Luther couldn't shake the uneasy feeling gnawing at him; the weight of expectation pressed heavily on his shoulders.
After reaching Oreburgh City, Luther wasted no time. He rented a bike from a local shop and pedaled north toward Purple Leaf Forest, guided by the glowing map on his Pokédex.
His urgency stemmed from a hot tip he'd stumbled across, a public bounty notice that had every Trainer in Oreburgh buzzing.
While digging into Oreburgh City's local chatter on his Pokédex, Luther had spotted the post offering a reward for any confirmed sightings of a wild Heracross. It was pinned at the top of the city's Trainer forums, impossible to miss.
The person behind it claimed to be a Pokémon enthusiast obsessed with tracking down a Heracross in the wild.
Reports had trickled in over the past few days, all pointing to Purple Leaf Forest north of Oreburgh City. One eyewitness, a keen observer, had even snapped a few blurry photos of the elusive Bug Pokémon.
Luther had no clue who else was chasing this Heracross or why they'd thrown out such a hefty reward, opting for an open challenge rather than keeping it hush-hush.
The comments below the bounty were a mess of bold claims and excited chatter, lighting a fire under Trainers who adored Bug-types but hadn't yet snagged a Heracross.
Sure enough, when Luther rolled up to the Trainer outpost at the edge of Purple Leaf Forest, the place was swarming with activity.
By now, his nerves had settled into something familiar, like the time he'd overslept and stumbled into school late as a kid. A minute or an hour, late was late; the sting was the same either way.
With Jumpluff, Ralts, and Marill at his side, Luther decided to take a breather at the Pokémon Center nestled beside the forest.
The area around the Center was alive with pop-up stalls, and Luther wandered through them for a bit. Knowing his trio's tastes, he picked up three servings of sweet Pokémon treats, lucky for him, their preferences aligned perfectly.
Settling into a seat at the Pokémon Center, Luther munched on two helpings of takeout fried noodles while keeping an eye on the crowd outside.
It was nine o'clock sharp, prime time for Ghost-type Pokémon to stir deep within Purple Leaf Forest. The number of Trainers with Dark-types, like Houndoom, Weavile, Honchkrow, and Shiftry, spiked as they passed by in steady streams.
Out of nowhere, Luther's chopstick-wielding hand felt oddly heavy. He glanced down to find Ralts dangling from his wrist, her eyes glistening as she drooled over his noodles.
Marill wasn't far behind, drooling just as eagerly, while Jumpluff, stuffed and satisfied, sprawled out on the floor in a carefree heap, looking utterly shameless.
"Spicy, huh?" Luther chuckled, unable to resist their pleading stares. He twirled some chili-laced noodles onto his chopsticks and held them out.
The fiery noodles vanished in an instant, devoured by the pair, who gazed up at him with hungry, sparkling eyes.
Luther blinked in disbelief. 'Didn't you two swear by sweet stuff? Since when do you handle spice like champs?'
Watching his meal disappear into their happy little mouths before they flopped down to rest, he shook his head with a wry grin and pulled out his Pokédex to scan the latest updates.
Nighttime in Purple Leaf Forest usually drew Ghost-type hunters, but tonight, Bug-type enthusiasts were also on the prowl, chasing Heracross leads. The forums were flooded with tales of that night's encounters, mostly gripes about botched captures.
There wasn't much substance to the posts; it was all noise and frustration, leaving Luther sifting through a pile of useless rants for anything worthwhile.
He glanced at his trio, now nearly recovered from their snack break, and made a call. He recalled Marill and Jumpluff to their Poké Balls, then hoisted Ralts onto his shoulder.
Ghost-types ruled the forest at night, and while they rarely ambushed Trainers outright, their pranks could be a real headache. Ralts, with her sharp senses outclassing Marill and Jumpluff, was the best pick to spot any sneaky spirits.
Perched on Luther's shoulder, Ralts peered around with wide-eyed wonder, soaking in the lively stalls as if everything was a brand-new discovery.
Luther paused at one stall, and Ralts, clinging to his neck, twisted around with a longing look. Following her gaze, he spotted a stand selling tiny trinkets.
Back in his old life, he'd have breezed past these roadside setups without a second thought, but Ralts's eager face was impossible to ignore.
He crouched down at the stall, inspecting the goods up close.
The table was covered in handmade treasures, each piece crafted with care and skill. Small price tags dangled beside them, ranging from ten to a hundred Pokémon League coins.
To Luther's surprise, the vendor was a kid, maybe fifteen or sixteen, still green and a little awkward. It took him a beat to notice Luther before he stammered out a shy pitch for his wares.
"Which one do you like?" Luther asked, then paused, remembering the two teammates tucked away in their Poké Balls.
He couldn't play favorites with gifts.
Releasing Marill and Jumpluff, he watched as Ralts snatched up a pink water-drop pendant, scampering over to show it off to him and then to Jumpluff.
