"Who's this, Shauntal? You said his name was Aidan?" The lead man - Jack - asked, scowling at the boy seated before the trio.
"That's right," She told him, pointing to the youth, "That's Aidan, and he's come a long way to meet the three of you." Another amused look danced in her eyes, though it vanished almost instantly.
The blood rushed to Aidan's cheeks as he was placed in the spotlight, all eyes on him now. Clearing his throat, he addressed them.
"Um... Mister Reaper, sir... I've come all the way from Accumula Town in three days to get here before you had gone. You see, I need your help. All of your help," He said, gesturing to all four trainers before him; they stared at him, unblinking, so he decided to continue. "Three years ago, my brother, Caleb, was killed in an accident. I know this might sound crazy, but people go somewhere when they die..."
"Like heaven, kid? Is that what you're talking about?" Rick, the middle Reaper, inquired, perking up; Aidan could see incredulous and suspicious looks beginning to form on the investigators' faces.
"Well, no... I mean yes... Sort of," Aidan paused, taking a deep breath to calm himself, "Ever since it happened, I've been looking for a way to see my brother again. I met with Fennel - the Pokémon dream researcher - and she told about this Pokémon, Dusknoir, who people believe can travel between our world and the world of ghosts."
Astonishment sprang onto the faces of all but Shauntal, who was quietly scratching away at with her pen. Jack recovered first, and the shock was swiftly replaced by the old suspicion.
"So, what are you trying to say, Aidan? Why come here?" The tone of his voice was harsh, callous.
"Fennel said to come here. She said there were Ghost-type Pokémon here," He told them, looking sheepish. Their stares were beginning to make him feel uncomfortable, foolish, and that wasn't helpful for maintaining hope. Shauntal noticed his aspect was taking a turn for the negative.
"Well, I can tell you there are Ghost-types to be found here, but not Dusknoir. I haven't heard of any Dusknoir residing in the Unova region, but that doesn't mean there aren't any! This was as good a place to look as any..."
"...But, unfortunately, we're done here," Jack Reaper told them, interrupting the woman, "And we're going to be leaving as soon as the sandstorm subsides. We've still got one more episode to shoot here, in Unova, and, from what I understand, the Celestial Tower is a bit of a walk from here. I'm sorry we couldn't help you, kid." As he turned to leave, Shauntal piped up again.
"Why don't you come with us?" She asked Aidan, whose jaw dropped at the suggestion; the idea was almost surreal.
"We don't have the time to care for a little kid, Shaun," Sharon told her, narrowing her eyes at the boy, "We have work we need to get done, and it needs to get done soon; he'll just slow us down."
Shauntal shook her head and addressed him again.
"Nonsense," She said, taking him by the hands and lifting him to his feet, carefully, as she could see he was still sore, "Maybe Dusknoir can be found at the Celestial Tower. And if not, he could at least ring the bell in remembrance of his brother."
Aidan fought back tears as he was overwhelmed by the woman's kindness. He could tell she wasn't convinced he would find what he was looking for, but the alternative she suggested was almost as sweet. It was a well-known tradition in the Unova region to ring the bell atop Celestial Tower in honor of the dead, and, although it wasn't his preference, the chance to do something like that for Caleb was one he wasn't about to pass up.
The three Reapers eyed the pair, Jack the closest. His eyes were narrowed in a look of contemplation, the wheels obviously spinning within his mind. A strange acceptance followed by a stranger sense of kindness seemed to come over him, and he surprised everyone with what he said next.
"You can come," He told Aidan, smiling, though it was obviously hollow, "And I can promise you we'll find that Pokémon. You have the world's three foremost Ghost Pokémon investigators helping you search; sounds to me like finding it's an inevitability."
Everyone looked at the man quizzically, even his siblings; he simply shrugged and exited the room, motioning for his brother and sister to follow. Once the three were gone, Shauntal flashed Aidan a puzzled glance.
"Well that was odd," She said.
Ducking into another of the little side-chambers, Jack Reaper turned about and faced his two siblings. Both stared at him strangely, and Sharon crossed her arms.
"What's going on, Jack?" She asked him, "You're acting strange. What was all that 'foremost Pokémon investigators' crap?"
"Can it, Sharon," Jack commanded, emphasizing it with a sharp glance, "You're right. It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows," He looked at Rick then, "Don't you get it? If we find this Dusknoir, and we find this Ghost World that kid is preaching about, we could become the richest and most famous people in the world! Imagine it!"
The two others passed a look of understanding between them, and Rick flashed his brother a giddy, toothy grin.
"If we were to gain entrance to this world, film it, document it, no one will ever ridicule us again. And if we were to capture that Pokémon..." Jack trailed off, looking dreamy, "This is the answer to everything, and that kid is our ticket to the future."
