Discovering Milcery's evolution into Alcremie is definitely an achievement.
A few more slow weeks passed, and during this time, Professor Magnolia finally arrived. Both she and Professor Rowan began their debate about which region should be listed first: Sinnoh or Galar.
Professor Magnolia, just like in the movies, is a slender older woman with green eyes and brown hair. She wears a yellow dress with long sleeves under a white lab coat, beige ballet flats, a purple necklace, and glasses. She also wears a purple headband and carries a Corviknight-shaped cane.
Cynthia is busy with her Pokémon egg, with Caitlin accompanying her. It seems they are already planning to make Gothita the big sister, and whatever Pokémon hatches from Cynthia's Pokémon egg will become the little brother or sister.
During his time, Allen became acquainted with Professor Oak, Professor Rowan, and also Professor Magnolia. Every time the three professors gathered, without realizing it, a book and pen would already be in his hands, writing down everything new he encountered.
Seeing Professor Rowan and Magnolia debate, Allen couldn't help but target Professor Oak, who was still researching Alcremie. He pulled up his sleeves before Professor Oak noticed him.
Kneeling down, he asked warmly, "What's wrong, Allen?"
"Professor Oak," Allen said, making Oak smile even more warmly. "Is there any difference if Alcremie is in Sinnoh or Galar? Why not just create an international Dex? Why is it still the National Dex?"
"Of course," Professor Oak admitted quickly, then paused for a moment before answering, "First convenience, then convention. The basic idea is that regions each kept their own unique regional listings that contained Pokémon native to their territory."
He continued, "This helped trainers keep track of which Pokémon they had and hadn't encountered. The average person had little use for a list of hundreds of Pokémon they likely would never see, let alone capture, during their lifetimes. But with the globalization of travel, however, trainers suddenly became able to visit other regions and capture new Pokémon."
Professor Oak continued, "This posed a problem. When these trainers returned home, their newly captured Pokémon weren't in their regional listings, so they couldn't easily integrate these Pokémon into their existing systems. This is when an interregional effort was needed to create a national listing, bringing all the Pokémon together in one place. However..."
Professor Oak then skillfully navigated the keyboard with a click-click-click, making Allen feel astounded as he saw the programming language being used. 'Isn't that SQL?'
"The same number could refer to different Pokémon in different regions. And second, some Pokémon that appeared in multiple regions could have different numbers depending on where they were found. To solve this, Professor Elm and I worked together to create a national list that ordered Pokémon based on their evolution."
"But Professor, some Pokémon that are related were now separated, isn't it? Like Pikachu in Kanto, but Pichu in Johto?"
Professor Oak's mouth twitched. It seemed he remembered something unpleasant. He sighed, "That's because Professor Elm, with his studies of Pokémon breeding, had discovered a number of baby Pokémon during his research. There were also a handful of Pokémon that we had not documented."
"Still, it was important to preserve the discoveries made in each region, even if evolutionary relationships weren't always aligned. Changing it now would be incredibly complicated for companies and researchers worldwide. Regional pride still had value, you know? For example, a Kanto native can proudly say that Pokémon #1-151 were discovered in their home region, just like how a Sinnoh native would take pride in the Pokémon numbered #387-493."
Allen nodded thoughtfully. "So, will Alcremie be registered in Sinnoh now? Since they were discovered here, after all?"
Professor Oak pondered for a moment. "Well, it depends. But considering the characteristics of Milcery and Alcremie, it would make more sense for them to be listed in Galar. Galar is more modern than Sinnoh, with its many cafes and restaurants, which create a perfect environment for them."
"Allen!!!"
Suddenly, while they were talking, his grandma called out.
"Are you ready? Don't you want to go to the Cherubi farm?"
"O-Oh, yeah! Grandma, wait for me!" Allen quickly slipped down from Professor Oak's side, excited. He bid farewell to Oak before rushing to his grandma.
Finally, Cherubi!
Cherubi must stay vigilant to avoid flying Pokémon like Starly, which are known for trying to peck at their smaller head to eat its sweetness. Because of this, the people here decided to build the grove near trees that produce sap and berries, ensuring the Cherubi could be self-sufficient.
This is why these Pokémon are safely protected by the people of Celestic Town. Not only do they pose virtually no cost in raising, but their second head can be harvested and sold as fruit or used to create local products.
Yeah, local products—like the fruit.
Shortly after, Allen and his grandmother arrived at the grove, which was divided into several sections. There, they saw the Cherubi and Cherrim.
"Allen, don't approach the Cherrim, only the Cherubi—the pink ones, not the purple ones."
"Yes, Grandma," Allen said, his voice filled with curiosity as he glanced at the Pokémon perched on the trees.
The grove was a beautiful sight, with patches of green grass and trees that provided a natural canopy, filtering the sunlight. Some trees had thick, glistening sap running down their trunks, while others bore clusters of berries that added a splash of color to it.
The Cherubi were easy to spot—small, round, pink Pokémon with bright, cheerful expressions. They hopped from tree to tree, often resting near the sap-producing spots.
Allen's eyes, however, were drawn to the Cherrim. Unlike the Cherubi, the Cherrim had a more reserved and almost regal presence. They appeared to be standing still, seemingly content under the shade of the trees, with their petals gently swaying in the breeze.
'Nyctinasty,' Allen thought.
This behavior, where a flower opens or closes its petals in response to sunlight, reminded Allen of something from his previous world. He always enjoyed drawing connections between Pokémon and the natural world, and Cherrim's characteristics were very similar to those of nyctinastic flowers, which open or close their petals in reaction to stimuli.
The common daisy, magnolias, crocuses, water lilies, and even tulips share the common trait of folding up during the night and blooming during the day.
In Cherrim's case, they change form depending on the weather. Most of the time, Cherrim keeps its flower closed, hiding beneath its tightly folded purple petals. However, in strong sunlight, Cherrim blooms, opening up and becoming a beautiful pink flower.
"Alright, stop staring at the Cherrim. You came here to learn how to pollinate Cherubi, right?"
"Oh, yeah," Allen replied, a bit distracted.
Cherubi are not very dangerous Pokémon, as they cannot do much to defend themselves without wasting the precious energy they are trying to conserve. However, they are distrustful Pokémon. They dislike humans in their territory and will try to stay away if possible, except for the ones they already know.
"Cher~cher~cher," one of the Cherubi called out cutely, waddling closer to Grandma Dracelia.
Its little pink body swayed gently as it stopped just a few paces away, eyeing Allen with curious, wide eyes. More Cherubi followed, their small forms dotted around the grove, peeking out from behind bushes and trees, all whispering in their own sweet voices.
Some seemed brave enough to take a few cautious steps forward, while others stayed hidden, their bright, green heads popping out occasionally to observe Allen from a safe distance.
Allen didn't mind their presence at all. In fact, he found their gentle curiosity and innocent movements quite adorable. He smiled to himself as he watched the Cherubi interact with his grandmother, their little heads peeking out from behind the trees.
With their round, bright faces and playful mannerisms, he couldn't help but think they were incredibly cute.
Instead, Allen scanned the grove area and noticed that it was divided into several sections, each containing Cherubi. However, each section was separated from the others. He wondered why the Cherubi were grouped this way.
"Grandma, the grove has a few sections that contain Cherubi. Why are they separated like that? Also..." Allen frowned. "Grandma, is it okay for us to pluck a Cherubi's head? Is it legal?"