The west outskirts of Jubilife city, 1 month later...
Under the shine of the full moon, the waters reflected its light. There were wetlands inside the long stretch of Route 203, especially on areas unexplored.
A family of Ursaring and Teddiursa were resting under the night sky, peaceful as they bathed under the silver moonlight.
But alas, this serenity was not bound to last...
It was the alpha of the family. Thirsty, he got up and went for a drink at the lake.
As he took a sip, however, the moon suddenly shifted in color, turning into a bright red hue.
A bright blue glow enveloped Ursaring's body, indicating its evolution. But because of the sudden blood moon, it wasn't going to be a straightforward one.
A painful groan escaped the newly evolved Ursaluna. Its eyes were red, the yellow lunar symbol its forehead slowly was gradually getting corrupted...
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Route 204, Present day...
A blonde girl in all black was face-to-face with her tough opponent after a long while. It was a Budew. And Cynthia already decided that she'd be catching this one.
'Even though I want to be a Ground-type master, capable Pokémon are always a welcome addition to the team.'
Not only was this little plant able to face her Gible toe-to-toe, she figured that Budew would be a great help for her first gym challenge at Oreburgh city.
The little plant released yellow particles all over the plains, [Stun spore].
"Gible, use [Dragon Rage]." A wave of draconic energy swept through the fields, neutralizing the yellow spores while ultimately knocking out Budew.
Without delay, she tossed a Pokéball. Three clicks later, and Cynthia obtained her third Pokémon. A Brown-potential Budew that would one day be part of her main team.
But before she celebrated the win, she pulled out a full-restore out of her bag and treated her Gible. It was badly poisoned after getting hit by [Poison stings], and was nailed by [Leech seed], yet it due to its stubbornness.
Gradually, the little Land Shark regained its strength.
"Alright, let's head to the Pokémon center and recuperate for now..."
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Jubilife Pokémon center...
"Thank you for waiting, your Pokémon are now in perfect health!"
With her trademark smile, nurse Joy returned Cynthia's three Pokéballs in a tray.
But before she could reply, a youngster barged in and yelped!
"Nurse joy, please heal my Bidoof! It's severely injured. I'll make a loan the treatment expenses, please just help my friend."
Not long after, a crowd of trainers were lined up at the lobby.
'What in the world...'
As if reading her mind, a bystander spoke up, "Apparently, the wild Ursaring family are rampaging at the western outskirts of Jubilife, jeopardizing rookie trainers and trade routes."
Cynthia heard a familiar voice, and saw a familiar face that irritated her to no end.
"Maguro..."
"Yo." the boy in white jacket approached her. "You look mad."
"Well, a certain someone set me up with his sob stories and lost me 10k."
"But that amount is nothing to someone like you."
"It would be if I didn't lose it to a scam."
"Well, my apologies."
She crossed her arms: "Tell me the details of this Ursaring rampage, then I'll consider forgiving you."
Before he replied, Maguro gestured for them to have a seat.
"Look, before you try to play hero, I'd advise you against it. This isn't something we can handle. There are elite level Pokémon involved, and a nasty strong one at that. Us rookies have no chance against a Bloodmoon Ursaluna."
"What? How can you be so sure?"
Instead of answering her with words, Maguro pulled out a detailed picture and some notes out of his pocket.
Cynthia stopped and was still skeptical despite the evidence. "Where'd you get this from?"
"I took that photo myself. I immediately investigated when I heard about missing people, turns out, they got murdered by this beast. The Ursaring cases were only branches of this troublesome root.
"Anyway, if this isn't dealt with, we'll never reach Oreburgh city for at least a year."
"I understand. I'll write a report to the league ASAP. So this better be real, because you, trainer Maguro, will be suffering the consequences if we find out its a hoax."
"Oh, trust me I'm aware that can't run my tongue against a monster like that."
Taking the evidences, Cynthia turned to the phone booth and left Maguro on deaf ear.
'Well, that's my cue.'
Leaving an item and a letter on the table, he exited the Pokémon center and drifted off elsewhere to continue his journey.
---
I'll be heading off to Eterna city for my first badge. Good luck with your bear problems. Also, here's something that might come in handy to you.
- Maguro
---
'It's a High-grade Soothe bell. But how did he know I have a Budew?' she order this item no problem, but it would take time before it was processed by the league.
After talking to league officials on the phone, Cynthia read the note and received the held item he Maguro left on the table.
From her call with the league, it was decided that Cynthia would assist the team to earn experience while an Ace trainer would be leading the mission.
Maguro's warning replayed in her mind, but she wanted to learn more and explore.
'In three days, I'll get to meet an Ursaluna...'
The young Cynthia was pumped. She decided to train harder to prepare for this undertaking.
"It's our first mission in a while, Gible. Let's do our best!"
"Gib-Gible!" her Pokémon was just as hyped.
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Three days later...
"Remember, your role is to support the main force. Don't try anything rash, alright?"
"Understood, leader."
Cynthia was answering to a man in his forties. His purple hair was long, exuding an overwhelming aura of experience and skill.
'To think they'd send Ace trainer Drago out of all people...'
Unaware that the league wanted her to gain the most experience out of this ordeal while guaranteeing her safety, Cynthia didn't stop herself from admiring the man before her.
After all, he was a role-model for anyone raising a dragon type.
"Today, we'll be investigating and subduing a wild Ursaluna sighted at the wetlands of Route 203. There's no need for any more unnecessary words, we'll approach this problem and solve it logically."
Drago spoke to the small team of elite trainers and Cynthia. Two Flygons were leading the way as they began to trek their way to the vast expanse of wilderness.
"Mission, commence!"
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[TO BE CONTINUED]
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Cynthia Shirona's Pokémon:
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Pokémon: Gible
Level: 23 (18%)
Sex: Male
Types: Ground/Dragon
Ability: Rough Skin, Sand veil
Potential: Black
Moves: Dragon Rage, Bulldoze, Fire Fang, Sand tomb, Sand Attack, Draco Meteor
Held item: none
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Pokémon: Mysterious Egg
Level: N/A
Sex: N/A
Types: N/A
Ability: N/A
Potential: Black
Moves: N/A
Held item: N/A
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Pokémon: Budew
Level: 19 (07%)
Sex: Female
Types: Grass/Poison
Ability: Poison point, Natural cure
Potential: Brown
Moves: Poison sting, Growth, Stun spore, Leech seed, Absorb
Held item: none
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