As Darkness Falls-Welcome to the Old Chateau

Other guys had started to speak up. A peculiar girl named Amarantha pointed out they should introduce themselves before continuing, something Max had completely forgotten to do.

"Ah, right… My name is Maxwell but Max works fine."

Liria jumped off from her trainer's back and flew up to his head where she landed softly.

"Oh, and this is Liria." Max said as he pointed toward his head with his right hand. "Wherever we go we should look for an alternate exit, we may have a mission here, but I believe all of you wish as much as me to leave this place once we are done."

Given the situation Max wanted to act fast. It did not matter who or why they had been locked in, the fact they had been forced to stay inside was what worried Max. Whoever did this was obviously plotting something against the group of trainers. For Max this meant something else was bound to happen, and he would rather be out than wait for the worst.

"We should hurry guys, anyone opposing team light going downstairs and team shadow going up?"
 
Okay then. Things were getting a bit slow, so now here's what appears to be the decision.

Team light is going downstairs and Team Shadow is going up.

*Enter creepy voices from the netherworld!*
 
Azleyla was finally settling down enough to begin to let go of her life-line, Korbin, until she heard a high-pitched giggling that seemed to be coming from all directions. She was shocked when she realized it was inside her mind. She glanced at the silhouettes of the other recruits, and they seemed to be hearing the same giggling.

"Hee Hee! Ooooh, new friends! New friends! And there are a bunch this time! I'm gonna play with them all! Grandpa! LOOK!" It was the voice of a young girl, probably around seven or eight. The voice became less human at the end of the sentence. The demonic tone made Azleyla flinch. Moments later, an elderly voice enters the conversation. It is old, but it is filled with power and wisdom. Azleyla was aware at the get-go that this was the dude in charge around here.

"Oh. Dear we have more newcomers… I am terribly sorry, but I cannot let you leave until my granddaughter is satisfied. When she is done playing with you, I will let you leave. That is, depending on how much of you is left." the grandfather's voice said, and Azleyla had to forcibly make herself not burst into tears at that very moment Her grip on Korbin's arm was like steel.

Then, a chorus of children's voices filled the room, all of them screaming "Me too!" Or "Aww, But I want a turn." The cacophony grew louder and louder, until the Elderly voice rung out, this time echoing across Azleyla's mind with power and force.

"Silence!" it boomed, and all of the children's wailing ceased. The voice sighed with slight regret.

"I am sorry, but you must play with all of my offspring. It is only fair. Hmm, good luck then... " and Azleyla felt a presence leave her mind. Her breath was coming in loud, fast gasps. She was heading straight down Hyperventilation Lane, and she started to feel lightheaded and dizzy. She cursed rapidly as she willed herself to regulate her breathing. She sighed with relief as she succeeded, and closed her eyes, also willing her tears of fear away. She was still cursing obscenely in her mind as she accessed the situation with her adrenaline-high mind.

"Soo... " she panted, beginning to forget how to form sentences due to her fright.
 
[[I made a mistake with my last post, and thought that the gate just slammed shut, not the door. I'm just going to have to tie my post now up as best as I can. Besides that, I wrote the entire first paragraph before realizing this, and I'm too proud of it to want to get rid of it.]]

Now that Korbin was on the Chateau property, he surveyed the old house with an appreciative eye. It was incredibly large, and critically neglected. Glassless windows leered at him like the eyes of a starving creature. For a moment, he could swear he saw glints of red in one of the upstairs windows. He furrowed his brow and blinked, but by then they were already gone. Shutters hung from hinges in some places, and were completely gone from others. The roof was too high to see properly, but from what he could tell the shingles were missing in several areas. Though the front of the house had once been painted, the color was faded and most of the paint had peeled off. The house wasn't even the end of the problem, either. The rolling expanse of grassy lawn had obviously once been loved and carefully manicured, but that was not the case now. The large trees that seemed to have been strategically landscaped had acquired a wild mass of branches like the tresses of a castaway. Weeds had grown in among the tall grasses, and rose bushes in front of the house had expanded to the point where they were strangling each other. Ivy climbed up the side of the house unchecked, even slithering inside some of the open windows. Despite all of this, however, Korbin could see the beauty behind the unkempt tangle of broken architecture and overgrown vegetation.

Korbin contemplated the potential the place had as he followed the rest of the REPO team inside. From the outside it looked salvageable, but he would just have to see the interior. He certainly had enough money to renovate; he just needed to know that it would be worth it. Once the last person had stepped over the threshold the front door swung shut forcefully, making a decisive bang that seemed to say 'Yes, you're stuck now. What are you going to do about it? It's not as though you can leave.

With a shudder, he forced the thought out of his head, just as a sudden pressure grabbed onto his arm. He looked down with one eyebrow raised to see a girl much smaller than himself. She had a good grip on his arm, he had to admit, but he was somewhat unsure how to handle the situation. It wasn't every day strange people touched him, much less gripped his limbs. His appearance might have something to do with that; six and a half feet was an intimidating height, which was exacerbated by the soles of his boots and the fact that his messed and spiked hair added a few inches. Helena, too, helped to keep people away. Though she was small, a black furred, sharp clawed, loyally protective weasel on his shoulder warded away the less courageous people. So this was not something he was faced with often. He finally decided to let her keep his arm in hopes that she would let it go soon. He was far from comfortable with the physical contact. If she had been male he would have simply forced her grip to loosen and removed himself from her vicinity, but she was not.

Now that they had been trapped inside, the only logical thing to do was figure out where they were going to go next. Introductions had to precede that. The girl attached to his arm went first and informed them that her name was Azleyla, but she would prefer to be called Leyla. That didn't help Korbin decide how to detach her, but that was a start. Another girl with a strange name went next, then finally a man named simply 'Mark.' While he was relieved to hear the common name, he did not like the way his Sableye eyed his valuables. Apparently Helena did not either. She growled under her breath, shifting an accusatory glare from Leyla for making Korbin uncomfortable to Mark and his partner. "Be calm," he murmured.

It appeared that it was his turn. "My name is Korbin. I have no nicknames. I do not want any nicknames. This is Helena, and we've been together for seven years." Helena twitched her ears in agreement with the introduction, and added another glare at Snype to be sure that she was well understood: Touch my master and suffer.

