Chapter 40: The Valley's Miserable ConditionChapter
"This is truly..."
The scene that met Rio's eyes put him in a terrible mood:
It was already nearing dusk, and the dim twilight cast a deathly, still atmosphere over the valley.
On the left, many of the once neat rows of trees had now fallen, overturning the soft, lush green lawn that the Oddish loved to rest on. Various types of verdant leaves, favored by Caterpie, Weedle, and other Bug-type Pokémon, were scattered all over the ground, mixed with mud, creating a filthy mess.
On the right side of the valley, the small stone and wood huts originally built by the Pokémon had been damaged beyond recognition. The wooden posts that served as supports were corroded black by venom, emitting a rotten stench. The training ground in front of the huts was pocked with holes, uneven and cratered. What angered Rio even more was that the various pieces of fitness equipment he had painstakingly set up were now broken and ruined, completely messed up by the Pokémon from the Toxic Swamp.
Walking through, the Pokémon of Sunrise Valley were all dejected—Caterpie and Weedle lay paralyzed on the ground, staring blankly with their round, large eyes; the Poliwag and Goldeen in the water had lost their usual vitality, listlessly blowing bubbles by the lake's edge; the usually active Mankey, Geodude, and Machop wandered aimlessly among the scattered rocks. The entire valley's atmosphere felt extremely oppressive and heavy, and the once bright blue Aura of the Pokémon appeared dim and lackluster in Rio's eyes.
As he passed by a fallen large tree, Rio noticed a few Oddish squatting beside it, dazed. The leaves on their heads, usually standing tall and straight, now drooped listlessly, their small eyes filled with dejection.
These were the same Oddish who had fled with Rio before.
Noticing Rio approaching, the largest of the Oddish, their eldest brother, managed a weak greeting, "Rio, you're back?"
Previously, when Rio had set out to investigate, the large pile of Berries in his backpack had been picked with the help of these very Oddish.
Remembering this, Rio quickly took out several large Berries from his backpack and handed them to the Oddish. "Here, eat something first."
The eldest Oddish brother picked up a Berry with the leaves on its head and brought it to its mouth but found it hard to swallow. "Sigh, Sister Flower was captured. We don't know what to do now..."
"Damn it, if only we weren't so weak and couldn't beat those wretched guys, otherwise how could things have turned out like this..." The other few Oddish looked indignant.
And the youngest Oddish sister burst into tears, "Boohoohoo, I want Sister Flower..."
Rio was silent. The three captured Pokémon were the very core of Sunrise Valley:
Flower (Vileplume) was gentle and kind, taking care of various daily matters for the Pokémon in the valley, and looking after the growth of the young ones. Although she would sometimes get angry due to the Pokémon's mischief, in the end, she would always soften and heal these naughty, injured Pokémon in the valley.
Scyther looked cold and unapproachable, but whenever hostile Pokémon attacked, it was Scyther who stepped forward to repel the enemy. Moreover, it constantly guarded the entrance of Sunrise Valley, nipping all potential threats in the bud, protecting the safety of Sunrise Valley's Pokémon.
Although Machop hadn't been there long, his extremely profound knowledge and rich combat experience made him very popular among the Pokémon in the valley. For example, those few resting huts were all built under Machop's guidance.
Looking at the grieving Oddish before him, at the listless Pokémon, at the valley that was once beautiful but now a mess everywhere, at that aura called unwillingness.
For the first time, Rio felt he should do something.
Since coming to this Pokémon world, whether it was entering Sunrise Valley, conducting investigations, or participating in battles, these were all just actions of going with the flow, doing what the situation "needed" him to do. In the deepest part of his heart, he still merely considered it an interesting adventure, or perhaps, an interesting "game."
At this moment, his heart was ignited by the miserable state of Sunrise Valley. This inner flame made him urgently want to do something.
In this instant, he finally recognized that this "human" life was now real life, and it was time for him, too, to take a real step in this world.
"Hey, listen to me," Rio squatted down, stroking the little Oddish sister's head with his right paw, his tone gentle but exceptionally firm. "I don't know if I can defeat those guys, but I will find a way."
The little Oddish sister looked up with tear-filled eyes. "Can you rescue Sister Flower and the others?"
Rio unconsciously gripped the necklace around his neck with his left hand. "I will do my best. Besides, in this world, you don't necessarily need to defeat the enemy to save them. I will think of a way, I promise."
"I will save them, believe me!"
"Yes, believe me!"
Rio repeated in a certain tone.
The light of the setting sun shone on the crystalline blue gem pendant of his necklace, refracting an azure blue glow.
Whether it was an illusion or something else, when Rio's heart became resolute, the gem's light seemed to shine even brighter.
"Hmm?"
Rio stared intently but found nothing different.
When he came back to his senses, he was greatly surprised. In the time he hadn't noticed, many Pokémon from Sunrise Valley had gathered around him, forming a large, dense circle.
Seeing so many Pokémon hear his bold words, Rio couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.
"Clap!" A Geodude that often sparred with Rio leaped up and clapped its hand on Rio's shoulder, scolding with a laugh, "Good kid, you've got guts."
"Count me in if there's a fight!" The warlike Mankey shouted excitedly from the side.
Poliwag happily slapped the water surface with its tail. "Although you're also a mischievous one, Rio, we believe you can do it."
Other Pokémon also shouted loudly, cheering for themselves or their companions.
Seeing the Pokémon of Sunrise Valley, whose spirits had been so low, all regain their usual liveliness, Rio felt a touch of emotion in his heart. It turned out that, without realizing it, he had already left a deep mark on this world.
"Everyone!"
A somewhat older Pokémon shouted loudly.
"Let's not talk about fighting for now. The most important thing right now is to clean up and reorganize our home. We can't let them face such a mess when they return!"
"Alright!" The Pokémon shouted in unison, their morale high as they dispersed to tidy up the messy areas.
The eldest Oddish brother here also led his younger siblings to pick up the scattered broken branches and fallen leaves, forcefully pushing away the toppled trees, and using Grass-type energy to re-grow the grass.
"I'll help too!" Takuma rolled up his sleeves, and the wristband on his arm transformed into mechanical gloves. These mechanical gloves made a few sounds, and incredibly, Takuma, a mere child, was able to independently lift a log as thick as a person and move it to the side.
When the Pokémon first saw Takuma, this human child, and realized he could communicate fluently with Pokémon, they were quite surprised. However, after seeing Takuma friendly helping out everywhere, they relaxed and joined him in cleaning up the messy valley.
Rio naturally didn't stay idle either. With the mindset that tidying up was also training, he carried logs here, smashed rubble there, and kept busy until nightfall, only then remembering a question: "By the way, where did the Squirtle Boss go?"
A Geodude, carrying a pile of wooden stakes past him, pointed towards the water pool, indicating it had just seen the Squirtle Boss's figure by the edge of the pool.
Rio rubbed his famished stomach, took out a Berry, and walked towards the water pool while eating.