Chapter 15
Leaf finally remembered to do something she'd been meaning to do for a while: she called Professor Oak.
"Leaf!" Professor Oak's voice was cheery as always. In the background, Leaf could see other researchers moving about. Pokemon scampered around their feet. "I was wondering when I'd hear from you. How's your journey going?"
Professor Oak's smile was contagious. Leaf grinned from ear-to-ear. "Sorry for the delay. I've been quite busy." She lifted her satchel and opened the flap to show her three shining badges.
There was a look of alarm on the professor's face. "You know, I was already surprised to see you calling from Lavender Town, but three badges? Didn't you leave Pallet Town just a couple of weeks ago? And I thought Blue and Red were moving fast."
Leaf closed her satchel. "I started my journey late, so I figured I should pick up my pace. I can't let those boys get ahead of me, you know?"
"True, but––and I told the boys this too––there's no harm in taking extra time between Gyms to train or just relax and bond with your Pokemon."
Leaf suddenly felt a bit defensive. "I have been doing that. I've been training and also exploring the cities. My Pokemon and I are pretty close, too."
"I'm sure you have and I'm sure your relationship with your Pokemon is good. I'm just saying that there's no need to rush."
Professor Oak's gentle tone made Leaf feel guilty for snapping. She knew he was just looking out for her. Mom had practically given the same advice, too.
Thankfully, Professor Oak didn't dwell on the matter. "How's the Pokedex? Are you finding it helpful?"
Leaf nodded vigorously. "It's been teaching me a lot about the Pokemon I encounter. On that note, do you want to see my team?"
"I'd love to."
Leaf released her four Pokemon. Ivysaur chirped in excitement upon recognizing the professor and pressed his nose against the PC screen.
"Is that the Bulbasaur I gave you?" Professor Oak asked with a laugh. "Or, I suppose it's Ivysaur now."
"He's amazing. Thank you so much for him." Leaf gestured at her other Pokemon. "This is Fearow. I caught her as a Spearow by Viridian City. I met Psyduck in Cerulean and Vulpix by Rock Tunnel just yesterday."
The Team Rocket member who tried to capture Vulpix flashed through Leaf's mind. Should she mention Team Rocket to Professor Oak? Given how influential he was, he might be able to do something. But what could he do exactly? And how would she even tell him? Plus, she had no doubt that her parents would hear about it and freak out.
"Ah, Vulpix! Now that's a particularly interesting Pokemon," Professor Oak said. "It needs a special stone to evolve."
Leaf decided not to say anything about Team Rocket for now. "Oh, a Fire Stone, right? I met Bill McIntyre and he told me all about evolution stones."
"You met Bill? Good for you. He's one of the brightest minds Kanto has ever seen."
"He was a cool guy. He even showed me his Pokemon collection. He didn't tell me exactly how evolution stones worked, though. Do you just give it to the Pokemon?"
"Essentially, yes. You have to press the stone on top of its head."
"That's it? The Pokemon will just evolve from that?"
Professor Oak nodded gravely. "Correct. That's why when you get a stone, you need to be careful. There have been many instances of a Pokemon evolving by accident. Or the trainer will use the stone too early, which is bad for the Pokemon's growth."
Leaf became painfully aware of the Fire Stone in her satchel. She'd tossed it in thoughtlessly yesterday and now saw it slipping out and falling on Vulpix's soft head. She would need to be more careful about handling the stone from now on. "How do you know when it's the right time to evolve it?"
"The time is right when the Pokemon is ready. You'll know when they are."
Leaf looked down at Vulpix. She was curled up on the table, regarding Leaf with her large, round eyes. Leaf wondered what Vulpix would evolve into, if the small fox ever wanted to evolve.
Leaf glanced back at Professor Oak. "There's something else I wanted to ask." She placed a hand on Psyduck's head. "Psyduck knows this one move called Confusion, but he can't seem to use it at any given moment. It has to be triggered by something, like getting hit by a strong attack. If I order Psyduck to use it whenever, he gets a pretty severe migraine. I'm not sure how to help him control this move."
Professor Oak thought for a moment. "Confusion is a psychic move and Psyduck, I believe, is purely water-type. It can be tricky for Pokemon to use moves outside of their type, especially if the move is psychic since that requires a lot of mental power. I'm afraid I don't have specific advice other than to keep practicing."
Disappointment stabbed at Leaf. She'd really hoped to learn about some special trick that would instantly cure Psyduck of this issue. She supposed it was nice to hear an explanation of why Psyduck struggled so much, though. "Thanks, Professor. That was all I wanted to ask about."
Professor Oak nodded. "Any question you have, I'll do my best to answer. Keep me posted on your progress!"
"Will do. Talk to you soon!" Leaf hung up, returned her Pokemon, and exited the Pokemon Center.
