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In the far back of the meadow, around a bend, almost like a hidden cove in the sea of golden flowers, stands an ominous sight. A red arch, a torii gate, large enough for a road to pass under, with an ogre sized tiki mask mounted in the center.

The path beyond is so thick with trees that barely any light reaches the ground. Perched on the gate is a crow with a crown of feathers like a witches hat, “That's a Murkrow right?”

Jane snorts, “Good job, you’re like one of those old physical pokedexs trying to update.”

“Shh you,” turning to my teammate that went to the nice school, “Naomi, can I use one of those breeder ball sets?”

Nodding, “Yes, and Murkrow are native to Hoenn so you’ll be fine introducing a pair outside of a controlled enclosure.”

“Nice! Now to find a pair of them.”

Our guide Andrew, the twins found a new focus in the supermodel Dawn, has a tip, “If you have something like jewelry, you should be able to lure a few out, enough to discern a pair.”

I actually left the star gem at Olivia’s jewelry shop… Ah, I have something!

Taking out the pointy coin from the treasure hoard, “Hey Bird!”

Ever the hater, Jane facepalms, “Do you really think that will work…. Damn.”

With a single loud ‘Caw!’ The crow pokemon and a dozen more from the surrounding trees take flight and flock towards us.

While the girls scatter, Andrew calmly backs up, “Just let them look at it Kurt, they’re a very misunderstood pokemon.”

I crouch in the grass as the murder of crows excitedly lands beside me and hop closer.

“Alright there birds, this coin is a rare find,” channeling my inner shopping channel personality, “From the treasure hoard of the pirate Captain Blade beard.”

Like gossipy shoppers at a free sample stall the Murkrow squawk at each other and get real expressive with their wings and heads. I love them.

“Next we have this water stone, from an underground city near mysterious ruins!”

While showing off the gemstone with the faintest of blue glows, the birds give their version of ‘Oohs’ and ‘Ahhs.’

“Now I have more exciting treasure but I’m only going to show them to the two of you that you’d vote ‘Best Couple.’”

I shit you not, half of them roll their eyes and beaks while the rest point at a pair of black birds practically attached at the hip with matching rings on their claws.

Pulling my dex app, I give these two a scan just to check. I’m surprised that not only are they a known breeding pair via the pokemon species’ identifying marks, but they have a bounty on them posted by Olivia.

“Well you two certainly don’t keep a low profile.”

The two Murkrow puff out their chest feathers in pride while posing back to back.

Laughing, “Alright Bonnie and Clyde, how'd you like to leave this small island and find even more treasure?”

Only checking with each other, the pair don’t waste time on second thoughts before stepping forward.

Naomi walks back over and hands me the linked pair of pokeballs, the two Murkrow enter without any fuss and I can’t help but be a little excited.

Lacy sighs, “are you starting a haunted forest or your own aviary?”

“Phhh, birds are cool okay!” I couldn’t resist, “Also now we have another local guide. Speaking of, are you coming into the woods Andrew?”

The look he gives suggests I’m crazy, “I won’t go in there, I’m actually a water zone specialist.”

Right, even if he could bust out a sharpedo, fat load of good it would do.

Alright, “So who is coming with me?!”

A funny thing, Naomi and Jane step back with Lacy and May while May’s team actually steps forward.

Maybe I’m grinning, “Great everyone it is then!”

Andrew waves his hands, “Absolutely not! Three at a time, no more. It’s not a joking matter Mr. Kurt, the grotto is dangerous and a large group entering will anger the pokemon within. Potentially to a degree they swarm out of the wood.”

“Fine,” looking at May’s girls, “Which of you know there’s a pokemon in here you’d like to catch?”

The nerdy girl who asked me about stats back in the lab, Patricia, pushes up her glasses, “I’d like to catch the Oricorio variant that can be found here or… ya there’s a couple options.”

Jaunita, the originally not so subtle charity case, looks So much better now, “I would like to catch a Morelull, they’re a glowing mushroom pokemon that have fantastic status moves.”

Vermilya deflates a bit but after looking at her teammates, puts on a small smile, “I’ll just search around out here with Naomi and May some more.”

Solid… except I’m once more getting separated from the heiress I’m under contract to protect.

A strong breeze billows out from the path behind us, rustling leaves and flower petals.

Taking a glance into the shadowy trail I see nothing but the winding path and thick plant growth.

“Alright,” taking a moment to consider both Dawn and Andrew have warned us about this area, “are Oricorio and Morelull hard to find?”

Andrew shakes his head, “No, in fact you can find them all along this mountain in the evening.”

May latches onto where I’m headed, “So you rookies don’t need to head into this zone. In fact, as your mentor, I’m flat out saying no.”

Some of the teens have that rebellious look in their eye, “look, you kids already have an advantage over the other Hoenn rookies just by the variety of pokemon you have a chance to catch in this region and bring home. Jumping in over your head here is completely unnecessary.”

They have the smarts to at least look convinced, and that may have to do. At least with them all out here together I should be safe to leave Naomi for an hour or two. Also, Dawn and May are Worlds level trainers, even if a bit rusty.

