Spirit of Mystery Part 3

Previous: Spirit of Mystery Part 2

The test was rather difficult. He did study pokemon for a little while before he left Saffron City. Thankfully, he retained some of the knowledge. Some of them were pretty easy, like what was the evolved form of Pidgey. He hadn't run into a Pigeotto personally, but he remembered talking to a boy who had a Pidgey and would not shut up about it evolving. Then there came the harder questions, like the multiple choice question about which of these can evolve using a thunderstone.

After thirty five questions, he was finally done, and also done munching on the bag of potato chips Jena had picked up.

Willow: Well, [handed him back the packet.] good news, Rhys! You passed with a 92%, a very good grade, indeed.

Rhys: Thank you, now back to the subject of this town. I heard there was a radio tower that use to be a gravesite.

Willow: Oh? Yes, Pokemon Tower was reverted into a Radio tower because they thought it would bring more tourists. All of the remains were transported to the House of Memories, despite complaints from the locals.

Rhys: The locals wanted to keep Pokemon Tower?

Willow: Well, yes, that's where they buried their loved ones, and that's where they wanted them to stay. They seemed to think it was disrespectful to those that have passed. Being a former trainer, myself, I know what they mean. I've had my fair share of pokemon that I held dear. Their memories still live with me, though.

Dr. Willow's eyes clearly held back tears as she picked up a picture of her Snorlax and her as a young trainer winning all sixteen badges in both the Kanto and Johto regions. That was when she apologized quietly and wiped her eyes with her tissue paper, and pulled out six tiny pokeballs, along with a Trainer card.

Willow: Now, these will be your starters for your journey. The card will allow you to battle in any of the pokemon gyms you come across. If you'd like, I have an Abra that could use a new home. His trainer put him up for adoption, and--

Rhys: Thanks, ma'am, but no thank you. I can get by with Duskull for now.

Dr. Willow seemed especially shocked at this, but shrugged and smiled.

Willow: Alright, well, do you have anymore questions before I release you into the world?

Rhys: Yes, do you happen to know where I can find a radio?

Willow: A radio? Like a two-way or an AM/FM?

Rhys: I'd like to listen to the radio tower's station, I've heard good things about it.

Willow: Oh, yes, here I'll give you a map of Lavender Town and I'll mark a good pawn shop, you should certainly find a good deal there.

Rhys smiled and nodded.

Jena: You turned down an Abra?! Are you high!!? [They exited the Pokemon center after Jena had recovered her Pokemon from Nurse Joy. Then they started down the sidewalk.]

Rhys: I don't need it, I have Duskull.

Jena: You do know that you will be fighting multiple Pokemon a day, right? Having one pokemon will put a strain on him.

Rhys: Her.

Jena: Her, right. [She looked over at Duskull, who didn't look especially interested.]

Rhys: I'm not saying I'm not going to get another one, but I also like to earn them. I thought you of all people would respect something like that.

Jena didn't say anything at that, she had to admit that she probably would have done the same thing, except that time she kind of did exactly that. She stopped walking as he did, and saw that he pulled a map out of his pocket. That's when he looked to their right to see that they were, in fact, there.

Rhys: Wow, thank the town for being so small. [He folded up the map and walked to the pawn shop.]

Jena: Ummmm, what was the radio for, again?

Rhys: Just testing a theory. [He opened the door, and there was the shop, cluttered as an attic, and smelled just about the same.]

At first sight, there was a huge assortments of guitars, two drumsets, china dolls, shirts, tv's, movies, video games, guns, laptops, and two whole sets of patio furnature. There was even a bean-bag chair that was a gigantic charmander head! Behind the counter sat a very young lady. Her nose was in a book that was marked at 50¢ with a cheap orange price tag on the cover, obviously from their own inventory. She had on silver-rimmed sunshades and a side-ponytail that hadn't seen the light since the 80's. She didn't even take her eyes from her book.

Clerk: Hey, welcome. [Turned the page.]

Rhys: Hi, I was looking for a radio.

Clerk: Ummm, we got some down under the counter. [She pointed down through the clear-glass to show that they had tiny, black radios that looked like they were from well back in the early 90's.]

Jena: Wow, a lot of this stuff looks pretty vintage [Picked up an old Pokemon coin bank shaped like a Pikachu.] Hmmmm.

