They traveled west for two days before reaching Petalburg Woods.
The first day was easy walking—the road well-maintained, the weather cooperative, the wild Pokémon more curious than aggressive. They made camp that evening in a designated rest area, one of several scattered along Route 102 for traveling trainers. A firepit, a water pump, flat ground for tents—nothing fancy, but functional.
Jason used the evening to begin Ralts's training.
"Nothing intense," he assured her, setting her down in a clear space near their campfire. "Just practice. Get comfortable with your moves."
She stood uncertainly, her small body tense. What do I do?
"Let's start with some basic psychic ability. See that pinecone?" He pointed to one lying about ten feet away. "Try to move it. Just a little push."
Ralts focused, her horns glowing faintly. The pinecone trembled... then lifted an inch off the ground before dropping back down.
"Good! That's really good for your first try."
Tired now. She wobbled slightly, and Jason scooped her up immediately.
"That's okay. Psychic moves use mental energy—it's like exercise for your brain. We'll build up your stamina slowly. We'll keep doing this daily, as much as we can, ok?"
Sprigatito, who had been watching from nearby, padded over and sniffed at Ralts. The Psychic-type flinched, but Sprigatito just bumped her head gently against Ralts's side.
"Sprig." Approval, encouragement.
Ralts's emotions flickered with surprise, then warmth. She... she thinks I did well?
"She does. We both do."
They practiced a little more after dinner—Double Team, which Ralts managed more easily than Confusion, creating a flickering afterimage that lasted almost three seconds. By the time they settled in for the night, she was exhausted but pleased, a tiny spark of pride glowing through their bond.
Maybe, she sent drowsily, already half-asleep in Jason's lap, maybe I can do this.
"You definitely can," he murmured. "We'll work on it together."
The second day brought them to the edge of Petalburg Woods.
The day was bright and warm, the kind of weather that made traveling a pleasure rather than a chore. Jason walked with Sprigatito trotting at his heels, now a familiar rhythm, while Ralts rode on his shoulder—too small and too shy to keep pace on the ground, and apparently content to experience the world from her new perch.
He could feel her through their bond, a constant gentle presence at the edge of his awareness. She was nervous but curious, her emotions flickering between anxiety at the unfamiliar surroundings and wonder at everything she was seeing. Every new sight prompted a small pulse of feeling through their connection.
That's a big tree. Those flowers are pretty. That bird is loud.
"You doing okay up there?" he asked.
A flutter of reassurance. Yes. Good. Stay here.
"Let me know if you need a break."
Hana walked beside him, Treecko—Ren, she'd named him—on her own shoulder. She'd been quiet this morning, the comfortable silence of someone who didn't feel the need to fill every moment with words. Jason appreciated it. After the emotional intensity of yesterday, a little peace was welcome.
The road was busier than Route 101 had been. They passed other trainers heading east toward Oldale, a merchant caravan with a team of Tauros pulling heavy wagons, and even a small group of what looked like tourists, complete with cameras and matching t-shirts. A Linoone darted across the road ahead of them, moving almost too fast to see, and a flock of Wingull wheeled overhead, their cries echoing across the morning sky.
"We should stop at the next clearing," Hana said after an hour of walking. "Check in with the Pokémon Center about your Ralts."
"There's a Center out here?"
"Substations. Small facilities along major routes for basic healing and registration." She pointed ahead, where Jason could just make out a small building with the familiar red roof. "Not full Centers, but they can scan your Pokémon and update your Pokédex."
The substation was modest—a single room with a healing machine, a computer terminal, and a bored-looking attendant who perked up slightly at their arrival. A Chansey assisted her, its round pink body surprisingly graceful as it moved around the small space.
"Morning! How can I help you?"
"New catch," Jason said, gesturing to Ralts on his shoulder. "Need her registered and scanned."
"Of course! Just set her on the scanner here."
Ralts tensed at the unfamiliar environment, her small hands gripping Jason's collar. He felt her anxiety spike through their bond—too many new things, too many strangers.
"It's okay," he murmured. "They're just going to check that you're healthy. It won't hurt."
Promise?
The feeling came through clearly, childlike and trusting.
"Promise."
He gently lifted her from his shoulder and set her on the scanning platform. She sat perfectly still, her hidden eyes fixed on him, her whole body radiating nervous tension. The Chansey made a soft, soothing sound, and some of Ralts's fear eased.
