"This apple is really sweet, don't you think so, Thwackey?"
With a bite taken out of the apple in his hand, Summer looked at the abundant, glossy apples hanging from the tree before him. The bright red fruit looked incredibly enticing.
"Thwack~"
Thwackey responded happily, savoring the crisp and juicy apple in its hand, which had a honey-like sweetness.
"Indeed, planting this apple tree was a great decision," Summer remarked, taking another bite. "These apples are even sweeter than the ones from Turffield. They'd make excellent jam."
"Let's pick some to share with everyone in Spikemuth later, especially Piers." Summer recalled how Piers had once suffered through eating three sour apples in a row. This sweet apple might only heal half of his sadness.
[Space-time distortion will begin in two hours. Please prepare.]
"Well, this time the notice is quite timely." Summer quickly finished his apple. "Let's head back to the cabin first, Thwackey, and then go to Misty Lake. The space-time distortion is about to start again."
"Thwack~"
This time, Summer planned to bring Thwackey and Milotic along. The Lilligants were busy training Sunny Day with the Heat Rock and shouldn't be disturbed.
At Misty Lake, Milotic sensed Summer's arrival and gracefully emerged from the water.
"Miloooo~" it called out joyfully.
"You look even better here than you did at Milotic Lake," Summer thought as he handed it a bright red apple.
"Try this apple; it's very sweet."
"Miloooo~"
Milotic elegantly stretched its head forward and took a bite. Its eyes lit up with delight as it quickly devoured the apple down to the core.
"It seems you like it. I'll give you more later, but the space-time distortion is about to start. Join us this time." Summer paused before continuing, "Remember how we met? It's all thanks to the space-time distortion."
"Miloooo~" Milotic nodded, moving from the water onto the shore. It certainly remembered.
"A space-time distortion means we'll be transported to a different place in time and space, with the scenery changing accordingly. Don't worry," Summer reassured Milotic, explaining the distortion as it was its first time experiencing one.
"Miloooo!"
Milotic coiled its body around Summer, wanting to stay close and avoid getting separated during the transition.
Feeling Milotic's cool, smooth skin, Summer was interrupted by the voice of the forest ranger assistant.
[Space-time distortion, begin.]
The scenery around them shifted rapidly. When Summer opened his eyes, towering ancient trees blocked out the sky, and glowing points of light flickered at their bases, giving the dim forest a dreamy quality.
Once he adjusted to the new environment, Summer realized the lights were coming from luminous mushrooms, which were scattered throughout the forest, serving as its primary light source.
Giant ancient trees, perpetual twilight, glowing mushrooms—Summer had a vague guess. Wait, this is a forest. I should just ask the forest ranger assistant directly.
[Glimwood Tangle, located in the northern part of Galar, is a mysterious forest known for its unique glowing mushrooms and ancient history.]
As I thought, this is Glimwood Tangle, Summer confirmed, matching his guess. The question now was to determine the exact time period they were in.
But finding themselves in a forest was somewhat reassuring. At least they didn't have to worry about wild Pokémon attacks. This situation was much safer than being transported to the Hisui region.
"Milo?" Milotic called softly, noticing Summer lost in thought.
"Hm? Oh, Milotic, don't worry. I was just analyzing our situation," he said, stroking its head and flashing a confident smile. "We're in Glimwood Tangle, so there's nothing to fear. After all, I'm a forest ranger."
And then, Summer regretted saying that. They were lost. The labyrinthine paths of Glimwood Tangle made it easy to lose one's way. Summer had intended to head to Ballonlea to determine the current time, but that seemed unlikely now.
"Thwack!"
Thwackey, ever sensitive to sounds, seemed to hear something and quickly alerted Summer.
"What is it, Thwackey?" Summer asked. Seeing that Thwackey had discovered something, he added, "Got it. Lead the way."
"Thwack!"
Thwackey led Summer and Milotic to a clearing where a black-haired girl with a small hat sat, singing softly with her eyes closed.
She wore a lavender knitted sweater and a white skirt with lace trim, exuding a whimsical charm.
Floating beside her was a Milcery, a cream-colored Pokémon, and a Hatenna, a little witch-like Pokémon with blue and pink coloring.
"Lala~la~hmm?" The singing girl opened her blue eyes, noticing Summer's approach.
"Oh, hi there, big brother. Are you lost in Glimwood Tangle?"
"Uh, yes, I am," Summer answered awkwardly, puzzled by her friendliness. Why wasn't she more cautious?
"You're wondering why I'm so friendly?" she giggled. "If you were a bad person, Hatenna would have warned me. Did you know? Hatenna is very sensitive to emotions."
"Yes, Hatenna does have that ability."
"So, you're definitely a good person!" She stood up. "I'll help you. Do you want to leave the forest or go to Ballonlea?"
"I want to go to Ballonlea, please."
"I see, but I'll need something in return." She pointed to Milotic. "This beautiful Pokémon is Milotic, right? I want to pet it!"
Summer looked at Milotic, who nodded in agreement.
"I accept your terms."
"Yay!" She clapped her hands and ran to Milotic, softly singing a tune while petting it. "Oh, so smooth and cool~"
After a while, she stopped and turned to Thwackey. "And this is Thwackey, right? I heard it plays drums beautifully. Can it perform for me?"
Thwackey, holding its wooden sticks, nodded. Summer took out a wooden drum and placed it in front of Thwackey.
"Oh, a drum too!"
"Thump~thump~thump~"
Thwackey played a melodious tune, and the girl hummed along, her eyes shining with delight.
When the performance ended, she looked satisfied.
"Pokémon are so amazing. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself," she curtsied and said, "Nice to meet you. My name is Opal."
"I'm Summer. Pleased to meet you."
And then, it hit him—Opal? The Opal?!