Chapter 13: Blackleaf Woods

After arriving at the Crestlight City with the help of Nurse Joy, Ash and Alice notice a commotion inside the Pokemon Center. Ash asks, "Nurse Joy, do you know what is going on here?"

Nurse Joy also notices the commotion and she says, "That is strange. What is going on here?"

As they go to check out the problem, they hear a woman says, "...And when I was taking a stroll with my Lophug, I could feel a strange presence...I looked around, but couldn't see anything suspicious. But then, in a flash, someone grabbed my handbag and ran away from it!"

A man with black hair and a black suit, also wearing a yellow scarf says, "Veni, vidi, fugi - What a hero."

The male Police officer says, "It must have been quite a shock, madam. But I understood the handbag has been found, right?"

"Yes, yes, Damon just found it for me, I am so glad." The woman says.

"I nearly broke my neck over it. Perhaps we should charge that thief for attempted murder as well?" Damon asks.

"Don't be ridiculous, Damon." Officer Jenny says. "Madam, are you missing anything from the handbag?"

"Miraculously, I only miss the Pokeball of my Lophug. An empty one, that is. I could have been in a lot of trouble, so I'm really relieved!"

"Good to hear you aren't missing anything like a wallet, madam. Do you remember any details about the thief?" The male Police Officer asks.

"No, I swear he was just a moving shadow! Perhaps it was a malicious Dark Pokemon Instead..." The woman says.

"A malicious Dark Pokemon? The only Pokemon I know that can do it is Zoroark, but it is not native here, so I didn't know there are such Pokemon inhabit in this region..." Damon says.

"No need to joke around, Damon. We have to take this very seriously. There are numerous reports of similar incidents in the past few days."

"I am terribly sorry." Damon says. "I;m just bitter about the recent events. I thought we'd banished those scoundrels from daylight, and put them under lock and key!"

"I am afraid that you cannot solve this problem on your own anymore, Damon." Officer Jenny sighs.

"You might be right...But I won't give up!" Damon says.

"How could the thieves remain untraceable? I'm starting to fear for our safety in this city..."

"Um, if I may add something? We just got a report! Apparently, mysterious people were seen in Blackleaf Woods!" The male officer says. "They might be the ones we are looking for! After all, most incidents occur in the vicinity of Blackleaf Woods."

"I'll vanish into the shadows and go in full pursuit of these criminals..." Damon is cut off by Officer Jenny. "I opt for a strict security measure in Crestlight City. We won't let anyone in or out until we have more clarity about their whereabouts! Blackleaf Woods is a dead end, so those criminals will get stuck there eventually."

"Understood, I'll inform the authorities." The male officer then leaves.

After the officers are gone, Damon just sighs and then goes towards Nurse Joy, who is going to heal his Pokemon. Damon notices Ash and Alice and says, "Oh my, who are you?"

Ash says, "Um...I am Ash, and this is Alice, we are here for a Gym Battle..."

"Oh, so you are looking for a Gym battle. I have to say that you're a lucky one." Damon says. "You see, the police decide to block the city's gateway for a crime..."

Alice says, "So that means we have to stay within this city until it's solved."

"But don't worry, you can still go to Blackleaf Woods if you want to, but it is a dead end, so there is nowhere to go past the forest. And I forgot to introduce myself. I am Damon, the gym leader."

"Wait, you are the gym leader?" Ash asks in surprise.

"I know that you want to have a battle, but I have to find those thieves in the Blackleaf Woods. So I am sorry that I can't do it."

After getting the Pokemon from Nurse Joy, Damon says, "Unless you are trying to help, I suggest you that get out of my way."

Ash says, "We can help you. There is no way I will let these criminals get away."

Damon notices the determined eyes in Ash, it somehow reminds him of a person he knew for a long time. He asks, "Are you perhaps, somehow related to Delia Ketchum? I notice your eyes are similar to hers."

"You are talking about my Mom? Did you know her?" Ash says with a little surprise.

Damon is having the same expression as Ash, he says, "Now that explains a lot. She was my traveling partner back in the Unova Region. Not to mention that she is also a strong and hot one of course."

"Hot?" Ash is a little surprised. "I have never heard of someone says that my mother is hot..." Ash sweat drops.

"Ignore that, we must go to the Blackleaf Woods if we want to find the culprits." Ash and Alice nod as they follow Damon.


Once they get inside the woods, Ash says, "It really is dark here..."

"Yeah, but it is a good place for Dark Type Pokemon." Damon says. "You should follow me if you want to get past this place easily."

Just then, Alice feels like something is sticking on her leg, as she can't move. "Um...Ash, Damon, can you please help me?"

The two males turn around and Alice says, "My feet is stuck, I don't know why..." But Ash and Damon can see a Pokemon opens its mouth behind her. Damon says, "Alice! Watch out!"

Ash quickly picks up something on the ground and then throws it onto the Pokemon who is about to bite Alice, and it turns out to be a Dusk Ball, and then the Pokemon is caught. At the same time, Alice turns around and she is quite terrified at the sharp teeth.

"Alice, are you okay?" Ash asks after asking Aquad to clean the sticky goo on her leg, Alice is shaken as she keeps hug Ash.

"I..." Alice can't say as she is really terrified.

"That is a Vennap if you want to ask." Damon says. "And you capture it."

Vennap: The Trap Pokemon: Grass and Dark Type. Vennap excretes a sweet, honey-like scent to attract prey. As they get close enough, Vennap spits sticky goo onto the prey and traps them, allowing for no escape.

"That must be the goo that traps you." Ash says, "Alice, don't worry, I will protect you." He grabs her arm, causing her to blush a little. "I won't let go of you, so it should be fine."

