The small pearl in Naoki's hand emitted a beautiful silver glow. As he held it, he could almost imagine how Teddiursa and Mew had found it.
Perhaps the pearl had come from a Pokémon that produced many pearls, eventually being washed ashore after years of being battered by the sea. On their adventure, Teddiursa and Mew had stumbled upon it.
Teddiursa, with its keen ability to pick up items, likely found the pearl's shimmer irresistible and decided to keep it. Unable to speak human language, Teddiursa and Mew had found some paper and left their paw prints on it, using their muddy hands to create a message. Maybe it was Teddiursa's idea, pressing its tiny paw print onto the paper first. Mew, intrigued by the process, joined in, leaving its own mark.
Afterward, they handed the paper and pearl to a friendly Pelipper they met during their journey, asking it to deliver the items to the ranch in Paldea.
But Naoki was puzzled. 'How did Pelipper know the exact location of the ranch?'
After pondering for a while, he came to a rough conclusion. The Pokémon world operated on its own unique logic, much like the human world did. Just as city-dwelling cats form a vast, invisible network, sharing information among themselves, Pokémon had their own ways of communicating and navigating.
For instance, Clefairy gathering to dance on full-moon nights, worshipping the moon as a deity, much like ancient human tribes, showed how Pokémon had their own rituals and connections.
"What a pity." Naoki mused. 'I should have bought a camera for Teddiursa before it left.'
With a camera, Teddiursa could have captured moments from their adventure, sending pictures back to the ranch, allowing Naoki to share in their experiences.
However, the pearl and postcard sent by Teddiursa reassured Naoki that their journey was going smoothly. With that in mind, he set aside most of his worries. He looked up at the sky, but Pelipper was already gone.
He gazed at the pearl again, images of Mew and Teddiursa filling his mind. The Mew that Team Rocket had spent decades searching for had just entered his life so effortlessly. In the end, Team Rocket hadn't even found Mew, only discovering its fossilized eyelashes, which they used to create Mewtwo through genetic technology.
"I wonder how Giovanni would feel if he knew about this," Naoki thought with a wry smile.
Sometimes, random thoughts can take us far from our own reality. Naoki chuckled at the idea of showing up at Viridian Gym with Teddiursa, Mew, Koraidon, and his Gogoat, just to see Giovanni's reaction. He imagined it would be priceless.
Unlike other regions that struggle with security issues, Paldea didn't have any real evil organizations. Team Star was merely a group of students who had banded together to stand up against bullying.
Still, Naoki appreciated the peaceful, stable life he had in Paldea.
Back in his room, Naoki carefully placed the small pearl and the paw-printed postcard into a drawer, alongside the other items Teddiursa had accumulated.
From the back of the room, Cyclizar's stomach growled loudly. It stood there, calling out "Ga-ao-ao" pitifully, much like a hungry child searching for its mother.
But Cyclizar was still just a child itself, not even a year old yet.
Naoki realized it was time to start preparing dinner.
Tonight, Naoki planned to make pan-fried pork steaks, accompanied by nutritious juice and milk.
He took the ingredients out of the refrigerator and began cooking.
As the sun set completely and darkness enveloped the ranch, tonight's dinner was finally ready.
Naoki brought the steaming hot meal to the table, letting Cyclizar and the others start eating first. Meanwhile, he took a Pokémon snack and a sandwich and headed to the igloo at the back of the ranch.
When he opened the door, a chill greeted him. Glaceon was resting on the Ice Stone, but its eyes immediately opened at the sound of the door.
Naoki placed the food in front of Glaceon, smiling warmly. "I wasn't sure what you like to eat, so I prepared these. Try them and see if they suit your taste."
"Bu-yi." Glaceon was surprised by the gesture.
It looked down at the unfamiliar food, wondering, 'Do the Pokémon here get food provided to them?'
Naoki squatted beside Glaceon and introduced himself with a smile, "Let me formally introduce myself, Glaceon. I'm the owner of this ranch. The Pokémon you saw today all came from different places to live here with me."
"Providing food for the Pokémon on the ranch is part of my responsibility as a rancher, so don't hesitate to eat!"
"Bu-yi." Glaceon blinked, hesitant to touch the food.
To Glaceon, the human had already done so much—providing a safe place to live and even protecting it from Froslass. It felt indebted, even though it had done nothing wrong. This made it difficult for Glaceon to accept the food with a clear conscience.
As a healthy Glaceon, it could find food on its own.
So, Glaceon shook its head slightly, "Bu-yi."
Naoki was a bit surprised. "You don't want to eat?" he asked gently.
Glaceon lay back down on the Ice Stone.
