The beds were surprisingly comfortable to sleep in, and the whole room is a lot less menacing in the morning’s sunlight.
Waking up and checking through my belongings to make sure everything was untouched during the night, I find that the pranksters aren’t thieves at least. I count my pokéballs just to be sure and everyone is still on my belt, including Litwick’s. I still can’t believe I just found a Litwick like that... So awesome! Except against the Water gym.
I suddenly recall why we came out to the forest. We needed some Grass Types for that gym. I have that surfboard I got from the merchant, but I want something good against water, not just something that can be on it.
Figuring I’d give the girls time to wake up without their coffee, which I really don’t plan on wasting money on, I decide to look up what Grass types are actually around this forest.
I see the typical fare, Deerling, Bellsprout and family, Treecko are way too far north from here to get to in a day though, so no Grovyle for me... yet. Bulbasaur are in the range as are Leafeon but they are pretty spread out. Looks like my best chances would be with a Seedot or a Bellsprout. Their evolutions are here too, but I don’t want the battle to be too difficult levelwise. I don’t have many ways of fighting a Grass type without a disadvantage, or totally screwing them over.
A Nuzleaf would be pretty neat to have, but if I find a Bellsprout first, I’m definitely going that way.
I pull my gear on and decide to look around the small mansion. In the light, it’s a lot less scary. I mean, some places look downright cheery with the wallpaper chosen. I walk along and it makes sense that I don’t see that many ghosts around. I know they aren’t adverse to sunlight, but... preferred habitat and all.
I see one of those skeleton guys... Ecto-something, sitting in a chair, motionless. With the empty eyesockets staring directly at me, I feel very weirded out, not sure if I should move or just stand-
“Snerrkkaaghk.” I- I think it’s snoring. Or going into respiratory arrest, but given the nature of the pokémon involved... actually, no, it could still be respiratory arrest, it’s a pokémon.
Either way, looking closer the ‘bones’ look to be more made of clay, the bone shapes interlocking more than just being mystically stuck to each other like most skeletons that lack muscle and skin. The eyes aren’t quite holes, but they are a sort of burnt-brown, awake or otherwise. Heck, the spine, from what I can see, is actually just a textured column, the ‘gaps’ just a spot where the connective portion is darker to make it seem absent in bad lighting.
Well, might as well get an explanation. I pull out my éTech and aim it at the strange figure.
- These skeletal-looking pokémon form when a Wispeery begins forming a calcified, clay-like shell around itself for metamorphosis. -
- These eerily human-looking skeletons are actually cocoons. They can make a cry like an evil cackle, but they aren't malevolent. -
- They dance in graveyards at night, making music to keep energized. They like playing with children, and use scares to show their affection. -
... So, it’s Jack Skellington if he were more infantile. That’s... pretty cool. So Wispeery? Looking at the picture, I see it’s the thing I confused for a shiny Gastly.
- These pokémon appear to be faintly glowing motes of light. While they have some variance in their general colors, their Varicolored variants have much more vibrant color schemes. -
- These pokémon lure travelers into the woods and then abandon them. However, they don't do it maliciously; they have no control over their luminescence. -
- Wispeery seek shelter during the day, as strong, prolonged light is harmful to them. However, they like foggy or cloudy days. -
So they’re Will-o’s, then? Huh. Well, might as well go see if the mares are alive or still zombified from lack of caffeine. As I walk out, a Mismagius holding a feather duster begins cleaning the slumbering skeleton.
Heading down the hall the other way, I knock on one of the girls’ doors. Can’t remember who picked what room. “Hey, you decent?”
“Of course, dear.” Ah, Rarity, then. “Please, do come in.”
Walking in I see Rarity holding a white cloth and... I assume shining Glorius’ sheath. “So when do you think we should go? I mean, if we are allowed to stay here tonight as well, we can go further into the forest. Or do you just wanna stay here for the day?”
“Well, there’s much I can do around here. Ooh, while the bedrooms are very tasteful, I think some of the drapes could be replaced, and the wallpaper in that hall could be replaced with a nice salmon color...” Rarity begins listing off possible ideas, and I see that the Honedge’s sheath is actually strapped to her side, and she’s polishing the Honedge itself, who looks to be in heaven, assuming the ‘face’ is expressing the same thing as I think it is.
“Well if you wanna play interior designer, I’m not the one to talk to. I’m gonna go see if Twilight is up yet.” Getting up, I head over to the next room over and knock. After a few more knocks I just phase through the door and there’s a snoring medium-sized lump in the blankets which I assume is a cocooned Twilight.
Going over to the wrapping I pull part of the blankets off. with an annoyed grunt and a purple glow, the corner is yanked out of my hands and tucked back under said lump. “Gee, I wonder what could be under here? I’m sure it wouldn’t mind if I... tickled it.
