Chapter 24 – Spectral Menace
"We finally made it. Thank you for being our guide Tranquill.""Quill!"It was dark out but despite that the small settlement surrounding the tower wasn't completely devoid of light sources. Despite being so far removed from civilization the streets are paved with cobblestones and surroundings are lit by street lamps. However, instead of a normal color the street lamps give off eerie blue light. Upon further inspection I noticed that these street lamps more closely resembled old school oil lamps from the preindustrial era."I wonder which person has to light them up every day before sundown?""Vi Vi." "Those aren't oil lamps, there are Pokémon inside!""Wait, isn't that like Pokémon cruelty? Can you hide for a bit Tini? I'll go see what's up with those streetlamps."My Pokémon dutifully hid inside my backpack again. While I brought out a piece of nylon rope in order to get a closer look at those streetlamps."Tranquill, can you wrap this rope around that streetlamp? I want to get a closer look at the Pokémon inside.""Tranq!"The bird Pokémon complied with my request by tying the rope around the streetlamp. Just before my first attempt at climbing to the top of the streetlamp I started hearing clomping noises. Not wanting to get into trouble with the locals I hurriedly slid the rope back down and kicked the evidence away from my person.The source of the sound was a small blue colored golem with a rectangular swirl on its front end. The Pokémon was wearing a snazzy handyman's outfit with a tool belt and everything.'This is my first time seeing this species in person.'Golett, the Automaton Pokémon. It is said that Golett was instructed to protect people and Pokémon by the ancient civilization that created it. Ancient science fashioned this Pokémon from clay. It's been active for thousands of years. Its movements are powered by a mysterious energy. It has continued to move since ancient times, so its power may soon run out. 'That last bit of the entry seems a tad grim.' "Uhm excuse me Golett?" "Lett?" "Can you tell me which Pokémon are trapped inside these street lamps? Are they in need of rescuing?" "Lett Go!?" The golem Pokémon waved its little arms in the air obviously trying to assuage my concerns about all these trapped Pokémon. "Golett says that the litwick inside these lamps light up the streets voluntarily. There are these little panels inside their lamps which they can use to jump out if they feel the need to." "Wow that's something, using Pokémon as a light source that's a first even for me… Hey Golett, would you happen to know where a friend of mine resides? She's from Hoenn wears ceremonial flowers in her hair and has a penchant for letting her ghost type Pokémon prank innocent bystanders." "Go… Lett!" "Golett says he knows the human you are talking about but that he still has a job to do replacing some water damaged pavement. You can stick around while he gets the job done and he'll show you afterwards." "That's great Golett if we all chip in you'll be done twice as fast." We all walked together towards Golett's job site. Tranquill was getting tired from having to fly all day long, so I recalled her inside my poké ball for a deserved rest. This being a job to replace a broken tile I called out Numsy. The little camel was having a heated discussion with his fellow ground type about the best types of soil for digging holes. Naturally I could only understand half of what was said but that half was enough to gouge the topic of their conversation. "Okay Numsy let Golett take the lead here, okay? I am pretty sure you have no experience replacing broken tiles." "Num num!" We quickly arrived at our destination. One of the houses had a set of broken tiles right at the start of their runway. "So how are we going to do this? We will need a grout saw to remove those tiles without damaging any adjacent ones." Going completely against my preconceived notions, Golett just started stomping the broken tiles with his feet. I was about to correct the little golem before I noticed only the damaged tiles were being cracked. "That is an amazing application of Stomping Tantrum. See here Numsy? Golett only damaged the tiles that needed replacing, that is some pinpoint geokinesis right there. Golett, can I borrow that scraper from your toolbelt? I'll get to removing the broken shards and leftover adhesive." "Lett." Together we got the job done lickity-split. We did have to wait two hours for Golett's premix of grout and tile adhesive to set. I used that waiting period to ask Golett all sorts of pointed questions. "So, I am assuming you originally lived inside Dragonspiral Tower. What was that like? How does your species get along with all the dragon types that live in and around the tower?" "Lett Lett Go." "He says most of his family stay in stasis until certain conditions are met at which point, they reactivate themselves. The dragons living inside the tower didn't disturb their sleeping forms." "Interesting… and your trainer was the one who woke you up from your age long slumber?" "Lett!" "Yes, humans entering the tower is grounds for reactivation. He got caught by the unofficial leader of this settlement. Incidentally she is the same person who is hosting your friend." "I am assuming all of the Litwick lighting these streets are also hers?" "Go." "She has many ghost type Pokémon. We all live around the tower." "Do you want to head out? The chances of somebody walking on these tiles as they are drying up is almost minimal. It's getting kind of dark out here and we still haven't had dinner yet." "Num num!" Upon mentioning dinner Numsy immediately woke up from his stupor the little camel became bored about halfway into our conversation and just went to rest on the side of the road. Golett was still a bit reluctant but after some further zigzagooning(badgering) from me, he accepted my proposal to move on. Golett guided us back to what seemed to be the biggest property in the settlement it was protected by a big fancy gate and the front yard housed a wide-open pond a perfect living accommodation for any water types of the owner may have. "This is one extravagant house the proprietress must be loaded. So where do you usually pass the day Golett?" "Go…" Our ghostly friend gestured towards a small white chapel covered in Egyptian style hieroglyphics similar to the ones we came across inside the relic castle. This small building was obviously built for the intended purpose of housing Pokémon that tended to live in old ruins like yamask or golett. Evidently the property owner took considerable measures to make her Pokémon feel at home. We walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. The doors to the house seemed to open up automatically since there was no human or Pokémon standing behind the threshold to receive us. I scanned the darkened corridor of the main hall for a while before summarizing my conclusion to the rest of my companions. "Okay Numsy, Golett I've experienced situations like this one before. In all likelihood one of Phoebe's ghost is hiding in the house's natural shadows waiting for an opportune moment to jump scare us. Golett can you turn on the lighting? We'll wait outside till the lights are on. Golett…?" Golett who was standing just behind us seems to have wandered off to his part of the property ruining my initial plan. Being a fellow ghost type he'd be an unattractive target for any hijinks, making it safer for him to wander around the villa. Golett's wandering off on his own meant one of us would have to brave the insides of this most definitely haunted villa. "Num!" "Not it!" I watched Numsy who had managed to beat me holding one of his stubby hooves against his snout before I had fully realized our precarious situation. "Numsy, you…" "Num num." "Fine but you will have to watch over the egg. I can't risk dropping it out of fright." 'Now how to avoid being pranked…' "Ahem… PHOEBE!!! I know you are in there! I won't fall for any of your tricks! Turn the light back on and stop acting like a child!" 'Now to wait the appropriate amount of time, giving her ample opportunity to come to her senses.' Disappointingly predictable the culprit doesn't cease her nefarious actions by revealing herself forcing me to come get her. Now I would in any other instance ask one of my Pokémon to light up one of my torches with their flames, but I didn't want to give the owner of this villa the impression that I was an arsonist. Slowly shuffling my feet further along to make sure I didn't fall for the classic fake floor or wire trap pranks I made my way further into this opulent home. "Where are the light switches? A villa like this should have plenty of battery powered lamps even if power cables don't go this far out into the routes." The entryway was filled with sconces holding large unlit candles. I figured the owner must be some type of romantic who was hooked on only using candles for lighting her home. I was mildly annoyed since I didn't have a lighter with me until I remembered that I have multiple solutions latched onto my trainer's belt. "Rena come on out!" My foxy friend materialized out of her ball. Still a bit drowsy at this time of day it was natural she was already asleep in her ball. "Pix pix!" "Sorry! Could you please light some of these candles for me? I can't see a thing.""Pix…" Realizing my need for her was warranted she reluctantly gave me a pass for this one time. I picked her up and held her close to one of the sconces decorating this hallway. "Just a little flame, okay? We don't want to burn this place down." "Vuuul!" The little fox voiced her displeasure at my cautioning advice making it clear she understands that it would be a bad idea to blast a single candle wick with a full-on attacking move. Rena opened her mouth to release some sparse amount of embers into the direction of the candle. Her efforts paying off immediately as the candle lit up giving us a modicum of vision into our surroundings. At last being able to observe our surroundings. The sole flickering light created multiple shadows on the ground each potentially housing a ghost type ready to pounce on us. "Thanks a bunch Rena. Return!" I recalled my vulpine companion so she could continue her nap. It made no sense to me for both of us to be pranked at the same time. And unlike me Rena did have the potential to damage the property in a fight or flight moment. With the candelabra in hand, I navigated myself further into the house. 