With the decision made, Korbin looked down over a foot at Leyla. "I'm afraid we're going to have to go separate ways, unless you want to switch teams? Shadow seems to be fairly well balanced with capable people and Pokemon, and I'm sure the more people there are on a team, the safer the individuals will be." Besides that, he liked the feel of her pressed against him. The initial discomfort had faded into something more like nervousness, but he would never admit it. Already, the darkness masked the faintest red flush on his face. He cleared his throat and pulled Samrin's Great Ball out of his pocket again. "I can give us some light. I warn you, Sammy will steal anything he can get out of your pockets. I'm trying to break him of it, but I promise Hel and I will keep a close eye on him." He pressed the center button, letting Samrin out onto the dusty hardwood floor. As he materialized he stretched out his limbs laboriously in an obvious signal of disrespect to his master. Korbin glared at him and hoped that no one else had picked up on the signal. "Give us some light to see by, will you?" Despite his disrespect, he obeyed. He breathed a tiny shoot of flame that stayed in a ball in front of him. It seemed that he could keep it burning with an extra breath when needed and control it with a nudge of his nose. That would do, he hoped.
 
Snype had kept his glance at all of the trainer's valubles but maintained control of himself. He wouldn't want to disobey Mark. Though he did take a heavy interest into Korbin's items... So much he edged closer at them to get a better look. If it weren't for his Sneasel, Helena, giving him a nasty look as if she were saying "Touch my master and suffer", He would have taken a closer look from the shadows. Though snype just sat still and also gave the sneasel a very sharp glance.. At the same time, he gave off a sigh of relief, glad that he wouldn't have that sneasel following him.

"Ugh..." Mark said putting his hand onto his head.. He began hearing voices... "HeeHee! Ooooh, new friends new friends! And there are a bunch this time! I'm gonna play with them all! Grandpa! LOOK!" The voice of a little girl said, Slightly distorted. Suddenly he could hear another voice which sounded much more elderly. "Oh. Dear we have more newcomers…I am terribly sorry, but I cannot let you leave until my granddaughter is satisfied. When she is done playing with you, I will let you leave. That is, depending on how much of you is left."

At that moment, a chorus of children's voices fill the room, all of them screaming "Me TOO!" Or "Aww, But I want a turn." The cacophony grows louder and louder, until the Elderly voice rings out, only this time much more loudly and with more power. Mark put his other hand on his head this time as it was really giving him a slight headache.

"Silence!" The voice sighs. "I am sorry, but you must play with all of my offspring. It is only fair. Hmm. Good luck then…" *!!!* Mark snapped back to his senses and could no longer hear the voices. "Wha... Tell me I'm not the only one who heard that..." He asked the other teammates. "...It's probably just ghost pokemon playing with our heads. They can be real pranksters..." Mark turned his head to snype.. "...No offense Snype..." Snype wasn't insulted. He was well aware of how mischievous he could be. Instead snype just gave a Nervous grin to mark.

"I say we move upstairs soon. This room is giving me the chills..." Mark said to his teamates
 
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This is interesting. I sense a ghost Pokemon . . . 'Snype' belonging to the one named Mark. Rapid wing movement, likely an insect. Max's. And warmth now . . . a fire type, perhaps--belonging to Korbin, the unhappy one. These people brought quite an array of Pokemon with them. Kneeling in front of Snype, Amarantha raised a hand toward him. "Please excuse me, my friend," she apologized as she lay a hand gently on the side of his face, attempting to sense his aura more clearly in order to distinguish him from any other ghosts that might appear. "So you're a Sableye," she observed. "Healthy, too. I don't suppose you'll tell me the secret between you and your trainer?" she commented, recalling the whispers she had caught between Mark and his Pokemon earlier. With a faint smile, she stood again and started forward. Suddenly voices rang out in her head, arresting her progress almost mid-step.

Amarantha listened silently to the dialogue occurring in her mind, aware by the reactions of the others that they were likely experiencing something similar. Though she had been teased and tormented by ghosts enough to remain composed and attentive, having someone invade your brain was never pleasant. This made identification of the source of the voices challenging. After the possibly insincere "Good luck" ended communication, the female did not even know how many spirits--if any--had spoken. She only knew that something intended to interact with the group, probably in an unpleasant manner, and that she had a headache. Briefly Amarantha held her hand to her head, lowering the hand to her side as she broke away from the group and walked a few paces forward.

Without turning back, the trainer stated simply, "Unless any of you can offer a reason to stay here, I suggest we begin our exploration. After all, you heard the voices . . . it's time to play."
 
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(ooc: Ok I just realized now that I am posting a bit too early, I'm going to let others post before I write my next one lol.)



Paranormal, meaning not in accordance with scientific laws; events above the normal or everyday experiences, yes this situation qualified just perfect. Max could have jumped; he could have screamed an obscenity; he could have even order his pokemon to attack the darkness, but that was not Max, he did not like sudden decisions and therefore he really really disliked this kind of situations where he could not do anything at all. This, combined with the impact of such creepy experience seriously crippled Max's speech capacity. He just uttered…

"What…?" The trainer swallowed before he could continue. "…What was that? I knew something was wrong but… just what?"

Max was not big on paranormal stuff, and he had never heard of ghost pokemon behaving like this, it was against almost everything he had believed since little.

"Uhhh guys? Is it just me or did those voices sounded… out of the ordinary?"

Max was dumbfounded, he had to calm down first, he was in no position to express anything rational or whatsoever. Liria on her side was just slightly startled at most, but she showed no sign of fear or anything alike. Perhaps he missed the frightening factor, or maybe she just did not cared, however she could see Max was loosing it there. Liria crawled to her trainer's forehead and stared right into his eyes. Oddly as it seems, this tranquilized Max; perhaps a 'friendly face' had provided him with a feeling of safety.

"Okay thanks girl…" Max whispered before taking a deep breath after which he was finally able to speak. "I think Mara is right we need to move out, we should not give those… devilish voices… the opportunity to act first."
 
As Arisa took her first steps into the Old Chateau along with the other recruits, the door slammed shut, plunging them into darkness. It was almost suffocating, this unnatural darkness. For a moment, she was gasping for air, feeling compressed on all sides. She felt crushed by an overwhelming sense of danger. Her instincts were telling her to run, but there was nowhere to go. Not that she could see, anyway.

"We could do it, you know..."

"What?"

"Explore it. The Old Chateau. It's been veiled in mystery for decades...who knows what could be inside?"

"You're insane! You know what Mom always says. We're not allowed in there, no one is. I've heard people die in there..."

A soft yet mischievous voice giggled. "What's the matter, Ari-chan? You scared?"

