190 Chapter no.189 Ghost Town
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Tick
Tock
Tick
Tock
Tick
Tock.
The clock didn't stop for anyone. Time never waited for anyone or anything. No matter how many times we get the opportunity to do something, only time will be able to tell the outcome. That's how it is.
That's why choices were important. Very important. You can never go back on your choices, unlike video games. If you decided to go to school today, you can't go back unless you make another decision of faking an illness or injury. Or, if you decided to go buy two packets of biscuits instead of one, then you can't return them, can you?
Even if time were to be a piece of human perception and a social construct or an illusion we created for ourselves; you can't help the nagging feeling that time is slipping away slowly, right beneath your fingertips... Can you?
Tick tock, went the clock, tick tock.
[ Vermilion City - Pokémon Center ]
The sun was shining brightly over Vermilion City as the bustling city came to life. People were walking and chatting, while Pokémon trainers were training their companions in the park. Amidst all the noise and commotion, a group of three friends sat inside the Pokémon Center, looking down at their breakfast bowls.
Brock couldn't help but look at the bowl of milk and cereal in front of him.
" Hey; Brock, have you heard from Ash ?" A voice called out to Brock who couldn't help but shudder as he looked up to see Yellow looking at him with eyes full of wonder.
" Yeah, Professor Oak told me that Ash has finally passed his advanced trainer exam."
" Yay! When is Ash going to meet us ?"
" Soon." Brock lied in a monotone voice as Misty asked Yellow to get them something from the cafeteria.
Misty and Brock watched Yellow as she left the door before looking at the breakfast in front of them.
It looked extremely unappetizing to the duo who couldn't help but sigh.
" Any word from Professor Oak?"
" No, you were there when the professor called last time."
" Yeah."
" .... "
" Do you think it's because of us ?" Brock asked while breaking the uncomfortable silence between them.
" Yes, Yes, Yes, Of course! It has to be something we did." Misty screamed out in anger causing Brock to flinch.
Misty's tense face relaxed as she said in a soft voice.
" I am sorry for yelling."
" Don't worry, Misty these last few weeks haven't been easy."
" Yeah, tell me about it. Those police inspections, medical checks ups and ' talks' with officers, " Misty said while continuing
" I know but that isn't what is bugging you is it."
" Do you think Ash blames us ?"
" Blames us for what ?"
" Misty, I know you know so stop playing dumb."
" ..... "
" ..... "
" Yeah; sorry Brock, I just don't want to think that something bad happened to my friend and he blames me for it."
" He has every right to," Brock replied in a whisper that was heard loud and clear.
" What was that ?!"
" Misty, Ash didn't want to go on the SS. Anne but we convinced him otherwise and...."
Brock was cut off mid-way by Misty who screamed out.
" And.... and what ?! You think we know what is going to happen in the future. You think we knew that Team Rocket was going to launch an attack on the ship, huh; Huh ?!"
Misty suddenly stood up and went to the bathroom.
Brock sighed as the sound of the bathroom door being forcefully shut echoed through the room as Brock held his head in his hands.
What did we do to deserve this?
...
Inside the bathroom, Misty couldn't help but fall to her knees while her back touched the door.
A few tears escaped her eyes as she looked at her shaking hands.
Ever since she was little, people blamed her for things out of her control.
Her beauty, her intelligence, her nature, and her talent.
She wasn't perfect but she never let that get to her now it was different.
Something had happened to her friend and it was her fault.
It was her fault.
It was her fault.
Misty's thoughts drowned her mind as the silence of the bathroom was broken by the sobs of a small girl who didn't know what was going on in her life.
Why did they have to deal with all of this?
What did we do to deserve this?
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[ Lavender Town ]
Austin walked cautiously down the deserted streets of Lavender Town. The mist that rolled in with the evening fog gave him a feeling of foreboding. The silence was only broken by the sound of his footsteps and the occasional rustling of leaves. As he continued down the eerie path, Austin couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.
( ~ Crack ~ )
" Pika !"
Pikachu shot a thunderbolt in the general direction of the sound.
( ~ Boom ~ )
The mist parted to show that Pikachu's thunderbolt had destroyed a tree.
Glancing at Pikachu, Austin said," Nice going buddy."
