Ch.42: The Haunted Ghost Cove Town! Team-Up to Face the Horrors!

Leaving behind the craggy, molten lands of the Fire Zone, Team Ravenfield have crossed over to the Aqua Zone and have been trekking through for about a week. As they walked, the immediate changes brought to their eyes were a breath of fresh air, quite literally. The air was much cleaner than in the Fire Zone.

The Aqua Zone itself received its name for the moisture accumulated with the natural borders of the land that separate the differing zones' climates. The part of the Aqua Zone they trekked through was noticeably foggy, obscuring their vision past a certain distance. The ground wasn't craggy or rough as the Fire or Earth Zone. The path ways to the towns and cities were soft from the moisture.

The Aqua Zone was most notable for the hundreds of bodies of water scattered across the zone. Rivers seeping out from the sea that resides the near upper right of the region and channeling their refreshing water into the hundreds of lakes found around the zone.

Being the only one with little knowledge of the lands, Gwyn was obviously the most excited. "Wow! This place is so much more different the Fire Zone! It's amazing!" She clasped her hands together. "All of the lakes in the Aqua Zone come from the ocean?!" she asked Flint enthusiastically.

Flint smiled at her, always happy to answer her many questions. It was a joy to see someone take great pride in their region and wanting to know more about it. He could spend hours answering her near endless questions.

With a chuckle, he said, "The technical term is sea, Gwyn. Mysto is pretty close to another neighboring region and encloses the body of water between the two landmasses. But yes, all the lakes and rivers in the Aqua Zone are directly connected to the sea. Interesting fact, the city we're heading to, Spring Wells City, has a beach right at the sea. We call it the Sapphire Sea for its beautiful, sapphire glow."

"Wooow," Gwyn awed with sparkling eyes. "So awesome!"

Ella nudged the Mew's side. "Which is why I suggest hitting the beach before we have to fight another mage."

Tony snickered and folded his arms behind his head. "Totally in sync with you, El."

Griffin scoffed and kept his eyes on the road. "Count me out. I have no time for pointless activities."

Ella smirked. "Oh come on, Grif." She poked his side, giggling through her teeth. "A little water's not going to kill you."

Griffin glared. "My training comes first."

"So does your mental state, bucko!" Wes exclaimed. "Holly and Mack told us to keep an eye on you and make sure you learn inner peace! You know, what Seraphina suggested?"

Griffin groaned and held his face. "Must I really indulge in your stupid antics?"

Ella shrugged. "If you don't want to, you don't have to." She smirked mischievously. "We'll just throw you into the water." Griffin sighed and pinched between his eyes. "Don't think I'm bluffing. Ask anyone."

Flint narrowed his eyes. "She's not joking…"

"I figured," Griffin mumbled.

Wes laughed. "We can worry about the beach later. It'll be a while before we even reach Spring Wells." He rubbed his neck. "For now, I suggest we stop at the next town over and take a rest." He stopped for a moment and stretched his legs. "My legs are killing me!"

Ella waved her paw in front of her face. "And this fog will get thicker soon."

Tony crossed his arms. "Fine by me." He grinned impishly. "So, how about you guys find a motel or tavern and I'll-!"

"No more stealing!" Flint shouted, pulling on his ears. "We're lucky that we didn't get caught back in Scorch Grave! I don't need any more drama over my head!"

Tony rolled his eyes and held his hips as he looked away. "Spoil sport…"

Flint groaned, then looked to his brother. "So…what's the closet town we can rest at?"

Wes pulled out the map and traced his digit down their path. He smiled. "Aha! A little town right nearby! Ghost Cove Town!"

Gwyn tilted her head. "Ghost Cove Town?"

Griffin crossed his arms. "I haven't been there in a while. I remember tracking down some bandit into their bar before I gave him what he deserved." He held his chin. "It's a pretty small town. Almost as small as a village, really."

Gwyn looked at Flint. "I get that a lot of the towns and cities get names because of the zones, but why is it called Ghost Cove Town?"

Flint smiled and raised his digit. "Good question, Gwyn. There's a bit of an urban myth that surrounds the formation of the town." He cleared his throat and began, "Long, long ago, when early settlers were hiking through the foggy lands of the Aqua Zone, they came a body of land submerged in water. These settlers took an innovative approach to their new land and built the town right over the water. They would use the water for easy access to drinking water since the mass of liquid was fresh.

"However, according to urban myth, the water was cursed. You see, there was a running pattern that quickly grew attention the longer it went on. According to the settlers, the water was not ordinary water found out in the ocean, but rather came to that spot through supernatural means. Water straight out of the Underworld."

Gwyn held her chin. "Wait, why would the Underworld have water? Isn't it a hot, scary place?"

"We live in a region where the climates are literally divided by imaginary borders," Flint jokingly argued. He scratched his head. "Besides, the water itself was believed to be more so the liquefied souls of demised spirits. Folks started growing paranoid as town folk disappeared one by one. They say those who were filled with great gluttony for the water would disappear. Those who took more than they should for themselves."

Gwyn gulped, starting to become nervous. "W-What happened to the settlers?"

Flint bit his lip, refraining from wanting to spook the innocent Mew. Before he could walk his way around it, Griffin delivered the answer in a blunt tone, "As the myth goes, the settlers were seen jumping into the water and drowning themselves."

Gwyn stopped walking and froze in place. Her face lost all the color in it as her lip quivered in terror. "D-D-D…Drowning themselves?"

Griffin shook his head. "Something about forced possession for their sins…they say the water's cursed."

Gwyn gulped. "Cursed?!" That word always brought back unpleasant memories for the Mew. Her body shook in terror as she wrapped her arms around herself. "D-Does the t-t-town still d-d-drink the water? D-D-Do we have to drink it?"

Flint held her shoulders and smiled comfortingly. "Gwyn, don't worry, it's just an urban myth." He shot a quick, almost hostile glare at Griffin, who merely shrugged it off. He faced Gwyn again, smiling gently. "Gwyn, the water's not actually cursed. It was just some myth made up to scare early settlers."

