Preparing to set off

As Floyd made his way back to the base, his eyes fell upon Old Man Kazuma, who was visibly agitated, pacing back and forth with his son Tetsuya at his side. Nearby, Kanraku stood, surrounded by his eager disciples.

Old Man Kazuma wasted no time in confronting Floyd, launching into a stern lecture. Floyd, despite not understanding every word, could tell he was being scolded, the old man's gestures and tone leaving little room for doubt.

Feeling somewhat overwhelmed, Floyd nonetheless accepted the Apricorn handed to him. Blastoise, ever helpful, shouldered the burden of the hefty package of Apricorn, following Old Man Kazuma and Tetsuya as they made their way towards the lab.

Meanwhile, the elder Gyarados, having had its fill of human interaction, made a hasty retreat. "Don't ever summon me again," it snorted indignantly before disappearing back into the river.

At that moment, Floyd, poised and ready for departure, leaped onto Pidgeot's back. His departure was almost interrupted as he noticed Kanraku rushing towards him. In a swift motion, Floyd threw a Poké Ball, and an unconscious Ursaluna materialized, causing quite the stir.

Kanraku and his disciples were visibly startled by the sudden appearance of the formidable Pokémon. Kanraku, with a mix of nervousness and disbelief, turned to Floyd, who promptly returned Ursaluna to its Poké Ball.

"Are you out of your mind? You nearly gave me a heart attack," Kanraku exclaimed, clutching his chest in mock distress. He then inquired, with a hint of incredulity in his voice, "You defeated Ursaluna?"

Floyd, with a hint of pride, began to explain. "Well, this encounter was quite different. We found Ursaluna already injured, and this time, Pidgeot also there. And Professor, you'll be thrilled to hear that I also encountered Venusaur." Floyd proceeded to reveal an impressive collection of items, generously bestowed upon him by Venusaur.

Kanraku's eyes lit up with curiosity and excitement at the sight of the unique items, some of which he had never seen before. He was so eager to study them that he would have rushed back to his research if Floyd hadn't reminded him of their current priorities.

"There are two more things," Floyd continued, drawing out a batch of homemade Pokéblocks. "They're keen on negotiating with us over these."

Kanraku's excitement was palpable. "This is a significant development! If we could collaborate with them, it could be a tremendous boon for us," he exclaimed. "Shall we go meet with them? I'm eager to discuss this further."

Floyd, trying to contain his own fatigue and amusement at Kanraku's enthusiasm, replied, "I've just returned, and you're already planning another trip? I've got things to attend to here. Let's plan to revisit them tomorrow."

Kanraku, realizing his impatience, laughed heartily. "Hahaha, you're right; I am a bit impatient. I got it; we will go tomorrow,"

"Floyd, think about it. If we could collaborate with them and forge alliances with other groups. It would exponentially expand our capabilities to explore the island," Kanraku remarked, his eyes twinkling with passion.

Floyd responded with an encouraging smile, "Absolutely, this represents a significant milestone for the Alliance." He paused momentarily, then added, "And there's one more piece of news. They've agreed to join us for the live broadcasts."

Kanraku's face lit up with surprise and delight. "They will? That's great! You've really outdone yourself, Floyd. This is a major breakthrough for us. We need to prioritize this in our upcoming meeting," he said, visibly relieved and excited at Venusaur's participation.

"There's a condition, though," Floyd interjected.

Kanraku's curiosity piqued. "What might that be?" he inquired.

"They wanted to perform a ritual and needed a lot of Pokéblocks, as well as Cherrim to help them. This is what the Venusaur requested. This is specifically what Venusaur has asked for," Floyd elaborated.

Kanraku, intrigued, asked, "A ritual? For what purpose?"

Floyd explained, "It's for the evolution of numerous Bulbasaurs."

Kanraku's excitement was palpable. "Evolution? You mean a mass evolution of Bulbasaurs?" He couldn't contain his enthusiasm, and even his four disciples, who had been discreetly listening, perked up, their eyebrows raised in astonishment. The idea of multiple Pokémon evolving simultaneously was a novel to them.

