Chapter 3
As we head toward Victor and Gloria's house, a loud crash echoes through the air. Hop immediately speaks up, "Guys, did you hear that just now?"
"I heard it too. What's going on?" Alice asks, concern evident in her voice, as we hasten towards the sound. Upon arrival, we find the fence gate broken open.
"The gate is open, and the Wooloo it was there..." Hop remarks.
"It was tackling the fence pretty hard earlier. You don't think it actually broke through there..." Gloria observes.
"But it's off-limits. Nobody's supposed to go in there! I remember the professor's granddaughter went in once, and she came back in a real state...and that was nothing compared to the earful she got from the professor afterward," Victor gasps.
"If it's off-limits, that means the Wooloo might be in danger. We have to save it," I assert.
"Right, even if we're not supposed to, this is the kind of scene where you simply have to do what's needed. I hope we are ready for everything," Hop says as we rush into the woods.
The woods are foggy and emit an eerie feeling. Alice breaks the silence, her voice laced with concern, "That Wooloo... Where do you think it got off to?"
Gloria chimes in, her tone reflecting the growing unease, "The fog is really thickening now... If we don't find that Pokémon soon, this might turn into trouble."
As we venture further, the thick fog reduces visibility to nearly nothing. I can barely discern the outlines of the others, with Alice being the only one clearly visible beside me. Hop's voice breaks the tense silence, "This is mad... I can't even see my own hand in front of my face! I think I get now why this place is off-limits..."
Suddenly, Alice and I spot two figures approaching us. "What in the—?!"
Both figures emit loud howls, and I inquire, "Guys... are you seeing this?"
"What?" Victor responds, "I can't see anything!"
"Same here!" Hop exclaims, with Gloria nodding in agreement.
Alice voices her concern, "Are those monsters?"
"Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" I urgently command. Pikachu releases a surge of electricity towards the silhouettes, yet the attack passes through them, having no effect.
Meowth queries, "The attack doesn't work?"
"Damn it..." I mutter in frustration. However, as the fog grows denser, the silhouettes vanish from our sight, and it seems that we also blackout.
As we regain consciousness, the fog has dissipated, and Leon hurriedly approaches us.
"Wha—? Lee? How'd you manage to find your way here? You're pants with directions. You always get lost," Hop gasps in disbelief.
"Oh, that's nice to hear from the little brother who had me worried sick! We've been waiting for ages for you, and you never showed up," Leon retorts.
"Wait, where's the Wooloo?! We were trying to rescue that Wooloo!" Hop urgently asks.
To our relief, we spot the Wooloo playing with Leon's Charizard. "Don't worry, that little chap's just fine," Leon reassures us. "Though all of you had fainted by the time we found you here. 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!"
"And at least that Wooloo's all right... Yeah, guys? I thought we'd had it when that weird fog started rolling in... but at least it wasn't all for nothing!"
"Though I was curious about the silhouettes that we saw..." I frown. "Are they some sort of mad Pokémon?"
"Attacked by a mad Pokémon? What are you talking about, Ash?" Leon inquires.
"It seemed loads stronger than any Pokémon 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!" I explain.
"Your moves passed right through it? So, the fearsome Pokémon they say live in the Slumbering Weald... Are they actually illusions or something?" Gloria ponders aloud.
"Get strong enough and maybe 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 reassures us.
"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 cheers enthusiastically as we make our way out of the forest.
Once back in Postwick, we assist Victor and Gloria in packing up their belongings at her house. Before our departure, Gloria's mom inquires, "So, you guys are off to Wedgehurst, huh?"
"Yeah," Gloria affirms. "And I've made up my mind. I'm going to travel with Ash and Alice."
"I'm going to travel alone now since Ash and I are rivals," Victor adds.
"So don't you go pushing the poor dear too hard," Gloria's mom advises, addressing Grookey and Scorbunny. "And you, Grookey, Scorbunny, also look after my little Victor and Gloria."
"Mom, I am not a kid anymore," Gloria protests, blushing slightly. Scorbunny adopts a soldier-like stance, while Grookey continues to thump its stick on the floor.
"All moms are the same," Alice chuckles.
"Totally," I agree, sharing the sentiment with Alice.
"Now remember to come home to rest anytime that you need. After all...east or west, home is best," Gloria's mom reminds us.
"Okay." We bid our farewells, and as we depart, we probably bid adieu to Victor as well.
As we stroll along Route 1, a multitude of new Pokémon catches our attention. Alice suggests, "So what do you say? Should we try to capture some new Pokémon?"
"That sounds fun. I can't wait to capture loads of Pokémon," Gloria eagerly responds.
Moving ahead, we encounter a bug Pokémon crawling in front of us. Gloria identifies it, saying, "That's a Blipbug, a common Bug-type Pokémon in the Galar Region."
"If there's a Pokémon I've not seen before, then I'm going to capture it," I declare.
Releasing Pikachu, ready for battle, I command, "Use Quick Attack!" Pikachu swiftly strikes Blipbug, causing it to stagger. In response, Blipbug employs Struggle Bug, its only available move. Eventually, it succumbs to the Thunderbolt attack.
"Go, Pokéball!" I toss the ball, and after three tense shakes, it captures the Pokémon.
"So, this is the famous Ash-Ketchum capture!" Gloria exclaims excitedly, her eyes sparkling with admiration, while Alice simply sighs and remarks, "Seriously, Gloria?"
Blipbug: The Larva Pokemon: Bug Type. Often found in gardens, this Pokémon has hairs on its body that it uses to assess its surroundings.
