Pokemon: A New Path

Chapter 427: Invitations

The next morning, after finishing his chores around the ranch, Naoki turned his attention to the giant carrot ripened by his Gogoat.

Like the giant watermelon that had grown before, this carrot was another colossal crop.

It was orange-red, with a diameter of roughly one meter. The part of the carrot visible above the soil alone was more than two meters tall, making it hard to imagine its full size.

After circling the field to inspect it, Naoki gave a command. "Koraidon, can you help me pull it out?"

"Raao!" Koraidon responded enthusiastically, bounding over to the carrot. Wrapping its powerful arms around the massive vegetable, it gave a firm tug. With a single mighty pull, Koraidon uprooted the giant carrot and carried it over to Naoki.

"Well done!" Naoki praised with a grin.

As he examined the carrot, details about it surfaced in his mind.

[Giant Carrot: A unique crop bursting with nutrients. Highly favored by certain Pokémon and ideal for crafting food.]

If anyone on the ranch loved carrots the most, it would undoubtedly be Calyrex.

With an idea forming in his mind, Naoki quickly came up with a plan. Leaving such a massive carrot to sit unused would be wasteful—it would spoil eventually. Instead, he decided to hollow out the carrot, using its flesh to make carrot puree and carrot cakes. The remaining shell could be repurposed into a whimsical carrot-shaped playhouse for smaller Pokémon like Eevee to enjoy.

Without hesitation, Naoki got to work.

He carefully scooped out the carrot flesh using a spoon and a knife, saving the pieces for later. Once the inside was hollowed out, he enlisted Koraidon to load the remaining shell onto his pickup truck.

Hopping into the driver's seat, Naoki set off for Kelly's workshop.

Naoki remembered seeing her expertly preserve pumpkins to create lanterns that stayed fresh for months. He figured she could use the same method to treat the carrot shell.

The drive to Kelly's cabin was about ten minutes.

Pulling up in front of her workshop, Naoki found Kelly busy with carpentry work near the door.

Kelly looked up, surprised to see him. "Naoki? What brings you here today?"

Naoki and Koraidon unloaded the giant carrot from the truck as Naoki explained his plan. "I was hoping you could help turn this into a carrot house for the Pokémon at my ranch."

Kelly studied the enormous carrot, nodding in understanding. She wasn't particularly shocked—after all, she'd seen the giant watermelon from Naoki's ranch before.

Now that she thought about it, these oversized crops were probably the work of Calyrex.

"No problem," Kelly replied. "It'll take me about three days."

"Great! I'll come back to pick it up then," Naoki said, nodding. After paying for the service, he was about to leave when he remembered something else he needed to do—ordering construction materials.

He had plans to build an expedition guild inside

the World Tree.

It was now March in the 200th year of the Alliance Calendar. In just four more months, the World Tree would reach its full size.

Though the tree's growth was ongoing, the ecosystem within it had already stabilized. The vast interior spaces and flourishing environment made it the perfect place to establish a base.

Naoki vividly remembered exploring the area with his Pokémon. One space, in particular, stood out—a wide, open field surrounded by forests and lakes. It was ideal for building the expedition guild he envisioned.

However, there was one glaring problem.

Naoki had no experience with construction. Building an entire guild, complete with multiple buildings, was far beyond his abilities.

After a moment of contemplation, Naoki turned his attention to Kelly.

Kelly noticed his expression and tilted her head slightly. "What's wrong? Is there something else you need?"

Naoki nodded, his tone serious. "Yes, there's one more thing I'd like to ask of you."

Surprised by his seriousness, Kelly raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What is it?"

"I need help constructing some facilities. But the location isn't the ranch—it's somewhere else," Naoki explained.

Kelly looked puzzled. "Are you planning to open a second ranch?"

Naoki smiled faintly. "Not exactly. You'll understand once you see it. Come with me."

Ten minutes later, Kelly found herself standing in the Distortion World. Floating islands stretched across a vast expanse of fractured sky, and below her lay an endless void.

Her eyes widened in shock. "Oh my goodness…" she murmured, her voice trembling. "What is this place?"

Naoki, standing beside her, replied calmly, "This is the Distortion World—Giratina's domain."

He gestured toward a nearby sky island, where a colossal tree loomed. Giratina was absent from the scene, likely off patrolling its territory or, knowing its peculiar habits, scaring people on the Pokémon forum through its Rotom Phone.

"Giratina?!" Kelly exclaimed, a massive metaphorical exclamation mark hovering over her head. "Are you talking about the legendary Pokémon? The one that surfs the internet using Rotom?"

