#but might go back and chain for a shiny Nickit

[worldsbywings]

Angie’s Galar Adventure, Part 1!

Oh boy, what a busy few days it’s been! Sorry I haven’t checked in yet; things just kept happening and happening and happening. And did I mention happening?

For those who don’t know (meaning everyone besides my parents), my trip to Galar actually involves staying with a host family, to make the transition from Kalosian culture to Galarian a little smoother. And boy has it still been a bit jarring. As much as I love her, it doesn’t help that my ‘host family’ is a single woman named Alexis living way out in rural southern Galar. Specifically, Postwick.

It’s pretty countryside, but going from Lumiose to Postwick...yeah. Culture shock.

There’s this kid who lives nearby, named Hop. He’s a bit younger than me, but I like his spirit. He kinda helped me adjust. My one complaint is that he’s constantly talking about his brother, Leon, who’s the Champion of Galar.

At first I was especially annoyed, but after watching some of his battles on TV, I get why he admires him so much.

So naturally, imagine my excitement when I heard Leon was coming back to Postwick for a little visit! Hop and I even went over to the train station in Wedgehurst (just down the road) to escort him home, because apparently he’s absolutely hopeless with directions. There was a whole crowd waiting for him and everything!

But that’s not even the best part! I guess Hop told him about me, too, and how I was hoping to become a trainer, and he brought us Pokémon! There was a Sobble, a Grookey, and a Scorbunny.

Naturally, I picked Scorbunny; gotta love that passion and energy. Hop picked Grookey, and Leon took Sobble. But does he really need one?? Anyways, I nicknamed my Scorbunny Champ.

We ended that day with a little party, and I went home to dream about my journey.

Except, when I woke up the next day, something got in the way of that. See, I didn’t mention that there’s off-limits area nearby called the Slumbering Weald. It’s a forest of some sort, but it’s just...weird. Not safe, supposedly. But when I woke up, the gate was wide open, and there were Wooloo tracks in the dirt. Hop and I couldn’t just leave the Wooloo to wander such a dangerous area by itself, and it would take too long to go get Leon, so we decided to go in. We had Pokémon, after all.

The Slumbering Weald is honestly kind of creepy, and that’s coming from someone like me. I’m not scared of anything. But it was foggy, and uncomfortably quiet. We got attacked by a few Pokémon on the way, but thankfully nothing we couldn’t handle...at first, at least.

But as we got deeper and it got foggier, we stopped to make sure we hadn’t gotten separated...and something came out of the fog. A giant dog of some sort, that I’d never seen before. It just sort of stared at us, and when we tried to attack it, the attacks just went through. It wouldn’t let us go any farther in, either, and the fog started to get even thicker. Somewhere in the panic, I guess Hop and I both passed out.

I didn’t tell Hop this, because I didn’t want to explain my family and everything so shortly after meeting him, but...I think the dog was a Legendary. It had that air about it-and trust me, I know the air of a Legendary Pokémon. I better know it.

Leon managed to come find us, and when we woke up the fog had cleared (I can’t imagine Leon trying to find us in that fog, considering his poor sense of direction). The two of us were just so flabbergasted about everything that we just went home and went to bed.

The whole thing was weighing on my mind all night, and even when I woke up the next day. That’s not normal for me. But I managed to smile and fake it for Alexis, who had a gift for me: pokéballs. She said now that I have my own Pokémon, I should have no problems going into the tall grass to challenge and catch more Pokémon-and to come on back home if I needed healing or anything.

I went over to Hop’s house, only to find him and Leon in the front yard, arguing about something. And as I got closer, I found out it was about the Gym Challenge.

See, unlike back home, the Gym Challenge here is a yearly event, and do compete, you need an endorsement. Hop was trying to talk his brother into endorsing him, and naturally I got dragged into it. Not that I’m complaining; I was 100% on Hop’s side. That’s the whole fucking reason I came to Galar in the first place!

Sorry, got a little fired up there.

Leon told us we should get started with a Pokédex first, which we could get from a woman named Sonia in Wedgehurst. He said he would think about it.

Honestly...most of that morning I spent catching Pokémon. I caught a whole party’s worth with the pokéballs Alexis gave me. Of them, I especially liked the Nickit I caught, named Rogue, and a Rookidee I named Rosalee.

...This is getting kinda long, isn’t it? Guess I’m my mother’s daughter.

Let’s speed this up.

Met Sonia, who was apparently Leon’s rival on their own Gym Challenge. She put the Pokédex on my phone, but told me I should go see her grandmother, Professor Magnolia. Which I did,catching more Pokémon on the way

Professor Magnolia was a sweet old woman, who was shocked that Leon wouldn’t endorsement me and Hop. She talked him in to watching us battle to prove ourselves. Between Rosalee and Champ, it wasn’t much of a battle, but it was enough to convince Leon.

Just as Leon was giving us our letters of endorsement, something came falling from the sky, landing super near us! Apparently they were two Wishing Stars. The Professor took them from us, and we all went home for the night.

The next day, Professor Magnolia presented both me and Hop each with something called a Dynamax Band. She talked a little bit about it, but...I really didn’t understand. It all went over my head. I guess it’s kinda like Mega Evolving?

Anyways, with our Pokédexs and letters of endorsement, and after saying goodbye to our families, Hop and I took the train to Motostoke to participate in the Gym Challenge ceremony.

...Or we would have, if there weren’t a bunch of Wooloo blocking the way.

Instead, we stopped at the station right outside of something called the Wild Area. Apparently it’s like a really, really big route, with dramatic weather changes and some strong Pokémon. But Motostoke was right on the other side, Hop and I went our separate ways, agreeing to meet back up in the city. See, Hop wanted to get down to business, but me? I wanted to catch some Pokémon. Especially since I was gifted camping gear (although, given the ceremony is tomorrow, I haven’t had the chance to use it).

Still, I got there eventually, and Sonia and Hop were waiting for me. Hop ran off again (that kid, I swear), but Sonia gave me directions to the stadium, where (after stopping for a little clothes shopping) I met back up with my quirky rival.

I guess this is the first time Leon’s ever endorsed anyone? Because people were already talking about us as we registered. There were all sorts of people there, of all ages, but there was this one kid that really stood out. Had this asshole-ish, holier-than-thou air about him. Bragged about how Chairman Rose (basically the man who makes everything run here) endorsed him.

All the competitors were given rooms in this hotel nearby called the Budew Inn. It’s pretty ritzy, but when we got there, there were these kinda obnoxious people in front of the front counter, and no one could get their keys. They called themselves Team Yell, and claimed they were here to support a trainer named Marnie.

I couldn’t help myself. I started a fight with them. Look, it was a long day, okay? Hop even joined in.

And then, Marnie showed up and told them all off, missing all the action. I don’t know what to think of her yet, but she didn’t seem bad I guess. Like I said, I was tired.

That was just a few hours ago, and honestly I’m still tired. I’m ready to sleep. The Gym Challenge Opening Ceremony is tomorrow, so I guess I should call it a night.

But yeah, like I said, I’ve been busy.

Angie out.

--

Current Team:

Champ the Raboot, level 16

Rouge the Nickit, level 14

Grumpy the Chewtle, level 7

Rosalee the Rookidee, level 14

Darling the Yamper, level 11

Baron the Wooloo, level 12