Spirit of Mystery by Rinji

[Rinji79]

Spirit of Mystery


Pokemon Spirit and Ghost Story I
Well past 10 pm, Rhys leaned against the light post, opening his newly heated bowl of ramen noodles, it was full of deep red water, soaking random vegetables as well as noodles. He could smell the hot and spicy sauce, he thought about adding some tabasco sauce, but that would take too long, and he was starving. He picked up a generous portion with his chop sticks and lifted it up to let the steam off of it. He blew on it, his lips pursed very tiny so that only cool air went over it. As he ate, he looked over to Duskull, who had seemed to become somewhat amused with a broken public phonebooth. As if people ever used those things anymore. After a while, cellphones and smart phones started to do away with a lot of the electronics that we grew so accustomed to in our lives, and alls we needed to do was pull out that one device and it will tell us the time, date, news, messages, e-mails, and status of whatever we wanted at the push of a button. Rhys fell into that trap too, his cellphone was quite advanced, and because of it, he would never have to wonder what the weather forecast was. Technology sure was grand.

As he shoveled another portion of noodles, he looked over at Duskull again, this time it was staring at him.

Rhys: Ey, don't look at me, you said you don't eat. Well I'm not a ghost, I kind of have to choke something down or I'll end up like you. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to learn how to levitate.

The Duskull kept looking at him, not saying anything. Not that it could anyway.

Rhys breathed the spicy air out of his mouth, it was moderately spicy, and just the right kind. He accidentally licked his lips a little bit, but the spice didn't travel too much onto it.

Rhys: Alright, so best I can tell, Lavender Town is where most of this stuff got started right? I can tell you that Saffron City didn't see much of Pokemon like you. I mean yes, we have Ghost pokemon, but Duskulls? Not so much. [He started to walk down the path that led past the gas station he stopped at.]

The night loomed over them with its protective layer of mosquitos, Duskull floated behind Rhys slowly, but still fast enough to keep up.

Rhys: I've always wondered, Duskull, why do people give me those weird looks? I mean, it's not everyone, but usually when I'm close to other trainers, they give me some kind of look like they're scared of me. Why is that? [He looked to the side as Duskull caught up to him, and there was a long pause.] What, not much of a talker since last time?

Duskull looked at him once again, its shining eye glared at him, and then turned back to their path. Only after a good tme walking did they hear something, it came from behind a very heavily fenced area. The pickett fence was a dump, many of the picketts wer hanging on by the tip of the nail, and some of them were just broken in half by hoodlums, or just mold that built up on the wood after years of rain and sun. There was some yelling, and the sound of battle.

Rhys walked up to the fence and peered through one of the gaping holes to see shadows among the tallgrass.

Voice: [A female voice] Mareep! Hit it with a tackle!

Mareep: Eeeeeeep! [It called out as it lunged straight for the other pokemon!]

Voice: [Male voice] Phanpy! Don't let it get you! Use flail!

Phanpy wasted no time in swingings its pachyderm snout around, slapping Mareep as it attempted to get close to him.

Rhys walked out from behind the fence to view the battle, watching closely as a young girl faught an older man who was clad in a leather jacket, wore a red bandana in his long blond hair and had a motorcycle propped up on its peg behind him. The young girl wore a yellow and black hat, she wore white jeans and a yellow shirt with the lightning symbol on the front of it.

Girl: Come on Mareep! Don't give up! Cotton Spore now! [The Mareep spouted spores from its wool and they started to puff all over the small elephant-like pokemon.]

Man: Nice trick little girl, but it's over now! Phanpy, use Rollout!

The Phanpy rolled into a ball and then started to roll straight at Mareep, knocking the wooled pokemon onto the ground.

Girl: NO!

Man: Sweet! Great job, Phanpy! Now then, how much was that wager again? Eighty Dollars, was it?

Girl: No, it was Forty Dollars, nice try.

Rhys: Um, excuse me?

Both of them turned to see Rhys standing in the tallgrass field with them, and both of them glared.

Rhys: If you don't mind, I would like to try my luck against you, Mr....

Damien: It's Damien, and bugger off, my phanpy's tired, and I only got one pokemon left in full condition.

Rhys: Oh, I only have one pokemon, period.

Damien: Oh really? Well then, what do you wager?

Rhys: Well your bet was for forty, since you obviously have eighty dollars, I'll bet you eighty.

Damien: Eighty?! You're off your rocker if you think you can beat me with that... [He looked at Duskull, never having seen one like it before.] Whatever that is. I'll do it.

The girl walked over to Rhys and got up to him.

Girl: What do you think you're doing?! I didn't ask you to come rescue me, and I don't take charity! Back off, I lost fair and square.

Rhys: You lost because your pokemon type is weak against ground type.

Girl: [Blushed!] No! That's not the real reason, he kind of already beat my Pikachu...

Rhys: With one Phanpy? That's some pokemon he's got there. Oh, by the way, name's Rhys.

Jena: Jena, now please, back out of this, he's way too good. What kind of pokemon do you even have there, and why isn't it in a pokeball?

Rhys: Whoa, whoa, whoa, way too much all at once. To respond to everything: No, Duskull, and she told me she doesn't like pokeballs.

Jena: Wait, she told y--

Damien: Alright, enough chatter! It's time for a battle! Try this! Go Nidoran! [Cast out his pokeball, and there came a male Nidoran into the field.]

Rhys: Duskull, go.

The Duskull slowly floated out to the battlefield, its glaring red eye very visible to the Nidoran.

For a moment, Damien looked a little uneasy. He saw the skull on the pokemon's face, and how it really looked quite hollow. Something about the shape of the Duskull, and how it floated seemed very ominous. It stayed there, silently, its red eye fixed on his Nidoran, and waited. It reminded Damien of the grim reaper, and how he patiently waits for someone to die. He shook off the idea, and gripped his fist, holding it up toward Rhys and his Pokemon.

Damien: Nidoran! Double Kick now!

Nidoran: HAAA!! [Jumped straight at Duskull, and flipped up, kicking it, but finding it incorporeal, flying straight through it, and hitting the ground behind it.]

Jena's eyebrow rose up just a little bit. She brushed her red hair to the side and then looked at Rhys, who did not look the least bit surprised.

Rhys: Duskull, Night Shade.

Jena gasped, having seen that move before, but only on television. The Duskull turned to the Nidoran who just got to its feet, and its eyes shined a great, red light down at it, and all of the air around it began to become waved, and distorted. Its eyes tried to close, but it could not look away from the Duskull one, red eye that now looked endless toward the Nidoran, and smashed into its consciousness. The Duskull's skull face fell off, and its cloak wrapped itself around the Nidoran, making him wear it. It caused him to lose all of the water in Nidoran's body, drying it up and making it slowly fall to the ground. As it fell to the ground it started to remember all of the souls it had taken to the realm of the dead, and all of those souls it would patiently wait for to pass into the afterlife, and everything that would happen as the night sky shattered, the dreams broke into nightmares no matter where they hid, and all of life itself was a dream.

The Night Shade ended, and Nidoran fell limp to the ground, completely unconscious.

Damien: Oh, bollox! Bollox! A ghost type!? That's not fair!

Rhys walked up to the biker guy without any sort of fear in his eyes, and put his hand out. Damien frowned, and put his hand into his.

Damien: Fine, get the other half from the little minx over there, and we're even. [He returned Nidoran back into its pokeball, and then walked over to mount his bike.

Jena tried to give him the money, but then watched as Rhys walked back toward the broken-down fences, and toward the hole between the picketts. She shook her head, there was no way she was going to let him off that easy.

 

[Rinji79]

Another day, another ratty alleyway. It was just a matter of getting up without making your head seem like it was going to cave in from the brick wall or two-by-four plank of wood that it was leaning on. The worst part about it was the sun beaming over the horizon straight into your eyes. Rhys and Duskull made it to Lavender town earlier that morning before the sun came up, but now it was 8 am, and he found himself needing a serious shower. Normally truck stops were his main source of showers, but he felt like actually renting a room in a motel today. Just as he was trying to get up from the ground, he noticed Duskull on the other side of the alley, his back toward Rhys, and his face toward the bricks.

Rhys: Duskull, what are you doing?

