane, becoming only a wisp of his former self. As he gazed upon Austin's body from the astral plane, he couldn't help but instinctively shudder in fear. To Butch, Austin's body at this very moment looked even more dangerous than Mewtwo itself. This thing shouldn't exist. That was the only thought he had about Austin before the surrounding reality began to crack, as darkness replaced it.

Regrets were still fresh in his mind, but he couldn't do anything about it as the world around him was replaced with darkness. Butch found himself standing inside a dark room filled to the brim with talismans. It was a place that he could only describe as otherworldly, as if he had stumbled into the realm of the dead.

A distorted voice whispered into his ears, "Why did I have to die? Why did that bitch Cassidy get the boss's attention, yet I didn't? Why did everyone get my name wrong? Why? Why? Why did I let my partners die?"

The distorted voice was so subtle that Butch thought that he was subconsciously thinking of these things. Suddenly, the dark room lit up with a purplish glow coming from a Pokeball.

Butch seemed to be mesmerized by the aura emitted from the Pokeball as the distorted voice said, "Go on, grab it, and everything will be yours."

Images flashed in Butch's head of the riches, of the glory, that he could obtain. It had caused him to become so delusional that he had forgotten one thing. He was dead.

Walking up to the Pokeball, the moment Butch's hand touched it, he could feel some sort of energy enveloping him. Wrapping around him. Transforming him.

He expected this transformation to be long and painful. After all, something involving a complete change would probably be difficult. Yet this was anything but.

As he pondered what was going on, the change was over in an instant. Looking down, Butch found himself gazing at his corpse - or what was left of it.

Chains of black shot out from his corpse wrapping him in a cocoon.

He found himself getting more and more drowsy before darkness took over his mind.

The ancient Pokeball in Butch's hands glowed with a purplish light before the soul and the parasite that it brought alongside itself entered the corpse.

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Austin felt a chill run down his spine as he stared up at the giant, shimmering Alpha Haunter. Its eyes, blazing like two fiery suns, bore into his soul, filling him with an unnameable dread. As he stood frozen in terror, Austin couldn't help but think that the Black Fog, his favorite character from the Electric Tales of Pikachu manga, looked far less cool in real life.

( ~ Crack ~ )

The crimson barrier suddenly shattered into pieces as everyone launched their most powerful attack at the Alpha Haunter.

" Scizor !"

" Charmeleon!"

" Free !"

" Bulba !"

" Jask !"

" Rwwrrrr !"

" Cle !"

" Wartortle!"

Wortortle's ears and tail glowed as he set up Rain dance.

" Pika !"

Pikachu shot a thunder towards the shiny alpha haunter.

" Kra !"

Krabby used Quick Claw in a succession with Swords Dance.

" geot !"

" Fear !"

Fearow and Pidgeot combined their hurricane attacks.

Krabby and Wortortle combined their Aqua jets into a giant water drill.

" Free !"

Butterfree used Quiver Dance before using baton pass to power up Clefairy whose body was covered by a psychic aura as he released the psychic stored power towards the alpha.

Charmeleon's maw glowed with dragonic energy as an orb of blue shot to the sky before breaking into a small orb of blue that all converged towards Haunter.

Ninjask used Sword Dance while Shedninja used Will-o'-wisp on Haunter.

In the back of the room, Munna telepathically called out to Marowak.

" Use that hole to escape. My trainer promised your son that he will bring you back. Go, your son is waiting for you."

" B... but..." Marowak hesitated as she wanted to repay the favor to these kind people.

" Go! My human and the others will handle this abomination. You need to get yourself and your child to a safe place."

Marowak hesitated but she knew that she wouldn't be of much help even if she wanted to, rather than being a burden she should leave hence she nodded before running towards the hole that was left behind when Austin had first entered this graveyard.

H...Help...me!

Munna turned around for a second as she heard that desperate cry for help.

Where did that cry come from ?!

The giant shiny alpha haunter's claws glowed with dark energy as she sliced through Pidgeot and Fearow's hurricane.

