Inside, the flames flickered, casting a long shadow of Tinkatink as it lay on a square cushion. The flames dancing in the fireplace made its shadow sway on the wall.
Tinkatink felt like it was dreaming.
In the dream, the forest was ablaze. The fire's tongues, like the claws of demons, constantly approached it.
The heavy flames consumed everything, and in an instant, the once-familiar sanctuary turned into a deadly inferno.
It saw Pokemon being swallowed by the flames, more and more Pokemon starting to flee.
Then, it too joined the tide of Pokemon, fleeing endlessly under the scorching winds and flames.
The temperature around grew increasingly higher, as if the flames were about to touch its body.
Tinkatink let out a terrified scream, then abruptly opened its eyes.
Suddenly, the all-consuming fire vanished, and the fleeing Pokemon disappeared as well.
In their place was a completely unfamiliar environment.
Tinkatink's face still held a trace of fear as it panted heavily, like someone on the verge of drowning.
At this moment, a voice came from the side.
"You've woken up?"
Tinkatink turned its head and saw an unfamiliar human.
Memories returned to its mind, and Tinkatink recalled everything.
– They had escaped the fire and were rescued by the human before them.
But what about those Pokemon that escaped with it?
In panic, Tinkatink looked around the room, searching for the figures of those Pokemon.
Watching its actions, Naoki roughly guessed what Tinkatink meant.
He said, "If you're looking for Greedent and them, you'll see them outside."
Upon hearing this, Tinkatink struggled to stand, wanting to go see them.
Because it had accidentally fallen while fleeing, and was about to be scorched by the fire, it was Greedent that stopped to save it.
For this, the fur on its tail was burned bare.
Naoki didn't stop it, after a nap, Tinkatink's strength had clearly recovered much, not as weak as before.
He followed Tinkatink outside and eventually found the figure of Greedent in the Berry Garden.
Tinkatink couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Naoki said beside it, "Although your body is fine now, you still need to rest more. During this period, stay in my ranch."
"After this winter passes, I'll help rebuild your home, then you can return to the woods."
Not only him, but people from the Paldea League will also be stationed here to help until the ecosystem is fully restored.
Then, those rescued Pokemon will be released back into the wild, returning to their home.
Upon hearing this, Tinkatink exhaled softly.
It turned around and looked up at the human who had helped them, then whispered, "Ooh wa..."
Naoki smiled and asked, "I've made you a little nest, want to try it? Live together with everyone?"
Even though they were in a safe environment, Tinkatink's mood didn't immediately recover.
It lowered its head and whispered, "Ooh wa."
Looking at the fragile Tinkatink, it was hard for Naoki to relate it to the formidable Pokemon known as the Paldea Bully.
The Paldea Bully refers to Tinkaton, evolved from Tinkatink.
This Pokemon is not only highly intelligent but also has a bold personality; although adorable and petite, it can wield a giant hammer to strike a Corviknight.
Naoki led Tinkatink to the wooden cabin he had prepared for it.
Looking at the cabin in front of it, Tinkatink turned its head to look at Naoki, and then, under his encouraging gaze, walked inside.
Seeing this, Naoki breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, the housing for all the injured Pokemon was perfectly sorted.
Even though it wasn't dark yet, this group of Pokemon didn't stay inside their nests but scattered throughout the garden, their spirits very low.
Naoki understood this, as the tragic event was so recent, it was normal for them to struggle with adjusting.
He simply gathered this group of Pokemon and said:
"You can pick and eat any Berry in this garden freely. If you want to walk around, you can find Pawmot or Alcremie, but be careful not to eat Alcremie."
The ripening season for Berries is much shorter than normal fruits, enabling these Berries to sustain the Pokemon through the winter.
The group of Pokemon nodded, indicating they understood, and would certainly not eat the Pokemon who helped them.
Before they knew it, time had moved to 5 PM.
Zack came to pick up the goods in his truck.
Clearly, he too heard about the forest fire on the hillside.
"It's truly heartbreaking, sigh..." Zack couldn't help but sigh.
"Indeed!" Naoki recalled the Pokemon that lost their lives in the fire, equally lamenting: "Not only does ecological restoration require time, but the hearts of these Pokemon must have endured severe trauma."
"All we can do is try our best to help them through this hardship," Zack sighed.
"Things will get better," Naoki assured.