Cherubi Grove

Grandma Dracelia was surprised to hear the word "legal" come from Allen's mouth. But when she thought about the Milcery case, she realized that perhaps Allen couldn't be categorized as a "normal" child. Even Drasna, at his age, was probably far different. She decided not to dwell on it.

"Cherubi are not particularly active Pokémon, and yes, they can survive without their second head. However, it's important to maintain a regulated day-and-night cycle for them. While they love to bask in the sunlight, too much exposure can be detrimental to their health, especially when their second head has just been plucked."

Allen nodded and waited for his grandmother to continue.

"In the past, harvesting the second head was tedious and ethically controversial, as Cherubi relied on it for nutrients and typically only produced one head at a time. But with modern feeding and nutritional practices, Cherubi can thrive without it and even grow new ones. So don't worry. They will still run around and play happily in the sunlight, even after we pluck their second head."

Grandma Dracelia began explaining the modern feeding and nutritional practices she had mentioned earlier. It all started with understanding photosynthesis in the Cherubi line.

Both Cherubi and Cherrim photosynthesize sugars with the aid of sunlight, meaning they convert sunlight into energy to produce sugars, which serve as their primary energy source.

"First, for Cherubi that have not been plucked and are ready to evolve, the longer they bask in the sunlight, the better. In contrast, Cherubi that have just been plucked need to receive the right amount of sunlight to mimic their natural habitat, which is essential for maximizing their photosynthetic capacity."

"Second, instead of harvesting the heads indiscriminately, we selectively pick only the ripe ones. This approach minimizes stress on the Pokémon."

"Third, harvesting is timed to align with the Cherubi's growth cycles, allowing them ample opportunity to regenerate their second heads. On average, a Cherubi can be plucked a maximum of five to six times before we allow them to evolve into Cherrim."

"This is why the grove is divided into three main sections: the first is for Cherubi that are ripe for harvesting, the second is for Cherubi that have just been plucked, and the third is for Cherubi that have fully maximized their growth and are ready to evolve."

"Once a Cherubi has absorbed the necessary amount of nutrients—which takes about three to six months, depending on the availability of berries and sunlight—it will evolve into Cherrim."

Grandma Dracelia also pointed out which Cherubi were ready for plucking. The ones with a deeper red color were ready for evolution, and their second heads had begun to shrivel.

Under Allen's watchful eyes, he saw how his grandmother moved slowly and quietly toward a Cherubi in the third section to avoid startling it. After stroking and calming the Pokémon, she prepared to pluck the head.

She gently held the stem connecting the second head to the main body with her fingers. Allen noticed how Grandma Dracelia frequently glanced at the main head, checking for any signs of distress.

Carefully, she twisted the stem while gently pulling it away from the main head. This motion helped detach the head without applying excessive force that could harm the Pokémon.

After plucking it, Allen saw his grandmother inspect the main head before the Cherubi jumped into her arms. There was no sign of pain—it was still the same as before. Allen sighed in relief.

"Allen, help Nana put this little guy into Grove Two. This Cherubi can still be plucked once more," Grandma Dracelia said, gently patting the Pokémon.

Allen looked at the pink head with curiosity. "Grandma, how do you know it can still be plucked once more? You said it can be plucked five or six times, so how can you tell?"

Grandma Dracelia smiled knowingly. "It's not an exact science, but after working with these Pokémon for so long, you learn to see the signs. Technically, a Cherubi can be plucked six times. However, it's not always guaranteed. Usually, by the fifth time, the Cherubi will start to squirm or fidget. That's how we know it's nearing its limit. There are also cases where, without us realizing it, the Cherubi has already become a Cherrim."

She continued, "When a Cherubi begins to resist while we're about to pluck the second head, it means it's close to being done with producing heads and is ready to evolve into Cherrim."

Allen nodded, still processing the information as he carefully guided the Cherubi to its section. After setting it down, the Cherubi immediately joined the others, basking in the shade of the trees.

After plucking one, two, three—Allen lost count of how many Cherubi they had harvested—Grandma Dracelia suddenly stopped in her tracks. Allen, distracted, accidentally bumped into her.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Shhh," she whispered, pointing toward one particularly vibrant red Cherubi. "That one is about to evolve into Cherrim. Look."

"Where?"

Then, Allen watched in awe. He had always imagined Pokémon evolution as an instant flash of light, a sudden transformation. But what he was witnessing now opened his eyes to something more complex.

"There are many Pokémon that can grow fruit on their bodies, but for most, it's just that—fruit, nothing more. Cherubi is different," Grandma Dracelia explained softly, her eyes focused on the scene before them. "Because Cherubi lacks natural defenses against predators, its second head serves as a decoy to protect the main body. But..." she trailed off, her voice growing quieter.

"If the second head stays attached for too long, it starts to develop intelligence of its own. In some cases, this leads to Cherubi evolving suddenly, without warning. The bigger the second head grows, the more it begins to challenge the main head for control," she continued. "If the main head loses control, the Cherubi won't survi—"

She paused, realizing she might be speaking too seriously for Allen's age. But to her surprise, Allen had already begun to piece things together.

His eyes were fixed on a Cherubi as it slowly bent down and began consuming its own second head. The scene wasn't as unsettling as he had imagined. Rather than something gruesome, it was as if the smaller head simply opened its eyes and began to swell, gradually replacing the previous main head, which shrank instead.

"When the second head becomes too large and poses a threat, the main head consumes it, taking in the nutrients needed to evolve..." Allen said, quietly finishing her thought, his voice filled with understanding.

After that, he watched as the newly evolved Cherrim looked around. Noticing the limited sunlight filtering through the shade, it seemed dissatisfied. Allen then saw the Cherrim move toward the treetops in search of more sunlight. It was then that he realized there weren't just one or two, but many Cherrim basking in the sun, swaying gracefully as if they were dancing.

Grandma Dracelia smiled, impressed by how quickly Allen had connected the dots. She had worried he might not understand, but it seemed she had underestimated him. "That's right. What you see now is the Sunshine Form of Cherrim. They open their petals and use this precious time under the sun to photosynthesize as much energy as they can."

Allen nodded, then turned to his Grandma, curiosity sparking in his eyes. "Grandma, you mentioned that Cherubi fruit is a local specialty of Celestic Town. But if each Cherubi can only be plucked five to six times, how do we maintain an endless supply? Do we rear them?"