While tanking Pikachu thunder, Haunter's eyes glowed as a beam of purple and black shot out.

Haunter's Nightshade clashed with Clefairy's Moonblast.

( ~ Boom ~ )

The cloud of smoke parted when Charmeleon's Dragon Rush charged toward Haunter who had a sinister smile on his face.

A cold breeze filled the entire graveyard as Austin's eyes widened.

Haunter's claws were filled with ice-type energy.

It didn't take a genius to know what that was.

Haunter's smile widened before lashing out at Charmeleon with an Ice punch.

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Agatha and the twin sisters shuddered as they gazed upon the sky above Lavender Town. A swirling mass of clouds had formed into a macabre human skull, emanating an eerie, otherworldly energy that sent chills down their spines.

As they navigated the deserted streets of Lavender Town, they were met with ghastly apparitions of those who had lived and died in this cursed land. Agatha's heart pounded with fury as she caught sight of Lavender Tower, the place that had stolen the one person she held dear.

The Tower was now surrounded by a sinister barrier, blocking out all but the faintest glimmer of light. For a moment, Agatha and the twins were fooled into thinking it was just an empty patch of land.

But Agatha was determined to exact her revenge. Memories of the past flooded her mind, memories that still haunted her to this day.

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[ 83 Years Ago ]

[ Lavender Town - Ainsworth Mansion ]

Agatha wandered down the dimly lit halls of the Ainsworth family mansion, her footsteps echoing eerily against the ornate walls. She was just a child, a mere seven years old, yet she walked with a sense of purpose, as if she belonged in these hallowed halls. Her only companion was a ghostly figure that flitted beside her, a mischievous ghastly that she had come to think of as her brother. His name was William, and he was always up to no good.

"William, Father has called upon me," Agatha said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Please don't try to light his hair on fire again."

"Kekeke!" William cackled, outstretching his neck to lick Agatha's face before phasing into her shadow.

Agatha shuddered at the sensation, knowing that William's mischief was far from over.

Oh, Mew I am doomed.

...

Ethan Ainsworth couldn't help but sigh in frustration as he received the letter from the branch family in Sinnoh. They would take care of his little girl after his death. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but he knew he had no choice. Death was coming for him, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

As he sat in his desolate room, surrounded by nothing but four dimly glowing lanterns, he felt the chill that permeated the air. The Ghost Tower was a place of otherworldly energy, a place where the ghosts had saturated the castle, and the power of electricity was useless. But Ethan Ainsworth was not afraid of the ghosts, for he had a partner who could handle them - his giant alpha shiny Haunter, who smirked and passed him a porn magazine.

Ethan coughed into his hand and carefully slid the magazine into his drawer. "Come on, Haunter, you know I don't do stuff like that," he said, his voice tinged with annoyance.

Haunter rolled her eyes. 'Sure, you don't, you pervert,' she thought.

There was a knock at the door. Ethan stood up and opened it to reveal his daughter, Agatha. She stood in the doorway, looking apprehensive.

"Why have you called upon me, father?" she asked.

"Awe, do I have to have a reason to call upon my beautiful daughter?" Ethan said, grinning.

"Father," Agatha said, her voice tinged with irritation.

"Now I just miss the time when my little girl used to call me papa," Ethan said, ignoring her previous statement.

"Pa...Papa," Agatha said, blushing with embarrassment.

"Yes, my baby," Ethan said, his grin widening.

"Why have you called upon me?" Agatha asked again.

Ethan outstretched his hand, and from the shadows, a staff emerged with a Pokeball as its handle. He got on one knee and presented it to Agatha.

"Is... Isn't this..." Agatha said, her hand shaking as she touched the staff.

"My little girl, I am happy to say that now this is yours," Ethan said, his voice filled with pride.

"But am I ready?" Agatha asked, her voice trembling.

"I wouldn't have given it to you if I didn't think you were ready," Ethan said, his tone reassuring.