But as Alice tries to walk, she feels pain as she kneels down. Damon says, "Oh no...the goo must have corrode her leg, we must heal her for now."

Ash says, "But I forgot my healing items back in the Pokemon Center, what should we do?"

"Don't worry." Damon looks around and then he spots a Pokemon, he gives Ash a Pokeball and says, "Ash, go capture that Pokemon."

Ash sees a Pink bunny like Pokemon, but he just throws the ball and it is captured. Ash asks, "Then what?"

"Send it out and tell it to wrap around her leg." Ash nods and sends out the Pokemon, after telling it what to do, it goes towards Alice and wraps around her. Ash also scans the Pokemon.

Lophug: The Hugging Pokemon: Fairy Type. Lophug's ears give off a unique chemical when wrapped around a person or another Pokémon, relieving pain and causing wounds to heal faster.

"That is so cool." Ash says. And under 5 minutes, Alice's wounds are fully healed, and they thank the Pokemon before sending it back to the Pokeball.

When they get to the cabin, Damon says, "This must be their hideout." Then they rush inside, they see the two thieves arguing.

"What a thief you are, stealing a Pokeball without a Pokemon in it..."

"I thought she had another Pokemon instead of the Lophug on her side..."

"Nevermind, let's get some other Pokemon in our next run. I've heard about an organization buying Pokemon for a lot of money!" But then they see Ash, Alice and Damon.

"Hey, who are these three losers? Did anyone invite you in?"

"Is that any way to treat your guests? So, analyzing your conversation, you guys are the thieves. That makes my job easier." Damon says.

"What? Good luck trying to catch us, you'll have to beat us first!" As the thieves try to run, but Ash and Alice are faster as they block their paths.

"Talk about bad hospitality..." Ash says.

"Yeah, why don't you stay here for a while?" Alice asks.

"Grr..." They send out a vampire like Pokemon and a spider like Pokemon, Damon says, "Leave these Pokemon to me, you go get whatever Pokemon is in the bag."

"Okay." Ash and Alice says. And then Damon sends out a Wolf like Pokemon, it KO the two Pokemon with a move called Dark Matter.

Ash and Alice find two bags, and when they open it, they see five puppy like Pokemon and 5 spiders coming from it.

"Those are Beopup and Darcula..." Alice says as Ash scans them.

Beopup: The Full Moon Pokemon: Dark Type. Beopup hunt in packs, in every pack there's an Alpha. In order to be Alpha they must know a certain move, if another Beopup learns that move, it can compete for the role of Alpha.

Darcula: The Tarantula Pokemon: Bug and Dark Type. Darcula have built up resistance towards Spidox venom from competition; Not even a dose strong enough to take out human adults would have any effect on them.

"From what it seems, they all must be wild." Damon says as the officers takes away the thieves. "Well, you can do whatever you want, I will go back to with these officers."

Ash and Alice nod as Damon leaves, Ash notices the Alpha Beopup and the biggest Darcula approaching them. Pikachu has a conversation with them and then he says, "Ash, these two wants to join us."

"Are you sure?" Ash asks as the two nod, then they capture the Pokemon. As for the other Beopup and Darcula, they just run out of the house before bidding to the two Ash captured.

Now that only Ash, Alice and Pikachu are the only ones in the house, some strange sounds are rumbling into their ears and Alice says, "What is that sound?"

Ash looks around and sees some white glow, but he didn't watch it closely and he says, "I think we are inside of a Haunted House..."

Alice pales and she is shaking, she says, "Can we get out of here?"

Ash knows that Alice is still scared, he nods and says, "I'll take you out of here." Then they leave the area immediately. But they are now lost in the woods.

"Uh...oh...Alice, do you remember how to get back the Crestlight City?" Ash asks.

Alice pales and says, "I don't know...what if...what if we are trapped inside the woods...with monstrous Pokemon and Ghosts..." Then she starts to faint as Ash is panicking.

Ash quickly hugs her and says, "Alice, we will be fine, we won't give up until it is over." Ash then looks around and finds a Gecko like Pokemon, Ash asks, "Can you take us back to Crestlight City, please, we need some help."

The said Pokemon just walks towards them and taps their minds, he says, "I apologize for not recognizing you, young Prince and young princess. I will teleport you out of the woods immediately."

As they are teleported outside the woods, Ash quickly carries her to the Pokemon Center and rest in the room provided by Nurse Joy. After a while, Alice bolts awake and finds herself in the Pokemon Center.

"Thank goodness you are awake. I am so worried about you..." Ash says as he hugs her.

"What?" Alice has a hard time breathing because of what Ash is doing, after breaking the hug, she asks, "But how?"

Ash then shows the Gecko Pokemon, also scanning the Pokemon.

Geckone: The Illusion Pokemon: Psychic Type. Geckone are able to tap into the minds of people and Pokémon as a defense mechanism, overlaying their visions with illusions.

"Thank you so much for helping us." Alice says to the Pokemon.

"No problem, since I have read your minds, I can say that you two are aiming for greatness, which is why I want to join your team." Geckone says.

Ash nods and says, "Sure, welcome to the team." Then he captures the Pokemon, he turns to Alice and says, "Alice, right now your body is still weak, rest for now."

Alice nods and then she closes her eyes and falls asleep, then Ash also joins her as he also lies besides her.


Here is another new chapter, and I admit that I made Blackleaf Forest a little scarier than I have ever imagined, but it is for the story purpose. I hope you like it and the next chapter will be a Gym Battle.

New Pokemon or Evolution: Vennap, Lophug, Beopup, Darcula, Geckone