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[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD AROMATISSE APPEARED!

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[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD ORANGURU APPEARED!

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Michi knelt, sipping her cocoa contentedly across from Matchan as Zac disappeared to shout at something in the woods. He came back to the pair wrinkling their noses and fanning the air, the clean scent dissipating from the Weezing already replaced by a familiar, sickly-sweet one.

It was Michi's turn to get up and confront the fluffy pink Pokemon perched on top of the greenhouse frame Matchan had been building. She wasn't sure when it had come sailing down-- maybe while Zac was gone lecturing the Weezing-- but it was actually her first time seeing the powerfully-scented Pokemon. She'd recognize that signature odor anywhere, though.

"This is myyyy..." Michi aimed the ball at the Pokemon in her signature pose with her arm straight in front of her face, "Michi-Style Throw: Galar Galore!" She was actually quoting a character from the manga (Winter in Wyndon) she'd been reading lately. Aromatisse wasn't from Galar so it didn't make much sense, but it was so fun to actually say for herself!

Of course, she had to open her mouth and breathe in the strong odor in order to say it, which caused her to choke. Surprisingly enough, her throw flew true, bonking the Aromatisse and pulling its energy-- and with it, the sweet scent-- into the capsule. "Thank goodness!" Michi said, letting out her breath as the ball rolled down the plastic and away from their little pool of light and heat. 

Something caught her ball in the darkness.

Something that went oo-oo in the night.
 

Michi sure did have that Petalburg Style in her throw.
Or was it Michi-style? Maybe she's been reading my blogs on technique. Zac thought, proudly. His satisfied smile turned to confusion as Michi's tossed ball...didn't return.
"What the heck?" Said Zac, walking into the shadowed section of the garden where the ball had disappeared "Zappa, gimme some light!"
    Zappa turned, casting a thick yellow beam onto the culprit, and Zac took a step back.
"B-bailey Ooper!?" He said, shocked at the appearance of the disgraced champion. "But how did you get out of prison?"
    Ooper gave Zac a toothy grin. <Oo-oooO>
"Spare me your lies, you're the spitting image! I'm callin' the cops."
The Oranguru held up Michi's ball gripped in it's characteristic overhand style.
    Terrible form. Zac noted. Overhand and underarm? How are you supposed to get any distance or accuracy?
    <ooOo-ooOoOooOOO>
    "Fine. We'll battle for it. But if you lose then you give Michi her pokemon back and i'm taking you in."
    The Oranguru nodded in agreement, and they both took a few steps back to make room in the garden. 
    Ooper sent out Aromatisse, who appeared at the end of one of the rows. The pokemon looked around, confused. She had just been caught by a trainer and now a...different trainer was using her?
    There isn't a ton of room. Zac realised. I've gotta be careful of the plants. "TBD! Get 'em!" Zac said, and his Trapinch burst from the soil right next to Ooper. <BITE BITE BITE> Said the Trapinch, squinting at Bailey Ooper.
   "No you crazy devil! That's the former champion, not a pokemon! Get the pink one!"
    Trapinch tilted its head, confused as it looked around.
    <ooOoo> commanded Ooper, and its Aromatisse glowed with pink light. It bounced into the air, taking aim at TBD as it floated down slowly.
    "Get outta there!" shouted Zac, and Trapinch retreated underground. there was a flash of light and achingly sweet perfume as Aromatisse launched a MOONBLAST at the ground, leaving a sparkling crater. "Hey! Watch the plants!" Zac shouted.
<ooooOOOOoOooOO> Ooper INSTRUCTED, and Aromatisse launched a second MOONBLAST at Trapinch's burrowing form.
She was no luckier with the second shot, and slowly drifted back down, looking around in confusion for her opponent.
    "Now!" Zac shouted, and TBD burst from the crater of the original MOONBLAST, catching Aromatisse in its powerful jaws. 
It CRUNCHED into the pink perfume puff, who screeched in surprise, fainting dramatically. Ooper cried out too, frustrated at their quick defeat. 
    "And that's that. You're going away for a long time Ooper." Zac said, and he tossed a pokeball at the champion, who disappeared inside. "Wait! That couldn't have been Ooper! She wasn't wearing aviators!"

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[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD MARACTUS APPEARED!

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[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD CLEFAIRY APPEARED!

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She watched the epic battle occur and applauded, thoroughly impressed, once it was finished. "You are a good trainer!" she exclaimed. Maybe defeating a Pokemon that was already weakened from having been caught wasn't so impressive, but the execution had been very stylish! "And Trapinch made the perfect drainage ditch!" She was becoming more fond of the tire-biter.

Michi got back to work, stretching the plastic over the thin frame of piping Matchan had mostly erected. She tied each joint off firmly, determined that the winds wouldn't be able to mess up the little greenhouse. "Zac, will you stand on the other side?" she called, standing on her tiptoes to shake and stretch the plastic over the highest point of the arch. 

