ăLocation: Postwick, Galară
Many years have passed since the joyous day of officially becoming a Pokémon trainer.
What have you accomplished during this you wonder? Absolutely nothing! Ok that was a lie, you managed to successfully evolve Feebas after grueling research and lots and lots of love poured into caring for him; totally worth it.
So, what are you doing in Postwick? Just looking around for adventure.
âWe are geniuses for coming down to Postwick! Wyndon is pretty dry for adventure, donât you think?â
Milotic nods in agreement.
At the moment, the two of you just arrived in Postwick town. The ride was pretty boring but at least the scenery was amazing. You made mental notes to visit other towns and cities to admire with Milotic.
You pull out the newly enhanced PokĂ©dexâcourtesy from Chairman Roseâand pull up the map to see where to start.
âHmmm,â you click around the screen while Milotic watches your movements intently. âAha, here!â You zoom onto a big lake area and turn the screen to show Milotic, âThereâs this big lake not too far from the station! We can take a quick look to see the PokĂ©mon then,â you shrink the map and use your index finger to point downwards, âthen we shall head into town right after. Thoughts?â
Milotic chirps in agreement. âTic!â
You stuff the PokĂ©dex into your jacket. âThen letâs go!â You say as you run out of the station, Milotic follows your lead.
âOh my goodness this is such a pretty lake!â
You take many photos of the beautiful blue lake and also snap some info of Pokémon nearby. Milotic swims into the lake and plays around with the resident water Pokémon.
Of course you couldnât let this opportunity slip by so you took as many pictures of Milotic together with PokĂ©mon. The photo session was cut short by an unknown female joining youâŠ
âHuh?â You turn to face the unknown woman.
She smiles brightly and extends her left arm to greet you. âHello, my name is Sonia. And you?â
You reach out to shake her hand gently and reply back, âMy name is Y/n, nice to meet you.â You point towards Milotic in the distance, âAnd that shiny Milotic is my partner!â
âOh my! Iâve never seen a shiny Milotic before. This is such a rare occasion!â She pulls out her own PokĂ©dex and takes a handful of pictures.
After Sonia finishes taking pictures, she stuffs her dex away inside her mini purse. She turns around to face you once more and she reaches towards her hair to twirl a strand with her index finger. âSo, whatâs your reason for being here?â
âPardon?â Your cheeks were dusted pink due to the sudden realization. âIs this lakeâŠowned by someone?â
âIâm so sorry! There werenât any signs about trespassing or ownership so I assumed it was open to the public andââ
Sonia giggles which promptly ends your rambling. Confusion was evident in your face, âWhatâs so funnyâŠ?â
She catches her breath and exhales happily. âSorry, you just reminded me of someone but itâs ok!â She points ahead towards a lovely cottage in the distance, âThatâs my grandmotherâs lab right up ahead. She doesnât really mind people coming and going to see the lake, as long as they donât disturb or harm the PokĂ©mon and environment.â
You breathe a sigh of relief and Milotic finally notices a new figure next to you. It swims out of the lake and positions itself behind you, carefully observing Sonia.
You reach up to caress itâs chin. âItâs alright Milotic, sheâs a friend!â
Milotic leans against your touch and hums happily, acknowledging your words and letting his guard down just a little.
Sonia plays with her hair again. âIâll be heading over to the cottage and Iâll be there pretty much all day. If you ever need anything, donât hesitate to swing by~!â She says with a wink and leaves you and Milotic to continue with your excursions.
The people in town were lovely. They greeted you and Milotic kindly and the children admired Milotic with curiosity and admiration. They asked to pet him which you and Milotic allowed and even gave them a mini educational session regarding the care behind Milotic and Feebas.
They were depressed when you had to leave for more exploration but you left behind some encouraging words so they wouldnât feel too sad.
At the moment you were making your way towards Slumbering Wealds, the town's forest. However, you were warned to not go there due to the heavy mist that surrounded it but itâll be alright, right?
You stop a few steps before entering the forest and look down the PokĂ©dex for confirmation. âLooks like this is the place. Ready to go in for a quick look?â
Milotic seemed a bit on edge, you knew that he wasn't keen on letting you go but he knows itâs a losing battle trying to pull you away from âadventureâ. Regardless, it placed its tail in front of you in an attempt to stop you.
âHmmm, thatâs a no? But it canât be thaââ
âWoolo?! Where are you?!â
You both turn to the direction of the distressed call.
There were two boys and a girl with worried looks, looking around desperately for something or rather a Pokémon.
You locked eyes with one of the boys and his face relaxes once he sees you. He rushes to you quickly with hope in his eyes.
