Author's Note

And so, Nui's Pokemon journey has begun. So! A bit of a gripe I have with making this particular part of the story. Due to the RNG nature of Pokemon, I wasn't really sure what to go for when it comes to Nui having a Pokemon team or the most viable or what fits for her. I just went with Grookey because of A: A YouTube video and B: because both she and Grookey, being a Grass-type, have a weakness to fire, so I feel like she and Grookey can get along on that front. If you want me to change her starter, well, too bad. She'll have to get a new fire type. There might be a Scorbunny and Sobble in the wild, but I'm not sure if there is, and even if there is, it's probably very rare. If you have any tips for me, since I'm playing Pokemon Shield right this moment, please leave it in a review. Since I have Pokemon Shield, I know there are some Pokemon that are exclusive to this version... like the mightiest Pokemon in Gen 4, possibly even surpassing the Legendary Pokemon in that generation: Garchomp. Garchomp is a Dragon-Ground Type Pokemon, making him immune to Electric-Type attacks. Not only that, but Dragon-Type Pokemon are quite strong against a few Types at the very least.

After staying in Hop's house for the night and to have some good old fashioned barbeque, the Hop and Nui did their first Pokemon battle, with Nui's Grookey defeating Hop's Wooloo and Sobble. Each of the Pokemon the two used became fully healed by Leon.

After that, Nui went back to her house and sees that one of the Wooloos have gone missing. She and Hop go into the woods to find it. Along the way, Nui defeated the wild Pokemon along the way. She hears a howling sound, getting Nui and Hop closer into the woods. They make it through a thick fog, but the fog is so thick, they can't see their own hands in front of their faces.

The two look around when suddenly, a large dog with a knight's plume and a scar on its forehead appeared before the two. "Gh... No time to mess around...! Grookey! Use Scratch!" Nui ordered. However, the move had no effect on it. "Wha!?"

"The move had no effect on it!?" Hop exclaimed, the dog's gaze affixed on Nui.

"Gr... Time to try something different. Grookey! Use Branch Poke!" Nui growled, Grookey's branch phasing through the Pokemon. The Pokemon then emits a thick fog.

"Nui! I can't see anything! Are you okay!?" Hop asked.

"I am! Are you!?" Nui asked back.

"Yeah! Keep trying!"

"I will! Grookey! Try Branch Poke again!"

The attack phased through the Pokemon again, causing it to emit even more fog. "I can't see anything!" Hop complained.

The two suddenly grunt in surprise before they faint. The two wake up after the fog cleared up.

"Hop! Nui!" Leon called as he appeared.

"Wha? Lee? How'd you manage to find your way here?" Hop huffed in confusion. "You're pants with directions. You always get lost."

"Oh, that's nice to hear from the little brother who had me worried sick! I'd been waiting ages for you two, and you never showed!" Leon replied. "Of course I came looking for the both of you!"

"Wait, where's the Wooloo!? We were trying to rescue that Wooloo!" Nui changed the subject. Leon smiles and shows that the Wooloo that escaped into the forest was rescued by Leon's Charizard.

"The little chap's just fine. Though all of you had fainted by the time I found you here." Leon answered. "You know this place is out of bounds... but it took courage to come in here all the same. And I can understand well enough why you did it. You did good, Hop! Nui!"

"And at least that Wooloo's all right... Yeah, Nui?" Hop smiled. "I thought we'd had it when that weird fog started rolling in and that mad Pokemon attacked... but at least it wasn't all for nothing!"

"Attacked by some mad Pokemon? What are you talking about, Hop?" Leon brought up.

"It seemed loads stronger than any Pokemon I've ever seen. And it just had this sort of presence... Our moves didn't even touch it. I mean, really. They seemed to pass right through it!"

"Your moves passed right through it...? So, the fearsome Pokemon they say live in the Slumbering Weald... Are they actually illusions or something? Get strong enough and maybe the two of you could be the ones to reveal the truth someday. For now, let's simply get out of this place. You'll be all right now that I'm here with you!" Leon declared.

"Even if we did get an earful from Lee... what an experience! This'll make a pretty fine first page in the tale of my legend!" Hop boasted.

"All right. We're off to Wedgehurst now. Here's some pocket money for ya. You'll need it to buy Potions and stuff for your Grookey and any other Pokemon you might catch later. Once you get to Wedgehurst, find a building with the red and white ball mark on it. That's the Pokemon Research Lab!" Hop told before leaving.

Along the way, Nui catches a Skwovet, a squirrel-type Pokemon, a Rookidee, a bird-type Pokemon, and a Nickit, a fox-type Pokemon. Once she reaches the building, she finds Leon there.

