"Let's Do Lunch..." The Courier Club was busy as they entered and grabbed the last free table near back. Glancing around, it was easy to spot the small handful of Lavender Town natives, as most of the other couriers seemed to be either hanging onto various souvenirs from the festival or were talking so loudly that their comments about Lavender's strangeness made them stand out. A small handful were also wearing extra layers of clothing and shivered as the front door opened and closed, sending in gusts of wind and Autumn leaves. As the two slid sat down in the rickety wooden chairs on either side of the old wooden table, Daniel scurried from behind the bar and hurriedly handed them both the small folded pieces of paper that passed for menus. "Sorry," the said the proprietor, immediately scurrying away, "We're a bit busy today!" Miranda laughed as Daniel nearly collided with his wife as she hurriedly ran in the opposite direction after clearing a table, the round platter of empty plastic cups she wielded being balanced precariously as she spun around once before heading towards the kitchen behind the bar. "You're going to have to have more kids if this keeps up," the courier called out to them, causing Daniel's wife to make a warding sign in the air. "Three's too many as is!" she exclaimed as the swinging door banged shut behind her and their youngest son ran out to quickly take care of the couriers seated at the bar. "I take it it's not normally like this," commented Misty, finding herself nervously glancing at the mirror behind the bar, yet seeing no invisible ghosts reflected in its surface that instead showed an empty room. Miranda shook her head; giving a short wave to a courier she couldn't recall the name of. "Nope. It's just the time of year," she explained, glancing at the menu and making a quick decision based off the limited selection, "Usually it's pretty err- Dead around here." "That's bad," said Misty with a smile. "Couldn't help it," Miranda chuckled, "It's the radiation leak from Nezumi's pokeball. It's starting to infect me with his sense of humor." "I'll try to keep that in mind," Misty replied thoughtfully as she set down the menu in time to see a haggard looking Daniel standing beside their table with an almost lost expression in his hopeful eyes, "Oh! I'll just have the lunch special number one, please." "Ah, thank you," he sighed, seeming relieved as he glowered at a table on the other side of the room, "You wouldn't believe what that couple from Viridian asked for! Yeesh! Don't these people know that you can't serve pikachus that in Lavender Town?" "Number three's fine, thanks," added Miranda, taking Misty's hand as she shuddered at what Daniel had said. "I mean, I know it's a delicacy out that way, but yeesh!" the proprietor continued, writing down the orders as he ranted. "By the way, have you seen Zack?" the courier inquired, "I think he owes me lunch or something." Daniel snickered as he glanced up from his notepad. "Naw," he said, seeming almost relieved, "the Dawn Sister 2 docked an hour ago, so he'll be off visitin' his mom, I'm afraid." "The Dawn Sister 2?" Misty inquired as Daniel hurried off again as the door swung open. "That'd be our 'flagship'," chuckled Miranda, rolling her eyes at how ridiculous it sounded to her ears, "we have three vessels all together, and they all do double duty during the height of fishing season. But the Dawn Sister 2 is the main one. Her captain's Zack's Mom Angela. She's okay, I guess, but I really didn't see her that much growing up because of all the traveling she does." "Do I want to know what happened to the Dawn Sister 1?" Miranda smiled. "That's one of those long Joshua stories," she replied, glancing at the unfamiliar figure that entered the Club and was even now glancing around pensively, "Hm. I guess he's off with his wife Nancy today." "He was serious about that?" Misty laughed, and Miranda nodded vigorously. "Yeah," she explained with a shrug, "people think he exaggerates, but I've traveled with him and I've had proof that most of his tales are indeed true." Misty nodded, glancing suspiciously at the lost looking woman who walked cautiously past them before leaning over the bar to exchange a few quiet words with Daniel's son. "She's come a long way," Miranda commented, tracking Misty's gaze to the somewhat broad shouldered female courier as she shook her head and turned away from the bar to face the room. "Oh? How can you tell?" Misty inquired, trying not to make it look like she was staring at the newcomer. Miranda pushed her glasses farther up her nose, making them shimmer in the poor lighting as she sized up the other courier. "Well," Miranda explained, tapping her chin thoughtfully as she tried to discern who the woman was looking for, "I could say that it's the fact that she's dressed a little more flamboyantly than you generally see up her in the frozen North, or the fact that you don't get too many people with dreadlocks up this way, but really, it's the Orange Islands Courier Crew badge on the shoulder of her coat." Misty sighed; shaking her head as the woman suddenly appeared at their table. "Excuse me," she asked, her accent putting a stop to any speculation that she might not be from the Orange Islands, "I've just been transferred here, and I was supposed to get in touch with one of our bosses..." The southern courier's voice trailed off as a look of sudden panic entered her pale blue eyes and she quickly searched the pockets of the heavy Winter coat she wore. "Oh yeah," she said at last, reading from the scrap of paper she'd found, "Robert Kozlovski." Both Misty and Miranda tried not to laugh as the woman pulled out a rolled up pile of transfer papers. "Yeah, not a problem," said Miranda in amusement as she handed off her cell phone, "It's the number three on the speed dial, Miss...?" "Oh! Anna," the transferred courier replied as she fumbled with the phone for a moment, "Sorry, but it was a long trip." "Were you on the Dawn Sister 2, by any chance?" Misty inquired as Daniel finally returned with her club sandwich and Miranda's jalapeno grilled cheese sandwich. Anna nodded. "I'm afraid so," she chuckled, brushing back several of her thick, light brown dreadlocks so the phone could find her ear, "Kinda ironic in a way. Seeing as I transferred out here to avoid traveling over the water all the time." "That must be hard to avoid down South," commented Misty, yanking out the toothpicks. Anna shrugged. "Well, some people manage to," she explained as the phone on the other end rang several times, "but wanderlust isn't such a good thing in the Orange Islands if you get seasick all the time. Oh, uh, hello? Mr. Kozlovski?" "She's lucky," Misty teased, casting Miranda's lunch choice a short lived look of alarm, "Looks like she missed Zack." Miranda smiled up at her, trying unsuccessfully to look disapproving. "Now, now," she said with a chuckle as Anna handed her back her phone. "Um, do either of you know a courier named Zachary Evans?" she inquired hopefully, looking from Misty to Miranda; "Apparently I'm going to be assisting him until I get the geography down. Oh, by the way, you have another call." Miranda tried to keep from laughing again as she switched lines. "Actually, he's probably with the Captain of the ship you just left," explained Misty helpfully, "She's his Mother." Anna sighed heavily. "I'm really having the worst of luck today," she said rhetorically, "Oh, and I never caught your names?" Misty smiled apologetically, glancing at Miranda who had plugged her other ear with her index finger and was glaring thoughtfully at her plate as she spoke quietly to the person on the other end. "Sorry about that," she said, quickly taking care of the introductions. "No problem," assured Anna as Miranda hung up the phone and muttered an apology, "So, I guess I'll be seeing you both around then?" "If you're hanging around with Zack, it's inevitable," explained Miranda with an amused grin, "Just be careful. He can be a real handful." "I'll keep than in mind," laughed Anna, quickly saying her goodbyes before hurrying out of the Club to catch Zack at the docks. "So who was it?" Misty inquired, returning to her meal. "Oh, it was Aunt Laurna," Miranda explained warily, shaking her head as she spoke and seeming distracted, "She wants me to head over there early before you get there. Apparently she needs my help with a few things. Mostly with Wraith, I think." "She wants to put on a good show then?" Miranda nodded, trying to push down the mild annoyance she felt at having to rush lunch before abandoning her beloved in a strange town. "It's her first challenge, so I can't really blame her," she explained with a shrug, "So, are you nervous?" Misty glanced down at the other half of her club sandwich, her stomach tightening into a knot as the moment of her challenge drew closer. "Yeah," she admitted quietly so that only Miranda would hear, "And I don't know if I like the idea of going into this pretty much alone. I'm still not totally comfortable with ghosts. But so long as they're yours and a Laurna's I guess it'll be alright." Their hands met across the table, and Miranda squeezed Misty's reassuringly. "Just remember what I told you," she said, "try not to be afraid." "Any advice concerning the ghosts she's using?" inquired Misty hopefully, causing Miranda to look thoughtful for a moment. "Well," the courier explained, "As I recall, Viper's kinda solemn for a ghost. He's almost the opposite of Wraith I guess. I don't really know anything about that gastly she picked up last year... Nightfall I think she called him? And Nox, well, I know she likes 'studying' humanity, but I don't really think that'll make much of a difference." "Well I suppose that's something," Misty replied, her tone betraying her combination of nervousness and annoyance at Laurna's insistence that Miranda leave early, "I'll just do my best, and even if I loose, I only need eight badges, right?" Miranda nodded. "And if worst comes to worse, I can always give you any of mine that you didn't win." Misty shook her head. "No, that'd be too much like cheating," she sighed warily, "Besides, when I have something to prove I'm nearly unstoppable!" "Glad to hear it," Miranda laughed, barely tasting her food as she tried to hurry her meal. "But it's nice of you to offer, though," continued her beloved, wondering if she'd had room to finish her own, "It's good to know that you're on my side." Miranda swallowed quickly, her unpleasant expression evidence that she wasn't chewing