Expressing Gratefulness

"What happened? Does it still hurt?"

Grandma Dracelia was the first to react to Allen's sudden scream.

She immediately thought her Feather Duster Assault had left him in unbearable pain. But just as she was about to panic, Allen coughed awkwardly and waved his hands like nothing had happened.

Grandma Dracelia's gaze dropped to his legs—red and decorated with the unmistakable battle scars of the feather duster of love. Any trace of regret she had lasted no more than a second.

"Hmph! Serves you right!" she huffed, crossing her arms. "Next time, think before you act!"

"Yes, yes, Grandma, my fault, my fault, hehe…" Allen chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head like a kid caught red-handed.

Cynthia, who had been holding back her giggles, finally burst out laughing, clutching her stomach.

The people and officers, once on high alert, exchanged amused glances—until one suddenly shouted, "Wait—where's the Absol?!"

Only then did everyone realize—the Absol was gone.

A heavy silence fell over the group before chaos erupted.

"Find it!"

"Search the perimeter!"

"How did it slip away?!"

It wasn't that they wanted to catch it or anything, but if such a dangerous Pokémon was roaming freely and ended up attacking someone, they couldn't afford to take that risk.

Allen, still rubbing his sore legs, glanced around at the scene—officers scrambling, people in a frenzy, the entire area turned upside down.

He sighed in relief. 'Nice distraction.'

His thoughts were simple—Absol wasn't the cause of the disaster. If anything, it was the one who had tried to warn them.

The way people treated and perceived the Pokémon made it clear that the truth behind Absol's sudden appearances was still largely unknown—at least to the common folk.

This was especially true for the people of Celestic Town, who lived in relative isolation from the outside world.

Even if there were reports of Absol being successfully domesticated, the news might never have reached them. And even if it had—so what?

One domesticated Absol wouldn't be enough to change people's deeply rooted beliefs.

Everything about Absol reminded Allen of another Pokémon with a similarly tragic fate—perhaps an even worse one.

The Hisuian Zorua.

When Zorua migrated to the Hisui region, it was said that they were feared and shunned by humans, making it impossible for them to survive the extreme winter.

Similarly, Absol was hunted and attacked because its incredibly refined sense of touch granted it limited precognition of impending natural disasters. In the past, when the species was more numerous and altruistic, they would often rush into towns or villages in large prides to warn the inhabitants of impending destruction.

However, since they frequently arrived too late to prevent these disasters—and due to their somewhat threatening appearance and occasional attacks on livestock—the widespread misconception that Absol actually caused natural disasters took root. As a result, they were hunted nearly to extinction.

'All of them died.'

Allen fell silent, lost in thought.

Pokémon had once been just fiction to him, a game, a story. But now, he was truly living in this world. And the more he understood it, the more tangled his thoughts became.

Zorua were reincarnated as ghost types entirely "through the power of their malice." Now, they haunt the cold forests and mountains where they mimic the appearance of their victims and feed upon their terror.

Allen himself wasn't sure if any Hisuian Pokémon still existed. But he made a silent promise—if he ever encountered one, especially a Zorua or Zoroark, he would treat them with the kindness they had long been denied.

Then what about Absol?

"..."

They couldn't.

They didn't have the ability to reincarnate like Zorua.

Perhaps… this was the last Absol in all of Sinnoh, separated from its pack in Hoenn. Or perhaps its entire pack was already…

People feared them because of their ability to predict disasters—without ever understanding the truth behind it. As a result of frequent human attacks, Absol are extremely leery of people, turning and fleeing if one gets too close.

This was the only reason Allen could think of—why the truth about Absol and its gift remained unknown.

Feared for the very ability that made it a protector, misunderstood for warnings that came too late. Perhaps… that was why they were left to disappear, forgotten by time itself.

"Allen…?"

Without him realizing, Cynthia had already stepped in front of him.

Gently, she reached up and wiped away a single tear that had unknowingly fallen down his cheek.

Allen blinked, startled. He hadn't even noticed he was crying.

Cynthia's small hand lingered on his face for a moment, her eyes searching his, filled with quiet concern. "Why are you crying? Are you still afraid?" she asked softly.

Allen opened his mouth, but no words came out. How could he explain it?

