Inside Sunset Forest, Ogerpon eagerly dashed ahead, carrying a small box in its arms. It reached the wooden cabin first, using its head to nudge the door open before scampering inside.
Right behind it, Summer followed, holding a neatly wrapped package, while Rillaboom brought up the rear, balancing two boxes—one large, one small—before carefully closing the door behind them.
"Alright, with this last package from the Indigo League, all the rewards have officially arrived." Summer glanced at the various parcels spread across the wooden floor, nodding in satisfaction.
"Bonii~!"
Ogerpon's eyes sparkled with excitement. It had been waiting for this moment for so long—finally, it was time to open the packages!
"Hold on, Ogerpon. Let's take our time opening them," Summer chuckled. "We should sort everything by type first, and don't forget, we'll need to share the most suitable items with everyone."
After all, Sunset Forest's Pokémon had played a major role in repelling Team Rocket's invasion. They deserved a proper reward for their efforts.
The battle had also triggered an unexpected change—the forest had expanded once more, adding a brand-new region:
[Team Rocket remnants have been brought to justice! A special area has been added: Illusionary Forest.]Illusionary Forest: A seemingly ordinary woodland that repels outsiders through a unique illusionary barrier.
After checking the details, Summer confirmed that the new Illusionary Forest now encircled all of Sunset Forest, forming a protective mirage around it. Only those recognized by him could see past the illusion and enter freely, regardless of whether they tried to approach on foot or from the air.
However, the barrier had no effect on Pokémon who already lived within Sunset Forest; they could still move in and out as they pleased.
New wild Pokémon wishing to settle in the forest would also be judged by the barrier's will. If they harbored hostile intentions, they would be denied entry.
This was why, when Gideon worried about increased visitors due to Spikemuth's growing development, Summer had been so confident.
"To outsiders, Sunset Forest will always appear as nothing more than an ordinary, unremarkable woodland."
Of course, Summer didn't plan to stop with just these rewards. He had also amassed a significant collection of items from previous Time-Space Distortion events. Since many of them could boost a Pokémon's strength, he planned to distribute them as well.
A new determination had settled over Sunset Forest ever since Team Rocket's invasion. The Pokémon had realized that true strength was necessary—to protect their home and to safeguard their friends.
By using these rare items as incentives, Summer hoped to encourage this growing spirit of self-improvement.
"If every Pokémon here could become as strong as Milotic, then even a fully restored Team Rocket wouldn't stand a chance!"
"Alright, let's start with Galar League's rewards. Ogerpon, you go first." Summer smiled.
"Bonii~!"
Ogerpon practically bounced as it rushed over to its chosen box, tearing away the wrapping with tiny claws.
Inside, it found a sleek, black, high-tech wristband resting in the center of the box.
"Bonii?"
Ogerpon blinked. What the heck is this thing?
Summer leaned in for a closer look and immediately frowned.
"This is a Dynamax Band? …Spikemuth doesn't even have a Power Spot for Dynamax energy. Is Rose messing with me?"
"Bonii!"
Hearing the word "provocation," Ogerpon grabbed its Thorn Stick, turning to Summer with an eager expression, as if asking:
"So… do we smash it?"
Summer chuckled, shaking his head. "No need to destroy it, Ogerpon. It might be useful someday when we leave Sunset Forest."
Still, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes. Was Rose hoping to plant resentment toward Spikemuth? If so…
"He seriously underestimates the bonds I've formed with the Pokémon and people here."
Summer snapped the box shut and tucked it away in a drawer. This thing won't be part of the rewards pool.
"Next up… Rillaboom, how about you try opening one?" Summer suggested.
Rillaboom nodded. "Boom."
It carefully approached the pile of packages and selected a box roughly the same size as Ogerpon's. Peeling away the wrapping, it lifted the lid with great care—
Inside were ten differently colored stones, each with a unique shape and texture.
"Hmm… Fire Stone, Water Stone, Thunder Stone…" Summer murmured as he examined them. "Yep, these are all evolution stones."
A smile spread across his face. "Now this is a useful reward!"
"Bonii~!"
Ogerpon pouted in envy. Why did Rillaboom get something so practical?!
But now… it was Summer's turn. Before he could even move, Ogerpon pushed him toward the pile of parcels, its eyes twinkling with excitement.
"You want me to open one next, huh?" Summer chuckled, picking out the smallest box.
Inside lay a single, tiny seed that radiated an unusual energy.
As soon as the lid was lifted, Rillaboom and Ogerpon instinctively leaned in, drawn to its unique aura.
"This is a Miracle Seed," Summer explained. "It boosts the power of Grass-type moves. Judging by your expressions, you can already feel its energy, right?"
