That night, Naoki moved the three oak barrels of fruit wio the Pokémon Tavern.

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

  "Ai-ye~" (Wele~)

  When two Machamp notiaoki 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 exged curious gnces.

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

  "These are special fruit wihe barrel on the left is Pecha Berry wi's sweet and cure poisoning."

  "The one in the middle is made from Cheri Berries. It has a spicy kick. Just one gss 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 aric-type's Thunder Wave, this will get you ba 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 gss 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 gsses. "Then I'd reend trying the Cheri Berry wihis weather is perfect for something with a little heat."

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

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

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

  Naoki watched them with i.

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

  "Machamp!" (Spicy! So spicy!)

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

  The initial spiess faded, leaving a pleasant warmth in their mouths and a lingering, fortable 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 one of the Machamp had pced on the bar as payment. Initially, he thought it was a regur, small-denomination Alliance , but upon closer iion, he realized it wasn't an Alliance at all—it was a Gimmighoul !

  The had intricate, orterns 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 expined, "Machamp!" (We found it in the er of Kelly's ste room.)

  "Kelly's ste room?" Naoki quickly thought of the rge shed behind the Kelly Workshop.

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

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

  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!)

  "Iing…" Naoki mused.

  It seemed odd that such s would suddenly appear. They'd never been seen ie room before yesterday.

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

  Gimmighoul was known for its fasation with s. This elusive Pokémon often carried a single gold on its bad would hide in obscure pces across the Paldea region. Trainers frequently reported seeing it, but it always fled before anyone could catch it.

  Could this gold be a Gimmighoul's treasure?

  Naoki hadn't entered a Gimmighoul before, so he wasirely sure.

  After a moment of thought, he decided to pce the in a promi spot on the wine rack. If it truly beloo a Gimmighoul, the Pokémon might return to retrieve it.

  Just as he was setting up the , another Pokémo arrived at the tavern.

  Naoki set aside his thoughts about the mysterious and busied himself helping sister Indeedee, to eain the Pokémos who filled the tavern.

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

  After washing up and preparing for bed, they turned off the lights, and the ranch was soon ed 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 sed the room to ehere was no dahen, 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 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 close, it gnced around once more before disappearing bato the shadows, the on its back.

  ---

  The m, as Naoki sat down for breakfast, he suddenly remembered the 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 rad froze.

  The was gone.

  Wide-eyed, Naoki was certain he had pced 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 returo retrieve the 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 aed "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 meahing: the treasure-seeking Gimmighoul must still be ihe tavern!

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

  Meanwhile, Mew and Teddiursa tinued 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 fimmighoul is a fasating Pokémon, both ecologically and evolutionarily. It is said that Gimmighoul inated from the intense desire of a explorers and treasure huo gather treasure chests and gold s ba 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 s—a daunting task. For ordinary trainers, this requirement is nearly impossible, and even for the wealthy, colleg all those Gimmighoul s would demand an immense effort.

  Naoki, intrigued by this unique Pokémon, wao catch a glimpse of it himself.

  He ehe tavern and sed every er, but Gimmighoul was o be found.

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

  "Mew, you use your psychic powers to s 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 psychiergy, creating a transparent ripple that spread through the tavern.

  Nothing could hide from Mew's psychic search.

  After a moment, Mew opes eyes and drifted toward the et beh the bar.

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

  Naoki hurried over, opening the et door uhe watchful eyes of Mew and Teddiursa.

  There, hidden in the darkness, was a small figure clutg the gold tightly, with half of its body obscured in shadow.

  "Wow!" Naoki excimed, delighted. "It's really Gimmighoul!"

  Mew and Teddiursa gazed curiously at this Pokémon they'd never entered before.

  Gimmighoul was startled, dropping the gold in its grasp, and immediately turo flee.

  Naoki could only sigh. 'So this is how pyers end up with Gimmighoul's s in the games,' he thought, finally uanding.

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

  Naoki expined, "It's pointless. Gimmighoul's instinct is to escape. O decides not to stick around, it's gone food."

  "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 —I'll leave it here for you! You're always wele to e bad stay at the tavern if you like. But if not, that's fioo; we won't disturb you anymore!"

  Whether Gimmighoul heard him or not, Naoki didn't know. But he left the 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 pying and expl around the ranch, taking a break from their advehey po rex here for a while before resuming their journey.

  Naoki had mentiohat the New Year was fast approag—a time for family gatherings in human culture. People would travel from far and wide to reuh 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 tinued shoveling snow, Mew and Teddiursa wandered into the gss greenhouse to explore.

  Ihey entered a gentle-looking Pokémon with a rge 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, 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, simir to that of the World Tree, emanating from Calyrex.

  It uood instantly. "Mew!" (You're the one nurturing the World Tree!)

  Calyrex looked slightly surprised, clearly not expeg the small Pokémon tnize his e to the World Tree. He nodded gently. "Yes, ihe World Tree is a source of life, and I am hoo tribute 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 appearahis Pokémon was clearly very old, ohat had existed in the world for tless 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 blihen nodded happily in agreement.

  "Ursa~"

  "Mew~"

  ...

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

  He opehe et uhe bar and was surprised to find the gold he'd left there was gone. Clearly, Gimmighoul had returo cim its .

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

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

  Mew released a wave of psychiergy, sing the room. After a brief moment, it opes eyes and directed its gaze toward a shadowy er 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.