Before long, Ice Vulpix and Fire Vulpix had finished their bananas. Thoughtfully, they even handed the remaining peels to the two heads of Hydreigon's pre-evolution, one peel for each head, as if sharing the last bit of the treat.
At the same time, the Tropius leading the way finally came to a stop.
Looking at the grand treehouse residence before him, Theo immediately understood what this Pokémon had been planning all along.
"So this is… getting scammed by a Pokémon?"
He could not help but laugh in disbelief. He had never imagined that something like this could happen in this world, yet here he was, being cleverly "set up" by a Pokémon. It was honestly impressive.
Above the treehouse hung a large wooden sign, clearly carved with four bold characters: "Green Breeze Tree Residence."
The entire inn was built around a massive ancient tree nearly thirty meters in diameter. Guest rooms were arranged along its thick branches in a staggered pattern, each with its own private balcony. The design was both ingenious and elegant.
"Bana! You went out to bring in customers again, didn't you?"
A crisp voice came from above.
Theo looked up and saw a young girl standing at the entrance of the treehouse. She wore a green dress, appeared to be about eleven or twelve years old, and had her hair tied into two neat braids. She held a watering can in her hand and was looking at the Tropius with a helpless expression.
"Grandma has told you so many times not to lure guests with fruit. It's not polite."
The Tropius let out a soft, aggrieved cry and gently rubbed its head against the girl's palm, acting both obedient and a little spoiled.
The girl then turned to Theo and smiled apologetically.
"I'm really sorry. Its name is Bana, and it's one of the Pokémon at our Green Breeze Tree Residence. We only opened not long ago, so there aren't many guests yet. Somehow it picked up this trick and uses fruit to attract passersby. It just wants to bring people here to stay…"
Theo suddenly understood and waved his hand with a smile.
"It's fine, really. Actually, I was just looking for a place to stay anyway. Your treehouse looks great, so I'll stay here tonight."
"Really? That's wonderful!"
The girl's eyes lit up as she enthusiastically led Theo onto the wooden ladder leading to the treehouse.
"My name is Joyce. I'm the assistant manager here. Grandma is in the kitchen making snacks right now, so I'll show you the room first."
As they climbed up, a gentle breeze carrying the fresh scent of plants washed over them. From below, Theo had thought the rooms might be small, but once inside, he realized they were surprisingly spacious.
The interior was bright and roomy, fully furnished with tables, chairs, and beds. Every wooden piece was finely crafted, smooth, and warm to the touch.
Joyce proudly introduced the place.
"I made all of these with Bana during our free time. Aren't they nice?"
"They're incredibly well-made. You're amazing to be able to craft something like this at such a young age."
Theo praised sincerely.
"Hehe, Grandma taught me," Joyce replied shyly, scratching her head before pointing to the table.
"Oh, right. There are wooden carvings over there. When you leave, you can pick one to take with you as a souvenir."
Theo looked over and saw neatly arranged wooden carvings of various Flying-type Pokémon such as Beautifly, Pidgeotto, Taillow, and Pidgeot. Each one was small yet vividly detailed.
"Can I really take one?"
"Of course!"
Joyce nodded cheerfully, then added,
"Oh, and later I'll bring you some freshly baked berry pies as well. Consider it an apology on behalf of Bana."
"No, no, there's really no need to be so polite."
Theo quickly waved it off with a smile.
"I was already planning to stay here, and my Pokémon ate your Bana's bananas, so it works out for both of us."
Joyce blinked, her eyes curving into a smile as she spoke sincerely.
"Alright, then it's not an apology. But my grandma's berry pies are really delicious. Just think of it as a small token from our Green Breeze Tree Residence and accept it."
"Alright."
Theo nodded with a smile and accepted the room key she handed him.
…
Night gradually fell, gently blanketing the sky over Fortree City. Warm yellow lights glowed from the treehouses, and the aroma of food drifted through the evening breeze, bringing a comforting warmth.
Theo brought his Pokémon to the open space behind the treehouse. This area had been specially prepared as a dining space for Pokémon, quiet and spacious.
"Come on out, everyone must be starving."
He opened his Poké Balls, and flashes of red light appeared one after another as Tyrantrum, Milotic, and Volcarona emerged.
Tyrantrum shook its head. After resting for an entire afternoon, the dizziness from earlier flying had completely disappeared. Now its stomach growled loudly, and its round eyes locked onto the grilled meat on the table, a low excited rumble escaping its throat.
Theo carefully selected food for each Pokémon, placing portions into their respective bowls.
Just as Tyrantrum was about to dig in, its gaze suddenly caught sight of the black wings behind Zweilous.
It froze mid-motion.
The food in its mouth suddenly did not taste as good anymore. It stared blankly at those wings, its brows furrowing tightly.
"Hmph…"
Tyrantrum let out a low grunt, feeling an inexplicable sense of imbalance.
It had always thought that only it and Deino lacked wings in the team, but now that Deino had evolved, it had grown wings immediately.
That meant Tyrantrum was now the only one left without wings.
The more it thought about it, the more frustrated it became. It simply stopped eating, walked over to Zweilous, and gently touched its wings.
Zweilous was happily eating and barely reacted. Both of its heads kept chattering about wanting more food, urging Theo to get them more.
Being ignored made Tyrantrum feel even worse. It drooped its head and stood there, losing most of its appetite.
At that moment, Ice Vulpix and Fire Vulpix bounced over.
They both understood how it felt. One gently patted its leg with its tail, while the other climbed onto its back, rubbing against its thick neck and softly calling out in comforting tones.
It was as if they were saying: We don't have wings either, so you're not alone. And you're already so strong, wings don't matter at all.
"Tyraant…"
Under their comfort, Tyrantrum was finally coaxed into feeling a bit better and returned to eating.
On the other side, Volcarona slowly floated over, circling Zweilous lightly.
It first examined the two heads, then deliberately stared at the black wings for a while, its gaze carrying a hint of scrutiny.
"Vol~"
Volcarona lightly flapped its wings and let out a soft sound.
In its opinion, those black wings were plain, lacking intricate patterns and not particularly large or elegant. Compared to its own three pairs of magnificent, radiant wings, they were far inferior.
After finishing its inspection, Volcarona felt reassured. Its position as the "most beautiful wings" in the team remained completely unshaken.
Satisfied, it flapped its wings and gracefully turned away, returning to enjoy its meal.
Meanwhile, the two heads of Zweilous simply swayed in confusion.
They could not understand why Tyrantrum and Volcarona were not focusing on eating such delicious food and instead kept coming over to bother them.
What a bunch of fools.
Zweilous shook its heads and ignored them, continuing to happily devour its meal.
(End of Chapter)