Story Notes:
Disclaimer: Pokemon and all licensed Pokemon merchandise, including characters, are strictly property of Nintendo. In short; I own nothing but ideas. Any names and/or likeness pertaining to real people or characters is strictly coincidental (unless it's an allegory). All rights reserved.Warning: This will, in later chapters, contain sex, including normal intercourse, oral, some violence borderline to rape. It will also include violence (not in sex). The story will be updated to include those warnings upon the posting of the first chapter to include that subject. All chapters with sex are marked with XXX at the beginning of their description.Author Notes: (Updated 06/07/10)I don't have any decent excuse, I don't. Other than my life falling apart. I've been up for two days straight and I'm going to sleep now, but that may explain any serious errors in my writing and how poor it is in general. I'll come back to fix it when I'm more awake.=================================================
The Phantom Chest
Chapter 4
The Phantom Chest
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"Grr...ra!"
"Shroom!"
"I'm guessing they don't fancy one another much. What do you think?"
"Woop...pa..."
Evelyn sat on the lighthouse steps on the grassy cliff overlooking the Lilycove's beachfront. Before her and Issac the Wooper was a scene of imminent chaos. Draco and Richard were face to face, ready to throw punches and fire and spores at one another. For Richard the Shroomish, it was a battle based on honor and bravery; proof that he would stand against a foe even when they had the advantage. For Draco...it was a battle about a stolen sandwich.
"Drake, love," said Evelyn, gaining his attention, "Let it go; we have things to do today."
Draco glared over to her through his scared eyed, still tense. Shroomish relaxed, even though he wasn't the one commanded to do so. Evelyn looked to the little cottage down the hill, where she knew Mona was preparing to take her to Mt. Pyre. She looked back to Draco and rose to her feet, making her way to him where she knelt down beside him.
"Please, Draco?" she pleaded; giving him the face she knew would make him do whatever she wanted. She wasn't manipulative, per say, but she knew he had a hard time saying 'no' to her because she had a hard time saying 'no' to him as well. Draco relaxed, but still looked frustrated. He turned to her, glaring at the ground between her knees instead of her eyes, and raised his arms up, flexing his fingers in a demanding way. Evelyn laughed softly and picked him up like one would a toddler, his arms going around her neck.
"That wasn't so hard, now was i-"
"Evelyn! Time to get a move on; put your Pokemon away!" shouted Mona from down the hill. Evelyn did as she was told, returning Issac and Richard to their respective balls.
"So what exactly are we going for?" she asked as she jogged down the hill toward the old woman.
"I dunno- I said put your Pokemon away, dear," Mona said sternly, pointing at Draco, who turned his head and gave a harsh look at Mona.
"He's my friend, not my Pokemon," clarified Evelyn.
"Yes but he is a Pokemon," said Mona. Evelyn could feel her face growing warm.
"Yes, and he loves waffles and Guava juice, hates the color orange, and is a little afraid of thunderstorms. I'd like to play 'state the obvious' with you Miss Mona, but I have a dead mother to learn about," Evelyn said harshly. Draco gave her a surprised look. He'd always known that the topic of their friendship was a sore spot for her, but he wouldn't have thought she'd snap on a new acquaintance like that. She'd certainly lost her temper with schoolmates and townsfolk who actually complemented on 'how tame her Pokemon was'. Evelyn had told him that it was insulting; she'd never tamed Draco, only met him.
"I...I'm sorry dear," said Mona, sheepishly. Evelyn sighed, feeling that bit of shame wash over her; Mona didn't really know her well enough to know how much she disliked it when someone referred to Draco as though he were some kind of pet.
"I'm really sorry, Miss Mona...It's just...I can't stand it when people talk about Draco like he was a cat or a dog," said Evelyn, giving her a genuine look of regret. Mona gave her a soft smile and waved a wrinkled hand dismissively.
"To be honest, dear, I'm not too surprised. You mother was similar, just not as fiery I dare say," she said, and then turned to the path that lead to the town, gesturing for Evelyn to follow. "Let's walk and talk, dear; saves more time. Why do you feel this way toward; Draco, was it?"
