Unpleasant Start

Upon arriving at Oreburgh City, Roy wasted no time and borrowed a bicycle, following the navigation on his phone to head towards the Eterna Forest in the north of Oreburgh City.

The reason for Roy's urgency was a public bounty post.

As Roy browsed through the information near Oreburgh City, a bounty post for sightings of Heracross had been pinned to the top of various local information channels in Oreburgh City, and it was not hidden.

The poster claimed to be an enthusiast collector of Pokémon, now seeking information on a wild Heracross sighting.

There had been several sightings recorded in the Eterna Forest in the north of Oreburgh City in the past few days, and the sightings were even captured by an observer who had taken several photos of the Heracross.

Roy didn't know who else wanted to capture a Heracross, but such a high-dollar bounty also meant high competition. Under the bounty post were numerous enthusiastic comments, especially from trainers who loved Bug-type Pokémon and didn't have a Heracross.

Arriving at the Trainer Camp at the entrance of the Eterna Forest in the north of Oreburgh City, Roy found the place bustling with people.

Now Roy was no longer in a hurry, feeling a bit like when he used to be late for school - being late by an hour or escape the entire morning session, it didn't make much difference now.

Roy took Jumpluff, Ralts, and Azurill to the Pokémon Center near the Eterna Forest for some rest.

There were several temporary stalls near the Pokémon Center, and Roy went out for a stroll. He bought three portions of sweet-flavored Pokémon food, knowing the tastes of the three little companions well, which made things a lot easier for him.

Sitting on a chair in the Pokémon Center, Roy was eating two portions of stir-fried noodles that he had brought back. However, his eyes were fixed on the people coming and going outside the Pokémon Center.

It was now 9 PM, the time when Ghost-type Pokémon were most active in the depths of the Eterna Forest, so there was a surge of trainers carrying Dark-type Pokémon.

Mightyena, Murkrow, Honchkrow, and Sneasel were passing by in front of Roy one after another.

Suddenly, Roy felt his right hand holding the chopsticks become heavier. He looked down and saw that Ralts had somehow hung on his right wrist, looking at his stir-fried noodles with drool.

Azurill, on the other hand, was also drooling. As for Jumpluff, she had finished eating and was lying on the ground in a very relaxed posture, quite impressive.

"Spicy, huh." Roy couldn't resist the pleading looks from the two Pokémon, so he used the chopsticks to scoop up some spicy noodles and placed them in front of them.

The noodles, which Roy had added plenty of chili to, were devoured by them in no time, and they looked up at Roy with eyes still longing for more.

Roy was stunned. I thought you two liked sweet flavors? How could you handle spicy food so well?

Watching his two little companions devour his noodles with contentment before flopping down to rest, Roy couldn't help but chuckle. He took out his phone to check the local news and updates.

The night in the Eterna Forest was often frequented by trainers looking for Ghost-type Pokémon, but tonight there were also more Bug-type trainers searching for traces of Heracross. The forums were filled with discussions about encounters with various Pokémon tonight, mostly complaints about failed captures.

There wasn't much useful information, mostly just trainers venting their frustrations. The useless information filled up a lot of space, making it difficult for Roy to find anything useful.

Glancing at the three rested Pokémon, Roy thought for a moment, then recalled Azurill and Jumpluff, putting Ralts on his shoulder.

The forest was teeming with Ghost-type Pokémon at night, and while they weren't usually aggressive towards trainers, their mischievous and prankish nature made them a headache to deal with. Ralts, with its Psychic type, had better perception than Azurill and Jumpluff, so it would be helpful to have it out to sense any mischievous Ghost-types around.

Ralts stood curiously on Roy's shoulder, observing the bustling crowd and temporary stalls. Everything in front of Ralts was filled with novelty and curiosity.

Roy stopped in front of a stall, and Ralts looked back at the stall, her eyes full of longing. Following Ralts' gaze, Roy saw a stall selling various trinkets.

In his previous life, Roy would have completely ignored the flea markets and yard sales, but Ralts' eager expression made it hard for Roy to refuse.

Roy crouched down in front of the stall, carefully examining the items on display.

The items on the stall were all handmade crafts, with good workmanship and evident care put into them. Each item had a small card next to it, with prices ranging from ten to a hundred league coins.

The unexpected stall owner turned out to be a boy of only fifteen or sixteen years old, still with a hint of youthful innocence. It took him a moment to realize there was a customer and nervously introduced his items to Roy.

"Which one would you like?" After speaking, Roy remembered that he still had two other little companions in their Poké Balls.

Can't be biased when buying gifts.

After releasing Azurill and Jumpluff, Ralts picked up a pink teardrop pendant and ran over to Roy, then compared it with herself and went to show it to Jumpluff.

