Pokemon: A New Path

Chapter 457: Reunion

After deciding to create a disguise, Naoki wasted no time.

That very afternoon, he ordered all the necessary materials for the mask from an online marketplace.

Three days later, his package finally arrived.

May 2nd, Year 200 of the Alliance Calendar.

A Pelipper, carrying a large delivery satchel, descended from the sky, landing in the open fields of Naoki's ranch.

However, something was off.

Unlike the usual swift and energetic delivery birds, this Pelipper looked exhausted, its feathers ruffled and its eyes weary.

Naoki frowned, stepping forward.

"What happened to you?"

Upon inquiring, he quickly learned the reason for the delay—

The Pelipper had been attacked by wild Pokémon during its journey!

Despite the struggle, it had fought off its assailants and protected the package with all its might.

Naoki was taken aback.

Even though Pokémon Couriers like Pelipper were trained for safe deliveries, unexpected attacks weren't uncommon.

But this poor Pelipper had clearly gone through a rough time.

It was so shaken that it refused to take the same route back.

Naoki sighed. "You did great. Here, let me take care of you first."

He carefully took the package, then pulled out a medical kit, gently treating the Pelipper's wounds with an Antidote and some healing balm.

The grateful Pelipper squawked in appreciation before taking off, heading back home through a safer route.

Watching it disappear into the horizon, Naoki exhaled.

"…Well, that was unexpected."

Shaking his head, he turned back to the World Tree, where Mewtwo awaited.

Upon arriving at the World Tree, Naoki handed the package of materials to Mewtwo.

The Pokémon took one glance at them before its deep, telepathic voice resonated in Naoki's mind:

"What shape do you want it to take?"

Naoki paused.

'What should the mask look like?'

The first thing that came to mind was the Blaziken Mask worn by Meyer.

That disguise had not only included a mask, but also a cloak and bodysuit, all designed after Blaziken.

That meant Naoki should also base his mask on a Pokémon.

But… which one?

His gaze instinctively drifted to Koraidon, who had followed him to the World Tree.

"…No, no, Koraidon would be way too obvious."

Naoki quickly dismissed the idea.

There were only two Koraidon in the world.

One was being studied in Area Zero, and the other was right here, with him.

If he ran around in a Koraidon-themed mask, people would immediately make the connection!

It had to be something common.

Something familiar in the Paldea Region.

Then, inspiration struck—

Cyclizar!

Cyclizar was one of the most common Pokémon in Paldea.

They were an important mode of transportation, used by thousands of people every day.@@novelbin@@

If he made a Cyclizar mask, it wouldn't seem unusual at all!

"Cyclizar!" Naoki declared confidently.

Mewtwo, who had seen Cyclizar before, simply nodded.

With a wave of its hand, the mask materials floated into the air, enveloped in a soft purple aura.

Then—

A miracle unfolded before Naoki's eyes.

Under Mewtwo's telekinetic control, the raw materials began reshaping themselves, bending and molding as if obeying an invisible sculptor.

Within moments—

The pieces fused together, forming a sleek, black-and-green mask shaped just like Cyclizar's face.

The craftsmanship was perfect.

Even the texture looked authentic, as though it had been handcrafted by a master artisan.

"It's done." Mewtwo announced.

Naoki carefully picked up the mask and examined it.

It was stunning.

The contours, the design—flawless. It fit perfectly over his face, covering his identity without obstructing his vision.

"This is amazing. Thanks, Mewtwo!"

Mewtwo simply gave a small nod before turning away, already returning to its other tasks.

Naoki, now armed with his new disguise, grinned.

From now on—

When he wore the mask, he would be the "Cyclizar Mask."

And when he took it off?

He would go back to being nothing more than an ordinary rancher.

With a satisfied smirk, he turned to Koraidon.

"Alright, let's head back!"

As Naoki and Koraidon left the Distortion World and returned to the ranch, he immediately noticed something unexpected.

Sitting in the grass, tail flicking lazily, was a familiar figure.

Sprigatito.

The same jealous little cat Pokémon from before.

Naoki absentmindedly munched on a few translation seed crisps from his pocket as he approached the familiar green-furred feline.

"Well? Did my advice work last time?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sprigatito, however, looked anything but happy.

With a dramatic flick of its tail, it angrily recounted its latest troubles to Naoki and Koraidon.

"Spiri!" (This is unforgivable! Nothing I did worked!)

Sprigatito stomped its tiny paws against the ground in frustration.

"Spiri-ha!" (And while I was gone, he went and caught another Pokémon! He completely ignored me! He doesn't care about me at all!)

Naoki: "…"

That… was a bit much.

His brows furrowed as he thought about it. If what Sprigatito said was true, then its trainer really was being neglectful.

"…So, you ran away again today?"

The Grass Cat Pokémon huffed, its ears twitching with irritation.

"Spiri!" (I'm never going back!)

Naoki's eyes widened in surprise.

"…Wait, are you saying you're abandoning your trainer?"

He had heard of trainers abandoning their Pokémon before—that, unfortunately, wasn't rare.

