Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoy. If you REALLY like it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 5 chapters ahead.
Early chapter today as I have stuff to do later.
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"Spooky," I commented as the hard-packed dirt road was replaced by cobblestone, the tiles uneven, yet so old and weatherworn that they'd been ground smooth by the passage of time. Eevee pressed herself against my leg and didn't protest when I picked her up and put her on my shoulder, moving closer against the side of my head. Being immune to Ghost-Type energy apparently wasn't enough to offset the vibe.
"Please, it's all tourist nonsense, trying to scare morons into handing over their cash for 'protective charms'. It's all bullshit."
I hummed non-committally while looking around as we passed through the outskirts of Lavender Town, doubting Gary's words. Oh, it definitely created an atmosphere, but I didn't know who in the world would find it appealing or want to travel there for tourism.
Besides, there was one other glaring problem.
"Hand over their cash to who?"
Dilapidated, single-story houses lined the road, with enough space between them to form unlit alleys, their wooden shutters bearing suspicious stains hiding the interiors. Well, maybe dilapidated was a strong word. Unkempt might be more accurate. The purple and, indeed, lavender paint was peeling off the walls, but they still stood. Tiles had fallen off roofs, and moss grew in their place, but any actual holes had been patched.
Poles stood lining the road, with glass and metal lanterns swinging in the howling breeze, orange light flickering and barely illuminating the path. The scent of mildew and damp wood hung heavy in the nose, coating the tongue with every breath and there was a chill in the air despite it only just being past midday.
It was certainly atmospheric and definitely creepy.
Too creepy.
As Gary had said, it was kind of like the buildings had the appearance of age and neglect, yet it was only surface deep. The architecture reminded me of Viridian, all sloped roofs with big overhangs and supporting pillars. The Gate of Indigo carefully maintained their ancient works and Lavender almost seemed to do the same beneath the surface.
Almost. Because again, there was no one in sight.
No humans anyway.
Years spent under constant observation by Oak's Gengar, Gengy, had honed my ability to tell when I was being observed, and that sense was screaming that we were surrounded on all sides.
The darkness under the roofs moved as we passed, faces and shapes almost distinguishable from the edge of our vision that vanished when we turned our heads to look. Black cloth fluttered around corners, red eyes peering curiously from the shadows.
"Probably just… out of season, or something." He didn't sound like he believed his own words, picking up on the same thing as me.
"The whole town's out for the summer season?" Gary grimaced at my tone, peeking into a dark alleyway and taking a step closer to me when the shadows seemed to undulate and almost reach out for us, sharp claws forming on the edges of the blackness, a sudden gust of wind whispering indistinguishably.
"Okay, it might be a little creepy," he admitted, tapping a PokéBall and letting out Clefairy. The small Pokémon was usually a ball of cheerfulness, yet, she clutched onto Gary's pantleg with a whimper, hiding her round face in the fabric.
"Hey, you're supposed to protect me, not the other way around, stupid." Despite his words, he put a hand on the fairy's head reassuringly.
"So. Uh," I started, trying to look through the cracks to see if any of the houses were occupied. No luck. "What do we do? Go to the Tower and hope there's someone ther-Gary?" Looking around, I didn't see him. A yip from Eevee alerted me to the brown-haired boy storming up to the largest of the nearby houses. Three-stories tall and as wide as four of the other buildings, the mansion loomed over Lavender Town like a mountain, the tall bell tower appearing alive as it twisted and shifted into the darkness. Confused, I looked upwards and found the sun hidden by clouds and much lower than I thought it should be.
Once again. Creepy.
"Hello!? HELLO!? OPEN THE DOOR!" It echoed down the barren streets as Gary knocked on the door harder and harder as nobody answered. Before long, he was hammering and screaming for someone to open up.
"I don't think anyone is home," I tried to interject, but he ignored me. Rolling my eyes, I raised my voice and tried again, nice and gently. "Oi, dickhead, stop being a brat. I'm telling you, there's nobody here-"
"Greetings."
The scream that ripped from my throat would've been more at home coming from a five-year-old, and I physically jumped while trying to turn around, causing me to trip over my feet and fall to the ground. Eevee landed on my chest a full second later as she came down from her own 10-foot jump, hackles raised and Normal-Type energy crackling from her mouth.
"Oh my. Are you quite okay?"
