Looking at the small sprouts in front of him, Naoki frowned, thinking carefully.
Obviously, this mutation was caused by the grass energy from the Gogoat and the strange seeds he had given them.
The [Grass Cake] must have played a role in this as well.
But… why does it take so long for this thing to grow?! Has it even been 100,000 years since Arceus created the world?
What kind of plant would take so long to grow?
Naoki quickly ran through the famous plants/trees in the Pokémon world in his mind.
The only thing he could think of was the Tree of Beginning.
The image of that ancient, towering tree from the movie appeared in Naoki's mind. It was nestled in the mountains, reaching toward the sky. Its trunk was so massive it housed a unique ecosystem, with many Pokémon living inside its intricate maze of tunnels.
No one knows exactly how the tree came to be or how long it took to grow to that size. Mew called it home, and Regice, Regirock, and Registeel guarded it, warding off any intruders.
Some believe the tree is not made of wood at all but layers of rock resembling a tree. Others think it's a result of natural petrification over centuries of growth.
Naoki's brow furrowed.'Could it be that his Gogoat had somehow grown a new version of the Tree of Beginning?'
'Wow. No wonder no crops in the field had mutated for over a month. They were busy secretly growing something big!'
He pictured the grand Tree of Beginning, then looked down at the tiny sprout, barely as big as his finger. The contrast was laughable.
He was desperate to know what kind of plant this would become.
But clearly, unless he used some special method, he would never live to see it fully grown.
After thinking for a moment, Naoki's eyes turned toward the shrine dedicated to the King of Bountiful Harvests, a shrine he had often visited in reverence.
If anyone could help, it had to be the King of Bountiful Harvests, right?
Naoki hurried over to the shrine, lighting incense and making offerings.
"Oh, great King of Bountiful Harvests! Your humble follower seeks your help! I promise to offer you endless green dumplings in gratitude!"
...
Far away in the Galar region, the Crowned King, Calyrex, stirred.
It was snowing heavily in the Crown Tundra. The landscape was blanketed in white, and snow piled high on the ground.
In past years, the King of Bountiful Harvests would have been deep in hibernation during this time. His body was weak, and the cold was harsh.
But recently, things have changed.
With the help of his devoted followers, a steady flow of faith had been revitalizing him. Although he was still far from his full strength, he could now muster some of his powers.
For this, Calyrex was deeply grateful.
He thought about how his young follower had been so devoted, working tirelessly to spread his name in a world that had mostly forgotten him.
Not only that, the young follower had never asked for anything in return, always helping in silence.
The air around him was icy, but Calyrex's heart felt warm.
This was the first time the follower had asked for help.
"I will certainly assist you," thought the King of Bountiful Harvests.
He focused his psychic powers, turning his attention to Naoki's situation.
What he saw warmed his heart even more.
Naoki had placed an enormous pile of fruits in front of the shrine, so much that there was hardly any space left. A few fruits had rolled off onto the grass, and Naoki flustered, hurried to pick them up and carefully put them back on top of the pile.
Calyrex couldn't help but smile, amused by the young follower's devotion and eagerness.
"Do you like me that much?" The King of Bountiful Harvests murmured to himself with a hint of amusement.
"In that case, let me do something for you!"
'A seedling? Helping a seedling grow to maturity?'
That was simple enough for him.
The King of Bountiful Harvests focused his mind and finally found the seedling that his devoted follower had mentioned, sitting on a small mound of earth in the pasture.
There were three Gogoat surrounding the tiny sprout, guarding it with quiet patience.
Paying no attention to them, the King of Bountiful Harvests gracefully raised his hand and began channeling his energy to nurture the seedling.
At first, everything seemed fine.
But soon, as more and more of his energy drained away while the seedling remained unchanged, the King began to sense something unusual.
"Hmm?"
'What is this? Why… is it taking so much out of me?'
A rare trace of astonishment flickered across his normally composed face.
Meanwhile, Naoki had no idea that the King of Bountiful Harvests had answered his prayers. After leaving the offering at the shrine, he wandered back to check on his Gogoat.
As he approached, he casually glanced down at the seedling, expecting nothing. But what he saw shocked him.
The time until maturity had changed! And the name had changed too!