Gwyn bit her lip. "R…Really?"

He nodded. "I'd never lie to you, Gwyn." She smiled and threw her arms around him, giving him a friendly squeeze. His cheeks lit up a bit, but he smiled and hugged back. Ella and Tony glanced at each other, then smirked impishly.

Once the two separated, Wes added on to the myth. "If memory serves, the town was so influenced by the myth that they regularly bless the water for helping them survive. No one ever steals and stores more water than they need to."

Flint nodded and grinned. "See, Gwyn? Nothing to worry about. The town was just named because the folks believed the spirits of the past settlers reside in the water below, watching over the growth of the town they've made. No one drowned."

Gwyn sniffled, then smiled lightly. "O-Okay…" She gave him a little nuzzle, then skipped ahead.

Flint held his cheek, a little surprised by the gesture, then smiled. He caught a glimpse of Griffin staring at him, to which the Flareon snarled quietly at him before marching forward.

Griffin narrowed his eyes. "Okay, he's been giving me the stink eye all week," he said quietly to no one in particular. "What the hell did I do?"

Wes backed up until he was by Griffin's side. "Don't take it too hard. He might not be over you slapping him into a building." He scratched his head. "Well, that and he's kind of protective over Gwyn."

He glared. "What? Does he think I'm a threat to her?"

"No, it's just…" Wes glanced at Gwyn to see if she happened to be eavesdropping. Fortunately, she seemed preoccupied talking to Flint. He looked back at the Grovyle and explained, "We haven't told you this yet, but Gwyn's…had a rough experience with curses."

"Do tell."

"Ever heard of the Curse of Disease?"

"I'm familiar with its effects."

"Imagine a poor five-year-old girl suffering from it."

Griffin's eyes slightly widen. "Wait…" He pointed at Gwyn in shock. "She was cursed with the…oh man…"

Wes shook his head. "Normally she doesn't think much of it, but there are times where just saying the word 'curse' right in front of her brings those memories up. Sometimes they don't bother her, yet sometimes…they hurt when she thinks of them for too long."

Griffin groaned and facepalmed himself. "Now I feel like a jerk…I'm not used to this kind of company."

Wes shook his head. "It's not your fault. Just…try and be sensitive around Gwyn, especially when Flint's around." He quietly whispered, "He can get pretty emotional when he's angry. Trust me, if something's bugging him, it's fairly obvious."

"I'll try and keep that in mind," Griffin promised. He slid his hands in his pockets. "Can't even imagine what she had to go through…"

The team continued walking for a half hour in mostly silence. Flint and Gwyn chatted lively with each other as the Flareon explained some of the different properties found out in the Aqua Zone. Gwyn was positively absorbed into the conversation, her never-ending flow of questions bringing a bright smile to Flint's face.

Wes and Griffin seemed to ignore this, lost in their own thoughts, but Tony and Ella were paying close attention to the two chattering friends. Tony glanced at Ella and smirked. "Haven't you noticed ever since we left the Fire Zone, Flint's been acting more…lively around Gwyn?"

Ella tapped her chin with a knowing grin. "Really? Never dawned on me." She chuckled. "Oh, I've noticed. Flint does like explaining history to her, but he's much more enthusiastic about it."

Tony held his chin, snickering through his teeth. "Hehehe…I think you know what I'm thinking."

Ella nodded with her eyes narrowed slyly. "Oh, most definitely." They snickered behind their hands/paws.

Eventually, after their trekking through the foggy nothingness, a shape appeared in the mist. The closer they got, the more define it became, showing off the quiet little town of Ghost Cove. As they drew nearer, they paused to observe the wooden bridge before them.

A look down below revealed a large pit that stretched out the entirety of the town, with the pit filled with an oddly colored water. It appeared to glow with a luminescent sea green light. The water was calm and still.

"Wow…" Gwyn mumbled in awe. She glanced over at Flint as he crouched down and stuck his paw in, swirling it around.

He stood up and smiled at his friend. "See, Gwyn? Nothing to fear. They just believed it was cursed because it glowed like this, but it's really just the crystals in the water giving it that color." He pulled her hand out and dropped something into it. "Here, take a look."

She looked at the object and smiled. It was a tiny crystal glowing with a sea green glow. The longer she looked at it, the more the gears in her head turned. She stuck her tongue out and said, "Hmm…wonder if I can create a new Naturae Fruit with the same luminescent properties…" Flint chuckled. He should have expected her saying something like that.

Griffin walked up to the bridge and stepped on. "If we're done admiring the water, we need to restock and rest, so let's hurry up."

Flint sighed. "Right, right…come on, Gwyn." She nodded and followed the Flareon, along with the rest of the team.

The Mew looked at the bridge curiously, then traced it to the connected town. "You said this town was built over the water, right? Does that mean the whole town is suspended over the water on these platforms?"

"Pretty much," Flint answered. "A lot of Water-Types were commissioned to help with the support beams underwater. The wood's all laminated with a special material so the wood doesn't rot from the overexposure to moisture." He smiled ahead. "Ghost Cove Town is one of the earliest settlements in the Aqua Zone, so it has historical importance."

Ella chuckled and walked up beside them. "And, from what little research I've done, they have some nice shops we can check out." She hooked her foreleg around Gwyn. "Sound like a plan?"

Gwyn smiled brightly. "You know it!"

They stepped into the town and looked around. The buildings that made up the small town consisted of brick-like material with roofs covered in a type of seaweed, which surprisingly worked well against rainwater. The community area of the town was freely spaced out, but the housing district was much tighter and condensed for the sake of space. The town itself stretched out quite the distance, as the pit of water they stood over was massive and wide.

Due to the closeness of the town, many say Ghost Cove Town had a great community where everyone got along. It was usually bustling with activity and sparkling conversation from the folks out and about. Pokémon walking about and shopping with their fellow friends and neighbors and just generally getting along with each other.

However, that didn't seem to be the case today. There was no one out, not a single soul to make out. The town was…eerily quiet, much to the confusion of the team. Even Gwyn, who barely knew anything about this town, would assume there'd be some activity going on.

