xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Oreburgh City, 11:01 a.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As the attendees of the Fossil Festival were stopping by stalls and enjoying their time at the event, Tamara walked around while tracing her cane along the ground. Breathing in the fresh air, she let out a happy sigh of contentment as she continued to leisurely stroll through the event, unaware she was alone.

"I've never attended a festival before; this is so much fun!" Tamara thought to herself as she walked around with a smile and managing to not bump into anyone. "Hey, what kind of stuff is this festival doing for events? I'm up for anything." She said as she turned around, expecting an answer as she noticed the silence to her question. "Guys?... Ambrose?" Tamara asked, confused.

Shifting her head around, the blind psychic came to a realization that her companions were not near her as her brows furrowed. Taking a moment to concentrate, Tamara proceeded to use her sensory abilities to attempt to find any signs of Ambrose, Anik or Keats.

"Let's see..." Tamara thought to herself as she listened around her for anyone's thoughts that sounded familiar.

"That Finneon catching stand is so cool!" A small male child thought as Tamara listened around inside everyone's heads.

"I bet Byron is going to kick Roark's butt in the demonstration battle. Steel will always beat Rock type Pokémon." A teenage female thought.

"Electrode is such a good Pokémon, I bet I could beat the league champion if I had one of the Hisuian versions." A gruff male thought.

"...This Rock Pot Pie is cold." A dejected young woman thought.

"Should I really have bought that theremin? I think my wife might leave me..." A depressed man thought.

"Nothing so far... Urgh..." Tamara thought as she started to feel what felt like pressure inside her head.

"These Drifloon balloons are selling fast! I need to make some more." A male selling balloons thought.

"Whoever is in the port-a-potty! Could you please get out?! I need to go!" A female tightly clutching her stomach thought near the public bathrooms.

"Whoa! A Kricketune! I should catch that and see if it can learn "Metronome!"' A male interested in catching a specific Pokémon thought as Tamara placed a hand on her head.

"I could dig for hours in that dig pit." A young boy covered in dirt thought.

"I bet I'll find an Oshawott fossil in this mound!" A small girl also covered in dirt thought as Tamara begun to breathe heavily and slowly.

"Look at all these crystals! They're even shinier than the Adamant Orb and the Lustrous Orb!" An adult female thought as she gazed at some gemstones at a stand.

"This festival sucks. I can't even peg a stone at anyone." An obnoxious sounding kid thought with his hands in his pockets.

"Uaugh... Argh!" Tamara grunted as she fell to her knees, dropping her cane onto the ground. "Too... Too many... Voices...!" She thought in pain, the noise from everyone's heads entering her skull and no one noticing her, preoccupied and distracted by the festivities.

"No one would be angry if I walked around with my Chingling, would they?" A curious young man thought.

"These gemstone encrusted sunglasses are so trendy! I need four of them!" A fashion obsessed woman thought.

"What's that one song by Roxie and the Toxics that starts with a scream?" A teenage boy thought as Tamara reached around for her cane, moving her right hand along the ground to try and find it until finally managing to grab it.

As her senses became overwhelmed and the voices all compounded together into a horrifyingly loud cacophony, Tamara got to her feet with her cane and rushed to get away from everybody in an effort to calm herself. Narrowly managing to avoid bumping into a stall, Tamara slipped into an alleyway between a pair of buildings, no one around to notice her as she breathed heavily against a wall.

"Haah... Haah... Haah..." Tamara muttered, breathing rapidly from the agony she was experiencing a moment ago. "Urgh... Where is everyone? I can't go anywhere... Too much noise..." She thought, growing nervous as she tightly clutched at her cane. "I have to find them... Ambrose... Anik..." Tamara thought, still reeling from the pain.

Using her ability one more time, Tamara listened for thoughts in the crowd of festivalgoers as another surge of voices entered her head, causing her to let go of her cane once more as she slid her backside down the wall and sat on the ground.

"Ow! Oooowwww!" Tamara muttered, suffering once more in an effort to locate her travelling party. "I can't do it! All I hear is too many voices and... And... Music..." She thought with a troubled expression and sweat dripping down her face until noticing something peculiar. "Is that a... Light beat? Bump, bump, bump..." Tamara thought as she begun to focus on the new sound.

Reaching down and grabbing her cane, Tamara stood up and begun to focus on the sound of a light beat being made somewhere in the festival area, the musical noise beginning to push out the sound of all the voices Tamara was picking up from earlier and managing to keep her mind at ease. Walking out of the alley and into the pathway of the Fossil Festival, Tamara traced her cane along the ground and started to walk in the direction of the beat as it was keeping her from being overwhelmed.

