Chapter 393:
Hayashi Kaede stood to the side, not interrupting this time.
Instead, he put Leafeon down.
He wanted to see how Serperior would handle this.
Because he realized that Serperior seemed to be the loneliest one in the household.
Back when Alolan Ninetales was still an Alolan Vulpix, Serperior used to take it around, train moves together, or just hang out.
But later, as Alolan Vulpix grew up, developed its own ideas, evolved into Alolan Ninetales, and made new friends, it gradually preferred spending time with the Eevees.
As for the other Pokémon that joined the plantation later, only Steenee talked with Serperior a bit more.
Because it needed to teach Steenee how to use Grassy Terrain.
But even then, Serperior maintained a strictly business-like attitude.
Even Milotic now had Primarina for company.
Hayashi Kaede often saw the two of them together.
Thinking about it, Serperior was almost the first Pokémon to accompany him.
"Serperior..."
Serperior clearly hadn't expected this development, but it didn't panic. Looking at the bright-eyed Leafeon, it paused quietly for a moment, then gently nodded an comforted it, saying, "Serperior." (Then do your best.)
Although it didn't know which aspect of itself had attracted Leafeon,
it didn't really matter anymore.
It didn't care either.
"Eevee...."
...
March 2nd.
Warm sun, gentle breeze.
Spring in the village was the most comfortable time.
The warm, sunny rays bathed the plantation. The lush berry trees grew with dense branches and leaves. By this time, most of the berry trees had fruit hanging from them. The fresh or mellow scents of the berries could carry for kilometers.
This attracted some greedy Pokémon.
They gathered in the woods outside, gazing longingly at the lush orchard.
The berries over there looked big and juicy. In the forest, they had never seen berries this large.
Many Pokémon had already considered making a move, but fearing the Pidgeot often circling the sky, they lost their nerve.
But...
With delicious food right before their eyes, and the saying "fortune favors the bold," there were always some Pokémon who couldn't resist the temptation of the nearby berries and would take their chances.
For example, the group of Pokémon currently stationed by a large tree near the river in the Wilderness Area.
It was a group consisting of a Lechonk, a Skwovet, a Meowth, and a Ponyta.
This was already their fifth time coming here.
But every time they saw the berries across the way, they didn't dare to act.
"Meowth..." (I really want to go over there and pick those berries...)
Meowth lay on the tree branch, drooling as it looked at the berries across the river.
With it was Skwovet, whose desire was even stronger than Meowth's.
It wished it could run over right now.
But the Pidgeot soaring in the sky remained a major obstacle.
They had never seen such a large bird Pokémon before.
It looked like one swipe of its claw would send them straight to meet their ancestors.
Below was Lechonk, who was just passing by, rooting for mushrooms growing on a rotten log on the ground.
Spring, with its renewal of all things, was the best season for mushrooms and truffles to grow.
They were also its favorite food.
One could say its attraction to the berries across the way wasn't that strong.
But it stayed here now purely because Meowth had told it, "Stop rooting around there. The berries on those trees across the river are so big. The fallen logs over there must have even bigger mushrooms growing on them."
So it also felt a yearning for the other side of the river.
As for Ponyta, it had only recently arrived in this forest.
None of the others had seen it before.
And so, the group of Pokémon looked at the orchard across the way, then at the shallow river.
The small river wasn't wide, nor was it swift.
They could easily swim across.
But even so, this small river seemed like an insurmountable chasm blocking their path!
No one knew how much time had passed, but a determined glint appeared in Skwovet's eyes.
"Skwovet!" (I want to go!)
Meowth's expression immediately turned to shock. "Meowth!?" (Aren't you afraid of getting caught!?)
"Skwovet!" (There are so many trees and berries over there. As long as I hide among them, that big bird definitely won't find me.)
Skwovet spoke with conviction, confidence shining in its eyes. "Skwovet!" (Besides, I've observed it. That big bird only stays in the sky for a while each time. We just need to go when it's not in the sky.)
"Skwovet!" (Will you come with me?)
It looked at the Meowth beside it.
Meowth shook its head vigorously.
（;´д｀）ゞ: "Meowth..." (Not going.)
"Skwovet." (Then I'll go by myself!)
Skwovet stopped caring about Meowth's opinion.
It felt it had to go; it was determined to go.
With so many berries right in front of it, even if it resisted today, could it resist tomorrow?
Staring at this veritable treasure trove, it would eventually lose its patience!
"Ponyta!"
Under the tree, Ponyta strongly agreed with Skwovet's idea.
"Ponyta!" (I'm fast. If we get discovered, once you come back, I'll carry you away immediately!)
"Skwovet..."
Skwovet left them with a determined glance and resolutely embarked on its mission.
It watched for the right moment. Seeing that Pidgeot wasn't visible in the sky, it jumped into the river, swam to the opposite bank, and looked at the thorny perimeter of the orchard. It quickly searched along the edge and soon found a gap in the thorns.
Skwovet's eyes lit up.
This hole seemed made just for it.
It carefully squeezed through.
The fresh, sweet scent of the berries grew even stronger.
Looking up, its eyes met a grove of Oran Berry trees.
Although Oran Berries were the most common berry trees in the outside forests, most of those trees had powerful Pokémon nearby, making them hard to pick.
It could only gather the leftover Oran Berries that other Pokémon didn't want and save them.
But this time...
Oran Berries, Oran Berries... its eyes were full of Oran Berries! And they were almost twice as big as the ones outside, looking incredibly delicious!
Its face was full of excitement.
Skwovet quickly scrambled up a tree, using its mouth to pluck one Oran Berry after another, stuffing them into its cheek pouches.
Soon, its mouth was completely full.
But just as it was about to head back, it turned around and saw a Pidgeot that had landed silently at some point, staring directly at it.