Pokemon: A New Path

Mysterious Pokémon in the bamboo forest[500]

Raifort’s words made sense.

After she had explained it, Naoki immediately understood the current state of Ting-Lu.

Should he still feed Ting-Lu the Reversal Series dishes?

Based on his research so far, there were three categories of Reversal Series dishes:

Heart-based dishes that could reverse a Pokémon’s personality. Body-based dishes that could alter a Pokémon’s constitution. Skill-based dishes that could change a Pokémon’s abilities, powers, or aura.

Ting-Lu had absorbed countless desires and curses from humans, transforming those negative emotions into power.

Its ability, Vessel of Ruin, and its signature move, Ruinous Earthquake, were proof of this.

If these abilities and emotions could be reversed, then perhaps Ting-Lu could be transformed into an auspicious Pokémon instead of a harbinger of disaster.

In that case, feeding it a Reversal Skill Dish should do the trick.

The Distortion World was nearby, and Naoki had made up his mind—he would give it a try and observe the results.

This would also help him prepare for dealing with the three remaining Treasures of Ruin.

The video call was still ongoing.

Raifort, on the other end of the screen, stared at Ting-Lu with mixed emotions.

Sure enough, a treasure like the Treasures of Ruin wasn’t something just anyone could possess.

At first, Raifort had wanted to investigate the Treasures of Ruin herself and claim them for her own.

But now, she realized that such a feat was beyond her abilities.

Ancient texts and legends alike stated that only someone with a pure heart, free of greed or selfish intent, could unseal the Ruinous Shrines.

Raifort remembered the passage well:

"The Treasure of Ruin will shine once more, guided by the pure heart of the one who unseals it."

That was the key.

Raifort sighed inwardly.

She had always dreamed of seeing these ancient Pokémon, and now that she had witnessed them with her own eyes, she felt genuinely satisfied.

With a small smile, she said, "I suppose I’ll leave this treasure I’ve always dreamed of in your hands for now! There are still three more—so I’m counting on you to take care of them too!"

"Of course," Naoki replied.

"Then, let’s end the call here. I have to give my students a history lesson. Once you’ve gathered all four Treasures of Ruin, make sure to bring them to me so I can study them!"

"Don’t worry, I won’t forget!" Naoki reassured her.

This was a promise he had made to Raifort, and he had no intention of breaking it.

Raifort, satisfied, ended the call.

With that settled, Naoki made his way to the Distortion World and asked Giratina for a bucket of water from its realm.

After a series of careful preparations, Naoki successfully crafted a dish capable of reversing a Pokémon’s power and authority.

[Reversed Black Tea – Skill]

A legendary dish brewed using water from the Distortion World, infused with the world’s inverted energy, granting it the ability to alter the very nature of existence.

Cooking Effect: Flips the world upside down, reversing a Pokémon’s abilities, authority, and aura. This effect is only applicable to Legendary Pokémon.

Comment: A fantastic delicacy!

Naoki carefully placed the steaming cup of black tea in front of Ting-Lu.

"Ting-Lu, you can understand me, right?" he asked.

The ancient Pokémon exhaled deeply, releasing two wisps of white air from its nostrils. Its gaze was solemn and heavy, but it did not respond.

Just from Ting-Lu’s expression, Naoki could tell—it understood his words.

But why wasn’t it answering?

After a brief pause, Naoki continued, his voice calm and reassuring:

"This is a dish I prepared. It can cleanse your essence, erase the evil thoughts and desires that humans have forced upon you, and restore you to your original self. Would you like to try it?"

Upon hearing this, Ting-Lu finally turned its gaze toward the Reversed Black Tea.

For a long moment, it simply stared at the bowl, unmoving.

Then, slowly, it raised its head and looked at the human before it.

How many years had it been?

Once, long ago, it had merely been a vessel—a simple, ancient bronze cauldron. It had been cast aside, buried in time, resting in slumber.

But it had never expected to be discovered by humans, claimed as a treasure, and passed from hand to hand across generations.

During that time, it had been forced to absorb the desires, greed, and malice of countless humans.

The sheer weight of their curses had corrupted its very being, clouding its instincts, warping its thoughts, and driving it into madness.

It had lost control. It had brought ruin upon the land.

And so, humans had sealed it away—a punishment for a fate they themselves had inflicted upon it.

Even now, the curse energy still lingered within its body.

When it had awakened once more, Ting-Lu had expected history to repeat itself.

It had assumed that this new human would treat it as yet another artifact, just as all those before him had.

But…

After observing Naoki for some time, Ting-Lu realized something astonishing.

This human was different.

Unlike those before him, Naoki showed no greed, no desire to control or own Ting-Lu.

There was no lust for power, no ambition to use it as a tool.

He simply treated it as…A Pokémon.