"That sound is helping me... But why does it sound so famil-" Tamara thought until she bumped into someone twice her size. "Ah!" She muttered while stepping back somewhat, unable to see the small crowd in front of her due to her blindness.

"Huh?" A grown male said as he noticed Tamara. "Hey, watch where you're going." He said.

"Sorry about that. What's going on over there?" Tamara asked towards the grown male. "I hear the beat past this guy..." She thought.

"Oh, two weird guys are having an argument. It's actually entertaining." The grown man said as Tamara made a curious face before using her psychic powers to listen.

With a small crowd around them, watching with amusement and confusion, Keats was getting into a war of words with the Magikarp Seller, the two of them angrily glaring at each other.

"Magikarp Seller! I'm telling you that I need your strongest Magikarps! I am going into battle! And I need your strongest Magikarps!" Keats shouted loudly. "I want to fight a Steelix with a Gyarados!" He thought with frustration.

"Ke-Keats?" Tamara thought, recognizing the familiar voice of her husky framed companion.

"You can't handle my strongest Magikarps! No one can!" The Magikarp Seller exclaimed. "Will this guy just leave already?! It's only been twenty minutes, but it feels like half a year has passed!" He thought in frustration.

"How dare you treat me this way! I am going into battle and need the strongest of "Karps!" Why won't you sell me a "Karp?!"' Keats screamed as he slammed his fist into the Magikarp Sellers vendor table.

"Because my strongest Magikarps are fit for the strongest beings, and you are not strong!" Magikarp Seller exclaimed in defiance of Keats' request.

"Keats! Keats!" Tamara said loudly as she tried to wade through the crowd. "That beat was coming from Keats! Like the song in his head from yesterday!" She thought with anxiousness.

"Fine then! I'll take my business elsewhere to get Magikarps!" Keats retorted as he turned around and folded his arms.

"Good! You're not welcome at my stand!" Magikarp Seller said in response with his arms folded as well.

"Why not!?" Keats shouted as he turned back around and slammed both of his hands on the table. "All I wanted was a Magikarp and all I got was lip!" He continued.

"Because you're not strong enough for my Magikarps!" Magikarp Seller reiterated.

"You're a scoundrel! A rascal! And have no respect for trainers! No respect for anything except for your Magikarps!" Keats screamed as he pointed at the Magikarp in the fish tank next to the two of them.

"Because why respect trainers... When my Magikarps can do anything?!" Magikarp Seller exclaimed as he and Keats pressed their foreheads together in a confrontational manner.

"Keats!" Tamara said as Keats' eyes widened, turning away from the Magikarp Seller as Tamara made it through the crowd.

"Tamara?" Keats muttered in surprise as he looked around until looking down and seeing his blind psychic companion, rushing towards him and attempting to put her arms around his large waistline. "Whoa!" He said as he looked down at the top of Tamara's head, feeling something wet against his belly as he noticed some tears were coming out of her eyes.

"Keats!" Tamara said with a scared yet relieved tone as she hugged the large young adult male.

"Now's my chance to leave!" Magikarp Seller thought as he noticed Keats was distracted, beginning to pack his things in a quick manner.

"He-hey, I gotcha... It's fin-... Oh... Riiiiight..." Keats said until he realized something and made a troubled expression with squinted eyes. "...I was supposed to be looking for Tamara and I wound up talking to this butthead..." He thought with embarrassment.

"I-I-I was just walking and then everybody disappeared and-and..." Tamara said as she still hugged Keats until he stepped back slightly and kneeled down to meet her at eye level.

"Take it easy, take it easy. I'm here now. You're fine." Keats said with a reassuring tone. "...Anik is going to slap the crap out of me when she finds out I got distracted..." He thought with nervousness as the small crowd dispersed.

"There was so many voices and people an-and..." Tamara said frantically as Keats put his hands on her shoulders.

"I get you wanted to enjoy the festival, but you wandered off and then Ambrose got all angry at me and Anik." Keats said as Tamara removed her sunglasses and wiped her eyes. "Aw, come on. Don't cry. It's alright." He said.

"Yeah... Yeah..." Tamara said with a tone of relief as Keats stood up.

Turning his head back in the direction of the Magikarp Seller to talk to him, Keats was taken aback as he noticed the man was no longer there, only leaving behind the vendor table and a piece of paper. Picking it up, Keats looked at the paper with frustration as the image on it was of a crudely drawn Magikarp that said "you are weak" in capital letters.

"You son of a bitch! You owe me a Magikarp!" Keats screamed as he ripped the paper in half and then leaped halfway across the table with his head turning left and right to see where the Magikarp Seller had went to no avail. "Assho-" He said before turning towards Tamara and remembering how young she was. "...I mean, "butthole."' Keats said, correcting himself.

