Pokemon: A New Path
676

When he met Carmine and Kieran last week, Naoki had already anticipated this moment.

Given the siblings' personalities, he knew they'd come to ask about Ogerpon.

So, before heading out that morning, Naoki had gone to find Ogerpon and told her that two old friends wanted to see her.

The moment she heard it was Carmine and Kieran from Kitakami Village, Ogerpon readily agreed.

Now, as Naoki pulled out a Poké Ball, a spark of excitement lit up in the siblings' eyes.

Could it really be...?

A second later, with a flash of white light, a familiar figure emerged before them.

"Ponii~"

Looking at the unmasked Ogerpon, Carmine's eyes widened, and Kieran stood frozen in place.

"Mr. Naoki… where's her mask?" Carmine asked, unable to hide her surprise.

"Ponii?" Ogerpon blinked at her, then turned to Naoki.

Naoki smiled. "She doesn't need to hide anymore. No one's afraid of her now."

Ogerpon nodded with enthusiasm. "Ponii!"

It was true! Everyone on the ranch had been nothing but kind. Even when she visited town or joined festivals, the people there welcomed her. Children even came up to play with her!

Seeing her so confident, Carmine could only gape in amazement.

Kieran, meanwhile, let out a deep breath of relief.

"That's… wonderful," he murmured, emotion welling up in his voice.

Now, Ogerpon could live in peace and happiness, free from fear or judgment.

Kieran was genuinely happy for her. Since childhood, he had always admired Ogerpon's power.

But after learning the true history behind Kitakami's legends, his admiration grew into sympathy. He wanted nothing more than for her to live a better life.

Thankfully, Mr. Naoki had taken her away from that place, away from the weight of the past, and given her a fresh start.

Still, Kieran had never stopped thinking about her. He often wondered how Ogerpon was doing in Paldea. Was she happy? Was she adjusting well?

Those questions stayed with him as he and his sister enrolled at Blueberry Academy, determined to learn more about Pokémon and become stronger trainers.

He never expected to meet Mr. Naoki here.

Now, seeing the joyful smile on Ogerpon's face, Kieran felt a sense of peace settle over him.

Everything had turned out okay. More than okay, it was perfect.

...

By noon, Naoki had finished teaching and rode Koraidon back to Tree House Ranch.

Iono and sister Indeedee had already prepared a hearty lunch.

Pokémon like Pawmot, Alcremie, Meltan, Urshifu, Greavard, Cyclizar, and Dragonite gathered around the long table, eagerly waiting for the meal to begin.

Naoki released Ogerpon and Flutter Mane from their Poké Balls.

The two Pokémon scampered over and joined the others at the table, happily digging into their food.

Naoki sat down and glanced around. "Where's Elara?"

"Just finished some milk and fell asleep," Iono replied with a smile. "Don't worry, Entei and the others are guarding her. Everything's fine."

Naoki leaned back in his chair with a sigh of relief. "Have they eaten?"

"Yup. I made sandwiches for them, plus the Poke blocks and Poffins you prepared. And sister Indeedee made sure they had fresh Life Goat Milk too," said Iono.

"Perfect." Naoki smiled.

Ever since the three Legendary Beasts, Entei, Suicune, and Raikou, had settled at the ranch, there had been three new seats at the table.

And their appetites were no joke.

Together, they probably out-ate a Snorlax.

Naoki could only laugh helplessly. Maybe feeding a trio of legendary Pokémon was just part of the price of raising them.

...

In the nursery, after finishing their meal, Entei, Suicune, and Raikou quietly turned their attention to the crib where Elara was lying.

Elara wasn't asleep just yet. Her wide, dark eyes stared dreamily at the ceiling, as if lost in thought, gazing into the clouds of her imagination.

The three Legendary Beasts exchanged curious glances.

Was it possible for such a tiny human cub to already be troubled?

Intrigued, Raikou leaned in and gently poked his big head over the crib's edge to get a better look at her.

Their eyes met.

Elara's gaze instantly locked onto the fuzzy face and saber-fanged mouth of the Legendary Pokémon peering down at her. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she reached toward him, babbling softly, though her little arms were still too short to make contact.

Raikou jolted back instinctively, startled, but then he paused. In her eyes shimmered a gentle mist, not of fear, but of innocent longing.

He hesitated.

Then, with great care, Raikou lowered his head again.

And the next moment, Elara's tiny fingers found purchase in the tuft of soft fur on Raikou's cheek.

"Baah…"

What a pure and gentle child. Raikou's heart melted.

Of course she had been chosen by Ho-Oh. She was the Rainbow Warrior from birth.

Entei and Suicune had taken notice too. They stepped closer, peering into the crib with curiosity and disbelief.

Could this little one truly carry Naoki's power?

Yes. That presence was unmistakable. The same natural energy they once sensed radiating from the World Tree.

