Chapter 281: Gimmighoul

Chapter 281: GimmighoulThat night, Naoki moved the three oak barrels of fruit wine into the Pokémon Tavern.

As evening approached, Pokémon from the town began gathering at the tavern. Naoki was polishing glasses at the bar, while sister Indeedee, greeted each guest warmly.

"Ai-ye-" (Welcome~)

When two Machamp noticed Naoki behind the bar, they looked surprised.

Naoki gave them a nod and asked, "We've got some new drinks today. Would you like to try them out?"

The Machamp exchanged curious glances.

Naoki then introduced the three barrels of fruit wine he had brought in:

"These are special fruit wines. The barrel on the left is Pecha Berry wine-it's sweet and can cure poisoning."

"The one in the middle is made from Cheri Berries. It has a spicy kick. Just one glass will warm you up on a cold winter night, and it also helps recover from paralysis. So if you've been hit by Stun Spore or an Electric-type's Thunder Wave, this will get you back on your feet."

"The barrel on the right is made from Sitrus Berries. It has a sweet yet tangy taste. Perfect if you're feeling tired-just one glass will quickly restore your strength."

The Machamp looked at each other in awe, clearly intrigued by the effects of these drinks. Seeing their hesitation, Naoki asked, "Had a long day at work?"

The Machamp shook their heads. The heavy snowfall had meant they'd taken the day off to rest.

"Ah, I see." Naoki pulled out two glasses. "Then I'd recommend trying the Cheri Berry wine. This weather is perfect for something with a little heat."

The Machamps gave a nod of approval. Given the long walk between town and the ranch in the cold wind and snow, something to warm up was just what they needed.

Naoki poured each of them a glass of the Cheri Berry wine, and the Machamps slid a coin each across the bar as payment.

After paying, they took their glasses to a nearby table and began to sip.

Naoki watched them with interest.

As soon as they took their first sip, both Machamp's faces turned red almost immediately, a reaction visible to the naked eye. They gasped, feeling the fiery warmth.

"Machamp!" (Spicy! So spicy!)

But just as one of the Machamp commented on the spiciness, he suddenly noticed a wave of warmth spreading through his body, driving away the chill from outside.

The initial spiciness faded, leaving a pleasant warmth in their mouths and a lingering, comfortable heat throughout their bodies.

One of the Machamp looked astonished. "Machamp...!" (My body... I feel so warm!)

Naoki watched with a smile and remarked to sister Indeedee, "Looks like they're getting used to the Cheri Berry wine!"

"Indeedee~" (That's right~)

Just then, Naoki picked up the coin one of the Machamp had placed on the bar as payment. Initially, he thought it was a regular, small-denomination Alliance coin, but upon closer inspection, he realized it wasn't an Alliance coin at all-it was a Gimmighoul coin!

The coin had intricate, ornate patterns engraved on it, making it look valuable and rare. "Is this... gold?" Naoki thought, surprised. "Where did they get this from?" Curious, he asked the Machamp.

One of them, feeling warm and satisfied from the wine, cheerfully explained, "Machamp!" (We found it in the corner of Kelly's storage room.)

"Kelly's storage room?" Naoki quickly thought of the large shed behind the Kelly Workshop.

The Machamp nodded enthusiastically. "Machamp~" (Yep~)

Naoki pondered aloud, "Could this have been passed down by Kelly's ancestors?"

The Machamp caught on to what he meant and quickly shook their heads. "Machamp, Machamp!" (No, it wasn't there before! We only noticed it yesterday. Kelly found them and gave us some to use for the tavern!)

"Interesting..." Naoki mused.

It seemed odd that such coins would suddenly appear. They'd never been seen in the storage room before yesterday.

Then, a thought occurred to Naoki-perhaps a Gimmighoul was involved.

Gimmighoul was known for its fascination with coins. This elusive Pokémon often carried a single gold coin on its back and would hide in obscure places across the Paldea region. Trainers frequently reported seeing it, but it always fled before anyone could catch it.

Could this gold coin be a Gimmighoul's treasure?

Naoki hadn't encountered a Gimmighoul before, so he wasn't entirely sure.

After a moment of thought, he decided to place the coin in a prominent spot on the wine rack.

If it truly belonged to a Gimmighoul, the Pokémon might return to retrieve it.