"I'm just happy I found you..." Tamara said as she put her sunglasses back on. "Where's Ambrose and Anik?" She asked.

"Looking for you just like I was. Oh! I got some churros if you want- hey!" Keats said before offering Tamara a snack until realizing the churros he left on the table were gone. "That jerk not only failed to sell me a Pokémon, but he also stole my churros!" He thought in growing rage.

"Pffff!" Tamara muttered, laughing at Keats' thoughts.

"Don't mock me! I'm a victim here!" Keats exclaimed in frustration.

"Excuse me." A female voice said as Keats shifted his gaze to someone approaching him and Tamara, the blind psychic moving her head in the same direction. "I was called to answer a noise complaint at this stall. Care to explain?" The serious faced woman in a blue police uniform with white gloves, black heels and a miniskirt said.

"Oh, uh... Hi, Officer Jenny." Keats said, greeting the policewoman. "Looks similar to the Officer Jenny's from back in Johto." He thought, making an observation.

"Someone also reported a girl with sunglasses holding a cane that was on the ground earlier. Would that happen to be you?" Officer Jenny asked towards Tamara.

"Ummm..." Tamara said, not sure how to respond.

"Uhhhh... Everything is fine, Officer Jenny. It's all good." Keats said with a rather unconvincing tone. "Last thing anyone wants is to bail me out of jail like that one time a riot broke out in Goldenrod City, and I was arrested while I was trying to return an air fryer." He thought with a nervous face as Tamara shifted her head in his direction.

"And what's the relationship between you both?" Officer Jenny, growing suspicious as she looked at Keats and Tamara.

"...I'm not her legal guardian or her family, I'm just a very weird guy she helped get to Sinnoh." Keats thought with sweat dripping down his face as Tamara heard his thoughts.

"He's, uhhh... My assistant!" Tamara exclaimed as she caught the attention of Officer Jenny and Keats. "As you can see... I can't see." She said as she removed her sunglasses to reveal her blind eyes. "He went to get me a snack and I accidently wandered off." Tamara explained.

"Um, yeah! Exactly!" Keats said as he walked over to Tamara, grabbing her left hand and holding it tightly with his right. "You are a genius." He thought so Tamara could hear what was in his head as she smiled widely from the compliment.

"Hmmmmm..." Officer Jenny mumbled. "Out of curiosity. What was the snack you were going to bring her?" She asked.

'"Churr-opcorn."' Keats and Tamara said, the former attempting to say "churros" and the latter attempting to say "popcorn" but accidentally fusing them together into one word. '"Churros and popcorn."' They said in unison with even more nervous tones.

"Hmmmmmmmm..." Officer Jenny muttered as she rubbed her chin, growing more suspicious.

"Don't go "hmmmmm" a third time, I already did that earlier with the guy who was selling Magikarps over here." Keats commented as he pointed at the vendor table next to him as Officer Jenny's eyes widened.

"A man selling Magikarps? Wait... I think I know who you are referring to! That man is a con artist who is currently on a wanted list!" Officer Jenny exclaimed. "Whatever is going on here is no longer important, a more pressing matter just came up! Where did he run off to?!" She said with a serious tone as Keats looked at Tamara and Tamara moved her head in Keats' direction.

"Uhhhh... That way." Keats said as he pointed in a random direction. "If you find him, tell him his strongest Magikarps are weak..." He thought, mentally condemning the Magikarp Seller.

"Thank you!" Officer Jenny said as she ran away while taking out a Pokéball, leaving Keats and Tamara behind.

"Oh, thank god, she left... Huh?" Keats said with a tone of relief before noticing Tamara was still tightly clutching his hand. "You okay?" He asked towards the blind psychic.

"I need a moment..." Tamara said with an exhausted expression. "Whatever sound that was in his head, it feels good to be around him..." She thought, no longer hearing the musical beat in Keats' head but also no longer suffering from the crowds' thoughts at the festival.

"Here, let's get you a snack." Keats said as he walked with Tamara holding onto him, leading her to a vendor stall giving out popcorn. "Two extra-large buckets with butter." He said before questioning Tamara.

"I thought you were getting churros?" Tamara replied.

"...We're getting popcorn and churros and putting them in the same buckets." Keats said with a smirk as Tamara smiled.

"You're fun." Tamara thought with her head in Keats' direction as the vendor started to get their snacks.

Meanwhile, Anik was finishing up her conversation with Canalave City gym leader Byron as she finished writing down information regarding Birdclaw onto a notepad.

"Thanks for the time, Byron." Anik said as she put away her notepad into her handbag.

