Pokemon: A New Path-Giratina’s Competitiveness [453]

As Naoki inspected the crops growing in the fields, he spotted Mewtwo nearby and greeted it casually.

"How's life here at World Tree?"

Mewtwo, standing amidst the verdant landscape, remained as calm as ever. It nodded slightly in acknowledgment. Then, a deep, telepathic voice echoed in Naoki's mind.

"Everything is fine."

Yes, everything was fine, Mewtwo thought.

This World Tree sanctuary was everything it had ever hoped for. A remote, peaceful place where no humans would disturb it. Only Pokémon lived here—free, unbothered, and safe.

Most importantly, Mewtwo no longer needed to constantly search for food to feed the Pokémon it cared for.

Thinking back, it recalled something that had happened a few days ago.

The Pokémon it had been looking after had gathered together and presented it with berries from the trees they had grown themselves.

The cloned Pokémon it had once rescued were so kind, so pure—and they had even learned gratitude.

Mewtwo didn't need the berries, but it still accepted them.

After all, it understood the sentiment behind their offering. And for that reason alone—it liked this place.

Naoki smiled. "That's good."

He had been slightly concerned that Mewtwo wouldn't adapt to life here.

"I thought you might get bored. Any plans for the future? Maybe travel the world and see what else is out there?"

Mewtwo remained silent. After a long moment, it slowly shook its head.

"No. There is no need for that anymore."

Naoki gave a casual shrug. "Alright then! If that's the case, you can stay here without a worry. And if you're ever curious about the world outside, you can always use the Rotom Phone to check things out."

Mewtwo nodded in understanding.

"Thank you."

The Rotom Phone had been a gift from Naoki, after all. And this entire sanctuary was something Naoki had helped create. As a Pokémon that carried both human and Pokémon genes, Mewtwo hesitated for a moment.

Then, it finally spoke again, its telepathic voice tinged with sincerity.

"If you ever need help in the future… come to me."

Naoki blinked in surprise.

Then, understanding dawned on him. Mewtwo wasn't one to express gratitude with words. This was its way of saying thank you.

Naoki chuckled. "Alright then, I'll take you up on that."

Mewtwo seemed to relax slightly at his response. At least now, it wouldn't feel indebted for living here.

Just as their conversation wrapped up, Naoki suddenly noticed something strange in the distance.

The farmland had transformed into a glowing green grass field. Turning his head, he saw exactly what he expected—three Gogoat had claimed the area.

And one little Skiddo eating the grass dumplings from the basket in front of it.

'What's going on?'

Both Naoki and Mewtwo were drawn to the scene.

"What are you doing?" Naoki called out.

The little Skiddo gulped down a mouthful of food before replying, "Meaaah!" (The senior Gogoat are teaching me to use the Sacred Sword of the Grasslands!)

Naoki blinked in confusion.

Wait… Sacred Sword of the Grasslands?

He glanced at his three Gogoat, then back at the determined Skiddo.

The Gogoat nodded quickly: "Meaaa!" (This way it can protect itself and other Pokémon!)

"Meaaa!" (That's right! I want to become a Gogoat as awesome as Seniors!)

The Skiddob said this with full of fighting spirit, then lowered its head and continued to eat the green grass dumplings with great effort.

For a moment, a ridiculous thought crossed his mind.

Was this... some kind of Keldeo situation?!

Did that mean his three Gogoat had become the equivalent of the Swords of Justice?!

It was just a shame Kyurem wasn't around—otherwise, this could have played out exactly like the movie.

Mewtwo, watching from the sidelines, also seemed deep in thought.

Naoki let out a small sigh before finally speaking.

"Alright. In that case, the little Skiddo's training is in your hands."

The natural energy surrounding the World Tree was rich, filled with the scent of fresh grass. It was the perfect environment for a Grass-type Pokémon to train.

"Meaaaah!" (We got this!) The Gogoat immediately responded with confidence.

...

After returning to the ranch, Naoki handed over the day's fresh produce to Zack.

With that done, he made his way to the kitchen.

Tonight, it was time to prepare dinner for the Pokémon. Most of the Pokémon on the ranch had a sweet tooth—preferring desserts over anything else.

Miltank, the Eevee family, Pawmot, Calyrex, the Indeedee siblings… the list went on.

So, tonight's menu? A full spread of desserts.

Following the recipe book, Naoki carefully prepared a variety of treats:

Tiramisu, egg tarts, Caramel pudding, Apple pie.

