Chapter 23: VS. Spiritomb! *pokemonelite2000 image removed*
"Spiritomb, the Forbidden Pokemon. Spiritomb is a Ghost/Dark-type Pokemon that has no type weaknesses. Its signature attack is Dark Pulse."
"A Pokémon that was formed by 108 spirits. It was bound to a fissure in an Odd Keystone as punishment for misdeeds 500 years ago."
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Diamond stood in disbelief of the purple, floating vortex Pokemon. Although he had been in intense battles before, Diamond never faced anything as menacing as this Spiritomb was. He stepped back as the ghost slowly neared him, groaning in an intimidating way.
"
Think, Diamond, think. What can I do to stop this thing." Diamond looked down and noticed the Breeding Center elder, "Ah
, I totally forgot about him. Now I have to protect him, too." His eyes quickly glanced up at Spiritomb, only to find out that it was preparing an attack!
A transparent, purple energy sphere appeared in front of Spiritomb's crooked mouth. After about ten seconds in charging up the attack, Spiritomb fired the Dark Pulse towards Diamond.
Instinctively, Diamond duck, wrapping his arm around the man. Once the attack had passed by, he picked up the man as he carried him on his back, similar to the way a father would piggyback his child, "Ah! This is going to be tough!" He ran up the steps as Spiritomb floated quickly after him, moaning angrily at the boy.
Diamond glanced behind his back while carrying the man, and noticed Spiritomb sending a few waves of blue energy at the boy.
Suddenly, Diamond's pace slowed as he ascended the steps until the point he collapsed, resting near the top of the staircase.
When this happened, he dropped the body of the elderly Breeding Center man, causing it to stumble and somersault down the steps and back toward the entrance of the Hallowed Tower.
Diamond lay there, asleep, because of Spiritomb's Hypnosis...
...
...
"A-a-ah? Wh-where am I?"
Diamond stood, looking around. Where exactly was he? One minute, he was in the Hallowed Tower, and the next, he was in some sort of cave, "Ah, well, I guess I better look around to find out, right?"
He stepped forward as he began to stroll the cave. Near the ceiling of the cavern, were lights, allowing the cave to be visible in its entirety.
After hours of endless strolling, Diamond paused as he peeked around the corner and saw four shadowy figures.
One of them was probably the most recognizable, as it was the shadow of Kirlia.
"Sam?" Diamond whispered to himself, wanting to get closer, but feared for his safety, "No, I'll wait and see what's going on..."
The next shadow was a Pokemon that Diamond was familiar with, but for some reason, couldn't manage to make it out. Next to this Pokemon was a tall man, dressed in a suit. Diamond could tell by the posture of the man, that this was his father.
"D-dad? He's alive?"
Finally, the shadow standing across from Sam, Diamond's father, and his Pokemon, was a tall man with a hairstyle shaped like a "U".
The man with the weird hairstyle spoke, "Listen, Mercury, you can't dare betr-"
"My name is not Mercury! My name is --"
"I could give a Rattata's ass what your name is. You are a part of Team Galactic and now you're going to up and betray us?" The man chuckled, "Heh, are you out of your mind?"
"No. I'm sane. You and your brother are the ones out of mind. You lied to me and said you wanted to create a better world for the good of mankind and Pokemon. Instead, Team Galactic just want a better world for themselves. I now realize that the world we live in now may not be perfect, but I know that this world has many beautiful things."
Sam's shadow shifted as it stood, ready for a fight.
"Saturn, you have to stop this..."
Saturn chuckled, "I'm afraid I can't. Actually, I'm not afraid. I won't stop. Never. Now, it's time you die."
"So be it..."
A small pop sound was heard as another shadow emerged in the light.
"Rhyperior, Horn Drill'em all!" Saturn's shadow disappeared as the Rhyperior roared, its drill coming close to making contact with Diamond's father.
"Dad! No! Look out!" Diamond got out of hiding, only to find out that nothing was there.
Nothing at all.
Suddenly the lights in the cave turned off as a cackle was heard from behind Diamond. A flash of lime green lights appeared behind Diamond, causing him to turn around and face Spiritomb.
Then, Diamond fell to his knees, grasping his head tightly, "Argh! Spiritomb tricked me! Ehh!"
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Diamond awoke from his slumber in a dark chamber, now suddenly lit. He quickly got to his feet, looking around for Spiritomb.
Finally, it emerged from the walls, floating around Diamond, groaning.
Diamond sneered, shutting his eyes, "Alright, enough of this. You pushed it too far, giving me that horrible nightmare." He reached into his pocket, pulling out Trident's Pokeball, "Now, it's time to put you to rest Spiritomb!"