Jumpluff chirped a few compliments before picking out a maple-leaf-shaped stone, while Marill hemmed and hawed before settling on a blue egg-shaped pendant.
The total rang up to a hundred thirty Pokémon League coins, a hefty chunk compared to the ten-coin fried noodles he'd grabbed earlier. Still, Luther didn't mind one bit.
For now, his bond with Ralts, Jumpluff, and Marill was strictly Trainer and Pokémon. Seeing them light up over these little tokens made it worth every coin.
After fastening Marill's pendant, Luther tried to help Jumpluff with hers, but she clutched the maple-leaf stone stubbornly, refusing to hang it up. He sighed and let it slide, Jumpluff wasn't one to cross lightly.
Even this late, Trainers were still trickling into Purple Leaf Forest. Luther stuck to the main trail, passing a few pairs of Trainers along the way. Going solo into the forest depths at night was a rare move, even for someone like him.
At a fork in the path, Luther veered onto a quieter route, pressing deeper into the woods.
After about thirty minutes, the trail grew thick with fallen leaves. Each step crunched loudly underfoot, the sound carrying through the still, dark forest night.
Ralts toyed with her water-drop pendant on his shoulder, oblivious to the creeping eeriness settling around them.
The moonlight struggled to pierce the dense canopy, leaving only faint, dappled patches to break the overwhelming darkness.
Luther hadn't crossed paths with another Trainer in nearly half an hour. The forest was vast, swallowing up the crowd like grains of sand scattered across a beach.
Pokémon sightings were just as scarce. Every so often, a shadowy blur darted between the trees, vanishing before Luther could even blink.
Just as he considered a quick break, something odd caught his eye, a ripple shimmered across a large boulder ahead.
It looked like a pebble dropped into a pond, sending waves through the air itself.
Luther's instincts kicked in; he'd honed a knack for spotting sudden movement from years of gaming. Anything that twitched in his peripheral vision was a target, though that reflex had gotten him into trouble more than once when he'd accidentally zapped a teammate.
On high alert, he figured a Ghost-type was lurking nearby.
Sure enough, Ralts tensed up, abandoning her pendant to lean forward, sensing something in the shadows.
To tackle whatever was coming, Luther released Jumpluff and Marill, bracing for a messy fight.
"Keep an eye on that rock," He cautioned while edging closer.
At about a meter out, a black shape burst from atop the boulder, and a piercing shriek exploded in his ears. Jumpluff, Marill, and Ralts flinched, clapping their hands over their ears.
The dim light made it impossible to ID the floating figure. Luther shielded one ear and whipped out his Pokédex, aiming it at the culprit.
"Misdreavus, the Screech Pokémon. It sneaks up in the dead of night, letting out a wail-like cry. It loves tugging on hair to spook people and thrives on playful mischief."
Spotting Luther and his team's rattled reactions, Misdreavus bobbed gleefully in the air. That familiar grin from the anime and games now felt downright impish up close.
Her cackling cut off when she caught the trio's sour glares. She stuck out her tongue at Ralts, jingling the beads around her neck as if taunting her.
Luther couldn't figure out why Misdreavus didn't just dip after her prank until Ralts leapt off his shoulder, flinging a wild Psychic blast her way. Apparently, Misdreavus had been mocking her.
No surprise, Ralts's attack whiffed completely; her inexperience showed as she flailed without aim.
While Misdreavus toyed with Ralts, dodging her clumsy moves, Luther barked, "Jumpluff, Leech Seed! Marill, Water Gun! Ralts, track her and hit her with Psychic!"
"Sorry, I'm all about a good scrap," He muttered to Misdreavus with a sheepish grin.
Fuming, Misdreavus evaded the Leech Seed and Psychic, but Marill's Water Gun nailed her square in the face. The forceful blast sent her crashing into the boulder.
Before she could recover, Ralts's Psychic latched on, yanking her up, while Jumpluff unleashed a storm of Bullet Seed, every shot landing true.
After trekking so long without a single Pokémon encounter, Luther wasn't letting this chance slip. Jumpluff knew her way around a fight, but Marill and Ralts were green, perfect time to get their feet wet, and Misdreavus was the ideal punching bag.
Another Water Gun from Marill left Misdreavus drenched and trembling, huddled against a tree stump as the trio closed in.
"Wooo~~~~~" Before they could pile on, Misdreavus let out a pitiful wail.
Luther scratched his head, her cries tugging at his conscience. She seemed young, weak but quick, and he started to feel bad about ganging up on her.
Just as he turned to walk away, a swarm of shadowy Misdreavus-like figures erupted from the trees behind her. Four or five at the front fixed him with cold, hostile stares.
A chill ran down Luther's spine as he fumbled for his Pokédex.
"Misdreavus, the Ghost Pokémon."
(End of Chapter)