Tiramisu is a dessert with a rich coffee and liquor-infused flavor. Its main ingredient is mascarpone cheese, and instead of the traditional sponge cake, it uses ladyfingers soaked in coffee. Finally, it's dusted with cocoa powder and left to chill for the flavors to meld.

Earlier in the afternoon, Naoki had prepared a batch and stored it in the refrigerator, ensuring it would be perfectly chilled for when the Pokémon returned home.

But tiramisu wasn't the only treat on the menu tonight.

There was also caramel pudding, made with thick, fresh cream and topped with a delicate, crisp layer of caramelized sugar. And apple pie, filled with sweet apple compote, spiced with cinnamon and a hint of lemon juice to enhance its warmth and fragrance.

As the sky outside darkened, the Pokémon who had spent the day playing at the World Tree finally returned.

And the moment they stepped inside the house—

They made a beeline straight for the kitchen.

"Bu-yi!"

Leading the charge, Flareon sniffed the air, its ears perking up as it caught the sweet aroma drifting from the kitchen.

Its eyes sparkled with anticipation as it loudly demanded to know: "Buyi" "What delicious treats did you make for us today?"

Naoki chuckled at the eager crowd gathering before him.

"I made lots of desserts I know you'll love." He turned to the Indeedee sibling standing by his side. "Can you help me take them out of the fridge?"

The elder Indeedee brother—nodded and happily walked over to fetch the tiramisu and caramel pudding.

Meanwhile, the Eevee trio—led by Flareon—twitched their little noses, sniffing at the desserts with wide, expectant eyes.

Their tails wagged excitedly.

Naoki couldn't help but chuckle. "You're all such greedy little furballs."

Still, he glanced over the desserts one last time, noting that most of them boosted Pokémon happiness and strengthened their bond with their trainer.

Nothing too unusual.

Indeedee then approached with a knife, ready to portion the desserts for everyone.

At that moment, two more Pokémon—Alcremie and Pawmot—rushed over, their eyes shining with excitement at the sight of so many sweets.

But on the other side of the kitchen…

A few Pokémon who preferred meat-based meals were left staring longingly at the desserts.

Their expressions could only be described as heartbreaking.

"Ah… gah…"

"Gah…"

"Awoo…"

"Mreeam…"

At last, Koraidon couldn't take it anymore.

With an exaggerated huff, it stomped into the kitchen, bringing Cyclizar, Flutter Mane, Dragonite, and a shiny Dratini with it.

All of them fixed pleading eyes on Naoki.

Naoki, meanwhile, was busy feeding a piece of apple pie to the Slugma warming itself under the stove.

He turned to look at the Pokémon gathered before him. He couldn't help but laugh and asked,

He burst out laughing.

"Are you guys also hungry?"

"Agass!"

Koraidon shook its large head, insisting that it wasn't hungry—it just wanted to be pampered like the Eevees.

Naoki's laughter grew.

"…The Eeveelutions are still babies. You guys are all grown. Some of you could start your own families at this point!"

Koraidon immediately deflated, lowering its head in exaggerated disappointment.

Seeing its reaction, Cyclizar quickly perked up.

"Gaa-ao!" (I'm still young!)

The tiny shiny Dratini nodded repeatedly in agreement. And then, Dragonite—the oldest of them all—did something utterly shameless.

It wrapped its arms around Naoki, buried its face into him, and began acting like a helpless baby.

"Awoo~" (Take care of me too~)

Naoki: "…"

Flutter Mane, floating nearby, fell into deep thought.

'How old was I?'

Naoki let out a startled yelp as Dragonite suddenly clung to him, causing the spatula in his hand to slip and clatter onto the floor.

"Hey—get off me!" he huffed, trying to push the massive Pokémon away. "I can't cook if you guys keep causing trouble in here!"

Dragonite, along with the other hungry Pokémon crowding the kitchen, only pouted in response. But Naoki was firm. With a few shoves and some exasperated sighs, he herded the group into the living room, shutting the door behind them before finally returning to prepare their long-awaited meal.

Of course, they didn't stay sulky for long.

The moment the rich, savory aroma of roasting meat drifted from the kitchen, their ears perked up. They all turned toward the doorway, noses twitching.

Watching this unfold, Indeedee covered her mouth and chuckled.

Meanwhile, her older brother diligently moved about the house, vacuuming up the clumps of fur that the Eeveelutions had shed.

