I'm the Owner of the Pokémon Day Care In the World of Pokémon

Chapter 1343: Little Treecko

After a thorough examination of the Sceptile, the military doctor concluded that the injuries were too severe, and only a Revival Herb or a Max Revive could fully restore the Sceptile.

"A Max Revive?" Hearing the proposed treatment, Mr. Kaya frowned deeply. "We don't have that."

The Joy family's business dealings in Max Revive were something Mr. Kaya had heard of, but those items were extremely expensive. The Pioneer Corps didn't keep any in reserve, and there was no way to procure one on such short notice.

At this moment, Celebi glanced at Yuga. It knew Yuga might have a Max Revive, as he had previously fed it one. However, since Yuga hadn't spoken up, Celebi didn't dare mention it either.

What if Yuga only had one left? If Celebi brought it up, wouldn't that put him in an awkward position? Moreover, even if Yuga did have one, whether or not he was willing to use it wasn't something Celebi could decide on his behalf.

Unaware of this internal conflict, the Politoed became increasingly anxious upon seeing the troubled expressions of Mr. Kaya and the others.

"Politoed~ Politoed~"

Can it be treated or not? Just tell us! As long as you save Sceptile, we'll make sure to repay you handsomely. You won't suffer any losses!

Hearing this, Yuga's eyes lit up, and he spoke. "If it's a Max Revive you need, I have one."

With compensation on the table, everything became negotiable.

"Really?"

"Politoed~"

Really?

Mr. Kaya and Politoed asked in unison, their concern for Sceptile creating a surprising sense of camaraderie between them.

Yuga nodded, then took out a small box. When he opened it, a bright yellow, star-shaped grain lay inside, emitting a faintly refreshing medicinal fragrance.

Ever since Yuga struck a deal with the Nido clan, he hadn't had to worry about running out of Max Revive.

Even if, one day, the Eternal Flame on Resurrection Island were to go out and the Nido clan stopped producing Revival Herbs, Yuga wouldn't need to worry. By then, the medicinal fields of Revival Herbs he had planted in the Ecopark would likely be self-sustaining.

"May I take a look?" The military doctor's eyes lit up at the sight of the Max Revive. He had always wanted to see one up close, but they were far too expensive for him to afford.

Now, even getting a glimpse felt like a privilege.

"Of course," Yuga replied with a smile.

Hearing this, the military doctor carefully picked up the Max Revive. He inspected it meticulously, touching and sniffing it, coming just short of tasting it with his tongue. After a thorough examination, he finally said, "It's definitely a Max Revive. With this, Sceptile will recover very quickly."

"Politoed~ Politoed~"

Then hurry up and use it on Sceptile!

Although the military doctor couldn't understand Politoed's words, its anxious expression made the meaning clear. He gently pried open Sceptile's mouth and fed it the Max Revive.

Before administering it, he glanced at Yuga for confirmation. Seeing Yuga nod in agreement, he proceeded, as he couldn't make such a decision without permission—it wasn't his to give.

Once placed in its mouth, Sceptile instinctively swallowed the Max Revive.

The effects were swift. Within ten minutes, Sceptile's wounds began to heal rapidly. Not long after, the group heard a soft groan. Moments later, Sceptile slowly opened its eyes.

Seeing the crowd of humans and Pokémon surrounding it, Sceptile wasn't surprised. Though it had been unconscious earlier, it had remained aware of everything—how it was picked up by Swampert, and how the humans used a Max Revive to save it. It knew all that had transpired.

"Politoed~ Politoed~"

Sceptile, you're finally awake!

Politoed approached with joy in its voice. Seeing the clarity in Sceptile's eyes, Politoed felt a wave of relief. It had feared that Sceptile might awaken and attack immediately, especially with the recent example of Houndoom ambushing Celebi fresh in its mind.

Like Politoed, Mr. Kaya was equally relieved, though he didn't show it outwardly.

Politoed noticed that Sceptile seemed lost in thought, perhaps still unaware of all that had happened. It began chattering away, explaining the situation to Sceptile in great detail. Sceptile didn't interrupt, listening calmly as Politoed finished its explanation.

When Politoed mentioned how it had detained the humans, Sceptile finally spoke up.

"Sceptile~ Sceptile~"

I need to go home!

"Politoed~Politoed~"

Why did you hold those humans captive? And how did you get injured? What exactly happened?

Politoed's tone was full of questions and confusion.