'It makes no sense to keep looking for Phoebe. Guess I'll just go to the kitchen and prepare this night's dinner for the team.' Exiting the hallway, I found myself in the living room adjacent to the all-inclusive kitchen. Unlike what I would expect from a home without any electrical lighting the rest of the villa was fairly futuristic. The variety of kitchen appliances was truly staggering; they even had a berry blender from Hoenn right on the kitchen worktop. "This'll be sweet. I've always wanted to try blending my own pokéblock." One of the balls latched onto my belt popped open revealing my floating rabbit Pokémon. "What are you making?" "It's what the coordinators use to make the fur and scales of their Pokémon extra glossy. You put an appropriate number of berries into the blender and the machine has multiple settings to adjust for coarseness, temperature, pH, and there's also a compartment for any secret ingredients you want to add to the mix. These babies cost a ton, so most coordinators use the publicly available ones inside contest halls." One might find it a tad presumptuous to start using someone else's kitchen appliances before even being introduced to the owner of said appliance. However, I didn't feel like wandering around the house until one of Phoebe's ghosts got the jump on me. Making dinner for my Pokémon seemed to be a more productive use of my time while waiting for the inevitable. After I plugged in the blender's electrical cord, I pulled out numerous tupperware containers holding my team's supply of berries."What berries do you think would go well together?" "Magost and… Pecha!" "…Fine but you will have to share some of those pokéblocks with the others. Pokéblocks are more like supplements, not a substitution for a full meal." I brought out my cutting board to cut up the aforementioned berries into manageable slices. While I was busy preparing dinner, Victini started exploring the living room. The rabbit was mildly curious about the television hanging on the wall of the living room. I went unaccosted until I motioned to open up the lid of the berry blender. "Yaaaaaaaa!!!" "Arceus!" Situated at the bottom of the blender was a familiar childlike mask shooting off into the air and giving me mild heart pangs. Quickly reassessing the situation, I soon found my bearings. "Heya Yamask, you remember us?" "Yaaaa." The ghost having finished his spiel quickly nodded his assent to affirm my question. "How are you liking life outside of Relic Castle so far? Is Phoebe treating you well?" "Yaa Yaamask." "Yamask says Phoebe and his seniors on the team are showing him all the ropes of living outside with humans." "Hmm… and that wouldn't happen to entail how to scare the living daylights out of innocent bystanders?" "Yaaa…." "Its fine if you want to fit in, but don't let Phoebe's wiles trick you into believing that is how all humans want to be greeted." A creaking noise was heard behind me. I turned around fast enough to spot Phoebe popping out one of the kitchen's many cabinets. She somehow managed to stuff herself inside a 48-inch-high kitchen wall cabinet. "Don't you listen to him sweetie. Egon's always been bonkers. That was a great prank you sure got him good." "Yaaaaa!"'It won't be long until this one becomes a no-good troublemaker like the rest of her team. I always presumed this type of behavior was to be expected from ghost types, but if Phoebe is the one encouraging these hijinks… I might have a decent shot at capturing a more sensible litwick of my own.' "I knew if we put out the berry blender, you'd try to make some pokéblock! You are too predictable, Egon." "Well at least I wasn't the one stuffing myself in a closet in order to get the jump on an unsuspecting visitor." "Why you…!" Just like that me and Phoebe kept bickering until the pokéblocks were ready. The Numsy and Yamask having grown used to the byplay between Phoebe and me just lounged around on the couch watching a rerun of the ugly Ducklett until dinner was served. "Food's ready, come on out everyone!" The rest of my team materialized around the coffee table eager to fill their stomachs.Each of their bowls had their names engraved so it was obvious for everyone who gets what. Phoebe and her Yamask sat on the living room couch content to watch us enjoy dinner. "So Phoebes, have you already found a specter you want to team up with?" "Yep! And she's a total cutie too. For now, though, we decided it was best that she remains inside the tower until we book it back to Hoenn. That way she can say goodbye to all her friends." "So, what Pokémon species did you catch? I was under the presumption that only litwick lived inside the tower." "I caught my precious Lampent just yesterday. However, litwick aren't the only species of Pokémon that have made the tower their home. Elygem and Beheeyem roam the upper levels. Something about the tower being the tallest building in this region really appeals to them, and they don't mind sharing their living space with other Pokémon." "Phoebes, you know what this means don't you?" "What are you talking about?" "The bet on who would crack first and catch the other's preferred type! Now, I believe you owe me a solid?" "That doesn't count! Lampent is also a ghost type!" "We didn't say anything about our preferred types overlapping! In any case I don't need much from you. Just waive our previous agreement on me spending a month on Mt. Pyre." "…Half" "What?" "You still have to spend two weeks at my home because Lampent is also a ghost type." Partially amused by this rare display of childlike behavior, my first inclination was to agree with her compromise on the bet, but I wouldn't let her off with just that. "It's a deal but only if I get pranking immunity for the rest of the night and tomorrow. Otherwise, the deal's off." "Fine…! But know that you are really missing out. Me and my team have come up with some great material while you've been away." "Yes, that's what worries me. And don't force little Yamask to go along with these juvenile pranks!" "How else is he going to get his fix of negative energy? I am a girl on the move! We don't spend enough time on Mt. Pyre so he can't feed off the lingering grief.' "The celestial tower is one big graveyard, there is enough negative energy to go around! Whatever… anyways, do you know when the owner will get here? I don't want to make a bad impression by falling asleep before making our introductions to the hostess." "Big sis Kira is attending a midnight séance, by the time she gets home it will be way past our bedtimes. No worries, Egon just get some sleep in. Tomorrow, I'll give you a special super-secret tour of the celestial tower that not even tourists can get." 'Big sis!? That relationship must have progressed faster than a bullet train. Well, I guess I can afford to be more lax in my demeanor if Phoebe likes her this much.' "Okay team it's bedtime! Tomorrow we'll go out and find ourselves a new friend." "Vuuul!" "Num num!" "Dar!" Phoebe pointed out one of the guestrooms that was still empty. The room was opulent with its own candle chandelier and adjacent bathroom. Leagues above any league assigned shared hostel room. Unlike the center dorms this room also had multiple Pokémon beddings making me not have to share my own mattress with the rest of my team. I didn't mind bunking together with Victini and Rena, but Numsy had a snoring problem and sleeping together with him was detrimental to the eight hours of sleep this body needs to keep functioning properly. I immediately dove beneath the blankets to get a good night's rest. The following morning, I woke up from the light filtering in through the drapes. It was the first time I got a full night's rest while at the same time sharing a residence with Phoebe and her team, which immediately put me in a great mood. The rest of my Pokémon were also mildly stirring on their beds showing signs of waking up. Not wanting to disturb the final spurt of their rest time I tried to sneakily slip away into the bathroom to freshen up quietly. Showers being a lot more noisy than drawing a bath I opted to go with the latter option. As I slipped inside the tub I realized that this would be the first time I took a relaxing bath since earning my trainer's license. "Ahh this hits the spot." "What are you doing?" Victini, already awake, seems to have followed me inside the bathroom. The rabbit Pokémon landing on the edge of the bathtub. "It's called bathing. We humans sometimes do this when we want to clean