Pokémon: Starting as a Farmer Instead of a Trainer

Chapter 78 The Fog Arrives...

Time passed slowly, the sun slanted westward, the trees cast shadows, and the eternal forest was gradually enveloped in an eerie silence. Even when the cuckoo and the night owl flew overhead, they made no sound.

Because they knew perfectly well what would happen here tonight, and their eyes were fixed on the people below who were eating by the bonfire...

Mingyou rode the Ghostly Horned Deer, strolling through the Eternal Forest. The trees that looked normal during the day became like ghosts at night.

The tree trunk became as dry as bone, and the branches twisted in the night wind like ghostly hands, as if they would take your life from behind in an instant when you least expect it.

He stopped and looked at the trees, and couldn't help but recall the strange trees outside Wolfsburg in a very famous animated film...

"They do look quite alike..."

Turning her gaze away, Mingyou took out her phone and sent messages to Rotom and Xiaozhao, asking, "I'm already in the Everlasting Forest, and haven't found anything yet. What about those people from Kitakami Township?"

He wanted to see when those people would start their operation before he could infiltrate, but Xiao Zhao didn't answer that question; instead, she replied…

Share your location with me.

"???"

Despite her doubts, Mingyou still sent her location to the other party, and a short while later, Xiaozhao, carrying a bag, arrived with Zoroya in her arms.

Good evening~

"No... you asked me to send my location so you want to come find me?"

Mingyou was speechless, but Xiaozhao just smiled and took out two fast food sandwiches from her bag: "Have you eaten? I have some sandwiches here."

"I'm full after eating some fruit."

"That won't do, you can have it."

As she spoke, she tossed one sandwich over, then tore open the packaging of the remaining one and shared it with Zoroya.

Mingyou sighed softly, then released Ponpo from its Poké Ball, sharing the sandwich with it and Latias. She then looked up at Xiaozhao and asked, "By the way, are you alone?"

"Yeah, I came here secretly a long time ago, hoping to find some clues inside. Danyu wanted to come too, but I secretly told her grandparents, and now she's locked up at home, haha."

"You're so naughty..."

"I just don't want anything to happen to my friends. I'm never afraid of danger or powerful enemies. The only thing I'm afraid of is... loss."

Hearing Xiao Zhao say these words, Ming You nodded slightly. The other party's conviction was indeed much stronger than hers, but to rush in here carrying a Zoroa was really a bit too reckless.

"So, what did you find out?"

"no."

"..."

Mingyou took a deep breath to calm herself down, then asked, "So you've been wandering around here all afternoon and haven't found anything?"

"Pretty much... haha."

Xiao Zhao smiled awkwardly. She hadn't expected this situation either, because she could communicate directly with Pokémon and had come here to ask the wild Pokémon about the situation.

Strangely, she barely saw any Pokémon. When she finally spotted an Ariados, it immediately launched a venom attack at her without saying a word. With no other option, she had to knock Ariados unconscious with her fists.

After explaining what had happened, Xiao Zhao gently stroked her chin with her fingers and said with a serious expression, "This forest feels very strange and uncomfortable to me. My advice is to be careful."

"Does this even need...?"

Mingyou was about to respond impatiently when she suddenly seemed to see something. Pointing at the other person, she asked, "What's that hand on your shoulder?"

"Huh? What hands are there?"

Xiao Zhao quickly turned her head to look, but saw nothing. Mingyou, however, replied with a somewhat frightened expression, "It's... a white hand! Like a pickled chicken foot, can't you see it?"

"!!!"

Seeing how realistic his expression was, Xiao Zhao still couldn't see the white ghost hand, and a sense of fear arose in her heart. Could it really be some kind of ghost?

"ah!!!"

Finally, she couldn't help but let out a soft scream, but the next second Mingyou laughed out loud: "You're scared already? There might be something even scarier later, so you'd better leave!"

Latias laughed out loud. She was scared even before the ghost appeared; this sister was such a wimp.

Only Ponpon and the horned deer didn't laugh at the prank; instead, they sensed something...

"...You're so mean!"

After realizing she had been joked about, a rare hint of anger appeared on Xiao Zhao's delicate face, even though she had come to help.

Mingyou didn't mean to upset her; she just didn't want her to take risks with her. After all, there had already been victims, and no one knew she might become the second one.

But just as he was about to say something more, his pupils contracted slightly, as if he had really seen something. Pointing at the other person, he asked in a somewhat panicked tone, "What is that white hand on your shoulder?"

"Mmm!"

"Waaah!"

Ponpo and Latias seemed to have seen something and quickly reminded each other.

"I won't fall for that again!"

Xiao Zhao hugged Soroya, snorted softly, frowned slightly, and pouted. She was just good-natured, but she wasn't without a temper. How could she not be angry after you guys kept fooling her like this?

Seeing that the horned deer also reminded her, she finally realized something was wrong and tried to move aside, but because of what had just happened, she was still a step too slow.

A large hand came from behind and grabbed her. At that moment, the eerie trees around her seemed to come alive and began to twist and twitch.

"What the hell is that?!"

Mingyou and his group immediately prepared for battle.

The thing that caught Xiao Zhao was a withered birch tree with clumps of grass at its wrists and top. Its body was connected by sections of bark with serrated stripes, and its dark purple eyes were staring at them.

[Willow (Shinny): An old tree Pokémon that likes to stay in forests and is very friendly to creatures that love forests, but it will show a terrifying side if it encounters someone who destroys the forest.]

"It's a strangely colored Wood Sprite! And it's huge!"

"Ugh!"

Zorua, who had fallen out of Xiao Zhao's arms, glared angrily at the over two-meter-tall wood sprite in front of him and was about to launch an attack.

However, Mingyou reacted quickly, immediately waving her hand and shouting, "Ponpon! Attack their hands with the thorny vine club!"

"Mmm!"

Ponpo pulled out a thorny vine from under her cloak and ran straight over, but the trees that had been twisting earlier seemed to have grown legs, rising up from the ground and instantly blocking her way.

This is the Wood Sprite's ability; it can connect to the trees in the forest through roots that extend from its toes, thereby monitoring every corner of the forest through its roots and manipulating it at will!

but……

"Mmm!"

Ponpon's petite body was even more agile, passing directly through the middle, where several normal-sized wood sprites were hidden, and she reached out to grab them.

Fortunately, Ponpo reacted quickly, and these guys didn't even manage to grab its cloak. Then, it slammed its stick heavily into the Wood Demon's hand, with little effect, but the impact still managed to shake the Wood Demon's hand loose.

Xiao Zhao managed to escape, and Mingyou, riding the Ghost Horned Deer, immediately stepped forward and caught her as she fell. Pengpeng also took the opportunity to kick the Rotten Wood Demon on the head, and together they ran away from the encirclement of the tree monsters.

But this was not the end. Just as the Wood Demon's attack failed, layers of mist began to spread out of the Eternal Forest, which had been perfectly normal, engulfing the Taijing energy particles in the air, passing through the trees and grass, and covering the entire forest!

On the other side, the people of Beishang Township, who had just finished eating and were taking advantage of the darkness to carry out their operation, were completely swallowed up by the sudden fog attack before they even had a chance to turn around and escape.

As the permanent forest was completely enveloped, the temperature plummeted, and everyone inside felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave.

Fear spread, and the eerie blue flames began to flicker in the mist, their faint light like a beacon of hope guiding those lost in the fog. And then…

"ah!!!"

A scream shattered the silence of the night, and the eternal forest was awakened from its slumber.

……

(End of this chapter)