âExcuse me, have you seen a Woolo around here? It has a colorful bracelet on his right hoof!â
You look back to Milotic then back to the boy and shake your head. âWe have seen many Woolo but none with a bracelet. Iâm sorry.â
His face fell slightly but quickly washed it away with a strained smile, âThank you nonetheless!â He looks behind you to see Slumbering Wealds and an idea strikes him.
He turns around to call out to his friends. âGloria! Victor! I think Woolo could be in the forest!â
His two friends hear his call and run towards him in worry. After reaching them the boy, Victor,is clearly out of breath whereas the girl, Gloria, seems to be unbothered and shakes her head disappointedly towards Victor.
âYou really have to work out more, ya know? Just lookâŠ,â she points toward your figure, âYouâre embarrassing yourself in front of a pretty girl. Youâll never find a partner at this rate, or ever at all!â
Victor catches his breath but of course, he wouldnât let himself be humiliated. âShutâŠitâŠGloriaâŠ!â He hisses in between breaths.
She crosses her arms and with a smug smile she continues, âYou know Iâm right, just admit it!â
Before Victor could bark another comment, their friend awkwardly steps in between them. âYou guysâŠnot in front of strangersâŠâ
Victor turns away in defeat whereas Gloria snickers, clearly taking this as a sign of victory. Their friend sighs in defeat and walks over to you timidly.
He rubs the nape of his neck, âSorry about thatâŠand thank you again for your help.â
You shake your head dismissively, âI didnât really provide any information so I didnât do much. HoweverâŠâ you look back to the forest behind you and Milotic already knew the plan that was going through your mind. It placed its head on top of yours, telling you to stop thinking what you were thinking but you didnât listen and pointed towards the forest, âI can definitely accompany you guys as some sort of bodyguard! Milotic and Iââ
Milotic adds extra force and growls in disagreement. âItâll be fine Milotic!â You reassured, âBesides, Iâm a very responsible adult!â Milotic huffs as if to say you werenât.
Gloria notices the unusual color scheme of Milotic and steps forward, âHeyâŠyour Milotic looks different than the Milotic shown on the dexâŠâ
âOh!â You gesture towards its head that still lays on yours, âMilotic is a shiny! Thatâs why the color scheme is unique, itâs very rare to find one so I consider myself lucky!â You gently reach out to scratch its cheek, He is a pretty boy and the world shall marvel at his beauty!â
Victor pulls out his dex to hear about Miloticâs dex entry.
PokĂ©dex: âMilotic: The serpentine PokĂ©mon; a water type. Milotic live at the bottom of large lakes.
When this PokĂ©mon's body glows a vivid pink, it releases a pulsing wave of energy that brings soothing calm to restless spirits.â
âSeems like Milotic is a very gentle Pokemon. Howâd you two meet?â
âAt Macros Corps.â You answered truthfully. âChairman Rose decided to host an event for all of his employees' children and grant them a PokĂ©mon. Funny enough, Feebas wasnât part of the selection, I just wandered off somewhere and found him!â
Gloria chimes in. âThatâs so cool!â
You took a few steps ahead toward Slumbering Wealds. âI can continue with the storytelling while we go find that special Woolo, shall we?â
âOh right, I didnât even introduce myself properly!â The boy exclaims.
The other two panic as well. âOh my goodness you are so right Hop!â Gloria stretches out her hand for a handshake, âMy name is Gloria!â
You reach out to reciprocate the greeting. âNice to meet you, Gloria, my name is Y/n.â
She smiles cheekily and points to the brown-haired boy behind her. âThat one is Victor and the boy next to him is Hop! Hop is Wooloâs trainer and we have been searching pretty much all day.â
âWell itâs a pleasure to meet you three. Now then, shall we get going?â
âThis fog is so heavy, I canât see a thing!â Gloria whines.
âAre you sure Woolo would be here? We can turn back now and leave.â Victor suggested.
Hop seemed to understand their concern but remained firm. âYou guys can go back, Iâll head in a bit further.â
The duo understood his sentiment and quietly followed him. As you all continued further into the woods, the rustling of grass nearby caught your attention.
You turned to the direction of the noise and took a few steps closer to inspect. Milotic peered from behind, ready to strike if necessary
A small green top with a red horn pops out of the grass which took you by surprise but then curiosity. You pull out your dex as the Pokémon stumbled out of the patch of grass clumsily.
