Finally at the top

They finally had made it.... After traveling at what seemed to be days on end, the two had finally achieved their goal. They both found a Joy Ribbon, and had reached the peak. The moonlight casted on the top of the mountain, a full moon, that was directly aligned with the tunnel of the Black Spiral Staircase. They had fought their way through to make it to the top, and it was a beautiful sight. Pokemon were scattered across the mountaintop, for this was their home. They were all friendly and smiled upon the sight of newcomers. It was pretty strange to see Pokemon of species they had just battled in the tunnels smiling at them and greeting them. It was like a house less village with a pitch black sky, all except for the moon. It seemed as if it would stay night here forever. The earth curved in the distance, and Sosio could see everything. Distant mountains were covered with snow, a deep abyss under them beside the tall mountain. Forests clouded with fog because it was so hard to see through the clouds that floated this high. This place was so wonderful, the Fletchling wanted to stay a while.

Darkness attempted to smother out all the light that had penetrated this far into its sacred folds, yet the moonlight on this night seemed to provide some small slimmer of hope that one day this land might be basked in a land radiating with light. This was not to say that the black fog that usually collected around the uppermost region of this mountain would not occasionally return - in fact, it was quite possible that this would be the case - however, it could be surmised that such a situation was slowly creeping to fruition. Night-time was such a glorious period of the day in which the great mountains were but mere shadows upon the canvas of a darker skyline, and the sheer beauty that permeated forth from the spectacular view seemed enough to keep Ares entranced. As he traveled by Sosio's side, he had discovered his new ambitions and determined his own destiny. He envied her, understandably, for her ability to fly, and this further instigated his aspiration to evolve. A cautious glance would be cast towards the tiny bird, and he felt himself longing for further adventures with her.

He would turn his vision towards the horizon, his eyes gazing out towards the lonely wilderness that he called home. The wind blew and tugged gently at his body, as if inviting him to play.

"What now?"

Sosio outstretched her wings happily and allowed herself to fall forwards.
"We have a little fun!"
The wind swept her up and carried her away across the small peak. Pokemon houses were clambered next to each other on the side of the steep slope. Ghost types floated here and bustled about in their own town. Sosio would've wanted to live here, but she wouldn't fit in. She really does need a house, but for now they were here. She spiraled around and watched all the happy pokemon. Maybe a few would become friends or challenge them to a battle?
The atmosphere here was much friendlier than down in the dungeon. Sosio felt much safer, and that she wouldn't have to risk getting hurt. She imagined a friendly battle with a pokemon living here, and that they supplied Oran Berries for them toheal. It was going to be fun here, like a mini vacation. Maybe a place to stay for a while, see a few attractions and whatever else they have here, and then set for home. There seemed like there would be so much to do, and Sosio had no idea where to start.
"What should we do first?"

The wind seemed to know its cues well, for, as soon as Sosio asked him to partake in some sort of fun activity, it would tug invitingly at his scales. It was ominous and foreboding - akin to the lonely gale that rolled a tumbleweed between a deputy and an outlaw - but welcomed begrudgingly. Ares had not had too many plentiful experiences with the word "fun": fun to him was not dying and living to see another day in which you would tried and punished for simply existing. As the playful breeze carried the Fletchling and guided the Charmander, a scene unraveled before him unlike any he had ever seen.

The peak of this mountain was rumored to be a black as nothingness and as lonely as silence. The dark fog that consumed all light that attempted to filter down onto the solitary peak had long since shrouded the location in mystery. Now that he was here, however, it appeared that life was as innocent and pure as it would be anywhere else: a settlement of Ghost-type Pokemon had been established here and seemed to thrive. He was jealous of such prosperity, but the mountain undeniably provided them with all that they required to survive. There was little commerce to be had in a place that experienced little to no visitors, and thus an interior market and enterprise would have been instated.

He was asked to give suggestions for what they should do. Ares had no idea.

"Well," he would begin, assessing his surroundings, "maybe we should poke around? Maybe these 'mons have something that might be useful to us?"

Sosio watched Ares and his amazement at the mountaintop village. It was a sight, considering the brutal conditions, harsh winds, and fickle weather. The air was much too thin, but that didn't seem to matter to these pokemon. Sosio didn't even know if ghost types have to breathe. Maybe it was like the opposite of going underwater. Some pokemon could last hours submerged in the fluid without oxygen, so maybe the pokemon stayed here for days on end before they sunk down the mountain to get a breath of air. It was a rather strange idea, but new was always interesting.
Hearing the Charmander's response, Sosio decided that was probably the only thing they could do here.
"Ok, good enough. We can check out a few houses down there and meet some pokemon."
It was strange, how the vibes of these pokemon seemed to scream "welcome!" When it was the exact opposite for the rest of the mountain. It was almost haunting. Like a trap, an Ariados' wondrous web gluing pokemon to their death in order to be devoured. Sosio always thought of every possible thing that could happen everywhere, so she thought little of this. She walked up into town Square. Friendly pokemon waved to them, and Sosio wondered what to do first.

