Summer and Weldon returned to Petalburg Woods a day after their encounter with a powerful stranger. However, the latter didn't understand the merits of her unique training strategy and preferred a more traditional approach. At night, they had a long chat under the forest canopy and discussed what they really wanted in this journey. Now out of the woods, the two were about to head to Rustboro City when they encounter a lost Pokémon that leads Summer to some old friends on North Route 104. Where are they going, and who are these people?

Chapter 7- A Perennial Visit

After a few days of training in Petalburg Woods, we were greeted by the sun's rays rising over North Route 104. I yawned, and Lightning followed suit. Weldon, on the other hand, was very alert.

"How much longer until Rustboro City?" he impatiently asked. "I really need a shower."

I looked at my Pokégear. "Not far. Maybe a half-hour walk?" I frowned. I haven't gotten text messages from anyone. They should've responded by now; it's already been about a week. Maybe they're really busy? I should send them some reminder texts really quick.

As I typed into both group chats, Weldon inquired, "Summer, what're you doing?"

"Oh, sorry. I wanted to meet up with some of my friends who are living in Rustboro City right now. I texted them when I came back to Hoenn, and now I'm just sending them a reminder."

"Huh, this is the first time I heard you had friends in Hoenn. Who are they?"

I stroked my chin. "Well, there's Clara and Tawny, my best friends from Trainer School. I wanted to hear back from them the most; we were so close growing up, and we had so many memories together. And then there's Suzy and Tomoko. They're also from Trainer School and we hung out from time to time."

"I see you have preferences for which friends you want to meet up with," he mused with a smirk. "I hope I get to meet them sometime."

I returned the grin. "We'll see. Anyway, let's get going."

Weldon was about to stride ahead when a short green Pokémon with a green and yellow bladed skirt and two orange flowers on the sides of her head appeared along the dirt path. She was glancing back and forth, as if she was looking for someone.

[Bellossom, the Flower Pokémon and the evolved form of Gloom. Its flower petals deepen in color through exposure to sunlight. When cloudy weather persists, it does a dance that is thought to be a ritual for summoning the sun.]

"There aren't any wild Bellossom here," I pondered aloud. "I wonder where this one came from."

Weldon shrugged. "Beats me. Now come on, we need to head to the city to get rooms."

I gave a soft sigh. "I know you want that shower, Weldon, but we can't leave her like this. Besides, there'll be plenty of rooms."

He crossed his arms. "Fine. But just because she's blocking the path."

I rolled my eyes and smirked. "Sure, Weldon." I approached the anxious Grass type and said, "Hi, there. My name's Summer and this is Lightning and Weldon. Do you need any help?"

She looked at me, her blue eyes full of worry, and softly muttered, "M-My nickname's Kuria. I just...just got separated from my Trainer."

"Oh. What does your Trainer look like?"

"Well, he has dark skin, brown eyes, and curly black hair, and…" She gasped. "How did you know what I said?"

I smiled. "It's a long story, but please, can you tell me anything else about him?"

"O-Okay. He's a plant nursery worker...and...he works at the Rodeo Lagoon Plant Nursery…"

My ears perked. "The Rodeo Lagoon Plant Nursery? I know where that is; my friend and I can take you there."

The Bellossom's mood brightened. "Really? Oh, thank you!"

With Kuria by our side, I led everyone off the main route onto a grassy path that snaked in between the trees and a gurgling stream. Eventually, we arrived at a clearing with a small two-story wooden building with a large carved sign that read, "Rodeo Lagoon Plant Nursery". Behind it was a large greenhouse and two large outdoor growing areas protected by walls made of thin black netting. In one of the outdoor growing areas, a tall fair-skinned woman with long red hair, a light blue T-shirt, and blue jeans and a short blue Pokémon with a large green lily pad on his head were watering plants. The plants varied in size, shape, and color, but all were placed in black tubular pots.

[Lotad, Water Weed Pokémon. This Pokémon lives in ponds with clean water. It is known to ferry small Pokémon across ponds by carrying them on the broad leaf on its head.]

Hey, that looks like Ms. Anita and Ike. They must be doing the morning watering...

"Wow..." Weldon gasped. "Those plants look so healthy and big..."

I grinned. "That's because they're in the care of some of the best plant nursery workers in the region."