Naoki quickly understood what was going through Glaceon's mind and couldn't help but chuckle. "You know, all the fruits grown on this ranch belong to me. If you decide to go out in the middle of the night to pick some fruit, it's not much different from me offering you this food now, right?"
"Bu-yi?!" Glaceon's eyes widened in surprise. 'What does he mean?'
Naoki recalled how Glaceon had previously refused the milk, and it clicked—this Glaceon probably didn't like feeling indebted to others.
'How cute,' he thought, though he didn't say it out loud. He realized that Glaceon wasn't fully aware of its situation.
Glaceon, filled with confusion, suddenly felt like it had fallen into a trap. But looking at the sincere expression on Naoki's face, it wasn't sure what to think.
Naoki didn't explain further because he had a plan. He knew that Glaceon, with all its questions, would eventually start asking the other Pokémon on the ranch. This would naturally help build relationships and bring them closer together.
With that in mind, Naoki stood up and bid Glaceon goodnight. "Well, good night, Glaceon!"
He left the igloo and returned to the wooden house, where Alcremie was busy making cream in the kitchen.
"Alcremie," Naoki began, "do you still want to be friends with Glaceon?"
Alcremie, who loved making friends, was well-acquainted with all the Pokémon on the ranch—Nacli, Little Pawmi, Gogoat, and more.
Hearing Naoki's suggestion, Alcremie nodded, "Mree." But then, it lowered its head in disappointment, recalling how Glaceon had ignored it earlier, seemingly uninterested in making friends.
Noticing Alcremie's disappointment, Naoki called it over and whispered a few encouraging words in its ear.
Alcremie's eyes brightened, "Mree?" Could it really become friends with Glaceon like this?
Naoki nodded with a smile. "Of course! Glaceon may seem cold on the outside, but it has a kind heart. In human terms, we call that being 'cold on the outside but warm on the inside.'"
Alcremie glanced at Koraidon and asked, "Mree?" 'What about Koraidon'?
Naoki chuckled and replied, "Koraidon has a heart as warm as its flames!"
"Mree!" Alcremie exclaimed, happily understanding the comparison.
With a newfound sense of purpose, Alcremie was ready to try again. Meanwhile, Naoki picked up the small Pawmi and prepared to head to bed for the night.
After more than a month of Naoki's care, the once-skinny Pawmi had grown strong and healthy, its fur now shiny and fluffy.
As Pawmi settled beside Naoki, it looked up at him and asked, "Pawmi?"
"Don't worry! You'll become good friends with everyone," Naoki reassured Pawmi, patting its head gently. "Now, let's get some sleep. I have something I want to ask for your help with tomorrow."
Naoki was excited to test the generator that Kora had recently installed.
"Pawmi!" Pawmi responded eagerly, looking forward to the task.
Compared to the powerful Dragonite, Koraidon, and Gogoat, Pawmi often felt small and insignificant, like a tiny blade of grass among towering mountains. It longed to do more for Naoki, who was always so kind and caring, providing it with baths and nutritious food, just like a mother would.
But Naoki wasn't its mother. They had met by chance, and Naoki had kindly taken it in, forgiving it even for stealing food. Pawmi wanted to do more to repay this kindness, but with no ability to water plants or produce milk, it often felt helpless.
So when Naoki mentioned needing its help, Pawmi felt overjoyed.
"Pawmi?" What kind of task would it be?
Naoki smiled, keeping it a secret. "You'll find out tomorrow. Now, it's time to sleep."
Pawmi closed its eyes and soon drifted off, snoring softly as it eagerly anticipated the next day.
Watching Pawmi sleep, Naoki felt a wave of affection for the little Pokémon. 'What a cute Pokemon,' he thought. Just like a real family, they wanted to help each other and share the burdens of life.
Naoki smiled and gently touched Pawmi's cheek. "Good night," he whispered.
————
At eight o'clock in the evening, most of the Pokémon on the ranch had fallen asleep. Alcremie, carrying a freshly picked fruit, made her way to the ice cave. Naoki had suggested bringing a gift.
Hearing the footsteps outside, Glaceon, who was resting inside the ice cave, immediately opened its eyes and looked toward the door with caution.
A soft "Mree" came from outside the door. It was Alcremie, the same Pokémon who had tried to befriend Glaceon earlier in the day.
Glaceon recognized the voice but, due to its reserved nature, didn't intend to respond. However, remembering Naoki's words, it silently jumped off the Ice Stone.
Outside the door, Alcremie felt a bit nervous. 'Would Glaceon talk to her like Naoki had said?'
At that moment, the door creaked open, and Glaceon slowly emerged.
'It's coming out!' Alcremie's eyes lit up. "Mree!" she greeted warmly. "Good evening!"
"Bu-yi."
Glaceon looked at Alcremie and finally responded. It hadn't meant to ignore Alcremie earlier; it simply didn't know how to express itself or what to say.
