It only took Harry (who was still blushing and glaring at his friend) and Iriana (who was still snickering at the expense of her friend) a half-hour to reach the coast. Crystal clear water stretched out as far as they could see with Water and Flying type Pokémon completing the picture. The two teens just stood there for a moment, enjoying the sea breeze.
"I've always loved the ocean; I wanted to live right by it as a kid. That or the mountains." Iriana said, finally having mercy on Harry and stopped teasing him. "I guess that's what happens when you spend nearly your whole life inland, you want a change."
"I can picture living here." Harry agreed. "Well, we better get going. Toxica said that to get to Phasma Island, it's just a straight shot from the coast."
Iriana squinted her eyes, staring off into the distance. "I think I see the fog she was talking about, but it looks tiny from here. Anyway, Gyarados, come on out!" She tossed the Water-types Pokeball, who appeared in the water with a loud roar of delight.
Harry started laughing, "She says 'it's about time I got to swim'. I think we should let her out more."
The lavender-eyed girl just grinned, "Sure thing Gyarados, do you mind taking us across the water? We need to get to Phasma Island."
Gyarados nodded, lowering her head so the two humans could climb up. Once there were settled, the magenta Pokémon set off at a fast pace, creating waves from her movements. Harry and Iriana laughed, enjoying the speed.
"This reminds me of a speed boat I used to ride in when I was younger, made me feel like I was flying across the water." Iriana said, hair whipping in the wind.
Her companion just nodded, eyes closed, relishing the swift breeze. The trip passed by in silence, watching the bright sun reflect off the water. Many times, when Harry was staring at it, he could see large shadows of submerged Pokémon. But since Gyarados didn't say or do anything, he figured they weren't a threat. As the hours passed by, they watched what was the tiny cloud Iriana saw, grew to a giant wall of fog. It almost looked like the world just ended right there, giving them both the creeps.
"Gyarados, slow down when you go in there. Try to find a dock or the shore, or something." Iriana said, huddling closer to one of the Pokémon's spines. Gyarados gave a quiet roar and ventured into the fog at a much slower pace.
The bright sunlight that they had enjoyed was snuffed out like a candle in the dense fog, though they could still see each other and Gyarados, any direction within ten feet was gone. The fog also made it slightly colder, though that may have been their imagination acting up because they could also hear strange noises echoing across the water.
"Don't worry, it's just Pokémon." Harry assured listening to the noises carefully. "It sounds like they're playing or something, but they're not gonna bother us."
"We've arrived at the shore.'" Gyarados said, lowering her head. The two humans climbed off carefully onto the rocky shore. After thanking and returning Gyarados, Iriana and Harry set off. Turns out, Phasma City was right along the shore, which suited them just fine. The buildings here took on a more traditional island feel, just with a spooky atmosphere. But with the lights from the buildings, the fog wasn't nearly as bad as on the open water.
"Hey, there's the Pokémon Center." Iriana said happily, running into the building. "Harry, we get Nurse Joy to check out our Pokémon, they've been working hard lately."
"Sounds like a good idea. While we're waiting, wanna go explore the island?" Harry asked, handing over his Pokeballs.
Iriana shook her head, her badges making a clinking noise as they hit each other. "Nah, I'm just gonna relax here, maybe take a nap."
"Okay, I'll be back in an hour or so, and then we'll head to the Gym." Harry waved goodbye and walked out.
Deciding to walk along the coast, he set off at a slow pace, enjoying the sounds of Pokémon. He thought that if you ignored the spooky vibe the fog gave off, the Island was a peaceful place to visit. As he walked, Harry heard the same group of Pokémon playing nearby. Curious, he climbed over some boulders that protected a clearing. In it were all kinds of Ghost type Pokémon playing together, either tag or hide-and-seek. One Pokémon that resembled a purple gassy ball with eyes and fangs floated over to him. He recognized it as a Ghastly.
"Hello, would you like to play with us? Most humans are too scared to come this close."
"Sure I'd like to play, and why would they be scared? Sure you're Ghost types, but that's no excuse." Harry said with a grin, sliding down into the clearing. The other Pokémon all gathered around him happily and pull him into their games.
After several hours of playing (and deciding that playing hide-and-seek with Pokémon that can turn invisible should be considered cheating) Harry said he had to leave to check on his friends. While sad with their new friend leaving, the Ghost types bid him goodbye and helped him out of the clearing. But before Harry got further than a few steps, he felt something tugging at his jeans. Looking down he saw a Pokémon with a body that was shaped like a kimono with a sapphire blue Obi around its waist. Its arms, which hung off the sides of its head like ears, were flared at the wrist to further give it the kimono look. The flared portions were dappled in light blue, while the rest was off-white. Its head was shaped like a water droplet sideways. It had two ice crystals on top as well as several holes through which purple skin could be seen. It stared up at Harry with crystal blue eyes with yellow sclera. Kneeling down, Harry brought out his trusty Pokedex. Froslass, the Snow Land Pokémon. It freezes its opponents to temperatures nearly minus sixty degrees.
"Hello, what can I do for you?" Harry asked kindly.
"You're kind and you don't mind Ghost-types like most humans, can I go with you? I want to see other places besides this island." Froslass asked, her voice like a silky whisper.
The emerald-eyed teen grinned. "Sure you can come with me. Will you allow me to capture you?" Happy, the Ghost/Ice type nodded and went into the offered Pokeball. Grinning with happiness at the new addition, Harry made his way back to the center. After waking up Iriana (which involved dumping water on the girl, various inventive curses and having to dodge various sharp things being thrown at him) and gathering their Pokémon, the duo made their way to the Phasma Gym.
