[Pokémon] Radio Silence

ShivaDF · May 15, 2016

Author's Note: After I learned that a 20th Anniversary Japanese official website confirmed that Mr. Fuji is Dr. Fuji and that he created Mewtwo, I realized he was an interesting character who is often forgotten in fanfiction. I hope this story helps fans appreciate him just a little more. Enjoy!

Chapter One: Introduction

Mr. Fuji was startled by the sound of the doorbell. As usual, he walked slowly to the door, making sure that his steps were soft and wouldn't attract the attention of whoever was waiting for him. After the ringing stopped, Fuji waited a little longer, making doubly sure that the person had left. Finally, he cracked open the door. As he'd hoped, there was nobody there. Only a small package was leaning against the door frame.

He picked up the package, closed the door quietly, and went back inside. The Volunteer Pokémon House had been very quiet for the past few weeks. All the orphaned and abandoned pokémon he had been taking care of had been adopted, so the house was utterly empty. All he could do was wait for more to come in. Fortunately, Fuji enjoyed this time alone. The house was collecting dust, and he needed time to a thorough cleaning. There wasn't anything else for him to do.

But this was an exciting afternoon. Fuji rarely received mail, and he knew the package could only be from one of two people. Despite that, he still felt his stomach clench due to nervousness and anticipation. He hastily sat down at the single table in the house and opened it. Inside was a letter from Blaine, and a little blue flute with two red stripes. Fuji hadn't been expecting any kind of gift, and he looked to the letter for an explanation.

Hey Fuji!

How are you doing back in Kanto? Have you heard from Reina recently? I'm assuming she's called you to boast about all the opponents she's blasted along the way!

You're probably wondering about that glass flute I sent you. The other Leaders and I went out to Hoenn to commemorate their new Battle Frontier finally opening. It's about time, if you ask me. Anyway, since I was there, I got the glassmaker who lives outside Fallabor to make a replacement for that PokéFlute you gave away a few years ago. I put a lot of effort into collecting the soot for it (I've still got ash under my fingernails!) so it'd better work as advertised.

I've been thinking—why don't you go on a journey with me, just like old times? I have to go out to the PWT again (which I'm stoked for, pun intended), so why don't you fly over to Unova so we can go exploring together? There are some great Fire-types out there, including a cute little Ghost/Fire dual-type you'd love. I know you said not to send you any more pokémon, but how are you going to go outside without any? You know what Sammy would say about that, and he should know! Don't be like him or Agatha, running headfirst into trouble.

Write to me ASAP and tell me your news. Let me know what you think about going on vacation together in Unova, and hurry up. Don't make me ask Sabrina about your decision!

I'm burning to see you see you again,

—Blaine

At first, Fuji found the letter charming. He remembered the last time Reina had called him—she was excitedly yelling about how her Porygon2 had evolved, and how she had made sure it was "choiced" and ready for battle. When Fuji had asked her if she had meant "chosen," she got annoyed and complained that he was living in the past if he didn't understand competitive battling. He wasn't sure what to make of Reina's newfound obsession with competition, and he didn't think that a glitched version of the pokémon he helped create was completely safe for her, but at least she was doing what she wanted. She couldn't stay cooped up in the Pokémon House forever.

But Fuji's heart sank as he read the rest of the letter. He had been dreading the day when Blaine would ask him to travel outside of Kanto. Life was already difficult enough with people constantly passing through Lavender Town to visit the Radio Tower. Every so often, people would recognize him from an old textbook or newspaper and try to interview him. Every time, he'd deny who he was, but he was afraid at least one person had caught on to his dark past. He'd have to disappoint Blaine yet again, but if he could delay in writing a reply, he would make sure to do so for as long as possible. Fuji sighed and folded the letter back up. He didn't want to look at it any more. He slipped the Blue Flute into his pocket and put the letter and packaging in a desk drawer, where he could pretend they didn't exist.

He took out a Fearow-feather duster and turned on his radio, before he begin to dust the window ledges. It was an oddly foggy day outside, and he hoped that the light was dim enough for him to fall back asleep and forget about the letter. The radio was tuned to the Pokémon Channel, and the show Pokémon Talk was just beginning.

"Hello everybody! This is your host Professor Oak, bringing you a special announcement! A pokémon that is not normally native to this region has been spotted! It's fully-evolved, so my guess is that it was released by a trainer, and—"

"Hey, you forgot to introduce me to our listeners," said DJ Mary. "This is why you're my co-host and not the other way around. Anyway, the pokémon is the Ghost-type—" She was cut off by a piercingly loud burst of static.

Fuji winced and turned to a different station. The static continued on the next station, and the next when he turned the dial again. Before he could do anything else, the static stopped on its own. The room fell silent again. Is this dead air, or is the radio broken? he wondered. The dial isn't stuck, but it was playing static before, so it probably wasn't a vacuum tube that needs replacing...

Fuji knew that the only people who might know how to repair it were the staff of the Radio Tower, but he never liked going into that place. He always felt like the spirits of pokémon were watching him with judging eyes when he walked by. Years ago, when its owners told him their plan to move the graves out of Pokémon Tower to convert it into a radio broadcasting tower, he had told them it was a bad idea. Of course, when the other citizens of the town told him how much they wanted to expand the town, he was too afraid to say no to them. "Calm down, Fuji, you're only having a bad day," he whispered.