Arisa snapped out of her trance. Luckily, her moment of weakness had passed unnoticed. She went angry with herself, frustrated that she had let those old memories resurface. But why? Why did that happen? She was on a mission. There was work to be done here. Faintly, she could hear the other recruits introducing themselves. She was about to follow their lead, then decided against it. These people were strangers, and they would remain so. Of course, she had no problem with making friends, but in the Old Chateau...anything could happen. One or more of them could die in here, and she could not suffer another heartbreak.

Her eyes were beginning to adjust to the lack of light. She could just barely make out the outlines of the other recruits. From what they were saying, Team Light were going downstairs while Team Shadow were charged with scouting the second floor. That was her cue. She had barely taken one step when her mind was assaulted with multiple voices, one after the other, sometimes overlapping each other. Arisa scrunched her eyes shut, trying to block out the noise, but it didn't do any good. Incredibly frightening, yet horribly familiar, she could have sworn her heart stopped when she heard the commanding male's voice.

Those blasted children again...or whatever they were. They wanted to play. And Arisa knew very well how they played. If she had known what she was getting into, she would never have signed up for this suicide mission. Gardenia was right. She could be flat-out dead within the next hour. Well...she should have seen the warning flag go up with the words "Old Chateau." She had it coming.

The presence in her mind left her and she was surprised to feel the wetness in her eyes, along with a heavy heart. She hurriedly wiped them away. No. She had work to do. She couldn't afford to back down. Not now, not ever.
 
Graham looked around at everyone else and listened carefully to what they said, then he eyed Korbin for a moment. "Hmm, he definitely seems all business enough to keep composed, that will be good for any of his team mates who get scared.....especially if that girl keeps sticking to him like that...heh, he doesen't seem very friendly though, oh well, people are the way they are, it's not my place to judge him."

After those first couple thoughts Graham was about to speak when some very un-welcome voices entered his head, a little girls, then an old mans, then many children, their voices were like a chorus from hell, Graham really felt like moving on after all that."Alright, now that the decision is made, I don't feel the need to stay in one place any longer, I'm heading down stairs, anybody that feels ready is more than welcome to join me." Graham announced before heading towards the downwards set of stairs and therefore to, the dining room and kitchen.

Graham entered the dining room and immediately gazed around in awe. "This place is so.....huge." Graham began looking around, but then the dining room table drew his attention. "This is the largest table I have ever seen in my entire life...it looks like it could seat over 50 people!" The more Graham surveyed the dining room table the more strange things he noticed. "It's almost like this place has been used recently...did someone else come in here before we did?......These flowers...they are alive, in a place like this?" After finally examining so much of the table he made it to the other side, Graham noticed the strangest thing about it yet. "What's that glittering light." Graham stepped closer and saw a plate, it didn't seem to be dusty or dirty, and yet..."This plate is broken....and shaped strange, almost reminds me of a pokemon....which one though...." Graham was about to look up to ponder to himself when the plate caught his attention again. "Wha?"
 
Azleyla watched Graham walk away into the darker parts of the mansion, heading towards the kitchen area. She looked nervously around, knowing that the group would slowly diminish into their respective Light and Shadow. She also knew that she would start to freak out again if she stayed longer, watching the others drift away. She glanced down, and realized that she was still pressed against Korbin, her arm linked in his. She let go quickly, blushing madly in the dimly lit room.

"Uh, uh, I'm sorry for grabbing you like that." Azleyla apologized to him quickly, looking up almost a foot and a half to his face. She had to completely crane her neck to see him. To her, he really didn't seem all that intimidating. Azleyla grabbed people out of fright on a regular basis, and they ceased to intimidate her any longer, even a man like Korbin. She gazed off to where Graham had disappeared, and then back at the group.

"Flare, I need your assistance." she said quietly as she called out her Ponyta. The Fire-type snorted as she materialized, and gave the group the once-over. When she was satisfied that everyone was safe for Azleyla to be around, she nickered softly. Flare had sized up Korbin a tad longer than the others, probably because he was the closest to her trainer. He was the only one Flare hesitated on consenting Azleyla to be around. Azleyla gave a half smile to Korbin, then set off down the stairs to the kitchen and dining room area.

"This place sure is creepy, Flare." she whispered to her Ponyta, who snorted again. Azleyla detected a note of uncertainty in said snort, but ignored it to keep herself calm. She entered the dining area, and saw Graham investigating an old plate. Behind him was a small staircase, then led into a narrow hallway. Flare nickered, insisting that they investigate the hallway.

"Fine. But I'm calling out Senor, just in case." Azleyla said shakily, and called out her Gabite. Flare snorted in contempt, but made no comment, as none was needed to voice how she felt. Senor yawned as he emerged, and filed in behind Azleyla to the hallway. Azleyla cursed as she saw how narrow the passage was.

"I'm sorry, guys. I'll have to recall you..." she murmured, feeling the most scared since the voices in her head. She recalled her Pokemon, and climbed the short stairs, swallowing her fear. She was shaking as she followed the dark passage, until it led to a door with a peephole. Azleyla tried the doorknob, to find that there wasn't one. She blinked nervously, and stood up high on her toes to reach said peephole.

At first, she saw nothing but a dimly lit room. Then a figure. Two figures. Five figures. Seven. Ten. Twenty. She was glued to the door as they stepped into the light.

They were bloody, with flesh hanging off, their bones showing plainly. Most of their eyes were rotted away, or hanging from their sockets. Blood was oozing from every where, organs were hanging out. They didn't seem to be aware of Azleyla at first, but then somehow noticed her. One smiled cruelly, and motioned to the others.

Azleyla tried to pull away, but a mysterious force held her to the door roughly. She tried to scream, but her mouth was smushed against the hard-wood door. The force felt like hands on the back of her head.

One of the zombies shrieked in glee as they moved towards the door slowly. Azleyla was starting to hperventilate, which wasn't helping her issues in getting oxygen. Azlyela's eyes felt held open as she stared at the monsters, she was half-crying as she recognized one of the zombies as someone she new long ago. She started to sob, and muffle-scream at the same time.

"No! No! No! No! NO!" she sobbed as she pushed against the force. She fell to the ground sobbing in terror and grief. She sucked in a deep breath and screamed as loud as she possibly could.

A child's gleeful laughter sounded around Azleyla's ears as she cried, then faded out as it grew more sinister.

Azleyla lay crumpled on the floor.

(OOC: THIS WAS FUN TO WRITEE! ;D)
(OOC: This is only one of her greatest fears, actually. The fun thing about Leyla, is that she fears everything. SO if she was stupid enough to look through again, it'd most likely be completely different.)
 
