12. In Which Drowzee Stops by

It was always pleasant during the spring in Verdant Village. Drowzee tried to make it a point to travel through there on his way to Treasure Town whenever he made the journey to Lunar Peak. The air carried the scent of fresh blooms and clean water from the bountiful greenery and creeks that ran through the area, and the villagers were always hospitable hosts. He assumed it would be no different when he made his usual detour through the village, but something was unsettling about the atmosphere in the lush town. 

A bitter-flavored energy filled the air, so potent it was almost like he stuffed his mouth full of charred rawst berries. It mingled with the smell of florals and springwater in a way that made everything taste acrid as he inhaled. That was strange on its own, but it was even more concerning when he realized the taste was familiar. The feel of nightmares stuck to the roof of his mouth, prickly and irritating. What was going on? He certainly hadn’t eaten anything of the sort. Did he nibble on somebody’s bad dreams in his own sleep at the hostel run by that elderly hoothoot? 

His musings were cut short when he caught sight of a familiar face exiting a home at the roadside. “… Twig?”

She slammed the door behind her, and a loud thud sounded as she did so. Something must have fallen over inside. She had changed since he last saw her. She’d evolved, for one thing, though it was obvious that it was only a partial evolution— but she also held herself with a distinct exhaustion. Strange. She used to be so energetic. He recalled her nearly bouncing off the walls during his arrest all those years ago, but time changed people. She certainly wasn’t a child anymore, and it wasn’t a dramatic assumption to make that said she didn’t have a child’s energy still.

“Drowzee?” She asked. “Um. Hey! Hi! How are you? It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Yes, the last time we met was during the mess with Azurill’s nightmare. I’ve been well. Yourself?”

“Doing great! Doing great. I’ve been keeping busy. Um. Where are you heading?”

“To Treasure Town. I stop in Verdant Village when I take an annual pilgrimage to Lunar Mountain, and I didn’t change my path this year when it’s so beautiful in springtime.”

“Neat. I’ve got to head in now, sorry.”

“… Didn’t you just step outside?”

“Yep!” Her voice cracked with nerves. What was going on? Was it related to the strange air? “Yep, I just need to grab something. Um. Sorry to cut the chat short, thanks for stopping by! See you later.”

She awkwardly slipped through the front door of the home— evidently her own home, by the sound of things— in such a way he couldn’t see anything inside. He heard muffled voices come from within, but he couldn’t discern any words spoken. That was… odd. Very odd. He had never known Twig to behave in such a manner, though he admittedly hadn’t been around her very often. Perhaps she had simply grown into a more nervous soul over the years? She’d certainly been through enough to make the average pokemon crumble with anxiety.

His eyes widened when he realized that the potent bitterness in the air was thickest about her home. Something was amiss. He didn’t know what— couldn’t place his finger on why the aura was so familiar— but it made his skin itch with a sense of wrongness.He needed to leave. Now. And he needed to tell someone that something was going on with Twig.