Ah. You know I'm serious when I sigh, or rather jump for joy and yell out "Yes! Nacrene City! Finally!"
After all, some of the arcs that we've been talking about have led you to this point and what with the Gym Battle coming up, we'll have a lot more to write about in the future do you not think so?
Anyway regardless I hope that you guys will enjoy this next chapter as well as a bit more on the Boy and Ash in Nacrene City. Maybe I'll actually have them meet…? And perhaps some more characters or developments in the upcoming Exorcist Arc?
Anyway, I hope that you enjoy this chapter.
"Pikaaaaaaa" said Pikachu as it looked around the perch from where it sat. Ash did to, in awe at the City that surrounded them, a variety of colours and mediums of artistic expression around them.
"Check it out!" he said. After their talk the previous evening, the group had gotten more relaxed and over breakfast, all tensions had disappeared. After all, Ash had felt that by opening up to his friends, they too had done so.
"Yeah!" said Iris. "And those warehouses! I heard that artists ask the City for permission to use them!"
Cilan nodded. "Indeed Iris. And it is that that makes this City known as the 'City of Art'.
"Just how many pieces of art are they in this City?" asked Iris as she walked through it looking through all of the warehouses. Axew did the same as it peered in looking at the pieces of art as well.
"Ewwwww." It said in fascination.
"Quite a variety. Many people come here so that they came observe these pieces of art and thus it has also gained the title of the 'City of Observation'. Remarked Cilan as he too looked at the expressions that artists had in the City.
"Well call it what you like." Said Ash. "But I'm heading straight for the Gym!"
"Well then Ash, you should head to the Nacrene Museum. After all, that is where the Gym is." Said Cilan with a nod.
"Alright! Let's go Pikachu!" yelled Ash as he took off and the others watched him go as Pikachu let out a cry of "Chuuuuuuu!"
Iris smiled at Ash's optimistic demeanour and then looked at Cilan who had developed a frown on his face. She tiled her head.
"What is it Cilan?" she asked.
Cilan let out a laugh and scratched his cheek, "Well, it's just that Ash is heading in the wrong direction."
And it was in that City of Observation that people would have observed a girl dragging around a boy with a Pikachu on his shoulder around with an Aura Hand, a bump forming on his head where he had been attacked.
"So this is the Nacrene Museum!" said Ash cheerfully. Even though Iris had smashed him on the head, he had still managed to get the energy to run the last few minutes towards the Museum. He was just viewing it from the side and ran towards the entrance however he stopped short.
"Hmm? Ash what is it?" asked Iris as she came closer, seeing what was the problem. A large sign prevented people from coming in and Ash was hindered by it.
"Oi! I want to challenge the Gym here! Is anyone home!?" he yelled into the air receiving no answer. However his voice was heard from the inside however ignored.
The Boy tapped his finger on the table where the Meteonite sat the rhythm helping him think. The night had not been wasted. There was much to think about and his head was filled with numerous ideas of what Team Rocket might want the rock for.
And none of them were good.
So the Boy continued to tap his finger, trying to think of a way to counter each and every one of those bad ideas.
Ash stood in front of the Museum and when it was clear that no-one was going to answer his call, he went past the sign, heading straight for the door.
"Hey Ash!" said Iris as she did the same, using her aura to leap over the sign. "You can't do that!" Even though she said that, Cilan rolled his eyes as she had done the exact same thing, doing the same as he felt responsible for the two of them.
Ash pounded on the door of the Museum, trying the door handles and seemed depressed. Pikachu let out a "Pikachu…." Of disappointment to which the others simply looked at the two of them and their depressed attitude.
However there was one thing that Iris noticed. Why wasn't Ash's aura reacting to his negative thoughts? Was he faking his depression? But that was unlikely, after all, he had gone on and on about the Battle for ages and it seemed that his depression was real. So why wasn't his aura reacting to it?
Iris was about to say something however a poster to the side caught Cilan's attention. He went to it and gave it a good look.
"Hmm. Take a look at this. Ancient artefacts exhibit. And it's today." He crossed his arms and went to the doors of the Museum trying out the handles. "But then why is it closed today?" he wondered.
Ash knocked on the door again. "Hello?" he asked to find that no-one had answered to which he looked at his friends. Iris was about to say something however never got to as a scream filled their ears.
They all looked at the doors of the building and inside, a certain Boy fell backwards in the chair that was leaning on and onto the ground, smashing his head against the floor.
He turned and looked at the scene that was unfolding in front of him, seeing a man that he knew passing by. "Hawes?" he asked and then spotted it. Something was floating in the air and although it seemed ridiculous, it was following him. A Dome Fossil was following him. Was this what he had meant from last night?
"Now that's interesting." Said the Boy as he stood up and watched the chase. Hawes ran, looking behind, not noticing the Boy and tried shooing the Fossil away. As such he didn't notice the door and ran straight into it; falling on his back and in his surprise used his aura to make the doors fly open.