There were two issues that presented themselves the longer that the Charmander found himself on the mountain's peak: oxygen was hard enough already for him to get with the injury to his ribcage from the previous encounter with a rather irate Drilbur, and the fact that Ghost-types seemed to make up the vast majority of this village's population. Now with Ares attempting to compensate for the lack of oxygen he got in each breath by breathing rapidly and frequently, strange things began to distort themselves in his vision. Perhaps these Pokemon were normal and peaceful folk, but they had been warped beyond viable recognition. Ghoulish looks seemed to haunt their faces, and they all appeared to sneer and jeer at him.

As they proceeded to venture through the town square and the wondrous architecture that was on full display sprawled out for them to notice, it appeared that everyone was noticing the newcomers. Friendliness was distributed freely, but Ares remained ignorant to this: their words were harsh to ears, and he remained wary.

Sosio smiled at the passing pokemon. They had worked so very hard to make it up here, and now they made it. Sosio was perfectly affable with total strangers. Unless, of course, they attacked her. That has yet to happen, so she can seem a bit Naive. She would trust anyone, but she could battle in a moment. Sosio became a bit drowsy and decided to sit on a rock nearby. The long journey was definitely tiring. She set down her head, taking in a bit of her surroundings.

She opened her eyes, only to realize that colors were jacked, swirled, and opposite. She had a weird feeling in her feet like she didn't want to touch anything with it, as if she had touched something contaminated that she didn't want to spread. The clouds above swirled, then suddenly turned pink. From what others could see, her eyes were wider than normal, slightly off tint, as if she was blind. The hallucinations had been caused by the contents on the black rocks of the mountains. She walked a bit, then fell on her face, staring into space.

As Sosio perched upon a nearby stone, Ares would quite clumsily stumble to sit beside her. A throbbing sensation pulsated from within his thoracic cavity - and it certainly wasn't his heart. It felt as if two rivaling hearts beat proudly within his chest, each attempting to outdo the other with each constriction and release. The Charmander would gaze up towards the heavens and observe the swirling, black mists that slowly crept along the skyline and plotted to contaminate the air once more. Light would be swallowed soon, and might one more plunge this mountain peak in obscurity and darkness.

Sosio seemed began to walk again, her feet teetering and staggering to support her weight. Though the lizard wasn't feeling too good at the moment, he would awkwardly rise to his feet and assist in bringing the bird back onto her unbalanced feet. Rapid breaths were given before he cast his gaze about in order to observe this village. There was something unnaturally sinister and overly welcoming about this place.

"Maybe we should go," Ares would hesitantly suggest, his pupils dilating as all of his oxygen began to course in sparse quantities to his appendages and organs, "I mean, we got to the top! We did what we needed to do."

Sosio stumbled and wobbled around, hearing what Ares had to say. She didn't try to speak, but the hallucinations spoke for her.
"I like it here... Look! A Rapidash!"
She pet the imaginary fire-unicorn, which in reality was a rock, her eyes crossed but staring straight. It was like a strange confusion, but it was definitely better than poisoning. They did have to get out of here, but the Fletchling, seemingly drunk at the moment, could not even function to understand what the Charmander would say. They needed to get out, and quickly.

"Rapidash?" Ares found himself inquiring aloud, "What Rapidash, Sosio?"

Perhaps it was the Fletchling's delusional state that helped tether him with a long rope to their reality - another possible explanation would be the injuries that had left him unable to do much of anything on their journey here. This was not to say, however, that he was immune to the illusions that now plagued his companion. His were different and more corrupted, in which the world seemed to spin swiftly and slowly simultaneously. His eyes would narrow, and he would gaze about as a comforting, restraining hand was placed upon Sosio. Ares was familiar with hypoxia, but this rapid onslaught was not something within the realms of possibility. It would be realistic for it to be gradual with dizziness and nausea, but hallucinations?

A reptilian, predatory gaze would fix itself upon the ghoulish inhabitants of this mountain, and a growl warbled within his throat. This had to be their doing. Those poltergeists were renown for being pranksters and malicious sentient beings. His seemed to race as best as it could to reach a possible strategy for their escape. He had no idea of what their intentions were, and thus could not properly formulate a plan. Dammit!

"Sosio," he would say, a fog once more clouding his thoughts, "I need you to focus." That was slightly hypocritical, considering that he felt like his mind and body were two separate entities now.