“You do, and I shove your pokéballs up your nose and activate them.” Comes the muffled, grumpy reply.
“Come on miss sunshine, get up already. There’s a brand new day ahead of us.”
“G’way, or the next orange will be you!” Huh? What orange? “I gotta spell and it’s got yer name onnit, now go’way afore I hit you w’my book!”
“Fine, lazybones. Let me know when you wake up." Rolling my eyes, I leave the room and set out into the forest myself. I do have an idea on how to avoid getting lost. I find the mansion on the satellite map and put a marker on it, basically putting a waypoint down that I can use the compass to direct me to if I get lost.
I walk around the foliage, and it’s not long before I run into an Oddish. Eh, pass. It looks about ready to dig into the ground and sleep for the day anyway. Easy wins are not fun wins. It takes a while to navigate a few more trees, logs and undergrowth. There’s a patch of flowers I don’t know the name of, in various colors. For a moment I see one of them shift. Looking back at the patch, nothing happens. Walking around it, I still don’t see anything. Must’ve been my imagination. Still, can never be too sure.
As I go, a Bellsprout runs across the forest floor, kind of waddling along on it’s roots. Eh, better now than later if I want one.
“Hey, Bellsprout!” The pokémon turns and sees me then kinda... tilts it’s head as if he’s unsure whether to oblige me with whatever I want it’s attention for, or if it should run. I pull out the ball with Geodude in it and, seeing it, the Bellsprout shrugs and gives an ‘alright’ wave of his leaves, a bit of pinkish ooze drooping from its open mouth-hole.
A rather... quick failure later, the Bellsprout just kind of sighs and waddles back into the undergrowth as I return my unconscious pokémon. I figured it would be sticking with acid instead of starting with Stun Spore then going nuts with Razor Leaf...
I figure I would let Litwick out to deal with whatever comes next. Litwick appears from the white flash and jumps up onto my shoulder, apparently liking the vantage point. “Lit!” Seems cheerful today, too.
Another Oddish, this one looks more awake but takes just one look at Litwick and buries itself into the ground. Well, that happened. I go by a squirming mass of tiny worms, all of them moving eerily in sync with each other. It’s a bit like watching a flow of syrup going uphill, a trail of dead and dying worms being left behind. A quick scan with the éTech and I find it’s a Bug/Psychic called Magomental. Eh, maybe once I have my Grass type. However, the mass begins to surge towards me.
“Alright Litwick, Fire-Ghost against Bug and Psychic. Think you got this?”
“Lit!”
“Alright then.” I set the candle down on the forest floor. “Ember!” I’m not exactly sure what it knows yet, but it should at least know that and Astonish.
The spray of firey sparks and heat causes the entire mass to rear up, making a high-pitched, keening shriek. Suddenly, the fire parts and a rippling wave of energy heads towards Litwick.
Gotta think fast... what kind of moves could cut through a Psychic attack? None come to mind in time though, and Litwick takes the blast full-force.
Luckily there doesn’t seem to be any repercussions aside from the damage in general. I chance my next move and mentally slap myself for not looking up Litwick’s moves earlier. “Fire Spin, trap it!”
The little candle sends a helical shot of fire towards the encroaching mass, and the Magomental shrieks again. With a squishy-sounding flop, it pounds the side of the flames to try putting them out, but to no avail. Suddenly, a wave of the squirming worms pours out, partially quenching the blazing circle and leaving a much smaller mass behind, which begins to climb over the blackened bodies of its old swarm. Man, talk about a gross way to escape...
Well, if Litwick knows Fire Spin... “Confuse Ray, don’t let it get away!”
If a wild Pokémon is tenacious enough to still not tap out after this long and a status move, I usually consider it worthy of my team. Now how does the hive mind work when it’s head is fucked up?
The flickering ball of light meanders drunkenly at the mass, and impacts it. Moments later, the mass rears up again, shuddering. I’m about to throw a ball when worms just sort of... spray everywhere.
Oh. Oh god. I think some got in my mouth! AAAAAAAAAUGH GROSS!!
I shake all over, trying to scrape my tongue out of my mouth, hoping I can get them all away. Eventually, I’m sure I’ve gotten most of them, just leaving a wide swath of confusedly squirming worms, each one going in tiny circles or just flailing uselessly.
Alright, I’ve had enough. Gross or not, they put up a good fight even with the type disadvantage. I toss a Pokéball at the mass, wondering if it would scoop up a ton of them or just one? Same with Exeggcute. If you hit just one, or one all alone will it just warp others nearby into the ball? How does the ball just... know?
I shake the thought off and watch what happens. The ball hovers in midair, the ‘capture’ beam lancing out repeatedly to snatch up one worm after another. Damn, this is gonna take a while... Oh man, I should’ve found a way to just freeze it.