Duskull turned to him, and floated over to his side.

Rhys: Don't tell me you were actually sleeping. I didn't think you needed it. If you would've told me that, we would have stopped at the Pokemon Center. It wasn't a far walk.

He suddenly felt a shadow loom over both him and Duskull, and when he looked up, he saw that it was the girl from the night before. He made a more successful attempt to get to his feet, but he had to keep his hand on the wall behind him.

Rhys: Hi [He attempted to get feeling back into his right leg.]

Jena: [She didn't speak at first, she only looked at him in a very odd manner.] What were you doing here?

Rhys: Sleeping.

Jena: You do know that Pokemon Centers are free to trainers, right?

Rhys: I'm not an official trainer. I don't have a sponsor, and I don't have a pokedex.

Jena: Not all trainers have pokedexes, what's keeping you from becoming a trainer?

Rhys: I didn't exactly ask to become a pokemon trainer, I kinda just fell into it.

Rhys started to walk down the sidewalk of Lavender Town, it was just about as big and empty as he had been told. There were people, but definitely not many for its size. Then he saw it, the radio tower. Stories were fluctuating about that tower, apparently it was Pokemon Tower, where all of the graves were placed when Pokemon died, but then it was converted into a radio tower, all of the graves were moved to the House of Memories. From what Duskull told him, midnight was the time, midnight was when it started, and it lasted ten minutes.

Jena: Well, if you ask me nicely, I can show you where there is an official Expert that can get you a trainers card. [Walking behind him to the side.]

Rhys: Why do you want me to be a trainer, why do you care?

Jena: Well, you just so happened to give me back some money that I lost, and I need to repay you. You don't need to be sleeping in alleys, they're so nasty!

Rhys: Fine, fine, fine, fine, we'll go get a trainer badge or whatever it was.

Jena: Trainer cards are easy to get, you just need to get a pokemon and introduced to it by an official.

Rhys: Right. Well first I'm going to find a bathroom, I have no problem telling you I'm at emergency overload.

Jena: Oh my GOD, you are so horrible!

Rhys: Hey, I didn't ask you to find me in an alley and decide to bring me to some quack to get a card or badge or whatever you call it.

Jena: Alright, fine, lets just get this over with so you can go do whatever it is that you're doing in a town like this. Were you wanting to find Duskull a little friend? [She was surprised to find that Duskull was right beside her, in her blind spot, and she backed away from her.]

Rhys: I'm here to find out what is going on with the Radio tower. There seems to be some weird signals coming out of there. I've heard of three occasions where a woman heard the voice of her father who had been dead for ten years. Another guy said that he heard the devil playing the violin faster than the speed of sound. He pretty much drove himself crazy trying to play the violin like the devil.

Jena: Wait, are you seriously telling me that you are going to investigate something like that in a place that is known for its vast number of ghost sightings?

Rhys: Yep, thanks to Duskull, I think I'm starting to like this whole pokemon thing. Was never accustomed to it before, but now I'm starting to enjoy this whole thing.

Jena: That sounds so dangerous... I totally want in!

Rhys: Wait, what?

Jena: Are you kidding me? When does anyone ever get to say that they get to chase ghosts and-- where are you going?

He had turned and started walking to a fastfood place.

Rhys: Getting breakfast and using their bathroom.

Jena: Oh, well, I half expected you to pee on the side of the building.

Rhys: I was going to but I couldn't find a building I liked [Opened and closed the door.]

Jena: Ugh, why did I end up owing him a - GAH!

Duskull: Duskuuuulllll [Floated up from behind her.]

Jena: GET AWAY FROM MEEEEE!!!
-----
The sun was high into the sky now, and the city still seemed to have that grayish tint to it that made both of them very uneasy. Strangely enough, the Pokemon official did not have her own facilities, he was using the Pokecenter to work from, contrary to many others. Even the center was looking down on times. The paint job on the gigantic pokeball on the outside of it looked pale, and sign was missing the accent mark on the "e" as it had fallen off sometime before.

Nurse Joy: Hello! Welcome to our pokemon center, we'll heal your pokemon to perfect health!

Strangely enough, Duskull seemed content with fading in and out of reality as she waited at the front desk, causing Nurse Joy to get distracted by it. Rhys waved the Duskull away as if she wasn't important.

Rhys: Hi, I'm here for an official membership to some pokemon club or some--

Jena: [Shoved him aside, making him fall.] What my friend here is trying to say is that he would like to become an official pokemon trainer!

Nurse Joy: Oh! Delightful, Dr. Willow is down the other side of the center, past the ER. Um, sir, could you get your Duskull away from the recovering pokemon?

Rhys: Eh?

He looked over to see his Duskull appearing in front of a bed-ridden Raichu who kept flailing its arms and screaming "RAAAAIIII!!!" as it saw Duskull until she disappeared. Then the Duskull appeared on the other side of the bed.

Raichu: CHUUUUUUUUU!!!!!

Rhys: Come on, Duskull, stop playing grim reaper!

Duskull: Duuuuskull... [Floated back to Rhys as they walked to the back of the Pokemon Center.]

The lights in the corridor were very, very dim, giving the hallway a very dubious look, and the ER room looked very clean, almost too clean. Still, that didn't stop it from having that dark, orange shade of eerie. What was with this place? He thought, it seemed like no matter where he went in it, everything that that dark, gloomy feel that made his stomach churn the wrong ways. He wanted to just solve the problem and get gone, actually, why did he want to solve the problem? What was the problem to him? Nothing, really. Some dead people talking to others and making scared, big deal. That's when Rhys started to think about what the Duskull said, and the more he thought about it, he couldn't remember much of it at all. He could remember she said something, because she spoke in a woman's voice, but he couldn't remember all of it, in fact, not much of it at all, like a very lucid dream that was soon disappearing from memory after you wake up.

They got to the office that was marked Dr. Willow, and he saw an older woman behind the desk who was busy at her computer, and seemed genuinely surprised that someone actually came. Rhys guessed she had to be in her forties.

Willow: Oh, hello! Please, come in. I'm almost done.

Her office was probably one of the strangest places Jena had ever seen. There were strange medical posters of Pokemon, one of them was of a Cubone, and how it related to the shape of its mother's skull that it wore over its head. The next was of a Lapras, asking if it was an offspring of Neptune himself. There was a series of pokemon eggshells, and papers strown all over.

Rhys: Hi, I'm Rhys, I wanted to become a Pokemon trainer?

Willow: Oh, how wonderful, you know we don't get many people in this town wanting to be trainers anymore. Not since all of the nonsense started happening. It's nice to see a young man showing such interest, and with such a cute Pokemon. You don't see many Duskull around these parts. [She waved at the Duskull, who sat there levitating, and not seeming to care.]

Jena: Yes, and I will be right back. [She walked out of the room.]

Willow: So, where are you from? [Filling out a piece of paper.]

Rhys: Saffron City.

Willow: Oh, close, alright, and how did you catch Duskull?

Rhys: She was haunting a house close to me, and ended up following me around. I didn't really ask her to.

Willow: Oh, how interesting.

Rhys: I suppose.

Willow: Well, normally you would have to wait for a beginners day, but there have been so few young souls come here for beginners day that I'm sure no one would care if I just juggle the books a bit. You do, however need to take the PAT before I can finish your initial sign up.

Rhys: PAT?

Willow: Pokemon Academics Test, it's standard for all trainers. [She held up a test booklet and handed it to Rhys, who took it along with a pencil, frowning.]

Jena: [Walked back in with little bags of chips and cookies.] I brought snacks! So have you taken the test yet?

Rhys scowled toward her as she entered, and she got into a defensive position.

Jena: Ummm... hi?

 

[Rinji79]

The test was rather difficult. He did study pokemon for a little while before he left Saffron City. Thankfully, he retained some of the knowledge. Some of them were pretty easy, like what was the evolved form of Pidgey. He hadn't run into a Pigeotto personally, but he remembered talking to a boy who had a Pidgey and would not shut up about it evolving. Then there came the harder questions, like the multiple choice question about which of these can evolve using a thunderstone.

After thirty five questions, he was finally done, and also done munching on the bag of potato chips Jena had picked up.

Willow: Well, [handed him back the packet.] good news, Rhys! You passed with a 92%, a very good grade, indeed.

