Pokémon: I have no choice but to do this old thing?

As dusk deepened, the campfire at the campsite flickered with a warm glow in the night. Zhang Jianying was preparing dinner, slicing pomelos and brewing them with oranges to make a sweet fruit tea.

Kiruri sat quietly beside him, her hair gleaming softly in the firelight.

"It seems that little kid is still observing us."

Zhang Jianying spoke softly, handing Kirlia a cup of warm fruit tea. Through telepathy, he had already learned from Kirlia that Torterra was still lingering nearby.

Kirlia took the teacup, her crimson eyes gazing into the darkness.

In its superhuman vision, the grass turtle radiates a warm, emerald-like light, a light that carries hesitation and curiosity, like tender buds in early spring tentatively stretching their branches in the wind and snow, yearning for the warmth of the sun yet fearing the onslaught of the cold.

"We'll continue our journey tomorrow. Leave some food and medicine a little further from the camp later," Zhang Jianying said softly to Kirulian. "It looks like it's been through a tough battle and needs to replenish its strength."

As night deepened and the campfire gradually died down, a cautious figure quietly emerged from the woods.

Turtwig cautiously approached the camp, and after confirming it was safe, it gently picked up the Pokémon food that Kirlia had specially left behind, which was mixed with healing medicine, and then quickly disappeared into the darkness.

Unbeknownst to it, Kirullian, who was in meditation, slightly opened her eyes and smiled at its figure.

Having reached the grassy seedlings in the forest, the tortoise suddenly stopped. After hesitating for a moment, it returned to the campsite. The leaves on its head shimmered with light, and its eyes were focused and devout, as if it was trying to gather its strength. After a brief moment of gathering its strength, a leaf emitting a faint fragrance drifted off its back. The emerald green leaf shone with a crystal-clear luster under the moonlight.

Gazing at the leaf that carried its heartfelt sentiments, it nodded in satisfaction, then quietly turned and departed…

Early in the morning, Zhang Jianying discovered this unusual leaf while tidying up the campsite. Data Vision immediately provided an analysis:

【Blessing Leaf: Contains life energy and can bring good fortune to the blessed being.】

[Source: The Blessed Grass Turtle of the Forest]

"What a grateful little guy..."

With a solemn expression, Zhang Jianying carefully placed the leaf and the feather that the Nighthawk Clan Chief had given to Ralts together into his backpack. His movements were gentle and dignified, as if they were the most precious treasures in the world.

He shouldered his pack again, and he and Kirlia exchanged a smile, a tacit understanding flowing between them.

This silent exchange continued for the next three days of the journey. Every morning, Zhang Jianying would find a gift left by the grass turtle at the campsite: sometimes a rare pear fruit covered in morning dew, sometimes a bunch of purple lavender exuding a reassuring fragrance.

He would also leave behind carefully prepared food, and even specially formulated nutritional supplements suitable for Grass-type Pokémon, each serving filled with his sincere care.

On the fourth day, a sudden blizzard disrupted their plans. Zhang Jianying took Kirulian to a cave to escape the snow and lit a campfire for warmth.

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps crunching through the snow came from outside the cave. The figure of the grass turtle appeared at the cave entrance, a plump tree fruit in its mouth, its eyes filled with worry and anticipation, and a thin layer of ice covering its thick shell, clearly indicating that it had been trekking through the wind and snow for a long time.

Zhang Jianying was taken aback—finding tree fruit of this quality at this time of year was no easy feat. Coming to his senses, he quickly said, "Come on! Let's warm ourselves by the fire."

Zhang Jianying gave up his spot near the fire, and Kirlia immediately used her telekinesis to brush the snow off the Turtwig and created a barrier to protect it from the cold wind outside the cave.

This time, the turtle didn't refuse. It lay quietly by the fire, watching Zhang Jianying carefully examine its shell and body for old injuries, while Kirlia used its psychic powers to comb through the leaves that were ruffled in the wind and snow.

