At 3 p.m. Naoki returned to the ranch smoothly. After affectionately patting the head of the Koraidon that had come close to him, he took the Ice Stone and Glaceon to the cave behind his house.
"Come out, Glaceon!" Naoki called as he retrieved the Poké Ball from his pocket. With a flash of white light, Glaceon appeared in the slightly dark and cool cave.
"What do you think of this place?" Naoki asked, as he carefully took the Ice Stone out of his space backpack and placed it in the center of the cave.
"Bu-yi." Glaceon looked around with a hint of curiosity.
The cave was small, with smooth rock walls and no strange holes. It seemed very safe—an ideal place to transform into an ice cave.
Just as Glaceon was getting comfortable, several curious little heads popped out from the entrance of the cave, peering inside.
It was Alcremie, the five Nacli, Butterfree, and the Cyclizar.
Sensing so many unfamiliar presences, Glaceon instantly became alert. Its body temperature dropped rapidly, and its blue fur froze, turning into sharp ice needles, making it look like its fur had puffed up defensively.
Naoki was slightly startled, then turned around to see the row of curious faces at the entrance. He quickly waved his hand and reassured Glaceon, "It's okay, they're also Pokémon that live here. They're different from Froslass!"
"Bu-yi?" Glaceon looked over at the newcomers.
Noticing Glaceon's wary gaze, the cheerful Alcremie took the initiative to greet it, "Mree~!"
Following her lead, the Nacli chorused, "Nacli, Nacli!"
Butterfree flapped its wings happily, "Mmm~"
And Cyclizar added its own welcome, "Raao!"
These Pokémon had grown accustomed to Naoki bringing back new companions from his trips outside, so they were naturally curious to see what the new addition looked like.
Glaceon blinked, observing them closely. When it realized they were indeed different from Froslass, it relaxed, and its fur returned to its normal soft state.
Seeing this, Naoki smiled and said, "Alcremie, I'll leave it to you to show our new friend around the ranch."
"Mree!" Alcremie nodded enthusiastically, determined to do a good job.
Naoki added, "Get to know everyone first. I have some errands to run, but don't worry—no one will take the Ice Stone." He planned to go into town to ask Kora to install a door for the cave. Without a door, the cold air would escape, making it impossible to use the cave as an ice cellar.
After entrusting Glaceon to Alcremie, Naoki rode Koraidon to the town.
Once Naoki left, Alcremie eagerly started introducing herself to Glaceon. "Mree!" (Hello!)
The Nacli mimicked her, adding, "Salt, salt, salt~"
"Bu-yi." Glaceon felt overwhelmed by the unfamiliarity of everything and wasn't sure how to respond.
It lay down on the cold ground, watching the other Pokémon chatter excitedly around it with its eyes wide open.
At first, Alcremie was full of energy, but as time passed, her voice grew quieter and quieter, until she finally fell silent.
Glaceon's lack of expression and refusal to interact made Alcremie feel that perhaps Glaceon didn't want to listen. Feeling dejected, she quietly left the cave with the Nacli and Butterfree, heading to the grassy area outside.
Seeing Alcremie turn away sadly, Glaceon, who had been quietly listening, opened its mouth as if wanting to say something. But by the time it gathered the courage, the group of Pokémon had already left the cave.
So when Naoki returned from town, he was surprised to find Alcremie and the others sitting listlessly on the grass.
He couldn't help but ask, "What's going on?"
"Mmmm." Butterfree lowered its head, glancing toward the cave.
"Did Glaceon hurt you?" Naoki inquired.
Butterfree shook its head.
Naoki, recalling Glaceon's cold demeanor earlier, asked, "Did it ignore you?"
The Pokémon nodded in unison.
"Alcremie" Alcremie murmured sadly.
Naoki glanced at the cave and then comforted them, "Don't be sad. It's Glaceon's first day here; it just needs time to adjust to the new environment. Give it some time—it's actually a really nice Pokémon."
Hearing this, Alcremie brightened up a little.
Naoki smiled warmly. "That's the Alcremie I know!"
Just then, Kora arrived to install the door for the cave.
Naoki told Alcremie and the others to go play while he brought Kora to the front of the cave.
Kora, noticing Glaceon inside the cave, remarked with surprise, "You brought back an Ice-type Pokémon so soon?"
Naoki nodded. He noticed Glaceon lying on the ice and snow, its eyes closed as if it were sleeping.
Kora, having just made a casual comment, began installing the wooden door at the cave's entrance. The door was two meters high and wide, with a small square opening at the bottom for Pokémon to enter and exit freely. This way, if Glaceon wanted to go outside to bask in the sun, it could easily pass through the door.
"Alright!" Kora announced after finishing the installation.
She opened the door to reveal the cave, which was now dark inside.
Naoki noticed this and suggested, "Could we install a window here?" He pointed to a spot on the cave wall that seemed suitable.
"Of course," Kora replied with a nod. Anticipating this request, she had brought along all the necessary materials.
With her expertise, Kora quickly carved a hole in the wall and installed a window. Light flooded into the cave, making it much brighter inside.
"All done! That'll be 3,000 Poke dollars," Kora said, handing her tools to her Machop to carry back to the car.
The price was reasonable, so Naoki paid her without hesitation.
Kora smiled as she accepted the payment. She waved goodbye from the car window, saying, "See you next time! If you have any more renovations, you know where to find me!"
"Will do," Naoki responded with a wave.
After seeing Kora off, Naoki returned to the cave. He could already feel the temperature had dropped significantly, as if the air conditioner had been turned on—Glaceon was already influencing its surroundings.
'As expected of an Ice-type Pokémon!' Naoki thought, recalling how Alcremie and the others had looked earlier. He gently said, "Alcremie and the others mean no harm. They just want to be friends with you. You could try responding to them a little."
"Bu-yi." Glaceon remembered how Alcremie and the others had tried to interact earlier.
Having been alone in the wild for so long, Glaceon was used to solitude. The idea of responding to others felt foreign.
'Respond?' Glaceon pondered the idea, then nodded slightly, "Bu-yi."
It would try.
"That's the spirit!" Naoki said with relief. He bid Glaceon farewell and left the cave.
Naoki wasn't in a rush. He knew that building a bond with Glaceon would take time, and he was patient. Knowing that Glaceon had a good heart was enough for now.
As he stepped outside, he noticed the sun beginning to set. 'It's getting dark. Time to prepare dinner for everyone!'
Just as Naoki was about to head back to the house, a Pelipper suddenly landed on his head, startling him.
Naoki looked up, surprised by the appearance of this unfamiliar Pelipper. The bird seemed to be sizing him up, and once it was satisfied, it opened its beak, letting a postcard and a small, silver-glowing pearl fall into Naoki's hands.
With its delivery complete, the Pelipper flew off.
Naoki bent down to pick up the pearl and postcard. The postcard was actually a piece of letter paper with patterns printed on it, but no words—only two distinct paw marks.
One mark resembled a bear's paw, while the other looked somewhat like a cat's paw.
As soon as Naoki saw these marks, two names immediately popped into his mind.
'Teddiursa and Mew!'
...
"Time to flex those fingers! Hit that powerstone button like you're landing a perfect Poké Ball throw!"