enough. "It couldn't be any other way, my love," she replied, giving her watch a quick glance, "Curses, I'd better hurry." "Will I see you there?" Misty asked as Miranda greedily devoured the last stray jalapeno. The courier shrugged in reply. "I hope so," she said with a mouthful before giving Misty a hug and accepting a kiss on the cheek before hurrying off to do her Aunt's bidding... *** The sky above had clouded over in the last few hours, its bleak, overcast appearance only adding to the haunted look Laurna's lab and gym seemed to be cultivating. The house was set upon a small hill, with a driveway of broken pavement that led away from the purple cobblestones of Azathoth Avenue, up to the front porch of the modest looking Victorian style home. Beyond the rusting iron gates, which swung open of their own accord as Misty approached, before slamming shut again as she crossed the threshold, the driveway past through what was once a sprawling front yard garden, but was now almost as overgrown with weeds as the Lilcamp's greenhouse. As Misty walked up the broken path, wary of the small, glowing red eyes that stared out at her from the underbrush, she reminded herself that the Lavender Gym was just another Gym. The ghosts that dwelt within weren't wild. They were Laurna's, and they wouldn't hurt her beyond a good scare. "I wish Laurna hadn't have asked Miranda to head up here ahead of me," she muttered, stopping once she reached the dilapidated front porch and looked up at the windows on the second floor, shivering as the curtains parted in one of them, revealing only darkness beyond, "If she wanted to borrow Wraith so badly, I'm sure he'd be willing to listen to her. Laurna IS the world's premiere ecto- parazoologist after all." But her own words did little to comfort her as Misty heard the front door creek open loudly, diverting her attention from the seemingly empty upstairs window. "Hello?" called Misty, cursing inwardly as her voice quavered, and nearly bolting as a tall dark figure slowly materialized in the doorway. Its features were hidden within the confines of a black hooded robe that was so dark that no light seemed to reflect off of it. The hand that the figure then held out to Misty, however, made her thankful that she couldn't see its face. The trainer gulped, staring at the skeletal hand as the over six foot tall grim sentinel waited with the patience of the inanimate, barring Misty's passage into the Lavender Gym. "Wha-!" Misty began before chastising herself for forgetting as she lifted the bottom of her jacket and dug the two coins Professor Laurna had given her out of the back pocket of her jeans, "I should have known... The figure waited silently. It's presence a nonjudgmental, neutral barrier as Misty collected her courage and stepped up onto the porch. "Is- Is this what you want?" she inquired, the floorboards creaking beneath her feet. The figure said nothing, its hand held out; palm upturned and waiting, forever if necessary for its payment for passage into the house. "H-here you go then," the trainer stammered, reaching out a shaking hand and letting the copper coins drop ominously into the guardian's skeletal hand. Misty then leaped back, suppressing a yelp as the long bony fingers clamped shut around the coins with the snap of old dry bones before the guardian became a guide, turning its back on the trainer and gliding silently into the house. Misty gulped down her fear, wishing Miranda could have accompanied her to the Gym, but thankful at least for the quick meal they'd shared at the Courier Club. "Well fine then," she told the figure as it practically floated away from her, "If this is the worst this gym has to offer, then I can handle it!" Misty stepped boldly across the threshold onto the thin, faded red carpet that lead down a long hallway that seemed reminiscent of the Lilcamp residence. However, the house had a conspicuous lack of doors leading from the hallway. The only visible portals being a set double doors at the far end. And the lack of windows made Misty wonder where the eerie light was emanating from as she followed the grim specter, only now noticing the quiet sounds behind the walls. At first she tried to ignore them, paying attention instead to the sound of her own footsteps, sounding heavy in comparison to the silent passage of her guide. But as time passed, and the hallway seemed to stretch on forever, the quiet, muffled sounds began to remind Misty of her journey down Route 8. She could hear the sounds of quiet crying, peculiar scratching noises that sounded as though unknowable things in the walls where trying to break free. And not even the creaking of the floorboards seemed to drown out the sound of whispered voices just on the edge of hearing. Voices whose tones were muffled, yet Misty could just barely make out certain words and phrases. "This place..." they whispered darkly, "Not for you..." "...Must not be awakened!" came another, more urgently. "...dispose of her..." insisted another, sending chills down Misty's spine as she simply closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. 