Pokemon: A New Path

After seeing Professor Olim and Arven off, Naoki returned to the cabin, his eyes drawn to the newly installed videophone. It reminded him of the scenes from the anime where Ash would call Professor Oak from Pokémon Centers.

Dr. Olim's visit had also solidified his understanding of the timeline he was in. Ten years before the events of "Pokémon Scarlet," Ash probably hadn't embarked on his journey yet, or perhaps he had just begun.

It was an interesting thought. It meant that Mewtwo hadn't been created yet, Lugia hadn't caused any storms, Groudon and Kyogre were still slumbering, and Team Galactic hadn't yet manipulated Dialga and Palkia.

Of course, all of this assumed Ash even existed in this world.

But even if he did, it didn't really affect Naoki. He was just a rancher, after all.

Life went on.

He hadn't made any profit today, and that couldn't continue. With a sigh, Naoki picked up the bucket and rode Koraidon towards the upper reaches of the river.

When he returned, the bucket was full of fish.

At five o'clock in the evening, Zack arrived on schedule for his pickup. The weather had warmed up, and he had shed his thick jacket, wearing only a short-sleeved shirt.

"Wow, the ranch looks different every day!" Zack remarked, impressed by the progress.

He looked at the growing crops and said, "The crops should be ready for harvest in a couple of weeks."

"Yes!" Naoki replied excitedly.

"You could buy some fertilizer in town before you plant your next batch. The higher the quality of your crops, the more you can sell them for!" Zack suggested casually. "So, what have you got for me today?"

Naoki handed over the bucket of fish.

Zack counted the catch, jotted down the numbers in his ledger, and pulled out a wad of bills from his wallet with a smile. "That's 2,620 Pokédollars total. Here you go!"

Naoki accepted the payment gratefully.

Zack loaded the fish onto his truck, then climbed into the driver's seat. As he reversed, he waved to Naoki. "See you tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow!" Naoki called back.

As dusk fell, Naoki returned to the cabin to prepare dinner. Alcremie hopped down from the cupboard and scampered over to play with Smoliv on the desk.

Naoki looked at them and thought that the two little ones had been cooped up inside for the past two days. "Don't you get bored staying in the house all the time?" he asked. "Why don't you go outside for a walk?"

"Alcre..."

"Smo..."

Alcremie and Smoliv glanced outside, seemingly hesitant to venture into the unfamiliar world beyond the cabin walls.

Naoki understood. Alcremie and Smoliv had grown up in the open fields of the Happy Ranch, naturally unafraid of the outdoors. But now, in a new and unfamiliar environment, only the small wooden house and the familiar trees provided a sense of security. That was why they had stayed indoors for the past two days.

"This won't do," Naoki thought.

He decided to take them for a walk around the ranch after dinner, to help them familiarize themselves with their new home.

For dinner, Naoki prepared a hearty meal: creamy mushroom soup, pork buns, black pepper-crusted fried pork chops, boiled eggs, and five glasses of milk mixed with different berry juices.

The Pokémon gathered around the table, enjoying their feast. Smoliv and Alcremie ate daintily, taking small, careful bites. Koraidon and Cyclizar, on the other hand, were less refined, their paws and faces smeared with food.

"Remember to wash your faces and paws at the tap outside after dinner," Naoki reminded them sternly. He had cleaned up the mess they had made the last time.

"Kora..."

"Gaa..."

Koraidon and Cyclizar nodded obediently. They understood.

After dinner, Koraidon and Cyclizar dutifully went outside to wash up. Naoki, satisfied with their obedience, turned to the kitchen to clean the dishes.

Alcremie and Smoliv watched the two larger Pokémon, then looked at each other, their eyes darting to their own faces and paws.

"Alcremie!" 'Let's go wash up too'!

"Smo..." Smoliv looked at Koraidon and Cyclizar with a hint of fear.

Compared to Smoliv, Alcremie was slightly braver. After two days of cohabitation, it had realized the larger Pokémon meant no harm.

It hopped off the chair, clutching Smoliv, and cautiously approached the door, peeking out to observe Koraidon and Cyclizar.

Koraidon had transformed into its Battle Form, standing tall on two legs. In this form, its wild nature was more apparent, and its imposing size and muscular build exuded an intimidating aura.

It stood proudly, chest puffed out, with a fierce expression on its face. Its large paws manipulated the faucet, spraying water on the shorter Cyclizar beside it.

"Alcre... mie..." 'So scary'.

Alcremie hesitated.

Smoliv, sensing its friend's hesitation, asked innocently, "Smoliv?" 'Didn't you say you weren't afraid of the big guy'?

"Alcremie!" 'N-no, that's not what I meant'!

Not wanting to lose face in front of Smoliv, Alcremie took a deep breath and gathered its courage, taking a step forward.

Koraidon noticed them and turned its head, its golden eyes narrowing slightly as it focused on the tiny Pokémon.

Alcremie froze, feeling like it was being targeted by the world's most fearsome predator.

But Koraidon quickly looked away, beckoning them with a gentle, "Kor-ah!"

"Smoliv?" Smoliv asked, trembling slightly. "Is it calling us"?

"Alcre... mie..." Alcremie was unsure, its fear still lingering.

Koraidon, seeing their hesitation, softened its tone. "Kor-ah..."

With a playful nudge, Koraidon herded Alcremie and Smoliv towards the faucet and began spraying them with water.

After a while, the tension in their bodies eased. They realized that, despite its intimidating appearance, Koraidon meant no harm.

