Chapter 120: The Mischievous Sprigatito
On the destroyer.
Before they boarded the small rowboat, Will, holding Sprigatito, sat down with Captain Tom to look at a map of the Hoenn region.
"You really can't bear to let go of that Sprigatito, can you, Grovyle?" Tom said, smiling at the big creature and the little kitten. No matter how you looked at it, the pair was fascinating. When he got back to Ever Grande, he absolutely had to tell Sola about this.
"She's the one who refuses to leave me," Will replied, not about to admit his own attachment.
"Meow~" Sprigatito, however, cheerfully admitted she didn't want to leave him.
"Alright, back to business. Look, we are currently located here," Tom said, spreading out the map. It was a gift from Director Valen, but for Tom, who had been working in the Johto region for ten years, he didn't need it. He planned to leave it for Will.
"The closest city to us is the southernmost town in Johto, Azalea Town," Tom said, pointing with his finger. He then pointed to a city in the northeast. "This is our original destination, Cherrygrove City."
Will looked it over and felt relieved. The distance between Azalea and Cherrygrove wasn't that far, at least much closer than the original journey from the Dragonite Capital to Cherrygrove. The reason they weren't taking him directly to Cherrygrove was that the small rowboat simply couldn't handle such a long journey. As an old sea captain, Tom knew the dangers of this ocean. If the wind and waves picked up, or if they ran into some Water-type Pokémon fighting, the small boat would capsize immediately. For safety's sake, heading to the nearby Azalea Town was the most stable option.
"Azalea Town is a small town surrounded by a forest, as if it's been left behind by time. I've heard it hasn't changed at all in hundreds of years, and it's very hard to find. If you want to get to Cherrygrove from there, you'll probably have to walk."
Tom stroked his chin, analyzing the situation for Will. In his ten years in Johto, he had never once been to Azalea Town. Not because he didn't want to, but mainly because it was hard to find, and the mountain roads were treacherous and unsuitable for carriages. He had only heard about the place from other old fishermen.
"That's fine. A small problem," Will said, unconcerned. Walking was fine. It would be a good chance to train Sprigatito in the wild and let her see the world.
"When you arrive in Cherrygrove, go to the seaside and look for a young man named Leaf. Give him this letter. You won't have to worry about the rest; he'll get you to Blackthorn City," Tom said, pulling a letter from his coat and handing it to Will.
Leaf was a noble kid that he and Corphish had accidentally rescued years ago. He should be in his twenties by now. At the time, Leaf had said he owed them a favor and that they could find him if they ever had any difficulties. He had even offered to have his father buy Tom a new yacht, but Tom had refused. Tom never kept track of the good deeds he did and had never taken the kid's words to heart. But Leaf had started visiting him and Corphish frequently after that. Because he loved fishing, he would often skip his classes and fish from eight in the morning until ten at night. Corphish's fishing skills had deeply impressed him. Leaf had even started calling Corphish his "Master."
If Tom hadn't been so worried about Grovyle and Sprigatito, he probably wouldn't even have remembered he knew such a person in Cherrygrove. But he had no intention of telling Will any of this.
"Hey-hey-hey!" Corphish chimed in. He told Will not to be polite with Leaf; that was his little bro. If his little bro gave him any trouble, he'd personally go over and give him a pinch.
"Thank you, Captain Tom." Will looked at the handwriting on the envelope; it must have been written just a short while ago. Tom must have borrowed a pen and paper from the people at the academy. He put the letter in the backpack Granny Sola had given him and memorized Tom's words.
"Alright, it's time to get off the boat," Tom said, putting the map in Will's backpack. He stood up. At the edge of their vision, they could already see the land of the Johto region.
"Meow!" Sprigatito, seeing such a large "reef" for the first time, excitedly kicked her little legs in Will's arms.
"Behave," Will said, scratching her little ears. But the little one couldn't calm down and kept squirming.
"Well then, we'll be saying goodbye," Will said, standing up and holding Sprigatito and the green box.
With the help of the crew, they were lowered onto the small rowboat floating on the sea below.
"Stay inside the boat, don't run around, and don't stick your head out. There are scary, big sharks in the sea that will eat you in one bite!" Will said, putting Sprigatito on the floor and giving her a mission: "Guard the green box, or you'll lose it."