A short woman with brunette hair, blue eyes, and a slight tan exited the wooden building, accompanied by a male Roselia, her longtime partner. She wore clothes similar to Ms. Anita, but we could see the symbol on the shirt: a black silhouette Roselia surrounded by black lettering that read "Rodeo Lagoon Plant Nursery".

I grinned as I recognized the two. "Ms. Analisa! Toshi!"

The woman was ecstatic. "Summer! It's so good to see you again!"

We exchanged hugs as her Pokémon exclaimed, "You're so big now!"

After we parted, I laughed. "Thanks, Toshi."

Ms. Analisa giggled as the Grass type looked at me with confusion. "She can understand you, silly. Remember?"

I raised an eyebrow. "How did you know, Ms. Analisa?"

"There was a news segment about it recently on HNN. Apparently, they're going to start mass production on the translation devices soon. The professors are in the final stages with the Devon Corporation, and I saw you helped with its development?"

I rubbed the back of my head. "I did." Then I motioned Lightning and Weldon over. "Ms. Analisa. This is Lightning, my Raichu, and Weldon, my traveling partner."

The nursery owner beamed. "It's nice to meet the both of you."

"Likewise," Weldon responded. He glanced around once more. "I've never seen a flower shop like this before."

"Well, that's because this isn't really a flower shop," Ms. Analisa replied with a smile. "This is a plant nursery, where we grow plants for restoration and construction projects around the Hoenn Region. There are areas where plants get damaged or destroyed due to torrential rainfall, high winds, or the occasional lava spill. Many construction projects also require native landscaping as a way to promote a healthy environment for people and Pokémon."

"That sounds really interesting," he acknowledged. "How does that work?"

"We collect seeds from native plants nearby or in the areas where the projects will be, grow them here in a protected environment, and give them to the people in charge of the projects. We also have weekly volunteering programs and the occasional field trip for students at the Rustboro City Trainer School."

"Is that how you two met?"

I sheepishly grinned. "Yeah, I loved learning about the plants here, so I did the volunteer programs once in a while."

Ms. Analisa chuckled. "You also helped after school frequently, as I recall. Your smile and dedication really brought joy to everyone here."

My face turned a little red. "Thanks, Ms. Analisa."

Ms. Anita and her Lotad approached us, her face lighting up. "Summer!"

"Ms. Anita! Ike!" I exclaimed. "It's so good to see you too!"

She laughed as the Water type jumped happily. "I heard you've been doing well on your journey. I'm so happy you came back to visit!"

I beamed. "Me too, but that's not the only reason why we came."

"Oh?" She looked at Weldon, Lightning, and then Kuria. "It looks like Kuria and Robin got separated again… And, you two must be Weldon and Lightning? I overheard all of you talking when I was watering; I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

"That's all right, Ms. Anita," Weldon said. "It's nice to meet you."

A young dark-skinned man around the age of eighteen sprinted over, panting. When he stopped, he bent over and wiped his brow. "Th-There you are…Kuria..."

I recognized him. "Robin! Is that you?"

He looked up, showing his nursery uniform, and smirked. "Hi, Summer. Welcome back to Hoenn."

"Thanks, Robin. Are you working here full-time now?"

He leaned back and stretched. "Yeah, just started a week ago." He then noticed Ms. Analisa's frown, and he straightened up.

"Robin, how did you and Kuria get separated this time?"

"W-Well… I got distracted by some tourists who had trouble finding Rustboro City. I thought she was following me, but I guess she wasn't." He looked at the Bellossom sadly. "I'm sorry, Kuria. I forgot you're still not used to the area yet. I'll do a better job helping you around here."

Kuria brushed her skirt and smiled. "I'm sorry I couldn't keep up with you, Robin."

"She accepts his apology," I translated.

Robin, though a little surprised, was relieved. "That's good."

Ms. Analisa then said, "Now that that's settled, we need to prepare the nursery for the second graders coming at 10."

Ms Anita added, "Why don't we do some easy pruning? Robin, can you and Kuria bring the Carex brunnea to the upstairs growing area?"

"Sure thing, Anita."

He grabbed a large metal cart and wheeled it into the downstairs growing area. Then, with his thick gloves, he moved a rack of twenty pots with long then green blades and placed it onto the cart.

Reminded of my volunteering past, I asked, "Do you need any help?"

