Pokemon : I'm Just a Photographer!

Chapter 122: Chapter 122

Far away in the Forest of Illusion, numerous Stantler suddenly raised their heads.

Something had reached them.

A call carried through their blood.

None of them had ever experienced anything like it.

They did not understand what they were hearing or how they were supposed to respond.

Yet somewhere deep inside them, an instinctive message repeated itself.

[Come.]

[Follow me.]

[I’ll lead you.]

One by one, the Stantler began moving.

...

Watching Wyrdeer’s psychic signal spread outward, Mike suddenly remembered the Pokédex description he knew.

Wyrdeer’s antlers functioned almost like antennae, allowing it to search for safe routes and guide younger Stantler while leading the herd from the front.

Apparently, those antlers were also the primary way Wyrdeer called its companions together.

Mike immediately explained what he knew to the professors.

Then another thought occurred to him.

"If we’re sending him into the Mount Coronet range with a wild herd, should we attach tracking chips?"

"That would make it easier to monitor their movements."

Professor Rowan hesitated.

Then he slowly shook his head.

"No."

"I’ll contact researchers working around Mount Coronet and ask them to keep an eye out."

He looked toward Wyrdeer.

"As for tracking chips..."

Professor Rowan smiled faintly.

"This is the first time in countless generations that they’ll walk across this land in the form of their ancestors."

"Let them live without us constantly watching over their shoulders."

Mike considered his words.

Then nodded.

He turned toward Wyrdeer with a gentle smile on his face.

"Go."

"Lead your herd."

"Live well."

Mike placed one last hand against its fur.

"You’ve been given something your species lost a long time ago."

"So take that hope with you and make a life out there."

Less than half a day after the first Wyrdeer of the modern era had been born, the first Wyrdeer to return to the wild began leading a small herd toward Mount Coronet.

Before leaving, Wyrdeer stopped.

He turned and looked deeply at Mike.

He understood.

This human had helped restore something his species had forgotten within its own blood.

The Stantler and Wyrdeer clan would remember that kindness.

Then the system notification appeared.

{Gratitude of the Wyrdeer Clan: Congratulations. As you continue on your path toward becoming a Legendary Photographer, your persistent efforts have allowed Wyrdeer—a Pokémon that should have disappeared with the passage of time—to walk upon this beautiful land once more. The Wyrdeer clan will forever remember what you have done for them.}

{Gratitude I: No matter when or where you meet them, every Wyrdeer and Stantler will regard you with maximum affinity. Whenever you ask the Wyrdeer clan for help, they will do everything within their power to assist you.}

{Gratitude II: The first Wyrdeer to return to the wild in Sinnoh has left you its Technical Machine.}

{Psyshield Bash: Allows one of your Pokémon to learn Psyshield Bash.}

{Note: The Pokémon must be capable of learning Psychic-type moves. This can only be used once.}

{Gratitude III: You helped the Wyrdeer clan recover psychic power that had atrophied across generations. From this moment onward, the Wyrdeer clan’s blessing will remain with you, greatly increasing your resistance to psychic and mental interference.}

Mike stared silently at the messages.

Then he looked back toward the Wyrdeer and Stantler disappearing into the distance.

A quiet smile appeared on his face.

"Thank you."

...

"Huh? Pokémon that have already disappeared can actually return to the world?"

Grandma’s surprised voice came through the phone screen.

"Of course. Remember those fossil Pokémon I sent you pictures of? They were all revived from fossils left behind by Pokémon that lived more than a hundred million years ago."

"So those Pokémon were brought back from fossils?" Grandma sounded genuinely amazed. "No wonder they looked a little different from the Pokémon we see nowadays. Their forms seemed much simpler."

"The world was a lot less biologically diverse a hundred million years ago."

Mike accepted another walnut kernel that Snivy had carefully shelled for him, tossed it into his mouth, and chewed as he answered.

Grandma quickly returned to the subject she cared about most.

"So how did everything turn out?"

Mike immediately grinned and thumped his chest.

"With me involved? Of course it worked."

Grandma smiled kindly at his shameless confidence.

"You’re not even pretending to be modest anymore."

"I finished editing the video yesterday, so I’ll send it to you in a little while. That way you can see what Wyrdeer looks like now that it’s finally returned."

"All right."

Grandma nodded gently.

"I knew you could do it. My grandson is the best!"

The moment she praised him, Mike unconsciously straightened his back while sitting on the bed.

"Obviously."

"Gar! Gar!"

[Me too!Me too!]

Gengar suddenly shoved his face into the camera and raised one hand, determined not to be left out.

Grandma immediately laughed.

"Yes, yes. Gengar too. Our Gengar is the best as well."

Gengar broke into a huge grin and laughed triumphantly.

