Chapter 14: Chapter 14: New Residents
In the early morning of Sunset Forest, Summer woke up to the sounds of chirping. It had been three days since the Pokémon hunter incident, and during these days, he visited the Gracidea flowers field daily to observe its growth.
"Hmm, the Gracidea flowers should be fully mature today."
Beside him, Grookey stretched its small hands and yawned. A wooden drum hung around its neck, something Summer had made during his free time.
To activate the potential of a musical virtuoso, Grookey needed to master an instrument, and for Grookey, it had to be the drum.
Grookey was overjoyed with the little wooden drum. In its free time, it would take out the stick on its head and play melodious drumbeats, becoming a favorite among the residents of Sunset Forest.
Thus, Grookey cherished the drum greatly, even keeping it by its side while sleeping.
"Grookey, after breakfast, we'll start our work for the day."
Summer got up, dressed, and prepared breakfast. Their breakfast was simple: slices of bread with Oran Berry jam, a specialty of Sunset Forest, providing enough energy for the morning.
The jam was made by an old man at a restaurant in Spikemuth. When he saw the basket of Oran Berry, he was astonished. He had never seen such plump, fragrant Oran Berry before.
When Summer said he picked them in Sunset Forest, the old man didn't believe him, muttering that he had lived next to Sunset Forest for sixty-eight years and had never seen such high-quality berries.
However, this incident allowed Summer to become acquainted with the restaurant owner, who was called Gideon. According to him, he had even been a Gym Leader for a while. Truly, one shouldn't judge by appearances.
After breakfast, Summer and Grookey started their daily patrol, which was essentially a walk around Sunset Forest to check for any abnormalities.
Accompanied by Grookey's melodious drumming, Summer walked through the forest, feeling at ease as he scanned his surroundings.
Chirping Rookidee flew over the branches, and Caterpie, hiding in the canopy, no longer seemed arrogant. Their interactions improved their skills as they constantly adapted to survive.
"Morpeko!"
A strolling Morpeko waved its half-eaten berry at Summer. Morpeko in its full-belly mode was undeniably adorable.
"Good morning, Morpeko!"
"Grookey!"
Summer and Grookey greeted Morpeko. After the Pokémon hunter incident, Summer made an agreement with the Pokémon of the forest: to fight with all their might if humans tried to capture them.
This way, even the seemingly cute Morpeko could unleash its power, preventing incidents like Blank's poaching.
However, if a trainer came to Sunset Forest to catch Pokémon, their skill would determine whether they were worthy of capturing the forest's Pokémon.
Sunset Forest wasn't very large. Before noon, Summer had completed his patrol and reached his final destination: the Gracidea flowers field.
As they approached, Grookey already showed a content expression. The effect of Gracidea flowers on Grass-type Pokémon was indeed significant.
Before Summer, the Gracidea flowers grew well, reaching halfway up his calf. The lush green grass was dotted with small pink flowers, scattered across the field.
As he extended his hand to use Rapid Growth, he noticed three fresh green leaves emerging from the grass, with small brown eyes fixed on him.
"Petilil?"
Summer exclaimed with delight. He hadn't expected the Gracidea flowers field to attract Grass-type Pokémon so soon.
Soon, more Petilil emerged from the grass, accompanied by a few Gossifleur and Cottonee floating in the air.
"So many!"
The small grass field hid so many Pokémon. Summer roughly counted about twenty Pokémon, reaffirming the importance of Gracidea flowers to Grass-type Pokémon.
Though Summer naturally exuded a friendly aura to the forest's Pokémon, these Pokémon were timid. As soon as he stepped forward, they retreated into the grass.
"Still wary, but that's normal. They just changed their living environment." Summer was certain that there had been no signs of Pokémon on this field the previous day.
"Grookey!"
Grookey raised its stick and called to Summer.
"Grookey, do you have an idea?"
Grookey nodded. To make friends, music was the way to go. No need for words; the melody alone could convey goodwill.
"Boom... boom... boom..."
The stick hit the drum, producing a sound that spread across the grass field. Under Grookey's skilled performance, the Petilil poked their heads out again, and Gossifleur and Cottonee floated up, dancing to the rhythm.
With the beat, the Petilil swayed their leafy heads, and Gossifleur and Cottonee twirled around Summer like a forest ballet.
"Boom..."
With the final drumbeat, Grookey's performance ended. It looked at the Grass-type Pokémon before it, who all wore expressions of lingering enjoyment, their greatest affirmation.
"This is the power of music."
Summer patted Grookey's head in praise. He looked at the Pokémon and decided it was time to talk to them.
"Hello, I'm Summer, the ranger of this forest. My duty is to protect the forest, so I won't harm you." Summer crouched down with a smile. "The grass field you're living in now was planted by me. The sun's aura feels nice, doesn't it?"
A Petilil came out of the grass and touched Summer's hand with its leafy head.
"See, from today, you are all residents of Sunset Forest. With me here, the environment will keep getting better."
Seeing that Summer meant no harm, the other Grass-type Pokémon also approached. If this grass field was indeed planted by him, they owed him thanks. Like Corvisquire, they had come to Sunset Forest seeking a new home.
Unlike Corvisquire, they had left their original home due to environmental destruction caused by the discovery of a new mineral vein, which quickly deteriorated their habitat.
Grass-type Pokémon are highly sensitive to environmental changes. They rely on clean air, sunlight, soil, and water, making pollution a significant threat to their survival.
[New members added. Received item: Liechi Berry Sapling. Liechi Berry: Loved by Grass-type Pokémon.]
[New members added. Received item: Apple Tree Seedling. Apple: A common fruit that attracts certain Pokémon to settle.]
[New members added. First temporal distortion will occur in seven days.]
The ranger assistant's voice echoed in Summer's mind three times. The first two made sense, but what was a temporal distortion?
[Temporal Distortion: You will travel to another time and place to experience something new. Rewards will be based on your performance.]
Hearing the explanation, Summer pondered deeply. Was this also part of a ranger's duties?
(End of Chapter)
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