ourselves and relax at the same time. It's similar to using the shower but takes longer." At this point, having gotten curious, Victini was dipping her toe pads in the warm water to verify my claims. This came as quite a surprise since none of my Pokémon have shown any inclination to survey water, no matter the temperature. Victini shivered a bit after dipping her extremities beyond the water's surface but didn't appear to exhibit any major discomfort. "Did the owner of the house come back last night?" "Yes! I felt her come back last night." "Good, I'll finish up here and afterwards we'll go introduce ourselves." "Me too!?" "Of course, the proprietress has a large amount of ghost types scurrying about. I am sure that at least some of them must've seen you last night. We might as well take this opportunity to get you an extra friend." I finished bathing and after trying in vain to tame my messy hairdo I came out of the bathroom. My Pokémon already woken up by the sound of my draining the bathtub. "You guys can go watch some TV in the living room while I prepare breakfast." "Nitan?" "The big box with the black screen in the living room, Rena knows how to work it. While staying with us in Lavaridge she hasn't missed a single episode of her favorite show Chansey's Anatomy. Just make sure she puts on a series everyone likes." "Vuuuul!" "I am not saying that the show is bad, it's just that everyone has their own preferences." As I was arguing with the little fox, I heard a commotion from the room next to the guest room where we spent the night. "Egon!!! Let's visit the tower today!" An enthusiastic Phoebe popped out this time seemingly not being followed around by any of her ghost types. I however knew that she had at least one of her Pokémon hiding in her shadow most of the time. "Hold your rapidashes! My Pokémon still need to eat. Oh, also… I figured the owner of this house has a bunch of ghosts roaming around making hiding Victini meaningless. Can she keep a secret?" "You have nothing to worry about, hothead. I'll explain the situation to Kira. She usually sleeps during the morning hours as do her Pokémon. Now what are you making us for breakfast? I am starving!" "Still being completely unreasonable…" Most of Phoebe's Pokémon didn't need to actually eat food for sustenance. So only having to make one or two portions more than usual wouldn't take any extra time. "For your Sableye right?" "Yep." Unlike the other ghosts on her team Sableye actually needed a steady dose of minerals in its diet. Their species were known to eat rocks, precious metals and gems. "I have iron, calcium and zinc. Anything else Sableye needs you'll have to add yourself." "No sulfur?" "If I was looking to poison my team maybe." Just like that we spent a portion of our morning preparing breakfast. My Pokémon with Rena's help managed to figure out how to use the television. They ultimately decided to watch a cartoon depicting a trio of spoink brothers participating in some sort of housing competition. It seemed interesting enough, but I had no idea what the Pokémon actors were saying without subtitles on. I finished up preparing the food, while Phoebe stepped in to add some extra minerals from a sealed jar to sableye's bowl. "Darn that stuff smells like rotten eggs. You just ruined a perfectly good bowl of pokéchow." "You'll see, Sableye can't go a day without this. It makes him super energetic and ready for a day's worth of training." "You still train? I thought this was your vacation." "Some light sparring here and there between my team members. We've got to stay in shape to keep competing at the highest levels. Now come on out, Sableye!" She released her Sableye and the first thing the little gremlin did was dash towards the bowl smelling of rotten eggs. The darkness Pokémon eating his food with much gusto. My other pokemon gave the ghost type a wide berth not wanting to be near that horrid smell. Me guessing that the odour didn't help my team's appetite proffered a suggestion. "Let's eat outside, on the porch, it's a beautiful day out." 20 minutes later* "So, are we ready to go?" "Just a second Egon! Sableye wants to know which of the spoink brother's houses can resist the big bad Absol's razor wind." After we finished eating our breakfast. Me and the team were just lazing around outside enjoying the sun's rays. "This is the life… When I retire, I'd like a home just like this, enjoying the quiet rural environment." "Why thank you young man, but I am a long time away from actually retiring." The personage approaching us from the garden's side door was surprisingly young looking. If I had to estimate her age, I'd guess her to be around thirty years old. She was rather tall wearing gothic style attire and had deep purple hair. Unlike Phoebe whose dressing sense tended to lean towards bright colors and floral printed skirts, this woman dressed in a style that would be expected from a ghost type specialist. I quickly stood up in order to offer her a proper greeting. "Thank you for allowing us to stay at your home. My name is Egon from Lavaridge town and these are my partner Pokémon." "Num!" "Pix!" "Manitan!" "Vi Vi!""Quill!" "Oh my! Such a polite group of guests. My name is Kira and I run the day-to-day affairs in this settlement. I am also a spirit channeler by trade. Phoebe told me she was expecting her friend to show up at some point." "Uhh yeah, she invited us to stay here for a bit. I specialize in fire types so I figured this would be a good opportunity to see if I can find a litwick that clicks with me and my team." "Splendid! And if you do manage to catch one, I'll be more than happy to advise you on the basics of taking care of our beloved candle Pokémon." Hearing her mention the word candle I asked a follow up question. "That reminds me. How come this villa doesn't use any electric lighting? Isn't it a hassle to buy candles each time you run out?" "An excellent question. You see Egon, this is one of the few places in Unova where Litwick can spontaneously materialize in the living world. To achieve this, they need to use a specific type of candle as a medium. This is why everyone inside this settlement uses candles as a light source instead of light bulbs. It is seen by the residents of this place as a sign of good luck when their candle gets picked to house the spirit of these wondrous Pokémon." This was one of the key differences between my expectations of starting anew in this world and reality. It is indeed true that Pokémon produce eggs, however a good portion of ghost types don't have the biology required to produce an egg. Instead, most ghost types could actually spontaneously form under the correct environmental influences. "That explains a lot. Well, if you don't mind, I'll be off to the tower as soon as Phoebe's Sableye is done watching that cartoon." I tapped the glass sliding door separating the living room from the garden. Phoebe in response gave the signal that they were almost done watching the show. "Young man, before you go, I'd like to ask a few questions of my own. Like what species of Pokémon that is." Kira made a hand gesture towards Victini who during the course of our conversation started fiddling around with Glove's flaming eyebrows. "Oh boy."
Chapter 25 – Celestial Views
"Really!? you'll keep our secret?"
Phoebe just finished explaining mine and Victini's circumstances to our enigmatic hostess.
"It's fine you don't seem like the type of trainer that would misuse the power of a legendary Pokémon. The way you have been trying to keep Victini's existence a secret is admirable enough. However, I would caution you to avoid the psychic academy inside the settlement(.) I have no guarantees that they wouldn't be able to sense Victini's great psychic potential. The headmistress is… a bit too eager in expanding her school's influence."
"Tini, can you shield your mind from other psychics?"
"She says it shouldn't be an issue for her. I was kind of hoping to visit the school and maybe get some technical machines on the cheap since Glove here needs to work on his psychic abilities."
"Vi!" "I am Glove's teacher!"
'It's not a criticism of your teaching methods Tini, but you only know confusion, right? Your versatile application of the move surpasses any psychic Pokémon that I know. However, I was thinking you and Glove could learn some new moves together.'
Kira observed the byplay between me and Victini. The rabbit Pokémon is capable of projecting her thoughts outwards so as to have everyone participate in the conversation, but Victini only does so with people she considers friends. Since she has only known Kira for less than an hour it left the woman guessing as to the contents of our discussion.
"Victini has never been in a match before, so she doesn't know many battle moves."
"Fascinating! What we do know about legendary Pokémon is that they tend to be quite old on average based on texts of people encountering them in olden times. Does this mean Victini is newly hatched?"
"Well… no she's just been really shy mostly. Before we found her, she was holed up in someone's basement playing children's board games all day."
"If it's instruction on battle moves that you are looking for. I own quite the collection of technical machines, mostly ghost type moves of course."
'Could I? No, I made a promise to myself to not rely on others… overly much.'
"I would really like to, but I made a commitment to make it on my own. So please don't tempt me with expensive technical machines."
