Adventures Beyond!

Chapter 18: Lockdown Blues

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Grotto PKMN Center, Sinnoh

Oliver opened his eyes in the morning, his eyes immediately scanning around the room to register his surroundings. It was eerily quiet in and outside of the room. Compared to the constant noises around them from other families in the floor below them, things seemed almost tranquil.

He let out a soft groan, sitting up in his bed. He stretched his arms as he silently got out of bed. His stomach growled loudly as he walked through the room and opened the door leading to the hallway. He took one last look around the room to make sure he didn't wake anyone before closing the door slowly.

As the door closed, a familiar Snivy opened an eye.

The Oshawott walked around, looking for Lucy. He noticed that there was a room behind the front desk, and knocked on the door.

"Hm...?" A familiar Blissey walked out, rubbing her eyes. "Oliver, is it? Why are you up this early, and knocking on my door?"

"Well... I was a bit hungry, and I was wondering about the food situation here." He answered, "Is there some sort of system?"

"I'm not in charge of food." She answered with a yawn. "I only oversee it. Ask Asher about the food situation, he's in room five on the first floor."

"Thanks." The Oshawott gave her a smile. "Sorry for waking you, by the way..."

"It's fine, just... Please let me get some sleep, it's been a long twenty hours since the evacuation." She gave him a tired smile.

"Okay." Oliver nodded before beginning to walk off. "Sorry again."

"It's okay." She gave him another smile.

Approaching Asher's room, he saw the door open, revealing a familiar Lucario. He gave the Oshawott a friendly smile, looking down at him.

"How'd you know I was coming?" Oliver asked, "Or are you just coming out to use the bathroom or something?"

"I knew you were here, and there's a bathroom in almost every room." Asher answered. "I could sense your aura from the moment you started approaching me. What do you need?"

"Well, I came to ask about the food situation here." Oliver explained, "I'm getting a bit hungry..."

"The food situation is easy to answer, and easy to understand." He told him, "Each Pokémon here gets five berries each. With around more than one hundred Pokémon in the Grotto, we're glad that we're surrounded by forests full of berries."

"Over a hundred?" The Oshawott inquired as they began walking towards the main room. "But the Pokémon Center doesn't have enough rooms to support that many Pokémon..."

"Exactly." He sighed as the two walked into the main room.

There were tons of Pokémon scattered around the large main room, in their own groups. They all seemed a bit down, using large blankets to shield themselves from the cold that managed to seep under the doors of the main entrance. Oliver instantly put two and two together, seeing that they were the Pokémon who were unable to get rooms for themselves.

"Oh... Then why were me, Jacob, and Sophie able to get a room?"

"You three were placed with Logan, right?" Asher asked, earning a nod from Oliver. "As you know, he's keeping watch over the three of you, meaning that it would be better to have you in an isolated room."

"I guess that makes sense..." He looked down, putting a paw to his mouth.

"But don't worry." The Lucario reassured him, "A few of the Grotto Rangers, along with Lucy, have begun construction in order to make more rooms."