" Pika, Pi " Pikachu rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment before he saw a look of seriousness on his trainer's face.
' Why isn't anyone coming one to see what was all that commotion about ?'
( ~ Swoosh ~ )
A cold breeze blew through the eriely silent streets of Lavender town.
Austin looked at Pikachu as both of them were sweating like crazy.
" Let's speed up a little."
" Pika ." Pikachu nodded at his trainer's words as Austin walked as fast as he could since the feeling of being watched was increasing rapidly.
( ~ Lub ~ )
( ~ Dub ~ )
The moment Austin heard the sound of his beating heart, his stomach sank from fear.
( ~ Gulp ~ )
Austin didn't like the idea in his head but he knew he didn't have much choice.
Taking out a pokemon, Austin threw it upward as the surrounding mist parted a little showing Fearow in all his glory.
" Fearow, can you fly me towards the giant tower in the center of town."
" Fear, Fearow !"
Fearow looked at his trainer in wonder.
Wasn't he afraid of heights?
The look in fearow's eyes told Austin, what he was a thing?
" He he He ." Laughing sardonically at his fears, Austin took off his shirt and wrapped it around his eyes.
" Problem solved ."
Fearow looked at Pikachu as he outstretched his wing toward Austin.
Was this idiot serious?
Pikachu just rubbed his head and nodded.
Fearow looked at his blindfolded trainer before outstretching his wing toward him.
" Fearow !"
" Alright, Alright I got it."
Austin grabbed Fearow's wing as he slowly made his way toward him with Pikachu helping him.
Austin hugged Fearow's body for dear life.
Seeing their trainer covered in fear, Fearow and Pikachu just chuckled.
" Guys, not now !" Austin shouted as he heard his partner chuckle.
( ~ Peck ~ )
" Fearow, come one don't Peck me. I am sorry please."
Fearow just smirked as he flapped his wings and shot towards the sky with a screaming Austin on his back.
Pikachu used magnetic rise to fly beside the duo.
" Ahhhhhh !"
The sounds of a screaming boy echoed through the desolate and eerie ghost town yet not a single person even peeped out of their window to look.
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Austin's heart was pounding in his chest as he struggled to catch his breath. He couldn't believe what he had just done.
He just flew on Fearow's back even though he though he had closed his eyes the entire time.
He looked up at the Lavender Tower, a plain building that didn't have anything special about it, but it sent chills down Austin's spine as he continued to gaze upon it. He couldn't help but feel that this place was evil, he didn't know why but it was as if he had instinctively decided that this place was evil.
As he caught his breath, he looked down at his attire. He was wearing a red and white striped shirt, blue jeans, and black sneakers. His hair was messy, and his face was red from the exertion.
" Pika, Pi?" Pikachu asked, his voice filled with concern.
"I'm fine," Austin said, taking a few deep breaths. "I just need a minute."
He looked up at the tower again, feeling a sense of foreboding. He couldn't explain it, but he knew that something was wrong with this place.
"We should go inside," he said, picking up Pikachu and Raticate's caskets. "Let's see if we can find out what's going on here."
As they walked towards the tower, Austin could feel his heart racing again. The closer they got, the more intense the feeling became.
The tower was tall and imposing, with dark gray stones and a pointed roof. The entrance was a large wooden door, with an iron handle that looked ancient and rusted. Austin hesitated for a moment, his hand hovering over the handle. He wondered if he should turn back, but he knew that he couldn't. He had come this far, and he had to find out what was inside.
He pushed the door open, and they stepped inside. The air was musty and stale, and the sound of their footsteps echoed through the empty hall. The walls were made of gray stone, and there were no windows, making the place feel dark and claustrophobic.
As they walked, the lights flickered, causing Austin and Pikachu to jump. The sound of their footsteps became louder, and Austin could hear his own heartbeat in his ears.
He looked around the empty hall, feeling a sense of unease. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching them.
"Are you sure we should be here?" Pikachu asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I don't know," Austin said, his voice shaking. "But we have to keep going."
They walked towards the reception desk, but there was no one there. Austin rang the bell, but there was no response. He waited for a few moments, but still, there was no one.
The sound of the bell echoed through the empty hall.