"I've already scouted the perfect location for such an event – it's in Ursaluna's territory," Floyd suggested confidently.

Kanraku stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Ursaluna, you say?" he murmured before nodding in agreement. "Then that settles it. We'll proceed as they wish."

The conversation then shifted as Kanraku brought up another concern, glancing towards the Poké Ball. "Speaking of Ursaluna, what plans do we have for it?"

Floyd suggested, "It might be best if we stay near Venusaur's territory for this."

Kanraku nodded, then added, "For safety, it's much better for Blastoise, Pidgeot, and Gyarados to accompany you."

Floyd looked somewhat uneasy. "I'm not sure Gyarados will respond to my call anymore. He seemed quite irritated the last time I summoned him," he admitted, a hint of embarrassment in his voice.

"Just lure him with food," Kanraku advised knowingly, aware that despite Gyarados's proud demeanor, it had a weakness for treats and often masked its true, less formidable nature.

Floyd sighed, a mix of resignation and determination in his tone. "I'll give it a try."

...

A few hours later, the meeting commenced, focusing significantly on Venusaur's participation. For the upcoming visit to Venusaur's territory, Floyd realized the scale of the task at hand; he would need to bring a substantial number of Pokémon for the rehearsal.

This time, he wouldn't be going alone. The team had expanded to include Ivan, Bianca, Kanraku, Kang Jihoon, Li Qin, Chen Xin, Xue Yuexin, Suzuki Akiko, Park Taeyang, Cuong, Thao, and Suzuki Ryota.

Floyd was not venturing alone this time; his team had expanded significantly. It now included Ivan, Bianca, Kanraku, Kang Jihoon, Li Qin, Chen Xin, Xue Yuexin, Suzuki Akiko, Park Taeyang, Cuong, Thao, and Suzuki Ryota.

Among them, the Pokémon included were Blastoise, Gyarados, the former Support Squad, Water Squad, Ground Squad, Dig Squad, and Sun Squad. However, this time, there were even more, as the Pokémon from Beast's Sanctuary were also included.

The current Sun Squad comprises more than ten Pokémon, including some Cherubi, the previous four Petilil, and the four current Cherrim. This group also includes the one Cherubi who evolved into Cherrim.

Suzuki Ryota and Suzuki Akiko were initially not meant to join the expedition. However, Ryota, with his stubborn determination, insisted on accompanying Floyd, confidently claiming that he would be safe under Floyd's protection.

Despite Suzuki Akiko's initial skepticism and concern for her nephew's safety, she found herself in a predicament when Ryota threatened to venture into the forest alone if she forbade him. This left Akiko with no choice but to volunteer herself for the journey, ensuring she could keep a watchful eye on her nephew.

Meanwhile, Bianca was tasked with the important job of researching unknown materials that could be transformed into fabric. Ivan took on the role of the leader of the scouting group, while Kang Jihoon and Li Qin provided valuable assistance to Floyd and the rest of the team.

Chen Yu was frustrated and somewhat resentful that her sister Chen Xin had chosen to participate of her own accord. He had wanted to join the excursion as well but was instead assigned the responsibility of managing affairs back at the Beast's Sanctuary, with the assistance of Kanraku's disciples. Linh also stayed behind to handle any emergencies that might arise during the scouting mission.

Chen Yu started whispering to Xue Yuexin to guard her closely and to prevent any man, particularly those as strong as the ones who could defeat Linh, from taking advantage of her. This overprotectiveness caused Xue Yuexin to snicker, while somewhere, a guy felt an inexplicable shiver as if he was being watched.

After several hours, the detailed and comprehensive meeting concluded.

Floyd, following his usual routine, prepared a hearty lunch for his Pokémon and tended to Dragonite, ensuring it was well-better. Unlike previous occasions, he decided to embark on this journey without seeking additional help, accompanied solely by his Pokémon.

They set off towards the Kemonohaji forest, a destination chosen for a specific purpose that Floyd had almost forgotten - to visit the meteorite site within Ursaring's territory.