"Meow!" Hearing this, Sprigatito immediately hugged the box. Even if the box sank into the sea today, she would sink with it!
Will looked at her, shook his head helplessly, and then grabbed the oars and began to row. The small boat slowly moved forward, approaching the land mass not far away.
"Grovyle, be careful! Remember what I told you!" Tom shouted from the destroyer as Will pulled away.
"Hey-hey!" Corphish also waved its pincers vigorously to say goodbye.
"Meow-meow~" Sprigatito raised a small paw in response.
Will just smiled, his eyes crinkling as he waved.
"A real man must march forward, loud and proud! Corphish, let us perform the dance of sailors, to send off our friends!"
"Hey-hey!"
"Deliver Binks's Brew~ to the man who waits for you~"
"Hey-hey-hey~"
Tom and Corphish began to do a strange dance, singing a cheerful song at the top of their lungs in Will's direction.
"Hahaha..." Unlike in the past, this time Will didn't feel embarrassed or confused. Instead, he couldn't help but laugh. He knew very well: this was just the unique style of his two friends.
"I'm really glad I met you two."
The small boat and the giant destroyer grew further and further apart, finally disappearing from each other's sight.
On the sea.
"Mm, we should be there in another five minutes," Will said, looking at the nearby shore of the Johto region, feeling a little nostalgic. Although he had never been anywhere in his past life except for the Dragonite capital and Jubilance Town, he still felt some affection for this land.
"Meow?"
Just then, Sprigatito made a curious sound. Will turned his head and his face went white. The kitten had, at some point, stuck its head out of the boat, and at that exact moment, a Carvanha leaped out of the water, its massive jaws aiming for her little head.
"Get the hell out of here!"
With a speed invisible to the naked eye, Will threw the oar in his hand.
THWACK!
The oar slammed into the Carvanha, knocking it back into the sea. Will didn't even have time to think. He grabbed Sprigatito, pulling her back and pinning her under the green box so she couldn't move.
Then, he jumped directly into the sea, put his hands on the back of the boat, and started pushing. Of course, this wasn't ordinary swimming. It was Extreme Speed swimming.
Meee~
In that moment, Will kicked both his legs and his tail, turning himself into a Grovyle-brand propeller, and the small boat shot forward.
Splash! Splash!
A moment later, seven or eight Carvanha surfaced behind them, in hot pursuit.
"I knew it!"
Will didn't even need to turn around. Just by hearing the sound of their snapping jaws, he knew what was happening. Thanks to Corphish, he knew that if you saw one Carvanha, you had most likely stumbled into their nest. And if your luck was really bad, their evolved form, Sharpedo, might be in there too.
In any case, the moment you see them, you don't hesitate. You just flee at full speed.
You never know your limits until you're forced to push them. The journey to the coast, which should have taken five minutes to row, took Will only one minute. That's Extreme Speed for you.
"Hah! Hah! Hah!"
Will, carrying Sprigatito and the green box, collapsed on the shore as soon as he landed. He lay on the ground, panting frantically, wanting nothing more than to pass out. But he was afraid Sprigatito would get into another crisis while he was unconscious, so he forced himself to stay awake.
"Meow-meow-meow~" Sprigatito ran circles around Will, wagging her little tail and praising him for how amazing he was.
"Even if you praise me, you're still getting a spanking today!"
Will rested for a moment, then sat up, pulled Sprigatito over, and gave her a couple of light smacks on the rear. "That's for not listening!" In reality, he was just making the motions; his hand barely even touched her.
"Meow! Meow!" Sprigatito let out a piercing cry, her big eyes instantly welling up with tears.
"On the other hand, if it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have noticed we'd entered their territory. So maybe I should thank you."
"Meow!"
"Alright, alright, Sprigatito is the best," Will said, putting her aside. He shouldered his backpack, picked up the box, and prepared to set off again.
One second, Sprigatito had been a teary, pitiful mess. The next, she was bright and sunny again. She was a born drama queen.
"Meow~" she trotted up and started pawing at his leg.
"Walk on your own. Don't you want to feel the difference between the dirt and the reef?"
"Meow!"
Sprigatito did not want to feel the dirt. She just wanted to stick to Will.
"Fine. But you behave, and don't move," Will said, putting her inside his backpack, leaving only her head sticking out.
And so, the large and the small Pokémon set off into the forest, beginning their search for the hidden Azalea Town.
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