From the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of red. He turned around, and he saw a circle of red light illuminating the fog outside, like a single eye of a Gengar. It floated in the air, then shrank. As quickly as it arrived, it vanished.

"Just another lost soul," Fuji mumbled, assuming it was another abandoned pokémon. He shut the blinds, took one last look at the drawer he had left the letter in, and crawled back into bed. He shut his eyes tightly, and tried not to think about the returning the radio or responding to Blaine. He knew he was doomed to fail no matter what he tried.

ShivaDF · May 15, 2016

Chapter Two: Confrontation

He woke to the sound of a strangled, suppressed scream, interlaced with static. He bolted out of bed and looked left and right, searching for the source of the noise. Night had fallen, and Fuji couldn't see anything in the room. On a hunch, he carefully made his way to the table and listened intently to the radio. As he expected, when he moved closer, the screaming became louder. Still shaken, he reached out in the darkness to shut off the radio. Just as he reached it, he heard one distinct word reverberate in the room.

"...Guilty."

The radio turned off with a sharp click. Fuji put his hand over his heart and took a few deep breaths. With renewed strength, he decided that he had to get the radio fixed, no matter what the Radio Tower made him feel. He tucked the radio under his arm headed out.

It was a surprisingly chilly for a summer night, and the fog made it impossible to see more than a few feet. The night was as quiet as his house. There was no pokémon crying, no one talking, and no low hum from the Radio Tower.

After walking for a while, Fuji noticed something. He squinted, and made out the dark shape of the House of Memories in the distance. He had been going in the wrong direction. Now I know I'm not thinking straight, he thought. Though I might as well go inside and to see if I must replace the candles. He walked up to the door and took out his keys. But as soon as he found the right key and put it in the keyhole, the door just swung open. He went inside, afraid that he had left it unlocked all day. He saw that the candles on the altar were standing tall, but were not burning, as if a strong wind had blown them out. Worst of all, the door to the hatch beside the altar, which normally concealed the floors of the building that only he could enter, was missing. Fuji sat down and peering into the dark space in the floor. This... doesn't make any sense! Why would someone break into the House of Memories and disturb the pokémon's spirits? he wondered. There's nothing of value that any thief would want! Disgusted, but not knowing what to do, Fuji left the building, and making sure to lock the door and shut it tight on his way out. He was too afraid to do anything before dawn.

He held his head low as he walked to the Radio Tower. This was the worst day he had had since the day it was built. Before the graves had been moved en masse underground, they had been in an auspicious place. On good days, when everything was calm, Channelers would would come up to him and let him know that they felt purified, comforted, and even healed by the energy of the Pokémon Tower. Fuji knew back then that the pokémon were resting easy. Even after the disaster with Team Rocket, things went back to being peaceful again very quickly. But now, I can only imagine how terrible the souls must feel.

The glass doors of the building illuminated the fog. As he approached, his eyes hurt from the bright florescent light. He opened the door and entered. After he rubbed his eyes for a moment, he went up to the front desk. Normally, the Radio Tower was open all night, so when he saw that there was nobody sitting at the desk, he became very confused. The lights were still on, and the door was unlocked, so he assumed that the clerk was only taking a break. He sat down in the waiting area, expecting someone to appear at any moment.

Several minutes later, there was still no one to be seen. Fuji looked over to the elevator, and there was no night watchman guarding it, either. He ran back to the desk and peered behind it, looking for any notifications or for anything amiss. A woman in uniform was lying on the floor beside the desk chair, her body turned at an unnatural angle.

"Excuse me!" said Fuji. "I know you are probably tired, but I need to make an appointment."

The woman did not stir or move at all. It didn't even look like she was breathing. Fuji looked back, and after seeing nobody else, he went behind the desk himself, bent down, and gently shook the woman's shoulder. No response. Finally, he turned her head. Her unseeing, bloodshot eyes were still half-open.

Fuji drew his hand back in shock. The last time he had seen anything like it, there had been an angry Marowak's soul throwing everything out of balance. I'm not strong enough to handle this on my own, he decided. He left the body where it was and tried to leave the building. The doors were stuck and would not open no matter what he tried. When he looked through the glass, all he saw was a black veil covering the outside of the tower, as if a horde of ghosts were crowding around it. He checked—there was nothing he could use to break the glass, and even if he could, he had a gut feeling telling him it would not help. All he had on him was the flute, his keys, and his radio. Confirming his fears, he heard a Gastly's cackling coming from outside.

Unable to leave, he ran across the room to the elevator, got inside, and started going up to the top floor, the broadcasting studio. There wasn't anywhere else to go. The last time this happened, the Marowak's spirit was at the top of the tower, he thought. He had to see if anyone in the building remained conscious and could help him to purify the building. When the elevator stopped and the door slid open, Fuji's fears were realized. He stepped over the body of the night watchman to get into the studio, and there were several technicians lying on the floor beside him. The DJ was lying face-down over the studio desk, his headphones had fallen off onto the table. Everyone in the studio was in the same state as the clerk.

