Familiar Scene

Allen and Grandma Dracelia arrived at the last grove, where tall trees were tightly packed, and only Cherrim in their Overcast Form remained still in the treetops.

"Grandma, what are we doing here?" Allen asked, glancing around curiously. "Aren't Cherrim a little... dangerous?"

"It's to count the Cherrim and make sure their numbers are stable," Grandma Dracelia explained. "If there are too many, people might start having trouble sleeping."

Allen blinked. 'Wait... what? How does that even—'

He was taken aback by her words, but before he could ask for more details, his grandmother simply continued walking, leaving him to wonder about the implications.

"Cherrim can store large amounts of sugar in their bodies, which allows them to endure long periods in their Overcast Form—just like what you see right now. In this form, they are quiet and immobile, but in sunlight, their petals open and bloom, becoming active and excited."

Allen nodded, curiously observing the Cherrim. It looked just like the pictures he had seen on the wiki, but he knew that the information there was incomplete. For instance, the wiki hadn't mentioned that Cherubi needed to consume its second head to evolve into Cherrim.

After contemplating for a moment, Allen asked, "Grandma, can I approach one? I want to touch it. Just a little... bit?"

Grandma Dracelia smiled knowingly; she had anticipated this. "Wait here for a moment," she said, holding up her hand to stop him.

Under Allen's curious gaze, she gently stroked the petals of a nearby flower before returning to him. "Cherrim are different from Cherubi. While Cherubi are not very dangerous Pokémon, Overcast Form Cherrim do not react to threats. Instead, they choose to hide in the treetops to avoid being seen. However, when they bloom..."

She trailed off for a moment before continuing, "People call it the Sunshine Form. In this form, these small Pokémon can be formidable, harnessing sunlight to launch powerful attacks. They are usually friendly creatures, though, and will only attack if provoked."

It has the ability Flower Gift, which boosts the Attack of Pokémon around it in sunlight. One Cherrim is okay, but if there were a group, just imagine—they could release hundreds of Solar Beams at you. How would you react?"

Allen nodded. He knew about Flower Gift. He often heard people saying that while Flower Gift seems useful in battles, especially with sun support from Ninetales' Drought, Cherrim is still often considered a poor choice compared to better Drought abusers like Chlorophyll Pokémon.

After getting permission, he gently stroked Cherrim's petals. He could also smell the sweet fragrance emitted from their closed petals. He thought they would feel like normal flower petals, but he was surprised to find they were surprisingly tough!

Grandma Dracelia explained that this toughness protects them from bird Pokémon pecking at them.

After finishing with the Cherrim, Grandma Dracelia led Allen to a somewhat closed area now where, to his surprise, various kinds of Cherubi and Cherrim were mingling.

"You asked before if we rear them; the answer is yes, we do," Grandma Dracelia said. "Mating is mainly done by Cherrim, and their courting season occurs in late spring. Male Cherrim release thousands of pollen spores in the general direction of any females. Once the females are fertilized, they lay their eggs. See that big tree behind them?"

Grandma Draceia pointed to the hollow of an old tree before continuing, "This is where they usually lay their eggs. They use the tree hollow as a nest."

She paused for a moment, then nodded to herself. "Alright, we're done here. Let's go home." She thought they had already visited every place they needed to and fulfilled their promises. There was nothing left to do.

Just as they turned to leave—

"Squeeeakkk~!"

Allen stopped in his tracks.

"Grandma?"

"Huh?" she responded, glancing at him.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

Allen frowned. His eyes darted around as he scanned his surroundings.

Silence.

Curiosity got the better of him. Slowly, he bent down, trying to get a better look inside the hollow of the tree.

"What are you doing?"

Allen hesitated before looking up at his grandmother. "Grandma, do you think we can take a look at the tree?"

Grandma Draceia shook her head. "Impossible. You know how protective Pokémon are over their eggs."

"Just the perimeter, Grandma. I just want to take a quick look," Allen pleaded, tugging at her hand like a restless child.

Her mouth twitched in mild frustration as she glanced at him. For a moment, she considered refusing outright, but then sighed. It was better to satisfy a child's curiosity than to let it fester into reckless impatience.

"Only a quick look, alright?"

"Yes!" Allen nodded eagerly.

With cautious steps, they approached the tree's perimeter, careful not to disturb the nesting site. The ancient tree stood tall, its gnarled bark twisted with age, while many Cherrim, with their two purple petals enclosing their deep pink bodies, rested among the branches. These were Overcast Form Cherrim.

Allen crouched low, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of movement. The air was still, thick with the scent of damp earth and fresh blossoms.

Then—

A faint rustle.

Allen held his breath. Something was there. Without thinking, he dashed toward the sound.

"Allen...?!" Grandma Draceia was startled, but she didn't chase after him.

The other party was running toward the forest, not directly toward the trees, so at least he wasn't disturbing the Cherrim.

"Squeeeekk~!"

His heart skipped a beat, but when he reached the source of the sound, there was nothing. Only silence and... 'what is this?' he thought as his eyes landed on something shiny, buried in the ground.

He bent down, frowning as his fingers brushed against something cold and metallic hidden in the dirt.

A coin, half-buried.

Allen's grip tightened around the coin as he slowly stood, scanning his surroundings.

"Are you there?" he called out.

Silence.

The forest seemed still, the only sound the faint rustling of leaves in the breeze. But despite the quiet, he couldn't shake the eerie sensation that he was being watched.

