Entry #2 - The Slumbering Weald
The gate was closed when we went to Hopās house the day before.
Hop and I were determined to get an endorsement for the gym challenge. Originally Iād agreed only because Hop thought Iād have fun with it, but after that first battle I found myself wanting to participate more and more.
Before that, though, Leon wanted us to see the professor in Wedgehurst. I needed to let mom know of course, so Hop and I headed to my house to ask her.
We heard the crash somewhere on the road there.
Hurrying down the path, we saw the gate into the Slumbering Weald. A dark and dangerous forest that sat not far from my house and the rescue. Growing up, mom had always drilled one thing into my headā never, ever, enter the Slumbering Weald. And to her credit, it was a dangerous place. The mayor of Postwick had it closed off after numerous disappearancesā including my fatherās.
The temptation was difficult to ignore. There was always some pull to the forest that I couldnāt explain. The mist that constantly ran through the place and flowed out of the entrance was creepy, yet enticing. Sometimes I felt like I needed to go in there. But, considering I barely went anywhere outside mine or Hopās house, I was always... Too terrified. Fear overwhelmed curiosity. The locked gate was always reminding me to stay away.
But now it was unlocked. More than that, it was swung wide open.
The day before, Hop and I had scolded a Wooloo from the farm for trying to open the gate into the forest. Weād assumed it had gotten the message and lead it back to Hopās.
We were silently berating ourselves for not making sure, or not mentioning the occurence to Hopās mother. The crash was a dead give away to what had happenedā the Wooloo had returned and bashed itās way through. It had likely wandered in, and we could only assume it could be in danger from there. I didnāt know what to do, but Hop insisted we go after it.
I hesitated. Iād been afraid of that place since I was a little kidā had been told hundreds of times to not even think of heading inside. My house was right around the corner, we couldāve gone and gotten mom... But then again, it couldāve been to late at that point. The poor thing couldāve been snatched up by whatever had caused the disappearances in the past.
By whatever had caused my dadās disappearance.
Suddenly the open gate felt like an invitation. The lock was broken and the temptation was too much to be drowned out now. I summoned all my courage, and we made the trek inside.
It was darker thanI expected. The dense forest created a thick canopy of leaves above that allowed little to no light through. I had to wonder how the foliage was so abundant. Perhaps the plants here thrived better in the darkness.
Hop and I traveled a long way, and at one point I looked back. I couldnāt see the entrance anymore, nor the light that came from it. I felt a shiver go down my spine, and I was suddenly glad I wasnāt in here alone. Bubble clung to my shoulder, and we gave one another comfort as Hop lead us further into the fog filled woods.
Over a bridge, past patches of tall grass, until we noticed the fog growing thicker as we walked. Still no sign of Wooloo. The path brought us to a small open clearing, and I nearly ran into Hop as he halted suddenly.
Standing there was a PokĆ©mon weād never seen before. It had a wolfish build, and long blue fur that appeared draped on itās tan under-fur like a blanket. Long ginger hair that resembled braids flowed from under itās ears, and it watched us with bright glowing golden eyes. It was difficult to see in full, it almost appeared one with the fog.
I felt like itās gaze bore right into me. Maybe like it was calling me. I was used to PokĆ©mon being drawn to meā They were drawn to me, and I to them. It was almost like I could learn to understand what they were saying, thoughI could never quite figure it out. It had been like this since I was a toddler, but Iād never felt so... Afraid. There was something this PokĆ©mon wanted from me. Something it was trying to tell me, but I couldnāt figure out what.
The best sense I could think of was āyou are not ready yetā.
I found myself nearly hiding behind Hop, and our own PokƩmon jumped forward to protect us from this strange being. They attacked.
However, the attacks wouldnāt go through. The PokĆ©mon didnāt even seemed fazedā as if the moved passed right through it. With each attack, the fog grew thicker, and eventually Bubble and Scorbunny scrambled back to us in fear.
The PokĆ©mon huffed, then let out a piercing howl. Whatever it had done, fog and wind swirled from it and began battering the four of us. It wasnāt long before I had trouble seeing my own hands, and I lost visual of Hop completely. The only thing I could see were those two glowing eyes, piercing the fog and staring me down.
My heart was racing. All I could think of was the possibility that we were going to disappear too. That whatever this PokƩmon was was the culprit behind every incident in the Slumbering Weald.
The next thing I remember, I was waking up to Leonās panicked voice. The fog had died down considerably, and the forest itself appeared a bit brighter somehow. Hop was waking up not far from me, and Bubble was sitting beside me in worry.
According to Leon, heād been waiting for us at the professorās lab, and when we never showed he came looking. Heād found us passed out with our PokĆ©mon and the missing Wooloo.
He gave us an earful for sure, scolding us about wandering into the forest and telling us how worried he was. We explained why we had gone in and what we saw on our way back out, but Leon had no explanation for the mad PokĆ©mon. Even mom didnāt have a clueā after sheād gotten done giving us another scolding.
The gym challenge doesnāt start for a week or two yet, so we decided to put off our trip to the lab to recover from our little adventure. Even then, I found myself unable to really rest. I couldnāt stop thinking about that PokĆ©mon. What was it? What did it want?
And why did I feel the need to find it again?