"No problem. Hope you can make use of it." Byron said as he lifted his shovel over his shoulder. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to teach my son a lesson! Hahaha!" He said with a boisterous tone before walking away.

"Yeah, good luck with that." Anik said with a wry smile. "Now to get back to finding Tamara..." She thought with worry as she started to quickly walk along the path.

After a few feet, Anik looked upward as Keats' Porygon, Ambrose's Dodrio and her Minior had appeared, flying back towards her as the three headed ostrich-like Pokémon landed in front of her and the polygonal Pokémon and star-shaped rock Pokémon descended near her.

"Please tell me you guys found Tamara." Anik said with a nervous tone.

"Do." The sad head of Dodrio said with a headshake.

"Dri." The happy head of Dodrio said with a headshake.

"O." The angry head of Dodrio said with a headshake.

"Porygon..." Porygon said with upset eyes.

"Minior..." Minior muttered in a similarly displeased tone.

"Our only hope now is if Keats or Ambrose finds her..." Anik thought as she pulled out her Pokéball for Minior and recalled it. "We don't have much other options, both of you go back in the air and- ah!" She instructed until looking forward and noticing a familiar friend of hers and who they were looking for.

In both of Keats' hands were two full size popcorn buckets with small bits of churros in them as Tamara had a hand on Keats' shirt, holding onto him to help lead her around the festival. Locking eyes with Anik, Keats smiled for a brief moment as Anik rushed over to them.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Anik said with a relieved tone as she ran up to Tamara, kneeling down and hugging her.

"...I wouldn't mind a hug." Keats thought as he held both popcorn buckets in his hands and his arms outstretched.

"Where were you?!" Anik said with a serious face. "Do you have any idea how worried you made all of us?!" She said with a stern tone and her hands on Tamaras shoulders.

"I'm sorry... I was just really excited to go to the festival." Tamara said with an apologetic tone as she tilted her head down.

"You can't just go running off like that! You're in a group and you have a serious condition, you should have stuck with us!" Anik said, scolding Tamara.

'"Yes, ma'am..."' Tamara and Keats said in unison as they both looked towards the ground as Anik turned towards Keats with bewilderment.

"Why are you apologizing?" Anik questioned as Keats realized he wasn't the one she was scolding.

"Woops... Force of habit." Keats said with embarrassment. "Look, I already talked with her about it. She gets it." He said as Anik stood up. "And I wanted to punch a guy selling Magikarps who insulted me and managed to avoid another Officer Jenny arresting me for something I didn't do... But I'll just leave that out of the conversation." He thought as Tamara smirked.

"Hehehe." Tamara chuckled.

"Something happen?" Anik said with a raised eyebrow.

"Uhhhh..." Keats muttered, unsure how to answer.

"Keats found me and then bought me popcorn and churros." Tamara said as she lifted her hand and Keats proceeded to extend his arm to give Tamara the chance to grab some, taking a handful and sticking the food in her mouth.

"...Anything else happen?" Anik questioned as Tamara munched on popcorn.

"Nothing else important." Tamara said after swallowing the snack food.

"What she said!" Keats said with a defensive voice as Anik looked at Tamara and then Keats before breathing a sigh of relief.

"Good work, Keats. Thanks for finding her." Anik said with a sincere tone towards the husky framed trainer.

"Hehehe..." Keats said with a blush on his face in response to the smile she gave him. "If you can hear this, psychic eyeless girl. Thank you for covering for me." He thought.

"I have eyes, they just don't work." Tamara said, correcting Keats as Porygon floated over.

"Porygon, come on back." Keats said as he put down one of the popcorn buckets and recalled Porygon into its Pokéball as Dodrio approached.

"Hmm?" Anik muttered as she noticed the Normal and Flying type Pokémon. "Oh yeah, did either of you see Ambrose?" She asked.

"No." Tamara said.

"Heeeyy..." A familiar teenage male voice said as Keats and Anik looked over to see Ambrose approaching them, covered in dirt. "Ugh... Well... At least she's safe..." He said with a disgruntled tone.

"What happened to you?" Keats asked as Ambrose's eye twitched.

'"What happened to me?"' I was searching for Tamara and wound up in the dig pit! That thing was huge and filled with dumb mock fossils!" Ambrose complained as he pulled out the pair of fossils he had picked up from earlier. "I got curious and found out the ones I picked up were replicas for a Hisuian era Oshawott and a Hisuian era Cyndaquil..." He thought with annoyance.

"Oooh! Sounds like fun! Can we go?" Tamara said with intrigue as Ambrose looked at his ghost hunting partner.

