Hoppip and Whimsicott

Luo Mu spoke up. "Serperior."

Serperior gave a slight nod. A Vine Whip slipped out from his collar, snatched a small white object out of the air, then curled back and placed it in Luo Mu's hand.

Luo Mu carefully pinched the tiny white object between his fingers, feeling its uniquely fluffy, soft texture. A delighted gleam flashed in his eyes.

He had originally been looking for Grass-type Pokémon that could be found in specific locations around Paldea, such as Fomantis, Gogoat, Bounsweet, Mareanie, or Tropius.

He hadn't expected to find an unexpected surprise on this trip. The owner of those mysterious white tufts drifting through the air would be perfect for a farm.

What's more, it was the signature Pokémon of the hugely popular "Arven's Farm" online.

"Pokémon from the Galar region are rare in Paldea."

Luo Mu smiled and patted Pepper on the shoulder, motioning for him and Master Dogue to follow. Then he headed off with Serperior in the direction the tufts had come from.

Soon, they reached a wide-open grassland.

Dense grass, about knee-high, blanketed the ground. Every so often, a few tiny Combee or Yanma skimmed low overhead. In the distance, a red figure that looked almost like a musician let out a shrill cry.

Following Combee could sometimes lead to a Vespiquen's nest, where they could get some sweet honey. Normally, Luo Mu would have tried to follow them, but he had more important things to do. He turned his attention back to the grassland, scanned the area, and quickly spotted his target.

Two tiny Hoppip, each with five-petaled yellow flowers and five red sepals that looked like hair, were happily basking in the sunlight and playing together.

Behind them, a Whimsicott with a large ball of cotton piled on its head and a yellow cape watched over the two Hoppip with a smile.

Pepper was just about to speak when Luo Mu stopped him. Pressing a finger to his lips, Luo Mu signaled with a look and a gesture for Pepper to keep his voice down so they wouldn't scare the Whimsicott and Hoppip away.

Pepper nodded repeatedly, face tense. He wrapped his arms around Master Dogue's tail, stopping the Pokémon from bounding off to chase butterflies as it wagged wildly. Then he whispered, "Luo Mu, what kind of Pokémon are those?"

Pepper had never seen these Pokémon before, not once in his life, and his curiosity was piqued.

Keeping his eyes on the three Pokémon, Luo Mu whispered, "The two smaller ones that look like flowers are Hoppip. The one watching over them is Whimsicott. They're both Pokémon from the Galar region."

"They're hardly found anywhere in Paldea. You could say we're blessed by the goddess of luck to run into them here."

Pepper nodded in realization. The Galar region, huh? He'd never been there.

At the word "goddess," Serperior's body tensed, and the tip of his tail began to lash irritably.

A goddess!

Where's the goddess?

Come out and fight me! (▼皿▼#)

As Serperior radiated jealousy indiscriminately, Pepper let out a stifled cry. "They're flying away!"

A rustling sound rose from the tranquil grassland as a gust of wind swept through. The two Hoppip cried out excitedly as they were carried away by the wind, spinning in circles and singing a cheerful tune.

Whimsicott seemed just as free of gravity. Its body, far larger than the Hoppip, lifted into the air with the wind and followed closely behind them.

Pepper looked amazed. "That's incredible. How is that Whimsicott flying?"

As Hoppip's evolved form, Whimsicott changed very little in height and weight. It only looked heavier because of the cotton on its head, which was extremely light. Like Hoppip, it could still be carried away by the wind.

Luo Mu didn't have time to explain all this to Pepper. He sprang up, ignoring his legs, which had gone numb from crouching in the grass, and called in a low voice, "Let's go!"

"Huh? Oh!"

Pepper stared, dumbfounded, as Luo Mu and Serperior raced off like arrows loosed from a bow. A moment later, they were already far ahead.

With no time to stand there gaping, Pepper let his arms drop and took off after Luo Mu and Serperior. The excited Master Dogue stayed close at his side, dutifully keeping him safe.

After a long chase, Pepper bent over with his hands on his knees, gasping for breath. He felt as if his heart were about to leap out of his chest.

Luo Mu slowly caught his breath, then laughed. "You're out of shape. You're already tired after running such a short distance."

Pepper wasn't having it. "You're no better, Luo Mu. You lost sight of Whimsicott and the others. What gives you the right to criticize me?"

Luo Mu was embarrassed, but he stubbornly retorted, "That's different. Who could've known a sudden gust would blow them into this forest? We only lost them because of two things beyond our control."

Only then did Pepper have a chance to look around. As far as he could see, the area was filled with tall trees, with plenty of obstacles and very uneven terrain. It wasn't surprising they'd lost sight of the Pokémon.

After finally catching his breath, Pepper blinked and asked, "So what do we do now? Did we come all this way for nothing?"

Luo Mu folded his arms and thought for a while before sighing. "Let's search nearby. The wind has stopped, and Whimsicott and the others probably can't have gone too far."

"Of course, if we still haven't found them in an hour, we'll head back. It's almost dark, and it's easy to lose your way in the wilderness at night."

Pepper nodded, only half understanding. He had little sense of what it was like to be out in the wilderness at night.

Luo Mu didn't split up with Pepper to cover more ground and search faster. They were in the wilderness, where an accident could happen at any moment.

Pepper wasn't yet the Senpai Pepper he would become. He still lacked a lot of the knowledge and experience needed to face danger.

As Pepper's senior and future teacher, Luo Mu felt it was his responsibility to look after him.

It might have been slower, but at least nothing would go wrong.

The two of them continued searching with Master Dogue and Serperior for another half hour, but they still found nothing.

Luo Mu looked up at the sky, which was gradually turning yellow, and knew it was time to go.

It seemed they weren't meant to meet.

Luo Mu smiled helplessly and turned to Pepper. "Let's go. We should head back."

Pepper nodded and followed him.

"Galar!"

Serperior suddenly raised his head, his bright red eyes fixed on the woods in the distance.

"Did you sense them?" Luo Mu stopped and looked at Serperior.

Serperior nodded in confirmation, his deep gaze fixed unwaveringly on the woods.

Along with the presence of those three Grass-type Pokémon, he had also sensed an unfamiliar presence—one that most likely didn't belong to Whimsicott and the Hoppip's companions.