Chapter 7: Chapter 7
The PokéBall trembled on the ground three times before returning to Alex's hand. However, by this time, Tropius was visibly exhausted. Alex clenched his teeth and threw the PokéBall again, and Tropius materialized once more. After re-entering the Poké Ball, it shook three times again before returning to Alex's hand once more. Tropius, though weary, refused to give in. Alex threw the Poké Ball again. This time, Tropius seemed to have very little energy left, and after shaking three times, the PokéBall finally came to a stop. "Phew!" Alex breathed a sigh of relief, finally capturing the Pokémon he desired. However, at this moment, Alex also felt a bit lightheaded and, eventually, watched Sam fall with a grin.
The afterglow of the setting sun bathed Alex's face, and his eyes fluttered open. "Huh?" he uttered.
"Finally awake!" Sam, sitting by the bed, heaved a sigh of relief. "Are you feeling thirsty?"
Alex nodded, and Kirlia promptly brought a glass of water. Alex drank it eagerly. "Did I sleep for a long time?" he inquired.
"No, just a few hours, but your fainting this time seems related to your ability," Sam explained seriously.
"Well, I'll be more careful in the future," Alex responded earnestly.
"Alright, now that you've recovered, let's get up and have dinner. It's already dinner time," Sam suggested.
"How's Bellossom?" Alex inquired as he watched Sam rise.
"It looks like you're not the only one eager to know!" Sam commented as he opened the door. Bellossom was waiting outside. "I wanted her to rest, so I didn't let her in earlier, but it appears she's recovering well. Pokémon have strong recovery abilities!"
Meilihua immediately ran to Alex, who got out of bed and affectionately stroked her head. "Thank you for your hard work," Alex said, and Bellossom handed him a Poké Ball.
"Your lovely Bellossom won't let go of this Poké Ball, even to save her life! She's truly loyal to her master and her family," Sam remarked, sounding a bit melancholic.
"Haha, of course, Bellossom did great, haha!" Alex chuckled, then accepted the PokéBall and headed to the living room with Bellossom. They enjoyed a light dinner, and everyone seemed to be in high spirits. Kirlia, who had been quite concerned about Alex earlier, also felt relieved.
Alex sensed that the grass energy within him was almost depleted, but he experienced a unique sensation. Unable to sleep in his bed that night, he embarked on his own training. The lush green energy of the forest rapidly gathered in Alex's body. He guided it slowly into his heart and, step by step, directed it until it condensed into a bead. This bead resembled a seed, and as Alex held it, he heard the sound coming from inside the PokéBall.
"I am the ruler of this forest, and a trainer like you has conquered me. I won't surrender!" the PokéBall trembled violently.
Alex suddenly realized that he could hear the voices of Pokémon. Was this his new ability? If so, he needed to make the most of it.
Alex covered the Poké Ball with his palm and communicated silently, "Tropius, regardless of the outcome, you were defeated by me. Although I'm not a powerful trainer yet, I'm certain that I'll become a formidable Grass Pokémon master soon. Will you assist me?" Alex tried this silently, unsure if it would work.
"Hmph!" The PokéBall stopped shaking. "Why should I believe you can become a powerful Grass Pokémon master?" it responded.
"I believe you've noticed my unique abilities! In addition to communicating with you now, I possess special Grass-type abilities. This is my strength, and you need to accept it," Alex asserted.
"Hmph, now that I think about it, you do seem different. I was planning to release you somewhere else when I'm let out of the PokéBall tomorrow! It appears I need to reconsider that," the Tropius conceded, and then the PokéBall fell silent. Alex felt that his performance had likely persuaded the Tropius. After all, a Pokémon of such strength might grow lonely just dwelling in the forest all day.
Alex felt reinvigorated with energy. He woke up after only a short rest. A bird chirped and flew past his window. Alex was momentarily stunned. "Huh? Can I understand Pokémon now?" he wondered. After some contemplation, he added, "Is it just Grass Pokémon? After all, all my abilities are connected to grass energy, so it's likely why I can communicate with Grass Pokémon."
"Alex, I'm entrusting today's patrol to you. Pidgoat will accompany you," Sam shouted from the kitchen.
"Alright! Tropius, come on out!" Alex declared. "You're in charge of today's first patrol." Tropius didn't seem overly excited but made a couple of passes in the air before stopping. "You'll have to keep up!" Alex urged.
