“This boat will take you to the edge of the Ilex Forest, but you’ll need to purchase a ferry ticket on your own. The important part is not to lose track of time once you’re there. When the season ends, you’ll only have a week to reach Silver Town. If you fail to register in time, you won’t be able to compete in the Conference,” Chuck’s wife said.
“I understand. Thank you.” Sam bowed his head low in thanks. The Gym Leader himself wasn’t there to see him off since Chuck was satisfied with parting ways after a good match. He was already back to taking on challengers. “I think, once the season is over, I should have plenty of time to get back to Azalea town. There are teleports offered to trainers, right?”
“Only certain ones, and they’re expensive.”
“But I should be able to afford at least one,” Sam said. “It’d take everything I have left, and even if it’s more than that, I’m sure I can find at least one other person to help pay.”
The woman laughed quietly.
“Yes, that would work. You’ll be pretty lucky, too. Even if you spend all your money, most restaurants in Silver Town will let competitors eat for free.”
Redi will enjoy that.
Sam thanked her one last time before boarding the boat, and with a final goodbye, he was off. The ship was much bigger than the speeder he took last time, but it was still fast, and it left the oh-so-similar-to-Dewford Cianwood City behind.
Overall, the trip on this boat wouldn’t be quick, but it would be faster than his original plan. This boat was one of several that helped with delivering Cianwood’s specialty medicines, but instead of going to the mainland, it visited islands and a handful of cities along Johto’s coast.
There were many stops, but each stop was quick given the importance of the ship’s cargo, and Sam was able to tag along since he promised to help out. There was no question at this point that people were taking notice of Annihilape when he and Sam helped carry the crates, but so close to the Conference, spreading a few rumors would actually help. It obscured their exact position while also building legitimacy so that more people would recognize them once Annihilape was officially revealed.
Sam only felt excitement, and over the few days he spent on the ship, that feeling grew. It got to the point that he started to struggle to fall asleep at night, so he frequently chose to sleep on the ship’s deck. His Ghost Type team members helped him get away with that, making sure he went unbothered but also making sure he wouldn’t fall off.
Being able to see the countless stars in the sky let him relax, and the many pinpricks of light almost served as reminders of how far his journey had taken him.
“Typhlosion,” Sam said quietly one night. She’d been much more affectionate recently and hadn’t left his side. “Do you remember how we used to be? How much time we would spend inside? Sure, we’d head out to search for Ghost Types—sometimes—but I’d usually be reading, checking the forums, or helping Mom around the shop.
“Back then, I... I don’t know. It felt like I was almost in a haze. I wanted to go on a journey, but I couldn’t bring myself to. I guess, after Grandpa, I just...”
His words got caught in his throat. He couldn’t bring himself to say anything else. A mist started to cloud the sky, but he wiped it away as Typhlosion pressed herself against his side.
“Thank you,” Sam said. “For everything. Thank you for everything you’ve ever done. You’ve never stopped supporting me, and we’re almost there! The Conference is so close! And I can never forget how you managed to evolve!”
Typhlosion sent him a sharp grin as she looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with pride. Although, Sam could have sworn he saw a guilty expression briefly flash over her face, but he didn’t press. He didn’t want to ruin the moment.
“There’ll be more than just Redi and Xavier waiting for us there,” he said quietly as he stared up at the stars. “We beat every Gym Leader in Johto, but so has everyone else who’ll be competing. So many people there won’t just be beginners. We’ll be facing people with seasons of experience, but you know what?
“We’ll be ready,” Sam promised. “As long as we’re clever, I know we’ll find a way to win.”
More than anything else, he wanted to stand with his team at the top.
Sam continued to share his plans with Typhlosion that night, eventually falling asleep with his Ghost Types surrounding him. He woke up in a proper bed the next morning and resumed helping out over the trip. As they traveled, Mismagius, Haunter, and Typhlosion all worked to make sure the various Gastly stayed on board and didn’t get too stir-crazy to think about floating off.
When the ship finally docked in the river town at the edge of the Ilex Forest, Sam thanked the captain and helped unload the last few deliveries before dashing off. Shadows swarmed him as his various Ghost Types “stretched their legs.” Just barely, he managed to reach a ferry right before it left. The people who managed it were a little annoyed at the last-minute boarding, but paying for a ticket helped.
Wind blew past him. Leaning against the boat’s back railing let him watch the water pass them by while Typhlosion stared into the woods, nervous yet alert. A few other trainers were also on board, but most of them were just returning home after a hard-fought season.
Truthfully, Sam was the only person here insane enough to head into the deepest parts of Ilex Forest to train.