"Yes ma'am," replied Evelyn, "I suppose it's because Draco is my best friend, more than any human, but people still treat him as though he were less than. They're always telling me to 'put him away' or 'he's well trained' as though he wasn't standing right there. If they thought his manners were notable, why wouldn't they tell him?"
"I suppose...perhaps most people don't view it the way you do, dear. You look at him like a human soul in a different body, I gather. People generally think Pokemon are Pokemon and people are people. On that, most think Pokemon cannot understand," said Mona as they made their way out of Lilycove and onto the main road. Draco snorted; that was Tauros-shit, and he knew it, and so did Evelyn. Draco could read and write, and not because Evelyn taught him. They learned together. He could type on a keyboard; write on paper, and more. Hell, Evelyn had bought him a book on sign language for his last 'birthday' (generally celebrated on August 6th, the day they met in that storm). Now he knew a few signs by heart; only important things that he felt he should know if he and Evelyn were ever separated.
"Draco can't talk in either language," said Evelyn, "but he communicates better than either side, I think."
"Ump..." mumbled Draco, and Evelyn gave him a tight squeeze, knowing that level and tone.
"You're very welcome, Drake; you know I love you," she praised, kissing the top of his head. Mona smiled at the pair as they turned from the road and through some grass before approaching a dock. Evelyn cradled him so carefully and he clung to her neck; each holding the other.
"Woah..." said Evelyn, looking up at the giant mountain before them. It disappeared into the clouds! It sat in the water, an island all to itself, and Evelyn could just barely make out the outline of a landmass on the other side.
"I suppose that's Mt Prye, is it?" guessed Evelyn. Mona looked to the mountain.
"Hm? Oh, that? Yes, dear; that's Mt Pyre. Now, let's see..." she said and began digging through a beaded purse she had at her side, "Ah! There she is..."
She tossed a Pokeball toward the water, revealing a full grown Lapras. It whinnied at them, but looked pleased to see Mona in particular. She swam to the dock and gave the old woman a large lick to the face and Mona chuckled.
"Yes, yes; I love you too, dear. Alright, Evelyn, hop on," said Mona. Evelyn climbed onto the Lapras' back, followed by Mona, and the water Pokemon swam them around the large mountain to the other side of it. Here there was the only flat part of the mountain one could reach from the water, and Lapras pulled up to it. Evelyn got down and onto the grass here, but Mona stayed put.
"Are you coming?" she asked. Mona shook her head.
"No, dear; this is your task. Your gift is at the top; you just have to climb some stairs. There will be a man named Romulus up there and he'll tell you where to go from here. Now go on..."
Draco felt Evelyn stiffen, and he knew why. Evelyn, as absent minded and flustered as she could be, was a girl that craved security. The unsure and unknown were a little scary to her. He tightened his grip on her neck, reminding her that he was with her and she wasn't alone. She gave him a hug back, but then lowered him to sit in his usual spot on her messenger bag before turning toward the door and entering the mountain-turned-temple.
Evelyn had heard of Mt. Pyre; who hadn't? It infiltrated every ghost story ever told in Hoenn. The place hade a chill to it, and there were people here and there, crying and wailing and grieving, and Draco felt a little uncomfortable. He was no good with crying girls; he didn't even know how to handle Evelyn if she cried, and she was his oldest friend! Evelyn made her way in, looking around for the stairs. She spotted them at the eastern wall just in time to see a girl in a white dress with short chestnut hair about to go up. Impulse kicked in when recognition registered.
"Lisa!" she shouted, and the girl turned around. So did several other people as Evelyn's voice echoed through the temple. Evelyn felt her face burn with a blush; it was a rather stupid thing to do, shout in a place full of grieving people, several of whom glared at her. It was Lisa, however, and she was making her way over to Evelyn, who walked forward to meet her halfway.
"Evelyn! Oh, goodness, no! Please tell me you're not here about a dead Pokemon!" she gasped. Evelyn chuckled a bit, but ushered Lisa to walk with her up the stairs.
"No, no; I was going to ask you the same thing," said Evelyn.
"Oh- no! I had questions for the holy men here..."
"Why?"