Just like her father, Elara had been chosen by nature.

Elara, still nestled in her cradle, blinked at the three large heads surrounding her. Though she didn't understand what was happening, she felt an overwhelming warmth from these powerful creatures. Her instincts told her they were safe.

So she giggled, cooing again and reaching out with both tiny hands, eager to touch them all.

In that moment, the three Legendary Beasts came to a silent understanding.

They would protect this child.

Chosen by the World Tree, heir to its power, her future was destined to surpass anything they could imagine.

Naoki walked into the room just then, having returned from lunch. What he saw surprised him. The three Legendary Beasts were huddled around the crib like overgrown guardians.

"What are you all doing?" he asked, amused.

Raikou turned to him and with a nod of acknowledgment, spoke telepathically.

"Elara carries the same power of the World Tree as you. She too is chosen by nature."

Naoki smiled knowingly. "We call that the Power of Viridian."

The three Beasts blinked in surprise.

Naoki chuckled. "If you were Dragon-type Pokémon, you'd probably grow stronger just by being near her."

Elara hadn't just inherited his affinity with nature. She also carried the latent ability to connect with dragons. Dragon-type Pokémon would naturally be drawn to her.

The Legendary Beasts looked at Elara again. Sadly, none of them were dragons.

But that didn't matter. They were strong enough as they were.

Naoki stepped closer, followed by Koraidon, Pawmot, Cyclizar, Ogerpon.

One by one, Pokémon gathered around Elara with gentle, protective gazes.

"Pamo~" Pawmot let out a soft cry, his mind already wandering to a favorite short film he adored: Nurturing Warmth at the Slugma House.

When Elara grows up and has a family of her own, Pawmot imagined her bringing her little one to visit the ranch. Maybe he and the little Slugma could become friends.

"Pawmot!" he cheered, tail wagging excitedly.

Naoki recognized that expression and couldn't help but chuckle. "Pamwot, something like that won't happen for decades. We'll all be old by then."

He and Iono would be gray-haired, and many of their Pokémon friends would be nearing the end of their long lives.

Cyclizar tilted his head. "Gaaao?" 'Like old Miss Dantes?'

Miss Dantes, a kindly elderly woman in town, had white hair and a face full of wrinkles.

Naoki nodded. "That's right. Aging comes to all creatures in this world."

Well, excluding a few mythical exceptions.

Even Dragonite would eventually grow old after hundreds or thousands of years.

Ogerpon, standing nearby, suddenly let out a worried squeak. "Pon?!"

In Kitakami, he had seen it before. Once a human's hair turned white, it usually meant they would soon pass away.

He had even sneaked into town once to watch from afar, heart full of concern.

Humans would place something called a tombstone over the buried soil, and once that happened, the person resting beneath would never wake up again.

The Pokémon listening to this explanation began to panic.

Pawmot frantically shook his head. "Pamo!"

He didn't want things to go the way they did in Warm Slugma House. He didn't want Naoki to grow old and get white hair!

"Gaaao?"

"Agashi?"

Cyclizar and Koraidon looked equally distressed.

Naoki gave a helpless sigh.

The conversation had taken a strange turn, but hearing Pawmot's words made his heart melt with warmth.

Reaching out to gently pat Pawmot's fuzzy head, Naoki said softly, "Birth, aging, illness, and death… they're part of life for all living things."

"Pamo…"

The Pokémon around him couldn't even imagine a world without Naoki. Their eyes drooped with sadness.

After a brief pause, Naoki added gently, "But I'm looking for a way to stay with you all. And I think I might have found it. Now, I just need to find a way to make it real."

Upon hearing this, Koraidon immediately thought of the Spirit World Naoki had once mentioned, and the Dusknoir that came to steal away human souls.

If that time ever came, it would make sure to drive Dusknoir away from the ranch.

But then a realization struck Koraidon.

If he told Naoki about what was to come, the future might change. That could mean Cyclizar would never travel to the far reaches of time and space, and everything they experienced together could be erased.

Just like when history corrected itself after the Arceus incident, and Victini vanished before their very eyes.

Back then, Koraidon had been powerless to protect Naoki.

"Ah… gah…"

The thought made Koraidon quietly heartbroken. But soon, he firmed his resolve.

If he couldn't protect Naoki, then the others would.

After Koraidon explained everything, the rest of the Pokémon nodded in solemn agreement, Pawmot, Alcremie, Ogerpon, Cyclizar—they all understood what had to be done.

They would banish every Disknoir from the ranch. They would guard Naoki, no matter what.

Naoki: "..."

Even though it was far too early to worry about such things, he still patted each of their heads and said warmly, "I'm counting on all of you."

"Pawmo!"

"Boni~!"

"Alcremie!"

"Gaaao!"

Each Pokémon responded eagerly with bright, determined eyes.