Hoppip on the Wind

By the lake, Dian and Beedrill had long since tuned everything out. They were focused on their work and nothing else.

Dian had recently begun looking into Beedrill's honey. He'd noticed that his legs no longer ached, his back no longer hurt, and he had energy to spare, as if he'd taken some kind of miracle drug.

Misdreavus and Beedrill looked more energetic too. Beedrill in particular had grown a little bigger, and its three stingers had become smoother and brighter.

Mixing the honey with Coelacanth Grass venom seemed to make its effects on Beedrill even stronger.

But there was hardly any honey left from what the Beedrill leader had given them.

Dian silently took a bite of his special sandwich dipped in honey.

"So good!!!"

No one else could understand what it felt like to eat so much fast food that the thought of it made you sick. And once he'd started tiring of the forest's berries too, the happiness of finding a new food was hard to describe!

Dian glanced at the Pokéblocks beside him and had a sudden idea. "Beedrill, take these Pokéblocks to the Beedrill in the forest. Consider them a thank-you gift for the honey."

He pointed to the Pokéblocks on the ground.

Beedrill looked at them, nodded quietly, then beat its wings and sped off into the depths of the forest.

"And Agility."

Dian's eyes gleamed. The Beedrill leader's speed and moves had astonished him. If this helped them build a relationship, and his Beedrill could learn a new move...

"Na, na, na..."

What's that?

Dian immediately threw himself down over the things on the ground. A powerful gust had suddenly swept in from the horizon.

In the distance, the Pokémon crouched low against the unexpected wind.

"Misdreavus!"

Shielding his forehead with one hand, Dian shouted, "Secure everything! Don't let the wind blow it away!"

"Mis!"

Unaffected by the wind, Misdreavus flew back and secured the tent and all the training gear by the lake.

Ripples spread across the lake. The Remoraid quickly dove to the bottom and hid in the cracks between the rocks.

Dian wasn't surprised that a strong wind had sprung up.

The weather in the Pokémon World was unpredictable. Even a Twister sweeping across the plains wasn't unusual. That was why, as a rule, only Pokémon Trainers dared to live and train alone in the wilderness.

A group of tiny pink Pokémon suddenly appeared in the sky.

They drifted wherever the wind carried them, laughing happily.

Their round pink bodies and bright green leaves made them instantly recognizable to Dian: Hoppip, dancers on the wind.

"Na, na—"

One pink Hoppip was floating along happily when the wind suddenly weakened. It began to sink toward the ground.

It landed lightly on the tent, then slid down to the ground.

"Na, na!"

Hoppip threw up its arms with a triumphant cry and looked around.

It wasn't alone. A whole group of Hoppip had been stranded by the lake. They looked about in confusion and scurried here and there.

"Phew..."

Dian breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to his feet. A glance to the side showed him a pink Hoppip with its entire body poked inside the tent, apparently curious.

"Na, na?"

It seemed to have found an interesting little object and called out.

Dian was about to go over and carry Hoppip out.

"Jiggly."

A round Jigglypuff rolled out of the nearby woods and looked around in a daze. The wind appeared to have blown it here.

Oh, just a Jigglypuff.

Dian relaxed. Not every Jigglypuff was as dangerous as that singing superstar. He suspected that one might be the legendary god of sleep.

"Jiggly!!"

Jigglypuff looked around and grew excited. There were so many spectators watching! Those expectant eyes were more than it could resist.

It turned, spotted a high perch, and bounced up onto the top of the tent. Then it swiftly pulled out a miniature microphone and began its performance.

The sight of that microphone sent a shiver through Dian. Without a moment's hesitation, he recalled the curious Misdreavus, rolled over the Poké Ball, and gripped it tightly beneath him.

A beautiful, sleep-inducing song rang out across the lakeshore.

Dian struggled to stay focused, but he couldn't resist it. I have to catch a Pokémon with the Soundproof Ability. I have to!

He repeated the thought to himself, then fell fast asleep.

"Jiggly??"

Jigglypuff was lost in the beauty of its own singing. Then it cracked open one eye. "Jiggly!!"

Every living creature around it was deep in a sweet dream. No one was listening anymore.

"Jiggly, Jiggly, Jiggly!"

Jigglypuff cried out angrily, pulled out its colored marker, and began drawing on them one by one. Even the Spearow in the trees and the Remoraid in the lake weren't spared. All of them ended up looking like ridiculous clowns.

"Jiggly, Jiggly."

Some of Jigglypuff's anger seemed to have faded, but it still wasn't satisfied. It kept looking for something else to draw on.

"Jiggly!"

It spotted Dian and scampered over happily.

Just as Jigglypuff was about to show off its artistic talent, the wind swept in again.

"Jiggly!"

Jigglypuff flailed, but there was nothing it could do. The wind lifted it into the sky and carried it into the distance, along with the sleeping Hoppip.

Bzzz!

Dian vaguely heard Beedrill. When he slowly opened his eyes, he saw his Beedrill quietly standing guard beside him.

Daylight had turned to night.

Dian knew he had Beedrill's protection to thank for that. Someone who fell asleep in the forest without a Pokémon at their side might never wake up again.

That was why he had recalled Misdreavus: as a precaution, so he'd still have a Pokémon that might protect him.

But it looked as though Beedrill had made it back in time.

"Mmm—"

Dian stretched. It felt as though all his fatigue had vanished.

A flash of red light appeared, and a yawning Misdreavus floated through the air, rubbing its eyes. "Mis~"

"Thanks for the effort, Beedrill. Come back and get some rest."

Dian recalled Beedrill at once.

The lakeshore had suddenly grown so quiet that it felt strange.

His mind gradually settled. The impatience and strain of training melted away. "Misdreavus, let's go rest in the tent. No more training today."

Thanks to that Jigglypuff, the place was quieter than it had been in a long time.

It was as if the entire forest had fallen asleep at once.

Dian crawled all the way into his sleeping bag and sighed in comfort. He lay there thinking quietly until, before he knew it, he had drifted back to sleep.