--------------------------------

As the fox exits the room, Citro walks in, “What’s up Kurt?”

“Ah, I just saw a bird pokemon I didn’t recognise.” hmm, guess I’ll ask the girl at the front desk about it later, “Are we starting soon?”

The boy nods, “Naomi said we’re going to meet them in the courtyard in five minutes.”

A sound draws our attention back to the doorway as a crew of pokemon enter. Gardevoir, Marowak, and Florges march in and look around the room with curiosity. Citro lets out his Noibat while my ghosts and Glados, the Rotom, join the little party.

Citro looks at all of the pokemon filling the room, which is thankfully plenty large enough. Florges and Gardevoir immediately move towards the hot spring pool. The ghosts start to examine every inch of décor and the appliances.

“Are you sure they’ll be fine here alone, Kurt?”

Well, I was hoping the fairy pokemon would help rein in the chaos a bit… actually, that's a dumb plan. Sighing I take stock again, “Maybe I should find another option.”

While Citro rushes to catch a lamp tipping over from Noibats wing I hear a creepy laugh that doesn’t quite match Blue’s or Kona’s. In the upper corner of the room I spot a black ball of fog swirling just behind a ceiling beam.

Is that a Gastly? I bet most of this whole setup is run by local Ghost Types… Oh.

Schooling my expression, “Hey kid, head for the courtyard without me. Tell the ladies I’ll catch up after I’ve got all these guys settled. Laying down some ground rules ya know.”

“Um, Okay.” He looks at all of the pokemon again, “Good luck.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Citro’s POV!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shivers crawl up my spine with how all the ruckus in the room goes silent with the door shutting. Not a single sound enters the hallway.

*Creak*

Except for my steps on the old wooden floors boards.

“Alright,” Standing a little taller, “Man up… as if it was that easy.”

Shoulders slump as I head back towards the courtyard entrance Naomi pointed out. Taking out Salazzle’s ball and spinning it in my hand a bit.

“Kurt’s just weird, but I don't think the girls understand.” The ball shakes a bit, “He seems excited about all of this spooky stuff. He’s been holding back a stupid grin since we pulled into town.”

Pausing at a window into the courtyard, I can see Miss Gabby and her Husband Ty going over the camera plans with Naomi and Jane.

“My whole town spent years being tortured with nightmares of being hunted in the night. A parody in real life doesn’t exactly sound like a good time.”

Salazzle lets herself out of her ball and takes my hand, gently patting it like some doting granny.

“Thanks,” Despite the gloom a chuckle escapes my lips, “the light is really catching your black scales now that we got them all polished up.”

The lizard bashfully bats her eyes and waves me off.

“Hey did you pick one of the names off the list Kurt gave us?”

She nods excitedly and holds up two fingers.

I pull the paper from my pocket and check it.

Helen Mephiti Akhlys Lampa Hecate Averna

“Well, then let's go with Mephi.” She does a little happy dance, “I’m glad you didn’t pick the third one. I’ve no idea how to say it. Kurt’s home has weird myths.”

She hisses in agreement.

“Well, let's do this Mephi.” her claws pump in a cackling cheer as I return her to the ball and step out the door.

The girls immediately notice that I’m alone. Jane huffs, “The old man taking his time or what?”

“He said he’d catch up.” Looking round the yard, the faintest bit of sunlight still lights up the stone lamps and bonsai trees creating a web of shifting shadows. A few lights glow behind the walls on the floors of the south wing. I notice Ty is making sure to keep the normal half of the building to his back so as not to catch it on camera.

Gabby shrugs, “The man has a good flair for drama, we should be fine to start. Let's get you all in the center. After Ty gives you the signal, just shout the key phrase Naomi.”

“Over here Citro,” Watts does a final check of her hair and plucks a stray leaf from Jane’s shoulder, then gives me a critical look that always reminds me of my Aunt Lillie. “Alright I think we're set…”

“Wait!” Glados bursts out into the yard and zips over to Ty, “Boss said I need to help out the camera team.”

Ty shrugs, “That's actually a great idea, thanks.”

Some cheers come down from a lounge on the south side, second floor, “Go Rebels! You can do it!”

A team of older trainers raise their drinks to us.

Naomi gives them her practiced smile and wave before turning to us, “Let's do this!”

Jane shouts, “Drifblim!”

At first nothing happens, then mist starts to rise from the garden grounds.

