"Zoroark, are you alright?"
As Zoroark returned, Sato quickly approached, carefully checking its injuries.
Zoroark glanced at Florges in the distance, shook its head, and remained silent.
"Kirlia!"
Kirlia also noticed Florges and, with a Teleport, instantly appeared beside it, acting like a child seeing its mother, pitifully crying as it complained.
"Flo~"
Florges gently comforted Kirlia before moving together to the unconscious Joseph's side, soon joined by Gogoat.
The three Pokémon huddled together, whispering among themselves for quite a while. Then, Florges took elegant steps toward Sato.
"Flo~ Flo~"
Florges, Kirlia, and Gogoat all bowed deeply to express their gratitude.
Immediately after, Florges' body glowed with a soft green light, which spread across the entire campsite along the ground.
Grassy Terrain!
A powerful area-wide healing move; within the range of Grassy Terrain, all Pokémon on the ground slowly recover their stamina, and the power of Grass-type moves is enhanced!
"Flo~ Flo~"
Florges instructed Kirlia and Gogoat.
Soon, Kirlia used its telekinetic powers to lift several empty glass bottles from Joseph's backpack and moved them beside Gogoat.
Gogoat's body emitted a faint milky white glow, which gathered into liquid form and filled the glass bottles.
Milk Drink!
Besides the Moomoo Milk produced by Miltank, the milk from Gogoat -Gogoat's Grass Milk- was even more nutritious, though its production was significantly lower.
Not every Gogoat could produce milk!
"Flo~"
"Kir~"
Once again, Florges gave Kirlia instructions. This time, Kirlia used its Psychic abilities to levitate the bottles filled with Gogoat's Grass Milk, distributing them to all the Pokémon present, including Sato.
"Flo~"
Florges bowed to Sato once more, then took a sip of the milk beside it before signaling for him to try it.
"Everyone, go ahead and try it!" Sato smiled. This 'Madame' Florges was quite interesting. It was obvious that it was the leader of Joseph's team, highly respected by the others.
Moreover, everything Florges had done since arriving at the campsite served two purposes: not only was it helping, but it was also a display of leadership and capability!
When Zoroark and Florges returned, they had kept their distance from each other, both showing signs of battle wounds; clear evidence of a prior conflict.
Judging from the situation, Florges was able to fight Zoroark to maybe a draw. Even with a type disadvantage, that was impressive!
Sato took a sip of the Gogoat's Grass Milk; the light grassy aroma perfectly cover any gamy taste, making the milk's natural sweetness stand out even more.
As he drank, Sato contemplated Joseph's words. He had said he was a Pokémon Breeder, not a Trainer!
Looking at Joseph's Pokémon lineup, Gogoat and Florges were as strong as, if not stronger than, many starter Pokémon!
Kirlia needed no explanation, whether it evolved into Gardevoir or Gallade, both were rare and powerful!
As for the last missing Pokémon, it was Wigglytuff, a Pokémon Joseph had caught in Kanto. While not the strongest, it was still considered a rare species.
And now, Joseph had unexpectedly gained Viridian Power!
Sato could only admit: He was jealous…[1]
"The Gogoat's Grass Milk is really good. Thank you! Let's all get some rest. Tomorrow morning, we'll set out to find your last missing teammate." Sato nodded at Florges before heading into his tent.
"Flo~"
Florges watched as Sato entered his tent, then suddenly collapsed onto the ground, completely exhausted.
It had also had a rough day, frantically searching for Joseph without rest.
Then, after Zoroark found Florges by scent, its anxious emotions got the better of it, leading to an immediate battle before Zoroark could explain.
In reality, Zoroark had overpowered Florges before taking the time to explain the situation. Only after reluctantly regaining a bit of stamina did Florges finally decide to follow Zoroark.
Zoroark could have simply brought Florges back, but the proud, Madame Florges, would never surrender so easily.
Zoroark was forced into a fight, and although it was not in the mood for it, it did not bother helping Florges either.
In the end, Zoroark led the way back, walking steadily, while Florges had to struggle to keep up with its two small legs, determined not to fall behind.
After returning, as the leader of the group, Florges not only had to express gratitude but also assert its authority and display its strength.
Only after seeing Sato enter his tent did Florges finally relax. However, after a short rest, it immediately got back up to care for Joseph, ensuring he was properly settled in.
---
The next morning, Sato woke up early as usual to train with his Pokémon. He glanced at Joseph's tent and listened closely, hearing a few soft and uneven snores.
Not wanting to disturb them, Sato moved a bit further away for his morning training. By the time he returned, he saw that Joseph and his three Pokémon were already awake and preparing breakfast.
"Good morning, Sato!"
"Morning."
"I went ahead and made breakfast for you all too. Try my cooking!"
"Alright, thanks."
Sato didn't hold back.
Though they had only known each other for less than two days, Joseph clearly had his own secrets. However, everyone had their own mysteries, and Sato wasn't interested in prying.
They met by chance, if they could be friends, that was good enough.
Joseph was from Kalos, and his breakfast was quite different from what was common in Kanto.
Toast, sausage, fried eggs, goat milk, pastries, and jam; it looked simple but tasted surprisingly good!
Even Zoroark and the others seemed satisfied. Joseph, as a Pokémon Breeder, certainly had some skill.
After breakfast, knowing that they had already spent a lot of time, Sato suggested they continue searching for his last missing partner, Wigglytuff, while traveling toward Viridian City.
Sato's three search groups remained the same, but now Gogoat and Kirlia formed an additional group.
Meanwhile, Sato and Joseph left behind a strong scent trail to ensure their Pokémon could track their path and meet up with them later.
Then, the two of them, along with Weavile and Florges, set off toward Viridian City.
---
Three days later, they stood at the exit of Viridian Forest, preparing to leave, but Wigglytuff was still nowhere to be found!
"I know you want to keep searching, but at least let's head to Viridian City to resupply first. I'll also lend you my Ariados and Gengar to help."
Sato patted Joseph on the shoulder. He wasn't sure how to comfort him, so he used the excuse of gathering supplies to convince him to take a break in Viridian City.
"Thanks, Sato."
The two of them arrived at the Viridian City Pokémon Center to get a full recovery for their Pokémon.
"Wigglytuff?"
[1] The bro had a second chance...