As Pidove fumed over its stolen berries, a thunderous roar split the air and a massive Dragon-type Pokémon appeared in the sky.
The creature gently flapped its wings, and though it merely gazed at Pidove, its presence alone struck terror into the small bird's heart.
"It's... it's... it's Charizard! Since when was there a Charizard in this forest?"
Forgetting all about the stolen berries, Pidove turned tail to flee.
But Charizard, eyeing what seemed like a tasty morsel, let out another roar and gave chase.
With the predator closing in, Pidove poured every ounce of strength into its desperate flight.
"Roar~"
Charizard lunged forward with open jaws, attempting to Crunch its prey.
Drawing on its well-practiced escape skills, Pidove used Tailwind to boost its speed, then executed a swift Gust-powered turn, barely dodging the attack.
Though surprised by the little bird's agility, Charizard hadn't given up — this plump, round morsel looked far too delicious.
Pidove transformed into a white shooting star as it unleashed Quick Attack to dart away.
Charizard pursued relentlessly, claws raised to strike. In response, Pidove used Double Team, its form splitting first into two images, then four, successfully confusing its pursuer.
Growing frustrated, Charizard opened its mouth as a fireball began to form.
Pidove's keen instincts sensed the approaching danger, and it instinctively dove downward.
At that moment, Charizard unleashed a stream of fire that swept through the air, instantly destroying Pidove's Double Team copies. Though the real Pidove managed to avoid disaster thanks to its keen instincts, it didn't escape unscathed — the flames grazed its tail, singeing the feathers.
"Coo coo coo~"
Pidove screamed as it fled for its life.
Charizard's eyes gleamed with renewed interest — this Pidove was proving entertaining! The chase wasn't over yet.
Little one, you've caught my attention!
The dragon charged up another Flamethrower, releasing an even larger stream of fire. This time, Pidove wasn't so fortunate and became engulfed in the raging flames.
Charizard watched the center of the inferno, already anticipating the taste of roasted bird.
But suddenly, a figure burst from the sea of flames — it was Pidove!
Though its body was wrapped in flames and its feathers blackened, it flapped its wings desperately, fighting with all its might to survive.
What an incredible will to live! Even Charizard was shocked by the bird's tenacity.
It watched quietly as Pidove disappeared into the distance, making no move to pursue.
"Oh well, I'll eat something else today!"
Charizard turned away and, spotting an Arbok nearby, swooped down to swallow it whole.
Hmm~ Arbok tastes a bit fishy.
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Pidove continued flapping its wings frantically, driven by a single desperate thought — fly, just fly! This was its only chance at survival.
It didn't want to die — not after trying so hard. Why shouldn't it be allowed to live? This fierce will to survive drove it onward as it flew farther and farther away.
The searing pain throughout its body made its flight slower and slower until finally, it reached its limit, plummeting down onto a black, angular stone.
The stone, similar in size to Pidove itself, rested quietly in a deep hole, glinting in the sunlight.
As Pidove's life force ebbed away, the stone suddenly began emitting a light that gradually enveloped it.
A miracle unfolded — in the light, Pidove's burnt feathers fell away while new ones quickly grew in their place, and its burned skin steadily healed.
When the light finally faded, the bird emerged transformed. Its injuries had vanished completely, its heartbeat strong and steady, with no trace of its near-death experience.
Pidove slept through the night on the stone, dreaming of an endless starry sky where it could fly freely without fear of predators.
Above its head floated a giant eye with a gentle gaze.
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When the first rays of morning sunlight appeared, Pidove slowly opened its eyes.
Pidove: (´⊙ω⊙`)! I'm not dead?
It spun around joyfully, discovering that its injuries had vanished completely — as if yesterday's encounter with Charizard had been merely a dream.
Yet the physical pain and terror had felt all too real.
"Coo coo coo~~"
Pidove gazed down at the stone beneath its feet. Was it you who saved me?
The stone remained silent. After a moment's thought, Pidove lay down upon it, sensing what seemed to be a heartbeat.
Thump~ Thump~ Thump~
It was a gentle sound.
Half a day later, Pidove rose from the stone, determination in its eyes as it reached a decision — it would leave this forest.
With powerful and violent Pokémon like Charizard appearing in the forest, it was no longer safe for Pidove to stay. It needed to leave quickly.
Of course, it would take its lifesaving stone with it!
Gathering some vines, Pidove secured the stone to its back, took one final look at its birth forest, and departed without looking back.
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Cole woke up to see a light drizzle outside again, and his mood instantly soured.
Rain again? Will it ever end?
Just then, Alfred called.
"Hello, Brother Alfred, what's the matter?" Cole asked.
[Weren't you worried about the weather lately? I know a place that might help solve your troubles,] Alfred said.
"Really?" Cole perked up, "Where is it?"
[You'll see when you get there.]
Alfred gave him an address — another friend he had made, proving once again his networking prowess.
Since the continuous rain had prevented him from working, Cole decided to check out the place immediately.
He had hoped Daisy would accompany him, but his mom wasn't home despite the rain, so he set out with just Brionne and the others.