Phoebe took this opportunity to butt into our conversation.
"Are you still on that Egon!? Relying on others doesn't make your team any weaker."
"Says a third generational heiress… I feel like if I rely on shortcuts like these too many times it diminishes from my journey. True strength is developed in the face of adversity."
Most of my team gave me a half-confused look but surprisingly Glove gave me a quiet nod. Agreeing with my philosophy on battling.
"I see that's very mature of you Egon, but technical machines aren't the only way to learn a new move. How about I let one of my Pokémon teach one of yours a new move?"
"Well, I've always been wanting to teach my Pokémon the move will-o-wisp. Even though it's a fire type move, ghost types seem more naturally inclined to learn it than fire types. Rena should be able to learn the move on her own, but it could help if she got some tips from an experienced ghost type Pokémon."
"I know but I believe you have sunny day down pat. Now it's just a power issue."
Kira didn't seem to be opposed to my idea of having one of her Pokémon teach my Vulpix a new move. That's when she proposed a deal of some sorts.
"I have an excellent idea. Why don't you and Phoebe climb the tower? There's a bell situated at the very top. They say the bell's sound reflects the nature of the one who rings it. This could endear you to the Pokémon living inside the tower making the search for a suitable partner that much easier. And as a reward for completing this challenging quest, I'll have one of my Pokémon teach this cute little Vulpix how to use the move will-o-wisp."
"Can I leave my egg here? I don't want to risk dropping it when one of the ghost types in the tower inevitably tries to prank me."
"Prank? Well maybe, but they are not like ghosts haunting forests and caves. There's plenty of negative energy around to keep them going. The ghost type Pokémon in the tower only interact with humans that manage to garner their interests."
I turned my attention to Glove who was seated right next to the egg.
"You still want to come with us to the tower?"
"Vi" "Glove says he will stand watch over the egg."
Celestial tower entrance*
The walk over to the tower was very uneventful; the settlement only housed around a hundred people and most of those individuals only came out of their beds later in the day. The morticians who tended to the graves of the deceased Pokémon, entombed inside the tower, naturally were all tuckered out from last night's séance so the only one left at the tower's entrance was a token guard who kept record of who entered and left the tower. As we approached his light lit up at the sight of Phoebe.
"A good day to you miss Phoebe. Are you here to visit the Pokémon in the tower? I have it on good grounds that all the Pokémon enjoy your visits."
"Hello to you too Carl. Yes, and this time I am bringing along my friend who is also visiting from Hoenn. Can you ring us up?"
The worker took out a simple sign up chart filling out Phoebe's name himself and afterwards asking me for my address and contact information. Before I even had a chance to enquire as to why that was necessary Phoebe preemptively answered those questions for me.
"It's because the staff working here are responsible for maintaining the graves of the deceased and to make sure no one desecrates the interred ashes held on the upper levels. The last time someone did that, the ghost type Pokémon refused to let humans enter the tower for a full year."
"Really? Why would someone steal or damage the remains of deceased Pokémon?"
My vocal confusion on the matter drew out a peculiar reaction from Phoebe and the gatekeeper.
Phoebe might be a professional trickster, but she is terrible at lying. I was curious as to the true reason people would mess with the graves of deceased Pokémon, but not enough to hound her for an answer. After I was done registering, Carl let us through the main entrance. Immediately I noticed the change in surroundings. The air felt stifling and even with the many open unglazed windows and it being well into the day there was a supernatural amount of shadows covering the floor.
"This is it, Egon! Very homey don't ya think?"
"Did you just describe a graveyard as homey? On Mt. Pyre the fresh air and the fragrant mountain flora suppresses the ahem… stale smelling incense and decomposing remains."
"Stop moping Egon! We still have four sets of stairs to traverse until we reach the mourner's bell."
The ground floor should easily be the largest storey judging by the tower's shape on the outside. That did indeed seem to be the case. The graves were lined up in an orderly manner and funnily enough no Pokémon were within eyesight, confused I asked Phoebe what the deal was.
"How come there are no Pokémon living on the ground floor?"
"There is an agreement that during visiting hours the wild Pokémon stay upstairs. Some of the older people that have come to pay their respects are deathly afraid of ghost types after all. We have similar arrangements on Mt. Pyre during the festival season. Just keep following me! My new partner is waiting for us on the first floor."
Without further ado Phoebe took an immediate left and started walking up the grand staircase with me following closely behind. By my estimations the staircase
"So how did you decide on which Pokémon to catch?"
"Well, most of these cuties wanted to come with me and if I wasn't under any restrictions, I'd take at least a dozen to come and live with me and my family on Mt. Pyre. However, since I am a professional battler, I ultimately came to the conclusion that I should try and catch the toughest one of them all. That ended up being my dearest Lampent."
The distinct smell of soot started entering my nostrils as we made it further up the staircase. The unmistakable smell of a large grouping of fire type Pokémon.
"Say Phoebes, are there any other ghost types living in this tower beside those of the litwick species?"
"For sure the people living here just love ghost types and they often let their partner Pokémon inside the tower to come and play. If you meant to ask if there are any wild ones around, I would think not. Ah! But they do have a group of Elygem and Beheeyem living on the upper levels. Something about this being the only place in Unova without any light pollution and the tower being one of the tallest buildings seems to attract them. Those Pokémon just love stargazing."
We finally made it to the first floor and as Phoebe took her very first step on this level a flickering shadow released itself from one of the prayer altars and blitzed in her direction.
"Oooh! Lampy you sure are quick to greet me. Have you been waiting all this time?"
Now finally getting a better look at the shadow's shape and size it revealed itself to be a floating lampshade sporting two long wavy arms and bluish-purple flame with oval yellow eyes. The Pokémon, by my account, was excited to meet back up with its trainer judging by its enigmatic behavior.
"Lampy meet Egon you know the one I told you about? He's also here to find a partner, but first he'll have to ring the bell of course."
"Ehhm nice to meet you. Please take good care of this troublemaker from now on. I know she can be a handful."
"Hey you! Don't badmouth me in front of my new buddy!"
"Ouch! Stop it! Don't think just because you are bigger than me, that you are free to walnut me!"
"Oh yeah? It seems to me like this big sister still needs to teach you some manners!"
The first three floors of our climb to the top were surprisingly uneventful if you disregarded the fact that we were being stalked by floating sentient candles. The fact that the abundant litwick population lit up the halls of this tower did little to stymie the eerie feeling you get when walking around a massive graveyard. For the most part the presence of Phoebe's Lampent helped ward off any of the wild ghost Pokémon looking for a fight. Unfortunately, Phoebe herself couldn't resist the temptation of engaging in some friendly banter with the ghosts we passed along the way much to her Lampent's jealous dismay. The ghost type seemed to have a possessive streak a mile wide.
"You are looking amazing as always! I am absolutely sure that any trainer would be lucky to have you."
"Don't be like that silly… you know that if I could. I'd bring you along with me."
One of the Litwick that was in contention for being her Pokémon still needed a good pep talk to come out of her funk. This touching emotional moment brought out someone else who was resting inside of her poké ball. A certain rabbit that was getting into the habit of picking up strays.
"Please Egon! We just have to take her with us!"
"Just because this Litwick is a good fit for Phoebe doesn't mean that she'll be good addition to our team. And need I remind you that you have already used up your yearly quota of charity cases?"
"…We capture her and once we are back in Hoenn you can give Litwick back to Phoebe."
"Trainer registration records are a big deal! League inspectors at any time can demand to see the Pokémon I am responsible for and if I don't have a legitimate reason for Litwick's absence, I can have my license revoked. Technically being a Unovan citizen I am not allowed to trade away native Pokémon to foreign nationals the only exception being direct family members. The only reason I felt comfortable with helping Tranquill find a trainer is because the Unovan league association will not raise a fuss over such a ahem… prolific species."
"How do we make Phoebe your family?"
