Chapter 20 Forest of Feeling
After leaving the False Fortune Tent, Ash and Lillie are now on the road once more.
Lillie: You know...I am not sure if she is telling the truth...
Ash: I don't know, but it is a good thing to help out the person in need. (Looking at the road) Let's go to the Forest Opening, should we?
Lillie nods as they head to the road in the southwestern part of the town, and they arrive at a place where the trees are almost covering the sunlight. They can see some Pokemon like Furfrou, Blitzle, Grubbin, Venipede, Sewaddle, Deerling, Buneary, and Minccino on the road.
Ash: For the Pokemon there...I mean, I already have a Leavanny...so Sewaddle is out of the question.
Lillie: I'll try to capture the Grubbin...I mean, Vikavolt is a good Pokemon, Sophocles has it, right?
Ash: Yeah...and from what I learned from Galar, you can use the Thunder Stone to evolve Charjabug into Vikavolt.
Lillie has Raboot uses Blaze Kick to kick the Grubbin, after lowering its HP, Lillie captures it using a Pokeball. And by Ash's instructions, she evolves Grubbin by having it train with Snowy. And once it becomes a Charjabug, Lillie uses the Thunder Stone to evolve it into a Vikavolt.
Lillie: That is amazing...now I have a Vikavolt...thanks, Ash, for helping me out.
Ash: No problem. I'll go capture a Deerling.
Ash finds a Deerling and instead of using Pokemon to battle, he decides to go with the approach of giving it food to eat. The Deerling smells at the Pokemon Food and eats it.
Ash: Do you like it? (Deerling nods at Ash's reaction.) I'm glad.
Then after asking the Pokemon if it wants to join, and Deerling is glad to join Ash. Lillie is also amazed at how Ash just asks to have the Pokemon join, and she is happy for him.
Ash also uses the same trick on a Buneary, and much to Lillie's surprise, Buneary also joins Ash. And by training for a while, Buneary evolves into a Lopunny.
Lillie: Looks like the Pokemon in this forest are very friendly.
Ash: I guess because of the rangers? I notice that their base is just over there.
Lillie: Then let's get inside to check it out.
Ash and Lillie enter the Rangers Headquarters, but the reception desk is empty.
?: A tousand welcomes t'ye. Me name's Seamus, Grass Type specialist of Ceolis' Elite Four.
Ash and Lillie are surprised to hear the voice of the Elite Four member, but they don't see anyone as they are confused.
Ash: Um...where are you? Seamus?
Suddenly they see a hand and they peek down, they find a short man that they think that he might have Dwarfism.
Lillie: You look shorter than I have ever imagined...
Seamus: Never mind that. Me grandmudder started the rangers in this region, and everyone in me family's been a ranger. I'm the current head of operations. Feel free to look around and talk to our rangers. Civilians can do missions as well, but we need to test ye first. Can't have inexperienced and unprepared folk messin' with our assignments and image, y'see.
Ash: (Surprised) Wait, so that means we can also become rangers as well?
Seamus: Of course. If ye wanna go on missions yerself, talk to Diana in the room at the back and she'll see if yer fit to walk with us.
Ash and Lillie nod as they head to the backroom, they see a ranger named Diana at the desk.
Diana: Hi, I'm Diana. We rangers understand that some civilians want to help out too, even if they can't or don't want to be full-time rangers. I'm the one who tests those civilians to see if they're worthy. Is that what you're here for?"
Ash and Lillie: Of course.
Diana: Then let's get started!
He sends out Zebstrika as her first Pokemon, and Ash goes for Krookodile to battle. Krookodile goes for Dragon Claw, and it sends Zebstrika backward.
Diana: Use Flame Charge!
Ash recognizes the tactic and Krookodile is taking the hit, and Zebstrika is getting a speed boost.
Ash: Dig!
Ash tries to use the move to do a sneak attack, but Zebstrika goes for Agility. In the end, Krookodile manages to hit Zebstrika and knocking it out of the match.