Weldon nervously shuffled his feet and looked away. My heart slightly dropped when the owner politely shook her head.

"I appreciate it, Summer, but we have it covered. And the volunteering sessions are now on Tuesdays instead of Wednesdays." She rubbed her right arm. "Sorry we won't have time to chat today, Summer."

"That's all right, Ms. Analisa. I know how much preparation those field trips need. We'll be around here for a few days, so maybe we can chat then."

Ms. Anita beamed. "Yes! Let's have dinner sometime. You have our Pokégear numbers, so feel free to text us when you're available."

"Sounds good, Ms. Anita! Good luck with the field trip!"

Ms. Analisa chuckled. "We'll see you soon, Summer."

We waved goodbye and headed back to the main road.

"Want to head to Rustboro City now?" I asked Weldon.

However, he replied, "Actually, the grass nearby looked like a good training spot. Let's get some training in."

I sighed. "All right, since you let me help Kuria."

"Guess that detour was worth it after all."

As Weldon led us to the location, Lightning asked, "Are you okay with not helping out at the nursery, Summer?"

I cleared my throat. "Yeah. Like they said, I'm not a volunteer anymore and…" I glanced at our traveling partner. "he seemed uncomfortable."

She smirked, "I see…"

He stopped at a small grove by the stream. "This is it. Come on, we need to get Olive up to speed with battling."

"Sounds good. Come on out, Olive!"

An hour later…

"Olive, use Absorb!" I shouted.

The Treecko focused her energy into her tail, and it glowed light green. Then after aiming at her target, Weldon's Venusaur, she sapped some of the Flower Pokémon's energy away and stored it into her tail.

"H-How did I do?" she asked in between pants.

I stroked her head. "That was much better than your last one. You maintained your focus and landed a solid attack."

Weldon smirked. "Summer's right. Not bad, Olive."

The Wood Gecko Pokémon beamed. "Oh good!"

"Although," I pondered aloud. "I don't know if I can use you for the Gym battle."

Her confidence faltered. "Wh-Why?"

"Well, everyone else is at a higher level than you, so the Gym Leader has to match that in order for the battle to be fair."

Weldon crossed his arms. "That is true… But, I heard they're planning a new scenario for Trainers who have Pokémon at different skill levels. I don't know much about it though."

"Interesting. Then we should research it once we get to Rustboro City."

We then heard faint chatter coming from the south. I was able to make out a group of twelve kids around the age of seven, as well as two female chaperones and their Pokémon. The first chaperone was about my age, with medium brown hair, light brown skin, and dark brown eyes protected by dark glasses. She wore a dark blue short-sleeved dress, a green ascot, and black shoes. The Pokémon next to her was a yellow, scaly shrew-like creature with a pointed snout, blue almond-shaped eyes, small claws, and thick pointed tail. The other chaperone was a few years older, with long dark brown hair tied into two pigtails, fair skin, and reddish-brown eyes. She wore a similar dress to her coworker, but had a red ascot and red leggings. Her Pokémon was a dark blue stone head figure with a black mask over his eyes, and his arms were fastened to his head. The most noticeable feature was his pointed red nose.

[Sandshrew, the Mouse Pokémon. When it curls up in a ball, it can make any attack bounce off harmlessly. Its hide has turned tough and solid as a result of living in the desert. Nosepass, the Compass Pokémon. Its body emits a powerful magnetism. It feeds on prey that is pulled in by the force. Its magnetism is stronger in cold seasons.]

"That must be the class Ms. Analisa mentioned," I said. That looks like Tawny, but I don't recognize the other chaperone. But she does look familiar.

The older woman saw us, and she grinned. "Summer, is that you?" she asked, her voice pleasing to the ear.

I awkwardly smiled. "Y-Yes." That voice is really familiar... Then, it hit me. "Roxanne?"

She chuckled. "It's been so long, Summer! I heard you were coming back to Hoenn, but I didn't expect to see you heading to Rustboro City so soon!" Roxanne then noticed the others. "Oh, are these your traveling partners?"

"Yeah, this is Lightning, my Raichu, and this is Weldon, my coach."

She beamed. "Nice to meet you both."

Weldon cleared his throat and nodded. "Likewise."

"Ms. Roxanne!" a schoolgirl whined. "You didn't tell us you know Summer Scorcher!"

