Escape

(AN: I was about to update this chapter when I was surprised that I couldn't find this draft. I might have accidentally deleted it, so I searched for the raw source of chapter 27 in my folder and spent over an hour arranging and fixing it. I'm truly sorry for the delay in the update.)

…

Floyd was left in the tent, along with 5 Goomys.

That man actually left his tent with strangers? On closer examination, nothing here seemed valuable, and Floyd didn't really care about it.

He took a pokeblock from his backpack. It was the regular pokeblock made from Kuo and Nutpea. Floyd knew that every pokemon had different taste preferences, so he always prepared this pokeblock. He handed them out one by one.

The 5 Goomys, still heartbroken, looked at him warily, unsure of his intentions. They inspected what he offered, noting its appetizing aroma, then looked back at Floyd.

"Goomy?" The leader Goomy stepped forward hesitantly and inquired nervously.

"This is food; it's for you," Floyd reassured with a smile.

Seeing his genuine smile, the leader Goomy felt that this stranger might not be so scary. Gathering his courage, he took a bite.

It was delicious!

How long had it been since he tasted something so delightful?

Actually, he had never tasted anything this good since he was born.

He quickly consumed the rest and exclaimed, "Goomy!" (Delicious!)

"Goo… Goo… Goomy!" He urged his brother and sisters to try their shares. The other Goomys grew curious and immediately tasted the treats.

"Goomy~"

"Goo… Goomy~"

"Goomy~"

"Goo~"

Witnessing their reactions, Floyd couldn't help but smile. He always felt joy seeing a Pokémon's expression when enjoying the food he prepared. He channeled his energy to them, making them feel at ease.

When was the last time they felt this comfortable? In just a few minutes, the Goomys' previous desolate expressions transformed into hopeful ones directed at Floyd.

"Do you like it?" Floyd asked with a smile.

"Goo~"

"Goomy~"

"Goo… Goomy~"

"Goom~"

"Goomy~"

"If you follow me, you can eat this every day!" Floyd promised.

"Goo…?"

"Goomy…?"

"Of course. Do you think I'm joking? Look at how much I have," Floyd said, taking out more food from his backpack to show them.

"Goo~"

"Goomy~"

Their eyes sparkled, entranced by the abundance of delicious food with Floyd.

"So, what's your decision? Want to follow me?" Floyd inquired.

"Goomy~"

"Goomy~"

"Goomy~"

"Goomy~"

"Goomy~"

With their agreement, a smile formed on Floyd's lips. He recalled a saying: to win someone's heart, start with food. The same seemed true for Pokémon.

He gently patted each of their heads, stood up, and declared, "Come and follow me."

…

A few minutes later, he returned back to Kanraku. Behind Floyd were the five Goomies, 4 Petilil, Happiny, Mime. Jr., Munchlax, Miltank, Chespin, and Pancham. Floyd uses the three berries that Kanraku gave to him with it, in the first tent he visited, he particularly captivated by the Happiny, a rare Pokémon usually associated with Nurse Joy in animations. Perhaps it would be good to acquire it and let Chansey care for it.

Since Floyd was already at the tent, he felt compelled to purchase others as well. Wanting to choose a rare one for Kanraku, he opted for Mime Jr. During his time there, he noticed the tent owner scolding a thin, blue Pokémon. If Floyd weren't familiar with the appearances of Snorlax and Munchlax, he wouldn't have recognized this one, especially since the Munchlax in question was exceptionally thin and seemed to have not eaten.

When the tent owner learned that Floyd intended to buy Chansey, Mime Jr., and Munchlax for just one berry, he agreed at once, particularly eager to part with the listless Munchlax that seemed unwilling to work and seemingly wished to die.

Then the second tent he goes to is much bigger, and to his surprise, he actually sees a Miltank here, and not only Miltank but there's also a Chespin here. Surprisingly, here in this city he saw two starters, one is Chikorita earlier, and now Chespin, two grass pokemon was here.

But they seems were not value by the owner, he might not realize the real value of Miltank came from Milk and Chespin who has great potential as one of Kalos Region starter.

In a larger tent he visited next, he stumbled upon a Miltank and a Chespin, two starters. He noticed that Chespin, a starter from the Kalos Region, and Miltank, known for its prized milk, seemed undervalued by their current handler. He also spotted a Pancham and four Petilil.

The Petilil especially caught his interest as he theorized they might have a Hisuian variant, having observed the impressive stats of Kanraku's Goomy and Growlithe. Floyd felt Pancham, which takes on a Dark Type upon evolution, might expedite Kanraku's research. Without hesitation, he traded 2 berries for these Pokémon and made his way back..

Upon arriving at the location where Kanraku was, Floyd noticed a large pack of beasts behind him. Although they were all baby Pokemon, the group was still considerable, more than twice the number Floyd had acquired.

