"What are you two whispering about so secretively?"
Lucas looked at the Gengar floating over and asked.
"Gen gar—"
Nothing.
Gengar shook its head.
"Alright then."
Lucas folded up the parasol and lay down on a lounge chair in the backyard.
Too bad it couldn't rock.
Thinking of this, Lucas decided to buy a rocking chair online tomorrow, the kind that could rock back and forth. He'd lie on the chair, gently swaying, just relaxing in the backyard, watching the Pokémon play. He'd have a tea table next to him, with a few cups of tea poured, and a Petilil or Vulpix in his arms.
Hiss... I can't resist.
Lucas immediately pulled out his phone and picked a highly-rated rocking chair.
"Gen gar?"
What are you doing? Buying something? You're also buying things online, and you have the nerve to lecture me?
Gengar finally caught him online shopping and immediately launched a barrage of questions.
"This is for a good cause!"
Lucas explained with a straight face, his cheeks not reddening, his heart not skipping a beat.
"Gen gar— ¬ _ ¬ ｀ "
Gengar gave Lucas a disdainful look, then left to help Shauna push the swing.
Lucas quietly enjoyed the tranquility of the night. He called out to Vulpix, and Vulpix came to Lucas's side, jumping into his arms and lying down.
Looking at its tail, which was starting to fork, Lucas took out a brush and helped it comb its fur.
Under the moonlight, Dash and Bolt were recounting last night's events to Dash. Vespiquen was organizing the order of the swarm, explaining the rules they needed to follow to survive in the Breeding House. She emphasized that if they encountered a certain purple fatty, they must turn and leave without hesitation. This was the first and most important rule she taught the swarm.
Mime Jr., Shauna, Petilil, and Chingling sat on the swing, with Gengar standing behind them, pushing it.
He, meanwhile, held Vulpix and quietly lay there, watching the stars.
Lucas couldn't help but sigh. Whose dream was this, anyway?
Later, back in his room, Lucas lay on his bed, noting down everything that had happened recently and his future plans for the Breeding House.
Gengar sat beside him, scrolling through battle videos on its phone.
"Gen gar—"
I must strive to become stronger.
Petilil and the others were all in Shauna's room, sleeping with her.
Just then, the windowpane was tapped.
Lucas turned his head to see Vespiquen gently tapping on the glass.
Lucas quickly walked over and opened the balcony door. "What's wrong, Vespiquen? Has something else happened in the forest?"
"Bee."
Vespiquen nodded.
Lucas's heart tightened. Had the Pokémon Hunters returned?
He had just pulled out his phone to notify Jenny when Vespiquen shook her head.
"They haven't returned?"
Vespiquen nodded, then gestured for Lucas to follow her.
Lucas nodded, but then turned to find Gengar had disappeared.
Vespiquen flew into the room, exited through the doorway, and arrived at Shauna's room door.
She gestured for Lucas to call Shauna and the others to come along.
Lucas hesitated for a moment, and only after Vespiquen assured him there was no danger did he reluctantly nod.
"Shauna, Vespiquen seems to be inviting us somewhere. Do you all want to come along?"
"Okay."
Shauna pushed open the door, holding a Petilil in her arms, while Mime Jr. clung to her leg, being dragged along the floor.
"..."
Ignoring their childish antics, Lucas grabbed a jacket for Shauna, then led Shauna, Petilil, and the others behind Vespiquen, downstairs and through the backyard towards the forest.
Gengar had been waiting in the backyard for a long time, with the camera Lucas bought hanging around its neck.
"I was wondering where you went. Turns out you went to get the camera."
Lucas took the camera and hung it around his neck. He had already guessed why Vespiquen wanted to take him to the forest; it was most likely for some Pokémon celebration or something. After all, fairy tales and TV shows always depicted it that way.
Knocking on your windows and doors in the middle of the night, asking you to follow them.
They arrived at the forest entrance and followed Vespiquen deeper inside, treading on the ashes of burned trees, until they reached a Lake.
Some trees around them had been reduced to ash, some were only half-burned, some leaves were curled up, and some were completely unharmed.
There were no other Pokémon around, only Burmy (Forest Cloak), Wormadam (Forest Cloak), Wurmple, Cascoon, Silcoon, and Beautifly, Dustox, and Mothim constantly flying in the air.
"This is... no way?"
Lucas looked at the Burmy (Forest Cloak), Cascoon, and Silcoon gathered around the Lake. He guessed what they were about to do.
Emerging from their cocoons!
Lucas quickly set his camera to video recording mode, aimed it at them, and waited quietly.
As midnight arrived, Chingling, perched on Shauna's head, let out a "Ling Ling" sound.
A Burmy (Forest Cloak) began to glow white, then slowly spread its wings, giving a powerful flap that dispersed the white light, and a beautiful Mothim flew into the air.
Next was another Cascoon, followed by a Silcoon. Here, there, and over there, specks of white light appeared, growing brighter and brighter, until finally, the entire Lake began to glow white.
Emerging from cocoons signifies new life.
In this scarred forest, the Burmy (Forest Cloak), Cascoon, and Silcoon all chose to emerge from their cocoons here. The beautiful light radiating from their evolutions enveloped the entire, heavily damaged forest.
Lucas stood in the middle, turning in every direction, wherever white light appeared, he would turn towards it—here, there, until he was spinning wildly.
He stopped moving and quietly watched the scene before him.
Gengar and the others were also stunned. Shauna, holding Petilil, couldn't help but gasp, "Wow!"
"Wow—it's truly beautiful."
Yes, it was truly beautiful; that was Lucas's first impression too.
He couldn't describe the moment with words. Perhaps only two words would suffice.
Amazing... Emerging from cocoons, becoming butterflies, transforming into moths, new life, the light of evolution, the scarred forest... all merged together to form an unforgettable sight.
Lucas stood there quietly, appearing exceptionally small beneath the large tree in front of him. The surrounding trees silently encircled him. He seemed particularly tiny before the gently rippling Lake, and his heart almost stopped beating.
Bathed in the moonlight overhead, absorbing the essence of the moon, they slowly spread their wings, then, under the gaze of Lucas and the others, flapped them forcefully, dispersing the white light and flying into the air.
More and more Mothim, Beautifly, and Dustox began to fly into the air, continuously flapping their wings under the moonlight. As they flapped, tiny specks of phosphorescent dust fell from their wings.
Beautiful as a painting.
Staravia flapped its wings, blowing away all the phosphorescent dust in front of them.
Some of the phosphorescent dust was poisonous.
Staravia glanced at Lucas.
Vespiquen quietly watched the Beautifly flying in the air, white light appearing on her claws. She glanced at Lucas, then at the surrounding trees, and the white light on her hands began to fade.
Finally, as they left and flew into the distance, Lucas put away his camera. He felt that if he edited this scene into a video and posted it online, it would surely get many likes.
"Thank you, Vespiquen, for letting us witness such a beautiful moment. And Staravia, thank you for helping us fan away the phosphorescent dust."
"Bee."
Vespiquen turned her head away, while Staravia nodded, indicating it was no trouble.
"I just realized Vespiquen is also a tsundere."
Lucas chuckled secretly in his heart. He had seen Vespiquen's actions just now, but she still endured it for him and the entire forest. Normally, she absolutely detested Beautifly.
Because Beautifly liked to steal their honey.
"Let's go, we're going home."
Lucas hung the camera around his neck, took Shauna's hand, and turned to leave.
[Emerging from Cocoons, New Life: ...]
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