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The light in front of Samrin's nose flickered and twisted in midair, casting contorted shadows around those in his proximity. While it was enough to ward off complete darkness, it was not enough to ward off the fear that came with being able to see only so far ahead of oneself. Korbin couldn't quite repress the shudder that wracked his body. He tried to keep it minimal, due to the fact that Leyla was still holding onto his arm. He did not want to appear to be an easily frightened, flighty coward. While he was not generally a testosterone-influenced roaring male attempting to attract mates, in this case he felt the urge to look appealing for her. He could not do that when he was quivering like a frightened insect. Helena picked up on the strange changes in his countenance and watched him carefully, suspicious. She may be only seven years old and mateless, but she could smell the testosterone rolling off of him that came with his attempt to impress this female. She wasn't sure she liked the change. For her entire life Korbin had been hers, and no one else's. Yes, she'd had to share him with his sister and two brothers, but that was much different than this.

Leyla's grip tightened to the point that it was almost painful. Korbin was about to ask her what was wrong when the voice of a young girl echoed in his mind. With a giggle, she spoke in a chilling façade of a child's voice. "Ooooh, new friends, new friends!" she giggled. "And there are a bunch this time! I'm gonna play with them all. Grandpa, look!" Korbin could have sworn her voice took on a far more animalistic quality towards the end of her statement. The worst part was that it wasn't over.

An authoritative voice answered, that of an old man who was in control. "Oh, dear we have more newcomers. I am terribly sorry, but I cannot let you leave until my granddaughter is satisfied. When she is done playing with you, I will let you leave. That is, depending on how much of you is left."

As though that was not unsettling enough, a whirlwind of voices surrounded Korbin's mentality. They all seemed to belong to children, but there was so much more to them. He shuddered visibly, causing Helena to chatter nervously. Already she could smell the sour scent of fear, one that rarely came from him. This excursion was just getting worse.

The voices continued, growing louder and louder until Korbin thought his sanity would snap under the pressure. Suddenly the male voice rang out again. "Silence! I am sorry, but you must play with all of my offspring. It is only fair. Hmm. Good luck, then." With that the voices left his mind without any sign that they had been there, besides a light sheen of sweat on his skin and a speeding heart rate.

His breath coming in shallow gasps, Korbin struggled to get a firm grasp on himself. They were just voices. Ghost Pokemon, most likely, he reasoned. Gastly were known for their ability to enter the human mind and toy with it, as were its evolutions. And the fact that Helena seemed perturbed but not as frightened as the humans around her suggested that she had been unaffected. Samrin seemed to have been immune to the invasion as well; he surveyed his master with a look that seemed to deem him pathetic. Korbin glared back, causing the Vulpix to snap his gaze back in front of him. He may have moments of disrespect, but he knew when Korbin was not to be questioned.

It did appear that others had experienced the voices as well, which made Korbin feel somewhat better. At least he knew he hadn't been hit by a sudden bout of schizophrenia. He then realized Azleyla was still holding onto his arm, though with a gentler grip, and she had moved even closer than him. Though he knew it was likely in response to fear of the voices, his blush returned and he cleared his throat nervously. Then she seemed to realize that his arm was still within her grasp. She released him quickly and backed away a bit. While this caused his blush to fade slightly, strangely he wasn't as pleased about it as he would have thought he should be.

"It's quite alright," he answered her, hoping that his reluctance didn't show in his voice. Helena, however, noticed the slight inflection. She regarded him cautiously and bit his ear decisively. He yelped and turned his head quickly, taking his ear out of her reach. "What's wrong with you, Hel?" he said as he covered his ear with his hand. She hissed at him and hopped down onto the floor. Insulted and somewhat hurt by her strange behavior, he recalled her reluctantly. If she was too angry to ride on his shoulder he couldn't let her walk, not in such an unpredictable situation.

When Leyla sent out her Ponyta, apparently named Flare, Korbin watched her carefully. If Helena had gone crazy, who was to say Flare wouldn't as well? And he would far rather be bitten by a Sneasel than stomped by a Ponyta. He could feel her eyes on him, sizing him up. When she looked away he breathed a sigh of relief and realized he'd been holding his breath with unease. He would have laughed aloud, if it wouldn't have contributed to his growing suspicion that he would go insane here.

As it had already been established that Team Light would go down, his basic path was lined out ahead of him. Or at least, that was what he argued with himself as he began to follow Leyla and her Ponyta down the stairs leading to the kitchen area. Samrin walked ahead of him several steps, illuminating his path. Flare's mane and tale created a halo of light even further ahead. With the extra brightness Korbin could see the way the wood of the stairs had warped with time, and cobwebs stretched from the floor to the ceiling in some places. Being able to see the house, however, helped to alleviate some of his fear. Ridiculously, he was reminded of a novel he had read when he was younger. Rose Red, it had been called. It was about a house, a living house that had a taste for killing those who set foot within it. Now was not the time for him to be thinking about this, however; if there was one way to unnerve himself when trapped within a potentially dangerous house, it was to think of another potentially dangerous house that had killed people.

The stairway eventually let out into the dining room. It was a beautiful room that still held signs of its former grandeur. In the very center of the room was a large dining table large enough to seat at least two score people. It looked as though it had been carefully and lovingly set for someone who would be coming to dinner as soon as tonight. In the center of the table was a vase of flowers. Something was wrong with it, but he couldn't quite figure out what. After a few moments it came to him; all of the flowers were alive and well. With the passage of time they should have dried up and wilted. Someone had been here recently. That, or the flowers were fake. He gathered his resolve to extend his arm and feel the petals of one, to find out. But he simply could not. In this case, he would far rather be ignorant than find out the frightening truth.

Leyla's hysterical voice broke him out of his reverie. It was almost as though he was propelled by an external force. He returned Samrin quickly and sprinted directly to the hall she had gone down, ready for a fight. When she came into view he saw no ghosts or monsters, but the adrenaline coursing through his veins still kept him on edge.

"Leyla!" he said urgently as he knelt next to her. "Leyla, what happened? Are you alright? Talk to me." He pushed her chin up gently with one hand, searching her face for any clue as to what had happened to her. When he saw none he pulled her tightly against him in a gesture of protection. In any other situation he would have been far more reluctant to be so open with her, but this was not any other situation. Things were different in here, and he had already developed a sort of intrigue with Leyla. He would not stand to see her harmed, even if the assailant was invisible.
 
As Mark was about to walk upstairs, He overheard Amarantha talking to snype... "So you're a Sableye," she observed. "Healthy, too. I don't suppose you'll tell me the secret between you and your trainer?" *!* Mark was shocked that she was able to eavesdrop so easily..."We were quieter then the dust on the floor..." Mark said in his head. It would be difficult to make plans with Snype if she could hear everything they said. To make matters worse, They were on the same team.

