After exploring the ranch, Naoki had a good grasp of the layout. As he hurried back with the Cyclizar, he remembered that the old mayor had left some things for him in the utility room behind the house.
Naoki rounded the wooden house and arrived at the utility room. Opening the door, he found various tools neatly placed on a large box: a hammer, a sickle, a hoe, a watering can, an axe, a bag of crop seeds wrapped in red cloth, and a brown book titled "Ranch Handbook."
Most of the tools were made of iron and looked brand new, likely purchased by the kind old mayor as a gift. Naoki felt a surge of gratitude; he was indeed short on cash at the moment.
After storing the tools, Naoki picked up the bag of seeds. Information about them immediately appeared in his mind.
[Turnip Seeds: A spring crop that typically takes three months to mature, but in this world, it only takes about a month to harvest. Very suitable for novice ranchers. If cared for by Grass-type Pokémon, its growth cycle can be shortened even further.]
"Wow," Naoki was surprised. "It grows that fast?"
He searched his memories for information and eventually found something relevant.
The world was like this: crops grew quickly and had short cycles.
This was why food shortages were rare here.
"No wonder the Pokémon world feels like a utopia..." Naoki thought to himself.
Humans didn't have to worry about food, and the existence of Pokémon greatly increased productivity, allowing young people to travel freely and pursue their dreams.
However, Naoki also learned from the original owner's memories that not all crops grew so rapidly. Some had extremely long growth cycles and only matured once a season.
Naoki nodded silently, then picked up the book and opened it to the first page. It contained information on how to plant and cultivate crops. Each page featured a different crop, with detailed instructions on soil preparation, planting times, fertilization, watering cycles, and more.
After flipping through it a few times, Naoki carefully put the book away and left the utility room with the Cyclizar.
Opposite the utility room was a cave. Naoki ventured inside and found that the space within wasn't very large.
From the original owner's childhood memories, he learned that this cave served two main purposes.
One was to grow mushrooms. The dark and humid environment was perfect for mushroom cultivation.
The other was to house Woobat. The Woobat raised here would go out after sunset, foraging for food and bringing back various berries and fruits for the rancher.
This incredible Pokémon was a natural gourmand.
It could emit 200,000 Hz ultrasound from its ears to locate ripe fruit to satisfy its hunger. It would then use ultrasound waves to knock down the fruit, carefully selecting only the ripest ones to eat.
"Interesting," Naoki thought.
After understanding the purpose of the cave, Naoki didn't linger.
He returned to the front with his tools, surveyed the weed-infested farmland, and prepared to start small, clearing a patch to plant turnips.
Seeing his actions, the Cyclizar eagerly volunteered to help, chirping, "Groo!"
It swung its tail, and with a powerful thud, a rock shattered as if struck by a sledgehammer.
Naoki was dumbfounded.
He looked down at the hammer in his hand and the rock he had struggled to break, momentarily speechless.
The Cyclizar seemed delighted to be useful.
Naoki sighed with a mix of amusement and relief. "Alright then, let's work together!"
"Groo!"
....
Meanwhile, in the central Paldea region, a basin nestled amidst towering, steep mountains housed a mysterious area known as "Area Zero."
Beneath this area lay a modern, advanced laboratory.
In the deepest part of the lab, Professor Olim, a Pokémon researcher specializing in the legends of Paldea, and her husband, Professor Turo, gazed excitedly at the tall, enigmatic machine before them.
"The time machine is finally complete!" exclaimed Professor Olim, who wore a white coat and a necklace adorned with ancient animal teeth.
"Finally, I can see the Pokémon from the future and the past mentioned in the Scarlet Book!" Professor Turo was equally thrilled.
The couple had spent years in the depths of Area Zero, conducting their research. One focused on the ancient past, the other on the future. With the unique properties of Area Zero, they had finally developed this device.
It could teleport Poké Balls and capture Pokémon from different timelines, bringing them to the present.
"Let's try it now! I want to see Pokémon from different eras with my own eyes!" Professor Olim declared.
Professor Turo nodded, a hint of tenderness crossing his face as he asked, "Isn't Arven's eighth birthday coming up soon?"
"Perfect timing!" Olim hummed. "This time I can bring back Pokémon from various eras for Arven to befriend."
"Let's get started!" Turo echoed his wife's enthusiasm.
He took a deep breath, imagining Arven's reaction to seeing those Pokémon. The child had always loved Pokémon. If he saw Pokémon from the future and the past, he would surely be overjoyed, right?
Parents couldn't help but love their children. Come to think of it, they hadn't been back to spend time with Arven in a while. This was a good opportunity to return home and take some time off to be with their son.
Lost in thought, Professor Turo and his wife activated the time machine using an ID code.
"Buzz!"
With a strange hum, the time machine silently sprang to life.
The space around the laboratory warped and twisted. The walls shimmered like mirrors, emitting rhythmic red and purple lights.
The two professors stared intently at the machine, both excited and nervous.
Soon, the rhythmic hum slowed down.
Then, a dazzling red light flashed from the center of the time machine.
Tension filled the air.
As the light faded, a Pokémon they had never seen before materialized beneath the machine.
It was a mysterious Pokémon, tall and robust, standing on two legs.
Its body was scarlet, with white markings on its face, abdomen, thick legs, and tail. A thin, long tendril resembling a dragon's whisker extended from its head, with a cluster of bright blue-purple feathers beneath it, giving it a domineering and flamboyant appearance.
Its golden eyes glared fiercely at the two humans before it.
Success!
Professor Olim and Professor Turo were relieved to see the Pokémon.
Finally! Their efforts had paid off!
"Let's get it into a Poké Ball first!" Professor Turo said calmly.
Professor Olim nodded, raised her hand, and threw a pre-prepared Poké Ball at the Pokémon.
However, the moment the Pokémon saw the Poké Ball, its golden eyes narrowed.
It let out an unintelligible roar and casually swatted the Poké Ball away with its right paw.
The professors sensed hostility from the creature.
Their expressions tightened, and they were about to release their own Pokémon.
But then, the mysterious Pokémon from the past suddenly turned its head and looked around, as if confirming something.
Soon, it seemed to have found its answer.
In the next second, an unreadable emotion flickered in the Pokémon's eyes. It suddenly sprang forward, ignoring the two professors, and dashed out of the laboratory.
It was so fast that it was gone before Professor Olim and Professor Turo could react.
Then, it looked upward, the feathers on its head extending and transforming into wing-like structures, and it soared into the sky.
How many years had it been waiting?
Koraidon couldn't remember anymore.
The expression on that person's face, when it fell into the time machine, flashed through its mind.
Worry, anxiety, panic, and the arm reaching out to grab it.
That day, it was still a Cyclizar.
That day, it had fallen into a time machine and traveled back to ancient times. There, it was transformed by an unknown force into its current form.