"This is where he is supposed to be," Twilight told the group as they came to a stop in front of a large building, the only building in the town that hadn't yet succumb to the wear and decay that the other buildings had faced. "His is the only magic that I can sense inside, but I'm still not adapt at sensing ghosts yet. Absol, do you detect any spooky foes waiting for us within?"
"No, I cannot sense any ghosts within," Absol said curtly. The Pokemon then glanced over his shoulder to the wounded Limestone that lay on Absol's back. After the Hariyama had been defeated, Twilight had used her magic to repair as much of the damage done as she could, but it would still take a few days for the effects of the beating to wear off entirely. Absol had taken Limestone onto his back and had refused to set her down for any reason that didn't concern her health. Yet Twilight had to try one last time.
"I can go in by myself to retrieve Rarity's father, but I wouldn't mind having you in there to back me up," Twilight offered hopefully.
"No. I will not leave Limestone unguarded against any potential attacks," Absol cut her off. "You can defend yourself against the ghosts despite your poor type matchup. Limestone cannot even move at the moment. She needs me here to watch over her. Now go."
"Yeesh, no need to get so touchy," Twilight muttered before she turned and entered into the building. When she was gone Absol knelt down and folded his legs under him, so that he was laying down yet also supporting Limestone at the same time. Marble knelt down next to her sister and held a hoof to her forehead, before she sighed and flashed a small smile at Absol.
"It's kinda funny seeing how worried you are for her despite all of the bickering that you two do," she pointed out. Absol didn't say anything in reply. "But, once again, I need to thank you for saving my sister. It seems that neither side will ever be out of the debt that they have accrued with the other."
"She was the one to save my life. That Hariyama was an incredibly high level," Absol replied with a bitter frown. "Had she not pushed me out of the way I would have most likely been killed by the attack. While I am strong and fast, I am not the best Pokemon to be taking hits. We are fortunate that Limestone is so tough. A lesser being would have folded under the first hit alone. She withstood four, even with such a crippling weakness to the attack. That's...a strength I wish I had."
"Wow, look at all of this praise coming from you. She would never let you live this down if she could hear you," Marble said with a small giggle, getting Absol to smirk in reply.
"Why do you think that I'm only saying this while she's out cold? I can only praise her when she can't hear me or else she rubs it in my face."
"Don't let that stop you. Go on, keep saying nice things about me." Both Absol and Marble turned their heads towards Limestone, who was smirking at both of them with a weak but amused expression on her face. "You're right by the way, Absol. I am not going to let you forget all the nice things you said about me."
"Limestone, you're awake!" Marble exclaimed before checking both of her sisters eyes and then her forehead once more. "Are you feeling okay? Nothing broken? You're not running a fever?"
"I do feel a little hot, but I think that's because I've been laying on this furball for too long," Limestone weakly jabbed at Absol. Despite the jest at him, Absol couldn't help but smile at Limestone's words.
'Beaten into the dirt with enough force to kill her and a few hours later she's awake and taking shots. She's the toughest being I know,' Absol thought, but he didn't speak a word of it to Limestone. "Well if you're tired of riding on the back of this furball, you could walk for yourself you freeloader."
"No thanks, I think it fits me to be carried around," Limestone said before weakly coughing. "And to be honest, I don't know how much I can really move in this state. Better not push it for the time being."
"That is something we can agree on," Absol nodded. Limestone stretched her neck with a small wince, before she looked back to Absol with a concerned look.
"So, what the heck happened against that Pokemon? I've taken my fair share of bruises over the years, but I've never been...beaten like that."
"That's because you had one of the worst matchups against you," Absol replied. "Back in the city, I guessed you were a plain rock type. But after seeing your reaction to being hit with a fighting type attack and your own steel like attitude, I'd wager you have a second type. Steel."
"Let me guess, both rock and steel are weak to fighting?"
"Correct."
"Ugh, why do I get stuck with two bad types?"
"Actually, rock and steel are well known for being defensive types. Honestly, that high defense and stamina you have is probably why you survived getting hit so many times by a fighting attack," Absol guessed, then a smirk crossed his face. "Being a steel type also gives you a few natural immunities. Tell me, are you a pony known to get sick?"
"That's funny. Limestone got sick once when she was a filly and missed so much work that she promised she would never get sick again. And to this day she hasn't," Marble answered for her sister.
"So I'm immune to being sick? Whoopee. I'd rather have a type that was immune to being pummeled to death," Limestone said as she rubbed the parts of her that hurt, which was everything. "But I wasn't the only one that was having a bad matchup, was I? How come the Pokemon managed to shrug off Twilight's magic? I thought she had the advantage over it?"