"That's right," Naoki confirmed with a nod. He didn't linger on the topic, instead directing her attention to the enormous tree in the distance. "Do you see that big tree over there?"

Kelly turned to look and gasped. The tree was unlike anything she'd seen before—massive, otherworldly, and imposing.

"That's where I'd like you to build the facilities," Naoki continued. "Think of it like the Pokémon Tavern back at the ranch, but designed for the Pokémon who'll live here."

He elaborated further, "The tree is something I planted a while back. It's special. Though it looks solid from the outside, it's hollow on the inside. I plan to transform its interior into an ecological haven for the Pokémon from the ranch—a place they can explore and enjoy."

As Naoki spoke, a shadow passed overhead. Giratina returned, its massive form descending with an aura of authority. Its sheer presence was overwhelming, and its crimson eyes scanned the scene with calm intensity.

Kelly immediately recognized it. "That's… Giratina!" she whispered, her voice shaky.

The legendary Pokémon landed on the nearby sky island, its piercing gaze landing on Naoki and Kelly. There was a moment of silence as it tilted its head, clearly curious about the visitors.

Naoki stepped forward and addressed Giratina. "This is Kelly, a skilled craftsperson I've hired. She'll be working here for a while, helping to construct the facilities on the tree."

Giratina seemed to consider this for a moment. Then, with a slow, deliberate nod of its massive head, it returned to its resting place on the Flower Sky Island, curling up peacefully.

Naoki smiled at Kelly. "All set. You can work here without any worries."

Kelly: "..."

She glanced at Naoki, her perception of him shifting dramatically. Who could have imagined that their humble, hardworking, and unassuming neighbor was someone so… extraordinary?

Not only had he befriended Calyrex, but he also had a close relationship with the legendary Giratina and could come and go from its domain as he pleased.

At that moment, Kelly felt an invisible but insurmountable divide between herself and Naoki—a barrier of sheer awe and mystery.

Naoki noticed the look in Kelly's eyes and couldn't help but ask, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Kelly murmured, "I'm just… so shocked."

After a moment, she composed herself. Looking into Naoki's eyes, she asked, "As always, I'll keep Giratina's presence here a secret, right?"

Naoki nodded with a grateful smile. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

Kelly took a deep breath and returned to her usual composed demeanor. Shifting her gaze to the towering tree in the distance, she asked, "So, what exactly do you want to build there?"

Naoki led Kelly to the top of the World Tree.

What greeted them was a vibrant, picturesque landscape.

The fertile soil gave rise to lush grass, and a serene lake shimmered amidst the dense woods. Mist hovered gently over the water, giving the area an enchanting, almost otherworldly feel. Moss-covered trees framed the lake, their branches adorned with green vines that swayed in the soft breeze.

"This place is stunning," Kelly murmured, captivated by the view.

Naoki smiled softly and gestured toward the greenery beneath their feet. "This is the spot. By the way, Kelly, have you ever played role-playing games?"

Kelly blinked in surprise before recalling the medieval fantasy games she'd tried on her Rotom Phone. She nodded. "I've played a few. Why do you ask?"

"In those games, there's usually a guild—a place where players can take on quests and tasks from a bulletin board," Naoki explained. "I want to build something similar here. A guild, complete with facilities like a bar and a bulletin board."

Kelly tilted her head slightly, puzzled. "So… you're planning to create a role-playing setting for Pokémon?"

Naoki continued, "In addition to the guild, I'd like to add Pokémon taverns, cafés, restaurants, warehouses for berries and supplies, item shops for selling useful tools, hospitals for treating injuries, and, of course, places for Pokémon to rest and sleep."

Kelly: "…"

Was Naoki really planning to play house with his Pokémon?

Seeing her expression, Naoki smiled and reassured her, "I know it sounds elaborate, but I think it'll be perfect for the Pokémon."

Kelly sighed softly but nodded. "Alright, no problem."

She glanced around, memorizing the environment and layout. "I'll start drafting designs this afternoon. Once the plans are ready, I'll bring them to your ranch for approval. With so many facilities to construct, this will be a large project. Are you in a rush to have it completed?"

Naoki shook his head. "Not at all."

The World Tree still had a few months before it would reach its full size, so there was no immediate pressure to finish construction.

"Got it," Kelly replied, thinking carefully. "I'll have the blueprint ready for you tomorrow. The materials we have on hand won't be enough, so I'll need to source additional supplies from elsewhere. Once everything is in place, we'll begin construction."

"Sounds good to me," Naoki said, nodding in agreement.

With their discussion concluded, the two left the Distortion World, and Naoki drove Kelly back to her workshop.

