Chapter 331: The Cause of the Illness
Principal's Office.
This was also the reception room for guests.
From the outside, it looked like a slightly wider study.
At this time, many children and Pokémon squeezing in here made it quite lively.
Cynthia sat on the sofa reading a leaflet about Sunshine Nursery School in Accumula Town.
Sunshine Nursery School was not small in scale.
But the actual staff was very few.
There were only eight employees, among whom the principal was the Pokémon Lilligant, and three of the other seven were also Pokémon.
This was normal.
After all, students included not only children but also Pokémon.
And the reason for few staff members.
Was because there were few students.
The total number of students was no more than thirty.
Less than ten human children, the rest were Pokémon.
After all, Accumula Town was just a small-scale town with a small population itself, so problem children were naturally fewer.
This was a good thing.
Everyone wished Sunshine Nursery School had no students at all.
But the leaflet was still necessary.
That way, when people found children or Pokémon facing difficulties in Accumula Town, they might send them to Sunshine Nursery School for help.
As for outside Accumula Town, it was the wild.
That wasn't under Sunshine Nursery School's jurisdiction.
Not that they didn't want to manage it.
They really couldn't.
95% of the world belonged to the "wild"; humans couldn't even finish exploring it, how could they manage it?
Moreover, there were League rescue teams, Rangers, etc., in the wild. Meeting Pokémon in need of help in the wild was the job of other League departments; Sunshine Nursery School didn't need to worry.
On the sofa opposite Cynthia.
"Swad~"
Swadloon sat on Lilligant's lap, looking expectantly at her weaving leaf clothing for him.
"Lilli."
Lilligant patted Swadloon's head, meticulously making new clothes for him.
And Roserade sat beside them, seemingly intending to learn.
"Lilligant is amazing, actually knowing how to weave leaf clothing."
"Lilli."
Lilligant smiled shyly.
No choice.
To make the children in Sunshine Nursery School happier, she had to learn more things.
When Sewaddle first arrived at the nursery school, the leaf clothing on his body was tattered, and the little guy cried non-stop.
Lilligant and the old principal had a headache too.
The two practiced weaving leaf clothing day and night, breaking their skin many times.
"Lilli..."
Thinking of the old principal, Lilligant suddenly felt lost.
Cynthia tilted her head in confusion.
She didn't know what happened to Lilligant.
However.
Will, wandering around the office, using playing with children as a cover to observe the office secretly, might know what happened.
'This is probably the cause of Lilligant's illness.'
Will paused in front of a photo on the desk.
The photo showed an old man and an old woman, with Lilligant in the middle.
At that time, the flower on Lilligant's head bloomed brilliantly, and the color of the petals was even an astonishing gold. Any Breeder who knew Lilligant would be shocked upon seeing it, sighing that this was a Lilligant deeply loved.
But now...
Will looked up and glanced at the leaflet in Cynthia's hand.
The principal is Lilligant.
'Have these two elderly people passed away?'
Will sighed.
Unless necessary, the League wouldn't let a Pokémon serve as the principal of a nursery school.
Unless.
This Pokémon possessed wisdom comparable to or even surpassing humans.
But Lilligant didn't belong to this category of Pokémon.
She could become the principal.
One point was the students' choice.
Rashly changing the principal might not be accepted by students, especially those Pokémon.
Another point was "inheritance."
Not inheriting the campus, but inheriting the will.
Pokémon inheriting the trainer's will, continuing to protect this campus.
With both, meeting everyone's expectations.
The League wouldn't forcibly change the principal.
At most sending a few people to help Lilligant manage the school.
The two elderly people in the photo must be Lilligant's trainers, the past principals of Sunshine Nursery School.
After the two passed away.
Lilligant was mentally exhausted and overly sad, leading to her mental state deteriorating day by day, until now it seriously affected her body.
This wasn't rare among Grass-type Pokémon.
It was also the reason why at the end of Will's third life, he specifically enlightened Meowscarada, worried about her getting lovesick (heart disease/mental illness from grief).
Everyone knew Grass-type Pokémon had long lifespans.
Wild Grass-type Pokémon indeed lived long.
But for Grass-type Pokémon following humans, the lifespan gap was significant.
Because mood affected a Pokémon's mental state.
And the mental state of plant-based Pokémon directly reflected on their bodies.
Among them, Pokémon classified as "Plant Group" (Egg Group or biology) were affected the most seriously.
The death of a trainer would make Grass-type Pokémon very sad, affecting their bodies.
Some Pokémon survived it.
Then they could live very long.
Some Pokémon couldn't survive it.
That might be... they wanted to return to their trainer's side.
Lilligant was probably in this state now.