"She did, but like I said, that was a high level Hariyama. Hariyama's learn a dark move when it is a low level, but it takes a long time for them to have enough strength to withstand a direct psychic attack. That is how I knew it was a powerful one," Absol said. "And since Twilight didn't know it could learn a dark move, she was caught off guard. And as you well know, Hariyama hits hard."
"But you apparently hit harder. So when were you going to tell us you could use a psychic move?" Marble asked. Limestone looked at her with confusion while Absol's face gave nothing away. "Right, you were out cold, sister. Absol's horn flashed violet when he struck down Hariyama, the same color as Twilight's magic. Now granted this is a guess, but since you said fighting was weak to flying and psychic, and that sure didn't look like you flying, I assume that's what you hit him with?"
"You truly are far more clever than I would have believed. Yes, I know a psychic attack to defend myself against fighting types," Absol admitted with a shrug. "It's useful to use when they aren't suspecting it."
"Then why were you so terrified of it then?" Limestone asked. Absol turned to her and the pair locked eyes for a moment. "I know that you were terrified. I saw you lock up and knew that you wouldn't get out of the way of the attack in time. That's why I pushed you and took the attack myself. If you had a move like that, why do you fear fighting types?"
"Well, aside from the bad type matchup, it's because...it's...there were Hariyama's there. The day I lost her," Absol choked out. Limestone's face fell and she gently wrapped her arms around Absol neck, wincing slightly as she moved her limbs. Marble wasn't sure what Absol meant, but she followed her sister's motions and hugged Absol as well. "Not to mention that I got lucky my attack did critical damage on him. I wonder if he belly drummed before fighting us? Well, can't ask him now."
"That's my biggest question, why did he attack us?" Marble asked. "You tried talking to him and everything yet he didn't respond with so much as a grunt. And then there were his eyes..."
"So you noticed that too? I've been wondering myself," Absol muttered as he put on his thinking face. "How did a Hariyama come to this world? Palkia didn't send it or else I would have noticed the power of a legendary. Why was it fighting against us? Hariyama are generally peaceful Pokemon, so he wouldn't fight with no reason. And why were his eyes red?"
"Spiral. Gotta be him," Limestone cut in. "He probably brought the Pokemon here, tricked him or mind controlled him into fighting us, and planted him where he knew we would eventually end up. Checks all the boxes to me."
"Your reason is sound. Spiral seems to gain more and more resources to throw at us each day, doesn't he?" Absol asked.
"But how?" Marble asked, getting Absol and Limestone to turn to face her. "He guarded Big Mac and Applebloom with a giant bug. Then he guards Rarity's father with a fighter. Those are both the two types that you are weak too. How did Spiral know to send them against us?"
A cold chill swept over Absol as he realized that what Marble said was the truth. Spiral had used the two of Absols weakness to fight against him, when Absol had only revealed his weaknesses to one other and when he knew there were no ghosts around. The Pokemon began to rack his brain, desperately trying to think of when or how Spiral could have gotten his hands on that information. But he couldn't think of anything.
"It doesn't matter. So he knows two of my weaknesses. I can fend of fighting types and with two rock sisters on my side bug types can be dealt with. It doesn't change anything," he said with strength. "We will find those who were taken, stop the ghosts from taking over this land and put Spiral back into his grave. That is the promise I made and that is the promise I shall keep."
"Heh, look at you acting and sounding like a hero. Think I'm starting to rub off a little on you," Limestone chuckled. The group shared a quick smile before Twilight walked out of the building, levitating an unconscious pony behind her within her magic. "Hey Twilight, seems that you found who we were looking for."
"Yes, I did. And I also found something very disturbing," Twilight said with a dark look. "I found markings and tools around him to indicate that the ghosts in this area were about to perform some sort of ritual on him before we showed up. We got here just in the nick of time, if I'm being honest."
"A ritual? But I thought that Spiral took them to use them as leverage against you and your friends?" Absol asked.
"That's what I thought too, but maybe he has other plans for them. Or maybe, now that there is a being in this land that can slay him, he's realized that hostages might not be enough," Twilight guessed. "Either way, it doesn't matter. We're taking this guy back to Canterlot and then we're going on the full offensive. Celestia believes she knows of a few locations where some of our family might being held and you mentioned that Spiral told you where the rest of your family was being held."
"Correct. He told us that they were in the Eternal Forest, far from where we are," Absol replied.
"Alright, then we have our next plan of attack. Go to Canterlot, rest and restock...and then we're taking the fight to Spiral. We're going to save our families and bring down the ghost king once and for all!"
"That sounded cool and all Princess Twilight, but Absol said the same thing literally a minute ago. And honestly? He sounded cooler."