Alcremie, however, didn't seem bothered by that at all. It happily offered the fruit in its hand to Glaceon and said enthusiastically:
"Mree?" (Let me show you around the ranch! There are so many Pokémon living here, and we're all good friends.)
'Good friends.' Glaceon pondered this phrase.
Despite its inner doubts, Glaceon didn't reject Alcremie's offer. It gently lifted its front legs and followed behind Alcremie, beginning to familiarize itself with the ranch.
Alcremie eagerly introduced everything along the way.
As Glaceon moved forward, it observed its surroundings carefully—an instinct it had developed while living in the snowy mountains.
"Mree!" (Those over there are the Gogoat. Don't be fooled by their lazy appearance; they're actually very strong! And next to them is Smoliv, who came here with me.)
Glaceon looked in the direction Alcremie indicated.
With just one glance, Glaceon sensed a powerful natural energy emanating from that area. The energy was so abundant, it rivaled the Ice Stone's!
Its intuition told it that if it had come here instead of the snowy mountains, it might have evolved into a different form entirely.
"Bu-yi." Glaceon murmured, somewhat in awe.
But Alcremie seemed used to this and continued leading the way. As they passed by various houses, Alcremie said to Glaceon:
"Mree, Mree!" (This is where Nacli, Miltank, and the hens live, but it's late, so they've already gone to bed. I'll introduce you to them tomorrow!)
"Bu-yi," Glaceon replied softly.
They eventually arrived at an orchard.
Alcremie explained that fruit trees and crops were planted in neat rows here, and in autumn, these trees would bear delicious fruits.
Seeing the orchard, Glaceon finally understood what Naoki had meant earlier.
It asked quietly, "Bu-yi?" (Have you always lived in this place?)
Alcremie nodded, "Mree~" (Yes!)
Glaceon continued, "Bu-yi?" (Don't you have to find food for yourselves every day?)
"Mree." Alcremie shook its head gently. Of course not! Naoki prepares lots of delicious food for them!
Glaceon was full of confusion. "Bu-yi?" (Why does Naoki provide food for you?)
Hearing this question, Alcremie paused, not knowing the answer. It asked Glaceon to wait for a moment, then ran back to the house and woke up Naoki, who had just fallen asleep.
Naoki yawned, rubbing his sleepy eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked.
Alcremie tilted its head, "Mree?" (Why do you make so much delicious food for us?)
Unfortunately, Naoki didn't understand the question.
But Koraidon, who was dozing nearby, provided the answer. Without even opening its eyes, Koraidon mumbled, "Raao." (Because Naoki loves Pokémon.)
After getting the answer, Alcremie quickly ran out, leaving Naoki with a confused look on his face.
He yawned, still feeling sleepy, and collapsed onto his pillow, continuing his slumber.
Naoki: zZZ.
As Alcremie hurried back, Glaceon watched, unsure of what to say.
Alcremie happily shared the answer with Glaceon.
Glaceon was slightly taken aback. 'So, Naoki prepares food because he likes us?'
Seeing Glaceon's lingering confusion, Alcremie thoughtfully explained further, recalling everyone on the ranch, and said:
"Mree Mree!" (Naoki prepares food for us, and we all help him with the work around the ranch!)
Naoki farms with Koraidon and Cyclizar, Dragonite helps water the fields, Combee collects honey, and Gogoat produces goat milk.
And Alcremie makes delicious cream!
Hearing this, Glaceon was still puzzled. "Bu-yi?" (Why?)
Alcremie smiled and replied, "Mree!" (Because we like Naoki too!)
'Like each other.' Glaceon pondered those words.
It didn't say anything more.
Just then, an evening breeze blew through the area.
Glaceon caught a scent it had never experienced before. Looking up, it noticed a beautiful flower field not far away—a sight that didn't exist and couldn't exist in the snowy mountains.
Its eyes were naturally drawn to the flowers.
Glaceon walked forward, lowered its head, and took in the fragrance of the blossoms.
In that moment, Glaceon felt as if it was beginning to understand something.
After showing Glaceon around, Alcremie led it back to the ice cave. With a bit of nervousness, Alcremie asked, "Mree?" (Can I be your friend?)
Glaceon was slightly startled by the question.
It thought about the fruit Alcremie had given it earlier, how Alcremie had eagerly introduced the ranch, and how disappointed Alcremie had looked when Glaceon didn't respond to her earlier that day.
After a moment of silence, Glaceon finally answered.
"Bu-yi."
Alcremie beamed with joy. It cheerfully said goodbye to Glaceon, "Mree!"
...
"If this chapter made you smile, that powerstone button is your 'Thank You' note. Go ahead and drop it like it's hot!"