The issue with the World Tree had finally been resolved, and Naoki let out a relieved sigh.
Now, all that remained was to let the World Tree grow gradually within the Reverse World. As for Giratina's warning about altering the world's rules and attracting Arceus's attention, Naoki wasn't overly concerned.
Surely, the God of Creation wouldn't take issue with planting a tree, would He? Besides, the World Tree only benefited the world, fostering growth and harmony. Naoki dismissed the thought and moved on.
With the tree gone, fewer trainers visited the ranch, allowing Naoki's life to return to its peaceful rhythm.
The ranch's development continued steadily.
One morning, after completing his daily chores, Naoki decided to visit the store in town to purchase a batch of Wooloo for production purposes.
Upon arrival, he was surprised to find Rachel running the store alone.
"Where's your grandfather?" Naoki asked casually.
Rachel smiled and replied, "Grandpa went to the Kalos region to attend a funeral. One of his old friends passed away a few days ago, so I'm managing the store for now."
"I see…" Naoki nodded, choosing not to press further.
Rachel then asked, "So, Mr. Naoki, are you here to adopt any Pokémon for your ranch? I can help you with that!"
"Do you have any Wooloo available?" Naoki inquired.
"Of course!" Rachel's face lit up. She opened the store's back door and gestured for Naoki to follow.
Behind the shop lay a sprawling ranch filled with various Pokémon. Naoki had been here a few times before, so the layout felt familiar.
There were Noibat roosting in the trees, Miltank grazing on the open grass, Nacli gathering in the caves, and even some Flabébé fluttering around the flowers.
As they walked, Naoki noticed several Pokémon that didn't seem suited for production, including Machop, Sudowoodo, and Bellossom.
Curious, he asked, "What's the story with these Pokémon?"
Rachel glanced over at them before replying softly, "Oh, those are Pokémon Grandpa rescued from the wild. Do you remember the wildfire that broke out on the mountain last year?"
Naoki nodded in understanding.
Rachel continued, "Many people from the town helped with the rescue efforts, and we managed to save a lot of Pokémon. Grandpa initially planned to release them back into the wild after their injuries healed, but most of them seemed fascinated by the human world and didn't want to leave."
"Instead, Grandpa decided to keep them here, hoping to find trainers to adopt them or send them to farms where they could help with daily tasks."
"I see," Naoki said thoughtfully.
He knew this ranch store wasn't like those run by unscrupulous Pokémon hunters. The Pokémon here were offered for adoption with only a small fee required to cover basic care expenses.
Rachel smiled and asked, "Would you like to take a look at these Pokémon, Mr. Naoki?"
Naoki hesitated briefly before nodding.
With Rachel's signal, the Pokémon in the grassy area quickly gathered around them.
There was Machop, Sudowoodo, Bellossom, Oddish, Poliwag, and even an Eevee.
Naoki's eyes lingered on the fluffy Eevee, which seemed outgoing and cheerful. Unlike his Glaceon back at the ranch, this Eevee radiated an entirely different energy.
The Eevee looked up and greeted Naoki with a bright, "Bu-yi!"
"Quite an extroverted Eevee," Naoki mused.
Rachel began introducing the Pokémon one by one.
"This is Machop," she said, gesturing toward the muscular Pokémon. "It's incredibly strong and can easily help with heavy lifting."
Machop flexed its arms, proudly showing off its muscles.
Moving to the next Pokémon, Rachel smiled and said, "This is Sudowoodo. While it can't help with physical labor like Machop, it makes for an excellent decorative addition to any ranch. Just be careful—it's afraid of water and will freeze in place if it gets wet!"
To demonstrate, Sudowoodo immediately stiffened, blending seamlessly into the surrounding trees, almost indistinguishable from a real one.
Naoki was momentarily speechless, recalling that some people were utterly fascinated by Sudowoodo.
There were even magazines dedicated to these "tree Pokémon enthusiasts," whose fans obsessed over the length and angle of Sudowoodo's branch-like arms. It was said that the greener the Pokémon appeared, the more popular it became among such fans.
Rachel noticed Naoki's expression and chuckled. "Sudowoodo is just one of many options. Now, this little one here," she said, gently patting the head of a Floette, "might be small, but it's fantastic at tending flowers!"
When Naoki glanced at the Floette, his thoughts immediately jumped to AZ's Eternal Floette—a mythical, unique version of Flabébé with extraordinary power and an unforgettable story in Pokémon lore.
It wasn't something anyone could obtain, even in the games.
"This next one is Oddish," Rachel continued. "It may look simple, but when it evolves into Bellossom, its flowers are absolutely stunning!"
Naoki hesitated. Oddish's evolution path offered two choices: the noxious Vileplume or the elegant Bellossom. However, when he thought about Vileplume's pungent secretions—so potent they could incapacitate people within two kilometers—he decided against it.
