Naoki slept soundly until seven in the evening.

  Upon waking, he quickly grabbed a small meal to stave off huhen eagerly opened his backpack to take stock of the spoils from his ret adventure.

  With a satisfying k, a cascade of s tumbled out, f a small mountain on the floor.

  The gleaming pile instantly captured the attention of the nearby Pokémon, their eyes wide with astonishment.

  “Pawmot!”

  “Mree!”

  Naoki chuckled, reag out to ruffle Pawmot's fur affeately. “What do you think? Aren’t these s beautiful?”

  “Pawmot!” Pawmot nodded enthusiastically, its eyes refleg the golden light.

  “Alright, go py for a bit,” Naoki said with a grin. “I’ve got some ting to do.”

  He rolled up his sleeves and begaiculously ting the s, his voice eg softly in the room.

  “Owo, three, four...”

  Miretched into hours as Naoki carefully moved the s from one side to the other, ting each piece with precision.

  “Seven hundred and twenty-three, seven hundred and twenty-four... seven hundred and sixty-six.”

  He straightened up, his brow furrowed. “Seven hundred and sixty-six s in total?”

  Naoki quickly calcuted his total stash. “Let’s see... I already had 230 s before this. Add the 766... That’s 996.”

  He froze. His eyes widened in disbelief. “Only four s away from a thousand?!”

  Naoki stared at the pile of s, his face a mix of shod exasperation. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  Uo believe the numbers, Naoki decided to ret the s. Ten painstaking mier, the result was the same—766 s. bined with the 230 s he already had, the total remained maddeningly short of a thousand.

  “Ugh...” Naoki groaned, colpsing dramatically onto the floor. “Of all the luck! The king leaves behind gold s, neckces, even a gold toilet—but not a few extra Gimmighoul s?!”

  He covered his face, sighing heavily as Pawmot and the other Pokémon gathered around him, their expressions ed.

  “Pawmot?”

  Naoki sighed again, waving a hand to reassure them. “I’m fine, I’m fine.”

  Still, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated. He would have to pin his hopes oa and the Paldea Alliao help track down the final four s.

  With that thought, Naoki pulled himself together. First things first—he o give these s to Gimmighoul a add them to its treasure chest.

  Rising from the floor, Naoki made his way to the Pokémon Tavern arieved Gimmighoul’s treasure chest.

  As if sensing movement, Gimmighoul poked its head through the cra the chest, its round eyes peeking curiously at the outside world. When it saw Naoki holding the chest, it rexed, letting out a metalligle of relief.

  “Gimm!”

  Naoki smirked, leaning down to meet Gimmighoul’s gaze. “Ready for a surprise?”

  “Gimm?!” Gimmighoul’s eyes sparkled with excitement. The st time Naoki had a surprise for it, it turned out to be the gold s it had always dreamed of.

  Naoki walked into the house, his arms full of anticipation, a wide grin on his face. Gimmighoul, still perched in its treasure chest, seemed to sense something special was about to happen.

  As Naoki set down the backpack brimming with s, Gimmighoul’s eyes widened in disbelief. With aed g, it leapt up, actally knog over the lid of its treasure chest.

  “Go ahead!” Naoki enced, chug.

  Gimmighoul hesitated for a moment, staring at the pile of glittering s. It was a sight beyond its wildest dreams. For a moment, it almost seemed as if this couldn’t be real—as though it had wandered into a dream where all its wishes came true.

  Ordinary as it was, Gimmighoul had always harbored the simple dream of colleg s, but this pile of shimmering treasure seemed too good to be true.

  “Gimm?” it asked tentatively, turning back to Naoki. Its eyes sparkled with hope, but its tone was cautious. Could this treasure truly be for it?

  Naoki smiled warmly and nodded. “Yes, they’re all yours.”

  “Gimm!” Gimmighoul squealed, overwhelmed with joy. It uself out of the treasure chest and dove face-first into the pile of s, the k-k of the s eg through the room.

  It rolled around in the golden pile, nibbling on one here and sniffing ahere, like a fish swimming through water. Its happiness was tagious, and Naoki couldn’t help but ugh.