When Naoki returned from the kitchen, Alcremie, and Smoliv were nowhere to be found inside the house. Puzzled, he heard the sound of splashing water outside. He stepped out to see Koraidon playfully spraying the two smaller Pokémon with the hose.

Cyclizar stood nearby, watching with a hint of unease. It seemed to be wary of Alcremie, perhaps due to the type disadvantage between Dragon and Fairy. Koraidon, however, appeared completely unfazed by Alcremie's presence.

'Perhaps its immense power made it immune to Alcremie's Fairy-type aura'? Naoki wondered.

As Naoki approached, the Pokémon stopped their water play.

He went back inside and retrieved a towel, gently drying off Alcremie and Smoliv. "How was that?" he asked.

"Alcremie!" it chirped, clearly delighted.

"Smoliv~" Smoliv echoed the sentiment.

It seemed they had grown fond of Koraidon.

After drying them off, Naoki took them on a tour of the ranch, introducing them to their new home. Koraidon and Cyclizar trailed behind.

The sky hadn't completely darkened yet, and a lingering ray of sunlight bathed the ranch in a warm, golden glow.

After a day of grazing in the newly fenced area, the hens returned to the coop, settling down on the hay to rest.

The crops in the fields were flourishing. The fast-growing turnips had already sprouted several large leaves, and the underground bulbs were likely beginning to take shape.

Naoki strolled through the grass with his Pokémon companions, gesturing towards the fence that enclosed the ranch. "The area within this fence is our ranch," he explained to Alcremie and Smoliv. "It's safe here. No one will hurt you."

Alcremie and Smoliv looked around curiously.

Naoki smiled. "This grassy area is full of wildflowers, and during the day, butterflies flutter about."

The grass on the ranch grew lush and wild. With a bit of trimming, it could be turned into a beautiful lawn. Naoki had only cut down the excess trees, leaving the grass untouched for now.

He planned to process the stones in the shed over the next few days and create a stone path connecting the cabin and the chicken coop.

"You can come explore tomorrow during the day," Naoki encouraged the two smaller Pokémon. "There will be plenty of butterflies and flowers."

"Smoliv~"

"Alcremie!"

The two Pokémon perked up, their eyes sparkling with anticipation.

After Naoki's introduction, they had formed a basic understanding of the ranch: the area within the fence was a safe haven. They were no longer so afraid of the world outside.

Naoki continued the tour until the last rays of sunlight disappeared, leaving the ranch shrouded in twilight.

He returned to the house with his Pokémon. Alcremie scurried back to its cupboard, while Smoliv settled back into its flowerpot, yawning sleepily.

"Time for bed," Naoki said with a smile.

"Smoliv~" Smoliv responded, rolling onto its back in the flowerpot and closing its eyes, soon drifting off to sleep.

Naoki turned to Koraidon and Cyclizar, who were lounging by the bed. He sat down and began to pack his things.

He planned to set off for Casseroya Lake the following morning. Unsure if he'd be back by lunchtime, Naoki prepared some nutritious sandwiches and berry juice for Cyclizar.

In addition to finding new fishing spots, he hoped to recruit a Water-type Pokémon capable of using Water Gun to help irrigate the crops. He also packed some extra food, as catching Pokémon was a delicate process.

From years of watching the anime, he knew that aside from battling, offering food and showing kindness were effective ways to win over a wild Pokémon. After all, Pokémon, like any other creature, appreciated a good meal and a comfortable home.

With this in mind, Naoki prepared several dishes that were both delicious and visually appealing, catering to various tastes—sweet, spicy, sour, and savory. He also made sure they were easy to carry and store.

As he packed the dishes into his backpack, his eyes fell upon the Poké Balls at the bottom. He suddenly remembered something.

Professor Olim hadn't given him Koraidon's Poké Ball! No, to be precise, Koraidon had destroyed its Poké Ball.

Naoki's mind flashed back to Koraidon slashing the ball with its claws. Did the mark left on a Pokémon disappear when its Poké Ball was destroyed?

As a test, he held a Poké Ball up to Koraidon, but nothing happened.

"Guess it still won't work," Naoki sighed, putting the ball away.

He tossed the Poké Ball into his backpack. Just as he was about to zip it up, another thought occurred to him. He pulled out a random Poké Ball and approached Cyclizar.

"Graaah?" Cyclizar looked at the Poké Ball, understanding that Naoki intended to catch it. A happy expression spread across its face as it eagerly nudged its head towards the ball. As soon as it touched the button, it was enveloped in a red light and sucked into the Poké Ball.

The ball wobbled twice, then clicked shut.

"So that's what it's like to catch a Pokémon," Naoki thought, marveling at the process.

He weighed the Poké Ball in his hand, then mimed a throwing motion, imitating the trainers he had seen in the anime. But he stopped short of actually throwing it, afraid of damaging it against the wall. Instead, he pressed the button, and the Poké Ball opened automatically, releasing Cyclizar in a beam of light.

"How was that?" Naoki asked.

"Gaaaaaa!" Cyclizar exclaimed, clearly thrilled by the experience.

To Naoki, there were good and bad Poké Balls. The standard red and white ball was the most basic type. There were also Great Balls, Ultra Balls, Luxury Balls, and many others. As technology advanced, so did the quality and features of Poké Balls.

Luxury Balls were said to provide a more luxurious and comfortable living environment for Pokémon. Meowth of Team Rocket had personally attested to this fact in the anime.

'I'll get Cyclizar a Luxury Ball when I have more money', Naoki thought. But for now, it was getting late, and it was time for bed.

Naoki stretched and crawled into bed, unaware of the curious look Koraidon was giving the Poké Ball.

"Gaa?"