Pokémon: Out of the Woods | A Galar, Unova & Sinnoh Fanfiction

Chapter 5: Lookalike

Neptune and his friends arrived in Hulbury that morning. They heard nothing of Rigel himself, but they heard all about the sentiment spreading through Galar. Wild Pokémon also said they had seen a boy matching Neptune's description. That wasn't Rigel. They were referring to the boy who stormed off from the stadium after seeing Heather and her Scorbunny.

Nessa, a past Gym Leader of Hulbury who filled in last year while potential replacements for Tance were vetted, met them outside her house overlooking the harbour. Its walls were painted smooth blue, the windows perfectly clean and the hanging baskets meticulously cared-for. Amber's mother, Abbey, reached out to all her old friends from Galar to ask if they could offer Amber and her friends a place to crash that wasn't a Pokémon Center. Amber and Johona were still fit. The men were, but the injuries that Trip and Nathan ignored during their football careers had caught up with them. Neptune just wanted to shower.

Nessa didn't mind. She remembered Abbey's mother comforting her after she lost to Opal and even making a Drednaw hoodie for her. Her family and friends would always be welcome in her home. Besides, Sonia wanted to talk to them. Amber was surprised to find her on the sofa.

'Heya! You're probably shattered, but when you're up to it...'

'It's alright. I haven't met Cipher – or Team Plasma – yet. My will to live is still intact.'

'I'm not exactly tired...'

Trip grimaced at his aching legs. 'I'm just... getting old.'

'Oh, honestly!'

Sonia tutted. 'You're a spring Torchic! Anyway, if you are up to it, I wanted to ask if you've seen – or heard of – any strange Pokémon.'

'We've not seen any Shadow Pokémon.'

'A few Pokémon told us about what we think are Shadow Pokémon,' Nathan added, 'But no. We haven't actually seen any.'

'It's not actually Shadow Pokémon I'm worried about. There was that white Zoroark... if it was even a Zoroark. Now Hop's rung up about a black Braviary.'

'No...'

Johona shook her head. 'We definitely haven't seen anything like that. Could they be shiny Pokémon?'

'I don't think so. A shiny Zoroark's still black. And a shiny Braviary's just blue instead of red. I thought the Zoroark might've been albino, but the Braviary's gone and blasted that theory out of the water.'

'Team Plasma modified Genesect... twice. I sure hope they're not modifying these Pokémon.'

Sonia's phone beeped. It was Hop. Heather had now told Perry about a white Zoroark.

'If they were outside the stadium,' Nessa said, 'Let's check the CCTV. We might be in luck. They've upgraded it since Tance... happened.'

Nathan reached for the laptop in his bag to hack in, but Nessa laughed and shook her head.

'So extreme! There's no need for that. Ace only lives three doors away. Why don't you all come with me and give him some encouragement? He's very nervous.'

Nessa nodded at Neptune when he padded downstairs.

'Our new Gym Leader is a big fan of yours, Neptune. I'm sure he'd like to meet you.'

'...Me?'

'You're a Gym Leader, aren't you?'

'Well... yeah.'

Most people knew Neptune as a football player, but he indeed became the Gym Leader of Humilau City four years ago. He had to accept he was a great football player. He won every award there was. It still surprised him that anyone cared about him beyond that.