A pair of small, brown eyes peered down at me concerned, though they were hard to make out under the enormous white caterpillars that served as the man's eyebrows. As if to compensate, both the top of his head and his cheeks and chin were bare, if covered by a couple days worth of stubble. A kind smile on his wide mouth further wrinkled the already creased, light-colored skin of his face which seemed even paler in contrast to the light lavender-colored – seriously, first Cerulean and now Lavender, what was with these people and dressing after their city – button-up shirt and tan pants.
Panting as I recovered from my shock, I ignored the small, outstretched hand and stood up on my own, leaving Eevee growling down on the ground.
"What the fuck, you old bastard!? You can't sneak up on people like that!"
"My apologies, young man," the bald man chuckled, not offended by the rejected hand or harsh words. Standing opposite him, I was a little startled to realise that I was an inch or so taller than him, "but I would hardly call it sneaking. You and your friend were quite occupied, trying to get into the empty mansion."
I turned a smug look Gary's way, something he didn't acknowledge as he stepped up to the surprise third addition to our little group.
"Who are you and why are you the only one here?"
The short-ish old man bowed his head, a liver spot on his crown visible. If I had to guess, I'd say he was around the same age as Walter and Blaine. "Where are my manners? It would seem that I have spent too much time away from humans. My name is Fuji, or Mr. Fuji, as the young ones in town call me. I am the owner of the Lavender Volunteer Pokémon House."
That didn't appear to mean anything to Gary but I was struck by a memory like a lightning bolt. Right, Mr. Fuji, the guy who explained Lavender Tower in the games. Riiiiight.
"Lavender Volunteer Pokémon House? The fuck is that, some kinda freaky cosplay shit?" Gary questioned suspiciously, narrowing his eyes at Fuji. The Pokémon Caretaker simply laughed at the accusation.
"You are hardly the first to think so, young one! But, no, I am afraid I will have to dash your hopes. It is merely a little something I cooked up as a big fan of Pokémon." Looking at a beaten wristwatch, Fuji turned to the side and waved further up the street. "Why don't I show you? You boys look like you could use a cup of tea and a cookie. Then we'll see if I can't help you with whatever brought you to Lavender."
Looking at each other, I shrugged at Gary's suspicious expression and walked forward.
"Okay, old man, though I'll warn you, we don't care how old you are. If you fuck around, we'll mess you up."
He held up his hands with a mock scared face. "Oh, I'm certain big, strong Trainers like you would have no issue with a little old man. Thankfully, I truly have no ulterior motives."
That would have to be enough for Gary, and it seemed like it was as he reluctantly slunk after us, staying at the back and glaring at Mr. Fuji the whole time. I didn't blame him. I didn't trust the old man fully either, but he was the first face, friendly or otherwise, that we'd seen.
Just had to stay ready.
Now that he wasn't scaring me to death, I took the time to really look Mr. Fuji over and quickly realised that he didn't have any PokéBalls anywhere I could see.
"You sure you should be out here alone, old man?" I questioned, getting ready to release the rest of my team as our hazy shadows on the ground wavered and morphed, cruel laughter whispered through mocking grins.
"Hmm?" He lifted an eyebrow before catching sight of our silhouettes. Contrary to what I expected, he merely chuckled, wagging his fingers at the creepy phenomenon. "Oh, hahahaha! Not to worry, son. If they wanted to harm me, they would have done so a long time ago, wouldn't you, darlings?"
The distorted images blurred and faded, three small, dark blue-ish green shapes emerging from the blackness like it was a doorway. The Pokémon were ethereal and almost see-through, their lower bodies made of flowing, shifting cloth that lacked proper limbs, yet always folding in a way that suggested four appendages. Five blood red jewels hung around their necks like necklaces, the gems glowing softly in the dim light. As they drifted off the ground and floated around Fuji's head, bobbing up and down gently while content whispers seemed to come from every direction, the long, lilac-tipped 'hair' moved behind them like they were underwater.
Fuji lifted a hand and tickled one of the Misdreavus' stomachs, ghostly giggles surrounding us as the red eyes with sulfur sclerae squeezed shut in satisfaction.
"They are completely harmless, I promise you," the old man assured us while the three Ghost-Types pushed each other out of the way to get his attention. "Well, unless you are a chocolate chip cookie, in which case, I would watch my back. They are quite the gluttons."
As he spoke, he started moving forward again, the ghosts trailing him happily. Gary and I exchanged a glance before following after him. As we did, I noticed that the constant eyes on us and ever-moving shadows calmed at the emergence of the Misdreavus. They were still there, but the air lightened significantly.