PokĂ©dex: âRalts, the feeling PokĂ©mon; a psychic and fairy type. Ralts senses the emotions of people using the horns on its head. This PokĂ©mon rarely appears before people. But when it does, it draws closer if it senses that the person has a positive disposition.â
âAw, arenât you cute?â
Gloria peaks from behind and joins you in gushing over its cuteness, âIt really is cute! HeyâŠ,â She places down her bag and searches for an item. After a quick search she pulls out a pokĂ© ball and asks you, âWould you mind if I catch it?â
You shake your head, âNot at all, make it quick, we must continue our search.â
She nods and you move to the side with Hop and Victor to see the event.
Gloria exhales deeply, then fixates onto her pokĂ© ball, probably encouraging herself mentally. Ralts looks around curiously then catches sight of Gloriaâs figure.
âAlright, letâs do this Sobble!â
She throws her poké ball and out comes a Sobble. It immediately takes on a defensive stance and Ralts is immediately startled by the sudden turn of events.
âQuick use Pound!â Gloria commands expeditiously.
Sobble launches forward without missing a beat. Ralts quickly catches on and dodges Sobbles attack.
Gloria thrusts her right arm forward. âUse Pound repeatedly!â
Sobble once again throws itself forward and repeatedly uses Pound but to no avail. Ralts kept avoiding all of its attack with ease.
After a few more Pounds later, Sobble hops back in exhaustion. As it tries to catch its breath, Ralts takes the opportunity to fight back with confusion. Confusion hits and sends Sobble flying back, landing in front of Gloria.
She quickly kneels down to cradle the poor Sobble and this gives Ralts the perfect chance to escape. Gloria quickly sees its attempt to flee but she pulls out another ball and clicks it to enlarge it. âOh no you donât!â She chucks the ball towards Ralts but it uses its psychic ability to throw the ball back to Gloriaâs face.
Gloria is hit hard and she stumbles onto the ground while holding onto Sobble. Ralts snickers at her demise before leaving the battle scene.
She groans in pain and the three of you could only look away, pretending you saw nothing for her sake. She sits up and places her Sobble onto her shoulder as she stands up and dusts away any dirt from her.
âThat Ralts sure has some manners huh?â She huffs in frustration.
The atmosphere becomes awkward and she couldnât help but to look at all three of you to see whatâs up with the silence. Seeing how you three were looking in different directions rather than her made her a bit upset.
She places her hands onto her hips and pouts, âDonât you guys dare pity me! So what if I failed? Itâs the effort that counts right?â
âThatâs right Gloria! At least you tried!â Hop cheers in reassurance.
A howl interrupts Gloria. It was very loud and disturbing, something you would find in a horror movie. All Pokémon within the vicinity begin to flee, their steps could be heard nearby.
Everyone turns to face Hop. He was equally startled and began looking around frantically. Victor reaches out to grab his arm, âOk I think itâs settled that Woolo isnât here. We should leaveââ
âBut we canât be sure until we go further!â He protests.
Gloria grabs his other arm, âI have to agree with Victor here. We also have someone with us and we canât risk having someone else in danger!â
Hop resists momentarily but comes to the realization that itâs better to be safe than sorry. The fog thickens even more and that was enough for him to retreat.
âAlrightâŠwe have to go back. The fog is getting thicker.â
Another howl came through, but to everyoneâs misfortune, it was close by. Too close for comfort. All four of you come together and have your backs against each other, trying to find out the direction of the howl.
The grass in front of Victor rustles softly, catching everyoneâs attention. Hop and Victor pull out their PokĂ©balls while Milotic and Sobble jump in front of the group protectively.
Two big Pokémon emerge, one with an odd-blocky mane while the other one has ribbon-like mane. They stare you all down silently, despite having the number advantage, something about the Pokémon was completely on a different level.
You pull out your dex to scan the Pokémon.
PokĂ©dex: âError. Error.â
âWhat the heck does it mean âerrorâ!?â Hop shrieks.
You ignore his question and snap a quick picture of the two Pokémon. Milotic huffs, watching carefully at the opposing Pokémon, seemingly making sure whether or not they were a threat.
âShould we just make a run for it?â Victor suggested.
âWe canât see through this thick fog you idiot! From which direction did we come from anywayâŠâ Gloria hisses.
âThen our best bet,â you took a step forward. âIs to battle our way out. Milotic use Hydro Pump!â
Milotic unleashes a powerful water attack against the two unknown PokĂ©mon. HoweverâŠ
âDid the attack just go through them!?â Gloria screeches.
Victor throws out his PokĂ©ball immediately, âGrookey use Branch Poke!â
Grookey immediately comes forward and throws it stick but it also goes through the two Pokémon. Grookey hops backward and tilts it head in confusion. It begins to smash its stick onto the ground in frustration.
Hop proceeds to also throw his PokĂ©ball, sending out a Scorbunny. âAll together now!â Hop commands.
