Pokemon: A New Path

Chapter: 463

"Teddi!"

"Miu!"

Mew and Teddiursa, who had just returned from afar, excitedly flew to Naoki's side.

Naoki smiled, gently patting their heads before turning his gaze toward the four visitors standing nearby. Mew and Teddiursa turned around as well, looking at Ash and his companions with curiosity.

At that moment, Ash and his friends were completely captivated by the ranch before them. There were so many Pokémon here that they had never seen before!

Just a few days ago, they were still traveling through the Hoenn region, collecting Gym Badges.

But upon hearing that the Millennium Comet would soon appear, they had made their way to Pokémon Park, eager to witness the once-in-a-millennium celestial event.

However, instead of seeing the comet, they had encountered three Pokémon who introduced themselves as the Hero Expedition Team.

At the time, Butler had just handed over the Sleep Cocoon, and that was when these Pokémon had arrived.

After an intense confrontation, they had learned the truth about Butler's sinister plan from Teddiursa and joined forces to stop him.

With their combined efforts, they thwarted Butler's scheme, ensuring Jirachi's safety. Once the dust settled, Mew told them that there might be a way to break Jirachi's curse of sleeping for a thousand years.

Eager to help, they had followed the Hero Expedition Team across the sea, arriving at this secluded ranch.

Among the group, Brock was the only one who managed to maintain some semblance of composure. Adjusting his ever-squinting eyes, he looked at Naoki and asked,

"Excuse me, sir, are you the Trainer of the Hero Expedition Team?"

May looked around at the incredible Pokémon nearby—the legendary Zapdos, the mythical Mew, and the mysterious Teddiursa—and couldn't help but murmur,

"This is unbelievable..."

Naoki smiled and introduced himself.

"Hello, I'm Naoki, the owner of this ranch."

Ash finally tore his gaze away from the Pokémon and quickly introduced himself,

"Hi! I'm Ash from Pallet Town!"

"I'm Brock."

"My name's May, and this is my little brother, Max!"

Naoki nodded but didn't dwell on introductions—there was something far more important to address.

It wasn't just Ash and his friends who had come to the ranch with the Hero Expedition Team.

Standing beside them were Absol and Jirachi.

Naoki's eyes shifted to the small Pokémon hiding behind Absol's back, its innocent gaze peeking out cautiously.

"Come with me," Naoki said to the group.

The group followed Naoki through the ranch and into the cozy living room. Seeing unexpected guests, Indeedee gracefully prepared tea and snacks for everyone.

"Excuse us!" Ash and his friends said politely as they took their seats.

Inside, Brock, Ash, May, and Max curiously observed the Indeedee, who had just brought them tea. Unable to contain his curiosity, Ash took out his Rotom Phone and scanned Indeedee.

[Indeedee, the Emotion Pokémon.]

"It diligently serves both people and Pokémon to collect gratitude. Female Indeedee are particularly skilled at caring for children!"

Hearing Rotom's electronic voice, both Ash and Brock were visibly intrigued.

"Amazing... what a fascinating Pokémon!" Ash exclaimed.

Naoki chuckled. "Indeedee is a very reliable Pokémon."

Feeling even more curious, Ash pointed his Rotom Phone at Koraidon, who was resting nearby.

However, the phone displayed:

[No relevant information available. This Pokémon has not been discovered yet]

Ash's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Whoa! A Pokémon that hasn't even been discovered yet?!"

May, however, rolled her eyes.

"Ash, now's not the time to get sidetracked!"

Realizing his excitement had taken over, Ash sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry, I got a little carried away! It's just… there are so many Pokémon I've never seen before!"

Seeing his enthusiasm, Naoki chuckled.

Brock, however, steered the conversation back to the main topic.

"Mr. Naoki," he asked, his voice calm and serious, "is there really a way to help Jirachi?"

"That's right. That's precisely why I asked the Hero Expedition Team to find Jirachi," Naoki confirmed.

His gaze shifted toward the small, floating Pokémon that was now curiously observing its surroundings. Jirachi had followed Mew, hovering quietly as it took in the unfamiliar place.

Finally, its gaze met Naoki's.

'Innocent. Childlike.'

There was something almost ethereal about Jirachi's eyes.

Mew turned to it and said reassuringly, "Miu~" (He's Naoki! He's a really nice person~)

Jirachi blinked.

"Jira" "Naoki?"

The voice that echoed in the room was soft and childlike.

"That's right, I'm Naoki," he confirmed.

