(Grey's POV)
I stand before the massive stone doors of the Pokémon Tower, and the sight is a far cry from the lighthearted, abandoned mansion of the anime. This is the vertical fortress of the dead from the games, heavy with the scent of ancient stone and stagnant incense. While many of the local spirits are mere pranksters, the warnings from the townsfolk ring in my ears: some of the ghosts here are genuinely sinister, fed by centuries of mourning.
I am barely a few feet from the entrance when a man bursts through the doors, his face a pale mask of terror.
He nearly bowls me over, his hands trembling as he grips my jacket. "Don't go in!" he gasps, his eyes darting back to the shadows. "Men in black... a big red 'R' on their chests! They came in bulk, beating up everyone—even the elderly paying their respects. They're releasing Pokémon to corner the locals! They kept asking about Mr. Fuji... luckily, he was near the first floor and managed to sneak away further up. I just ran. Get out of here!"
He vanishes into the violet fog before I can even blink. I stand there, the silence of the outskirts pressing in. My first instinct is to turn and walk away. I am no shonen protagonist; I am a trainer trying to survive a world that is proving to be much more violent than I ever imagined. I want nothing to do with a criminal organization.
But then I look at the tower. I realize that the citizens inside have no protection. They are mourners and volunteers. If I don't move, they are at the mercy of goons who clearly have none.
I pull out my Pokégear and dial the emergency line for Celadon. "Jenny? It's Grey. Team Rocket is raiding the Lavender Tower. Hostages are being taken, and they're hunting for Mr. Fuji."
"Grey? Stay back! Do not engage!" her voice is sharp. "I'm mobilizing a response team, but it will take time to reach Lavender. Do not be reckless!"
"I'm going in," I counter, my voice steadying. "My objective is to free the civilians, not to fight a war. I'll stay within my limits, but the longer we wait, the more people get injured. I can't just stand here."
There is a tense pause. "Fine. But if you find someone too strong, you run. That is an order."
I cut the call and fire a quick chat to Derek near Celadon. Rocket raid. Lavender Tower. Get here if you can. I can't afford to be cautious anymore. Going into a hostage situation one-on-one is stupid.
I know that if Rocket sees a rare specimen like Axew, they'll try to steal him, but keeping him in his ball to "hide" him is even stupider—I need my full strength to guarantee my safety. I release all four of my Pokémon: Axew, Shellder, Meowth, and Exeggcute. They materialize in the dim light of the lobby, sensing my adrenaline. I give them a quick, serious briefing, and they all return a determined nod.
"Listen," I whisper. "Axew, Meowth—if ghosts interfere, use Night Slash. Exeggcute, you handle the Poison types with Confusion. Shellder, use Icicle Spear for crowd control to keep the grunts back and cover Exeggcute's flank. Exeggcute, keep Grassy Terrain up for healing. Axew, use Dragon Dance whenever you can find the space."
I give Meowth full leeway to steal from the thieves.
The ground floor is luckily empty, a hollow stone hall of silence. We move toward the stairs. Axew doesn't wait; he begins his setup immediately, performing two Dragon Dances as we ascend. His muscles coil with draconic energy, his speed and focus sharpening to a deadly edge. As we reach the first floor, the eerie atmosphere thickens, and I realize this is where the ghosts—and the nightmare—actually begin.
What I see on the first floor makes my blood boil. A large group of citizens is tied up like hostages near the headstones. Rocket grunts are systematically stealing their Pokéballs, breaking them open, and then beating the confused Pokémon that emerge. Once the Pokémon are weakened and bloodied, the grunts throw their own balls to claim them.
Some native ghosts are trying to fight back, but they are being swarmed by Zubats. Other ghosts—the sinister ones—are perched in the rafters, laughing. They aren't interested in helping; they are drawn to the fear and hatred filling the room, savoring the atmosphere the Rockets have created.
"Meowth, sneak around the shadows. The rest of you, move out."
I walk toward them calmly. It only takes a second before a grunt spots me. "Hey! New toy! Look at that dragon... that's a massive paycheck! Attack!"
The battle erupts instantly. "Shellder, Icicle Spear! Clear those Zubats!"
Shellder unleashes a relentless barrage of ice, knocking the bats out of the air before they can use Supersonic. Exeggcute immediately establishes a Grassy Terrain, the stone floor pulsing with a soft, healing green light. Then, he releases a thick cloud of Stun Spore. The paralyzed grunts' Pokémon become twitching targets.
Axew is a blur. With the momentum from his Dragon Dances, he rips through the enemy lines. He uses Night Slash, Dual Chop, and Slash in rapid-fire bursts. He doesn't need a second hit; his attacks are so overpowered that he is one-shotting everything in his path. The "prankster" ghosts seem happy to see the help, while the darker ones try to attack us, drawn to the fear I'm causing in the Rockets.
Axew makes quick work of them with a dark-coated Night Slash. He isn't getting time for more Dragon Dances, but he doesn't need them—nothing is standing after a single hit.
Meowth is doing one heck of a job. He isn't just fighting; he's jumping from grunt to grunt, using Fury Swipes on their faces to blind them before snatching their stolen Pokéballs right off their belts. He hurls the balls toward me, and Exeggcute uses Confusion to catch every single one mid-air, redirecting any bad throws into the bag I've kept at my side.
Exeggcute is a multitasking master. He's catching Meowth's loot, spreading Stun Spore, and using Confusion to crush any Poison or Psychic types that try to rally. The Rockets try to mix in Rattatas, but I call for Axew to use Rock Smash. He smashes through the rats with brutal efficiency, his fists cracking stone and bone alike.
I realize these are the bottom-tier goons. Their Pokémon—Rattatas for digging out of a steal, Zubats for Supersonic, and Koffings for smokescreens—are standard starter options, not meant for a coordinated battle against an elite-tier team.
They try to use Leech Life or Sludge, but my Pokémon beat them to the punch every time. Shellder throws in Counter Shields whenever multiple enemies try to swarm us, and Exeggcute follows up with a Psychic wave to knock them all out at once.
Slowly, the grunts' Pokémon are all defeated. Meowth has stripped them of their backup balls. One grunt tries to run for the stairs to warn the upper floors, but Exeggcute stops him with Confusion, holding him in mid-air. I step forward and land a solid punch, knocking him out cold.
"Meowth, knock the rest out," I command. Meowth moves through the remaining grunts with surgical precision. Exeggcute uses his range to keep the room silenced, shutting their mouths with psychic energy before they can yell for help.
Once the room is secure, Meowth frees the civilians. They look at me with a mixture of shock and gratitude. "Get out of here, quickly!" I tell them. "Officer Jenny is on her way. Direct the response team up when they arrive. Move!"
They nod, but before they go, I give them the Pokéballs we recovered. I don't know which Pokémon belong to whom, but I don't have time to sort it. I leave the unconscious Rockets to the mercy of the citizens. As I walk toward the stairs, I see the locals approaching the fallen goons with vicious, vengeful smiles. Whatever they have planned, I don't stay to watch.
I take a moment to give my Pokémon potions and scavenged supplies from the Rockets' bags. We've cleared the first floor, but the air is getting colder, the pressure of the ghosts above growing heavier.
"Axew, stack up your Dragon Dances," I order. The effects from the first skirmish have diminished. He begins to dance again, the blue and crimson aura flaring around him. Once he's ready, we slowly make our way toward the stairs of the second floor. The real fight is just beginning.