I remember leaving Petalburg Forest, accompanied by a somber melody that heightened my anxiety with every step I took on the grassy paths where wild creatures hid, where every corner and visible person reminded me that something ominous was about to happen.

But before anything bad happens, the forest comes to an end. And immediately after, with the striking of the sun (which is never seen), I encountered the petal shop:

Pretty Petal Flower Shop

Almost in contrast to the lingering anxiety within me, albeit fleeting, the store calls out to me; the leitmotif music is no longer a cautionary tale of something bad, now it is energetic and calls for happiness.

Inside, three people to converse with, each offering something: a seed (to plant), a Wailmer shaped pail (for planting), and a mission (planted in me).

The mission?

I want to see the entire world filled with beautiful flowers. That is my dream. Please help me, Luis. Plant berries and bring more flowers to the world.

Pretty Petal Flower Shop screenshot from Pokemon Sapphire

In that store, no products were sold. Only a new game mechanic was offered, with a simple request that, in my childhood, sounded like a life mission.

Yes, I will plant flowers and berries.

Why, 20 years later, do I find myself waking up in the middle of the night, remembering this point in the journey of Pokemon Sapphire, with tears in my eyes?

The music, the pixel art, the entire nostalgia of the journey; and the simple request asking for more flowers — perhaps innocence that is missing in my life.