After a grueling ten minutes of just waiting, the ball finally picked up enough to consider the Pokémon ‘in’, and settled. By this point, I can’t really say I care if it gets caught or not, I just don’t want to miss out on potentially getting my ball back. A few listless twitches later, and the ball gives the ‘all-good’ signal.
Well, that’s that. I got a living pile of wet rice. Joy. Picking up the ball and putting Litwick back on my shoulder, seemingly waking up at the action, I continue on, passing by a Smeargle and a Spearow in an ‘argument’. I think about interrupting and catching the Smeargle for myself, but a few more Spearow show up and cheap-shot the Smeargle and then the flock starts fighting over... whatever.
Keeping on, I don’t see much more for a while. The waiting around and then the walking tiring me out, I decide to circle around and head back to the mansion taking a different route. I hear giggling as I get to a more shaded part of the forest, making it seem like the sun went backwards and was still just rising.
Looking around, I don’t see anything yet, but the giggling continues. After a while I finally see something moving. It looks like one of those little things that was in that witch coven yesterday evening. It hasn’t seen me, it’s just playing with a little doll of a Pachirisu it must have found.
Man, I want that doll... jealously ignoring it and glaring at the lucky... whatever it is. I decide to solve a mystery and figure out what it is, aiming my éTech at the giggling thing. Right as the camera ‘clicks’, The little witchey-thing throws down the Pachirisu, and is suddenly hiding behind a life-sized doll of itself, though the doll is limp. Huh, it must know Substitute! ... but now the éTech is saying I’m pointing it at a doll, not the Pokémon. I bet I could knock the doll away with a Pokémon attack, check the little Pokémon quickly while it’s distracted.
“Alright Litwick, Night Shade on that doll.” I’m not sure how high-level Litwick is, but I doubt Night Shade would do more than 20 damage.
The doll is knocked away, sprawling in the dirt and being reduced back to the Pachirisu shape it previously had. I look at the little witch-like Pokémon and see it giving me a look of ‘why would you do that’ so strong that my heart melts. Oh god, I forgot how adorable Pokémon get, it’s like cats...
“Hey, I just wanted to know what you are and you flip out. If you stand still for a second I’ll be out of here, deal?” The little Pokémon bursts into tears, crying and sitting on the forest floor. Aw man, now I feel bad... “Fine, I’m sorry. Your doll looks fine though, what’s the big deal?” Seriously, I don’t think I hurt it and the Pachirisu looks just fine. Sighing at the continued crying, I decide there’s nothing I can do. I snap a picture of it with the éTech and walk off, Litwick hopping back on my shoulder, but not without giving me a ‘what the hell, dude?’ look.
Soon enough I come across a Pidgey, but at my approach it flies up and lands in a nest on a branch. I think about how I could get it down, but a Pidgeotto pokes its head out and gives me the stink-eye. Jeez, I sure ain’t Mr. Popular today, that’s for sure. A little while later I’m only about ten yards from the mansion, but there’s a walking bush hanging around the ‘backyard’. The bush, obviously an Oddish, seems like my best bet for a Grass type at this point. Litwick seems to know what I’m thinking and takes initiative, launching a Confuse Ray from my shoulder. I gotta say that up close, that orb gives me the creepiest feeling, even when just passing me by.
The Oddish tries to run away, but gets struck by the orb before it can make it far. Moments later, the staggering shrub face-plants into one of the metal fenceposts. Huh, there’s a full iron fence going around the rear of the property. Why didn’t I notice that before?
“Alright, Smog. Might have to give it two.” Litwick, again from my shoulder, seems to start producing smoke from its candle and kind of blows it at the Oddish, the smoke looking more purpley as it gets close to the target. The Oddish inhales the gas/smoke and starts coughing like crazy. The next cloud of the stuff has the Oddish completely out of it and looking sick as hell, despite it’s immunity to Smog’s poison effect. I toss my Pokéball. The Oddish is in a pretty bad way so I figure if I catch it, I should use a potion on it.
When the ball dings, I walk over to pick up the ball, already holding a potion from my bag. I release Oddish, not looking much better than a few moments ago. I spray the medicine over its body and it certainly seems healthier, though far from perfect condition. The Oddish gives a short response I assume to be a ‘thank-you’ and recall it. Placing it on my belt, I realize I’ve filled up the sixth slot. Huh, that didn’t take as long as I thought it would. Oh well, next catch is going to the PC I suppose.
I check my éTech for info on PC kiosks. Apparently they are all located inside Pokémon Centers or other League buildings as I’m used to. However, I can sync up my éTech and monitor my boxes to sort them and do whatever, I just can’t deposit or withdraw Pokémon from it, which makes sense.
Either way, my goal of catching a Grass type successful, I decide to head back inside and see if Twilight’s up yet.