The doors back into the hotel burst open with an explosion of glittering black mist!

“Shit!” Shouts Jane while sending out Mienfoo who takes a defensive stance and is joined by Whimsicott and Salazzle letting herself out.

Black clouds form into a giant dragon face that chomps down around us before anyone can do something. Darkness swirls around us, I can barely see the girls. Gabby and Ty are gone!

Naomi shouts “Argo, try to blow it away with Fairy Wind!”

Before the little sheep can do anything I feel myself floating up from the ground! Salazzle grabs onto my leg and I manage to snag Naomi, “Hold on! Jane, grab on!”

Gravity loses all hold as we clutch onto each other and get sucked into the doors like a maw swallowing us whole!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back to Kurt!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Oh, don’t look at me like that.”

Gothitelle, belonging to Agnis’ Mom, continues to scowl while breathing heavily from he overuse of Gravity and Telekinesis while Agnis’ Hattrem is sending out a fuzzy pink Heal Pulse to sooth the Musharna that passed out after his Misty Explosion.

A pair of Haunters and a Ghastly are chuckling like mad in the corner of the room.

“See, they loved it.”

Looking out the now open window as Gabby and Ty give me a thumbs up while racing in after the kids.

Turning to one of the other pokemon with an oversized hat, “Your turn Maggy.”

Mismagius giggles and flies in a circle around Agnis before dashing right through the wall.

Agnis and her mom, Morticia, are watching a laptop with the cameras pulled up. “I think we’ll really have to step up our game after this mom.”

The older blonde woman nods, “We may need to hit up your Uncle Morty for ideas.”

I watch on the screen as the black mist slowly clears in the hallway. “I kind of feel bad for what’s next.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Naomi’s POV!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“This was not on the online page!”

Jane grabs my hand and pulls me to my feet, “It’s just starting Princess, look!”

Citro and his Salazzle are blocking one direction with Jane on my other side. Either way the hall is barely lit around us by a dim lamp. In both directions the wood floors and paper frame walls extend into darkness. Except the hallways twist on themselves like a spiral.

Fuck.

Citro asks the burning question, “Well what now, we're supposed to ‘find the ghost responsible’ right?”

Okay, “Yes.” time to focus, “We need to find the stairs first, I doubt it’s on the first floor.”

A door on Citro’s side flies open! That skank Amber, stumbles out looking terrified, her clothes half shredded!

She turns this way, now we can see half of her face is covered in blood. Now we’ll have to get her to sign a disclosure damn it!

“Citro? Citro Help!” She screams. There's a strange echo to her voice.

The girl runs towards us only to trip half way and fall. Citro dashes forward despite Salazzle trying to hold him back.

“NOoooo!” Something starts to pull the girl back into the darkness. “Help me!”

Citro dives to grab onto her hand!

As soon as he gets to her, the screams turn to laughs as her mouth opens unnaturally wide in a manic grin. A sudden yank rips Citro and Salazzle into the darkness while the whole hallway shakes. Booming laughter comes from somewhere above us.

Jane is white as a sheet, “What the fuck was that?!”

That?

“Arceus damn it Kurt.” I grab Jane’s hand and move towards the opposite direction, “Froosh, Argo, lead the way. Light up the darkness with Dazzling Gleam!”

While he hasn’t got the move ready for battles yet, my little Whimsicott can at least light up a room.

Tiny glowing stars spiral down the hallway, the wooden walls fixing themselves back to normal as they go.

“Come on, let’s solve this farce.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back to Kurt!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The boy plops down in a chair while warily eyeing the number of ghost pokemon in the room.

Morticia brings in a tray of mini sandwiches, “Hungry dear?”

“No,” he turns his glare to me, “Can’t say I’ve much of an appetite.”

Agnis snorts, along with her cackling pokemon, “That was great! I can't wait to show Amber the clip of her dashing hero!”

While the lad’s face turns red I look back to the cameras, “They’re almost at the stairs, we’ll let this set stay normal.” I turn to a crowd of smaller pokemon, “Okay guys, you’re up! Remember, the tall red head girl is the jumpy one.”

Ditto, Mimikyu, Polteageist, Smeargle, Banette, an Alolan Rattata, and a Zorua all give me salutes and race out of the room. Well, Ditto turns into a Rattata, then runs out.

“I’m a little bummed Naomi caught on immediately but, I can’t say I’m surprised either.”