Turning to Ash and the others, Naoki explained:

"This is the natural lifecycle of Pokémon like Jirachi. They sleep for a thousand years, only waking up for seven days. Because they wake so rarely, their personalities and mental development remain like that of a child."

Hearing this, May's expression softened.

"That's… really sad," she murmured.

Max looked up at Jirachi, who was floating in the air, then turned to Naoki with pleading eyes.

"Mr. Naoki, please help Jirachi!"

"Don't worry," Naoki assured them with a confident smile. "Leave it to me."

He turned, walked to the kitchen, and returned with a small, vibrant green dumpling.

Holding it in front of Jirachi, he said,

"This is a special dish I made using secret methods and rare ingredients. If you eat this, Jirachi, you'll never have to sleep for a thousand years again."

Jirachi tilted its head, staring at the dumpling in confusion.

"Jira" "Food?"

"That's right," Naoki nodded and asked gently,

"Wouldn't you like to wake up every morning like Absol and the other Pokémon? To spend your days playing with friends, and then sleep at night when the sun sets?"

Jirachi's eyes widened slightly.

"You won't have to be alone anymore," Naoki continued.

"You won't have to worry about opening your eyes only to find that all your friends are gone. You can wake up with everyone else, just like the Pokémon of this world."

A flicker of emotion appeared in Jirachi's gaze. Naoki's words had touched its heart.

Its eyes flickered slightly as its mind thought back to the Pokémon friends it had made the last time it woke up.

"Jira" "Is it really possible".

"Of course," Naoki said.

Jirachi looked back at Mew and Teddiursa before turning its gaze to Ash and Brock.

Even though they had only spent a day together, Jirachi already considered them friends. Looking at everyone's encouraging expressions, Jirachi nodded enthusiastically and took a bite of the green dumpling.

The very next second, a brilliant light radiated from Jirachi's small body, illuminating the entire room. As the glow gradually faded, nothing seemed to have visibly changed—but something felt different.

Jirachi looked down at itself in confusion.

"Jira" "That's it?"

"Yep, that's all," Naoki replied with a warm smile. "From now on, you won't have to fall into such a deep sleep anymore."

Hearing this, Jirachi's eyes widened in excitement.

Mew, who had been watching from the side, twirled in the air happily before flying over to Jirachi, celebrating with a cheerful cry.

"Mew~!"

The two Pokémon floated around the room, gleefully circling one another.

Ash and the others watched this heartwarming scene unfold, feeling a wave of relief wash over them.

"That's wonderful," May said with a smile.

But Ash, ever curious, suddenly thought of something. "Wait a second… Mr. Naoki, was that dumpling Jirachi just ate something you made?"

"That's right," Naoki replied with a knowing grin. "It's a special dish I created using unique ingredients and a technique that's… well, you could say it's like a special ability."

"A special ability?" Brock immediately perked up, intrigued. "Do you mean like the psychic powers some humans have?"

He recalled that Sabrina, the Gym Leader from Saffron City, possessed such abilities.

Ash, too, remembered his challenging battle at the Saffron Gym.

"It sounds like you've encountered psychics before," Naoki remarked, amused.

Brock nodded, but before he could say more, a sudden commotion erupted outside. The sharp cries of Pokémon rang through the air, catching everyone's attention in an instant.

"What's going on?" Ash asked, puzzled. "Are the Pokémon at Mr. Naoki's ranch fighting?"

Naoki, however, immediately recognized the source of the ruckus. The group quickly stepped outside to investigate, and just as Naoki expected, they were met with a chaotic sight.

An energetic, Vigoroth was bouncing all over the pasture, causing a stir.

A furious Farfetch'd was chasing after it at full speed, brandishing a massive leek in its wings.

Naoki's gaze shifted toward the onion field—and sure enough, the carefully grown crops had been utterly demolished.

"It's Vigoroth!" May exclaimed, recognizing the Pokémon instantly.

"My dad keeps a few of them at the Petalburg Gym," she added, grimacing.

"And that Farfetch'd is after it!" Ash noted, watching the chase. He turned to Naoki with a confused look. "Mr. Naoki, what's happening here?"

Naoki: "..."

"That Vigoroth was originally a Slakoth I took in. It used to spend all day sleeping in the orchard, but a few days ago, it suddenly evolved and… well, now it's nothing but trouble."

"That makes sense," May nodded in understanding. "Pokémon like Vigoroth are incredibly hyperactive. They won't calm down unless they burn off all their excess energy."

Burn off energy? How? Through a Pokémon battle?

Ash's eyes lit up at the thought. He clenched his fists in excitement and rolled up his sleeves.

