Anyone who has played the first hour of Sword and Shield knows what happens when Leon finds Hop and the PC, so I won't repeat those events here (instead that scene will be summarized, just to maintain the story flow).
Leon halted at the woodland edge. He looked up at the ancient trees looming over him. "I can't believe that we're about to go into the Slumbering Weald. I'm not supposed to be doing this." The Champion remembered the last time he intentionally attempted to do so:
Ten-year-old Leon unlocked the fence. His goal: to seek out the Pokémon of the Slumbering Weald. Ever since he was a toddler, he had an intense curiosity about the fearsome beasts. Yet the new Champion never had a chance to track them down because of the 'stay out of the woods' rule. Since he was now the strongest trainer in Galar, he assumed that it no longer applied to him.
"LEON!" Mum rushed after him, yelling at the top of her lungs. "I'm warning you, take one more step towards those woods and you'll no longer be unbeatable!" Her older son froze just short of the woodland edge as she gripped his wrist. "You know that you are not supposed to be here; being the Champion does not change this! The Big Bad Pokémon don't care about that and they will still view you as supper!"
His mother was never angry at him when he accidently wandered by the forbidden forest; she must have known his intentions. Before she had a chance to do anything else, Leon covered his bottom with his free hand. "No, please no! I don't wanna beating! I'm sorry, I'm very sorry, I'm very very sorry! I didn't mean to come here, I got lost!"
Her older son's claim was usually true, but in this instance Mum was not completely convinced. Despite her doubt, her voice was less stern. "I know you struggle with getting lost, and I would never punish you for that. But it doesn't take directional skill to open a fence, so explain to me why you went past it?"
Leon blurted out the first excuse that he could think of. "I thought it was a different fence!" Instantly recognizing how stupid his lie sounded, he started weeping and tried to sit to protect himself. Luckily for the new Champion, he never felt the swat he feared was coming.
Mum took a long deep breath and got down to his level. "Relax dear, I believe you. Just be more careful; remember that everyone in Galar looks up to you now." She hugged her older son, kissed his forehead, and dried his eyes. "I'm sorry I yelled at you; I was scared and that made me overreact. You're not in trouble, you're not getting beaten. Let's just go home and put this all behind us. To make it up to you, I'll cook you a special treat."
It was one of the few scenarios in which his directional difficulties were an asset rather than a liability. A roar from his Charizard refocused Leon on his task. "We must find those kids, and my gut feeling says that they're in these woods. C'mon buddy." The Champion and the dragon-like Pokémon entered the Slumbering Weald.
As he searched for the children, Leon nervously glanced around him. "I absolutely cannot afford to get lost this time. Not just for the kids' sake, but also to save my own bum." His Charizard gave him a confused look. "Did you not hear Mum? She only speaks to me like that when I'm in a lot of trouble - and I can't say that I got lost this time, because she knows I came in here on purpose."
Leon's heart sank. Hop can't argue that he got lost like I can. I pray he has an exceptionally good reason for being in here, or else... He shook the unpleasant thought from his mind. I can't afford to worry about that right now; I need to find him first.
A mysterious aura enchanted Leon; he could not help but admire the primeval forest as he travelled through it. "I've never been in the Slumbering Weald before. It's so pretty, yet so eerie. And so foggy. I can see how people get lost and never come back, especially with those fearsome Pokémon in here. Sonia got lucky." The Champion recalled the moment he understood why it was a forbidden forest:
Leon struggled to pay attention as his mother and Chairman Rose discussed his future. He was soon moving to Wyndon under the guardianship of the latter, and Mum was adamant in ensuring that his 'stepfather' knew everything about his care. The new Champion leaned against her as she spoke, being careful not to disturb Hop as the toddler blissfully napped in her arms. Unfortunately for Leon, he could not just sleep away his boredom; he was expected to listen, and the adults occasionally asked for his opinion.
The intense conversation was interrupted by a frightened scream. Concerned, the new Champion ran towards the gate of his family's property; Mum (still cradling Hop, whom awoken from the noise) and Chairman Rose stood up and followed him. They saw Sonia and her Yamper fleeing the Slumbering Weald as fast as their legs could carry them. "HELP! HELP! HELP!"