Just as he was setting up the coin, another Pokémon guest arrived at the tavern.

Naoki set aside his thoughts about the mysterious coin and busied himself helping sister Indeedee, to entertain the Pokémon guests who filled the tavern.

As the evening wore on, one by one, the guests gradually said their goodbyes and left. Naoki closed up the tavern, heading back home with Koraidon and sister Indeedee.

After washing up and preparing for bed, they turned off the lights, and the ranch was soon wrapped in the quiet of the night.

With everything still and silent, a tiny figure, no more than 0.3m tall, crept out from the shadows. It cautiously scanned the room to ensure there was no danger. Then, spotting the tavern, it made its way to the massive wooden door and squeezed through a crack, entering the dark room beyond.

Its gaze immediately locked onto the glinting golden coin left high up on the wine rack. Eyes brightening with excitement, the little creature emitted a gleeful squeak as it scrambled up onto the table and, with a powerful leap, reached the wine rack. Hugging the coin close, it glanced around once more before disappearing back into the shadows, the coin on its back.

The next morning, as Naoki sat down for breakfast, he suddenly remembered the coin he had received from the Machamp. Curious, he finished his meal quickly and headed straight to the

tavern.

Pushing open the door, he looked up at the wine rack-and froze.

The coin was gone.

Wide-eyed, Naoki was certain he had placed it there before closing up the previous night.

Now, though, it had mysteriously vanished.

Realization dawned on him: the Gimmighoul, the treasure-seeking Pokémon, must have returned to retrieve the coin it lost!

At that moment, Teddiursa, who had followed him to the tavern, noticed a trail of tiny footprints in the snow outside.

It let out an excited "Ursa!" to get Naoki's attention.

Turning around, Naoki spotted the line of small footprints leading from outside the ranch all the way to the tavern's door. Strangely, there were no footprints leaving the building. This could only mean one thing: the treasure-seeking Gimmighoul must still be inside the

tavern!

The Gimmighoul in its roaming form isn't too much trouble, but the Gimmighoul in chest form often ends up mistaken for an antique. As a result, it's frequently taken or sold to antique shops by unsuspecting collectors.

Meanwhile, Mew and Teddiursa continued examining the little footprints left in the snow. But Naoki had already deduced who the owner of the footprints was. Clearly, it was a Gimmighoul in its roaming form. Gimmighoul is a fascinating Pokémon, both ecologically and evolutionarily. It is said that Gimmighoul originated from the intense desire of ancient explorers and treasure hunters to gather treasure chests and gold coins back in the days of the Kingdom of Paldea, about 1,500 years ago.

Its evolution is equally unique.

To evolve into Gholdengo, a Gimmighoul must collect 999 Gimmighoul coins-a daunting task. For ordinary trainers, this requirement is nearly impossible, and even for the wealthy, collecting all those Gimmighoul coins would demand an immense effort. Naoki, intrigued by this unique Pokémon, wanted to catch a glimpse of it himself.

He entered the tavern and scanned every corner, but Gimmighoul was nowhere to be found.

Seeing this, Naoki decided to enlist Mew's help.

"Mew, can you use your psychic powers to scan the room? I've got a hunch that something is

hiding in here."

Eager to assist, Mew readily agreed.

"Mew!" it replied, floating up and closing its eyes. Mew released a wave of psychic energy,

creating a transparent ripple that spread through the tavern.

Nothing could hide from Mew's psychic search.

After a moment, Mew opened its eyes and drifted toward the cabinet beneath the bar.

"Mew?" it mewed, as if to say, 'Is it there?'

Naoki hurried over, opening the cabinet door under the watchful eyes of Mew and Teddiursa.

There, hidden in the darkness, was a small figure clutching the gold coin tightly, with half of

its body obscured in shadow. "Wow!" Naoki exclaimed, delighted. "It's really Gimmighoul!"

Mew and Teddiursa gazed curiously at this Pokémon they'd never encountered before. Gimmighoul was startled, dropping the gold coin in its grasp, and immediately turned to flee.

Naoki could only sigh. 'So this is how players end up with Gimmighoul's coins in the games,'

he thought, finally understanding.

As Gimmighoul scurried off, Mew and Teddiursa watched in surprise, unsure what had just happened. Teddiursa even tried to call out, "Ursa!" (Wait!), but it was no use.

