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Flower Village truly lived up to its name—it was a place where flowers bloomed everywhere. As Sato walked through the village, he noticed that almost every household had its own small garden in front of the door.
Because the Hoenn region lies close to the equator, its climate was springlike all year round. Under such conditions, flowers could bloom in nearly every season.
Here in Flower Village, Sato finally understood what a hundred flowers competing in spring truly meant. There was an astonishing variety of flowers, many of which he didn't even know the names of.
Yet, despite the beauty of the flowers, the villagers themselves were far less warm. Along the way, aside from innocent children, every other villager looked at him as if guarding against a thief. This struck Sato as extremely strange.
After wandering around the village, Sato finally found Takeda Jiro's house toward the southwest end of the village. Like the other homes, there was also a small private garden in front of his door.
However, this garden was peculiar—it contained only a single type of flower. And this particular flower was one Sato recognized. If he remembered correctly, the vivid scarlet, hexagon-shaped flower before him was called a Gracidea Flower.
In fact, Sato had seen this unusual flower in other villagers' gardens as well, though never planted as densely as in Takeda Jiro's garden.
"Gracidea Flowers… Flower Village. Could this village be connected to the Legendary Pokémon Shaymin?"
As he gazed at the large patch of blooming Gracidea Flowers, Sato fell into deep thought.
In his memory, Gracidea Flowers were extremely rare and difficult to cultivate. Under normal circumstances, they were hardly ever seen. Yet here, in a village that seemed extremely unwelcoming to outsiders, they appeared in abundance.
The mass presence of such a valuable flower immediately made him think of the Legendary Pokémon Shaymin. The Guardian of Flower Fields lived precisely in meadows where Gracidea Flowers grew, and Shaymin's form transformation also required these flowers.
Given Flower Village's conditions, it was entirely plausible that Shaymin might be drawn here. Shaymin were known to live in groups within flower fields.
Once they matured, Shaymin typically left their birth meadow to find a flower field of their own—one that must contain Gracidea Flowers.
And wherever Shaymin lived, the flowers there would always bloom more beautifully and remain in full bloom for far longer than elsewhere.
That said, Shaymin, despite being Legendary Pokémon, were among the weaker and more vulnerable ones.
They were naturally averse to combat and had extremely low fighting intent. Even if captured, they would likely be kept more as companions than as battlers.
Still, Shaymin were undeniably adorable. If one were to participate in Pokémon Contests, its appeal would likely rival even Milotic.
"If that's truly the case, it would explain why the villagers are so hostile toward outsiders. Every household grows large amounts of flowers, and the massive flower fields near the village entrance make it obvious—the village's primary income must come from selling flowers."
"And it's close to Mauville City, a major urban center. The flower market here must be excellent. If Shaymin really live here, then the flower yield would be astonishing, and the villagers would benefit greatly."
"In that case, they'd naturally want to keep outsiders from learning the village's secret. Once Shaymin were exposed, this village's peace would be gone forever."
After linking the villagers' cold attitude, the village's economy, and Shaymin together, Sato quickly arrived at a reasonable conclusion.
"Ho ho, young man—are you Tyler by any chance?"
Just as Sato continued thinking, a somewhat familiar elderly voice pulled him back to reality.
He immediately turned toward the source of the voice and saw a kindly old man in casual clothes smiling at him from his doorway.
"Ah, yes. You must be Mr. Takeda Jiro. I'm Tyler. Pardon the intrusion."
Realizing that this was the very person he had come to find, Sato respectfully bowed as a junior and replied with a smile.
"What a polite young man. That's right—I'm Takeda Jiro. Come on in."
Takeda Jiro was clearly pleased with Sato's manners. Stroking his beard happily, he warmly invited Sato—his investor—into the house.
It was already noon, right at lunchtime. As soon as Sato entered, he saw a stylishly dressed elderly woman directing a Machamp to place dishes on the table.
"Oh? Old man, this must be the investor you mentioned earlier. What a fine young fellow."
"Young man, you haven't eaten yet, have you? If you don't mind, join us. I'm quite confident in my cooking."
After confirming with Takeda Jiro, the old woman immediately turned to Sato with a warm smile.
"Then I won't stand on ceremony."
Sato was indeed a little hungry, so he accepted with a nod.
"Pika~!"
Pikachu on his shoulder stared at the delicious-looking food on the table with undisguised longing. When it saw Sato agree, it immediately cried out happily.
"Oh my~ young man, you've raised this Pikachu exceptionally well. Its fur color and physical development are both outstanding. If I'm not mistaken, you must regularly feed it specialized Pokémon food."
"And its fur is brimming with powerful electrical energy—otherwise it wouldn't shine like this. Its electricity reserves are probably several times greater than those of an ordinary Pikachu. It must be carrying an Thunder Orb, Pikachu's inherited treasure."
"But an ordinary Thunder Orb wouldn't be enough to give it such astonishing power. Even with its Lightning Rod ability and excellent aptitude, this is extraordinary. Incredible, young man—you've actually obtained a Top Tier Pikachu Thunder Orb."
The moment Pikachu spoke, the old woman suddenly flashed to Sato's side at an abnormal speed. Her eyes sparkled as she stared at Pikachu, rapidly rattling off remarks that left Sato utterly stunned.