At 9:25 in the morning, the weather was clear and sunny. Above stretched a vibrant blue sky, adorned with a few fluffy clouds drifting lazily in the gentle breeze.
A pickup truck loaded with berries and filled with lively Pokémon cruised along a quiet country road.
In the car, a CD played a soft, melodic tune. It was said that the singer of this song was a Jigglypuff who loved performing.
The lively Alcremie, the Pawmot, and other Pokémon followed the rhythm, chirping along, filling the truck with an infectious, cheerful atmosphere.
Naoki drove attentively, his mind drifting to what he knew about Artazon Town.
Located just south of Kosaji Town, Artazon Town was a quintessential rural settlement. Its residents relied heavily on agriculture, making it feel less developed compared to Kosaji Town. However, it was famous for its vast sunflower fields.
The drive wasn't long. About ten minutes after leaving the ranch, Naoki spotted the first golden fields of sunflowers stretching out ahead of him.
Among the sunflowers, a few Sunflora swayed gently, their leafy arms outstretched as they basked in the sunlight alongside the plants.
"Sunflora," Naoki mused, recalling the Pokémon's name as they came into view.
As he neared Artazon Town, traffic picked up slightly, with more vehicles and trainers visible along the road.
Some of the trainers looked young and eager, likely drawn to the town by the upcoming contest. It reminded Naoki of the cherry blossom festival held in Kosaji Town.
As the truck rolled into the town, Naoki followed the girl's directions and navigated to the town's center.
The girl who had visited his ranch to order berries stood chatting with another young woman. Upon spotting Naoki's truck, she waved enthusiastically, calling out, "Over here! Over here!"
Naoki steered the vehicle toward her, parked, and jumped out.
Pawmot, the Glaceon, and the other Pokémon peeked curiously out of the windows, taking in the new sights and sounds of the bustling town.
The girl's eyes lit up in amazement as she noticed the Pokémon.
"So many Pokémon! Wait... are those Dragonairs?! Wow, such rare Pokémon!"
Naoki smiled modestly.
"How lucky!" the girl gushed, looking enviously at the impressive lineup of Pokémon.
Naoki turned to the Pokémon in the truck and gave instructions. "Koraidon, Cyclizar, start unloading the berries for our customer!"
"Ogerpon, Pawmot, you can hop out and play nearby, but don't wander too far!"
"Oge!"
"Pawmot!"
The Pokémon cheered in unison and quickly dispersed, exploring the unfamiliar surroundings with eager curiosity.
Naoki, along with Koraidon and Cyclizar, began unloading crates of berries from the truck bed.
Soon, the truck was empty, and the girl carefully counted the boxes before handing over the remaining payment.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Rancher! Without your help, we wouldn't have been able to host the Bug Catching Contest!"
Naoki waved it off with a smile. "It was no trouble at all. I'm glad I could help."
"Oh, that reminds me!" The girl's expression brightened as she added, "Would you like to stay and participate in the contest tomorrow?"
Naoki blinked in surprise. "Are you sure?"
"Of course!" she said enthusiastically. "Normally, there's a registration fee, but since you helped us so much, you can participate for free!"
Naoki hesitated. He wasn't particularly interested in Bug-type Pokémon, preferring the softer, furrier Pokémon instead. But the idea of experiencing a contest like this intrigued him.
After a moment's thought, he nodded. "Alright, I'll give it a try."
"Great!" the girl said happily. "You don't need to prepare anything. We'll provide snacks to attract Bug-type Pokémon for all the trainers."
"Is there anything else I should know?" Naoki asked.
"Oh, yes!" The girl added, "During the contest, you can't use your own Pokémon to battle the wild Bug-types. You'll need to rely on the snacks we provide—and your charm as a trainer!"
Naoki chuckled. "So it's all about snacks and charisma, huh? Got it."
The girl nodded. "Exactly! The contest starts tomorrow morning at 9:00 in the nature park south of town. We'll spend today preparing all the snacks with the berries you brought."
"Sounds good. I'll see you tomorrow," Naoki said, bidding farewell.
He called his Pokémon back into the truck and started the drive back to the ranch.
...
That afternoon, Naoki began working on plans to expand the area on the other side of the river.
He hopped onto Dragonite's back and soared into the sky, sketching a topographic map of the land below.
Using his pen, he drew out several straight roads branching from the stone bridge, dividing the area into distinct sections.
Naoki examined the largest piece of land in the upper-left corner of his map and thought:
"This grassland will be perfect for raising Wooloo."
The flat terrain, coupled with gentle slopes and unobstructed sunlight, would ensure lush grass growth, making it ideal for grazing.
As for why Wooloo was chosen over Mareep, it was simple—Mareep's wool disappears once it evolves into Ampharos.
"This plot here could be used to raise some other productive Pokémon," he mused, imagining a few specific Pokémon.
Tropius, which could produce bananas, and Sawsbuck and Deerling, known for their seasonal specialties like tea leaves, came to mind.
Naoki had wanted to raise a Tropius since he started the ranch, but he had never come across one. They were absent even from the Pokémon shop in Kosaji Town, likely because their profits were considered too modest compared to other productive Pokémon.
Picturing the possibilities, Naoki wrote down Tropius and Sawsbuck in two other sections of his plan.
The tea leaves from Sawsbuck's antlers brewed into black tea were not only delicious but a favorite among him and the Pokémon on the ranch. Plus, the brewed tea could be shared with Sinistea and Polteageist, enhancing their happiness—an all-around benefit.
Naoki decided to leave the remaining plots open for now, to see if other Pokémon or ideas came to mind. If none did, he would turn the space into a playground for Pokémon, complete with slides, sandpits, and seesaws.
On the other side of the road, he planned to dedicate land to agriculture, such as growing bright red apples.
Once he finalized the layout, Naoki patted Dragonite on the back and said, "Alright, let's head down!"
"Awwooo!" Dragonite responded, descending to the ground.
Naoki then called over Dugtrio, pointing toward the land across the river: "I'm leaving this area to you!"
"Dig dig dig!"
Dugtrio chirped in agreement, quickly inspecting the land before getting to work. With its evolved efficiency and long-term experience in cultivation, Dugtrio swiftly plowed the field with precision.
In no time, the land was neatly prepared.
"Great job!" Naoki said, patting Dugtrio on its head. "I'll make some new poke blocks for you later."
"Dig dig dig!" Dugtrio's eyes sparkled with excitement, eagerly anticipating its reward.
Returning to the ranch's living room, Naoki opened his savings box. After accounting for his recent purchase of the pickup truck, he realized he still had enough funds to buy some apple saplings.
As for finding Pokémon like Tropius and Sawsbuck, he planned to explore nearby locations like Glaseado Mountain or Casseroya Lake, hoping to encounter some in the wild and bring them back to the ranch—just like the Skiddo.
"I'm heading into town. I'll be back in half an hour." Naoki called out to the Pokémon before hopping into his truck.
When he reached Kosaji Town, he parked and stepped into Hugh's Seed Shop. Upon hearing Naoki's request, Hugh chuckled and guided him to the backyard.
"You're in luck! We just received a new batch of apple saplings. Take a look—how many do you want?"
Naoki scanned the backyard and saw around a hundred saplings neatly arranged.
Naoki roughly estimated the size of the field that Dugtrio had prepared and said, "Thirty trees should do."
"Alright," Hugh replied. "Do you want me to deliver them later?"
Naoki shook his head with a smile. "No need to trouble you this time. I can handle it myself."
Hugh looked surprised but quickly understood when he spotted the pickup truck parked by the road.
"You bought a truck? When did that happen?" Hugh asked, clearly intrigued.
"Just a few days ago," Naoki replied. "With the ranch expanding, having a truck is a lot more convenient. We can't keep relying on Koraidon and the others to haul everything."
Hugh chuckled. "That makes sense. It's a great idea. Alright, let me load the saplings for you right away!"
Naoki drove the truck back to the ranch with the saplings loaded in the bed. Together with Koraidon and Cyclizar, he spent the entire afternoon planting the apple saplings in the field.
By the time the sun began to set, they had completed the creation of a brand-new apple orchard.
Naoki washed his hands in the river, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and looked over the orchard with satisfaction. "All done! Now we just need to let these apple trees grow. By next year, we'll have a beautiful orchard full of bright red apples!"
As the thought crossed his mind, he suddenly remembered a potential problem: Pokémon like Applin, which burrow into apples and hide there, might find the orchard irresistible. While they were fascinating Pokémon, their habits could spell trouble for the apples.
"Well, we'll deal with that when it happens," Naoki muttered. He decided to view the potential influx of such Pokémon as an opportunity to enrich the ranch's ecosystem.
Noticing how dirty Koraidon and Cyclizar had gotten during the day's work, Naoki waved to them. "Alright, let's head back. Time for a bath!"
Naoki asked sister Indeedee, to handle dinner preparations while he took Koraidon and Cyclizar to the bathroom. He started the bath, and the two Pokémon obediently stood under the shower as Naoki rinsed the mud from their bodies.
He applied a fragrant Pokémon-safe shampoo and worked it into a foamy lather using a bath sponge. Cyclizar, being playful, managed to get some foam up its nose, causing it to sneeze repeatedly.
Koraidon, watching from the side, gave Cyclizar a look of disapproval.
"Raao…" Koraidon grumbled in a low voice, clearly annoyed.
But karma came quickly. As Koraidon breathed in through its nostrils, it accidentally sucked in a mouthful of foam and began sneezing just as Cyclizar had moments before.
"Pfft! Hahaha!"
Naoki couldn't help but burst out laughing as he turned the showerhead toward Koraidon to rinse off the foam. "Still want to look down on Cyclizar now?"
Koraidon: "..."
Cyclizar, meanwhile, grinned innocently. "Raao~!"
Annoyed but trying to maintain its pride, Koraidon flicked its tail, turned away, and refused to look at Cyclizar.
Naoki didn't bother coaxing it right away. Instead, he finished rinsing Cyclizar, dried it with a soft towel, and gave it a sniff before nodding approvingly. "You smell great. Alright, head to the living room and wait for dinner!"
Cyclizar happily sped out of the bathroom, leaving Koraidon to glance over its shoulder. Naoki waved it over. "Alright, your turn. Let's get the rest of the soap off."
Reluctantly, Koraidon shuffled back toward him. As Naoki worked to rinse the foam, he chuckled and said, "Why do you dislike Cyclizar so much? It's not even two years old yet—it's still a baby in human terms."
"Raao…" Koraidon grumbled, unable to argue.
"Everyone starts somewhere, you know," Naoki said, his tone gentle but firm. "Cyclizar is still young. Give it time, and it'll grow smarter and stronger. I have a feeling it'll become an incredible Pokémon someday."
After all, the effects of the birthday cake take time to fully manifest.
However, upon hearing Naoki's words, Koraidon felt even more conflicted.
Did Naoki truly hold it in such high regard and trust it so deeply?
Reflecting on its journey, Koraidon realized it had indeed lived up to Naoki's faith. It had become a strong Pokémon—one capable of protecting Naoki and its younger self from harm.
Memories of the past flooded Koraidon's mind as it let Naoki dry its body with a mix of reluctance and gratitude.
"Alright, go downstairs and wait for dinner!" Naoki said with a smile, gently patting Koraidon's head.
Koraidon responded with a quiet nod, its mind preoccupied. It descended the stairs and glanced at Cyclizar, who was joyfully lounging near the dining area.
Inside, Koraidon was torn. Naoki could now understand its thoughts, which meant it could tell Naoki about the future—everything it knew. But doing so might lead to dire consequences.
Fragments of past conversations resurfaced in Koraidon's mind, particularly discussions between Naoki, Professor Sada, and Professor Turo about the perils of time travel.
Koraidon vividly remembered Professor Sada's words: "If someone from the future were to alter events in the past—like preventing their grandparents from meeting—that person's existence would be erased, along with everything connected to it."
At that time, Koraidon had been a Cyclizar, and such complex ideas had left it bewildered. Naoki had patiently explained these concepts, emphasizing the dangers of tampering with time:
"If you play with time, time will play with you."
Now, Koraidon found itself grappling with the very scenario it once struggled to understand.
If it revealed the future to Naoki, everything that followed would change. Naoki would undoubtedly take steps to prevent the tragedies ahead. Yet, if events were altered, Cyclizar would never fall into the "time machine," and without that event, Koraidon would never be born.
In that case, Koraidon would vanish—ceasing to exist along with the timeline it sought to protect.
Koraidon shuddered at the thought. It didn't want to disappear. It wanted to stay by Naoki's side, to continue sharing moments with him.
But as it looked at its younger self—innocent, eager, and oblivious—a wave of pity washed over Koraidon.
If it said nothing, then its past self would endure the same pain, the same hardships, and the same terrible experiences that had shaped its present.
Koraidon's golden eyes reflected a mixture of sorrow and confusion as it gazed silently at its younger counterpart.
'At least… let it stay with Naoki,' Koraidon thought sadly.
....
Bonus Chapter @600PS