"Don't worry," Cynthia suddenly declared bravely, puffing out her small chest. "I will protect you!"

Allen stared at her for a moment before a soft chuckle escaped his lips.

'Yeah, Cynthia is just a little girl. Maybe there's a reason my starting point was in this era and not Ash's, right?'

"Is that so?" he asked, amusement dancing in his tired gaze.

Cynthia nodded fiercely. "Yes! No one will bully you when I'm around!"

Allen let out a quiet laugh, ruffling her blonde hair gently. "Then I'll be counting on you, Champion Cynthia."

Cynthia huffed, swatting his hand away, but her lips curled into a small, proud smile.

The unconscious person was carefully placed on Aria's back throughout the rescue.

Nurse Joy from Eterna City had already arrived after receiving notice that someone had been buried in the avalanche.

The moment she saw the unconscious victim, she instinctively stepped forward, swiftly administering first aid without hesitation.

This was the first time Allen had ever seen a Chansey treat a patient. As a former health consultant, he couldn't help but be drawn into the scene.

The unconscious person finally woke up, but something was off—at least, that's what everyone who had already met him thought.

He didn't say a word. People assumed he was in shock, so they decided to give him space.

"...Sey-sey! Chansey~"

That was the first thing he heard—or rather, the first thing he managed to comprehend through the pounding headache splitting his skull.

He forced his eyes open, his vision blurry, only to see a round ball of pink and white wearing a nurse's headband.

"Eh?"

"Chan? Chansey!"

Chansey flinched in surprise before quickly dashing out as if running for her life, rushing to call Nurse Joy, who was deep in discussion with Officer Jenny. Not long after Chansey left, another little critter appeared in front of him.

"Vee~?"

Looking up, he saw an Eevee tilting its head curiously at him. He smiled at the sight. Eevee were common domesticated Pokémon, often found in households due to their desirable traits as pets.

He reached out to pat Eevee's head, but the little Pokémon's ears flattened in fear, and it bolted away.

His hand froze mid-air.

It wasn't long before Officer Jenny, Nurse Joy, Professor Carolina, and every other respected figure in Celestic Town gathered around.

The first to speak was Officer Jenny. "Chairman Rose, may I know what you are doing here in Sinnoh?"

The man smiled wryly at the name they called him, already accustomed to being mistaken for his older brother due to their strong resemblance.

With great effort, he managed to stand up and faced everyone before him. Offering a small bow, he said sincerely, "Thank you. I will never forget your kindness today."

"Mayor Monny, everything is done!"

Before he could introduce himself, someone shouted from the distance.

After Cynthia, Allen, and Grandma Wilma were found, some residents of Celestic Town took it upon themselves to salvage whatever they could from Grandma Wilma's daycare.

Everything was being worked on diligently. Thankfully, no Pokémon were found trapped—only a few incubators and various items that could still be saved. The townspeople carefully gathered everything they could carry.

"But Mayor, how do we bring everything back to town now?" someone asked.

Mayor Monny was deep in thought. With the avalanche, he had assumed most of the belongings would be lost. Yet, seeing how much was still usable, it would be a waste to leave them behind.

"Let me help."

Out of nowhere, the man they had saved spoke, drawing everyone's attention to him.

He reached into his pocket, retrieved a Pokéball, and tossed it forward.

The Pokéball burst open with a flash of light.

"Faaaaaaaaant!"

A more than meter-tall, roughly spherical, elephantine Pokémon with a body made of copper emerged, its sturdy trunk swinging as it let out another cry.

"Cuufaaaaaant!"

Allen's eyes lit up.

After releasing Cufant, the person turned around and said, "Rose is my older brother. My name is Peony. Nice to meet you, and once again, thank you for saving me."

---

P.S.: Volume 1, "Childhood," is complete! Up next is Volume 2, "Kindergarten," which will follow Allen's adventures during his early school years.

Spoiler: In Volume 2, we'll explore how Allen deals with the Wurmple and Cascoon swarm left behind by the Dustox incident in Volume 1.

Plus—Cherubi!

Ever wondered if you could scientifically create a Monster Energy lemonade from Cherubi? Well, we're diving into the science of that!

Finally, another main character was introduced—the princess, Caitlin!