The ship carrying students docked at Malie City port, and then they boarded the waiting Exeggutor bus, heading to Ula'ula Meadow.
Hoshino held the sleeping Sprigatito, sitting alone by the window, Cyclizar had been temporarily recalled into its Poké Ball, while Gengar and Vulpix were playing in the back.
As the vehicle started, he looked out the window and began to slowly appreciate the scenery.
As Alola's largest island, Ula'ula Island boasts diverse environments and varied climates, including deserts, snow-capped mountains, barren lands, and forests…
Everything can be found on one island, and there's even the famous Mount Hokulani Observatory, known for being able to observe Rayquaza munching on sunflower seeds.
The vehicle continued to advance; since the passage between the two large mountains was opened a few years ago, it now directly passes the foot of Mount Hokulani and goes around Lunalake, eliminating the need to circle most of the island.
Just as the bus passed Mount Hokulani, Moon suddenly called out from the back, "Hoshino, since you won't be staying with the group anyway, for this survival course, if there are any special circumstances where I can't look after her, I'm entrusting Lillie's protection to you."
"Hmm? That might be a bit troublesome…"
Hoshino wanted to refuse because he genuinely intended to come here for a picnic and, while he was at it, to promote the Yorozuya to the wild Pokémon living here.
But he still responded helplessly, "Alright, just let me know when you need me."
"Okay, thank you."
Soon, amidst the discussions of the other students, they arrived at the destination for this survival course…
Ula'ula Meadow is covered in vast expanses of red flowers, producing an abundance of red nectar. Consequently, many Baile Style Oricorio live here, forming a scenic view and a major characteristic.
In the past, humans and Pokémon collaborated to build wooden walkways here for passage, allowing people to enjoy nature among the flowers without damaging the environment or disturbing the Pokémon.
It's just a pity that tourism can't be developed here; Alola is, after all, a relatively traditional region, and many residents oppose tourism development here.
Moreover, the Kahuna is also an uncle who typically slacks off, with no plans in this regard, which has allowed the environment here to remain so pristine.
Ula'ula Meadow is very large, and the task of this outdoor survival course is to collect Totem stickers here. These stickers can be exchanged for good items with the principal at school.
The stickers are distributed throughout the garden, and some locations have relatively strong wild Pokémon. To collect all the stickers, one must scatter and act, which is quite challenging.
"By the way, isn't sticking stickers everywhere considered environmental damage?"
"They'll be collected after the course, but if some are picked up by wild Pokémon, there's nothing we can do; they'll just be left for them as souvenirs."
"…"
Hoshino hesitated, not knowing what to say. At this moment, their class of more than a dozen people was in an open area of the garden, which served as their temporary camp. It was not advisable to move at night in the wild, so they would rest here.
Cyclizar was released from its Poké Ball, and upon seeing the surrounding scenery, it immediately became excited. It had never seen such a flower sea before.
"Cycli!"
"Don't run around! Follow me later."
Hoshino quickly shouted to it. Riding Pokémon is forbidden here, so running freely is impossible. If it stepped on the flowers and plants, he couldn't afford the compensation.
"Cycli~"
Cyclizar nodded, then squatted down and began to admire the view, constantly wagging its tail.
Not far away, Lillie, holding Vulpix and pressing down her skirt, was also squatting on the ground, smiling as she introduced the names of the flowers to Vulpix and the Gengar floating nearby.
Seeing this, Hoshino gently woke Sprigatito, then said to the bewildered cat, "You go play too; don't sleep all day."
"Meow?"
Sprigatito, still groggy, glanced at the red flower sea, its gaze involuntarily drawn to it.
Although the Paldea region also has flower fields, they are completely dwarfed in comparison to this, simply incomparable.
It leaped from Hoshino's arms, a rare instance of liking something not for food, as most Grass-type Pokémon have an innate fondness for flowers.
"Meow~"
Sprigatito approached the flower sea, first leaning in to sniff. A spicy-scented fragrance emanated from it, making it somewhat unable to resist.
Then, it extended its front paw and nudged a flower, causing clear, red nectar to drip out, incredibly enticing. It caught the nectar with its paw, then extended its small tongue and licked it…
"Meow?!"
A sweet-yet-spicy taste filled Sprigatito's taste buds, making its fur stand on end.
Just as it excitedly prepared to continue nudging the flowers, a Cottonee hiding beneath suddenly appeared, startling it. It instinctively jumped and clung to Hoshino's back.
"Meow…"
"Aren't you having a good time?"
Hoshino patted its head, then watched the Cottonee drift away with the wind. He then leaned over to look at the oozing red nectar.
"Do you like eating this?"
"Meow~"
Seeing Sprigatito nod, he directly took out a leftover sweet honey jar from his bag and began to collect the nectar, preparing to use it for cooking later.
Upon seeing his actions, Sprigatito's bristled tail slowly lowered, and the happy expression on its face gradually faded.
