Just a moment ago, Hayato felt as if he had been submerged in a frozen lake. But now, his heart felt as if spring had finally arrived.
He now had some form of security in this world, even if it was just for a little while.
And so...
"Cramorant!" Hayato commanded, "Use Spatial Rend!"
"Gah?"
The Cramorant cradled its head with its wing, looking just like Misty's Psyduck when it used its Psychic powers.
One second passed, then two, then three. The silence was so loud, it was as if a flock of Murkrow flew overhead.
Cramorant tilted its head, its eyes glassy and vacant.
Hayato was speechless.
Could it be? Was his Trainer level too low for the Cramorant to listen to him?
Hayato paused, remembering the 100 affinity rating in Cramorant's info panel. He crouched down and pointed at himself. "Do you know me?"
Cramorant stopped holding its head and instead began pecking at a rock on the ground.
"..."
Hayato reached out and gently stroked it. Seeing that the Pokémon didn't resist, he picked it up off the ground.
"Gah?"
Cramorant let out a questioning cry.
Hayato asked, "Can you understand me?"
Cramorant stared blankly for a moment, then turned its head and began preening its feathers with its beak.
Hayato watched, a theory forming in his mind.
Cramorant wasn't resisting his touch, which meant it knew who he was. However, it wasn't responding to his commands or his voice. There could only be two reasons for this.
One, Cramorant couldn't understand him.
Two, Cramorant couldn't hear him.
Hayato, who had never been a Trainer before, was baffled. Was the ability for Pokémon to naturally understand human language, a common trope in the anime and games, not real?
Or was it because this Cramorant wasn't a real Pokémon?
It's a well-known fact that Pokémon in video games are just emotionless data, with all their behaviors and abilities pre-programmed by developers.
With that in mind, Hayato picked up a nearby rock and, when Cramorant wasn't looking, threw it into the river. The rock hit the water with a clear splash.
Hayato watched Cramorant closely. The moment the sound reached it, the Pokémon's head shot up and it looked in the direction of the noise.
So it couldn't understand him.
But why? It didn't make any sense.
Now wasn't the time to dwell on it.
Hayato decided that he would seek out other Trainers for answers once he got out of the forest. He returned Cramorant to its Poké Ball and continued to follow the river.
Water is the most important thing for any living creature. Throughout history, human tribes and villages were built near water sources.
His chances of leaving the forest were much higher if he followed the river than if he wandered around aimlessly.
After his encounter with the Beedrill, he was much more cautious, moving as quietly as possible. Even so, he still attracted the attention of some wild Pokémon.
A Zigzagoon in the bushes, a Wurmple squirming on a tree, a Lotad drinking by the water's edge, and even a rare Mawile.
The Pokémon didn't attack Hayato. Instead, they watched him from a distance with curiosity.
Hayato was captivated.
This was what a real Pokémon ecosystem looked like! It was something the games could never capture! He desperately wanted to pet them!
As much as he wanted to, logic told him that if he tried, he would be met with an attack.
After walking for a while, the burning pain around Hayato's waist grew more intense. When he lifted his shirt, he saw that the purple area of the sting was starting to spread.
This was not a good sign. He had to get out of here quickly before things got worse.
His stomach was also rumbling.
The last of summer's heat hadn't fully dissipated. As noon approached, the air grew hotter and heavier.
It was a suffocating heat, not a normal one. With thirty years of life experience, Hayato knew this was a sure sign of a coming rainstorm.
"Mawile and Zigzagoon, could this be the Hoenn region?" Hayato wondered.
But his theory was quickly proven wrong when he spotted a Greedent on a tree branch.
Greedent, a Pokémon that first appeared in Pokémon Sword and Shield, is native to the Galar region.
However, Hayato knew that reality was different from the games. Newer games often included Pokémon from previous generations, but not vice versa.
This meant that a Pokémon from the Galar or Unova regions could appear in another region.
Hayato was now both hungry and thirsty, having not eaten or had a drink since morning. He spotted the Greedent holding a Berry.
Greedent's habits were similar to real-life squirrels. They stored food in autumn for the winter.
Following it might lead him to some food. If he was lucky, he might even find a Pecha Berry to cure the poison.
After only two seconds of hesitation, Hayato decided to follow the Greedent. At his current pace, it could take ages to get out of the forest.
Perhaps because this area was very familiar to it, the Greedent wasn't very cautious. It held a pink Berry and jumped from branch to branch.
Hayato followed closely, hiding behind a large tree. He watched as the Greedent put the Berry into a hollow in the tree. Once it was done, it left.
Hayato ran over and, muttering an apology, reached his arm into the hollow and felt around until he found a Berry.
[ Oran Berry: Restores a small amount of a Pokémon's HP when eaten. ]
The information appeared in Hayato's mind.
It wasn't what he was looking for. He put the Oran Berry in his left hand and reached in with his right.
Just then, a heartbroken shriek came from the branch above.
Hayato looked up and locked eyes with the returning Greedent.
"..."
"..."
How awkward.
He, a grown man with two healthy hands and feet, had been reduced to stealing a "squirrel's" "winter chestnuts."
And to make matters worse, he was caught in the act.
This was the first time in his thirty years that Hayato had ever done something like this. He instinctively pulled his hand out of the hollow and held up his empty right hand, hoping to get away with it.
But Pokémon aren't like ordinary animals; they're very intelligent. The Greedent pointed its paw at his left arm and chittered accusingly.
Hayato was at a loss.
Before he could react, the angry Greedent leaped from the tree. Hayato stumbled, and the Greedent's momentum sent him to the ground. The little Pokémon's tiny fists hammered against his forehead.
Hayato quickly grabbed it by the armpits and held up the Oran Berry. "Stop! My bad, I'll give it back!"
He was in the wrong here, after all.
Greedent took the Berry, snorted, and then its nose twitched. It looked down at the human's waist, smelling "poison" and "blood."
Hayato noticed its action and lifted his shirt, exposing the poisoned wound. He put on his best pitiful act.
"I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to steal from you. I'm poisoned, and if I don't get an antidote soon, I'll die."
As he spoke, he was secretly testing his theory. If Cramorant couldn't understand him, could other wild Pokémon?
The answer was yes.
He saw the Greedent hesitate. It then scurried into the tree hollow, rummaged for a moment, and came back out with a pink Berry in its arms.
It looked at the Berry with a longing expression. After a moment, as if making a monumental decision, it pushed the Berry toward him resolutely.
[ Pecha Berry: Has the amazing ability to cure poison. ]
Hayato was shocked. "For me?" Could a wild Pokémon really be this kind?
Greedent nodded and chittered twice. It then pointed at a tiny pink bow-shaped bandage on its right leg. The bandage had been covered by its fluffy fur, so Hayato hadn't noticed it before.
That kind of knot could only be tied by a human.
Hayato froze. From the Greedent's actions, he began to guess what had happened.
This Greedent must have been rescued by a human before, which was why it was so kind to him and was helping him now.
A surge of excitement rose within him at the thought of this possibility.
(End of Chapter)