Roy carried the somewhat absent-minded Misty on his back, with Delia walking beside them. The three followed Melanie through the last stretch of dense forest.
The view before them suddenly opened up.
In a carefully cleared forest clearing sat a simple but clean little log cabin.
A small courtyard was enclosed by a fence in front of the cabin.
The most eye-catching thing in the courtyard was a large stone pond. The water was clear, and several Goldeen and Magikarp could be seen swimming leisurely inside; there was even a Poliwag lying on a stone by the pond, basking in the sun.
On the grass next to the pond, other Pokemon were scattered about.
A Pidgey, whose wings seemed somewhat crooked, was trying to flutter its wings and fly; a Sandshrew, moving slowly with a shallow crack on its shell, was napping there; and a Rattata, whose aura was somewhat weak, was curled up in the shadow under the eaves.
This didn't look like a Trainer's residence; it looked more like a... "temporary Pokemon rescue and convalescence center."
Melanie spoke softly, her gaze tenderly scanning the Pokemon in the courtyard.
She pushed open the small fence gate and gestured for Roy and the others to enter.
"These children were all abandoned in the nearby forest by their original Trainers because they were seriously injured in battle or were born with some defects."
"I saw how pitiful they were, and since I know a bit about herbs and nursing, I set up this place where they can temporarily recuperate."
As she explained, she led the three into the courtyard.
The Pokemon that were resting or playing heard the commotion and raised their heads to look over.
But when their eyes landed on Roy, something strange happened.
These injured and abandoned Pokemon, who should have been full of wariness or even fear toward humans—especially strangers—now showed very little fear in their eyes.
The Pidgey with the crooked wings even fluttered twice and hopped a few steps closer to Roy.
The Sandshrew raised its head and sniffed the air gently.
Even the most timid Rattata, huddled in the shadows, quietly poked its head out, its glassy eyes looking at Roy with curiosity.
Melanie immediately showed a look of surprise.
These children... had never been so welcoming to a stranger they were meeting for the first time.
Even when she had rescued them and worked to gain their trust, it had taken a lot of time and patience.
This Trainer named Roy... She couldn't help but look him over a few more times.
Young, handsome, with clear and steady eyes, he seemed to carry a natural aura that made both people and Pokemon feel at ease and friendly.
Melanie's favorable impression of Roy couldn't help but rise a bit more.
"They... seem to like you very much."
Melanie said, somewhat incredulously.
"Maybe I'm just more likeable to Pokemon."
Roy smiled, not explaining too much about the 'Friend of Nature' aura he had obtained at Mt. Moon.
His gaze swept over the courtyard and finally landed on the log cabin.
"That Bulbasaur you mentioned just now..."
"Yes, it's one of them too."
Melanie sighed, her eyes filled with heartache.
"The reason it was abandoned is a bit complicated. It was treated harshly by its original Trainer, and then after losing a battle, it was dumped at the edge of the forest."
"When I found it, it had many injuries, but its eyes were very fierce. Even when it was so weak it couldn't stand steadily, it still brandished its Vine Whip at me."
"It took a lot of effort to bring it back and heal it."
Melanie paused and continued.
"After its injuries healed, it didn't leave. Instead, it stayed of its own accord, as if it treated this place as its own territory, taking on the responsibility of protecting its other injured companions."
"It's very smart and very powerful. That Oddish you encountered just now was only abandoned nearby a few days ago. It has a timid personality, so Bulbasaur was probably looking after it."
"So, its attack on you might have really been a misunderstanding that you were going to bully the Oddish."
Melanie looked at Delia and said apologetically.
"It's not bad by nature, it's just... it might be somewhat repelled by human Trainers. I'll help explain things to it in a bit, and the misunderstanding should be resolved."
After she finished speaking, she pointed to the log cabin.
"Let's go inside first. I'll properly treat the injury on Misty's leg again. I only applied some simple herbs earlier."
"Sorry to trouble you, Melanie."
Roy nodded and walked into the cabin with Misty on his back.
Delia followed them in as well.
The inside of the cabin was more spacious than it looked from the outside and was kept in perfect order.
The air was filled with the faint fragrance of herbs and the scent of sun-dried wood.
Several simple wooden shelves stood against the wall, holding various dried herbs, clean bandages, and some basic medicines organized into categories.
A wooden bed with plain sheets was against the other side, and several green potted plants were on the windowsill.
The overall atmosphere was warm and tidy.
Melanie had Roy place Misty on the bed while she went to the wooden shelf to get more professional disinfectant and ointment.
She crouched down, carefully untied the previous cloth bandage, and examined the wound closely.
"It's okay, there are no signs of infection, and the wound isn't deep."
Melanie skillfully used a cotton ball dipped in disinfectant to gently wipe around the wound, her movements tender.
Misty bit her lip, enduring the stinging sensation brought by the disinfectant.
But her gaze unconsciously drifted toward Roy.
Roy was standing by the window, looking at the courtyard outside. His profile, outlined by the sunlight through the window, was exceptionally clear.
As Misty watched, she remembered the feeling of her lips touching his cheek just now... and her face began to heat up again.
