The descent down a step ladder left behind by some other explorer was much easier than the one into the Yadon Well last week. He was in the basement now, but there was another ladder down further. He hummed in contemplation, deciding to get on the next ladder down further to the area he hadn't realized existed from ground level.

Again, he arrived at his destination. There was something spooky about the whole place; while this area had less wreckage on it, it was no less morbid. With each step, the ground creaked unsteadily. He looked back to the ladder, hoping it would tell him to go back up. It did no such thing. The researcher walked forward, all 4 of his Pokemon in their capsules on standby. The air was stale and the signs of life were minimal, but something told him he would not be alone down here...

A Drifloon. It floated before him, out of nowhere, he guessed. Surely a breeze hadn't tugged him down here. Raziel found himself reaching for one of his Pokemon, unsure of which, as a Gust picked up. His forearm came to protect his eyes from any rubble or dust -- was this Drifloon trying to keep him out? The Gust intensified, the whipping of the wind bouncing off of the enclosed space. Raziel tossed the Pokeball, revealing his Corphish, Horace. Immediately Horace lifted a pincer, echoing Raziel's protective stance. "Night Slash!" Horace squared off, slashing a pincer horizontally. A dark, whip-like bolt of energy emerged from his claw, slicing through the whirlwind with ease to hit Drifloon. The Ghost-type tumbled to the ground, feeling that Dark-type move to its fullest effect. This thing wasn't particularly strong, and yet it felt compelled to guard something. Raziel would find out what. "We're not here to disturb anything, we just want to look around!" he plead, no longer feeling the effects of the gust.

The Drifloon ignored him and picked itself back up and again, summoned a wind -- an Ominous Wind. This time stronger than the last, it was enough to knock Horace off his feet. He hurdled back into Raziel's shins. It raged on, filling the once stale air with a chill as Raziel scooped his Pokemon up and put him upright. "Harden to weigh yourself down, then another Night Slash." Horace summoned a silvery, metal coat to protect him: this was enough to keep him from blowing away. So he dug in and produced another Night Slash, cutting through the roaring wind and knocking out its source cold. The Drifloon had no chance against him.

The air was still again, Drifloon disappearing through the floorboards to retreat somewhere safe. Raziel's eyes lingered on the spot where it left from: was it going down even more? He walked forward, feeling the creaking of the floor more intensely than before. He accredited it to the nerves from the battle and the intrigue that it had spawned in him. There had to be another ladder...

"Ah!" he exclaimed, finding one tucked in the corner of what remained of this room. Sure enough, the basement went down even deeper. He returned Horace to his Pokeball and made his way down even further.

The loner's descent continued, his level of unease fluctuating with each moment. A weird energy surrounded this place, one that would hit him in sudden waves and cause a panic in his chest. How deep was this basement? Raziel reckoned that he was at least 90 feet below the surface now. Natural light was dimming quickly as more floors came between him and the sun. "Sheesh..." he pulled out his cell phone and turned its flashlight on, suddenly feeling unprepared for this excursion. His eyes followed the light, searching for another ladder deeper but hoping it didn't exist. Any deeper and he'd be in complete darkness, any remnants of technology and light far from functional in the husk of a building.

A lamp lit in his periphery. Raziel turned to face it, fear welling up in his stomach. He summoned Horace once again, hoping that the flame was lit by a Fire-type. "Show yourself." Raziel pleaded, his cracked nerves showing in his urgent call. Horace stayed close, his pincer gripping the researcher's pantleg (even that Corphish was scared...wow). Another lamp lit, so he turned to face that one. The light of his cell phone was still not enough to reveal whatever it was that had them surrounded, apparently. Then there was a creaking of wood, emanating from around him, but not loud enough to pinpoint despite the utter silence that swallowed this place.

Raziel wasn't going to be intimidated. "Horace, Night Slash! Let's hit whoever it is that's fucking with us!" fake bravado lathered his command to instill confidence in the Corphish. Raziel felt Horace release his pantleg, facing away from his trainer and unleashing a ghastly whip blindly before him.

A slashing sound rang out, followed by a whimper.

Raziel targeted the Pokemon with his eyes, his uncertainty lifting. Was it a Houndour? Fire appeared behind its teeth, and he braced himself.

The little dog unleashed more Embers, but none aimed at the Corphish. They targeted the lamps all around the room, illuminating it enough for comfortable visibility. She studied him, head tilted curiously. Raziel found himself smiling at the Houndour and approached her. She looked...thin. Was she thin? It wasn't bright enough to see her ribs through that dark coat, but where was she even getting her food from, if at all? Raziel crouched beside her, the little nub of a tail wagging in a friendly manner. As the researcher ran a hand over her forehead, he realized she was trying to help them by lighting the lamps of the room earlier, albeit in a frightful manner. "You're just a sweet girl, aren't you?" Raziel scratched behind her ear as Horace looked on with those big eyes. There was no animosity left in this spooky setting, just misunderstanding.

"I should have some Pokesnax in my bag..." a little bit of rummaging and a few wrong guesses later, Raziel found a sandwich bag filled with some food. He offered it to the trusting Houndour, who happily dug in. She was ravenous -- he couldn't leave her down here.

The food didn't last long, but the Houndour seemed pleased as she stuck her tongue out at Raziel. "Wanna come with me?" rummaging in his bag once again, he reached for a spare Pokeball and gave Houndour the opportunity to join him; he'd have to return to study the Burned Tower in more detail another day.

Capture attempt on Houndour!