"Tsk, too bad I didn't bring Pupitar. It's a pro at dealing with Hunters…"
Sato sighed with regret, only to be met with expressions from Joseph and Mark that clearly said, "Are you a demon?"
"You handle them. Joseph and I are going to help the Mamoswine." Sato pointed at the Hunters and, without waiting for Mark to protest, walked straight toward the Mamoswine.
Seeing this, Joseph naturally followed Sato. Even though he knew full well that healing the Pokémon would be left entirely to him.
…But since Sato made the first move, there was no way he'd let Mark refute that easily.
Not a chance!
Joseph began putting his Viridian Power to work. His affinity with Pokémon allowed him to easily soothe the panic of over a hundred injured Pokémon.
Then, Gogoat, Gallade, Bayleef, and Chansey all jumped in, beginning the healing process.
Bayleef, personally trained by Florges, played the biggest role in this group treatment. With Grassy Terrain and Aromatherapy, it was able to handle nearly 90% of the light injuries. Its healing capabilities were absolutely outrageous.
The rest of the Pokémon, the ones more seriously hurt, were then treated under Joseph's guidance, with Chansey and the others working like a conveyor belt to fully heal them one by one.
It wasn't Joseph's first time doing group healing, but every time Sato and Mark watched, it still felt wonderfully satisfying.
"Joseph may be a bit dark-hearted most of the time… but when he's treating Pokémon, he's only just a tiny bit less cool than me," Mark said seriously after wrapping up the Pokémon Hunters and jogging over.
Sato gave him a sideways glance, clearly considering whether a smack on the head might make Mark even dumber.
Under Sato's death glare, Mark had no choice but to amend his statement.
"Okay, okay~ Joseph's coolness is just a tiny bit lower than Boss's and mine."
"…"
Sato took a big step to the side, deciding not to breathe the same air as Mark within a one-meter radius… for safety reasons.
The surprise hunting operation had completely disrupted the territorial dispute between the Mamoswine and Abomasnow clans.
Even though Joseph had finished treating them, the two groups didn't dare resume fighting in front of their saviors.
"Pack up. Let's rest at the Mamoswine's territory," Joseph said casually as he walked over after the healing was done.
Judging from his "unfazed" demeanor, the invitation from the Mamoswine had clearly been expected.
Just thinking about those massive bodies -if they just curled up in the middle while the group slept- it'd be way cozier than any igloo.
And what about any unpleasant odors?
In these freezing snowy mountains, even finding spoiled food was hard. Besides, this were naturally clean creatures. There wasn't the slightest smell.
Soon, the three of them packed up their unused tent. Each one climbed onto a smaller Mamoswine, and together they slowly made their way toward the clan's den.
Before they left, the Abomasnow also offered a gift in return, several dozen kilos of berries with the texture of frozen treats that look like "cedar seeds" they had harvested themselves.
This "cedar seeds" -berries- could only be produced by unevolved Snover and were packed with incredibly pure energy.
When consumed directly by a Pokémon, they could rapidly restore energy. Their effect was comparable to a Max Elixir, without any risk of resistance buildup, and they even tasted good.
And the Abomasnow had delivered several dozen kilos; likely the entire stockpile their clan had collected this year. It was a truly generous gift.
Sato and the others clearly noticed the Mamoswine's reaction. When they saw the cedar seeds, their eyes went red and the sound of gulping echoed everywhere.
"…"
----
It was already deep into the night. The moonlight wasn't enough to let Sato and the others see their surroundings clearly, but fortunately, the Mamoswine surrounded them securely. There was no risk of getting lost.
When the cold wind disappeared and the temperature began to rise slightly, the Mamoswine signaled that they had arrived.
Their den was here.
Too bad it was nighttime, otherwise they really would have liked to take a good look at what a Mamoswine clan's den looked like.
After setting up their tent in the center of the Mamoswine, the three of them didn't waste any time and began to rest.
…The night passed without incident…
When the first ray of sunlight lit up the Mamoswine herd, Sato and the others got up as well.
Stepping out of the tent, all they could see were mounds of brown fur. Under the morning sun, Sato actually thought the Mamoswine looked pretty majestic.
…Must've been an illusion caused by some internal filter.
Totally fake!
Sato climbed onto the back of a nearby Mamoswine, intending to enjoy the scenic view, but instantly felt two completely different temperatures on his body.
He quickly jumped down, feigning calmness, dove into the tent to put on proper clothes, waited a while to warm up, and then climbed back up.
As the mountain view opened up before him, Sato took a deep breath. The fresh air left him feeling totally relaxed.
Only now did he realize that even though the den was outdoors, it was located on the mountain's leeward side. The surrounding terrain formed a natural enclosure that kept the warmth contained.
Joseph was already cooking breakfast, while Mark was darting back and forth among the Mamoswine, claiming he was trying to overcome his terrible sense of direction. But to Sato, he was clearly just playing "spot the difference."
"Your tusks are a bit short… I'll call you Shorty."
…
"Yours are a bit yellow… you're Yellowy."
…
"You're kind of short… let's go with… Shawty."
…
"Your fur's a little long… so I'll name you Longfur."
"…Mamo?"
"Hmm? Why not call you Furry instead? Because you're not cute enough to pull off fake cuteness!"
"Wine…" The Mamoswine now called Longfur looked completely wronged. 'How am I not cute? I'm super cute, okay!' (╯^╰)!
Ignoring Mark, who had somehow managed to entertain himself even with a group of furballs, Sato opened the map and checked their location. He discovered that the Mamoswine hadn't taken them to the summit yesterday, they had circled along the mountainside to the other side.
"…After we descend, we should reach Veilstone City in about three days. I wonder if the Veilstone Gym is ready… and which one should be next to advance?"
Sato looked into the distance and murmured to himself, sounding a little cocky.
After breakfast, the three of them each mounted one of the smaller Mamoswine and began the descent down the mountain.
It was clear that Mamoswine held a respected status on this snowy mountain. Most wild Pokémon they encountered chose to step aside instead of approaching recklessly.
With Mamoswine as their mounts, and the descent much quicker than the climb, it took Sato and the others just over a morning to reach the mountain's base.
"Mamos~" "Wine~" "Maaa~"
The three Mamoswine bid them farewell and slowly began making their way back up the mountain.
The temperature at the base had already returned to normal, it wasn't a place they liked to linger.
"Alright then, let's keep moving! Next stop, Veilstone City!" Sato declared with high spirits, gazing at the lush forest ahead.
"I want a new partner! I want a new partner!"
Mark echoed loudly behind him, immediately ruining the "cool" vibe Sato had just built up.
Joseph couldn't help but squint his eyes and smile.