Pokémon: I Am a Dragon Tamer!

Rows of tombstones stood silently on the elevated platforms surrounding the tower, resembling a Buddhist hall filled with countless statues of deities. In the past, this place would have been bustling with visitors offering prayers and incense. But after the disappearances, the tower had long been abandoned, leaving an eerie and unsettling atmosphere. 

The oppressive silence would have made an ordinary girl tremble and scream in terror. But Sabrina was no ordinary girl. With her arms crossed, she strode confidently into the tower, her sharp, cold gaze scanning the surroundings as if searching for its hidden secrets. 

Ryuuske followed closely behind. Noticing the faint purple mist permeating the tower, he carefully retrieved a vial from his waist pouch. After sniffing the mist, he returned the vial, muttering, "...This mist isn't poisonous. It seems more like an optical medium." 

"It's mist formed from a Gastly's body. Gastly can absorb toxic gases, enveloping itself as a means of defense and attack." 

Unlike Ryuuske, who had only been in this world for half a year, Sabrina had far deeper knowledge of Pokémon. A single glance was enough for her to identify the mist's origin. 

"Normally, Gastly's mist is toxic. It can use the poisonous gas to knock out humans and large Pokémon within seconds, then feed on their energy." 

Sabrina's delicate brows furrowed as she observed the empty expanse of the tower's interior. "...But this mist isn't toxic. And its coverage is far too extensive—it's engulfed the entire tower." 

"This Gastly must be one of Agatha's main Pokémon. If it's an Elite Four's ace, then shrouding the whole tower in mist isn't surprising. Hah, this feels like Agatha's style—silent, untraceable, instilling fear through the unseen." 

Ryuuske shrugged. "...Just like Dragonair, Gastly probably has some unique, undocumented ability. That's why Agatha never evolved it—to preserve its special traits." 

As they spoke, Ryuuske and Sabrina had already reached the second floor. Though the Elite Four were formidable, neither of them would retreat without a fight—especially now that Agatha had exposed herself, reducing the danger. Koga's entrapment here was likely due to a combination of ambush and carelessness. 

"Wait—there's someone in the mist!" 

Ryuuske's sharp eyes caught movement ahead—a humanoid figure staggering toward them, swaying unsteadily as if on the verge of collapse. 

"Gabite!" 

"Alakazam!" 

Ryuuske and Sabrina swiftly summoned their Pokémon. Gabite and Alakazam exchanged glances, neither expecting their former adversary to now be an ally. 

As the first figure emerged, more soon followed—humans and Pokémon alike, all moving with the same unsteady gait. 

When the surrounding figures closed in, encircling Ryuuske and Sabrina completely, the two finally got a clear look at their condition. 

"These humans and their Pokémon are being controlled." 

Sabrina immediately noted the dull, lifeless eyes of the people and Pokémon, along with their unnatural movements. 

"Alakazam, Psychic!" 

Without hesitation, Sabrina issued the command. Alakazam's eyes glowed violet as waves of psychic energy rippled from its hands. Though it couldn't conjure a devastating psychic tornado like Mewtwo, as the Saffron Gym Leader's ace, Alakazam could still summon a powerful gale with Psychic. 

The attack wasn't aimed at the humans or Pokémon—instead, it dispersed the thick mist in an instant. Ryuuske stared intently at the now-exposed figures, but contrary to expectations, even without the mist, they showed no signs of regaining consciousness. 

"It's no use! It's like they're too deeply affected. They've inhaled too much of the mist—even if it's temporarily gone, they won't snap out of it!" 

Ryuuske muttered to Sabrina. In the brief moment they had, the mist surged back, filling the space once more. 

Sabrina didn't respond. Instead, she coldly tossed another Poké Ball. "...Venomoth, Sleep Powder!" 

This was a Pokémon Ryuuske hadn't seen during their previous battle. As he suspected, Sabrina specialized not just in Psychic-types but also Poison-types. 

The purple Venomoth fluttered upward, scattering shimmering powder over the crowd. Despite the dazzling effect, the Sleep Powder had no impact whatsoever. 

Seeing the futility of the move, Sabrina swiftly recalled Venomoth. A skilled trainer knew that flooding the field with Pokémon wasn't the safest strategy—keeping a few in reserve for different scenarios was far wiser. 

"If Sleep Powder doesn't work, and dispersing the mist doesn't either, then this mist isn't just controlling their minds—it's controlling their bodies too. At this point, they're practically zombies... And Sabrina, look—not all of them are alive. Some are corpses." 

Being surrounded by the undead in a mist-shrouded haunted tower was far from pleasant. It reminded Ryuuske of zombie movies he'd seen. 

"Judging by the state of decay, they haven't been dead long. They must be the trainers who disappeared after coming to Lavender Town." 

Sabrina stared coldly at the horde. Though she wasn't afraid, being encircled by living corpses wasn't exactly a delightful experience for anyone, let alone a girl. 

"Look at the living ones—they're emaciated. If I had to guess, they didn't die in battle. They were controlled until they starved to death." 

Ryuuske exhaled heavily. The thought of starving to death was horrifying, but at least these victims likely felt nothing—their minds and bodies under control, their suffering numbed. 

Such is the life of a trainer. You never know when death will come. 

They might be mourned, but no one would call their deaths meaningless. From the moment they chose this path, they had signed an unspoken contract with mortality. 

"I could have Alakazam use psychic energy to free their minds." 

"But that would drain your Pokémon's stamina. We're not saints. We came here to find two people—their fate is their own fault for being weak... Let's go, Sabrina. The ones we're looking for should be at the top. As for these people, let them fend for themselves!" 

"Gabite, Dragon Pulse!" 

Ryuuske shouted. A draconic roar erupted as a devastating shockwave blasted through the horde, sending bodies and Pokémon flying in all directions. 

Thud! Thud! Thud! 

The dull impacts echoed as figures collided with walls and tombstones. Whether any survivors perished in the attack was none of Ryuuske's concern. 

Sabrina's lips curled slightly in approval. They weren't saints—sacrificing themselves for strangers was out of the question. 

Ryuuske respected true heroes, those who would lay down their lives for others. But he would never be one of them. He fought only for himself and those he cared about. 

Trainers were human too. They had compassion and emotions—but those feelings were reserved for people and Pokémon they knew, not strangers in need of salvation. 

That was why Ryuuske was relieved this world's Ash wasn't the naive fool he remembered. At the very least, when facing enemies like Lt. Surge, both he and Ash had fought with the intent to kill—even resorting to explosives if necessary. 

"Look out!" 

The moment they reached the fourth floor, Ryuuske yelled a warning. From within the mist, a burst of flames and a flurry of shuriken shot toward them. 

The people they were searching for weren't at the top after all—they were waiting right here on the fourth floor!

To be continued…

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