( ~ Scratch ~ )
The moment the sound entered Austin's ears, he instinctively turned to see that there was no one.
Suddenly a claw etched closer and closer towards Austin's shoulder from the back.
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[ East of Lavender Town ]
The helicopter blades whirled above the dense forest of Aokigahara, rustling the leaves of the trees as they flew towards the east of Lavender Town. The unnamed mountain ahead of them was commonly referred to as "Suicide Mountain," and it loomed ominously in the distance. Below the mountain, the Sea of Trees stretched for miles, shrouded in an eerie silence that was broken only by the occasional rustling of leaves.
The passengers inside the helicopter were dressed in black military attire, their faces stern and focused. One of them, an executive named Butch, stood up as they approached their destination. He surveyed the forest below them with a critical eye, his gaze settling on the groups of grunts that awaited their arrival.
Butch made his way to the door of the helicopter and waited for it to land. As soon as it touched down, he stepped out onto the forest floor, the wind from the rotor blades whipping his hair around his face. The grunts each held an Umbreon, their dark types having a collar attached to their necks.
"Executive Birch!" one of the men called out.
Butch scowled, his eyes narrowing. Without a word, he swung his large fist over the grunt's unfortunate face, making the man spin around and fall to his face, blood splattered over his mouth, and a few teeth broken by the looks of it.
"It's Butch, you fuck'r. Butch, remember that if you wanna live."
The grunt trembled as he apologized, somehow managing to stand up.
"Yeah, and I don't wanna see that splattered blood wiped off from ya'r face. Be like that for the entire operation. Is that understood?"
"Ye- yes, sir."
"Now, go, get me the good stuff."
The grunts gave him a salute before leaving the spot, and disappearing into the depths of the forest. Butch wiped off the blood on his knuckles, as he plucked out his pokeballs, releasing the pokémon in advance. Given the importance of the mission, he might just need them.
As he stood there, surveying the forest, the sound of the helicopter receded into the distance, leaving him with an eerie silence that was broken only by the rustling of leaves and the occasional sound of a pokemon call.
Butch took out a single phone and dialed a number.
"Have you reached?" came a calm, calculated voice on the other end.
"Yes, boss. The grunts are sent to get what we want."
"Good. I have no interest in the others. Get me the Ghosts of Lavender Tower."
"But sir, the evolved ones have quite the teeth on them," Butch tried to argue.
"Don't make me repeat myself. I need members of the Gengar line. Anything other, I have no interest. Enjoy your call."
And with that, the call disconnected.
"Damn!" Butch muttered, shaking his fist in empty air.
He looked around, assessing his surroundings once again. The forest was dense and silent, with the porous lava rock absorbing sound and contributing to a sense of solitude that some visitors attribute to the forest. The western edge of Aokigahara, where several caves fill with ice in winter, was a popular destination for tourists, but the area they were in was off-limits to the public.
Butch released his pokémon from their pokeballs, and they stood obediently by his side. The lights ceased, and in front of him stood a large Houndoom, a Drapion, and his best buddy Magmortar.
"Well, boys, it's time to get to work," Butch said, addressing his pokémon.
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[ Omake Paragraph ]
For as long as humans have dug pretty stones out of the ground and used them as accessories, they have also adorned Pidgeotto plumage as a symbol of leadership and power. At first, the expeditions took the form of searches, where men (and it was always men in that age) would scour the ground for feathers shed from the flying pokemon's head and tail to deliver to their lords, who would bestow them with great rewards in exchange.
But as history marched onward, humans gained better technology and harder hearts and turned from scavenging Pidgeotto feathers to hunting them themselves. The feathers changed from adorning the headdresses of tribal chiefs to the thrones of great kings, and with it, Pidgeotto went from nearly as numerous as Pidgey in the wild to an uncommon or even rare pokemon.
In these times a mix of environmental awareness and republican spirit has reduced the frequency of the hunt, and wild Pidgeotto has begun to appear again in areas where they had not been sighted for decades. The Pidgeotto have maintained their brilliant pink and yellow plumage through the centuries to attract mates, and developed a ferocity to match: many humans and pokemon over the years have been eaten by Pidgeotto who fought to protect their feathers, and the hunt now only serves to cull the weak from the herd.