A companion, not a treasure.

Such humans… still existed in this world?

Ting-Lu was shaken.

Meanwhile, Naoki, unaware of the storm of emotions swirling within Ting-Lu, simply waited, watching with quiet patience.

After all, on the World Tree, he was already used to being surrounded by Legendary Pokémon.

Naoki could tell that Ting-Lu was deep in thought, so he remained silent, patiently waiting for its response.

After a long pause, the ancient Pokémon finally spoke.

It opened its mouth and let out an odd, low sound:

"Moo?"

Naoki blinked, momentarily caught off guard.

Then, using the Power of Viridian, he quickly understood Ting-Lu’s thoughts.

Ting-Lu: "You claim this will remove the curses and malice within me... Are you certain?"

Naoki nodded firmly. "Of course, I'm serious."

As he spoke, he couldn’t help but notice that Ting-Lu's way of speaking had a rather archaic tone—almost like something out of an ancient scroll.

Then again, it made sense. The Ruinous Pokémon originated from a faraway era, sealed away for countless centuries.

Naoki spoke sincerely, his voice steady.

"Would you like to give it a try? This will transform the greed and malice you've absorbed into something auspicious. From now on, they will no longer weigh upon your body."

A flicker of hesitation and curiosity flashed in Ting-Lu’s deep-set eyes.

It could tell—this human was not lying.

Could it really be freed from the burden of centuries-old curses?

It was worth trying.

Making up its mind, Ting-Lu lowered its head and extended its tongue, carefully lapping up the Reversed Black Tea in the bowl.

Naoki stood back and watched closely.

The instant Ting-Lu finished the last sip, a golden radiance erupted from its massive body.

The light engulfed the ancient Pokémon, illuminating its form with a warm, golden glow.

Within the radiant aura, Ting-Lu trembled slightly, its heavy, ancient bronze cauldron shaking as it let out a deep exhale—one that sounded like relief.

For the first time in centuries, it felt… lighter.

As the light faded, Ting-Lu’s crimson eyes gleamed brighter than ever before.

It stomped the ground excitedly, letting out a clear, confident cry:

"Moo!" (I feel lighter than ever before!)

Naoki blinked. "Wait… did you just call yourself ‘Old Man’?"

Ting-Lu turned toward him, its aura radiating newfound energy.

"Moo!" (Haha! I have existed in this world for a long, long time! I have nowhere else to go now. Since you defeated me, I shall remain here with you!)

Naoki: “…”

Wow, this Pokémon got way too comfortable way too fast.

Still, this meant that Ting-Lu had fully accepted him.

But before anything else, Naoki was far more interested in the changes that had taken place.

"Do you feel any differences compared to before?" he asked, eyes sharp with curiosity.

"Moo?" (Changes?)

Ting-Lu closed its eyes for a moment, sensing the newfound energy coursing through its body.

Then—suddenly—it froze.

Its mind was flooded with new, unfamiliar knowledge—something far removed from its past existence.

It could feel the earth’s lifeforce pulsating beneath its hooves. It could sense the flow of nutrients in the soil.

It understood how to enrich the land, bringing fertility to barren fields. It knew how to maintain balance, preventing earthquakes and natural disasters.

What… was this?

Ting-Lu’s expression shifted from shock to utter bewilderment.

"Moo?!" (What is happening?!)

Without thinking, it instinctively activated its newfound abilities, eager to test them out.

A golden light radiated from Ting-Lu, spreading across the entire pasture.

As the energy expanded, the land beneath their feet was blessed with a newfound aura of prosperity, causing the soil to become richer and more fertile.

Naoki observed the phenomenon, a knowing expression crossing his face.

"Just as I expected." He murmured inwardly.

Then, shifting his gaze to Ting-Lu, who looked slightly bewildered, he explained:

"It seems the power of disaster within you has transformed into something entirely different—the power of auspiciousness. From now on, you should no longer be burdened by it."

Hearing this, Ting-Lu stomped its hooves excitedly, letting out a deep, relieved cry:

"Moo!" (Oh my! I never imagined this could happen!)

For the first time in centuries, it felt free.

If this was its new purpose, then let it be the guardian of this land!

Naoki saw this as an opportunity and decided to ask Ting-Lu about the other three Ruinous Pokémon.

"By the way, Ting-Lu, do you know anything about Chien-Pao, Wo-Chien, and Chi-Yu?"

The mention of its long-lost companions snapped Ting-Lu out of its thoughts.

It turned to Naoki, its massive bronze cauldron tilting slightly, and let out a low, questioning moo:

"Moo?" (Are you planning to use this power to rid them of their curse as well?)

Naoki nodded. "Yes. To be honest, I already know where they are. Before I set out to find them, I want to understand them better."

"Moo." (I see...)

