No sooner after I had defeated Jack did I attempt to climb the steps of the final floor. Lucy was by my side just in case I needed her to fight any ghostly threat that awaited me and with Jack leading the way. I wanted him to try and locate the mysterious Marowak that had catered to Violet and his sibling when they were young.

Misty and Brock were attending to Blue and Penny's injuries, they were unconscious after my battle with Jack but their internal injuries from the fatal Curse placed upon them were fortunately not as fatal as we expected.

I wonder.... if the spirit of Raticate..

I shook my head and slapped my cheeks together to try and focus on my next goal.

Get it together Leaf.

I had to meet up with Red and Yellow, otherwise the combined threat of Marowak and Team Rocket would be more consequential.

"Which way after we climb the final floor, Jack?" I threatened with my Pokémon Lucy as his hands remained tied behind his back.

"This is it, this is the final floor." He encouraged with a nervous response.

I looked around, and as I paced around this hallowed room, my shoes tapped and echoed throughout. There was a mist that was beginning to develop the room around me. The halls screeched with a unearthly sound. I turned to look toward my right and noticed some charred mess that was created on the ground. In between that charred area remained the Silph Scope, an item that they procured from Team Rocket after their defeat in Celadon City. I picked up the device and placed it within my bag.

It seems they got distracted during the heat of battle and forgot to take it with them.

My friends had been battling at this location, but I could not see them anywhere. Then I remarked a staircase that was positioned toward the West side of the building. I veered around the tombstones of the Pokémon that had been laid to rest on what I sort of presumed was the final floor. Then I noticed that this staircase climbed up to it. The entrance toward another room level.

Looks like Red and Yellow already encountered her, they are on the final floor where the supposed Mr. Fuji may be... I'll need to climb up but she may still be around.

"You lied to me."

"What?" Inquired Jack with an apprehensive look.

"You lied to me, Jack."

"I didn't lie to you, this is as far as Trainers go, do you think that I would not tell you otherwise."

"If she is not here, then where is she?"

"She is here."

Just then, after Jack had said those words there was a loud hiss and a thud.

A door had shut and the locking mechanism had engaged, then a calm breeze blew through the inside of the building almost like there was a draft. The surprising thing about this encounter I had, was that there was no window or ventilation to have caused it.

"Anyone there?"

"Hahahahaha!" Guffawed a rather creepy voice that bounced acoustically around the gothic walls.

I turned to face the door that had been latched suddenly shut. There was movement from that door, it moved and slammed with frequency and the door handle churned and rumbled to life.

"Red, Yellow?"

No answer.

C'mon guys quit playing games.

I then realized that a rumble from above had indicated a battle taking place above the steps of the seventh floor. Dirt and debris were falling from between the stone cracks of the ceiling. Indicating that they were fighting Lieutenant Surge on the top floor. Confirming to me that it was not them messing with the door.

"Leave my children alone." Cried the disembodied voice behind me.

I panicked from that voice, it was so close to my ear as if she had whispered it to me.

"Lucy be on your guard."

My bug Pokémon nodded and used her senses to try and detect where this movement was coming from. She couldn't see her and neither could I. All that was left were noises and attention to detail of the interior.

Suddenly, after watching intently toward the North side of the building I bore witness to a bone being thrown across the room, the limb spun rapidly and struck my Pokémon from at the top of her head. She fell from the encounter and landed briskly on the ground unconscious from the throw that took us all by surprise.

"Lucy!" I shouted in fright.

I ran quickly toward her and just as soon as I reached in to grab hold of her limp body. She had levitated and was flown backward.

"Ugh—Lucy!" I shouted in the darkness, watching helplessly as my Pokémon had disappeared before my view. I knew that Mother had taken her as hostage. Just as quickly as she had been taken, I desperately pulled out Violet's Poké Ball and summoned him for a duel against this ghost. Violet had appeared and smiled, beyond exuberance. Since he knew that he would be able to meet his Mother again for one final time at her grave.

A silence had befallen after that encounter and I could tell that Mother was observing her child. She knew that he was in my care, but she didn't seem to like this one bit.

"Set him free." She shrieked from above the ceiling, still remaining invisible to the naked eye.

"I won't set him free, he chose me."

"He is NOT your child human!" She bellowed with a demonic growl.

The room had went dark and for a moment I could feel a chilling wind building up all around the room. Dust swirled and danced around my hair and Jack looked upon this encounter with a dumbfounded expression.

He was just as surprised about this encounter as I was. Mother would only reveal herself if you got close to the very top yet she was not revealing herself willingly to me. However, this lingering question never wavered.

If we had never encountered Mr. Fuji and he lies at the top of the tower. How did he get up there?

A question that had ached me ever since I had learned about his encounter. The Mother of All Souls did not take kindly to any human who dared enter with the intent of seeking her out. Otherwise they themselves would meet a fateful end.