'It's just to scare me, it's just to scare me,' she repeated over and over again until the voices faded and Misty opened her eyes to see something new upon the walls. They were lined with portraits. Actual painted renditions of people as opposed to the framed photographs Miranda's house had. At first, most of the pictures were of men and women Misty didn't recognize. Some looked like farmers or fisherman, and some appeared to be the miners who still went into the Lavender Mountains to seek their fortunes. But soon, Misty began to recognize people. Faces she'd seen at the market place. Merchants and locals out doing their shopping. She even recognized a few from the Courier Club. Zack, Joshua, the bartender Misty couldn't recall the name of. And then, there was Miranda, Frank, and even Bob and Vivian, placed across from each other as Misty neared an impressive set of dark oaken doors. "Miri's grandfather must have made these," she commented thoughtfully as the figure stepped aside and Misty could make out the intricately carved design of a looming haunter, staring down at her malevolently as she looked into its eyes. "Hey," inquired Misty, a thought suddenly striking her as she glanced up at her guide, trying not to shiver as she noticed the sudden aura of cold that surrounded it, "shouldn't there be a picture of Laurna somewhere around here as well? You seem to have everyone else in Lavender Town." The figure raised its bony hand again and pointed over Misty shoulder, giving her an unnerving feeling as their auras overlapped. With a shiver, the trainer turned around and found herself face to face with a portrait of Professor Laurna. The woman's eyes were staring right back at her, smiling mischievously as Misty noticed something that she hadn't before. The trainer's eyes widened as she backed away from the portrait, only then seeing how it seemed to age slowly as she watched. Misty then hazarded a glance at the other pictures, finding Miranda's almost instantly and suddenly seeing her lover as a very old woman. "What is this?!" she demanded, turning to where her guide had been, only to find that it had vanished from sight and that the wooden doors were opening, sliding into the walls with an impressive rumbling. As the door split in two, Misty's eyes were bombarded by a blast of brilliant white light. The dimness of the hallway now seemed like night in comparison to the room beyond. The candle lit crystal chandelier, half covered in cobwebs glowed brightly, its light reflected off the white marble of the expansive floor beneath it. At the far end of the room, a wide staircase lead up to the second floor, and a wide balcony encircled the room with long thin windows above the line of closed doors the walkway lead to. "Welcome," came an amused voice that echoed throughout the ballroom, yet seemed to come from nowhere at all, "To the Lavender Gym!" Behind her, the doors slammed shut, causing Misty to jump; yet she refused to look back. Even as her heart thudded in her chest, and her pulse raced in her ears, the trainer knew better. Instead, she watched as a figure materialized, seemingly out of nothing at the top of the wide staircase. "Gym Leader Laurna, I presume?" Misty said formally, almost not recognizing the woman in the long, dark flowing gown she wore. "Indeed," Laurna chuckled, reaching back and fanning out her uncharacteristically unbound hair, letting her graying black locks fall down the back of her equally black gown, "Are you ready for your challenge then?" "Yes I am," Misty replied, her stomach turning nervously as Laurna made her way down the stairs, her gown billowing out like a ghost as the silver pendant she worse sparkled in the candlelight. "Tell me, something then," the Gym Leader inquired, idly fondling the talisman as descended the last step, "Are you afraid, Misty?" The trainer met Laurna's gaze with all the confidence she could muster. "Only fools don't feel fear," she replied, holding her head high even as she clenched her fists, "Courage is simply the ability to overcome it. Nothing more." "Miri would be proud," commented the Gym Leader with an approving smile and a nod, "Now then. Shall we begin?" *** Outside the room, in the hall, a haunter materialized as his illusions dissolved around him and his trainer appeared from behind the shield of invisibility. "I am," Miranda mused, reaching out to scratch Wraith under the chin affectionately, smiling as she pressed her ear to the door and listened, "Even if you don't win. I'll still be proud of you, my love..." *** Laurna held her hand forth dramatically. Between four of her fingers she held three black and gray pokeballs that slowly levitated into the air, expanding as Misty watched. "Behold my legion of the undying!" Laurna announced with equal melodrama, her voice echoing in the emptiness of the room as the orbs popped open with a trio of sharp hisses, "Nightfall, my latest acquisition. Nox, who was but a gastly when I first met her in the Tower. And of course, my dearest, oldest friend, Viper." The three ghosts that materialized above her were in of themselves and example of the trinity of ghost-type evolution. Nightfall was a reasonably small male ghastly who seemed to be the quietest of the trio, looking on with what appeared to be a thoughtfulness that implied he was plotting. Nox, however, seemed to be the most playful of the three. She was a haunter who when she looked at the dress