"Snype, Go scout upstairs. I'll meet up with you in a bit." Mark told snype. After giving Mara a short blank glare, having his aura sensed, He responded to mark's request and crawled swiftly upstairs. As soon as Snype had left, Mark walked up to Mara and spoke to her quietly... "Listen... I don't know what you heard when I was talking to snype, But I thought I'd let you know, that I really... can't stand nosy people... What me and Snype discuss isn't yours, or anyone elses business...alright? After giving the blindfolded girl a sharp glare, Mark quickly moved upstairs to follow his partner.

Inside the Center door was a long hallway with about 7 doors. "Snype?! Snype! Where are ya?" Mark quietly yelled. There was no response, Just echos of his own voice. "Blast it... Where did he run off too..." He said very uneasily this time. As mark searched around the hallway for Snype, A door caught his eye... For whatever reason, A child's hand print was on it. The Chateau was supposed to be abandoned...Nobody else would be here... Let alone a child. Though Mark's Train of thought Immediately came to a halt when something had Latched onto his legs. "What the...Gah!! Let go of me!...What the..." The stealthy pokemon gave off a hysterical laugh as it relased its grip and jumped out of the shadows. It was Snype, waiting for the right moment to pull off a small prank on mark.

"Comon snype... do you really want me to take my word for calling ghost pokemon a bunch of pranksters?" Snype just gave a short chuckle as if he didn't care either way. Mark also gave off a short laugh. "Alright snype, Take a look in one of the other rooms. That'll save us alot of time. Go in whatever door you want, Just make sure it's not occupied." Mark told Snype. Snype gave off a rather worried look to mark though. "Don't worry I'll be fine" Mark replied to him. "Here, how about taking a look inside that really Clean door to the right? Who knows, You might find something inside there... I'll meet you back in the center of the hallway." He Obeyed the command and crawled through to the Cleanest door on the right side of the hallway while mark continued inside of the door he chose...
 
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Leyla looked up at Korbin when he pulled her chin up with teary, red eyes. She felt completely embarrassed that he saw her this way, her make-up probably running terribly, but she would fix it when she calmed down.

Azleyla answered Korbin's act of comfort by throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder. She couldn't think straight, she couldn't even speak to explain what had happened at the moment. She just kept sobbing, the images of what was on the othe side of the door replaying through her head over and over.

Azleyla felt her Pokeballs twitch slightly, as if her Pokemon were answering her cries of distress without breaking the bonds of their Pokeballs. She tightened her grip on Korbin's neck slightly, then released. Her crying spell had ceased for the moment, she pulled out a tissue from her backpack and started to dab the wetness away, along with eyeliner that she would re-apply later. When she was finished, she finally found her voice again.

"K-Korbin, don't... don't l-look through that p-peep-hole. J-just, d-don't. I.... " Leyla shook her head mournfully, and a single tear fell again. "When I looked through that Arceus-forsaken hole... I saw something I would wish on nobody. And a force held me there, it felt like a little girl's hands were pushing against the back of my head, making me watch. The worst part... was the giggling.... she - it was laughing at my horror."

Leyla hung her head slightly. "What is this place?" she whispered.
 
Unnerved by the severity of Leyla's panic, Korbin glanced around again in search of the source of her fear. He found nothing but cobwebs, rotting wood, peeling paint, and a door without a knob. Without any hint as to what had happened he turned his full attention back to her. "It's alright, there's nothing there," he murmured soothingly. But even as he spoke he knew that couldn't be true. Leyla would not be in this state if there was nothing there, and neither would doors shut on their own, or would flowers that should be decades old remain alive and healthy. For now, however, Leyla was his concern. He tightened his embrace as she pressed her face against his neck. Her tears were likely going to ruin his dark blue button-down shirt, perhaps the black vest he wore over it. But despite the price tag that had been attached to the clothing, it was the least of his concern.

Though he had never excelled at comforting, Korbin's softer side came out now. He stroked Leyla's hair gently and spoke soft words of comfort in an even, steady tone. Then she interrupted his calm by warning him not to look through the hole in the door. He furrowed his brow, confused. If what had frightened her was behind the door, why had it not come through at her? The only answer he could think of was that its objective had been purely to frighten her. If that was the case, it was surely something with a bark worse than its bite, so to speak. Why else would it resort to such scare tactics?

"There's nothing in there that can hurt you," he insisted as she pulled away and dried her tears. Logic dictated that he could talk her into a state of calm, that he didn't need to demonstrate. But just as he had been unable to bring himself to touch the flowers, an unseen force compelled him to approach the door, to brace his hands against the dusty, splintered wood, and to peer into the hole.

It took several moments for his eyes to focus. When they did, the first thing he noticed was his younger sister. Seemingly out of nowhere, his two brothers came forward out of the darkness to stand next to her. The image was quite convincing -- perfect, in fact. Fyora's dark-furred Sneasel, Razor, was perched on her shoulder, glaring at everything and everyone. Darin and Esthin stood next to each other, exchanging playful punches that soon turned into a spat, accompanied by insults to one another. Just as Fyora told them to calm down before she set Razor upon them, a tall, muscular figure charged out of oblivion, launching itself at Darin. It seized him by the throat with its left hand and began to punch him repeatedly in the face with the other. Korbin immediately began to struggle with the door, to force it open. Something was hurting his little brother, and after it got through with him it would surely go after the other two, none of them were safe…

…and then the figure turned so that he could see its face, and his blood ran cold. He was staring into his own eyes, except that they were wide with madness, fury, and exhilaration. His hair was sticking up wildly in all directions, and blood from Darin's ruined nose and split lips splashed his face. Darin cowered on the floor, whimpering and pleading. The sound drove Korbin mad. He began to shove his shoulder into the door and push with every ounce of strength he possessed. As much as he knew he would be able to push harder if his eyes were not focused on the hole, he could not tear himself away. He could hear a low moaning sound that after a moment, he realized was coming from him. As pathetic as he knew it was, he couldn't stop.

The apparitions of Fyora and Esthin rushed at the other Korbin. Esthin grabbed his right arm, and Fyora his left. With a roar he pushed them both away and seized Esthin by the hair. Korbin's assault on Esthin then began. He struck him repeatedly in the gut, causing him to double over in pain. That brought him to the perfect level for Korbin to slam his face into his knee. Esthin fell, gasping and coughing up flecks of blood. The image of Korbin turned his attention to Fyora. The real Korbin's eyes widened and his struggles grew more frantic, though this time to pull away. Fyora was his baby sister, and he had always felt a need to protect her beyond that which he did with his brothers. He already knew that this was not, could not be, real. But all the same he felt a hysterical panic at the prospect of being forced to watch the scene unfolding before him.

