Arriving in Lavender Town, Summer used her Soothe Bell to stop a mysterious purple fog. She then met the paranormal investigation team, the Ghostly Travels Squad. She learned her rival Weldon was in Lavender Town and became worried for his safety when his injured Growlithe came to the Pokémon Center. Summer then followed a misty apparition into Pokémon Tower and is forced to confront her past. What will happen inside, and how will she handle this?

Chapter 29: The Haunting of Pokémon Tower

"Okay…this is creepy…" I slowly assessed, trying to hold myself together. I looked at Lightning and was surprised she wasn't scared. "Don't you want to go back in your Pokéball, Lightning?"

She firmly shook her head. "I want to help you, Summer. You're still a little scared about being in here."

I smiled. "Thanks, Lightning. Errol, you should come help too."

I sent out my Flying type, and he nodded. "You can count on me, Ms. Summer!"

As I scanned the headstones, I noticed a large one made of marble at the western side of the room. The white mist was standing in front of it. We walked over to it and saw a carving of a bird Pokémon with two heads and feet on the marble.

I knelt down and asked the spirit, "Was that you when you were alive?"

The mist sadly nodded. "Yes. I was the partner for the venerable Mr. Fuji."

"I see." I took out my Pokédex to scan the carving, but when it scanned, the device emitted some static and didn't play the data entry.

The air immediately turned to ice. The mist became frightened and retreated into his tombstone. My heart began to beat faster, and I started to sweat in fear. I nervously got up and asked, "W-who's there…?"

A loud bang upstairs answered my question. Lightning also became unnerved, but Errol seemed to be interested about its source. As if that couldn't be scary enough, my Pokégear rang, echoing in the quiet room. Trembling, I took it out of my pocket and saw it was an unknown caller. I was hesitant to respond, but the phone kept ringing after its usual three sets.

I slowly pressed the answer button and put it on speaker. "H-hello?"

A deep female voice answered, "GET OUT! LEAVE THIS TOWER!" The caller immediately hung up, and my Pokégear suddenly died and turned off.

I can't stay in here any longer. I have to leave, now!

As I ran to the doors, Errol shouted, "Ms. Summer! Look out!'"

He pushed me to the left. When I hit the gray tiles of the floor, a flurry of leaves hit the heavy wood doors.

"Thanks, Errol," I said. "But where did that Razor Leaf come from?"

"Summer!" Lightning shouted, her cheeks emitting sparks. "There's something wrong with them!"

"Wrong with whom?"

I got up and looked in the direction of the attack. To my shock, I saw Weldon and his Ivysaur. I was about to yell at them for attacking us when I noticed their eyes were more sinister and had no pupils.

No! They look like...like...HER!

I felt a panic attack and fell to the floor, cowering into a ball. As I breathed harder, I heard Lightning and Errol talking, but their voices were muffled.

"S-Summer! Snap out of it!" Lightning shouted as she pushed on my right arm.

I then felt Errol touching a Pokéball. He cried out, "I do not understand. The Pokéballs will not open!"

"Errol! We don't have time to get everyone else. Help me out here!"

"Oh, yes, Ms. Lightning. My apologies, Ms. Summer."

He forcibly pecked my right shoulder, and I immediately snapped out of my trance.

As I slowly got up, Errol determinedly shouted, "Let me battle, Ms. Summer! We should be able to find the source of this evil."

I looked at my confident Pokémon and nodded. I then looked at my rival and his starter. "Weldon, you're being possessed, and I'm going to snap you out of it by beating you in a battle."

Weldon laughed, his voice mixed in with a deeper tone. "I've beaten you two out of three times! What more can you prove in another battle?"

"More than enough. Errol, use Peck!"

"Very well. Ivysaur, Razor Leaf!"

Errol used his Keen Eye ability to skillfully dodge the sharp leaves and hit Ivysaur with his sharp beak. Ivysaur skidded backwards and shook off the pain.

"Ivysaur, Vine Whip!"

