EPISODE 38: Woolly Foe!

A journey to a thousand miles begins with a single step. The road to my lost parents and the Pokemon league hasn't reached its peak yet. Me and my friends on the other hand are heading to Macropolis city. Route seven may be a long walk taking nearly four days to reach but no journey is long when dreams are big and the sky is the limit! As long as you put your heart and soul to your journey through life, only then will you understand your purpose of existence.

Its been weeks now, and I enjoy traveling with my companions and friends. They are my fuel of determination as they inspire me and I inspire them. Although yeah, there may be some fights between us, but it's not my fault, Zhery keeps teasing me. I'll get her back one day! I will be the last to laugh.

"Wake up slowpoke! Breakfast is ready." Zhery teased as she pulled my leg to wake me up.

"Alright I'm awake! You don't have to pull me." I badgered with annoyance. The day was beautiful once more, Riolu woke up first before me and is currently playing with his Pokemon friends, especially Mareep, Zhery's newly caught Pokemon. Mareep has a yellow cuddly wool surrounding it, with a blue face and a blue tail.

Breakfast is always delicious as long as Camellia is the one who cooked the food. "Alright! Whoppers with eggs are ready everyone!" Camellia called. The Pokemon also had Whoppers for breakfast, whatever we eat, our Pokemons eat too!

After eating, we fixed our tents, washed the dishes and continue our exciting journey. As we continued our walk, Riolu and Zorua continued to fight. They're always like that and compete for my arm. "It's my turn to stay on Kalem!" Zorua badgered. "No! It's my turn! You stayed on Kalem for three days straight!" Riolu complained.

"Are you two always going to fight like this?" I asked Zorua and Riolu. "Funny right, Zorua and Riolu are just like you and Zhery!" Glade joked. "Well that, I can agree on him he." I laughed.

Mareep, who was recently caught, also didn't like walking, lucky for Zhery, she could just cuddle Mareep, but Zorua and Riolu? They always fight for the arm.

"Can you two please stop!" I begged as I was getting irritated already. "Let me stay in your arm Kalem!" Zorua begged. "No! Let me!" Riolu badgered. "Look, I'll send both of you back to your Pokeballs if you both won't stop fighting," I warned.

"Fine! Zorua can stay in your arm, I'll just walk instead." Riolu said with disappointment. As I was walking, I felt like I was missing something or forgetting something that I had to do. "What must I be forgetting?" I queried unto my mind. Then a thought came rushing towards me. "Ah! Camellia! I remember something!" I shouted as I rushed towards her. "Yes, Kalem?" She began to ask. "Remember! You promise to teach me how to use my Fightium Z right? I was thinking to use my Z-crystal for my second gym battle." I tried to make her recall. "Oh, now I remember! Sure thing Kalem, we can practice now if you wish!" Camellia smiled.

"What!? But its a four day walk to the city! Can't you just practice in the city?" Zhery queried. "Who wanted to go to the ranch first?" I teased and waggled my eyebrows. "Why you little kid!? I'll get you back next time!" Zhery shouted in annoyance as she agreed to what I said. Well it's true that she was the one who wanted to go to the ranch. "You're the one whose angry, whose the little kid now?" I teased. "Hey stop fighting! Both of you are little kids." Glade angered with annoyance but still teased us.

"Why would you accept Kalem's request? You can accept it once we reach the city! The gym isn't going anywhere right?" Zhery teased. "Well, there's nothing I can do, and just like what you said, the gym isn't going anywhere." Camellia teased. "You just admire Kalem, that's why you're willing to teach him a Z-move." Zhery teased. "Hee hee hee..." Camellia blushed and smiled at Zhery.

"Alright! This looks like a good spot to train! Now teach me how to use all-out pummeling!" I asked. "Well, in order to do a Z-move, you and Riolu must always remember to work as one!" Camellia told us the first step.

"Come on Riolu! Let's do some training and work as one!" I shouted with determination. "Go practice with Zorua, she's the one in your arm right?" Riolu teased as he turned his head to the left swiftly. "Riolu, I will let you stay in my arm if you practice with me." I bargained. "Really Kalem? You think I'll believe you?" Riolu teased. "I'll do anything you want, just please practice with me!" I begged as Riolu stood up. "Anything I want eigh? Hee hee hee." Riolu smiled mischievously.

"To work as one with your Pokemon, you must learn to understand each other." Camellia thought. "But we already understand each other, with the use of the Poketrans gem!" I explained.

"Not by words, but by feelings and emotions, both of your minds must be connected, you'll know when your connection with Riolu if you feel a sudden aura circling your body," Camellia explained. Meanwhile, Zhery and Glade were just observing us. "When will this long boring session end?' Zhery teased. "Come on Zhery, we must learn how to wait, Kalem waited for you in the ranch didn't he?" Glade queried. "Oh fine! I'll wait!" Zhery got triggered.

I and Riolu started to close our eyes, we tried to connect with each other's feelings and emotions. I and Riolu tried to focus but we couldn't feel an aura. "Camellia, why can't I feel anything? I couldn't connect with Riolu?" I queried.

"Maybe its because you two may look close when in fact the both of you aren't" Camellia hunched. "You're saying that me and Riolu doesn't have the perfect bond to perform our Z-move?" I queried. "That may be the problem, the both of you may seem close, you may even feel close with Riolu, but you're actually not," Camellia explained. "Impossible! Me and Riolu are best buddies! Until the end of time! Right Riolu?" I asked. "I don't know." Riolu lifts his two shoulders up and down.

"Maybe, you're close with Riolu, but Riolu isn't close with you." Camellia hunched. "Is that true Riolu?" I queried as my voice became solemn. "I don't know," Riolu answered as he walked back to his seat. "Maybe you said something wrong, maybe you've hurt Riolu's feelings." Camellia guessed. "But I would never say anything wrong to Riolu! Impossible! How could I hurt Riolu's feelings?" I queried solemnly.

"Hey, don't rely on the past, just apologize to Riolu even if you didn't do anything wrong. People and Pokemon have their own feelings, they have they're own thoughts about each other. Maybe if you try to look closer, you'll know the reason." Camellia explained. I was left speechless with tears in my eyes. How could I not be close with Riolu? What have I done? I never treated Riolu wrongly before. Never did I experience such a thing before. I was about to talk with Riolu, but I figured, maybe it's better to let Riolu's feelings calm down even if I don't know Riolu's feelings for me.

"Hey, don't feel sad Kalem, just go and apologize." Camellia comforted. I was about to apologize when suddenly a Pokemon behind Zhery's sleeping Mareep woke Mareep up.

:WOO!!! the Pokemon badgered as Mareep got scared. Zhery reacted quickly and blocked Mareep right away. "Who do you think you are? Why would you bump into my Mareep?" Zhery asked towards the Pokemon.

:WOO! WOO! The Pokemon badgered as it rolled to Mareep. But just before Mareep was about to get hit, "Return to your Pokeball!" A young man with a stylish red hair called his Pokemon back as he apologized. "I'm sorry if my Pokemon was trying to hit Mareep. I'm Zoll by the way."

"What kind of Pokemon was that? I've never seen one like that before." Glade wondered. "Oh? Do you mean the Pokemon that was trying to hit Mareep? They're called Wooloos." Zoll explained.

"Hey Irys, what's a woohoo?" Camellia wondered. "Allow me to explain, [Wooloo! The sheep Pokemon! A 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. If its fleece grows too long, Wooloo won't be able to move. Cloth made with the wool of this Pokémon is surprisingly strong.]

"Hey if you have a wooloo does that mean you're from the Galar region?" I queried. "Yes you're right, from the Galar region, I came here to train with my Wooloo," Zoll explained. "Then if you want to train your Wooloo, why not battle my Mareep?" Zhery offered. "You'll really allow me too?" Zoll wondered.

"No prob! A one on one battle should help train your Pokemon!" Zhery charmed. Zoll accepted Zhery's challenge as I volunteered to become the referee.

"This will be a sheep on sheep battle ha ha ha!" I teased. "Hey referee! Act like a referee and not a clown!" Zhery teased. "Alright fine, let's start from the top... This will be a one on one Pokemon battle! The match ends when either side of the Pokemon is unable to battle." I proclaimed properly this time.

"Wooloo! Let's show them what we got!" Zoll sent out Wooloo from his Pokeball.

"Now, Mareep! Its time for a shocking performance!" Zhery sent out Mareep from his Pokeball.

"Battle begin!" I proclaimed.

"Wooloo use double edge!"

"Mareep dodge it then use thunderbolt!"

*Mareep was able to dodge double edge!*

*Wooloo was hit by a thunderbolt.*

"We're just warming up! Wooloo use headbutt!"

"Mareep! Intercept with volt tackle!"

*Mareep's and Wooloo's attack collided.*

"Wooloo! Be strong and use headbutt once more!"

"Mareep, let's try an iron tail!"

*Iron tail swooped Wooloo to the left, canceling Wooloo's headbutt!*

"Woah, Zhery has good battling skills," Glade observed in his mind.

"Wooloo can still battle! Wooloo use Zen headbutt!"

"He he! Mareep use Eerie impulse!"

*Eerie Impulse lowered the target's special attack stat by two stages.*

*Wooloo was able to hit Mareep but its special attack was lessen by two stages due to eerie impulse.*

"What the!?" Zoll was in awe. He'd never seen anybody battled like that.

"Alright Mareep! Finish the battle with iron tail!"

....

...

...

...

"Wooloo is unable to battle! The winner is going to Mareep and Zhery!" I proclaimed.

"Good work Mareep!" Zhery complemented as she lifted Mareep and cuddled her tightly.

"That was a nice battle Zhery!" Zoll complimented as he shook hands with Zhery. "Thanks Zoll! Wooloo and you will grow even stronger!" Zhery complemented.

Zoll left the forest and continued with his journey. "Well it looks like Mareep has a woolly foe!" Camellia teased. "Yup! But Mareep will get stronger than Wooloo!" Zhery beamed with determination.

We knew it was time to leave before the moon touches the sky with her children. So we packed up early and started to move forwards into Macropolis city. I saw Riolu walking disappointedly, I knew that Riolu wanted to stay in my arm so I tried to make an offer. "Hey, Riolu, you can stay in my other shoulder if you want too." "No need, I can walk Kalem." Riolu neglected my offer as he continued his walk. I didn't mean to anger Riolu, but even the slightest errors can make the biggest impacts on one's feelings...

As the journey continues...