Pokemon: A New Path

The very next moment, an overwhelming surge of earth energy erupted from Groudon's body, sending tremors through the ground.

From deep within the earth, massive Stone Swords burst forth once more.

Kubfu sprang into action, dashing at full speed, weaving through the towering stone formations as it closed the distance between itself and Groudon.

Just as it was about to reach the Legendary Pokémon, Groudon narrowed its golden eyes.

With a mere flick of its claw, the earth rumbled violently beneath Kubfu's feet.

An enormous stone pillar shot up from the ground, launching Kubfu into the air.

Caught off guard, Kubfu had no way to dodge.

The impact was too much. It crashed onto the battlefield, completely knocked out.

Naoki frowned, rushing forward immediately to check on his Pokémon. Without hesitation, he extended his hand, channeling the power of Viridian Forest.

A gentle green light radiated from his palm, pouring pure natural energy into Kubfu's small body.

In just moments, Kubfu's breathing stabilized, and it slowly opened its eyes.

"Fu…"

Compared to Kyogre's training, Groudon's method was far cruder and more direct.

There was no teaching, no explanation—just battle after battle, pushing Kubfu beyond its limits.

But for a fighter like Kubfu, this was exactly the kind of training it needed.

The problem was simple: Groudon was too strong. Right now, Kubfu was no match for it.

After a moment of thought, Naoki looked up at Groudon.

"Groudon, let's try a different approach—"

Before he could finish, Kubfu's voice rang out behind him.

"Fu!"

Naoki turned around, stunned.

"You… want to keep challenging Groudon?"

Kubfu nodded firmly.

Naoki paused, staring into its determined eyes. "Alright." He exhaled, then smiled.

At the end of the day, this was Kubfu's choice.

Just like Ash's Charizard, who chose to stay in the Charicific Valley to train, Kubfu had decided that this was the best way to grow stronger.

"I get it now," Naoki said, nodding. "In that case, I'll stay here with you."

With the power of Viridian Forest, Gogoat milk, and even Ho-Oh's sacred flames, no matter how badly Kubfu was injured, it could always recover.

"Fu!" Kubfu beamed, grateful that its trainer understood.

The fighting spirit within its small body burned hotter than ever. It charged forward again.

Naoki watched from the sidelines, arms crossed.

Kyogre had taught Kubfu theory, helping it understand the mysteries of water.

Groudon, on the other hand, taught through battle, forcing Kubfu to put everything it had learned into practice.

Ironically, despite being ancient rivals, Kyogre and Groudon were… the perfect pair of teachers.

They represented balance. Without Groudon, the world would have been swallowed by an endless sea.

Without Kyogre, the world would have become a barren wasteland.

Both were necessary. Both were absolute.

Kubfu fell again and again, but every time, it got back up. And every time, Naoki healed it, restoring its strength.

By the end of the day, even Groudon's expression had changed.

The way it looked at Kubfu was no longer casual or dismissive but filled with genuine respect.

There was no doubt—this Legendary Pokémon had been moved by Kubfu's sheer perseverance.

At last, Groudon acknowledged Kubfu.

...

As night fell, Kubfu, exhausted from an afternoon of rigorous training, devoured the meal that Naoki had prepared for it.

Its sheer enthusiasm for eating stunned the Pokémon at the ranch.

Alcremie, Cyclizar, Dragonite, Ogerpon, and Eeveelutions all gathered around the table, their eyes fixed on Kubfu as it wolfed down its food.

"Fu?"

Noticing their gazes, Kubfu looked up, tilting its head in confusion.

"Bu-yi?" (You've been battling all afternoon… aren't you tired?)

Eeveelutions asked curiously.

Kubfu paused to think, then beamed.

"Kub!" (Not at all! I'm just really hungry! Naoki's food smells amazing—I could eat two more bowls!)

Dragonite was shocked.

This little bear Pokémon… could eat even more than it could?!

"Awoo..." (That's… a big appetite...)

Kubfu nodded seriously.

"Kubfu!" (Eating well makes you stronger!)

Even Flutter Mane was taken aback by Kubfu's voracious appetite.

It floated hurriedly toward the refrigerator, anxiously checking the food supply, worried that there wouldn't be enough to last the night.

Meanwhile, Alcremie was equally bewildered.

The sight of Kubfu eating so much was almost incomprehensible.

It hesitated before asking the one thing it couldn't understand.

"Alcremie?" (Why do you train so hard?)

"Fu?"

Kubfu, still mid-bite, turned to look at Alcremie.

It thought about the question seriously before responding.

"Kubfu!" (Because I want to become stronger!)

Alcremie blinked, even more confused.

"Mree?" (Why do you want to be stronger?)

Kubfu scratched its head, suddenly realizing… it didn't have an answer.

Why did it want to be stronger?

For as long as it could remember, training hard and mastering its moves had always been second nature.

After a long pause, Kubfu answered confidently.

"Kubfu!" (Because being strong is awesome!)

Alcremie: "..."

"Alright, alright," Naoki chuckled. "Every Pokémon in this world has its own goals."