My PokéDex vibrated, but a quick glance had me reject the call.
Sorry, Bill, but maybe you should take the hint after a week and wait for me to call back.
"So, they just hang around and fuck with people? All over the whole town?" I asked somewhat incredulously. I liked Pokémon, shit, I liked Pokémon more than people most days, but that sounded like it would be annoying over time.
"That part of town? Yes, they do." He led us through more alleys and yards, dead trees and crunchy gravel accompanying our ghostly followers. "Nobody lives in Old Lavender these days, other than the ghosts. It's only really during the tourist season that we humans spend time there. Well, with some exceptions. The rest of us, though, mostly stay here." It was my turn to ignore Gary's smug look, instead taking in the scenery as we arrived in what I'd guess was the heart of Lavender.
At first glance, it wasn't much different. The same type of houses with the same architecture, done in the same colours with the same roofs. However, on closer inspection, the signs of neglect that littered the outskirts of Lavender were absent. The paint was maintained, and while not perfect, someone clearly put some effort in regularly. Glass windows shone with light from within and electric lamps hung from porches. The air was still cold, and the constant presences that followed us everywhere still lingered.
They'd just stopped hiding.
A Gastly made faces at us as we passed, massive tongue blowing a raspberry at us before it was called away by the hooded and robed figure it was following. A trio of baleful blue will-o'-wisps danced around the head of an ancient, white-haired woman who watched us from a rocking chair with a pipe in her mouth, smoke curling around her head and hiding her features. Misdreavus flew over the roofs as a Shuppet followed them, eyes peering down at us as their owners lurked in shadows.
Being completely honest, aside from the humans and the ghosts being more visible, it really wasn't that different.
Except for the Pokémon Tower.
Craning my neck, I still couldn't see the top of the absolutely massive structure as it vanished into the sky. As far as I could remember, in the games the Pokémon Tower was seven stories tall. Looming over Lavender, the monumental building before me was at least 15-stories high, and was wide enough that multiple of the mansions we'd been knocking on could fit within each floor. The stone was smooth yet cracked, reminding me of the Rock-Type-created walls in Cerulean, just much, much older.
At the bottom, large stone doors stood, ancient writing carved into them.
And in front of that were two men in official League uniforms, standing in front of a yellow and black police-style tape that barred the way in.
The fuck?
"The fuck?" Gary didn't bother keeping his words internal.
"Ah, I suppose I should have known that would be why you were here." Mr. Fuji sighed and slumped, looking even older than before. "You are just so young.. I had hoped you were simply looking for a Ghost-Type, or were here on a dare… please, follow me. I believe that cup of tea would do us all some good while I explain. Over there, if you would."
It didn't take long before we arrived at Fuji's house, and there was no doubt that it was his. Gary, lost in glaring suspiciously around, ended up walking into me as I stopped suddenly.
"Watch where you're fucking going, you-what the fuck is that?"
Fuji turned back to us from where he'd reached the top of the short stairs that led to his front door. "Welcome to the Lavender Volunteer Pokémon House! Come on in!"
I stared at the cheery yellow brick building, with its cherry-red roof and a line of colourful flowers lining the path that cut through the well-maintained lawn up to the house. Moving closer, my head darted between the Goldeen statue, with water spouting from its mouth, to the Grass-Types frolicking carefree around on the grass, and as we entered the large, single-story compound, the wall covered in pictures of Pokémon posing for the camera.
"Dude, I'm telling you, this is one of those weird sex clubs! You know, for 'Pokémon fans'!" Gary hissed in my ear, and I didn't blame him. I knew dick-all about Fuji, so maybe he was banging Pokémon in his free time.
Or he just had a weird-ass house in the middle of a haunted city.
"Still not a fetish thing!" He had excellent hearing, anyway, sticking his head around the corner where he'd disappeared and waving us closer. I had to push Gary to get him to step inside, drying my shoes on the obnoxiously pink carpet and closing the door behind me as I followed them into the main room.
The floor of the livingroom – or whatever you called the main part of a Pokémon house – was covered in large pillows, couches, and armchairs, most of them occupied by a Pokémon of some variety. Looking through them, I was kind of surprised to see that many were very common species. Multiple Rattata huddled together in a clump, Pidgey perched on stands placed on the walls, and many other Normal-Types scuddled around, completely unconcerned with our arrival. There were a couple of more elusive Pokémon, a Murkrow hanging out with a Golbat, a small Charmander with a scar across its nose playing with a Torchic, but it wasn't the collection I'd expect from a Pokémon fanatic.
