Visiting (Part 2)

In the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, aside from the Bug-type Vespiqueen and her Combee family, most of the inhabitants were Grass-type Pokémon. Thanks to Florges, these Grass-types had the fastest growth rate among all the Pokémon in the Ecopark.

For instance, the pair of young Skiddo had evolved into two mature Rideable Gogoat during Yuga's absence, and the two Sewaddle had evolved into two Swadloon.

After leaving the Flower Sea Sub-Ecopark, Yuga's final destination was the Grassland Sub-Ecopark.

The Grassland Sub-Ecopark had always been a gathering place for Quadrupedal and Flying-type Pokémon, making it the most diverse in terms of Pokémon species among all the Sub-Ecoparks.

Upon entering the Grassland Sub-Ecopark, Yuga's first sight was the busy Miltank.

With the increasing number of Pokémon in the Ecopark, the workload of the Miltank had grown considerably. However, thanks to Audino's coordination, the Miltank were well-organized and had never caused any trouble.

As Yuga introduced Tauros into the Ecopark, several new Miltank and Tauros had been born. Once the younger Miltank grew up, the workload for the older ones would likely become lighter.

Several Pokémon in other Sub-Ecoparks had also evolved, and the Grassland Sub-Ecopark was no exception.

First, the five Marshtomp had all evolved into Swampert.

The Marshtomp had hatched from the same eggs as the three Starter Pokémon: Treecko and Snivy. However, due to Florges's presence, the others Starter Pokémon had long since evolved into their final forms, Sceptile and Serperior. Therefore, the Swampert were the last to evolve.

In addition to them, both of the Cyndaquil that Yuga brought from Illuma Island had evolved into Quilava and were currently napping beside their leader, Typhlosion.

Yuga had expected the remaining three Lotad to evolve into Lombre, but to his surprise, they remained as Lotad. They were happily playing in the Grassland Lake alongside the Swampert.

The first to notice Yuga's arrival were Ninetales and Houndoom, who excitedly ran towards him along with a group of other Pokémon.

Ninetales and Houndoom now led a group of Pokémon in the Ecopark, including three Ninetales, five Houndoom, the Persian and its three Delcattys, the Eevee family, and four Flaaffy.

Among them, the four Flaaffy had originally come from Motohara. They still had significant mental issues, but it had improved to a great extent, and at least they were willing to move with the rest of the group now.

Apart from these four Flaaffy, those from Motohara also included three Murkrow, three Swablu, a pair of Kecleon, two Mr. Mime, a Ralts, a Kirlia, and a Gardevoir.

Among them, the two Mr. Mime were in the best condition. Yuga had even seen them using Psychic powers to help the Miltank move items from the warehouse, as long as they weren't startled. Now, they were hardly distinguishable from regular Pokémon.

The three Murkrow were in slightly better shape as well. With Yuga's help, they had evolved into Honchkrow using a Dusk Stone. All this progress was thanks to their leader, Honchkrow.

While it often appeared aloof, Honchkrow was a patient Pokémon at heart. With its guidance and care, the three Honchkrow had integrated well with the other Flying-type Pokémon in the Ecopark.

Now, the entire Flying-type community was managed by Leader Honchkrow and Leader Swellow, including the Swablu family and the recently introduced Starly.

The three Swablu, who had mental issues, were now living among the Swablu community. They seemed to be in stable condition but remained reserved, unwilling to interact much with other Pokémon.

As for the couple of Kecleon, due to their reclusive nature and mastery of stealth, Yuga rarely saw them. Therefore, he wasn't well-informed about their progress, but he doubted that their recovery was going very smoothly.

Watching the large group of Pokémon running toward him, Yuga happily picked up an adorable Vulpix, the child of Ninetales and Houndoom, and the only Vulpix in the Ecopark that hadn't evolved yet.

After Yuga held the Vulpix, it extended its tongue to playfully lick his face repeatedly, causing Yuga to burst into laughter.

Seeing how lively and spirited all the Pokémon were during his absence made Yuga extremely happy.

With Vulpix in his arms, Yuga spotted Persian sitting with its three wives looking at him from a distance. Persian had a proud and aloof demeanor, with his head raised high, looking arrogant, just like before Yuga's departure. Seeing this, Yuga couldn't help but suppress a smile.

However, Yuga acted as if he hadn't noticed Persian's presence and walked toward Noctowl and Chatot while carrying Vulpix. In that brief moment, he noticed a hint of frustration on Persian's face.

Noctowl was currently perched on a treetop with Chatot, listening to Chatot's animated tales. Noctowl's eyes were filled with tenderness.

Now that the physical threat was resolved, Chatot no longer needed to constantly avoid Noctowl, and they could peacefully coexist.

"Hey, Noctowl, Hoothoot long time no see!" Yuga greeted them with a smile.

Noctowl nodded slightly in acknowledgment, expressing gratitude with its eyes.

If it weren't for Yuga bringing Chatot to find Ho-Oh, resolving Chatot's lingering worries, this family wouldn't be able to gather together as they did now.

"Hoothoot," Hoothoot chirped.

Seeing Yuga approach, Hoothoot flew down from the treetop and landed on Yuga's shoulder. It then rubbed its round body against Yuga's cheek, its soft feathers making Yuga feel comfortable.

Hoothoot's potential wasn't particularly high, and it didn't train much, mainly due to its status as the child of an Elite Pokémon and its lack of motivation. Despite having lived in the Ecopark for quite some time, it still wasn't as strong as other Pokémon of its age.

In terms of raising their offspring, Noctowl and Chatot's approach was quite different.

Ninetales and Houndoom were usually very strict with Vulpix, ensuring that it had a rigorous training regimen with every second accounted for.

This strictness extended to all of their Pokémon, not just Vulpix.

On the other hand, Noctowl was quite the opposite. Hoothoot was free-spirited and not restricted by training schedules. Noctowl never pressured it. Hoothoot had a relatively carefree personality.

However, Yuga didn't interfere in these matters. He believed that it was okay for Hoothoot to remain a mascot in the Ecopark, as it wasn't expected to perform any particular tasks.