Rhys: Thank you, now back to the subject of this town. I heard there was a radio tower that use to be a gravesite.

Willow: Oh? Yes, Pokemon Tower was reverted into a Radio tower because they thought it would bring more tourists. All of the remains were transported to the House of Memories, despite complaints from the locals.

Rhys: The locals wanted to keep Pokemon Tower?

Willow: Well, yes, that's where they buried their loved ones, and that's where they wanted them to stay. They seemed to think it was disrespectful to those that have passed. Being a former trainer, myself, I know what they mean. I've had my fair share of pokemon that I held dear. Their memories still live with me, though.

Dr. Willow's eyes clearly held back tears as she picked up a picture of her Snorlax and her as a young trainer winning all sixteen badges in both the Kanto and Johto regions. That was when she apologized quietly and wiped her eyes with her tissue paper, and pulled out six tiny pokeballs, along with a Trainer card.

Willow: Now, these will be your starters for your journey. The card will allow you to battle in any of the pokemon gyms you come across. If you'd like, I have an Abra that could use a new home. His trainer put him up for adoption, and--

Rhys: Thanks, ma'am, but no thank you. I can get by with Duskull for now.

Dr. Willow seemed especially shocked at this, but shrugged and smiled.

Willow: Alright, well, do you have anymore questions before I release you into the world?

Rhys: Yes, do you happen to know where I can find a radio?

Willow: A radio? Like a two-way or an AM/FM?

Rhys: I'd like to listen to the radio tower's station, I've heard good things about it.

Willow: Oh, yes, here I'll give you a map of Lavender Town and I'll mark a good pawn shop, you should certainly find a good deal there.

Rhys smiled and nodded.
------
Jena: You turned down an Abra?! Are you high!!? [They exited the Pokemon center after Jena had recovered her Pokemon from Nurse Joy. Then they started down the sidewalk.]

Rhys: I don't need it, I have Duskull.

Jena: You do know that you will be fighting multiple Pokemon a day, right? Having one pokemon will put a strain on him.

Rhys: Her.

Jena: Her, right. [She looked over at Duskull, who didn't look especially interested.]

Rhys: I'm not saying I'm not going to get another one, but I also like to earn them. I thought you of all people would respect something like that.

Jena didn't say anything at that, she had to admit that she probably would have done the same thing, except that time she kind of did exactly that. She stopped walking as he did, and saw that he pulled a map out of his pocket. That's when he looked to their right to see that they were, in fact, there.

Rhys: Wow, thank the town for being so small. [He folded up the map and walked to the pawn shop.]

Jena: Ummmm, what was the radio for, again?

Rhys: Just testing a theory. [He opened the door, and there was the shop, cluttered as an attic, and smelled just about the same.]

At first sight, there was a huge assortments of guitars, two drumsets, china dolls, shirts, tv's, movies, video games, guns, laptops, and two whole sets of patio furnature. There was even a bean-bag chair that was a gigantic charmander head! Behind the counter sat a very young lady. Her nose was in a book that was marked at 50¢ with a cheap orange price tag on the cover, obviously from their own inventory. She had on silver-rimmed sunshades and a side-ponytail that hadn't seen the light since the 80's. She didn't even take her eyes from her book.

Clerk: Hey, welcome. [Turned the page.]

Rhys: Hi, I was looking for a radio.

Clerk: Ummm, we got some down under the counter. [She pointed down through the clear-glass to show that they had tiny, black radios that looked like they were from well back in the early 90's.]

Jena: Wow, a lot of this stuff looks pretty vintage [Picked up an old Pokemon coin bank shaped like a Pikachu.] Hmmmm.

Rhys: Can I try this one out? [Pointed at an old radio/recorder.]

Clerk: Sure... [Closed her book and then looked at him, her eyes widening a little bit, and looking over at his Duskull.] Umm... which one, again?

Rhys: [Looked awkward, glancing at Duskull.] The silver one, the one with the microphone.

Clerk: Okay [She fumbled for her keys and opened up the counter with a somewhat shaky hand.]

Jena: Are you okay, miss?

Clerk: Yes, I'm fine. [She laid the radio on the counter.] Will there be anything else?

Rhys: Yeah, I was also kinda looking at those two Pokedexes, the red/blue and the gold/silver one.

Jena: Are you seriously going to buy pokedexes from a pawn shop?

Clerk: Umm... here [Put both of them on top of the radio.] Will there be anything else?

Rhys: That should do it. What's the damages? [Brought out his wallet.]

Jena: Wait a minute, you're getting two of them?! I told you I don't accept charity, not that you listened to me before! [Pulled out two twenty dollar bills from her lady-wallet and attempted to put them on the counter.]

Rhys strafed and pushed Jena away from the clerk, putting all eighty-two dollars onto the counter. He laughed as the clerk took the money and printed out a very amateur-looking receipt.

Clerk: Have a nice day. [She gazed at Rhys with her eyes as blank as they could get.]

The two of them stayed for a moment, picking up their pokedexes, and Rhys his radio. They stayed there, staring at the Clerk, who was now gazing off into space. They looked at each other, and then walked out of the shop. After just a few moments, the lady clerk began to weep.
------
Jena: Don't suppose you're willing to talk about what happened in that shop with that girl, what are you, her ex or something?

Rhys: Never met her in my life.

They sat at the park bench, it was already mid-afternoon and the sun was just a few hours before dipping down to the horizon. Still, the wind was blowing cool air, and the heat made the chill quite bearable. Though Lavender Town didn't look like much during the day, when dusk started to come, the shadows of all of the buildings and the trees looked so purple, it was hard to believe.

Rhys finally found a nine-volt battery, as he completely forgot they existed, and he put it into the radio's battery slot. As he put the plastic tab on top of it, he turned it on, and the digital screen on the front of it lit up blue with all of the numbers for the radio stations, and the time blinking 12:00.

Rhys: There we go, now, there were a million posters for the radio tower's talk station. Which one was that.

Jena: [Entering her information into her new gold/silver pokedex.] 100.5 was the talk station, 104.1 was the music station. I think they have a few others.

Jena looked over at Duskull, who was gazing off into the horizon over the park. She opened her Pokedex toward the Duskull.

Pokedex: Duskull, primarily a nocturnal pokemon. Duskulls are said to startle bad, misbehaving children, and enjoy the sounds of their crying.

Jena: What?!

Rhys: Huh, so that's why it was drawn to that baby's carriage.

Jena: What the hell is wrong with you! [Pointing at the Duskull, who turned toward her.]

Duskull: Duuuuskull?

Jena: AH! [Jumped behind the park bench, holding up her Pikachu's pokeball.] S-s-s-stay away from meee!

Radio: Our next guest is a dollmaker from Celadon City who is said to be traveling Kanto with his beautiful, handmade dolls for all ages, and all collectors to purchase. You will not find better-looking dolls anywhere else.

Rhys: Oh, hey, it's working!

Jena: Eh? [Looked over at him.] Is it set to the right station?

Rhys nodded and held it up for her to see.

James/Radio: Hello, my name is James Meddsill, and I love to create little dolls for all of the world to see. It normally takes several hours to obtain the level of life-like realness that I seek in all of my little creations. I want to make it seem like the doll is really looking at you and loving what she sees.

Announcer/Radio: Wow, that's really creepy, and you need some serious help. Thanks for coming. Next up is a woman who says her couch talks to her and tells her stories of homosexual vampires, stay tuned on Clive-Talk radio, 100.5, the SEEL.

Both of them paused for a moment, and listened as the first commercial came on.

Commercial: Have a headache? Ankle swelling up? Obesity getting you down? Well stop being pregnant you stupid cow! HAHAHAHA!!!

Rhys: Eh, is it midnight yet?

 

[Rinji79]

11:00pm

So up went the tents, and out came the marshmellows. The two of them decided to have a campout, since they got better reception from the park than the center. They built a small fire, making sure it was okay with parks and rec first, which was easy because the town didn't have one. Rhys ate another marshmellow off of his stick and then kept going with his story.