"Sorry about the mess!" Fuji waved a cluster of Skitty down from a couch, brushing the loose fur away and gesturing us to sit. Eevee instantly jumped into my lap, eyeing everyone suspiciously. Gary, on the other hand, had to grab Clefairy to stop her from instantly getting lost among all the new potential friends.
"This is a lot of Pokémon, old man. They all yours?" I asked, smiling at one of the Rattata as it came up to me sniffling, until Eevee growled at it and chased it off.
"In a manner of speaking," Fuji replied, gathering some cups from a nearby cupboard and placing a teapot on a small stove. "The Lavender Volunteer Pokémon House, as I said, is something I opened because I like Pokémon very much. As you have probably noticed, there are not many rare Pokémon here; well, that's for a reason. This place is for abandoned and orphaned Pokémon, those poor creatures who don't have anyone to look after them, often because of us humans." He took a seat across from us, a low coffee table in between. "I take them in and care for them, either until they are ready to head out on their own or even if they don't."
"Huh." I wanted to say more, but Gary beat me to the punch.
"That's nice of you." I looked at him, surprised. Not because I disagreed – on the contrary. I just didn't think he'd admit it.
I understood a little better when I saw him staring at the Rattata with a complicated look in his eyes.
"Thank you, son. That is very nice of you." Fuji smiled before getting back up to pull out some small pouches and place them in the cups. Glancing my way, he also grabbed something from a bowl and stopped next to me on the way back. Holding out his hand, I saw it was a small, meat-based treat, much like the ones I had myself, though I didn't recognise the brand. Eevee eyed the snack with interest, looking up at me with hesitation, before snatching it in a flash.
Fuji simply chuckled again. "Quite the cautious one. Have you had her long?"
"No, only… wow, only like three weeks." I realised just how short the time had been. The journey to Lavender had ended up taking 13 days, plus the days before the S.S. Anne. It felt like months. "It's still on a trial basis," I tried to explain. "Trying to figure out if we're a good match for each other or she wants to go back to Cerulean."
Fuji smiled at Eevee, slowly holding his fingers out for her to sniff. By some miracle, after doing so, she was calm as he quickly inspected her, rubbing her fur, checking inside her ears, and looking into her mouth before turning back to me with a mysterious smile.
"Is that so? Well, that's a very important decision, but I trust it is one that the two of you will make together, and, between the three of us," he leaned in closer, smile widening, "I wouldn't worry about it too much."
I tried to find Eevee's eyes, but she kept them on the wall, quickly jumping down from my lap, though she stayed by my feet. Instead, I nodded to Mr. Fuji.
"Thanks."
"Oh, it is always my pleasure to help young Trainers and Pokémon." I actually believed that.
"Not to be rude," if I had been drinking anything, I'd have done a spit take. Did Gary get possessed by a Ghost-Type, or something? Did the whole 'taking care of Pokémon' really leave that big of an impression on him? "But you said you'd tell us why the Pokémon Tower was closed? I need-... I need to go in."
"I am very sorry to hear that." Mr. Fuji briefly touched Gary's shoulder before moving back to his seat. "But yes, I suppose I did say that. Tell me, boys." He leaned in, a more serious look on his face. "Have you ever heard of the Black Fog?"
I rummaged through my memories, yet came up empty, shaking my head alongside Gary. "Nope, can't say that I have."
"Well, I am not surprised." Getting up again, the senior was apparently unable to sit still for more than a minute. The old man quickly returned with a large plate bulging with a small mountain of cookies, along with the cups and pot. Taking a bite of one, I hummed. A little dry, but pretty good. "It is an old story, though as relevant today as it was a long time ago. The Black Fog is the name the locals have given to a massive Haunter, easily two or three times the size of a normal Haunter."
"So, it's a Titan?" Frowning at the thought, I hoped I was wrong. That sounded like it would suck to fight.
"Things work a little differently for Ghost-Types, but something like that, yes," Mr. Fuji said, pouring hot water into the three cups. Setting down the teapot, he carefully handed the undercup to us before sitting down and blowing on his own. "The Black Fog is at least over five decades old, and quite possibly older than that. It's been harassing people as far as Saffron for just as long. Unlike normal Haunter, it is not simply trying to scare people either. Many Ghost-Types, especially the more formless ones, feed primarily on the emotions of others," he explained, seeing our confusion, "in the Gengar lines case, fear is one of their favourites. It is why they are such pranksters."
