The next morning, after feeding the chickens and watering the plants, Naoki slung his backpack over his shoulder and stood in the pasture to bid farewell to Cyclizar, Smoliv, and Alcremie.
"I've stocked the cupboard with food," Naoki explained. "The top shelf has Oran Berry juice and Moomoo Milk, while sandwiches and Oran Berry sausages are on the bottom. I might not be back by noon, so if you get hungry, help yourselves."
Cyclizar, besides its riding mode, also possesses a battle mode where it stands upright on two legs. In this form, it has functional hands and feet, capable of performing tasks similar to humans. This makes Cyclizar a loyal and dependable companion to the people of the Paldea region. Naoki felt at ease leaving the ranch in its care.
"Cyclizar."
Cyclizar heard this, nodded, then glanced at Koraidon beside him. Although not the brightest, Cyclizar now belatedly realized that whatever it could do, Koraidon could also do, and even more. This realization saddened Cyclizar, whose life goal had always been to carry its owner, as it felt less needed. It couldn't help but lower its head in dejection.
"Cyclizar." Naoki patted its shoulder, consoling it.
"Hey, don't be sad. There are many dangerous Pokémon around Casseroya Lake, and Koraidon's flying ability will help me avoid them."
Naoki paused, then continued solemnly, "Besides, I have something even more important to entrust to you."
"Cyclizar?"
'Something more important'?
Cyclizar quickly raised its head, looking over.
Naoki explained, "I need you to take good care of Smoliv and Alcremie, protect our home, and prevent wild Pokémon from coming in and harming our crops and chickens. Can you do that?"
A strong sense of responsibility welled up in Cyclizar, and it nodded earnestly, "Cyclizar!"
Naoki smiled, "Very good."
He turned to Smoliv and Alcremie, saying, "See you later!"
Smoliv and Alcremie stood on either side of Cyclizar, gently waving their arms and bodies in farewell.
"Smo~"
"Alcremie~"
Naoki climbed onto Koraidon's back. Koraidon leaped with its powerful legs, soaring into the sky with Naoki. The pasture below shrank, and Cyclizar's figure dwindled into a tiny black dot, then vanished.
Gazing at the vast Paldea region below, Naoki surveyed the landscape and, after determining their direction, said to Koraidon, "Let's go!"
"Koraidon!"
Koraidon roared in response, leaning forward and speeding towards their destination.
Back in the pasture, the one adult and two children left behind stood on the grass, staring at each other. Today, Cyclizar unusually refrained from chasing butterflies. It felt that since Naoki had entrusted it with such an important task, it must take it seriously. So, Cyclizar went to the eaves of the wooden house, lying down to silently watch Smoliv and Alcremie chase butterflies and play on the lawn, guarding their home.
Above its head, a Metapod diligently stored nutrients, awaiting evolution. The warm spring breeze blew gently, and Cyclizar, along with the breeze, grew a little bigger.
...
Koraidon's flying speed was quite fast, and they arrived at the Casseroya Lake area in less than an hour. This expansive area, located in the northwest of the Paldea region, is shaped like a cauldron. Misty islands of various sizes dot the lake, resembling dumplings bobbing in a pot of boiling water.
Looking down from the air, Casseroya Lake truly resembled a giant cauldron, with the islands resembling ingredients floating on its surface.
To the east, a massive waterfall cascaded down from Glaseado Mountain. The water from the falls flowed along a river into the lake, merging with Casseroya Lake before eventually emptying into the Paldean Sea to the west.
The misty white clouds hovering over the lake gave it an ethereal, fairyland-like appearance. The clouds obscured the view, making it impossible to see the lake's full extent.
To address this, Paldea officials had constructed watchtowers in three different directions around Casseroya Lake to assist travelers and trainers in observing the lake's diverse ecosystem.
The abundant water resources had fostered a thriving Pokémon ecosystem.
Countless wild Pokémon lived here.
There were Deerling drinking water in the lakeside woods, Tropius feasting under heavy-branched fruit trees, a group of Slowpoke lazily floating on the water and basking in the sun, a fierce and intimidating Gyarados patrolling the waters, and a deceptive Tatsugiri mimicking sushi to lure in unsuspecting prey. Below the Tatsugiri, a plump Whiscash waited with its mouth agape.
Naoki was certain that once the prey took the bait and swooped down to eat the Tatsugiri, the Whiscash would leap out of the water, swallowing both the prey and the Tatsugiri whole.
Of course, Whiscash wouldn't eat Tatsugiri. To Whiscash, Tatsugiri was a valuable hunting partner. Although Whiscash was a glutton, it wasn't very skilled at hunting and wasn't particularly intelligent.
Therefore, Whiscash joins forces with Tatsugiri to capture prey, respecting Tatsugiri as its leader. In return, Tatsugiri resides within Whiscash's mouth, safe from external attacks.
"Such a fascinating Pokémon ecosystem."
Naoki mused, withdrawing his gaze from the Gyarados and scanning the surroundings for Pokémon that caught his interest. This time, his primary goal was to capture a wild Dragonair or Dratini.
One reason was their cuteness, and the other was their ability to use Rain Dance, which could be used for both watering crops and delivering mail.
Unfortunately, even after flying over the lake for a considerable time, Naoki couldn't find any trace of Dragonair.
"Strange, is the distribution of Pokémon in reality different from that in the game?"
Naoki wondered to himself. He distinctly remembered a Dragonair residing near Casseroya Lake in the game.
Unable to find Dragonair, Naoki shifted his attention to other Pokémon. Tropius, Skiddo.
The Tropius' neck could produce fruit twice a year, known for its sweetness and deliciousness. It was said that children in southern regions would snack on the fruit growing from the Tropius' neck, making it very popular among them. For this reason, many ranches in warmer areas bred Tropius.
Skiddo, on the other hand, could produce milk, respectively. While not as renowned as Moomoo Milk, it was still a valuable source of milk.
What surprised Naoki the most was stumbling upon traces of salt stone on a hillside not far from the lake. Nacli sold for a hefty price in town. If he could capture a few here, wouldn't that mean saving a substantial amount of money for other endeavors?