“Lend me a hand, Serperior.” Serperior gave a slight nod.
A Vine Whip shot out from the leafy collar around its neck, instantly snatching a small white object drifting through the air before retracting and placing it into Michael’s hand.
Michael carefully pinched the tiny white object between his fingers.
Feeling its uniquely fluffy, soft texture, a delighted gleam flashed across his eyes.
Originally, his targets had been Pokémon like Smoliv, Skiddo, Capsakid, Toedscool, or Tropius.
Grass-type Pokémon with established habitats throughout the Paldea region.
He hadn’t expected this outing to bring such an unexpected surprise.
The owner of these mysterious white tufts floating through the air was a Pokémon perfectly suited for ranch life.
It was also the signature Pokémon of the incredibly popular Milo Ranch, which had gained a huge following online.
“A Pokémon from the Galar region…
That’s pretty rare in Paldea.” Smiling, Michael patted Arven on the shoulder, signaling for him and Mabosstiff to follow, before leading Serperior toward the direction from which the fluff had drifted.
It wasn’t long before they arrived at a vast expanse of grassland.
Dense grass reaching nearly to their calves carpeted the earth.
Every now and then, tiny Combee or Yanma skimmed low over the fields, while in the distance a crimson figure, like an orchestra conductor, let out a sharp cry.
Following a Combee sometimes led to the location of a Vespiquen, which in turn meant sweet honey.
Normally, Michael would definitely have tried following them.
But they had more important business today.
Pulling his gaze away, he scanned the prairie and quickly locked onto his target.
Two tiny Gossifleur, each sporting a five-petaled yellow flower and five red leafy bracts that resembled hair, were happily basking in the sunlight as they played together.
Behind them stood an Eldegoss, a smile on its face as it watched over the pair.
Its head was crowned with a massive ball of fluffy white cotton, while a yellow cloak draped over its body.
Arven was about to speak when Michael stopped him.
Placing a finger against his lips, he silently motioned for Arven to lower his voice so they wouldn’t scare the Eldegoss and Gossifleur away.
Arven nodded repeatedly with a tense expression.
Grabbing hold of Mabosstiff’s tail before it could rush off after a butterfly, he whispered, “Big Bro, what Pokémon are those?” He had never seen anything like them before.
His curiosity had completely taken over.
Without taking his eyes off the three Pokémon, Michael quietly explained, “The two smaller flower-like Pokémon are called Gossifleur.
The one watching over them is Eldegoss.
They’re both Pokémon native to the Galar region.” “They’re almost never found in Paldea.
Being able to encounter them here…
you could say Lady Luck is smiling on us.” Arven nodded in understanding.
The Galar region…
He had never been there before.
The instant Serperior heard the words Lady Luck, its entire body stiffened.
The tip of its tail began flicking back and forth irritably.
‘A goddess?
Where’s this goddess?
Come out and fight me!’ (▼皿▼#) While Serperior radiated boundless jealousy at absolutely everything, Arven suddenly let out a restrained gasp.
“They’re flying away!” A rustling swept across the peaceful prairie.
A powerful gust of wind blew through.
The two Gossifleur cried out excitedly as the breeze carried them into the air.
Spinning in circles, they drifted along with the wind while happily singing cheerful little tunes.
As for Eldegoss, it seemed almost completely free from gravity.
Despite being much larger than the Gossifleur, it floated effortlessly after them, faithfully following close behind.
Arven stared in amazement.
“That’s incredible!
How is Eldegoss flying?” That was because, despite being Gossifleur’s evolved form, Eldegoss’s height and weight barely changed.
The enormous tuft of cotton on its head only made it look heavy.
In reality, it was still light enough to ride the wind just like Gossifleur.
Michael didn’t have time to explain all that.
He sprang to his feet, ignoring the numbness in his legs from crouching in the grass for so long, and called out in a low voice, “After them!” “Huh?
O-Okay!” Arven stared blankly as Michael and Serperior shot forward like arrows released from a bow.
By the time he reacted a split second later, the two of them were already far ahead.
There was no time to stand there in confusion.
Releasing Mabosstiff’s tail, Arven immediately sprinted after Michael.
The excited Mabosstiff stayed close at his side, dutifully carrying out its role as Arven’s protector.
…
After a lengthy chase, Arven bent over with his hands on his knees, gasping for air.
His heart felt like it was about to leap out of his chest.
Michael gradually steadied his own breathing before laughing.
“You’ve got no stamina, kid.
You’re already exhausted after running such a short distance.” Arven immediately protested.
“Oh, and you do?
You still lost track of the Eldegoss!
What gives you the right to make fun of me?” Michael’s face immediately stiffened.
Still refusing to admit defeat, he argued, “That’s different!
Who could’ve predicted such a strong gust of wind?
It just happened to blow them straight into this forest.” “With two unavoidable factors happening at the same time, of course we’d lose them.” Only then did Arven finally take a proper look at their surroundings.
As far as the eye could see, towering trees filled the forest.
There were countless obstacles, and the terrain was incredibly complicated.
It wasn’t strange at all that they’d lost sight of the Pokémon.
After finally catching his breath, Arven blinked.
“So…
what do we do now?
Did we come all this way for nothing?” Crossing his arms, Michael thought for a moment before sighing.
“Let’s keep searching nearby.
The wind’s died down now, so Eldegoss and the others shouldn’t have drifted too far.” “But if we still can’t find them after another hour, we’ll head back.
It’s getting late.
It’s very easy to lose your sense of direction in the wilderness after dark.” Arven nodded, only half understanding.
He had never really experienced how dangerous the wilderness became at night.
Michael had no intention of splitting up to search separately.
While doing so would certainly improve efficiency, they were in the wild.
Unexpected dangers could appear at any moment.
Arven wasn’t yet the dependable Trainer he would become in the future.
When faced with real danger, he still lacked many important skills and much-needed experience.
As Arven’s big bro, and his future teacher, Michael believed it was his responsibility to look after him.
The search might be slower this way, but at least it was safe.
The two of them, together with Mabosstiff and Serperior, searched for another half hour.
They found nothing.
Looking up at the sky, which had gradually turned golden with the approaching evening, Michael knew it was time to leave.
It seemed they simply weren’t destined to meet.
Smiling helplessly, Michael turned toward Arven.
“Let’s go.
It’s time to head back.” Arven nodded and followed after him.
“Ser!” Suddenly, Serperior raised its head.
Its crimson eyes fixed on a distant section of the forest.
Michael immediately stopped walking.
“You sensed their presence?” He looked toward Serperior.
Serperior nodded.
Its deep crimson gaze remained locked on that patch of woods without blinking.
Besides the aura of those three Grass-type Pokémon, it had also sensed an unfamiliar presence.
One that, in all likelihood, was not one of Eldegoss’s companions.