Jumpluff praised Ralts a few times, then selected a small stone shaped like a maple leaf on the stall. Azurill hesitated for a while before choosing a blue pendant that looked like a goose egg.

In total, it was one hundred and thirty league coins, which was quite a significant expenditure considering Roy's earlier meal of fried noodles only cost ten league coins. However, Roy didn't mind this expense.

Whether it was Ralts, Azurill, or Jumpluff, their relationship with Roy was still in the acquaintance stage. Seeing how excited the three little companions were over small gifts, it was worth it.

After helping Azurill wear her pendant, Jumpluff held onto the maple leaf-shaped stone and didn't want to let go or wear it. Roy sighed and could only let her be, after all, Jumpluff was really quite unpredictable.

Even at this time of night, there were still many trainers entering the depths of the Eterna Forest. Roy walked along the main path of the forest, encountering several pairs of trainers on the way. Trainers like Roy, who ventured into the forest alone at night, were in the minority.

At a fork in the forest path, Roy randomly chose a quieter-looking path to continue forward.

After about half an hour of walking, the path in the forest gradually became covered with fallen leaves. Every step Roy took was on crisp leaves, making a "crunch" sound that echoed far in the otherwise silent forest.

Ralts stood on Roy's shoulder, constantly playing with her teardrop pendant, seemingly unaware of the growing eeriness around them.

The bright moonlight couldn't penetrate the dense canopy of the trees, with only sporadic patches of moonlight filtering through the gaps in the leaves, unable to illuminate the dark surroundings.

Roy hadn't encountered any other trainers for almost half an hour now. So many trainers dispersed into the vast sea of trees felt like grains of sand scattered in a desert.

Similarly, during this long period of time, Roy had hardly seen any Pokémon.

Occasionally, black shadows could be seen leaping between the shadows of the trees. However, before Roy could react, the black shadows bounced away and disappeared from view.

Just as Roy was considering taking a rest before moving forward, he noticed a strange ripple in the distance around a large boulder.

It was as if someone had dropped a stone in the void, causing a brief, visible ripple in the still air.

Roy was highly sensitive to sudden disturbances in his field of vision.Roy became alert. This odd phenomenon likely meant that some Ghost-type Pokémon were lurking nearby.

Sure enough, even Ralts, who had been playing with the pendant, became tense, leaning forward and trying to sense something.

When faced with anomalies, it was best to handle them cautiously. Roy released Azurill and Jumpluff, preparing for a tense and thrilling battle.

"Watch out for that stone," Roy reminded them before cautiously approaching.

When he was about a meter away from the boulder, a black shadow suddenly flew out from above the stone, emitting a sharp screech that caught Roy off guard. Azurill, Jumpluff, and Ralts all covered their ears in discomfort.

The dim light made it impossible for Roy to discern exactly what the floating entity was. With one hand covering his ear, he pulled out his Pokédex with the other and aimed it at the floating object.

"Misdreavus, It loves to sneak up on people late at night and startle them with its shrieking cry. It also tugs on people's hair to frighten them. It's a mischievous Pokémon that enjoys playing pranks."

Seeing the startled Roy and his Pokémon, Misdreavus couldn't contain her laughter as she flipped and danced in the air. That mischievous smile, which Roy had found so playful and cute in animations and games, now seemed annoyingly smug.

The laughter from Misdreavus abruptly stopped as she suddenly noticed Roy and his three Pokémon looking unfriendly. She made a face at Ralts, shaking the beads on her neck, saying something to her that Roy couldn't understand.

Roy didn't understand why Misdreavus, after successfully scaring him and absorbing fear energy, didn't just leave. It wasn't until Ralts angrily jumped down from his shoulder and used Psychic to strike at Misdreavus that Roy realized she had been mocking Ralts earlier.

The Psychic attack missed, as expected. Inexperienced in battles, Ralts was just randomly unleashing her moves.

As Misdreavus playfully teased Ralts with her agile movements, Roy shouted, "Jumpluff, use Leech Seed! Azuril use Water Gun! Ralts, watch Misdreavus's movements and use Psychic!"

"Sorry, I prefer group fights," Roy added, looking at Misdreavus.

The enraged Misdreavus dodged the Leech Seed and Psychic attacks, but Jumpluff's Water Gun hit her face accurately. The power of the baby Dragon Slayer's Water Gun was impressive, slamming Misdreavus against the boulder.

Without a chance to retaliate, Ralts quickly locked onto Misdreavus with Psychic, lifting her off the ground. Jumpluff then sprayed Misdreavus with a barrage of seeds from the Seed Bomb, hitting her continuously.

After taking another hit from Azumrill's Water Gun, the soaked Misdreavus cowered against a tree stump, trembling, surrounded by the three Pokémon.