"Mr. Naoki, let me help!"

Naoki hesitated. "That Vigoroth has a lot of energy…"

"There's gotta be a way to tire it out!" Ash grinned, glancing at Pikachu. "Pikachu, let's go!"

"Pikapi!"

With a determined cry, Pikachu leaped forward, dashing straight toward the rampaging Vigoroth.

Noticing Pikachu in its path, Vigoroth let out an enraged roar. It pounded its fists against its chest before charging at Pikachu at full speed.

The two Pokémon clashed in a blur of movement, launching into battle.

Watching this unfold, May groaned and held her forehead. "Ash is way too reckless…"

Naoki, on the other hand, simply smiled. This was exactly the kind of thing Ash would do. As he observed the battle, an idea suddenly struck him.

'Perhaps… I could entrust Vigoroth to Ash.'

For the past few days, the Pokémon at the ranch had been completely exhausted from dealing with Vigoroth's wild antics. The Miltank, in particular, weren't fond of battling and couldn't constantly take on Vigoroth's challenges.

At this moment, if there was a Trainer capable of handling Vigoroth, they could help it burn off its excess energy through constant Pokémon battles.

More importantly, Naoki trusted Ash's character.

"I'll ask Vigoroth what it thinks later," Naoki decided in his heart.

This way, it would be a win-win situation—Vigoroth could find a suitable Trainer, and the crops on the ranch would finally be safe from destruction.

Meanwhile, high above in the sky…

A Meowth-shaped hot air balloon drifted silently over the ranch. Inside, Meowth, Jessie, and James were peering down through their binoculars.

"The twerp's fighting a Vigoroth!" Meowth announced.

"Let me see!" Jessie snatched the binoculars from Meowth's paws. She first glanced at Ash and Pikachu, then slowly scanned the rest of the ranch.

"Oh. My. Gosh!" she gasped dramatically. "There are so many rare Pokémon down there! Tons I've never seen before!"

James, who had been listening intently, suddenly perked up. "If we capture them all and present them to the Boss…"

At the mere mention of Giovanni, the trio's eyes sparkled as they all imagined the same glorious scene:

Their Boss, Giovanni, standing before them, nodding approvingly.

'A massive promotion. A huge raise. Fancy bonuses!'

"What a wonderful feeling!" Meowth declared, practically glowing with excitement. "That settles it! We'll be the first Team Rocket squad to explore the Paldea region!"

Just as they were about to celebrate their grand plan, a sudden curious sound interrupted them.

"Awoo?"

The trio spun around, only to find several Dragonites hovering around their balloon, staring at them with bright, inquisitive eyes.

One particular Dragonite, which had a scar across its face, was eyeing them suspiciously, its expression completely hostile.

"Th-There are so many Dragonites!" Meowth stammered.

But before he could even finish his sentence, a shiver ran down his spine. Because, for some reason, all those Dragonites looked extremely angry.

Dragonite was an incredibly powerful Pokémon. And with this many of them gathered together… Team Rocket was in deep trouble.

Realizing this, the trio immediately huddled together, trembling.

"Awoo?"

"Awoo."

"Awoo!!"

The Dragonites began to communicate amongst themselves.

Jessie gulped. "Meowth, what are they saying?"

A bead of cold sweat slid down Meowth's forehead. "They heard us talking about capturing Pokémon for the Boss!"

The very next second—

One of the Dragonites lunged forward and slashed at the hot air balloon with Dragon Claw!

With a loud hiss, the balloon began to deflate, tilting wildly before spiraling out of control.

"Waaaaahhhhhh!"

As the wind carried their screams away, Team Rocket disappeared into the sky.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off agaaaaain!"

Watching the troublemakers vanish, the Dragonites exchanged satisfied nods before happily returning to the ranch.

Back at the ranch…

By this time, Ash's battle with Vigoroth had concluded.

The exhausted Normal-type Pokémon was finally calm, having burned off a significant amount of energy. However, only Naoki knew the truth—this peace wouldn't last long.

Before too long, Vigoroth would be right back to its hyperactive ways.

Just then, Max's voice rang out, filled with astonishment.

"Whoa! Look at all those Dragonites!"

Hearing this, Brock, Ash, and the others quickly turned their heads toward the sky.

Descending from above, over a dozen Dragonites gently landed on the ranch. Each one was carrying a satchel slung over its shoulder.

Brock's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Are those…?"

"They're the delivery team for my ranch," Naoki's voice came from beside them.

"Delivery team?!" Brock repeated in shock.

'Wasn't it a bit extravagant to use Dragonite as delivery Pokémon?!'