"No! We're leaving!" Ambrose said with an upset tone as he approached Tamara. "I don't know if these two talked to you about this, but this was so not cool, and you're not allowed to spend time with any of my Pokémon!" He thought as Tamara's jaw dropped.

"Bu-but-" Tamara stammered to protest until Ambrose spoke up.

"You both. Neither of you let her near your Pokémon. That's her punishment." Ambrose said with a harsh tone as Anik and Keats each raised an eyebrow. "Now we're leaving while we still have daylight. We need to prepare to cross Mt. Coronet." He continued as he walked away after recalling his Dodrio.

"Jeez, what Beedrill got in his pants and "Poison Jabbed" him?" Keats commented as Tamara lowered her head again.

"Hey, don't be so down." Anik said, attempting to reassure the blind psychic. "He probably just needs some time to cool off and clean his clothes." She said.

"Right..." Tamara said with a depressed tone as she walked forward while tracing her cane.

"...So much for letting her have fun." Keats said as he held both popcorn buckets in his hands, offering one to Anik as she took it from his hand.

"Little bit of it is our fault. We suggested this detour and didn't bother to keep an eye on her." Anik said as she ate a piece of churro.

"If he was in the dig pit, what were you doing?" Keats asked towards Anik.

"Searching for her too until I ran into someone useful to your problem." Anik said as she reached into her bag and pulled out her notepad.

"Huh? Wait, you know someone who can grow mustaches and can make me lose weight without exercising?!" Keats said with an excited tone.

"No..." Anik said with half-closed eyes. "Birdclaw? Remember?" She continued as she handed Keats her notepad.

"Oh right... That weirdo." Keats said as he looked at the notepad for a brief moment.

"I met a gym leader attending the festival while I was looking for Tamara, he actually battled and lost to Birdclaw for a badge." Anik explained.

"Okay, he's definitely got something over me. I've never beaten a gym leader." Keats replied as he put away the notepad.

"Birdclaw didn't even use the Steelix we speculated he had. In the battle against Byron, he said he used an Alakazam, a Purugly and a Pokémon I never heard of called a "Wyrdeer" and beat him. He also said that Birdclaw was following the "traditional course" for the trainers league." Anik said as Keats raised an eyebrow.

"What does that mean?" Keats said. "Alakazam... Wait, this is the guy who owned that Abra from that night of the theft at my sister's place!" He thought, remembering a particular detail from the night his sister's team was stolen.

"Based on what Byron said, Birdclaw beating him means he has his sixth badge. You need to eight to compete in the trainers league." Anik said as Keats' eyes widened.

"...He's... Already on the verge of competing in the league... Just from hearing that, he's obviously way stronger than Carter or Imani were..." Keats thought with nervousness until Ambrose spoke up.

"You guys coming or what?!" Ambrose screamed as Anik and Keats quickly started to walk after him.

"Eh..." Keats muttered.

"Guess we better follow the Ghost Pokémon hater." Anik said with an annoyed tone.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Route 207, 1:00 p.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A few hours after leaving Oreburgh City, the traveling party of Keats, Anik, Ambrose and Tamara were along the trail leading towards Mt. Coronet, the largest mountain in the Sinnoh region. After walking a few miles, the group stopped near a large pond and set up a small campsite for themselves with Ambrose removing his shirt to clean it off in the water.

"Ugh... Can't believe I got so dirty, and I wasn't even fighting a dumb Ghost Pokémon." Ambrose said to himself.

"Oh, that's nothing, you should have seen the video I did on PokéCast where me, my Swalot and my Raichu drank tons of dairy products. My most watched video on my channel for the dirty aftermath." Keats said as he set up a tent.

"...Do people really care that much about a grown man and two of his Pokémon vomiting?" Ambrose thought with mild disgust as he rolled his eyes.

"Why are we setting up a campsite this early? Shouldn't we keep going towards Mt. Coronet?" Anik questioned towards the ghost hunting teenager as she stood next to Keats.

"It's because I am very tired after being startled from losing someone from the group." Ambrose said with a bothered tone as he glanced at Tamara, sitting on the tarp in-between two tents Keats set up.

"...Hey..." Tamara said in a defensive tone.

"Come on, let it go." Anik said with a stern tone towards Ambrose.

"...He never lets things go." Tamara said in Anik's direction. "It's the reason he's a ghost hunter." She said as Ambrose put his shirt back on.

"Don't talk about my childhood!" Ambrose exclaimed as Anik and Keats looked at each other with raised eyebrows. "Not your story to tell..." He thought, knowing Tamara could hear it.

"What's that mean?" Keats asked as Ambrose walked over and sat on the tarp.

"Maybe if I feel like it, I'll tell you." Ambrose said with a disgruntled tone as Keats finished up, walking over to join as he plopped down on his butt with Anik sitting next to him.