"Waaahhhh~~~~" Before the next wave of attacks could begin, the thoroughly drenched Misdreavus cried out in a pitiful tone.

Roy scratched his head, feeling a bit guilty. Misdreavus's crying was quite heartbreaking, and he didn't feel right about continuing the battle. Besides, it seemed like this Misdreavus was just a child, not very strong, but definitely fast.

Just as Roy was about to leave, suddenly from the tree behind Misdreavus, a swarm of similarly dark shadowy figures flew out. The four or five leading ones gave Roy a menacing look.

Roy shivered, taking out his Pokédex.

"Mismagius. Its cries sound like incantations. Those who hear it are tormented by headaches and hallucinations."

What's going on here? Is this area a habitat for Misdreavus and Mismagius?

This was Roy's first standoff with wild Pokémon, and Mismagius seemed particularly unfriendly. His battle with Misdreavus must have been sensed by them.

Roy hadn't heard that Misdreavus and Mismagius had a habit of living together. Mismagius, known for its habit of tricking people into dream worlds, would usually try to separate from each other. Yet here were three Mismagius present, along with six or seven Misdreavus, not counting the ones he just defeated.

One Mismagius checked on the condition of the Misdreavus and then, looking helpless, said something to the others.

Roy then noticed that several of the Mismagius and Misdreavus behind them had some strange decorations, like pendants, tattered ribbons, and the hairpin on the Mismagius in front of him.

Unable to discern the intentions of these Mismagius and Misdreavus, Roy didn't dare to let his guard down. While wild Pokémon wouldn't easily attack humans, grouped Pokémon had a strong territorial awareness of their habitat. As a passing Trainer who had just beaten up one of their young Misdreavus, he definitely wouldn't leave a good impression.

Sure enough, the Mismagius floating in the center began to emit a faint purple light all over its body, and the three gems on its chest radiated a dazzling light, a clear sign of an impending attack.

Roy certainly didn't mean to offend the Misdreavus. When the Misdreavus came in with a taunt and an attack, it was only natural for Roy to retaliate. He believed that the Mismagius must have been fully aware of the situation here from the beginning, otherwise they wouldn't arrive so quickly.

Seems like reasoning wasn't going to work here. The Misdreavus and Mismagius seemed to have an unmistakable jealousy towards Roy's Pokémon. Jumpluff sensed the Mismagius's desire to attack and was already eager to join in, while Ralts stayed behind Roy, showing a bit of natural fear towards Ghost-types. Azurill, on the other hand, seemed ready for battle, completely ignoring the tense atmosphere.

Roy wasn't sure what complex emotions were behind the Mismagius's gaze—jealousy, hatred, a hint of pain—all these conflicting feelings mixed together, appearing in this group of Pokémon. It was incredibly abnormal.

A deep growl sounded behind Roy, and a swift figure leaped onto a large tree behind him, overlooking the Mismagius, the Misdreavus, and Roy.

The dog-like creature was completely black, blending into the darkness. Its horns curved backward, giving it a fierce appearance, but its tail wagging back and forth in a triangular shape made Roy not feel too intimidated.

There was a Houndoom here.

Roy quickly pulled out his Pokédex.

"Houndoom. Long ago, people imagined its eerie howls to be the call of the grim reaper."

Unexpectedly, as soon as the Houndoom's voice rang out, the Mismagius called back the young Misdreavus to its side. With a cold glance at Roy, it then drifted away.

Roy was puzzled by why this seemingly wild Houndoom would suddenly come to his aid, and in the blink of an eye, the Mismagius chose to leave.

It wasn't until the Houndoom leaped down from the branches and came before Roy that he noticed this Houndoom was much more robust than the average, particularly evident in its muscular limbs.

Encountering such a well-trained and muscular version of a Houndoom out in the wild? It left Roy with a big question mark in his head.

The only thing Roy could be certain of was that this Houndoom didn't seem to harbor any obvious malice towards him. It sniffed curiously at Jumpluff, seemingly unafraid, and then communicated something to Jumpluff with its deep, rumbling voice.

Observing the surroundings, Roy couldn't shake the feeling that this Houndoom didn't seem like a wild Pokémon at all. He wondered if there might be another Trainer nearby, subtly assisting him.

However, Roy's hopes were dashed as the conversation between Jumpluff and the Houndoom continued for nearly a minute, and no one appeared. Jumpluff's expression, as the conversation progressed, seemed to grow a bit melancholy. Roy now regretted not being someone like N or one of those trainers rumored to come from Viridian Forest, who could understand Pokémon language.

The dialogue between them paused suddenly, and Roy could sense a kind of stalemate between Jumpluff and the Houndoom. He was curious about what was being said. Jumpluff appeared somewhat hesitant, her gaze shifting away from Roy, while the Houndoom stared at him with a cold gaze.