âSobble use Watergun!â
âBranch Poke once more Grookey!â
âScorbunny, Ember letâs go!â
âOne more Hydro Pump!â
All PokĂ©mon use their instructed move towards the PokĂ©mon. Despite everyoneâs efforts, the attacks mysteriously go through the PokĂ©mon as if it was a secret technique.
Both PokĂ©mon howl once more. It seems like their howls somehow had an effect on the fog, causing it to grow even more thicker than it already was. It was now much more difficult to see and the only thing that could be heard was their last and final howl that had a strange lulling effect, bringing you down to the ground and blacking outâŠ
A splash of cold water brings you out of your comatose state. You lurch forward and cough away the water that managed to get inside your face. You shake away the uncomfortable feeling and rub your face with your hands and open your eyes slowly whilst blinking to get a clearer vision of your surroundings. âDonât tell me I died this early in lifeâŠâ
âI wish I didâŠâ You hear from beside you. Turning to the source, it was a grumpy looking Gloria.
A weary chuckle grabs your attention next and it wasâŠ
âChampion Leon!?â You shout in surprise. âWhat are you doing here??â
âWell you seeâŠ,â he shifts his gaze to your Milotic who was currently looming over an unconscious Hop and Victor along with Sobble. He looks back to you, âCall it, an older brother's intuition.â
Milotic and Sobble proceed to splash Hop and Victor with their water abilities which wakes them up just like it did for you and Gloria. They wake up with a start and cough vigorously as they scan their surroundings.
Another weak chuckle can be heard from Leon as he watches the scene unravel. From a distance, a roar could be heard. A strong gust of wind follows after the roar and low and behold, a flash of fiery red can be seen flying about before landing cautiously next to Leon.
âIs that your Chariâ!â
âLeon!? What are you doing here?!â Hop coughed out in surprise. He glances toward the PokĂ©mon next to him and beams in joy. âCharizard!â He gets off of the ground and tackles Charizard into a hug. âItâs been sooo long!â
Charizard leans down to accept Hops hug. As Hop attempts to give Charizard a bear hug, he feels something small and fluffy headbutt into him. Hop turns his head to the direction as Charizard follows his actions with curiosity.
A fluffy ball is on its back after head butting into Hop and struggles to get on its hooves.
âWooloo!â Hop shouts in relief. He crouches down to his PokĂ©mons level and gently rolls it over to stability. After Wooloo feels the security of the ground, in true friendship fashion, the two immediately go in for a big hug of relief.
âIâm so glad youâre safe Wooloo! I was so worried, and you had me, Gloria, Victor, and even a stranger running around like deranged psyducks!â Hop stands up and effortlessly lifts up Wooloo and turns it around to face you. âNow, I think itâs only fair you apologize to Ms. Y/n for all the trouble you have caused.â
âWhat about us!?â Gloria and Victor shout in unison.
âItâs a given that we give up our lives in the conquest of finding Wooloo. Whatâs not a given is dragging a stranger into our plans.â Hop says as a matter-of-fact.
âNow HopâŠ,â Leon interjects, crossing his arms with a concerned look. âIâm glad you love Wooloo so much that youâre willing to put your life down for its well being butâŠI think you should tone it down just a little.â
Wooloo and Hop look at each other, having a telepathic conversation only they knew. They nod before looking back at Leon with a smile. âYou got it big bro!â
âThatâs all that it took!?â The brunette duo screeched in disbelief.
A smile tugs at your lips witnessing the trios unique bond ofâŠfriendship. It reminded you of Bedeâs and your relationship. Was it great? Bede was very hot headed and had a sharp tongue but you were immune to it.
His behavior made it difficult to make friends and by some miracle, (which even he acknowledges) you somehow tolerated his behavior. Well, considering that the both of you are in Chairman Roseâs good graces and one of his favorites, it was inevitable to be stuck at the hip.
The loud banter of the trio anchored you back to reality. A gentle tug from your sleeve shifted your gaze to the culprit behind, Milotic. You reach out to let his head after that whole ordeal with unknown PokĂ©monâŠ
You hastily reach to search in your pockets. Leon, catching your hasty actions, walks over to see the issue. âEverything alright?â
âYea, yea, justâŠâ Your fingers meet the hard object but the texture feels strange. âNo, no, no, no, no please itâs my insuranceââ
A crumpled Pokédex now lays in your shaken hands. The trio stop their banter after catching sight of your fear stricken face and join Leon to see the situation.
âItâs overâŠmy precious insuranceâŠâ you mumbled quietly; bystanders would think youâve gone insane witnessing you mourning the loss of your PokĂ©dex.
âCanât you justâŠget another PokĂ©dex?â Victor says.