Tony broke the silence with his usual quips. "Well, I thought we'd be stopping by in Ghost Cove Town, not a 'ghost town.'" He chuckled quietly to himself, then groaned. "Annnd, I'm turning into my mother…"

Ella scratched her cheek curiously. "Odd, this is the first time we've entered a town that didn't have someone out."

Griffin shrugged. "Might be a slow day. It happens."

"Yeah, but…not a single person out? Doesn't that strike you as, I don't know, strange?"

Wes waved her concerns off. "Oh, come on, Ella. It's a pretty small town to begin with. You can't expect everyone to be roaming around in the morning…afternoon," he corrected.

Ella sighed and shook her head. "Whatever. I still want to check out the shops before we book a room."

Griffin scratched his head and walked ahead. "Well, since I've been here before, I'll go get us a room. I'll meet you by Seashell Shop in a bit."

Wes waved to him. "Sounds good, buddy!" Griffin, without looking back, gave a short, apathetic wave as he faded into the fog. Wes looked at the others. "Well, I guess we'll check out the shops."

Ella squealed in excitement and grabbed Gwyn's hand. "Come, girl! Let's get a move on!" She dragged the Mew with her, who yelped as she was pulled off her feet. The boys sighed and followed them.

They came up to the store Griffin pointed out, a sign hanging over the door that said 'Seashell Shop.' It resembled the other buildings with a notable seashell design presented on the glass doors. Ella took the lead and pushed the doors open, followed by the little bell overhead.

However, their appearance brought upon another sound: a frightened yelp of terror. Their heads instantly faced the Honedge clerk who pressed himself against the wall, accidentally unsheathing himself. Around his fallen scabbard was a typical store apron.

Once the Honedge readjusted himself, he sighed in relief. "Oh…customers." He picked up his scabbard and slid it back on. He scratched his hilt with his eye narrowed sheepishly. "Uh…welcome to Seashell Shop, where we sell the finest accessories and items for travelers. H-How may I help you?"

Ella waved it off. "Oh, don't worry about us. I'm just here treating my friend to some culture." She grabbed Gwyn and showed her around the store.

Tony looked around curiously, then made his way up to the counter. "Slow day, huh?" he asked, acting casual.

"H-Huh?" Honedge laughed awkwardly. "OH, yes! Certainly slow! Golly, I don't remember a time where I had an easy day!"

Tony leaned back against the counter, elbows laying on top. He smirked to himself. "Well, good for you. A slow day is always appreciated once in a while. It seems like everyone is following that policy today."

Honedge gulped, but tried to hide his nervousness. "Uuuhhh, YEP! Definitely! Ha…wouldn't be surprised if some folks were still sleeping…"

Tony scratched his chin. "How come? Today some special holiday we should know about?"

Wes and Flint glanced at each other, questioning what the Dewott was doing to the clerk. They know that tone of voice anywhere. It was the one he used when he was trying to force information out of someone.

Honedge shook his hilt. "N-No, sir! I guess…everyone's being lazy today!" He laughed again, but it came off much more obvious that he was holding back a lot of stress.

Wes and Flint narrowed their eyes, now beginning to see what Tony was up to. The Honedge was acting unusually suspicious. They nodded at each other, then walked up next to the Dewott.

Tony continued with his usual shtick, acting seemingly oblivious to the clerk's hidden terror. "Ah, lazy days. Could use one myself." Tony leaned forward with a sly smirk. "Though, I have to ask: if everyone isn't doing much today, how come you're at work?"

Honedge began to sweat…strange, but they didn't question it. "Heh…well sir, I just…I have work to do, so…" He scratched his head. "Can't let anyone rob me if I'm not working, right?"

Tony held his hands up, completely 'understanding' him. "Oh, I get where you're coming from. Slow day or not, it'd be a disgrace for an employee to leave their store unintended." He walked around the counter.

Honedge laughed nervously. "Y-Yes, yes, very disgraceful!"

Tony traced his finger along a display that held snack items. He narrowed his eyes curiously. "Tell me, my good man. Is it a normal business practice to jump out of your sheath like a frightened loon when greeting customers?"

"H-Huh?"

Tony shrugged. "Oh, pardon my rudeness, but you just seemed…unusually jumpy for such a slow day." He looked around. "Were you robbed recently? Do new travelers just frighten you? Or are you some paranoid nutcase?"

Honedge backed away, gripping his side tightly. "N-Now, you listen here! I don't appreciate being interrogated like this! I just simply came to work because it's my obligation! It's been a slow day, so I wasn't expecting customers, that's all!"

Tony narrowed his eyes. "Oh, really?"

"Y-Yes, really!"

Tony blinked slowly, then walked towards him. "Ditch the apron."

"E-Excuse me?!"

"You're gripping your side there pretty tightly. There, uh, something wrong? Big fight recently?"

Honedge was pressed against the wall. "I told you, it's nothing! I just scratched up my sheath, that's all!"

"Oh, you don't say? Then, let me take a look! I have minor practitioner experience," Tony mildly fibbed.

Flint narrowed his eyes. "Tony, maybe we should leave him alone. He says nothings wrong."

"There's a difference between you and me, Flint. You may have your book smarts, but my powers of observation never fail me." He glared at the Honedge, who shivered in terror. "And our sword friend here-," he grabbed the clerk's apron, "-has quite the story to tell." He ripped it off.

Wes and Flint's eyes widened at the Honedge as the apron fluttered to the ground. He tried to hide it, but they could see it all: the deep gashes clawed into his scabbard. The impressions ran deep into the metal, with the slashes appearing to be done with poor precision and terrible form. It wasn't a simple claw mark in their eyes: it was a mauling the Honedge had to fight from.

Honedge narrowed his eye, then broke down in defeat. His impact with the ground echoed a loud clang that alert Ella and Gwyn to the counter. The Mew was holding a couple outfits in her arms that Ella picked out. "What happened?" Ella asked.

Tony crossed his arms. "Our friend here seems to have been hiding some pretty nasty injuries." He raised a brow. "And they look like they came from something that wanted to kill him badly."

