Ash's Story (Part 5: Modern Sinnoh)

Chapter 19: Forest Badge

Mothim led us in a circle before any of us wanted to admit it.

At first, I thought the forest was only twisting the path. Eterna Forest did that easily. The trees leaned over the trail, leaves tangled above us, and every patch of Honey-sweet air seemed to point in two directions at once. Cheryl followed Mothim with both hands near her chest, trusting his wings more than the map.

Then we found a tree with a familiar golden smear on its bark.

A Caterpie and Ledyba were snacking near the Honey, and Aipom made a wounded sound like the universe had personally betrayed him by letting other Pokémon eat what he had been told not to lick.

Dawn looked around slowly. "Hold on. This place looks pretty familiar to me."

"You're right," I said. "Isn't that the tree where we spread Honey before?"

Mothim drooped in the air, embarrassed.

Mothim's meaning came faintly. "Sweet everywhere. Old sweet. New sweet. Wings followed the loudest smell."

Cheryl sighed, but she did not scold him. "It is all right. You only evolved yesterday. I asked a lot from you too quickly."

The forest was getting darker, and the air under the trees had turned cooler. Lillie looked toward the thick branches ahead, then back at everyone.

"Since it is getting late, I think we should continue the search tomorrow," she said.

"So camping somewhere nearby?" Cheryl asked.

"Better than that," I said. "We can rest at our Grass Manor."

Nobody in our group needed a long explanation anymore. Dawn, Tox, Gladion, Daniel, and Cheryl followed when the portal opened into the manor grounds, and the forest's heavy shadows gave way to warm light, familiar paths, and gardens full of Grass-type Pokémon resting under the evening sky.

The manor always made travel feel briefly impossible in the best way. A day ago we had been chasing Honey scent through a confusing forest, and now we had warm food, clean water, safe beds, and Grass Pokémon watching us like patient guardians. Cheryl kept looking from the gardens to the manor windows, trying to decide whether to ask a hundred questions or simply accept the miracle.

Lillie answered the question before Cheryl asked it. "Some things around Ash are easier to understand after resting first."

Cheryl looked around in quiet awe. "This is not camping."

"No," Gladion said. "This is Ash's normal version of not explaining something impossible."

I chose to take that as a compliment.

Morning came with Mothim much more excited than the night before.

He circled Cheryl twice, then flew toward the forest path with a flutter that looked less confused and more certain. We followed him back into Eterna Forest, this time moving slower whenever the air smelled too sweet. Cheryl kept one hand on the map, but she watched Mothim more than the paper.

For a while, it worked.

Then vines shot down from the branches and wrapped around Cheryl's waist.

"Cheryl, hold on!" Dawn cried.

"Sceptile, Leaf Blade!" I called.

Sceptile appeared in a flash, blades glowing bright as he cut through the vines before they could pull Cheryl higher. She stumbled backward into Lillie's arms, safe but shaken.

Unfortunately, Sceptile's cut shook the tree above us.

A cluster of Kakuna dropped from the branches, thudding into the leaves around our feet. Several twitched, their shells glowing faintly.