Fuji noticed that the computer screen was black, so no song or pre-recorded program was selected for broadcast, but he could still hear faint sounds coming from the DJ's headphones. Nervously, he put the headphones on, preparing to turn the volume down on the computer if he heard more screaming. Instead, all he heard was the same voice from before, muttering the word "guilty."

He took the headphones off. With no other way to help, he took out the Blue Flute and put it to his lips. He began to play a short but melancholy tune, a variation on what he remembered of the PokéFlute's melody. His song was abruptly interrupted by a loud smash from above. The lights flickered out, and he heard shards of glass hitting the floor and scattering. He couldn't see, and he was frozen in shock. In the darkness, he heard that noise, the same suppressed screaming that his radio was spitting out earlier. As his eyes adjusted to the lack of light, he saw a pitch black serpentine shape descend from the ceiling, until he saw a fully-formed, bulbous pokémon with one red eye. It stopped screaming, and instead let out a guttural growling sound. It floated toward him, levitating a few feet off the floor, holding its two large hands out in front of it as it reached for him.

As soon as Fuji realized he was face-to-face with the angry Ghost-type pokémon, he felt more at ease. He was almost as well-versed as Agatha was on their behavior. "I can see that you're upset, but you shouldn't be taking your anger out on these innocent people," he said quietly. He carefully placed his own radio on the floor in front of him and turned it back on. "Why don't we talk this over? What's troubling you, my friend?" In the past, he had investigated EVP and similar phenomena, so he felt he knew what would happen. In his experience, ghosts were usually scared or lost, and rarely wanted to hurt anyone. He tried to meet the pokémon's stare by looking into its red eye.

As soon as Fuji spoke, the pokémon stopped moving and clenched its large hands into fists. Its eye seemed to compress, imitating a glare. Its deep "voice" emanated from the radio. "I am Dusknoir," it said, its words running together like one long moan. "How dare you attempt to take these sinners from me, when you are the most repugnant of all! Guilty. It is your fault!"

"I-I don't understand, Dusknoir," Fuji said, beads of sweat pouring from his brow. "Why are you so upset?"

"Do not lie to me!" it yelled, through heavier static. The sound echoed throughout the studio. "You knew the souls would be disrupted, and you did nothing! I came to this place to lead the lost souls home and to take revenge on you human filth. Normally I take higher orders, but now I all I can hear in my antenna is the pollution exuding from this tower."

"I'm... sorry," Fuji said pathetically. "I thought there was nothing I could do to stop them from building this place and moving the graves, I—"

Dusknoir ignored him. "Now, I give my own orders!" the cracking voice shouted. Dusknoir was enveloped by a deep purple shade as it melted before Fuji's eyes and sank to the floor as a giant shadow. It slithered toward Fuji, who tried to jump out of its way. He was too slow. The shadow shot through his body, leaving him freezing inside as his life force was stolen.

Suddenly, he felt a presence behind him. He whirled around, and saw Dusknoir pull back its left arm. Its fist glowed an eerie violet before it thrust it straight through Fuji's stomach. There was no blood, and no apparent psychical damage. But Fuji felt his body becoming slack and lifeless. His vision blurred for a moment as he watched Dusknoir's stomach open up to reveal a gaping maw lined with sharp teeth. Dusknoir gripped Fuji's arms, attempting to swallow him whole. Fuji tried to hold firm and struggled against the pokémon's hold. Dusknoir soon grew tired of his efforts. It jerked Fuji to the side as hard as it could. His vision blurred as his soul was ripped away from his body entirely, which grew slack and fell to the floor without him. Before all conscious thought slipped away from him, he felt Dusknoir pulling his spirit, leading him far away. He could just barely hear the radio in the distance.

"For you, a special torture."

ShivaDF · May 16, 2016

Chapter Three: Illumination

He lost consciousness quickly, but in the back of his mind, he was aware that the apparition was drawing him away from the present moment and into the past. Fuji remembered the night he committed one of his greatest sins—the night that would lead Reina to turn her back on the Volunteer Pokémon House and would awaken the wanderlust lurking inside her heart.

Fuji saw everything as if it was happening for the very first time. He was sitting at the table, and Reina was staring out the window at the full moon. She was leaning on the windowsill, and Fuji was scared that it might break. Another fear that he selfishly kept to himself.

"What are you thinking about, Reina?" he asked. He remembered that his body was aching and his stomach was tight with stress, as if he already knew what she was going to say because it had been scripted beforehand.

She let go of the windowsill and stood up straight, not taking her eyes off the moon outside. "My parents called me about their travels in Kalos the other day."

Fuji said nothing.

"As you know, they were in Snowbelle City for a while. But they were exploring just south of there, and they found a pokémon they'd never seen before. They said it was a Psychic-type. They told me it was tall and white, with a long lavender tail."

His heart stopped beating for a moment. Time stood still, and neither he nor Reina moved. His brain couldn't process what was happening. Reality had come to a halt.