Honedge balanced on the tip of his scabbard, which showed off the horrible markings done into his scabbard, shocking them. "Please…just leave…"

Wes stepped forward and crouched down. "Sir, who did this to you?"

"I…rather not say…"

"Sir, please. If someone attacked you, we can go after them for you. This can't go unjust."

Honedge shook his hilt. "This is nothing more than a small fight."

"Ex-cuse ME?!" Ella exclaimed loudly. "Did you suffer from head trauma, too? That is not the result of some small fight! Looks like some rabid Pokémon tore through you!"

Honedge glanced off to the side. "…you're not wrong…"

Gwyn set her outfits down and leaned over the counter. "Sir, if there's something wrong, we can help." She grinned brightly. "Trust us! We're…kind of professionals at dealing with fights."

Honedge looked around at them, but continued to deny. "You wouldn't believe me…what I've seen might as well have been a dream."

Flint waved it off. "I know we just met, but nothing you can say is going to surprise us. Trust me on this one."

Wes nodded. "We'd be more than happy to help. We, along with another friend of ours, can handle whatever is bothering you."

Honedge hesitated to voice his concerns, but he was backed into a corner. He wanted to spare them the trouble of hearing his woes, but they were adamant on helping him. He prayed they didn't find his worries a work a fiction.

"This town used to bustle with activity nonstop. From sunrise to sundown, the community would be out carrying on with their usual day. That…has been the case two months ago. But now, the public is too terrified to walk the streets. Some brave it to care for their family, but there are instances where the brave are attacked.

"Fortunately, no one has died, but these attacks have left deep scars across the community. Those…creatures."

"Creatures?" Flint mumbled.

Tony glared. "What are you talking about?"

Honedge's eye widened as he thought deeply about the horrible creature. "…The creature reborn from dirt and rot…"

Ella deadpanned. "…WOW, thanks! That's not confus-!"

"Zombies, you fool! Our town has become haunted with ZOMBIES!"

He panted heavily while Team Ravenfield stared at the ghost sword in disbelief and surprise. Gwyn gulped and hugged herself. "Z-Z-Zombies?"

Ella narrowed her eyes. "What are you getting on about, you crazy lunatic?"

"I know it sounds insane, but it's true!" He held his face and cried into his silk hand. "Every so often, our town experiences a flood of rotting corpses that blindly attack us! I was a fool to go out in the middle of the night! I thought I could take them, but there were too many! Their numbers overwhelmed me! I was nearly torn to shreds have it not been for that Monferno who saved me!"

Wes raised his brow. "Monferno?" He shook his head. "Wait, there are seriously zombies infesting your town?"

"I'm not lying!" he screamed. "Everyone is too scared to come out! They appear and disappear faster than we can keep up!" He wrapped his arm around his scabbard and dropped onto his back, quivering. "My, oh my, what have we done to deserve this fate, almighty gods?" he mumbled quietly.

The team backed away, still put off by this surprising revelation. Gwyn gripped her wrist, then, with a nervous smile, asked, "Um…maybe we should camp faaarrrr away from this town? Perhaps?" Sweat dripped down her face.

Flint frowned sympathetically at the Mew and patted her shoulder. "Gwyn, it's okay. There's no such thing as zombies."

"Reality warping idol~," Ella reminded quietly.

"Shut up~," Flint whispered back with an annoyed tone.

Wes rubbed his chin. "Hmm…I don't know, this seems far too extreme to be everyone's imagination." He narrowed his eyes. "But, how no one's reported this to the other neighboring towns? Or submitted a bounty request? Surely someone would have come to your aid."

Honedge rubbed his eye and said, "W-We couldn't. Our mayor is the one who submits the bounty requests for approval. We begged him to do so, but he doesn't seem to believe there are zombie attacks."

Ella deadpanned. "Does your idiot of a mayor happen to be blind?"

"No, he isn't. He's a very stubborn man, yes, but I didn't think he'd be stubborn enough NOT to believe a collective outcry like this!" He rolled over and planted his front on the floor. "What was the point in coming to work…? I should have just stayed home…"

The team looked to the Honedge in sympathy, then backed away to give him his space. They grouped up at the front of the store. Wes crossed his forelegs and sighed. "Oookay, it looks like there will be a small delay in our trek to Spring Wells."

Flint scratched his head. "I find hard to believe the town was attacked by zombies. It could be a gang of thugs dressing up as zombies to scare the folks."

"Yeah, but…two whole months?" Ella questioned. "Is anyone that dedicated to spend their free time terrorizing folks? You would have to be a mindless corpse to do that."

Tony sighed. "It's clear to me that we should investigate this. Zombies or not, something's going out of their way to attack the folks." He tapped his chin. "If only we had any indication why."

Just then, the store doors flew open, making them jump. Gwyn screamed. "ZOMBIES!" She leaped onto the top shelf and shivered with her fur standing on end.

Thankfully, it was only Griffin. However, he didn't seem to be in a good mood. He gave a quick glance up to Gwyn. "Um…sorry?" He faced the others. "I'm assuming her outburst means you all are on the same page as me?"

Wes recovered from his brief shock and narrowed his eyes. "Wait, you know about this zombie nonsense, too?"

He nodded. "Yes. When I was at the motel paying for our rooms, the manager seemed pretty shook. I tried asking him what was wrong, but…" He scratched his head and grunted. "Well, he wasn't talking much, so I went a bit more assertive with my questions."

Flint rolled his eyes. "Of course, the violent route…"

Griffin crossed his arms. "Scold me all you want, but all I did was shove him against the wall and force him to squeal. Good thing I did, because he told me that zombies were running amuck." He glared seriously. "He also pointed me in the direction of their cemetery."

Gwyn gulped. "C-C-Cemetery?"

"How is there a cemetery here?" Tony questioned.

"It's just outside the water we're over," Griffin explained. "It's pretty big…and partially wrecked."

Wes narrowed his eyes. "Show us."

Griffin shook his head. "You're not gonna like it…" He led them out the store.

