32 Chapter 32
Emmet's eyes dart to Pidgeot, determination setting in. "Pidgeot, let's head back to Celadon." he commands, hoping to swiftly end this hellish situation. Screw Agatha and her plan.
But before Pidgeot can even spread its wings fully, a shadowy sphere rockets between the two of them. The Shadow Ball impacts a dead tree, obliterating it into splinters. The scene is eerily silent for a moment, with only the settling debris of the once-sturdy tree to mark the passage of time. Emmet gulps audibly, his confidence visibly shaken. With a shaky laugh, he remarks, "Okay, okay, point taken. Guess we're doing things Agatha's way, huh?"
Emmet crouches down next to Pidgeot, his eyes scanning the surroundings with caution. "Pidgeot," he starts, his voice low and steady, "I need you to take a moment to recover, alright? Then, stay flying above the manor. If things go south, I might need a quick way out, okay?"
With a forceful flap of its wings, Pidgeot rises from the ground. It lets out a resounding "Pidgeot!" signaling its understanding. Circling high above the manor, it casts a protective shadow over Emmet, ready to swoop in when called upon.
Pulling out his PokeGear, Emmet checks the screen. The interference is still there, messing with the signal. He breathes a sigh of relief, realizing that the Gengar's Mean Look, which had previously kept him from recalling his Pokemon, must've been tied to that particular Gengar. And with that Gengar taken out by Annihilape, the pesky effect was gone.
He turns his attention to Clefairy, his face softening. "Hey, Clefairy," he says, his voice tender, "are you okay being the only one out here with me while we explore? I need someone strong by my side."
Clefairy's eyes shift downwards, almost in a shy manner. She murmurs, "Clefairy..." It's clear that she's feeling uncertain, overshadowed by the progress and power of Firefly, Sylveon, and now even Annihilape.
Emmet kneels down, placing a comforting hand on Clefairy's head. "Listen to me," he begins, his voice filled with warmth and conviction, "Every member of our team has their strength. Firefly, Sylveon, Annihilape? Yeah, they're powerhouses in a fight. But you, Clefairy? You're the heart. Without you, we wouldn't have made it through half the battles we've faced. It's not about being the strongest in combat. It's about what you bring to the team. And trust me, without your defensive moves and support? We wouldn't have made it out alive from those Ghost Pokemon. You should be proud. You're vital to us."
Clefairy's hesitation is palpable, but Emmet gently reassures her, "Look, Clefairy, I believe in you, I really do. But if you're not up for it, I understand. Maybe you could give a quick Heal Pulse to one of the others so they can take over." His voice is calm, trying to offer her a comfortable choice.
Clefairy gazes up at Emmet, her eyes reflecting a mix of determination and nervousness. After a moment's deliberation, she nods decisively and declares, "Clefairy!" signaling her readiness to stay by his side and face whatever awaits them in the manor.
Emmet smiles encouragingly, "I'm glad you trust yourself, Clefairy." Internally, he knows Clefairy is already showing signs of exhaustion from the prolonged Heal Pulse during their earlier battle. He doubts she could restore any of the fallen teammates to a state fit enough to protect him.
His mind races with thoughts about Agatha's motives. "Why knock out my strongest Pokemon only to use me as bait?" he muses. Then, a realization dawns upon him. Was he focusing on the wrong question? Perhaps it's not about being bait but about the appearance of vulnerability with only Clefairy by his side.
The epiphany strikes him like a thunderbolt. "Seemingly weak," he whispers to himself. Agatha's strategy becomes clear. She needs him to appear as an easy target for the Black Fog. With his powerhouses out of the picture, the Black Fog might confidently engage, considering him an effortless prey.
With Clefairy, the dynamics change. While he trusts her for support and defense, facing an ancient and powerful foe like the Black Fog would instinctively push him towards retreat, ensuring Agatha's plan of drawing the creature out and handling it herself.
As he strides towards the manor, engulfed in the haunting silence, Emmet can't help but acknowledge the cold-hearted yet effective logic in Agatha's plan. It cleverly manipulates him into a role that naturally leads to disengagement, leaving the confrontation to her.
Internally, Emmet shrugs. Perhaps Agatha's motive is as simple as wanting him defenseless against the Black Fog, her sadistic nature relishing the thought. But what choice does he have now? His opposition is futile.
Emmet gives the main door a gentle push, aiming for stealth, but the decrepit hinges have other plans. With a screech, the doors bang to the ground. He's left standing, hand still outstretched, as Clefairy gives him a deadpan stare. Faint giggles seem to echo from the shadows, adding an eerie comedic touch to the scene.
After a moment of tense stillness, nothing comes charging at them. Emmet scans the room: decaying walls, furniture rotting away, mold creeping across every surface. The smell of dampness and decay fills the air, as oppressive as the darkness surrounding them.
A child's giggle, innocent yet chilling, echoes through the hallways. It sends shivers down Emmet's spine. "Did you hear that?" he whispers to Clefairy, who nods, her eyes wide with fear. They follow the giggles, leading them down a corridor towards the part of the mansion with the collapsed roof he had seen from outside.
As they delve deeper, the mansion feels increasingly sinister. The air turns colder, the darkness thickens. Emmet's instincts scream at him to leave, and he's suddenly aware of a new, unnerving extrasensory perception from his Aura and Psychic senses—a sensation he's never experienced before, adding layers of fear to the already terrifying environment.