------------------- Come try your hand at the Monotype Challenge! Read and critique Umbra, winner of four Pokéfiction Awards! -------------------
It's been a while since I've been on Neo so of course the 1st thing I do is read this story and I can definitely see why you won four of the Pokefiction Awards.
It's been a while since I've been on Neo so of course the 1st thing I do is read this story and I can definitely see why you won four of the Pokefiction Awards.
You are the only fan to really comment, Mawile, and I really appreciate both that and your kind words; they always make my day a little better.
------------------- Come try your hand at the Monotype Challenge! Read and critique Umbra, winner of four Pokéfiction Awards! -------------------
The next few hours passed quickly, and as Aidan lay his head back down on his curled-up Stoutland, he found sleep came easily; the events of the sandstorm had weakened him significantly, and he welcomed the opportunity to rest his weary self. As he slept, however, he was plagued by disturbing images and dreams.
Caleb stood, outlined by a massive wall of black. He was reaching for something before him, something he apparently couldn't quite grasp, the effort showing on his face. His mouth was moving also, as if he were speaking, though no sound came out. Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he began to wave his arms frantically, shouting wordlessly at whatever he had been reaching for. His form began to blur and fade, though he maintained his cautioning gestures, and, just as he was about to disappear entirely, his voice cut through the darkness:
"Go back, Aidan!" He screamed.
Aidan bolted upright out of a dead sleep, finding himself face to face with a startled Shauntal.
"Are you okay?" She asked him, frowning, "You're sweating pretty badly."
"Wha-? I saw Caleb!" He cried, scrambling to his feet, his Pokémon following suit.
Shauntal looked at him sympathetically, then put her arm around his shoulder.
"Aidan, it was just a dream," She told him, "We're still in the castle. Actually, we were just coming to get you, to tell you we were leaving soon. To Nimbasa."
The boy looked around a moment, as if hoping she were somehow wrong, but finally nodded his acceptance. Turning about, the boy walked quietly to his pack, picked it up, and slung it over his shoulders; Stoutland gave him a concerned whine, but Aidan just patted his head reassuringly, reached down to his belt, plucked off the hound's PokéBall, and returned the creature inside. With another nod to Shauntal, the woman led him out into a long, stone passageway.
They walked a short distance down the corridor, turned left, left again, another little walk, then a right turn, until they came upon a stone staircase, the likes of which Aidan had seen before, though from above. The Reapers were already gathered about at the bottom, packs on their backs, Sharon and Rick carrying cases Aidan assumed was full of filming equipment.
"We ready, now?" Jack asked, impatiently, glancing between the writer and the boy. Not waiting for an answer, he began to climb up, followed shortly by his siblings; Shauntal and Aidan brought up the rear.
The storm hadn't quite subsided, but it certainly wasn't as intense as when Aidan had first passed this way. The party trudged along through the sand for what seemed forever before signs of construction could be seen. Shortly after, roads and people became visible, as well as the terminal which had a large neon sign reading, "Welcome to Nimbasa!" just above the entrance.
"Think we're going the right way?" Sharon asked, raising her voice to be heard over the blowing winds; Aidan stifled a chuckle. They passed through quickly, and, before the boy knew it, he was gazing out at the magnificent Nimbasa City.
To his right, a wondrous Pokémon theme park could be seen, the ferris wheel standing taller than anything else in the city; directly before him was the Pokémon Center, which stood right next to a large building with stairs leading into the ground, and a sign that read "Battle Subway"; further into the city's distance, great stadiums stood, tall and proud. In the moment, Aidan completely forgot the grandeur of Castelia, captivated by this new wonderland.
"If we hurry, we can make the Charizard Bridge by sunset, and Driftveil by nightfall," Rick informed them, and Jack nodded, but both were overridden by Shauntal, who piped up indignantly.
"You can't really think we're going to skip right through the city! This is Aidan's first visit! Look at this place; you can't do that to a kid like him!" The three Reapers stared at her annoyed, but she simply grabbed Aidan by the wrist and pushed past them. "If you want me to continue writing for you," She told them as they passed, "You might want to find us someplace to lodge for the night!"
The duo walked the streets for a few moments before the woman stopped and confronted the boy.
"Aidan," She said, "You have far too much on your mind right now; you need a little time off."
Aidan glanced about embarrassed.
"Shauntal, you didn't have to do this for me." He told her, blushing.
"No. You're right. I didn't have to, but I did. Now," She said scrutinizing their surroundings, "Where would you like to go?"
Aidan looked about them, as well, his eyes fixing on one of the larger attractions he had seen coming in: the Battle Subway. He led the woman down into the station, gazing about excitedly, hurrying to the registration desk.