Ella pulled Gwyn down and pushed her out the door. She shot a smile at the store clerk. "Can you hold onto those outfits for us? We'll be back soon! Ciao!" The doors closed behind her, leaving the Honedge to shiver alone with his thoughts.

Griffin had his arms crossed while his team stared at the scene before them in shock. Gwyn shivered behind Flint, daring not to look at the sight again. Griffin sighed. "What did I tell you?"

Right outside the town was a cemetery surrounded with a large fence. Several gravestones were seen scattered and broken all around with spots in the dirt that looked like they were dug out from below. Some graves were left undisturbed, but the number of open graves indicated there are several in hiding. Several monstrous creatures desiring to kill the living.

Ella held her head, trying to wrap her mind around this disturbing discovery. "Well…seems that guy wasn't crazy, after all."

Gwyn clutched Flint's mane tightly. "This town is haunted…" she whimpered.

Flint scratched his head. "O-O-Okay, this is too extreme to be some gang related incident, but still…I-I can't believe this is real."

Griffin stepped through the cemetery and touched the dirt. "Dirt indicates there was a struggle to get out, so we can rule out graverobbing." He held his chin. "If this is true, how? The dead doesn't just come back to life without a reason. You'd need a soul to operate a body."

Tony walked around. "Is there any type of magic that can bring the dead back to life?"

"Only one spell in particular: the 'Life for a Life' spell. However, it can only revive one creature who has died within a twenty-four hour period. It's a highly advanced, forbidden healing spell. It wouldn't be able to revive anything from this cemetery. Even if it could, the price for using the spell is death to the user."

"So, this was done by unnatural means," Flint figured out, rubbing his chin.

Griffin narrowed his eyes. "We'll need to find one of the zombies and study it, see what reanimated it."

"E-E-Excuse me?" Everyone turned to Gwyn, who shivered nervously. "Y-You want us to…CATCH ONE?!"

Griffin nodded. "It's the only way to figure out what's afflicting the dead with unnatural life."

Gwyn shook her head furiously and threw her hands out. "No, no, no, no! I'm not fighting a bunch of corpses! It's just…unnatural! I bring life to nature, not reanimate it!" She held her head. "This is so messed up..."

Flint narrowed his eyes. "Oh Gwyn…" He rubbed her shoulder. "It's going to be fine. I'll be here to protect you if we run into zombies."

"Wouldn't it make more sense for her to protect you?" Griffin pointed out. Flint shot a glare at him. "What? It's true."

Flint groaned, then looked back at Gwyn. "We'll handle this, don't worry." He scratched his head. "Question is, how do we go about it? We don't even know where the zombies are."

Ella sat on her haunches and crossed her forelegs. "Well, the mayor won't be much help if he apparently can't see the danger his town is in." She glanced at Wes. "You're good at gathering info like this. What do you think we should do?"

Wes looked down thoughtfully and paced around the cemetery. He tapped his chin as the options ran through his mind. What would he do in a situation like this?

He narrowed his eyes seriously, then broke out into a large grin. "Oh, I know! Let's head to the bar!"

The team blinked, then Griffin said, "Not that I'm one to turn down a drink, but why?"

Wes chuckled happily. "Because, with my experience, all the best information you can gather about anything is bound to be in a bar. A bar is a place for communication and drunken fun! Whenever I need to get an important piece of information, I always turn to the bar for guidance."

Tony blinked, then glanced at the others. "Please tell me he's joking."

Flint sighed. "I wish he was…" He narrowed his eyes. "Wes, no one's even out of their homes. What makes you think anyone will be at the bar?"

Wes pressed his paw against his brother's lips and shushed him. "Shh…do not doubt the magic of bar information, dear brother."

"But-"

"Shh, shh, shh. Don't say anything." He threw his paws up and shouted, "Team, we're going to the bar! Woo!" He dashed off, parting the mist around him.

Griffin narrowed his eyes and pointed in the opposite direction. "The bar's that way." He flinched as the Umbreon sped past him again. He sighed and pinched between his eyes. "Well, it's all we got. Might as well see it through." The team nodded and followed the hyperactive Umbreon to the bar.

The gang came across the Ghost Cove bar and, just as they expected, it didn't appear to be buzzing with chatter or excitement. The lights were on, though, so someone had to be inside. Guess the employees couldn't up and forget to go to work despite an outbreak of zombie attacks.

Tony cracked his knuckles. "So, how do you want to go about this? Shall I give them the charm?" He flashed a sparkling grin as an example. "Or do you want to go with a classic interrogation?" He gave a hard glare, trying to appear tough.

Griffin deadpanned. "How about neither of those?"

Tony smirked irritably at the Grovyle. "Oh yes, because threatening folks is the only way to go, right?"

"It worked, didn't it?"

"Stop arguing, you two," Ella grumbled. "We're here on business. Whoever's in here is going to talk whether they want to or not."

"Right!" Wes exclaimed. He adjusted his jacket's collar and straightened his hat. "Let me do the talking first. We want to make this subtle."

She nodded. "Of course."

Wes cleared his throat, then kicked the bar doors open. He marched in and shouted, "Good evening, everybody! How are we doing today?! Heard anything about some old fashion zombie attacks lately?!"

"HOW IS THIS SUBTLE?!" his team screamed in frustration.

The bar was mostly empty with a couple Pokémon sitting at the booths. Course, his sudden announcement of the zombies infesting their town made them recoil under their tables for protection. Even the bartender hightailed it to the back out of fear.

Wes blinked, then shrugged with a goofy grin. "Well, guess I'll have to ask directly." He skipped off to talk to the cowering patrons.

Flint groaned and rubbed his face. "Wes, I swear…"

Griffin slid his hands into his jacket pockets. "Might as well ask around." He headed to another table to ask two frightened gentlemen.

As the team awkwardly meandered around the bar, their actions were closely examined by an Alolan Sandshrew. He wore a white shirt, purple tie, black pants, and a black blazer over his shirt. He held a shot glass in his hand, curiously studying them.