"This is Poliwag!" Rachel gestured to the little Water-type Pokémon. "It's great with its Water Gun and can help with irrigating farmland. But unfortunately, it's already reserved by a local farmer."
Naoki smiled and shook his head. "That's fine; I already have a Pokémon at my ranch for watering duties." He was referring to his Dragonite, who had mastered moves like Rain Dance and Water Pulse.
Rachel grinned and moved on. "Now, this little one is the last Pokémon here today," she said, crouching to gently pet the Eevee. "This cheerful and lively Eevee also came from the back mountain. It's very friendly and easy to get along with!"
"I've already noticed," Naoki said as he squatted down to take a closer look at the Eevee.
The appearance of an Eevee was undeniably charming. Its resemblance to a fox was evident, with its brown fur accented by a fluffy cream-colored ruff around its neck and a similarly cream-tipped tail.
Its petite frame rested on four furry legs, each adorned with soft pink paw pads. Its long ears twitched attentively, and its lively brown eyes sparkled with curiosity above its tiny, button-like black nose.
"Eevee~"
At that moment, the Eevee sat serenely on the grass, gently swishing its big, bushy tail while tilting its head. Its wide, innocent eyes radiated pure charm.
"Boom!"
Naoki felt like his heart had just been struck by arrows. His pulse raced.
He had to have this Eevee.
Rachel noticed his expression and stifled a giggle. "Looks like you're an Eevee fan, Mr. Naoki!"
Naoki smiled and leaned closer to the Eevee. "Hello, Eevee. My name's Naoki. It's so nice to meet you."
"Eevee!" the Pokémon replied, its high-pitched cry brimming with excitement.
Rachel knelt down and asked softly, "Eevee, Mr. Naoki is a very kind person. Would you like to live with him on his ranch?"
The Eevee didn't hesitate, nodding enthusiastically. "Eevee!"
"It seems that Eevee likes you too!" Rachel said with a warm smile. "Then, Mr. Naoki, I'll leave this Eevee in your care from now on."
"Absolutely!" Naoki replied with enthusiasm, nodding firmly.
He crouched down, patted his shoulder, and said to Eevee, "Come on, hop up!"
The little Eevee eyed the spot for a moment, then joyfully leapt onto Naoki's shoulder, mimicking the iconic partnership of Ash and Pikachu.
"Good girl," Naoki said, gently rubbing his cheek against Eevee's soft fur. "I've got some errands to run, but once we're done, I'll take you back to the ranch."
Eevee, utterly content, stood quietly on Naoki's shoulder, her fluffy tail swaying slightly as they walked together toward the pen of Wooloo.
In the grassland enclosed by wooden fences, a large flock of Wooloo was lounging under the sun, their wool glistening like fluffy white clouds.
Wooloo's faces and legs stood out against their woolly white bodies, giving them a charming, round appearance. They resembled walking, oversized cotton balls.
"How many Wooloo are you planning to buy, Mr. Naoki?" Rachel asked.
Naoki pondered for a moment before answering, "Eight should do."
He figured that any more would make the ranch feel cramped and difficult to manage.
"Got it." Rachel nodded and walked over to open the gate to the enclosure, inviting Naoki to step inside to make his selection.
These Wooloo, bred domestically, were calm and well-adjusted to humans. They grazed and rested undisturbed, showing no signs of panic at Naoki's approach.
As Naoki scanned the pen, he realized the Wooloo looked almost identical, as though they had been perfectly copy-pasted.
Deciding to keep things simple, he gestured toward the eight Wooloo closest to the gate. "Let's go with these eight."
He reasoned that with proper care at the ranch, all of them would grow into healthy, robust Wooloo. Their current condition didn't concern him much.
Rachel smiled, acknowledging his choice. She called over the selected Wooloo, and they obediently followed her. "Would you like me to help transport them to your ranch?"
Naoki shook his head with a grin. "No need, I drove here. I'll take care of it."
"Understood," Rachel replied. She led the eight Wooloo outside to Naoki's pickup truck, setting up a wooden ramp to connect the ground to the vehicle's bed.
One by one, the Wooloo trotted up the ramp and settled into the truck, filling its cabin snugly with their fluffy forms.
After securing the Wooloo and completing the payment, Rachel glanced at Naoki again and asked, "By the way, Mr. Naoki, do you know how to care for Wooloo properly?"
Naoki chuckled. "Feed them fresh grass and berries, let them roam and bask in the sun as much as possible, and shear their wool regularly when it grows too thick, right?"
Rachel nodded. "That's right. The wool on Wooloo grows continuously throughout its life. Even if you shear it completely, it only takes three months for it to grow back to its original fluffy state."
"But you need to be careful. If their wool grows too long, they won't be able to move properly. So, Mr. Naoki, keep an eye on how fast it grows and make sure to shear it when it's ready."