Rhys: Maria couldn't get the accident out of her head for the rest of that year. Every single day she kept seeing the car dropping off that bridge as if it were happening all over again. Until one day, when she looked at the bridge, the vision was gone. She no longer saw it when she closed her eyes, and she was happy about this! She went on her merry way for months after that, up until the day she passed by the bridge once again.

Rhys: There she saw it, the accident happened again, only this time, it wasn't in her thoughts. It was a completely different car being pushed off by a completely different truck. The truck slid on the bridge as well, and fell into the water along with it. As the truck fell, Maria squinted to see there were two figures standing on the bridge. There she saw her boyfriend that died in the accident before, and standing there was a girl about his age. The two of them walked away, and the body that they pulled up from the river was that exact same girl. All she could say when she found this out was "Manwhore."

Jena started laughing, dipping her marshmellow into the fire by accident, and having to blow it out before it got too burned.

Jena: Wow, Rhys, you're not a bad story teller. But that was much more funny than it was scary.

Rhys: Yeah, I figured if I can't evoke horror from people, I can at least leave them laughing.

Jena: Yeah, I'm more afraid of real things than ghosts and monsters and such. [She looked over at Duskull, who was floating up in a tree, gazing at the almost full moon.] Well, you know what I mean.

Rhys: It just means you're not prepared for what is to come [Eating another cooked marshmellow.]

Jena: [Scowled] And what is that supposed to mean?

Rhys: Well if you're only concentrating on the real stuff, and all that stuff, then you're pretty much shutting out other possibilities, and what if those all turn out to be real?

Jena: Then I'll adapt.

Rhys: Suit yourself. You wanna tell a story now?

Jena: Nah, I'm not very good at stories. I could tell you a little about me, but I can't put it in context like a book or something like that.

Rhys: I know what you mean. So what about a boyfriend?

Jena: Nah, I've had a few, but they were pretty short-lived. There was one kid though, while I was on my way to this place from Vermilion City, I came upon this little boy who was herding Mareeps in a valley. The boy said he'd lost one of his Mareep and asked if I could find it with him. Being me, I said yes, and we searched those valleys for hours. Turns out, it was just a wild goose chase, there was no missing Mareep, it was all just a ploy to ask me out on a date. His dad found him, furious for leaving the Mareep unattended. I told him about the whole thing, and man was he so mad. So he offered me a Mareep for my help, and told me he would deal with his son.

Rhys: Hmm, and of course, you told him you don't accept charity, right? [He grinned at her, knowing the answer to that.]

Jena: I can pass up a lot of things, an electric type is not one of them. I love Mareep, and was going to ask them if I could have one anyway. I didn't have any money or anything but I would have worked on that farm for weeks to get one.

Rhys: I can relate to that.

Jena: What are you talking about? You passed up that Abra earlier today.

Rhys: Yeah, a psychic type, if it was a water type, I would have jumped all over it.

Jena: Wait, water type? That's what you're after?

Rhys: Oh yeah, I just need a fishing rod, from what I gather.

Jena: You have enough money for 10 fishing rods, why haven't you gotten one yet?

Rhys: Eh, seems like a cheap cop out to... wait [Checked his watch.] It's 11:57...

Jena: Whoa, an hour went by quick. [Checked her watch.]

Rhys: Here we go... [Picking up his radio and readying the start switch.]

Click.

Radio: --ou're on the air with Stevee. What's your question for my main man?

Caller: Ummm, hi Mr. Manio?

Manio/Radio: That is me, I am Manio and Manio is me.

Caller: Ummm yeah, so what's your favorite pokemon to use in your gym battles?

Manio/Radio: Oh that's a simple answer, finally a simple question!

Stevee/Radio: I know, right? Don't see those often.

.....

....

They waited there for a moment to hear what Manio used in his gym battles, but then there was silence. A very long silence began at that point, and Rhys held up his radio, even tinkering the antenna a little bit.

Jena: Is it still on?

Rhys: Yeah, I don't think it lost sign--

The radio began to emit waves of static, they would come in strong at first, but then the static would just fade away, and after just a few times of doing that, they began to hear a child's voice. Child was too vague, though, it sounded more like a toddler saying nonsense baby talk. Then, after a moment of that, there came a very deep, gutteral voice.

Radio: So you got the message. I'm glad you will be joining us in the games. The games will begin soon, and you will be the first to enter.

Rhys: Wh-- who is this?

Radio: You already know me, but you forgot. You forgot everything. Whether you remember it or not does not matter, you will pay for what you did, what you didn't do, and what you are planning to do.

Rhys: What are you--

Radio: We will speak again, but until then, follow me. The first one is a given, but the rest is up to you. Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Rhys turned off the radio and looked over at Jena, whose eyes were bulging as they could not get any wider. Her hand was shaking, and it was clear she was trying to say something, but nothing came out. She started to think about what he said earlier, about not being ready for what was up ahead. How could he possibly have known something like this would happen? What were the odds that they would come looking for a strange radio wave, and just happen to find one on the night that they arrive? That was far too coincidental to be a coincidence. He must have known, but how?

Even Duskull sat by the fire near him, her one red eye gazed at him, and seemed to wonder.

Rhys picked up his cover, and went to Jena, wrapping it around her.

Rhys: Jena? Are you alright?

Jena: What... was that? What happened? Why did it talk to you directly? What does it want?

Rhys: That's a lot of questions for my one to you. I don't know any of them. Sorry, wish I did. I can tell you, though, if you want to back out now, I would understand. This is getting a little too close to the deepend, even for me.

Jena looked over at Duskull, who was still looking at Rhys in that thoughtful sort of way. Then she looked up at Rhys as he hunched over her, pulling the cover around her tight, as she was shaking still. She attempted a smile, and pulled the covers close to her.

Jena: No, I'm okay, I just need some sleep. What happens tomorrow?

Rhys: Tomorrow? I want to take a look at that House of Memories. [He glanced over at Duskull, who still stared.] Then, probably do some shopping.

 

[Rinji79]

There was not much sleep to be had. The scare the night before got to Jena more than she would admit. She had no idea what she was in for with this Pokemon trainer, but she was stubborn, and would not leave. Whether this was to repay her debt to him, or if it was the thrill of the unknown, and the promise of adventure, she could not say for herself, but either was a good enough excuse. When she did sleep, her imagination apparently came up with the image of the voice that talked to him in the radio. It was the face of a horror that she could not describe upon waking. It talked to her then, but she could not understand a single word it said, nor did she know where she was. That was all she would recall when she opened her eyes the next morning, and heard people talking outside of her tent.

Rhys: I told you, I don't want to battle, there is a lady asleep in there, and I don't want to wake her, please lower your voice.

Trainer: Aww come on! You're the only trainer for miles from here! Lavender town is boring! Can't we just go off and have a battle away from her?

Rhys: Yeah, and leave my tent unattended? No thanks. Oh, Jena [Looked at her open her tent flap.] I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you.

Jena: Nah, it's okay. [Waved at him.] I'll just go do my morning stuff. [She walked off with her toothbrush and her cup half-filled with water.]

Rhys: Alright, alright, kid. Well now we woke the lady up, and I guess it would be a waste if I didn't battle you.

Trainer: Alright! Now you're in for it! [Pulled out a Pokeball and enlarged it to normal size.] Get ready for---

The little kid trainer did his baseball pitcher move and threw the pokeball between him and Rhys.

Trainer: Meowth! [The meowth was on the field, and it licked its front paw as it exited its pokeball.

Meowth: Meowth Meowth!

Rhys: Okay, Duskull, do your thing.

The Duskull floated onto the field and faced the Meowth. The two pokemon locked eyes, Duskull with her one, glowing red eye gazing at the Meowth, and making it very hard for it to concentrate.

Trainer: Meowth! Quick attack! NOW!

Meowth: Meowth! [Zipped hither and thither across the battleground and jumped at the Duskull, passing straight through it.]

Trainer: What?!

Rhys: Duskull, astonish.

Duskull: Duskull! [Eye turned a bright blue and everything around the Meowth turned black in spectrum, bringing the Meowth into a huge world of gloom so fast that it's heart sank.]

The Meowth could do nothing more than stay there, mouth wide open, and stunned.

Trainer: Meowth! MEOWTH! Snap out of it!

Rhys: Duskull, Night Shade.