Citro sighs, “Whatever man, I’m just glad I'm out of it already… You’re an ass by the way.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jane’s POV!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stepping slowly forward, testing the next stair.

Naomi sighs, “It’s just stairs, let's move.”

Right, just normal stairs.

Only a few more to the top.

Three shadows dash across the top of the landing! “Eeeh!”

My foot slips, “Fuck!”

The fall is cut short by Naomi, Whimsicott and Meinfoo all holding my back.

“It was just some Rattata Jane!”

Right, “Just some normal Rattata.”

“Well, they were Alolan.”

I glare back at Naomi, “I don’t feel like this is the time for being a smarty jerk.”

Her brow quirks, “I didn’t say anything!”

“No, you definitely just corrected me!”

Rich girl actually rolls her eyes then glares past me, “Froosh, Detect.”

The little ‘Ninja Weasel,’ as Kurt calls him, pauses for a second and then just points up the stairs.

Coming out onto the second floor we find a lounge. Shredded couches, stained rugs, broken lamps, oh, “Something’s written on the wall.”

I turn my flashlight to see dripping red letters, ‘Your soul is Mine forever!’

“Lovely,” Naomi dryly comments.

While I haven’t moved the light I can see the red liquid continue to drip down the wall… like blood.

Crash!

I whip around to see a fallen tea set shattered across the floor, a familiar red liquid spilling out.

Slowly backing up.

“Don’t be such a baby!”

I whip my head over to Naomi, “Not Cool!”

“It wasn’t me!” She scowls, “Froosh!”

Mienfoo points over towards a pair of dolls on a mantle. A blond rag doll in a red dress holding a knife over the severed head of a red head doll. More of the red liquid spilling out as the head drops to the floor.

A girlish giggle echoes in the room, “We’re waiting for you!”

“Nope, Nope, Nope!” Scrambling backward suddenly everything goes dark, I’m trapped in a fabric! I feel the floor disappear beneath me. “Nooo!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Naomi’s POV!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jane just vanished from backing into a curtain. Like she was there, and then she was gone.

“And now I’m alone, not cool Kurt.”

At least the curtain falling revealed a ladder to the attic.

Climbing one rung at a time I can hear skittering above.

Poking my head up, I immediately notice the webs covering everything.

Froosh growls and points, turning my flashlight I spot the webbed up forms of Jane, Citro, and Kurt.

“Oh, ha ha, playing like you were caught the whole time.”

“Whiiim!”

Spinning around at Argo’s warning, I see half a dozen Spinarak skittering my way! I also see the largest Shedinja of my life held up in the webs!

A bass voice rumbles in the room, “Now I’ll take the whole set! Grab her!”

Ducking a volley of string shots and spinning away from a tackle, “Dance class coming in clutch, Froosh take out those bugs! Stick to Pound and Fury Swipes! Argo, Sunny Day then Gusts everywhere, no time like the present to work on Hurricane!”

I know the trick to Shedinja… even if this one is twice the normal size.

Froosh kicks one spider at the Ghost pokemon. It smashes through the shed exoskeleton like paper only for it to reform rapidly.

“Keep that up Froosh. Argo, aim to stop it from reforming!”

I dive to the side to evade a few String Shots, “Would be nice to have Salazzle about now!”

Winds whip about the attic rafters making it hard to keep my footing. Argo’s Sunny Day is keeping the most annoying Spinarak move, Shadow Sneak, off the table. Same for any shadow moves of Shedinja. My Whimsicott laughs at the fumbling bugs.

That angry voice fills the room again, “No! I will not be mocked in my own domain!”

The one big Shedinja reforms into four normal sized ones.

Is it really several combined or one big one using Double Team?

“Froosh, Detect. Argo, Nature Power!”

All four charge towards us, low to the floor, claws gleaming with metal energy!

Timing my highest backflip, Froosh uses Quick Guard to block the combined assault. Argo unleashes a blast of hot air that throws me even higher and sends the Shedinja flying against the rafters.

The webs around the room are shredded. Some even get in my face as I actually stick the landing.

Citro is helping Jane up, Gabby is excitedly reviewing the camera with Ty over to the side in a spot that was hidden by the webs before. Kurt starts a slow clap.

“Oh fuck you old man! I know this was your idea! Froosh, Pound him!”

He stops clapping to laugh and hop out of the way of my furious pokemon.

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