Being so close to his goal, Sam could truly recognize just how far he and his team had come. Over the past few months, his understanding of not just his team but battling in general had grown by leaps and bounds.
He had so much that he’d drawn from.
In Blackthorn, Will taught Sam about the importance of not forgetting to use strong attacks. In Ecruteak, Morty taught Sam about the many advanced strategies Ghost Types could use to win. Jasmine taught Sam that he should use status moves even more, and then Chuck’s help was the most general yet most helpful—when it came to relying on strategies in fights, Sam learned that he would not be able to reach the heights he desired through pre-made plans alone.
The way he pictured the mindset of battling was now like a big tree. A trainer’s main strategy—the goal they needed to achieve to win—was the trunk, but that strategy was only the ‘default.’ Each branch that grew off the trunk was a modification that came based on circumstance and situation. Different opponents required different perspectives, and even then, those branches split off even further into specific moves and counters—the tree’s leaves and twigs.
For Sam’s team, their main strategy wasn’t the use of status moves but the concept of always having their opponent be worse off. Status moves played into that, but they had plenty of other tricks, like hiding in shadows to lower accuracy or just keeping distance to mess with their opponent’s plans.
“We have the same goals as before; the same status moves I’d like everyone to learn,” Sam said to Typhlosion as the ferry carried them along. “Stuff like Destiny Bond, Pain Split, Curse, Will-o-Wisp...” He let out a breath. “And then I want to add new stuff, too. Thunder Wave, for example, since it’s all about speed control and move prevention. There’s also the idea of teaching more than just Haunter those disruptive moves like Grudge and Spite.”
Strategy-wise, Sam had the basics, but he’d need to spend this time creating more advanced strategies. Chuck’s advice, as well as everything else he’d learned, was at the forefront of his mind, and Sam had to train himself to give commands that were instinctual reactions instead of just previously thought-up shouts.
His thoughts were occupied by that topic all the way up the river, even as the ferry stopped in a variety of small towns. Although, he was momentarily struck by the thought that, out here, the tiny contingents of Rangers and Ace Trainers that protected these towns had teams weaker than his own.
The vast majority of trainers never got higher than five or six-star teams, and Sam was currently at eight.
Somehow, he and his Pokémon had managed to reach a height that only a small percentage of teams ever reached.
But they could go higher.
Now wasn’t the time to relax.
This period was for training, for building themselves to bridge the gap between them and the most experienced competitors.
When the boat eventually reached its final stop, Sam returned Typhlosion and practically hopped off to reach the forest’s floor. There, he raced down the singular dirt path that took him past Arborville, through the trees, and towards Ilex’s deepest woods.
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“Hey! Be careful!”
Sam didn’t get anywhere near as far as he expected while heading down that well-tread road. The path seemed to have been flattened by Pokémon more than people, but clearly, the nearby village of Arborville frequently relied on it as well.
Out here, the trees were tall, but they weren’t tall enough yet. Light still managed to pierce through their leaves. Sam was looking for a place where the truly ancient trunks blotted out the skies, but the only hint to what he searched for was the skyscraper-sized trunk laying on its side ahead of him.
The path followed a tunnel that had been carved straight through its bark.
“Didn’t you hear me the first time? Don’t just keep walking! I told you to be careful!”
From atop that massive, fallen log, a young woman ran down its sloped side and hopped to the forest floor. Landing with grace, she sent Sam an annoyed look, running a hand through her tied-back green hair.
“Look, kid, if you don’t know what’s waiting for you past there, you shouldn’t go further in than here. This tree is here for a reason—it’s a marker. The Pokémon on the other side are all wild. Other things lurk in the woods, too.”
But Sam just smiled.
“Yeah, that’s exactly why we’re here! My team and I need that, and it’s not like we aren’t prepared. We’re out here to train, but we’re also a team of Ghost Types! Any ghost, spirit, or anything else that tries to disturb us won’t be a problem at all!”
His grin was met with a flat look, and the woman replied with a groan.
“Oh, so you’re one of them, huh? The crazies. The battle-hungry. Those weird trainers that are way too confident. Just another person heading somewhere dangerous to risk themselves for the sole sake of pushing their team.”
“...I just wanted to practice in the shadows,” Sam mumbled.
The woman waved her hand.
“That’s basically the same thing,” she said.
She took another moment to look over Sam, and he did his best to stand tall and confident instead of shuffling around his feet. Once she seemed to be finished, she sighed, and she reached a satchel at her waist to take out a cloth-wrapped loaf.
“Alright, so it might not actually be that dangerous, but I needed to warn you anyway,” she said. “If you’re so motivated to head in no matter what, the least you can do is take this.”