Finally, Reina spoke broke the silence, starting time flowing for him again. "They said they wanted to study it and see if could Mega Evolve, but I'm scared. Some of their pokémon haven't even evolved yet. They're just explorers! What if it's too strong for them?" She turned to him and gazed at him, with an unspoken plea written in her face. She wanted to hear that it was safe, that Fuji knew who that pokémon was, that it didn't have the most savage heart of any discovered pokémon.

He remembered that he had been frozen. Only a champion was able to tame the first individual, the one that had hidden itself in Cerulean Cave. Reina's parents had been the first to spot the one in Kalos, so there would be no League-appointed guard to stop them from approaching it.

"...I don't know what kind of pokémon that is, Reina," he lied.

She did not hear from her parents again. After a few weeks of no contact, she had called Blaine to ask for a starter pokémon, so she could go out on her own path to find out for herself the reality of what happened. Fuji could never bring himself to tell her the truth. The guilty of silence weighed down on him like a coming thunderstorm.

But it's strange, he thought, watching her sit down on the carpet and sigh to herself. If she wanted to find her parents in Kalos... how did she end up where she is now? Didn't she tell me recently she had a Porygon-Z and was in the Battle Frontier? Where was that, again? He stared at her intently, his eyes narrowed to mere slits. She was sitting down on the carpet, but there was a separation between her body and her shadow. In Johto, not Kalos!

"Reina, I have always wondered about your parents," he started slowly. "Why do you only bring them up now?"

She sat there, her body slumped over and her eye unblinking. Fuji watched her for a few moments. Suddenly, he ran out of the house and slammed the door behind him. He was breathing heavily. He tried to take deeper, slower breaths, but his head was spinning and he wouldn't calm down. Reina's an energetic girl, he reminded himself. She didn't need a family tragedy to convince her to go off on her own.

He took a few steps into the night, and what he found didn't surprise him at all. The Pokémon House was floating alone, bereft of the town. The sky was a deep blue sea, surrounding it. Only the full moon was a landmark in this unreal place, and even it was wrong. Fuji saw that it was the shade of a shiny Venomoth's wings—unnaturally blue ever for a clear night.

"Reina left because she was tired and had cabin fever. You know this, Dusknoir. I would chastise you for creating a nightmare, but I've done the same," he said while looking to the false moon. "I want you to know that while I don't appreciate your methods, but at least I know now what you were trying to show me." He continued walking, trying to find the boundary of the constructed memory. When he found that the sky kept stretching on, he closed his eyes and recalled his real memory of the Blue Flute he had received in the morning. He visualized its smooth surface in his hands until he could feel its weight. After rolling it over to feel its every curve, he held it up and began to play a slow song of his true epiphany and sorrow. The gentle sound washed through every aspect of the ghostly memory play, bringing Fuji back to reality.

~~----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~~

As Fuji kept playing the flute, the illusion that surrounded him fell away. The scenery blurred and quivered, shimmering and rippling like it was distorted by flowing hot air. With each new phrase in his sad song, it was as if a new rock was thrown into a pond, disturbing the surface of the water just a little bit each time. Cracks appeared and grew in the sky, and the moon shook. With the last note, everything shattered, sending shards of imagery falling every which way.

Finally, I'm back, Fuji thought. He half-expected to be back in his bed, at home in the Pokémon House, but when he came to, he was lying on his side in a field of tall white flowers with red stripes on their petals. He stood up slowly, as the flowers quivered in the cold wind. Everything felt damp and cool, the way Lavender Town felt when there had been a light rain the night before.

Other people were lying down in the field with vacant expressions on their faces, their hands and feet being held down by pale, spectral chains. Fuji let out what he thought was a surprised yell, but only a soft hiss of air came from his mouth. It was then that he noticed that all the people amid the flowers were floating, like they had no weight to them. They were the staff of the Radio Tower—they were even in the same positions as they had been in when he found them in the building. He looked down at his hands, and they were pale and blurry, like they were being shot in soft focus.

In the distance, he heard a long, wailing cry that sounded like someone was being sliced by the arms of a Scyther. He looked in the direction of the sound, and saw that everything above the horizon was a deep bluish-grey color, like the ceiling of a cave or a sky blocked by massive storm clouds. Fuji shook his head. I hope it is only a Misdreavus making that noise, and not a suffering being. In any case, I know where I am now. He remained unfazed despite being in spirit world. All he knew was that he had to help his fellow lost souls.

He played the Blue Flute again, faster and louder than he had before. One by one, the others awakened from their own restless dreams. As they stirred, the chains withered away and their floated up through the flowers. Fuji could hear their frantic thoughts echoing in his own mind.

He tried to send a clear idea their way. You're having a bad dream, and you must wake up now! he thought, so they wouldn't be frightened. Some of the souls nodded sleepily, some floated backward in surprise, and others just blinked. Eventually, Fuji watched each of them become enveloped by a faint glow, shrink, and disappear from the spirit world.

He smiled softly as he felt something pulling himself away. But he was not able to feel his own light and escape. A harsh, unearthly wind somehow blew his soul backward, leaving him dazed and weakened. It was an Ominous Wind.