As she did-- she noticed something. The little sprout and mound where she thought they'd planted Poturtle was gone-- instead, a couple of bushes seemed to be growing from the ground there, looking very green and healthy in the Heliolisk's false sunlight. How strange. I was sure this was where we planted her. Oh well, it was better to leave nature alone!

A short while later she finished her side with a sigh, tying off the stakes. Michi glanced over at Turtonator to see the Cacnea that had been resting there was gone, now replaced by a taller, more flowery cactus. Had it driven the smaller succulent off? Now we're causing territorial problems, Michi thought sadly, wanting the (round) cactus to come back. Scooping up the Pokeball she'd tried to use on Aromatisse before Oranguru had co-opted her Michi Style, she tossed it at the Maractus instead.
 

Zac looked around at the damage his battle had caused. Broken climbing poles, tangled netting, and three huge holes blasted in the soil, two of which glowed with lunar light. "Well I'd better get these filled in," Zac said. "Don't want anyone tripping and falling."
    He walked over to the pile of tools, which was still illuminated by Morelull, and grabbed the shovel.
    The garden was calm now. No rogue pokemon, no sounds of battle. Even Serperior was quiet, prowling for trouble just beyond the treeline. Should bring him in soon. Zac thought. He'll be getting cold. Reptiles have a hard time of it in winter. He looked over to where Zappa had curled up on top of Turtonator. The little lizard was snoozing, scales steaming.
    <Clefaaairy! Cleafaairy!> came a chant from the damaged end of the garden. Zac looked over, his peace disturbed, to see a little pink puff dancing around the battle damage.
    It bounced, as if in low gravity, weaving a figure-8 between the two craters. <Clefaaairy! Cleafaairy!>
    "Sorry buddy, but i've got to fill those in. Would you mind moving?" Zac asked, and the Clefairy looked up at him with big, moonlit eyes. "I know. I'm sorry. You can still stay," Zac offered. He pointed over to Morelull, who was bathed in pale moonlight at the far end of the row. "How about just moving over there, yeah?"
    The Clefairy nodded, bouncing lightly down the row to resume its chanting dance around the little mushroom. 
    <Clefaaairy! Cleafaairy!>

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[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD TANGROWTH APPEARED!

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[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD GOSSIFLEUR APPEARED!

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The garden was finally finished. Michi wiped her brow, then laughed. How was she sweating outside on a cold autumn night? Pokemon— and hard work— were truly amazing. She could never have finished the garden in just one day without Zac’s help! And look at it now!

They’d built the garden in a circular pattern, Poturtle at the center with rows of Tamato, Rabuta, and Salac berries ringing the outside. As Michi had said before, she didn’t have the faintest idea how to cook with them, but she trusted Zac to know what to do. The whole garden was sheltered by plastic sheeting to keep the wind and frost at bay, and she was confident it would last the winter.

Together with Zac, she cheered three times, putting her hands low and raising them high in the air. “Hip hip, hooray! Hip hip, hooray!”

A lovely little Gossifleur fluttered down as Matchan gathered up the extra stakes and plastic they hadn’t used. Michi reached up and caught it in her hands in surprise. “Oh! They say seeing Gossifleur at night will give you good luck!” She said, enchanted by the little flower. She showed it to Zac as they were packing up. They’d made so many Pokemon friends today!

Ready to return to Michi’s house for a warm bowl of her famous nikujaga, the gardening duo (trio, counting Matchan) started up the path, leaving the berry plots behind. There was another figure coming their way, however. “Ooh, excuse me,” Michi said politely, trying to edge around the hulking figure.
 

"Oh no you don't!" Zac said, recognising the stranger immediately for what it was: a Tangrowth! "Just where do you think you're going at this time of night?" he asked the massive, squirming mass of vines. The Tangrowth looked past the pair and up the path towards their lightly protected garden. The netting they had put up would be no match for the bulk of this Pokemon. "Oh yeah?" Zac said, annoyance rising in his voice "Well tough luck." 
    Zac was exhausted. He had been digging all day and was covered in dirt, moon dust, fungus spores, and a host of tiny cuts from the leaf tornado earlier. There was nothing he wanted more than a beer and a bath, and nothing he wanted less than to come back tomorrow and find that the whole thing has been crushed by some waddling heap of undergrowth. 
    The Tangrowth tried to push past them, and Zac sent out Morelull. He bent down to pick up the glowing mushroom. "Michi, have I ever told you about how useful Catch and Release is?" Zac tossed the little fungus up onto Tangrowth, who continued up the path, oblivious. "It's a necessary tool in the arsenal of any ranger," Zac said, as the Tangrowth started to stagger under the effect of Morelull's SPORE. "It allows for the easy relocation of any dangerous creatures in the local area. Things that may cause damage to humans or other animals..."
    The Tangrowth stumbled, bumping into one of the trees lining the path "...or our bloody garden." Tangrowth fell, and Zac felt the tremor as the pile of greenery and potential property damage hit the dirt. Zac threw a ball at the sleeping monster and put Morelull on his shoulder. 
    "Nice work buddy. Mind lighting the way a bit longer too? It's a bit of a walk back to Michi's car."