As Ivysaur unleashed two vines towards Errol, I commanded, "Use Confusion to stop those vines!"

Errol landed on the floor, focused psychic energy through his eyes, and tried to stop the vines in mid-air. Although the psychic power slowed them down, it didn't prevent them from hitting him. Errol was pushed back but was ready to continue.

"Let's try something else, Errol. Hypnosis!"

As Errol charged up the purple rings, to my surprise, Ivysaur did the same.

"No, you idiot!" Weldon angrily shouted. "You'll blow our cover!"

Both Pokémon released their rings, canceling each other out.

Ivysaur can't use Hypnosis...Unless he's possessed too!

"Errol! Use Foresight on Weldon and Ivysaur!"

"What?!" Weldon shouted, shocked that I figured out their scheme. "No, stop!"

Errol scanned the two with his pink monocle and two Ghost-type Pokémon showed up in the center of their bodies.

I knew it!

I moved my Pokédex towards the purple and black gaseous balls. [Gastly, the Gas Pokémon. When exposed to a strong wind, a Gastly's gaseous body quickly dwindles away. They cluster under the eaves of houses to escape the ravages of wind.]

"How dare you reveal our disguises!" the Gastly controlling Weldon scolded.

The two left their hosts and began licking Errol. Weldon and Ivysaur then collapsed to the floor.

Errol stood there and slowly became annoyed. "What uncivilized Pokémon."

After getting over the uncomfortable scene, I realized the attack was a Ghost type attack, which was ineffective against Normal types.

"Errol, swat those tongues away and use Peck!"

Errol happily pushed the licking apparatuses away and stabbed the Gas Pokémon with his beak. The Gastly deflated towards the ground, tired from the attack and the earlier possessions.

"Quick, Summer!" The ghostly Doduo shouted as he rematerialized behind the Ghastly. "Use your Soothe Bell!"

I nodded and took it out of my backpack. I lightly shook it, allowing its calming melody to echo in the room. The Ghastly smiled in relief and slowly disappeared. Doduo nodded and disappeared well.

Errol then rocked back and forth, hooting six times. I felt light touch my face and saw the sun rising from the two east windows.

Yes! I've never felt so happy to see the sun!

As I put my helmet away, Errol and Lightning went to check up on Weldon and Ivysaur, who were still spread out on the floor. I soon joined my Pokémon and saw Weldon and Ivysaur stirring.

Weldon got up first and slowly rubbed his head. "W-what happened?"

"That's what I'd like to know," I bluntly replied.

Slightly confused, my rival opened his eyes. When he saw me, he screamed and recoiled, hitting himself against a headstone.

"How are you, Ivysaur?" Lightning asked as the Grass type starter stood up.

"A little fine, but groggy," he muttered, shaking his head.

"Looks like Ivysaur's happier to see us than you are Weldon," I teased.

"S-shut up, Summer…" Weldon angrily stuttered.

Feeling bad, I was about to apologize when he stood up and returned Ivysaur. He tried to walk to the door but had trouble maintaining his balance.

"Let me help you, Weldon," I offered.

He rejected my outstretched arm. "I don't need your help." This motion caused him to fall to his knees.

"Sorry, Weldon. But you need help," I firmly countered.

I bent out, placed his left arm over my shoulders and lifted him up. For a fit kid, he was heavier than I thought.

"Allow me, Ms. Summer!" Errol eagerly shouted, waving his arms.

I immediately stopped him. "Thanks, Errol but you're still a little new to using Confusion. You might accidently crush him."

Errol pouted. "All right. I shall lift his arm with my wings."

"Good alternative." I took out a Pokéball and let Flower out. "Flower, please help us carry Weldon back."

"Of course, Summer."

She sent out two vines that lightly wrapped around Weldon's right arm. Errol flew up and helped Flower stabilize it. Once we had the right positioning, I easily pulled the door open with my free hand, and Lightning led us into the morning light outside.

We walked for a few feet when I heard Clark shout, "There they are!"

