Bounsweet's body resembled a mangosteen, with its lower half being white, like exposed fruit flesh, and two small, adorable feet extending from it. Three green calyx leaves sprouted from its head, with two positioned horizontally. Its bright yellow eyes added to its innocent, endearing charm.
But when dozens of Bounsweet poked their heads out from the bushes in unison, all staring Shiro at the same time, it became somewhat unsettling.
If these little creatures weren't just at the Beginner level at best, Shiro might have sent out his Rhyperior immediately to clear them out.
He had been misled by his past gaming habits, assuming there were only a couple of Pokémon hiding among the trees. Instead, he'd walked straight into an entire Pokémon colony.
"Dee-dee!"
Rookidee, however, wasn't concerned at all. It excitedly flapped up to a tree branch and began chirping away, engaging in what seemed to be a lively conversation with the Bounsweet.
Gastly, on the other hand, floated curiously among the trees, hovering near one plump Bounsweet before drifting over to another, slightly slimmer one.
Seeing that Shiro and his Pokémon weren't hostile, the Bounsweet slowly let down their guard. While a few stayed to interact with Rookidee, most retreated into the trees.
Shiro quickened his pace.
He wanted to find an open space, somewhere without large clusters of wild Pokémon.
The last thing he needed was for his training to cause a disturbance, making the wild Pokémon think he was attacking them.
"Gaassstly!"
While walking, Gastly suddenly darted past him, floating ahead to explore the woods first.
Since this area wasn't far from human settlements, the wild Pokémon here weren't particularly strong or numerous, and their aggression was relatively low. That made it a fairly safe place.
After covering another hundred meters or so, Rookidee rushed over from behind, flapping its wings excitedly as it hovered in front of Shiro.
It now had a small satchel woven from leaves slung across its back. Inside was a faintly pinkish liquid, giving off a light, sweet fragrance.
"This is a gift from Bounsweet?" Shiro asked with a chuckle, reaching out to take the leaf pouch from Rookidee's back.
"Rook-rook!"
Rookidee nodded eagerly and then nudged the pouch with its head, urging Shiro to try it.
The leaf pouch was only about the size of half a palm, and the liquid inside was barely enough for a few sips. But just from smelling it, Shiro already felt a strange sense of clarity and calmness.
Bounsweet's juice was known to calm and stabilize one's mood.
"Gaasss..."
At this time, Gastly floated over from the front, its eyes widening as drool dripped from its mouth.
Seeing its expression, Shiro smiled faintly. He took a small sip, then offered the pouch to both Gastly and Rookidee.
"You two try it too."
Although Rookidee had carried it over, it didn't actually know what it tasted like. The scent had been lingering behind it the entire way, making it gulp repeatedly.
Shiro could tell from the way Rookidee's eyes darted back and forth that it was just as eager to try Bounsweet's juice.
Still, the little bird stood proudly on Shiro's forearm, holding its head high with a hint of stubborn pride.
"Gaasss..."
Gastly eyed the leaf pouch, hastily licking away the drool gathering at the corner of its mouth. Since Rookidee had carried it back, it decided to let its "elder brother" drink first.
Shiro taking a sip was one thing, but Gastly couldn't just selfishly snatch it away.
Gently, it nudged Shiro's hand toward Rookidee, then cast the little bird a pitiful look, silently urging it to drink first.
"Rook..."
Seeing this, Rookidee finally buried its beak into the pouch, took two quick sips, then fluttered up to perch on Shiro's shoulder.
"Gaasstly!"
Gastly no longer held back, burying its face in the leaf pouch and drinking up the remaining sweet liquid in no time.
"Gaasss..."
It swayed slightly, a satisfied grin on its face.
"Let's go." Shiro tucked the empty leaf pouch into his backpack and continued forward.
As the trees grew denser, the number of wild Pokémon in sight also increased. Nitcket and Zigzagoon, for instance, often peeked out from behind trees, watching cautiously. But the moment Shiro turned to look at them, they quickly turned and fled.
Shiro steadily made his way toward a rugged mountain slope.
The rocky outcrop jutted outward, with no trees growing nearby, leaving a sizable patch of open grassland.
There were no signs of wild Pokémon here. This kind of open space wasn't ideal for hiding.
"C'mon!" Shiro picked up his pace and signaled for Rookidee and Gastly to follow.
Both Pokémon were faster than him, reaching the center of the grassland first.
After scanning the surroundings for a while and confirming there were no people or threats, Shiro leaned against the rock and pulled training weights from his backpack, laying them on the grass.
Realizing what was coming, Rookidee and Gastly immediately understood that training was about to begin. They moved in front of Shiro, ready.
"Hold on," Shiro said, knowing how eager they were but deciding it wasn't time yet. Taking out a gray Poké Ball, he called out, "Come out, Rhyperior."
This was the first time he released the Rhyperior he had purchased.
Its dark, powerful body was built like solid rock, with thick arms and a sturdy tail. The creature was clad in an orange, armor-like shell. Just as he had seen before, this Rhyperior had an imposing presence.
Its two drill-like horns, particularly the larger one, gleamed with a grayish-silver metallic sheen, resembling reinforced steel—clearly the result of specialized training.
Yet, its dull eyes gave it a vacant, almost foolish look as it stared blankly ahead.
Standing over five meters tall, its massive body took up a significant portion of the clearing.
"Rhyperior?" Shiro called, testing its response.
The sluggish Rhyperior slowly turned its head toward him. Though its eyes were now focused on him, there was still a robotic stiffness to its movements.
Shiro took out some berries and placed them in front of Rhyperior.
"Eat."
Immediately, Rhyperior lowered itself, devouring the berries in just a few bites.
Meanwhile, Shiro rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
He had completely forgotten to buy Ground- and Rock-type Pokéblocks. If Rhyperior only ate berries, his supply wouldn't last long.
'Well, since it couldn't grow stronger anyway, the cheapest Pokéblocks would do,' Shiro thought, looking at the Pokémon.
The only real burden Rhyperior posed was its massive appetite. As long as it was fed, it could continue working.
"Okay." Shiro had no immediate use for this brute, so he gave it a simple task. "Rhyperior, stand guard here. If any strangers or wild Pokémon approach, just give a loud roar to alert me."
"Rhhhaa..."
Rhyperior responded with a slow nod and a deep call before lumbering over to the clearing's edge, standing still like a statue.
Intrigued, Rookidee and Gastly circled around the towering newcomer, inspecting it from every angle, their curiosity evident.
"Alright, enough messing around! Training time!" Shiro called, snapping them out of their fascination.
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