She was using Red and Blue to try and free Lieutenant Surge of the Cubone at the top floor. This is why she is taking advantage of every step we took to try and free her children from bondage. If Lieutenant Surge had crossed the gate to try and meet with him. There had to be something important that the Lieutenant wanted to discuss with him.

Then once the midst had cleared from the billowing wind, a figure appeared in the darkness, her eyes glowed red. Her wicked smile crossing along her frame and a jagged look that was similar in shape to haunters had been three times his size.

She released a Night Shade attack and once the move had struck beyond the plane of the living. Violet was thrown back against the wall.

"Violet, Night Shade!"

The poor thing fell to the ground but quickly recovered his energy. Violet faced his parent and quickly emitted a powerful shade of darkness that had encompassed her frame.

"No! You know better than to be siding with humans!"

She pointed her hand toward her son and several volley's of bones flew from underneath the ground toward Violet.

Those volley's nearly struck where me and Jack had stood until Violet had intervened the hit of five or six of those volleys and as the final bone struck his crown. He was blown back by the sheer brunt of speed.

"Violet! Are you okay?"

"Silence human, this is discipline!"

"Discipline for what? He is reaching out to you and yet you are ignoring his feelings."

"Enough!" She seethed with another volley of bones that were levitated toward her son.

"Night Shade once more Violet!" I declared with a pointed gesture toward his target.

I could tell he was resisting to do this, he didn't want to hurt his Mother. However, her Spirit was showing unreason and would not try and talk this out with me. Her disdain towards humans had been the deciding factor and she would never let go of her vengeance.

Violet had released another shadowy power from outside of his gaseous frame and the expanding darkness that had been expelled had enveloped her. Encasing her bright fuchsia being as if electricity had stunned her soul. Her power had become weakened and she fell from the floor in eternal exhaustion.

"You infernal humans, you took EVERYTHING from me! My children, my home, my life! Why won't you give them back to me!?"

"They are not yours anymore! They lost you and now you have to move on—

"No! I refuse to leave them, they are all I have left. I must protect them."

"They are already under our protection, I know what Team Rocket did to you and your sons, but you must trust me."

"Never!" She howled.

Her body morphed into a funnel and spun towards me like a pin needle and thread piercing a sew into my being. This brunt force of will from her spiritual body flew me back, while Jack and Violet watched on in horror as I flung up against the hard physical wall.

My back did hurt from that attack and I nearly lost my breath that I couldn't move. Shaking free from the impact, I tried to regain my footing, but after that hit my body was physically weak.

"I am okay Violet, you helped me to gain courage, I am no longer afraid. Lick attack now!" I coughed while pointing for a move.

Violet obeyed and disappeared within view.

"What?..." Inquired Marowak.

He then reappeared swiftly behind her and unfurled his tongue for a long kiss on the cheek. His mother blushed from that gesture and quickly fell toward the ground in a complete Paralysis. Her face shared signs of sadness and loneliness that seemed to have been with her since her death.

The Mother of All Souls had fought her haunting domain for ten long years. She had become the thing of legend to the folk at Lavender Town. The very reason she stayed here was because someone who had witnessed the whole thing happen was kind enough to bury her here at the very top of the tower.

This man was the only human she respected.

I pulled out the Silph Scope from my bag, took my hat off of my head and placed the band over my hair, and adjusted the white goggles over my eyes to tighten the strap. I caught a glimpse of the apparition through the lenses and the viewfinder adjusted to the form in front of me. Once mechanical lenses finished adjusting the blur of the viewfinder. I could see her as clear as day.

She was transparent and white in color. Her skull still fitted around her head and her round body and limbs revealed her true form. Her red eyes appearing through the skull as this was what her mortal body had looked like during her younger years. She laid motionless, observing me with sad eyes.

I reached down and opened up my Poké Dex to try scan the creature. Based on the tech that was connected from the Silph Scope, Marowak's photo data was recorded into the computer and I could see her visage.

Incredible. I thought while taking off the device, analyzing the technology that was needed to stay connected to the Poké Dex's device.

This thing can simultaneously see ghosts and then record them?

I marveled at this tech and wondered who it belonged too? I also analyzed the logo that was inscribed on the outside of these goggles. A prestigious company in the region of Kanto had carried the two large S's with the inscription etched as follows.

Silph Company, huh, what do they know about the Poké Dex? Do they work with the prestigious Professor?

I would have never have guessed but there seemed to be some form of collaboration between them and later on I'll determine to you the inner workings. However, this company's headquarters is located at the heart of the large Saffron City and at the moment, I was dealing with a Pokémon that would not cooperate with me and was not at peace with her soul. I needed to figure out a way to calm her fear and realize that we meant no harm.

"Marowak." I called to her softly.

"I am sorry." I apologized with relent to her precious gaze as she rested pitifully along the concrete floor.

"Humans are cruel, I was one of those humans that did horrible things to both Pokémon and people. But I wanted to change, I wanted to try and free myself from the sins that bound me. If there was anyway I could take it all back, I would do so in a heart beat." I continued.