The Korbin behind the door raised a hand and Korbin cringed, a scream building in his throat. His counterpart paused, then withdrew a gun from his belt. Korbin cried out in earnest now, pushing against the door violently. Fyora looked up at the image of Korbin with wide eyes, tears rolling down her face.

"Big brother, what did I do?" she asked in a small voice, reminiscent of when she was young and he would deny her the privilege of entering his room. Korbin behind the door laughed coldly and raised the gun, pointed it between her eyes…

Just as the gunshot rang out Korbin wrenched himself away and backed himself against the wall, his hair falling in his face. This was just as well; it helped to hide the tears in his eyes. His breath came in rapid, uneven gasps and his skin was stark white. There was a pounding in his ears that could be identified as the sound of his own galloping heartbeat.

"N-nothing that can hurt you," he repeated, his voice cracking and unsteady. No, there was nothing in that room that could cause him or anyone else harm; the monster was outside the door, backed against a wall by his own fear. It had taken him twenty years to get his temper under control. When he failed to keep hold of himself, he changed. The reasonable, controlled, stoic man he was disappeared, replaced by a ravaging monster with no regard for who became the target of his wrath. His greatest fear had always been that he would lose control and hurt someone he loved, and the people who meant the most to him were his siblings, particularly his sister.

Now, he relived the waking nightmare: how he had come home angry one night when he was seventeen. How he had shoved Fyora out of the way when she tried to get in his path and calm him. How her arm had been twisted by the impact, nearly dislocating her shoulder. And how Darin, fiercely protective of his twin sister just as Korbin himself was, had confronted him with a fist to his face. The affair had ended with a broken nose, two black eyes, and a broken rib on Darin's part, and a demon he would never live down for Korbin. The scene behind the door had been a reenactment of that night; bloodier with more victims, but a reenactment all the same. The thought that occurred to him, if he had not brought himself under control that night it could have turned out much the same way as the scene behind the door. The prospect caused him to break out in shivers as hot tears stung his eyes. Dimly, he was aware that he appeared pathetic to the eyes of others. But he was far too shaken to care. A strangled sob tore out of his throat, which he caught quickly. He would not cry, especially not in front of Leyla. He straightened up and cleared his throat.

"My apologies," he said hoarsely. "My reaction was more dramatic than the situation entailed."

Despite the façade of regained control, however, inside he was trembling, begging for the release of unrestrained tears. No matter how much he fought, the urge would not go away. He clenched his fists and looked down at the floor, his breath still hitching from his attempts to keep his emotions out of sight.
 
Azleyla gave a half-smile to Korbin, and stood up, brushing dust and dirt from her clothing in an attempt to make herself more presentable. She stepped up to him, and put her small hand on his chest in a small gesture of comfort, as it would be too awkward to hug him or hold him.

"I don't you not to look through the door..." she murmured, craning her neck to see up into his face. His eyes were twitching slightly, and since Azleyla lived mostly in a world of restrained feelings, she could tell it was to keep from crying.

"And it's quite alright, to show your emotions like that to me, Korbin. I just sobbed in your arms while you held me, I'm the one who should be embarrassed." Azleyla said, shrugging. She glared at the door behind him, and removed her hand from his chest. She stepped up to the door, as if she would look through it again, and gave a loud cry, then punched the door with all her might. It left a slight scuff mark, and bruised her knuckles, but relieved her of some of the emotional distress that had built up when she witnessed her fear.

"Let's go. I... just can't look at that door any longer." she said quickly, and grabbed his hand without shame. She pulled him down the narrow hall and down the steps, back into the dining room. She sighed as there was space to move around again, then called out her Ponyta again to supply light.

Flare snorted as she appeared, and glared at Korbin with unmasked distaste. She nickered to Azleyla, basically telling her to 'ditch the dude and explore on your own', but Azleyla ignored her as she let go of Korbin's hand.
 
That Azleyla did not condemn him for his momentary breakdown caused Korbin's respect for her to magnify significantly. Considering the circumstances, he would not have complained if she would have embraced him in a gesture of comfort. It was, however, an odd motion for a female to make to a male, much less two people that had known one another for so little time. He was at least glad for her hand on his chest. Her touch kept him grounded in reality. He covered her small hand with one of his own, his palm large enough to hide her hand completely. Once again the proportional difference may have been comical in any other situation, but at the moment Korbin didn't feel much like laughing.

"You did," he admitted. "But there is no need to be even the slightest bit perturbed. That door is hellish work. I don't know what it is, or why it's here, but it's not natural. Most of the stuff thus far can be attributed to Ghost Pokemon, I'm fairly sure. But this… I suppose it could be, but they would have to be incredibly feral and malicious." He shuddered at the implications as he released her hand. Now he felt more in control of his thoughts, his emotions, and that placed him back on his feet seamlessly. While Leyla's back was turned he wiped his face roughly, eliminating all traces of his tears. In an impressive display of strength and fury she struck the door, leaving a scuff in the wood.

In the next breath she grasped his hand and pulled him out of the small hallway of the door, into the larger dining room. His heart began to pound slightly faster than usual again, though from something not even related to fear this time. When they came to a stop she did not release his hand immediately, and he did not make her. But he did feel incredibly uneasy when she released her Ponyta again. The equine Pokemon was only about nine hands tall, but she was still large, and that didn't stop her from having searing hot breath or hooves as hard as diamonds. And it was no secret that she did not like him; he may not have much experience with Ponyta, but her expression was unmistakable. Korbin even felt a bit of relief as she relinquished her grip on his hand. There would be less reason for Flare to dislike him now.

"She's bright, but I wouldn't want her to have to light everything on her own," he said. He withdrew one Great Ball and an Ultra Ball and released their inhabitants. Samrin the Vulpix made an appearance again from the Great Ball. From the Ultra Ball, a Zorua materialized. It glanced around quickly, assessing the situation, then realized that there was not only a new trainer, but a new Pokemon. He sniffed the air around both of them and made a soft barking sound that communicated his curiosity to his master.

"Behave, Ignotus," he warned. "This is Leyla, and that is Flare. You're out to use either Thunder Fang or Fire Fang, which is your choice, to keep our way lighted. Flare and Sammy will be helping. I want you to stay on the side opposite Samrin. There will be no fighting between the two of you."