He narrowed his eyes, then smiled to himself. He nudged the passed-out Pokémon by his side. "Fernando? I think there's some folks who might be able to help you."

Passed out right next to the Alolan Sandshrew was the hitman, Fernando Mangas. He picked himself up after stirring from his rest. His eyes were slightly bloodshot from lack of sleep. He pinched between his eyes and groaned. "Reuben, I'm trying to sleep. What is it?"

"I said there's some folks asking around about the zombies. Perhaps they can be of assistance," Reuben suggested.

Fernando picked himself up and groaned. "How? I'm not exactly looking for the zombies."

"True, but a little extra help wouldn't hurt."

"Ugh, fine…" Fernando spun around in his chair tiredly. "Who is…it?" All the drowsiness that plague his mind and body washed away in seconds as he caught sight of two familiar Eeveelutions, who were awkwardly walking around. "Wait…is that…?" He jumped out from his chair and rubbed his eyes. He squinted at them, then gasped in delight. "No way! It really is! Flint! Ella!"

"Huh?" The two Eeveelutions looked to see who was calling them over, then they, too, gasped. "Fernando?!" They ran over to the Monferno. Tony and Gwyn looked at each other, confused.

The Monferno embraced the Eeveelutions and laughed aloud. "Oh, I can't believe it! I haven't seen you two in years!" He pulled away. "How have you been?"

Flint grinned. "We've been doing great, for the most part. Just been traveling across the region as of late."

Ella chuckled. "A lot of wonderful sights to explore, that's for sure."

"The kind of experience I get to take with me every day." Fernando slid his hands into his pockets. "I'm surprised to see you two here, though."

Ella shrugged. "Well, we brought some friends along." She pointed over her shoulder. "That's Tony and Gwyn. They're traveling with us." She pointed over to Griffin. "The Grovyle over there is with us. He's Griffin."

"I see." Fernando tilted his head. "Curious. If you two are here, does that mean-?"

"FERNANDO!" The hitman yelped as a black blur tackled him to the ground before trapping him in a tight hug. "Fern, old buddy! I can't believe it's you! It's been too long!" Wes exclaimed cheerfully.

Despite being in obvious pain, the hitman worked in a strained smile. "Wes…g-g-good to see you…too…"

Griffin walked over after hearing the commotion, then looked to his other confused teammates. "What's going on?" Tony and Gwyn shrugged.

Fernando was eventually released from the suffocating hug and stood up. He patted his suit clean and sighed. "Well now, that was certainly…unexpected."

Wes grinned brightly. "Sorry, but I haven't seen you in a while. How have you been?"

"Busy as usual, that sort of stuff." He adjusted his hat.

Tony raised his hand. "Um, excuse me? Mind filling us in? Who is this guy?"

"Oh right, you all haven't met yet. Fernando, there are our traveling buddies, Gwyn, Tony, and Griffin. Guys, this is Fernando Mangas, professional hitman for hire. Our pal, Hal, knows his father, but we officially met when Flint, Ella, and me accidentally tagged along on one of his missions."

Fernando scratched his cheek. "You caused quite the hassle to assassinate my target."

"Hey, you still completed your contract."

"Yes, much slower than I wanted to," he grumbled.

Wes laughed and patted his back. "Oh, you know you loved our company!"

"Not the exact words I would use." He glanced around at the group. "So, what brings you all to Ghost Cove?"

Griffin crossed his arms. "Well, we did come here to restock supplies, until he heard about these zombie attacks the folks have been going through."

Fernando narrowed his eyes. "Ah. So, you've heard about that as well?"

"Is that why you're here?" Flint asked.

"Not exactly, but I'm doing all I can to help the public. I do have work to complete here, so I'm multitasking."

"H-Have you…s-s-seen the zombies?" Gwyn asked nervously.

Reuben looked to Gwyn with a caring look. "You worried about them, sweetheart?"

She looked down meekly. "K-Kind of…"

Wes glanced at the Alolan Sandshrew, then asked, "Fern, who is this?"

"Oh, him?" He cleared his throat. "This is Reuben, a resident of Ghost Cove Town. When I heard about the zombies, he came to me and said he could help me with research on them. He's trying to figure out what's causing them to rise up from the dead."

Reuben chuckled. "I happen to study supernatural events that exist with Mysto, events that seem to disobey the natural law of magic we've established." He swirled his drink around. "It's actually surprisingly fascinating."

"It is?" Gwyn questioned, now looking curious.

"Oh, yes. You may perceive these walking corpses as monsters, but I like to think of them as a tool to study with." He winked. "You seem like the kind of girl who loves to learn various subjects." Flint narrowed his eyes slightly, off put by the wink he gave her.

What is he…? He kept focus on the ice shrew's mannerisms towards his friend.

Gwyn found herself giggling. "Well…I am still kind of new to how Mysto works. A little odd since I've lived here my whole life, but I was very sheltered as a kid…well, very sheltered since about two months ago."

"Such a shame. You've missed out so many wonders your whole life. Then again, I almost envy you." Reuben chuckled. "At your age, you are at a point where you can experience the world with a greater appreciation. Through the eyes of a mature young woman."

Gwyn smiled. "Really? Wow, thanks!" Flint rolled his eyes and mockingly mouthed the Alolan variant's words.

Fernando sighed and held his hips. "Well, Ms. Gwyn, to answer your previously stated question, I have seen the zombies a couple times. However, the fog got so thick, I could barely make them out. They did appear as rotting corpses, though, so they're very much the undead."

Tony narrowed an eye. "Annnd, you're still looking into how this all happened. Any leads?"

"None I can think of. Our only hope is capturing one of these zombies and testing to see what gave it life."

"Hey, that's the idea we had!" Wes cheered.

Fernando smiled lightly. "Well, it looks like we're on the same page." He sighed. "Though, how we go about finding them is a completely different story. They keep slipping under the radar whenever I track them down. They're an oddly intelligent batch of zombies, I'll give them that."