[World Tree Seedling: A seedling that has absorbed a great deal of grass energy. Due to the influence of the Gogoat's power, it has undergone a mutation during its growth. A tremendous vitality is now brewing within. It will take another 99,996 years to fully mature.]
In an instant, four years had been shaved off its growth time!
Naoki was stunned. "What the…?! It's actually a World Tree?!"
'Wait… Can there be two World Trees in the same world?'
After a moment of shock, Naoki's quick mind started analyzing the situation.
The one in the Kanto region is called the Tree of the Beginning of the World.
But this tree, the one planted by his Gogoat, didn't have the word "beginning" in its name. It simply became a World Tree.
The Tree of Beginning in Kanto has a symbiotic connection with a Mew that lives within it. When the tree is harmed, Mew is affected, and vice versa.
But this World Tree, grown by the Gogoat, wouldn't have that kind of problem.
It seemed very likely that this tree could grow into something just as magnificent as the original World Tree—a complete ecosystem of its own!
What's even more exciting is that the King of Bountiful Harvests has managed to reduce the growth time of the World Tree by four years!
When Naoki returns to the ranch, he plans to invite the King of Bountiful Harvests and his two beloved steeds over, treating them to all sorts of energy-restoring dishes made from grass-type ingredients. Who knows, maybe he really will see the World Tree grow in his lifetime!
The thought filled Naoki with excitement, giving him a new surge of motivation. He glanced over at the three Gogoat standing nearby.
When this World Tree matures, the Gogoat that helped nurture it will have the honor of being recognized by the tree. They could very well become guardians of the World Tree, much like Regice, Regirock, and Registeel, defending it from invaders and becoming legends in their own right.
Naoki's mind raced with ideas. Maybe he could even move his home up into the World Tree, living in a treehouse while farming in the treetop canopies. A ranch on the World Tree, a mansion on the World Tree, even a tavern on the World Tree—it all sounded like a dream.
Turning back to the shrine of the King of Bountiful Harvests, Naoki placed a pile of fresh fruit in offering. Though the King couldn't physically eat them, he was sure the sentiment would be appreciated.
---
In the Galar region, at the Crown Tundra, the King of Bountiful Harvests was slightly amused by the little believer's enthusiasm.
"This little believer… he means well, but he's not exactly the sharpest," the King murmured to himself. "I'll have to watch over him a bit more carefully in the future."
The King of Bountiful Harvests, who once ruled over the Galar region with pride, couldn't help but reflect on how forgotten He had become by the people of His homeland. It was disheartening.
But then, He thought of the region where His devoted follower resided—a place where agriculture thrived, resources were plentiful, and the people and Pokémon were kind-hearted and pure.
In contrast, it was clear which region had the better life now.
The King sighed, feeling a little disappointed. "If only I could just… relocate!"
But, of course, that wasn't possible. His current weakened state prevented him from relocating His dominion or restoring His full strength.
His hopes rested on his little believer. If only that boy would come to the Crown Tundra and help Him find his two disloyal steeds.
For now, however, the King had used up much of His remaining energy. Exhausted, He needed to rest once more.
In the cold, snowy expanse of the Crown Tundra, the King of Bountiful Harvests closed His eyes, hoping that the next time He awoke, His loyal follower would have come to His aid.
---
Naoki, on the other hand, had no idea of the expectations the King of Bountiful Harvests had for him.
As he pondered how much he had raised the King's favorability over the past few months, Naoki was pretty sure it wasn't a small number.
After all, why else would the King of Bountiful Harvests grant his every wish—even if it had only been twice?
For the current King of Bountiful Harvests, this may be everything to Him.
Thinking of this, Naoki's focus shifted slightly from the two steeds to the Bud Crown King.
He returned to the living room, glanced at the calendar hanging on the wall, and finally marked November 2nd with a pen. He planned to head to the Galar region that day to search for Spectrier, Glastrier, and the King of Bountiful Harvests.
As for why not go in October…
That brings us to an important point.
The seasons in this world are very distinct:
January through March is spring. In January, everything begins to bloom, and the snow slowly melts.
April through June is summer, and the weather gets progressively hotter.
July through September is autumn. The hot temperatures start to cool in early July, the skies become clear, and the leaves turn vibrant shades of yellow and red.
October through December marks the winter season. The temperature drops steadily in October, frost begins to form outside, and by mid-November, it starts snowing until the end of December.