On Mum's sudden request, Chairman Rose hastily opened the gate; it was usually kept open, but the former closed it whenever her sons were outside to keep them safe. Without looking, Leon bolted onto the road. "Soni-oof!" He fell flat onto his back when his friend collided into him, while she landed on her abdomen. "What happened?! You look like you've seen a ghost!"
Sonia attempted to catch her breathe as she and her best friend got back onto their feet. The preadolescent bawled her eyes out. "The grown-ups are right, I should have listened to them! The Pokémon in the Slumbering Weald are dangerous! They chased me and I barely got away and..." Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted her grandmother approaching. "Uh-oh..."
"SONIA!" Professor Magnolia yelled as she rushed over to the two preadolescents, causing them to cower. "I've been looking all over for you! And did I just see you run out of the Slumbering Weald?! You know that place is off-limits! You're in a world of trouble, young lady! You're grounded!" She grabbed her granddaughter's wrist and hauled her towards Wedgehurst. Sonia repeatedly apologized and sobbed even louder as Professor Magnolia continued lecturing her.
The lecture frightened Hop, prompting him to wail. Leon was also intimidated by it; he fled to his mother and clung onto her. While he received scoldings before, even the most severe of those were not as harsh as what he just heard. Yet the thought that his best friend almost died - and the realization that he could have too - terrified the new Champion even more. "Mummy, I promise I'll be more careful and never go near the woods again."
Mum immediately rocked her younger son in one arm and stroked her older son's hair with her other hand. "Hop, Leon, oh dearies. I know she's way too strict, but she didn't mean to scare you. You're OK. And I trust you will, Leon." Her gentle voice combined with her loving touch comforted both the toddler and the new Champion.
Rustling startled Leon back to the present. Blast, it found me! His heart pounded, his muscles tensed up, and hormones rushed through his body as he hyper-fixated on the source of the sound. He scrambled to hide behind his Charizard, but in his haste he tripped and fell on his chest. The Champion flipped onto his back and propped himself up. "Please don't kill me!" He pulled a Poké ball from his pocket; he was prepared to fight for his life, but he would rather entrap the beast than harm it.
A Rookidee hopped out of the vegetation, pecking at the ground as it hunted for insects and other bite-sized invertebrates. Leon grinned sheepishly as his Charizard game him a 'really?' stare. "What? I thought it was the fearsome Pokémon of the Slumbering Weald! How was I supposed to know that it was a harmless Rookidee when this place is off-limits because of its danger? No, I'm not scared of Rookidee!" To prove his point, Leon stood up and confidently chucked the Poké ball at the bird-like Pokémon, successfully capturing it. "See? I told you, I'm not scared of Rookidee." The Champion retrieved the Poké ball. But how am I gonna fit a Rookidee onto my team? I'm sure I'll figure out something, or maybe I can give it to Hop - once I actually find him.
Leon continued his search for the children. A howl was heard coming from the distance, mesmerizing him. I thought Lycanroc were only found on the Isle of Armor; do they also live in mainland Galar? Though it did not sound exactly like a Midday Lycanroc, a Midnight Lycanroc, or a Dusk Lycanroc; is it an undiscovered Dawn Lycanroc? Or was that a wolf? Wait, do we even have wolves in Gal-?
An agonized scream snapped Leon out of his pondering. He instantly recognized the voice and jumped into his overprotective big sibling mode. "Hop, I'm coming! Charizard, locate Hop!" The dragon-like Pokémon quickly guided the Champion deeper into the forbidden forest. Worries raced through Leon's mind as he desperately hunted for his brother. It wasn't a Lycanroc or a wolf; it was the fearsome Pokémon of the Slumbering Weald! And it found Hop! I hope I'm not too late! Did it attack him? Kill him? Please no, I don't wanna lose my little bro!
Through the thick fog, Leon could barely make out the shapes of four recognizable individuals. Hop and his friend were lying on the ground unmoving, as were what he assumed was his brother's Wooloo and his friend's starter Pokémon. The Champion hollered their names as he bolted towards them; the lack of a response from either child was disturbing and his eyes teared up. Oh my gosh, are they dead?! No, they can't be!