Reuben rubbed his chin. "Truly odd considering these zombies operate without a soul. As we all know, when a body no longer contains its life force or soul, it has nothing left to keep it alive. And without the soul, they certainly wouldn't be able to think up coherent strategies on the fly. The brain simply can't work as fast without another consciousness guiding it."

"What do you suppose that means?" Griffin asked.

He folded his arms and looked up curiously. "Again, I would need to study them to be sure. Considering I, too, have been attacked by them once or twice."

Fernando nodded. "It's true. Around the time I got here, I found him being surrounded by those things."

"I wouldn't have made it out alive have it not been for you. Assisting him was the least I could do." Reuben held his chin. "Still, they don't seem to behave like normal zombies, so I can't discern what we're going against." He smiled brightly. "Still, the more I think about it, the more excited I become. A rare breed of zombie."

Gwyn smiled awkwardly. "You really are passionate about your work."

"Of course I am. The supernatural is my life's work." He rubbed his chin. "Tell me, what field of study do you pursue?"

Gwyn giggled. "Well, since you asked, I like working with plants."

"A botanist?"

"Eh, sort of." She smiled proudly. "Actually, I'm working to becoming a Potion Master like my mother! So, I guess a botanist and a potion maker." She giggled sheepishly. "I really love to experiment."

"Truly fascinating. Please tell me about your research."

"Sure!"

The Mew began to chatter away about her plant research to the Alolan Sandshrew. Flint watched on with a somewhat mixed expression. Wow. He, uh, got her to calm down about the whole zombie thing rather quickly.

He was unaware of Tony and Ella standing right behind him. They held their chins as they shared a devious expression with each other. Tony folded his arms behind his head and said aloud, "Wow, that Reuben guy sure knows what he's talking about. Might make this whole zombie hunting thing easier."

"I'll say," Ella agreed. "Seems like he's getting along well with Gwyn. Then again, Gwyn just loves learning new things!"

Flint rolled his eyes, not bothering to face them. "Yeah, yeah, it's pretty interesting stuff…" he mumbled.

Tony tapped his chin. "Couldn't help but notice how he looked at Gwyn. I think he might be attracted to her." Flint's ears shot up while his face glowed bright red.

"Huh? You think so?" Ella 'ignorantly' responded.

"Oh yeah, it's written all over his face. Look at him? He's really getting into the conversation!"

Ella tapped her chin, smirking. "Huh, guess you're right."

Suddenly, Flint began shoving them away from Gwyn so she couldn't hear them. Once they were a safe distance from earshot, he glared. "What are you doing going on about?"

Tony shrugged. "We're just saying Reuben might have a little thing for Gwyn. Though, can you blame him? She's an adorable oddball. What guy wouldn't be into that?"

Flint glared furiously. "Oh, come on!" he growled, consciously remembering to keep himself quiet. "So, what? Gwyn has tons of interesting stuff to talk about! It's just two fellow researchers talking about their life's passions! That's not abnormal!" He glanced off to the side with an almost blissful smile. "I could listen to Gwyn talk for hours."

Tony smirked. "Huh, really?"

"Yeah…" he mumbled as he glanced at the Mew with caring eyes.

Ella snickered. "Hmm…and what do you think of Reuben?"

Flint narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "Nothing. I'm…glad Gwyn's meeting new people she can share a passion with."

"Buuut, you did look pretty annoyed when he winked at her," Tony commented, holding his cheek with an impish grin.

"Y-Yeah, well…I'm just protective over her, that's all," he declared, crossing his forelegs.

Ella smirked. "Aww. Jealous someone's flirting with your girlfriend?"

All the alarms in Flint's head went off simultaneously. His face lit up bright red while steam flood out his ears with a train whistle. His eyes widened to new widths as he whipped his head back at the two mischievous meddlers. Their impish smirks told him exactly what they were doing and he did not like it.

"G-G-G-G-G-G-?!" Flint stuttered, stuck on that one letter as his brain went through a total meltdown. Ella raised her paw and slapped him across the face, forcing out, "Girlfriend?!" He clamped his mouth shut, absolutely mortified by the possibility of Gwyn hearing him. Thankfully, she was too absorbed into her conversation with Reuben.

Tony held his chin, feigning ignorance. "Oh, our bad. We just, you know, assumed you two were a thing given how much you hang out. Alone. You know, in private-"

"We are not a couple!" Flint quietly shouted, flailing his forelegs. "We're just really good friends, that's all! I…really like talking to her. We share our love for knowledge with each other and enjoy every second of it." He shook his head. "B-B-But, that doesn't mean I have a c-c-c-crush on her or anything!"

Ella tapped her chin, unconvinced. "Uh huh, right. So, you can look at me in a bathing suit and be completely unfazed, but the sight of Gwyn in one turns you beet red?"

The brief memory of that incident returned the mentioned color to his cheeks. "I've…known you almost my whole life! Of course it wouldn't faze me! I've just never seen Gwyn in anything like that! She keeps herself pretty covered up!"

Tony tapped his chin. "I do wonder how she could walk through the Fire Zone in a sweater without suffering from a heat stroke." He shook his head. "Okay, but what about when she saved you back in the Fire Temple?" He smirked. "A little embarrassed you were rescued in the arms of your crush?"

Flint's face glowed bright red. "Tony! Ella!"

Ella waved it off. "Come on, Flint. It's just harmless teasing. I think it's cute you have a thing for Gwyn."

"But I don't!" he insisted, pulling down on his ears.

"Flint, you were probably one of the only guys in high school who wasn't in a relationship, or didn't go on dates," Ella said. "You were always so…socially awkward around girls. Other than me, this is the first time I've seen you talk to one without stuttering like an idiot."

Flint glared. "I've outgrown that. I'm just not interested in pursuing relationships." He looked back over at Gwyn. "Look, I'm really protective of Gwyn. I really care about her."

Oh, we know. Ella suppressed her giggles as she patted the Flareon's back. "I get it, alright? You feel obligated to keep an eye on her. You're like her…guardian, or something like that."

