A gust of cold wind blew in, and Cynthia shivered as goosebumps instantly rose on her skin.
"Ah—Grandma—" Even her voice trembled.
Professor Carolina felt a lump in her throat and quickly wiped away her tears. Her vision blurred, and she could only wave stiffly. "Cynthia, be good. Come out quickly. Come to Grandma."
Cynthia hugged Eevee tightly, while Chingling sat atop her head. Behind her, Buneary kept its eyes shut, refusing to open them.
From beginning to end, the little bunny had been too frightened to look. This was the first time Buneary had ever experienced something like this since it was born.
Magby, Cherubi, and Buizel returned to their Pokéballs, seeking warmth and rest. Only Eevee, with its little mane fluffed up against the cold, stubbornly refused to go back.
Cynthia didn't mind the extra weight and carefully stepped forward. However, after taking just two steps, she got stuck.
"Throw Eevee first," Allen quickly suggested.
Eevee, understanding the situation, nodded and leaped out of the gap.
Once Eevee was safe, it was Chingling's turn.
The little bell Pokémon, missing its trainer dearly, jingled as it flew straight to Professor Carolina, clinging to her head with teary eyes, refusing to leave.
Cynthia then lay down and crawled through the gap. She had barely made it halfway out when she was suddenly scooped up into a tight embrace.
Professor Carolina bent down and pulled Cynthia into her arms with all her might, rubbing the little girl's face to check if she was cold. When she noticed that Cynthia wasn't shivering but actually giggling, she quickly switched tactics.
Before Cynthia could react, Professor Carolina plopped right down in the snow and, with the strength of a grandmother who had chased after toddlers her whole life, flipped her over like a pancake.
As Cynthia wiggled in protest, Professor Carolina's patience finally reached its limit. With the speed and precision of a grandmother who had raised multiple generations of troublemakers, she lifted her hand and—
"Oh, Carolina! Don't!" Grandpa Drayton saw what was coming and quickly rushed over, trying to snatch the little girl away.
Alas... he was too late.
"W-Wait, Grandma—?!"
The sound echoed through the snow-covered landscape.
Chingling instantly stopped its little mischievous jingling, freezing in mid-air like a guilty child caught in the act.
Buneary and Eevee, who had been fidgeting moments ago, immediately sat upright on the ground, still as statues—like obedient students who had just been caught by a strict teacher.
"EEEEEEEEK—!" Cynthia shrieked, sprawled belly-down across her grandmother's lap, her legs dangling off one side while her arms flailed on the other.
"That's for scaring me half to death!" Professor Carolina scolded, raising her hand again.
"WAIT—!!" Cynthia tried to twist around, but—
SMACK!
"That's for... that's for..." Professor Carolina stuttered.
Cynthia wanted to protest, but suddenly, she didn't dare. Or to be exact—she simply couldn't.
Her body stiffened. Because she had made her grandma cry.
She finally understood that she had caused trouble.
"You're killing your grandma!!!" Professor Carolina cried, hugging Cynthia as she broke down in tears.
It was as if she had been thrust back to that devastating day—the day she lost her daughter, or Cynthia's late mother. Cruel, unbearable, and crushing her like shattered glass. And now, that same terror clawed at her once more— the fear of losing the last piece of her precious child.
Finally, finally—
"Why did you run?! Why?!" Professor Carolina cried uncontrollably. Her tense heart, which had been strung tight for more than an hour, suddenly broke at this moment.
"Grandma…" Cynthia was truly frightened. She had been holding back her tears for a long time, but now they finally flowed out. "I was wrong… Cynthia was wrong…"
"Cynthia—my child!"
The grandmother and granddaughter hugged each other, crying bitterly.
Allen, watching this emotional reunion, let out a sigh—only to suddenly shudder uncontrollably.
A cold chill ran down his spine, and it wasn't from the snow. Slowly, very slowly, he turned around.
There she was.
His grandmother.
Holding a feather duster.
Allen's soul nearly left his body. 'Oh no.'
His previous life flashed before his eyes.
When he was still at Harvard, Allen had friends from various ethnicities and countries, including Asians. And now, he finally understood—those old legends weren't just jokes.
The Flying Slipper Technique – You never see it thrown. You just feel it hit. Precision: 100%.
The Feather Duster of Doom – It's not for dusting. It's for justice.
The "I Gave Birth to You" Argument – No matter what you say, she wins. Instant KO.
The Wi-Fi Password Ransom – "Finish your homework first." Suddenly, you're the most motivated student alive.
The Death Glare™ – No words. Just one look. And your whole life flashes before your eyes.
The "Eat More" Paradox – Calls you fat. Feeds you more.
Now, he finally understood why they were all so afraid of their moms.
'No words needed. Just one glare that makes you rethink all your life choices.'
However, what shocked him the most was his grandma's sheer determination—even bringing a feather duster all the way here.
That could only mean one thing: this was premeditated. Carefully. Thoroughly. Mercilessly.
So, he just raised his hands in surrender, accepting his fate like a man who knew resistance was futile.
There was no escape. Only dust and discipline awaited him.
Cynthia had already stopped crying the moment Grandma Dracelia's art of grandparenting began. She sniffled, wiped her tears, and slowly turned her head to watch—like an audience settling in for a good show.
She then looked at her grandma with red, teary eyes and suddenly remembered. Stretching out her little hand, she pointed at the gap she had crawled out of. "Grandma Wilma and an uncle are still in there!"
With that, everyone worked together to free Grandma Wilma. The hole was definitely too small for her, so they had to focus on clearing the snow wall at the entrance.
Thankfully, the snowstorm had already subsided, and with the combined efforts of Slugma, Growlithe, and Arcanine, the ice and snow melted quickly.
Just as they were about to enter the cave, a Pokémon suddenly appeared out of nowhere, shocking everyone to their core.
"Absol!!"
"How could an Absol be here?!"
"Could it be related to the snowstorm?"
Everyone's thoughts raced with possibilities, fear beginning to creep in.
"Everyone, form up!" Officer Jenny commanded, keeping her composure despite the unexpected appearance of the ominous Pokémon. She wasn't about to let Absol intimidate her, but she also wasn't taking any chances.
"Form up, now!"
"Growlithe, come here."
"Arcanine, take position."
"Awoooooooo~"
"Arf! Arf!"
With that, the police officers swiftly assumed their formation, ready to defend themselves if Absol made any hostile moves.
"Aaaaaaaahhhhh, help!"
Before anyone could make a move, Allen screamed, instantly grabbing the attention of everyone—people and Pokémon alike.
Absol's deep gaze lingered on Allen for a moment before, taking advantage of the distraction, it leaped away just as everyone's focus shifted elsewhere.
---
P.S.: Just one more chapter before we move on to Volume 2!
I think I need to clarify something first. The focus of the first volume is on Allen and Cynthia because they need to strengthen their bond. Allen will become Cynthia's sponsor to help her rise as a champion—not just in the league, but also in her fight against Team Galactic, and even after Cynthia joins Interpol. In short, Cynthia fights, and Allen thinks.
And it's not just about Cynthia. What if I include a character like Tobias? What if Allen also sponsored him? Or possibly assign a task to him, like being his bodyguard or even doing a mission together?
Honestly, when I first came up with this story, I didn't really consider including Tobias too much, as his presence in the anime is brief, and there's limited data to work with.
But if you'd like Tobias to be part of Allen's roster, just let me know so I can weave him into the story from the start!