As our hunger pangs strike, we collectively decide to prepare lunch together. Alice, Gloria, and I work on cooking some sandwiches, a task we manage well as a team.
"Wow, Ash. How did you make these sandwiches? They taste amazing," Gloria compliments.
"Thank you. My mom has been teaching me a lot about cooking. I learned from her," I respond.
"Not to mention you did have some classes from Siebold, the Water Elite Four member of Kalos as well," Alice adds.
"That's so cool," Gloria remarks with genuine interest, displaying a different demeanor from her usual self around Hop.
"Well, I also made a fruit salad. How about we try some?" I propose, heading towards another table to retrieve the salad. To my surprise, I notice there aren't any berries in the salad.
"Huh? Fruit salad without any fruit?" Alice questions.
"How could this be?" Gloria adds, just as we hear a munching sound. We spot a Skwovet happily munching on the berries.
"I guess we found the culprit. Skwovet are heavy eaters," Alice notes.
Observing the Skwovet, I decide to capture it using a Poké Ball. Gloria asks, "Wait, you aren't going to battle it?"
"Not all Pokémon have to be weakened in order to be captured," I explain, capturing the Skwovet effortlessly. I then release it so it can join us and share our meal.
Skwovet: The Cheeky Pokemon: Normal Type. It eats berries nonstop—a habit that has made it more resilient than it looks. It'll show up on farms, searching for yet more berries.
After our lunch break, we resume our journey. Charizard accompanies us, flying overhead, until we encounter a small bird Pokémon, seemingly eager for a battle. "What's going on?" I express my surprise.
"It's a Rookidee," Gloria identifies. "A common Bird Pokémon in this region, and its evolution is really impressive."
"It seems eager to challenge Charizard. Do you want to take this one?" I ask Charizard, who responds with a resounding roar.
"Great. Charizard, use Wing Attack!" Charizard executes the attack, striking the tiny bird, but it manages to endure and retaliates with Power Trip. "Dodge the attack and counter with Slash!"
Charizard evades the incoming attack and retaliates with a powerful slash, ultimately causing the Rookidee to faint. I seize the opportunity to capture it with a Poké Ball. "Okay, that makes our third capture."
"And another Flying Type too," Gloria remarks. "Well done, Ash."
Rookidee: The Tiny Bird Pokemon: Flying Type. It will bravely challenge any opponent, no matter how powerful. This Pokémon benefits from every battle—even a defeat increases its strength a bit.
"So Gloria, you're not planning to capture any Pokémon yet?" Alice inquires.
"I want to acquire the Pokédex first. I have something in mind that requires its assistance," Gloria explains. "What about you, Alice?"
"Ash and I share our Pokémon, so essentially, his Pokémon are my Pokémon as well," Alice responds.
"Wow... I never knew you could do that," Gloria remarks.
"Yeah..." I acknowledge. Suddenly, I notice Pikachu is missing. "Hey, wait, has anyone seen where Pikachu went?"
The girls and our other Pokémon search around, but Pikachu is nowhere to be found. Zoroark remarks, "Yeah, where is he?"
"Give that back!" We spot Pikachu chasing a fox-like Pokémon, holding a branch with berries. "What Pokémon is that?"
"A Nickit," Gloria identifies. "And it's a crafty little thief."
"Alright, I want to capture it," I declare, instructing Pikachu to use Quick Attack. However, Nickit evades and retaliates with Tail Whip, causing Pikachu to become more agitated. Pikachu responds with a powerful Thunderbolt, defeating the thief.
"Pikachu, that was an overkill," I scold Pikachu gently as he rubs his head, before capturing the Nickit, much to Pikachu's annoyance.
"Why did you capture that Pokémon?" Pikachu asks, clearly irritated.
"It might be useful in the future," I explain simply.
Nickit: The Fox Pokemon: Dark Type. Cunning and cautious, this Pokémon survives by stealing food from others. It erases its tracks with swipes of its tail as it makes off with its plunder.
As we journey along the route, we stumble upon a familiar sight—an endearing Wooloo. Alice giggles as the Wooloo affectionately interacts with her, eliciting a response, "Stop it, it tickles."
"This Wooloo seems to have taken a liking to you, Alice. Why not capture it?" I suggest.
"That sounds like a good idea," Gloria agrees, recognizing the bond between Alice and the Wooloo.
Without hesitation, Alice decides to capture the Wooloo, forming a lasting partnership between them.
Wooloo: The Sheep Pokemon: Normal Type. Its curly fleece is such an effective cushion that this Pokémon could fall off a cliff and stand right back up at the bottom, unharmed.
Here is a new chapter, and this marks the Route 1 captures. I hope you like this chapter and the next chapter will be meeting Sonia.
Ash and Alice's Pokemon:
Venusaur, Charizard x2, Blastoise, Butterfree x2 (One Pink), Pikachu, Meowth, Machamp, Gengar, Kingler, Lapras, Eevee, Snorlax, Meganium, Typhlosion (Hisuian), Espeon, (Crystal), Mantine, Sceptile, Gardevoir (Shiny), Milotic, Absol, Infernape, Lucario, Abomasnow, Gallade, Samurott, Audino, Garbodor, Zoroark, Greninja, Meowstic x2, Aegislash, Hawlucha, Decidueye, Lycanroc (Dusk), Mimikyu (Shiny), Melmetal, Skwovet, Rookidee, Blipbug, Nickit, Wooloo, Kleavor