"Allen, what are you doing?!" Grandma Draceia's voice pierced through the tension, sharp with concern.

Instinctively, Allen slipped the coin into his pocket before turning to face her. "Nothing, Grandma!" he called back, his voice a little too high-pitched to sound completely casual.

"Come here quickly!" Grandma Draceia called again. "It's lunchtime already."

"Yes, Grandma, wait," Allen replied quickly. But before he could turn to walk away, he hesitated.

For a split second, he lowered his voice, eyes drifting back to the shadows between the trees. "I don't mean any harm."

Still, nothing happened. With a sigh, he turned back and left with his grandma, who was already waiting not far away.

The Episode with the Cherrim Farm is Done. Time passed, and life in Celestic Town moved on.

Professor Oak, Professor Rowan, and Professor Magnolia had set up an emergency research tent in the town for their ongoing studies.

Initially, they had planned to travel back and forth between Eterna City and Celestic Town, but they decided against it—after all, Allen was still young, and frequent travel would be too exhausting for him.

A Day at Kindergarten.

School had long since ended, and now Allen and Cynthia were waiting, keeping Caitlin company until her father arrived to pick her up.

Rumble... grumble... A low, rolling sound echoes across the sky, stretching for miles before fading into silence.

Allen's mind was elsewhere, still fixated on the mysterious coin.

"Allen, what are you thinking about?"

Snapped out of his thoughts, he opened his eyes and found Cynthia staring at him curiously. She was gently stroking the egg that would soon hatch into her Gible.

Allen, always straightforward, replied, "I'm thinking about how to make a lot of money in the future."

Cynthis pouted, "Your dream is so boring!"

According to folklore, Roaming Form Gimmighoul are born from coins infused with intense greed, endlessly wandering in search of their treasure chests.

'Wait… is that why I suddenly started thinking about becoming rich?'

Allen himself was taken aback by the thought. It was the first time he had ever felt this way since arriving in the this world. Realization struck like lightning. He jumped up from the bench, his eyes darting around in search of something.

Cynthia and Caitlin, who had been sitting nearby, exchanged glances before looking back at him, their curiosity piqued.

"What's wrong, Allen?" Cynthia asked, tilting her head.

But the other party wasn't listening—he was too busy scanning his surroundings, searching for the owner of that coin.

CRACK! A sudden, violent burst of sound splits the air, followed by a fading growl. At first, it's light—soft droplets tapping against leaves and rooftops.

Tap… tap… tap…After the thunder fades, the sky releases a gentle pitter-patter as raindrops begin to fall.

"Ahh! My Pokémon egg!" Cynthia suddenly exclaimed. "Allen, Caitlin, I need to go home first. Caitlin, do you want to come with me?"

Caitlin shook her head. She had forgotten to bring her house key today, but she had already called her father. He assured her that he was on his way, but with the heavy rain, he was probably taking shelter somewhere. 

"Then what if you come home with me? Your house isn't far from mine!"

Still, Caitlin shook her head, still wanting to wait for her father

Disappointed, Cynthia could only say, "Then I'll go home first, okay? Allen, can you stay with Caitlin until her father arrives?"

Allen waved his hand casually. "Don't worry!"

"Good." Cynthia nodded. After saying that, she quickly hopped onto her bicycle and pedaled away.

"Bye, Caitlin! Allen! I'm going first!"

Not long after Cynthia left, the phone in Caitlin's hand rang. A message appeared on the screen: "Dad might be a bit late. Can you go home on your own with your friend first?"

Caitlin immediately stood up, opening her mouth to call Cynthia back, but her figure had already disappeared into the distance. She let out a sigh of disappointment.

Allen accidentally caught a glimpse of Caitlin's phone screen and saw the message from her father.

He figured the best option was to take her to his house first and have him to pick her up later in his house. So he gave Caitlin a choice, but she didn't respond immediately. Instead, she lowered her head, staying silent.

"If you really don't want to, then I'll just head home first, okay?" Allen said, pretending to turn away.

KRRRA-KOOOM!!!

A blinding flash tore through the dark clouds, followed by an ear-splitting boom. The sound was so powerful it drowned out everything else, leaving only a ringing in their ears.

Just as Allen took a step forward, he felt a small hand clutch the corner of his clothes.

Caitlin, her head still lowered, spoke in a timid, almost pleading voice.

"I don't mind… I… I'll go with you..."

"Good!" Allen grinned as he hopped on and swiftly grabbed his small bicycle, similar to Cynthia's.

The rain had eased into a light drizzle, the fresh scent of wet earth lingering in the air. He skillfully maneuvered the bike, steadying it before glancing at Caitlin.

"Come on, hop on! It'll be faster this way."

Caitlin hesitated, shifting uncomfortably. Still, she carefully climbed onto the back.

"Hold onto my clothes. Aren't you afraid of falling off?" Allen asked.

Caitlin gripped his jacket tightly. Then, in a quiet voice, she broke the silence. "...Thank you."

Allen smirked but kept his eyes on the road. "No problem. Just don't fall off, okay?"

Caitlin tightened her grip ever so slightly.

As the two made their way through the quiet streets of Celestic Town, the storm behind them slowly faded, leaving only the gentle whispers of the rain. They were only halfway home when Allen suddenly hit the brakes, his eyes widening.

The scene before him felt eerily familiar—

The same rain.

The same rolling thunder.

And the same Pokémon standing in the middle of the road.

"..."

"Absol?"

What is it again now?