[Temporal Distortion will commence in one minute. Please prepare accordingly.]
Still in a deep sleep, Summer was suddenly jolted awake. He looked out the window, only to find a pitch-black sky.
No time for complaints, he shook Thwackey awake, quickly got dressed, grabbed a pre-packed backpack, and dashed outside.
"Phew, it's really cold." The night's chill made him feel more alert.
Summer began pondering the earlier confusion: why would a temporal distortion start at this hour?[Reason: You've been a ranger for a month.]
So, I've been a ranger for a month already. Sunset Forest has changed a lot too... Wait, what am I thinking about? The main point is, why is the distortion happening in the middle of the night?
Before his ranger assistant could respond, the scenery around Summer rapidly changed. In a moment, the scent of wild grass and soil filled his nostrils.
The air was heavy with moisture, and the ground beneath his feet was soft. Summer opened his eyes to find himself slowly sinking.
He quickly picked up Thwackey and moved to a drier spot to stand.
Thwackey rubbed its sleepy eyes and looked around. Reeds swayed by a nearby stream, shallow water pits were everywhere, and Psyducks slept soundly in them. The ground was covered with thriving weeds and shrubs, full of vitality.
This isn't the cabin? Hmm, I must still be dreaming, Thwackey thought, slowly closing its eyes again.
"This isn't a dream, Thwackey. The third temporal distortion just occurred," Summer reminded.
Yeah, how could a dream feel this vivid? Thwackey quickly patted its cheeks to wake up. In this unknown environment, it had to protect Summer.
"Hmm, this seems to be some kind of wetland. Let's find a safe place to rest first. Exploring while tired is too dangerous."
There were no signs of humans in their current surroundings, and exploring while exhausted would be extremely risky.
"Hiss~!"
Suddenly, a plant Pokémon with a big mouth emerged from the nearby grass, exuding a dangerous aura. Its round eyes stared intently at Summer.
"Carnivine!"
Summer slowly backed away while Thwackey prepared to defend with its wooden stick.
Strange, according to what he knew, Carnivine wouldn't actively hunt. Though they could float, they were slow.
They hunted by attracting Bug-type Pokémon with their sweet saliva, mimicking plants to lower their guard, then swallowing them whole.
After a while, Carnivine lost interest in Summer and turned away. It seemed Summer's natural aura had diminished its hostility.
"The Pokémon here seem wild and dangerous," Summer reflected on the recent encounter, forming a new idea. He knew where the safest place was.
Under a rock wall, Summer struck a firestone, and sparks landed on dry reeds, emitting thin smoke. He gently blew on it, and flames quickly rose. He placed the burning reeds under dry branches and repeated the process.
Through Summer's efforts, the fire blazed. This was his first safeguard: a burning campfire.
The wetland was home to many Grass-type Pokémon, whose nature made them fear fire. They wouldn't come near it.
So, while searching for a safe spot, Summer collected dry branches and reeds as fire-starting materials.
The warm fire would also prevent Summer and Thwackey from losing body heat while sleeping. The wetland's temperature wasn't high, making sleep without warmth risky.
The second safeguard was the grassy area before him. This was the home of Grass-type Pokémon. Even the aggressive Carnivine showed no attack intent towards Summer, so other Pokémon here wouldn't either.
Summer took out a blanket from his backpack, covering himself and Thwackey, sitting on the ground, occasionally adding wood to the fire.
With a safe resting spot, Summer began thinking about their current situation. Judging by the sun's position, it was afternoon, but the temperature wasn't high, indicating the wetland was near a cold zone.
The scene before him felt oddly familiar. A bold guess formed in his mind.
Dangerous wild Pokémon, a human-less wetland, and cold climate—could this be ancient Sinnoh, also known as the Hisui region?
"It seems this could be the Crimson Mirelands. I wonder if the Diamond Clan has settled here."
Although the Diamond Clan was reclusive, their settlement should be the safest place in these Crimson Mirelands.
Following the river upstream would be the best course of action since the Diamond Clan's settlement was near Lake Valor's source.
Having decided on the next step, a wave of drowsiness hit Summer. He looked at Thwackey, already asleep in his arms, feeling completely safe with Summer.
Hmm, I should nap too. Stuffing the remaining wood into the fire, Summer yawned and slowly closed his eyes, drifting into sleep alongside Thwackey.
"Hello… Is anyone there? Please… help us!"
A faint cry for help reached Summer's ears. Not sleeping deeply, he woke up with a start.
"Someone's in trouble?!"
"Thwackey?" Thwackey also woke up, its keen hearing picking up the distress in the voice.
"Hurry, let's check it out, Thwackey."
"Thwackey!"
Thwackey nodded, and Summer followed the sound, quickly finding the source.
A red-haired girl sat slumped on the ground, wearing an old-fashioned dark blue top, clutching a Petilil tightly. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, looking utterly helpless.
In front of the girl, a Carnivine with a wide-open mouth drooled greedily. Suddenly, Carnivine turned its head and saw Summer approaching.
Their eyes met, and Summer felt a sense of familiarity. Wasn't this the Carnivine from earlier?
Carnivine seemed to think the same. Its round eyes turned, then it silently closed its mouth, disappointedly turning away and disappearing into the grass.
The girl opened her eyes, finding the Carnivine gone and a stranger standing before her. Next to him was an unfamiliar Pokémon. He had saved her and Petilil.
He isn't from the Diamond Clan, nor does he look like he belongs to the Pearl Clan. Could he be a traveler from another region?
Since he's an outsider… No, he saved me. He must be kind-hearted. I must thank him.
The girl slowly stood up, still shaky from the fright, then bowed solemnly to express her gratitude:
"Thank you for risking your life to save me. I'm Arezu from the Diamond Clan."
So it is Arezu, but she looks younger than in my memory, Summer thought. So my guess was right; this is indeed the Crimson Mirelands.
(End of Chapter)