Chapter 25
The last missing Pokémon was Snivy.
Mike led Professor Rowan to the tree where Snivy was sitting and looked up.
She sat on a branch with her little legs swinging back and forth, while her large leaf-shaped tail gently fanned behind her.
"Snivy."
Mike called out to her.
Snivy lowered her head and looked at him, a trace of curiosity in her large, bright eyes.
"Sni?"
[Did you call me?]
Snivy looked so adorable that Mike couldn’t help smiling.
"It’s time to go back."
Snivy glanced at Professor Rowan beside him, then nodded and jumped down from the tree.
Just before she hit the ground, two vines extended from the collar-like leaves around her neck and wrapped around a branch, allowing her to lower herself gently to the ground.
Looking at the Snivy in front of him, Mike couldn’t help thinking that she truly lived up to her species.
She was cute, but there was also something naturally elegant and refined about her.
Most of her body was green, while her legs and belly were cream-colored.
The yellow markings around her large eyes looked almost like eye shadow, and the leaves on either side of her neck resembled a collar.
She calmly walked over to Mike and waited for him and Professor Rowan to decide what to do next.
Gengar and Weedle looked disappointed.
Why wasn’t she fighting them?
Mike was surprised too.
’Why is this Snivy so cooperative?’
Curious, he opened her status screen.
{Snivy}
{Type: Grass}
{Gender: Female}
{Ability: Contrary}
{Known Moves: Tackle, Leer, Vine Whip, Wrap, Growth, Magical Leaf, Bullet Seed, Leech Seed, Leaf Blade}
{Mood: Indifferent}
{Condition: Indifferent}
{Affinity: 7 — Brief acquaintance}
{Description: While she was still an Egg, a passing Trainer gave her to an elderly woman. After hatching, she lived with the woman beside the sea. Before the woman passed away, she entrusted Snivy to Professor Juniper.
Since arriving at Professor Juniper’s laboratory, Snivy has always remembered the old woman’s teachings and cooperates willingly with the researchers. However, whenever the laboratory grows quiet at night, her thoughts drift back to the bay where she was born—to the ships, the waves, the beach, the cacti, and the old sea captain who was missing several teeth. She has a gentle and thoughtful personality.}
’So that’s why...’
Mike closed the status screen and glanced at Snivy.
Noticing his gaze, Snivy turned back and looked at him curiously.
Her expression seemed to ask what he was looking at.
"You’re very pretty, Snivy."
Mike caught the soft, adorable expression on her face and quickly pressed the shutter.
Click!
A vine extended from beside Snivy’s neck and rested lightly against her chest. Then she gave Mike a small bow.
"Sni~"
[Thank you for the compliment~]
Her voice was gentle, with a hint of elegance.
Click!
The shutter sounded again.
...
Snivy followed behind Mike and Professor Rowan.
She curiously watched Gengar throw Weedle through the air and then pull him back with String Shot.
Was that really fun?
Judging by the smiles on Gengar’s and Weedle’s faces, it seemed like it was.
Mike walked beside Professor Rowan, folded up the drone, placed it back in the bag, and held the backpack out to Gengar.
Before Gengar could take it, a vine reached over, caught the backpack, and passed it to him.
Mike looked at Snivy.
She was staring back at him with her large eyes.
"Thank you."
"Sni~"
[You’re welcome~]
"What a polite Snivy," Mike said.
If only Tepig and Oshawott had been this cooperative.
"Snivy really is the easiest of the three Unova first-partner Pokémon to manage," Professor Rowan said. "Whether she’s cooperating with research or helping around the laboratory, she always does very well."
"Normally, after a full day of research, she simply sits quietly in a tree. She never makes trouble."
Professor Rowan looked thoughtful.
"I don’t know why she followed Tepig and Oshawott out this time. She doesn’t usually behave this way."
Mike glanced at Snivy and noticed that she was watching Gengar and Weedle.
"Maybe she misses home..." he said softly.
Snivy turned her head and stared at Mike’s back.
"Misses home?" Professor Rowan asked.
