Mida could only use the move aptly dubbed Dirt Spray four times before she ran out of juice. Even the fourth time was pushing it, with less than half of the gathered soil actually shooting off (and quite weakly at that.)

  A good mass of soil would still levitate as she wound up the attack, but it was as if it stopped listening mid-way through the move.

  And not just that.

  Using Dirt Spray more than three times consecutively back-to-back also impacted how strong Mida’s Water Gun attack was. They could hardly be called blobs, and the stream form came out as more of a squirt.

  Effectively, Dirt Spray was not a move to be used repeatedly. It was a little too demanding at this point.

  Luvia made a mental note to come back to the same lagoon. The wooper were friendly and seemed to like Mida. And what had that been back there? When she had called for Mida to use the new move, the wooper used their Mud Shot attacks, acting like teaching assistants, right? She had a strong feeling those wooper had something to do with Mida finally doing the move.

  Dad said she’s water-type. Didn’t mention anything about ground-type… so why can she use a ground-type move?

  She’d had gone through some old booklets about the region's native pokémon, but Mudkip hadn’t been listed in the editions she had. They were collections from her father’s youth and were slightly dated, but it was still quite odd.

  She wondered if there’d be anything on the PokéNet , but her mother’s phone was the only device able to access it since Neela had taken the laptop with her to the mainland. Surfing the web on Mom’s phone was a nightmare – it was one of the old-fashioned ones that had you pressing the same key over and over to type a single letter.

  Naturally, she didn’t have her own phone yet. Never had a need for it. Her whole life had revolved within the shores of Clearcloud Island. Now she felt irritably caged in.

  They got back home in time for Luvia to help with lunch. Ziggy and Mida didn’t need much, and with just the three Juneworths left, cooking meals had become a simple affair. Over in half the time, unless Nana insisted on something elaborate.

  Since Neela leaving, they ate around the table together every single meal, with Luvia more often than not reading Andrea’s notes while she ate.

  Things were picking up quickly, and the girl at times caught herself looking at the two women in her life and getting a slightly bitter feeling that the time was coming where she would have to hug them goodbye.

  She wouldn’t be gone forever, she’d tell herself. Clearcloud would always be where it was, and once she and Mida had seen their fair share of life out there, possibly making a few friends along the way, she’d return to the island, to her family, and they’d all move together wherever her parents had bought their new, mainland home. Maybe if she saw more of the region with her own eyes, she’d even help them pick the new place out herself!

  When night came and Mida was purring herself to sleep, Luvia took a quick shower and dressed in her baggy white pajamas. She switched off her room’s main light and flicked on the nightstand’s warm light instead before jumping in bed with Andrea’s folder in hand, still wide awake.

  There were at least two or three hundred pages of stuff in there, and she had barely scratched the surface. It was kinda worrying, but she still had plenty of time before December rolled in.

  She had determined earlier on that the notes hadn’t been sorted. Each topic was grouped up well enough for the most part, but the subjects seemed to jump all over the place with no discernable pattern.

  Ten pages would detail something about pokéball know-how, and the next couple would go on about what short-term effects this or that berry had on a pokémon.

  She had settled for flicking through at random and reading anything that caught her eye.

  Tonight, it was a page with a warning-sign pictogram at the top, and the title, ‘Mandatory Reading’ in big bold letters.

  Luvia shimmied closer to the edge of the bed where the lamp shone brighter and got to work.

  1. Health & Safety in the Wilderness

  Trainer safety is one of the nation’s highest priorities. Before the emergence of the League as an international governing body, trainers were widely known as pokémon tamers. The lack of modern-day pokéballs meant that capture (using a primitive counterpart) was much rarer than today, leaving people to devise case-by-case measures to bond with a pokémon. Fatalities and injury before the modern-day pokéball were significantly higher.

  With today’s technological advancement and through strenuous efforts, the International League Association and other regional governing powers have declared specific areas of the wild as safe enough for exploration, so long as the minimum age requirement is met (may vary between different regions.)

  Please be aware that failure to educate yourself before venturing the wild is extremely risky and that the League will not be held responsible for any mishaps that may occur therefrom.

  Do not forget: the wild remains wild!

  The last part had been circled by Andrea’s highlighter. Luvia could guess what the next part was going to talk about.

  1.1 Routes

  The safest paths connecting village to town, and town to city, are called Routes. The regional league is directly responsible for maintaining the routes that link a region’s major cities, with smaller, local governing bodies picking up the slack to secure the less-travelled ones.

  Official routes enjoy constant Pokémon Ranger presence to help assist with events which might cause unforeseen disruption to an area. Regular pokémon trainers are also encouraged to assist wherever possible (it is by working together that we keep the region safe!)

  Luvia gently swung her feet up behind her as she read. She glanced over at the fluffy rug next to the square table by the wall where Mida was, totally asleep. Her little paws were spread out under her, and her head had tilted sideways as her plump midsection rose and fell.

  Using Dirt Spray so much must’ve really done a number on her.

  The girl smiled to herself. The pair of them had already done a small part for the League by teaching those revolting lombre a lesson. They had made that area a tiny bit safer, hadn’t they?

  She planned to go back there at some point, once Mida had gotten way better using Dirt Spray. They would get themselves some payback for the scratches. Lombre was attack-on-sight as far as she was concerned.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

  She read on…

  The little-trodden path

  There is a common saying known amongst trainers: If the path is growing brush, find one which isn’t.

  Though perhaps a slight exaggeration and not always as ominous as it would imply, it is a saying that has been echoed for generations and still holds weight today. A well-trodden path is the first sign of safety a trainer in the wilds must look out for.

  Though the word route paints the image of a single path from point A to point B, the term is more accurately described as a network of paths run alongside each other like the streams of a river. The League normally secures a route for miles upon miles of wilderness that runs parallel to the main road from one city/ town to another.

  Dark Route

  You are now entering the wilderness in every possible sense of the word. Dark routes are described as paths that lead into little explored areas of the wilderness. Through aerial imagery, special probes, and extensive surveying, it has been estimated that roughly 15% of Hoenn’s total landmass remains what the League refers to as “unhospitable wild.”

  Wild pokémon in these parts of the region are unsocialized and seem to prefer keeping it that way. Attempts have been made throughout history to claim these lands, and they have always backfired. The most recent in history being the attempts of King Helmer (Year 152 B.C.A) to burn long stretches of roads through these untamable wildlands. Reports acquired from surviving diaries and word of mouth passed through the generations allude to appearance of legendary pokémon which went on to lead the catastrophic charge that brought King Helmer’s reign to an end.

  Luvia pictured it. That king’s dragon-type pokémon flying over the land, breathing flames through the wild, sending the pokémon which lived there into panic and frenzy.

  “People in the past were so crazy…” It was ridiculous enough to smile with incredulity. How did anybody ever think that doing something like that was a good idea? What an idiot king.

  The part about legendaries was slightly hair-raising. Everyone had heard a story or two about a legendary pokémon.

  Goddess Mida had been thought of as being human. All the stories and paintings about her showed her as a woman. But her power was akin to the power of pokémon. Some people believed that’s exactly what she was, and that through artistic representation, the image of her as a woman had become the most prominent with the passage of time.

  Luvia believed that too. It was just way more likely.

  …

  King Helmer and his kingdom must have gone out with a bang.

  Trainers (and the general public) are discouraged from going off-route. Though the promise of rare artefacts and pokémon might entice the young trainer, the fact that mortality rates spike in these dark routes should be taken well into account.

  Even Pokémon Rangers do not venture into these dark regions unless it is on the back of a strong flyer, and seldom ever land if they do.

  If for some reason a trainer finds themselves in a situation that calls for it, they are strongly advised to take every precaution possible and absolutely never do so without a well-trained team of pokémon.

  …

  Andrea suddenly popped into her head. Hadn’t she caught her Hoppip in the wild? Not the dark, off-route wild, but still.

  I wonder how she is…

  She flicked to the back page, where the mainland girl’s number was and looked at it for a moment.

  “Let’s call her.”

  She pushed herself up and hopped out of bed, stepping barefooted out of the room. She had used her mother’s phone to call her on the first night after getting back to the island, and that had mostly been about the earthquake that was felt across the city. They hadn’t spoken since.

  Feet thudding gently against the wooden floor, she found her mother sat on the couch with the lights off, TV volume on low, watching a one of the many late-night soaps and Nana on her own couch chair, head tilted to the ceiling, mouth open and threateningly close to snoring.

  “Mom,” she whispered.

  Mrs. Juneworth glanced at her briefly and put an arm around Luvia’s waist as her attention went back to screen. “Yes, Luvy?”

  “Can I use your phone?”

  Her mother blinked, tv light glaring in her face, and found a moment to peel her eyes off the pair of lovebirds on the screen. “Who do you want to call, Neela?”

  “No, it’s the other girl. Andrea. I need to ask her a few things about the exam notes.” She didn’t really have any questions – the textbook notes were pretty self-explanatory. She just felt like catching up.

  “Won’t she be sleeping?”

  “Mh-mh,” Luvia grunted, shaking her head.

  It was barely 10 o’clock, it wouldn’t be too weird to make a call at this time.

  Her mother shifted on the couch, pulled out the phone from a wedge between the cushions, and absently handed it over.

  “Not for too long, Luvy.”

  Back in her room, she dialed the number and lit up when it started ringing. It took several rings, but Andrea eventually answered.

  “Hello? Luvia?” her upbeat voice came through the line.

