Pokémon: Who let him leave Pallet Town?

Chapter 284 The Glittering Photo Album
"Um"

The group realized that the old man was not on the same wavelength as them.

However, this is just the beginning.

As Natsume turned the page, another "big red dog" appeared.

"Here it is, here it is, the Nonsense Tree is here, and this big red dog is also trying to steal the spotlight!"

The old man angrily pointed behind Emperor Yan, where there was a large, yellowish-brown rock, which was also integrated with the Hushuo Tree.

"Natsume-kun, isn't the Natsume-no-Kazoo a Grass-type Pokémon? How can it merge with rocks?"

Xiaozhi looked confused.

"The 'Nonsense Tree' is a rocky tree."

Xiaoxia turned Xiaozhi's head back.

Why would a tree be a rocky species?

"Nobody has time to answer this right now!"

Clearly, Ash's channel is different from everyone else's.

Xiaoxia pushed Xiaozhi aside, her gaze following everyone as they stared intently at the photo album in Natsume's hand.

As Natsume flips the pages, more and more rare Pokémon appear.

Wow, Ho-Oh got a picture too, and it's a front view!

Xiaoxia looked puzzled.

"This Ho-Oh seems to be a little different in color too."

Xiao Gang stroked his chin, lost in thought.

"This big bird is also trying to steal the spotlight; the 'Nonsense Tree' is right here!"

Seeing that everyone had missed the point, the old man flew into a rage. He pointed to a grove of trees beneath the Phoenix King and glared at him.

"Wait a minute, this shooting angle..."

Natsume frowned; it looked exactly like the photo was taken of this shiny Ho-Oh.

The group exchanged glances, and the same thought popped into their minds—photoshopped?
No matter how much Natsume nitpicked, he couldn't find any trace of photoshopping.

As the album was flipped through, one shiny Pokémon after another appeared before the group.

Every now and then, a shiny legendary Pokémon would flash by.

Each time, the old man would clearly point out the location of the nonsense tree and strongly condemn everyone for not grasping the key point.

"Is it all true?" Xiao Gang's Adam's apple bobbed, unable to speak.

Natsume nodded, indicating that he could not find anything suspicious about the photos.

"Grandpa, do you know Flash King?"

Ash seemed to have thought of something, took out his Pokédex, and showed the treasure map to the old man.

"What Flash King? I only know Lightning King."

As he spoke, the old man rummaged in his pocket for a while and finally pulled out a small flashlight.

Lightning King is the brand name of this flashlight.

"Grandpa, did you take all these photos?"

Natsume looked at the other person strangely.

"Yeah, I want to film the 'Nonsense Tree,' but every time I do, some random big dog, big bird, or big fish will suddenly appear and steal the spotlight."

As the old man spoke, he angrily pounded the photo album in Natsume's hand.

"If you had shown up sooner, Flashy King might not have had a chance."

Natsume's gaze swept lightly over the other person's fingers—the bronze skin was rough and cracked, the knuckles were large, and dirt that couldn't be washed off was stuck in the nail crevices.

Several fine, reddish-brown cuts were slanted across the fingertips and the web of the thumb.

These marks looked familiar to Natsume; some agricultural researchers also had similar wounds on their hands, caused by grass blades and sickles.

"Sir, you don't seem to be here often, do you?"

Natsume smiled and asked in return.

“My son brought me here.”

The old man tapped on the photo album in Natsume's hand, seemingly lost in thought.

“I’m rowing a boat here now. How about it? If you bring the 'Nonsense Tree' over, I’ll take you across the river.”

The old man repeated, his eyes fixed intently on Natsume and the others.

“But Grandpa, we can actually get there ourselves.” Xiao Zhi scratched his head.

"No, you can't get through." The old man shook his head to himself.

Ash looked to Natsume for help.

He sensed that the old man in front of him seemed to be in a strange state.

"We can't get by."

Natsume continued speaking, following the old man's words:

"How about we change the terms? You give me this photo album, and I'll find you a 'Nonsense Tree,' how about that?"

"Okay, okay, anyway, this is useless."