Ogerpon nodded vigorously, then placed a tiny hand to its mouth in deep thought.
"A seed like this… what kind of plant would it grow into?"
"If you're thinking about planting it, we should wait until we have a spare one," Summer chuckled, ruffling Ogerpon's head. "We've got plenty of Grass-types in the forest who could use this boost."
Setting the Miracle Seed aside for distribution, he turned back to Ogerpon.
"Alright, your turn again."
Ogerpon hummed excitedly, carefully scanning the pile before choosing the largest package.
"Bigger box = better stuff!"
With great enthusiasm, it ripped off the wrapping, only to freeze when it saw what was inside—
A potted sapling sat quietly in the box.
"Bonii???"
A tree?!
Ogerpon's excitement deflated instantly. Why do I always open the weird stuff?
Curious, Summer scanned the tree with his Ranger assistant, and the results immediately made his eyes widen in shock.
Confirmed: Star Peach Tree.A mythical fruit tree, said to be cast away to the ends of the world due to its overwhelming power.Legends claim its fruit holds immense strength and an indescribably divine taste.
Warning: Extremely difficult to cultivate. Requires specific conditions. Growth cycle measured in centuries. Fruit only appears under special circumstances.
"This…" Summer's expression turned to one of astonishment. A fruit tree as rare as this—where did Rose even get it? Is this the legendary power of money?
Putting aside the Star Peach's rumored abilities, its absurdly difficult cultivation conditions made Summer doubt whether Rose truly believed he could make it bear fruit. No… maybe it wasn't about confidence in me—it was confidence in Celebi.
The Star Peach tree's growth cycle spanned centuries, but with Celebi's time-traveling abilities, it could potentially bear fruit in an instant.
While Summer was confident in Sunset Forest's environment, which was nourished by the Viridian Slab's energy, creating an atmosphere rich with life energy, there was still the "special condition" his Ranger assistant had mentioned.
[Special Requirement: Requires energy from a Pokémon related to space or stars. Must be from a Pokémon of great power.]
So only powerful space-related Pokémon would work? Somewhere out there, a Minior Fan Club was probably protesting.
Speaking of space Pokémon, there was one in Galar that perfectly fit the criteria—Eternatus, the source of Dynamax energy.
But… what was Summer supposed to do? March into Hammerlocke City and ask Rose, "Hey, mind lending me your Eternatus? I need it to grow a fruit tree."
…Wait.
A realization struck him.
Dynamax energy was Eternatus' energy.
Which meant… if he could use Dynamax energy, he could nourish the Star Peach tree.
And right now, Summer just so happened to have a Dynamax Band—which contained Wishing Stars, literal fragments of Eternatus.
He quickly turned to his Ranger assistant. Would that work?
[…It would work.]
Why do you sound so reluctant? Summer thought. But that was irrelevant—all conditions had been met.
This sapling was, without a doubt, the most valuable item in the entire haul.
"…Bonii."
A small tug on his sleeve made Summer look down. Ogerpon was staring at him, tilting its head. Why are you thinking so hard about a tree?
"Ah, sorry. I got a little lost in thought," Summer chuckled, ruffling its hood. "Ogerpon, this little tree is something special. It can grow fruit even better than the Micle Berry you had before."
"Bonii?!"
Ogerpon's star-shaped pupils lit up. Wait—so Ogerpon actually pulled something amazing?!
"Yep. You did great, Ogerpon." Summer gave it a thumbs-up. "Alright, Rillaboom, your turn next."
As Ogerpon hummed happily, swaying side to side, Rillaboom nodded and reached for the final package from the Galar League.
Inside the box lay three bright red mushrooms with swirling spiral caps.
"Hmm… Max Mushrooms."
Ogerpon blinked. What's so special about some mushrooms? The ones in Illusionary Forest glowed, and Corviknight ate them all the time—so much so that the mushroom Pokémon were terrified of it.
Summer laughed at Ogerpon's confusion.
"Max Mushrooms are special. They let Pokémon undergo Gigantamaxing—not just growing big, but changing form and gaining new G-Max moves."
Ogerpon nodded slowly. Like Trevenant when it turned huge, right?
"Exactly. Corviknight, Hatterene, and even Rillaboom can all Gigantamax. If they drink Max Soup made from these, they'll gain that ability permanently."
Ogerpon suddenly froze, looking between Rillaboom and Hatterene in deep thought. Who should get the Gigantamax boost?
Summer placed a hand on Rillaboom's shoulder. "Let's give this one to Hatterene. She has a lot of potential, and Gigantamaxing will help her unlock it."