Outside, Ash, Iris and Cilan all looked at the man that came bursting out of the Museum. Cilan immediately went to his side, kneeling down to help him.
"Sir! Are you alright?!" he asked however the man responded by shooing Cilan away, pointing at the Museum.
"Get it away! Get it away!" He said as he threw a number of Aura Hands into the Museum, Ash and the others turning to see what he was trying to attack. However…they saw nothing.
"Umm…is something wrong?" asked Iris.
The man nodded and looked into the hallway. "Huh? Where'd it go? Where the Dome Fossil that was chasing me go?"
Ash frowned. "A Dome Fossil was chasing you? We don't see anything."
"It's true I tell you!" said the man to which Ash looked at his friends. "How about we check it out?" Ash asked. Cilan and Iris nodded.
They followed the instructions of the Museum on the map at the entrance and eventually found its exhibit. Dome Fossil and all. Ash went over to it and gave it a shove, the hard rock moving at his touch.
"The Dome Fossil is fine." Said Cilan as he turned to the man, who was still cowering in the hallway. The man appeared however his face was all pale.
"B-But that can't be…." He said.
Cilan turned to him. "Please tell, us everything." The man nodded however he looked shocked.
"Oh my-! What about that historian?!" he shouted and ran off, using his aura to speed himself up, the others chasing after him to find out what he was talking about. They reached a part of the library that was filled with books, reaching a table that had a number of books open on it and a cup that was used to hold milkshakes however that was it. No-one was here.
"Huh?" said the man. "Did he go somewhere?" He shook his head and then turned to the others. "Please come with me then. That historian should be back later so follow me."
The group left and the Boy came out from the corner that he was hiding from. He frowned. He had not expected anyone to come in and rubbed the back of his head where a small lump was forming where he had hit the ground.
He went over to the table and placed the Meteonite that he had acquired onto it, heading for the Dome Fossil. He reached it, and like the others found that it was where it should be. However there was one more thing that he had to check.
He lifted up the Fossil from where it was and noticed that the spot where the dust surrounded the object was bigger than the object itself. That meant one thing. Certainly this Dome Fossil had moved. But how had it done so? And why?
"Do I really have time for this?" asked the Boy to himself as he went to investigate, multi-tasking with his thinking at the same time.
The café that they chose had no-one else in it and a dark feeling was in the air. The man had gained a dark expression and started to inform the group of what had happened.
"It was last night when the artefacts for the Ancient exhibit came. They were late and as such we were in a hurry to get them all in order and a historian also came around this time, asking to have a look at one of our exhibits. His credentials were from the top so I really didn't give him a second thought. By the time we were done it was extremely late and I was doing an inventory of the artefacts when suddenly the lights turned out. Thinking it to be a power outage, I went to the light switch and it was then that I heard them…."
Ash and the others leaned forward and if it was at night, the atmosphere would have been very different.
"I heard them….footsteps from behind. I thought it was the historian from before and asked if it was him. But then a heard a cry. It wasn't a human one that was for sure. I asked them to come out however what did was…."
The man shivered a tiny bit before answering. "A flame. A blue flame that hovered in the air. I fled, going toward the historian to take him with me however he didn't budge from his work and stayed behind. I had to get the workers back and we investigated the entire Museum however to no avail. And as our patrons come first…."
"You had to shut down the Museum." Finished Cilan.
The man nodded. "It was in the morning that we were done and then I sent the workers back home. I went to do a last check…."
"And that was the Dome Fossil right?" asked Ash. The man nodded to which Ash frowned. "What was going on in that Museum?" he asked aloud.
Iris thought about it for a moment. "A curse….." she said.
Ash looked at her. "W-What do you mean a curse?" he asked.
"Isn't it obvious? An angry ghost has labelled the Museum as a threat to it and that's all there is to it."
Ash had no idea if she was joking or not however a bad memory came to mind, the ones for Ash and the one for Pikachu different.
The blue form opened its mouth and let out a scream. That scream shattered all the windows, to which Ash countered it with his own, unable to hear his own voice. The blue figure looked at him, or rather the person behind him and flew. They flew towards him, throwing him out of the way, smashing him against the sink of the house he was in.
"Ash!" came a concerned cry from the person that was behind him however it was replaced by one of fear as the blue form opened its mouth and headed straight for that person-
Ash shook his head and Pikachu did the same. Although Ghost Pokémon did exist, they both had faced what could be known to be 'supernatural', particularly in Sinnoh and the Dusknoir.
Axew hid inside Iris's hair, her hair trembling as Axew did so. "See? Even Axew knows it's the case. So we have to contact the AJD! They have a special division that-"
"Ah, that's enough now." Said Cilan. "First of all, you're overreacting. There is a scientific explanation for this. And that special division with the AJD is just a rumour."