On his way back to the ranch, Naoki began mentally assigning roles to his Pokémon for the expedition guild.

The Indeedee siblings, who served as caretakers for the ranch, were too busy managing things there to move to the World Tree. That meant Naoki needed other Pokémon to take on the responsibilities at the guild.

For the Pokémon tavern, the first candidate that came to mind was Oranguru —a highly intelligent Pokémon known for its resourcefulness and ability to use tools like a human. With its clever nature and calm demeanor, Oranguru was the perfect choice to run the tavern.

In the Pokémon anime, there is a café deep in the forest run entirely by this Pokémon. It specializes in crafting delicious juice from Berries.

Inspired by this idea, Naoki began planning roles for the café and restaurant at the World Tree. For the Pokémon café, he decided to enlist Shuckle as the barista. Meanwhile, the Pokémon restaurant would be led by Mr. Mime as the chef.

Naoki fondly remembered Mr. Mime in Ash's house. The Pokemon was incredibly skilled—not only adept at cleaning but also an expert in preparing a variety of delectable dishes. It was the perfect combination of housekeeping and culinary talent.

Naoki had already assigned responsibility for the item shop to Pawmot's parents.

As for the Pokémon hospital, dedicated to treating the injured, Naoki's mind turned to several Pokémon renowned for their medical assistance skills.

He envisioned Chansey, Blissey, Jigglypuff, Wigglytuff, and Comfey—all commonly recognized as nurse assistants in the Pokémon world. These Pokémon could often be seen helping Nurse Joy in Pokémon Centers across various regions.

In addition to these helpers, Naoki thought of Clefable, a Pokémon capable of assisting with simple medical tasks. Clefable's acute hearing, said to be so sharp it could detect the sound of a needle dropping from a kilometer away, made it ideal for responding quickly to patients' needs.

However, many of the Pokémon Naoki envisioned didn't reside in the Paldea region. To recruit them, he would need to venture to other regions. Unfortunately, leaving the ranch wasn't an option for Naoki at the moment; he didn't want to risk his Pokémon feeling lonely in his absence.

After some thought, Naoki pulled out his Rotom Phone and forwarded the recruitment tasks to the Hero Expedition Team, who were traveling in distant lands.

Far Away in the Hoenn Region

In a sprawling green forest of the Hoenn region, three Pokémon from the Hero Expedition Team were resting in a clearing. They shared ripe Berries with a group of wild Pokémon under the shade of towering trees.

Suddenly, Rotom's phone buzzed to life and floated into the air.

"A new commission has been received, Rotom!" Rotom chirped.

"Mew?" Mew, sitting among the group, blinked curiously at the phone.

Beside it, Teddiursa and Zapdos turned their attention to the Rotom Phone.

Rotom quickly organized Naoki's requests on the screen before reading the details aloud.

[Commission #3: Recruitment Mission]

Objective: With the construction of an expedition guild, café, restaurant, and other facilities underway at the World Tree, new Pokémon staff are needed!

Details: Search for Pokémon with an interest in mixing Berry juice, and running a café. Invite them to join the World Tree team.

Commission 4: Recruit Mr. Mime

Commission Details: This Pokémon excels in household chores and cooking. It is capable of preparing meals for the Expedition Team at the Pokémon restaurant. If you encounter a Pokémon with a passion for cooking, invite it to the World Tree to join the team!

Commission 5: Recruit a Fire-Type Pokémon

Commission Details: Cooking and lighting bonfires both require the ability to produce fire. A Fire-type Pokémon is essential for these tasks. If you encounter a Fire-type Pokémon during your travels that is interested in settling at the World Tree, extend an invitation for them to join the community!

Commission 6: Recruit Doctor and Nurse type Pokémon

Commission Details: The Pokémon Hospital at the World Tree is still in need of a few nurses and doctors. If you come across kind-hearted Pokémon such as Chansey, Happiny, Jigglypuff, Wigglytuff, or Comfey, invite them to join the hospital staff to help care for Pokémon in need!

Commission 7: Recruit Pokémon for Farming, Cultivating, and Watering

Commission Details: A flourishing farm is being established at the World Tree, and Pokémon with farming skills are needed. If you encounter Pokémon adept at cultivating crops, farming, or watering plants, invite them to settle at the World Tree.

Suggested Pokémon:

For cultivating crops (Grass-type Pokémon): Lilligant, Chikorita, Sunflora, or Roselia.

For farming (Ground-type Pokémon): Diglett, Dugtrio, Mudsdale, Sandslash, Torterra, or Excadrill.

For watering (Water-type Pokémon): Squirtle, Poliwag, Froakie, or Marill.

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