"Oh, I didn't?" she replied casually, adjusting her collar.

"We wanna see you battle her!"

The other children joined in the fray. "Yeah, Ms. Roxanne!"

"Now, now," she appeased. "Only if she wants to."

"Battle me?" I asked.

Roxanne smirked. "Didn't you know? I'm the Rustboro City Gym Leader now."

I was taken aback. "Really?! You replaced Mr. Jasper?!"

"Well, he more likely retired. Due to my academic prowess, I was chosen to be his successor."

"That makes sense. You were the valedictorian in your class."

I turned to my friend. "It's so good to see you too, Tawny! I haven't heard from you in a long time. How are you?"

For some reason, she wasn't as excited as Roxanne. She replied in a meek voice, "Oh, I'm fine, Summer. It's good to see you again, but we really have to get to the plant nursery."

"Oh right!" Roxanne exclaimed. "We should get going, everyone!"

Their kids were disappointed, but Tawny reassured, "Don't worry, children. You'll see Summer battle."

The Gym Leader smiled. "Summer, let's meet up soon, though it most likely will be when our battle happens. You and Weldon are welcome to visit the Trainer's School as well."

"Sure, I'm looking forward to it."

The children could barely contain their excitement as we exchanged Pokégear numbers. We waved goodbye as the group marched through the trampled grass path.

"That was exciting," I stated.

Weldon, on the other hand, was not. "Summer, didn't you think it was weird that Tawny didn't really acknowledge you?"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

He raised an eyebrow. "You didn't notice? She brushed aside your greeting and then, she reminded Roxanne they were going to be late."

I stroked my chin. "I guess, but they did have to get to the nursery on time. Plus, I didn't feel any extreme emotions from her."

"Extreme emotions?"

I rubbed the back of my head. "Oh yeah. I don't think I ever told you back in Johto. Because of my necklace and my status as the Guardian of the Legendary Beasts, I can sense strong emotions and see into the past."

"I see." He sighed. "But that still doesn't change my opinion. I hate to say this, Summer, but...maybe you and Tawny aren't as close as you thought."

"That can't be true," I argued, crossing my arms. "I'll see if she and Clara can meet up for dinner tonight. That should clear things up."

My rival glanced away. "All right, Summer. Let's just finish training and head to Rustboro City as soon as we can."

We spent the rest of the morning helping Olive practice until it became too hot. Then, we traveled back to the main path of North Route 104 and continued our way towards Rustboro City.

Summer's Pokémon:

Blaze (Blaziken, male): Brave Nature, Blaze Ability, moves: Fire Punch, Flamethrower, Blaze Kick, Sky Uppercut

Errol (Noctowl, male): Rash Nature, Keen Eye Ability, moves: Psychic, Confusion, Hypnosis, Air Slash

Aurora (Dewgong, female): Calm Nature, Thick Fat Ability, moves: Water Pulse, Ice Beam, Aqua Tail, Aqua Ring

Lightning (Raichu, female): Adamant Nature, Static Ability, moves: Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Thunder Punch

Rocky (Steelix, male): Lonely Nature, Rock Head Ability, moves: Stone Edge, Crunch, Dragonbreath, Iron Tail

Olive (Treecko, female): Timid Nature, Overgrow Ability, moves: Pound, Growl, Absorb

Weldon's Pokémon:

Venusaur (male): Serious Nature, Overgrow Ability, moves: Solarbeam, Body Slam, Sludge Bomb, Vine Whip

Fearow (male): Adamant Nature, Keen Eye Ability, moves: Drill Peck, Steel Wing, Fury Attack, Aerial Ace

Golem (male): Bold Nature, Rock Head Ability, moves: Rock Slide, Earthquake, Rollout, Double Edge

Gyarados (male): Sassy Nature, Intimidate Ability, moves: Surf, Ice Fang, Payback, Waterfall

Arcanine (male): Naughty Nature, Flash Fire Ability, moves: Hyper Beam, Extremespeed, Flare Blitz, Fire Blast

Electabuzz (male): Rash Nature, Static Ability, moves: Thunder, Mega Kick, Thunder Punch, Shock Wave

Questions for the Chapter:

What did you think of the Rodeo Lagoon Plant Nursery?

What do you think of Roxanne?

What is Tawny's real feelings about Summer?