Mike reached over and pulled at his cheeks.

"Grandma, you keep talking to Gengar for a bit. I’m going to wash up."

With that, he stood and headed into the bathroom.

Now that the Wyrdeer project had finally come to an end, it was time for him to pack his things and continue his journey.

...

By the time Mike finished washing up and returned to the bed, Gengar was still enthusiastically chatting with Grandma.

Mike patted him on the backside and took the phone from his hands.

"What were you two talking about?"

Gengar immediately made a face.

"Gar—"

[I’m not telling you.]

"Oh, you little bastard."

Mike narrowed his eyes.

"Keep that up and I’m going to beat you."

Gengar’s eyes widened.

He stood up on the bed, planted both hands on his hips, and glared back.

"Gar!"

[You think I’m scared of you?!]

The two were already seconds away from starting another full-scale war when two Vine Whips shot in from the side, wrapped around them, and pulled them apart.

Grandma watched through the screen and sighed.

"Thank you for putting up with them, Snivy."

"Sni~"

Snivy gave the camera a slightly embarrassed smile.

Only after Mike and Gengar stopped trying to get at each other did she finally loosen the vines.

"When are you leaving Oreburgh City?" Grandma asked.

"Probably tomorrow."

"All right. Be careful on the road, and stop fighting with Gengar all the time."

"Okay."

Mike stayed on the call a while longer, chatting with Grandma and Growlithe before finally saying goodbye.

Afterward, he headed toward the courtyard.

Today was Professor Rowan’s last day in Oreburgh City.

At this point, Mike and Professor Rowan were the only members of the original research group still staying in the city.

Cynthia had already left for Floaroma Town to investigate the ruins that might be connected to the Forces of Nature.

Lucian had returned to League headquarters with the marked Stantler—the sigma stag that had evolved into Wyrdeer.

In addition to dealing with his usual League responsibilities, he now had to train Wyrdeer and prepare it for a future public appearance.

He also had a short research paper to write on methods for improving Stantler’s psychic strength, which Professor Oak would later be able to cite in the larger paper on Wyrdeer’s rediscovery.

Originally, Mike should technically have been the lead author of that paper, considering the entire project had begun with his theory.

However, after the professors realized that Mike had absolutely no interest in becoming a full-time academic, they decided Professor Oak would handle the main paper in his place.

Professor Kukui had already returned to Alola as well.

He planned to find several Stantler and raise them personally from the beginning, while also writing his own paper on Psyshield Bash, the rediscovered signature move of the Stantler evolutionary line.

Gary, meanwhile, had followed the Wyrdeer herd toward Mount Coronet.

According to him, he wanted to carefully observe Wyrdeer’s natural behavior and make sure the newly released herd reached a suitable habitat safely.

Professor Oak had gone back to Sandgem Town to concentrate on the main paper.

After all, Wyrdeer’s return meant far more than simply adding one more entry to the Pokédex.

The discovery touched on Sinnoh’s ecology and geology, the existence of ancient regional forms, the historical relationship between modern Sinnoh and ancient Hisui, and the mythology surrounding both periods.

There was far too much material for one person to handle alone, so Professor Rowan and Cynthia would contribute the sections that fell within their respective specialties.

As for Mike, the man who had started the entire chain of events...

He had much more important questions to consider.

For example—

Where should he go next?

He could head directly toward Eterna City, pass through it, and continue north toward Crown City.

Or he could make a detour to Floaroma Town and investigate the ruins Cynthia had mentioned.

As for academic papers...

He was just an ordinary photographer.

Traveling, taking pictures, and collecting interesting footage were what he was supposed to be doing.

After breakfast with Gengar and the others, Mike made a trip to a supermarket and bought supplies in bulk.

He stocked up on cooking ingredients, travel necessities, and plenty of snacks for his Pokémon before heading back toward the courtyard.

Professor Rowan had remained in Oreburgh for the past two days mainly so the two of them could finish preparing Wyrdeer’s preliminary Pokédex information together.

"Good afternoon, Professor."

Mike pushed open the courtyard gate and stepped inside.

Professor Rowan was sitting outside, gently massaging the Wyrdeer he intended to take back to his laboratory.

"Good afternoon," Rowan replied.

He glanced toward Mike.

"You’ll be leaving soon as well, I assume?"

"Yeah. I’m planning to head out tomorrow. I’ve already bought everything I need."

Mike pulled over a chair and sat beside him.

He reached out and stroked Wyrdeer’s head, then found himself staring at the dark orbs embedded in its antlers.

A thought immediately occurred to him.

If the beads from Stantler antlers had medicinal value, would the ones from Wyrdeer be even more effective?

Unfortunately, there were only a handful of Wyrdeer in existence right now.

That experiment would have to wait until the population grew.

---------

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