Ignotus yapped in agreement and waited for Samrin to decide where he wanted to be. Samrin eyed Leyla's pockets and began to move to stand on the other side of her, but Korbin made a soft click that got his attention and shook his head. With a discontented growl Samrin positioned himself in front of Korbin, where he could see him. "That's better," Korbin said softly.

Korbin looked back down at Leyla, keeping track of where Sammy was at all times. "Which way do we go now?" he asked her. "We could get a better look at the dining room, or we could go down a different hallway."
 
Azleyla glanced at her Ponyta, who was not eyeing Korbin anymore, but his Vulpix. She snorted half in contempt, and half in a warning to stay away from Azleyla. Leyla put a hand on her mane to calm her down.

"I'm sorry, she's usually not this anti-social." she apologized to Korbin quietly. "She's almost to evolution, and she's getting anxious. She won't harm you, but she'll eyeball you a lot." Flare was too busy staring down Samrin to hear Leyla's talking. Leyla was thining about where they should go, the hallways or just explore the dining room some more.

"Uhm, I vote to explore this dining room some more." she answered Korbin's question after a minute of deep thought about the outcomes of both scenarios. She then called out her Absol. The white and black Pokemon looked around the room, then back up at her trainer. She fell in line in front of Azleyla.

"My Absol's amazing at exploring in dark or dimly lit rooms." she explained to Korbin. "I also believe that she can see things our human eyes cannot, like whatever is out to scare us." Azleyla bent down to get on Abby's level.

"Okay, Abby, we're on a special mission here. If you see anything like a Ghost-type Pokemon, or anything else we might not be able to see, I'd like you to tell me, okay?" she told her Pokemon, who nodded and took lead.

Azleyla smiled at Korbin once more before they began their exploration.
 
As she made her way upstairs, she felt an unseen presence watching her. Arisa shivered slightly, knowing her other team members were likely feeling the same thing. If only she could warn them, somehow...but that would make her sound just like Gardenia, and then where will she be? She didn't want them to get hurt. She only wanted to protect them from harm.

'Protect them? Silly girl...you couldn't even save her, so what makes you think you can protect these people? They're far more capable than you. If anything, they'll be the ones getting you out of trouble.'

She shook her head to clear it, but she knew it would do her no good. Even so, she was determined to get these people out in one piece. She only hoped that they wouldn't have to explore the whole thing.

'You really are pathetic, aren't you? Why even bother? You haven't even tried to interact with them in any way, so why should they even think twice about you? Two of them have already started to form a kinship of sorts. Yes...it makes you sad, doesn't it? Does it make you feel lonely, Arisa? Do you wish you still had someone by your side who cared about you? Too bad...'

It was true, she did feel lonely at times. It had been a long time since she had someone she could talk to. But, she would persevere, for her sister's sake.

Abruptly, she realized she had reached the second floor. There was a hallway, lined with a variety of doors. Some looked creepy, through and through. There was only one normal-looking door and she was tempted to go inside it. But this was the Old Chateau, and who knew what could be behind that door?

Her eyes were drawn to a door at the end of the hall. That one had three large gashes on it. There was something about it that seemed familiar.

"W-what are you doing? Put that down! Are you listening to me?!"

"Heehee...no escape...no escape..."

"No! Snap out of it! We can get through this, together! Please! I'm begging you!"

"I want blood...pretty, pretty...see it splatter on the wall...heehee..."

There was a sickening thud and a long, agonized scream that went on without end.

Arisa was trembling. This was no ghost playing tricks on her. These were her own memories resurfacing after being buried in her mind for years. But what was bringing them out? Was it the Old chateau? No...something told her it was something else entirely. She would investigate to find the cause of it.

She took a deep breath and crossed the hall to the mutilated door. Already, she could sense something sinister behind it. But perhaps she might get something out of this. Even so, she felt exposed. It would be better to have one of her partners with her. She took out a Pokeball and sent out her Espeon, also known as Jupiter. There. That made her feel a little better.

The Sun Pokemon took one look at the door in front of it and it hissed savagely, its fur standing on end. Arisa reached down and put a hand on its head to try to calm it down. It worked, to an extent. It was still wary even after Arisa released it.

She opened the door slowly and stepped inside with her Espeon. As she took her first step into the pitch-black room, the door slammed shut behind her, plunging the two into complete darkness. Arisa held her Espeon close and braced herself for the worst.
 
Azleyla's explanation caused Korbin to relax visibly; he hadn't wanted a scuffle to break out. He wasn't so concerned for Samrin, though, as he was Leyla. During the heat he would find a moment to snatch something of hers and stow it away somewhere. In all likelihood, he would forget where, and it would be lost forever. And Samrin was not particular in what he stole. It could be something vitally important, or a mere trinket that the person wouldn't even miss. As luck would have it, he more often than not went for the things that would be detrimental to miss.

"It's alright, Leyla," he answered just as softly. "I know how that goes. I've seen just the most docile Pokemon get impossibly irritable right before its evolution. It must be somewhat uncomfortable. Then again, being faced with the prospect of an entire physical and mental change would be uncomfortable, as far as I'm concerned."

Korbin examined what he could see of the dining room while Leyla called out her Absol for protection. The room was so large, it was hard to believe they could ever explore every corner. But they could at least discover the most prominent secrets it held. And if they couldn't cover everything during this excursion, Korbin knew that he would be back. Just as he had been taken by the beauty of the house from the outside, he longed to know everything that the house was hiding. Even with the horror of the room behind him, he wanted to know more.

"I'd better let Helena back out," he said finally. "She's going to be unhappy with me for leaving her in her ball for this long already." Her ball was the least often used, seeing as she was usually just allowed to stay out. But it was always close at hand. He withdrew her Luxury Ball and released her from it. When she materialized she shook her head and glared at him, but jumped onto his shoulder nonetheless. "Don't bite me again," he warned her. She sighed and nodded her head in a gesture of agreement. Obviously she felt guilty for what she had done, just as Korbin felt guilty for making it happen, however he'd done so. But it appeared that it wouldn't happen again.

It was then that Helena realized Leyla was still there. She didn't make a fuss this time; she chattered discontentedly, but more to herself than anyone else. Then, for the sake of good manners, she climbed to Korbin's other shoulder and purred in a gesture of greeting. "She says hi," he translated.

