Lucas held Mime Jr. in his arms, signaling it not to be sad anymore.
"When we went over to Twinleaf Town today, there weren't many people on the streets. On snowy days, everyone likes to stay home, tucked under their covers sleeping, just like you, liking to hide in my arms and sleep soundly."
Lucas scratched Mime Jr.'s nose, teasing it with a smile.
Mime Jr.'s little face turned red, and then a smile appeared on its face.
Small troubles are scattered like dust with a small gust of wind.
It knew business wasn't good today because no one was going out; even Gothitelle and the others had come back early.
"How about we go outside and build a snowman?"
Lucas noticed the snow outside seemed to have stopped, so he made the suggestion.
"Okay, okay!"
Shauna raised both hands in agreement.
"Lingling~"
"Gengar gar—I have no objection."
"Sno~"
Snorunt had no objection either.
"Xiu."
Whatever.
"nidoran ran?"
Snowman? Can it fight?
"Ni~"
I can do it.
"Lilli~"
Okay! "Xiu."
Up to you.
"Gothitelle."
Boring.
Holding Mime Jr., Lucas looked at Gothitelle with a pitiful expression.
"Let's go build a snowman together, okay, Gothitelle? I really haven't built a snowman since I was a kid. Won't you come and try it with me?"
"Mime Jr.~"
Big sister~
Gothitelle nodded, pretending to be doing so reluctantly.
Then Lucas let out a cheer and rushed straight to the backyard with Shauna, Gengar, and the others.
Lilligant looked at Gothitelle, covering her mouth as she giggled.
"Lilli~"
I saw it; your face turned red.
Gothitelle gave Lilligant a side-eye and then extended her hand.
"Gothitelle."
Are we going or not? Beautiful lady.
Lilligant stood up, slightly lifting her skirt, and then placed a hand in Gothitelle's palm.
She revealed a sweet smile.
"Lilli~"
Up to you, beautiful lady. The first to finish were Shauna and Mime Jr. Since Shauna had plenty of experience building sandcastles, she quickly built a snowman in the shape of Gengar.
"Uncle, look!"
Shauna wiped her nose smugly and spoke with pride.
Seeing its snowman self, Gengar's eyes lit up.
"Gengar gar—Little Shauna, you really have an eye for quality! (V·.heart)"
Gengar stood beside its snowman with a smug face, looking at Lucas boastfully.
Lucas ignored it. After praising Shauna with a few words, he continued working on his own task.
Soon, Roserade, Lilligant, Snorunt, and the others also finished one after another.
Once Lucas had also piled up his snowman, he nodded in satisfaction. He turned around, about to ask how their progress was, only to find them all standing together, looking at his snowman and seemingly holding back laughter.
Confused, Lucas looked at the snowmen they had built: there was one shaped like Gengar, one like a beautiful woman in a long dress, and others like Garchomp and Dragonite. Then he looked at his own—two round spheres with two sticks stuck in them and a carrot for a nose.
The sphere representing the head even slid down slightly, becoming lopsided.
Refusing to give up, Lucas looked at Gengar's and the others' snowmen again, then back at his own.
"No, that's not how you're supposed to build a snowman."
Lucas found it hard to accept. "It should start by rolling a sphere to put on the bottom, then rolling another sphere to put on top of the big one, and then taking sticks—"
Amidst Lucas's defensive explanation, his snowman's head slid right off. *Splat*, it shattered.
Lucas: ——
My snowman! ——
Gengar finally couldn't help but double over with laughter.
Lucas's composure broke. He glanced at the Gengar-shaped snowman and gave a sinister smile.
He then snuck over and, despite Gengar's 'no' expression, immediately punched it.
"Gengar gar—"
Noooo!!! (AC)
After destroying that snowman, Lucas set his sights on Shauna, who was currently building a snowman in the shape of Lilligant. Lucas walked over and, pretending to slip, crashed right into it.
Shauna: ——
Lucas: "Sorry, Shauna, I didn't do it on purpose."
Lucas stood up, brushed off his clothes, gave a toothy grin, and apologized.
Shauna looked at Lucas, her cheeks puffed out.
"Uncle is a big meanie!"
Shauna said in a crisp voice.
Seeing he had been found out, Lucas stopped hiding it. He tugged at his clothes and said, "Since you've discovered it, I won't pretend anymore."
Then he suddenly ran toward the other snowmen.
Bang, bang, bang.
The surroundings instantly erupted into chaos.
"Bi!!"
Lucas!!!
Vespiquen chased after Lucas in a rage.
She had finally convinced herself to come out and build a snowman, and just as it was almost finished, he destroyed it!
"I was wrong, Vespiquen! I really didn't know that one was yours! Help me, Gengar!"
Gengar came to Lucas's side. Vespiquen stopped, her eyes crimson, staring intently at Gengar.
Her claws began to be covered in a white light.
Then she saw Gengar grin and, with a backhand, grab Lucas.
"Gengar gar—Everyone, I've caught Lucas!"
Immediately, all the people and Pokémon surrounded him.
"Gengar, you betrayed me!"
Lucas let out a tragic cry, and then he saw Dash nearby, who was racking its brains trying to build a snowman.
"Dash, listen to me. Go destroy all of their snowmen, and I'll give you an extra meal tonight."
Hearing this, Dash's eyes lit up. It didn't know how to build a snowman, but it was very skilled at destruction—especially destruction that came with an extra meal.
"nidorans sound."
I am invincible.
"Gengar gar—"
Noooo—Dash!
Boom!
Some Pokémon ran over to stop Dash. Lucas suddenly felt much lighter. He seized the opportunity, shook off the Pokémon and Shauna who were weighing him down, and took off running.
"You can't catch me."
"Blehh—Geng"
Not long after Lucas started gloating, he was licked by Gengar, who had emerged from the shadows.
He became motionless.
Looking at the messy scene, Gothitelle and Lilligant glanced at each other.
Lilligant: He really is like a child.
Gothitelle: More like he's even more of a child than a child.
Hearing Gothitelle's words, Lilligant couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh.
Once they were tired of playing, Gothitelle put a Cheri Berry into Lucas's mouth for him to chew.
Finally, she spoke: "Gothitelle."
Lilligant and I will help you build a snowman, okay?
Lucas gave a toothy grin.
"Heehee, Gothitelle and Lilligant are still the best to me, unlike a certain little fatty, hmph."
Hearing Lucas's voice, Gengar also gave a 'hmph'.
Then, while Lucas wasn't paying attention, it licked him again.
"You're doing it again, Gengar—"
"Pa—Paralyzed—"
Gothitelle sighed helplessly.
Lucas moved around a bit. "Huh? I'm not paralyzed. Wait, Gengar, you tricked me!"
Seeing the camera in Gengar's hand, Lucas was furious.
Gengar took the camera and bolted.
The camera was passed back and forth among the Pokémon.
Looking at the rowdy scene once again, Gothitelle sighed once more.
Forget it, let them finish playing until they're tired.
On the other side.
"Cynthia is currently heading to the Ancient Ruins. Our operation can begin."
"As you command."
Mesprit, slumbering in Lake Verity, Uxie in Lake Acuity, and Azelf in Lake Valor all opened their eyes at the same time.