He smiled indulgently as a Haunter jumped out from behind Gary's chair – much to his chagrin – with its hands up. "Well, that and their personalities, of course. Ghost-Types are curiously uniform in that way. Anyway," he clapped his hands, "that is a side tangent. As I was saying, the Black Fog goes out of its way to hurt its victims for some reason, often leaving them hospitalized, if not dead outright. It likes hanging out on the fourth floor and up, but it rallies and riles up the other ghosts in there, so even the first floor isn't safe. So, to prevent it as much as we can, we shut down the Tower until the League can get a team out to deal with it."
"They clearly fucking suck at their jobs," Gary crossed his arms with a snort, not happy with the turn of events.
"Yeah," I agreed, "how has this shit been happening for 50 years if the League shows up to help with it?"
"Ah, well, that is the third unusual thing about the Black Fog, other than its size and aggression." There was annoyance in the old man's tone, but also fascination. He really did love Pokémon, if he'd been dealing with a huge Haunter for 50 years and still thought it was interesting. "The Black Fog has never stayed around for a battle it didn't know it could win. As soon as anyone shows up – be they Rangers, Ace Trainers, or even Elite Four, a couple of times – the Black Fog disappears for years. Then it comes back and starts the cycle over again."
"How is it still a Haunter and not a Gengar, if it's that old?" I knew that Gengar was a trade evolution in the games, but I didn't actually know how it worked in real life.
"The exact mechanics of that particular evolution is complicated, though as the Trainer of an Eevee, you should understand that there are more factors than simply age and strength." I had to concede that point.
"That's interesting and all," Gary, ever the patient person, "but how long until the League shows up?"
"Well," there, Mr. Fuji hesitated and looked uncomfortable. "It varies. I'll admit, the response the last couple of times hasn't been… ideal. The Rangers keep the other cities safe, and it rarely attacks us here in Lavender, so as long as it stays in the Tower… it can be a couple of weeks."
"Fuck that." Gary's response was immidiate and I'd admit, I wasn't looking forward to spending that long in Lavender either. "There's no fucking way I'm waiting that long."
"Well, you are not the only ones to think like that," Fuji stared into his tea as he slowly stirred it, saying the words with hesitation. "In fact… a couple are gathering tomorrow morning to head into the tower. One is a mourner, like yourself, one hoping for a reward. Both of them are fools."
He looked up at us with shockingly firm eyes. "I know you don't know me and my words have as much meaning as the wind, but I would besiege you, don't go. You are more than welcome to wait here as long as it takes, or I can call you when it is over and safe, but please, let the League handle this. Dozens, if not hundreds have tried to fight the Black Fog over the decades and hundreds of new graves litter the Tower." The next words were spoken directly to Gary. "I am an old man who has seen too much. I know your pain, I do. But it is not worth throwing your life away, no matter how sweet the gesture."
They were wise words, said with both wisdom and experience from a tumultuous life.
I also knew Gary's answer was the same as mine had been when a similar sentiment had been said to me.
"Fuck no. I'm going."
Fuji deflated while I shrugged in faux apology.
"Sorry, but you heard the guy. Come morning, we're going into the Tower. Only question is if we have to camp out somewhere creepy and be exhausted, or those beds are still up for grabs."
Looking between us, Fuji's eyes were sad and tired, gazing at us like we were already dead, even as he answered.
"I'll show you to some rooms."
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The sun hung low behind the Pokémon Tower, backlighting the large building as Gary and I stood before it. I truly didn't understand how the sky worked in Lavender, but it had been over 30 minutes, and I could swear it wasn't getting any brighter.
"You ready?" I put the strange weather out of my mind, looking over at Gary. Clefairy, Squirty, and Growly were at his feet, ready to throw down. I myself had Eevee, Siren, and Herc ready to go. Eevee and Siren for the range and small size, and Herc for the pure damage.
Anybody who said you couldn't punch a ghost clearly sucked at punching.
It was unfortunate that neither of us had a Dark-Type. That would've been really handy for the upcoming Ghost-Type gauntlet.
"Yep." He looked like he meant it too.
"Well, in that case, let's meet our new teammates," I suggested as we climbed the stairs up to the huge, ancient stone doors. The two Rangers from the day before were already there – or hadn't left, judging by the bags under their eyes – and joining them were two other people I hadn't met before.
