Ash and his three companions spent the night at Ms. Yasue's home. The next morning, after Turtwig bid its final farewell to Yasue, and Ash vowed to her that she would see Turtwig shine on the Pokémon stage, the trio left the cabin and set off toward Jubilife City.
That was how it was supposed to go.
However, they now faced an unavoidable challenge that tested a traveler's skill—one that no journey could escape:
"Why are we lost?!"
Dawn cried in despair, ruffling her once-tidy hair into a mess.
"That's odd. I'm sure we were following the map. Could I have misread a turn somewhere?"
Brock studied the map in his hands, muttering to himself in puzzlement.
But no matter what he gleaned from it, nothing could hide the undeniable fact that they were lost.
"Speaking of which, instead of figuring out whether we're truly lost or where exactly we went wrong, shouldn't we first determine where we are right now…?"
Seizing the moment, Ash raised a hand and proposed.
Since getting lost was already a done deal, complaining wouldn't solve their immediate trouble. Rather than obsessing over why they were lost, pinpointing their current location would allow them to cross-reference the map and find a way out.
"Rustle~~"
As Ash and his companions deliberated on their next steps, a rustling sound suddenly came from the woods behind them. Dawn tensed, instinctively reaching for her Piplup's Poké Ball, fearing a ferocious wild Pokémon might emerge.
"Hm?"
"?!" ×N
When they saw who stepped out from the bushes, Ash and his group stared in surprise, and the other party returned the same bewildered look.
"Paul?! What are you doing here? Are you get lost too?"
Ash asked, eyeing Paul standing ahead.
"Lost?" Paul snorted coldly, scoffing with disdain. "As expected, a bunch of useless fools. It's just a trip from Sandgem Town to Jubilife City, and you still managed to get lost."
Paul's attitude was, as always, thoroughly unlikable.
"So, do you know where we are? Help us out, please. We're kind of freaking out because we're not sure where we are."
Being older, Brock wasn't about to bicker with Paul. Besides, he sensed that Paul's demeanor wasn't as cold as it appeared. Asking for help might actually yield a response.
As for Dawn, since Paul was stating facts, no matter how uncomfortable she felt, she had no grounds to argue, did she?
"Hmph, whatever." Paul turned, pointing to a patch of woods near a small pond that looked slightly different. "That's the Bewilderment Woods. You're at its entrance. To get out, you either climb the cliff behind you to take the main road or pass through those woods to keep going."
"The cliff…"
Following Paul's gesture, Ash and the others glanced back to see a cliff towering dozens of meters high, its surface nearly vertical. Though there were protruding rocks and dry branches that could serve as footholds, such extreme terrain was best avoided for Ash and his group.
"Let's just go through the Bewilderment Woods, then. Once we're out, it'll be open terrain, and we really won't get lost again!"
Brock declared with brimming confidence.
"Really…?"
Dawn eyed Brock skeptically.
After all, when Ash had recounted his past travels to her, it seemed like half the time was spent getting lost. Dawn had initially wondered if it was Ash's fault, but now, wasn't Brock the one leading the way? Could it be that the real directionally challenged one was Brock?
"By the way, since we're all headed to the same place, why don't we travel together? It'd be nice to have company and avoid getting lost here."
Ignoring Dawn's suspicions, Brock suggested to Paul.
"No need." Paul replied icily. "I'm not your babysitter. I've got no reason to travel with you. Keep your idiocy to yourselves."
With that, Paul walked off without sparing them another glance.
"What's with that guy?! Why can't he just be a little nicer?! Talking to people like that, he's got to have no friends!"
Only after Paul left did Dawn vent her frustration.
Paul's words were infuriating, but since they were indeed lost, she couldn't refute him, even though his remarks were harsh.
"Forget it, forget it. Let's not worry about Paul. We should get moving before it gets dark and things get tricky."
Ash waved a hand wearily.
He'd grown used to Paul's personality. Even when they'd become true friends in the past, Paul's words always had a sharp edge… Hm, though Gary was kind of similar, wasn't he?
"Starting out is fine, but be careful. Books say the Bewilderment Woods are home to many Stantler, which can supposedly trap travelers in an illusion, causing them to wander in circles and get lost."
"Stantler, huh…"
Prompted by Brock's warning, Dawn pulled out her Pokédex to look up Stantler's information. As for Ash… to avoid being caught off guard by Stantler, he sent out Aipom.
"Stay on the trees and keep watch. If you spot a Stantler, let us know, got it?"
"OKI~OKI~"
Aipom seemed thrilled, either because it was released from its Poké Ball or because it had a task.
Aipom was happy, but Ash looked a bit concerned. After all, whenever Aipom got this excited, trouble usually followed. While the fault wasn't always entirely Aipom's, it was enough to make Ash anxious.
"Let me make this clear: if you mess around today, your training tomorrow will be five times harder than the others'. If you're fine with that, I don't mind."
"OKI?!"
Aipom's eyes widened, and it looked at Ash innocently. After confirming he was serious, Aipom's head drooped in disappointment.
This guy, it really was planning something weird, wasn't it…