"The only remaining challenge we have available requires a partner. Would you still like to participate?" The clerk asked him; the boy looked crestfallen for a moment before Shauntal interrupted.
"Of course, we would," She said. Aidan stared, speechless for a moment.
"You'll each need to register two Pokémon for the challenge," The clerk told them. Aidan looked down at his belt, deliberating, before finally making his choices - Stoutland and Pidove. Shauntal chose her two, as well, but, of the names she gave, Aidan only knew Froslass.
"You're all set, then!" The woman behind the desk told the partners. "Good luck!"
Edit: Apr 21, 13 8:45am
------------------- Come try your hand at the Monotype Challenge! Read and critique Umbra, winner of four Pokéfiction Awards! -------------------
The Reaper trio watched as Shauntal and Aidan turned a corner, vanishing from sight, before forming a small huddle.
"What now?" Rick asked, as both he and Sharon looked to Jack for guidance; the eldest sibling simply rolled his eyes and scoffed angrily.
"Why is it I'm always the one who needs to lead the two of you around by the noses? Hmm? Grow up! You're acting like Duckletts following me around like I'm your Swanna or something!" He paused for a moment to gain control, then spoke again, "We're going to find someplace to crash for the night, just like Shauntal said. We do need her. But I have something I'd like to talk to you two about in private, understand? It's vital to what we're trying to do." Rick nodded, looking to his sister, who stood biting her lip in thought. "C'mon," Jack commanded, facing about and leading the pack into the city.
The Pokémon Center was nearby, so the three didn't have to walk long. When they arrived, they quickly requisitioned two rooms from the resident Nurse Joy, then proceeded to store their belongings beneath their bunks. Once they had settled, Jack seated himself on his bed, closed his eyes, and folded his hands together in his lap; when he opened them once more, they had taken on a darker, serious cast.
"How do spirits get to the Ghost World Aidan is so intent on finding?" He asked his siblings seated before him; they exchanged puzzled glances.
"What do you mean, Jack?" His sister asked, narrowing her eyes, confused.
"I mean, what happens? Why do they go to the Ghost World?"
"Well," Rick began, staring at the floor, "I imagine they need to die first. Am I right?"
Jack breathed a heavy sigh and leaned back slightly, then nodded. He leaned forward intently again.
"You are right, and what I'm about to suggest might not sit well with either of you, but I need you to hear me out."
Once again, he was met with quizzical looks from his brother and sister.
"The next several days are going to be spent trekking to some ridiculous tower to film a couple more Ghost-types and teach the world a little about them. That's what we always do, isn't it? We need something more. Things are going south for us, and I think we can all agree this Ghost World is our ticket to a better future," Rick and Sharon nodded their agreement, "But first we need to get there."
"Aidan was wrong about Relic Castle; there was nothing there for him. What if Shauntal's wrong about Celestial Tower? If she is, the next few days will be for nothing, and we can't afford to spend time chasing something that may not even exist. But we know one thing for sure: Dusknoir exists. And if it can do the things Aidan claims it can do, then our next step seems obvious. If we want Dusknoir - if we want the Ghost World - we make the Pokémon come to us."
Rick and Sharon's eyes widened, and Rick spoke.
"How exactly do you suggest we go about summoning Dusknoir? I'm not sure you've thought this through completely."
Jack shook his head, then fixed his companions with a stare that rivaled the darkness of the last.
"I have thought this through. How else would you summon the creature that guides spirits to the afterlife? You need someone to die."
The younger Reapers stared at the eldest incredulously. Was he really suggesting they kill someone?
"Jack... We can't..."
"We're in a hole, Sharon. Ratings are the lowest they've ever been. We can barely afford to eat. This may be our last shot to turn our lives around. And," He closed his eyes and folded his hands again, "Mom and Dad might be there."
The room went silent.
"Mom... and Dad..." Sharon breathed. Their parents had died long ago, when she was almost too young to remember them, leaving the trio to fend for themselves. If there was a chance they could find them again... "How?"
"How what?" Jack asked.
"How are we going to do this?" She asked.
Jack sighed, then explained his plan. Sharon nodded, then, reaching into her jacket, pulled a PokéBall from an interior pocket. In a bright flash, its occupant was released into the world, a small orange Pokémon that crackled with electricity. She fixed it with a stern stare and spoke.
"Rotom, I need you to find some people for me. A young boy accompanied by a large dog-Pokémon, and a woman in purple with glasses carrying a book. Go. Now."
The Rotom smiled and, with a sharp crack, disappeared into the cities electrical systems.
------------------- Come try your hand at the Monotype Challenge! Read and critique Umbra, winner of four Pokéfiction Awards! -------------------