…
After the camp was set up, Moon called everyone who was wandering around and said, "Keep your phone's location on so you don't get lost. There are some very dangerous Pokémon in the forest here. If you're not confident about getting a sticker, just give up. Safety is the most important thing!"
"Try to come back here before 7 PM every night. Ula'ula Meadow gets very foggy at night, which greatly affects movement and makes it even more dangerous. If anyone's Pokémon gets injured and can't move, just find me and I'll help you treat them."
"But I still have to say… outdoor survival isn't for picnicking; it's for broadening your horizons and honing yourselves. So, everyone, don't take it as just fun; be serious!"
"That's all I have to say. You're dismissed now. Lillie, you'll come with me. Everyone else can form teams or go solo."
"Understood!"
All the students began to take it seriously. Lillie told Hoshino to be careful, then, holding Vulpix, followed Moon. In a flash, only he remained at the campsite.
"Gengar?"
Gengar waved its hand, asking what they should do next.
Hoshino chuckled, then swiped open his panel, looking at the glowing points on it, and said, "Does that even need to be said? Let's see if there are any Pokémon that need help, and then take some time to introduce them to our Lord… uh, the Yorozuya!"
Since he rarely came here, he naturally wanted to explore thoroughly. He also wondered if there were any Kabukicho customers here; he felt there probably would be.
Boss Slowking said that Kabukicho had Pokémon customers from other islands, and even other regions, with Wailord occasionally appearing.
However, Hoshino couldn't figure out how such a massive creature like Wailord managed to get to Kabukicho; he hadn't seen it anyway, and Boss Slowking didn't elaborate.
After setting Sprigatito, who was clinging to him, down on the ground, Hoshino, accompanied by it, Cyclizar, and Gengar, walked into the flower sea, strolling through it and beginning his Yorozuya promotional work here.
…
Unbeknownst to them, in the blink of an eye, this outdoor survival course had reached its fifth day. Everything was proceeding as usual, and nothing major had happened so far.
It was just that Sun and a few others tried to dig out Combee's beehive, only to be chased by the Beedrill hidden inside. They then returned and were scolded by Moon. However, everyone had already collected quite a few stickers.
Even Hoshino already had more than ten. He occasionally picked them up when he saw them on the road, and also received some as gifts from Pokémon he helped, while also gaining many useless daily talents…
"Slow~"
[Gained Slowpoke's Friendship: Amnesia (Special Defense greatly increased, for Trainer use only)]
"…"
Looking at the newly acquired talent, Hoshino hesitated, feeling like something was very right, yet also like something was wrong everywhere. He then returned the Slowpoke to the pond.
"Forget it, at least it wasn't useless. It's almost evening. Let's prepare and eat dinner now, so we don't get caught by the fog."
He carried a tent and moved around, not staying in the main camp, but also not going too far, to ensure he could return if anything happened.
Ula'ula Meadow starts to get foggy around 7 PM every night, with visibility of only a few meters. He wasn't afraid of danger at all.
"Gengar!"
Near the tent, Gengar drew its bowstring, instantly shooting down all the distant flower petals blown by the wind with arrows. Cyclizar immediately applauded from the side.
Sprigatito, who was waiting for dinner, thought for a moment as if an idea had struck it. It suddenly stood on two feet and struck an archery pose, but nothing was shot out, and it fell to the ground.
"Meow…"
"Gengar?"
Gengar saw its recent actions, so it floated over and handed over a short bow.
"Gengar~"
"Meow?"
Sprigatito glanced at it, then took the black short bow. The texture was strange, and it didn't understand what material it was made of.
At this moment, the smiling Gengar waved its small hand, telling it to try the action again. Sprigatito looked at the short bow, hesitating for a moment.
Then Cyclizar suddenly appeared behind it, holding it up with its hand, so it wouldn't have to worry about falling when standing up.
With the help of its two companions, it couldn't just drop the bow and leave. It tried to pull the bowstring with its paw, but to its surprise, with a gentle tug, a black arrow actually appeared out of thin air.
"Meow?!"
It was greatly surprised. It instinctively released its paw, and the arrow automatically left the string, shooting into the flower bushes.
"Gengar~"
"Cycli~"
"Meow…"
Listening to its two companions applauding it, Sprigatito didn't quite understand but also became happy. It then shot several more arrows consecutively, all disappearing into the same patch of flowers.
Not far away, Hoshino, who was making soup, was also paying attention to the commotion, a smile on his face.
How could he not see that the bow and arrows were actually made by Gengar using spiritual power?
This meant that Gengar was actually controlling the bow and arrows itself, and this would double the consumption of spiritual power, but it still let Sprigatito play with them.
"This is how it should be. We at the Yorozuya are family, naturally…"
Hoshino's words were cut short. From the flower bushes, an Ariados, with several black arrows stuck in its rear, suddenly leaped out furiously, followed closely by Pin Missile, all fired instantly!
"??? Stop playing, run!"
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