Lavender Town, nicknamed the Noble Town, was very small; it almost reminded Leaf of home. But while Pallet Town had a friendly, peaceful atmosphere, Lavender Town felt somber and quiet. Many of its citizens were on the older side and the roads had a slight purple hue, made darker by the shadow of the Pokemon Tower, a seven-floor building that held the graves of departed Pokemon. It loomed over the town, serving as a constant reminder of all the lost companions. There were rumors that the tower was haunted. Leaf wasn't sure how much she believed them. She knew that there were some Pokemon that could relinquish their corporeal forms and fly through walls. They were referred to as ghost-type Pokemon, but even though many were creeped out by them, in her mind, they weren't real ghosts. They weren't the ones that most horror movies were based on. As a result, Leaf paid little attention when paranormal activity was reported at the Pokemon Tower.
Still, it was a bit unsettling that the only major landmark of Lavender Town was a giant graveyard. And despite it being summer, the air felt chilly. It was no wonder that everyone here looked so sad. Leaf had been making a conscious effort to explore every place, but she decided it wasn't necessary to do so for Lavender Town. She was going to head straight to Celadon City.
Leaf walked along the purple road, pondering her next steps. She knew the Celadon Gym Leader used grass-type Pokemon. She could use Fearow and Vulpix, though the fox probably needed some training first. She didn't even know Vulpix's moves yet. The Underground Path was several miles away from Lavender Town. Maybe Leaf could stop along the way for a training session. Psyduck could continue practicing his Confusion, too.
At some point, she passed by a house with a picket sign in front. The sign read, Lavender Volunteer Pokemon House. Leaf stopped and took a good look at the house. There wasn't anything special about it. It looked like any other house. According to the sign, however, it wasn't intended to be a purely residential building. That made it the only somewhat notable thing in Lavender Town other than the Pokemon Tower.
Curiosity piqued, Leaf knocked on the door. After a moment, the door opened and a young brunette woman came out. She wore a yellow apron over a pink blouse and maroon pants.
"Hello, who are you?"
"I'm Leaf. I was just wondering what this place was?"
The woman smiled. "Hi Leaf, I'm Valerie. Come in and see."
They stepped inside the house, which was more like a studio, and Leaf instantly broke out into a grin. There were three people playing with Pokemon. It kind of reminded Leaf of the Pokemon Fan Club, except this house was extremely simple. It was sparsely furnished, containing only what was necessary. Although it wasn't rundown, Leaf could tell the house was old. Despite the plainess, she knew from the laughing and teasing that she had stumbled upon something special. The house felt warm, as if the joy of its inhabitants manifested itself physically in order to shield everyone from the coldness outside.
Valerie raised her voice. "We have a visitor! Her name is Leaf. Come say hi!"
Immediately, everyone stopped what they were doing and rushed to greet Leaf and introduce themselves. Two of them, a black-haired boy named Max and a blonde girl named Zoe, looked younger than Leaf. The third person was Valerie's twin brother, Peter, who wore a stained t-shirt and pants. Their Pokemon sniffed at Leaf's feet. She recognized most of them: they were fairly common Pokemon. The two that stood out to her most were a Psyduck and a stout purple Pokemon with large ears and a horn. The purple Pokemon, Leaf guessed, was the evolution of a male Nidoran.
"What is this place, exactly?" Leaf asked.
"This is the Lavender Volunteer Pokemon House. We care for abandoned and orphaned Pokemon," Valerie explained. Her smile faded upon noticing Leaf's bewilderment. "Unfortunately, some people decide they just don't want to have a Pokemon anymore." She gestured at the purple Pokemon. "Nidorino, for example, was found poking through our garbage when he was still a Nidoran. We knew the owner. He apparently didn't want to bring Nidorino with him when he suddenly left town."
"Good riddance if you ask me!" Max spat and wrapped his arms around Nidorino's neck protectively.
"A lot of the other Pokemon here have similar pasts," Valerie continued. "Then there are some, like Psyduck, whose mother died when they were too young."
"How did that happen?"
Valerie shook her head. "Could be anything from natural causes to getting picked off by some predator. In rare cases, the mother was killed by humans."
Leaf was horrified. "Humans?"
Everyone suddenly looked back. Leaf followed their gaze and saw, huddled in the corner, a small, brown, dinosaur-like Pokemon. It wore a skull on its head like a helmet, revealing only a pair of despondent black eyes, and held what appeared to be a bone.
"That Pokemon over there is Cubone," Valerie said sadly. "His mother, a Marowak, was killed by three men. Cubone would've been hurt as well if we hadn't arrived when we did."
The pain in Cubone's eyes made Leaf's heart clench. "How could they do that?"
"We don't know for sure what their motive was, but our guess is they wanted to sell their skulls on the black market. The owner of this house and founder of our organization, Mr. Fuji, went after them. It's been a few days and he hasn't come back."
"What do you mean he hasn't come back?"
"He's just disappeared," Zoe piped up. "Everyone's been searching for him, but there's no trace."
"And there's a ghost in the Pokemon Tower," Peter added gravely. "People are too scared to go in now."