With summer in full swing, the thick fur they had grown for winter had begun to shed in clumps. Every day, the living room seemed to be blanketed in Eevee fluff.

By the time Naoki emerged from the kitchen, carrying plates of food, the Pokémon had gathered excitedly, their eyes shining with anticipation.

"Alright, dinner's ready!" he called.

A chorus of delighted cries erupted as the Pokémon rushed forward, eagerly digging into their meals.

Meanwhile, the Eeveelutions—already full from the desserts earlier—were sprawled lazily around the room.

Some curled up together on the sofa, others sat on the floor, quietly grooming themselves, while a few lounged in the rocking chair near the fireplace, their tails flicking in contentment.

Watching this peaceful scene, Naoki couldn't help but feel satisfied. A small smile tugged at his lips.

He absentmindedly reached out and patted the head of the nearby Cyclizar, who responded with a cheerful chirp.

"Eat as much as you like," Naoki told them with a grin. "There's more in the kitchen if you're still hungry."

"Gah!"

Cyclizar happily wagged its tail.

Having already eaten a little while cooking, Naoki wasn't particularly hungry. Instead, he felt overheated from standing near the Slugma he used for heating the stove. He decided to step outside for some fresh air.

The summer nights weren't as blistering as the daytime. A cool breeze from Mountain rolled in, bringing a refreshing chill.

Taking out his Rotom Phone, Naoki checked his messages. He quickly responded to Iono, who had sent him a chat earlier, before noticing something interesting.

He saw that Giratina and Mewtwo were once again chatting in the Legendary Pokémon group chat.

Naoki raised an eyebrow.

[Giratina]: You should make a forum account too! Let's see who can get more followers!

[Mewtwo]: …Not interested.

Naoki: "…"

He stared at the screen, amused.

If Mewtwo actually made a forum account, Team Rocket would probably collectively lose their minds.

But more than that—what was Giratina's obsession with internet fame?

Naoki recalled that, not long ago, Giratina had thrown a tantrum when Calyrex gained more followers than it. It even went so far as to ask Rotom to take endless photos of it—different angles, different lighting, different poses.

It was determined to reclaim its "popularity."

This strange competitive streak…

And this wasn't even the first time Giratina had tried recruiting Mewtwo to join the chaos.

Of course, Mewtwo had zero interest from the beginning.

Naoki, unable to resist, decided to join in on the conversation.

[Gold King ]: Hey, Giratina, how about I give you two Rotom Phones? You can give them to Dialga and Palkia.

Almost immediately, Giratina responded.

[Giratina]: NO! Those two can't join the group!

Naoki blinked.

[Gold King ]: …Why?

[Giratina]: Humph. No reason. It's just not happening.

Naoki: "…"

Logically speaking, the relationship between the Creation Trio of Sinnoh—Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina—shouldn't be as openly hostile as the rivalry between Groudon and Kyogre, who are notorious for clashing the moment they see each other.

However, given Giratina's banishment to the Distortion World, it's safe to assume that there's lingering tension between it and the other two. Maybe it still holds a grudge against Arceus, or perhaps Dialga and Palkia look down on it for being cast aside.

Naoki sighed. He wasn't likely to meet Dialga or Palkia anytime soon, so why not invite them to the group chat?

But what about Arceus?

Naoki couldn't help but wonder—was there a way to bring Arceus into the chat as well?

In the movie Arceus and the Jewel of Life, Arceus regained its sanity in the end.

Anyway, he promised Giratina that he would go join in the fun and help in revenge against Arceus.

From Arceus' perspective, humans like Ash and his friends were just people trying to stop it from losing control and destroying the world. If it had truly regained its reasoning, maybe it wouldn't mind staying in touch.

Perhaps, when the moment was right, he could hand Arceus a Rotom Phone, saying it would help it understand the modern world.

The only question was—would Arceus accept the phone?

That was uncertain. But considering the lore, the Arceus in this world might only be an avatar, rather than the true Creator of the Universe.

The real Arceus resided outside all dimensions, silently observing the evolution of humans and Pokémon.

Compared to its avatar, the true Arceus seemed much more… adaptable.

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It even went as far as developing its own Arceus-branded phone and sending it to Rei or Akari when they traveled back in time to Hisui.

It wouldn't be a stretch to call Arceus a god who kept up with technology.

...

April 28, Year 200 of the Pokémon League Calendar

On this day, Iono received an invitation from Naoki and once again traveled from Levincia City to visit the ranch.