It was at that point that I should've stopped indulging Victini's line of questioning. Sad to say that my kryptonite was that pair of big blue eyes.
"Well adoption won't work, and we are both a bit too young to enter into a sham marriage…"
At this juncture of my conversation with Victini Phoebe stepped in with some unhelpful comments.
"Egon… A squirt like you should thank their lucky staryu for even the opportunity to enter into a sham marriage with me! Don't you dare get too full of yourself you little brat!"
"Have you been listening at all? Anyway, I think it's best that this Litwick remains here for now. A little birdie at Professor Juniper's home told me that Unova will ease up on foreigners catching Unovan Pokémon in the near future. And it's not like you can't come and visit whenever you want right?"
We continued on. The little Litwick catching a ride on Phoebe's shoulder milking their time together for all it's worth. The next floor I came across an unfamiliar sight. A pair of extraterrestrial looking cyan-colored Pokémon being seemingly instructed by a larger bigger one. They didn't really talk, instead opting to use the rainbow-colored lights at the end of their arms to communicate in some sort of morse code. I instantly recognized the species of Pokémon we encountered. Intrigued, I motioned for Phoebe and the gang to wait while I went over to say hello.
"Hello, would you mind if I scanned you with my Pokédex? It's the first time I've met members of your species."
The leader flashed the green light bulb on his arm which I took as him giving the go ahead to my request. I pulled out my device to record these wondrous creatures.
Elgyem, the Cerebral Pokémon. Elgyem was first discovered when it emerged from deep within the desert 50 years ago. Elygem uses its strong psychic power to squeeze its opponent's brain, causing unendurable headaches.
Beheeyem, the Cerebral Pokémon. Beheeyem can control its opponents' minds and confuse their memories with its psychic power. Apparently, it communicates by flashing its three fingers, but those patterns haven't been decoded.
"Fascinating, I bet the ability to tamper with memories would be really useful for treating people with PTSD. Have you ever considered working as a mental health specialist?"
After making that remark I felt a foreign pressure trying to make a connection to my mind and having experienced this before I commenced a quick mental exchange with Victini letting her know that everything was okay and to allow the Beheeyem to contact my brain box.
"Yeah, no sorry I have a psychic type on my team, and she doesn't like sharing headspace if you know what I mean."
"Yes quite, members of our race also don't allow anyone else access to our minds except for the closest of partners. Communication with your species has proven difficult… in the past. Which is why I opted to link minds like this. To answer your earlier question, I do indeed provide similar services to the still developing humans attending the Academy outside. Budding psychics run the risk of their powers going out of control when facing emotional distress."
"Interesting! Does your species work for money or is it more like an exchange of services?"
"It is a mutually beneficial arrangement. In return for our assistance, we are provided food and lodging. Younger members of my species often choose to pair up with their young initiates who still lack a partner. That way both can benefit from the free training the school provides."
"Say... is It true that your species are extraterrestrial in origin? Sorry for all the questions by the way."
"Not many humans are able to see the signs. What was it about us that led you to such a conclusion?"
I could hardly tell a Pokémon that I just met about my first life. So, I tried coming up with a plausible explanation.
"You use light signals to communicate right? That kind of adaptation would make more sense if one finds himself in the dark vastness of space. Not to mention several other Pokémon have settled here after crashing on this planet. In Hoenn Lunatone and Solrock are speculated to have hitched a ride on meteorites their species was undiscovered up until a meteor crashed on the mountain range we now call Meteor Falls forty years ago."
"Excellent deduction from one as young as you. Your mind feels more "settled" not at all like your age mates. Yes, we indeed crash landed here after running into a great serpent near your planet's exosphere. It shot us down before we had any chance at communicating our peaceful intentions. Don't ask of us to disclose the location of our vessel, it is in disrepair and we agreed that introducing such levels of technology to the world is not a wise venture."
"Oh, you must have encountered Rayquaza, one of my region's legendary Pokémon. The Sky High Pokémon regards the earth's atmosphere as its territory. I think it considers any form of life foreign to the planet as a potential threat. Maybe it has had a bad experience with interplanetary visitors in the past?"
"So that's its name… you have given us much to think about. In any case we have grown accustomed to living on this planet. The beautiful scenery flush with life trumps that of our own home. We hold little attachment to our past. At first, we started living in this tower because it was the best place in the region to signal our people for a possible extraction, but now our lights flare only for tradition's sake so as to not forget our origins."
"Well, I am off to ring that bell. It was nice talking to you."
"Before you go, can you keep quiet about our spacecraft? We want to avoid any unnecessary attention."
"For sure. Thank you for showing restraint, you could've just erased that part of the conversation from my memory."
"That would have been the prudent choice, but I didn't want to draw the ire from your partner."
I turned around and spotted Victini off in the distance being reluctantly held by Phoebe while giving Beheeyem the evil eye. Little did she know it just made her all the more adorable.
Our party reached the tower's roof in good time. I was partly exhausted from the long trek on the spiral staircases. In the middle of the roof stood a meticulously designed bell. The contraption holding the great bell aloft seemed to be made out of some sort of green marble while the bell itself was made out of brass but inlaid with intricate golden designs depicting a stylized version of the tower itself.
"Have they ever considered building an elevator or some kind of pulley system? I can't imagine older folk enjoying the climb to the top."
"This is for your own good Egon! Your body needs to be in shape if you ever want to make it as a Pokémon trainer. Seniors can make use of the staff's teleportation services."
"Whatever, So I just have to pull this rope, right?"
"Yes, but before you do, think hard about what kind of trainer you are. They say it helps make it clear to the Pokémon living down below what kind of partner you'd be."
'Hmm honestly, I never spent much time thinking about that… To the Pokémon I travel with I am more of a mix between a friend you can goof around with and a male nanny. We do have the overarching goal to make it to the big leagues but there's no rush to get there. Journeying with them seeing the sights and meeting interesting people and Pokémon is just as important. No… before all of that I have to get my sister back.'
Victini started sending me feel good vibes through our connection. Words were unnecessary, the feelings of approval and affection were enough to let me know that she perceived me as a worthy Pokémon trainer. Her intent of cheering me up was made clear.
I pulled the rope, deciding to only ring the bell four times so as to not upset the Pokémon living in the surrounding area. The sound the bell produced put me in a melancholic mood mixed in with a hint of nostalgia. I must have been more worried about my sister than I previously thought if the sound is any indication of my state of mind.
"Is everything alright Egon?"
"Yeah… let's go downstairs. I need to find my last partner as quickly as possible."
We went back downstairs and while climbing back down. I felt Phoebe staring holes in the back of my head the entire time. Obviously still unsettled by the sound the bell produced. I haven't told any of my friends about my familial situation, not wanting them to worry about a situation they could do little about. Legally speaking Zinnia's father and my mother had every right to take their child back with them to the village. Getting frustrated I tried focusing my attention on the task at hand.
"Do you know any litwick that might be interested in traveling with a novice trainer like me? You know, battling, exploring and the like. Preferably ones that don't like pranking."
"She says that the more docile litwick keep to themselves on the first floor."
Firstly, I thanked Phoebe's Lampent for the useful information before addressing my overly worrisome friend. We were most of the way down already, currently finding ourselves on the second floor. She still has not let up on probing me for details on my private life.
"Hey Phoebe, you mind if I take a look on my own? I want the ghost Pokémon that's going to be my teammate to pick me for me not because I am hanging out with you."
"Cheh! Fine, I'll be waiting outside. But you better tell me what's going on with you afterwards!"
Phoebe ran ahead leaving me alone with Victini. The flying rabbit nestled inside my hairdo the whole way down. Giving me head pats all the while as if I was a kid starved for attention.
"It'll be okay, you'll get back soon."
'I hope so. I don't know when that league sanctioned raid is supposed to happen but if I miss it, I'll never forgive myself.'