The horrors that befell the Meowth at that point could barely be reckoned in numbers. The world it lived in was shattered in a single moment, and it closed its eyes hard to keep the images out, yet they persisted. After the entire world melted away, that was when he opened his eyes once more and saw that it was all just a nightmare.

Trainer: Meowth! Bite attack! Go!

Meowth: MEOWTH! [Jumped at the Duskull and used Bite, a physical attack that dealt in Darkness, and was able to clamp onto the Duskull, causing her physical pain.]

Rhys: Hm, Confuse Ray.

Duskull's eye shined, and a beam of light went straight into Meowth's head. The Meowth's eyes began to swirl, and he was clearly off balance.

Trainer: Meowth! Go! Bite him again!

Rhys: He's a she...

Trainer: Whatever! Just do it!

The Meowth wobbled, and then fell straight onto his face, knocked completely out.

Trainer: NO! Meowth! [Went to his Meowth and picked him up.]

Rhys: Now, I believe it was 50 bucks on the battle?

Trainer: Errrr... [Cringed, as he was hoping Rhys wouldn't remember. He took 50 out of his wallet, and handed it to Rhys.] Alright, I'm gonna to the Center.

Rhys: Have a good one.

Jena: Wow, Rhys, you sure are casual about winning. [Said as she was dismantling her tent.]

Rhys: Well, yeah, battling's not really my thing.

Jena: In that case, I'll get the next battle, my Pikachu needs a good workout.

Rhys: Fine by me. [Helped her gather their things for the day's errands.]

-----

The House of Memories, it was much smaller than he had expected. From a gigantic tower like Radio tower down to a little house like this? It seemed very strange that they could ever fit this many remains into such a small space. They must have been thoroughly cremated. The house looked something like a temple, and a very fancy one at that. When Jena and Rhys went inside, it was very dim-lit and more like a church than anything. There were many tombstones, all of them marked with several names of passed Pokemon, along with the names of their owners. All along the wall, it was more of the same, obviously they couldn't fit all of their names onto simple tombstones. There was an older man in the middle, obviously something of a holy man who was consoling a teenage girl, who had obviously lost a pokemon in recent times.

Rhys reached down to one of the tombstones and placed his hand on it, looking at the rest of them in that row.

Jena: Wow, really makes you think, doesn't it? [Started reading some of the names of the Pokemon, seeing that some of the nicknames were quite clever.]

Rhys: Hmm, yeah, sure does. [Looked over to see Duskull was uninterested in seeing the gravestones.]

The priest nodded to the little girl as she went back into the backroom, and he looked over at Rhys. That was when his eyes widened, and he stepped over toward him.

Priest: Young man, what is your name?

Rhys: My name's Rhys.

Priest: Why have you come here? [He glanced over at the girl, his look very intense and glaring.]

Rhys: I'm here looking for anything out of the ordinary, anything having to do with some of the stranger--

Priest: Young man, please, kindly leave this place. Your presence here is quite disturbing, especially for those who have recently lost a loved one.

Rhys lifted an eyebrow at the man, seeing that he was sweating some, and having a great deal of trouble maintaining his composure.

Rhys: Yeah, I think I will, thanks for your time. [Turned to leave.]

Jena looked at the priest for a moment longer, and then turned and ran to catch up with Rhys, who was walking out quite fast.

Jena: Rhys! Wait up! What was with that? That guy was a man of the church, why did you bother him so much?

Rhys: I don't know, I think maybe Duskull was a little uncalled-for in a place where they say goodbye to their late pokemon.

Jena: Umm, yeah. [She looked over at Duskull, then back at Rhys, her head tilting a little bit. She saw that he was trying more to convince himself than he was trying to convince her.]

Rhys: Anyway, what we're looking for isn't in there.

Jena: How can you be so sure?

Rhys: Because I know when something weird is going on. The only weird thing in there was me, according to our friendly neighborhood holyman.

Jena: So now what?

Rhys: Well, what do you think? [He nodded ahead, and there was the former Pokemon Tower.]

It was extremely tall, and the satellite dishes on top of it were gigantic. It was obvious that they were added far after the entire building was made. There was a nice new paint job on the bricks, and it was very busy on the inside.

Rhys: Alright, let's check it out.

As soon as Rhys put his hand on the doorhandle, he saw two, bright and glaring eyes flash in his mind's eye. Then he saw the two eyes surrounded by gigantic swarms of purple radio waves rippling out into the great abyss. As the radio waves hit him, his other hand grabbed his head and he cringed, gritting his teeth.

Jena: Rhys?! What's wrong?

Rhys: Oh... [Opened his eyes and looked at her, stern and concentrated.] This is the place.

He opened the door, and they both walked in.

 

[Rinji79]

It was a surprisingly normal looking first floor. There were a few rows of chairs in the waiting room against the walls, and a receptionist behind the counter on the far side. There was one guy practicing lines for what sounded like a commercial in the waiting room, with what he heard of their commercials, it was surprising to see that they practiced at all.

Rhys and Jena walked toward the receptionist until she pulled his arm off to the side, near some of the chairs.

Jena: Alright, hold it, what exactly were you planning to say?

Rhys: Well, I was just gonna go to the elevator.

Jena: What? Are you crazy? They don't just let kids waltz into their building and let them roam free. We need a security clearance of some sort.

Rhys: Well, we could just be here for a radio show or something.

Jena: Maybe we should have scheduled something with someone. I don't think a plan off the top of our heads is going to fly here. Maybe we should go ask Dr. Willow if she could help us-- [Looked over toward the receptionist.] What is Duskull doing?

Both of them looked over to see the receptionist was still typing on her computer as Duskull came in close to her, and she didn't notice until Duskull was directly in front of her.

Receptionist: WAH! [Fell backward in her chair.] Oh my God! What is that thing!? Help me! Someone help me!

Duskull: Duuuuuskull?

Rhys: Come on! [Grabbed Jena's hand and they hurried over to the stairwell, followed closely by Duskull as they cleared enough out of sight.]

The two of them hurried up the stairs a little ways up until they got to about the fourth floor. They caught their breath for a moment, leaning down a little, only to look at one another to notice that they were very close. They turned around to act casual.

Rhys: Nice work, Duskull. That was quick thinking.

Duskull: Duskull?

Jena: Now, which floor are we going to?

Rhys: Not completely sure. We'll have to search them all.

Jena: [Slapped the back of his head.] You ARE crazy! I am not searching all seven floors! We need--

They heard a noise from downstairs, the door opened, and there came a female voice, and judging by the hysterics, it must have been the receptionist. They moved to the wall to move out of sight, while Duskull went through the wall.

Receptionist: It came at me, scared the life out of my soul and came here to the stairwell! Please, take care of it for me!

Male Voice: Righto ma'am, I suppose security can be used for ghost busting, right Rusty?

Rusty: Groowwwwlithe!

Jena: [Whispered] Growlithe?! We need to hide!

The door closed, but it was quite clear that the security guard was starting to ascend the stairs, as well as Rusty the Growlithe. The pair of trainers started to ascend as well, only with a greater sense of urgency. That was when Rhys looked to the left and saw a light switch, and then he stopped. Jena looked back at him, and saw him eyeing the light switch. At first she was confused, but then he turned it off, and the whole stairwell went dark.

Rusty: Growlithe!

Guard: Gah! Mr. Ghost?! What are ya doin! You'd better turn that light back on right now and come out with whatever ghostly appendages you have, put'em up!

Rhys: [Put his hands over his mouth in a hollering motion] Duuuuuuuuuskulllllll!

Guard: Eh?! Okay, this is getting creepy! Rusty! Use Fire Spin and light this place!

Both of their eyes went completely wide, and they looked at each other.

That was when a gigantic burst of flames went up the stairwell's midsection and lit the whole place. Both Jena and Rhys went into the fifth floor doorway, and hid to the side of the doorway so that they were not in the window's view. Both of them pressed themselves against the wall. Jena's head was close to Rhys's chest, and she could hear his heart going at a fierce rate. They panted, and waited for the guard to go by their door.

Jena: [Whispered.] Is he gone?

Rhys: I think so. We can stay here a minute, I don't think he'll be coming here for a while, I think we spooked him.

Jena: Good, because this is getting weird.

Rhys: Yeah, it is.

