Chapter 66 ⇾ Floette and Flabébé Join
Cole initially didn't take Buneary's secret seriously, only discovering its true power by chance later.
He had grown fond of the hardworking bunny and gave it a special place in the household, letting it share a room with Helioptile and join everyone for meals.
Daisy, Brionne, and the others came to appreciate Buneary's talent for keeping the house spotless. While they had helped Cole with housework before, the chores had always been exhausting. Now, with Buneary taking charge, everyone was delighted.
After breakfast, Daisy headed off for her usual sparring session with Captain Talonflame, while Cole took his Pokémon to inspect the orchard.
Chikorita bounced along behind him, exploring the orchard with endless curiosity. It gathered flowers and plucked grass, eagerly presenting each find to Cole.
Cole treasured every gift, treating each one with genuine appreciation. This only encouraged the little Pokémon to show even more affection.
Watching their closeness, Brionne grew uneasy. But before its jealousy could turn to anger, Chikorita spotted it watching and called out cheerfully.
"Chiko~ Chiko~"
Chikorita rushed to Brionne's side, nuzzling against it with even more enthusiasm than it had shown Cole.
A special fragrance wafted from Chikorita, and as Brionne breathed in the fresh scent, it felt a wave of calm wash over it.
Brionne: (⇀‸↼‶)
Under the soothing influence of the fragrance, its jealousy melted away.
This little one...
When Cole returned to check on the Flabébé, he knocked and entered, surprised to find Floette already awake.
Floette, seeing him for the first time since regaining consciousness, was equally surprised.
After learning from the Flabébé how Cole had helped them, Floette exchanged greetings and formally expressed its gratitude.
"Floe~ Floe~" — Human, thank you for saving me and my companions.
Unlike the innocent and pure Flabébé, Floette carried itself with wisdom and maturity. Suspecting Cole's help wasn't entirely altruistic, it asked directly:
"Floe~ Floe~" — Human, if you need our help with anything, please tell us. We'll do our best to assist.
Cole hadn't expected such directness from Floette. He had planned to win them over gradually, and judging by the Flabébé's reactions, this approach was working.
But with Floette, their leader, now awake, the gradual approach seemed futile. After consideration, he decided to be equally direct.
"Since you know I run an orchard, and given your unique talents with plants and trees, I'd like to invite you all to stay and help me."
Floette glanced at its companions, deep in thought. Though grateful for Cole saving their lives, staying here...
Noticing its hesitation, Cole continued, "You would be like employees here. I'll provide food and lodging, and won't make unreasonable demands. More importantly, I can help all of you evolve into Florges."
While the initial conditions only mildly interested Floette, the evolution promise caught its attention. In the wild, Floette rarely evolved, and it had never seen a Florges.
The offer was irresistible.
"Floe~ Floe~" — Can you truly guarantee our evolution into Florges?
It eyed Cole skeptically.
A Floette needs a Shiny Stone to evolve into Florges. While rare, these stones can be purchased — their price depending on purity level.
Of course, stones matching Cole's Water Stone's purity weren't available commercially.
After further contemplation, Floette turned to its companions, "What do you all think?"
"Flabébé~ Flabébé~" — We'll follow your decision.
"Flabébé~" — Yes, whatever you choose.
"Flabébé~ Fla~ Flabé~" — We'll go wherever big sister goes.
...
The Flabébé voiced their thoughts in perfect unity — they would follow Floette's lead.
Floette looked at Cole once more, noticed his hopeful expression, and slowly nodded.
The chance to evolve into Florges made staying worthwhile. Plus, the Flabébé had mentioned Cole was raised by a Gardevoir — surely that made him trustworthy!
At Floette's agreement, Cole's face brightened with joy. He leaped up, shouting, "That's wonderful!"
His enthusiastic outburst startled both Floette and the Flabébé.
After Cole calmed down, he smiled sheepishly and said, "Sorry, I got a bit too excited there."
His genuine enthusiasm endeared him even more to the Pokémon, who thought: He must really like us — he must be a good person!
"Floette, Flabébé, please take care of me from now on!" Cole extended his hand to them.
Floette placed its tiny hand in his palm, and the Flabébé quickly gathered around, adding their hands to his. A warm sense of harmony filled the room.
"Welcome to Mt. Ascendant." Cole said, "Make yourselves at home while you recover. If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to ask."
Having achieved his goal, he left to let Floette rest, giving a few final instructions before departing.
As he stepped outside, even the sunlight seemed brighter than before.
What Cole didn't know was that Chikorita had wandered into the Flabébé's room shortly after. Upon discovering so many new friends, it became overjoyed.
In its excitement, Chikorita wanted to give its leaves as welcome gifts. However, with twelve Pokémon including Floette and the Flabébé, it didn't have nearly enough leaves to go around.
After giving away just four leaves, it collapsed dramatically on the ground, twitching from exhaustion.
Chikorita: ༼ ༎ຶ Д ༎ຶ༽ Ahhh...
Alarmed by its condition, the others quickly brought it to Cole. A quick sip of berry juice restored its energy.
Watching Chikorita bounce around once again, Cole could only shake his head helplessly.
✲✲✲
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