The Dusknoir rose out of the ground in a spiral of grey mist, sending white flower petals swirling through the air. You! What have you done?! Dusknoir's wrathful thoughts rang in Fuji's head. How did you—you bothered to take that Blue Flute with you?! Now I must harvest the sinners all over again! If you know you are guilty, why do you persist in ruining my plan? Are you just that selfish?

Fuji quietly sighed. Dusknoir, I understand why you put me through everything you did, he projected his thoughts. Feeling guilty is not enough. It's my duty to try and fix things, even though I don't know if I can... but dragging those people to this world wasn't going to fix anything. His soul settled back down, holding firm. Now you need to make an effort to understand what I'm saying.

No! Dusknoir's eyes glowed more brightly. I want you to suffer more! I need you to suffer more! Its body became purple once more, as its body sank to become a shadow. This time, Fuji was ready. When the shadow rushed at him, his spirit shifted to the side. Dusknoir reformed, crying out and shaking will rage.

Dusknoir, stop this. Fuji used the same tone that he used with petulant baby pokémon. This is a warning.

Dusknoir turned around and pulled its fist back, winding up for a Ghost Punch. Before it could swing at him, Fuji pulled his keys from his pocket and flung them at it as hard as he could. Unfortunately for Dusknoir, Fling was a Dark-type move, and was super-effective. Fuji's keys smacked it right in the eye and Dusknoir shrieked and reeled back.

I'm sorry! thought Fuji. He moved past the pokémon while it was stunned, grabbed his keys off the ground, and left the flower field as fast as he could. Moving and manipulating things as a disembodied spirit was simpler than he would have expected—it felt like flying through a lucid dream.

He flew in one direction for a while. The air slowly changed, from a warm moisture to a dry heat. Fuji stopped floating soon after, when he reached an area covered in ruddy, cracked rocks. Heat oozed from the ground. No matter how far away he fled, the light wasn't returned to this spirit, and he did not know how to leave the spirit world. Fuji sighed again, feeling completely exhausted. I can't keep running forever, he thought. He settled on the ground, and stared upward. He still didn't know whether the sky was rock or clouds. At least I managed to free everyone else.

He could hear the Dusknoir's cries getting louder and louder. Fuji started levitating again, even though he did not really want to flee. I have to try—for Blaine and Reina, if nobody else! He saw the red eye approaching him. Fuji prepared to float away again.

Suddenly, Dusknoir cried again, louder than before. Fuji watched it fall over and hit the rocky ground. He couldn't make out its thoughts, but they were dissonant and painful.

Against his better judgment, Fuji floated back over to its side. Even after everything, he still couldn't bear to see any pokémon suffer. Dusknoir could barely move, but it made sure to turn its head to glare up at him regardless. A giant metal weapon was had been thrust though its back, and had pierced its stomach cavity, gluing Dusknoir to the ground.

Fuji's spirit grabbed the weapon and levitated upward, pulling back out. Dusknoir let out an anguished sound as Fuji removed it from its back. Fuji inspected the weapon—it was a red and black pitchfork that reminded him of images he had seen of Mega Houndoom's tail.

Why? Why would you? thought Dusknoir, its mind hazy and disorganized with pain.

Because we've both suffered. Fuji placed the pitchfork back on the ground. It was too difficult for his spirit to keep holding up. Just as he put it down, two giant figures leaped out of the darkness, and slammed the ground so hard that it shook like a Magnitude 8. Fuji looked up and gasped. Two giants clothed in shining armor towered over him and Dusknoir. One giant had the head and blazing mane of a Rapidash, but was holding a spiked club in its humanlike hands. The other giant bent down to pick up the pitchfork. Fuji fell backward in terror when he saw the giant's face bearing down at him—it was the face of an angry Tauros, and the breath from its nostrils was burning.

Fuji was very glad he was already separated from his body, or else he definitely would have fainted dead away. He looked to Dusknoir for some kind of explanation, but the pokémon just looked weary. The Rapidash-headed giant grabbed Fuji, and the other giant picked up Dusknoir. Fuji didn't even resist, because he was too shell-shocked to do anything. He didn't even know if these giants were pokémon or human.

The giants closed their eyes for a moment, and suddenly they were teleported to a different realm. Fuji just accepted it, taking it all in. His entire existence had been shaken and wobbled like a Teeter Dance. The realm was decorated by fields of delicate red spider lilies and lines of large Pecha berry plants, whose berries looked especially luscious to him. He looked up, and was relieved to see an actual, milky blue sky without a single cloud obscuring it.

The giants put Fuji and the wounded Dusknoir down on a path between two rows of Pecha plants. Without saying a word, they vanished again. Fuji looked over at Dusknoir, who had closed its eye and slumped over, defeated. Fuji touched Dusknoir on its back, trying to comfort it. It pushed his arm away and started levitating again, despite its posture being lopsided and shaky.

The two of them watched silently as another giant figure walked toward them. This giant was clearly not a pokémon, or if he was a pokémon, he was a legendary one projecting a humanoid form—both the giant's head and body were completely human. He was broad-shouldered with deep red skin and a dark beard. He had a bright sash around his waist. On his head, he wore a golden crown shaped like the crest of a Mega Alakazam, with the character for "king" etched into it. An old book was in one of his hands, and in the other was a strange golden object. It was shaped like a small hammer, and its handle was studded with diamonds. Fuji had never seen so much gold in his life.

"Emissary, the humans whose souls you brought here were not in the book!" the giant said in a booming voice. Fuji was excited to hear an actual voice and not just a voice in his head. The giant continued. "The last time beings were condemned to that realm without a reason, it was that monk and those eight Clefairy maidens. You will face the consequences of disregarding your orders!" He pointed the golden object at Dusknoir, which started glowing like it was going to use Dazzling Gleam. Dusknoir flinched.

Fuji stood up. Wait! he thought, desperate.

"What is it?" The giant paused to look into Fuji's mind, searching for a name. "Elder Fuji. Why are you protecting this failure of a spirit guide?"

Dusknoir looked at Fuji, confused.

I know that what this Dusknoir did was wrong, King...

"I am Lord Yama." Yama pointed the object at Fuji, and suddenly a burden was lifted from him. He felt a burst of renewed strength.

"Lord Yama," Fuji started, happily discovering he could speak again, "I can't say that I fully understand what is happening here, but I need to share something with you. Your emissary was being hurt by transmissions from a Radio Tower I could have stopped from being built. Dusknoir made a mistake because it's rightfully angry that I didn't perform my duty as a caretaker. Please, be merciful when you pass judgment."

Yama frowned. "...I will take what you've said into consideration. Here," he plucked one of the Pecha berries from a nearby plant and handed it to Fuji. "Take this for your trouble."

Fuji blinked. The berry was bigger than his hand. "I'm afraid I can't eat food from the spirit world," he said awkwardly, remembering old stories he had read in his youth.

Yama grabbed Dusknoir, who was still staring at Fuji, and started walking away. His footfalls made the ground quiver. "Plant it in your garden," he muttered. "You're free to go."

"My garden?" Fuji felt his spirit grow warm and calm, and a comforting light filled his vision. He felt himself slowly spinning and sinking, like he was on the verge of falling asleep. His eyelids gently closed.

ShivaDF · May 17, 2016

Chapter Four: Reconciliation

He woke up tangled in his blankets, in bed, in the Volunteer Pokémon House. There were no killer Ghost-types, no pokémon-human hybrid giants, and no nightmares. Was it all just a dream?! he wondered. He got out of bed, and discovered he was still wearing his clothes from the night before. He checked his pockets, and the Blue Flute and his keys were still inside. He walked into the pokémon play area, and a Nurse was sitting at his table, waiting for him.

"Oh, you're awake!" she said. "The staff of the Radio Tower found you passed out in the studio. I didn't quite understand their story, but I heard that you stopped the rampaging Dusknoir."

"So it really did happen..." Fuji mumbled. On the table, he saw his radio, and beside it was the giant Pecha berry.

"Yes, you're even more of a hero than we thought you were! Make sure you go the the Radio Tower as soon as you can. They want to talk to you." The nurse smiled. "I'll get going now. You should be fine as long as you get some rest." She went out the door and left Fuji staring at the berry. After a few minutes, he shook his head, ending his reverie. He marched to his drawers, took out a pen and a sheet of paper, and slapped the paper onto the table. He wrote furiously, like the world would end if he didn't finish the letter in time.

Dear Blaine,

I'd love to travel in Unova with you, but first, I need you to help me with some preparations. First of all, I need my old pokémon back. I don't know how trainers these days conduct their battles, but I'm certain that you'll be an excellent teacher. Secondly, I have to get an Amulet Coin.

As you might have guessed, I must raise a large sum of money as quickly as possible. I have far too much news to convey in just one letter, but the long and short of it is that I have decided that the Lavender Radio Tower has to be shut down and moved to another location. The spirits in the House Of Memories have been disturbed for a long time, as you know, but I have only now realized my duty to take action. A pokémon opened my eyes to the consequences of letting it be.

Reina is fine, as you expected. She's getting carried away with her new Porygon-Z. Thank you very much for the Blue Flute; it has been extremely useful. You didn't have to go to the trouble of commissioning it for me, but I am immeasurably glad that you did. I promise to give you more of an explanation as soon as I can. Let me know where and when we should meet.

Love,

—Fuji

~~----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~~

Fuji was happy. It was pleasantly warm, and the clouds were as fluffy as Mega Altaria plumes. He found that while his fear of heights and his shyness around people never really improved, he was able to survey the roof of the tower with renewed confidence because it was for a worthy cause. Many of his afternoons had to be spent directing the Gym Leaders who were assisting him with the landscaping. And this was a special day—he was making the final round of the premises, and soon everything would be complete.

Misty's Togetic popped its head out from the below the roof. Misty, who was standing perilously close to the edge, beckoned it over and it fluttered back into her arms. "Well, I think we're done here!" she said, while fluffing Togetic's feathers. "It's sure been a while since I used this little guy. Using Rain Dance to water all the wisteria at once was a great idea, Fuji." She waved to him, then set off.

