He quickly grabbed Cynthia, who was still holding Eevee in her arms.
"Cynthia, help me! Quickly, gather all the Pokémon—every single one—and bring them here. I'll grab their Pokéballs. Hurry!"
"Ah? Allen, why—"
"Hurry up! We don't have much time!!!" he roared before taking off at full speed.
Grandma Wilma, hearing Allen's sudden outburst, frowned. She had just recovered from the blinding light and was about to scold him for yelling, but before she could say anything, both kids had already taken off in opposite directions.
Thinking it was just the kids' usual antics, she initially wanted to warn Allen to be gentler with Cynthia. But then she saw him—not only carrying Pokéballs but also dragging a large suitcase behind him, her eyes widened in shock.
"Allen—"
"Grandma, quick! Something bad is coming! It's not safe here!"
"What are you talking about? You—"
Before Grandma Wilma could finish, the ground trembled beneath them. At first, it was just a faint vibration—like the earth taking a deep breath. But then, a deep, guttural GROOOOAAAAN echoed through the air, and the entire daycare lurched.
"EEEK!" Cynthia yelped, clutching Eevee tightly as the little Pokémon buried its face in her chest, trembling.
"An earthquake?!" Grandma Wilma gasped, but she quickly regained her composure. "Aria!" she called.
The blue, cloud-winged Pokémon cooed softly, gliding swiftly to her side.
"Stay with them. I'll be right back," she instructed before turning to Allen and Cynthia. "You two, get outside. Stay away from the building!"
"But Grandma—!"
"Don't worry, kids. This isn't the first time," she reassured them with a firm nod before hurrying off to gather her things.
Dust rained down from the ceiling as the wooden beams groaned under the strain of the tremors. Allen instinctively turned toward the spot where he had seen the Absol before.
But now, it was gone.
The earthquake quickly subsided. Everything slowly returned to normal.
Cynthia let out a deep sigh of relief, followed by Eevee, who mimicked her with a soft, "Vee~." But while they relaxed, Allen's expression remained tense. The sight of Absol still lingered in his mind, making his stomach twist with unease.
He tried to think. 'Where are we?'
Celestic Town—mountainous terrain, but not directly surrounded by towering peaks. There were no steep cliffs or unstable rock formations nearby, meaning this wasn't the type of place where a rockslide would occur.
'Then what is it…?'
Allen clenched his fists. Absols didn't just appear for no reason. They were called the Disaster Pokémon for a reason.
If one showed itself so close to town, that meant something far worse was coming. His chest tightened. They had to move.
"Cynthia," Allen said suddenly.
"Hm?" She looked up at him, still cradling Eevee in her arms.
"The moment Grandma Wilma comes back, we leave," he stated firmly.
"Eh? But the earthquake is over," Cynthia pouted, glancing outside. The snowfall had become heavier, swirling in thick flurries under the dim evening sky. "And it's snowing a lot… You want to go out in that?"
He didn't like it either, but something about this situation felt wrong. Very wrong. The calm right now—it was the kind of stillness that made his instincts scream at him to run.
Allen stole another glance at the spot where he had seen Absol just minutes ago.
Nothing. It had disappeared without a trace, but the unease it left behind refused to fade.
Then, at last, Grandma Wilma returned, a bag slung over her shoulder. Unlike before, she seemed much calmer now.
"Allen, Cynthia, what are you two still doing out here?" she asked, adjusting her scarf. "The earthquake is over. Come inside before the weather gets worse."
"But, Grandma—"
"No 'buts,' young man," she said firmly, cutting him off. "It's already dark, and look at this snow! You two will catch a cold out there. Let's go inside, and we can talk over some warm tea, alright?"
Cynthia let out a small sigh of relief. "See, Allen? Grandma says it's fine! The earthquake is over, so let's just go in and warm up." She tugged at his sleeve, flashing him a reassuring smile.
The moment she turned around, however, Allen grabbed her hand, stopping her from leaving.
"Allen?"
He didn't respond right away. His gaze remained fixed on the empty spot where Absol had stood just moments ago, then drifted to Mount Coronet, towering in front of him. His brows furrowed.
The snowfall around him seemed slowed to a near standstill. The wind had quieted, like the world holding its breath.
Cynthia hadn't noticed it at first, but now, as she watched her best friend, she realized—this was the first time she had ever seen him like this.
She had known Allen for as long as she could remember. They had grown up together, side by side since childhood.
The Allen she knew could be funny and ridiculous, sometimes wise, and occasionally clever in ways that caught her off guard. But he was never the type to be serious. And yet, here he was, standing there, looking as if something had shaken him to his core.
Thankfully, the Eevee in Cynthia's arms cooperated with Allen very well. With its heightened fight-or-flight response and exceptional situational awareness, it could detect even the slightest danger and react instantly.
The moment Cynthia let her guard down, it wiggled free from her grasp and leaped to the ground.
"Eevee!" Little Cynthia gasped. She shouted in worry and immediately rushed after it.
"Cynthia!!!"
And just like that, the little girls took off, chasing after the tiny runaway furball—one determined. Behind them, two figures, one big and one small, followed in a hurry, afraid she would get lost or run into danger.
"Ching~!!!"
"Buneary~!!!"
Chingling, sensing that things could get dangerous, instantly became tense. It clung tightly to Allen's hair, refusing to let go.
Buneary, just as frightened, grabbed onto the back of Allen's jacket, holding on for dear life, unwilling to let go no matter what.
"Cynthiaaa!!!"
"Come back here!!!"
Unfortunately, no matter how much Allen and Grandma Wilma called out, Cynthia didn't stop.
She was too focused, her heart pounding with worry.