"Most gentle Pokémon are especially attached to the place where they were born. If I’m not mistaken, this Snivy was probably born near the sea."
"Oh? How did you know?"
Professor Rowan looked at him with interest.
"When Professor Juniper sent her here, she specifically told me that Snivy wasn’t strictly a laboratory-raised Pokémon. She can leave whenever she wants, and if she decides to go, I’m not supposed to stop her."
"But Professor Juniper was also the one who told me she was born near the sea. How did you know?"
Mike coughed twice.
"I guessed."
Professor Rowan waited for him to continue.
"She was facing the direction of Twinleaf Town, and Twinleaf is close to the sea."
"Looking toward Twinleaf Town doesn’t necessarily mean she was looking at the ocean."
"She was sitting very high up," Mike explained. "Usually, when someone climbs that high, it’s because they want to see something clearly from far away. There aren’t any mountains around Twinleaf, so the sea seemed like the most likely answer."
Mike was very impressed with how quickly he had come up with that explanation.
"I remember now," Professor Rowan said. "Yesterday, I was speaking with Cynthia and mentioned that Twinleaf Town was near the coast. Snivy was nearby at the time."
Realization appeared on his face.
"So she ran out after hearing that?"
’Cynthia?’
’Champion Cynthia? The Champion of Sinnoh?’
Mike suddenly remembered that Cynthia had studied under Professor Rowan.
An image of the powerful blonde woman in a black coat appeared in his mind, standing beside her Garchomp.
He wondered whether he would meet her during his journey.
Professor Rowan looked at Snivy.
"If you wanted to leave, why didn’t you go farther? If you had continued toward Twinleaf Town, you would have been free."
His tone softened.
"You know that if you want to leave, you’re allowed to go."
Snivy shook her head.
However, her gaze remained on Mike.
"You really are..."
Professor Rowan shook his head and said nothing more.
Mike looked toward Gengar, who held the bamboo staff in one hand while swinging Weedle around with the other.
Only a big, round Pokémon like Gengar could swing an equally round Weedle so easily.
Snivy continued watching them while thinking to herself.
’How did he know I was born near the sea?’
’Did he really guess?’
She had climbed up high because she wanted to see the ocean...
’He’s so smart.’
’Just like Grandma was...’
...
When they arrived at the entrance to Professor Rowan’s laboratory, Mike prepared to say goodbye.
"Mike," Professor Rowan said, "tomorrow is the day the new Trainers come to receive their first-partner Pokémon. Would you be interested in helping me as an assistant?"
Professor Rowan believed Mike had a deep understanding of Pokémon, along with strong powers of observation and reasoning.
Since tomorrow was the day the new Trainers in Sandgem Town would receive their first Pokémon, Mike could help around the laboratory.
"Receiving first-partner Pokémon? As your assistant? Me?"
Mike pointed at himself in surprise.
"But I’m not a member of the laboratory staff."
"You would only be acting as my assistant temporarily," Professor Rowan said with a smile.
"Besides, watching new Trainers receive their first Pokémon is quite interesting."
He glanced at the camera around Mike’s neck.
"You enjoy taking pictures, don’t you? Even if you don’t want to be my assistant, you can still come and watch."
Mike answered without hesitation.
"All right, Professor. I’ll be here on time tomorrow."
He was genuinely curious about what receiving a first-partner Pokémon looked like in real life.
Since Professor Rowan had invited him, he naturally wanted to come and see it.
"You need to arrive by seven in the morning," Professor Rowan said. "Can you wake up that early?"
"Yes, Professor!"
Mike straightened and gave him a salute.
Gengar saw him and immediately copied the gesture.
"Gar!"
[Yes, Professor!]
Weedle followed along as well, straightening his whole body upright.
"Wee—"
[Yes, Professor!]
Professor Rowan smiled.
"See you tomorrow, Assistant Mike."
"See you tomorrow, Professor."
Mike looked toward Snivy and spoke softly.
"See you tomorrow, Snivy."
"Sni~"
[See you tomorrow~]
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Here guys another Chapter, throw some stones while at it!