He smiled. "That's nice of you to say." Wisteria vines were hanging from each side of the building, flowing like a lavender waterfall from the roof. Giovanni had immediately insulted Fuji for being egotistical when he explained the plan, but Erika and Sabrina both thought it would improve the energy of the place. After all, it had been Fuji's idea. Still, it feels strange to be so indulgent, he thought. I haven't treated myself to anything in so long.

"Hey, Fuji!" Lt. Surge shouted. He ran up to him. "Pachirisu's done picking up the trash. Time for us to get going."

Fuji nodded. "Thank you, Lieutenant Surge. I'm very grateful for your help."

"No problem, good job staying strong with your decision. You might not look it, but you're tough!" He punctuated this statement by socking Fuji in the shoulder. "The radio staff had better love their new home in Vermillon, or I'll never let 'em hear the end of it!" He left, his Pachirisu chittering and bounding after him.

"Uhn... all right then..." Fuji massaged his shoulder. He walked over to the garden area, where Giovanni was commanding his Marowak to finish digging holes for the last few plantings. Fuji was filled with dread, but he wanted to get this over with as fast as he humanely possible.

He took a deep breath. "Giovanni. I know we have our differences, but I appreciate—"

Giovanni slowly turned to glare at him. "I hope you know, Fuji, that Blaine stole my Amulet Coins to make this happen, and that he said he wouldn't give them back to me unless I did this. And before you say anything, I know you won't admit that it was all on your orders."

Fuji had to suppress a groan. I'll have to discuss this with Blaine some other day, he thought. "I'm sorry, I really didn't know. But you won't hear me complaining about your using a Marowak in battle after everything you did. I was trying to thank you. Let's agree to leave these things in the past."

"Leave it in the past?!" Giovanni snapped. "You're the one who brought it up, you hypocritical—"

"Can it, old man." Suddenly, Janine leaped out of shallow hole in the ground that looked impossible for any human to hide inside. "Just accept that you're the friend nobody likes and move on. Gio."

Fuji jumped back. Janine winked at him and raced away, while Giovanni just muttered something about that remark and stormed off.

The only other Leaders Fuji had to check on were Erika, Sabrina, and of course, Blaine. Brock and Jasmine had finished early, using their Onix and Steelix respectively for a shrapnel eating contest. It had been eardrum-piercingly loud, and only a few weeks ago, he would have puzzled over someone as quiet as Jasmine could use such loud pokémon constantly. But after he had experienced the wild battles of Unova while he raised money for the project, he had started to understand the appeal. Battling is an art form, he realized when he first watched his Blissey send a Wish up to the sky. It just isn't for me.

In the center of the tower roof, he had planted the Pecha berry he was given in the other world. With only a little water, it had grown taller than any berry plant he had ever seen. It was more of a tree than a plant, pale purple leaves and all. The berries themselves were just starting to grow, and there were still white petals flying in the wind from when the tree was blooming. The berries are already the size of the regular variety, but they have so much further to go, Fuji thought.

As he expected, Erika was lying under the tree and snoring. Petals were stuck in her hair, and her hairband was slipping off, but she wasn't aware of it.

"Excuse me, but it's time to wake up," Fuji said. When she didn't move, he said more loudly, "Wake up, Erika!"

She opened one eye. "Has Jasmine gone already?"

"She left hours ago."

Erika sat up slowly. "My apologies, Fuji. I will put the final bushes in now." She sent out her Bellosom, who danced over to the garden, and Erika yawned and followed it, in a sleepy daze.

Fuji felt his heart beat faster as he looked at the Bellosom. It's almost complete! He thought. Soon, the spirits will be able to rest easy again. He turned away, not ready to see it finished just yet. He walked around the Pecha tree, brushing its soft leaves as he passed. Sabrina was sitting on the other side with her legs crossed. Her eyes were half-open, and Fuji wondered for a second if she was being possessed.

"No, I'm only meditating," she said, reading his mind. "Elder Fuji, I have an important message for you."

"What is it, Sabrina?" Fuji asked, a bit nervous. Are the souls still unhappy after everything I did, even with all the people who helped me?

Her red eyes were shining in the strong sunlight. "The pokémon who attacked you and the others... it is here somewhere, waiting. Its superior has banished it to this realm for its misdeeds."

"I see. Thank you for telling me." Fuji relaxed. While he was disappointed that Dusknoir had lost its job, he knew he could handle the situation gracefully. I will give it a good home, and it should be more receptive to me considering I defended it."If I may ask, what are you doing here, Sabrina? Are you here to use this as a meditation garden, or did you just arrive to give me this news?"

"Neither." She looked down. "I just like the unique flavor of the Pecha berries."

Fuji was taken aback. "The berry I planted was from the spirit world. Are they really safe to eat?"

Sabrina's eyes shifted left and right. "Yes... of course. Though they might be too potent for normal humans. Perhaps you should reserve them for me. All for me."

~~----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~~

At Fuji's signal, Blaine told his Ninetails to dissipate the effects of Sunny Day. When the miniature sun vanished, Fuji stood transfixed at the colors of sky—it had become a deep orange with delicate pink bands that faded to aquamarine. He had been so busy with the preparations he hadn't even noticed the beautiful view.

