Following the map's instructions, Summer and his Grookey quickly found the cabin in the woods.
The wooden cabin looked quite old-fashioned, raising doubts about its stability. Surrounding it was an empty space, strangely devoid of any weeds, although the nearby vegetable garden had been completely abandoned.
Most of the house was made of wood, lacking any paint to preserve its original color, and it had been raised slightly to prevent dampness.
Summer ascended the wooden stairs, which creaked under his weight. Approaching the nearest window, he observed the interior scene. Surprisingly, the glass was clean, and the furnishings inside were simple: a bed, a chair, a table, and a stove for cooking.
"It doesn't seem like anything's amiss."
"Grr," Grookey expressed a timid expression.
"It's okay, it's daytime now, there won't be anything scary," Summer reassured Grookey.
After comforting Grookey, Summer easily pushed open the wooden door. Although he didn't have a key, the door wasn't locked.
"Since I'm the forest ranger of Sunset Forest, it shouldn't be considered trespassing, right? Huh? Surprisingly, there's no smell of dust."
Approaching the table, he lightly ran his fingers over it, finding only a thin layer of dust.
"Someone has lived in this cabin, and not too long ago. Was it the former forest ranger?"
Summer placed his backpack on the bed and continued to observe the furnishings inside. What was strange was that only the stove for cooking had accumulated thick dust. Could the forest ranger have not eaten?
"Grr, grr~"
"Hmm? What's wrong, Grookey?"
Grookey, now slightly less fearful, grabbed Summer's collar and pointed towards the bookshelf near the door, which was in the blind spot from the window, and Summer hadn't noticed it.
"Oh, a bookshelf. There aren't many entertainment options in the forest, so reading is indeed a good choice."
There were only three books on the bookshelf. Summer walked over, casually picked up a book, and saw that the cover read "Pokémon Encyclopedia: Dark Type."
"Dark type? Shouldn't it be Grass or Bug type?"
His gaze shifted to the second book, which was lying flat. Its cover read "101 Things to Note When Communicating with People."
"Do forest rangers need to communicate with people frequently?"
To solve his doubts, he randomly flipped through a few pages. Each page had some markings, indicating that it had been read multiple times.
"This... let's check the next one."
Taking out the third book, its cover read "The Essential Path of Trainers," also showing signs of being read multiple times.
"I see. Forest rangers live their lives, while trainers pursue their ideals. That must be it."
Summer quickly imagined a forest ranger living in the woods, saving money for his travels to become a stronger trainer during his spare time.
Ding ding~~ Suddenly, an old-fashioned ringtone echoed from his backpack. Could it be someone calling? This could be a good opportunity to understand the current situation.
Summer hurriedly ran to the bed, pulled out his phone from the backpack, and pressed the answer button.
"Oh, connected. Summer, how's the air in the forest?" A gentle male voice came from the phone.
"Who's this?"
"I'm Milo. Don't you remember? Have you found a place to stay?"
Milo. Summer fell into recollection. He remembered this person as the Gym Leader of Galar Grass Stadium, skilled in using Grass-type Pokémon. He didn't expect him to become his superior now.
"Is it a small wooden cabin?"
"Yes, have you arrived? No one has lived there for a long time. You better clean it up. Haha~"
"No one has lived there for a long time?" Suddenly, Summer felt a chill. It looked like someone had just left not too long ago.
"What's wrong? You sound strange. Don't worry, the forest is a good place. Take this week to get used to the environment before starting work. Call me if you need anything. Good luck!"
"Uh, but..."
Before Summer could finish, the phone suddenly shut off. Helpless, he put down the phone and pondered what to do next.
"Grookey, what do you think we should do next?"
"Grr," Grookey made a low sound, lacking assertiveness due to its timid nature.
Seeing Grookey's hesitant expression, Summer suddenly had an idea. Right, how could he forget about that?
"Well, then let's go find something important," Summer said with a smile. His inner voice had already given him the answer.
Having made a decision, Summer pushed open the door and entered the forest with Grookey. Since he had become a forest ranger, he needed to familiarize himself with the forest environment first.
"It's strange. We've walked for so long, yet we haven't seen a single bird Pokémon."
Summer looked around. Almost every tree had Bug-type Pokémon on them. Just from his observation, he could identify four different kinds of larvae: Caterpie, Weedle, Wurmple, and Scatterbug. This forest was truly a paradise for bugs.
Thanks to them, many leaves on the trees were damaged, which wasn't a good sign. Moreover, he hardly saw any tree fruits along the way.
"Sorry, Grookey, we might go hungry tonight."
"Grr!" Grookey shook its head, patting its belly to indicate it was already full.
"Is that so? Well, every loss is a gain. We've found something good, Grookey."
Summer squatted down, picked up a wooden stick, and waved it a few times, smiling at Grookey:
"Look, Grookey, what a good stick. It's just the right size, without any branches, smooth to the touch, and made of Green Oak wood."
"Grr?" Grookey looked puzzled.
Then Summer handed the stick to Grookey and patted its head.
"Since you're a Grookey, how could you not have a stick? Hey, Green Oak wood is quite resilient and doesn't splinter, making it perfect for drumsticks."
This stick was the important thing Summer mentioned earlier. Just now, he specifically asked his inner voice, which replied that Green Oak was the best wood in this forest, so he considered it a good find.
Grookey's eyes blurred with tears. It had been so long since someone had been so kind to it. This stick, it made a decision to cherish it.
The stick in its hand emitted a glow, becoming more suitable for its size. This was the special ability of their species. Now, this stick had become a part of Grookey.
"Grr!"
With the stick back in its possession, Grookey's eyes regained their sparkle. It carefully jumped down from Summer's body and focused on the stick.
"Could you perform for me?" Summer lowered his body and asked.
"Grr!"
Grookey solemnly swung the stick. As it struck the ground, a melodious sound filled the air, the rhythm pleasant and soothing.
This drumming, Grookey wasn't bad at all. Summer sat on the grass. As the music played, he exclaimed that the forest was indeed a good place.
(End of this chapter)