It all started when Naoki posted a picture of his homemade desserts on his social media.

Iono, ever the food lover, had commented instantly— "OMG! That looks delicious! I wanna eat that too!"

Being the hospitable person he was, Naoki replied:

"Come visit the ranch next time, and I'll make some for you!"

So, the very next day—Iono showed up.

Naoki was genuinely surprised when he saw how fast she arrived.

"Isn't the Levincia Gym busy?" he asked.

Iono suddenly looked a little guilty.

"A-ahaha… I've got things under control! It's fine to take a day off once in a while!"

Hearing that, Naoki nodded in understanding. After all, in both games and anime, some Gym Leaders would close their gyms temporarily for personal reasons.

There were even times when challengers had to help with odd jobs before they were allowed to battle.

So this wasn't all that unusual.

Iono ended up spending a wonderful day on the ranch, enjoying the fresh air, Pokémon, and of course—the desserts.

By the time evening rolled around, she finally had to leave.

Naoki watched as Iono and his Dragonite flew off into the sky, feeling quite satisfied.

She had showered him with praise for his cooking, which was always nice to hear.

He honestly wouldn't mind if Iono visited the ranch more often. It would make things much livelier, and his Pokémon would have more friends to play with.

Naoki didn't have many human friends in the Pokémon world—there were a few, like Geeta, Professors Sada and Turo, Alder, Leon, and some local townspeople.

But they didn't meet up often. Most of their interactions were just casual online chats.

Whenever Iono visited, the ranch became a lot more exciting.

The Pokémon got to make new friends, and Naoki got to talk to someone about human matters for a change.

As Dragonite's silhouette gradually faded into the distance, Naoki let out a deep breath, feeling the peaceful quiet of the evening settle in.

But then, a thought crossed his mind.

'Steven and Wallace must have a friendship like this too, right?'

In the anime, those two were known to be close friends. Maybe it wasn't too different from how he got along with Iono.

With a small chuckle, Naoki turned around and headed back home, leading Koraidon and the others inside.

In the living room, Indeedee was tidying up, his careful movements keeping everything in order.

Sister Indeedee, stood nearby, watching Naoki with an amused smile.

Noticing her unusually delighted expression, Naoki raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Hmm? Something you want to say?"

As he spoke, he casually grabbed a handful of seed crisps from the table, taking a bite before reaching for his black tea.

Indeedee nodded cheerfully, her voice carrying a teasing lilt. "Ai-ai~ Ai-ai?" (Iono seems to like you very much~ Could she be the future lady of the ranch?)

"Pfft—!"

Naoki nearly choked on his tea. Startled by her words, he accidentally spat out a mouthful, coughing violently.

"Cough! Cough—cough!"

Seeing him struggling, Indeedee quickly rushed over and patted his back, helping him recover.

It took a moment, but once he finally caught his breath, Naoki stared at her in disbelief. "What… what did you just say?"

Indeedee blinked innocently before repeating, "Ai-ai!" (My brother and I both felt it. Iono has a special fondness for you.)

Naoki's brain short-circuited.

"Iono… likes me?" He found the idea completely ridiculous. "That's impossible."

He had always treated Iono as a friend—nothing more.

And besides, Iono was so young! In many ways, he saw her as a junior, much like Ash.

But Indeedee tilted her head, looking confused. "Ai eh? Ai eh!" (But we can feel it clearly! Iono really likes you)

Hearing their insistence, Naoki still found it hard to believe.

Before he could dismiss the conversation entirely, Koraidon suddenly spoke up.

"Raao" (That's right!)

Naoki turned to Koraidon with a look of disbelief. "Wait. You like Iono too?"

Cyclizar, who had been quietly watching, perked up with curiosity.

Caught off guard, Koraidon shifted awkwardly. "Raao…" (She's… a really nice person…)

Indeedee nodded in agreement. "Aiya~" (Yes, she is very kind~)

Naoki: "…"

He suddenly felt a headache coming on.

"You're all just imagining things," he said firmly, rubbing his temples. "Let's just drop it, okay? No more talking about this."

He didn't even know how to face Iono properly now.

Seeing that Naoki was clearly overwhelmed, Indeedee let it go.

"Ai-ai." (Alright, we won't bring it up again.)

Naoki exhaled, relieved.

Just as he was saying something, his Rotom Phone buzzed with an incoming message.

It was from Steven.