Diana's second Pokemon is Ponyta, and Ash has Lillie battle by using Seismitoad. Ponyta is also using Flame Charge and also goes for Stomp to make Seismitoad flinch. But Lillie commands Seismitoad to go with Uproar, which stops it from getting closer.
Lillie: Now Seismitoad is creating an Uproar...let's do it again.
Seismitoad continues to use its voice, and eventually, Ponyta is trapped. But it uses Agility and Take Down to hit Seismitoad, causing it to calm down. Seismotoad goes for Sludge Bomb, which poisons Ponyta, and then it finishes with Drain Punch.
The final Pokemon for Diana is Skiddo, and Lillie wants to battle by using Snowy. Snowy uses Confuse Ray to make Skiddo confused, and then it goes for Blizzard, which eventually knocks out the Skiddo in the end.
Diana: You two are more than good enough! (Recalls Skiddo) You can definitely help us out! Just have a look at that board over there to see if there are any jobs open. I'd recommend coming back here and checking the board again after finishing a mission since it's updated pretty quickly!
Ash and Lillie nod as they check out the board, and there is only one mission.
Mission Name: The Ejecting Ninja Reject! They've been numerous complaints about a kid dressed as a ninja knocking people around with an Eject Button at the Western Waterway. He apparently likes ambushing people by jumping down from the top of Cave of Resolve went they come close to the entrance. Teach him a lesson, and if necessary, take his Eject Button!
Lillie: A ninja with an Eject Button... It is an item to be held by a Pokémon. If the holder is hit by an attack, it will be switched out of battle.
Ash: Yeah, we should go find that ninja boy.
When they get to the Cave of Resolve's entrance, where they meet Draga for the first time, they hear a yell.
Ninja: HERE COME DAT NINJA BOI!
He suddenly sends out Ninjask and Frogadier, and Ash goes for Pikachu while Lillie goes for Snowy.
Ash: Pikachu! Use Discharge!
Pikachu fires the attack and it causes both Pokemon to paralyze. But Frogadier goes for Lick, and with the ability Protean, it changes into Ghost Type, which makes Snowy's Swift misses. And Ninjask goes for Speed Boost ability to land Acrobatics on Pikachu, hitting it time to time.
Lillie: Snowy! Use Blizzard!
Ash: Pikachu! Thunderbolt!
Both of them decide to hit Ninjask at the same time, after defeating the Pokemon, they change their focus to Frogadier. Snowy goes for Hex, and with Frogadier just used Extrasensory to hit Pikachu, the Ghost Type attack causes Frogadier to faint in the end.
Ninja: (Surprised to see his Pokemon defeated) Oh!
Ash: (Shows the Ranger ID in their phones.) We are from the rangers and we are here to stop you.
Ninja: You say the rangers told you to stop me? Fine, I'll stop...Here, take it.
Walt throws the Eject Button at Ash, who takes it, after that, he is nowhere in sight.
Ash: (Shrugs) I guess we finished the mission.
Lillie: Yeah, we should report it back to the Rangers. (They head back to the Ranger's Headquarters together.)
When they are back at the Ranger's HQ, they hear a ranger at the resting sofa calling out to them.
Ranger: Hey there, would you two happen to be Ash and Lillie?
Ash: (Surprised) How do you know our names?
Ranger: Haha, sorry if I startled you by knowing your name! Your sister Emily and your brother Gladion actually came by here earlier. In addition to being a ranger, I'm also a Pokemon Breeder on the side. Specifically, I breed Snom and Sizzlipede.
Lillie: Snom and Sizzlipede...both of them are from Galar...
Ranger: I let Emily choose one, and she chooses Snom! Although normally I give a choice, that was actually my last Snom egg for the time being. I still have plenty of Sizzlipede eggs though! Will you like one?
Lillie: I'll take it. (Takes the Egg and puts it into her bag.)