Leaf's mind was spinning. The fact that some people were heartless enough to abandon their Pokemon was already a lot to take in, let alone everything else that followed. How did all of this happen in Lavender Town, of all places? Lavender Town was so insignificant that Leaf sometimes forgot it even existed.
Instead of saying anything, Leaf moved through the crowd, towards Cubone. He watched her warily as she knelt down by his side.
"I'm so sorry for what happened," Leaf said. "I can't imagine how you must be feeling. All I can say is that the people here will do their best to take care of you."
Cubone whimpered and buried his face into his hands. Leaf gently stroked his back.
Leaf stayed at the Lavender Volunteer Pokemon House longer than she'd expected. She played with all the Pokemon, even Cubone for a bit, though he was hesitant at first. She scanned Nidorino with the Pokedex, prompting many questions from Max and Zoe. She sent her team out so they could interact with everyone; one of her favorite moments was when Psyduck had a staring contest with the other Psyduck, which only ended when she and the others filled the Pokemon's bowls with food and water. She watched Valerie tend to a cut on a Rattata's leg and Peter build a wooden jungle gym. As Peter hammered nails, he shared some stories about Mr. Fuji. The old man had been around for as long as Peter could remember and was the kindest person he'd ever met. He wished for all Pokemon to be happy, which was why he founded the organization, and loved to play music. It was during one story about how Mr. Fuji crafted his own flutes that Valerie finished making lunch for everyone. The food was absolutely delicious and after eating it, Leaf realized––somewhat reluctantly–– it was time to leave.
"We loved having you here," Valerie said warmly as Leaf stepped outside.
"Yeah, you should come back soon!" Max exclaimed with a jump.
"Hopefully you can meet Mr. Fuji!" Zoe added.
"Safe travels, Leaf," Peter said, smiling.
"It was great meeting all of you!" Leaf replied. "I will definitely come back. I'm sure Mr. Fuji will return safe and sound."
The Pokemon peered at her through everyone's legs. Leaf waved goodbye to them. At the back of the crowd, Cubone stared wide-eyed. Before leaving, Leaf gave him a small wave.
There truly was a force field between the house and the rest of Lavender Town. Leaf felt a chill as soon as she passed the picket sign. She glanced up at the Pokemon Tower. The tower was made of black stone. Even in daylight, it looked ominous. And there's a ghost in the Pokemon Tower. People are too scared to go in now.
Leaf wasn't sure about there being a ghost, but there had to be a reason why everyone was suddenly afraid to even enter the tower. Her journey to Celadon would have to be delayed for a little bit longer.
The first floor of the tower was a reception area. It was dimly lit and empty except for an ancient woman at the front desk, staring blankly into the distance. She seemed mildly surprised for a moment after noticing Leaf, but then returned to whatever world she came from.
Leaf walked up the stairs. Graves were lined up all over the second floor. Dust was beginning to gather on them. She shuddered and wasn't sure if she was genuinely cold or if she was simply disturbed by the silence. The third and fourth floors were the same.
When she reached the fifth floor, Leaf nearly jumped. At the center sat a circle of women holding candles. The women all wore white robes, white headbands that held their long black hair back, and flowy red skirts.
"Oh vengeful spirit! Do not take your rage out on us! We submit to you fully!" They chanted in unison, eyes shut. Once they finished, they latched onto each other's shoulders and began to sway, making noises that didn't quite sound human.
A part of Leaf wondered if these women were the reason why people were so spooked. She herself would probably avoid the tower because of them: they looked like they weren't above sacrificing a person for their rituals. None of them seemed to notice Leaf, though. Crossing her arms, she quickly but silently passed them and walked up to the sixth floor.
The sixth floor looked exactly like the previous ones, yet it felt different somehow. A chill crawled down Leaf's spine and refused to leave. With each step, her legs grew stiffer and stiffer, as if begging for her to not advance. Leaf shook them out. Don't be such a scaredy-cat! There's no ghost. You're fine.
Leaf reached the stairs to the seventh floor. She took a deep breath and began to take a step forward.
Go away.
Leaf froze. The voice did not match the usual one in her head. It sounded hoarse and deep.
Go away.
Leaf managed to force herself to look around. There was no one else on the floor with her. She could hear the women's chanting grow louder downstairs.
I said, be gone! Intruder!
A dark haze began to form in front of Leaf. It smelled so rotten that she almost gagged. The moment Leaf took off like her life depended on it––and it likely did––was when a pair of yellow eyes appeared and glared at her with profound hatred.
Hi everyone, sorry for the late update! This has been a busy month for me; I imagine a lot of you guys are busy too with the holidays coming up. I promise I'm not giving up on this story!
Originally, I planned for this chap to have one more scene, but I found as I was writing that it didn't fit the flow, so it'll be in the next one. That's why this chap is a bit shorter than others, but I think it gets the job done :)
Thanks for your patience and let me know your thoughts!