Laurna was wearing laughed in what Misty could have sworn was an ironic way. Viper, however, had evolved quickly as far as ghosts were concerned. He floated beside his mistress as a gengar. His stubby arms were folded across his chest as his feet hovered a few feet off the floor, and the wide toothy grin that was characteristic of his kind seemed somehow solemn, respectful of Laurna. Misty smiled nervously, waving politely to the trio of frightful creatures as she reached for three of her pokeballs. "Alright then," she told Laurna, I guess I'll just have to introduce Shadow, Umberlee, and Leviathan!" She tossed the balls into the air, and as their names were spoken, the three pokemon materialized before her. The two peculiar star shaped creatures formed to their trainer's right and left, giving the ever growing, blue scaled serpent room to uncoil himself as he stared down at his opponents with his usual hungry glare. "Impressive," chuckled Laurna, raising her hand daintily into the air, the sleeve of her dark gown falling off her arm and pooling at her shoulder, "Shall we begin?" Misty barely had time to react as the Gym Leader snapped her fingers and the trio of complacent looking ghosts let out a laughing wail that seemed to echo not in the room, but directly into her opponent's mind, shaking the roots of Misty's soul. As they swooped forward, they each faded into invisibility and the room seeded to subtly alter as Misty gritted her teeth and took a step back. "Triple technique,Sibling Rivalry!" called out Laurna from the other end of the now seemingly vast ballroom as Misty hesitated, unable to see her opponents. "Wha-?" she began as leviathan was suddenly pushed forward, his monstrous head suddenly rebounding off the marble floor for no apparent reason. "Gaaa..." he hissed, rearing up an uncoiling fully as he glared down at Umberlee. "What are you doing?!" Misty demanded as the beast roared angrily, sending a jet of flame at the unsuspecting starmie. The attack pushed Umberlee back, causing her to skid along the floor as the flames washed unpleasantly over her. "Eliminating the main competition," Laurna replied with a mischievous grin, "Ghosts and psychic's don't get along so well you know. Too evenly matched for my liking!" "Oh really?" commented Misty, meeting the Gym Leader's amused gaze with determination before glancing at Umberlee, who was even now returning retaliating with a blast of water that quickly extinguished the gyarados's flame, making him all the more angry. "Leviathan!" the trainer ordered, stomping her foot to get his attention, "Stop that! Umberlee, save it for the ghosts! Shadow, 'Rain Storm!'" "Rain wha-?" began Laurna, suddenly wishing she'd read Professor Myria's long- winded thesis on water pokemon techniques. "You'll see," chuckled Misty as Shadow began to spin counterclockwise before warbling, sending up a harmless shower of water that came down like a light rain. "I hope you're ghosties don't mind a little shower," the trainer chuckled, smiling as the water fell upon her and she felt as though she were finally in her element. "But-" began Laurna, suddenly going into professor mode again and smiling appreciatively at her opponent's ingenuity as the vague shapes of Nox, Nightfall and Viper became visible as hazy images in the rain, "Ah, I see! A normal rainfall would have no effect on a ghost-type, but the water your staryu exudes isn't normal water." "I believe my home town's professor said something about 'positively charged and negatively charged chi reacting in strange ways' this year when she did her show at the End Of Summer Festival," Misty pondered thoughtfully, a smile coming to her face as she noticed the faintly purple tinge to the gastly's outline in the rain, "Makes the water able to effect ghosts. Leviathan! Nightshade at three o'clock!" Umberlee let out an odd sound as the monstrous serpent turned in her direction, and blasted the ghost that was about to hit Leviathan with a high-pressure stream of water that wasn't so harmless. The little ghost shrieked as he was thrown back, causing Leviathan to focus on him, unleashing a jet of flame that sent more steam into the air than anything else, but still added to the attack. "Concordant Opposition!" Laurna ordered, smiling a sphere of darkness suddenly enveloped the gastly, stopping the twin blast. "Cute," commented Misty, glancing over at Nox as the haunter's hands wove an intricate pattern in the air before vanishing along with the rain. A fact which Misty found rather odd seeing as she could still feel it falling down upon her as it slowly matted down her hair and dribbled off her to pool at her feet. "More illusions?" she inquired rhetorically, as the floor beneath her feet began to crumble and crack. "Perhaps," giggled Laurna, leaning against the banister at her end and glancing at something Misty couldn't see before giving a subtle hand gesture. As Leviathan and Umberlee ceased their assault on Nightfall and Shadow gave up on trying to reveal the invisible ghosts, the numerous cracks in the floor began sprouting weeds. At first, Leviathan and Shadow looked on with a mixture of curiosity and amusement, with Umberlee making a curious sound at Misty, asking for guidance. "Huh-?!" her trainer asked in suddenly