"Well...I was wondering if there was something wrong with me..." she mused. "It's a silly thing, really..."
"What's wrong?" asked Evelyn. They continued to climb the dark grey stone stairs.
"Well...have you ever found yourself drawn to certain Pokemon?"
Evelyn stopped walking and raised an eyebrow at the same time Draco did. They looked at one another, crossed their arms, and looked back to Lisa, who sighed with impatience.
"No, I mean...drawn to certain types," she clarified.
"What, you mean like Claire was to fire types, or Blake was to poison types?"
"Sort of..."
They'd reached the next floor, and the next, and they soon found themselves walking on a flat portion of the mountain outside, a few stories above the water below. There was a path here to follow, grass and gravestones on either side, and the air was beginning to fade with a very light mist.
"Out with it, already!" groaned Evelyn, and Draco grunted to agree.
"I'm drawn to...normal types..." said Lisa, stopping and looking at the stairway before them. It disappeared into the mist and clouds as the mountain grew higher and higher. Draco felt a shiver up his back and stood up on Evelyn's bag, grabbing the strap for support as he looked around. He felt like they weren't the only ones up here. He glared skeptically at a Noctowl statue they passed. Evelyn looked at Lisa.
"Normal? That is pretty unique."
"Unique? Not...not weird?"
"Who said it was weird?"
"Claire..." mumbled Lisa. Draco rolled his eyes and Evelyn clicked her tongue.
"Claire's a bitch; enough said," replied Evelyn, ignoring Lisa's "language, Eve!" as they climbed yet more stairs. "Besides, you like them, so what does it matter?"
"It narrows down my choices, you know? I can't really put a team together without balance, but I feel I can't put my full attention to focus on a type I'm not fond for...What career could I have?"
Evelyn let these words toss around as they continued on their path, disappearing into the thick mist. The steps of the stairway were only visible for three steps forward and back; after that, they faded into white. Small shadowy forms came and went as they passed cemetery markers and tombstones when they walked the straight paths of a flat landing before finding another stairway. Draco was looking back and forth into the mist. The feeling of unease he couldn't explain growing bigger. Maybe it was the mist playing on his mind, but he felt like they were being watched...or followed. He watched as they passed a Noctowl statue; hadn't he seen that before?
"What about Nurse Joy?" asked Evelyn. Lisa frowned at her.
"What about her?"
"Every one I've ever met has normal type Pokemon, for the most part. I don't see how that would stop you. Oh, or a caretaker of some sort. You still care about other types of Pokemon, you just don't want them as your team, right?"
"Yeah...Hey, yeah! That does work!" exclaimed Lisa, stopping in her tracks. Draco took the moment to jump off and walk to the statue. The girls continue to talk behind him as he inspected the statue. It smelled like nothing but cement and the wrath of weather; a regular statue...All the same, he knew he'd seen this, and it was too similar. He started scratching at the Noctowl statue's right wing, leaving gashes in the cement.
"Draco!" came Evelyn's voice, just moments before she grabbed him under his arms and lifted him up. "What the hell's gotten into you?"
"Is he ill? Perhaps the climate up here doesn't agree with him..." suggested Lisa. Evelyn put her hand on his forehead and shook her head.
"He's fine. Calm down, Drake; we're almost there, I'm sure..." she reassured before placing him on the messenger bag again and the girls continued walking, chatting now about silly things. Food, new adventures, and how cute certain boys like Mark were (his least favorite subject to listen to Evelyn talk about; it irked him, and he wasn't sure why.)
"My goodness, this place has a lot of stairs!" gasped Lisa, leaning over and clutching a stitch on her side once they reached another landing. "At least they have nice scenery; good grass, lovely statues, and all that; if you ignored what it's all for. Dismal tidings..."
"Yeah, the architecture is...is..." Evelyn trailed off and Draco looked up to her. She was looking at something on the side of the path, and he followed her gaze to a Noctowl statue. It was a statue with deep gashes on its right wing.
"Eve? Evelyn, what's wrong?" asked Lisa, straightening up. She looked to what Draco and Evelyn were looking at. "Wait...isn't that-?"
