Peter immediately glanced left and right, then scooped the little rabbit up into his arms and prepared to bolt.
Sunflora were Pokémon that symbolized nature and sunlight, and in Artazon, their status was extremely high.
If the locals saw someone beating up a Sunflora, conflict would be unavoidable.
It was kind of like that time in the original anime when Ash and the others stepped on a Slowpoke's tail in Azalea Town—and got targeted relentlessly afterward…
"Mi!! (Put me down, Master! I'm not done fighting yet!)"
Buneary struggled angrily in Peter's arms.
"Easy, easy. I'll buy you another bottle later, okay? Let's just… let it go this time."
Before Peter could finish calming her down, a voice suddenly came from nearby:
"Hm? Why does this Sunflora look injured?"
Peter stiffened.
A tall man stood there, dressed in an extremely peculiar formal outfit.
A belt woven from vines wrapped around his waist, while the buttons on his coat were shaped like ginkgo leaves.
It carried an… unsettling artistic aura.
"Uh—haha… yeah. Strange, right? How did it get hurt?"
Peter decided to play dumb.
"Hm… fascinating," the man murmured as he stepped closer.
"It's hard to imagine such a radiant Pokémon wearing an expression this painful… almost like—constipation?"
He leaned in to inspect Sunflora more closely.
The moment he did, Sunflora's facial expression twisted violently—
—and in the next second, a splash of milky-white fluid sprayed straight onto the man's face.
"PUAAH—!"
The man wiped the sticky mixture—mixed with stomach fluids—off his face and stared blankly at Sunflora.
Peter and Buneary exchanged a look.
Confirmed.
This was the moment to run.
Just as Peter was about to sneak away, the man suddenly shouted:
"AMAZING! THIS IS A MASTERPIECE! SO AVANT-GARDE!"
"…Huh?"
He spun around abruptly, dark bags under his eyes giving him a dangerously unstable look.
"You think so too, don't you?!"
"Uh… y-yeah… absolutely," Peter replied, forcing himself to nod.
Then, as he finally got a good look at the man's face, Peter froze.
"…Wait. You wouldn't happen to be Brassius, would you?"
Brassius—the Artazon Gym Leader, and Paldea's resident Grass-type specialist.
"Hmm? So even I, a humble artist devoted to nature, have gained fame?"
Brassius said proudly, pulling a pen from his chest pocket.
"Come. I never refuse to give autographs—though they're hardly worth anything."
Peter's mouth twitched.
At least the guy had self-awareness.
He handed over a scrap of paper and let Brassius sign it, then said:
"Gym Leader Brassius, I'm from a distant region—Kanto. I'm planning to head into Tagtree Thicket to catch a Smoliv. I was hoping you could give me some advice."
Back when Pokémon Scarlet & Violet launched, Peter hadn't had much time to research Smoliv's habits.
That was precisely why he'd come here—to consult a local expert.
Smoliv was his chosen second target.
As he spoke, Peter carefully watched Brassius's expression and casually added:
"Actually, back home, you have quite a few fans. We all believe that the fusion of nature and art is the most beautiful thing there is."
Brassius's lips curved upward uncontrollably.
"Mmm… young man, your taste is impeccable!"
He straightened up proudly.
"Anything related to Grass-type Pokémon—Brassius is your man!"
He flicked his curled hair dramatically, then looked at Peter with intrigue.
"How about this—you give me some creative inspiration, and I'll tell you a secret about Tagtree Thicket?"
…
[Ding! A Commission Quest has been detected.]
[Brassius's Artistic Inspiration]
Objective: Help Brassius achieve a creative breakthrough.
Reward: Information regarding the Alpha Pokémon of Tagtree Thicket.
"Inspiration…?"
Peter paused, deep in thought.
Then suddenly, something clicked.
"…How about trying a fusion style?"
"Hmm?" Brassius's interest was instantly piqued.
"What do you mean?"
"Tell me," Peter said calmly, pointing at the Sunflora.
"What do you see?"
"…A Sunflora?"
"No, no, no. I can't agree with that perspective at all."
Peter cleared his throat and launched into complete nonsense—without hesitation:
"You see, Sunflora's true academic name is Kaito Kid, because it often performs slam dunks beneath cherry blossom trees—hence, it's also known as Sakuragi Hanamichi.
"More disturbingly, Sunflora always keeps its eyes closed, so no one has ever seen them. Legend says it descends from an ancient clan of the Leaf Village, inheriting the mysterious Byakugan, thus earning the name Hyūga.
"Put it all together—Kaito Kid stole Sakuragi Hanamichi's basketball, allowing Hyūga to train for two and a half years, ultimately mastering the ultimate technique: 'Kimi Nantai Mei'.
"So you see—one must never judge by appearances. Art works the same way.
"…Do you understand?"
Peter finished his absolutely unhinged, forcibly stitched-together story with a solemn expression.
Brassius stood frozen.
He stared at the boy before him, eyes widening as if Peter were glowing with divine light.
"T-This… could this be… the pinnacle of art?!"
Peter's face nearly cracked.
Artists really are just crazy people with better PR…
He coughed lightly and assumed a masterful pose.
"I wouldn't dare claim it's the pinnacle. I still have a long way to go… After all, a true master must always carry the heart of a student."
Brassius dropped to his knees on the spot.
"MASTER!! I HAVE SEEN THE TRUTH!!!"
…
[Ding! Commission completed.]
[You stimulated Brassius's artistic neurons through multicultural fusion.]
Brassius hurriedly produced a yellowed scroll.
"This contains the secret of Tagtree Thicket! Safe travels, Master!"
"…You should keep striving," Peter sighed inwardly as he patted Brassius on the shoulder and walked away.
Behind him, Brassius suddenly called out:
"Master—why exactly was it two and a half years?"
Peter didn't turn back.
"That question… you should ask it in court."
With that, he disappeared down the road, leaving Brassius staring at Sunflora in deep contemplation.
…
Once he confirmed that Brassius wasn't chasing him, Peter finally let out a long breath.
"Seriously… running your mouth feels great. Running your mouth forever feels even better."
Shaking his head, he unrolled the yellowed parchment.
It was a painting.
At its center stood a towering, ancient tree—but something about it felt wrong.
The trunk split into two massive, drooping branches that resembled arms.
"…Wait a second," Peter murmured.
"Doesn't this look like a Gargantuan Arboliva?!"
A note in the corner caught his eye:
'The origin of Tagtree Thicket lies in a colossal Arboliva at its heart.
It has existed for countless ages and possesses power far beyond that of ordinary Pokémon.'
"…A giant Arboliva?!"
Peter's heartbeat quickened.
Special Pokémon like this never existed without reason—and where there was mystery, there was opportunity.
Arboliva—Normal/Grass-type, a special-attack-oriented tank.
One of Peter's favorite stall Pokémon in his previous life.
And its base form…
Smoliv.