astonishment as long vines began reaching up through the floor and wrapping around the suddenly panicking Staryu and Gyarados, "What do you mean you mean you can't 'see' what's happening to them?" Misty glanced at her two suddenly struggling pokemon, vines had sealed Leviathan's mouth shut as others sought to keep him still as Shadow was easily held flat against the cracked marble floor. All the while, though, Umberlee stood, looking on in confusion as Misty saw several vines pass through her harmlessly. "Illusions have no effect on you..." she pondered as Laurna snapped her fingers again and twin blasts of dark purple unlight spiraled out of nowhere, enveloping the prone staryu and slowly draining his energy into the surrounding environment. "Umberlee!" Misty ordered upon hearing Shadow's sudden shriek, but she needn't have bothered. The starmie was already spinning in mid-air, ejecting water from all ten arms as she flew towards the source of the twin blasts of nightshade. There was another blast of purple, and the surprised gasps of two ghosts as the spinning cone of water crashed into Nox's flank before ploughing straight through into Viper. Both ghosts felt a portion of their ephemerae bodies dissipate as they were forced to phase through the passing starmie, and they both uttered curses as Umberlee continued on her way. "Not bad," commented Laurna, wiping the sudden tidal wave of water from her eyes and blinking to try to restore her vision. "Sorry about that!" called Misty from the other side as the illusions faded and Leviathan let out an angry roar that shook the whole gym, "But he's not!" The angry gyarados's eyes glowed red, not caring where the ghosts were so long as he could hurt something. After barely taking a breath, he let loose with a blast of orange flame that formed a cloud of burning gas before him. The effect didn't last long, and didn't go far before fading, but it did cause three angry spectral voices to issue their complaints as tiny wisps of flame appeared out of nowhere and sailed about the room. "Fine then," replied Laurna, folding her arms across her chest and shivering as the cold wet silk touched her pale skin, "You leave me no choice. Triple attack, 'Martyr!'" Misty was taken by surprise as all three angry looking ghosts materialized before leviathan, each dissipating into a ball of what appeared to be smoke, except that it was run through with tones of purple and a pair of huge, luminescent amber eyes stared balefully back at the gyarados. "Don't be afraid, Leviathan!" assured Misty, gritting her teeth and clenching her fist before her, "It's only an illusion!" "Bets?" inquired Laurna gleefully as a huge jagged mouth cut along the surface of the enormous ball and laughed malevolently as it sailed towards Leviathan. "Everyone!" Misty called, adrenaline pumping so quickly through her system that she felt more angry with the ghosts than actually afraid of them, "Blast that ball of ectoplasm into next week!" As one, her three pokemon let loose with their most effective attacks. Shadow, who couldn't seem to get up off the floor, was more than content to spin in place and arc his arms out, letting loose with the spiraling blast of water Misty called "Neptune's Might." For his part, Leviathan let loose with his old stand by. A jet of what appeared to be flame, but was actually a chi based attack that reacted explosively with oxygen. Most people called it "Dragon Rage", but he thought of it as "Ghost. Well done." Umberlee, however, surprised the group by firing off a silent beam of mental energy that emanated from the red crystal at her center, and sent visible ripples through reality as it entered the mass of ghostly matter like a laser beam through oatmeal. "Mana bolt?" Misty pondered aloud in her amazement, almost missing seeing the three ghosts as one collide with Leviathan, the cloud of inky blackness somehow being absorbed by his scaly blue hide, "When do you-? Wha-?!" Laurna chuckled confidently as Umberlee made contact with Misty's mind and tried to explain that it had "just happened". "You'll see, deary," the Gym Leader assured as Leviathan swaggered from side to side almost drunkenly, his eyes going wide and his long forked tongue lolling out as the sea serpent waited for the inevitable. 'I have a plan,' Misty thought as loudly as she could, causing Umberlee to stand straighter, 'Can you find the ghosts? Seeing as you're not effected by their illusions and all?' Umberlee wanted to reply, by the light from the chandelier suddenly dimmed, and an unearthly wailing filled the air. A heartbeat later, and several dozen white spectral figures began tearing their way angrily from Leviathan's body. The gyarados howled in pain, though no physical damage was apparent despite the horrible ripping and tearing sounds that accompanied the vaguely humanoid shapes that viciously sought freedom from the sea serpent's body. "Oooh, he's tough!" giggled Laurna as the effect dissipated, and Leviathan stood panting, his large vengeful eyes boring into her, yet the woman still seemed more amused than afraid, "But how long can he take it for?" Misty didn't bother inquiring; she glanced meaningfully at Umberlee and received a positive response. 'You could have told me sooner!" she chided. 'But you did not ask,' came the creature's strange, ethereal, yet feminine voice in her mind. "Silly me!" Misty laughed aloud, slapping herself on the forehead, "Okay, Umberlee, link-up with they boys and let's end this!" "About time you figured that out," chided Laurna, her tone more playful than anything else. "Hey, I'm still learning," Misty replied with a shrug. "Never stop," said Laurna in a serious tone, suddenly glancing at Leviathan as the lights dimmed again and more spirits seemed to erupt from within his body, even as Viper, Nox and Nightfall materialized before him, invisible, but now somehow perceptible to his senses. With a deep growl, the pokemon they tormented bared his nine-inch fangs, peeling back his lips slowly, salivating hungrily as his body shuddered with pain and his vision began to blur. 'You believe...' he hissed threatening in pokespeak as the three ghosts looked at him in surprise, 'You believe you've seen death...?' Viper laughed, realizing why the creature could perceive them. 'Yes,' he hissed confidently, motioning for the others to move in on the starmie, 'I believe that I have. Nice guy once you get to know hi-!" With a roar that filled the air with the unpleasant scent of rotting fish and decaying kelp, Leviathan lunged forward and closed his jaws around the suddenly very amused Viper. 'And, what was that?' the gengar inquired, 'A bite? "You" bit, "Me"? Are you insane, River Serpent? I'm a ghost for crying out lou-!' But the gengar was cut off again as Leviathan's huge amber eyes narrowed, his vision focusing on the ghost who was partially phased through the roof of his mouth. As a third group of spirits emerged, ripping and tearing at his aura more than his physical body, the enraged gyarados exhaled a gout draconic flame. Leviathan didn't care about the pain the continuing ghost technique was causing him. He didn't care that most of his attack would backfire against his clenched teeth and would give him heartburn for a few days. He didn't even notice as Nightfall was blasted into a puddle of whimpering ephemera by Umberlee the instant he got to close. All that the livid water dragon cared about was scraping the remains of Viper of his double rows dagger-sized teeth afterwards. With a muffled sound of rage, twin blasts of flame shot out of leviathan's nose and Viper shrieked unpleasantly as his body was mostly incinerated and he was forced to revert to his most basic form. Misty leapt up and cheered as Laurna let out a cry of concern as Leviathan made one final moan of pain before his head crashed to the marble floor, causing real cracks in its gleaming white surface. "Return!" both humans exclaimed in unison a moment later, followed by Laurna's suddenly glancing at Nightfall with sudden alarm. "Hehehe, oops!" she giggled, quickly returning the other ghost and blushing, making Misty shake her head in wonder at the almost childish exuberance the older woman seemed capable of showing from time to time, "Almost forgot you, deary." "So," said Misty at last, catching her breath as she knelt to down to see if Shadow was still capable of continuing, "Looks like it's going to be one on one after all, eh?" Laurna nodded as Misty returned the staryu and glanced over at Umberlee who immediately floated to her side as Nox flew to her mistress as well. "Indeed," Laurna replied, her voice sounding her actual age, "And off hand, I'd say that the advantage goes to you, deary. Are you willing take it?" "Only if you're not willing to surrender that badge of yours," Misty smiled, indicating the amulet Laurna wore. The Gym Leader chuckled, crossing her arms behind her back. "Very astute," commented Laurna in a satisfied tone, "But no, I'm not willing to give up that easily. I'll tell you what. We'll settle this like they do in the movies. When the clock strikes twelve, we fire. Whoever hits, wins. No fuss, no muss. How 'bout that?" "Uncle Frank must be rubbing off on you," chuckled Misty, not questioning the lack of an actual clock, and not the least bit surprised as the floor beneath them formed into a giant, ethereal timepiece. Its huge hands were set at five to midnight, and an ominous ticking filled the damp air. "Amongst other things," the Gym Leader agreed mischievously, causing Misty to blush as she knew it would. 'You got another trick up your sleeve you haven't told me about yet?' Misty quickly thought, her tension easing as Umberlee touched her mind gently and responded. 'I believe it to be so,' sent the starmie as she moved into position before Misty and the haunter floated down to be just across from her in front of Laurna. 'Do your best. It's all that I ask.' Laurna smiled from the other end of the gym. 'Can she hear us?' thought Misty rhetorically. 'Yes,' replied Umberlee in her usual "mater-of-fact tone." 'Every word,' agreed another echoing voice that Misty quickly realized was Nox, who was even now grinning broadly and waggling her fingers teasingly at the trainer. Misty sent her a stream of curses she once heard a drunken landscaper utter, and the ghost gave her a shocked look as Laurna giggled. "Not long now," the woman sighed, motioning at the floor and causing Misty to suddenly tense up. She hadn't realized that the clock wasn't using normal time. Its hands were moving at their own pace. 