Outside the Petalburg Woods, a black-haired boy in athletic gear was sprinting at full speed, the bushes behind him rustling as a pack of gray-furred, vicious wolves burst out.
Mightyena!
This type of wolf Pokémon, known for its pack behavior, was every explorer's nightmare. The moment they spotted movement, they would bite without hesitation.
They would never relent until their prey was exhausted, chasing relentlessly.
The boy's determined face was mixed with a trace of excitement and lingering fear.
Even while running, he didn't forget to look back and shouted, "Corphish, Bubble Beam!"
Sky-blue bubbles shimmered with rainbow colors under the sunlight as countless bubbles attacked the Mightyena, successfully hindering their pursuit.
"Huff... huff..."
Sieg's figure kept flashing through the forest until he reached the road and finally dared to stop and catch his breath.
"Star-Petal Bloom, it was worth the risk to bring you out from the Mightyena's territory."
Sieg slowly pulled out a brilliant flower from his chest. The flower had seven petals and sparkled with star-like speckles.
"I didn't expect to find such a rare herb on the outskirts of Petalburg Woods. No wonder a whole Mightyena pack was stationed there to guard it."
Sieg's face was flushed, excitement gleaming in his expression.
The Star-Petal Bloom was a rare medicinal herb he had learned about during his studies with Metako. Just one of these was worth at least 200,000 Pokédollars.
And it was priceless in the market.
"But I don't plan on selling it. It's a rare ingredient for making high-grade Pokéblocks. If I barter it in the black market, it's the optimal way to maximize profit."
Sieg carefully placed the flower into his spatial backpack.
Although its roots were slightly damaged during the tense moment of harvesting, it wasn't a major problem. With proper care, it would recover in a few days.
Sieg slowly stood up, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and walked along the outer trail of Petalburg Woods. Most of this road had been developed by the League, mainly for adventurers to enter the forest.
However, it was still rarely used. The reason was that wild Pokémon occasionally roamed the area.
They were usually losers in territorial disputes within the forest. But even so, they couldn't be underestimated by average trainers.
Most trainers preferred the safer paths rather than taking risks.
Of course, the League had methods to address this, such as the earlier mission to map the area.
Signs lined the roadside, bearing a phrase widely known in the Pokémon world:
"True trainers carve new paths through danger."
It had to be said, the League really knew how to brainwash each new generation. A hot-blooded teen hearing this might indeed be inspired to explore dangerous areas.
Like a certain fool?
Of course, none of this concerned Sieg. He entered the forest solely to earn a profit.
"This trip yielded a lot. Time to return to the city and rest up." Sieg tightened the straps on his backpack, his footsteps gradually speeding up.
Just as Sieg was leaving the forest and relaxing his guard, sudden cries echoed in the air.
"Help! Help! Daddy, come save me…"
Judging by the voice, it sounded like a young girl.
Sieg, holding to the belief that less trouble is better, was about to leave when he realized the girl was running toward him.
And behind her, several grey-beige-ish figures swooped through the air, their wings stirring up gusts of dust as they flew overhead.
As they approached, Sieg finally saw them clearly, Venomoth!
"Shit…"
Sieg cursed under his breath and immediately released Fearow, intending to fly away.
"Wait, that watch the little girl's wearing…"
Sieg squinted, though he didn't recognize luxury brands, the wristwatch on the girl's arm couldn't be fake.
Wasn't that a newly released model by that famous company?
"That blue top-tier version? Doesn't that cost around 1 million Pokédollars?" Sieg's eyes lit up instantly.
Whose rich daughter was this?
Sieg's mind spun. "If I save this little girl, maybe her parents will reward me handsomely to show their gratitude."
He quickly assessed the situation. Although his Pokémon were somewhat tired, he should still be able to handle a few Venomoth.
"Little girl, don't be afraid! I am here to save you!"
Sieg recalled Fearow and dashed toward the girl, shouting in a caring voice.
"Corphish, use Bubble Beam!"
Corphish immediately responded, blasting the attacking Venomoth with streams of bubbles.
The Venomoth, hesitant upon leaving the forest, panicked further under attack and quickly retreated back into the woods.
Sieg was thrilled inside, but kept up his heroic act as he rushed toward the girl.
With a warm smile, Sieg gently patted the girl's head and said in a soft voice, "Don't be scared, little one. The bad Pokémon are gone now."
Tears still clung to the corners of the girl's eyes. She tried to hold them back, her face showing a stubborn yet adorable expression.
But when she heard the comforting words of the handsome young man before her, she couldn't hold back any longer. Her tears gushed out like a broken dam.
"Waaaahhh-boohoohoo…"
The little girl burst into tears, full of fear and grievance.
Her tears soaked through Sieg's shirt.
Sieg gently patted her back and comforted her. "Don't cry, don't cry. Everything's okay now. The bad Pokémon won't hurt you anymore."
The little girl clung to Sieg as if he were a safe harbor, her tiny hands gripping his shirt tightly, unwilling to let go.
As time passed, she finally stopped crying and looked up at Sieg, her eyes full of gratitude.
"I'm May.... I was brave, right? I wasn't scared."
Sieg smiled, gently wiping the tears from her cheeks, and comforted her with a soft voice.
"May? No way…"
Before Sieg could confirm it, a group of people suddenly rushed over from nearby.
Leading them was Officer Jenny and a stern-looking middle-aged man.
"Daddy!"
May cried out in joy, wiping her slightly damp face and showing a proud expression.
The man, seeing his daughter in the arms of a stranger, immediately shouted, "Who are you?! Let go of my daughter!"
Before Sieg could reply, May frantically waved her little arms and said, "No, Daddy! This man saved me! He chased away the bad Pokémon!"
The middle-aged man froze, then quickly realized he had overreacted in his panic.
"I see… young man, I'm Norman. Thank you for saving my daughter." Norman quickly stepped forward.
Sieg's suspicions were now confirmed, so he pretended to be calm and said, "It's no big deal. I just saw May being chased by Pokémon and stepped in to help."
With that, Sieg turned as if to leave.
But in the crowd, Officer Jenny immediately recognized him. Wasn't that the shy boy who had taken a mission earlier?
Sieg turned his back and walked away, silently praying:
"Please stop me. Please tell me to stay."
Sure enough, Officer Jenny called out:
"Sieg!"