Rillaboom nodded in agreement. It wasn't greedy—Hatterene had contributed so much in defending Sunset Forest. She deserved it.
Besides, helping allies grow stronger was something Rillaboom fully supported.
"Alright, next up—the rewards from the International Police." Summer picked up a medium-sized package and carefully unwrapped it.
Inside, a purple Poké Ball with two red semicircles on top rested in the center.
An "M" was marked on its surface, resembling a Butterfree's head.
"…A Master Ball?"
Summer exhaled slowly. An incredibly rare Poké Ball—one that guaranteed a 100% capture rate. He hadn't expected Interpol to be this generous.
Though… technically, this wasn't his first Master Ball.
Hatterene had already gifted him one—after a certain incident with Lance.
According to her… Lance had tried to throw a Master Ball at her mid-fight.
She didn't know why, but instead of dodging, she had simply caught it in midair and kept it.
Hearing the story, Summer had felt a chill run down his spine.
"Good thing I caught Hatterene when I did…"
"Bonii~!"
Ogerpon's confidence was through the roof after pulling the Star Peach tree. It just knew it would pull another amazing item!
It excitedly ripped open the wrapping, pried open the lid—
And immediately regretted it.
"…Bonii?!"
A sharp, acidic stench flooded the room.
Ogerpon winced, clutching its nose. What the heck was this smell?!
Summer coughed, waving his hand in front of his face as he checked the box. Did they send the wrong package?!
[Secret Ingredient: Sour Seasoning.]
A rare condiment with an extremely intense sour flavor. Also possesses excellent fatigue-relieving properties. Very few people know of its existence.
"Sour Seasoning? And it relieves fatigue? So it wasn't a mistake…"
Still… this smell is insane.
With a loud snap, Summer shut the lid.
It seemed useful, but… there was no way he was handling this himself.
"Guess I'll leave this one to Gideon. If anyone can figure out how to use it, it's him."
As he stepped toward the window, Summer swallowed back the lingering acidity in his throat. "I'm opening the windows. Rillaboom, you handle the last package."
Ogerpon, still squinting and sticking out its tongue in protest, staggered toward the door. If I don't get fresh air, I'm gonna turn into pickled Ogerpon!
Meanwhile, Rillaboom remained unfazed. What was the big deal? It was just a bit sour.
Shaking its head, it moved to unwrap the final package from the International Police—a medium-sized box. Inside lay four diamond-shaped crystals, each with a distinct aura.
One shimmered like polished steel, another radiated an eerie chill, the third emanated a dark and menacing presence, and the last crackled with electric sparks.
By now, Summer had returned from the window, taking one look at the box and immediately recognizing them.
"Steel Z, Ghost Z, Dark Z, and Electric Z… all Z-Crystals." He sighed, rubbing his temple. "Did Interpol recognize my Z-Ring?"
Ogerpon leaned in for a closer look, narrowing its starry eyes. Something stood out—a single gray hair resting inside the box.
"Bonii!"
Snatching it up, Ogerpon held the strand aloft.
Summer frowned. "Ogerpon? A Pokémon's fur?"
Ogerpon sniffed at it carefully. "Meow meow… bonii?"
It smelled kind of like the Meowth in Sunset Forest, but those Meowth had brown fur. This was gray.
Summer hesitated. "…Forget it, Ogerpon. It's probably just a stray hair that got mixed in."
Turning toward the next set of packages, Summer reached for the ones sent by the Indigo League. What had they prepared?
Unwrapping the box, he found a small, golden pouch, tied shut with a delicate golden cord.
Summer felt a suspicion creep into his mind. He untied the pouch—and as expected, inside lay what appeared to be ordinary gray dust.
Except it wasn't ordinary at all.
Even without touching it, Summer could feel the powerful life energy radiating from within.
Having spent so much time living in Sunset Forest, his senses had grown attuned to the energy of life itself—and even he could instantly recognize how potent this was.
His mind connected the dots.
"Of course… Sacred Ash."
A rare artifact, said to be the blessing of Ho-Oh—the legendary Pokémon of resurrection.
Its power could heal even those on the brink of death.
According to legend, Ho-Oh once used Sacred Ash to revive Entei, Raikou, and Suicune after the destruction of the Burned Tower.
The fact that the Indigo League had sent this as a reward showed how much they truly valued what he had done.
"Bonii~!"
Ogerpon clapped its hands together. Time for the last round!
It had one final chance to pull something amazing—and the biggest package was obviously the best choice!
Determined, Ogerpon hurried over to the largest box, eagerly ripping away the wrapping before throwing open the lid—
And then…
Nothing.
No legendary artifact.
No miracle item.
Just stacks upon stacks of… white envelopes.