"We've been going in circles?" whispered Evelyn, looking down to Draco, who stood and looked all around pointedly. Evelyn got the general message and looked around as well. The mist was thick and blurry outlines of statues and gravestones could be made, but nothing more.
"Good job, Draco, but now how do we- Lisa? Lisa, are you alright?" asked Evelyn. Lisa was no longer looking at the statue, but over Evelyn's head with a petrified expression plastered on her features. Evelyn felt her spine shiver and an inner voice commanding she stay still, but she turned to look anyway. There was a purplish figure floating in the air, about the size and shape of a beach ball; blurry and imperfect. It came into focus though, like rising from water, revealing two angry-looking eyes and a wide mouth that bore a set of fangs. Draco felt like someone had forced him to swallow ice water.
"Ga-Gastly!" it wailed in a haunting, echoing voice, flying toward them without warning. Lisa screamed and bolted for the grass between the tombstones to the right of the path. Evelyn came dashing after her, Draco clutching the messenger bag for dear life. Evelyn twisted and turned through tombstones and jumping over headstones. Lisa was nearing a stairway when the spirit fazed through the mist again, blocking her.
"GASTLY!!" it cried, voice wavering and it shook its body back and forth like one would their head. Lisa shrieked again and dashed to the left. Evelyn followed, running a few rows next to Lisa.
"What the hell is that thing?!" shouted Lisa, who never cursed, not even in the mildest way. Evelyn just shook her head, unable to reply as she focused on running and breathing and not getting caught by that...thing!
They ran and ran, the spirit fazing randomly through tombstones and before stairways, spooking them along. They sprinted until they came to a new clearing, one they didn't recognize. It had three ways to go; two stairways leading up, one leading downward. Evelyn stopped and leaned over, hands on her knees. Sprinting around this high up on a mountain was demanding, and the thin air unforgiving.
"Let's go down; I want out of here!" gasped Lisa, heading toward the solo stairway. When Evelyn didn't move, she looked back to her. "Evelyn?!"
"Wait..." she said to Lisa. There was light, very clearly light coming from behind the mist on either stairway, something they'd not encountered on the last several. Draco hopped down and walked between them. He turned to Evelyn and gestured to both with his hands on either side.
"Yeah...left or right?" she asked.
"Are you insane? Let's just go!" said Lisa.
"You can go," said Evelyn, walking back and forth between the stairways, trying to pick. "But I've come here for something, and I'm not leaving without it! Now go, or help me pick before that spirit comes back!"
"Well...I...you...I can't leave you here like this," groaned Lisa, her good nature getting the better of her and not for the first time in her life. "Which hand do you write with?"
"Right..." said Evelyn, frowning at Lisa, who gestured to the right stairway. It was an illogical method for an answer to an illogical question.
"Well, alright..." said Evelyn, walking toward the right staircase. She only made it a few steps up when the blotch, purple spirit fazed out of the steps in front of her, a mere few inches away.
"GAAA!" it shouted, making the hair on the back of Evelyn's neck stand up. She refused to run; she was sick of it. She backed up, her hands up in the air in defensive stance. Draco was growling low, glaring daggers at the spirit.
"We don't want any trouble..." whispered Evelyn, so quiet that for a moment she was worried the spirit hadn't heard her.
"Gaaaa...stly..." it moaned, floating toward her, keeping her retreating until she was back on the path again, standing in front of Lisa, who was quite unashamed about cowering behind Evelyn. The spirit continued its drifting forward, moaning again, but halted when a black Charmander stepped between him and the human girls. Draco snarled at him and stepped forward, the spirit floating back a little. Evelyn felt something digging into her bag, and before she could look, Lisa's shaking hand handed Evelyn her Pokedex over her shoulder.
"What the hell do you want me to do; throw it at him?" snapped Evelyn quietly.
"No...check. I...I think it might be a Pokemon..."
"It's a ghost!"
"Just check!"
"Alright! Damn..."
Evelyn flipped it open and pointed it toward the purple spirit floating before Draco.
"Gastly. Ghost-Poison Pokemon. This Pokemon's body is 95% made up of gases, which are blown away by strong gusts of wind."