"If you don't want to tell a story, I can tell one. Years ago, I had to help Marie and Adam deal with a small issue with some Ariados that got past the fence. I got shot in the face with some "Toxic Thread." They said it's not supposed to hurt but wow, did it sting when it got me in the eye. Went to the hospital, bumped into a vending machine, thought it was an Ursaring, took off my shoe, broke the glass, had a "five-course meal," day got a whole lot better." Keats said with a dumb look on his face.

'"Fascinating..."' Ambrose, Anik and Tamara said, unimpressed by his story.

"...You know what, fine. Just to avoid hearing another one of his weird tales. I'll discuss my so called "issue" with Ghost type Pokémon." Ambrose said as everyone looked in his direction. "Considering I helped pay for everyone's plane tickets to get here, you probably guessed I come from a bit of money." He said.

"...It did strike me as odd that a teenage ghost hunter could afford four plane tickets." Anik said with a skeptical tone.

"My parents are pretty wealthy. They're real estate agents. They got very lucky in the housing market." Ambrose explained. "Unfortunately... One of the aspects of my childhood that I wish I protested more was moving around a lot with my parents. They would get homes to sell and then we would spend periods in the homes while they worked through the process of fixing them up for sale." He continued.

"Any chance your parents could sell me a larger trailer? Mine had a problem with freeloading Poison types for a period." Keats commented.

"No... Anyway. I'm currently fifteen... My first encounter with a Ghost Pokémon was when I was six... When a home we moved into in the Kanto region had a Haunter in it and we had to deal with it wreaking havoc on everything we did in that time we spent there." Ambrose said as he recalled his childhood with a scowl on his face. "Then six months after selling that home, we went to Hoenn and had to deal with a pack of Duskulls in a condo." He said, continuing to recount.

"I've heard this story five times..." Tamara said, speaking up.

"A year later in Kanto; Ghastlys at a small two-story home. Two months after that; a Dusknoir in a large ranch. One week later; a three Misdreavus', seventeen Litwicks and a Shedinja all in the same cabin in the woods!" Ambrose said with growing anger in his tone as Keats and Anik were taken aback by his rage. "It didn't even stop at houses! We tried to go on a leisure cruise once and the damn ship had a bad encounter with a bunch of Frillish and Jellicent storming it!" He said while remembering more of his troubling past.

"...His prejudice against Ghost Pokémon is entirely predicated on bad luck..." Anik thought, judging the teenage ghost hunter.

"Well, I can't fault that last one, ships do suck." Keats muttered as Anik raised an eyebrow at him.

"So, when I got older and started to catch and train Pokémon, I decided to become a trainer that no Ghost Pokémon could ever defeat. And I vowed to myself to help people who don't understand that Ghost Pokémon are the worst Pokémon on the planet, because they are a menace to society." Ambrose said. "When my parents got enough money to stop needing to spend so much time in the homes they sold, we settled down in Lavender Town." He said while scratching his head.

"...Isn't Lavender Town known for having a lot of Ghost Pokémon?" Anik said towards Keats, asking him a question.

"Oh, definitely. I've heard many a horror story about the one tower over there being haunted with the dead spirits of non-Ghost type Pokémon." Keats replied. "And I've watched enough reality television of people going there and falling down the stairwells." He thought.

"Pffft!" Tamara laughed as she read his thoughts.

"With that, I founded the "Lavender Town Paranormal Society."' Ambrose said as he pointed at the L.T.P.S acronym on his shirt. "To know there's someone out there to help people with their hauntings and to fight the terror that is the paranormal." He said with a serious voice. "I'd like it if there were more members aside from just me and Tamara but whatever..." Ambrose thought.

"...Still says "Lit Piss" to me." Keats said with a plain voice as Anik and Tamara both started to smirk with them both covering their mouths to try and stifle their desire to chuckle.

"It doesn't say "Lit Piss!" It's an acronym, you dumbass!" Ambrose replied in objection to Keats' statement.

"Oh my god..." Anik thought, mentally admitting what Keats said was funny to her.

'"L.T.P.S." "Lit Piss." Oh wow, I get it now. Hehehe." Tamara thought, also internally laughing.

"Wh-what? What's funny?" Keats said with an honest tone as he noticed Anik and Tamara trying not to laugh.

"Not-nothing. It's nothing, pfff..." Tamara said, trying to wave off the question as Anik removed her glasses for a brief moment to wipe her eye.

"You guys are idiots..." Ambrose said with an embarrassed face as he folded his arms.

"Not our fault your whole reason for becoming a "hero against the paranormal" is because you just got really unlucky as a kid." Anik said as she put her glasses back on.