Naoki explained, "It's pointless. Gimmighoul's instinct is to escape. Once it decides not to

stick around, it's gone for good."

"Mew..." Mew seemed puzzled by why the Pokémon ran away so quickly. Naoki stepped outside and called after the fleeing Gimmighoul, "Gimmighoul, don't be afraid! We mean you no harm. I won't take your coin-I'll leave it here for you! You're always

welcome to come back and stay at the tavern if you like. But if not, that's fine too; we won't

disturb you anymore!"

Whether Gimmighoul heard him or not, Naoki didn't know. But he left the coin on the shelf,

hoping Gimmighoul might return.

Then, with Koraidon by his side, he headed off to start his daily snow-clearing chores around

the ranch.

Meanwhile, Mew and Teddiursa spent their time playing and exploring around the ranch,

taking a break from their adventures. They planned to relax here for a while before resuming their journey.

Naoki had mentioned that the New Year was fast approaching—a time for family gatherings

in human culture. People would travel from far and wide to reunite with their loved ones, sharing warmth and memories. Teddiursa loved the sound of this festival and decided, along with Mew, to stay until after New Year's before setting off again.

As Naoki and Koraidon continued shoveling snow, Mew and Teddiursa wandered into the

glass greenhouse to explore.

Inside, they encountered a gentle-looking Pokémon with a large head and kind eyes.

This was Calyrex, the King of Bountiful Harvests. The previous day, he hadn't been at the

ranch; he had ridden his spectral steed to the mountains to pay respects to Pokémon who had passed, offering prayers for their peace.

Because of this, Mew and Teddiursa hadn't yet met Calyrex.

When the King of Bountiful Harvests saw the two little Pokémon, he was initially a bit

surprised but then smiled warmly at them.

"I am Calyrex, the King of Bountiful Harvests, a friend of Naoki's. It's a pleasure to meet you

both."

"Ursa?" Teddiursa blinked and tilted its head, curiously studying the Pokémon before it.

Meanwhile, Mew sensed a familiar aura, similar to that of the World Tree, emanating from Calyrex.

It understood instantly. "Mew!" (You're the one nurturing the World Tree!) Calyrex looked slightly surprised, clearly not expecting the small Pokémon to recognize his

connection to the World Tree. He nodded gently. "Yes, indeed. The World Tree is a source of

life, and I am honored to contribute to its growth and vitality." Teddiursa's eyes went wide with admiration. "Ursa!" (That's amazing!)

Mew's eyes sparkled with joy as it grinned. "Mew!" (We'll help, too!) Calyrex smiled, noting Mew's aura and deep, powerful energy. Despite its small and cute

appearance, this Pokémon was clearly very old, one that had existed in the world for countless

years.

Thinking of this, Calyrex raised his hand, summoning a steaming pot of tea and two cups,

inviting Mew and Teddiursa to join him for tea.

"Would you like a cup of tea?"

Mew and Teddiursa blinked, then nodded happily in agreement.

"Ursa-"

"Mew~"

...

Later that afternoon, Naoki made his way to the tavern to check on things.

He opened the cabinet under the bar and was surprised to find the gold coin he'd left there

was gone. Clearly, Gimmighoul had returned to claim its coin.

Naoki wondered if Gimmighoul had heard his invitation to come and go freely.

After a moment of consideration, Naoki asked Mew for help with finding Gimmighoul.

Mew released a wave of psychic energy, scanning the room. After a brief moment, it opened seaʀᴄh thё NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

its eyes and directed its gaze toward a shadowy corner of the tavern.

Naoki whispered, "Is it still here?"

Mew nodded with a soft "Mew!"

Naoki let out a sigh of relief. At least it meant that Gimmighoul had heard his message.

...

This week, I'm sticking with the regular release schedule of 1-2 chapters per day. After putting in a massive amount of time last week to deliver high-quality chapters (all while juggling college and my internship!), I need to pace myself a bit. Hope you all understand!

Also, a massive THANK YOU for pushing this fanfic to #1-you're all amazing! And hey, don't forget to keep those powerstones coming-they're the fuel that keeps this train rolling!

PS: If you're interested, you can support me on Patreon and can read upto chapter 308 @patreon.com/Keepsmiling818

Don't forget to drop those power stones☐☐