The gloomy and dense sea of trees forms a natural grand maze, separating the eastern Rocky Mountains in the center from the surrounding Autumn Leaf Town.
With the rise of the trainer profession, although the Pokémon Alliance has created a safe travel environment for trainers and begun to pay more attention to the development of the wild, there are still many places in the barren "to be developed" area. Autumn Leaf Forest is one of them.
In these places, there are abundant natural resources, but along with these, whether it is the murderous unknown terrain, environment, or aggressive Pokémon, it is a cause of concern.
Outside the forest, Akihab Town is an agricultural town with a population of about a dozen households. Being close to Moonlight Mountain, whenever the breeze blows, volcanic ash from the mountain floats here, providing abundant nutrients for local plants.
**Green Cliff**
Courtney stepped out of the yard, wrinkling his nose slightly, revealing a helpless expression.
Beside him, a butterfly with water-blue eyes kept waving its beautiful wings, and a sea of silk with a flashing golden current was manipulated by it, creating a sound like thousands of birds. It was very beautiful.
The light of the bright sea shone on Courtney's face, making his reddish-yellow, tea-colored short hair appear extremely handsome.
This is the "Grid" trick that the butterfly is practicing.
The teenager is called Court, and he is a member of the Green House Orphanage. In this small town with a small population, the Green House is a unique building. Here, a group of children often gather to play with laughter.
Watching the butterfly fly around, Court felt a bit emotional, "Almost a year?"
The butterfly heard and nodded.
A year ago, to avoid the predation of the arrogant swallows, it was still the stingy butterfly that crawled out of the inhabited grass and forest, moving about, and the small group moved away from the Green House.
Then, the timid stingy bug was caught by lively children and became the object of play. Fortunately, Court discovered the scene in time, stopped the children, and saved the stingy beetle.
The children's nature wasn't bad. Soon after, the stingy insects received a sincere apology, and they all played together happily. In the end, Court never expected that this small group, who had been away for a long time, would stay and naturally join the large family of Green Cliff, becoming a part of it.
This year, caring for the thorn-tailed insects has been Courtney's responsibility.
Because training with the butterflies took too long, it was now noon. Looking at the ground where dust piled up without cleaning, Court sighed.
"Butterfly, come help!" After dusting off his clothes, Court set his backpack aside and picked up the broom in the corner, intending to clean up the fallen leaves first.
But at this moment, a crisp shout suddenly came from nearby. He raised his head subconsciously and saw a little girl running over happily.
"Little Lina." Seeing the little girl, Court smiled. Lina is also an orphan from Green Cliff, but they didn't know each other before arriving there.
Thinking of the simple little Lina who was attached to him at that time, and his most awkward move, Court suddenly felt a sense of time and space crossing.
The light is overcast, and four years have passed.
Courtney is originally from Flower City. He lost his family four years ago and was adopted into this orphanage.
For four years, amid tedious and boring times, he gradually adapted to this life and slowly found joy in this familiar yet unfamiliar world.
But no one knows that four years ago, Courtney was already "transferred." The current Court comes from another blue world, Earth!
"Brother Court... What are you daydreaming about?" Little Lina stepped forward, staring at Court with doubt, her bright eyes flashing.
Lina's voice brought Court back to reality. There was a trace of "trance and hurt" in his heart. "It's nothing. Hungry? Shall I prepare lunch first?"
Lina saw the court smiling, and her heart felt light. She looked around the ground, feeling a bit embarrassed: "Trouble your brother Court. In the morning, Tiger and I went to explore the cave together... so I didn't help you clean." After speaking, Lina clasped her hands together, laughing and apologizing, "Now, Brother Court, you've been busy with the butterflies? Let me help you."
Lina was about to start when Court shook his head to stop her: "No, these are for the butterfly to handle; it can do well."
"Then... Can I prepare lunch for you?" Lina wanted to do something for Court.
"Let me take care of it, but you went to the cave privately, knowing how dangerous that is?" Court's tone was serious. "How many times have I told you, don't run around, you little troublemaker!"
"But don't you always run out?" Lina pouted, looking at the butterfly with some envy, quietly adding, "It's not so dangerous outside; there are many friendly Pokémon who often help us."
Court sighed, "It still seems that Grandma Olive will have to teach you and prepare to call everyone for lunch. Today is your favorite aromatic mushroom, and this is also the last meal I prepared for you." Court continued speaking, his tone suddenly becoming a bit bleak.