It was like Sosio had been stuck in a mind trap. What Ares didn't know, was that it was actually the minerals in the rocks that had entranced her. It most definately not Hypoxia. It had nothing to do with lack of oxygen. It wasn't like she was drowning in thin air. It was more like she had touched lead, but instead of being poisonous, it caused illusions. It was like the conscious half of her brain had lost sanity, while the other half of her brain, the half no one can understand or control, was inable to communicate with her. She began having spazms, as if that half of the brain was trying to tell her something, but all she did was laugh hysterically in response. As the world around her became a mulicolored water painting, new colors meshing and clashing, straying from their original objects. Sosio began making weird sounds as if she was being electrocuted.
"Hgnyanyanya!"
She rolled about, laughing and acting like she was choking, but breathing fine.
"No, mama. I don't want... hot chocolate..."
She got up and strayed, wobbling, legs constantly crossing, over to the edge of the mountain. She had no control over herself, even over what she thinks. It's like her memory winded backwards until she was a newborn pokemon. Her hallucinating mind, as if utterly stupid, told her there was a present at the end of the mountain.
"Where is it? i don't see it?"

How was he to know that such rocks were harmful to one's sanity and mental being? As far as he was concerned, his stereotype of Ghost-types had him utterly convinced that such delusions were their doing. Smoke was puffed forth from his nostrils as he readied himself for war, and his mind attempted desperately to return to its pilot chair. The severed entities were held together by a Macgyver styled tether, and even though there seemed to be a sucking sensation attempting to rip it forth from its roost, Ares's brain held fast - barely. If any contact had been maintained prior with Sosio, he would allow his hand to release her. He would hate to have to leave her to her own devices, but this was for her own good.

He staggered into a fighting stance, his hands and feet sliding sluggishly into position. A weak fire burned his heart as he attempted to pick out the most likely suspect for what he believed to be Sosio's ailment. They were blurred, naturally, because his brief contact with the rock in which the bird had roosted upon had inflicted him with a dazed status. It was not as severe as hers thanks primarily to the duration of time he spent near it, but still enough to hinder him. A melancholy look was cast over his shoulder as he searched for inspiration for his planned masterpiece: pummeling the face in of the guilty party. The Fletchling looked and behaved as if it had smashed its skull in at a young age. That was motivation enough.

"Come out and fight!" he would challenge the populace, snarling as his head snapped back into its original orientation, "How dare you do this to her!"

Upon being dragged by the Charmander, Sosio flopped like a rag-doll in his grip.
"MOO! I'm a pretty Miltank!"
She blinked, one eye at a time, like she was dumb. She totally acted as if she was damaged in the head, a total disorder. Hopefully this would wear off. Hopefully.

Ares' fury raged in his voice and heart, coming forth to challenge the village of pokemon. Of course, with the whole town outside and busy because it was night, they turned to the fiery pokemon. They seemed quite confused. A Misdreavus approached him, eyeing the two.
"You're not from here, I see."
She hesitated, closing her eyes, using her psychic powers. Even though she wasn't a psychic type, she still knew those types of moves.
"I see... I see..."
She wandered over to the edge of the cliff, looking down.
"These peaks were never really understood... I'm surprised you're not suffering the affects..."
She turned around and looked at him.
"There is a cure, however."
She approached the fletchling, and used psychic to lift it up and keep it from spazzing, then looked to the flame pokemon.

A look of uncertainty flashed across his enraged face as Sosio mentioned her new specification as being a Miltank. He hadn't dragged her - for he had released her because he found it necessary to keep both hands free during a fight - but perhaps the movement of his hand had caused her to teeter about like an unsteady top. Ares would stand to protect his feathered companion like any creature would its beloved: packs had to stick together, and breaking apart was not an option - divided, they would be conquered.

It appeared his challenge had drawn the attention of the mountain's inhabitants, for they all had redirected their gazes towards the drake. Though perhaps there was a benevolent, confused look dawning upon all of them, they would be perceived as maniacal and malignant to the Charmander. His frown contorted into a toothy snarl, and would remain as such as the Misdreavous approached. His voice, violent and belligerent, would be projected towards her as he declared his sentiment in response to her statements.

You're not from around here, I see.

"Of course not! I'm not a Ghost-type!"

I see... I see...

"Get away from her! I won't allow you to harm her further!"

These peaks were never fully understood... I'm surprised you're not suffering from the effects.

"Effects?" This truly had him perturbed. What could possibly spare him from the hysterics that poor Sosio was suffering from? The throb of his sides was continually dragging him back to reality, and the sheer effort of maintaining protective anger did little to console his pain. Her mention of a cure did nothing to ease his aggression, and he would bark at her, "You keep your distance or else I'll blast you off the side-"

The Ghost-type didn't listen. He would respond by allowing a Dragon Pulse to bubble in the depths of his throat. "What did you do, spirit?!"

Not at all surprised by the pokemon's harshness, she eyed him with depth, as if reading his thoughts or viewing his soul. Finally responding to his former threat, she hovered before him.
"There is no need for violence. I understand your troubles of this companion of yours, but I'm not here to do any harm. We don't usually get visitors... and for this exact reason."
She floated forwards, not glancing back while talking, or to any of her neighbors. She seemed intent on getting somewhere.
"Follow me."
She didn't say anything more, only swerving about the pokemon of her home, looking at every settlement.
"Oh, and you might not want to touch anymore rocks."
By the time she finished her sentence, she approached a large cave that was made of a rock that jutted up slightly lower than the peak, like a tiny second one.