If not for the many children in Sunshine Nursery School she cared about and couldn't let go, she might have gone to find her trainers long ago.
Unfortunately.
He and Cynthia couldn't help Lilligant with this kind of thing.
It depended on whether she could get over it herself.
"By the way, what was the plant Swadloon said he was looking for?"
Cynthia turned to look at Swadloon in Lilligant's arms.
But Swadloon tilted his head.
Seemed unable to explain clearly.
"Could be Revival Herb."
Will paced slowly around, finding an herbal encyclopedia from the bookshelf nearby.
He opened the index, turning to the page corresponding to Revival Herb.
Then placed it in front of Swadloon.
"Swad! Swad!"
Swadloon looked at the drawing on the page, eyes widening with excitement.
This was what he was looking for.
"It really is Revival Herb..."
Cynthia understood immediately.
Revival Herb was a specialty plant of the Unova region, only found in Unova, very famous, with demand from various regions.
Many regions were now researching how to develop land capable of growing Revival Herb.
But it was hard.
Because it required the power of the Unova forces of nature (Landorus/Thundurus/Tornadus) to create that fertile special land.
So only the Unova region could find Revival Herb.
"Mm, probably because Swadloon was worried about Lilligant and accidentally heard from humans that Revival Herb could restore her health, so he went out to look for it."
Will reached out and gently patted Swadloon's head.
Returning home, Swadloon calmed down and didn't mind the somewhat unfamiliar Will patting his head.
"Lilli?"
Lilligant looked at Swadloon and tilted her head.
"Swad."
Swadloon nodded.
Lilligant hugged Swadloon movedly and kissed him.
"Revival Herb... maybe Professor Juniper..."
Cynthia's eyes lit up, turning to look at Will.
But Will shook his head.
Cynthia was stunned, then became depressed.
She remembered.
Riolu said Lilligant suffered from mental illness.
Moreover, the Pokémon Center wasn't stupid; they definitely knew where to find Revival Herb. If it was useful, they would have used it long ago.
"Swad?"
Swadloon looked at Lilligant worriedly.
He asked if Lilligant would be in trouble because he didn't find the Revival Herb.
Hearing this, other children looked at Lilligant worriedly.
"Lilli~"
Lilligant smiled and shook her head, telling everyone not to worry about her.
She said she would get better.
But the children and Pokémon in this room couldn't be happy.
Their sadness was palpable.
Simple as they were, they didn't know how to hide their emotions.
And this made Lilligant distressed and worried.
Just then, a knock came from the door.
A human who looked like an assistant or butler walked in:
"Lilligant, it's time for the checkup at the Pokémon Center."
"Lilli."
Lilligant nodded.
She put Swadloon aside, bowed to Cynthia and Will, and then left first.
Once Lilligant left.
The office exploded.
"What to do? Will Lilligant die like Grandpa Principal? I don't want that!"
"Hiss hiss~"
"But what should we do? Even Nurse Joy has no way."
"Swad..."
The children's negative emotions almost drowned Will.
He hurriedly turned off his Aura perception.
This ability couldn't be kept on constantly.
Will wouldn't even turn it on in non-combat situations.
When a person could feel the emotions of people around him every minute and second, he would go crazy sooner or later.
Smack!
"...Everyone cheer up! Lilligant is already sad; do you want her to see you like this?!"
Cynthia stood up suddenly and slapped the table.
The sound of slapping the table startled the children, and they all looked at her.
Will also turned to look at Cynthia.
He planned to see what Cynthia intended to do.
"We need to make Lilligant happy. As long as we can make her happy, she will definitely get better!"
Cynthia clenched her fist.
Since it was sadness causing the body to become like that, making Lilligant happy would solve it!
Cynthia's idea was simple.
But it hit the essence of the problem directly.
"Then what should we do?"
A little girl raised her head and asked innocently.
Other children looked at Cynthia one after another.
At this time, the blonde girl was like the "leader" of this group of children.
"You have lived with Lilligant for so long; you should know her best. Only you can do this kind of thing, only you can make Lilligant happy. Use your brains!"
Cynthia put on a stern face, imposing.
Thus.
The children started discussing in low voices, using their little brains.
Before long.
Everyone seemed to have made a decision, divided into four or five groups, and walked out of the office.
"Well done, Cynthia."
Watching the children leave, Will praised.
Regardless of whether they could make Lilligant recover in the end.
At least for now.
The children's hearts were no longer filled with pessimistic emotions.
"Riolu, Roserade, I also want to help everyone make Lilligant happy."
"What are you waiting for then? Go help the children."
"Rose~"
~~~
Get early access to 30+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
~~~
Every 5 new reviews = 1 extra chapters
Every 150 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter