Naoki was startled when the Tinkatuff suddenly fainted.
He quickly knelt beside it, checking over its body.
"There are burn marks... and they're pretty severe. It looks like it's lost a lot of energy because of the burns."
Naoki noticed the unconscious Tinkatuff was trembling slightly. When he touched it, he realized its whole body was cold.
"It's suffering from hypothermia!"
This was a serious and dangerous condition for Pokémon. The heat loss from their bodies was exceeding what they could generate, and if left untreated for too long, the Pokémon could be at risk of severe complications—even death.
They needed warmth immediately!
Not just Tinkatuff. Naoki also noticed that Minccino and some of the others were shivering, likely due to the extended time spent in the river.
Naoki felt grateful in that moment for the Pokémon medical books he had read in his free time. He had originally studied them with the intention of caring for the Pokémon on his ranch, but it turned out to be useful now in this unexpected situation.
He carefully picked up the fainted Tinkatuff and looked at the other Pokémon—Smeargle, Tandemaus, Minccino, and Bellibolt. "Come with me!" he urged gently.
Some of the Pokémon hesitated, still scared from their ordeal, but the younger Indeede sibling stepped forward with a warm, comforting tone: "Ai-ai~"
The frightened Pokémon looked at her and, reassured by her gentle manner, reluctantly followed Naoki back to the house.
Once inside, Naoki grabbed a warm blanket and carefully wrapped Tinkatuff in it. He then set to work, lighting the fireplace by adding some compressed wood logs, creating a cozy warmth.
The room's temperature gradually began to rise.
"Warm yourselves by the fire," Naoki said, pointing to the flames.
This time, the Pokémon didn't hesitate. They all gathered in front of the fireplace, basking in the warmth. The flames seemed to ease their chilled bodies.
Minccino, in particular, let out a soft sound of comfort as the heat enveloped it.
After treating Tinkatuff's burns with the burn medicine, Naoki placed it closer to the fire as well. In the gentle warmth of the room, the Pokémon slowly began to relax.
But even as they warmed up, fear still lingered in their eyes.
Their experience the night before had been terrifying. The fire had consumed everything they once knew.
Pokémon of all kinds had fled together, even those that normally would have been enemies. In the face of the relentless flames, survival became their only focus.
Some water-type Pokémon had tried to douse the flames with Water Gun, but their efforts were too small to stop the blaze.
There had been so many Pokémon escaping alongside them, but as trees fell and paths were blocked, they became separated. In the end, only a few managed to stick together, jumping into the river to escape the inferno. That's how they ended up here.
Naoki, observing their expressions, didn't need to know the full details to understand that whatever they had gone through, it was harrowing.
Koraidon, the Indeede siblings, and the other Pokémon looked on with sympathy, understanding the pain these wild Pokémon had endured.
Suddenly, a loud "Gumo~Gumo~" sound broke the silence.
All the Pokémon turned to look at the Bellibolt.
The electric-type Pokémon clutched its round belly, looking a bit embarrassed and panicked.
Naoki was the first to react, realizing what was happening.
It wasn't a call from Bellibolt; the sound was coming from its stomach—it was hungry.
There's a common saying in Bellibolt's habitat: "Every sunset, you'll hear a chorus of 'Gumo~Gumo~'."
Naoki quickly remembered that none of the Pokémon had eaten breakfast yet.
Once he was sure that Tinkatuff was stable, he began preparing breakfast with the help of the younger Indeede sibling.
Meanwhile, the older Indeede stood watch by the fireplace, keeping an eye on the wild Pokémon that had experienced such a terrible disaster.
The Indeede's thoughts wandered back to the Meowth they had rescued at the manor—abandoned and alone, just like these wild Pokémon now.
It seemed that the trauma from last night had left all the Pokémon in low spirits.
When they saw the tragic scene, anyone would be worried about the situation in the back mountain.
Koraidon stood tall in the living room, glancing at everyone, and then tried to comfort them: "Raao!" (With Naoki here, everything will be fine!)
It always trusted Naoki unconditionally.
Even though Koraidon was now a very powerful Pokémon, in its heart, Naoki remained an omnipotent figure.
Hearing this, Glaceon, Pawmot, and the other Pokémon looked at Koraidon. Seeing how confident it was, they too felt reassured and turned their eyes toward Naoki, who was busy cooking.
Naoki, unaware of the attention, hurriedly took out fruits, sandwiches, eggs, steak, and milk from the refrigerator. He put a pan on the stove, frying eggs and cutlets, then added them to the sandwiches. Afterward, he squeezed juice from berries, mixed it with milk, and heated it in the microwave.
In no time, a nutritious and delicious breakfast was ready.
The younger Indeede sibling eagerly helped serve the breakfast to everyone.
Minccino, the pair of Tandemaus, Smeargle, and Bellibolt all received thick sandwiches and fragrant hot milk.
The smell of food touched the hearts of these hungry Pokémon, and they looked at the human with gratitude in their eyes.
Naoki noticed their expressions and smiled warmly. "You're welcome. We all live in this place, so it's only natural to help each other."
The warm firelight restored some energy to Minccino. It wiped its tears with its tiny paws before lowering its head to eat.
The other Pokémon also ate silently, grateful for the kindness they had been shown, each one thinking that when the time came, they would find a way to thank Naoki for rescuing them.
Tinkatuff still hadn't woken up, so Naoki went over to check on it and found it had simply fallen into a deep sleep from exhaustion.
Not wanting to disturb it, Naoki decided that after breakfast, he would head to the back mountain to see if there were any other wild Pokémon that needed help.
What he didn't expect was that upon hearing his plan, Minccino and the others all expressed their desire to go along as well.
Seeing their determination, Naoki agreed, asking the Indeedee siblings to stay home and watch over Tinkatuff while he led the Pokémon to the back mountain.
The rain had just stopped, and the ground was still wet, making the path to the back mountain muddy.
At first, the scenery along the road hadn't changed much, but as they entered the back mountain, the devastation became clear.
The tall trees that once stood proudly were now reduced to blackened stumps, scattered across the ground like broken matchsticks. The bushes and grass had been burned to ash, and the air was thick with the damp smell of rain and smoke.
Minccino and Smeargle looked at the scene before them, and tears welled up in their eyes.
Minccino let out a sorrowful cry.
The hazelnuts and fruits it had stored in tree hollows for the winter had all been consumed by the fire. They had been the fruits of its labor throughout the entire autumn.
Smeargle wiped the tears from its face, feeling a deep sense of loss. The place it had once called home had likely been reduced to ruins as well.
The pair of Tandemaus shed silent tears. If they hadn't escaped so quickly yesterday, they might have perished in the fire.
Bellibolt, who usually had a slow and relaxed demeanor, looked dejected as it observed the destruction around it.
Seeing this, Koraidon and Glaceon also grew visibly uncomfortable.
Pawmot couldn't help but wonder if it had lived in this forest, would it have been left homeless too? The thought made it feel incredibly sad.
Naoki was in a heavy mood as well.
He still remembered that not too long ago, he had visited this forest with his Gogoat to gather ingredients.
Back then, the trees were tall and full of life. When the wind blew, the rustling of leaves would sound like waves across the forest.
Yellow leaves would gently fall from the treetops, layering the ground. In time, they'd decompose into the soil, nourishing the earth for the coming year.
The forest was home to many Pokémon. Naoki had seen Dewpider, Kricketot, Wattrel, and Caterpie here before.
But now, all those Pokémon were gone, their fates unknown.
Naoki could only hope in his heart that they had sensed the danger and managed to escape to safer places.
Looking at the crying Pokémon beside him, Naoki offered comforting words. "Don't cry. As long as you're alive, your home can be rebuilt. I, along with everyone in the town, will help you rebuild it."
The Pokémon felt a little better but were still visibly sad.
Seeing this, Naoki gently urged, "Let's search around to see if there are any other Pokémon that need our help."
"Pammo!" Pawmot was the first to respond. Naoki had tied a red cape around its shoulders, making it look like a little superhero as it dashed through the ruins.
Naoki hoped that Pawmot could bring hope to those affected by the disaster, just like a true superhero would.
Glaceon, Koraidon, Cyclizar, Gogoat, Dragonite, Butterfree, Combee, the two wild Dragonites, and the five Dragonairs—whether they were Pokémon from the ranch or those who had stayed behind to help—all joined the search and rescue efforts under Naoki's guidance.
Seeing this, the previously sad Minccino found new strength and decided to join the search, thinking of the Pokémon it had escaped with, who might still be in danger.
Smeargle didn't say anything, but it expressed its thoughts through action. It quickly moved through the forest, using the paint from its tail to mark paths on the ground and the charred trees, creating a way to guide other Pokémon who might need help.
Naoki watched the scene unfold with a sense of emotion. Even Pokémon who might usually be rivals were now working together in the face of disaster.
With everyone's efforts, the first Pokémon in need was soon found.
It was a Wattrel with injured wings, unable to fly.
It had hidden in a small cave, but when Pawmot led Naoki to it, the poor Pokémon had already fainted.
Naoki quickly pulled the injured Wattrel out of the cave. After carefully assessing its injuries, he sprayed it with burn medicine and healing spray.
Once Naoki had treated the Pokémon, Pawmot immediately flew off to continue the search.
As Naoki worked, Wattrel began to wake up. Its expression was dazed, still not fully aware of what had happened.
Naoki gently patted its small head and spoke softly, "Don't worry, you're safe now."
Realizing that the human in front of it had saved its life, Wattrel didn't resist. It blinked its wide eyes and simply stared at Naoki.
With a soft smile, Naoki pulled an apple from his bag and placed it in front of the little Pokémon. "Here, eat this, and rest afterward. Everything will be okay."
Wattrel didn't move, still too weak and confused.
Naoki was about to offer more comforting words when Koraidon came running over, carrying an unconscious Petilil in its arms.
Seeing this, Naoki quickly handed the now-calmer Wattrel over to Koraidon and began tending to the unconscious Petilil.
However, as soon as Wattrel came into contact with Koraidon, it began to squirm in panic, clearly frightened.
Naoki: "…Really?"
Koraidon tilted its head, confused. "Raao?" (What did I do wrong?)
Naoki let out a small sigh, trying not to laugh at the situation. "Don't worry, Wattrel. Koraidon isn't dangerous; it's my partner and a good Pokémon."
Hearing Naoki's reassuring words, Wattrel gradually settled down, though it still cast nervous glances at the large Pokémon.
Naoki refocused on Petilil's condition. "Severe burns, extreme exhaustion… this is not looking good."
After some thought, Naoki decided against using just the healing spray. Instead, he pulled out a bottle of berry juice mixed with Moomoo Milk and carefully fed it to Petilil.
This homemade blend, Naoki knew, had stronger healing properties than most store-bought remedies, but it wasn't easy to carry, so he had only brought a limited supply for the Pokémon in the most critical condition.
As expected, after sipping the juice, Petilil's breathing steadied, and it slowly regained consciousness.
Once Petilil was awake, Naoki applied burn spray to its injuries, ensuring the burns were properly treated.
When Petilil's condition stabilized, Naoki finally let out a breath of relief. He stayed with both the recovering Petilil and the nervous Wattrel, waiting for more Pokémon in need of help.
Although he had hoped the rescue would go smoothly, to his disappointment, no more Pokémon were found for quite some time.
"We can't go on like this," he thought, worried that the severely injured Pokémon wouldn't make it if they didn't receive immediate help.
After some quick thinking, Naoki came up with a plan. He sent the other Pokémon to continue searching and called back his three Gogoats. Standing before the tall and strong Gogoat, Naoki wore an expression of determination.
"I need you all to use Grassy Terrain just like you do in the pasture. Cover as much ground as possible."
Grassy Terrain not only boosted the power of Grass-type moves but, more importantly, it restored the energy and health of Pokémon standing on the ground.
"Can you do that?" Naoki asked, his tone serious.
The three Gogoat bleated with confidence, "Baa!"
"Good." Naoki smiled. "Then I'll leave it to you. And don't worry, I'll make you all a special herb dish later as a reward."
The Gogoat looked excited, eager to help. They lined up, stomping their hooves on the ground with determination.
In the next moment, vibrant green energy surged from their bodies, sinking deep into the earth. As the light spread, green, crystalline grass began to sprout from the scorched land.
In mere seconds, a vast field of lush, emerald grass spread across the forest, rapidly growing and covering the once-burnt ground.
Naoki was in awe. His Gogoat had grown stronger during this time—much stronger than he had realized.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the forest…
The rescue team, consisting of the fire brigade, Officer Jenny, and Nurse Joy, was moving swiftly through the charred woods, searching for injured Pokémon. Officer Jenny's Growlithe sniffed the air, tracking down the scent of Pokémon in need.
Suddenly, Growlithe perked up, its nose twitching, and barked loudly.
"Woof! Woof!"
Officer Jenny glanced at her partner. "Did you find something?"
Before Growlithe could respond, one of the firefighters gasped in shock.
"Look! What's that?"
Everyone turned to see a green light rushing toward them from the distance.
The light spread rapidly, reaching their feet within moments. Green grass began sprouting up from the scorched earth, swaying gently in the breeze.
"What is this?" Officer Jenny stared in disbelief.
Nurse Joy, quicker to grasp the situation, shouted excitedly, "It's Grassy Terrain! Someone's using Grassy Terrain to help the injured Pokémon recover!"
As a trained Pokémon doctor, Joy immediately understood the intention behind the move. Whoever was doing this was using Grassy Terrain to stabilize the conditions of the Pokémon in the area.
The fire chief's jaw dropped. "Is this really the Grassy Terrain I'm familiar with? But how…?"
The sheer scale of the move left him bewildered. The coverage was far beyond what he thought possible.
Officer Jenny, equally stunned, muttered, "What kind of Pokémon could create something on this scale…?"
This kind of widespread effect… It had to be from a Pokémon at an incredibly high level—possibly a Champion's Pokémon.
But there wasn't a well-known Champion Trainer specializing in Grass-types in the Paldea region.
Who could it be?
Everyone stood in awe, marveling at the extraordinary display of power.
Nurse Joy, deep in thought, suddenly remembered something. This wasn't the first time she had seen such a scene.
Where had she seen this before?
And then it clicked. A familiar image popped into her mind.
It was Naoki's ranch, where the Gogoat he raised would release Grassy Terrain, dancing happily on the fresh grass.
Excited, Nurse Joy exclaimed, "It's Mr. Naoki! I've seen his Gogoat use Grassy Terrain at his ranch before!"
"What?!" Everyone was stunned, their faces filled with disbelief.
Could it be that the humble rancher they all knew was actually a powerful Champion Trainer living in seclusion in their small town?
The thought left everyone speechless.
...
[Extra Chapter]