Chapter 169: Deep in the Secret Woods
"Bronzor, use your psychic power to scan the area. Excadrill, keep an eye on the ground for vibrations," Basalt commanded, putting his Pokémon on high alert as they prepared to venture deeper into the primeval forest. Although he had been told the Pokémon here were peaceful, he wasn't taking any chances.
"Brooonz."
"Excaaa."
The two Pokémon nodded, their expressions serious. A gentle, imperceptible wave of psychic power emanated from Bronzor, spreading out into the surrounding woods.
"Alright, let's move out."
The group proceeded slowly, mainly due to Lileep's sluggish pace. Basalt had considered recalling it, but for some reason, only Lileep could sense whatever it was that was drawing them deeper into the forest. Bronzor's psychic senses were coming up empty. So, he had no choice but to be patient and treat it as a leisurely stroll.
After a few hundred meters, they began to encounter the forest's inhabitants.
"Seedot~"
A group of small, brown, acorn-like creatures appeared. They were Seedot, a Grass-type Pokémon. They loved to use their resemblance to acorns to hang from branches and startle passersby. But their every move had already been detected by Bronzor, and Basalt had been forewarned.
Not only that, but Bronzor had also spotted a Nuzleaf hiding in the canopy above. Just as the long-nosed Pokémon was about to jump out and scare them, Basalt let out a loud shout, startling it instead.
"Nuz!" The Nuzleaf scrambled away, then peered down at them curiously from a higher branch, too embarrassed to attack.
"Nuz-leeeaf~" A moment later, a defiant, flute-like sound echoed through the forest.
"Seriously? I just startled you a little. No need to be so petty," Basalt said with a laugh. The sound of the Nuzleaf's grass flute was strangely unsettling, making him feel as if countless eyes were watching him.
He had no choice but to send Bronzor to deal with it. He didn't dare attack, however. Who knew if there were other Nuzleaf, or even a Shiftry, nearby? That would be a disaster. Fortunately, this Nuzleaf was only at the intermediate level. A simple Hypnosis from Bronzor was enough to put it to sleep.
"Finally, some peace and quiet," Basalt said, scratching his cheek as they continued on their way.
They encountered many other Pokémon: a colony of Shroomish and Breloom, a lone Bellsprout and Sunflora, a cute and gentle Deerling, and a particularly beautiful flower-like Pokémon.
"A Bellossom," Basalt recognized it instantly. It was dancing by the side of a pond, and when it saw them, it smiled and began to dance even more joyfully, the flowers on its head swaying and creating a lovely, melodic sound.
"So beautiful," Basalt murmured to himself. "If I caught a Bellossom, it would be the ultimate wingman... No girl could resist it."
"Wait. No dating until I reach the professional level!" Master Martel's words echoed in his head. Women will only slow you down. He had taken the Master's advice to heart.
After waving goodbye to the Bellossom, they continued on for another hour, venturing several kilometers into the forest. They had seen many powerful, fully evolved Pokémon, but just as Zhou had said, none of them had attacked, at most playing a harmless prank or two.
"Liii~"
Suddenly, Lileep stopped in front of a large flower garden.
"Is this the place?" Basalt asked, looking around. He saw nothing out of the ordinary. A few Butterfree and Beedrill were gathering nectar, and some Volbeat and Illumise were dancing in the air. Everything seemed peaceful and serene.
But then, the giant flower bud in the center of the garden began to rise, the ground trembling slightly as it did.
"Saur~"
With a deep cry, a colossal Pokémon emerged. The giant flower bud was a part of its body.
"A Venusaur?" Basalt was stunned. The Pokémon was right in front of them, but Bronzor's psychic senses hadn't detected it at all. That meant this Venusaur was incredibly powerful, far beyond Bronzor's level.
But then he noticed something was different. This Venusaur was much larger than a normal one, with a thicker trunk supporting the massive flower on its back, and two small, pink flowers blooming on its forehead and back. Its forehead was also marked with a green, diamond-shaped pattern.
"A Mega... Venusaur," Basalt breathed.
"Saur~" The Mega Venusaur gave them a brief, indifferent glance, then extended a massive vine towards Lileep, gently stroking its tentacles.
"Liii~" Lileep chirped happily.
"So the thing Lileep was sensing was this Mega Venusaur?" Basalt thought, his eye twitching. He had been expecting some kind of legendary treasure. But then again, wasn't a Mega Venusaur a legendary treasure in its own right?
The fact that Bronzor couldn't detect it, but Lileep could from kilometers away, could only mean one thing.
"The Mega Venusaur was actively calling it here."
In that instant, Basalt understood. This was no coincidence. This had been arranged by the Weather Bureau. He didn't believe for a second that he was just lucky. His success had come from his own hard work... and the Smooth Rock Crystal.
The Mega Venusaur completely ignored Basalt and the others, its attention focused solely on Lileep. It let out a series of low cries, then plunged its vines into the ground. In an instant, grass and flowers began to sprout and grow at a visible rate.
Lileep looked on, a mixture of understanding and hesitation on its face.
"Bronzor, what is it saying?" Basalt asked.
No problem. With his trusty Bronzor-translator, he would get to the bottom of this.
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