After a few minutes we made it to the first floor. I immediately noticed a change in the demeanor of the local litwick without Phoebe and Lampent to stave off the more aggressive ones. I was immediately marked as a trainer that is available for battles. Three of them came up to me demanding a match.
"You want a battle? That's fine but if I win you will help me find the mildest mannered litwick that is living on this floor."
The trio were momentarily confused by my request after murmuring among themselves for a while. The biggest one, which by my estimates was their leader, hopped forward and gave me a nod in confirmation.
'Now who to pick? Numsy would have the type advantage but seeing as we find ourselves on the first floor of an ancient tower I am guessing the locals wouldn't appreciate us using most of his ground type moves.'
My Rabbit companion floated upwards and landed on the floor tiles just in front of me, her paws clenched and jittery for battle.
"Tini, are you sure? Maybe for your first battle we can…"
"Well, if you are that determined… As your partner, I obviously have to support you all the way. Litwick, can you take it easy on Victini at the start? This is her first real battle."
"Alright! Let's slowly trade moves use Incinerate!"
Both fire types got ready to exchange blows. The Litwick's flame intensified and took on a swirly pattern. Having seen this hundreds of times at the Lavaridge gym I know this is the precursor of a fire spin attack.
'This Litwick is not unskilled, being able to figure out this fire type move on its own without a trainer. If the one we are looking for isn't interested I might offer this little one a spot on my team.'
Both Pokémon fired off their moves at the same time. A pillar of whirling fire headed straight towards Victini and simultaneously Tini responded by firing off an incinerate.
"That's it, you are doing it! Now Ehhh…!?"
The fire laser Victini fired off in the direction of our opponent completely engulfed the fire spin before mercilessly impacting Litwick's body blasting the poor Pokémon away like a projectile. Luckily one of the graveyard's headstones was in the middle of Litwick's trajectory somewhat cushioning the ghost Pokémon's crash.
"Arceus! Are you alright?"
Me and Tini rushed up to check if Litwick was still okay. The candle Pokémon was knocked out but still seemed to have all his parts in order.
"Quick Tini, give me the potion spray!"
Victini dove into my backpack and fished out the topical spray meant to alleviate a Pokémon's injuries. I could only afford the basic version at the time, but it is better than nothing. The potion even in any of its advanced forms is not a replacement for treatment at the Pokémon center. However, in a pinch they are lifesavers. I pulled off the cap before applying the topical medicine on Litwick's candlelike body. Instantaneously the candle Pokémon started moving again clearly the medicine having an immediate effect.
"Are you okay Litwick? We are very sorry for surprising you like that."
"Vi Vi!" "Please forgive us!"
"Vi!?" "Ehh!? I don't need followers!"
The other two litwick caught up to us and started to prostrate themselves in front of Victini much to the embarrassment of my little rabbit Pokémon.
"Vi Vi!" "Stop it! I am not your big sister!"
"Tini, this is our chance! Ask them to help us with our quest to find a uniquely tempered litwick."
After a quick back and forth between the gangster trio and Victini they happily led us towards the most lit up section of the floor. Once there I couldn't help but notice the stark differences between this part of the tower and the rest of the floor. A sunbeam coming from an open windowsill lit up the entire area and a fresh breeze wafted through alleviating the old damp smell emanating from the tower's insides. On top of an old edifice not bothering to hide at all sat a lone Litwick. Eyes closed presumably asleep since its wick was devoid of any kind of activity being unlit. I motioned for Victini to keep the trio of litwick busy while I walked up and tried to make first introductions.
"Hey there, do you want to be my friend?"
Chapter 26 – Wishing for a Friend
Now having the opportunity to take a closer look at the Litwick I notice that unlike the others of its kind this one has chemical green eyes instead of the bright yellow ones of its brethren. Sadly, it's fire was still out for some reason and the expression on its face makes me believe this one is experiencing health problems. As a fire type specialist, I know that a sizzling external flame is a sign of good health. Fire types that can't produce their characteristic flames should be taken to a Pokémon center immediately.
"Is everything alright? Can you light your fire?"
The Litwick seemed to exert itself but the only thing that was produced were black fumes.
"Do you mind if I bring you out of here? I want to take you to a health expert for a checkup."
Litwick wiggled a bit but seemed too exhausted to put much effort into communicating with me. Having made up my mind on what to do I fish out my last empty pokéball and tap Litwick on the head with the ball. It is standard procedure to capture injured or sick Pokémon you find in the wild and then bringing them to a Pokémon center. If the Pokémon in question is indeed in dire straits the league reimburses the trainer for the used poké ball. In any event my time inside the tower is at an end since I had the obligation to bring the Litwick to a healthcare professional.
I ran back to Victini who was still busy distracting her three newly self-appointed subordinates.
"Tini, we have to go. That Litwick is sickly and needs to be brought to a Pokémon center."
"Vi!" "Alright let's hurry!"
The trio of litwick were confused as to why we suddenly had to leave and kept following us until we reached the staircase that went down to the ground floor. Feeling bad, Victini told the rambunctious trio where to find Kira's house before we departed. We quickly met back up with Phoebe who was waiting for us downstairs.
"Egon, did you have any luck finding your new partner? Hey! Hold up! Where are you going?!"
"We came across a sick Litwick. It couldn't ignite its flame and was acting very lethargic. I am taking Litwick to the nearest Pokémon center."
Her expression quickly changed into a serious one quickly chasing after me as I was hurrying towards the exit.
"Egon this settlement doesn't have a Pokémon center. Our best bet would be asking Kira for help. If that doesn't work, I am sure she can ask one of the academy's psychic type Pokémon for an emergency teleport."
"Is Kira a licensed health worker?"
"No, but when one of the litwick living in the area has issues they call her. I am telling you she'd probably be more knowledgeable than any nurse Joy when it comes to ghost types."
"Fine… we'll go see her first."
We passed the same guy working the security detail from before but quickly left him in the dust as we ran towards Kira's villa. We zipped past all the foot traffic without stopping to talk to anyone and eventually made our way to Kira's place. Luckily the gate at the main entrance was unlocked. According to Phoebe Kira never locks any of her doors. The Pokémon that live on the property keeping the house secure by themselves. If a stranger without an invitation enters the premises, he or she is considered free game for the ghost types more natural proclivities. After passing Glove who was sleeping in the living room wrapped around the egg incubator, we found Kira sitting at the dinner table nursing an Oran berry cocktail. Phoebe took the initiative to broach the urgent subject.
"Kira! Egon found a sickly litwick inside the tower. Quickly, have a look at it!"
"Phoebe calm down, just release the litwick on my table and I'll have a look."
I pulled out my Poké ball and tapped the release mechanism. The candle Pokémon materialized in a flash of light.
"Oh my?! Do you know what type of Pokémon this is?"
"A litwick…? Anyway, the poor thing can't seem to light the wick on his or her head."
Both women in the room instantaneously responded to my previous observation.
'How are they able to tell? Ghost type Pokémon don't have any sexual dimorphism… Do they?'
"Young man this here is what we trainers in the know call an off-color Pokémon. These are incredibly rare to find outside of species that are more numerous like pidove and woobat and the like."
"That's fine and all but can you help this one? Or do I need to bring him to the nearest Pokémon center?"
"That's easy, his condition is caused by a lack of life energy. I have just the thing to alleviate this problem."
Kira moved into the kitchen and opened one of the cabinets taking out some sort of urn. It smelled really bad, and I wasn't the only one who noticed that. Victini used her paws to block the odor from entering her nostrils. While Glove decided to move himself and the egg outside to enjoy the fresh air. Remarkably Phoebe and Kira had no reaction whatsoever to a smell that I can only describe as a mix between rotting fish and spoiled fruit.
"What in the reverse world's name is that?"
"Corpse Incense. It's what I use to feed my litwick, lampents and chandelure. I hope I don't have to explain to you what it's made from."
"Wait wait wait… this is the reason why people like yourself can afford to skimp donating your own life energy to feed your litwick?"
"Indeed, the wild litwick living inside the Celestial tower feed off the remains of the Pokémon laid to rest there. This here is a special product those of us specializing in this particular species often use. Just sprinkle some of this on top twice a day and they are good to go. Here you go little one this will make you feel all better."
Contrary to her expectations the moment she dropped that pinch of incense on top of the emaciated Litwick the little guy immediately tried shaking off the offered nutriment. Heedless of the health benefits proffered. Even more so it looked like the little Litwick was deathly afraid of the unsavory substance.
"How strange this is the first time a Litwick in my care has refused to partake in corpse incense. Hmmm… even more baffling it seems to be afraid. Maybe it has incurred some kind of phobia from its past life?"
"Tini, can you ask Litwick why it won't accept the incense?"
While Victini was busy sussing out our Litwick situation Phoebe who was the only person I know who is fluent in ghost wore a flabbergasted expression after those two were done with their conversation. Victini was similarly surprised after his rendezvous with the little ghost type.
Before Victini had time to answer my question Phoebe stepped in to answer the question.
"Litwick is suffering from a severe case of Necrophobia. He won't accept the incense because Litwick has an instinctive fear of all things related to death."
"Isn't that strange? For a ghost type who lives inside a tower filled with other dead things to be afraid of his natural environment. No wonder he looks so emaciated. This is just as peculiar as you knowing the meaning of the word necrophobia."
"My family works in the industry, you pick up a thing or two about this stuff you dolt!"
Kira had her own two cents to add.
"This Litwick can't be older than two weeks else the staff would have noticed him by now. Still, that leaves the question on who is going to feed him life energy. I would do it myself, but my Pokémon would get crazy jealous if I let an outsider Litwick feed on me."
Phoebe found herself in the same boat as Kira her newly caught Lampent would faint from jealousy if she knew that she let another Pokémon take her life energy. At this point both woman were watching me now.
"I'll do it. Technically speaking Litwick is my responsibility since I caught him. Now how do I do this? Just touch him or what?"
"Litwick can absorb life energy from any being that finds itself in the glow of their candle flame. Seeing as that is not an option right now, you'll have to touch his wick directly."
I extended my hand in Litwick's direction before offering it to Litwick letting him get familiar with my hand before going any further, which seemed to me to be the right call.
"Hey little fellow you mind taking some of my life energy? That way you don't have to use that icky incense."
Having received confirmation from the candle Pokémon I extend a finger and touch the top of his head. Immediately I felt the drainage of my vitality kicking in. It was a weird feeling but not at all painful it was more like an all-over numbing feeling.
"Oh, this isn't so bad I wonder what all the fuss was abou…"
I opened a singular eye to survey my surroundings. Apparently, I was tucked into a guest bed after being the victim of a fainting spell. One look in the room and I noticed my team of Pokémon occupying various spots in the bedroom, most of which were on top of the same bed I was occupying.
Even Tranquill was perching on top of the empty dresser.
My three smaller teammates all started jumping up and down on the bed using it like a trampoline while Glove was the only one who observed the rules of good bedside manners.
"That was some head-trip I was on. Sorry for worrying you guys. Did things work out with Litwick?"
"Vi Vi." "Kira is taking the time to teach Litwick how to manage his appetite for life energy without putting people or Pokémon in danger."
Noticing a lack of sunlight coming through the drapes I sat up from bed and started unwrapping myself out of the cocoon of blankets and sheets.
"Well, it's dark out. I should probably get dinner ready."
Immediately I felt a foreign force enveloping me moving me back inside the bed.
"Vi!" "You need more rest, let Phoebe handle the cooking!"
"No way she's a terrible cook; most of her ghost types don't even have taste buds. It's my job to make sure you guys are eating quality dishes."
"I've watched you prepare food for us dozens of times. I'll make sure she follows your recipe."
With that Victini zipped out of the room no doubt to keep an eye on Phoebe as she flounders around inside the kitchen. The rest of my team started playing a game of tag inside the room. Understandably since we haven't gotten the time to do team exercises today and they were still full of pent-up energy. Glove received the task of making sure I didn't get out of bed. Helpless against their fervent gazes I decided to stay in bed until dinner was ready. Phoebe was a hopeless chef, but with Victini there to keep watch over her I was assured my ingredients wouldn't be wasted.
'I guess I could close my eyes for a few more minutes.'
"I am coming! Don't start without me!"
I entered the living room and was rewarded by the sight of Victini carrying a ladle and a chef's hat. Floating around and filling everyone's bowls and plates. Being a manly man, I was immune to beckoning call of her cuteness, the other people currently residing in this house less so. I caught the two of them taking pictures with their pokégear and Xtransceiver.
"Tini… who put that chef's hat on you? And you two stop taking advantage of Tini! What do you think will happen when a person other than you got a hold of your phones?"
"It's fine Egon I'll delete the pictures after printing them out. These photos will make a perfect addition to my family's scrapbook. You trust Granny and Grandpa with keeping a secret right?"
"If it's those two yes… and print some extra pictures for me…"
Victini and Phoebe's cooking didn't taste that much different from what I usually make funnily enough. Promptly assuming Victini did most of the work I happily enjoyed dinner with the rest of my team. The Pokémon for some reason or another couldn't stop themselves from lauding the taste in an exuberant fashion.
"Wait a minute… Phoebe how many berries did you use for my team's portions?"
"Victini said to put in as many of the Custap berries as possible. I gotta say Egon you really treat your Pokémon to luxurious feasts and here I thought that I had you pegged as a skinflint."
"…Victini, could I have a word with you for a quick second?"
Victini, predicting the coming storm telekinetically grabbed as many as three bowls and flitted out of the window without a second's notice. Phoebe now realizing what she has wrought gave me a guilty but bemused look while Kira munched on some popcorn obviously enjoying the show. I wasn't even that mad really this just meant Victini would have to pay for this in future treats as did the rest of my team who facilitated the crime without stopping it. I quickly checked my bag to ascertain the damage done to my supply of berries. Obviously, I was all out of Custap and the berries I was saving for their use as treats were gone as well.
"That was half a month's supply of berries. Gone in just one evening…"
"I don't blame you Phoebe this is the first time Victini's been bad. I actually feel relieved in a sense. This just means she can come out of her shell around other people. You can't tell as much from her more recent behavior, but she was suffering from crippling shyness since the moment I found her."
With every word I uttered Phoebe seemed to inflate like a balloon and just when her ego couldn't get any bigger, I put her back in her place.
"Still… no more having you cook meals for my Pokémon. Just the caloric intake alone was enough to feed my team three times over. By the way where's Litwick I figured he'd be here enjoying our company."
"My Chandelure is putting him through his paces. We can't be having you fall down in the middle of the routes because of some overeager feeding sessions."
"I don't know… I haven't asked Litwick if he wanted to be part of my team yet. It seems a bit presumptuous to assume he wants to stay with me."
"It's good to know that you are not one of those trainers that think captured Pokémon don't have a mind of their own but believe me when I tell you that Litwick will want to stay with the person who rescued him. He was constantly fretting over you after draining too much of your vitality. While we are on the subject of staying… How long are the two of you planning to remain here?"
"I was actually thinking of leaving right after capturing a litwick, since I need to be back in Hoenn for something important. I guess I would like to stay the night if you don't mind? It's probably a bad idea to travel back overnight."
"Nooo! Egon I still have a week left on my visa. Let's just stay here for a couple more days."
Kira decided to add her two cents to the conversation.
"Hmmm… If it's really important I'd like for you to stay the rest of tomorrow and then I'll rent a psychic type Pokémon from the academy to teleport you to Mistralton City. You'll be saving yourself the hassle of a day's travel on route 7 and make it there in roughly the same amount of time."
"Why would you go so far to keep me around for only a bit longer?"
"You see, I want to show off your Litwick to the rest of my colleagues and my little sister will probably want to see him too."