Ash and Pikachu looked away as he talked, glad that he hadn't asked about their opinion. Sure, on the surface, that 'special' division was just a rumour, however they had had a number of encounters in their travels. It was more confidential, the 'A' division on the AJD. A division that specialised in a number of strange goings-on in the world.
Some people had even made their own actual organisations and businesses based upon the rumours of their actions, working freelance, something that Ash had seen as well. One such organisation? The Exorcists. People who specialised in 'ghost busting' as it was, dealing with phenomenon's that involved ghosts.
However although Ash and Pikachu had dealt with both of these things, they were under a contract of confidentiality. In fact, he had even been told in Sinnoh that he was kept under close eye by the 'A' division due to his travels however he had no idea what could that would do.
And the term 'Civilian' seemed to pop up a lot. What did that mean?
"Rumour?! Overreacting?!" shouted Iris.
"Of course. Like I said science is the key to solving everything. Superstition merely clogs up the investigation." Said Cilan in a confident tone.
"Is that so? Well then, use your precious science to figure out what this is then?!" declared Iris, the challenge being accepted.
"Naturally. I never turn down a challenge. This is turning to be a flavoursome day." Said Cilan while Ash merely looked between the two of them.
"But then….what are you saying?" asked the man.
"I'll figure out why a ghost would want to haunt your museum! I just know it!" said Iris with confidence.
"And I will do the same. With science. I will find out why your Museum is acting strangely for sure." Responded Cilan with a confident smirk.
Ash looked between the two of them and realised something. Why were they even here in the first place?
"Hang on!" shouted Ash. "What about my Gym Battle?" he asked to which Pikachu realised the same thing with a "Pikaaaaa?!"
"Do you really think that we have time for that now?" asked Iris. Cilan nodded and Ash placed his head upon the table with a depressed sigh. "And besides Ash." Said Iris as she thrust a finger into his face. "Just who are you going to believe now? Ghosts or science?" she asked.
Cilan grew intrigued by the question. "Indeed. You are neutral after all. What do you think it is?" asked Cilan.
Ash sat down and scratched his head. "Well, I have no idea. Aura might be involved as I saw something brief with my Aura Perception. A-"
"Waitwaitwait." Said Iris. "You have Aura Perception?" She looked stunned at the discovery. She had tried to gain that ability but found that working on her aura was more worth her time. Even Cilan was impressed.
"Yeah." He said, "Didn't I tell you guys that before?" he asked.
Cilan shook his head. "Not at all. But only around…what 1 in 50,000,000 people have that ability right? I never knew you had such a unique flavour Ash."
Iris nodded however realised something. "Hey! Stop trying to avoid the question!" she said, pouting.
"I wasn't! You guys butt in!" said Ash as he looked at the two of them.
The man laughed. "Yes. And besides, you can't battle without Lenora."
"Huh?" said the group in unison. "Lenora?" they asked.
"Ah yes!" said the man. "I haven't introduced myself. I'm Hawes, the co-curator. Lenora is my wife and also the Gym Leader here."
"Really?" asked Ash. "That's so cool! I'm Ash and this is Pikachu!" Pikachu waved to Hawes with a "Pika Pika!"
"And I'm Iris." Said Iris as she indicated to herself. "And that's Cilan." Cilan bowed.
"Is it OK if we can have a look around the Museum?" he asked. Hawes nodded and indicated to the Museum in the distance from the café.
"That's fine. If you could come with m-" He stopped as his phone rang in his pocket to which he brought it out and answered it.
"Hello?" he asked to which there was answer that no-one could hear. Although Aura Listening was an option, eavesdropping was not.
"Ah yes!" said Hawes. He turned it on speakerphone and looked at the others. "It's the historian that I told you guys about. He's in the Museum right now."
"What?!" shouted Iris and Cilan as they looked at the phone. If anything was happening, then this would be the time to figure it out.
"Anyway, yeah." Came the voice from the phone. "I'm done with the Meteonite and if you need anything, I'll be in town for the next couple of days so just come over to the Pokémon Centre and-"
"Hey!" said Iris. "Is anything going on in there?" she asked.
There was silence on the other end before an answer. "I assume you mean the floating Dome Fossil?"
There was a murmur of agreement and Iris and Cilan jumped on the guy. "Well? What do you think of it? Ghosts or science?" Cilan asked.
"Hey guys. Don't put your arguments on someone else…." Said Ash.
"You still haven't answered yet!" countered Iris and Ash recoiled. A laugh came from the phone and everyone turned to it.
"Ghosts or science?" said the historian. "Well, to be honest I guess it's a bit of both. Oh and Hawes? This wouldn't have happened if you had listened to what I said."
They looked at Hawes who tried hard to think about what the guy was talking about and shrugged.
