Pokemon: A New Path
Briar [671]

As they passed through the front gate and into the main hall, Cyrano gestured toward the rooms lining either side.

"These are the common areas students use on regular days. To the left, we have classrooms, club rooms, and the main cafeteria. To the right, you'll find student dormitories and their own dining hall."

"But of course," Cyrano added, walking further ahead, "that's not the main attraction here."

They passed through a sleek, sliding automatic door, and what Naoki saw next took his breath away.

Stretching out before him was an expansive natural landscape that seemed impossible to fit inside a manmade structure.

In the distance, he saw towering mountains, sunlit beaches with coconut trees, even a frozen region capped with snow. Over the entire area arched a massive, transparent dome shimmering faintly with reflected sunlight.

Naoki froze in place, wide-eyed. Only one phrase rose in his mind:

Eco Park.

Principal Cyrano's chest swelled with pride, his eyes gleaming with enthusiasm. "This is my greatest creation, a place I personally designed. It's the only one of its kind in the world. Built entirely over the sea, this is what we call the Eco Dome."

"Eco Dome…" Naoki echoed, awestruck.

Back before he came to the world of Pokémon, he often fantasized about running his own Pokémon sanctuary—an open, natural space where all his Pokémon could roam freely. And now, that dream stood before him in real life.

"It's incredible!" he blurted out, eyes shining.

His gaze swept across the grassy plains in the distance, where, as expected, dozens of Pokémon wandered freely.

He caught glimpses of familiar forms: Scyther slicing through the grass, a fuzzy Jigglypuff dozing in the sun, Exeggcute bouncing near a shady palm tree, Morpeko nibbling on berries, Togedemaru rolling around playfully, and a mighty Rhydon stomping toward a watering hole.

Cyrano smiled at Naoki's reaction.

"Let me explain it in more detail," he said. "The Eco Dome is divided into four main biomes. Right now, we're standing in the Grassland Area. Beyond that, there's the Coastal Area, the Canyon Area, and the Polar Area."

"Each biome has its own distinct geography and climate, carefully engineered to simulate real-world ecosystems. We've brought in Pokémon from all over the globe that naturally thrive in each environment. In total, there are over 200 different species living here."

"These Pokémon live and grow freely, and our Eco Dome replicates outdoor habitats with astonishing precision. The projected sky and dome lighting simulate the natural passage of time, from sunrise to sunset, even weather patterns."

"Students train here, explore here, and encounter Pokémon from every known region—Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Kalos, Alola... you name it, they're here."

Naoki could feel Cyrano's passion in every word. 

"This place is incredible," Naoki said, deeply impressed.

After all, only around one thousand Pokémon species have been officially discovered across the world—and here, in this one dome alone, nearly one-fifth of them were gathered in one place.

Even the entire Kanto region didn't have this much biodiversity.

Maybe this was the reason why Blueberry Academy had risen to fame so quickly.

Compared to other traditional Pokémon schools, everything here truly felt like a masterpiece, a marvel of education, technology, and ecology blended together.

"I won't go over all the Pokémon species with you now," Principal Cyrano said with a smile. "You'll have plenty of time to explore and get to know them. If you happen to come across a Pokémon you like, feel free to catch it."

"Oh, and I almost forgot, we should go over your teaching schedule!" he added, glancing at his Rotom Phone.

"Come with me. Let's head over to the Coastal Area."

The Coastal Area was located adjacent to the Grassland Zone, but given the distance between each biome, the two opted to ride their partner Pokémon to travel quickly.

Before long, they arrived.

As soon as Naoki stepped into the Coastal Area, he felt a noticeable shift in both temperature and atmosphere.

The Grassland Area had been dry and breezy, but here the air was warm and heavy with the scent of salt. A moist breeze blew in from the shore, and in the distance, glistening waves crashed gently onto sunlit beaches.

The Pokémon had also changed completely.

Gone were the Trapinch and Rhydon, who preferred dry, rocky habitats. In their place, Naoki spotted Comfey lazily floating on sea breezes, Oricorio in its Pom-Pom Style dancing around hibiscus flowers, Meowth napping on beach chairs, and even a few Alolan Grimer slithering playfully in the shadows.

Under Cyrano's guidance, Naoki and Koraidon made their way up a gently sloping hill overlooking the beach. There were shaded gazebos, wooden pavilions, and open-air classrooms scattered along the coast.

One such class was already underway. A young female teacher with a ponytail and glasses stood in front of a group of students in Blueberry Academy uniforms. She was animatedly explaining type effectiveness relationships, how Water beats Fire, Electric beats Flying, and so on.