Alex quickly sprang to his feet, a Bellossom Poké Ball affixed to his belt. Tropius seemed to be flying at quite a clip, frequently changing course mid-air. Instead of feeling intimidated, Alex exclaimed, "Wow, this is amazing, so cool!" His enthusiasm left Tropius somewhat exasperated. However, Alex suddenly sensed something amiss. "Hold on a moment, Tropius is slowing down. Let me take a closer look!" Tropius heeded the caution in Alex's words and descended near a large tree. Alex scrutinized the surroundings more closely and discovered a pile of burnt wood still smoldering. It appeared to have been completely incinerated. Alex instructed Tropius to land cautiously and hid in the nearby grass. Slowly, he gained a clearer view. Next to the burnt area stood a tent, and Alex circled around to the back. Nearby, he spotted a van laden with cages. Alex's sense of danger immediately heightened.
"Don't move!" Alex felt a presence behind him, and something pressed against the back of his head. "What's this? A child?" the man said with a smirk. "Oh, you have Pokémon too!" With that, he swiped the Poké Ball from Alex's belt.
Upon seeing Tropius missing from the sky, Pidgoat initiated a search. He observed the scene from atop a tree and promptly departed. At this moment, Alex deeply regretted his actions. When he landed earlier, Tropius had still been in the air. Instead of checking swiftly and returning, he had ventured below. He now realized he had been too naive. The man was attempting to open the PokéBall to reveal its contents. Alex thought, "Bellossom, as soon as you emerge, use Dissolving Liquid on the object in his hand!"
The man chuckled, "What's this?" As soon as Bellossom emerged, she employed Dissolving Liquid on the firearm in the man's grasp. The liquid promptly dissolved the gun, and the man attempted to fire, but the pistol malfunctioned, producing no bullets. It was clear the firearm was now useless. "Huh, this is unexpected. I want this Pokémon!" the man exclaimed angrily.
"Is that so? Let's see if you're up to the challenge!" Alex responded, gesturing with his right hand as he hurled a Grass-type sickle. It struck the bearded man squarely, sending him crashing into the tent, demolishing it in the process.
Alex approached the tent, intending to capitalize on the situation and pursue the man. However, at that moment, a large Mightyena leaped out of the tent. It lunged at Alex with its jaws wide open. In the midst of this chaos, Alex hadn't anticipated that a Pokémon would emerge from the tent. With no time to use a special move, he could only shut his eyes. Fortunately, Tropius, flying overhead, joined the fray. A burst of sunlight from Tropius sent the Mightyena flying several feet away.
Alex let out a relieved sigh and continued toward the tent. Upon entering, he found it empty. It seemed that the man had managed to hide during the brief distraction. As Alex was about to leave the tent, he heard the sound of an engine starting up. Without a moment to lose, he dashed outside but couldn't catch up in time, watching the man drive away. Realizing there was little hope of catching the culprit, Alex returned to the tent to assess what remained.
"Woof woof!" The bearded man on the other side of the car spat out a mouthful of saliva as he accelerated, coughing a few times with bloodshot eyes. "Being outsmarted by a kid is just bad luck. I wonder what kind of weapons he had in his possession!" This hunting expedition was initially going well, but due to the hunter's greed and insistence on staying longer, Alex, who had risen early, had managed to thwart him. None of the prey that the infuriated hunter had captured remained with him now. Alex was in the process of releasing them one by one. Amid his busyness, he heard a voice from outside, "Alex, Alex?" It was Sam, calling out anxiously. Alex hurriedly responded, "This way!"
"Oh! Are you alright?" Sam asked with concern.
"I'm fine, but something happened to these Pokémon!" Xiaoxiang replied. Following his gaze, Alex noticed that the Pokémon bore various scars.
"Is it a Pokémon poacher?" San inquired with a furrowed brow.
"Yes, and he was quite cunning. I couldn't catch him!" Sam admitted.
"Alright, let's bring these Pokémon back first!" San said, gathering all the Poké Balls into a bag. After searching every nook and cranny, Alex eventually stumbled upon something unusual. "What's this?"
"Oh? A Pokémon egg?" Sam remarked, equally surprised.
"Yes, it appears to be quite rare. It probably doesn't differ much from what the hunter had in his possession. Consider it your trophy that you can keep!" Sam suggested.
"Haha, alright!" Alex accepted it happily.
The two of them returned to the wooden house with all the Pokémon, liberating them from their PokéBalls and then proceeding to examine each one's condition. Many of the Grass-types lacked vitality, and Bellossom immediately sprang into action. The fruits from the tree they had planted were put to good use, not only restoring their physical vigor but also healing their injuries. As the sun dipped below the horizon, they finally completed their work. Seeing the Pokémon resting comfortably on the straw mats laid out by Kirlia, everyone could finally rest. However, to safeguard these little creatures, Alex and Bellossom volunteered to stand guard for the night.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone