Orthworm

"Thank you, Mr. Xiang Shi! I'll be off now!"

Tong Hua grabbed his things and dashed out, leaving Turtwig and Minccino scrambling after him.

"Twig!" "Cinno!"

Xiang Shi watched Tong Hua disappear into the distance and quietly took a sip of water.

"All right, back to work. No idea why, but I suddenly feel full of energy."

At Sunshine Ranch, Grandpa Yang had just finished feeding the Pokémon and animals. He put on his reading glasses, picked up the newspaper, and began reading again.

Running the entire ranch alone was rather exhausting, even with the Pokémon lending a hand.

Only when he read the newspaper could he truly relax.

With a pot of tea brewed and the newspaper spread open, he could take in the news from all across Almia.

"What is the Angel Company up to now...? I understand them less and less these days."

The Angel Company was the largest energy company in the Almia Region. Its standing in Almia was equivalent to that of Macro Cosmos in the Galar Region.

The company had first made its profits in the oil industry. Later, as its oil reserves dwindled, it invested in research into new energy sources instead.

In an interview a few days earlier, its current president, Pluck Hall, had revealed that the Angel Company would henceforth use "dream energy" to resolve Almia's energy crisis.

As for what this "dream energy" actually was, no one knew yet...

In the photograph, lively young boys and girls in uniform stood in neat rows at the Pokémon Ranger School's Departure Plaza. Giving a speech at the front was the highly respected Principal Ramo.

Ramo, the principal of the Pokémon Ranger School, Xiaocui, the founder of the Ranger Union, and Professor Xinyuan, the developer of the Capture Styler, were collectively known as Almia's Golden Triangle.

Without those three, neither the present-day Ranger Union nor the peaceful lives people now enjoyed would have existed.

Having grown up in that same era, Grandpa Yang looked at the spirited Principal Ramo in the photograph and felt an inexplicable twinge of envy.

"One became a principal who'll go down in history, with students everywhere. The other left his hometown, only to end up a decrepit old man who outlived every member of his family..."

Grandpa Yang shook his head with a bitter smile, gently brushing his fingers over Principal Ramo's photograph in the newspaper. Sunlight from the window passed through his reading glasses, casting tiny flecks of light across his wrinkled face.

"Grandpa Yang! We've come to see you!"

Tong Hua's voice suddenly came from outside, accompanied by Turtwig and Minccino's cheerful cries.

Grandpa Yang hurriedly wiped the corners of his eyes and put on a smile. "Oh, what brings you here today?

Are you buying animals? Or Pokémon?"

Tong Hua set the picnic basket on the table in front of Grandpa Yang, then spoke with a small smile.

"Neither. I came just to visit you.

Look, I even made some sandwiches. They're really tasty."

Tong Hua opened the lid. Seven or eight sandwiches remained in the basket, all still looking fresh, with an enticing appearance and aroma.

Looking at the carefully made sandwiches in the basket, Grandpa Yang's eyes suddenly grew moist again. With a trembling hand, he picked one up and took a bite.

As he bit down, the soft bread made a faint rustling sound between his teeth.

The pickled berries burst with sweet, refreshing juice in his mouth, carrying a slight tang.

The aroma of fried egg slowly rose, mingling with the richness of the special mayonnaise to weave a warm flavor across his tongue.

"Delicious..."

Grandpa Yang's voice caught in his throat. He lowered his head, not wanting Tong Hua to see his reddened eyes.

"I'm glad you like them!" Tong Hua said with a smile.

Grandpa Yang took another bite and chewed slowly, as though savoring a warmth he had not felt in a long time.

He fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly. "Tong Hua, do you know why I keep looking after such a big ranch all by myself?"

Tong Hua blinked. "Because you can't bear to leave the Pokémon here, right?"

Grandpa Yang sighed and looked out the window. In the distance, Mareep and Skiddo were taking leisurely strolls outdoors.

"Yes, you're right.

In the past, I kept running this ranch alone for my own sake. But as I slowly grew older, there were always new Pokémon who needed me to look after them.

Now, Sunshine Ranch no longer belongs to me alone. Slowpoke, Orthworm, and the other old friends have all found a home here. They trust me, just as I trust them."

Grandpa Yang's voice was low and gentle. His fingers tapped lightly against the table, as though he were recalling the story of every Pokémon who had come to the ranch.

"Some were abandoned. Some were injured in the wild and brought here by kindhearted people... Most of them have been through something unpleasant, but even so, they're still willing to trust humans again."

He paused, his gaze settling on Tong Hua. "Just like you, still willing to take the time to visit an old man and keep me company."

Only then did Tong Hua understand. Besides the Pokémon imported from other regions, Sunshine Ranch also housed quite a few adopted from the wild.

Grandpa Yang had probably started taking in these poor Pokémon before Rangers became widespread.

He ran the entire ranch alone while also looking after every animal and Pokémon.

Not bad, Tong Hua marveled inwardly. He truly hoped he could someday live a life surrounded by Pokémon like this, too.

"Grandpa Yang, you're amazing," Tong Hua said sincerely, his eyes shining with admiration.

Grandpa Yang waved a hand, the wrinkles on his face easing. "There's nothing amazing about it. I just did what I ought to do. You, on the other hand, are so thoughtful at such a young age. That's rare."

Turtwig and Minccino nuzzled Tong Hua's feet, seemingly agreeing with Grandpa Yang.

"Oh, right." Suddenly remembering something, Grandpa Yang set down his sandwich and stood up. "Since you're here, would you mind doing me a favor?"

"Of course! Just tell me what you need," Tong Hua agreed without hesitation.

"I was planning to take a little break just now, but for some reason, I feel full of energy now."

Grandpa Yang led the way, taking Tong Hua and the two Pokémon into Sunshine Ranch's interior.

The interior still had that same dome, much like Aether Paradise's.

Tong Hua was genuinely curious about how Grandpa Yang had managed to build this ranch.

I remember he's from the Paldea region. Could it have something to do with Blueberry Academy's Terarium?

As he pondered this, Tong Hua looked around at the various Pokémon on the ranch.

"Wooloo, Combee, Nacli, Smoliv..."

To save up twenty million League Coins as soon as possible, Tong Hua was considering buying some other productive Pokémon to increase the Ranch's income.

After all, he couldn't rely solely on Miltank and farming-oh, and fishing. There was still plenty of usable space on the Ranch sitting idle.

"If nothing else works, opening a personal workshop like Xiang Shi's and making custom furniture might be a good idea. Hmm..."

While Tong Hua was mulling it over, Grandpa Yang suddenly stopped.

Tong Hua stopped as well, only then realizing that they had reached the little mound where he had first met Orthworm.

Grandpa Yang took out that familiar whistle and blew it toward the mound.

"Tweet, tweet, tweet!"

In an instant, a long ridge of earth rose in the distance and raced toward them!

"Worm!"

"Long time no see, Orthworm!"

To be precise, it had actually only been three days. Tong Hua greeted Orthworm with a delighted expression.

"Twig!" "Cinno!" Turtwig and Minccino were just as happy. They were good buddies who had worked the fields together, after all. Neither had expected to meet again so soon!

"Worm!"

Orthworm affectionately rubbed his head against Tong Hua's palm, his metallic shell gleaming softly in the sunlight.

Grandpa Yang smiled and patted Orthworm's head. "Wonderful. It looks like you get along very well. That puts my mind at ease.

Tong Hua, I'd like to ask you to look after him for a while."

As he spoke, Grandpa Yang took the whistle from around his neck and placed it in Tong Hua's hand.

"Huh?" Tong Hua said.

Grandpa Yang, can you read minds?