"Well done! You reached the goal and managed to find the Pokemon Research Lab! You did a far sight better than I did my first time. I'm hopeless with directions." Leon admitted.

"Yeah, Hop mentioned that before..." Nui replied.

"See how your world has already grown, all thanks to having Pokemon with you? I know I'm sure glad I've got Charizard with me... to keep me from getting lost all the time. Now, in we go!" Leon declared before the two enter.

Once inside, Nui could see that the lab is filled with books. "I've got to give it to Professor Magnolia. Everything in here looks fascinating..." Leon pointed out.

"Bow wark!" The two heard before a dog with a yellow collar, a heart shaped butt, and a lightning bolt shaped tail appeared and ran to Leon, its collar vibrating.

"What is it today, Leon?"

The two look up and see a young lady with orange hair above them. "Looking for info on another never-before-seen, superstrong Pokemon? I wish you'd stop with these outlandish requests..." She scolded before heading down the stairs to greet the two.

"Good to see you too, Yamper!" Leon greeted the dog Pokemon. "Yamper here is a real champ when it comes to helping you find your way around. He came to my rescue plenty of times back in the day, when I got lost on the road. Oh yeah, and that's his Trainer, Sonia."

"What can you say about her?" Nui asked.

"What can I say about Sonia? Well, I like the way she cooks. She makes food you can gobble down in a flash." Leon answered.

"Tsk. What kind of an introduction is that? Did you forget we were rivals during our Gym Challenge? It wasn't just Yamper helping you out. I did too." Sonia grumbled then turns her attention to Nui. "Anyway, nice to meet you! Name's Sonia. I'm the professor's assistant."

"This is Nui. She's a new Pokemon Trainer. Set her on the right path, would you?" Leon asked of Sonia, Yamper leading Leon somewhere. Sonia sighs.

"What does he think I am? He's always got his head in the clouds. It's no wonder he gets lost all the time..." Sonia facepalmed. "...Oh. Looks like you've got a Rotom Phone." She notified.

"Yeah. It's one of the things my Maman gave to me after I got a new house. ...And after she..."

"...Oh. I'm so sorry to hear that..."

"So, what's a Rotom?"

"Let me show you. Hey, Rotom~!" Sonia called before Nui's phone comes alive with blue eyes and a smile, floating before her, two antennae, one for each side, popping out. "Rotom Phones are handy little things, aren't they? They've got a map and a navigation tool. That said, Leon still gets lost, so... ...Oh, sorry. So tell me, do you know a lot about Pokemon?"

"Not... really..." Nui replied.

"Don't worry! Here, I'll make it so that you can use the Pokedex on your Rotom Phone!" Sonia told, giving Nui the Pokedex. "Just so you know, that Pokedex is a gift from my gran! Could you let Gran know that you received the Pokedex? She lives in the house down along Route 2." She said.

"Okay. I will." Nui nodded.

After she left the lab, a man stops her. "Hey there, Trainer! Sorry to stop you! You just left the Pokemon Lab, right? So that means you've got a Pokedex, yeah? I love talking to new Trainers and giving them useful stuff." The man declared, giving Nui another Potion. "It's a Potion. Use it to restore your Pokemon's stamina."

"Oh! Thanks~!" Nui thanked. As she went up the hill, she finds Hop.

"Got your Pokedex from Sonia? Then it's time to meet lots of different Pokemon and start building up a strong team! But battling strong Pokemon in the wild can leave your team in a bad way. Not to mention what battling another Trainer can do... Luckily, we've got Pokemon Centers!" Hop exclaimed, showing a red building with the Pokemon symbol. "Luckier yet, they're dead easy to spot. They look the same wherever you go. Come on, Nui. Bet you've never been inside one!" He boasted before showing Nui in. "Level with me, Nui. Is this your first time in a Pokemon Center?"

"Yes..." Nui nodded.

"Then the future Champion's got you covered! First things first, you talk to the lady at the counter if you want your Pokemon healed up. And Pokemon you catch are kept in computers like the one you can find here, see?" Hop said, showing said computer. "After all, you can only bring six Pokemon with you on the road in your party."

"The Potions they sell at the Poke Mart got me out of a real rough spot the other day!"

"If you two kids are Pokemon Trainers, you might want to buy some Potions before you head out!" Two people pointed out.

"Cheers! I'm already good, though. I'm heading to Route 2, Nui! Come find me, maybe, when you're done here!" Hop asked of as he leaves. Right before Nui leaves the Pokemon Center herself, she has the Pokemon she already has in her party rest in the Center, restoring them to full.

END OF EPISODE