With its belly full and its nerves finally settling, Sunflora agreed to help tidy up the back garden. It had been moved by Aresdra's sincere request and won over by Nova's promise of good food — but it also hadn't missed the large armoured bird standing nearby, fixing it with a pair of sharp scarlet eyes. Declining, Sunflora had quietly decided, would probably not end well.
Since Aresdra had already given Corviknight a firm talking-to, Nova left it at that. He understood the Corviknight line's character better than she did.
Steel-type they may be, but the things Corviknight got up to had very little distance from the word "troublesome." In the wild, without a Trainer to keep them in check, the crow family operated less like wild Pokémon and more like a well-organised gang with wings. They chased off Psyduck, harassed Arcanine, snatched up Rattata, and carried off Bunnelby without a second thought. Causing trouble wasn't an occasional thing for them — it was a lifestyle.
To a Pokémon like Corviknight, as long as it was enjoying itself, what happened to everyone else was simply not its problem.
By that standard, Nova's Corviknight was practically cheerful and well-adjusted by comparison.
Sunflora, to its credit, was an efficient worker. Once fed, it was ready. Nova quickly let Growlithe and Riolu loose, each one dragging a sack of grass and flower seeds across the cleared ground. He had cut small slits in the bottom of the sacks beforehand. As the two Pokémon ran and tumbled across the bare soil, seeds scattered freely behind them in every direction.
Once the seeds were spread, Sunflora got to work. It channelled Grass-type energy into the earth, and within moments, thin green shoots began pushing up through the dry ground all across the yard.
Nova was genuinely impressed. He put together a small bundle of Grass-type ingredients — the good ones he had set aside for Sprigatito's meals — and handed it to Sunflora as both a thank-you and an apology for the abrupt way it had been brought here.
Then he personally saw Sunflora home, riding on Corviknight's back to return it to the woodland it had been taken from.
When they got back, Corviknight landed and surveyed the household with its chin raised.
So, its expression said plainly. Who was the one sitting around doing nothing all day?
Nidoking glanced away. Don't look at me — I spent the afternoon clearing out that pond.
Growlithe shook its head. I fought Grimer all day. My nose still hasn't recovered.
Sprigatito blinked up at the bird with complete indifference. I hatched yesterday. Eating and sleeping is the correct activity for someone my age.
Nova looked around at all of them.
"You're all very talented and I have great affection for each of you," he said.
Then, privately, he thought about giving Corviknight a firm kick. The bird was genuinely too good at making problems seem like solutions.
The next morning, Nova was deep asleep when urgent knocking pulled him out of it.
The only one in the house who knocked was Aresdra. Something had to be wrong. Had Growlithe gone after the sofa again?
Nova stumbled out of bed, managed to get his slippers on — one on the wrong foot — and went to open the door.
Aresdra was standing there in her pyjamas, but she wasn't there to complain about anything. Her eyes were wide and bright, like someone who had just seen something that didn't quite make sense.
"Come quick!" she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the stairs.
The noise was enough to wake Growlithe in its kennel outside. It watched the two of them dash past toward the backyard with a puzzled look.
I was just sleeping, it thought. I haven't broken anything. Have I started wrecking things in my dreams now?
Nova had no attention to spare for Growlithe's existential crisis. He had stopped at the back doorway and gone completely still.
Sprigatito was sitting on the threshold, lit from the front by the first pale light of the morning sun. Its whole body was wrapped in a soft, steady glow of green energy.
The shoots Sunflora had coaxed up from the soil the evening before were now rising quickly — far faster than they should have been — feeding on the energy flowing out of the tiny kitten.
It had watched Sunflora use Grassy Terrain once. Just once. And now it was using it on its own.
Nova stared.
That was not something a Technical Machine could have taught more efficiently. Sprigatito had simply observed it and made it its own.
And the Grassy Terrain Sprigatito was producing was noticeably richer than what Sunflora had managed. When the energy finally ran out and Sprigatito toppled sideways in exhaustion, the entire backyard had gone from bare earth and scattered sprouts to something genuinely green and alive.
Nova crouched down and gently picked the worn-out kitten off the ground. Sprigatito stirred at the warmth of his hands, shifted itself into a more comfortable position against his arm, and began kneading at his sleeve with its tiny paws as if trying to shape it into the ideal pillow.
A soft, steady purr started up.
Aresdra breathed in the fresh morning air — cool and green, with the faint smell of damp earth and new grass — and smiled.
"It's amazing," she said quietly.
"Yeah," Nova agreed. "A little miracle-maker."
If someone had told him two days ago that a Level 2 Sprigatito, less than a day old, could pick up Grassy Terrain from a single glance, he would have called it impossible. But here it was, asleep in his arms, so what was there to say? His cat knew a move it had no business knowing. It wasn't bothering anyone.
Aresdra had school again today, but Riolu was past the most fragile stage of early development. At Level 6, it was ready to accompany her.
Growlithe suddenly found itself without its usual sparring partner and sulked over it. Its eyes drifted toward Sprigatito, small and soft and completely helpless-looking. One pounce would probably result in a very satisfying amount of noise—
Nova gave it no opportunity. Sprigatito was still in his arms and showed no interest in leaving, and Growlithe had enough sense not to pounce on a Pokémon sitting in its Trainer's hands.
Nova had something important to take care of today.
It was the Withered Gym's monthly open day. If he wanted to see the stubborn old man who ran it, this was the one chance he got each month.
Harmony City did have a Gym — but the Withered Gym and Mr. Charlie's Luma Gym were not remotely in the same category. Both held official League recognition, but even Nova had to admit the gap in how they were run was considerable.
He looked over at Nidoking, who was already standing at attention.
"Arno," Nova said. "Ready to go back?"
Nidoking gave a slow, solemn nod.
Nova combed his hair into something tidier, changed into a clean tracksuit, and returned everyone except Sprigatito to their Poké Balls.
Time to go.