Hecate

Dawn greets me just north of Oreburgh City. She asks me how my pokedex is coming, but she won't tell me about hers and, when pressed, changes the subject: she has something for me. I am to choose her right hand or her left hand. I choose right. She gives me a "vs. seeker." It will somehow let me battle people I already beat. Interesting. She also gives me a "dowsing" app for my poketch. I will check that out later. It occurs to me that with Oreburgh City just to the south, I can return there and get back to Eterna Forest through Floaroma Town if necessary. Yes, I can go all the way around that fool. But first, I will see if he's still there. Maybe he got bored.

On my way up Cycling Road, a trainer literally on the other side sees me and races to me, then tells me to watch where I'm going. I do believe that is the worst challenge I have ever received. I make his Ponyta pay for it with the power of Khali's confuse ray. I return and my nemesis is still standing in the same spot, but this time he lets me pass. Apparently I have been on the bicycle enough to satisfy him. Freak.

I cut my way through the bushes and see that there's a house of some sort up ahead. Some wild pokemon in the grass get in my way, but Khali solves that problem easily enough. I enter the abandoned building and a floating purple gaseous pokemon attacks me. Gastly? Oh, I get it. Haunted house. Ghost pokemon. How clever. Either the world or the pokemon thinks it's being clever here. Well, I intend to catch this Gastly. Or not. Astonish takes it out in one hit. Ghost moves are very good against ghost pokemon. Noted. There is a statue that appears to be glaring. Was this place designed to be creepy. I kind of like it, except for the music. Wait, where is that music even coming from? Forget it. I continue exploring the place, even though it is old and falling apart and apparently "haunted" by "ghost" pokemon. I find some weird medicine in one room. Another room has a painting or something and another Gastly appears. This time, I eschew astonish. Psywave cuts the Gastly down without finishing her, and I throw a poke ball that catches her without trouble. Excellent. I can expand my ghostly collection. I name the new pokemon Hecate.

As I continue exploring, in another room I find a television that is turned on even though no one seems to live here. It has an oddly malevolent feel. Probably just another pokemon, but I see no way to get to this one, so I make note of it for later. I find a dread plate, which I will have either Khali or Hecate hold later. I toy with the idea of having a whole team of ghost pokemon, but so far, I have only found two different kinds. Speaking of which, Khali is growing much stronger from the experience gained by knocking out these Gastlies. Curiously, I find an antidote in one of the trash cans in the kitchen. There doesn't seem to be anything else here for me. And I need to consider what to do with my new recruits.

I find some bushes along the edge of Eterna Forest, so of course I cut through them. Some woman wandering around for no reason gives me a "big tree" accessory. What is it with these costume geeks? I do collect a nice harvest of berries nearby, though, and that's always good. I also find a TM and some silver powder. Perhaps I can use these things later. I cut through some more bushes and find myself back on Route 205. Where to from here? I don't know yet, but before I do anything else I will visit the rest house. Khali could use some recovery and I need sleep myself.