//------------------------------//
// Ch 5: No Place Like Haunted Home 
// Story: A New World, An Old Haunt 
// by Professor Frogenshtein 
//------------------------------//

Frothing Stein was enjoying himself quite a lot, considering he was surrounded by ghosts in the middle of the most dangerous forest in equestria. The 'Grand Duke Amaranth' was a wealth of fascinating information, and seemed more than willing to share it; in fact, the Duke had revealed that he was also a professor. Frothing Stein always found it invigorating to hold discussion with another pony of science-- or, in this case, pokémon of science.

"I must say," Stein had said, "you have quite the varied collection of spirits as your allies."

"Actually," the Duke had replied, "this isn't even half of my research team. There are 17 of us total, including myself; I'm hoping they were sent here too."

As the Duke-Professor went on about his missing comerades, a question formed in Stein's head. "With seventeen of you, and some of your partners being as large as you say, wherever did you live-- erm, reside?"

Dante's expression turned wistful. "Ah, our home was a wonderful place," he said, "a great big mansion, trussed up to look old and abandoned. We had rich mahogany boards over the windows, and cobwebs of the finest silk a bug-type could produce. Inside, though, was the most state-of-the-art technology for researching ghost-types, and all the comforts of home alongside them." He sighed. "I can see it now."

"Actually," one of the ghosts, Frothing Stein believed his name was Jack, interjected, "I can see it too! Dan, buddy, I think our house followed us."

All eyes turned to look; there was, indeed, a foreboding mansion just a ways through the trees. "But that's not possible," said the large sword, Durendal, as the group rushed up to the door, "it can't possibly be Sire's castle." 

Ravid, the small gremlin creature, jumped up and pressed the doorbell, and was immediately met with an archaic series of chimes that sounded out a funeral march.

Lucius materialized next to Dante, facing the door. "This is definitely our place."





This hardly made sense. My house, just showing up out of the blue in the middle of a forest? It didn't seem very likely that someone would have made a mansion exactly like mine on another planet, either.

I was taken from my thoughts as the door opened, revealing a tall grey statue-like creature covered in patterns and cracks that glowed green.

"Goliath?"

Goliath, a golurk, was a simple pokémon; he fought hard when needed and he protected those close to him. He also didn't technically have a gender, but said he was designated as male after his creation centuries ago. That was the only time he'd ever spoken of his creation, and I've never been able to get him to tell me more, no matter how much it would help my research.

Goliath kneeled down to look at us. "Friends..." He spoke slowly, as always, while examining our group. As his rectangular eyes fell on me, he seemed to freeze. "You..."

"It's me, Goliath. It's Dante."

All at once, the giant began to shake. "No..." Said Goliath, and he reached a shaking hand out to me. "I... Protect... You... Died..." I put both my hands on his arm "Goliath?"

"I... Failed... To... Protect..."

I looked in his eyes, and I gasped; I didn't know golurks could cry.

"Goliath, it's okay," I floated closer to him, and found myself being cradled in his arms. "Goliath, I'm right here; I'm not going to leave you."

"Promise..."

"I promise, Goliath."

"No..." Goliath shook his head, holding me closer, "I... Promise... Never... Fail... Again..."






Long, long ago...


"You are sure this will work?" A young alchemist put the final piece in place as his colleague instructed. It was a small statue, no more than a meter in height, carved of a shining silver stone.

"I have foreseen it," came the reply. "He will be vital in the time of the great shift; he shall stand vigil in great turmoil, a protector." 

The young alchemist turned, trying to lock eyes with the psychic; its large round body with branching wings and tail, all striped in different colors like some sort of piñata. "Indeed, sigilyph," he said, "we are making this to protect our eternal queen."

As the psychic pokémon looked on, the alchemist anointed the statue with quicksilver. "We will repel this invasion, and the savages will pay for their crimes." He reached to activate the golem, but found himself stopped by a psychic barrier.

"No."

"Sigilyph?" The alchemist turned back to his partner. He finally met his partner's eyes; in them, he saw great sadness.

"I am sorry, my friend, but the golett is not meant for the invasion; he would only have delayed the inevitable."

"But the queen..."

"The queen will not survive this day." At this the pokémon caressed the alchemist with a wing, and the sound of splintering wood and cracking stone came from just beyond the door. "And though it pains me greatly to say it..." The door was ripped off its hinges as a man in bloodstained armor smashed it through with a mace.

"Neither will we."





Darkness. For the longest time, there was darkness.

"Boss, you won't believe what I just found!"

"Lucius? Hold on, I'll be right there."

Sound. There was movement. Light. A boy. A ghost with the boy.

"Look at it, boss! I've never seen one this color!"

"It's awfully still... Hello? Are you awake?"

A nod.

"Alright cool! My name's Dante, and I'm on a journey to become the world's greatest ghost pokémon master. My partner and I are looking for more pokémon to join our group, do you want to come with us?"

Silence. Leave? Why leave?

...Why not leave?

A second nod.

"Excellent! I think I'll call you Goliath, is that alright?"

Again, a nod.

"It's great to have you Goliath; I love making new friends."

A word.

Friends.

"... I... Protect... Friends..."