Take Paul from Sinnoh, for example.

He only captured Pokémon with high potential, releasing any that didn't meet his expectations. Even Pokémon like Charmander had been abandoned in the past by careless trainers.

But for a Pokémon to abandon its trainer? That was extremely uncommon.

Sprigatito, however, looked completely serious as it nodded with determination.

"Spiri-ha!" (That's right!)

Naoki opened his mouth to respond, but at that very moment—

A boy, no older than ten, appeared at the entrance to the ranch.

The moment Sprigatito caught his scent, its fur bristled. Without hesitation, the feline turned tail and ran, diving straight into the tall grass.

Within seconds, it had vanished, blending perfectly into the green surroundings.

Naoki blinked.

'That was fast.'

The boy did not notice it and instead turned his gaze to Naoki who was standing there.

He looked worried—his expression a mix of anxiety and determination.

"Um, excuse me… have you seen a Sprigatito around here?"

Naoki: "…"

His gaze flickered toward the tall grass, where he knew the very Sprigatito in question was hiding.

But all he saw were a few other Pokémon—Butterfree, Alcremie, and Cyclizar—none of which were green-furred cats.

'…So this is its trainer.'

Studying the boy carefully, Naoki noted the genuine concern on his face.

After a brief pause, he finally spoke.

"Sprigatito?" he echoed, pretending to think. "I did see one earlier. It was drinking from the river and nibbling on berries this morning. Are you its trainer?"

At Naoki's words, the boy's face lit up with relief.

"Yes! I am!"

However, his expression quickly darkened, and his shoulders sagged.

"I… don't know what's going on lately. Sprigatito keeps sneaking out and disappearing for days. I don't know why, but every time I find it, it just runs off again…"

He sighed, clearly troubled.

Naoki almost chuckled.

'Kid… your Pokémon is this close to completely ditching you, and you don't even realize it?'

From what he could tell, Sprigatito was probably just angry. It wanted its trainer's attention but felt jealous and replaced—so it was throwing a tantrum.

Maybe not a very reasonable tantrum, but a tantrum nonetheless.

Still, Sprigatito was likely speaking out of frustration rather than truly wanting to leave its trainer forever.

Naoki hummed in thought before offering a suggestion.

"Well, don't worry too much. If it's been coming around here lately, it might show up again."

The boy looked up hopefully.

"You think so?"

Naoki nodded.

"There aren't many houses nearby. If it gets hungry, it'll probably come back to the ranch to look for food. Do you want to wait here?"

The boy brightened immediately.

"Really?! Thank you so much, Mr. Rancher!"

Then, with a polite bow, he introduced himself.

"My name is Astro! I'm from Cabo Poco, and I'm traveling around Paldea with my Pokémon!"

Naoki smiled.

Naoki handed the Cyclizar Mask to Koraidon for safekeeping before inviting Astro into the living room.

As the young trainer took a seat, Naoki poured him a glass of water.

Astro had been chasing after Sprigatito for who knows how long, and in his anxiety, he had completely forgotten to hydrate.

The boy gratefully accepted the drink, gulping it down in one go before exhaling in relief.

"Thank you so much!" he said earnestly.

Naoki smiled. "No problem. If you don't mind, could you tell me what's been going on with your Sprigatito?"

Meanwhile, just outside the door, Sprigatito had crept up silently under the eaves. It pricked up its ears, keenly listening in on their conversation.

Some of the Pokémon on the ranch noticed its presence, tilting their heads in curiosity. But Sprigatito paid them no mind.

It wanted to hear what its trainer had to say.

Inside, Astro nodded at Naoki's request and began explaining.

"This is my first year as a Pokémon Trainer," he started. "I received Sprigatito as my starter from the director of the academy, and we did everything together—attending classes, eating meals, even joining extracurricular activities. It was great at first."

Naoki listened attentively, nodding along.

"But then… I don't know what happened," Astro frowned. "One day, Sprigatito just got mad at me and ran away. I wasn't even doing anything different!"

His brows furrowed.

"And it's not the first time, either. This is the fifth time it's run away from home."

Naoki: "…"

'Yep. That sounded exactly like a Sprigatito.'

He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Do you remember when it first started acting like this?"

Astro blinked. "The first time…?"

His face scrunched up in thought, trying to recall.

"Hmm… it was about three months ago," he said. "I had just graduated from Uva Academy and was super excited to finally start my journey as a real Trainer. So, the first thing I did after leaving school was head straight to the grasslands outside Mesagoza to catch my second Pokémon."

Astro grinned proudly, clearly reliving the moment.

"I managed to catch a Bounsweet!"

"And after that," Naoki continued, "what happened next?"

Astro rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Uh… well… after catching Bounsweet, I also caught Skiploom, Espurr, Wattrel, Marill, and Psyduck."

Naoki blinked.

"…All in one day?"

Astro waved his hands frantically. "No, no! It took me a week!"

He puffed out his chest in excitement. "I've been dreaming about becoming a Pokémon Trainer for so long! The moment I finally got my first Pokémon, I just couldn't stop catching more!"