Hearing this, Sceptile explained the full story behind its actions and injuries.

It turned out that Marshadow had come to the Guli Mountain Range for a reason. Somehow, it had learned that Regigigas was slumbering there. According to Sceptile, Regigigas was resting in the Guli Mountain Range because it was guarding a mysterious temple—one that held great secrets.

Marshadow, after gaining control of Sceptile, captured human soldiers with the intent of unlocking the temple. Since the temple could only be opened by Regigigas, and Regigigas wouldn't cooperate willingly, Marshadow resorted to the second method—sacrificing human lives.

Hearing this, Yuga couldn't help but mutter inwardly: A temple that requires a life sacrifice to open? That's hardly a "sacred" temple!

Sceptile suspected that Marshadow had already found the location of the temple and that the disappearance of the Legendary Titans (Regirock, Regice, and Registeel) might also be connected to it.

Marshadow's psychic control abilities were terrifyingly strong. Given enough time, it could even control Legendary Pokémon. Marshadow's eerie power lay in its ability to silently lurk nearby. Even if it controlled someone, they wouldn't be aware of it—just like how Sceptile was taken over without realizing it.

Initially, Marshadow only controlled Houndoom and Arbok, but capturing human soldiers inevitably caused a stir. So, it devised another plan.

It used Sceptile to capture human soldiers. When the Pioneer Corps noticed the disappearances, it made Sceptile take the blame. This way, the Pioneer Corps would clash with the rulers of the Guli Mountain Range, while Marshadow remained hidden in the shadows, unnoticed by anyone.

However, Marshadow hadn't anticipated one thing: upon learning that it intended to use Sceptile's territory as a scapegoat and a catalyst for conflict between humans and the mountain's rulers, Sceptile experienced a mental shock that broke Marshadow's control.

One misstep led to another, and the plan unraveled.

After listening to Sceptile's account, Mr. Kaya and the others felt a heavy shadow looming over their hearts.

Marshadow—a mythical Pokémon, shrouded in mystery—was now their problem.

This was going to be serious trouble!

The Politoed seemed to have expected this outcome, wearing a "just as I thought" expression. It had always suspected that Houndoom and Arbok were being controlled.

"Sceptile~ Sceptile~"

Rest assured, once I return, I'll release those soldiers.

Sceptile assured Mr. Kaya and his team. Since N wasn't present, Yuga acted as the translator throughout the conversation.

Fortunately, because Sceptile had escaped, the captured soldiers hadn't been handed over to Marshadow yet. Otherwise, their current status—whether alive or dead—would have been unknown.

At the moment, Sceptile's sole concern was to return to its territory as soon as possible. It had been away for too long and was deeply worried about any problems that might have arisen in its absence, especially with Marshadow lurking as a looming threat.

With Sceptile's assurance, Mr. Kaya sighed in relief. While the shadow of Marshadow now weighed on their minds, at least the soldiers were safe for the time being.

Anxious to leave, Sceptile immediately bid farewell. The Max Revive's effects were powerful; while they couldn't instantly restore Sceptile to its peak condition, it was now capable of moving without issues.

Mr. Kaya and the others didn't stop it—they were eager for Sceptile to return quickly and release their soldiers.

Politoed decided to accompany Sceptile on its journey back. Along the way, Politoed informed Sceptile of Swampert's plan to gather the rulers of the Guli Mountains.

In fact, Sceptile already knew.

Swampert had chosen Sceptile's territory as the meeting point for the rulers. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Sceptile's return brought immense joy to the Pokémon within its domain. To them, Sceptile was their backbone, their pillar of support. During its absence, they had lived in constant anxiety, fearing something might have happened to it.

However, unbeknownst to them, Sceptile's return had been observed by an Arbok hidden in the bushes.

Marshadow, intent on recapturing Sceptile, had long stationed spies to monitor its territory. It was confident that if Sceptile were still alive, it would eventually return home.

And now, that prediction had come true.

Sceptile had just returned to its territory and hadn't even had a chance to check on Kazuma and the others when a Cacturne arrived with an urgent report: a large group of Arboks and Houndooms had appeared outside their domain.

Hearing this news, Sceptile's expression turned grim. While its injuries had mostly healed, its combat strength had not yet recovered. Facing an attack from both Arbok and Houndoom was an impossible battle.

At this moment, Politoed patted its chest and promised, "Don't worry, I'll help you."

