Spirit of Mystery

## Pokemon Spirit and Ghost Story I

Well past 10 pm, Rhys leaned against the light post, opening his newly heated bowl of ramen noodles, it was full of deep red water, soaking random vegetables as well as noodles. He could smell the hot and spicy sauce, he thought about adding some tabasco sauce, but that would take too long, and he was starving. He picked up a generous portion with his chop sticks and lifted it up to let the steam off of it. He blew on it, his lips pursed very tiny so that only cool air went over it. As he ate, he looked over to Duskull, who had seemed to become somewhat amused with a broken public phonebooth. As if people ever used those things anymore. After a while, cellphones and smart phones started to do away with a lot of the electronics that we grew so accustomed to in our lives, and alls we needed to do was pull out that one device and it will tell us the time, date, news, messages, e-mails, and status of whatever we wanted at the push of a button. Rhys fell into that trap too, his cellphone was quite advanced, and because of it, he would never have to wonder what the weather forecast was. Technology sure was grand.

As he shoveled another portion of noodles, he looked over at Duskull again, this time it was staring at him.

Rhys: Ey, don't look at me, you said you don't eat. Well I'm not a ghost, I kind of have to choke something down or I'll end up like you. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to learn how to levitate.

The Duskull kept looking at him, not saying anything. Not that it could anyway.

Rhys breathed the spicy air out of his mouth, it was moderately spicy, and just the right kind. He accidentally licked his lips a little bit, but the spice didn't travel too much onto it.

Rhys: Alright, so best I can tell, Lavender Town is where most of this stuff got started right? I can tell you that Saffron City didn't see much of Pokemon like you. I mean yes, we have Ghost pokemon, but Duskulls? Not so much. [He started to walk down the path that led past the gas station he stopped at.]

The night loomed over them with its protective layer of mosquitos, Duskull floated behind Rhys slowly, but still fast enough to keep up.

Rhys: I've always wondered, Duskull, why do people give me those weird looks? I mean, it's not everyone, but usually when I'm close to other trainers, they give me some kind of look like they're scared of me. Why is that? [He looked to the side as Duskull caught up to him, and there was a long pause.] What, not much of a talker since last time?

Duskull looked at him once again, its shining eye glared at him, and then turned back to their path. Only after a good tme walking did they hear something, it came from behind a very heavily fenced area. The pickett fence was a dump, many of the picketts wer hanging on by the tip of the nail, and some of them were just broken in half by hoodlums, or just mold that built up on the wood after years of rain and sun. There was some yelling, and the sound of battle.

Rhys walked up to the fence and peered through one of the gaping holes to see shadows among the tallgrass.

Voice: [A female voice] Mareep! Hit it with a tackle!

Mareep: Eeeeeeep! [It called out as it lunged straight for the other pokemon!]

Voice: [Male voice] Phanpy! Don't let it get you! Use flail!

Phanpy wasted no time in swingings its pachyderm snout around, slapping Mareep as it attempted to get close to him.

Rhys walked out from behind the fence to view the battle, watching closely as a young girl faught an older man who was clad in a leather jacket, wore a red bandana in his long blond hair and had a motorcycle propped up on its peg behind him. The young girl wore a yellow and black hat, she wore white jeans and a yellow shirt with the lightning symbol on the front of it.

Girl: Come on Mareep! Don't give up! Cotton Spore now! [The Mareep spouted spores from its wool and they started to puff all over the small elephant-like pokemon.]

Man: Nice trick little girl, but it's over now! Phanpy, use Rollout!

The Phanpy rolled into a ball and then started to roll straight at Mareep, knocking the wooled pokemon onto the ground.

Girl: NO!

Man: Sweet! Great job, Phanpy! Now then, how much was that wager again? Eighty Dollars, was it?

Girl: No, it was Forty Dollars, nice try.

Rhys: Um, excuse me?

Both of them turned to see Rhys standing in the tallgrass field with them, and both of them glared.

Rhys: If you don't mind, I would like to try my luck against you, Mr....

Damien: It's Damien, and bugger off, my phanpy's tired, and I only got one pokemon left in full condition.

Rhys: Oh, I only have one pokemon, period.

Damien: Oh really? Well then, what do you wager?

Rhys: Well your bet was for forty, since you obviously have eighty dollars, I'll bet you eighty.

Damien: Eighty?! You're off your rocker if you think you can beat me with that... [He looked at Duskull, never having seen one like it before.] Whatever that is. I'll do it.

The girl walked over to Rhys and got up to him.

Girl: What do you think you're doing?! I didn't ask you to come rescue me, and I don't take charity! Back off, I lost fair and square.

Rhys: You lost because your pokemon type is weak against ground type.

Girl: [Blushed!] No! That's not the real reason, he kind of already beat my Pikachu...

Rhys: With one Phanpy? That's some pokemon he's got there. Oh, by the way, name's Rhys.

Jena: Jena, now please, back out of this, he's way too good. What kind of pokemon do you even have there, and why isn't it in a pokeball?

Rhys: Whoa, whoa, whoa, way too much all at once. To respond to everything: No, Duskull, and she told me she doesn't like pokeballs.

Jena: Wait, she told y--

Damien: Alright, enough chatter! It's time for a battle! Try this! Go Nidoran! [Cast out his pokeball, and there came a male Nidoran into the field.]

Rhys: Duskull, go.

The Duskull slowly floated out to the battlefield, its glaring red eye very visible to the Nidoran.

For a moment, Damien looked a little uneasy. He saw the skull on the pokemon's face, and how it really looked quite hollow. Something about the shape of the Duskull, and how it floated seemed very ominous. It stayed there, silently, its red eye fixed on his Nidoran, and waited. It reminded Damien of the grim reaper, and how he patiently waits for someone to die. He shook off the idea, and gripped his fist, holding it up toward Rhys and his Pokemon.

Damien: Nidoran! Double Kick now!

Nidoran: HAAA!! [Jumped straight at Duskull, and flipped up, kicking it, but finding it incorporeal, flying straight through it, and hitting the ground behind it.]

Jena's eyebrow rose up just a little bit. She brushed her red hair to the side and then looked at Rhys, who did not look the least bit surprised.

Rhys: Duskull, Night Shade.

Jena gasped, having seen that move before, but only on television. The Duskull turned to the Nidoran who just got to its feet, and its eyes shined a great, red light down at it, and all of the air around it began to become waved, and distorted. Its eyes tried to close, but it could not look away from the Duskull one, red eye that now looked endless toward the Nidoran, and smashed into its consciousness. The Duskull's skull face fell off, and its cloak wrapped itself around the Nidoran, making him wear it. It caused him to lose all of the water in Nidoran's body, drying it up and making it slowly fall to the ground. As it fell to the ground it started to remember all of the souls it had taken to the realm of the dead, and all of those souls it would patiently wait for to pass into the afterlife, and everything that would happen as the night sky shattered, the dreams broke into nightmares no matter where they hid, and all of life itself was a dream.

The Night Shade ended, and Nidoran fell limp to the ground, completely unconscious.

Damien: Oh, bollox! Bollox! A ghost type!? That's not fair!

Rhys walked up to the biker guy without any sort of fear in his eyes, and put his hand out. Damien frowned, and put his hand into his.

Damien: Fine, get the other half from the little minx over there, and we're even. [He returned Nidoran back into its pokeball, and then walked over to mount his bike.

Jena tried to give him the money, but then watched as Rhys walked back toward the broken-down fences, and toward the hole between the pickets. She shook her head, there was no way she was going to let him off that easy.

Spirit of Mystery Part 2