4 Cherubi, 3 Mareep, 3 Rattata, 3 Zigzagoon, 3 Meowth, 2 Bidoof, 2 Geodude, 2 Oddish, 1 Cubone, 1 Wooper, 1 Magby, 1 Wingull, 1 Metapod, 1 Psyduck, 

Behind Bianca, there were three Pokemon: a Chikorita, a Tailow, and a Poochyena. Ivan had a Spinarak on his neck, which seemed to have become close to him quickly.

Floyd wondered that Ivan seemed to have just known each other and they almost already bonded, even the three Pokemon Bianca bought were still wary of her. Jonathan, however, didn't seem to have bought any.

"You didn't buy one?" Floyd inquired.

"I bought few and gave it to the Professor," Jonathan replied.

"And you?"

"Me? No, I didn't choose one. I don't see any bigger beasts here, and I don't like them. Even my beast (Rhyhorn) is much better than these," Jonathan expressed disdainfully.

"Oh, Floyd-san, you also bought many here," Kanraku observed, surprised.

"I spent 5 berries!" Floyd announced.

"What? 5 berries? Didn't I tell you not to display too many? Otherwise, we could end up in trouble... Oh wait, it seems I bought quite a few myself," Kanraku began to scold Floyd but then caught himself, realizing he had done the same.

"I paid two berries for these five beasts. I plan to breed them myself. Shouldn't we be trouble? Besides, you have more beasts than I bought. Aren't you also worried about causing a commotion?" Floyd suddenly remembered thinking he came impulsive then recalled Kanraku's warning and saw many beasts around him, he inquired.

"This... I just couldn't help myself. But you, you spent two berries on just these five Beasts?" Kanraku was startled, suddenly sensing someone's gaze upon them.

Floyd and Ivan felt it too. Seeing their reactions, Jonathan and Bianca realized what had happened. 

"Let's not dwell on this now; we must leave. The individuals we traded berries with will likely come to the marketplace, drawing attention. Hurry, follow me," Kanraku whispered, urging the group to move swiftly.

…

Minutes later, they reached a rocky area.

"Blastoise created a shortcut here in the past. I'm not sure if it's still usable. It's a hidden path through the forest by the seashore, so we don't need to use the main entrance and can exit directly," Kanraku shared.

"There's the trail," Kanraku pointed towards the steep rock-filled path. "With all the Pokémon we have with us, they could easily track us," Floyd warned.

"I once bought nearly 100 Beasts and used up 35 berries. I really wanted to know who leads this city and befriend them. If they hadn't targeted me, I would've involved them in my plan. This place used to be a paradise for Beasts," Kanraku reminisced with a sigh.

"I assumed 15 berries would keep us low-key, but I was mistaken," Kanraku admitted.

"It's not just about the berries. Your plan was flawed. We could have spent weeks here, using only a few berries at a time to avoid drawing attention," Ivan pointed out.

"Oh, yeah, why didn't I think of that? Ivan-san, you should be the one making the plan," Kanraku playfully lamented, hitting his forehead in realization.

Floyd felt slightly embarrassed as he too had overlooked this.

"I thought your plan was reliable because your plan from the start is perfect. I didn't think…" Ivan said with regret. He should have reminded them earlier.

Kanraku suddenly moved forward to the Pokemon and broke their rings one by one.

"Professor, what are you doing?" Suzuki shouted.

"Are you crazy?" Jonathan added.

"I'm not crazy; I will set them free now," Kanraku said, seeing Floyd immediately follow suit and release the iron rings from the Pokemon he bought.

"Floyd…?" Bianca was surprised by his action.

"Floyd…? Even you?" Jonathan couldn't fathom why he was mimicking Kanraku's seemingly irrational actions.

"I'm not sure about the Professor's reasoning, but I believe this is the right thing to do! They deserve freedom," Floyd believed that Pokemon shouldn't be bound and deprived of their freedom.

Touched by this gesture, Bianca released her Pokémon as well, reminding her of Bird Saint. Ivan hesitated, but after seeing the longing in his Spinarak's eyes, he cautiously did the same.

All the Pokémon looked at them, clearly moved.

"You can choose to follow us or not; the decision is yours," Kanraku told them.

Magby then stepped forward, declaring, "Magby!"

…

Back in the Commercial Area, a stir was arising.

"Is that the same guy from before, with Lord Blue?"

"And now, he went to the circus tent outside Lower Town instead?"

"I should've been the one to get those berries!"

"That wasteful prodigal man is back, spending berries on Beasts."

"Where did he find so many berries? Did he venture deep into the forest, or does he possess advanced technology?"

"I heard he's brought many disciples this time. That's probably why he went unnoticed."

Many hunters and townspeople began making their way to the lower town.