“OH my Arceus,” Cindy gushes while on her knees, “This baby is too adorable!”

Lacy finally opened her engagement ball to reveal the kitten sized Leafon. The little rascal is chasing her Archen around the Mauville fountain lobby. Each time the leafy pup passes through a beam of sunlight streaming in from the massive windows it gains a burst of speed. Poor Archy has to take flight not to get caught.

A Mauvile company man brings around the jeep and passes me the keys. This one looks newer than the previous vehicle and has a covered top. It’s definitely bigger, seems the five of us will be comfy enough.

“Alright,” I call over to the group, “Let's get this show on the road.”

Lacy returns her pokemon while Naomi cheerfully thanks the Wattson employee.

I catch Jane still a bit fluff minded, “Did you get a chance to see your Aunt off?”

“What,” she gains a bit more focus, “Oh, yes, she caught me before I knocked on your door this morning. She’s headed to follow up on those pirates, she said they had a base somewhere.”

“Cool, well hop in.” Adventuring and fighting crime seems a tad less threatening in this world without guns and such.

Of course I’m suddenly reminded of running through the woods being chased by a giant tree.

This jeep is loaded, that's for sure. The seat moves on every axis, perfect back support, heating, cooling,

“Kurt quit playing with the seat.” Lacy points behind us and in the mirror I see the line of cars waiting to exit the pick up and drop off zone.

“Oops,” one last check everyone is settled in, “Let's go.”

The road west passes by the breeder ranch, a farm hand is out checking a Bouffalant’s hooves. In the back Cindy and Naomi are chatting while Jane is browsing her phone. Seems I have time for a couple questions while we're still passing the hills.

“Question for Doctor Cutter.”

“Oh?” Her brows lift, a slight anticipatory smile.

Sorry, not flirting this time, “Why have I seen noticeably more female trainers and professionals than male. No bias, it's just not even close.”

She pouts but then takes a moment, “You’ve had a slightly biased experience so far actually.” Lacy looks at the girls in the back before continuing, “First, the national population of Hoenn Is over 60% female, so you’re not entirely wrong.”

Alright, I didn’t expect that.

“Second,” She points a thumb back, “Those are rich kids, or from big name families.”

I must have looked confused because she back pedals, “Think about the working professionals you’ve seen. Some of the older generation seem mostly Male but that's just because men retire later than women on average. While the workforce our age and under is predominantly female outside of the labor workforce.”

“Okay, that still shouldn’t be so drastic,” the hills start to transition to low mountain woodlands, “Even if you say all the boys are too busy training pokemon to get a career.”

She nods, “So let's talk about the kids from the lab, those were all from families with famous trainers or successful women. Lower income families don’t have the political pull to put their kid in the spotlight from the get go. At the same time boys are expected to do things the old fashioned way most of the time.”

That makes some sense but I still feel like I’m missing something.

Lacy is a smart cookie, “Kurt, what is the average population for a city where you come from?”

Pshh, “Anywhere from tens to hundreds of thousands.”

There's a moment of utter silence in the jeep. The girls in the back are looking at me.

Lacy clears her throat, “The global population?”

Geez, of all the things to remember, “Well over 7 Billion.”

Again, silence. A couple minutes pass before I can’t stand it anymore, “alright, your turn to blow my mind.”

Lacy checks her phone, “Estimates say we may hit 3 million by the end of the decade… globally. Hoenn has just under 200 thousand.”

Well then, “Wow, that's just, weird? Why so low?”

Cindy speaks up from the back, “Every year at least a few new trainers go missing or, well…”

“Also,” Lacy is tapping her chin in thought, “for a population so high I imagine their families have lots of kids?”

“Eh,” I try not to lose focus on driving while searching the haze of my memories, “Case by Case? Some folks stop at one and get themselves fixed, others could have a dozen plus, some unlucky folks can’t have any while others want none and abort.”

Personally I find the idea of abortion horridly tragic but I understand there are reasons,

“Exactly,” Lacy gets my mental train back on track, “Any pregnancy is an Arceus blessed gift for most folk here. Birth rates are so low that having as many as three kids is considered a miracle.”

Hence why they take such care of orphans, “but then why send such young kids into the wild?”

Cindy answers, “Tradition. As far as written history we’ve adventured with Pokémon and built our homes in harmony with their lands.”

Lacy points at the map on her phone, “Less properly these days. After Verdanturf we’ll enter Rusturf Tunnel. It took decades to complete, afterwards the footpath under the mountain became too dangerous. People missing in the woods increased, and the first Trevenants were discovered.”

Noami adds in, “Grandpa said one of the Regi must have moved into the mountain, and that he saw a massive tree, deep in the woods, moving strangely one night.”

Cool, so a nice paved tunnel equals cave ins and a haunted forest. Now I get the strict government oversight for land.

Which reminds me, “So I was thinking of buying some land. I had this idea to build a lighthouse near where I washed up. Also I happen to have a commission to relocate a school of Sharpedo and Carvanha.”

“Of course you do,” Lacy can’t help but smirk, “couldn’t be a school of Luvdisc? Go on, I’m sure it gets better.”

Jane leans between the seats, “Don’t forget the Mega-Sharpedo and huge Dhelmise.”

“Wow, thanks,” I push her head back, “Whose team are you on?”

She pokes her tongue out like Noami, “the girls’, obviously.”

Hater.

Noami throws me an assit, “the commission is from the Oceanographic Institute with the coordination of Mr. Stone and Dewford City Council.”