Bathed in the warm firelight, its last vestiges of wariness finally melted away...

The blizzard raged all day. Inside this secluded cave, the distance between the three lives was steadily closing. Zhang Jianying told the tortoise about the outside world, and when he got excited, he had Kirlia use her telekinesis to materialize what they had seen and heard in Snowfront Town.

Kirullian closed her eyes, and a dazzling display of light and shadow immediately appeared in the cave.

Those were travel posters it saw in town—in the boundless desert, giant psychic clay figures cast mysterious shadows on the dunes; in the azure ocean, swarms of agate jellyfish emitted dreamlike bioluminescence. And at the town's nighttime bonfire parties, countless migrating shuttlecocks, carrying glowing pollen, rose into the night sky, transforming into a sky full of fireflies…

The tortoise gazed intently, never imagining the world could be so vast and captivating. In response, it let out a low growl, and through Kirlia's psychic powers, a breathtaking scene unfolded:

On a moonlit night, in a clearing deep in the forest, Celebi floated in mid-air, its emerald green body radiating a soft glow. Thousands of Pokémon quietly formed a circle, from the smallest Bumblebee to the towering Slaking, all expressing their deepest respect to the forest guardian.

Just as the ceremony reached its climax, a ray of moonlight shone precisely on the egg in the center of the ritual, causing the shell to crack open. The instant the newborn turtle opened its eyes, the shrine gently stroked its tender shell, leaving a jade-green mark of blessing and bestowing upon it the sacred mission of guarding the forest.

"So... you were born under the blessing of the Celebi." Zhang Jianying sighed softly, finally confirming the origin of the extraordinary aura emanating from the Grass Turtle.

The blizzard subsided at dawn the next day. The rising sun peeked out from behind the clouds, turning the snow-covered ground golden. Just as Zhang Jianying was about to continue his journey, the grass-mushroom turtle blocked his way.

It gave Zhang Jianying a deep look, then turned and walked into the depths of the dense forest, occasionally turning back to signal them to follow.

With questions in mind, Zhang Jianying and Kirulian followed behind and arrived at a clearing in the forest covered with ice and snow.

The grass turtle stopped in the center of the open space, its expression devout and solemn, and raised its head to let out a low and distant call.

In an instant, the shells and the branches on top turned a vibrant green, a color that symbolizes life, and the entire forest seemed to be awakened.

The grass under the snow began to show specks of green, and delicate flower buds bloomed on the bare branches. Even the chill in the air was dispelled by the warm life energy.

Even more astonishingly, countless Pokémon gathered from all directions, quietly watching this scene, as if participating in a sacred ceremony.

In this sudden spring scene, the grass turtle was breathing heavily, and the emerald green glow on its shell and the leaves on its head was gradually fading from its slightly tired body.

However, Zhang Jianying keenly noticed the contradiction in its eyes as it looked at him. He didn't quite understand its inner turmoil.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly. "Are you worried about something?"

The grass turtle let out a low cry, its gaze fixed on the depths of the forest, its eyes revealing a deep sense of reluctance and confusion.

Through Kirlia's translation, Zhang Jianying understood its thoughts—it longed to follow him to see the outside world, but as a Pokémon blessed by the forest, it knew in its heart that it had a mission to protect this forest. Although it was only recently born and this sense of responsibility was still just a vague intuition, it was already deeply imprinted in its heart.

Just as the baby turtle was in a dilemma, steady footsteps sounded from the side.

An old Venusaur slowly walked over. Although the huge flower on its back still emitted a gentle light, its ancient face and deep eyes whispered the passage of time, clearly indicating that it had lived through many years.

Behind it followed several Bulbasaur and Bulbasaur. They stood in quiet formation, like the most loyal soldiers, silently guarding this powerful yet gentle elder.

Venusaur let out a deep croak. Kirlia immediately relayed its meaning to Zhang Jianying:

"It said... Protecting this forest is never a responsibility that any one individual has to bear alone. We Bulbasaur have lived here for generations, protecting this land that nurtures us together with all the creatures in the forest."