We all looked to our right and saw the GTS running towards us.

"Here, let me carry him," Clark offered.

I nodded and helped Clark move Weldon into his arms. He then carried him into the Pokémon Center, and the rest of us followed them. When we entered the building, Nurse Lilac greeted us with a stretcher. Clark put Weldon on it, and she wheeled him to the emergency room. I returned Errol and Flower thanking them for their help.

Danny looked at me and Lightning and asked, "What happened? Where did you go?"

I filled the GTS in about the mist, Pokémon Tower, and Weldon's possession.

"Hmm…" Danny pondered aloud. "Gastly are not known to be sinister, only mischievous."

"You think something's forcing them to be sinister?" Bobby asked.

"It's a possibility," Clark deduced. "But what I'm more interested in is why did the mist ask Summer to help?"

"Good point." Danny then turned to me. "Why did the ghost Doduo want you?"

I replied, "He said my Soothe Bell can help them."

Bobby stroked his beard. "Soothe Bells are known to calm Pokémon, probably even those not from this earth."

Clark looked out the window and saw the black tower. "We will find out what's going on and help these people." He then turned to me. "Summer. You should check up on Weldon and get some rest. We'll go talk to the people at the orphanage to see if they know anything."

I nodded, slightly yawning. The GTS left the building and walked to the east. I then saw Nurse Lilac exit the emergency room.

"How's Weldon?" I asked her.

She smiled cheerfully. "Weldon's going to be just fine. Luckily, this isn't my first case with fatigue from possession."

"That's great. Wait...possession? How did you know Weldon was possessed?"

Nurse Lilac's smile faded, but slowly returned. "I guess I can tell you, Summer. It may help with what's been going on."

We sat down on a couch in the empty lobby. "Six years ago," Nurse Lilac started, "A man infiltrated Pokémon Tower and did the most horrible thing anyone could imagine...killing Cubone."

I was shocked. I never heard anyone killing Pokémon before. "W-why did he kill them?"

The nurse shed a small tear. "He wanted their skulls. Cubone skulls are reportedly valuable in the black market."

I instantly became angry. That reason was despicable…

"Anyway, in the process, he killed a Marowak trying to protect her child. In revenge, her spirit scared off any visitors and tried to stop that poacher on her own. But she couldn't do much, as the poacher carried Pokémon who could easily defeat her.

When a boy with spiky orange hair entered the Tower, she tried to ask him for help, but he laughed and refused. Enraged, she possessed him in order to use him to stop the poacher. She was about to confront her murderer when another boy wearing a red cap tried to stop her. After a hard-fought battle, the boy with the cap won and convinced the spirit that he will defeat the poacher. The spirit agreed and the boy fulfilled his promise. The poacher was arrested and the spirit decided to stay as a protector to the Pokémon and spirits."

"That's a great story," I said. "Who were those boys anyway?"

Nurse Lilac giggled. "You might know the boy in the cap as the Kanto Champion and the other as his rival."

"Wow…" I said, amazed.

We both stood up, and I went to my room for some much needed sleep.

Inside Pokémon Tower on the seventh floor, two men dressed in black use their binoculars to look through the open windows. While the man with smooth black hair enjoyed the view, the other with green hair shifted nervously.

"How long do we have to stay in this creepy tower?!" The green-haired man complained.

"Patience, Proton," his companion reassured with his smooth-talking voice. We should be done scouting tonight."

"I can't stand being in here any longer!" Proton shouted. "I'd rather be in a cave than a haunted building."

An elderly man tied to a headstone tried to break free from his binds. "Y-you crooks! You won't get away with this!"

The black-haired Grunt walked up to their captive and knelt down. "Mr. Fuji, don't make this worse for you. After all, do you want more people to get hurt trying to save you?"

Mr. Fuji stopped struggling. "Someone will rescue me. Shin too!"

"Highly unlikely. After all, he's the strongest Ghost Pokémon here."

"Archer!" Proton shouted as he stared at the fogless street. "I think I see some guys in black walking around in town. They look like those ghost hunters."

Archer came over and stared at the men. "So they heard about what's been happening. Well, when they get into the tower, a big surprise will be waiting for them."

He then looked at a headstone near Mr. Fuji that was covered in darkness. A sinister grin appeared, acknowledging the Grunt's words.

After I woke up from my nap, we had an early dinner. As Lightning and I were about to leave, the GTS entered the cafeteria.

"Hi, Summer," Clark greeted. "Feel rested?"

"Yeah, thanks Clark. How was your time at the orphanage?"

The squad's faces became solemn. I was surprised at their reactions but I knew it was related to the events.

"Well…" Clark said. "We learned Mr. Fuji has been missing since the fog started."

"The owner of the orphanage? Where did he go?"

"The staff wasn't sure," Danny replied. "But they think he might be trapped inside the tower. They said he went to check on the graves, but he never came back."

"This makes the investigation more critical than ever. We need to get ready," Clark solemnly said.

"Wait! What about our traditional Swiftney run?" Bobby asked.

"Oh yeah," Danny said, slightly smiling. "We can't forget that."

Clark smiled as well then turned to me and saw my confused expression. "We usually have coffee at Swiftney before our nighttime investigations. Why don't you join us, Summer? They have delicious hot chocolate, and I'll pay."

"Sure," I replied.

Luckily, there was a Swiftney coffee shop in the Pokémon Center cafeteria. The four of us got hot drinks and prepared ourselves for what would lie ahead. After the break, Danny and Bobby left to get the video equipment ready. I looked at Clark and he was very pensive.

"Summer," he slowly said. "Be honest with me. Do you want to go inside the tower again?"

I thought about his words and replied, "Although I don't want to…yes. I want to help the people and spirits. Why do you ask, Clark?"

He fidgeted slightly. "I know you can see human spirits."

I sighed softly. "I had a feeling you would know. You have the same ability I do."

"I just want to make sure you're mentally prepared."

"I am, and I have my Pokémon by my side."

Clark nodded but I could tell he was still worried. We left the cafeteria and saw Danny and Bobby waiting for us with their cameras, bags, and ghost hunting equipment. We all left the Center and walked quietly to the tower.

As we were heading there, Clark gave his nighttime investigation introduction speech to Bobby's camera.

"We are now heading towards Pokémon Tower, the center of the nightmares for this town. We have our special guest, Summer joining us tonight."

Bobby turned the camera to me. I was surprised but gave a nervous wave. He then turned to camera back to Clark.

"Once we're inside, we hope to rid the cause of this calamity and help the spirits rest in peace once again."

Bobby stopped filming and we arrived at the sinister building.

"Now," Clark said. "Before we begin, let's get a group photo for the blog."

The rest of us nodded, and we took a quick photo in front. I thought it was a little strange to take a photo, but it did lighten up the mood.

When Danny checked the photo, he said, "Hey, guys. There's something in this photo with us."

"What?" Clark and Bobby said in unison. We all crowded around Danny's camera and saw a white mist to the left of us.

"I guess the ghosts really want us to come," Clark surmised. Let's get our Pokémon ready.

Everyone nodded and sent out their Pokémon: Clark and his Machoke, Whaley, Danny and Cocoa, and Bobby and his Magnemite, EMF. I looked up Magnemite in the Pokédex yesterday, but the translation app couldn't understand it.

I sent out Errol and asked Lightning, "Do you want to investigate with us?"

Lightning politely shook her head. "I wish, but I think Errol will be better suited for this."

Errol saluted her. "You can count on me, Ms. Lightning!"

She nodded as I returned her. I took a deep breath and followed the GTS inside. I felt the last bit of warmth from the setting sun as the wooden doors slowly closed.

"Hmm... The air feels calmer compared to last night," I said, looking around.

"That means the evil presence is further upstairs," Clark surmised. "Let's get our flashlights out."