Looking at my team, “Alright, you two try to go another couple hours without getting involved in an international incident.”

Turning to Lacy, “Back before ya know it love.”

Her smile is strained as another sigh of wind exits the grotto, “Just come back in one piece.”

A single step past the red gate and it’s as if all the sounds of the golden meadow are stripped away. No happy go lucky trainers cheering about their latest catch. Just the ominous sound of wind rustling branches.

Of Course, academically I know that this wind nonsense is an echo of the tidal winds hitting the mountain and coursing through this valley. Doesn’t stop the shiver running down my spine as I turn the bend in the trail and find a grave marker overgrown with vines. The memorial has a small carved Arcanine, like the guardian statues of temples.

“Riiiight,” it seems this won’t be a fun hike in the pretty jungle, “Alright, time to get out the first string.”

Three pokeballs flash, my Joltik, Phantump, and Golbat appear.

My idea for a Murkrow guide was killed by league lock out rules.

“Here’s the plan team,” I point at Tesla, “You're on offence and restraint.”

Over to Blue, “Defence goes to you little buddy. We’ve got all the wood we could want here to work with.”

Finally my massive bat monster that is glaring into the woods, his ears twitching, looking for food maybe, “Shak, you’re our ride today.”

This makes him snap his head to me before tilting it in confusion.

Pulling a complicated set of straps from my bag I walk over to the pokemon that finally has the bulk necessary to support a passenger.

“It’s your big day boy, I didn’t catch you just to scare spoiled brats.” That has him at least agreeable to the idea. That or he’s just too lazy to care more than an initial reluctance.

My curious little Joltik scuttles over to the grave marker. She touches the Arcanine carving just as Blue controls a twig to snap next to her. With a chirp of fright she races up my leg and tries to hide in my hair like when she was small.

But she’s not small anymore, she’s the size of a small-ish dog, and Blue is laughing his pineneedles off.

“Alright, that's enough!” I pull my four legged arachnid off my head, “Trouble makers, all three of you.”

“Okay, here’s the formation,” I climb up the harness onto Shak, “Both you get up here, Blue in front, Tesla on the back.”

The tree spirit and insect weigh practically nothing and my Golbat is quickly getting accustomed to the set up. Just ahead I can see the under layer of the forest opening up beneath the thick canopy that stretches higher and higher the deeper the path goes.

Blue settles in my lap and Tesla interprets my instruction as latching onto my backpack and peeking over my shoulder, “Close enough,” I grip the harness not to fall off, “Follow the trail Shak, we’re looking for the largest tree you’ve ever seen… or heard.”

The lumbering motion of his uneven gate makes holding on a challenge, after a few paces he breaks into a lunging gallop before taking off into air between the towering jungle fauna.

In the murky grove where few rare beams of sunlight penetrate I finally see the first signs of pokemon. Shak banks around a set of tree’s cloaked in Ariados webbing, the five foot arachnid watches us pass by with an uncaring menace. It knows easier prey will fall victim to it’s webs.

Gliding over and under the maze of branches we see the occasional purple tropical bird that must be the Oricorio Patty wanted. One branch we give a wide berth has an Arbok coiled around it, watching us fly by. As we pass over a relaxing Pangoro I’m shocked at the amount of pokemon thriving here.

Once more the wind sighs through the grotto and I catch sight of lights drifting amongst the grave markers. Some kind of animated statue with a big tiki mask is lumbering about, placing a new grave while other shadowy pokemon fly about, the scene lit by a floating lantern.

“Shak, land a second.”

He grunts to pull into a stall with our added weight before landing on a sturdy branch high above the procession.

My Dex app begins rolling out the info; an Alolan Golurk, Misdreavus, Morelull and a Lampent.

“Of course the dex app doesn’t have anything about what they’re doing, but it’s not hard to figure out. Let's keep going Shak.”

A growl from the big bat has a flock of Zubat screeching and parting to pass by around us. Up ahead I spot another anomaly as the wind shifts once more. Lazily floating amongst the trees is a purple hot air balloon barely bigger than a beach ball. A Drifblim, according to ol’ Dexa.

Reading off the app data about them collecting souls is creepy as shit and I barely reach the part of them traveling in flocks with the wind as I see more amongst the jungle, proving the data. All of them slowly drift in the same direction deeper into the wood with each sigh of wind.

A swarm of Shuppets, like dust rags with eye holes draped over candles, race among the massive root structures that span the forest floor. Tell tale laughter echoes in the grove as we follow the same direction, I spot all manner of Phantumps as we go deeper in.

“No wonder Ed boy liked this place,” And then I see it, the first root the size of a semi truck trailer, “Looks like we’re here boys and girl.”

The wind takes a sudden chill, the laughter of ghosts turns deeper as one voice overwhelms the others. Then, things take an even worse turn. The Shuppet swarm joins another, and another, and as we approach the towering dead husk of Old Elder, a totem Trevenant to rival an elven world tree, I see the dim glow in the hollow of its single great eye.

“Right, because how could a ghost pokemon die?”

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