Flint sighed. "I do the same to watch over all of you. Gwyn's just a…special case." He shook his head. "Look, if I'm coming off as too harsh towards Reuben, I just worry about Gwyn. Despite being a brilliant fighter, she can be rather naïve. Seeing someone…flirt with her," he muttered in annoyance, "doesn't sit well with me. I feel it's my duty to protect her." He narrowed his eyes. "I'm sure Reuben's a nice guy. I just…don't want to leave Gwyn alone with him."

Tony suppressed the urge to tease him, making an audible gulping sound. "Ahem…right, right, of course. You do you, pal." He ruffled his head, knocking his bowler hat askew. "Just don't let the jealousy thing get the better of you."

"I'M NOT JEALOUS!"

Griffin led everyone back to the motel he rented rooms for. Coincidentally, Fernando was staying in the same motel, so they were in close contact with each other. Reuben followed them to the motel to wish them goodbye. He and Gwyn continued to converse, with the Mew going on about her various test potions. Flint kept a steady pace behind them.

"…and then, it only dawned on me that my fur turned blue after I put the fire out." She giggled through her hands. "It was quite the mess."

Reuben laughed. "Quite the story, my dear. You seem to bring your own brand of chaos when you work."

Gwyn twirled her finger through her hair, chuckling. "It's my thing!"

They made it to the motel, where they stopped. Fernando folded his arms behind his back. "I understand preparations for research tomorrow will take time. We'll meet back around the bar at nine in the morning and discuss further details on the search."

Reuben nodded. "Of course. Until then, I shall perform my own research on zombie mythology and see where I can find some helpful notes."

Fernando nodded. "Thank you for your help, Reuben."

He bowed. "It is my pleasure." He nodded to Team Ravenfield. "Hope you all have a goodnight." He winked at Gwyn. "Especially you, my dear." Flint growled quietly as steam lightly blew from his ears.

Gwyn, completely oblivious to his attempted flirting, grinned. "You too!" Reuben nodded and left the group, heading off into the fog.

The gang and Fernando entered the motel. They happened to be staying in the same hallway, with Fernando only a few rooms down. The Monferno headed to his room and unlocked the door. "I'll see you all in the morning. Take care."

Wes waved. "Night, Fern!" The Monferno shut his door behind him. Griffin let everyone into their room.

It was a pretty simple room. Two queen sized beds, a couch, a desk, and a nightstand between the beds. There was a bathroom near the front entrance.

The group took turns into the bathroom to slip into their sleepwear. Griffin simply hung his jacket up on the desk chair. Once everyone was ready divided up where everyone would be sleeping.

"Okay, the girls will share one bed and Flint and I will get this one," Wes said.

Tony held his hand up. "I call the couch!" He leaped over Griffin and plopped down on the couch.

Griffin rolled his eyes. "I'll just sleep in the corner." He walked to the corner of the room and sat down. He took a meditative position and closed his eyes, breathing rhythmically.

The others got themselves situated, but Flint took a moment to pull Gwyn to the side. He cleared his throat, then awkwardly dragged his paw across the floor. "Sssooo…had fun talking to Reuben?"

Gwyn grinned. "Oh yeah! I never realized zombies had a fascinating lore to them!" She chuckled nervously. "Still not too keen on meeting one, though. Hehe…"

Flint gave a wry smile. "I know what you mean." He scratched his head. "Listen, uh, I just wanted to let you know that…well…" He shook his head. "N-Never mind." He smiled caringly. "You have a goodnight, Gwyn."

Gwyn smiled, then pulled him into another one of her affectionate hugs. He immediately wrapped his forelegs around her and hugged back. "You too, Flinty!" She pulled away, then hopped into bed with Ella.

Flint smiled at the Mew, then looked down as he slowly sauntered over to bed. His conversation with Tony and Ella left him puzzled. He couldn't to deny it, but…was there a chance he felt something more for Gwyn?

Ever since Scorch Grave, he's been feeling rather weird around the lovable Mew. Before, he greatly enjoyed her company and took pride in conversing about their world. Other times, it was the Flareon talking about his past and his own shortcomings. While embarrassed at mentioning personal blunders, hearing her laugh did make him feel…happy.

He has his reasons for not being particularly fond of Griffin, but those could probably improve over time. That was from a bad experience. His annoyance towards Reuben definitely came from a place of protection. Perhaps the Flareon is overly paranoid, but he didn't like that someone was openly flirting with Gwyn. It gave him the impression that he flirts with any girl that catches his eye. Maybe he doesn't trust the Alolan Sandshrew…

…or maybe he just wanted to keep Gwyn safe.

He barely knew Reuben. He'll have to keep an eye on him tomorrow and see whether or not his intentions don't have hidden meanings. Until then, the Flareon himself had to get a grip on his own emotions.

He crawled into bed and turned his back to Wes, who was already sound asleep. Flint gave one last look towards Gwyn. The green Mew was fast asleep, facing his direction. He narrowed his eyes sleepily and smiled at her. She looked peaceful.

Flint shook his head and closed his eyes, hoping he could get some sleep without any more nonsense like jealousy or crushes plaguing his mind.

Outside in the foggy night time of Ghost Cove Town, a creaking could be heard walking along the platform bridges. A group of footsteps walking out in the silent night.

Through the mist came five figures cloaked in black. The one in the middle hissed and took a step forward. She glared at the motel. "Are you sure you saw her?"

One of them nodded. "Yes, ma'am. A Mew colored green. And some meddling pests who are looking into recent…events."

She chuckled cunningly. Under the cloak, one could see the clicking mandibles matching her laughter. "I knew my luck would turn around eventually. I wasn't expecting to step up my plans, but her arrival here is quite the welcome surprise." She glared. "I must have her. The rest I can do without."

One of the cloaked figures raised their hands. "No survivors? I can work with that." They snapped their figures. "My loyal minions, heed your master's commands: eliminate the troublemakers. Capture the Mew by any means necessary. Do not disappoint our coven leader."

Through the mist behind them, soulless white eyes gleamed to life, followed by a chorus of unearthly moaning. The five figures chuckled as they backed away into the mist, with the creatures slowly walking forward, setting their sights on their assigned target.