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The place Alfred recommended was also in the East District. After a thirty-minute light rail ride, Cole arrived at a verdant lake.
A villa stood on the opposite shore. To his amazement, the moment he entered the lake area, the rain vanished completely — replaced by brilliant sunshine overhead.
It felt like stepping into another dimension, with entirely different weather.
Cole soon discovered why. The villa was perched on a hillside, surrounded by grassland that shimmered like a golden sea. Looking closer, he realized it was filled with Sunflora.
Countless Sunkern lounged on the villa's roof, basking in the sunlight.
Cole estimated there must be at least a thousand Sunflora and Sunkern combined.
These Pokémon were relatively easy to care for, possessing the ability to convert sunlight directly into nutrients while they sunbathed.
More importantly, when gathered in large numbers, they could naturally dispel rain and maintain sunny weather.
This explained why the rain had ceased when Cole entered the area — and why Alfred had suggested this place.
Though Sunflora and Sunkern were low-maintenance, amassing such a collection was no small feat. Whoever owned this place was remarkable.
As Cole walked along the lakeshore toward the villa, he spotted an elderly couple spread out on a picnic blanket. They were the property owners and caretakers of all these Pokémon.
The couple looked surprised to see him.
Cole approached them politely, "Hello, Grandpa and Grandma."
The elderly woman gave him a warm smile, "Hello, child. What brings you here?"
Cole explained, "My brother Alfred recommended this place to me."
The elderly woman's eyes lit up with recognition, "Oh, so you're the child Alfred mentioned! I didn't expect you'd come so soon."
Clearly, Alfred had already informed the elderly couple about Cole's visit.
The elderly man's eyesight wasn't very good. Hearing his wife's words, he put on his reading glasses and carefully examined Cole before declaring, "He's a good young man."
It turned out that Alfred's original connection wasn't with the elderly couple themselves, but with their grandson.
Their grandson, busy with his business affairs, rarely returned to Kalos, leaving the elderly couple alone at home. Though he wanted them to live with him, they refused to leave Kalos — especially their beloved Coumarine.
After learning of their situation, Alfred began visiting the elderly couple regularly, chatting with them and helping however he could. Over time, his relationship with them grew even closer than their grandson's.
So when they heard about Alfred's brother struggling with rainy weather, they eagerly offered to help — which is why Alfred sent Cole here.
"Child, would you like to sit down and have something to eat?" The elderly woman asked, patting the spot beside her.
"Yes, sit down and eat something, since you've come all this way." The elderly man added.
When elders offer hospitality, one shouldn't refuse.
"Then I won't be polite." Cole replied.
"No need to be polite, no need." The elderly woman said with a smile, "Take whatever you'd like to eat — we two old folks can't finish all this anyway."
Through their conversation, Cole learned their names were Hazel and Grove, and they asked him to call them Grandma Hazel and Grandpa Grove.
Though both in their eighties, the couple appeared remarkably healthy. With the Sunflora around, there was no need to worry about their well-being.
Their grandson had suggested hiring a caretaker for them, but they had refused. They had lived together and taken care of each other their whole lives, and didn't want any outsiders around.
Hazel and Grove's cooking skills were excellent. Though simple, their dishes had a homey taste that even Buneary and Hatterene's current cooking couldn't match.
The food had something special that even Siebold's cooking lacked.
All in all, Cole had a very satisfying meal.
"If you want to disperse the rainy weather around your orchard, it's simple. When you leave, you can take some Sunflora from us." Grove said after they had finished eating.
This had been Cole's original plan, but after the meal, he changed his mind.
Rather than borrowing someone else's Pokémon, he decided to raise his own group of Sunflora.
Sunlight was crucial for berries to grow and ripen. With his own group of Sunflora, he could ensure his orchard had sufficient sunlight whenever needed.
As long as it wasn't abnormal weather caused by legendary Pokémon like Zapdos or Thundurus, the Sunflora could easily handle it.
When he asked the elderly couple where he could obtain Sunflora, Grove asked in surprise, "You want to raise Sunflora?"
Cole nodded, "Yes, I run an orchard that needs specific amounts of sunlight. Rather than asking others for help, I might as well raise my own group."
Hazel nodded in agreement, "That's true, it would be more convenient to raise your own."
She looked at Grove, and seeing him nod, smiled and continued.
"If you really want them, we can give you a group of Sunflora and Sunkern."
Hearing this, Cole asked excitedly, "Really?"
"Of course. We're getting on in years now, and it's becoming difficult to care for so many Sunflora and Sunkern. If you can treat them well, we don't mind giving you some."
Although they were easy to raise, the sheer number was still significant.
Hazel and Grove were both in their eighties now. Even if Cole hadn't brought it up today, they would have eventually needed to find someone to take care of the Sunflora and Sunkern.
Cole promised the elderly couple, "Please don't worry, I will definitely take good care of the Sunflora and Sunkern."
Grove smiled, "You're Alfred's brother, of course we trust you."
Alfred was indeed someone everyone trusted deeply.
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