That was when Rhys looked into the floor that they were on, and saw that all of the lights were out in the hallway. The halls were completely blank white, but darker than ever, as the windows were covered by blinds that allowed very little sunlight through. The doors along the hallways had editing rooms, recording studios, sound mixing rooms, meeting rooms, and all of them were dead silent, and all of the lights were nonexistent.

Jena looked around at all of the floor, and saw that even the air was still and stale. The stagnant atmosphere of that place made her skin crawl to a horrible extent.

Jena: This is the place.

Rhys: Yeah, it is. [Pulled out a flashlight and turned it on. He began to walk down that long hallway with her.]

All of the rooms they passed had windows, and all of them were very still, they tried to turn on the lights, but none of them worked. In fact, none of the electronics worked.

Jena: They might have turned off the circuit breakers in the maintence closet. I think I saw it [She turned to her left and saw that the room she saw there was gone.] What? That's weird. That room was right there.

She turned back to Rhys, and in the darkness, for a moment, she could only see the back of his head. His entire head turned all the way around toward her, and he had no face.

She backed up against the wall, hard! That was when the Rhys dummy fell to the floor, his head shattering into a million pieces, and then beginning to melt. As it melted, the floor began to sizzle. She screamed, backing away from it fast as she slid along the wall, and gazed at whatever it was that just occurred, as she was having a very hard time telling her brain that it really did happen at all.

That was when she heard something rolling across the ground. She looked down the hallway to see a pokeball working its way toward her.

It stopped with the white half downward and the button on the front lighting up. It flashed open, and the energy inside burst out and took form.

Houndour: Grrrrrrrrr! [It growled, and sent a serious chill down Jena's spin as it gazed at her with two glowing, red eyes.]

 

[Rinji79]

The darkness around him engulfed his senses, and the only thing he was left with was an office building. Something changed, but it happened in an instant, faster than he could blink. He looked over to Jena, who looked back at him, and gave him a nervous smile. He nodded, and then turned to keep walking down that hallway. As he did, he felt like he was swimming through the air, as if there were some sort of resistance, or something that was weighing him backward. It was something that couldn't be explained unless you were feeling it for yourself. Everything seemed to take on a strange copper tint to it, as if he were watching an older film on an ancient projector. He stopped, and felt his head swim from recoil as he did.

He looked back over to Jena, who looked back at him, and gave him a nervous smile. He nodded, and then turned to keep walking down that hallway. As he did, he felt like he was swimming through the air, and... then he saw that he was right back where he started. "Jena..." He said, his voice sounding distant, as if he said it while he was at the other end of the hall. "Do you feel that?"

Jena: Feel what? What do you mean? What should I be feeling?

"I don't know, I don't feel right, like I'm being shut in in a wide open space. I feel like I'm walking through murky water. Do you feel that?"

Jena: Feel what? What do you mean? What should I be feeling? [She gently put her hand on his chest and pushed him into the wall at his back.]

Jena: What should I be feeling? [She put her face very close to his, and he could feel her hot breath against his cheek as her lips came ever so close to his.] What should I be feeling?

As he looked into her eyes, she wasn't looking straight back, her eyes gazed off into space, as if she were blind, or her face was a mask that could not move her eyes. Her fingers ran through his hair, and down his face, and he stood still. His eyes were very wide, and his cheeks were very red. Still, his eyes couldn't stop staring at those strange, lifeless eyes of Jena's as they gazed off into nothingness. That was when she put her hand down to the bottom of her chin, and lifted up the mask, underneath, her skin was absolutely gray-white, and her eyes were a sickening yellow that pierced the darkness.

His breaths became heaves, and his pulse jumped up, skyrocketing. She stared deep into his eyes and her grin crossed completely over her face, ear to ear.

Girl: I told you that you would pay, and look what you've done. You walked right to me. You should know better than to walk into the haunt. So unprepared, and so inexperienced. Now, pay with your soul.

Her mouth began to grow into an enormous size, her teeth sharpening to tips that looked microscopic. His heart skipped a beat, and a single bead of sweat dripped down his face. There was nothing he could think to do in that instant. That was, until he felt something come through the back of his head, and through the front of his face. A skull mask, cloaked in purple, and a red eye piercing through it.

Duskull: Duuuuuuuskull!

Rhys: Night Shade, NOW!

Girl: GAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!! [The banshee-like entity shrieked as Duskull unleashed a full-force attack on her, and her eyes went completely black.]

She was reverted into her true form, which went through the wall, and fled away. Rhys saw the entire world change back to normal, and now he knew that he was under the influence of a Confuse Ray. He panted to catch his breath as he slid down the wall his back was against. Sweat streamed down his face, and he couldn't stop from shaking. Then he heard the sound of electricity, and he looked over to see Jena as she was standing in front of a Houndour with her Pikachu, who was lit up with lightning that shocked the canine Pokemon.

The Houndour came back at Pikachu with its maw bursting into flames, and little licks of flame quickly blew through the air at the electric mouse. Pikachu cringed at the attack, but endured it.

Jena: Pikachu! Hang tough! Hit him with a thunder wave!

Pikachu: Pika-CHU!!! [Powered up his cheeks, and then released all of it in one single, wide, burst.]

Houndour felt the burst hit him, and that was when he began to shake uncontrollably. His limbs locked up, and he was unable to move even a muscle, no matter how much he struggled.

Jena: Alright, nice work, Pikachu! Now then, I don't care where you came from, but now you're mine! [Pulled out a pokeball, and enlarged it.] Come on Pokeball! [Lunged the pokeball straight for Houndour.]

The Pokeball consumed Houndour, and landed, beginning to shake. It was not long before it went dead, and stable.

Jena: YES! [Jena thrusted her fist forward, putting her hand on her bicep as she flexed.] We did it Pikachu! We caught Houndour!

Pikachu: Pikachu!!! [Jumped for joy.]

Rhys: [Put his hand on Jena's shoulder.] Nice work J--

Jena: GAH! [Whirled around, and thrust her fist into Rhys's face!] Eh?!

Rhys fell on his butt and leaned back some, dazed a little bit.

Jena: Oh my God! Rhys! [Went down to Rhys and embraced him.] I'm so glad you're okay! I thought I'd lost you! What happened? There was a mannequin, and you fell, then there was a Houndour, and I thought you were dead!

Rhys: Eh... well, yeah, these things -- happen.

Jena: Oh, and sorry about the punch thing, my Dad made me take a self-defense class. Is your nose okay?

Rhys: Yeah I'm good [He wiggled his nose with is thumb and forefinger, then sniffed a bit to make sure he could still breathe from it.]

He got up from the ground, and looked down at Pikachu, who smiled up at him, and bowed a little bit.

Pikachu: Pika!

Jena: I'm so happy, Pikachu! [Picked him up and cuddled him.] You did so great! Do you want to stay out of your pokeball for a bit?

Pikachu: Chu... [Yawned.]

Jena: Tired, huh? Alright! Rest well! [Beamed Pikachu back into the Pokeball, then looked back at Rhys.] Alright, Rhys, what's going on? What was all that I saw earlier?

Rhys: I wish I had a good answer for you, but the high and low is that I really don't. I can say that I think something is trying to stop us from advancing, and would have if it weren't for Duskull here. [Duskull lowered down from the ceiling as she heard her name.]

Jena: Oh... how pleasant. [Looked over at Duskull.]

Rhys: We need to be a little more careful, I think we were hallucinating from a powerful Confuse Ray. Whatever is trying to stop us, [Looked down the hallway, seeing that their path was just a little clearer to see.] we're getting closer to it.

 

[Rinji79]

Mareep lit up his tail and led the way with at least a little bit of light. That hallway seemed to go on and on forever, both Jena and Rhys kept getting a sense of futility when it came to navigating. To their knowledge, no building was this big in its interior. At length, Rhys finally leaned Mareep's tail toward the left side of the hallway, and saw that there was a maintenance closet that looked awfully familiar. He tried the doorknob, but it was locked. Not only was it locked, but it felt rock-solid in that he could not budge it, even an inch.

Jena: Hmmmmm wish we had some pokemon with some muscle.

Rhys: We'll have to make it with what we got. Duskull, check it out.