"Says the grown woman who studies astronomy." Ambrose said as Anik made an offended expression.

"Do not mock astronomy!" Anik said as she rushed to her feet, standing over everyone. "Chemistry, mathematics and physics are required in the scientific realm that is astronomy! It's a more "in-depth" science than the stupid paranormal!" She exclaimed, defending her passion as Tamara tapped Keats on the shoulder.

"The laws of physics are needed for looking at stars?" Tamara questioned, unsure of the conversation that was happening.

"Don't ask me, I didn't study the law in school." Keats said.

"Hey! My field of expertise helps people in more ways than looking at dumb balls of light in the night sky!" Ambrose retorted as he got to his feet.

"Oh, that tears it! Let's go!" Anik said as she reached into her nearby bag and pulled out a Pokéball.

"Want a battle?! You got one!" Ambrose said as he reached into his back pocket and pulled a ball of his own.

"...Didn't Ambrose say he didn't want anyone to bring out their Pokémon around you as punishment for earlier?" Keats asked towards Tamara.

"Shhh! Pokémon are coming out to fight!" Tamara said with an excited tone as Anik and Ambrose made some distance from one another and the camping site.

"Kingler! Come on out!" Anik said as she opened up her Pokéball, her Water type crustacean-like Pokémon appearing.

"Kikiki!" Kingler said as he landed on the grass.

"Crawdaunt! Let's go!" Ambrose said as he opened up his ball, his Water and Dark type crustacean-like Pokémon also emerging for battle.

"Crraaaaaw!" Crawdaunt exclaimed as he landed opposite of Kingler, the two Pokémon glaring at each other with a rival-like gaze.

"I sense pincers and I sense hostility. This is going to be good!" Tamara said, enjoying what was happening.

"...Wonder how long these two are going to fight... Huh, shouldn't I be the one doing more battling? I probably need it... Eh, who cares. There's a fight going on." Keats thought with half-closed eyes as he sat back, ready to watch the fight between the two crab-like Pokémon and procrastinating from something he probably should be doing.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Route 207, 6:23 p.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Haaah... Haaah..." Anik sighed with fatigue while slightly hunched over.

"Kiii... Kiiiii..." Kingler grunted in similar exhaustion, his body covered in scratch marks from the battle.

"Ugh..." Ambrose moaned in a tired manner, also hunched forward slightly.

"Daaaaaunt..." Crawdaunt said with light bruises all over his body.

"Wow, they actually fought till the sun went down..." Keats thought as he stood up from the tarp as Tamara sat while clutching her cane. "Are you guys done? I can't make us any food if you keep blasting each other with Water type moves nearby." He said as Anik and Ambrose looked at him. "And now I'm probably going to use all the Oran Berries I own just to heal their Water types..." Keats thought with minor annoyance.

"Yeah, I'm getting a bit hungry." Tamara said, speaking up as Ambrose and Anik glared at each other for a brief moment.

"Kingler, return." Anik said as she recalled her Pokémon.

"Crawdaunt, come on back." Ambrose said, doing the same as they both walked back over towards the tarp with Ambrose sitting next to Tamara and Keats and Anik sitting side-by-side.

"Was that really necessary?" Keats asked towards Anik.

"He said something I couldn't take lightly." Anik said with a disgruntled tone.

"And you said I can't "let things go..."' Ambrose said as he propped his arm up on his knee and used it to support his head.

"Well then, "Mr. Ghost Hunter." Care to explain something to me and Keats?" Anik said towards Ambrose.

"Huh?" Ambrose muttered in response.

"Where are we going after we cross Mt. Coronet?" Anik questioned.

"Actually, yeah. That's a good question." Keats said in a casual manner as Ambrose looked at Tamara.

"Think I should tell them?" Ambrose mentally questioned so Tamara could hear his thoughts.

"...You're being a jerk right now; you may as well tell them." Tamara said in Ambrose's direction as the teenage ghost hunter sighed in frustration.

"Fine..." Ambrose said as he looked at the astronomy enthusiast and the husky framed trainer. "We're crossing the mountain in a certain direction that leads us to Eterna City." He said.

"That place a big deal to you?" Keats asked as Ambrose scratched the back of his head.

"Nothing personally, it's more professionally." Ambrose said as Anik raised an eyebrow. "Just on the outskirts of Eterna City is a place that's rumored to be the most haunted location in the entire Sinnoh region. A place called the "Old Chateau."' He said. "I've heard in some circles that the Old Chateau is not just a mansion filled to the brink with Ghost Pokémon of every kind." Ambrose continued as Tamara clutched tightly at her cane.