They enter a once-grand hall, now a ghost of its former self. Dolls with cracked faces, a rocking horse still swaying, create a scene straight out of a nightmare. "What was this place?" Emmet mutters, bewildered by the absence of any grandeur, only to find mundane rooms filled with decay and occasional mummified remains, similar to those outside.
The laughter grows in intensity and malice, drawing them to a set of double doors at the end of the hallway. Each step they take groans under their weight. Clefairy clings to Emmet, shivering uncontrollably with fear.
He honestly should take his own pokemon's fear into account and get away from there as quickly as his legs allowed, but he doubted that would satisfy Agatha who he prayed to be close by to save them when the proverbial shit hits the fan.
Approaching the door, the stench of decay intensifies. The laughter surrounds them, its source impossible to pinpoint, making Emmet and Clefairy's heads swivel frantically in search of its origin.
As Emmet opens the doors, which thankfully remain on their hinges, a loud child's laughter erupts right beside them. He barely has time to react.
Clefairy, startled, instinctively releases a Disarming Voice. The sound wave hits an old bookcase, sending dust and debris crashing down. Emmet's heart races, and he's immediately thrown into a coughing fit. He briefly notices that Clefairy is silent for some reason.
Coughing through the dust, Emmet sees what has rendered Clefairy silent—a room filled with tiny, mummified figures arranged in a chilling display. The sight is so macabre it freezes Emmet's blood.
The sight before them is unthinkable: children, mummified remains piled in the center of the room. The horror grips Emmet, his breathing erratic as he struggles to comprehend the Gastly scene.
Horrified, Emmet struggles to breathe as he absorbs the gruesome scene. The sight of children, mummified and piled in the center of the room, is overwhelming. Suddenly, the door slams shut behind them, sealing them inside the nightmarish room.
Emmet's gaze shoots upwards, calling out for Pidgeot, but the word chokes in his throat as he realizes the ceiling above them is disturbingly intact. No sign of the gaping hole he had seen from outside.
"What the fuck is going on?" he blurts out, his voice echoing in the closed room. He could've sworn they were in the part of the mansion with the partially collapsed roof, yet here they stand under a solid ceiling.
He quickly turns to Clefairy, "Break the door down," he instructs, urgency in his tone.
Clefairy positions herself to unleash another Disarming Voice, targeting the wall this time. But Emmet spots a shadow rapidly approaching her. "Look out!" he yells, tapping into his Psychic abilities to yank Clefairy to his side just in time. The Shadow Ball attack that was aimed at her smashes into the wall where she stood moments before.
Emmet and Clefairy scan the room, their eyes straining in the dim light, but they can't pinpoint where the attack came from. It's as if the Shadow Ball materialized out of thin air.
Realizing their vulnerable position with their backs against the wall, Emmet instructs Clefairy, "Use Calm Mind, then set up a Light Screen in front of us." He wants her to be as prepared as possible for whatever comes next.
As Clefairy focuses, buffing herself and erecting the Light Screen, Emmet's gaze darts around the room, searching for any sign of movement or threat. But the room remains eerily still, devoid of any visible presence.
"Wait a minute," Emmet mutters, his brows furrowing. "Where are the mummified children?" He remembers the macabre scene vividly, but now it's as if they never existed.
Suddenly, Clefairy's urgent voice breaks his train of thought. "Clefairy!" she cries out just as another Shadow Ball hurtles towards him. He throws himself to the ground, feeling the rush of energy narrowly miss him. But something about it feels off, not quite like the Ghost Energy he's familiar with.
His pondering is cut short as Clefairy, grinning wickedly, launches a powerful Disarming Voice. But this one is different—it's concentrated, like a ball of energy, rather than the usual expansive wave.
"Wait a minute, Moonblast?" Emmet questions, surprised by the unfamiliar form and energy of Clefairy's attack. It doesn't align with what he expects from Moonblast, and the energy feels strangely altered.
Clefairy's attack strikes true, and Emmet hears a pained cry of "Haunter!" from the hidden assailant. The sound confirms they've hit their target, finally revealing their unseen enemy's identity.
Emmet's unease grows as Clefairy and the still-concealed Haunter exchange attacks. Each Moonblast from Clefairy is oddly different, yet it occasionally elicits a cry of pain from the Haunter, who seems more intent on targeting Emmet than Clefairy.
Clefairy's Moonblasts, though they feel off, are the only thing making any impact. They draw sporadic cries of "Haunter!" from their attacker. Strangely, the Haunter keeps focusing its attacks on Emmet, ignoring Clefairy.
Emmet, after dodging yet another Shadow Ball, realizes that the Light Screen he asked Clefairy to set up is missing. "Why isn't the Light Screen up?" he thinks, confused by its absence.
He yells at Clefairy to put up the Light Screen, but Clefairy just gives him an annoyed look and tsks. Ignoring his command, she continues to launch Moonblasts at their hidden adversary.
Just as he's about to reprimand Clefairy for her disobedience, a sudden realization hits him, and his eyes widen in shock. Something's very wrong here.
Without any concrete evidence but trusting his instincts, Emmet decides to take a drastic action. He braces himself for what might be a crazy move.
As another Shadow Ball comes hurtling toward him, Emmet does the unthinkable—he dives into it, not away. The last thing he sees before darkness engulfs him is Clefairy's shocked expression.