Naoki thought that since this was his first year in this world, the animals and Pokémon on the ranch might not adapt to the cold weather during the first winter. He needed to stay, prepare everything for the season, and only then leave with peace of mind.
He didn't know how long his journey to Galar might take. It would be risky if it started snowing while he was gone, leaving the Pokémon on the ranch vulnerable.
Koraidon, however, felt that Naoki was overthinking.
All the Pokémon on the ranch had experienced winter and seen snow before.
But who was Naoki?
If Naoki said something needed to be done, it had to be done. If Naoki told him to go west, Koraidon would never go east.
Koraidon felt there was no Pokémon more obedient than himself. With a lazy yawn, he lay down in a cozy corner of the living room, enjoying the warm, familiar atmosphere.
Meanwhile, Naoki began his winemaking venture.
He pulled out all the hops and malt he had previously stored and started following the instructions in the ranch manual given to him by Mayor Thomas.
Winemaking, he quickly discovered, was more complicated than expected.
The process involved saccharification, filtering, boiling, cooling, and then placing the mixture into oak barrels to begin fermentation.
Generally, the fermentation process takes about 15 days, but it's said that if the beer is stored in oak barrels for longer, the flavor becomes more refined and unique.
Oak barrels also impart a special woody flavor, enhancing the taste of the beer.
In addition, fruit wines such as grape wine could also be brewed using this method.
However, there was no vineyard on the ranch yet, so Naoki had no choice but to use berries to make wine instead.
After finishing the beer, Naoki went to the nearby town to buy a variety of berries. He picked up items like Cheri Berries, Pecha Berries, and Starf Berries.
Each berry had its own unique taste: some were sweet, others spicy, and a few were sour.
Since different Pokémon had different taste preferences, Naoki decided to experiment with all of them.
The winemaking process took five days.
Unlike in Stardew Valley, where you could just throw hops into a barrel and wait, real brewing was far more complicated, and the oak barrels were much larger. Naoki had to work hard in the cellar, and during those days, he rarely went outside.
By the time he and Koraidon filled the last oak barrel with wine, it was July 4th in the 198th year of the Alliance Calendar.
Autumn had arrived, and the air felt cooler and fresher.
Naoki stepped out of the house, enjoying the crisp autumn breeze, and stretched lazily.
He glanced down at his arm and turned to Koraidon in surprise. "Have you noticed I'm looking a little paler?"
"Ah, gah?" Koraidon looked him over, tilting his head, but didn't pay much attention.
During the summer, Naoki had been busy working in the fields under the blazing sun, which had made his skin darker and rougher. Now that he saw his skin lightening, Naoki was naturally delighted.
He muttered to himself, "Seems like I'll need to spend more time in the cellar."
He thought back to when he'd gone to the market after a long day of farm work, and a teenage girl had called him "uncle" because of his rough, sun-worn appearance. The remark had almost left Naoki feeling depressed.
"I'm only in my twenties! How could I look like an uncle already?"
Today's weather was perfect—sunny with a gentle breeze. Although the land wasn't plowed yet, Naoki figured it could wait a little longer.
So, he asked Dragonite and Cyclizar to bring a rocking chair to the lawn, where they all lounged, enjoying the sun and playing with the grass.
Pawmo, always used to Naoki's laid-back behavior, lay down beside him, happy to let Naoki pet him.
However, as Naoki was running his hand through Pawmo's fur, he suddenly stopped, puzzled. "Eh? Pawmo, do you have lice?"
"Bamo?!" Pawmo jerked up in shock.
Naoki gently fiddled with Pawmo's fur and finally found a tiny grain of sand. "Oh, it's just sand. I thought it was something else."
"Pawmo!" Pawmo gave Naoki a slightly offended look, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Naoki chuckled, patting his head. "I was overthinking it. Even if you did have lice, you could zap them all away with Thunderbolt."
Pawmo thought about this for a moment, realizing Naoki had a point, and relaxed again, lying down to enjoy the sun.
As they basked in the sunlight, a shadow suddenly passed overhead.
Naoki noticed the sunlight dimming and opened his eyes, spotting a Pelipper that had flown over unnoticed.
Its beak opened slightly, and a photograph gently floated down from its mouth, landing squarely on Naoki's face.