"There's been sayings in some groups we've met with that say there's something about the Old Chateau that's attracting Ghost Pokémon directly to it. No explanation as to what that means." Tamara said as Keats and Anik made concerned faces.

"...A mansion filled with Ghost Pokémon?" Anik said.

"Correct. And as a ghost hunter, I want to see it for myself. What is so special about this place that it has Ghost Pokémon flocking to it? So much differently than any other home I've been to that's been troubled by hauntings." Ambrose said with a serious look in his eyes.

"Ambrose has been wanting to go to Sinnoh to check out this place for quite a while but because of my condition and the fact we have to trek up and around a mountain. It's not something we were able to do until you both showed up." Tamara said with a serious tone in her voice.

"So... When we reach Eterna City, you guys are heading for this haunted place?" Anik questioned.

"Bingo." Ambrose replied. "We part ways once we reach it. We get to work on clearing out the Old Chateau and you can... Do whatever. But first thing tomorrow... We have to deal with that first." He continued before pointing upward at Mt. Coronet.

"...Damn it, the shoes I lost in the microwave were mountain climbers' shoes. This is going to destroy my feet..." Keats mentally complained.

"How'd you lose your shoes in the microwave?" Tamara said aloud as Ambrose and Anik looked at the blind psychic girl.

"I don't know, I walked away and found them missing." Keats said with a shrug.

"Hey, how did you manage to find Keats before me, Ambrose or the flying Pokemon, Tamara?" Anik asked with intrigue.

"I heard the sounds in his head." Tamara said with an honest tone.

"What "sounds?"' Ambrose questioned. "You mean there's more than just gibberish in his brain?" He said as Keats made a bothered expression in response.

"Hey! There's more going on up there than just conversations about the consistency of wet bread!" Keats said as he pointed at his skull, prompting everyone to look in his general direction with bewilderment.

"There was some musical beat in his head back at the festival. It... Was actually kind of soothing." Tamara said with a small smile on her face. "It drowned out a lot of the crowds voices that was starting to give me a headache." She explained.

"Can't exactly explain how that works..." Ambrose said as he looked at Keats, who shrugged in response.

"Sometimes I'll just start making up songs in my head. They can be fun when you're ironing shirts and pressing too hard on them." Keats thought as he tried to figure out what Tamara meant.

"Yeah, don't know much about that either... But hey, let's look at the bright side. He found her." Anik said, trying to look at the positive side of things.

"I guess so..." Ambrose said as he put his hand on Tamara's shoulder. "Hey, don't take how I acted earlier harshly. I was just worried, okay? I'm supposed to be watching over you." He said.

"Right... You're the third person today who said that to me." Tamara said with her head in Ambrose's direction.

"I was first!" Keats said with a goofy smile.

"It's not a competition, Keats." Anik said with a wry smile towards Keats as the group chatted and failed to notice a large bird-like Pokémon that sported feathers on its head in the shape of a fedora, a prominent white crest of feathers in the front of its body and a large red and white tail that resembled a broom flying high above them in the night sky.


Utrghhgh... Okay... I'm good. Ow... Stupid Pineco... Back to the world of Pokémon, huh? Very well. After wandering off into the Fossil Festival, Tamara begun to experience one of the side effects of her psychic powers and nearly had a meltdown. But our ever dimwitted but likable hero, Keats, came to the rescue by doing nothing but having a beat play in his head. With the traveling party reunited, everyone regrouped on the trail leading to Mt. Coronet and we learned about Ambrose's past and his goal with why he helped Keats and Anik get to Sinnoh: to help them cross the mountain and reach the mysterious Old Chateau outside of Eterna City. There's only one issue... What the heck is that overhead? Find out next time in the exciting return of Wannabe!

Keats' Pokémon:
1. Pineco.
2. Stunky.
3. Porygon.
4. Venonat.
5.
Dragalge.
6.
Cloyster.

In rotation:
1. Raichu - Alolan Form.
2. Druddigon.
3. Sizzlipede.
4. Gurdurr.
5. Swalot.

Released/Traded away:
1.
Diglett - Alolan Form.
2. Surskit.

Anik's Pokémon:
1. Kingler.
2. Cleffa.
3. Oricorio - Baile Style.
4. Minior - Green Core.
5. Vigoroth.

Ambrose's/Tamara's Pokémon:
1. Furret.
2. Crawdaunt.
3. Dodrio.
4. Helioptile.

Author's Note: (I guess cliffhanging has become a staple of my writing because, despite saying I was going to work on Menagerie 2's next chapter before this... I suddenly got a ton of internal desire to write Wannabe again. Life is stupid that way. You never really know when the "mojo" shows up for when you create something... :/)