"…Bonii???"
A mix of confusion and disappointment spread across Ogerpon's face. Where's the rare treasure?!
Summer, intrigued, picked up one of the envelopes and carefully opened it.
Inside was a letter—written in childish handwriting with simple, heartfelt words.
Dear Ranger Summer,Team Rocket once stole my Pokémon. It took me a long time to get my friend back.Thank you for stopping them. Now no one else has to be afraid of losing their Pokémon.You are a hero.
Summer fell silent for a moment.
Ogerpon, watching him read, puffed up its chest with pride. So not only did they protect Sunset Forest, they also got rid of a bunch of bad guys?
Wait.
If those guys attacked the forest, did that make them extra bad guys?
Bad Bad Guys™!
Seeing Ogerpon's satisfied nod, Summer chuckled.
"Alright, since these are heartfelt thank-you letters, let's take our time and read every single one."
Grabbing a chair, he sat down and began reading the letters one by one.
Some were from children, some from adults, some eloquent, others simple—but every single one carried genuine gratitude.
And so, Summer chose to return their sincerity with patience, reading each letter carefully.
About five envelopes remained when he opened one and—
A single silver feather floated down from within.
Summer bent down to pick it up, then read the letter that came with it.
"…Lance?"
Right at the top, in bold handwriting, was a self-introduction from Lance himself.
The letter began with an apology—saying he had wanted to test Summer in his own way.
Then, he explained the feather—a relic entrusted to him by an old traveler.
The feather, known as Silver Wing, was said to lead righteous trainers to a hidden island where they might encounter a legendary being.
Since Lance had no time to investigate himself, he had decided to pass it on to Summer, believing that whoever had the patience to read through every letter must surely be a trainer of true integrity.
Summer exhaled.
"A Silver Wing, huh?" He shook his head. "Lance… you say you don't have time, but I can't just leave Sunset Forest either."
Besides, getting to Whirl Islands was another challenge entirely.
But then again…
"Maybe if a Time-Space Distortion ever sends me near Lugia, I might be able to make use of this."
He smiled to himself, carefully tucking Silver Wing away before returning to finish the last of the letters.
Once the final envelope was placed neatly on his bookshelf, Summer turned back to Rillaboom.
"Alright, your turn—last package."
Rillaboom nodded, now slightly tense. It had stayed calm throughout, but… what if it got something disappointing?
It slowly lifted the lid—
Inside, resting in the center of the box, was…
A familiar purple Poké Ball.
Summer blinked.
"…Another Master Ball?"
Right. Made sense. Silph Co. was based in Kanto, so the Indigo League giving out Master Balls wasn't too surprising.
Still…
"What am I even going to do with three of these?"
Perhaps they could be useful for capturing Ultra Beasts in the Rainforest Region. Most of them weren't as cooperative as Kartana, so…
"Don't be disappointed, Rillaboom," Summer reassured. "Master Balls are still incredibly valuable."
Turning toward the last remaining package, he unwrapped it—
Inside lay a golden crown, radiating a faint regal aura.
Summer muttered the name aloud.
"…King's Rock?"
A battle item that sometimes made opponents flinch, but more importantly—a key evolution item.
"Looks like we'll be getting a Slowking soon."
Sunset Forest's lake was home to many Slowpoke—and Slowking were known for their high intelligence, rivaling even Oranguru.
Considering Oranguru and Passimian's battlefield coordination had played a key role in defending Sunset Forest…
"Another strategic mind wouldn't hurt."
Plus, he still hadn't gotten over the fact that Oranguru straight-up hijacked the Rocket ship and flew it away.
If even Slowking ended up learning how to fly a blimp, Summer might genuinely start believing that Sunset Forest was raising geniuses.
"Hmm, that's everything." Summer exhaled, glancing over the opened packages. "Not a lot of power-boosting items, but with the artifacts from the Time-Space Distortions, it's more than enough."
Turning to Rillaboom and Ogerpon, he suggested, "Let's go plant the Star Peach Tree in Sunset Forest first. Then we can sort out the items and hand them out tomorrow."
"Rilla!"
"Bonii~!"
Both Pokémon nodded eagerly. Planting trees was second nature to them—no matter how difficult to cultivate, they'd make sure it thrived.
"Alright, let's go. We'll plant it behind the cabin," Summer said, then paused, remembering something. "Oh, and I should bring the Dynamax Band."
Sliding open a drawer, he retrieved the device, smirking to himself. Wonder what Oleana would think if she saw her invention just... hanging from a tree.
Not that it mattered. With Illusory Woods now in place, Rose's people wouldn't be able to set foot in Sunset Forest anyway.
(End of Chapter)