Meanwhile, Azurill had been rolling around on the Houndoom's back fearlessly, seemingly intent on staying there for a while.

The conversation resumed briefly, but Roy could tell there was a tension in the air. Jumpluff seemed to hesitate for a moment, her eyes darting towards Roy. Suddenly, Ralts let go of Roy's leg, taking a few steps forward. It seemed like she wanted to say something to Jumpluff. Jumpluff gently nudged the Houndoom's extended head with her own, then leaped lightly to Ralts's side.

Unable to understand the conversation, but able to read the expressions clearly, Roy noticed Ralts seemed quite pleased, while Jumpluff's eyes shone with determination.

The Houndoom appeared somewhat melancholic as it carefully lifted the playful Azurill, still on its back, and placed her in front of Ralts. Jumpluff nudged Azurill, who seemed eager to roll around, towards Roy.

Letting out a deep howl filled with resentment, before Roy could react, the Houndoom lightly pushed off the ground with powerful hind legs, jumping up into the dense canopy above. With a few bounds, it disappeared in the direction the Mismagius had left.

Looking at the three Pokémon with various expressions before him, it was as if a bolt of lightning had struck Roy's mind, rearranging the fragments of memory in his head.

The strange decorations on the Mismagius and Misdreavus, the unusual emotional fluctuations of the Mismagius, the incredibly robust Houndoom, and Jumpluff's expressions during the conversation with the Houndoom.

Roy wasn't sure if it was weakness or exhaustion, but he found himself slowly sliding down the trunk of a large tree until he was seated on the ground.

The carefree Azurill was still playing around, while the anxious Ralts rushed into Roy's arms, sensing something was amiss. Upon realizing that Roy now understood what had just happened, Jumpluff's expression became somewhat awkward. However, she ultimately chose to jump onto Roy's chest, gazing up at him silently.

Lost in thought for a while, Roy finally understood that he had just faced the biggest crisis since becoming a Trainer, not on a physical level but also mentally.

He couldn't imagine the crash of his confidence if Jumpluff had been persuaded, willingly or not, by the Houndoom. He thanked her softly, knowing full well that it took great courage for Jumpluff to entrust her trust to someone she had only known for less than a day. Yet, Jumpluff had chosen to believe in Roy, a significant acknowledgment for her, once the leader of the Pokémon at the research institute.

The stubborn Jumpluff didn't reject Roy's touch this time; she seemed to enjoy it, much like the girl who fought alongside him against Professor Rowan.

As he stroked Jumpluff's body with one hand, teasing Ralts with the other, Roy looked in the direction the Mismagius had disappeared, feeling a pang of bitterness in his heart.

The Houndoom didn't want to harm humans but wanted to persuade Jumpluff to join them.

The Mismagius was driven mad by jealousy and had an aversion to attacking humans.

They had all once been someone else's Pokémon, meant to cuddle with their Trainers, enjoying the satisfaction of mutual dependence. Yet now, they could only huddle together for warmth in the vast forest.

They were jealous, they harbored resentment, yet they also held complex and subtle emotions toward humans. They had once trusted humans, only to be hurt because of that trust.

The group of Trainers was too vast, and there would always be bad apples among them.

If judging Pokémon strength solely by power and stat potentials, then immediately releasing them after capturing them might not have been a big deal.

However, these Pokémon were clearly carefully cultivated, yet for some reason, they had all been abandoned.

They still retained the decorations left to them by their Trainers, as if waiting for those Trainers, who had completely forgotten about them, to return one day and take them away.

Roy often joked about Ash and Pidgeot, but he never truly believed that Ash would forget his original partner, and that Ash would eventually return to the forest and take Pidgeot with him.

But these Pokémon were different.

To expect those Trainers who had mercilessly abandoned the Pokémon they had painstakingly raised to have a change of heart? That was too absurd and laughable.

Roy held Ralts and Jumpluff tightly in his arms. On the first day of his journey in this world, Roy suddenly encountered the cold side of this world, different from the animated world—a side that could perhaps be called reality.

Beneath the serene everyday life, there were the cries of abandoned Pokémon hidden away.

Pokémon wouldn't resent humans? They were individuals with their own consciousness, not puppets to be manipulated by humans.

Trainers needed to understand and trust their Pokémon.

Roy could somewhat understand N's resolution now. If N had also witnessed the cruel acts of abandonment and neglect, it was completely understandable for the N who was close to Pokémon to make extreme moves.

Roy just didn't understand why such a profound theme, so well reflected in the Black and White games, was portrayed so poorly in the anime.

"Wanna go take a look?" Roy lowered his head, softly asking Jumpluff.

Seemingly understanding Roy's thoughts, Jumpluff hopped out of Roy's arms, sniffed the ground, and pointed in a direction, signaling for Roy to follow.