In truth, Politoed wasn't as confident as it seemed. Both Houndoom and Arbok were stronger than it was. Facing one was already a challenge; dealing with both simultaneously was almost unthinkable.

When they arrived outside the territory, sure enough, Arbok and Houndoom were already there. However, their eyes were vacant, making it obvious they were not acting of their own free will.

As soon as Sceptile appeared, Arbok and Houndoom launched an attack. Their subordinates, however, stayed put, merely surrounding Sceptile's territory.

Arbok was incredibly fast, closing the distance to Sceptile in an instant. It opened its jaws and used Fire Fang to bite down on its target.

Sceptile, whose combat power had not yet returned, dared not face the attack head-on. With a swift leap, it vanished from its spot and reappeared atop a tree in the next moment, hurling an Energy Ball at Arbok.

At the same time, Politoed also joined the fray. The moment Sceptile disappeared, Politoed leaped toward Arbok and swung an Ice Punch at its head.

However, before the punch could land, a Dark Pulse shot from the distance, forcing Politoed to retreat to the side.

...

On the other side.

After being captured, Kazuma and the others had been kept in a massive tree hollow.

The hollow was so spacious that it could easily accommodate dozens of people, making their captivity more tolerable. As prisoners, Kazuma and his team were not subjected to harsh treatment. On the contrary, the Pokémon here maintained a relatively friendly attitude toward them—apart from denying them their freedom.

However, having been confined for so long without bathing or changing clothes, they had started to emit an unbearable stench.

There was a window-like opening on one of the walls of the hollow. This allowed air circulation and the occasional stream of sunlight to filter in. But the window was positioned high on the wall and was quite small, making escape through it impossible.

At the moment, one soldier was perched on another's shoulders, craning his neck to look outside through the window. After a while, he jumped down and reported to Kazuma, "Vice Captain, there's a lot of commotion outside—it seems like something's happened."

"What kind of commotion?" Kazuma asked curiously.

The soldier shook his head. "Not sure, but I saw several of the Pokémon guarding the door leave."

"Really? Does that mean we might have a chance to escape?" another soldier asked, sounding hopeful.

Kazuma shook his head. "It's not that simple. There are so many Pokémon here. If we try to leave, we'll probably get caught before we can take more than a few steps."

Their Poké Balls had been confiscated, leaving them completely powerless. Even if they managed to escape, they wouldn't get far.

"What a shame," the hopeful soldier said with disappointment.

"Ugh, when will this ordeal finally end?" another soldier sighed in frustration.

"Yeah, just smell me. I'm practically rotting," one soldier complained, tugging at his filthy, blackened clothing.

"Stop it. My nose already gave up a long time ago," another muttered, admitting he would've fainted from the smell by now if his nose weren't desensitized.

Initially, the captured soldiers came from different teams. But after enduring these difficult days together, they had formed a peculiar sense of camaraderie—a "revolutionary" bond of sorts.

While the soldiers continued to complain, a small, green head suddenly popped up outside the window. Kazuma was the first to notice it and called out excitedly, "Treecko, you're here!"

Hearing Kazuma call its name, the Treecko squinted its round eyes cheerfully and scurried nimbly through the window into the hollow.

This Treecko was a friend Kazuma and the others had made after being imprisoned. At first, it had sneaked into the hollow out of sheer curiosity. But as time went on, they grew closer. Treecko began visiting frequently and even brought them snacks on occasion.

"Treecko, do you know what's going on outside?" one soldier asked.

"Treecko~"

Treecko dropped to the ground and began mimicking Houndoom's movements, growling fiercely. Then, it quickly lay flat on the ground, limbs pressed close to its body, wriggling as it imitated Arbok slithering. As it did so, it made hissing sounds: "Arbok, Arbok."

Its mimicry was surprisingly accurate.

Treecko then acted out a battle between two Pokémon, vividly conveying its message to Kazuma and the others.

This was Treecko's usual way of communicating with them. Kazuma and his team had grown accustomed to it and could easily understand what it was trying to convey.

After watching Treecko's performance, Kazuma fell into deep thought. Houndoom and Arbok were attacking? Could the Houndoom and Arbok refer to the rulers of the Guli Mountain Range? But weren't the rulers of the mountain range known for coexisting relatively peacefully? Why would they suddenly start fighting?

Kazuma's mind was swirling with questions.

Meanwhile, Treecko had already begun playing with the soldiers. It was still very young and had no understanding of the significance of the battle raging outside.