Hours passed as our 'heroes' struggled through Rock Tunnel. Tene's umbreon had flash but that didn't stop the trio from constantly getting lost in the massive cave system and running into more and more zubat, geodude and onix. Eventually, they managed to find the exit and made it to Lavender Town, a...well...lavender coloured city with a large, spooky tower looming overhead. They had spent so much time in Rock Tunnel that it had reached night time and they sought to find somewhere to sleep.
"Hey, look at that," Gray spoke as he noticed a sign, on a house, reading: 'Holiday home of Cinnabar Island gym leader, Victini998'.
"Why would anyone want to come on holiday here..." Tene replied, "This place is so gloomy and haunting, at night."
"I think someone is scared. Tehehe!" Gray joked.
"Oh my gosh! Is that a ghost behind you?!" Tene countered.
Gray let out a high pitched squeal before noticing Tene was just playing a joke on him.
"Hey, you lot need a place to stay the night? You look like you need one," a strange man, with long brown hair and wearing a regal, silver embroidered, black cloak, approached them, after hearing the squeal, "Howdy, the name's Zombiedood. I run a hostel for abandoned and orphaned Pokemon nearby. You can come stay the night if you want."
Needing somewhere to stay, the trio agreed to the man's offer.
Zombie provided dinner for his guests then took them on a tour of his home, showing them where all the Pokemon lived; a large room with rows of different pens full of sleeping Pokemon.
"Your grace towards these poor Pokemon is valiant, if I do say so myself," complimented Yob," Though I do wonder, this pen is empty despite having the facilities of a resident."
"Ah, yes, that's cubone's pen. He lost his mother to a Team Rocket attack. He's spending the night with one of my assistants that he became close with, Coltranepop."
As if by plot convenience, Col came charging in through the door, panting, and said," Mr. Zombie, Cubone has run off towards the Pokemon Tower!"
Zombie was shocked and stated that he must go at once. Tene enquired as to what he was talking about and he replied that Lavender town is famed for the Pokemon Tower, a cemetery to honour dead Pokemon.
"This is greatly troubling. Cubone has done this before, he misses his mother. However, just a few days ago, a squadron on Team Rocket grunts arrived and took control of the tower to use as a base. They have the whole place in lock down, I fear Cubone will be running into a trap..." Zombie spoke with sadness in his voice," This...this is all my fault...you see...I co-founded Team Rocket with its current leader, Windows, but after I created something that never should have existed and saw the horrors it could perform, I immediately regretted my life mistakes and set it free so Windows could not use it's power. Now I reside here, attempting to make up for what I did."
"Well that was a boringly long monologue," Gray complained.
"Wait, you created something...alive?" Tene questioned.
"Never mind that. I need to right another wrong, here tonight, and save Cubone!"
"Sir, no," Col replied," This is my fault and I'll handle it."
Zombie was about to counter but Tene volunteered the trio to go with Col into the tower, much to Gray's dismay, who just wanted to sleep.
"Don't worry Zombie!" Yob exclaimed, "We'll make sure Cubone doesn't become a corpse like its mother!"
"Umm...ok," Zombie replied, " but if you're going, you'll need these GoPro add-ons developed by Silph Co. To identify ghost type Pokemon."
Tene took the add-ons and attached them to the GoPros that Para had given them. She then signaled for the four to head out towards the tower.
"Wait, he was joking about the ghosts right?" Gray questioned before Tene's response, "Nope. But I'm sure such a powerful trainer such as yourself wouldn't be scared of a couple ghosts."
Gray mumbled with discontent as they approached the entrance to the tower. Col opened the door and they all entered. The tower was spooky and filled with graves. Col had to use the light of his charmeleon's tail to guide the way. Ghastlys and Haunters attacked the trio as they progressed up the floors, as well as playing constant pranks on them. Thanks to Tene's Umbreon, they managed to defeat any attacker but that didn't stop everyone's Pokemon from weakening and Gray squealing every time he saw or heard movement. Despite this, Yob managed to capture a wild ghastly.
"Look! Over there!" Col exclaimed as they neared the top of the tower, "it's Cubone!"
Cubone was hiding behind a grave, curled up and crying. The group was glad that they hadn't encountered any Team Rocket grunts yet but as they neared the whimpering Pokemon, a loud moaning sound came from in front of them and what appeared to be an actual ghost formed. Col returned his chameleon and ran off screaming, saying that he would get help. Gray squealed and went to follow but Tene grabbed him by the ear and told him he wasn't going anywhere. Yob suggested the trio step away then got his GoPro out and viewed the ghost through it. The GoPro showed that it was the ghost of a marowak, Cubone's mother and was trying to say goodbye to its baby. The trio watched as the marowak ghost hugged its baby before flying upwards and disappearing. Yob was in tears and started wailing with sadness.
"Hey, who's that?" A man called from the floor above.
"That'll be Team Rocket," Tene exclaimed, "After seeing that, I'm ready to get some revenge against Team Rocket, I'm going on ahead, with or without you two."
"Okay, bye," Gray replied before Yob grabbed him by the arm and dragged him along behind Tene, "But like, someone has to take this Cubone back. I don't want to spend another minute in here. It's not because I'm scared or anything. No, no. It's all the dust. I have hay fever, yeah, really bad hay fever."
Before Gray could complain anymore, the trio made their way up the stairs and were confronted by a horde of Team Rocket grunts who all had rattatas and raticates, ready for battle.
"Your kind needs to pay for your actions!" Tene exclaimed," Go Umbreon!"
A fight ensued but due to Team Rocket's greater numbers and the trios Pokemon being so tired from the previous battles, the grunts began to gain an advantage, overpowering their opponents and forcing the trio back into a corner.
"Haha, meddling fools," a grunt smirked," no one faces Team Rocket and gets away with it."
"I could say the same about your face!" Gray countered and everyone just looked at him confused.
The grunts moved in but were stopped at the sound of Zombie's voice, "Howdy scum. That'll be enough. Surrender or face defeat!"
"Wawa! How'd you get up here so fast Zombie?" Yob enquired," are your shoes tipped with the swift wings of a dunsparce?"
"I'm afraid not. I just know this place well after overseeing it's construction back before I started Tram Rocket," he replied with Col now by his side," back when these grunts were in swaddling cloths."
"Traitor!" a grunt called before signaling his comrades to attack.
"Dusknoir, use night shade!" Zombie called, sending out his Pokemon, who managed to wipe out the grunt's Pokemon with ease, causing his former allies to flee.
"We let you win..." They called as they fled.
"That was a totes stupendous display of power oh fantabulous Zombiedood!" Yob exclaimed, while stroking him like he did to Prof. 1ce.
"I'm just glad Cubone is safe," he replied as the cubone ran up to him and cuddled his leg, "It seems more at peace now."
***
The trio stayed the night at Zombie's house and said farewell to him and Col the next day, ready to head west towards the next gym. Zombie gave them an instrument called the PokeFlute as thanks.
"I have a feeling we shall meet again, brave trainers," Zombie said confidently while waving goodbye.
"Why do you say that?" Col questioned, once the trio had left.
"Well with everything sorted here, what is a zombie to do? I think it's time I head back to my real job..."
I wrote this instead of building so um yeah, soz. And I know Victini998 isn't active on here anymore but as a big supporter of my story, here's the shoutout that I promised.Chapter 18:
http://www.pokemonserver.net/forum/index.php?topic=5822.0Chapter 20:
http://www.pokemonserver.net/forum/index.php?topic=5824.0