He tossed the Pokeball forward, as it burst open, releasing Trident, his Prinplup. Trident placed his hands on his hips before saluting like a superhero, "Prin! Prinplup! Prin!"
Spiritomb wasn't fazed by this, and immediately shot another Dark Pulse beam in Trident's direction.
"Ice Beam!"
Trident opened its beak quickly, firing a beam of cyan blue ice at the Dark Pulse, causing a long stand still tie of both Pokemon firing their respective beams.
Meanwhile Diamond sneaked off behind Spiritomb, grasping for the Odd Keystone. Once Spiritomb recognized this, it relaxed itself from Dark Pulse. Two ghost like fist appeared in front of it as it punched Diamond in the gut repeatedly, using Sucker Punch.
Trident saw this and waddled quickly over to Spiritomb, both of its claws appearing from under its feather. The claws turned into a silver color, similar to that of metal. Bouncing up, Trident hacked and slashed at Spiritomb's face with its Metal Claw attack, to the point Spiritomb only focused on the Prinplup.
Diamond thudded to the ground after being punched, "Mmph!" He sat up, "OK, I need some help."
He reached into his pocket again, taking out Dex's Pokeball. He threw the ball at the wall as it burst open, freeing the Pachirisu.
"Dex, let's hold Spiritomb still! Discharge!"
Dex nodded as it moved from side to side, while releasing the wave of blue electrical energy. The wave wrapped around Spiritomb and then squeezed tightly onto it.
Spiritomb roared out in pain before dropping to the ground, temporarily paralyzed.
Diamond ran over to try and retrieve the Odd Keystone, but Spiritomb broke free of its paralysis, and launched at Diamond.
Diamond tried to skid to a halt, but ended up sliding right through the Ghost Pokemon and colliding with the wall, hurting himself.
He rested on the ground, while rubbing his head, "Ah, my head."
Spiritomb cackled loudly, preparing to attack. It opened its crooked mouth once more as Diamond gulped, holding up his hands to try and block any attack from being successful. Purple energy appeared in front of Spiritomb as it unleashed its--
...
...
Frozen.
Yes, frozen on the spot.
Trident's frozen fist was planted in the backside of Spiritomb as it slowly fell to the ground and broke into pieces of ice, scattered across the dusty floor. Trident exhaled deeply before saluting Diamond, "Prin! Prin!"
Diamond chuckled, "Thanks, Trident."
The frozen bits slowly disintegrated into the floor, as the Odd Keystone lay in front of Diamond, "Somehow, I think this Odd Keystone helps give Spiritomb its power. Phew, I'll never do that again. We most likely disturbed it in its slumber."
He stood, as a door magically appeared at the end of the dungeon. Diamond, Trident, and Dex slowly walked towards it, as Diamond read an inscription on the exit:
Spiritomb has been defeated by Trainers few
You are now one of them, congrats to you
You've proven to me that you have nerve
I trust you have the strength to save the world
Diamond stood there, confused and puzzled, "Was Spiritomb actually helping us?" He looked down to Trident and Dex as they nodded, guessing so.
"It trusts me to save the world? But...," he looked down and then opened the door, "Ah..." He was speechless, now thinking about the dream he had when Spiritomb used Hypnosis on him.
Was his father in actually trouble? And Sam, is he with him?
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Later, at the Breeding Center...
"Thank you so much, young man. I'm glad you learned plenty at the Hallowed Tower," the Breeding Center lady said, happily.
"I told you it existed," the elderly man said, dressed in a cowboy outfit, "All the other varmints thought I was crazy, but I knew!" He nodded at Diamond in approval.
Diamond chuckled and agreed, "Yes, thanks to both of you. By any chance, did a tall man dressed in a suit come by this town?"
The lady thought for a moment, "Oh! Yes! He came by to pick up an egg. He said it was to be a gift for his son, once he was an able trainer who not only was strong physically, but mentally. He had pale skin and blue hair, I recall."
Diamond blushed a bit, "Wh-when did you see him!?"
"Earlier this month actually! He said he's headed back west though so he's long gone."
Diamond nodded, still blushing, "OK, thanks. I'll see you guys later then?" He exited to Center as he headed north, thinking about his father while en route to Veilstone City.
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Meanwhile...
"Get these friggin' Psyducks off of me!!!"
A pile of Psyducks lay ontop of a smothered Pearl. He had been traveling North heading for Veilstone, but got sidetracked by the tens of thousands of Psyducks, blocking a route to another city.
"Somebody! Anybody!!!"
(Next:
Chapter 24: VS. Psyducks!)