Naoki: "…"

"I think I know why Spirigatito ran away from home," he said.

Astro was stunned: "Huh?"

"Pokémon like Sprigatito are very possessive of their trainers," he explained. "They don't like sharing their trainers' attention with others."

Astro's eyes widened slightly.

Naoki continued.

"Let me guess—after catching those Pokémon, you fed them sandwiches, played with them, and petted them, right?"

"Well… yeah," Astro admitted. "That's how you bond with Pokémon, isn't it?"

At that moment, realization dawned on his face.

His mouth fell open in shock.

"Wait… Are you saying Sprigatito ran away because I caught too many Pokémon?!"

Naoki nodded. "Exactly."

"Pokémon, just like humans, have deep emotions," he said. "They feel happy when their trainer praises them… and they feel sad when they're ignored."

Astro sat there, stunned.

Naoki sat back, watching Astro process everything.

"Sometimes, a trainer has to learn self-restraint," Naoki said gently. "There's only one trainer, but when too many Pokémon are caught at once, it becomes difficult to give each of them the care and attention they deserve."

Astro listened intently.

"In a situation like that," Naoki continued, "some Pokémon will inevitably feel neglected—just like Sprigatito."

Astro's expression shifted. "So… Sprigatito ran away because it felt ignored…"

For the first time, he truly understood.

His starter Pokémon had run away five times, and each time, it stayed away longer and longer.

If this continued…

Would there come a day when Sprigatito gave up on him entirely—never coming back?

A cold sense of fear crept up his spine at the thought.

His memories flooded back, clear as day.

—The moment he first saw Sprigatito, he immediately chose it over Fuecoco and Quaxly.

—Their time at Uva Academy, sitting in classes together, running side by side on the school field, racing until they were both exhausted.

—Enjoying meals at the cafeteria, staying up late in the dorm, and falling asleep with Sprigatito curled up beside him.

He clenched his fists.

Meanwhile, Naoki had already noticed the small green figure lurking outside the door.

Sprigatito's ears twitched slightly as it continued to eavesdrop.

Naoki exchanged a brief glance with Koraidon, then turned back to Astro and asked,

"Astro, is Sprigatito important to you?"

"Of course it is!" Astro answered immediately, without hesitation.

At those words, Sprigatito's heart trembled.

"Spiri…" (Really?)

Naoki nodded, then followed up with another question.

"If you could see Sprigatito again right now… what would you say?"

Astro didn't even need to think.

"I would apologize." His voice was firm. "I ignored it for too long. From now on, I'll be more careful with its feelings. I'll never let it feel abandoned again!"

Naoki smiled.

He glanced toward the doorway.

"Did you hear that, Sprigatito?"

"Huh?!"

Astro whipped his head around in shock.

And there, standing in the doorway, was Sprigatito.

The Grass Cat Pokémon had an awkward look on its face, as if it hadn't planned on getting caught listening in.

"Sprigatito!"

Astro sprang to his feet, rushing forward. He scooped up his Pokémon, holding it tightly in his arms.

"I'm sorry!" he said sincerely. "I shouldn't have ignored you! I promise—I'll never do that again!"

Sprigatito blinked up at him in surprise. After a moment, its ears twitched, and it let out a soft purr.

"Spirii!"

...

A little later, Astro had finally calmed down.

Naoki briefly recounted everything that had happened after Sprigatito arrived at the ranch.

"So that's what happened…" Astro murmured, looking down at his Pokémon.

Then, he turned back to Naoki, bowing deeply.

"Mr. Naoki, thank you so much for looking after Sprigatito!"

Naoki waved a hand dismissively. "No need for thanks."

He glanced at the feline Pokémon. "Actually, Sprigatito still has something to say to you. Want me to translate?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Naoki grinned.

"It said that it likes you a lot and wants to stay by your side forever."

Astro froze. His mouth opened slightly, eyes widening in shock.

Sprigatito, sitting on his shoulder, tilted its head away, looking embarrassed.

Naoki chuckled and stretched.

"So, in the future… don't ignore its feelings."

With that, Naoki turned, waving as he walked back toward the ranch.

"Safe travels, you two!"

Astro and Sprigatito watched his figure disappear down the road, standing there for a long moment.

Then, Astro smiled.

"Sprigatito, let's continue our journey!"

"Spiri!" (Yeah! Let's go!)

The trainer and his Pokémon set off down the dirt path, disappearing over the horizon.

Back at the ranch, Naoki was about to head inside when Koraidon suddenly approached him. It held out a small, round object.

Naoki blinked. "Huh? What's this?"

"Raao." (Something Sprigatito left behind.) Koraidon explained.

Naoki's eyes widened slightly.

Sprigatito… left something for him?

He took the small object in his hand, examining it carefully.

Suddenly, a strange feeling washed over him, and information appeared in his mind.

[Gratitude Seeds: Special seeds given by Sprigatito, infused with deep gratitude. When planted, they will grow into a unique crop.]

...

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