When Cole arrived at the orphanage, only a few children were present — Meili and Alfred were away.
Inside, the older children, Lily and Charlie, were working on their summer homework. In the courtyard, Norman sat holding little Matthew, staring into space, while Paul and Claire dug for earthworms in the ground.
When they spotted Cole, Paul and Claire dropped their wooden digging sticks and rushed to greet him.
"Brother Cole, you're here! You haven't visited us for days!" Paul complained with a pout.
Claire looked up at him expectantly.
"But I'm here now, aren't I?" Cole said as he patted their heads, "Look what I brought you?"
He shook the bag of snacks in his hand.
"Wow, treats!" Paul cheered.
Claire's face lit up with joy.
"Not angry anymore, right?" Cole handed the bag to Paul, "Go share it with everyone."
Paul grabbed the large snack bag and, holding Claire's hand, ran into the house.
Cole walked into the courtyard and took little Matthew from Norman's arms. "Norman, go join everyone for snacks. I'll watch little Matthew."
"Mm, thank you, Brother Cole." Norman nodded obediently and hurried into the house, worried the treats might disappear if he dawdled.
While the children enjoyed their snacks inside, Cole held Matthew in the shade of the courtyard trees to stay cool. The little boy was well-behaved, lying quietly in his arms, only his bright eyes moving restlessly.
Suddenly, a shout came from outside.
"Anyone home? Delivery!"
Hearing this, Cole immediately carried Matthew outside.
Seeing someone come out, the delivery person asked, "Is Cole here? There's a package for him!"
"I'm Cole." He guessed it might be the item sent by Omura's friend.
The delivery person nodded and took out a box from his spatial backpack, "Alright, please show your identification."
After verifying Cole's ID, he handed over the package. The sender's name confirmed it was from Omura's friend.
Looking at the box in his hands, Cole wondered how it could contain plants — wouldn't they die if sealed inside?
Back in the courtyard, he eagerly opened the box to find a letter and a lotus-shaped crystal inside.
"What happened to the rare plant?" He wondered, "Why is it just a white transparent crystal?"
As Cole examined the crystal in confusion, his touch must have triggered something — the lotus's tightly clustered petals slowly began to open.
"This is so high-tech!" He exclaimed.
Just then, a blue-white beam shot from the crystal's center, projecting a screen before him. On it, two Pokémon faced off — a Charizard against an enormous Arbok.
The scene lasted mere seconds, but what it showed was shocking.
The Charizard opened its mouth to breathe flames, but Arbok's tail struck hard at its neck, making its head jerk sideways and the flames shoot off course.
Seizing the moment, Arbok coiled around Charizard with frightening speed, its muscular body binding the opponent's wings, neck, belly, and tail into immobility.
Despite Charizard's struggles, it couldn't match Arbok's strength. Cole watched in horror as its head went limp and its body plummeted.
Arbok had broken Charizard's neck — a truly terrifying sight.
Though brief, the scene left Cole stunned. Never had he witnessed such an intense battle — or rather, such mortal combat.
Even as a recording, the footage's impact remained overwhelming.
When he finally gathered his wits, Cole wondered why Omura's friend would send him a crystal lotus containing such footage. Seeking answers, he reached for the letter in the box.
The envelope contained an explanation about the crystal lotus. To Cole's surprise, the crystal lotus was actually a real plant preserved as a specimen.
Known as the Time Flower, this unique plant grew only in a mysterious part of the Kanto region — home to the mythical Pokémon Mew and the Tree of Beginning it protected.
The Time Flower, a derivative of the Tree of Beginning, was a genuine plant despite its crystalline appearance and texture.
Its remarkable ability was to record and preserve events that occurred nearby.
The scene Cole had witnessed was a real event from the past, though its exact timing remained unknown.
Unlike most Time Flowers, which withered after a single playback, this specially preserved specimen could replay its footage indefinitely.
Few Time Flowers had ever been collected from the treacherous area around the Tree of Beginning — as the violent footage demonstrated — and most were reserved for research purposes.
This particular specimen had been a gift to Omura's friend from a senior Kanto researcher years ago during a research visit, and he had cherished it ever since.
When he learned of Cole's need for a rare plant, he made the difficult decision to part with it.
Though the Time Flower no longer lived, it would make a perfect gift for a plant enthusiast.
After reading this, Cole immediately called Omura to thank both him and his friend for such a precious gift.
But Omura dismissed his concerns, "You saved both our lives. This Time Flower is nothing in comparison."
Cole understood that despite Omura's words, his friend must have felt the loss of this treasured possession deeply.
He resolved to repay this generous favor when the opportunity arose.
It was ironic — using one favor to repay another!
But such was life — a constant exchange of debts and favors that would eventually balance out.
After securing the Time Flower, Cole remained at the orphanage until Meili's return, then headed back to Mt. Ascendant.
✲✲✲
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