"Honestly." continued the voice. "Why do people ask for my opinion if they don't intend to listen to it?"
"Umm…" said Ash. "So you know what's going on in the Museum?"
"Well yes." Came the blunt reply. "Just did my investigation now. I remembered what you said Hawes from last night and just did a check. And my suggestion would be to do what I said or wait or your wife to get home. One or the other. Oh and you guys?" The others assumed that they were talking to him.
"Try not to deny the existence of what is OK? You'll anger the being you're denying and bring forth creatures that didn't exist in the first place into reality. Thought processes made by aura will do that to the physical dimension. Hmm. I suddenly need another milkshake." There was silence and then the historian hung up, leaving the group looking at each other.
Milkshakes and Aura? Physical dimension? What was this historian talking about?
They looked at Hawes who shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."
The group decided to leave it off and headed towards the Museum.
"And here we are." Said Hawes. They stood in front of the Museum that they had been to before and somehow it seemed more eerie than before. "I'll give you a tour if you like." The group nodded, passing by the table that they had before. There was a note on the table that was left by the historian, saying a cryptic:
Follow my advice
The group looked at Hawes who shrugged and then they went through the rest of the Museum. He led them towards the part of the Museum that they had already visited, standing in front of the Dome Fossil.
Ash looked at it. "So, what is a Kanto fossil doing here in Unova?" he asked.
"Well, Kabuto did actually live on these shores. According to the age of the fossil this happened around 300 million years ago." Ash looked at the fossil with interest. Ancient Pokémon sure were all over the place.
Hawes led the group further unto the Museum and came into a certain part of the Museum with a large skeleton. Iris looked up at it with awe, then used her aura to create an Aura Platform so that she could inspect the skeleton at a closer angle.
"Isa….this a Dragonite skeleton?" she asked. Axew came out of her hair and looked as well, saying "Ax axew" in amazement as well.
"Yep, this is the largest skeletal model of a Dragonite in the world. It's one of the major attractions of the Museum." Iris was awfully interested in it and it took Cilan's Aura Hand so that she could actually leave. Hawes led them to another part, to a container that had a strange rock inside.
Hawes pointed at it. "This is one of the Museum's most important pieces. It's a meteorite called the Meteonite." The others looked it at in surprise.
"So…it came from space?" asked Cilan.
Hawes nodded and started talking again. "It is assumed that it holds a large amount of cosmic energy. That's probably why the historian came here, to investigate the energy."
"Cosmic energy?" said Cilan with interest. "So that was what that historian was probably looking for."
Hawes shrugged. "I'll never know. Let me show you the exhibit." Hawes led them to a room with a number of artefacts to which he identified as the centre of the Ancient Artefact exhibit.
Ash approached some suits of armour and looked at them. He read the plaque underneath and looked back at Hawes. "What is the Aura Armour?" he asked.
Hawes looked back at him. "I was assumed that in ancient times, those with extremely high level of aura wore these to power up their bodies past their limits, allowing them to surpass human limitations."
Ash had a look at other artefacts and then pointed to the exhibit at the end of the room. "What's that?" he asked.
"Oh! Those artefacts were found in a ruin, and it is said that the ruins itself were those that Cofagrigus were found in." informed Hawes.
"Cofagrigus?" asked Cilan. "Does this make it a real specimen?"
"No." said Hawes as he shook his head and went onto the stage where the Cofagrigus was. "See?" he said as he used his aura to lift the lid of the coffin. "It's just a replica."
"Well, it could have fooled me." Said Cilan, impressed at the replica.
Iris but a hand under her chin and thought hard. "This replica. It's at the centre at the curse! I'm positive!"
Cilan crossed his arms and gave a laugh. "And what makes you say that? Your 'sixth' sense? There's no evidence there so it's just a hunch."
Iris grit her teeth and Ash looked between the two of them, sweatdropping slightly, as he walked to another exhibit with a mask inside. "Hey Hawes!" said Ash. "What's this?"
Hawes and the others went over. "That? It's a Yamask mask." He said. Yamask frequently appear in these ruins so it's natural for them to be here." Ash looked down at the picture of the Pokémon and knelt in for a closer look. "Like the coffin though, it's another replica. However I get the feeling that I'm forgetting something regarding this….."
From behind Ash, Iris spoke. "Something is off…" she said. Ash looked at her.
"Is there something wrong?" she asked. "Is it something to wrong with the aura or something?" As far as Ash could tell there wasn't.
Iris frowned. "Not really….." Hawes led them away into the library where they had just been in. "Here is the library that you've already seen. With so much information on artefacts here, there are a lot of sources to study from. And that is the end of the tour. Well what do you think?"
"Well as far as I can tell, everything is fine." said Cilan however Iris had another view.
"I'm not so sure" said Iris. "What about you Ash?" she asked.