As Venusaur's voice faded, the surrounding Pokémon responded in unison.

The giant night-blooming cereus sways its enormous crown, emitting a soothing fragrance; a group of parasitic worms emerge from behind the tree, waving their forelimbs, indicating that they too are protecting the ecological balance of the forest; and horseflies flutter in the air, scattering shimmering scales, as if saying that they too are doing their part.

The aged Venusaur slowly walked up to Torterra and gently touched its shell with its Vine Whip. A warm energy flowed between them, like the passing down of an ancient ritual.

"Chiru..."

"Every life blessed by the forest has its own unique mission." Venusaur conveyed this wisdom to Zhang Jianying through Kirlia. "This Turtwig's mission is not to stay here forever, but to go out and let the forest's blessings take root and sprout in more distant lands."

Turtwig's eyes gradually cleared. It looked around at the forest that had given it life and nurtured it, and at the Pokémon that had come to express their support.

It finally realized—though still young, one day it would bring the forest's blessings to lands that needed them more. But for now, it needed to grow and see a wider world.

Venusaur croaked gently, "Go, child. Until you are strong enough, we will protect this forest. You may return anytime you wish after you have completed your training."

The grass turtle's last shred of hesitation finally vanished. It looked at Zhang Jianying, its eyes shining brighter than the morning star.

Zhang Jianying understood and took out a Poké Ball, her voice gentle yet firm: "I understand. Let's grow stronger together, and when the time is right, we'll return to fulfill your mission. That's our promise!"

The Turtwig nodded solemnly, slowly stepped forward, and gently touched the switch on the Poké Ball with its forehead. At that moment, it felt not constraint, but a new beginning.

"Thump!"

The crisp sound echoed in the morning light, like a new chapter in a musical composition.

When Zhang Jianying released Turtwig again, it stood on the other side of the trainer in perfect harmony. Kirlia smiled gently and put the scented grass wreath she had prepared on Turtwig's head.

The older Venusaur used its vine whip to retrieve a seed radiating an emerald glow and gently placed it on Torterra's back. The seed merged into the shell, forming a faint leaf-shaped mark.

"Bana—" (This is the forest's blessing. Wherever you go, you will hear the call of your homeland.)

Sunlight bathed the newly formed trio, each step they took leaving vibrant green marks on the snow. The grass-fed tortoise occasionally glanced back, but the confusion in its eyes had vanished, replaced by anticipation and determination for the future.

"We will become stronger together," Zhang Jianying solemnly promised, "until the day you are ready to fulfill your mission."

"Waaah~"

The grass turtle let out a firm call, and the leaf-shaped markings on its back glowed slightly, as if responding to this solemn agreement.

The newly formed three-person team continued their journey towards Zhuqing City. Zhang Jianying walked in the middle, with the elegant Kirlia on his left and the composed Torterra on his right. Miraculously, the snow they trod across sprouted tiny green shoots; these tender green buds grew tenaciously in the snow, proclaiming the indomitable power of life.

"It seems we've met an extraordinary partner," Zhang Jianying said softly to Kirlia.

Kirlia nodded happily, and a gentle response came through telepathy: "The forest's blessing will always be with it, and now, that blessing is with us too."

Behind them, the Pokémon of the forest silently watched them depart. There was no sorrow, only blessings—for they knew that the young forest guardians were embarking on a brighter journey.

(Turtle: A young leaf Pokémon that uses its entire body for photosynthesis, and its shell is made of soil...)

In this heartwarming Pokémon world, even though shadows may still lurk in the darkness, as long as cherished feelings remain, the road ahead will always be full of hope. Zhang Jianying looked at his two reliable partners beside him, filled with anticipation for the journey ahead.

From this moment on, they will not only pursue their own goals, but also shoulder the mission of spreading the blessings of the forest.