Hellhounds of Route Seven
Lying between Celadon City and Saffron, Route Seven is a short but pleasant trail, connecting the two cities and home to the western entrance of the famous Underground Path. As one might imagine, Route Seven is well- travelled by day. However, it is treacherous by night, as numerous unexplained disappearances and strange occurrences have been reported on the road. Locals are rarely, if ever seen there after dark, for it is said that when the moon rises, demons come out to hunt.
According to legend, wanderers on the trail will hear a distant barking and snarling, growing steadily closer until they find themselves surrounded. Then dark and mysterious beasts will step out from the shadows and strike. Accounts dating back nearly two hundred years tell of quadrupedal creatures with primarily black coats of fur, wearing the bones of their prey like armor. They are almost never seen alone, instead preferring small packs of about six individuals. Many tales say that they can breathe fire, and that a burn sustained from one will never heal. A few stories mention an exceptionally large and fearsome creature among them- possibly an evolution- with long, curved horns and a whip-like tail ending in a sharp spike.
Just last year, a young woman visiting from the Hoenn region was reportedly on her way back to her hotel room in Celadon City when she heard what she described as a "hellish barking and growling" all around her, and the faint outlines of shadowy figures slipping through the underbrush. The woman immediately ran to the entrance of the Underground Path and barricaded herself inside, where she claims to have held the doors shut as she heard scratching a clawing on the other side for hours afterward.
Another account tells of a man who was mauled by creatures resembling black, short-haired Growlithe decorated with skulls and bones, and capable of using fire attacks. The man was on his way to Saffron after a night of drinking and gambling at the Celadon Game Corner when he was attacked. The unfortunate victim was found just outside Celadon covered in lacerations, puncture wounds and burns. He was rushed to a medical center, but died shortly afterward. Officials state that he may have simply been attacked by a group of wild Growlithe or Vuplix, which are common in that area, though both species are not known to attack unless provoked. However, they are still baffled by the burns, which appear to have been caused by a higher flame temperature than any recorded from either Growlithe or Vulpix in the past.
Some official investigation has gone into the existence of the "hellhounds". Researchers have found scat and tracks that do not match those of identified local Pokémon, and scientists generally agree that there is most likely something out there that they have yet to identify.
So are there truly demons on the path between Celadon and Saffron? No one knows for sure, but visitors are advised not to travel alone by night unless absolutely necessary, and never without a strong Pokémon for protection.