Love in the Time of Traveling

Chapter 3: A Laboratory

I hope you're enjoying the story so far, though I'll ask you bear with us and any janky pacing for the next few. The next 4 chapters are all born from what was 2 chapters but deemed as too long. Please enjoy either way!

Chapter 3

A Laboratory

"All right, we made it!"

Gloria threw her hands skyward in triumph, racing out of the thicket of trees at long last. Tracking down their previous path was far more of a chore than she wished, but she'd had a mission and wouldn't allow herself to miss her chance of reaching Leon and Hop. She took a deep breath, setting her feet firmly down the beaten path with the proudest grin.

"Nibbah nibbah!" chirped out Scorbunny, hopping after her and landing by her side.

The girl and her Pokémon turned back toward their traveling companions, triumphant grins adorning their faces. Ash and Pikachu, however, looked contemplative as they left the woods, both of their glances moving to the still distant view of Wedgehurst's buildings, at the still distant end of Route One. Or so it seemed.

"I'm not really sure we're there already, Gloria..." Ash pointed out, head tilted to the girl.

Pikachu matched his confusion, folding his arms with unease. "Pika pikachu..."

Confronted by the doubts of the Kantonian duo, Gloria just shrugged, hands on her hips as she looked to their destination. "But we're back on the path. That's something!"

The man brought up the rim of his hat, glancing over at the cityscape ahead. "But still quite a way from Wedgehurst City."

"Just Wedgehurst, actually."

Ash folded his arms, exchanging a look with Pikachu, who shrugged back. "I'm pretty sure it looks like a city."

"Well, yeah," Gloria replied, shoving her hands in her cardigan as she resumed walking forward, "but it doesn't mean we add a description of the place to the name. That's just weird."

"Not that weird to me..." Ash muttered, looking both put out and fascinated, somehow, by the prospect of a singularly-named city. Writing it off as more of his weirdness, Gloria didn't pursue the subject and instead resumed her march down the beaten path. "Anyway, now that we're back on Route One, it's all a straight line to the goal. Let's go, Scorbunny, Rook-"

The girl halted, noticing the familiar shape of her trusty white bunny partner still next to her, but no traces of her newer companion anywhere. She scratched her head, turning to Scorbunny. "Where's Rookidee?"

"Scor..." The bunny shrugged, quickly going on the lookout for their feathered companion.

Gloria did the same, scanning through the nearby bushes and grassy fields, only to find no sign of the blue and yellow bird.

"Maybe he went to find some food?" she mused, bringing her attention to the trees lining the path, even sparing a glance for the forest they had just left behind. She saw all kinds of Pokémon making their way through the trees and tall grass, but had no luck in finding the one Pokémon she was looking for, not even as Ash and Pikachu also started to search around the area. She felt a knot in her stomach as she cupped her hands around her mouth, and shouted. "Hey, Rookidee! Where are y-"

As soon as she called, a nearby tree shook, and Gloria jolted towards it in a hurry, hoping for her little bird to be there. As soon as she was there, though, a small and stubby blur flew right from the tree into her face, strong enough to almost knock her back.