"The last meal?" Lina asked, noticing the underlying tone: "Brother Court... What does that mean?"
Court hadn't answered yet when a kind woman emerged, touching Lina's head with affection: "Silly girl, haven't you noticed? Your brother Court has decided to leave here."
Leave here?
Lina looked at Court blankly: "Leave... Leave Green Cliff?"
Facing Lina, Court was silent.
In the Alliance Calendar 209, on Adoption Day, also an orphan in Flower City, a young Court who had lost his ability to live independently, Lina
Adopted by Grandma Olive at the Green House Orphanage.
Since coming to Green Cliff, Court has always been extremely mature and sensible to repay Grandma Olive's kindness. He wasn't like other children. Whatever Green Cliff promised, he would only take the initiative to shoulder. Because of this, among the children of Green Cliff, Court was like a big brother.
And being dependent on the children was already natural for Court.
Right now, hearing that Court is leaving, Lina was bewildered, and panic was evident.
In silence, Court nodded: "Grandma Olive, I plan to go to Amphibian City tomorrow. Thank you for your care over the past four years."
"What are you planning to do? Is it because we weren't obedient?" Lina's eyes had begun to turn red, interrupting Court.
"No, I just want to see the outside world. In addition, I plan to participate in the cultivator evaluation. If successful, it will also be a way to share some burden for Green Cliff." Court said calmly.
Grandma Olive sighed: "Court, you have to understand that the children here grow up in poverty, and don't even have the qualifications to register as trainers. You plan to run around when you're young, you might as well stay here, helping Grandma take care of Green Cliff."
"I understand, Grandma Olive, but I have hands and feet, and I can take care of myself. My four years of study were for this day." Court's answer was unexpectedly firm.
In the four years since Court arrived here, unlike other children who only knew how to play, he studied hard every day, spending this monotonous yet novel time with books, just to leave here one day and see the outside world.
Honestly, when Court accepted the fact that he had traversed worlds, he didn't worry about staying in one place for a lifetime, but reality dealt him a heavy blow.
However, Court didn't give up. Knowledge was an extremely important path he found to build a bridge with the outside world!
Unlike Earth, although this world has technology, related content is very precious, and high-level knowledge is monopolized by organizations like alliances and large consortia!
Knowledge about technology belongs to high-end learning and is an important means of alliance constraints. The technological development here has been rapid but hasn't reached the openness seen on Earth, nor the eagerness for talent.
On the contrary, the mainstream of this world revolves around magical creatures, Pokémon! They replace technology and are pursued by people, and various industries are established around them, making them indispensable partners in human life.
What Court learns is about Pokémon.
For four years, although there's a lot of knowledge disclosed on the mainland, Court has established a set of rules for his own dreams.
Grandma Olive heard him and knew that Court had thought it through, so she could only sigh and say nothing more.
Court has been extremely sensible since arriving four years ago. Not only did he not bother her, but he also helped take care of Green Cliff.
However, Olive could see that Court's heart wasn't here. Although he helped take care of the children, Olive had lived long enough to see that Court was essentially different from these children.
It was difficult for Court to integrate into this group of children.
Although he was still young, Court was already very opinionated. His heart, perhaps, already accompanied by books, leapt to a wider place.
Perhaps, from the adoption day four years ago, Grandma Olive should have seen the child's difference with his calm eyes and self-introduction.
It is indeed unrealistic to let someone like Court stay in the small town of Autumn Leaf, and Grandma Olive was not willing to see such a future.
But even so, she didn't know why Court insisted so much. It was hard to imagine that a 10-year-old child would have such great perseverance and make such a bold decision.
"This may be the best choice..." Court sighed.
This world is full of fantasy and magnificent sights. For him, from another world, every place here attracts Court and makes him want to explore and traverse.
At the same time, Court also understood that Green Cliff's development over the years had fallen into a trough, relying solely on Grandma Olive's savings. This orphanage in Green Cliff has been difficult to operate for a long time.
Therefore, not only for himself, Court no longer wanted to be a burden on Green Cliff. Even knowing that the next path would be difficult, he had no thought of retreating.
Now that he has encountered this world, Court also wants to see it fully. Without courage, it would be too shameful to bear the name of "traveler" and be no different from a couch potato.