She quickly looked away, only to happen to meet Sister Delia's gentle, smiling eyes.
Did Sister Delia... see something?
Misty panicked. Like a child caught red-handed, she immediately lowered her head and pretended to focus on Melanie treating her wound.
The smile in Delia's eyes deepened, but she said nothing.
Soon, Melanie reapplied medicine for Misty and wrapped it with a clean bandage.
"Alright, make sure the wound doesn't touch water for the next two days. Change the dressing on time, and it will scab over soon."
Melanie stood up and washed her hands.
"Thank you, Sister Melanie."
Misty thanked her in a small voice.
"You're welcome."
Melanie dried her hands and looked at Roy.
"Roy, are you interested in those children in the courtyard? Do you want to go out and see? I'm just about to prepare today's food for them."
Roy's heart stirred.
This was exactly the chance to learn more about that Bulbasaur.
He nodded.
"Sure, I'd like to see. I'll have Sister Delia look after Misty."
"Go ahead without worry."
Delia said softly, sitting down by the bed and gently squeezing Misty's hand.
Misty watched the backs of Roy and Melanie walking out of the log cabin side by side. Her lips moved, but in the end, she didn't make a sound.
It was just that that inexplicable sour feeling cropped up again.
Hmph, going out alone with that gentle and beautiful Sister Melanie again... Big pervert!
He only knows how to look at pretty girls!
She thought indignantly, not realizing that her jealousy was becoming more and more natural... In the courtyard, the sun was just right.
Roy helped Melanie place the prepared food, suitable for different Pokemon, separately.
The Pidgey hopped over and carefully pecked at the special energy pellets from Roy's palm.
The Sandshrew also came over, rubbed against Roy's leg, and then lowered its head to eat its portion.
Even the Rattata slowly walked out of the shadows, taking small bites of the food placed in front of it, occasionally looking up at Roy.
"They really are close to you."
Melanie watched this scene and sighed again, her eyes soft.
"I can feel that you are someone who truly likes Pokemon."
"They are all great children; they just had bad luck."
Roy stroked the Sandshrew's head, and the latter squinted its eyes comfortably.
"You are even more impressive, being able to take such good care of so many injured and abandoned Pokemon, letting them regain their health and vitality."
Roy praised her sincerely.
However, upon hearing this, Melanie did not show a happy expression.
Instead, she sighed softly, a hint of worry touching her smile.
"Regaining health... is a good thing."
Melanie crouched down, stroking the back fur of the Rattata that was quietly eating, her voice lowering.
"But sometimes, I worry even more instead."
"Look at them now, staying here comfortably, with food, a safe place to live, no battles, and no pressure."
"In the short term, this allows them to heal from their injuries and illnesses. But as time goes on..."
She raised her head and looked at Roy, her eyes somewhat lost.
"They will become more and more dependent on this place, losing their wildness and competitiveness."
"Their battle instincts will degrade. In the future, even if they fully recover, they might no longer be able to adapt to the wild environment, let alone become a Trainer's partner again and challenge higher stages."
"This is not a good thing for their long-term future."
Melanie paused, her gaze turning toward the depths of the forest, the direction where Bulbasaur often patrolled.
"Especially that Bulbasaur."
"It's different. I can feel that it contains very powerful strength and extremely high battle talent within its body."
"It should belong to a wider sky, to experience wind and rain, to challenge the strong, and to shine in true battle."
"But now, because it's grateful to me for saving it, it has bound itself here, guarding this courtyard and taking care of the other children..."
"This is certainly touching, but it's also wasting its talent and binding its future."
Melanie's voice was full of conflict and heartache.
"I actually... have always hoped it could meet a Trainer who truly understands it, cherishes it, and can also guide it and stimulate its full potential, taking it to a wider world."
"But I also know that it has been hurt by humans and has a knot in its heart toward Trainers."
"Moreover, it has a proud and strong personality. Ordinary Trainers probably wouldn't even catch its eye, let alone gain its recognition."
Speaking to this point, Melanie suddenly stopped.
She seemed to realize she had said too much and looked at Roy with some embarrassment.
"Sorry, I said so much all at once..."
"No, I completely understand how you feel."
Roy shook his head, his expression serious.
He looked at Melanie and directly stated his intention.
"Melanie, if I told you that I am very interested in that Bulbasaur and want to try to capture it and take it on a journey with me, what would you think?"
Melanie's eyes widened suddenly.
Surprise, followed by uncontrollable joy, blossomed on her face.
"Really? Roy, you... you want to capture it?"
She almost jumped up, but soon, she forced herself to calm down, and a look of worry and solemnity appeared on her face.
"Roy, I... I'm very happy you have this idea. If it's you... I think it might really be possible."
"But I must remind you, that Bulbasaur is very, very strong-willed, and its test for human Trainers will be very strict. It won't easily recognize anyone."
"If you want to capture it, you might need to put in a lot of thought and use sincerity and strength to move it, rather than a simple battle capture. Also..."
Melanie's words weren't finished yet.
The bushes at the edge of the courtyard shook violently.
A dark green, lithe figure leaped out first and landed steadily at the entrance of the courtyard.
It was that Bulbasaur, and it had returned with Oddish...