Ash crossed his arm and nodded. "Well I know one thing." Everyone looked at him with interest and heard his stomach rumble. "It's time for lunch."
Iris grabbed the front of his shirt, shaking him back and forth, using her aura to lift him up. "Can you take this a little seriously?!" she yelled.
"Please let go Iris! I was joking!" said Ash while in the air and Iris let him down, grumbling to herself.
Cilan looked towards Hawes and asked a question. "Is it OK if we sleep here tonight Hawes?" he asked.
"Really?" asked Hawes as he looked in surprise at the group.
"Of course. That way we can keep an eye on anything that happens here." He said to explain himself.
"Absolutely." Said Iris. "Ghosts are more active in the night anyway. It'd be a great way to find out what's going on."
Hawes let out a smile. "Well you may be kids but you are definitely brave."
Iris let out a smile and looked at Ash. "Although there really is only one kid."
"Just what do you mean Iris?!" yelled Ash back at her, earning laughs from everyone else.
Night came faster than everyone thought and the others, including Hawes were setting up their sleeping bags.
"Are you guys going to be OK?" asked Hawes as Ash inspected his Pokémon egg.
"Sure." Said Ash. "We've had worse."
"But what happens when things start to move?" he asked as he glanced around the library.
"Then that's when we'll move! With me and Cilan having a high level aura, everything will be fine!" said Iris. "And then we'll get to the bottom of this!
Hawes nodded and smiled at the others.
That same night in the alleyways of Nacrene City, three figures stood among the warehouses.
James was the one that spoke first. "So, how do you suppose the agent from HQ will contact us?" he asked.
"Simple." Came a voice from behind and the group turned, Pierce standing there with a smug grin on his face.
"When did you-?" asked Meowth however he was interrupted.
"Your mission." He said. It appeared that he had no intention of wasting time. "But before I tell you, have you done the investigation of the City Museum?"
"Already done." Said Jessie.
"Wonderful." Came the reply. "Now the mission that HQ wants is for you to switch out the meteorite in the exhibit using the decoy that you received a number of days ago. However you should know that the real meteorite both is and is not your true target."
"Then what is our true target?" asked James however they all stopped to see something glowing in front of them. They looked up and saw nothing above them and then found that object started speaking, a strange voice coming from it.
A phone, with a voice scrambler.
"It means….." said the voice, mixing between high and low range. "That your true target, for now, is the Meteonite." Came the voice. "I did offer you a gauntlet but it appears that you ignored it."
Everyone froze as they looked at the phone, the message at the Antimony Research Lab making sense.
"So…you are the one…." Said Pierce as he looked at the device.
"Oh, don't bother trying to take the phone. Bought it today. One time use you know. Anyway I'll just have you know that the Meteonite? Stay away from it. If you know what's good for you." Said the voice.
"Is that a threat?" asked Meowth.
"Not really. Just a friendly suggestion. I don't suppose death is in your grand scheme of things right? Try to avoid that rock if you know what's good for you. And I will know if you choose to ignore me. Have a nice evening." The phone hung up and the other members looked at each other.
"What do we do now?" asked Jessie. Pierce frowned and stepped forward, using his aura to crush the phone.
"No-one challenges Team Rocket and gets away with it. Proceed with the mission." Said Pierce as he strode away, leaving the others wondering how it was that challenged them.
The Boy watched them go, listening to the entire thing through his listening device. He let out a sigh and leaned against the wall of the alleyway that he was on, rubbing his eyes.
"Let's just see what you do now…"he said as he watched the Team Rocket trio exit the alleyway.
Ash woke up to someone rocking him back and forth. He woke up and rubbed his eyes, yawning.
"Ash!" came Iris's voice into his ears. "Wake up!" Ash did so and looked at Iris.
"Hmm? What's wrong?" he asked her.
"I….feel something in the air. It's unnatural. Something is coming closer. I can feel it." Said Iris.
Cilan woke up as well and sighed. "Don't give me that. Provide some evidence next time."
Ash turned to Cilan as Iris frowned at him, her aura moving around her due to her negative emotions. "Cilan, Iris thought to wake us. I don't think she would have done so unless she was absolutely sure." Iris cheered up a bit to see Ash defending.
Ash stood up and looked around. There was nothing that he could sense however a faint mist approached them, surrounded by a blue light, something that he saw coming closer with his Aura Perception.
"Aura….?" He asked as the fog came closer and surrounded them.
"See?!" said Iris. "I told you!"
Hawes, woken up by the noise rubbed his eyes and looked at them however he caught sight of the fog that surrounded them. He jumped up, looking all over the place. "W-What's going on?" he practically yelled, an Aura Shield coming over him to protect himself.
The fog thickened and Ash sweated. Just what was going on? And how was aura involved?
"This is bad" said Iris. "The ghost is angry….."