“What is it?” Sam asked.
“Berry-loaf! Bread with berries baked into it. Keeping it on you is for the best. It should help to keep the Voice of the Forest at bay.”
She sent him a slight smile, and a pause stretched out between them.
Then, she let out another groan when the ominous-sounding name only seemed to widen Sam’s grin.
“...You have Ghost Types. So you have creepy interests. Right, of course. Who else would ever come here?” She grumbled and pressed a hand to her forehead. “Then, let me give you this warning: if you hear a voice cry out for help, ignore it. Stay exactly where you are, don’t move a muscle, and absolutely do not leave the main path.”
Sam wanted to ask more questions, but the woman just turned around in a huff. She began to head back to wherever Arborville was, not even bothering to check on Sam even as she walked away.
He shouted to ask for her name. He didn’t want a repeat of what happened in Cianwood.
“Diana!” she yelled.
And then she was gone, disappearing between the trees, and Sam turned back to that massive, fallen trunk. Shoving the bread into his jacket pocket, he breathed in and passed underneath to finally reach the place he’d been trying to get to all this time.
Mostly. Again, the trees weren’t tall enough yet.
“So the Voice of the Forest, huh? Sounds like a spirit, or maybe a ghost.” Sam sent a glance to his side. “What do you think, Typhlosion?”
She shrugged, having released herself the second Diana was gone and after they had passed through.
Although, testing Sam’s question, Typhlosion tried close her eyes to focus, but all she did was slow down and shake her head. She didn’t have any feeling or instinctual draw toward a nearby ghost, so if that ‘Voice of the Forest’ was a ghost, it wasn’t anywhere close by.
“Hm. Thanks, anyway. But Diana’s warning was weird. She sounded serious. I don’t think it was a prank. It kind of reminds me of a few ghost stories I've read online—the ones about people entering a dark forest one day only to come out dazed and confused years later, acting as if no time had passed at all.”
Sam paused.
Typhlosion was quiet.
She kept her gaze locked straight ahead.
As seconds of silence stretched out between them, Sam finally made a noise by letting out a short laugh.
“Don’t worry, we aren’t going to miss the Conference! Whatever it is, we’ll be fine! Just remember, we have each other and everyone else to rely on. We also already have a bunch of experience with real spirits, too!”
But as confident as he was, Sam wasn’t stupid—mostly. He wasn’t going to ignore Diana’s warning. He knew those weird stories could actually be true.
Given that he and his team had personally encountered real ghosts several times over, he wasn’t going to dismiss a local legend. Those kinds of tall-tales were always rooted in some kind of truth, so he promised himself to not do something dumb and walk toward any spooky voices. If he heard anything suspicious, he was going to do exactly what she said and stand completely still.
Diana’s warning represented a legitimate threat.
...But he was curious.
I’m sure I’ve read something about Ghost Types that lure travelers off the road. Maybe it’s one of them? I’ll check the New Pokédex once we find a place to take a break.
Thoughts of training plans and now that mystery lingered even as the path thinned and gave way to untamed woods. Out here, the trees were large but yet to be at the size he wanted, and wild Pokémon were abundant around him.
A family of Marill and Azumarill played in a stream, and he even passed a meadow filled with Oddish, Gloom, and Bellossom. He didn’t want to bother them, so he gave everything a wide berth, at one point pausing momentarily to let a lone Stantler cross through the trees ahead of him.
It’d be a while until he reached the truly spooky parts of the forest, so he found a place to rest pretty soon in. Once he located a clear space beneath the trees where a nice, exposed root could serve as a bench, he released everyone on his team to have them go through some basic warm-ups.
Annihilape and Trevenant moved off to exchange a series of slow-motion blows, practicing and predicting where one another would attack in an attempt to master their melee skills.
Drakloak left where she was hiding behind a nearby tree to float at the edge of the clearing. She didn’t initially act as though she would do anything, but eager squeaks from Dreepy saw her begin practicing her moves and launching him forward, much to his delight.
Above, the Gastly swarmed beneath the thin canopy, casting shadows that swallowed the sun. Meanwhile, Typhlosion stayed at Sam’s side, maintaining a low burn around her neck, and Mismagius kept to a nearby spot in the shade while repeatedly using Nasty Plot to practice keeping the move’s energy under her control.
The sole Pokémon that didn’t reveal itself was Haunter, who was the only Ghost left in Sam’s shadow. Haunter would be training eventually—half the reason they were out here was to help him evolve—but he was still unhappy about his loss to Chuck. He was staying at rest for now so that he would have the energy to truly throw himself into training once they properly reached the deepest parts of the woods.