The two Pokémon were the first to revive, awaking just seconds after Leon spotted them and giving him a shot of optimism. If the Pokémon were just fainted, then maybe the kids are too. He called their names again while his Charizard herded the Wooloo away from the vegetation (thus revealing that it was not Hop's loyal companion). The Champion's hope was confirmed when Hop regained consciousness, followed immediately by his friend. A huge sense of relief struck him like a tsunami. Thank goodness they're alive!
Leon hollered their names for a third time as he caught up to them. Both of the children were surprised by his arrival, with his brother teasing him about being 'pants with directions.' With a heavy heart, the Champion scolded them for entering the Slumbering Weald. Hop easily convinced his brother that they were in the forbidden forest for a legitimate reason, and after more conversation the three humans starting heading back to Postwick.
As they made their way through the Slumbering Weald, Hop passionately told his brother the story of what happened. "I can't believe that we actually saw that mad Pokémon! I wonder if it was one of the scary Pokémon that are said to live in these woods? Whatever it was, it was so spooky, yet so cool at the same time! It just emerged from the fog, as if by magic! And we saved a Wooloo from it! I can't think of a more exciting start to my legend and..." His enthusiasm trailed off as a realization struck him like lightning.
Leon attentively listened. There were a couple of times when he wanted to make a remark or ask a clarifying question, but the Champion learned long ago that interrupting his brother was next to impossible; when overexcited, Hop was extremely talkative and it seemed like he never took a breath. Thus, the sudden pause was highly concerning. "What's wrong, Hop?"
"Mum is gonna tan my hide when she learns I was in the Slumbering Weald, and she will find out sooner or later since this is the start of my legend." His brother was about to speak when Hop cut him off, his dread quickly replaced by grudging acceptance. "But I knew I would be in big trouble the moment I stepped foot into these woods, so if a sore bum is the price I have to pay for saving that Wooloo's life then so be it."
"Spoken like a true Champion," Leon praised as he patted his brother's back. "But I don't think you need to worry about that. Mum never laid a hand on me when my malfunctioning internal compass led me towards the Slumbering Weald, so she'll certainly let you off-"
"Hurry up you two, I just want to get out of here!" While the brothers talked, Hop's friend rushed ahead and waited for them just short of the woodland edge. Please. I know you two like to chit-chat, but this place is creepy and I never even wanted to come here in the first place.
The brothers agreed to continue their conversation later and hurried to catch up. Once everyone was out of the forbidden forest, Leon locked the fence and turned towards the children. "I'm not angry at you, but don't ever scare me like that again. I nearly had a heart attack when I found you unconscious. I understand why you did it this time, but promise me that you will never go into the Slumbering Weald again."
I'm sorry Lee, I didn't mean to scare you, Hop thought. Not that he would ever apologize to anyone out-loud (except his Wooloo, which happened once), but this did not stop him from acknowledging his brother's point. "Yes Lee, I promise that it will never happen again."
"Good." Now that they were out of danger, Leon shifted his focus to the most concerning detail of Hop's tale. "You said that it bit you?! Are you injured?!" He immediately examined his brother for wounds, scrutinizing every square inch of his body. Hop groaned during the more embarrassing parts of the exam, but he did not resist the probing. The Champion was flabbergasted. "This is so strange; I'm not finding bite marks anywhere."
Hop nodded in agreement. "It was so weird: when I was bitten it didn't hurt at all. It's like the Pokémon gave me an illusionary bite. Though that doesn't explain how we fai-" Not wanting to worry his brother any further, he changed the topic. "Can we go get our Pokédexes now?"
How did you faint? I need to know, but I'm guessing you have no clue. At least you're conscious now. Leon sighed from relief. "The important thing is that you're alive and unharmed. If you were..." He blocked the horrid thought from his mind. "First we need to inform Mum that you are safe, cause she knows that you went missing."
"Good idea, she'll give us both an earful if we don't." While he genuinely agreed with his brother's suggestion, Hop could not help but briefly ruminate over the inevitable confrontation with his mother. There is no getting out of this, time to brace myself for it. I just really hope that Lee is right...