"Know this, I will free the Pokémon in this world from them both. There will be no death by their hand any further and there will be no strife. I will free the Pokémon that are entangled from them as penance for my mistakes."

"Do you really think it will be that easy to try and stop the world from turning?" Inquired Marowak.

"No, but I have to try..." I exclaimed with confidence.

Then Mother started to tear up, Violet got in close to Marowak. He too was very sad to see her Mother so unhappy in her state of being. He reached in and embraced her longingly. His eyes watering around his face in a complete mess. He had missed her and she had missed him.

A loud thud had occurred upstairs. Indicating that the battle was nearing completion.

"Let me say goodbye to my son Cubone upstairs, I didn't think that you both would be able to save my sons.... Thank you." She nodded to me with tears still falling from off her skull masked face.

I nodded to her and couldn't help but well up tears of my own.

The dark burden of the Curse she had claimed here had been rescinded and I could feel a hint of calm and serene follow around the room as I watched her ascend toward the top of the seventh floor of the tower.

"I didn't believe I would see them again, I didn't think I would rule with them again, but now that I see the will of your Pokémon Violet, I leave him within your care." She insisted as she phased through the ceiling and suddenly the room had fallen to a tranquility that was so calm and soothing.

Haunter had witnessed her disappear into the void, and desperately reached out in the hopes of meeting her soon. He didn't want her to leave, he pushed so hard to try and reunite them both with her. It was unfair, it shouldn't have been so absolute that she should leave him and his brother behind, but she had found peace within herself. Marowak had confirmation that her sons would be alright in the end.

"Do not cry my child, you and I are Spirits, we aren't too far away. Call out whenever you need me and I'll be right here."

My Pokémon nearly drooped in despair, he fell toward the ground and moaned loudly toward his Mother.

"Haunter!" He yelped with a pleading heart.

I reached down with my hands and placed him above the brim of my hat. His claws clung to the edges of the leathery material and he buried his wet face into it. I reached my arms up to surround him with warmth, this was probably the first time in a long time that he had to mourn the loss of his loved one. I did my best to try to calm his aching heart.

"You are never alone Violet, because you'll always have me." I exclaimed to him with softness.

He smiled and while he allowed his hiccups and tears to pass. I approached the locked door, pulling the hinges behind me as Jack followed. I opened it and walked up towards a spiral staircase that was different from the entrances of the other floors below. After opening the final door, it revealed seven individuals, Lieutenant Surge who was unconscious on the floor down a long corridor or hallway.

After observing him I looked to my left, there Red stood with his starter Pokémon.

Red?.... I observed with shocked apprehension.

I couldn't believe what I had seen; his Charmeleon was a different form. Instead of claws; he had wings and a spiked protrusion from the back of his head. His hind legs were more defined and his tail was thickened.

"..........."

"Your Pokémon, is that?—

"His final evolution stage? You are correct! His name is Charizard." Smiled Yellow with a happy tone.

I smiled back at him, feeling grateful to see them both with us after all the time we had been separated. They had accomplished there mission and what resulted was a Trainer that had grown so quickly. I hardly even recognized him at first. With the Cubone in hand, Red and Yellow had finished the task of securing him. I was also grateful that they had shown up at the right time.

Red has gotten strong. I remarked in thought.

If I had known he was going to get this strong, honestly I would have been training like crazy, but something brought him to a level that I could not quite understand.

He must have encountered Team Rocket while at Celadon City, but who else had the strength to put him to the test and accelerate his Pokémon's power? There is something about him, about his goals?... I then turned and observed Lieutenant Surge on the ground once more.

He's slowly becoming the Trainer he wants to be. I thought while smiling back towards him.

"Eh? You came to save me?" Questioned an unknown old voice that had finished a prayer in front of a tombstone.

I observed within the etching of this tombstone to be that of the Marowak that the old man had procured after Team Rocket had fallen from Violet's gruesome attack. The outside of her tomb etched as follows.

Here lies Marowak, a Mother to all who had cared and a protector to all who needed her.

So it was The Mother of All Souls that trusted the only human, and that old man was Mr. Fuji. He paid more respect to her than any other human, that's why he remained at the top of the tower for so long.

"Sorry about that?" I apologized.

"No need for formalities, I'm grateful." He smiled alongside the rather sullen and relieved Channeler right next to him."

"Well, we've been trying to find you—

"Thank you. But, I came here of my own free will. I came to calm the soul of Cubone's Mother. Though, it seems her inner turmoil has ceased and has gone to the afterlife. I thank you both for your kind concern." He squinted with wrinkled cheeks.

There could be no doubt, Mr. Fuji was the man I saw in Violet's vision. The caring old man that came to try and aid them and Cubone had been reunited once more. He was their Samaritan and showed more care and kindness then any other human toward her.

"Follow me to my home, the Pokémon House is at the foot of this Tower."

To be continued...

End Volume 8