Now that they were ready, he had Samrin generate the same ball of flame, and Ignotus use a dim but continuing Fire Fang. His muzzle seemed to be on fire, but he never complained, seeing as it did not hurt him. Korbin crossed the room to the table again, fascinated by the way it seemed to still be in use. He picked up one of the plates and examined it, following the intricate, elegant patterns along the edges. It was rather beautiful, but at the same time it was somehow disturbing. There was not a speck of dust on it and it was gleaming with cleanliness, something that couldn't be achieved even after a week of disuse.
 
((OOC: Yay, first post! This is sounding fun already.))

Reni straightened and pulled the shining blue gem out of the wall. It was shaped like a pentagon and looked very pretty. Reni couldn't believe her luck. She pulled a drill out of her Explorer's Kit and attached the smallest drill bit. Carefully, she put a small hole in the top of one of the spikes and proceeded to put a thread through it and tie it around her neck. It was the coolest thing she had ever worn!

"This should impress those other REPO recruits! I can't wait to get there... Wait a moment..." Reni gasped as she looked at her watch. "Oh gods, i'm late! Perfect! Just perfect!" She packed up all of her stuff and put it in her Explorer Kit, grabbing an Escape Rope before she clasped it shut. The next thing she remembered after a lot of spinning was standing in front of the Pokemon Center in Eterna City. Without pausing, she ran towards the forest.

A few minutes later Reni was in a very green environment choked with trees and shrouded in mist. She followed the path until she saw her destination in the distance: The Old Chateau. It was so ancient and decrepit that she thought it was a wonder that it was still standing. Trees grew wildly along the sides of the building, their growth clearly unhindered by the seemingly solid building. The two-floored gothic styled building had a purple roof, dappled with the shadows cast by the tree branches above. There were several windows coated in a thick layer of dust. Standing guard outside of the front door was an iron gate, complete with spikes at the top. All in all, Reni thought it was a creepy, scary looking place.

As she approached the gates, she noticed the other nine recruits standing next to them looking at two figures arguing fiercely. One of them was the Eterna City gym leader, Gardenia. She was yelling at a tall, blonde man who looked about 32. Reni moved closer into hearing range.
"It's suicide!" Gardenia looked a little desperate as she yelled. "I refuse to allow anyone to take a step into that building! I will stop you Darrius!" Reni recognized the man as the leader of REPO, Darrius.

"Step aside Gardenia. I don't want to hurt anyone." Darruis spoke to her like she was a small child who had no idea what she was saying.

Gardenia looked at him furiously. "You don't want to hurt anyone?!" she cried.
"That's bullcrap! If you send them in there then they'll ALL be endangered! I'm the one that's keeping people safe!" Darrius shook his head and suddenly noticed the new recruits.

"Hi recruits…It appears that we have a bit of a problem… Would you assist me?" he asked kindly.

Gardenia glared at him and pulled out a heap of Pokeballs. "You asked for it..." She threw them all into the air and they arced towards the other recruits. Suprised, they all responded by pulling out Pokeballs of their own and began to fight. Reni blanked that all out as one landed a few feet from her and spurted out a beam of white light. It formed into a massive lump with four tubes that appeared to be legs. It also had eight pink tentacles around its neck and some markings on its skin that looked like its eyes, which she noticed were actually the yellow dots on the black part of its head. It raised it's head and let out a cry: "Cradily!"

"Oh, eew, is that ugly or what?" Reni cried. "Camerupt, come out to play!" she grabbed one of her Pokeballs from her belt and threw it into the air, materialising a large camel like Pokemon with volcanoes on it's back instead of humps.

"Cradily, you're on your own!" yelled Gardenia as she struggled to control so many battles. Cradily looked at Reni and snorted.

"Ok Camerupt, lets go! Use Overheat and then charge it!" Reni shouted while glaring at the Cradily in a deadly way. Camerupt got a determined look on her face and reared it's head back, throwing it forward and sending a stream of burning fire mixed with a bit of lava at the Cradily. The Cradily was hit and let loose a painful cry. Camerupt darted forward to tackle the barnacle Pokemon, but it recovered surprisingly quickly and their heads collided painfully.

"Jump back Camerupt, try hitting it with a Stone Edge attack!" Camerupt lumbered back a few steps and shot a heap of pointed rocks at Cradily. It roared and finally retaliated by turning a dark shade of purple and firing a lump of disgusting waste that landed on Camerupt's back. It sunk into it's volcanoes and it cried out loud. The good news was that it didn't look like he was poisoned. The bad news was that it attacked again instantly by psychically pulling large chunks of earth out of the ground and sending it at Camerupt, who was thrown back a few feet.

"It looks like it's weakened by using two attacks in a row." Reni thought. "Camerupt, use Earthquake to finish it off!" Camerupt jumped high into the air and came down hard, leaving massive cracks branching off to the sides that split open a bit. A shockwave of yellow rings rippled out and hit Cradily head on. It was thrown back a few feet and hit the ground. It didn't move again.

"Yes!" Reni cried, jumping into the air and hugging her Camerupt. "You did great! Go for a rest now, you deserve it." She held out Camerupt's Pokeball and she disappeared in a white light. Looking around, Reni saw that every other trainer had won too. It didn't look like Gardenia was good at battling so many at once. Gardenia held out her Pokeballs one by one, and the Pokemon disappeared.

Gardenia sighed and hung her head. Almost immediately she looked back up again, a fierce glare in her eyes. Reni thought she looked a little crazy. She chuckles sadly and walked off, before shouting, "Don't say I didn't warn you…" Darrius smiled and turned towards the recruits.

"Thanks guys! I was really having trouble with her. She was spouting nonsense about the place being haunted, and about how none of us will make it out." Darrius faltered and shook his head sadly. "Hmph. Alright, now it's time to separate you! Arisa, Mark, Korbin, Amarantha and Reni. You are on Team Shadow. Rho, Azleyla, Maxwell, Graham, Zach. You will make up Team Light. Are you ready to go?" He looked at the group, most of whom nodded enthusiastically. "ALRIGHT, LET'S GO!"

They began to walk to the gate, Reni hanging around the back of the group. As they approached it, Darrius rushed forward and pushed it open wide. They all walked inside and proceeded to walk up the creepy, mist clogged, overgrown path. One of them barely touched the door, and it swung open with a loud creaking sound. Reni felt a little creeped and she thought about Gardenia's warning. She managed to hide it though, and walked in after the rest. Darrius was about to come in, but suddenly stopped. Then he turned and walked back to the gate.

BANG. Reni spun around and saw that the door had slammed shut. She ran over to it and tried to open them, but they were sealed shut. They were locked in, and the darkness was complete...
 
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