"Huh, we're both right; ghost and Pokemon. Good thing it's not windy..." muttered Evelyn, though such a phenomenon would actually benefit them at this moment. The Gastly shouted its name and flew toward Draco, who stood his ground.
"Draco, scratch!" commanded Evelyn, but when he did, he hand flew right through the creature. It turned and licked his whole right side, making him shiver unpleasantly.
"You can't hit him with physical moves!" hissed Lisa. "Use his fire!"
"How do you know this?" hissed Evelyn.
"I told you I like normal types; besides, I battled a Shuppet once with my Toros and got my butt whooped. Now use fire!"
"Draco, ember!"
The Charmander shot a thin stream of fire at the Gastly, who dodged it easily. The same couldn't be said for the second attack, hitting him directly. He flew back a few paces, shook himself, but recovered. It flew toward Draco again, who instinctively threw his claw into the Gastly, which failed again. Evelyn had to admit, she was curious about this ghost-type business. Draco had to admit...this was fucking annoying...
"Grrah!" roared Draco, blasting more fire than ever at the Gastly, hitting him hard enough to shoot him backward, still tangible when he struck a tombstone. He lay still there at the foot of the memorial, out cold. Evelyn reached back into the pouch on her belt, opening an empty Pokeball, tossing it to capture the Gastly. The ball rocked several times before laying still.
"Wow...Wait, why did you catch him? I thought you didn't like catching Pokemon..." said Lisa, coming around from cowering behind Evelyn. Draco walked over to pick up the Pokeball and bring it to her.
"Thanks, Draco," said Evelyn, accepting the ball before turning to Lisa. "I...I don't really know. I'm curious, I suppose. I could always release him...I don't really know about him-"
"Well this is your chance," reasoned Lisa. "To make a new friend, I mean. Albeit, a creepy one."
Evelyn chuckled, putting the new Gastly into her pouch. Draco clapped his hands loudly to get their attention, and the girls turned. He was standing on the third step of the left stairway, waving his arms like someone guiding a plane landing. Lisa frowned but Evelyn asked no questions and instead followed him.
"Why the left?" asked Lisa, right behind them, "Weren't we taking the right?"
"Hey, Draco beat the 'terrifying spirit'," reasoned Evelyn with a hint of mirth, "Besides; he's left handed..."
This stairway was the longest of all, but as they climbed, the mist began to thin around them. Eventually, the stairs ascended above the white mist. Behind them, it was as if they really were on top of the world; like they stood on the beach of an island in a sea of clouds. There was clear blue sky stretching like an ocean above them, but floating and flowing white clouds around.
They came to the top landing, met with a long path flanked by more tombstones, but it lead to a rock formation resembling a shrine. There was a young man sweeping on the path, dressed in black and white monk's clothing. His head was shaved, and he was humming softly to himself. All round, fazing in and out, were odd little creatures that gave Evelyn shivers; though not as much as Gastly had. She pulled out her Pokedex, only for quick reference.
"Shuppet. Duskull. Misdreavus."
The monk stopped sweeping and looked up at the sound of the electronic voice. He tilted his head at them, and the ghost Pokemon near him mimicked the curious pose. He placed the broom against a tombstone and came toward them.
"Hello there! I'm sorry if I seemed surprised; we haven't had any guests in quite some time...My name is Brother Philip." said the monk, bowing gently to each of them. The three travelers bowed back, and he ushered them to walk with him along the path to the shrine.
"Welcome, though! I assume you come to seek the wisdom of Father Romulus?" asked the monk, trying to keep his hands busy, shivering with trembles as they wrung together. "I'm sorry; I'm shaking from excitement, I know. I'm simply amazed you made it up here!"
"Well, it wasn't very fun, I'll tell you," grumbled Evelyn, "Why is it such a puzzle? Why did we feel like we were going in circles for a while? Oh- and the spirit!"
"Spirit?"
"Sorry; we thought it was a spirit. It was a Gastly chasing us."
"Oh; that's exactly what I was so curious about. Our residential ghost Pokemon, with the guidance of Father Romulus, create the illusions and tricks of the mist. It makes sure that those who do not truly need his advice will turn back in frustration, while those that desperately need it will continue forward...the problem is..."
