POKEMON : STARTING WITH FLASH METAGROSS

"Desolate Trail?"

On the other end of the communicator, Steven Stone frowned, feeling a faint familiarity with the name.

"You might recognize it as the place forcibly renamed by Kikuno, the Elite Four of Sinnoh."

Steven's interest piqued. "So, is there anything worthwhile there?"

Rax smirked. "Oh, there are treasures, no doubt. But do you dare to develop it?"

Steven caught the implication immediately. "The Devon Corporation would never exploit an area unsustainably. Kikuno is also a valued black diamond member of our group."

Rax chuckled. "I'll send you the address. Check it out for yourself."

With that, he ended the call, forwarded the details, and moved on.

---

After finding a hidden stream, Rax and his Pokémon—Metang, Marowak, and Roserade—cleaned themselves and set off for Floribunda Town.

For three more days, Rax navigated the thinning forest, noticing the gradual increase of vibrant, multi-colored flowers. Swarms of Bug-type Pokémon began appearing, from Beedrill to Butterfree, buzzing around harmoniously.

To avoid unnecessary conflict, Rax kept Roserade at his side. Its calming demeanor helped ease potential misunderstandings with the swarms.

When he passed the final towering tree, Rax froze in awe.

Before him stretched a vast, seemingly endless sea of flowers.

---

The flowers bloomed with radiant diversity—delicate, vibrant, shy, and exuberant. Insects and Pokémon flitted above, collecting nectar and pollen, while ground-bound Bug-types gathered below, tending to low blossoms.

The scene was idyllic, a paradise of coexistence and abundance.

Rax noticed something peculiar: none of the Pokémon seemed to care about his or skiploom's presence.

"This is strange," he muttered, stepping cautiously forward. "Are they ignoring us because there's so much food?"

To confirm he wasn't under some hypnotic effect, Rax ordered, "skiploom, use Aromatherapy."

"Rose?"

Skiploom complied, releasing a soothing scent that surrounded them. Everything seemed normal.

---

Satisfied, Rax ventured deeper into the sea of flowers.

However, he accidentally stepped on a tiny flower, and an ear-piercing shriek shattered the tranquility.

"Ji!!!"

A Cutiefly appeared, glaring at Rax and pointing indignantly at the crushed flower.

Before Rax could react, Bug-types of every species surrounded him, their eyes filled with hostility.

"Not good..."

At the critical moment, skiploom stepped forward, releasing Grassy Terrain. The broken flower miraculously healed, standing upright and blooming even more beautifully than before.

The hostile gazes disappeared instantly, replaced by admiration. The Bug-types now looked at skiploom with reverence.

---

"Take it back, skiploom!" Rax whispered urgently.

Realizing the intensity of the attention, skiploom quickly dispelled the Grassy Terrain.

The flowers retained their beauty but ceased their unnatural growth.

Then, Rax shouted dramatically, "skiploom, what are you doing? You're already injured—don't push yourself!"

skiploom blinked in confusion before catching on. With a weak nod, it pretended to faint, collapsing into Rax's arms.

"Don't overextend yourself! I can't lose you!" Rax continued, his voice trembling with fake panic.

The Bug-types, startled by his outburst, stepped back. The fiery admiration in their eyes faded.

Quickly, Rax recalled skiploom into its Poké Ball. "Does anyone know where the nearest town or Pokémon Center is? My partner needs urgent help!"

The Bug-types exchanged glances, unsure. Finally, the Cutiefly from earlier pointed further into the sea of flowers.

"Great," Rax muttered under his breath, masking his reluctance. "Could someone guide me there?"

The Bug-types fled, clearly uninterested in offering assistance.

---

As the swarm dispersed, Rax exhaled deeply.

"The Pokémon here won't tolerate harm to any flowers," he realized. "Even the Bug-types seem to follow this rule strictly. But as long as I don't damage the flowers, they won't attack me."

The realization offered hope. However, traversing the sea of flowers would still be a challenge. Supplies were running low, and a detour wasn't feasible.

Rax pondered his options until he noticed a Staravia swoop down, snatch a Wurmple, and fly off without disturbing any flowers. The Bug-types scattered but didn't retaliate.

"Only flowers are sacred here," Rax murmured. "The Pokémon aren't untouchable. That means..."

---

Turning to Metang, Rax said, "We need to practice something new."

"Metang?"

"You're going to learn how to fly while carrying me."

"...Metang?"

Metang blinked, unsure whether to be impressed or horrified.