"For example, some Pokémon enjoy staying by their trainer's side. They live together, eat together, take walks, work, and even sleep next to their trainers every day."

"Others dream of becoming stronger. They travel with trainers, challenge Gym Leaders, and aim for the top of the world."

"And for most Pokémon, there's no deep reason behind it—it's simply what they love to do. Kubfu works hard because it enjoys growing stronger. That's why it doesn't mind hardships or exhaustion."

Naoki smiled, watching Kubfu devour its food enthusiastically.

"Pokémon who are serious about what they love… are the most charming ones!"

Kubfu nodded happily, stuffing more food into its mouth.

Alcremie tilted its head thoughtfully. It wasn't sure it fully understood, but after a while, it remembered its own favorite thing.

"Mree!" (I don't want to be strong—I just want to stay with Naoki!)

Pawmot, sitting nearby, nodded in agreement.

"Pawmot!" (Me too!)

Cyclizar chimed in, letting out an excited cry.

"Ga-ao!"

"Ah gah!"

"Ponii~"

Looking at the other Pokémon, Kubfu paused for a moment, then turned to Naoki with a determined expression.

"Kubfu!" (I want to stay with Naoki too!)

Naoki's heart warmed as he looked at them all. "Yeah… we all live together," he said with a gentle smile.

Then, noticing Flutter Mane rummaging through the refrigerator, he sighed.

"Flutter Mane, stop looking. Kubfu hasn't eaten all our food. There's still plenty left in the storage room!"

"Fluut?"

Flutter Mane peeked out from the refrigerator, its ghostly claws hovering slightly.

Kubfu finally realized why Flutter Mane was acting so nervous.

It was because he had eaten too much, and Flutter Mane was afraid all the food would be gone!

"Fu!" Kubfu paused mid-bite, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

Did I really eat that much?

Naoki sighed, patting his chest reassuringly. "Don't worry about it! Eat up—I guarantee there's more than enough food!"

To further prove his point, he stood up and gestured for Flutter Mane to follow him to the storage room.

Inside, shelves were stocked with all kinds of food:

Sausages, cheese, smoked bacon, fresh-baked wheat bread, pickled radishes, salted fish, dried fruit, and even some bottles of brewed berry wine.

"See?" Naoki smirked. "You don't have to worry about running out of food."

Flutter Mane's ghostly eyes lit up at the sight.

"Fluuter!" It nodded in relief.

Satisfied, Naoki led Flutter Mane back to the dining room.

Kubfu, still chewing, glanced at Flutter Mane, feeling a bit guilty.

Flutter Mane, now reassured, looked back and said, "Flutter!" (Eat! Eat! There's plenty!)

After an entire afternoon of intense training, Kubfu wasn't just exhausted—it was covered in dust and grime.

After dinner, Naoki took it for a much-needed bath.

He filled a large basin with warm water, gently placed Kubfu inside, and let the heat soak into its fur.

Once it was thoroughly wet, Naoki lathered it up with a fragrant Pokémon shampoo, scrubbing away all the dirt.

Finally, he rinsed off the foam, revealing a fresh, fluffy, and clean Kubfu.

"All done!" Naoki grinned, patting the little bear's head. "Go dry off by the fireplace—Slugma will take care of the rest!"

"Fu~"

Kubfu, though slightly embarrassed, nodded before quickly scampering away.

Naoki dumped the dirty water and stretched. He stepped out of the bathroom—only to find Koraidon standing there, trying to look serious.

"...?"

Naoki blinked.

It didn't take long to realize what was happening.

During dinner, he had praised Kubfu for being a serious Pokémon, saying that hard work was attractive.

Now… Koraidon was trying to act serious too.

Naoki couldn't help but grin at the ridiculous sight.

He decided to play along and humor his dragon companion.

"Wow!" He gasped in fake amazement. "Who is this Pokémon?! Why does it look so cool and powerful today?"

Koraidon's red scales flushed slightly, clearly not expecting such direct praise.

"Ah… gah!" It stammered shyly.

Naoki chuckled. "Alright, alright. You can keep being 'cool' here for a while—I need to help Indeedee and Gholdengo clean up at the tavern."

"Ah gah!"

Koraidon immediately straightened up, looking even more determined.

"Gah: "I'll go too!"

Naoki laughed. "Alright, let's go together."

By the time Naoki and Koraidon finished helping Indeedee and Gholdengo clean up the Pokémon tavern, it was already eleven o'clock at night.

Back at the ranch, Kubfu had finished drying off and was now curled up in its little nest, waiting for Naoki.

The Eevee family had already dozed off, huddled together in a cozy pile.

Yawning, Naoki removed his jacket and lay down on his bed.

"Goodnight, Kubfu," he murmured.

"Goodnight, Koraidon."

"Goodnight, everyone."

With that, he flicked off the lights.

Tomorrow, a new adventure awaited.

Naoki would be heading to Grasswither Shrine to break the seal on the Ancient Snail Pokemon, Wo-Chien.

But for now, it was time to rest.

...

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