~ Chapter 62 ~

North to Veilstone, The Mysterious Woods

"If there is one place in the Sinnoh Region with more legends, stories, and ghost sightings than Mount Coronet, it's Route 214. Legends told of an ancient cave in an old volcanic crater, off a pond, in a secret and misty woods. It was known as Sendoff Spring, the locals call it 'Sinnoh's secret fourth lake.' It was said that was where the souls of the dead passed through the veil into the next world. It was said Death itself lived within the ancient cave known as Turnback Cave. Wonder how it got that name…never did stick around long enough to find out. So, people wonder, is this place haunted? I don't even have an answer for that."

Sam, Jeremy, Niya and Alyssandra walked through the misty woods of Route 214.

Pikachu sat upon Niya's shoulder, chattering its teeth as they quietly crept through the dark woods.

The fog that pervaded this part of Route 214 was so thick they could barely see two feet in front of them.

At one point, Jeremy had kicked a rock into the fog and as the group walked deeper into the woods looking for it, they were horrified to find the rock had simply disappeared.

Niya discredited this seemingly supernatural experience to everything from a ricochet, to the fact it was any ordinary rock and likely disappeared among the other similar rocks and stones.

The others weren't so convinced.

To make matters worse, every few minutes a loud, screeching cry erupted from the forest, making every jump.

Once more it sounded, and Pikachu dashed from Niya's shoulder to hide in Alyssandra's shoulder bag.

"What the fuck is that?" whispered Jeremy, "Seriously it's been doing that all morning…"

"I don't know," shrugged Sam, "But if it wanted to attack us it would have by now."

"That's if it's even seen us," added Alyssandra quietly, "Let's not give it any incentive to find us."

"So what," hissed Niya, "We're just not supposed to speak? Personally I think you guys are just crazy. It's probably just some bird or something."

"What bird do you know that sounds like a demon?" Sam question right back, very pointedly.

"Ever met a sparrow?" smirked Niya.

"You're fucking nuts," Sam responded, watching Pikachu shiver from within Alyssandra's bag.

"Back at you," replied Niya.

"Guys, this is not the time to be at each other's throats—even jokingly," added Alyssandra, "We need to get out of these woods and out of this fog. I've never heard of this much fog on Route 214."

"Lyss is right," nodded Niya, "I've been down here before…It was never this foggy. Unless..."

"Unless?" asked Jeremy.

Niya smirked. "Unless we've somehow gone off course."

"Off course how?" Jeremy panicked, "How far off course?"

Niya's response was delayed by another shriek, then a rattling from the trees around the group. Then, wind blew gently, tousling the fog around them. Sam could see it swirl in patterns like a phantom.

A chill ran up Sam's spine, and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

"I don't like this…" whispered Sam, "Niya where do you think we are?"

"I was going to say…" started Niya, finally disturbed by how creepy everything was around her, "What if we're by Sendoff Spring?"

"Sendoff Spring? Isn't that where the souls of the dead go after they pass from this world?" asked Jeremy, his voice waivering.

"Supposedly," shrugged Niya, "No idea if that's true or not…never exactly went out of my way to find out. I made sure I gave a wide berth to that part of Route 214."

"I thought Sendoff Spring was in another world?" asked Alyssandra, "Valentina always said that Sendoff Spring was accessible to just anyone—that you had to be dead, or have a special artefact that would open the way."

"Well, I can't say we have any special artefacts," shrugged Sam, "And I really hope we're not dead."

Another ear splitting cry…and this one was close.

"Shit," hissed Alyssandra, "I don't like this…how do we get unlost?"

Niya shrugged.

Then, suddenly the wind blew hard, ripping leaves and branches and twigs from the trees and tossing them around on the ground.

It was what felt like an eternity of that before finally, as they opened their eyes and the wind died down, the group was confronted with a spectacular sight.

They were on the ridge of a massive crater. At the centre, a shimmering pristine lake that reflected the sky above like a glass mirror. It was undisturbed and untouched by even the wind.

It was beautiful. Trees surrounding the rim of the crater framed the beauty of the crater, and on the other side, in the centre of the crater wall, a gaping maw; a dark cave that was said to be the centre of Sendoff Spring.

Everyone gasped in awe as they saw what lay before them. They were surprised it was something so beautiful for a place so ominous.

"Sendoff Spring?" asked Alyssandra aloud.

"Looks like…" replied Niya at the sudden change in scenery.

"Do we go in and explore?" asked Jeremy.

"I'd rather not mess with the souls of the dead—but that's just me," replied Niya again, this time a clear distate for exploration clear in her voice.

"Not surprisingly, I agree with Niya," added Sam.

No one disagreed.

Then, nearby, the tree rattled, and the ear splitting roar-shriek sounded once more, but this time, much closer.

It was coming from the tree.

"That's it!" cried Sam, "I've hade it with that motherfucking scream, in that motherfucking tree!"

Sam called forth his Cranidos, and sent it charging into the thick pine tree that rattled with shrieks and roars.

Cranidos happily obldiged, its hard skull splintering the tree at the base. The tree shook, branches fell to the ground, and the tree itself creaked as it slowly started to fall to the ground.

With a slow, heavy sigh, the tree shuddered and slammed into the ground, taking out parts of other trees around it.

From the tree flew two brightly coloured Bird Pokémon.

Sam was not pleased when he realized what they were.

"Chatot!" he roared, "Seriously?!"

Niya stifled her laughter, and Jeremy looked embarrassed.

Only Alyssandra stepped forward to help Sam. "Shall we take them out together?"

"They don't look that strong, but that roar they've copied, that's some scare tactic," nodded Sam, "Let's catch them!"

Alyssandra sent out her Piplup, while Sam stuck with Cranidos.

The Chatot kept to the air, but the long-range attacks like Flamethrower and Ice Beam from both Pokémon were able to get some hits it.

It wasn't easy though.

The Chatot were fast, and they looked like experienced in battling. No doubt the cry they mimicked were used to keep people and Pokémon out their territory—it made sense that they'd at least be able to back up the terrible cries and roars with some skill.

The wild Chatot and Sam and Alyssandra's Pokémon battled for what seemed like ages. Every so often, Cranidos's Flamethrower would set parts of the forest aflame, and Sam called on his Empoleon to put it out.

The sun was blazing high overhead when Alyssandra and Sam finally brought down the Chatot and had them securely caught in some Ultra Balls.

As Sam and Alyssandra collected their prizes, thanked their Pokémon, and returned them to their Poké Balls, they turned back to their friends who had waited patiently for them to finish.

"Congrats on the catch," noted Niya.

"Thanks," replied Alyssandra.

"There's just one thing that worries me," Jeremy said; speaking up, worry on his face.

Everyone looked at Jeremy, motioning for him to explain.

"Chatot mimic the cries and voices of Pokémon and people around it right?" he asked.

Niya nodded. "Yeah, it can't create new sounds—just mimic," confirmed Niya.

Jeremy's forehead started to glisten a bit. "What the hell kind of Pokémon did these Chatot meet to be able to copy a roar like that?"

Everyone's faces blanched.

And no sooner had Jeremy mentioned that, had the ground begun to shake as a massive Pokémon moved around within the crater below.

They couldn't see the Pokémon, but they could hear it's familiar, ear-splitting roar come from within the cave. The water in the crater eerily remained undisturbed by all the commotion.

"Let's get the hell out of here," cried Sam, dashed back the way the group had come, "I don't care how lost we get, anywhere is better than here!"

"Agreed!" cried his friends.

Pikachu remained hidden in Alyssandra's bad, its muffled cries of fear leaking out as the group ran.

As they fled the area, Sam swore he saw a massive grey Pokémon, with black phantasmal wings, a gilded, armless body, and several thick, trunk-like legs on the back of its thick, worm-like body fly over head, crying out once more as it seemingly chased Sam and his friends from the Sendoff Spring.

Sam didn't know what Pokémon that was, and he wasn't sticking around to find out—ever.