  “Yes!” Luvia was gushing. She didn’t realize she’d be so happy to hear her voice.

  “Heyyy, how are you!” Andrea said, and the sound of her Hoppip’s ‘heeep!’ came through too. “Salia says hi too!”

  “Hey you guys! It’s been a little while.”

  The light sound of scuffing came through, likely Andrea adjusting her grip on the phone. “Luvia, guess what?”

  “…What?”

  “Guess!”

  Luvia hummed for a moment, then frowned, totally at a loss. “You got your first badge?”

  “What?” Andrea scoffed. “No…”

  Luvia laughed. “I don’t know, just tell me.” She hated guessing games even though she considered herself a pretty decent guesser. It was just the stress she didn’t like.

  “Do you remember how we spoke about which pokémon we’d like next? You said… was it a wailmer…?”

  “Mhm,” Luvia nodded. “And you said a marril or geodude.”

  “Yuss!” Andrea said happily. “Well guess what?”

  Ahhh… Luvia got the gist of it now. “You got a marril?”

  “Nope.”

  “… Oh my god, you got a geodude! When???”

  “Nope.”

  “…” Luvia frowned again. “Wait what?”

  “I got something way, way cuter.”

  Cuter than a marril or cuter than a geodude? Because let’s face it, they were at different ends of the cuteness spectrum.

  “Uhhh…” Luvia tried but failed to conjure up any specific image.

  “It’s an aron!” Andrea revealed.

  The image slapped itself onto Luvia’s mind immediately.

  An aron… the rock/steel type that had been giving the League a big enough headache to put a capture bounty on them back at Slateport.

  It was a cutie. “You did the League job?” Luvia asked. “The one on the job board?”

  There was a pause across the line. “Wait, you knew about it?”

  When Luvia explained that it had been among one of the jobs that caught her eye as she waited for her that day, Andrea huffed with mock annoyance. “And why hadn’t you told me – I would have gone sooner! There were barely any left when I got there!”

  “Sorry, I think I wanted to, but there was so much going on. It slipped my mind.”

  Andrea giggled over the line. “It’s all good. I got him in the end, so I forgive you.”

  Luvia, despite herself, felt a pang of… jealousy? No, it was more accurate to call it fomo. A pang of fomo. A quick but acute pang of fear of missing out. It also had to do with the fact that she had never caught her own pokémon whilst Andrea, basically her age, had already caught two by herself.

  Still, she was happy for her. An aron had exactly the kind of sturdiness that her Hoppip was lacking. It was a perfect addition.

  “Do they get along?” she asked. “Salia and Aron?

  “Like siblings,” Andrea replied. “He was a little … weird at first. Trying to chew her leaves – like actually trying to eat them.”

  Luvia laughed. “So what did you do?”

  “Nothing. I let Salia handle it her way. She taught him the pecking order and now he’s all chummy!”

  They talked about the aron for a few minutes longer, Andrea pitching possible nicknames for Luvia to judge. In the end, they ended up agreeing that she should wait a while longer to see what kind of character he had before deciding.

  “So how goes studies? Have you started yet?”

  “Have I started yet?” Luvia retorted. “It’s all I’ve been doing!”

  That made Andrea laugh. “That’s good. What part are you on right now then?”

  Shuffling herself back and sitting up against the bed’s headboard, Luvia pulled the folder closer and splayed wide the page she was on. “It’s called Mandatory Reading – it’s pretty interesting, that stuff about the dark routes?”

  “Ah, the mandatory reading thing… It’s true, that’s like the only part you can’t score less than 80% in... Or was it 90%?”

  Luvia traced her finger across the line about the king and his fire, trying to burn roads through the wild. “You remember any King Helmer?” she said.

  Andrea was quiet for a second. “Uh, King Helmer? … Wasn’t he the guy who got his entire kingdom run down to the ground?”

  It had been mildly amusing when she read it but hearing from Andrea’s mouth pushed her into a giggling fit. How had they not learned about this in school here? It was a great cautionary tale.

  She asked Andrea if she had ever seen a “dark route,” and the girl had replied that “never even close.”

  “Those places are way, way, way out of the way, Luvia. It’s like impossible to stumble into them. If you do, its on purpose. And the wild pokémon there are actually savage. It’s like they hate people passing through, even if the people don’t mean them any harm.”

  She pictured the fearsome zangoose and seviper hiding away in the wilder parts of the island. Maybe those species of pokémon were originally from these so-called dark routes?

  It got her thinking; maybe the rare type of pokémon all lived there in peace, away from human eyes.

  Maybe a mudkip like Mida had origins in some off-route area of the region.

  She glanced at Mida, sleeping peacefully on the fluffy rug, then she pictured what that boy called Ruby had called a Swampert.

  What kind of pokémon would that be.