Cilan scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. The venting system must have broken down." The next instance a clanging sound entered their ears that came closer and louder.
Everyone was silent as they listened to it, looking at the direction that it was coming from. And the source of the sound became clear as a suit of armour came from the fog and headed straight towards them. Hawes let out a scream and backed away, falling onto the ground as he did so.
"Alright then Cilan where's your science now?" asked Iris.
Cilan let a smile and shook his head. "Easy, the Ghost aura phenomenon. The last owner of that armour's aura must still be imbedded in the armour, causing it to move. How about it Ash?" Cilan looked at him and Ash realised what he meant. Use his Aura Perception.
He was about to do just that as the suit of armour unsheathed its sword causing him to look back.
"And that?" countered Iris.
"Easy. Strings or aura. Either could cause that movement." countered Cilan and even Ash had to disagree on that one.
"Really? Strings?" he said and it seemed that Cilan himself seemed to doubt that theory. Ash focused his eyes and looked at the suit of armour, watching the aura around it.
It was faint but it was there. Aura. However it was on the outside of the armour, rather than the inside according to what Cilan was saying. So what did that mean?
The armour approached them in a run and Ash called his attack. "Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" he yelled.
"Pika pika!" said Pikachu as it raced towards the armour. As soon as it hit, the armour itself was thrown apart due to an explosion in the air as they collided.
"See?" said Cilan. "Aura."
Ash shook his head as he watched the armour. "Only on the outside. If it was the Ghost aura phenomenon you say it was, the aura would be on the inside of the armour."
Cilan looked a bit shocked at having his theory torn apart however didn't think much of it. "Hah, simple. Then someone had to have been controlling it from the outside."
"How?" said Iris. "We locked all of the doors."
The conversation was short lived as the armour managed to gather itself together and lift up off the ground. It held its sword towards Pikachu and Ash backed away.
"Ash!" said Iris. "When you attacked it with a non-aura attack, you angered the ghost!"
Ash grit his teeth. If non-aura attacks would cause it to be angry…
"Alright!" said Ash as he looked to Pikachu. In that case he had to change tactics, making a move that he didn't like but felt was necessary. "Pikachu, use Aura Volt Tackle!"
Cilan and Iris looked at him in surprise that he was using an aura attack and then at Pikachu who was using it. Pikachu leapt forward, charging at the amour as its body glowed with a bright yellow aura among the electricity. They watched, astounded as it collided with the armour, a large sound like glass breaking filling the air.
And without blue aura, just how much of it did Pikachu have?!
The thought was short lived as a small blue flame appeared from the fallen armour.
"Gyah!? What is that?!" declared Hawes.
"Hmph. Merely an electrical discharge from the Volt Tackle, that's all." Said Cilan. It approached Ash as he felt the heat on his skin, waving the thing away as it approached Hawes, proceeding to chase him around on the spot.
Ash reacted quickly, throwing out a Pokéball saying "Oshawott! Aura Water Gun!" Iris and Cilan were surprised again to see that Oshawott had used an aura attack and the Otter Pokémon let loose a stream of water that glowed blue, hitting the flame dead centre, again with the sound of glass breaking.
All of a sudden, the head of the armour floated upwards and like the flame chased Hawes around, ignoring his Aura Shield altogether as it did so.
"Hmm. The magnetic field must have changed causing the armour to float." Said Cilan as he watched the thing go.
Ash grunted, having to deal with the problem again. "Pikachu! Aura Iron Tail!" Pikachu's tail gained a metallic shine that was accompanied by its yellow aura due to its level being extremely high and it smashed the tail against the armour.
More sounds came out from the clash and the armour fell to the ground, not moving.
Iris frowned as she looked at the head of the armour. "You know, it looks to me that the host here is after you Hawes."
"Wh-What?!" declared Hawes. "But why? I haven't-"
He was interrupted as something fell onto his head and he looked up, water falling from above him and onto his head.
"Rain?" said Ash as he used his Aura Perception, the faint outline of aura seen in it.
"Again simple." Said Cilan. "It's just the sprinklers." Then as soon it had started it stopped and the others wiped the water off their heads.
"What's going on?" said Ash. Then, a voice.
It came from the end of the hall that they were in and they listened to it.
"T-T-T-That was the thing that I heard last night!" said Hawes as he backed away.
"It must be the spirit!" announced Iris to which Cilan shook his head.
"Not at all. The low frequency sound waves must have caused things to make sounds."
Iris was about to say something however it was Ash that interrupted her.
"It doesn't matter." He said. "That noise is happening and we have to see where it's coming from." He returned Oshawott and ran towards where the sound was coming from.
The centre of the Ancient Artefact exhibit was where it came from and Ash immediately saw what the problem was.
He stepped back as he saw that the Yamask mask from before was….crying.