"The Gastly? A bit of a rebel, scaring people like that," scolded Lisa. Draco snorted to agree.
"Somewhat. He isn't actually a residential Pokemon; he just showed up out of the blue. He seems to think everyone should get through the test, and he started to try and guide people through. Well...you can imagine how people reacted to that," clarified the cleric.
"Yes, I can imagine..." mumbled Evelyn. Draco looked back at Lisa, who blushed. "So you mean to tell me...he was trying to help?"
"Oh, yes. Blocks paths, tries to re-route folks, but they just scream and run away. That's why we haven't had a guest in a long time. You're very brave to get past him..." said Brother Philip. They came to the shrine, the rock formations like rough columns all round them. Two shining lights were filtering from above, a blue and a red, but no one else was there.
"Oh...he must have stepped out..." sighed Brother Philip.
"We'll wait, if that's alright," said Evelyn.
"That's perfectly fine," said Brother Philip. "By the by; how did you manage to stick with your gut and get past that Gastly?"
"Erm..." said Evelyn, trailing off. Draco was averting his gaze and scratching the back of his head. "I sort of...Well, I c-"
"Caught it?"
Everyone jumped a little at the new voice, and the group turned around to the path. A bald man, aged and wrinkled, stood before them. His eyes were squinty and he hunched over, his weight on a knobby wooded walking stick. His robes were like Brother Philips, but a very light grey. He walked slowly toward them. He was holding something in one arm, by Evelyn couldn't see what.
"Oh, Father Romulus!" exclaimed Brother Philip, but Father Romulus was not paying him any mind, attention focused on Evelyn.
"I must say, young lady; I'm impressed...To catch Alvaro is quite an accomplishment. Treat him well," said the old man.
"Alvaro?" asked Evelyn. The Father nodded and motioned for them to sit down on the flat rock ground of the shrine.
"It means noble guardian. An ironic name for a creature that terrified many people, but I felt it fitting for a Pokemon who's intentions were pure and he was simply judged too soon," said Father Romulus. "Now, you must be Evelyn and Draco, correct?"
"Yes, sir, but how did you-"
"I have my ways, young lady. Mona was my student many years back, but I still have more secrets up my sleeves than she does. The mist, for instance...how do you think I managed that, hm?"
Evelyn thought about it, and looked to Draco, who was brooding beside her. He glanced to her and shrugged.
"I haven't a clue, Sir." She said honestly. He chuckled.
"Good, then my secrets safe. A little luck, some science, and perhaps...a little magic..." he said with a twinkle in his squinty, beady eyes. Lisa frowned.
"There's no such thing as magic..." she mumbled. Father Romulus gave a jolly laugh.
"Oh-ho, you're right, of course, my dear," he said, and Lisa looked quite proud of herself, but when she wasn't looking, he winked at Evelyn and Draco, both of which smiled.
"Now...to business. I knew your mother for some time, dear, but I knew your grandfather longer," he said, "and it grieved me terribly to learn of what happened to your mother. This, however, did not stop me from taking on the task handed to me. I have here something from your mother."
He pulled the thing out from under his arm, now unshielded by his sleeve. It was a box, or a chest of some kind, only a bit bigger than a shoe box. Evelyn took it into her hands and felt it. It was intricate, heavy, and most definitely a chest. It had brass on most of its body, silver and gold edges and curves where several large areas were carved into. Its lid was not entirely flat; it was carved in at the middle to the same shape as the lid, but smaller in size. Gold leaf filled the little indent, along with raised, black lines. Evelyn ran her fingers over them; they felt like...almost like rubber. In the very center of this gold, carved out shape on the lid was a new indention. It was circular and an odd lime green inside with strange patterns. At its center, it rose up once more, like a little island in a sea. Sitting in the middle of that island was something that resembled the head of a pin, but rounded, and less than an inch long, just long enough to be level with the bronze perimeter of the lid around the engraved gold area.