“I’ll prepare lunch in just a moment. My pack’s stuffed with supplies, so it’ll be nice to get some of that out. But since we have a bit of time...”
Sam sent Typhlosion a cheeky smirk and pulled out the New Pokédex. Sitting on that root, he plopped his backpack down next to him and began skimming through the book.
No matter how hard he searched, he found nothing on the supposed ‘Voice of the Forest.’ He couldn’t find anything native to the Ilex Forest that was relevant, but, again, the New Pokédex only really had information on Pokémon locations within a region’s main routes.
Nothing stood out to him, save for a single Ghost Type species—Litwick. That Pokémon used its candlelight to lure travelers off of roads, but they would use light, not voice.
(Litwick were also only native to Unova and a few other regions. They weren’t really present in Johto.)
“Hm. I’m not sure what it is.” Sam tried to look through the book again but found nothing. A warm breeze passed through their temporary camp. “Maybe it is a real ghost? I’ve looked through all the Ghost Types and found nothing. Can’t even find any Psychic, Dark, or—can’t believe I bothered—Grass Type species it might be.”
He went back to Litwick’s entry and stared at it. That same, warm breeze blew again. He tried reading through the page before freezing where he sat.
...That warmth was unsuitable for late Fall.
Frowning, Sam then realized something else: the camp was silent, and everyone had gone still.
There’d been no shout. There’d been no spine-tingling wind. There had simply been nothing.
All of his Pokémon had stopped in place to stare at a point a short distance away.
Slowly, Sam brought up his head to follow their gaze. Everyone, Typhlosion and Mismagius especially, stared right at the... thing no one had noticed until now.
It wasn't the Voice of the Forest. It wasn’t a Pokémon. Honestly, it wasn't anything truly conscious. No, right there at the very edge of the clearing was a strange archway made of woven roots and leaves.
The curious arch looked as though it had grown out of the ground. It was worn enough to have been there for quite some time, but Sam swore it hadn’t been there before.
He tried to deny its presence in his mind, but he had a clear memory of it being there when he had set up camp. The memory of it had always been there, but why hadn’t it stood out? It’d been there when he first stopped to set up camp. It’d been there when he let everyone out. And it’d been there when he first started to read through the New Pokédex.
But no one had been able to acknowledge it until now.
He listened carefully—the forest was silent—and then he placed the New Pokédex on the root and stood up to approach. Typhlosion rose next to him, and they both cautiously approached the archway to try to figure out how it had appeared without ever appearing.
However, it was utterly mundane.
As strange as the archway seemed, it felt and looked as though it was nothing special. As far as he and Typhlosion could tell, it was just a normal arch that lacked any chill or presence to it that’d denote it as being from a ghost.
“Trevenant,” Sam called out slowly. “Did you make this?”
No. Trevenant had been too busy sparring with Annihilape.
“Gastly, did any of you see this form?”
They looked among themselves. Their floating, ghostly spheres all shook their heads for ‘no.’
Uncomfortable, Sam licked his lips. He glanced over to ask another team member, but Mismagius was already right there. He remembered that she was familiar with this forest—it was where she had lived. If anyone would know anything about this, it would have to be her.
“What about you, Mismagius?” Sam asked as he glanced between her and the archway. “Do you... know what this is?”
She stared at it. Her expression was empty. There was not a single hint of any emotion on her face.
She didn’t respond to Sam’s question, but ever so slowly, she sent Typhlosion a look. The two of them made eye contact, and as Typhlosion pressed her ears down, Mismagius replied with an almost imperceptible nod of her head.
Typhlosion froze. Sam saw that same guilty look that’d been more and more common these days once more rear its ugly head. She turned toward Sam and lowered her head.
She nudged his team’s Pokéballs at his waist.
“Hold on. What are you doing?”
She went still when there was a shout.
The yell didn’t come from the forest, but it came from behind them. Out of everyone on the team, Drakloak realized it first, and a horrible cry came from her throat.
Immediately, Annihilape tore through the grove to try to stop them, but Mismagius was prepared. Before he could get close, a blue glow wrapped around his form to throw him back with a Psychic.
Then, Typhlosion lunged, reaching at Sam to grab his belt and tear it away, stealing the Pokéballs of every member of his team. He looked up at her, but she didn’t see him. Her eyes were squinted shut, and a grimace had overtaken her face.
She didn’t want to do this, but she had to.
So what came next was simple:
A single shove.
Suddenly, Sam found himself stumbling through that archway, and the forest floor gave way beneath him.