"The mask…is crying? But why would it be sad?" asked Iris.
"Not crying. But rather condensation on the surface of it." Then in a fast action, the mask rose and hit the glass container that it was behind.
"What in the-?! The angry ghost lies in that mask!" yelled Iris as she looked at it.
"Hardly." Said Cilan. "It must be attracted to something here in this room." It kept on hitting the glass and eventually stopped. Then to replace it, footsteps were heard from behind them, coming closer and closer. The group turned and gaped as the Dragonite skeleton came closer.
"B-bring forth creatures that didn't exist in the first place into reality…." Said Hawes as he backed away, Ash and the others looking at him. The words of that historian? Just what had that guy even known?
Iris shook her head and approached the skeleton. "Are you the spirit that has been haunting us?" she asked.
Cilan didn't say anything as he looked at the skeleton, having no explanation for the occurrence in front of him.
Iris took another step forward however Ash noticed that the movement of the aura that was surrounding the creature indicated that it was going to move.
Ash tackled Iris in the back, both of them going down as the skeleton moved forward, its foot right where Iris would have been. Cilan and Hawes moved out of the way and watched as it punched the glass where the mask was.
"A-Alright then Pansage! Use Aura Bullet Seed!" cried Cilan as he threw open a Pokéball, Pansage coming out and using the move.
It attacked the skeleton and Ash pulled Iris out of the way as the skeleton fell, a strange cry and the sound of breaking glass coming from the attack. The skeleton fell back onto where Ash and Iris had just been, both of them looking at the scene, Iris still gripping Ash's hand.
"Was that the voice of the spirit?" she asked as Ash pulled her up and then let go with a blush on her face.
"Ah!" said Hawes as he realised something. "I remember know! That historian! He told me to not put that mask in the exhibit!" Hawes raced to the glass and swiped his card key the glass opening. However he did not remove the mask.
The mask removed itself.
It floated out of the glass and into the air, planting itself right on Cilan's face. He fell back, trying to remove it as his hands glowed blue as he tried to remove it with his aura but to no avail.
"Cilan!" yelled Ash as he went to his friend's side, Iris helping as well, using her aura to try and remove it but nothing. "It's won't budge!"
Cilan suddenly threw both of them of him with his aura and they fell to the ground. They both looked up at their friend. "C-Cilan?" asked Ash.
"Now…." Said Cilan. Or rather it was hard to tell. His voice had become all distorted and strange and he raised both of his hands. In them a strange blue fire glowed and he threw them at the others, running away to avoid them.
"Cilan! What's wrong?!" asked Ash.
"He's been possessed!" said Iris. "Taken over!"
"But why Cilan?" asked Ash as he looked at her.
"T-The only thing I can think of is that it's because he didn't accept that it was real in the first place!" said Iris as she looked at Ash.
"T-Try not to deny the existence of what is…..you'll anger the being you're denying" said Hawes as he looked at Cilan.
"That historian…." Said Ash as he looked at his friend as well. Just how far had that guy gone in his investigation so that he was able to predict the actions of whatever it was that had possessed Cilan?
Iris stepped forward. "Please spirit! Tell us why you're so angry!"
'Cilan' stepped forward. "You locked it up….The mask is precious…to me….."
"Wh…at?" asked Iris.
"That Yamask mask is, after all the real thing." Said another voice. The group turned to where it had come from and saw someone in the frame of the doorway that they had come through.
She was tall and wore blue jean like pants, her hair the same colour, a white shirt that was completely the opposite of her skin.
"Dear!" said Hawes as he let you a sigh. "I'm so glad that you're here!"
"Dear….?" Asked Ash. "Then that makes you…Lenora?"
"Well then." Said Lenora. "Where did you get that mask anyway?"
"Well it was last night. I found it on the ground when we were loading in the artefacts. I assumed it was a part of the exhibit so I put it in the Museum." Said Hawes. His facial expression was one of a person that realised something. "And that historian…..he said that it was owned already…."
"Indeed." Said Lenora. Off to the side, 'Cilan' raised an arm and the Dragonite skeleton rose with it. Lenora looked at it. "That historian called me and told me to head over here right away." She let out a sigh. "Definitely an oddball but definitely right. Alright then. That's enough." She said to 'Cilan'.
"Get…..out…." he said.
Lenora smiled. "If that's the case…Watchog! Go!" Lenora threw a Pokéball and it burst open with a bright light, a Pokémon appearing where it had been thrown.
It acted quickly. The stripes on its chest burst with a bright glow and 'Cilan' covered his face as did the others. Ash brought out his Pokédex as he did so, scanning the Pokémon in front of him.
"Watchog, the Lookout Pokémon and the evolved form of Patrat. As its body contains luminescent compound, it has the ability to glow and this ability is increased if aura is applied to the process."
"Well then Yamask. Don't be shy and come out." said Lenora.