The machine hummed, lights flickering across its surface. After a few seconds, the attendant's screen populated with information.
"All done! She's perfectly healthy. A little underweight, but that's common for wild-caught Pokémon. Good nutrition and she'll fill out in no time." The attendant tapped a few keys. "I've updated your Pokédex with her full profile. Anything else you need?"
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"That's all. Thank you."
Jason scooped Ralts back onto his shoulder, feeling her relief flood through the bond. Safe now. Back with you.
"You did great," he told her. "Brave girl."
A tiny flush of pride at the praise.
Outside, he pulled out his Pokédex and checked the updated entry:
RALTS Psychic Type The Feeling Pokémon
Gender: Female Age: 3-4 months Nature: Timid (+Speed, -Attack) Ability: Trace Rating: 1 Star
Known Moves:
- Growl
- Confusion
- Double Team
Confusion and Double Team. That's something to work with. Growl is utility—lower the opponent's attack.
He showed the screen to Hana, who nodded approvingly.
"Trace is a good ability. She copies the opponent's ability when she enters battle. Situationally powerful." She glanced at Ralts. "Double Team will help keep her safe while she's still fragile. Build up evasion, then hit with Confusion."
"That was my thought too." Jason tucked the Pokédex away. "I know Ralts can learn other Psychic moves—Psybeam, Psychic, Calm Mind. Plus Fairy moves once she evolves."
"You know a lot about a species you've never seen before." Hana's tone was casual, but her eyes were sharp.
Careful.
"I told you—I've done research. Read about different Pokémon, their evolutions, what they can learn." Not technically a lie. He had done research. Just... in another world. "Knowledge is the one thing I've got going for me."
Hana studied him for a moment longer, then nodded. "Knowledge is valuable. Just make sure you're learning from experience too, not just books. Pokémon aren't always predictable."
"I'll keep that in mind."
They continued west, the substation falling away behind them.
Midday brought them to a crossroads—the main route continuing toward Petalburg, a smaller path branching north toward what a weathered signpost identified as "Petalburg Woods."
"The woods are technically faster," Hana said, studying the sign. "Cuts maybe half a day off the journey. But the terrain is rougher, and there are more wild Pokémon."
"More chances to train?"
"More chances to get in trouble." She considered. "But yes, also more training opportunities. Your choice."
Jason looked at his team. Sprigatito was alert, eager, practically bouncing at the prospect of more adventure. Ralts was nervous—he could feel it through the bond—but there was also a thread of determination. She didn't want to hold him back.
"Let's try the woods. We can always turn back if it gets too dangerous."
Hana shrugged. "Your call. Stay close, and listen to me if I say we need to retreat."
They turned north.
Petalburg Woods was a different world.
The canopy closed overhead almost immediately, blocking out most of the sunlight and plunging them into green-tinged twilight. The air was thick and humid, heavy with the smell of decomposing leaves and growing things. Sounds seemed muffled here, distant, like the forest was swallowing them whole.
Jason felt Ralts press closer against his neck, her fear spiking. Dark. Don't like it.
"I've got you," he murmured. "Nothing's going to hurt you."
Sprigatito had gone low and cautious, her earlier eagerness replaced by predatory alertness. Her ears swiveled constantly, tracking sounds Jason couldn't hear. Even Ren had tensed on Hana's shoulder, his yellow eyes scanning the shadows.
"Stay on the path," Hana said quietly. "The undergrowth is dense enough to get lost in, and some of the Pokémon here are territorial."
They walked in silence, every sense straining. The forest wasn't quiet—far from it—but the sounds were alien, unsettling. Rustles in the underbrush that could be anything. Distant calls that might be bird Pokémon or might be something else. The occasional crack of a branch that made everyone freeze and scan for threats.
A Wurmple crossed their path, its red body moving with surprising speed. Sprigatito tracked it with her eyes but didn't pursue—too small to be worth the effort, and potentially more trouble than it was worth if it was with others a bit more hostile.
Further on, they spotted a Shroomish half-hidden in a patch of mushrooms, its beady eyes watching them pass. It didn't move, didn't attack, just observed with the patient stillness of a creature that knew it was dangerous enough not to fear them.
