Pokemon: A New Path

Inside the house, Dr. Olim and young Arven sat on the guest chairs, observing their surroundings. The room, though small, was well-furnished and meticulously organized.

A flowerpot rested on the windowsill, and within it, a Smoliv basked lazily in the sun, its contented expression a testament to Naoki's care.

It was evident that the owner of this place was both tidy and fond of Pokémon.

"Here you go."

Naoki offered drinks to Dr. Olim, Arven, and Maschiff. Lacking tea, he had improvised with Moomoo Milk from the Mesagoza Market, adding Alcremie's cream and chopped berries to create a simple caramel berry milk.

The drink's effect was to evoke sweet memories in Pokémon while restoring their physical strength.

Arven, still sullen, took a hesitant sip and immediately perked up, his eyes widening in surprise.

Maschiff, after a few tentative licks, also began lapping up the milk eagerly.

Dr. Olim, however, remained composed as she began to explain, "My husband, Turo, and I have been researching Pokémon from the past and future in the Great Crater of Paldea. Recently, we successfully developed a time machine and summoned the Pokémon recorded in the Scarlet Book into our world."

Naoki focused intently on Dr. Olim's words, a key detail catching his attention.

"The Scarlet Book?" he questioned.

Dr. Olim looked surprised. "Haven't you heard of it?"

"I have," Naoki replied, choosing his words carefully.

He knew the book well, Naoki thought, but the crucial point was that Dr. Olim had mentioned the Scarlet Book, not separate Scarlet and Violet Books.

As any Pokémon fan knew, Game Freak released the games in two versions. "Pokémon Scarlet" told the story of Professor Olim and the ancient Pokémon, featuring the Scarlet Book. The book was written by a man named Heath, recounting how he and his expedition team had encountered a group of Paradox Pokémon—creatures not native to Paldea—in an uncharted area of the region.

"Pokémon Violet," on the other hand, told the story of Professor Turo, Professor Olim's husband, and the futuristic Pokémon. In this version, there was no Scarlet Book, but rather a Violet Book, with the ancient Paradox Pokémon replaced by futuristic ones.

According to Dr. Olim, in this world, there was only one book, the Scarlet Book. This implied that Professor Turo, who studied futuristic Paradox Pokémon, also existed in this world.

Upon realizing this, Naoki's first thought wasn't about the Paradox Pokémon, but about Arven. In this timeline, he might lose both parents and truly become the "Little Batman" he was nicknamed.

Naoki looked at young Arven, who was sharing his milk with Maschiff.

Noticing his gaze, Dr. Olim turned to her son, her eyes softening with a mother's love. "This is my son, Arven," she introduced.

At this age, Arven wasn't the future Arven who would search for the Secret Spice. He was just a child, not yet ten years old.

Naoki recalled how Arven had bravely stood up to Koraidon to protect his mother and offered a compliment. "He's a very brave boy!"

Due to his parents' demanding work, young Arven mistakenly believed that Koraidon and Miraidon had taken them away from him, leading to his resentment towards any mention of them.

In truth, Arven loved his parents deeply and longed for their attention. But alas.

Poor child. Naoki felt a pang of sympathy for the boy.

Arven looked up, meeting Naoki's gaze with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

Dr. Olim, noticing the exchange, smiled. "Arven has always been very independent. My husband and I are often busy with our research, so he's had to look after himself from a young age."

Arven lowered his head, silently sipping his milk.

"Woof woof!" Maschiff barked twice in agreement.

Dr. Olim added, "And of course, there's Maschiff, who's always by Arven's side."

Naoki nodded, then recounted his encounter with Koraidon.

"It appeared in the pasture one night, injured. Cyclizar and I brought it inside and treated it with berries and medicine. It's been living with us ever since."

"Has it shown any aggression or anger during that time?" Dr. Olim inquired.

Naoki thought carefully, then shook his head. "No, it's been very well-behaved." He paused, a smile tugging at his lips as he remembered Koraidon's fishing technique. "It even helps me with chores, though sometimes it goes a bit overboard and uses its strongest move to catch fish."

Dr. Olim's eyes widened in surprise, picturing the scene.

She fell into deep thought.

After a moment, she turned to look at Koraidon, who was lying nearby, feigning sleep but secretly watching them.

A powerful build, scarlet skin, a domineering head frill, thick, sturdy legs.

Everything about this Koraidon matched the one they had summoned later.

Had it developed a bond with Naoki because it knew he was its rescuer? Dr. Olim couldn't think of any other explanation.

After a moment of contemplation, Dr. Olim pulled out a somewhat outdated mobile phone from her lab coat pocket.

"Please excuse me for a moment," she said to Naoki. "I need to speak with my husband, Professor Turo."

Naoki nodded. "Of course."

Dr. Olim stepped outside, onto the grassy pasture, to make her call.

Left alone with Arven, Naoki looked at the forlorn boy and spoke gently. "Your name is Arven, right?"

Arven withdrew his gaze from his mother's retreating figure and mumbled, "Yes."

Naoki followed his line of sight and said, "Your mother is a very accomplished scientist. She even built a time machine. Have you ever imagined traveling through time, to see the distant past and future?"

Arven glanced at Maschiff beside him, his voice still muffled. "That's their dream."

Just then, Dr. Olim returned, having finished her conversation with her husband.

She had discussed the situation with Professor Turo, and after careful consideration, they had decided to let Koraidon stay with Naoki.

Dr. Olim looked at Koraidon, then addressed Naoki. "Naoki, I will leave Koraidon in your care."

It seemed they had already reached a decision.

Naoki nodded. "I'll take good care of it."

Dr. Olim added, "Do you have contact information? Let's exchange numbers. If anything happens to Koraidon, or if you need any assistance, feel free to reach out to me. I would also like to learn more about Koraidon from you."