"Please, you mean distractions at best and cannon fodder at worst."
"He means that in the nicest way possible!" I grinned widely at the two who absolutely heard Gary's comment.
One of them stepped forward, forearms the size of some Pokémon crossed over his chest. If the massively bearded guy had muscle, I wouldn't know, as the only thing I could tell about him was that his gut was enormous and his face was red behind the bush-worth of facial hair. He looked like he just climbed down from a mountain after a couple decades without water, based on the inch-thick layer of dirt dyeing his skin.
"Oi, ge' ou' 're, t's of'il Tr'nr bis, n't a plgr'nd!"
What?
"What'd you say?" Okay, so it wasn't just me; Gary didn't get it either.
"'o sho' le'e b'or 'o ge' 'urt, bababababababa! T's in't a pl'e 'or li' 'id's, o'l oly ge' m' wy an' slw m' dwn, babababababababa!"
"Yeah, well, right back at you, you mumbling fuck!"
"Go back to fucking school and learn to speak before you try to become a Trainer!"
Far from our best insults, but what were we supposed to do when we couldn't understand a single word that came out of his mouth?
"He said, 'Oi, get out of here, this is official Trainer business, not a playground', and then he said, 'you should leave before you get hurt. This isn't a place for little kids, you'll only get in my way and slow me down', and then he laughed a lot."
The other stranger joined us, translating for the mountaineer. The woman looked to be in her late teens, though it was difficult to tell under the heavy white makeup. Her dark hair was messy and tangled, draping down over her face in long clumps that partially obscured her eyes, though not enough to hide the bloodshotness and dialated pupils. Her black, loose fitting dress drifted down to reveal a thin and boney wrist as she scratched her cheek with a black painted nail. "I agree. The dark mysterious are no subject for children. Leave this to Mountain Man Rick and Hex Maniac Selene."
We stared at them for a moment, then looked at each other.
In unison, we burst out laughing.
"Y-you're calling us kids? With names like those!?"
"Get the fuck outta here, losers! Fuck me, how did your parent let you out of the house?"
"Ain't no way they're real Trainers!"
"Oi, Rangers, you're not actually letting these guys through, right!? Come on, there has to be some kinda mental wellness check, I mean, look at them! When the fuck was the last time you showered!?"
"No way we're teaming up with you, your stench would alert the whole Tower!"
Too busy with laughing our asses off, I didn't catch what an increasingly red faced Rick mumbled, nor what Selene huffed before they turned back around to the Rangers and showed them some ID before they were let through.
Recovering, I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye and looked through my backpack, pulling out my sword as the last chuckles died. I was still surprised the weapon managed to survive the S.S. Anne, if only barely.
"You actually think that's going to help? You're more likely to stab me than them." Gary was equally shocked, it would seem, though less optimistic.
He had a point, I was forced to admit. The sword I'd 'won' from the Samurai in Viridian had not held up against Proton's Gengar as well as it had the Haunter and Gastly before. The blade was more purple than blank, the steel warped and twisted not only like a corkscrew but with random twists and turns. Droplets of molten metal were frozen on the edges, and it was a true miracle that it ended up being somewhat straight.
It was damn-near impossible to cut anything with it, but it still had its uses, as I'd found out during a training accident.
"You'd be surprised."
Grunting gruffly, he apparently had enough of stalling and moved forward without further hesitation. The Rangers held up their hands as they had with 'Mountain Man Rick' and 'Hex Maniac Selene'.
Insane. Absolutely insane that grown-ass people called themselves that.
"Trainer Licenses."
Gary and I both handed over our PokéDexs, letting the League officials look them over and confirm our identities.
"Seems to be in order. You understand that the League has warned you and therefore denies any responsibility for whatever happens to you inside?" We both nodded. He nodded back and went to hand our stuff back, when he hesitated. "You sure? I don't know you, but this is the real thing. Five people have already gone inside over the last couple of days, and only one made it out."
"We're sure," I assured him. Finally, he stepped aside, and we ventured forth into the dark unknown of Pokémon Tower.
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Uuuhhhh, spoooooky. I like Lavender; that place creeped me out as a kid.
The Black Fog is from the Pokémon Manga, and I find it to be a slightly more interesting plot point than the Marowak ghost, as sad as that is. Maybe I'll still incorporate a snippet of it, though. The existence of ghost ghosts is something I'll need to think about.
Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you REALLY liked it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 5 chapters ahead.