Rhys: Can I try this one out? [Pointed at an old radio/recorder.]

Clerk: Sure... [Closed her book and then looked at him, her eyes widening a little bit, and looking over at his Duskull.] Umm... which one, again?

Rhys: [Looked awkward, glancing at Duskull.] The silver one, the one with the microphone.

Clerk: Okay [She fumbled for her keys and opened up the counter with a somewhat shaky hand.]

Jena: Are you okay, miss?

Clerk: Yes, I'm fine. [She laid the radio on the counter.] Will there be anything else?

Rhys: Yeah, I was also kinda looking at those two Pokedexes, the red/blue and the gold/silver one.

Jena: Are you seriously going to buy pokedexes from a pawn shop?

Clerk: Umm... here [Put both of them on top of the radio.] Will there be anything else?

Rhys: That should do it. What's the damages? [Brought out his wallet.]

Jena: Wait a minute, you're getting two of them?! I told you I don't accept charity, not that you listened to me before! [Pulled out two twenty dollar bills from her lady-wallet and attempted to put them on the counter.]

Rhys strafed and pushed Jena away from the clerk, putting all eighty-two dollars onto the counter. He laughed as the clerk took the money and printed out a very amateur-looking receipt.

Clerk: Have a nice day. [She gazed at Rhys with her eyes as blank as they could get.]

The two of them stayed for a moment, picking up their pokedexes, and Rhys his radio. They stayed there, staring at the Clerk, who was now gazing off into space. They looked at each other, and then walked out of the shop. After just a few moments, the lady clerk began to weep.

Jena: Don't suppose you're willing to talk about what happened in that shop with that girl, what are you, her ex or something?

Rhys: Never met her in my life.

They sat at the park bench, it was already mid-afternoon and the sun was just a few hours before dipping down to the horizon. Still, the wind was blowing cool air, and the heat made the chill quite bearable. Though Lavender Town didn't look like much during the day, when dusk started to come, the shadows of all of the buildings and the trees looked so purple, it was hard to believe.

Rhys finally found a nine-volt battery, as he completely forgot they existed, and he put it into the radio's battery slot. As he put the plastic tab on top of it, he turned it on, and the digital screen on the front of it lit up blue with all of the numbers for the radio stations, and the time blinking 12:00.

Rhys: There we go, now, there were a million posters for the radio tower's talk station. Which one was that.

Jena: [Entering her information into her new gold/silver pokedex.] 100.5 was the talk station, 104.1 was the music station. I think they have a few others.

Jena looked over at Duskull, who was gazing off into the horizon over the park. She opened her Pokedex toward the Duskull.

Pokedex: Duskull, primarily a nocturnal pokemon. Duskulls are said to startle bad, misbehaving children, and enjoy the sounds of their crying.

Jena: What?!

Rhys: Huh, so that's why it was drawn to that baby's carriage.

Jena: What the hell is wrong with you! [Pointing at the Duskull, who turned toward her.]

Duskull: Duuuuskull?

Jena: AH! [Jumped behind the park bench, holding up her Pikachu's pokeball.] S-s-s-stay away from meee!

Radio: Our next guest is a dollmaker from Celadon City who is said to be traveling Kanto with his beautiful, handmade dolls for all ages, and all collectors to purchase. You will not find better-looking dolls anywhere else.

Rhys: Oh, hey, it's working!

Jena: Eh? [Looked over at him.] Is it set to the right station?

Rhys nodded and held it up for her to see.

James/Radio: Hello, my name is James Meddsill, and I love to create little dolls for all of the world to see. It normally takes several hours to obtain the level of life-like realness that I seek in all of my little creations. I want to make it seem like the doll is really looking at you and loving what she sees.

Announcer/Radio: Wow, that's really creepy, and you need some serious help. Thanks for coming. Next up is a woman who says her couch talks to her and tells her stories of homosexual vampires, stay tuned on Clive-Talk radio, 100.5, the SEEL.

Both of them paused for a moment, and listened as the first commercial came on.

Commercial: Have a headache? Ankle swelling up? Obesity getting you down? Well stop being pregnant you stupid cow! HAHAHAHA!!!

Rhys: Eh, is it midnight yet?

Spirit of Mystery Part 4