“Oh I think I saw an article about this,” Cindy leans in, “They announced there will be a fantastic new pirate exhibit at the Jolly Clauncher Casino next year.”

What a name, I must have missed that one, “Sounds like I should ask for better pay. Or better yet help with getting my land purchase approved.”

Lacy waves her hands, “now you’re just assuming I’m okay with living in a lighthouse.”

“Haunted Lighthouse,” Jane is still causing mischief, “long as Kurt keeps catching creepy Pokémon.”

Along the side of the road I spot a Zigzagoon roadkill.

“Alright we can talk about this more later. Do we need to stop for anything in Verdanturf?”

‘No’s all around.

“Guess we’ll just cruise through, anything interesting there?”

Noami pulls out her tablet to try and show me some images while I try not to be too distracted driving. Not hard to imagine why the big boss Pokémon dislike roads.

“The city is more of an upscale retirement community than anything else.”

Lacy pushes the tablet back, “You might be unaware young miss, but it has a thriving art scene.”

Cindy chimes in, “You have to mention the Winder Wonder Contest. Verdanturf is the only place in Hoenn that actually sees snow, if only for a couple weeks.”

“Screw the pageant, there’s a Worlds Gym.” Jane cuts in. “Just like you’re skirting around Kurt, Wanda’s Floral Conservatory is a themed WPC gym.”

That name...the same gal who makes shitty pasta?, “She related to Wally?”

“Cousins,” Lacy answers, “She visits me to pick up his prescriptions once a month.”

“So her gym is in Verdanturf, she takes care of Wally in Petalburg, and gets his meds from you in Rustburo. She got a flyer?”

My girl laughs, “Yes, a very big, sweet, Tropius named Wiley in honor of her late husband.”

Looking in the rear view mirror to Cindy and Noami, “That winter thing something we should check out down the road?”

Princess quickly shakes her head but Cindy is practically jumping in her seat, “Oh it’s the most beautiful thing! A light layer of snow across the mountain meadows, a gentle dusting in the trees. The Abomasnow help children make snowmen while Frosmoths dance through the air. The fossil labs even bring a stable of Aurorus to let the kids ride.”

Someone's kiddy side is showing, “You never mentioned your own rookie journey Cindy.”

Her enthusiasm deflates, “Despite my brother convincing father it was a waste of time, he was just jealous, I did really well.”

Lacy smiles, “I saw her reach top eight that year.”

Naomi goes rigid, maybe finding something relatable with the young woman, “Now Way! What was your team?”

“Oh ho,” She puffs out her chest, “My Pyroar, obviously, then an Espeon, Azumarill, Manectric, Breloom and an Aurorus.”

Seems like a good spread to me.

Naomi disagrees, “Really? Top eight without an ace?”

Cindy pouts, “My team was all aces… really though I think you’re putting too much stock in lab room estimates if you underestimate my pokemon.”

“Plenty did,” Lacy adds in, “She was a rich girl with pretty, colorful pokemon. Her Aurorus stomped plenty of opponents cold.”

Lil Miss Nurse beams, “Aurorus will be officially a Mega one day. I’ve heard of a potential catalyst in the Crown Tundra region of Galar…”

She loses steam at the good part.

Naomi pegs it, “Your family won’t let you travel that far on a whim. Especially since you couldn’t go pro.”

Slouching in her seat, “My doctorate program starts in the fall. Father essentially told me I’m his last hope for our family retaining control of the company beyond just being on the board.”

The two rich girls begin whispering conspiratorially.

I suspect I’ll need cold weather gear before the year’s end.

A bit longer and a bit more sloping meadows then small apartment buildings peek over the next foothill.

Verdanturf appears like any new construction community. Housing association managed yards and parks, small cafes or novelty shops. We even pass an art garden featuring a scrap welded Articuno statue wreathed in blue leafed ivy.

The central square features the town hall directly across from the Contest Amphitheater. Apparently the old Contest Hall is the current Town Hall… but looking around, ya it’s still a small town. Pretty for sure, but I doubt there's even five thousand residents.

It feels strange to see a townhouse row boarding the town instead of large yard ranch homes I associate with rural areas. Furthermore the field functioning as an obvious buffer before the sheer mountain face towering up.

The road leads into a four lane tunnel, complete with warnings of the inner lanes are for passing only, and no honking.

Warm glow lights lead into the rock wall with no end in sight. The hair of my neck even stands up as we enter.

Cindy shivers, “I hate this tunnel. No denying its necessity… but it creeps everyone out.”

Jane once more on chaos duty, “I heard people driving it at night disappear. Or especially if they ignore the rules and walk through.”

I open Blue’s ball beneath my seat and whisper, “give Jane a poke.”

Lacy of course saw the ball light and rolls her eyes with a smile.

Five minutes slip by and just as I’m wondering if he understood me,

“Aeeeeeipe! Arceus shit! Blue?!” A kick slams my seat from the angry teen, “The shit Kurt?!”

I’m laughing, Blue is giggling. But I have to stop as I spot a tall shadow in the center divider of the tunnel. The girls keep chattering and the figure remains formless as we pass.

I barely glimpse a single, dim red eye.

Blue hits the button on his Dusk Ball and hides away.

“Lacy,” I get her attention from teasing Jane, “Is there a ghost Pokémon with only one eye?”

She immediately looks around the tunnel as the kids go silent, “Just keep driving Kurt, no more pranks in the tunnel. Ever.”