The old man seemed especially happy.

"Grandpa, why do you insist on talking nonsense about trees?"

Xiao Gang asked curiously.

"Because my daughter is a prospective researcher, she is studying the Sudowoodo tree, specifically whether it belongs to the grass or rock family."

The old man was very happy and opened up to everyone. "But the Nonsense Tree was already bound—uh!"

Before Jiaozi could finish speaking, Natsume covered his mouth.

Her face flushed red as she secretly observed Natsume's expression.

"Sir, I'm also a researcher. I can apply for the Hushuo Tree for you. May I ask where your daughter works?"

"Yuhong University!"

The old man was very proud, and he spoke with great enthusiasm.

"Yuhong University?"

Ash looked at Natsume with a puzzled expression.

“It’s Rainbow University,” Natsume whispered.

However, that was the name used for Rainbow University many, many years ago.

Natsume casually took a few photos of the album and then reported them to the alliance.

I don't know if it's because I donated a Mega Evolution Keystone Mine, but the Alliance replies to my messages almost instantly.

"There just happens to be a few Sudowoodo Trees in the lab in Goldenrod City."

It's quite close, but it will probably take most of the day to deliver it.

The group decided to set up tents by the river and rest there.

"Grandpa, would you like something to eat?"

The old man returned to his boat, staring blankly in the direction of Mankino City, where Natsume had mentioned the Sudoku Tree.

Seeing that the old man did not reply, Xiao Zhi took the initiative to step onto the boat and handed him the sandwich that Xiao Gang had made.

"thank you all."

The old man took it and nodded to Ash and the others.

"Grandpa, where is your son?"

On the shore, Xiaoxia asked curiously.

It was almost dark, and the old man's son still hadn't appeared.

"My son."

The old man instantly put on a mask of pain upon hearing this.

"What's wrong?"

Xiao Gang immediately became nervous.

Could it be that the old man's son abandoned him here?

Otherwise, how would you understand it? An old man rowing a boat all alone in the wilderness—that's not normal at all.

"My son is so naughty, he's always running around, and now I don't know where he's gone again!"

As the old man spoke, he suddenly slapped his thigh and began to pour out his grievances:
“He has no ambition at all, all he thinks about is playing, and he gets into fights every day. My daughter is much better.”

The crowd's expressions grew even stranger as they listened.

Xiao Zhi swallowed hard and turned to look at the crowd.

The group exchanged glances, each seeing confusion in the other's eyes.

The old man's tone and narration seemed to be telling the story of a small child.
But they're in their seventies or eighties; their sons are at least their uncles, how could they possibly be children?

"Mr. Natsume."

Jiaozi opened Natsume's tent, intending to tell him about the old man's strange behavior.

Natsume was engrossed in studying the thick photo album.

After hesitating for a moment, Jiaozi still didn't disturb him.

Inside the tent, Natsume looked around in increasing amazement.

How were these photos taken?

Some angles are impossible to film without the cooperation of those Pokémon.

If it's all just a coincidence, then there are far too many of these coincidences.

Moreover, there are quite a few Pokémon here, many of which are legendary or mythical Pokémon!
How could you possibly run into these Pokémon just by looking for a Sudowoodo tree?

After thinking it over, Natsume remembered the system notification from earlier that day.

There are divine beasts and deities around.

Who?
Could it be the "Nonsense Tree" in the picture that always flashes?

Suddenly, Natsume's hand paused as he turned to a certain page.

"Ok?"

This was the first time Natsume had seen a human figure in this photo album.

It was a girl in a hospital bed.

She was so thin she sank into the hospital bed, the white sheet covering her chest. An empty medicine bottle sat on the bedside table, the IV drip slowly trickling down. Light shone through the window.

Natsume, still in a daze, pulled out the photo.

Without the photo album obstructing his view, Natsume could see everything clearly.

The photo is surrounded by a golden haze, forming a circle, which is the photographer's perspective.

"A golden ring?"

Natsume remembered the golden ring that had held the small boat in place and absorbed his telekinetic energy.

Mythical beasts with this characteristic
(End of this chapter)