After they finished washing up, they turned off the room lights and went to bed.
When all the lights in the ranch were out and everything returned to silence, a tiny figure, only ten centimeters tall, emerged from the shadows.
It cautiously surveyed its surroundings, and only after ensuring there was no danger did it approach the large wooden door of the cabin.
It bent down to slip through the door crack into the darkness of the room, immediately spotting the gleaming gold coin placed high on the wine rack.
"Ding!"
This Pokemon let out a joyful growl and then painstakingly climbed onto the table, leaped upward, and landed on the wine rack.
It hoisted the coin onto its back and, after looking around, vanished into the darkness.
*
Early the next morning, while having breakfast, Naoki suddenly remembered the coin he received from Machamp yesterday.
After breakfast, he hurried to the tavern.
He pushed open the door and looked towards the now-empty wine rack.
Gone!
The coin is gone!
Naoki widened his eyes, distinctly recalling placing the coin there when he closed up last night!
And now...
It must have been that Gimmighoul who took it away!
Just then, the Mew and Teddiursa accompanying him noticed a set of tiny footprints in the snow.
They quickly called Naoki over, "Imma!"
Naoki turned around and noticed a trail of tiny footprints leading from the pasture to where he stood.
The prints indicated someone had entered the tavern but left no footprints upon exit.
This means the Gimmighoul must still be inside the tavern!
"Just as I thought!"
Gimmighoul, whether in chest form or roaming form, loves lurking in warehouse or item shop corners where it's less likely to encounter people or Pokemon.
Roaming form Gimmighoul is manageable, but chest form Gimmighoul is often mistaken for an antique, leading people to take or sell it to antique shops.
Mew and Teddiursa continued examining the footprints.
Meanwhile, Naoki deciphered who left them.
Clearly, it's a roaming form Gimmighoul.
Speaking of Gimmighoul, it's an exceptionally unique Pokemon in terms of both ecology and evolution.
They came into being about 1500 years ago during the kingdom era, born from the fervor of ancient explorers and treasure hunters embedding coins in chests.
Its evolution method is equally distinctive.
To evolve into Gholdengo, one must collect 999 ancient gold coins from the Paldea Kingdom.
Those 999 ancient coins create such a harsh evolution condition that most find it impossible; even the wealthy find the task arduously demanding.
Curious at heart, Naoki wanted to see this special Pokemon, Gimmighoul.
He stepped into the tavern, scrutinizing every corner, but saw no trace of Gimmighoul.
Thereupon, Naoki sought Mew's Helping Hand.
"Mewtwo, can you use your Psychic powers to help me scan the room? I have a hunch there's an unfamiliar presence hiding here."
Hearing this, the helpful Mew readily obliged.
"Miu!"
It flew around the tavern, closed its eyes, and emanated a Psychic Mind Wave from within.
Next, transparent ripples undulated throughout the air.
Mew's Psychic ability enveloped the entire tavern,
leaving nothing imperceptible under its insight.
Moments later, Mew opened its eyes, flipped around, and flew toward the cupboard under the counter.
"Miu?"
In there?
Naoki instantly stepped forward, gingerly opening the cupboard door under Mew and Teddiursa's watchful eyes.
Inside, they saw a small figure, a Pokemon tightly clutching the coin, half-hidden within the darkness.
"Wow!" It's really a Gimmighoul!
Naoki's eyes lit up instantly.
Mew and Teddiursa, too, looked at this previously unseen Pokemon with curiosity.
In contrast, the Gimmighoul appeared panicked.
Startled, it dropped the coin and attempted to flee.
Naoki: "..."
Now he finally understood how players in the game obtained their coins.
Seeing Gimmighoul flee, both Teddiursa and Mew were similarly startled.
They looked puzzled at Gimmighoul, and Teddiursa even tried to call after it, "Imma!"
Alas, to no avail.
Naoki: "...It's useless; Gimmighoul's ability is Run Away. If it doesn't want to get caught, it'll definitely escape."
"Miu..."
Mew seemed puzzled as to why this Pokemon would flee.
Meanwhile, Naoki had already dashed out the door, shouting,
"Gimmighoul, you don't need to be afraid. We mean no harm! I won't take your coin; it'll stay right here! You're welcome to come back anytime to get it, and you're more than welcome to stay in the tavern if you'd like. If not, we won't bother you any further!"
Naoki wasn't sure if Gimmighoul heard him, but after returning the coin to its place, he joined Koraidon in shoveling today's snow.
Meanwhile, Mew and Teddiursa began playing in the pasture.
They decided to rest a while at the ranch before resuming their adventures.
Naoki mentioned that the New Year was approaching.
For humans, it's a time for family gatherings when everyone returns home to reunite with family.
Teddiursa loved such holidays and decided with Mew to continue their expedition after the New Year.
As Naoki and Koraidon worked, Mew and Teddiursa ventured into the Glass Greenhouse for exploration.
There, they encountered a Pokemon with a large head and an affectionate gaze.
Yesterday, Calyrex was absent from the ranch, riding Spectrier to the rear mountain to pray for the souls of departed Pokemon to find peace.
Thus, Teddiursa and Mew hadn't met Calyrex yet.
Upon seeing these two, Calyrex was initially surprised, then smiled at them.
"I am Calyrex, a friend of Naoki's, very pleased to meet you."
"Imma?" Teddiursa blinked, tilting its head with a curious gaze at the Pokemon in front.
On the other hand, Mew sensed a hint of the World Tree from the Pokemon before it.
It instantly understood: "Miu" (Did you nurture the World Tree!)
At this, Calyrex was somewhat astonished, not expecting the small Pokemon to notice.
Calyrex nodded slightly, "Indeed, I did. The World Tree is the source of life. I am privileged to assist in its growth."
Teddiursa was amazed: "Imma!" (So awesome!)
Mew's eyes widened, then a joyful grin spread across its face, "Miu!" (We'll help too!)
Calyrex smiled gently. Just as Mew could sense its power, it could sense the ancient, vibrant energy emanating from the Pokemon before it.
This Pokemon named Mew was clearly not as weak as its small, adorable exterior suggested.
Quite the contrary, it was an ancient Pokemon, a long-lived presence in this world.
With this in mind, Calyrex called upon Polteageist and Sinistea, extending a tea party invitation to Teddiursa and Mew.
"Would you like a cup of tea?"
Mew and Teddiursa blinked, then cheerfully accepted.
"Imma~"
"Miu~"
*
In the afternoon, Naoki took a moment to visit the tavern.
He opened the cupboard under the counter, only to find the ancient coin he left there had vanished without a trace.
Evidently, Gimmighoul had returned and taken the coin away.
Whether it heard what I said earlier...
With a brief thought, Naoki again sought Mew's help for a scan.
Mew once again unleashed its Psychic powers.
Moments later, it reopened its eyes, this time focusing on a more hidden corner.
Naoki quietly asked, "Is it still there?"
Mew nodded: "Miu!"
Naoki finally exhaled a sigh of relief, relieved it was still there.
This at least meant Gimmighoul heard what he said earlier.