The sound of the bell echoed through the empty hall.

( ~ Scratch ~ )

The moment the sound entered Austin's ears, he instinctively turned to see that there was no one.

Suddenly a claw etched closer and closer to Austin's shoulder from the back.

" WAhhhhhh !"

A frightened Austin jumped forward as he turned to see what had touched his shoulder.

It looked like an owl, though it hopped around on a single leg, its bright red eyes (which looked rather spooky at first sight), glowing slightly at him, as they watched him from afar.

" No, No, Bad Hootie. Don't scare the child." A pair of synchronized voices called out as Austin and Pikachu turned around to see two elderly women dressed in regalias with some part of it resembling a duskull.

The two elderly women walking in perfect sync toward the spooked Austin whose mind had gone blank for a second.

"Come play with us."

Austin thought for a second as two elderly women strolled toward him and Pikachu.

" Child, what are you doing at this place ?"

" Grady, don't be so insensitive. What would a child, be doing at Lavender Tower ?!"

" Brady, don't lecture me. The child could have been lost."

" Huff, you old hag. Can't you see that pokemon casket in his hands ?"

" Of course, I can see you old shank."

" Oh! Really."

"Uh… excuse me?"

The elderly women gazed at him imperiously. "Yes?"

"Uh… Do you work at this tower ?"

" No, sonny, we are prostitutes hired for the ghosts." One of the elderly women said before the duo broke out cackling at their joke.

The women coughed a few times before saying in unison," Sonny, this place hasn't been in use for a long time, why do you want to bury your pokemon here ?"

Austin looked down as he couldn't answer their question.

Why did he want to bury his pokemon in Lavender Tower?

Was it because he didn't know any other pokemon graveyard? Or had he subconsciously associated Lavender Tower with the idea of pokemon death? Or was it some other reason?

Seeing the silent Austin, Brady spoke up," Sonny, do you want to bury your pokemon here ?"

Austin subconsciously nodded as he tightened his grip on Raticate's casket.

" Then do you want us to arrange a Ritual of the dead or have you arranged a ritual for your pokemon ?" Grady asked curiously as Hoothoot landed on her head.

Austin meanwhile froze as he looked at the elderly duo.

Wait; what ?!

The Ritual of the Dead ?!

☠-☠-☠-☠-☠-☠-☠-☠

Ghost-types are, in general, one of the queerest pokémon in the world. Their very existence is something that is shrouded in mystery and befuddles even the greatest of scientists in the world. For one, ghost pokémon are, strangely enough, highly effective against their kind, something that they share with the dragon type and no one else. Even then, the former is much more puzzling than the latter.

For one thing, dragons are super effective against dragons not because they are dragons, but because the others aren't. By their sheer nature, a dragon is mostly capable of using electric, flying, fire, and water-based moves with an efficiency that borders the types themselves. Further, dragons also find it significantly easier to master moves of the other types like psychic, ghost, dark, ground, and the like. In fact, with the exception of the Fairy type, a dragon can, in due course, be able to give a tough fight and even win against a particular type, limiting itself to moves of said type. There is a reason after all, why the dragon type is considered the most powerful type among pokémon, and why a majority of the Legendaries are draconic.

Bottom line. A dragon can use water-based attacks against a fire type like it can use dark-based attacks against a psychic type, or flying-based attacks against a normal type. The point is- because of the sheer versatility of the draconic kind, only a dragon can be super-effective against another, and no one else.

From that vantage point, the situation of ghosts is… remarkably complex. For one, a ghost-type doesn't boast of the sheer versatility of the draconic beings, nor is it immensely powerful against the other types. Dark types can, in eight chances out of ten, beat the crap out of the ghosts, and with the aid of certain… techniques like miracle eye and foresight, even the other types can offer powerful resistance against these… complicated creatures. However, it is seen ghosts are immensely vulnerable to attacks of their type, the reason for which, is quite a matter of speculation.

Compared to what most laymen like to believe, a ghost-pokémon isn't necessarily dead. Of course, the ghost-type does have a lot of… linkages with the realms of spirits and the dead, but that is solely because of their nature as other dimensional beings. Not only that, a ghost is like… an invasive shadow, an impossibility of sorts, an equation with infinite solutions and none of them being the right ones. Most psychic types tend to refer to the ghost type as the otherworldly ones, the ones who tamper with the real world by merely existing in it.

And that was what Team Rocket was hoping to capture, as the team of grunts and the lead executive ventured into the absolute blackness of the top of the Lavender Tower.

By nature, ghosts didn't appear in sunlight, choosing to stay hidden in the shadows and the darkness of old caverns, and of course, the dead of the night hence the top of Lavender Tower was without any light. However, with the entire ghostly fog covering the floors like an ever-deepening canopy, sunlight was the last thing someone would have in mind. It was only due to the soft glow emanating from Weezing's form, a subtle application of Flash that showed the path through the grave-filled floor amongst the dense, nigh impenetrable fog.

" Give it to me now !"

" Yes, Executive Butch."

One of the men took out the Sliph Scope from the briefcase.

Executive Butch wore the Sliph Scope as the surrounding ghostly mist began to vanish before his eyes showing him a clear picture of the graveyard.

Butch glanced at one of the tombstones that glowed with an ethereal purple light.

A deafening crash resounded through the area as the men took a step back while observing their executive destroy the tombstone.

As the slamming sounds ebbed, a Marowak hidden inside a burrow opened her eyes.

" What was that ?!"