Naoki was already familiar with this, so he nodded and said, "I'll keep that in mind."
Wooloo wool was a prized material. Zack often collected it, and it was highly valued for making durable clothing and carpets, which were popular everywhere.
After bidding farewell to Rachel, Naoki started his journey back to the ranch, his cart loaded with eight Wooloo.
This time, neither Koraidon nor Cyclizar accompanied him.
The reason? Koraidon was busy teaching Cyclizar how to master a few moves.
When Naoki first witnessed this unusual sight, he was taken aback. But soon, he couldn't help but feel delighted about the growing camaraderie between the two Pokémon.
Koraidon must have been impressed by Cyclizar's determination and persistence, deciding to take it under its wing!
If that's the case, Naoki thought, then he couldn't fall behind either.
As he drove, his gaze shifted to the little Eevee sitting in the passenger seat, safely buckled into its harness.
He began pondering an important question: What should this Eevee evolve into in the future?
He already had a Glaceon back at the ranch, so another Glaceon was unnecessary.
That left him with other options: Flareon, Vaporeon, Jolteon, or Leafeon.
Luckily, he had the necessary evolution stones—the Fire Stone, Water Stone, Thunder Stone, and Leaf Stone—that the adventurous Pawmot had collected before.
Beyond those four, there were still Espeon, Umbreon, and Sylveon to consider.
With so many potential evolutions, Naoki found himself unable to decide for the moment.
He glanced at the Eevee again, noting the heart-shaped pattern on its tail.
This little detail confirmed that the Eevee was female, as male Eevee tails had a jagged, saw-toothed pattern.
"It's a shame it's not male," Naoki mused with a tinge of regret.
If it were male, maybe it could pair with Glaceon back home and give me a bunch of Eevee eggs, he thought whimsically, much like his hardworking Dragonite.
Eevee were notoriously rare in the wild due to their genetic instability and complex breeding patterns, making them a precious addition to any trainer's team.
Naoki even harbored a dream of creating an "Eevee army," with Eevee representing every evolution type. Two Eevee alone wouldn't suffice for that vision.
"Well," he concluded, "I'll live with this Eevee for a while and see what it wants to evolve into."
Ultimately, Naoki decided to respect Eevee's feelings and let it choose its own evolutionary path.
The pickup truck rolled into the ranch, with Naoki giving two quick honks of the horn to alert the Pokémon on the path to step aside. Once the way was clear, he drove straight to the area across the river where the new part of the ranch was located.
Naoki had already prepared the enclosure in advance, building a sturdy fence that surrounded a small hillside. Now, all that remained was to release the Wooloo into their new home.
The reason for the fence was simple: Pokémon like Wooloo are known to roll into objects with considerable force, and it wouldn't be good if they managed to escape. Naoki chuckled as he recalled the start of the Sword and Shield adventure, where Hop's Wooloo crashed into the Weald Forest's barrier.
Diagonally opposite the Wooloo pen was an apple orchard. The trees there were still young and hadn't borne fruit yet, but Naoki wasn't in a rush. He decided against asking Calyrex to fast-forward their growth.
For Naoki, the joy of planting fruit trees with his Pokémon lay in the process, not the results. Besides, the ranch's finances were currently stable, so there was no urgent need to maximize production.
After safely settling the Wooloo, Naoki headed back across the river with Eevee perched happily on his shoulder. He sought out Alcremie and Glaceon, then gathered the rest of the Pokémon to make introductions.
Naoki smiled warmly and gestured to Eevee. "Everyone, this is Eevee! Starting today, Eevee will be living here on the ranch with us."
The group welcomed Eevee enthusiastically. Alcremie, Pawmot, and Arboliva surrounded the newcomer, expressing their delight with joyful cries.
Eevee, with its cheerful and lively personality, beamed at the warm welcome. It wasn't long before the little Pokémon began playing with Alcremie and Pawmot, both equally energetic and playful.
Watching this heartwarming interaction, Naoki couldn't help but smile. "You all take good care of each other now!" he encouraged.
Meanwhile, from a short distance away, Glaceon watched the scene quietly. It observed the new Eevee fitting in so effortlessly, playing exuberantly and, most notably, demanding cuddles from Naoki.
Glaceon's tail twitched, and an unfamiliar feeling bubbled up inside. It had never asked Naoki to hold it or sought attention in that way before. What if Naoki liked this new Eevee more? A troubling thought lingered in Glaceon's mind.
Not far away, Koraidon lay sprawled on the grass, soaking in the sun. It watched the drama unfold with a knowing sigh.
"Raao…" (Ah, I see. Finally, someone understands my plight.)
Glaceon still fixated on the new Eevee, had only one word flashing through its mind: Vixen.
...
If you're interested, you can read up to chapter 411 at patreon.com/Keepsmiling818
Next Bonus Chapter @1200 PS