"This is one of the outdoor classrooms where you'll be teaching," Cyrano explained. "I was thinking we could schedule your sessions here on Saturday mornings. Would that work for you?"

Naoki nodded. "That works. The Levincia Gym is closed that day, and Iono will be home with Elara. I can spare half a day."

"Perfect," Cyrano said. "I'll send your finalized class schedule soon, along with the exact times and locations. Just show up when it's your slot."

Naoki nodded again. "What will I be teaching, exactly?"

He glanced at the students nearby, watching them take notes and ask questions as the teacher drew diagrams in the sand with a stick.

Would he be teaching them Pokémon habitats? Battle strategy? The fundamentals of type matchups?

Cyrano immediately understood his question.

He smiled. "It's entirely up to you. Share your insights, your approach to battles, how you raise your Pokémon, and your journey as a Champion. These students are eager to learn from real trainers with hands-on experience."

Naoki: "..."

That gave him pause.

After all, he didn't consider himself a traditional trainer. He hadn't trained under a formal program or studied strategy the hard way. His growth had come from instinct, luck, and countless battles during his journey.

Still, he did have a unique perspective, from both his current life and the one before it.

He had years of experience from battling in games and tournaments back in his previous world, and now, a lifetime of real encounters with wild Pokémon.

If he could use those experiences to help these kids, then maybe he was the right person for this role after all.

"Also, the students you'll be teaching aren't new recruits just starting out," Principal Cyrano added with a smile. "Your class is made up of junior and intermediate-level trainers. They've already become official trainers and have some experience under their belts."

Naoki nodded, relieved. That made things easier. As long as they weren't Champion-tier or higher, he was confident he could share something worthwhile with them.

Around noon, instead of heading back to the ranch, Naoki accepted Cyrano's invitation to have lunch with the students in the Blueberry Academy cafeteria.

In the afternoon, Cyrano handed Naoki his class schedule and personally introduced him to several of the academy's faculty members.

As soon as they heard his name and realized who he was, the teachers were visibly stunned.

Principal Cyrano had actually recruited that Naoki?

A trainer from Paldea who had defeated Legendary Pokémon like Zapdos and Raikou, and whose strength was whispered about across the region?

What kind of pull did Cyrano have to invite someone like that?

One of the teachers, a woman with a ponytail and thoughtful eyes, looked particularly intrigued when she heard Naoki was from the Paldea region.

She stepped forward with a friendly smile and introduced herself. "Hello, my name is Briar. As it happens, I have a personal connection to Paldea. I'm not sure if you've heard of the story of Heath. I'm his descendant."

Naoki blinked. "Heath?"

That name hit him like lightning.

Of course he knew Heath. Two hundred years ago, Heath had led the first successful expedition into Area Zero, the massive crater at the heart of Paldea. He was the one who discovered the strange, ancient Pokémon that would later be known as Paradox Pokémon.

Heath was also the author of the Scarlet Book (or Violet Book, depending on the version), a mysterious text currently in the possession of Professor Sada and Professor Turo.

Heath's writing had detailed strange creatures with features that didn't match any known Pokémon. According to his journal, these creatures lived deep within Area Zero.

But because the book's contents were so bizarre, the public dismissed it as nothing more than a fantasy novel. Eventually, the Scarlet Book faded into obscurity and became a curiosity in secondhand shops.

And now... this teacher, Briar, was Heath's descendant?

Could she be tied to the main plot of the upcoming Scarlet/Violet DLC? Naoki couldn't help but wonder.

It was too much of a coincidence.

Heath had discovered the Paradox Pokémon in Area Zero and written about them, yet Professors Sada and Turo insisted those Pokémon were summoned from the past or future using a time machine.

But if Heath had already seen them two centuries ago, long before any time travel tech existed, then something didn't add up.

The timeline, the discovery, the nature of the Paradox Pokémon… it all pointed to a deeper mystery. One the game hadn't fully explained.

Was the true answer hidden in the DLC?

Naoki looked at Briar thoughtfully and stepped forward. "I didn't expect to meet Heath's descendant here. It's an honor. My name is Naoki."

Briar was slightly taken aback.

The way he spoke was so certain and respectful; it was as if he believed everything Heath had written.

That was rare. Most people dismissed the Scarlet Book as a fairy tale. But this trainer from Paldea… he took it seriously.

And not just any trainer. A powerful one. One who might have even been to Area Zero himself.

At that moment, Briar felt a deep curiosity toward Naoki.

She recalled the chapter in the book that described the Disk Pokémon, and thought of her own pending request to gain access to Area Zero for further study, a request that still hadn't been approved.

Maybe this trainer in front of her could help her.