  “Totally worth it,” Naoki murmured, leaning back against the wall. All the effort—diving into quid, venturing into a ruins, and braving the dangers of the underground—was worth it for this moment of pure joy.

  After basking in its newfound treasure, Gimmighoul began the borious task of moving each gold into its treasure chest. Watg it work so diligently, Naoki couldn’t help but join in.

  The process was fasating. The chest seemed to defy logic, swallowing every single without appearing to grow full. It was like a bottomless pit—an ability uo the mystical Ghost Pokémon.

  “Maybe this is just one of the many mysteries of Ghost-types,” Naoki thought aloud. He recalled that Gengar, anhost Pokémon, was said to have a body that acted as a pocket dimension capable of st items. Before space backpacks were ied, some trainers eveheir Gengar to carry luggage while traveling.

  As the st gold was stored, Gimmighoul leapt into the treasure chest itself, half-buried in the golden hoard. It looked utterly tent, as if it could stay there forever.

  But as it y among the s, a peculiar sensation washed over it. A mysterious energy seemed to rise from the s, flowing into its small body. For a moment, Gimmighoul felt stronger, as though it were on the brink of a transformation.

  The feeling sted only a moment before fading. Gimmighoul opes eyes, realizing that something was missing.

  “Gimm!” it called out to Naoki, expining what had just happened.

  Naoki crouched beside it, a knowing smile on his face. “That’s the start of evolution. You’re close. As soon as you collect a thousand gold s, you’ll evolve into a more powerful form. People call it the richest Pokémon.”

  “Gimm…!” Gimmighoul’s eyes lit up with excitement, sparkling like the stars. It clutched a close to its chest, brimming with determination. It wao evolve—it wao bee the ultimate treasure guardian.

  Naoki reached out, patting Gimmighoul on the head. “Don’t worry. It won’t be long now.”

  With that, Naoki turned his attention to the step. All that remained was to wait feeta to reply with news of the remaining four s.

  Weeks passed. The dar turo August.

  On August 10th, Year 199 of the Alliance dar, Naoki’s wait finally came to an end.

  Larry hurried to the ranch, a rge briefcase in hand.

  Dark circles under his eyes and his fatigued expression made it clear he hadn’t rested in days. Dropping the bag onto the grass behind him, Larry greeted Naoki with a weary sigh.

  “Naoki, I’ve brought the s you needed,” he said in a voice barely above a whisper.

  “What was that?” Naoki asked, leaning in. Larry’s voice was so faint it was almost inaudible.

  Larry sighed heavily, repeating, “These are the s you asked for. It took me over a week, traveling to six different cities to gather them. But I couldn’t mao collect a full thousand. I’m sorry—I did my best.”

  He opehe briefcase, revealing a glittering pile of s. Judging by the size, there were at least a hundred s inside.

  Naoki’s eyes lit up with excitement. This was it! These s would finally allow the Gimmighoul to evolve.

  “It’s fihis is more than enough!” Naoki reassured him enthusiastically. “Thank you so much, Larry!”

  Larry’s body swayed slightly. “It’s my job,” he muttered, his voice even weaker than before.

  Naoki frowned, ed. “How long has it been since you st rested?”

  “Four days,” Larry admitted. “There were ent tasks I had to take care of while colleg the s.”

  Naoki shook his head in disbelief. “Why don’t you take a break here at the ranch? You look like you’re about to colpse.”

  Larry gave a small smile but shook his head. “I’ll be fine. You go handle your business. I’ll just sit here and enjoy the sunlight for a bit.”

  He sank down onto the soft grass, his gaze wandering across the vibrant ranch. The Pokémon roamed freely, creating an atmosphere of liveliness and harmony.

  “This pce is amazing,” Larry said softly. “It’s so peaceful. For someone like me, it’s a world apart.”

  Naoki watched him for a moment, then said, “Wait here.” He went inside aurned with a cup of hot bck tea. But by the time he came back, Larry had already fallen asleep on the grass.

  Larry’s chest rose and fell steadily as he y sprawled on the ground, his exhaustion finally catg up with him.

  Naoki sighed. “Guess I’ll let him sleep,” he muttered, leaving the tea beside Larry.