As if to answer her, the mask came off Cilan's face and he stumbled before managing to stand up straight. "What happened…?" he asked.
"Cilan!" cried Ash. "Are you OK?" he asked.
Cilan let out a nod and rubbed his head, looking at the mask that was rising slowly into the air.
It hovered in one particular spot and in the next instant a Pokémon appeared in that spot. The others gasped and Hawes let out a soft "He was right….". Ash scanned the Pokémon in front of him for details.
"Yamask, the Spirit Pokémon. It wonders the ruins of ancient civilisations and its mask it a large source of its aura, similar to a Dwebble's rock."
"A Ghost Type…." Said Ash. Iris heard him as she looked at the Type of the Pokémon. So the answer was simple. Yet it was both scientifically explained as a Ghost.
"Well to be honest it's a bit of both."
The words of the historian echoed inside his head. Just how had he known so fast?
"You see." Said Lenora. "Yamask here must have been brought in with the other artefacts. It must have lost its mask when it was being brought in. You put it in the display case under the impression that it was a replica. And when it saw it in the case, it assumed you had stolen it."
"So Yamask did all of this….." said Ash as Yamask nodded. "Wow! How did you know?" he asked Lenora.
Lenora let out a smile. "Let's just say that a certain historian figured it out before I did."
"Of course." Said Cilan. "The movement of the objects was Aura Psychic, the fog Aura Haze. And that means that rain was Aura Rain Dance and the fire Aura Will-O-Wisp. That explains all the aura that you saw Ash." Said Cilan.
Hawes stepped forward and bowed in front of Yamask. "Yamask. I truly am sorry for my mistake. If you could please find it in your heart to forgive me?"
Yamask smiled and then nodded.
"Wonderful. Thank you very much." Said Lenora.
"Pretty neat." Said Ash. "So Yamask is a neat Pokémon in the end after all." He said. Pikachu agreed with a "Pika pika!"
Everyone went outside the Museum and watched as Yamask get ready to leave.
"Going already?" asked Lenora. Yamask nodded. "Well then you can come back anytime." She said.
Yamask let out a happy cry of "Yamask!" and flew off into the distance.
"See you later!" said Ash.
"Yeah! And try to keep your mask in good care!" said Iris as she waved.
The sunrise came soon after and the group stretched after having stayed up for most of the night.
"Man, what a lovely sunrise!" said Ash as he watched it.
"Indeed. And the scent of that morning air! Spectacular!" commented Cilan.
"And it's perfect for a Gym Battle!" said Ash with a smile as he turned and faced Lenora. Lenora raised an eyebrow at his comment.
"So….you're here for a Gym Battle." She said.
"Yep! I'm Ash from Pallet Town!" said Ash with an eager smile.
"I see. Well then challenge accepted. I'm eager to see how battle for me Ash."
"You bet!" said Ash. "And I hope you're ready for me!"
And that'd be the end for now. What with a Gym Battle up next I hope that you guys will look forward to the next chapter that awaits you and me.
Not much character profiles left so that's all I have for now.
Actually, I'm lying. I have a bit more, with the lead up to the Exorcist arc as well as some more on the Boy and what he did with the Meteonite.
Molly Hale looked at the mansion that lay in the Unova region. Her eyes were puffy from crying and she wiped them. Her uncle was dead. She knew that and she had spent the entire plane trip crying as she remembered the times that she would ever have with him again.
However when they had called the mansion's staff to tell them that they were coming, some of them had had the ridiculous notion that they were being haunted. By her uncle's ghost. As if that could happen.
She felt angry at the fact that such a thing had happened however she was a tiny bit curious as to what they meant. However that was not on the forefront of her mind.
The funeral would be held soon so all she had until then were tears. More and more tears.
She wiped her eyes as she felt some more of them rising to the surface in that unfamiliar region of Unova.
The Boy looked at the piece of rock that lay on the bed of the Pokémon Centre. He had taken it. Well he said taken….
After doing an in depth analysis of the Meteonite, he understood practically everything about it. And he didn't like it. Not one bit.
If someone were to gain access to the energy that it held….
However the Boy would know if Team Rocket did anything. After all…
The Boy held up the piece of the Meteonite that he had chipped off. It was connected to that rock through the energy that it had, another thing that gathered the Boy's attention. It was definitely a strange rock but most of all, it was dangerous.
And whatever was happening…..
The Boy would stop it.
And now that's the end. This is actually one of the shorter chapters but in the end, we have a pretty good one in the future. What with the Exorcist arc coming up soon and the people acting in that arc as well as the narrow meeting between those that are called 'protagonists' we have a good thing going.
Maybe they'll meet, if ever so briefly?
However you'll just have to wait for that. You'll see.
And as always,
Review if you please
And I'll see you when I see you and I won't if I don't.