Duskull: Duuuuuskull [Tried to pass through the door, but hit her face.] Duskull!

Rhys: Whaaat? That's a first. This must be the right room, all of the other rooms are wide open.

Jena: Yeah, but how are we supposed to get through?

Rhys: Hmmmm... [Tapped his cheek with his pinky, his palm against his chin.] Well.... hmmmm

Jena: Mareep, Thunder Shock! On that door!

Rhys looked at her wide-eyed, and then looked down to Mareep, whose tail lit up like the sun, making him squint, and the electricity ran through his body as both of them stepped backward. Current ran straight into the door and zapped it, but good. Rhys tried the knob shortly after, but it was way hot and he shook his hand.

Rhys: Nice thought, but still a no go.

Jena: Man... [Kept thinking, looking around the room, the ceiling, the floor, and the office behind them.]

Rhys snapped his fingers and pulled his Pokemon Trainer Identification Card, and kneeled down in front of the door.

Jena: Seriously?

Rhys: I'm out of good ideas, so now it's time to try something I learned while I was in grade school.

To both of their surprise, he slid the card along the slope of the door hammer, the door clicked, and he pulled it open.

Jena: I literally cannot believe that worked. [Looked inside to see many, many TV screens all along a wall of a huge room.]

Rhys: You and me both...

They walked in and there were cables, wires, and outlets all over the floor of that dark, and gloomy room. It would have been completely pitch black were it not for the TV screens all showing static, and quiet, white noise. Jena counted the X and Y axis of their outer rows, and found that there were 56 of them in all. That was, until all of the white noise suddenly stopped, and all of them switched to screens which showed the two of them standing in the middle of that room. Then a loud, deep, gutteral voice uttered from nowhere.

Voice: Welcome, Rhys. I see you brought your friend.

Rhys: [Eyes twitched a little bit.] Who are you?

Voice: You will not remember me, but I certainly remember you, and what you did, even if you can't recall it, can never go unpunished.

Rhys: What did I do? What have you been talking about?!

Voice: The house, the Duskull that skulks at your heels, it all happened in that house. That house, where you turned a apathetic eye to the likes of me, and those like me. You... will... DIE!!!!

From the screens, all of the light produced multiple beams that connected together, and even behind them, where all of the cables met, there came a crackle of electricity. Jena looked to their back, while Rhys stayed focused on the screens. The screens produced a Spiritomb , one whose face warped, and twisted with anger at the very sight of Rhys and his Duskull.

Then, connected to every single wire in that whole entire room, and all of the cables that led to the radio tower's broadcasting satellites, was a Rotom. It connected, and possessed every single cirtcuit in that whole facility. She figured this was why they were able to haunt the midnight broadcast, and if she could take it down, that would be over with. Then it turned its gaze to Jena.

Jena: [Pointing toward Rotom] Go! Houndour!

Rhys: [Pointing toward Spiritomb] Go, Duskull!

They laid their soldiers onto the battlefield, and just like that, it had begun.

Rhys: Duskull! Confuse Ray!

Duskull: Duskullll!!! [Red eye beamed straight for the Spirtomb, and caused him to lose control of his face, as it turned to static.]

Spiritomb: Gaaaahh.... What... What is... [He hurt himself in confusion.]

Rhys: Alright! Now hit him with a Night Shade!

Duskull: Duuuuskuuuuuull [Fired off a haze of reality that shook the very foundation of Spiritomb, causing his face to go haywire!]

Spiritomb started to ripple, but then his face came back, and it looked like he was starting to regain some of his concentration.

Spiritomb: You fool! You fight me?! [Blasted a green beam from its mouth, straight for Duskull, who moved to dodge, but it turned out to be a feint attack, as the true attack came from the back and sliced the Duskull as Spiritomb grinned as it passed straight through, and damaged Duskull.]

It was obvious that Duskull's vigor was taken aback by such an attack, as she began to slump, and floated nearer to the ground.

Rhys: Don't give up! Astonish!

Duskull's red eye shined toward the Spiritomb, causing it to close its eyes at such a bright light. That was when Duskull used its flinch to her advantage, and went up to it point blank, as Rhys called it out, her Night Shade began to ripple straight through its ethereal body, making it blast straight through the ghost's very image.

Then there came a grin across the Spiritomb's face, and its mouth opened wide, and began to inhale Duskull's very essence, stealing it. Duskull floated backward, and suddenly dropped as its fighting spirit was lost in such an attack.

Rhys: Duskull! NO!!!
------

The battle raged on, after spraying Houndour with a healing potion, he was able to attack the Rotom head-on. With the embers coming from his mouth, and blairing toward the electric ghost, he began his attack! The battle waged, and Houndour took many volts of charged energy from the ghost that haunted that radio station. Rotom could not keep up his connection with the radio station, and was forced to concentrate on nothing but the impending attack. The two of them battled in a fierce competition of combustion and raw power of the elements.

Jena: Houndour! Use Roar!

The Houndour emitted a soundwave that shook the very fabric of Rotom's being, but it retaliated with a harsh burst of electric energy that caused the canine to cringe. It did not back down, however.

Jena: That's the spirit, Houndour! Bring it in with a smog attack!

Smoke gushed from the Houndour's mouth, and made it especially hard to see through the toxic fumes. This bought it some time and it weaved, zig-zagging through the smoke to its next attack.

Jena: Houndour! Ember attack now!

Houndour roared, its maw bit down on the Rotom, and began to heat up with a large bunch of embers that rushed into the ghost pokemon, and caused it to recoil back. It did not look like it was doing especially well, but it still charged itself, and blaired yet another thunder shock that jolted through Houndour's system.

Jena could see that Houndour was barely keeping it together, it had taken a lot of voltage that day, and it wouldn't be long before it became too much.

Jena: Houndour! Use bite attack! GO!

Houndour clamped down onto the Rotom, and it began to convulse. Rotom was obviously not functioning correctly, and to Jena's relief, it seemed to be powering down something fierce.

Jena turned back toward Rhyse, and her eyes widened as she saw Duskull was falling from the Spiritomb's attack. The evil ghost began to move onto the fallen Pokemon, and Jena pointed at it, scowling hard, and releasing yet another pokemon.

Jena: Pikachu! Attack!

Rhys looked back to see Pikachu come forward.

Pikachu: Pikaaaa! [Lunged through the air toward Spiritomb.]

Jena: Thunder wave! Now Pikachu!

Pikachu: Pikaaaaaa CHUUUU!!!! [Burst with a huge jolt of power all at once.]

The Spirtomb was taken aback by the unexpected interference, and was caught in the wave of electricty, finding it very hard to move.

Jena: There ya go, Pikachu! Take him down with a Thunder Shock!

Pikachu: Chuuuuuu!!!! [A huge current of electricity began to engulf the ghost, and he began to shout in horrific pain!]

Jena: Rhys! [Grabbed Rhys by the shoulder and turned him to her.] Rhys! Get your Pokeballs! Throw them at both of these ghosts!

Rhys: But... I didn't--

Jena: RHYS! [Pulled him face to face, her angry eyes staring at him in a very intense fashion.] NOW!

He did as he was told, taking both Pokeballs from his pocket, and threw them both ways.

 

[Rinji79]

Two pokeballs wobbled, and they were wobbling hard! Rhys and Jena gazed at them both, occasionally switching between them and hoping for the very best outcome. Both of these pokemon were far too dangerous to let go into the world, but the two of them would make for powerful allies, so long as they stayed in the balls.

Jena: Rhys, look! [Jena pointed to the Rotom as its light went out, and it went still.]

He breathed a sigh of relief, but also had some slight guilt as he looked toward Jena. She looked back at him, her eyes solemn, her chin went down a bit as he looked into her eyes, and her cheeks reddened some. They shared that gaze for a little while, and they came closer toward one another. Rhys had so many thoughts all at once, and all of them seemed to pertain to how beautiful Jena looked in that dark, somber setting. Her beautiful red hair glistening in what little light there was in that room. He barely noticed when their faces were mere inches apart, and that was when both of them heard a gigantic burst of energy.

The pokeball for Spiritomb gushed out of his pokeball like a fountain, and was suddenly larger than ever, almost filling up that whole half of the room and gazing down at the two of them. Rhys and Jena looked toward him, and began to back away as his size increased and got much closer to the both of them.