  Turning his attention to the s, Naoki carried the briefcase to the Pokémon Tavern. Ihe tavern was quiet, with the Gimmighoul atop its treasure chest.

  Naoki approached the bar, his heart pounding with excitement. He opehe briefcase, pulling out four s—the final ones needed for the Gimmighoul’s evolution.

  The small Pokémon’s eyes widened as it sensed what was about to happen. “Gimm!” it chirped, trembling with anticipation.

  Naoki grinned and said, “Here you go!” He dropped the s into the treasure chest, which gleamed as if it had been waiting for this exaent.

  The instant the s touched the chest, a surge of golden light enveloped the Gimmighoul. The s began to swirl around it, f a luminous vortex.

  “Gimm!” The Gimmighoul let out a cry of pure excitement.

  Uhe standard evolutilow, this light was brilliant gold, radiating an aura of wealth and grandeur. The tavern was bathed in its dazzling glow, every surface shimmering as if pted in gold.

  Naoki’s eyes sparkled as he watched the transformation unfold.

  For a fleeting moment, Naretted not having a way to record the se. If only smartphoed—this would have been the perfeent to share online. After all, this was likely the only evolution of its kind in the world.

  As the light began to fade, the petite Gimmighoul was gone. In its pce stood a magnifit new Pokémon, standing tall at 1.2 meters. Its body shimmered with gold, every inch radiating opulence.

  Gholdengo was born!

  Naoki gazed at the newly evolved Gholdengo, his excitement palpable as the golden Pokémon stood before him.

  Gholdengo raised its shiny, metallic head to look at Naoki, its bright eyes sparkling with delight and gratitude.

  In the moment, Gholdengo leapt into the air, ing its arms around Naoki’s ne a joyful embrace. Its voice chimed like a bell, full of warmth and affe.

  “Gholde~!”

  Naoki immediately uood the se behind Gholdengo’s gesture. It was thanking him—expressing its heartfelt gratitude for helping it collect the s needed for its evolution.

  “Yes, yes!” Naoki excimed, his grin stretg from ear to ear. “gratutions, Gholdengo! I’m ting on you from now on!”

  “Gholde!” Gholdengo chimed enthusiastically, nodding in agreement.

  Now, the question of what came lingered in Naoki’s mind.

  Before its evolution, Gimmighoul had been shy and timid, preferring to remain hidden and avoiding human tact. But with its evolution into Gholdengo, its demeanor had undergone a plete transformation.

  The Pokédex described Gholdengo as lively and cheerful, brimming with charisma and friendlioward both humans and Pokémon alike. With such a vibrant personality, it was clear that Gholdengo wouldn’t want to stay fio the Pokémon Tavern like its former self.

  Realizing this, Naoki smiled and said, “Let’s go out together! It’s time for you to meet everyone properly.”

  “Gholde~!”

  Gholdengo’s golden body shimmered with excitement. It had long been aware of the other Pokémon living on the ranch, having observed them from the shadows before its evolution.

  Dragoeddiursa, Pawmot, Koraidon, Cyclizar, Dragonairs, Alcremie… Gholdengo was eager to join them and make new friends.

  Without hesitation, Gholdengo released its grip on Naoki and dashed ahead, bursting through the tavern doors and stopping just outside. It turned back, beaming expetly at Naoki.

  Naoki blinked in surprise before chug. “Eager, aren’t you?” He followed Gholdengo’s lead, stepping outside to join it on the ranch.

  On the open grass, Naoki put two fio his lips and whistled sharply, his call eg across the fields.

  Within moments, Pokémon came running from all dires.

  Koraidon, Cyclizar, Pawmot, Dragonite, Drag, Umbreon, Arboliva, and Alcremie all gathered, their curious eyes fixed on Gholdengo.

  Whe Pokémon arrived, Naoki cleared his throat, gesturing tholdengo. “Everyone, we have a new friend joining us. Meet Gholdengo, our panion!”

  The reas of the Pokémon varied, each expressing their curiosity aement in their unique way.

  Dragonite and Dragonairs were immediately captivated by Gholdengo’s dazzling, golden body. They moved closer, their eyes sparkling with wonder.

