Pokemon: A New Path-Preserving Memories[466]

May 12, Year 200 of the League Calendar.

After an eventful journey, the Great Hero Expedition Team successfully returned to the Hoenn region alongside Ash and his friends.

Meanwhile, far away in Paldea, Naoki received a new message from Mew and Teddiursa.

The message confirmed their success. They had safely delivered the Leaf of Life to the Forina region and had parted ways with Ash and his group.

With the leaf now in place, Jirachi was no longer bound to Forina.

Instead, it had chosen a different path. It had decided to see the world—just like ordinary Pokémon.

After bidding a heartfelt farewell to Absol and the other Pokémon in Forina, Jirachi officially joined the Hero Expedition Team and set off on a brand-new adventure.

As Naoki scrolled through the message, a photo appeared on his phone screen.

He couldn't help but smile.

The background of the photo was a breathtaking view of Forina—with the Millennium Comet streaking across the starry sky.

In the foreground, Mew, Teddiursa, Zapdos, and Jirachi stood together, beaming at the camera with pure joy in their eyes.

Naoki chuckled softly.

"This is wonderful."

Jirachi had broken free from its fate. Now, it could soar through the skies, living freely like any other Pokémon.

Determined to preserve this memory, Naoki saved the photo to his phone, planning to print it later for his collection.

And when Naoki made up his mind—he acted immediately. He ordered a photo printer online and sent Dragonite to pick it up.

Thirty minutes later, Dragonite returned to the ranch, carrying the package.

Naoki imported the image into the printer, and the photo of the Hero Expedition Team and Jirachi was printed, forever capturing this moment in time.

As Naoki worked, a large shadow loomed over him.

"Gaaah?"

It was Koraidon, curiously tilting its head, watching as Naoki handled the printed photo.

Naoki chuckled and reached up to pat its snout.

"I'm printing a photo."

"Gaaah!"

At the sight of Mew, Teddiursa, and Jirachi in the picture, Koraidon's eyes lit up in recognition.

Watching its reaction, a new idea sparked in Naoki's mind. What if he created an entire collection? A photo album filled with memories of the Pokémon on his ranch.

Even though Rotom Phones could store digital images, printed photos carried a different kind of nostalgia—something that felt more real, more special.

That afternoon, Naoki set out for Kosaji, heading to a department store to buy a camera and a photo album.

As soon as he returned, Naoki called out to the Pokémon on the ranch.

One by one, the Pokémon gathered around, watching curiously as Naoki adjusted the camera settings.

Among them were: Pawmot, Miltank, Koraidon, Cyclizar, Dragonite, Butterfree, Combee, Dugtrio, Garganacl, Snorlax Eeveelutions, Alcremie, Ogerpon, Gholdengo, Indeedee (Brother and Sister Pair) Flutter Mane, Gogoat, Wooloo, Farfetch'd.

For most of them, this was their first time being photographed, and their curiosity was endless.

Butterfree fluttered near Naoki's shoulder, its big red eyes fixated on the camera lens.

"Free?"

"Boo-e-boo!"

Meanwhile, the Eeveelutions gathered around, nudging Naoki's legs with their tiny paws, eager to see what he was doing.

Naoki squatted down, holding up the camera so that the Pokémon around him could see the screen.

At that moment, the lens was focused on Dragonite—displaying its gentle expression up close.

Suddenly, an Eevee accidentally tapped a button, causing the image to zoom in dramatically, and just like that, Dragonite's face filled the entire screen!

"Bu-yi!"

The Eeveelution squealed in surprise, their fluffy tails twitching in excitement.

"It's Dragonite!"

Naoki chuckled, then turned the camera toward his partner Eevee and pressed the shutter button.

Click!

The screen froze on a snapshot of Eevee, capturing its curious yet playful expression.

"Pawmot!"

Pawmot, noticing the photo of Eevee, let out a small whine of jealousy—

It wanted a photo too!

Before long, the other Pokémon also gathered around, their eyes shining with anticipation. Naoki immediately understood what they wanted and smiled warmly.

"Alright, everyone, just play like you normally do! Don't mind me—I'll follow you and capture the best, most natural shots."

