"Beep~ Amoonguss. Grass and Poison type. Mushroom Pokémon.
Ability: Regenerator.
Moves: Absorb, Growth, Stun Spore, Astonish, Mega Drain, Synthesis, Clear Smog, Sweet Scent, Giga Drain, Ingrain, Toxic, Rage Powder, Solar Beam, Spore.
Egg Moves: Round, Rollout.
Entry: It releases poisonous spores. If you don't wash them off quickly, mushrooms will grow from the affected area."
After scanning his newly caught Amoonguss with the Pokédex, Caleb smiled in satisfaction.
Spore is just too good. Absolutely beautiful.
He still remembered that summer when he used Amoonguss to lead his team of "Faith" Pokémon against a guy running a full team of legendaries.
In that brutal match, Amoonguss had been the MVP.
Spore to sleep opponents, Rage Powder to redirect attacks, Rocky Helmet for chip damage, all combined with Regenerator for healing and rotation.
On the battlefield, Amoonguss was like a fish in water—a dependable wall and support for the entire team.
How could a Pokémon be this perfect?
…Only when it's facing away from me.
Back then, after beating the legendary team guy, the dude wasn't convinced and asked for a rematch.
Of course Caleb accepted. But that guy—totally dishonorable—sent out his own Amoonguss.
When Caleb saw that grotesque little mushroom face, he nearly ripped out his game cartridge from sheer rage.
But no matter the time, no matter the situation, Caleb always prided himself on being a gentleman. He didn't stoop to that level.
He ended up winning again, this time with a Dustproof Torracat landing a Blaze-boosted Flare Blitz.
That was the last he ever saw of the legendary guy—he disappeared without a trace.
One of Caleb's many regrets.
He tucked the Luxury Ball back into his pocket and said to Gardenia, "Let's go. We've been out long enough—it's time to head back."
"Okay." Gardenia had finally recovered from earlier and replied, "Flint probably finished setting up the tent by now. I can't wait to see what it looks like."
When they returned to camp…
Caleb: "…"
Gardenia: "…"
The once-scenic campsite was now an absolute wreck. Words failed them.
Crater-like holes everywhere, shards of ice littering the ground—it looked like a disaster zone.
Honestly, it wasn't far off from Caleb's own backyard when Chansey got too into her "training."
Wait, what's with all these mushrooms?
Were they for hotpot later?
He picked one up—yep, just as he suspected. Foongus.
"Hey, Caleb, you're back?" Cynthia noticed them.
"Yeah." Caleb pointed at the mushroom-strewn battlefield. "Did they commit some mortal sin or something?"
The Foongus must've done something terrible—this was a straight-up execution.
Even Pigsy got off lighter after harassing a goddess—he just got demoted to a pig.
Cynthia's eyes flickered with a bit of guilt. "I may have… casually sent out Garchomp."
"Garchaaa~"
Behind her, Garchomp gave a snort of disdain.
Yeah. Real casual, huh?
"Wait, where's Flint?" Caleb suddenly asked.
Cynthia blinked. "Oh, right—where is he?"
They all looked around and finally found Flint paralyzed in a patch of grass, still frozen in place.
When he saw everyone remember his existence, Flint teared up in gratitude.
Caleb… you really are my best bro. I'll let you pick the best skewer next time we grill…
Caleb calmly pulled a Cheri Berry from his pocket and fed it to him.
It cured paralysis. Don't ask why he carries this kind of berry around—he has his reasons. Mostly Chansey.
Once Flint could move again, Cynthia clapped her hands and said, "Alright, it's getting late. Let's clean this place up."
Everyone agreed and summoned their Pokémon.
Poké Balls soared through the air—suddenly the open field felt crowded.
Roserade, Lucario, Togekiss, Dusknoir, Glaceon, Gastrodon, Abomasnow, Breloom, Garchomp, Jynx, Vanillite… a whole cast of recognizable faces appeared.
…Vanillite?
Hmm… probably Lorelei's. She's the Ice-type Elite Four, so it checks out.
Caleb nodded to himself.
Meanwhile, Riolu stood at the edge of the crowd, on full alert.
He had sensed it with Aura—these Pokémon weren't just strong. Some of them had such terrifying presences that he didn't even dare probe too deeply.
He'd thought his perfect hatching would give him a head start, but he was wrong.
This world is filled with monsters!
He wasn't at the bottom, sure, but middle of the pack? That's no better than cannon fodder!
Gotta train harder, now!
As soon as he landed, Riolu plopped down and began meditating, aura glowing faintly around him.
Caleb watched him and shook his head with a sigh.
"This kid's great, just… maybe too hardworking."
Not like the others…
While everyone else was busy cleaning up, Pachirisu had found a cool shady spot and sprawled out for a nap.
Haunter was playing the flirt, twirling a flower he'd picked from who-knows-where and flirting with Milotic.
"You're my destined soulmate!"
Caleb: "Figures…"
Real bi-type player—human and Pokémon alike.
At least Vulpix and Chansey were more dependable.
Wait… where are they?
Caleb scanned the field and found Chansey chatting with Garchomp.
Chansey: "Sis, your muscle tone's amazing."
Garchomp: "Eh, decent, I guess."
Chansey: "Wanna punch me a few times?"
Garchomp: "???"
Caleb, eavesdropping: "…"
Where's Vulpix, my precious little snowball?
He spotted her chatting with Glaceon.
Vulpix: "Your fur's sooo smooth, how do you maintain it?"
Glaceon: "Don't tell anyone, but I use my trainer's hair oil."
Vulpix: "Which brand?"
Glaceon: "StanCon. International top-tier."
Vulpix: "Gotta raid the supply shed when we get back. I heard from Haunter and Pachirisu that it's stocked with everything."
Caleb: "Are my Pokémon robbing me now?"
Why are none of my Pokémon low-maintenance?
Guess "other people's kids" are always better…
Still, maybe I can count on Torracat—
Torracat was currently giving a motivational speech to the freshly awoken Foongus horde.
Torracat: "From today, you're my underlings. Call me Boss Spark."
("Spark" being a nickname Pachirisu gave him. He liked it and made it official.)
Foongus: "Dad."
Torracat: "Huh? No, I'm only two months old—"
Before he could finish, forty-plus Foongus tackled him, bawling, and hugged the nearby Amoonguss.
Foongus: "Daaaad! You're here too?"
Amoonguss: "I dunno, I woke up inside a Poké Ball."
Caleb: "…"
Fifty kids?! This Amoonguss is built different!
Where's the mother even?
—
Next day.
After saying goodbye to Cynthia and Lorelei, Caleb and the others headed back to Nimbasa's airport.
Gardenia, Candice, Flint, Maylene, and Caleb—all present and accounted for.
"Alright then…"
"Back to Sinnoh!" they all shouted together.
Their five-day Unova journey had come to an end. Now it was time to return to their normal lives.
Aboard the flight, Caleb scratched his head. He couldn't shake the feeling he'd forgotten something…
Meanwhile, in Driftveil City… Piot was still digging for fossils…