Ting-Lu lowered its head slightly and began recounting its memories of the other three.

"Moo... Moo..." (I haven't seen them in over a thousand years. The last time we were together was before we were sealed away...)

Back then, the four of them were treasured artifacts, passed from one ruler to another, until they finally fell into the hands of a human king.

Under the influence of his greed, the four treasures absorbed too much negative energy and lost control, their minds overtaken by malice and destruction.

Ting-Lu's voice grew solemn as it described each one.

"Moo." (Chi-Yu… that one was once an elegant and intelligent Pokémon. But, like me, it absorbed too much human jealousy. The overwhelming envy twisted its soul… and it became something else entirely.")

"Moo." (Wo-Chien… that old one has existed for ages, much like myself. It used to be slow and peaceful, enjoying nothing more than basking under the sun. But when it was tainted by human hatred, it transformed into something unrecognizable…")

"Moo." (Chien-Pao… that one was once an honorable and majestic Pokémon. But after absorbing too much resentment, its once-proud blade was shattered. From that moment on, it lost its former dignity…")

Naoki listened silently, absorbing the weight of Ting-Lu’s words.

"So this is what they were like before they became the Four Ruinous Pokémon…?"

Then, Ting-Lu turned toward him, its deep scarlet eyes filled with determination.

"Moo!" (If you’re going to find them, take me with you! Maybe I can convince them myself!")

Naoki blinked in surprise at Ting-Lu's firm request.

Then, a smile tugged at his lips.

"Alright. No problem. Let’s do this together."

He had no reason to refuse.

...

As evening fell, Naoki returned to his room and began preparing dinner for all the Pokémon on the ranch.

The next morning, after finishing his usual chores, he gathered his team and set out once more—this time, accompanied by Ting-Lu.

Their next destination was North Province (Area one) in Paldea, a place known as Furry Falls.

The Fire Shrine, where the Ruinous Pokémon Chi-Yu lay sealed, was hidden somewhere within this region.

With Koraidon’s speed, they arrived within half an hour.

Below them stretched vast mountain ranges and a serene valley, where a light morning mist drifted lazily above the ground.

A majestic waterfall tumbled down from the cliffs above, the sound of rushing water filling the air.

Seeing this breathtaking landscape, Naoki couldn't help but exclaim in awe:

"Wow… this really deserves to be one of Paldea’s Ten Great Natural Wonders!"

Koraidon let out a curious cry, scanning the area as if searching for something.

"Raao?"

Naoki patted Koraidon's scaly head.

"Let's go down and take a closer look."

"Raao!"

Koraidon responded with a low growl, then soared downward, landing gracefully across from the waterfall.

There, a lush bamboo forest stretched out before them—a sight rarely seen in Paldea.

Towering emerald stalks swayed gently in the wind, forming a peaceful, secluded grove.

Looking at the scenery, Naoki couldn't help but think:

"If Pokémon like Pancham or Pangoro lived in Paldea, this would be their ideal habitat..."

Unfortunately, however, Pancham and Pangoro were not native to the region.

Instead, this bamboo forest was home to Pokémon like Altaria, Deerling, and Sawsbuck.

Naoki took out his Rotom Phone, checking the location data sent by Raifort.

According to her research, the Fire Shrine was located somewhere deep within these mountains.

But with towering cliffs, numerous waterfalls, and multiple hidden valleys, the exact entrance remained unknown.

Raifort only knew one thing for certain—the shrine was somewhere in this place.

Naoki, however, had one extra clue:

"The entrance is hidden behind a 'Water Curtain Cave.'”

But with so many waterfalls in this mountain range, finding the right one wouldn’t be easy.

There was no other choice—they would have to search one by one.

Zooming in on the map, Naoki marked every waterfall they could see, then systematically began checking each one.

First waterfall—nothing. Second waterfall—nothing. Third waterfall—nothing.

Entering waterfalls wasn’t exactly comfortable, with the pounding force of water crashing down.

However, thanks to the Pokémon world's physics, Naoki endured it without much issue.

As he searched, a few curious Altaria perched on the bamboo stalks nearby, watching him with bemused expressions.

It was as if they were looking at him and thinking:

"What is this human doing?"

Naoki wiped water from his face, sighing as he glanced at the map.

"No caves behind any of these waterfalls so far..."

Then he turned to Koraidon.

"Alright, let's check the next waterfall up ahead!"

"Raao!"

Koraidon let out a determined roar and took off once more.

Unbeknownst to them, in the bamboo forest behind, a mysterious Pokémon was watching.

Standing on a moss-covered stone, a Pokémon with beige fur, sharp determined eyes, and two long white headbands flowing behind it observed silently.

The wind picked up, causing the fabric-like headbands to sway gently in the breeze.

...

Read upto 62 chapters ahead /Keepsmiling818