  Koraidon stood at the back of the group, its arms crossed, wearing a cool, indifferent expression that suggested it was unimpressed—but Naoki could tell it was secretly intrigued.

  Alcremie and the Eeveelutions were ecstatic, hopping happily in the grass as they greeted Gholdengo with enthusiastic cheers.

  Pawmot scratched its head with a thoughtful look before breaking into a wide smile.

  For Pawmot, the more panions around, the better. The liveliness of the ranly amplified its vibrant personality. Gholdengo thrived in su atmosphere.

  To show its gratitude and friendlio the Pokémon who warmly weled it, Gholdengo began to perform. It danced a mysterious yet captivating routihe movements resembling an intricate street performahen, a magical spectacle unfolded.

  Gold s began to rain down from the sky, sparkling brilliantly uhe golden rays of the setting sun. The s glided gently, as though guided by some unseen fording softly istretched hands of the Pokémon below.

  Every Pokémon’s eyes lit up as they looked skyward. The mesmerizing rain of gold s was enting.

  A bright smile adorned Gholdengo’s face as it surveyed the delighted reas of its new panions.

  Naoki, standing nearby, was utterly stunned.

  "Wow... amazing!" he muttered.

  Giving out gold s on a whim—was this the true power of a rion? He suddenly realized why the Pokédex emphasized that Gholdengo could instantly make friends with a was a literal golden e.

  As Naoki tio marvel at the se, he noticed Ogerpon and others holding Gholdengo’s hands, leading it enthusiastically toward the Snorx Park. All the Pokémon seemed eager to spend time with their new panion.

  Naoki g the gleaming gold in his hand. Out of curiosity, he bit into it lightly.

  It was solid. Real gold.

  “So Gholdengo really jure gold s,” Naoki mused, still astonished. He specuted, “Are these s formed from Steel-type energy?”

  Su ability was fasati baffling. It defied all logiaoki couldn’t help but feel a surge of relief aement—poverty would never be an issue with Gholdengo around.

  ...

  At 4:00 p.m., Larry woke from his nap.

  He opened his eyes to find himself lying on a fortable bed. Stretg, he groggily left the room and made his way downstairs.

  “Awake already?” Naoki called out, notig Larry’s presence as he poured tea.

  Larry paused for a moment, remembering where he was, and nodded. “Thanks for letting me rest here,” he said, his voice carrying a hint of gratitude.

  “Don’t mention it. Have some tea and snacks,” Naoki offered with a smile.

  Larry, visibly more refreshed, sat down on the sofa. Despite being a gym leader, his exhaustion mirrored the weariness of an overworked office worker. Naoki felt a pang of sympathy for him—Larry’s demeanor reminded him of his own days as a corporate employee before arriving in this world.

  “Were the s I brought helpful?” Larry asked as he sipped the tea. Even the sight of extraordinary Pokémon like Gholdengo didn’t faze him much—years of work had cultivated a calm acceptance of life’s oddities.

  Naoki nodded. “They were perfect. Thanks to those s, everything is sorted now.” He recalled how the mere four missing s had nearly driven him to despair.

  Larry gave a small, weary smile. “Good. It’s just part of my job.”

  Naoki returhe smile but noticed something ptive in Larry’s expression.

  After a pause, Larry spoke again, “There’s one more thing I o ask you.”

  Naoki raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”

  “I’d like to have a Pokémon battle with you,” Larry said matter-of-factly.

  Naoki blinked, caught off guard. “Huh?”

  Larry expined further, “It’s part of my assig. The Chief specifically requested it. As a gym leader, it’s my responsibility to ensure you’re prepared for any challenges.”

  Uanding dawned on Naoki, though he still hesitated. “Shouldn’t you rest a bit more?”

  Larry shook his head. “No need. Let’s get this over with. The sooner I finish this, the sooner I rex.”

  Naoki sighed, a mix of amusement and exasperation. “Alright then.”

  Finishing his tea, Larry stood and followed Naoki.

  Initially, Naoki po introduce Larry to the various Pokémon trials scattered throughout the ranch. But then, his gaze nded on Gholdengo, and aruck him.

  A mischievous grin spread across his face. If Gholdengo could shower its oppos with gold s during battle, this match might be even more eaining than expected.