"Shroomish can release spores if threatened," Hana murmured. "Poison, paralysis, sleep. Don't startle it."
They gave the mushroom Pokémon a wide berth.
The deeper they went, the more life they encountered. A Cascoon hung from a low branch, its shell cracked slightly to reveal the transformation happening within. A Slakoth lounged in a tree, so still it might have been dead if not for the slow rise and fall of its chest. A pair of Taillow chased each other through a gap in the canopy, their calls echoing through the green.
And then they found the Dustox.
It was large—larger than Jason had expected, with a wingspan of maybe three feet and purple scales that seemed to shimmer in the dim light. Its compound eyes fixed on them as they rounded a bend in the path, and it let out a sound somewhere between a hiss and a buzz.
"Don't. Move." Hana's voice was barely a whisper.
Jason froze. He felt Sprigatito tense beside him, felt Ralts's fear spike through the bond. The Dustox was between them and the path ahead, its wings twitching in a way that suggested it was deciding whether they were threats.
"Dustox are territorial," Hana breathed. "But they usually only attack if provoked. We're going to back away slowly. No sudden movements."
Jason took a careful step backward. Then another.
The Dustox's wings flared.
"Run!"
Hana grabbed his arm and pulled him off the path, crashing through underbrush as a cloud of purple powder erupted from the Dustox's wings. Jason held his breath, Ralts clutching his neck, Sprigatito racing ahead to clear the way.
They ran for what felt like forever but was probably only thirty seconds, branches whipping at their faces, roots trying to trip their feet. Finally, Hana skidded to a stop behind a massive tree trunk, pressing her back against the bark and listening.
Silence. Then, distantly, the buzz of wings moving away.
"It's not following," she said, letting out a breath. "We're clear."
Jason leaned against the tree, his heart pounding. Ralts was trembling against his neck, her emotions a tangle of fear and relief. Sprigatito had positioned herself between them and the direction they'd come, her fur puffed up and her teeth bared.
"Everyone okay?" he managed.
"Sprig." An affirmative, though she didn't relax her stance.
Scared, Ralts sent through the bond. But okay.
"That was close." Hana checked herself for any sign of the powder, then did the same for Jason. "No exposure. Lucky. Dustox powder can cause everything from paralysis to confusion to poison, depending on the individual."
"You said they usually don't attack."
"Usually. That one was either nesting nearby or just having a bad day. Especially being so out in the open" She looked around, getting her bearings. "We're off the main path. Not badly, but we'll need to navigate back."
"Can you find it?"
"I'm a Ranger candidate. Finding paths is literally what I'm training for." She managed a small smile. "Come on. And this time, we go slower."
They reached the western edge of Petalburg Woods two hours later, emerging from the treeline into blinding afternoon sunlight.
Jason had never been so happy to see open sky.
The land beyond the forest was gentler—rolling hills, scattered trees, the distant glitter of water that might be a river or a lake. And there, maybe an hour's walk to the southwest, the unmistakable shapes of buildings.
"Petalburg City," Hana said. "We made it."
Jason sank down onto a convenient rock, suddenly aware of how tired he was. The adrenaline from the Dustox encounter had faded, leaving behind the bone-deep exhaustion of too much walking and too much stress.
Ralts had gone quiet during the escape, withdrawing into herself, and he could still feel her lingering fear through the bond. He lifted her from his shoulder and cradled her in his arms, stroking her green "hair" gently.
"You did so well," he told her. "That was scary, and you handled it."
Didn't do anything, she sent back. Just hid.
"Hiding was smart. You're not ready for something like that yet—none of us were. The brave thing isn't fighting when you can't win. It's knowing when to run."
She considered this, her emotions slowly settling. ...Okay.
Sprigatito padded over and bumped her head against Jason's hand, then sniffed at Ralts curiously. The Psychic-type flinched slightly, but didn't pull away.
Team, Sprigatito's body language seemed to say. We're team. We protect each other.
Ralts's emotions flickered—surprise, then something warmer. Acceptance, maybe. The beginning of trust.
"Alright," Jason said, pushing himself to his feet. "Let's get to Petalburg. I want a real bed, real food, and a Pokémon Center checkup for everyone."
"No arguments here," Hana said.
They set off toward the city, the afternoon sun warm on their backs, the woods fading into memory behind them.