Agatha hugged the staff tightly, and as she looked at the intricate symbols carved into it, she felt a sense of wonder.

"Papa, what are these symbols?" she asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"These are the marks left behind by all those that wielded the staff in battle," Ethan said, pointing at the symbols.

"Where is your symbol?" Agatha asked.

"Unfortunately, I haven't wielded the staff in battle, so I don't have a symbol," Ethan said, his voice tinged with regret.

"Don't worry, Papa. I'll wield it in battle and carve a symbol into it for you and me," Agatha said, determination in her voice.

Ethan rubbed his daughter's hair, trying to hide the pain he was feeling under a mask of a smile. "I am looking forward to it, but Agatha, I am going to go out, so don't misbehave while I am gone, and please don't let William burn down the house."

"When will you come back?" Agatha asked, her voice tinged with worry.

Ethan hesitated. "Sorry, but I can't say since the trip is quite long."

"Okay, but be safe," Agatha said, her voice filled with concern.

" That's why I said it."

" You're too smart for your good and remember do not let William cause any trouble, promise."

Ethan Ainsworth outstretched his pink while Agatha reciprocated the gesture.

" I promise."

" That's my girl."

Ethan Ainsworth hugged his daughter so tightly, she could feel his heartbeat racing against her chest. He was a man haunted by a dark legacy, one that had been passed down through generations of his family. The weight of that legacy bore down on him heavily, like a lead blanket suffocating him in darkness.

As he pulled away from his daughter, Ethan's eyes were filled with an ominous glint. He knew what he had to do, and he was resigned to his fate. He had to go out and face the darkness that threatened to consume them all.

' I am sorry, Agatha for leaving you alone but I need to reseal that thing before it gets out. I am sorry I wasn't able to see you grow up, find love, and walk you down the aisle to that bastard who doesn't deserve you.'

...

The sky above Lavender Town was as dark as a witch's cauldron, save for a flash of light that streaked across the heavens like a bolt of lightning. It was a sign, a harbinger of the storm that was to come. As the clouds grew thicker and blacker, the winds picked up, lashing the trees and buildings with an otherworldly fury.

In the Ainsworth family mansion, young Agatha was grieving the loss of her father, Ethan Ainsworth, the 31st head of the family. He had died a hero, sacrificing himself to seal away the ancient evil that had plagued the Ainsworths for generations. But the storm outside was not the only thing that was stirring up trouble.

Agatha ran to her father's private office, a dark and foreboding room filled with books and artifacts from centuries past. She had never been allowed inside before, but on this night, driven by grief and curiosity, she pushed open the door and stepped inside.

...

Agatha had always been drawn to her father's private office, with its dark mahogany paneling and shelves filled with ancient tomes and strange artifacts. She had always been curious about the secrets that lay hidden behind the door, secrets that her father had guarded with his life. But on this day, something was different.

As Agatha approached the door, she felt a chill run down her spine. The air around her seemed to crackle with an otherworldly energy, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She pushed open the door and stepped inside.

The room was bathed in an eerie, flickering light that seemed to dance across the walls like fire. The shelves and cabinets were thrown open, their contents scattered across the floor. Agatha's heart pounded in her chest as she scanned the room for any sign of her father.

And then she saw it. On the desk in the center of the room lay an ancient journal, its pages yellowed with age and its cover emblazoned with an esoteric design that Agatha had never seen before. She approached it slowly, as if afraid it might bite her, and picked it up.

As she opened the journal, the room around her seemed to warp and twist, as if reality itself was shifting under her feet. The pages were filled with arcane symbols and strange incantations, written in a language that Agatha could not comprehend. But as she read on, the meaning of the words began to reveal themselves, and she felt a creeping sense of dread wash over her.

Agatha's eyes widened as she read on, her mind struggling to comprehend the horrors that lay before her. The journal spoke of a man, a victim of the Ainsworth family's deeds, who had been buried alive in a twisted act of revenge by the people of lavender town.

The Story of the man whose name was lost to time, only known by the moniker " Buried Alive"