Ranger: By the way, I don't give away eggs to just anyone! Emily and Gladion felt trustworthy and helped us with a mission, and they vouched for you two as well. I hope you and Sizzlipede will be great friends as well!
After they bid farewell to the ranger, they go back to find Diana.
Diana: Ash, Alice. I heard that you completed your first mission, so I think I should give you this.
She gives them an application on the Rotom Phone, so they won't need to check the billboard and see what their next mission is.
Diana: With this, you don't need to always come back here for another mission.
Ash and Lillie: Thank you so much.
Then after that, they decide to leave the headquarters.
At the same time, Emily and Gladion are walking out of the gym.
Emily: Now I have three badges, and Lana evolved, that is really great! Though I wonder what is taking my brother so long?
Gladion: Maybe they are doing some training. Knowing Ash and my sister Lillie, they probably will do that.
Just then, they see a girl with black hair and black dress approaching them.
?: Excuse me, do you two know anything about Ash Ketchum and Lillie Aether?
This causes them to be surprised as they face the girl.
Felicia: Sorry if I haven't introduced myself, I am Felicia~
Emily: I'm Emily, and I'm Ash's sister. This is Gladion, and he is Lillie's brother. What do you want with Ash and Lillie?
Felicia: Oh, it is nothing important. I have heard how strong the two of them are, so I want to meet them in Wonky Woods, that is if you can help me give them a message.
Gladion: Sure, we'll tell them when we met them.
The girl named Felicia nods as she leaves out of their sight.
Emily: I don't know why, but that girl over there looks suspicious...
Gladion: I agree...perhaps we should also see what she wants to do with my sister and Ash. They'll probably be coming to the gym soon, let's wait for them here.
Emily nods as they start to sit at the stairs and they chat for a while when waiting for the couple.
Now I have some things to talk about in this chapter, as you can see, Ash and Lillie find one of the Elite Four members in the Ceolis Region, and they are now taking the Ranger Missions. There are a total of five of them, and every time you want to do one mission, you have to go back to the building and look at the board for the mission. I hope you like this chapter and there is actually one more place before I decide to write the Gym battle.
Ash's Main Pokemon: Snorlax, Noctowl, ?, ?, ?, ?, Machop, Heracross, Lucario, ?, Hawlucha, Sirfetch'd, Pidgeot, ?, ?, Ducklett, Noivern, ?, Beedrill, ?, ?, ?, ?, Naganadel, ?, Donphan, ?, Krookodile, ?, ?, ?, Tyranitar, ?, Gigalith, Lycanroc, ?, Butterfree, ?, ?, Leavanny, Vivillon, ?, Gengar, Shedinja, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, Melmetal, Charizard, ?, Infernape, ?, Talonflame, ?, ?, Mantyke, Feebas, Samurott, Greninja, ?, Exeggutor, Sceptile, Budew, Deerling, Decidueye, ?, Pikachu, Flaaffy, ?, Rotom, Tynamo, ?, Mr. Mime, ?, ?, ?, Espurr, Dottler, Lapras, ?, Glalie, ?, ?, ?, Dragonite, ?, Garchomp, ?, Goodra, ?, Diglett (A), Onix, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, Pheromosa
Lillie's Main Pokemon: ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, Hitmonchan, Makuhita, Meditite, Scrafty, Mienfoo,?, ?, Xatu, ?, Gliscor, ?, ?, Muk, Dustox, ?, ?, ?, ?, Geodude, Quagsire, Torterra, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, Carbink, ?, ?, Ninjask, ?, ?, Vikavolt, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, Forretress, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, Torkoal, ?, Torracat, Raboot, Slowpoke, Feraligatr, Floatzel, Seismitoad, ?, Chewtle, Venusaur, Meganium, ?, Serperior, ?, ?, ?,?, Electrike, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, Ninetales (A), ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, Exeggutor (A), ?, Altaria, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, Cufant, Clefable, ?, Whimsicott, Florges, ?, ?