With the help of the people of Twinleaf Town, the road repair progressed at an incredible rate.
Victor rode on the Arcanine that Officer Jenny had brought over to help, galloping down the newly repaired road.
Officer Jenny, holding Vulpix, watched as the Arcanine returned.
She walked over with Mayor Arthur and the others.
Victor dismounted from the Arcanine and nodded.
"Beyond expectations," he said, just four words.
It wasn't just the road's usability that was beyond expectations, but the construction of it.
It wasn't done by one person, or just a few people.
It was the combined effort of the townspeople and the Pokémon of the forest.
Victor looked at the crowd of Pokémon gathered around.
He continued, "Everyone, it's now time for us to plant the seeds that carry our hopes."
The Pokémon all stared at him.
"So, who wants to plant the seeds?"
A massive group of Pokémon instantly swarmed him.
Victor tried desperately to get them to calm down, but with no success.
In the end, it took an Energy Ball from Lilligant to quiet them down.
Victor took out the seeds.
"Don't rush, there's enough for everyone."
He then demonstrated the process himself.
He dug a small hole, placed the seed inside, and covered it with dirt. "Marill, if you please."
"Marill~" The Marill wagged its small tail and used Rain Dance.
A small shower of rain fell over the seed.
Does one seed really need a whole Rain Dance? What a luxury, Victor complained internally.
Once the forest Pokémon had learned how to do it, Victor distributed the seeds among them.
They paired off and spread out in the directions of Twinleaf and Sandgem Town. The Vespiquen had its Combee watch from the air, just in case.
Victor, meanwhile, took Gengar and the others back to the Breeding House entrance.
He decided to plant a few fruit trees by the gate. That way, in the summer, he could tie a hammock between them, lie back, and wait for customers.
Or he could bring his rocking chair out, hold a fan he'd made, and rock gently, fanning himself, with Vulpix in his lap, swaying back and forth.
Gengar could even pick some of the fruit to snack on.
No, the more I think about it, the more I want it.
After Gengar dug the holes, Victor placed the seeds inside.
Then, as all the Pokémon watched, he took the Gengar-themed watering can from Gengar and watered them.
One, two, three, four...
After all the holes were watered, Victor handed the watering can back to Gengar.
"What kinds of flowers do you all like?" he asked, looking at his Pokémon.
He picked out the flower seeds they chose, and then made a video call to Shana.
"Uncle~" Shana's delicate, cute face appeared on the screen.
"Ching~"
"Good evening, Shana. And you too, Tinkerbell."
Shana gave him a cute smile.
Victor explained the situation to her, and under her direction, he picked out her favorite flowers.
"Uncle, I met another good friend here," Shana said, just as Victor was about to hang up.
"Oh? Who is it?"
Shana aimed the camera into the distance.
A Ponyta appeared on the screen, grazing peacefully.
"A Ponyta, huh?"
"That's right, uncle. But it seems like it's not doing too well. I'm going to stay and spend more time with it. I'll come back to the Breeding House to help you later."
"You'll have to wait for me, uncle! And Gengar, Lilligant, you all have to wait for me to come back, too!"
Victor laughed.
He was then immediately pushed out of the frame by Gengar and Lilligant.
Gengar is one thing, but Lilligant, ever since you evolved, you're becoming a second Gengar.
The tyrants of the Breeding House: Gengar and Lilligant.
Victor was heartbroken.
They obediently said just a few words, then gave the phone back to Victor.
He said a quick goodbye and hung up, then began to arrange the area around the Breeding House with Gengar and the others.
Gengar and the others held the flower seeds and planted them according to their own ideas.
Afterward, they asked Marill to use a small-scale Rain Dance.
RUMBLE!
Victor looked up.
The sky was full of dark clouds.
Didn't I ask Marill to use a small-scale Rain Dance?
Why is it so powerful?
Then he saw water being shot randomly in the distance.
He instantly guessed what had happened. They had started playing.
The Combee returned to report. It was just as he thought.
A Pachirisu took a seed, found a good spot, and planted it.
It then ran over and asked a Golduck for help.
The Golduck was just about to come over and water it when a massive Rain Dance suddenly began.
"Psy?" The Golduck was confused. I didn't even use Rain Dance yet.
It turned its head.
An Azumarill was using Rain Dance.
The Golduck was indignant. That one asked me to water it! If you do it, what am I supposed to do?
It went over to argue with the Azumarill.
After a "convincing" argument from the Azumarill, the Golduck went to go help a different Azumarill water its seeds.
That Azumarill then argued with it, and the Golduck repeated the same argument it had just heard.
It was a chain reaction.
One Rain Dance after another filled the sky.
In the end, the forest Pokémon, caught in the downpour, simply started a water fight.
Victor had the people from Twinleaf Town and the construction crew come into the Breeding House to take shelter.
After dinner was ready, Victor took out a large gong.
And struck it with all his might!
GONG~
GONG~
GONG~
Some of the Pokémon heard the sound and stopped. The signal was passed down the line.
The rain slowly stopped.
Puddles had formed all over the newly repaired road.
One by one, little feet stomped in them.
Splash~
Splash~
Splash~
The water splashed, and the reflections in the puddles showed the smiling faces of the Pokémon.
They all ran towards the Breeding House.
Time to eat~
Victor looked at the orderly line of Pokémon.
Some still had bits of spider silk on them, and all of them were soaked.
Some of the people from Sandgem and Twinleaf Town saw the commotion on the road and the playful Pokémon, but they weren't worried.
They all knew these Pokémon were friends of the Breeding House.
Some of them had even watched the fireworks with them.
So, some of the people just joined in the fun.
Victor looked at the joyful smiles on their faces and didn't have the heart to scold them.
He just reminded them that they couldn't be so rowdy next time.
After getting their promise, he began to distribute the Poffins.
Lilligant, watching this scene, began to glow with a green light.
The flower on its head bloomed even more vibrantly.
The green light gathered in the flower, and then shot straight into the sky.
Sunny Day.
The evening sun once again fell upon the road in front of the Breeding House.
Victor looked up, squinting slightly.
The light was a bit dazzling.
He then looked down at the ground.
It seemed that on the barren road... some green shoots were beginning to break through the soil.
He stared intently.
But then he saw that it was still just a bare road.
Victor smiled.
Were they seeds of hope?
Or perhaps, the hopes of the Pokémon for the people.
Perhaps it was the bond forged between the people of Twinleaf and Sandgem and these forest Pokémon.
And now, through the hands of the Breeding House, they had personally planted those bonds.
One day, these seeds will take root, sprout, and finally, bloom and bear fruit.
And when they do, under the shade of those trees, or beside those flowers...
Will there be a large group of people and Pokémon?
Even if they don't know each other.
The encounter between people and Pokémon... is truly a wonderful thing.
...
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