The squad took out three flashlights from their camera bag, I took out my helmet and turned on the flashlight. The air suddenly became colder.

"Hey, Boss," Whaley grunted as he scanned the room. "There's something here with us."

The other three Pokémon agreed. We then saw a white mist sitting in front of its headstone.

"Hey, it's Mr. Fuji's Doduo," I said. Errol use Foresight and the form of the two-headed bird materialized. Apparently, Danny and Bobby could also see him as the GTS nodded in acknowledgement.

"Thank goodness you came back, Summer! And with reinforcements," Doduo said excitedly.

"We'll do our best, Doduo," Danny reassured.

"I wish I can accompany you upstairs, but there's something wrong up there."

"Why don't we scout ahead?" Clark suggested. "We need to set up a camera there anyways. Summer, you and Errol should wait down here. We'll let you know when it's safe to come up."

Bobby gave me a walkie-talkie and I attached it to my belt. The GTS cautiously climbed the stairs to the second floor. In the meantime, the three of us visited each headstone to pay our respects. When we walked around the reception booth, I saw a large portrait of a man with a long grey beard and short gray hair. A menacing looking Pokémon was also in the portrait, but he looked genuinely happy.

"Do you know who they are, Doduo?" I asked.

The bird nodded. "Those two were the original owners of Pokémon Tower: Sei and his Gengar, Shin. They loved the tower and helped the town embrace the respect for the deceased. In fact, Sei is the only human to be buried here so that he and Shin would continue to help the living and the dead."

"If that is the case," Errol wondered. "where might these two be?"

Doduo became concerned. "That's the thing. I haven't seen Sei or Shin in a while. In fact, no one has been to the seventh floor since that fog rolled in. That's where Sei is buried."

"Maybe these incidents are related to them," I said. "I should tell the GTS about this."

"Speaking of Clark," Errol realized. "should have we been contacted by now? It appears to be almost an hour now."

"You're right, Errol," I said, checking my Pokégear.

Suddenly, a loud bang echoed from upstairs. The two bird Pokémon looked upstairs intently while I took several deep breaths.

"We should investigate, Ms. Summer," Errol whispered.

I tried to answer, but my nervousness made me mutter incoherently. Errol was forced to drag me up the stairs, and I didn't protest. Something strange was in the air as we traveled through the maze of headstones.

"Ms. Summer, look!" Errol pointed to a black camera on a tripod near the next flight of stairs.

As we approached it, the air immediately became cold. Two purple ghostly gates materialized and blocked each of the stairways. Doduo shrieked and tried to dissipate, but several black shadows rose from their resting places and held him captive.

I tried to walk to Doduo, but my legs couldn't move. Ten more shadows materialized and transformed into creepy ghosts.

"Join us… Join us…" they moaned as they floated towards me and Errol.

Errol saw the fear in my eyes and tried to use Foresight to identify them. But the ghosts' eyes turned purple, causing Errol to reluctantly fall asleep.

N-no...not again…

The ghosts then turned their attention to me and, with their sinister smiles, surrounded me. As they approached closer, I slowly lost the will to defend myself. I was afraid no one would help me...like last time...

Pokémon: Blaze (Combusken, male): Brave Nature, moves: Quick Attack, Double Kick, Flamethrower, Focus Energy

Errol (Hoothoot, male): Rash Nature, moves: Foresight, Growl, Hypnosis, Peck; learning- Confusion

Swirls (Poliwhirl, female): Relaxed Nature, moves: Water Pulse, Hypnosis, Water Gun, Doubleslap

Lightning (Pikachu, female): Adamant Nature, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Sweet Kiss

Flower (Bulbasaur, female): Gentle Nature, moves: Tackle, Leech Seed, Vine Whip, Sleep Powder

Rocky (Onix, male): Lonely Nature, moves: Rock Throw, Slam, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail

Questions for the Chapter:

What is Team Rocket doing in Pokémon Tower?

Would anyone be able to save Summer?