"Wow, that's so cool!" May gasped in awe.

Ash, however, had a different realization. He suddenly felt goosebumps rise on his arms.

This Naoki guy…

'Not only had he managed to befriend Mew and Zapdos, forming an expedition team to travel across regions. But he also had an entire squad of Dragonites at his command?!'

'It's decided! I want to battle Mr. Naoki in a Pokémon match!'

Ash wasted no time and immediately challenged Naoki to a battle.

Naoki: "…" Well, that escalated quickly.

However, it was already eleven in the morning, and he still needed to prepare lunch.

Thinking of this, Naoki said, "Let's do it in the afternoon! It's almost lunchtime, so I'll go prepare food. You all can stay at the ranch today and explore while I cook."

Naoki then turned to Indeedee.

"Indeedee, could you show our guests around the ranch?"

"Ai-ye." The Pokémon nodded politely before stepping forward to lead the group.

"Thanks for the help!"

The four of them gratefully thanked Indeedee before following it on the tour.

As Ash walked through the ranch, he eagerly held up his Rotom Phone, scanning every Pokémon he didn't recognize.

While the group was busy exploring, Naoki approached the resting Vigoroth and crouched down beside it.

"Vigoroth, do you want to see the world beyond this ranch?"

"Viiigor?" Vigoroth tilted its head curiously.

Naoki continued, "If you travel with a Trainer, you'll get to challenge Gym Leaders, battle all kinds of Pokémon, and become even stronger. If you're willing, I can help you find a suitable Trainer."

Hearing this, Vigoroth's eyes gleamed with excitement. Ever since it evolved, it had felt an uncontainable energy surging through its body.

It couldn't sit still. It wanted to run, to fight, to test its strength against the world.

Just imagining it made Vigoroth thrill with excitement!

The once-exhausted Pokémon suddenly sprang to its feet, pounding its chest with both fists and letting out a loud, enthusiastic cry.

"Viiiigoroth!"

Naoki: "…"

Yeah, that's a yes.

In that case, he'd let Ash catch it later. Having settled that, Naoki returned inside to prepare lunch.

Naoki had intended to check on Jirachi, but when he looked around, he noticed something.

All the Pokémon had disappeared.

It didn't take much to figure out what happened.

Mew and Teddiursa had clearly taken Jirachi and Absol to visit the Pokémon Guild at the World Tree.

Naoki wasn't in a rush to call them back. He focused on cooking first and only contacted a few Pokémon through his Rotom Phone after the meal was ready.

By this time, Ash and his friends had finished touring the ranch.

Ash, still buzzing with excitement from seeing so many rare and powerful Pokémon, could barely contain his enthusiasm. As they walked back inside, his eyes landed on a videophone in the living room.

That's when a thought struck him.

"Mr. Naoki, can I borrow your videophone?"

"Of course," Naoki nodded. He glanced at Ash's Rotom Phone, wondering why he didn't just use it.

Maybe a videophone was more convenient for long-distance calls?

While Naoki pondered this, Ash quickly dialed a number.

A moment later, the call connected, and—

Professor Oak's face appeared on the screen. The old professor blinked in surprise at the background behind Ash.

"Huh? Ash, are you at a Pokémon Center?"

"Nope!" Ash grinned. "We ran into something unexpected on our journey, so we made a stop in the Paldea region. Once everything here is settled, we'll head back to Hoenn to continue our adventure."

"Paldea?!" Professor Oak looked utterly shocked.

Ash nodded enthusiastically. "That's right! We came across a huge ranch filled with tons of Pokémon!"

At that moment, Professor Oak's eyes suddenly caught a familiar figure walking past in the background—Naoki, carrying a tray of food.

The professor's eyes widened.

"Naoki?"

Naoki had already heard Professor Oak's voice. He smiled and turned toward the screen.

"Long time no see, Professor Oak!"

Ash blinked, startled.

"Wait… Professor Oak, you know Mr. Naoki?!"

Professor Oak chuckled. "Of course! I've visited Naoki Ranch before. I think you might have forgotten, but I actually introduced him to you through Rotom when I was in Paldea."

Ash scratched his head sheepishly. "Oh… sorry, Professor! I forgot!"

Professor Oak chuckled. "But I must say, Naoki is an incredibly skilled Trainer. Have you battled him yet?"

Hearing this, Ash's fighting spirit instantly ignited.

"Mr. Naoki accepted my challenge! We're going to battle after lunch!"

Professor Oak grinned. "Well then, you better give it your all!"

...

50+ Chapters /Keepsmiling818