After buying a map from a small roadside shop, Marcus headed towards the Olive forest with Buneary.
"Buneary buneary~!" The little rabbit, with weights tied to her body, continuously jumped, flashed, and ran around the bicycle.
This was the task Marcus assigned her: constantly use Splash and Quick Attack to change her speed, allowing her body to quickly adapt to speed changes and develop Speed Boost.
Along the road, Marcus rode his bike and opened the System panel.
The strength of that giant Arboliva was probably something even Miltank couldn't match, so he wanted to add some more trump cards to his hand.
He had accumulated 15 master points so far, and he planned to spend another 50,000 PD for two consecutive draws.
[Ding, Master Draw is now open. Number of draws this time: 2. Insufficient balance, please recharge...]
Marcus clicked the 'Go to Recharge' button without hesitation.
[Ding, deducting 50,000 PD, drawing...]
[Draw complete. Obtained Squirtle Watering Can, Soothe Bell!]
[Squirtle Watering Can: A watering can containing unlimited high-quality mineral water. Mom no longer has to worry about not having enough water for watering flowers!]
[Every drop of water is strictly controlled, going through thirty-six processes. Water quality is guaranteed to be safe! We solemnly promise, we don't produce water, we are just nature's porters!]
[Soothe Bell: Held item. Tying it around a Pokemon's neck will produce a crisp sound that pleases it, effectively increasing the Pokemon's friendship.]
The watering can is used for planting Berries in the game. In reality, unless Marcus buys a plot of land, its use is probably limited. However, the Soothe Bell is just right for Buneary.
After all, Lopunny's evolution method is a rare friendship evolution, which is one of the reasons Marcus never puts the little rabbit back into her Poke Ball.
As for other reasons...of course, it's because the little rabbit is soft, cute, and nice to touch~...
"Ding-a-ling..." Taking out the Soothe Bell from the System backpack, the crisp sound instantly calmed his restless heart, like being cared for by gentle hands, giving a unique sense of comfort.
"Light yellow suits her quite well too."
With a thought, Marcus replaced the held item slot for the little rabbit with the Soothe Bell, and the bell appeared directly below Buneary's neck. It wouldn't fall off even without a string or anything to secure it.
This is a convenient held item function that comes with the System.
"Buneary~" The little rabbit let out a cute cry, jumped onto his shoulder, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She absolutely loved this bell.
————
In the evening, the person and Pokemon finally arrived at the central area of the Olive forest.
Marcus had already sprayed the golden Max Repel in advance, but there were still rustling sounds around. He finally felt much safer after letting out Miltank.
The Pokemon here were much higher level than those in Eterna Forest, and he had to stay alert.
Along the way, Marcus saw many Pokemon unique to Paldea, and even saw a Zorua from a distance.
Although he threw a Poke Ball in time, it transformed into a Mothim and cleverly flew away.
"Alas...I'm still a bit too weak now. I can't even seize the opportunity when I see rare Pokemon."
Steadying himself, Marcus looked up at the center of the grove, where a thick, towering giant tree stood.
Under the setting sun, this giant tree was surrounded by other olive trees, appearing somewhat solemn and mysterious. The surrounding flowers and plants were also very lush, as if spontaneously gathering around something.
From time to time, Marcus could see Pokemon like Dunsparce, Foongus, and Komala bringing fresh water in leaves from distant streams to water the roots of the giant tree.
[Arboliva lv63 (Early Elite Four, Alpha Form)]
Description: An Arboliva that has mastered the grove's aura. It guarantees the prosperity of this grove with its life as the foundation, and is loved by all the Pokemon and flowers and plants here.
However, due to environmental pollution in recent times, its roots have withered somewhat, and its branches and leaves have also shrunk.
————
Marcus frowned, only then realizing that the reason these flowers and plants were gathered around Arboliva was to share their energy with it in this way, and the Pokemon were doing the same.
"Environmental pollution? How could this happen?" Marcus wanted to go closer to check, but from the top of a large olive tree nearby, an Oranguru jumped down and blocked his way:
"Oranguru oranguru! (Human, please stay away from here!)"
"Um...I see Arboliva seems to be sick. Maybe I can help it. Can you let me take a look?" Marcus said as he continued to slowly approach.
The Oranguru waved the fan made of leaves in its hand, and an Energy Ball struck at Marcus's feet, forcing him back a few steps: "Oranguru! (No one is welcome here!)"
Marcus frowned.
It seemed the source of the environmental pollution was humans.
"Sorry for the disturbance. I will go and find a way to help you. If I really succeed, please let me in next time."
Marcus nodded slightly at it, then left towards the distance.
After he left, the Oranguru also jumped back onto the large tree and looked into the distance.
...
Marcus first circled around Arboliva with Buneary. Unsurprisingly, there were different guardians on the surrounding trees: Greedent, Grimmsnarl, Spidops, and so on.
Therefore, Marcus didn't gain anything.
"Environmental pollution... What could pollute the greenery? It can only be the soil or the water, right?"
As he was thinking, the buzzing sound of machinery operating came from the distance.
Approaching, Marcus also saw the scene here.
This was a low-lying area of the grove, with no olive trees around. A machine nearby dragged a long pipe, constantly discharging sewage and waste.
In the center of the depression, industrial waste had piled up like a mountain, rotting and emitting a pungent, sour smell that made Marcus frown.
"This place has been turned into a garbage dump... It seems to have been here for many years."
Perhaps the groundwater and soil here have already been polluted, but it hasn't erupted only because of Arboliva.
Marcus was moved. Arboliva was purifying the environment here by itself, but it still couldn't withstand the erosion accumulated over the years.
"Miltank, Icebeam!"
The ice light enveloped the entire sewage discharge machine, then quickly spread, covering half of the muddy pond.
Seeing the sewage discharge stop, Marcus felt a little relieved and looked in the direction of the sewage pipe's source.
Freezing could only temporarily block the sewage discharge. The problem needed to be solved at the source.
Marcus rode away on his bicycle, and behind the large olive tree where he had just stood, a tender green little fellow emerged, staring blankly at his retreating figure.
"Smoliv~"
...
Outskirts of Artazon, Bob's Chemical Plant.
As usual, Bob closed the factory gate.
As the factory owner, he would inspect the premises every day, urging every employee to eliminate the bad habit of leaving work on time. Overtime for at least two hours was the norm.
Whenever he saw the workers complaining but helpless, he felt particularly refreshed.
The evening breeze was gentle, and he hummed an unknown tune.
"Why does the wind today feel a bit hot... Hmm... It turns out my heart is hot."
"Looks like I need to go to the Golden Sands Club tonight to find a few young ladies to cool off."
Just as he was fantasizing, the chemical plant behind him was suddenly engulfed in flames.
"Boom——!!!" The sound of an explosion echoed through the sky.