"All this over some variation in color?"
"We kind of want to figure out if the type of candle the spirit of this Litwick inhabited has any relation to his coloring. The best way to do that is to find out where this Litwick was born and determine which brand of candles that household bought."
'All this talk about research reminds me that I still have to talk with Professor Juniper before I leave for Hoenn. He'll probably want to know that I am leaving the region since I am one of his sponsored trainers.'
"I accept your proposal but first I need to talk with Litwick to figure out if he's okay with it."
"Great, how about we go meet him right now? Chandelure and Litwick should be about finished with their session. I left the both of them at the mausoleum outside."
"You mean that small building that looks like something out of a tomb explorer movie?"
"Indeed, my Cofagrigus absolutely loves staying there as do my other Pokémon. Now let us be off."
Me and Kira went to visit her mausoleum, the strange looking building looking as imposing as ever. Entering places like this one on your own, while traveling the routes, was usually a bad idea but Kira's presence did a lot to stymie my worries. The mausoleum itself did have a gate which was already open the moment we got there. Kira led me inside and it was exactly as I imagined it. Sarcophagi lined the walls and at the end of the hallway stood three treasure chests each filled to the brim with treasure mostly filled with the same type of relic gold silver and bronze from the relic castle. I was convinced that these coins were mostly replicas since being able to acquire the real deal would classify Kira as a person who is beyond the normal standards of people who are classified as wealthy.
"Great right? Most Cofagrigus trainers don't get to spoil their Pokémon as much as I do. Let me introduce you to some of my longtime friends. Come on out everyone!"
Instantaneously a couple of ghosts revealed themselves. One fairly large Cofagrigus pretending it was just one of the sarcophagi crawled out of the wall before eventually standing upright. The golett statue in the corner also came to life revealing itself to be the actual Pokémon. This Pokémon in particular seemed familiar to me but all of that was forgotten when the chandelier hanging from the ceiling animated and revealed its true nature.
"Wow this is actually my first time meeting a Chandelure. May I record it with my Pokédex?"
"Go ahead, Egon my Chandelure is an exemplary specimen of her species."
Chandelure, the Luring Pokémon and the evolved form of Lampent.
Being consumed in Chandelure's flame burns up the spirit, leaving the body behind. This Pokémon haunts dilapidated mansions. It sways its arms to hypnotize opponents with the ominous dancing of its flames.
"Very cool. The part about burning the spirit is a bit creepy though."
"That entry is blatant speciesism. My dearest Chandelure has never burned someone's spirit before. I've tried getting the professor to change that entry but he insists that a bit of folklore should remain in the entries for posterity's sake."
"Really? I'll bring it up with him the next time I see him. When I arrived in Unova he helped me get settled and even decided to give me sponsorship as a freelance trainer for the lab."
"Hmmm small world. Anyway, are you ready to see Litwick? He should be around here somewhere seeing as Chandelure is not with him, which means his lesson about responsibly taking life energy should already be done. Dearest, can you lead us to him?"
Chandelure floated in the direction where I presumed litwick was holed up. We went back outside where the Pokémon decided to go up towards the roof of the building handily helping us get there with the liberal use of Psychic. There hidden away in a gutter sneakily installed on the backside of the mausoleum was Litwick. Now this was actually the first time I've seen litwick while his flame was alight unlike his brothers and sisters in the tower Litwick's flame was an ethereal blue color instead of the darker purple other members of his species sported. What I did not expect to see was my wayward rabbit Pokémon having a heart to heart with him.
"Ahem… Can I join in on the conversation?"
Before Victini had the chance to fly off again I tried calming her down.
"I am not angry Tini. Just surprised is all, now please come back down here and help me figure out what to do with Litwick."
"You promise you are not angry?"
"Promise, and this dinner got me thinking that we should all have a cheat day once a month to keep our spirits up. Sticking to the same diet plan everyday might get stale for the team and affect performance."
Victini, now assured that I wasn't mad at her, gave me a quick full body hug before landing on her usual spot at the top of my head.
'So, what's the deal with Litwick? Wouldn't he rather stay inside the Mausoleum instead of on top of it?'
"Litwick is scared of all the coffins filled with corpse incense inside."
"That makes sense. Hey Litwick, I didn't have a chance to ask you yet, but do you want to join my team and travel around the world? You could also stay here with Kira. I know she is really interested in you."
"Litwick is asking why you are not afraid of him after what happened."
"It was an accident. I know that you were not actively trying to hurt me. Now that Chandelure has gotten you up to speed I doubt that you will take as much life energy every time you need to eat. Besides if I have to faint for a bit to save you, I'd say that is a fair price to pay."
Litwick jumped into my arms giving me all the confirmation I needed. That this little Pokémon wanted to come with me.
"You know what this means right Tini?"
"I did it! I caught a Litwick!"
Kira, who was watching me twirl around while holding onto Litwick, didn't question my actions even once. Her Chandelure got pretty into it though copying our artistic movements with a few pirouettes of her own.
"Let's get back inside Litwick I am going to introduce you to the rest of the team. I just know that they're going to love having you around."
We got off the roof, this time with the help of Victini's own psychic abilities. Litwick don't have flying capabilities until they evolve which made me wonder how the little scamp got stuck on the roof in the first place. As we made our way back inside, my Pokemon were all there lounging on the couch waiting for me. Phoebe was present too, holding onto one of the ghosts I haven't seen her let out before except for televised matches.
Froslass, the Snow Land Pokémon. No further information available.
"Really Egon? You were the one that told me about Froslass. Don't you know enough about the species already?"
"I know how to get one and that's it. There are a bunch of things I don't know about the species as a whole. Never mind that… I have to introduce my team to our new companion. Litwick, you've met Victini already and this is Numsy the Numel my first partner, Rena the Vulpix, and Glove the Darmanitan. Numsy can show you the ropes and don't hesitate to rely on the others as well.
"Now that that's settled how about I clue you in on the dos and don'ts of caring for your own litwick?"
What followed was a long seminar with slides projected onto her television. On how to clean, how much to feed and most surprising of all beginner trainer tips on how to work on moves. The last part would be something trainers keep secret from each other since it could give them an edge in competition. Kira did let me know that she hadn't shown any of the advanced stuff her colleagues and family have been working on but any information on that subject is a great boon for any trainer. Kira let me know that each year she hosted a good handful of trainers who she thought had potential and had come to the celestial tower to catch a litwick.
After sitting through all that I was completely exhausted and ready to head for bed. My Pokémon bravely holding me company through the extensive lecture were in similar states to mine.
"Ugh… evenings are for lounging not studying. Well at least we don't have to sit through that presentation again."
Without even bothering to put on my pajamas I slipped under the covers of my guest bed and fell into sleep's warm embrace.
The following morning, I was awoken by two stubby little arms poking my face. Opening my eyes, I met the sight of a clingy candle who just succeeded in waking me up. Having been enlightened by last night's presentation, I know that technically speaking ghost types and by extension Litwick don't need to sleep. They voluntarily enter a state of dormancy to avoid getting bored while their trainer hits the hay and becomes unavailable to avoid being the only one awake at night. My Litwick hadn't adjusted himself yet to my sleep cycle so there was a good chance he was just looking at my face the entire night.
"You ready to be poked and prodded? A bunch of Kira's colleagues are coming to visit you today and her sister will be down here later this afternoon."
"Don't you worry that was just slang, they aren't actually going to poke and prod you. They'll mostly be taking pictures and asking questions."
"It's probably for the best if you take some of my vitality now while I am still in bed. That way I can go right back to sleep if you accidentally take too much."
Litwick gave me a quick nod before I felt the now familiar drain on my vitality. This time I didn't lose consciousness. Where before Litwick almost drained me dry this felt much more manageable.
"Hmm that wasn't so bad… I'll have an extra big breakfast to make up for it. Do you want to help me boil some water?"
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