Inside they were surprised, while the décor reminded them of a haunted house, it looked like a classroom in the middle of the floor where they guessed the battles took place. A woman wearing a purple knee-length dress-suit outfit, glasses and having her hair up in a loose bun was talking to the numerous others sitting in desks in front of her. The lady looked every inch a teacher. She stops talking at the duo's entrance.
"Hello, what can I do for you? I am Spectra, Gym Leader of Phasma and Ghost expert." She asked in a voice that reminded Harry of a mix between McGonagall's sternness and Snape's silkiness, but with a kind tone.
"Hi, I'm Iriana and this is my friend Harry. We're here to challenge you to a battle, but if you're busy, we can wait till later." She finished with an uncertain glance.
Spectra smiled, "Nonsense, this will provide a good lesson for my students on how to battle with Ghost types. Class, please move your desks to the sides of the Gym, quickly please."
In no time, the Gym floor was cleared. And to add to the creepiness of the haunted house/Gym, the referee appeared in a poof of smoke. ('Man, I swear this guy is a stalker!' Harry murmured to Iriana) "This will be a two on two battle! First team to have their Pokémon knocked out loses!"
"Ninetales, show us what you're made of!" Harry called out.
"Vibrava, time to shine!" Iriana yelled.
"Misdreavus and Spiritomb, let's win this!" Spectra said with a smirk.
Spectra's first Pokémon was a dark bluish-green ghost-like Pokémon. It had a red 'necklace' and flowing hair which kinda looked like a hand. Its eyes were yellow with red irises. Harry pointed his Pokedex: Misdreavus, the Screech Pokémon. Misdreavus are extremely mischievous and like to cry out at night just to startle people.
The second Pokémon resembled a swirling, purple vortex with green, varying sized orbs of light circling the face. Its mouth was green in a crooked expression and two green eyes shaped like half-crescents. One of its eyes had a spiral shaped pupil. Weirdly, it was attached to a light brown/gray stone. Iriana looked up this one: Spiritomb, the Forbidden Pokémon. As punishment for misdeeds 500 years ago, Spiritomb was sealed in the fissure of an Odd Keystone.
"Creepy, okay Vibrava use Dragon Breath!" Iriana ordered.
"Ninetales, use Flamethrower!" Harry called.
"Both of you dodge and use Shadow Ball!" Spectra yelled.
Both Ghost types managed to dodge the streams of multi-colored energy and fire, launching orbs of darkness at their opponents. Though Ninetales managed to nimbly jump out of the way, Vibrava wasn't so lucky.
"Vibrava! Show them what you're made of, use Sand Tomb!" Iriana cheered on her Pokémon.
"Ninetales, help him out, use Fire Spin to keep the other two from moving!" Harry ordered.
The Fire type nodded and breathed out a curled stream of fire, surrounding the Ghost types. With the fire so close, the two Pokémon panicked, not hearing Spectra's orders to sink into the floor to safety. Suddenly, the floor swallowed them up, courtesy of Vibrava's attack. The ground took on the shape of a cube, and then collapsed in on itself.
"Misdreavus! Spiritomb!" Spectra called out, a worried look on her face. It changed to relief and resignation when the two Pokémon climbed out of the rubble only to fall, KO'd on top of it.
"We did….huh?" Iriana started to cheer, only to stop when Vibrava began to glow and change shape. As the transformation was taking place, Iriana heard Harry mutter with humor, 'It's always during a battle with you'. In Vibrava's place was a large, light green, insect-like dragon Pokémon. Its tail had several dark green stripes and three green rhombus shapes at the end. Its wings were green and rhombus-shaped as well, toeless hind legs and three-clawed hands. Over its eyes was red-lensed 'goggles' and a pair of green antennae on its head. Iriana whipped out her Pokedex: Flygon, the Mystic Pokémon. It's known as the desert spirit because of the song-like voice that emanates from the sandstorms it kicks up.
"Sweet! Vibrava evolved!" Iriana cheered.
While she gushed over Flygon, Spectra approached a grinning Harry. "Congratulations you two. Here are the Badges you've rightly won." The Badges, funnily enough, were shaped like cartoonish ghosts. "If you walk straight through town, you'll end up at the opposite end beach you arrived at. Head straight across and you'll end up at Frigus Beach, which leads straight up to Glacies. I wish you two luck, because you'll need it with Crystal." She ended her speech by actually disappearing in front of their eyes.
Getting creeped out again with what happened, the duo follow Spectra's directions and head straight out to open water, Harry riding on Dragonair while Iriana rode on Flygon.
"Okay, I am never coming back to this place again. While I love Halloween and stuff, that was just plain scary." Iriana said, shuddering.
Harry nodded, and then smirked, "Wouldn't it have been funny, if Spectra wasn't really there at all? And we were fighting her ghost?"
Iriana just glared at Harry, "You know I can call back Dragonair, and you would have a nasty fall to the water…" She smirked at the cowed look Harry had. "Score one for me!"
Traveling across the blue water, the two humans gradually noticed the change in temperature. What was once a warm day gracefully turned cool, almost like autumn. Once they hit the beach did they have to pull out their jackets. As Iriana returned her Pokémon, Harry glanced around at the forest. Out here, so far from the mainland, the trees were covered in a layer of frost, thin enough that they could still see the color of the leaves. Looking at the pathway leading in, Harry could see the transformation in the trees to winter.
"Now that's pretty cool." He noted.
"Don't you mean cold?" Iriana teased, pulling her silver jacket closer. Harry's response was to lightly punch her arm. "Meany."
"Come on, Glacies is a few miles inland." The teen said, walking down the frosted dirt path, his friend at his side.