With his encouraging words, the Pokémon eagerly returned to their activities—And Naoki moved through the ranch, camera in hand, documenting the charming moments that unfolded before him.

Eevee lounging under the shade of a tree.

A group of Combee buzzing happily as they gathered nectar.

Dragonite soaring through the sky, its wings casting a shadow over the field.

Koraidon glancing back with a confident, heroic pose.

Wooloo basking lazily in the sun, its wool glowing softly in the light.

Flareon curling up in front of the warm fireplace.

As the day transitioned into night, the Pokémon returned to their nests, some nestling together, others finding cozy spots to rest.

Even then, Naoki continued to take photos, capturing their peaceful sleeping faces. By the time he finally lowered his camera, he realized—He had taken hundreds of pictures.

With the Pokémon asleep, Naoki didn't head to bed right away. Instead, he sat at his desk, turned on his desk lamp, and under the soft glow of the moonlight outside the window, he carefully placed each printed photo into his newly bought photo album.

Behind him, Koraidon yawned lazily, lifting its head for a brief moment. It gazed at Naoki's focused expression, then sighed contentedly before lying back down, slowly drifting into sleep.

Once the last photo was secured, Naoki flipped through the album, admiring his work.

The more he looked, the more his heart softened.

"Pokémon are truly amazing."

Gently, he closed the album, then walked over to his partner Eevee, who was curled up in its nest, breathing softly in sleep. Leaning down, he pressed a small, affectionate kiss to the top of Eevee's head.

The little Pokémon stirred slightly, then let out a tiny sigh, rolling over onto its back—exposing its soft, fluffy belly.

Naoki smiled.

Eevee was completely relaxed. It felt safe, comfortable, and at home.

'How adorable.'

With that warm thought, Naoki climbed into bed, glancing at Koraidon nearby and Pawmot snuggled at the foot of the bed. As his eyes fluttered shut, a single thought passed through his mind—

"What a perfect day."

And then, he drifted off to sleep.

...

As the sun rose, a new day began.

Naoki woke early, stretching before heading outside to start his morning work. With summer in full swing, the demand for watermelons had skyrocketed.

Naoki received a flood of orders every single day.

Thanks to the Dragonite delivery team, shipments were fast and efficient. It usually took less than thirty minutes for the goods to arrive at the customer's door.

So, as the morning sun bathed the ranch in golden light, a line of Dragonite stood ready, each one receiving a watermelon delivery before soaring into the sky.

Naoki watched them take off, double-checking the order list. Once he was sure nothing was missed, he let out a sigh of relief.

"Phew!"

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

With the morning rush over, he stepped under the eaves of the ranch house, squinting up at the distant mountains.

The summer heat was so intense that even the cicadas in the back mountain had fallen silent. From the ranch, one could see the shrine in the distance, surrounded by lush green trees, offering a sense of peace amidst the sweltering warmth.

Compared to this world, however, the Distortion World remained cool and comfortable.

So naturally, most of the Pokémon, including Eeveelutions, Alcremie, Ogerpon, and Butterfree, had made their way there to escape the summer heat.

Even the Gogoat had traveled to the World Tree, guiding the young Skiddo as they trained together.

At the ranch, only Naoki and Koraidon remained.

Just as Naoki was about to retreat indoors to rest, Koraidon—who had been lounging under the eaves to enjoy the rare breeze—suddenly perked up, its eyes snapping open.

"Raao?"

Beside it, Cyclizar also raised its head, its nostrils flaring as it caught an unfamiliar scent.

Naoki, noticing their reaction, turned curiously.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Koraidon?"

In response, Koraidon shifted from its resting position into its full four-legged stance, scales glinting in the sunlight.

Then with a sudden guttural sound, it bolted forward, charging straight into a dense bush.

Naoki watched as the undergrowth rustled violently—And moments later, Koraidon emerged, something small and green clasped gently between its jaws.

It carried the unknown creature back to Naoki, carefully placing it on the wooden porch.

Naoki took one look and froze on the spot.

'No way…'

'Was this… a Zygarde Cell?!'