Pokemon: A New Path

Rick is a freshman at Naranja Academy, and his starter Pokémon is a Fire- and Normal-type Litleo.

He had recently left school to train in the vast Paldea region, traveling to major cities to collect Gym Badges. While passing through the town, he heard about the upcoming Cherry Blossom Festival and decided to attend with his Litleo.

After walking for a long time, both Rick and Litleo were feeling hungry. Just then, they caught a whiff of an incredibly tempting aroma.

Following the scent, they arrived at a food stall. It was a rather unusual stall.

The stall owner was a young man wearing a brown denim jacket. He was surrounded by various Pokémon. On his left and right stood a Cyclizar and a strange Pokémon. On the stall, a row of small Nacli were lined up, with Alcremie and Smoliv swaying gently behind them. Further back, a Dragonite rested under a tree.

As Rick approached, a Butterfree perched on top of the stall looked down at them.

"So many rare Pokémon!" Rick exclaimed in surprise. "Are these all your Pokémon?"

Naoki nodded and smiled. "That's right."

Rick's eyes filled with envy. He dreamed of catching all sorts of rare and powerful Pokémon.

At that moment, Litleo's stomach growled.

Rick remembered why he had come here.

Naoki smiled and said, "Take a look and see if there's anything you'd like to eat! If it's for Litleo, I highly recommend the boiled pork slices!"

"Boiled pork slices." Rick glanced at the price list and muttered, "Boiled pork slices for 800 Pokédollars, Pecha Berry juice for 200, tomato scrambled eggs for 500, and steamed eggs for 300. I'll take one boiled pork slice and one steamed egg!"

"Okay!"

Naoki retrieved the pre-prepared food and packed it in a small portable container with disposable utensils, making it convenient to eat.

Rick handed over the money, and the two exchanged payment for the food.

The moment Rick opened the lid, he smelled a numbing, spicy aroma. Looking at the meat slices coated in red oil, he couldn't help but swallow.

Rick picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth. After chewing for a bit, his eyes widened in surprise.

It was delicious! Spicy and savory, the meat was tender! Aside from being a little spicy, it was practically perfect!

"Litleo, come try this!" Rick set Litleo down on the ground, and the two sat on the grass, sharing the two dishes.

In addition to the boiled pork slices, Rick opened the container of steamed eggs. The steamed eggs were smooth and tender, as tempting as jelly.

He was about to scoop up a spoonful to taste when Litleo suddenly acted strangely. Its face turned red, its cheeks puffed out, and then it abruptly opened its mouth, unleashing a blast of intensely hot flames.

What happened?

Rick was startled. He looked down at the remaining meat slices coated in red oil in front of Litleo. A strange thought crossed his mind—could the spiciness be so intense that it made Litleo breathe fire?

But it hadn't tasted that spicy to him?!

Litleo stopped breathing fire and licked its lips, then continued eating the meat. But before it could take a few more bites, it raised its head again and spewed fire.

Rick: !!!

Rick was dumbfounded. He went up to the stall and asked, "Boss, why does your food make my Pokémon breathe fire after eating it?"

Naoki replied, "It's because I added a special secret seasoning to this dish. When a Fire-type Pokémon eats it, the Fire-type energy in its body explodes. But don't worry, it won't harm the Pokémon."

Rick was still a little confused.

At that moment, a flame suddenly ignited around Litleo. The flames grew more and more intense, gradually engulfing Litleo's entire body.

After the initial confusion, Litleo felt the newfound power surging within it and let out an excited cry. It charged forward, running around the stall, its speed increasing with each lap.

"That, that's." Rick's jaw dropped.

If he wasn't mistaken, that move was Flare Blitz!

"It seems your Litleo is luckier than Cinderace!" Naoki remarked.

Rick turned his head and asked, "What do you mean?"

Naoki explained, half-truthfully, "It's the effect of this dish. The spiciness stimulates the Fire energy within a Pokémon's body. When their Fire energy reaches its peak, their brains enter a unique state. In this state, they sometimes comprehend new Fire-type moves."

This explanation was a bit too complex for Rick to fully grasp.

Naoki simplified it further. "It's like how some trainers have their Pokémon train in whirlpools. The abundant Water-type energy there helps them learn Water-type moves like Whirlpool."

Rick's eyes widened in understanding. "So, this food can help Pokémon train?! How did you do that?!"

Naoki smiled mysteriously. "It's an exclusive secret recipe that I won't share with anyone! If you want to eat it again, come back next year!"

Unable to get more information, Rick turned his attention to the remaining food. He patted his pocket and asked, "Boss, can I buy a few more portions to take away?"

"Sorry, there's a limit of two per person," Naoki shook his head.

"Okay." That meant he could buy one more.

Rick eagerly took out his money and bought another serving.

"Boss, can your other dishes also help my Litleo train?" he inquired.

"Unfortunately, no. Those are just ordinary dishes."

"Alright." Rick felt a bit disappointed but secretly resolved to return next year.

Just as he was about to leave, something occurred to him.

Wait! Aren't the people who set up stalls here usually farmers from the surrounding areas? Why did this guy know so much about Pokémon?

Who was this boss?

Thinking of this, Rick asked directly.

Naoki shrugged helplessly. "As you can see, I'm just an ordinary farmer who runs a ranch nearby."

At that moment, a new customer was attracted by the aroma.

It was a girl with a Sprigatito.

She walked over, looked at the menu, and said, "Boss, I'd like two cups of Pecha Berry juice and two bowls of steamed eggs!"