章節 2: Chapter 2: Caught Red-Handed
If Hayato's previous mood could be described as being plunged into an icy cellar, then his current state of mind was nothing short of a blossoming spring.
At the very least, his safety in this world was now guaranteed.
So now—
"Cramorant," Hayato commanded, "use Spacial Rend!"
"Gah?"
Cramorant tilted its head, wings propped against its skull in a manner eerily reminiscent of Misty's psychic-prone Psyduck.
One second, two seconds, three seconds passed. The silence was so thick it felt like a flock of Murkrow could've flown overhead unnoticed.
Cramorant blinked, its gaze utterly vacant.
Hayato: "…"
No way. Was it because his Trainer level was too low that Cramorant wouldn't obey?
Hayato hesitated, then recalled the maxed-out Friendship stat displayed in Cramorant's info. Kneeling, he pointed at himself and asked, "Do you recognize me?"
Cramorant finally stopped clutching its head—only to start pecking at a pebble on the ground instead.
"…"
Hayato tentatively reached out to pet it. When Cramorant didn't resist, he scooped it up into his arms.
"Gah?" Cramorant let out a confused squawk.
Hayato tried again: "Can you understand me?"
Cramorant stared blankly for a moment before turning its head to preen its feathers.
Watching this, Hayato began piecing things together.
Cramorant didn't reject his touch, meaning it recognized him. Yet it showed no reaction to his commands or voice. There were two possible explanations:
1. Cramorant couldn't understand him.
2. Cramorant couldn't hear him.
As someone with zero Trainer experience, Hayato was baffled.
Was the ability for Pokémon to inherently comprehend human speech—something taken for granted in anime and games—nonexistent here?
Or was it because this Cramorant wasn't a real Pokémon?
After all, in the games, Pokémon were just lines of emotionless code, their behaviors and abilities predetermined by programmers.
To test this, Hayato picked up a rock and, when Cramorant wasn't looking, hurled it into the river. The loud plop sent ripples across the water.
Cramorant's head immediately snapped toward the sound.
So it could hear.
Just not understand.
But that didn't make sense—
Now wasn't the time to dwell on it, though.
Hayato decided to seek out other Trainers for answers once he left the forest. For now, he recalled Cramorant into its Master Ball and continued trekking alongside the river.
Water was life's most vital resource.
Since ancient times, human settlements had flourished near rivers. Following the waterway would drastically increase his chances of escaping the forest compared to wandering aimlessly.
Still wary from the earlier Beedrill encounter, Hayato moved cautiously, minimizing noise as much as possible.
Yet despite his efforts, wild Pokémon noticed him anyway.
A Zigzagoon in the underbrush, a Wurmple inching along a branch, a Lotad sipping at the water's edge—even a rare Mawile.
None attacked, merely observing curiously from a distance.
Hayato's heart swelled.
A living, breathing Pokémon ecosystem!
This was something no game could ever truly capture!
He ached to pet them.
But common sense warned that any sudden approach would trigger defensive aggression.
After some distance, the burning pain in his side worsened. Lifting his shirt, he saw the purple venom spreading.
A very bad sign.
He needed to leave—fast.
Hunger gnawed at him too.
Summer's lingering heat clung to the air, thickening into a stifling humidity as noon approached.
With thirty years of life experience, Hayato recognized the telltale signs—rain was coming.
"Mawile, Zigzagoon… so this is Hoenn?" he mused.
But then a Greedent perched on a branch threw him off.
Greedent debuted in Pokémon Sword & Shield as a Galar-native species.
Then again, reality differed from games. While games released sequentially, later regions still featured Pokémon from earlier generations.
Meaning Galar and Unova's Pokémon could logically appear elsewhere.
Having skipped breakfast and lunch, Hayato was parched and starving.
His eyes locked onto the Greedent cradling a berry.
Greedent shared real-world squirrels' habit of hoarding food for winter.
Following it might lead to sustenance—maybe even a Pecha Berry to cure his poison.
After two seconds of hesitation, Hayato stealthily trailed the Greedent.
Given his pace, escaping the forest could take ages.
Perhaps feeling secure in its territory, the Greedent moved without caution, leaping between trees with a pink berry clutched tight.
Hayato shadowed it, ducking behind a trunk as the Greedent deposited its prize inside a hollow.
Once it left, Hayato rushed over, guiltily plunging his arm inside.
[Oran Berry: Restores a small amount of a Pokémon's HP.]
Not his target. He set it aside and reached in again—
Only for a heartbroken shriek to erupt overhead.
Hayato looked up.
The Greedent had returned.
Their eyes met.
"…"
"…"
Mortifying.
A grown man reduced to stealing a "squirrel's" winter stash—and getting caught.
This was a first in Hayato's thirty years of life. Instinctively, he withdrew his empty right hand, feigning innocence.
But Pokémon were far smarter than ordinary animals.
The Greedent pointed accusingly at his left arm, chittering indignantly.
Hayato: "…"
Before he could react, the enraged Greedent pounced, knocking him flat.
Its tiny fists drummed against his forehead like hail.
Hayato hastily grabbed it under the arms, returning the Oran Berry. "Stop! My bad, here!"
He was in the wrong here.
The Greedent snatched the berry, then paused, nose twitching. Its gaze dropped to Hayato's waist—drawn by the scent of poison and blood.
Seizing the opportunity, Hayato lifted his shirt, revealing the wound. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to steal. I'm poisoned—I'll die without an antidote."
He was testing a theory.
If Cramorant couldn't understand him, could other wild Pokémon?
Turns out, yes.
The Greedent hesitated before darting back to the hollow. After some rummaging, it emerged with a pink berry clutched tightly, its fluffy face torn.
Finally, with resolve, it pushed the berry toward him.
[Pecha Berry: Possesses remarkable toxin-healing properties.]
Hayato was stunned. "For me?" Wild Pokémon were this kind?
The Greedent nodded, chittering again, then pointed to its own right leg.
Only then did Hayato notice the tiny pink ribbon tied there—a distinctly human touch, previously hidden by fur.
A realization struck him.
This Greedent must've been helped by a human before, leaving it inclined to aid others of their kind.
The thought ignited a spark of exhilaration deep within him.
(End of Chapter)
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