Typhlosion and Mismagius stared down at him as Sam fell, and fell, and fell. Both of them looked awful, but they both carried an expression of knowing this had to be done.
And then they were gone. Sam was surrounded by darkness.
Around him, Fall gave way to Summer. Summer gave way to Spring. Spring gave way to Winter.
The cycle repeated.
In the distance, he heard a voice cry out for help.
This chapter marks the start of an arc I’ve been planning since the beginning. I'm very much looking forward to it.
Sam’s Team:
Badges Earned: 8 (Mineral, Fog, Plain, Hive, Zephyr, Rising, Glacier, Storm)
Approximate Team Strength: 8 Stars
(Fire / Ghost Type, Female, Timid Nature +Spe/-Atk)
Abilities: Blaze
Held Item: Charcoal
Moves: Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Ember, Flame Wheel, Curse, Will-O-Wisp, Incinerate, Detect, Quick Attack, Swift, Flame Charge, Flamethrower, Double Team, Infernal Parade, Confuse Ray, Hex, Shadow Ball, Night Shade, Shadow Claw, Agility, Blast Burn
(Fighting / Ghost Type, Male, Impish Nature +Def/-SpA)
Abilities: Vital Spirit
Moves: Scratch, Leer, Low Kick, Karate Chop, Fury Swipes, Assurance, Ice Punch, Fire Punch, Cross Chop, Curse, Brick Break, Rock Smash, Rock Slide, Bulk Up, Rage, Rage Fist, Close Combat
Haunter (Ghost / Poison Type, Male, Naive Nature +Spe/-SpD)
Abilities: Levitate
Moves: Hypnosis, Lick, Confuse Ray, Spite, Mean Look, Hex, Shadow Punch, Night Shade, Acid Spray, Ominous Wind, Shadow Ball, Dream Eater, Nightmare, Curse
Mismagius (Ghost Type, Female, Hasty Nature +Spe/-Def)
Pokéball: Friend Ball
Abilities: Levitate
Moves: Growl, Psywave, Astonish, Confusion, Confuse Ray, Mean Look, Night Shade, Shadow Sneak, Shadow Ball, Nasty Plot, Psybeam, Will-O-Wisp, Psychic, Hex, Power Gem, Pain Split
Trevenant (Ghost / Grass Type, Male, Quiet Nature +SpA/-Spe)
Pokéball: Moon Ball
Abilities: Harvest, Frisk (Developing)
Held Item: Sitrus Berry
Moves: Horn Leech, Tackle, Confuse Ray, Astonish, Growth, Ingrain, Leech Seed, Forest’s Curse, Shadow Claw, Phantom Force
Drakloak (Dragon / Ghost Type, Female, Serious Nature, +-n/a)
Pokéball: n/a
Abilities: Infiltrator (Developing)
Moves: Astonish, Infestation, Quick Attack, Bite, Lock-On, Agility, Double Hit, U-Turn, Phantom Force, Take Down, Dragon Pulse
Dreepy (Dragon / Ghost Type, Male, Rash Nature, +SpA/-SpD) [Partnered with Drakloak]
Pokéball: n/a
Abilities: Clear Body (Developing)
Moves: Astonish, Infestation, Quick Attack, Bite
Auxiliary Pokémon: A decent number of wild (only increasing)
At Home (non-battlers): ,
At Carl’s Ranch: (more than twenty), (Annihilape’s brother)
Redi’s Team (outdated):
Badges Earned: 7 (Mineral, Plain, Hive, Zephyr, Rising, Glacier, Fog)
Approximate Team Strength: 6 Stars
(Normal Type, Male, Adamant Nature +Atk/-SpA)
Abilities: Guts, Quick Feet
Moves: Scratch, Fury Swipes, Fire Punch, Baby-Doll Eyes, Slash, Ice Punch, Focus Energy, Thunder Punch, Hyper Beam, Rock Slide, Swords Dance, Giga Impact, Shadow Claw, Sleep Talk
Porygon2 (Normal Type, Genderless, Quirky Nature +-n/a)
Abilities: n/a
Moves: Tackle, Sharpen, Conversion, Psybeam, Thunder Shock, Charge Beam, Discharge, Tri-Attack, Charge, Teleport, Recover, Thunder Wave, Magnet Rise, Lock-On, Zap Cannon
(Dragon Type, Female, Rash Nature +SpA/-SpD)
Abilities: Shed Skin
Moves: Wrap, Leer, Thunder Wave, Twister, Slam, Agility, Aqua Tail, Dragon Rush
Auxiliary Pokémon: x2 (Tibia and Fibula)
Pokémon included in this chapter:
Litwick
/ / /
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