'Ready?' she inquired tersely as the two hands moved closer together, ignoring the two voices that replied back with a resounding, 'Yes!' "Now!" both trainers shouted in unison, both feeling the surge of adrenaline as their pokemon sprang into action. Across the room, Nox held her hands out before her as though she were holding a sphere. An eye-blink later, and she was. A huge, crackling orb of darkness that she wasted no time in lobbing at the opposing Starmie the instant the clock struck twelve and a loud booming bell chime reverberated through the air and caused the entire room to tremble. If starmies had been created with teeth, Umberlee would have clenched them. With determination she watched the crackling shadow bolt sail unerringly towards her as she focused her power in a new way. 'I DID learn a few things from Sabrina,' she said allowed in pokespeak, 'And this is but ONE of them!' Just before the dark orb hit, a field of crackling blue light erupted around her in a perfect sphere. As the shadow bolt hit the barrier, an odd crackling sound filled the air where the two effects touched before the ghost attack was sent sailing off towards the ceiling. 'NOW!' exclaimed Umberlee excitedly, spinning frantically and unleashing her own, more powerful version of Neptune's Might. Nox was caught off guard, thinking she'd achieved and easy victory, and caught the spiraling torrent of water just under the chin. With a yelp, she flew backwards, and phased through Laurna, causing the small woman to take the attack in the stomach before being thrown backwards into he staircase. "That's enough!" Misty shouted, running towards Laurna as a sense of panicked guilt struck her, "Ms. Wyght, are you okay?!" Laurna looked up a moment later, and smiled as she saw Misty, her sea green eyes full of concern as she reached down to help Laurna up. "No wonder she loves you," said the Gym Leader/Professor, wincing as her suddenly painful bottom left the wet step she'd landed uncomfortably upon. Misty could only smile, feeling a little embarrassed as she backed away to give Laurna more room. "I- I'm just being me," she replied, causing Laurna to sigh happily, even as she tried to brush more of the water out of her dress with both hands. "Good," the woman said thoughtfully, looking up through her suddenly crooked glasses and smiling, "Then you meet with my approval as well." "Your approval?" exclaimed Misty, suddenly going a bit pale, "You mean this was just another test?!" "Now, now," chuckled Laurna in a maternal tone, waving her finger cautioningly, "That's not all it was. I really did want to challenge you. I wanted to see how you handle yourself, and I wanted to see what kind of person you really were." Misty nodded slowly as Umberlee hovered up beside her, nudging her hand expectantly. "You see," continued Laurna as Nox reappeared looking a little dazed and Misty petted her starmie affectionately, "even when we don't mean to, we all wear masks that hide who we really are. But there are times when we drop those defenses. During a battle is but one of them. Or at least the one that was most readily available to me without causing... Complications." Laurna smiled mischievously, looking away as Misty chuckled. "That's okay," she assured, glancing at the silver pendant the woman still wore, "But about the other prize I've won?" "Huh? Oh yes!" Laurna glanced at Nox and ghost nodded, reaching out her disembodied hands and lifting the silver necklace off her mistress as the woman bowed her head. "This now belongs to you," the Gym Leader/Poke'prof said in an approving tone that reminded Misty a little of Vivian, but without the seemingly perpetual edge to her voice. The ghost floated the short distance to her and glanced down at Umberlee concernedly. "Don't worry," Misty assured them both, smiling and bowing her head as she spoke, "Ghosts that don't mean me any harm don't scare me anymore." Umberlee made a cautious reply as Nox moved closer and hung the silver pendant around Misty's neck like a medal of honor. "You have defeated the Lavender Gym," said Laurna dramatically as the trainer held the emblem in her hand, "And as its Leader, I present you with an ecto-badge." Misty smiled down at the silver right side up pentagram, held in a triangle shape, quivering with barely contained elation until the silver chain that held it began to waver and dissipated like smoke. "Wha-?" she began, glancing up at Laurna as the metal badge went from being a pendant to more of a broach. "Things are not always as they seem," the Gym Leader explained, "Especially not where ghosts are concerned. Now then, I have some cleaning up to, and I'm sure Miri's bored waiting for at home by now." "Thank you, ma'am," Misty said politely, causing Laurna to chuckle. "That's Aunt Laurna to you," she chided playfully, "Now get going. The festival runs late tonight, and I have a lot of work to do!" Misty nodded and glanced at Umberlee. "And especially thank you," she said with the maternal smile Miranda often gave her pokemon, "This is really your badge, but I think I'll hold onto it for while." 'Not a problem,' the starmie assured, sounding happy as Misty returned Umberlee to her pokeball...
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