Blaine returned his pokémon to its pokéball. "It's almost as nice as watching a flickering campfire, isn't it?"

Fuji smiled appreciatively. "Oh, yes. But I wouldn't let someone light a fire up here after all of our hard work." He sat down under the tree, feeling pleasantly cool bark against his back. He motioned for Blaine to sit down next to him, and he did, leaning his question mark-shaped cane against the tree.

"So will you keep battling?" asked Blaine. "Your Blissey is a beast!"

"Heh? No, I don't think so. Well, perhaps once in a blue moon. Thank you, though. Honestly, I only wanted to try it for the funding at first, but I'm glad I was able to see what you and Reina enjoy so much. I never expected that your fellow Gym Leaders would be so supportive. They all seem like such wonderful people."

Blaine smirked. "Really? All of them?"

"Well... you know what I mean," he said awkwardly. "You know, even though I like, er, most of them, putting myself out there made me feel very tired. I've been waiting all day to talk to you alone." He sighed wistfully, looking at a single cloud that darkened as it approached the setting sun. "I wanted to apologize. It didn't feel like the right time when we were overseas, battling every day."

"Huh? Why'd you want to apologize? You haven't done anything wrong."

"I haven't been a good friend to you," he admitted, his voice heavy with repressed weariness. "Every time you wanted me to go out with you or to meet one of your friends, I always told you 'no' and never explained why."

Blaine hesitantly put an arm around Fuji. "I knew why, Fuji. It was fine by me that you didn't want anyone to recognize you. That's your choice."

"I know it is, but I'm glad I took the risk and spent time with you."

"Believe me, I'm glad you did, too!" Blaine grinned and pulled him closer. He leaned forward and he spoke. "I got to show off to everyone how sweet you are."

Fuji's cheeks turned the same color as the berries. "Blaine, please! You're embarrassing me!"

Blaine grinned at him. "Hah! What are you so ashamed of? It's not like there's anyone watching—"

He was cut off by the distorted keening cry of Dusknoir, who descended from the tree, jostling leaves and sending them careening into their faces. It hovered in front of them, staring at them with a disturbed look in its eye.

Blaine released Fuji and hastily got to his feet. He picked his cane and pointed to Dusknoir with it. "So you're the one who messed with Fuji, are you?!" He glared and reached for a pokéball. "Arcanine will teach you a lesson!"

Fuji stood up as well and ran between Blaine and the pokémon. "Wait, please calm down!" He carefully moved toward Dusknoir, making sure it didn't respond aggressively. Then he placed a hand on the pokémon's stomach and petted it. "I see your wound has healed since I last saw you. I'm glad." Dusknoir grumbled unintelligibly in response.

Blaine held his arms out wide in bafflement. "This pokémon attacked you and spirited you away, and you're checking to make sure it's feeling okay?!"

"Every pokémon deserves a little mercy. I'm sure this one will be a wonderful helper at the Volunteer Pokémon House. Isn't that right, Dusknoir?"

Dusknoir let out a cry that was very close to a long-suffering sigh.

"Well, I can see a few benefits to this." Blaine scratched his chin, as he often did when thinking up new trivia questions and riddles. "If you ever need money again, you can just bring Dusknoir with you to see some rich people. Then you can tell 'em it'll give them some extra time to live if they donate."

Fuji whirled around. "I'd never do such a thing!" He yelled. He and Blaine just looked at each other. Then they promptly burst out laughing. Dusknoir sank to the ground in embarrassment. The full moon was large because it had just risen above the horizon, and the stars were appearing one-by-one in the blue band of sky.

I could get used to this, Fuji knew in his heart.

THE END

_Mattypoo_ · May 22, 2016

I saw your thread in the writer's lounge, and I thought the idea of a story featuring Fuji and Blaine would be very interesting, and I was thoroughly impressed.

You really are a fantastic writer. Your attention to adding in small details makes the story seem a whole lot more interesting.

There was really nothing wrong - that I could see - with this story. It was beautifully spoken, and the plot kept me hooked. I read the whole thing in under fifteen through twenty minutes reading at a normal pace. I'm glad I could help out with some plot advice (Cough cough Mega Mewtwo Cough cough)! Great piece overall. Props.

ShivaDF · May 22, 2016

_Mattypoo_ said:
You really are a fantastic writer. Your attention to adding in small details makes the story seem a whole lot more interesting.

Thank you so much for the kind words! I don't know what else to say! I did work very hard on the descriptions and characterizations when I was writing. Maybe in the future I'll write more Pokemon fanfiction.

There was really nothing wrong - that I could see - with this story. It was beautifully spoken, and the plot kept me hooked. I read the whole thing in under fifteen through twenty minutes reading at a normal pace. I'm glad I could help out with some plot advice (Cough cough Mega Mewtwo Cough cough)! Great piece overall. Props.

And thank you for the help. I was totally stumped at that scene. Though, I do see some things I would improve in general if I were to rewrite parts of the story, like making Fuji's epiphany about taking action more dramatic.

[Pokémon] Radio Silence

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ShivaDF

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_Mattypoo_

ShivaDF

The Scooter-riding Artist