The front was very similar. It too was carved into. Silver rim, then gold rim, then a silver background, like little steps onto a new floor, still leaving bronze bordering the rectangular pit. The silver background also had interestingly twisted, raised black likes that felt like rubber. This carved portion of the chest had something similar to the circle on the lid, but there were three, and they all had different shapes. The first looked kind of like a paw, or some kind of plant leaf. The middle looked like an eye or a football. The one on the right looked like a drop of water. Evelyn turned it in her hands many times before she tried to open it. When she did, however, it wouldn't budge, no matter how many times she tried. She looked at Father Romulus questioningly.
"It has keys to it, one for each of those green holes. Your mother believed that a creature required four things to be human, and I'm told those holes resemble them. I'm afraid I don't know what those four things are, but I do know where the first key is..." said Father Romulus, "You must go to Slateport. There you must find a merchant by the codename "Sly Syther". Give him your ship tickets; he knows the way to a very special place."
"And you can't tell me where that place is?" asked Evelyn hopefully. He shook his head and she heard Draco groan. She imagined he was thinking what she was thinking; her mother had too many friends...
"Is...is there anything you can tell me about...you know, about my mother?" she asked, a desperate and aching note in her voice. The old man smiled to her.
"Only that she was incredible, and discovered the source of something with enormous importance to everything on this planet." He said. "Now you should go. The tricks on the path only work on your way upward; the way downward is a straightforward path."
He looked to Lisa next.
"You should follow. Sometimes two destinies walk along the same path. I think you two can help one another to the destination you never knew you were heading to."
Lisa nodded silently. All three travelers gave him a deep, kneeling bow before taking their leave. Evelyn was rolling new things in her head, letting herself grope and wander around the chest in her hands. It was exciting to have the chest her mother left for her, but frustrating to not know what was inside. Lisa caught up to her as they made their way down the stairs.
"Is it okay if I tag along? I can have Tauros carry us, if you'd like," said Lisa hopefully.
"Yeah...sure. If it's okay with him..." replied Evelyn, not really paying attention. Her mind was focused on the box in her hand. The chest that held something incredible, she just knew it. The secret of her mother's troubles, what happened to the towers; hell, maybe the secret of life or the cure for cancer and the common cold...Evelyn stopped suddenly only a few steps down, and Lisa turned to see her with a thoughtful, far-out look on her face.
"What is it?" she asked.
"I dunno; I just had a funny thought. So far, I've caught a Wooper, a Shroomish, and a Gastly..."
"So?"
"I was just wondering why I haven't managed to catch a Pokemon with arms..."
"Father Romulus, what's wrong?" asked Brother Philip, seeing his master watch the two girls disappear down the stairs and into the mist below. The older man was leaning on his cane when a tear came streaking down his cheek.
"I curse the fates for this day..." he whispered, voice thick. He clutched his cane so hard that his knuckles turned white and he spoke through gritted teeth. "I curse those responsible for what is to come. Great Legends, have mercy..."
Alrighty; I have sketches of items now, but I need to get a scanner to upload them. I used to use the one in the ROTC room, but the last day for seniors like me was Friday, so I'll have to find an alternative. I have one of Evelyn's Pokegear and one of the Phantom Chest. I also have one of each of the keys, but they'll be put up as the keys themselves are introduced through the story. Also, they will remain sketches; I'm only doing them for further clarification on the items, so I'm not wasting time perfecting them.
On a side note: guess who got into her first car accident. That's right; this girl. I was rear-ended while stopped at a red light in front of my school. So I'm doing all this pre-graduation stuff for the next week and a half without a car...Fuck my life...
Oh, one more thing. I'm receiving less and less reviews now, and I'm none too happy about it. Five, then four, then three; should I even bother to continue? If you read, please review. This story gets interesting after I get passed this silly "collect my team" phase and it gets into the real shit...So much so, I'll have to change the rating to "XXX" (maybe) and add other categories to it. Should I just do that now, to get more readers?
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Next Chapter: Babysitters and Kidnappers
A brief run-in with an old friend leads to a new job for Evelyn, Draco, and Lisa. Babies are a mess, Pokemon are a handful, and baby Pokemon are a messy handful. Yet some want what isn't there, and even those just stepping in as babysitters must stand their ground.