Spiritomb: GAAAAAAHHHHH!!!! YOU WILL NEVER CATCH ME! YOU WILL NEVER ESCAPE ME!!! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS! HOW DARE YOOOUUUUUUU!!!!!

Their backs were against the wall that was covered in cables and circuit boards for the media room. Its distorted face was so close to them that they could feel the heat of its energy as if it were the sun blazing down on them. That moment, Rhys was ready for it, he was prepared for the end at the mercy of Spiritomb, ready for it to destroy them both with its deadly Night Shade attack, but that was when Duskull flew through Spiritomb's back, causing him to grunt in horrible pain as she came at Rhys and collided with his chest.

He felt an unbearable cold! The icy touch of Duskull was both terrible and wonderful at the same time. She entered into his chest with her ethereal body, and he felt it. All at once he felt a recognition he had thought was lost forever. That feeling of De ja Vu that was so intense that he knew where it came from, as it came from his past to this future, and he saw everything that he had forgotten.

His eyes became hollow, black voids, and a red cloak and hood engulfed his body, the color left his face, making it white as the skull on Duskull's face. His dark, lifeless gaze stopped Spiritomb in his tracks, and he grew silent, as did the power he emitted. Rhys had transformed into something else, entirely. He took a single step toward Spiritomb, and without a word, he began to shrink. Spiritomb was shaking as he got smaller, ready to float its keystone away for fear of its existence.

Rhys, or what was Rhys began to walk toward it in very slow steps, but each step seemed to make the Spiritomb cringe.

Spiritomb: So... you've shown that form once again.

Rhys: Spiritomb [The ghost Pokemon cringed and his entire face went to dismay as he froze into place, unable to move as the Red Cloaked Rhys kept stepping toward him, his black, hollow eyes gazing upon him.] Your misdeeds have granted you a sealed the fate as it was written for one such as you. I am here to see you there, here and now, forever.

Spiritomb: Y-y-you cannot have me! Stay away from me! STAY AW--

Rhys: SILENCE!!!!!! [A force of black energy blaired and rippled through the air, and as it sunk into the Spiritomb, his energy could physically be seen as it was swallowed away. The Spiritomb's face went deader for a moment, and then regained its focus.]

Spiritomb: Aaahh....aaahhhhh! [Its pain-stricken face cried out, and was silenced as Rhys's white, gloomy finger pressed against his face to hush him.]

Rhys: Shhhhhhh..... just go.

Spiritomb's mouth opened wide, and a blob of green energy gushed from his mouth, the spirit energy was the 109th spirit that inhabited Spiritomb's incoporeal body. With this, Rhys's hand cupped underneathe it as it grew a face and gazed up toward him. Rhys's black eyes gazed back, and the face in the spirit energy began to cry. His hand grasped around it, it blared through his fingers, and was gone.

As it dissipated, Duskull's body exited through Rhys's back, and he dropped to the ground, catching himself on his hands. He panted hard, sweat gleaming on his brow, as it dripped onto the floor. He felt hot and cold at the same time, and his body had no idea how to react.

Jena: Rhys? [She said in a very tiny voice. Her hands cupped over her mouth at what she just witnessed. Her eyes wide, and it was quite obvious beneathe her hands that her mouth was agape.]

Rhys looked back at her, not entirely sure as to what happened then either, alls he knew was he saw Spiritomb in front of him still, but it seemed to have fainted. Rhys pulled out a Pokeball, held it up toward the Spirtomb, and opened it, causing it to engulf the ghost pokemon.

 

[Rinji79]

He sucked on the straw of his 40 oz. cup, the strawberry soda traveled all the way up to his mouth, and he sat there in that empty 24 hour speedy burger place that he forgot the name of. He thought it might be Bonko Burger or something, it didn't matter though. He didn't even think excerting the energy to turn his head toward the counter to look at the sign was worth it. He merely kept drinking, able to breathe and drink at the same time. His head was free, clear, and unhindered by pesky problems of the outside world. He was happy, in fact, all of the stuff that transpired worked out for the very best. Not only did he have a few answers to a few questions that had been burning in the back of his mind, but now he had two extra ghost-type pokemon to help him out along his way to where he was going.

That was when he heard the shaking of a cup on the other side of the table. He stayed like he was for the moment, but after a couple of minutes, it didn't go away. Even the teenager who was mopping the lobby floor looked over at the table to see what that noise was. He looked across the table to see that Jena was staring at him, a very blank, somber stare that apparently needed to be addressed. He looked down to see that she held onto her milkshake cup as hard as she could without crushing it, and her hand was shaking like a massage chair. He finally pulled the straw from his lips and smiled a big smile toward her, and her eyebrow went up a bit.

Jena: So... [She finally spoke at length.]

Rhys nodded, and took another tiny drink.

Jena: That... was very unexpected. I can honestly say that that was about the last thing I would ever dream would happen. In fact, I'm still a little foggy on what all did happen right then. I think I saw you with some kind of red cloak, or something. Then you pretty much slapped that Spiritomb into submission before it had a chance to kill us. I mean, stop me if I'm wrong.

Rhys: Nope [Shook his head, then took another sip.] You're pretty much on the money there.

Jena: Oh, well, that's a... well... relief is not the word I'm looking for. In fact, at the moment, words fail me. In fact, I'm a little surprised I'm still talking. That had to be the most horrific experience in my life. What did happen back there, Rhys? What in the world did you do, what did you become? Is that a normal thing for you?

Rhys: Whoa whoa whoa, again with the questions. Give me a moment, I'm still a little fuzzy myself. So, I'll start from the very beginning.

Jena leaned all the way toward him, her chin over the table now. She didn't care if her milkshake melted nor did she care if she looked weird to any of the employees who were working behind the counter. Surprisingly, she didn't even care that Duskull came down beside her, also looking toward Rhys with great intent.

Rhys: Alright, so it pretty much all began with a house. This house, it had a history of weird stuff happening inside of it. It pretty much began when a kid came up to me and started asking me if his friend was a chicken because he wouldn't go into that house. I told them no, everyone had their limits and everyone is afraid of something. I told them I was not afraid. This pretty much got out of hand quick. They started to double dog dare, triple dog dare me to go into that house. Well, after a while, I thought, why not. So to the house I went. Now, here's where it gets a little weirder than usual.

Jena's eyebrow lifted up, higher this time. She had no idea it had the capacity to get any weirder than what they just went through.

Rhys: Of course, that's the house where I met Duskull, but there's more to it than that. What we saw in that building we just went to... if memory serves me right, this house was a lot worse. There were... ridiculous amounts of Ghosts in there, and Duskull was their prisoner. She told me that she needed to stop them, and she needed my help. After that, I remember little bits and pieces. I remember some of the stuff she told me, and I remember images, some of them are not so good to discuss after we've just eaten.

Jena's eyes widened, and she nodded, agreeing whole-heartedly.

Rhys: Pretty much, I scattered them all from that house. There was a light... or something, and they were gone. As thanks, Duskull started to follow me around. She told me I didn't need to worry about them now that they're scattered all over the place, but more and more I'm seeing that she is wrong, and today I'm convinced, I need to keep doing this.

Jena finished her milkshake and slid it to the side of the table, and put her chin in both of her palms, eyeing him and seeing that he was, indeed, serious about that.

Jena: What does that mean? Where are you going from here?

Rhys: I remembered a lot of things, and when I had that one spirit in my hand, I saw quite a bit. Of all of those things I saw, I noticed a Region I've never heard of. Have you ever heard of the Alto Region?

Jena shook her head.

Rhys: It's a really long way away, and I'll need to take a plane to get there. From what I understand, the vast majority of the remaining ghosts are there. If that is correct, I can only assume they're regrouping. Now, I am not going to just assume that you will go with me.

Jena saw this coming, and she froze. Once again, she wouldn't have nearly enough money for a whole plane ticket, so she would be accepting more charity from him, since he seemed to have endless pockets. Still, he was a great battler, and since they pretty much saved one another already, they were about even when it came to debts. She could just accept this, and then pay him back in some way later. Still, another fight against ghosts, more battles such as the one they came from; did she really want that? Did she?