He will regret even saying anything.
âAnother PokĂ©dex? Huh, you know, youâre not wrongâŠitâs just that, thereâs only one teen, tiny, problem.â You say with an eerie smile. You shove the broken PokĂ©dex to Victor's face. âI donât think the picture I took of those unknown PokĂ©monâŠcan be recovered!â
Leon, the ever so wise and kind Champion, steps in to intervene. âLetâs not do anything rash now. We couldâŠhmmmâŠâ He reaches out to his hair to smooth out any imaginary hair that is sticking out. âWe could ask Chairman Rose for his assistance if that data is really important to you?â
The idea of a solution was exactly what you needed at this moment. There was just one problemâŠ
âImposing something trivial as data retrieval onto Chairman Rose is a bad idea Championââ
Leon cuts you off with a hearty chuckle. âOh nonsense, Rose wouldnât mind helping out one of his star pupils.â
âStar pupil?â Hop asks curiously.
Leon immediately seals his lips shut once he caught not only yours but Milotics deathly gaze. Without missing a beat, the two of you shake your heads no furiously and you throw in a motion of swiping your neck with your thumb, a warning of whatâs to come if he doesnât shut up.
âYou seeâŠâ Leon starts again. âTurns out I am mistaken! I m-mistook your friend for Roseâs star pupil! Silly meâŠ!â
âButâŠâ Gloria turns to face you and Milotic; the two of you look back in innocence. âDidnât you mention something about meeting Milotic at Macros Corp?â
âSo that meansâŠâ Victor chimes in.
Hmmm, when the truth comes back to bite you when trying to start a lie. In all honesty, you didnât see this comingâeven the narrator couldnât have foreseen thisânow what do you do in a situation like this? Fake it till you make it is what they say.
âYou must know Roseâs star pupils right!?â Hop jumps in with fervor.
Or entertain someone elseâs assumption. Saves you the trouble of fumbling out many lies.
âWell noâ, Iâm not well acquainted with the people at Macros Corp and not very outstanding enough to catch the Chairman Roseâs attention. Iâm just a simple city girl with a cute and shiny PokĂ©mon!â
The trio nod, accepting your words as truth. Leon and Charizard watched the interaction and could only shake their head and sigh.
Despite losing precious evidence that could flip all of the Pokémon Professor's world upside down, making new friends in the tranquil fields of Postwick was truly the best reward. Best decision you have made up to date, minus the broken Pokédex incident.
But we canât end this chapter just because you made friends right? Like, cool beans, new friends who donât know your true affiliations to Macros Corps! But they canât save you from the impending wrath known as: âParentsâ.
ButâŠthis narrator will leave you in suspense.
ă(ăŁââĄâ)㣠℠In the meantime â„ă
âSir, are you sure about this?â
Rose chuckles softly while admiring the view of Wyndon from the top floor of Macros Corp. He tightens his tie then reaches out to firmly tug onto his crĂšme colored blazer, an attempt to fix his already perfect attire. âIâm sure of it, Oleana. Whatâs there to be worried about?â
Oleana glanced over her clipboard, it had a few papers containing details about a lengthy project that would soon begin. Her eyes narrow while going over the lists of names who would be involved, while also names who could be a threat.
âItâs just thatâŠof all the people you would involve, why her?â
Rose nods his head, an acknowledgment to her concerns. He shifts away from the view and looks at his secretary. âWell, what can I do? She has a very promising future.â
He begins to walk to the elevator, Oleana following him in tow. As they enter, Oleana clicks the 7th floor button then steps back to be behind the Chairman. The elevator ride wasâŠquiet; well, when is it not? But the silence could easily be cut through with a slash by any PokĂ©mon.
âChairmanâŠâ Oleana speaks softly, looking ahead at her boss. âWhat exactly about her makes you think sheâs ready?â
The elevator opens and the two walk out. Oleana waits patiently for his answer, she knows probing any further would sour his mood for the day.
As they arrive at Rose's office, he walks over to his desk while Oleana closes his door shut then waits for further instruction. Rose plucks a picture frame that was sitting on his desk, a subtle reminder as to what drove him up to this point.
A soft smile adorns his face as he looks down onto the frame. He places it down but faces it towards Oleana before walking towards the big window view behind his desk with his arms crossed behind his pack.
Oleana catches the image, it was Rose as a young child alongside another young man, presumably a relative or friend.
âYou see, Oleana,â Rose finally speaks up. âYou may not understand this now but she is willing to help Galar, no matter how impossible the task. And because of thatâŠ,â
âIt will be one of our greatest exploits.â
[And The Journey Continues đŹđ§âŠ]
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