Pokemon: A New Path

Chapter 428: Treecko

Chapter 428: Treecko

After sending out the message, Naoki couldn't help but feel like an NPC assigning quests in a role-playing game. But since the Pokémon who would live on the World Tree in the future were closely tied to the hero's expedition team, it made sense to let Bear Bear and Mew handle inviting them.

After all, they were all good friends—living happily together, farming, and embarking on adventures as a community. Just imagining that kind of life filled Naoki with warmth.

By the time Naoki returned to the ranch, it was already noon. He washed his hands and began preparing lunch for all the Pokémon.

Today's menu was as plentiful as ever:

Grilled steaks, Steamed sea bass, Paella, Fresh vegetable salads, Sandwiches, Nutritious PokéBlocks for energy, and delightful after-meal snacks

The meal was nutritionally balanced and catered to the preferences of every Pokémon on the ranch.

"Bu-yii! Buu-Yii!"

Naoki heard excited cries coming from the living room. When he looked over, he saw several Eevees chasing each other around the sofa, their tails wagging in playful delight.

In their frenzy, one Eevee accidentally stepped on Koraidon's tail. Koraidon, who had been resting with its eyes closed, opened its golden eyes, startled.

Yet, instead of backing off, the mischievous little Eevee began to dart around Koraidon playfully.

Koraidon let out a resigned sigh: "Raao…"

"They're not scared of you anymore," Naoki chuckled as he carried the food into the dining room.

When the Eevees first encountered Koraidon, they were terrified. Over time, however, they realized it wasn't as fierce as it appeared and rarely lost its temper. Gradually, their fear turned into bold playfulness.

"Raao…" Koraidon let out another sigh, clearly giving in to its fate as the Eevees' favorite playmate.

The moment Naoki entered the room, the Eevees quickly shifted their attention to him, crowding around and chirping excitedly.

"Buu-yi!"

Naoki raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's going on?"

Rotom Phone hovered over to translate: "The Eevees are asking, 'Can we evolve into stronger Eeveelutions now?' Rotom!"

"Oh, you all want to evolve?" Naoki glanced around but didn't spot any of the evolved Eevees in the room. The Water-, Fire-, and Electric-type Eeveelutions, along with Glaceon and Umbreon, preferred spending time outdoors and were likely playing with Alcremie and the others in the pasture.

The three unevolved Eevees nodded enthusiastically, chirping, "Eevee!"

One of them even puffed up its chest, trying to show off its "strength."

Naoki smiled wryly. Indeed, it had been about seven months since the Eevees hatched, and they had grown significantly.

"All right. After lunch, I'll help you with your evolutions," Naoki agreed.

The Eevees erupted into joyful cries, bouncing around in excitement.

Meanwhile, one Eevee sat quietly nearby, seemingly uninterested in evolving. It was Naoki's partner Eevee, and it had chosen not to evolve, believing it could be just as strong in its current form.

After all, Naoki often said that a partner Eevee had its own unique strength—it could unleash the incredible "Extreme Evoboost," a move that drew upon the power of all its potential evolutions!

Once he calmed the excited Eevees, Naoki carried the remaining dishes into the dining room. He stood under the eaves of the ranch and whistled loudly toward the pasture.

In no time, a lively group of Pokémon came running back from every corner of the ranch. They gathered at their food bowls, happily digging into the delicious meal Naoki had prepared.

Later That Afternoon

Far away in the Hoenn region, deep within a forest known as the Petalburg Woods, the scene was one of serene beauty.

This dense forest was home to towering trees and a diverse range of Pokémon. In its center had once stood an ancient, colossal tree. However, it had fallen recently due to its extreme age.

A Pokémon called Treecko, which once built its nest around a giant tree, lost its home when the tree fell.

The three Pokémon from the Great Hero Expedition Team received this news from a wild Beautifly and rushed to the scene to see if they could help the Treecko.

Upon arrival, Mew and Teddiursa saw the colossal, withered tree lying on the ground, lifeless.

"Mew..."

"Teddi?"

Looking at the fallen tree, the Pokémon felt a pang of sorrow. Mew couldn't help but think of the World Tree back at Naoki's ranch.

Would the World Tree someday meet the same fate? Would they, like the Treecko, lose their home too?

Mew didn't know. Teddiursa didn't know. Even Zapdos didn't have an answer.

After some hesitation, the three Pokémon decided to contact Naoki for advice.

When the video call connected, Naoki's face appeared on Rotom's phone screen.

Mew and Teddiursa pressed their little faces together, looking at him earnestly.

"Mew!" (Naoki, will the World Tree wither in the future?)

Rotom translated their question, and Naoki's expression turned to one of surprise.

"Of course not!" Naoki assured them. "As long as this world doesn't perish, the World Tree will never wither. Did something happen?"

Mew and Teddiursa nodded and stepped aside to show Naoki the fallen tree in the forest.

Naoki immediately understood the situation.

"I see. Don't worry, that kind of thing won't happen to the World Tree," he reassured them.

Hearing this, Teddiursa and Mew let out sighs of relief.

Naoki was about to say more when he noticed movement behind the two Pokémon. Several figures darted through the bushes, and with a sharp whistle of air, several razor-sharp leaves flew past Zapdos's legs.

"There's danger!" Naoki warned quickly.

The three Pokémon immediately sprang into action and began scanning the surroundings.

Naoki soon spotted several green figures perched on nearby branches.

Treecko—wild Treecko, native to the Hoenn region!

Mew, Teddiursa, and Zapdos quickly noticed them too.

Teddiursa stepped forward to negotiate. "Teddi! teddi!" (We're a traveling expedition team! We mean no harm!)

Despite Teddiursa's explanation, the Treecko continued to watch them warily from the trees.

Naoki quickly pieced together the situation.

"This is their territory," he explained. "To them, you're intruders. Pokémon like Treecko are known to fiercely defend their homes and intimidate anyone who gets too close. They're guardians of the forest."

Judging by the earlier Flying Leaf attack, it seemed more like a warning shot than a full assault. If the Treecko had intended to attack, they wouldn't have missed.

Mew floated closer and spoke gently, "Mew!" (We heard from other Pokémon that the giant tree here fell, so we came to see if we could help!)

Zapdos, however, spread its wings, causing a loud crackling sound as electricity coursed through its feathers.

This startled the Treecko, who tensed up defensively.

Suddenly, a deeper voice called out from the forest.

The Treecko paused and turned toward the sound.

An older Sceptile emerged from the foliage, its movements deliberate and calm. The younger Treecko quickly leapt down to stand by its side.

The Sceptile looked at Mew and Bear Cub. "Scep?" (You say you're here to help us?)

Mew and Teddiursa nodded vigorously.

"Teddi! Teddi!" (That's right! We're the Great Hero Expedition Team, traveling the world to help Pokémon in need!)

The Sceptile glanced back at the fallen tree. "Scep..." (But this tree is already dead. It was too old to survive.)

Hearing this, Mew and Teddiursa looked distressed.

Mew floated closer to the massive tree and attempted to channel its power to revive it. However, its efforts failed.

This left the Pokémon feeling helpless, unsure of what they could do next.

Unwilling to give up, Teddiursa declared resolutely, "Teddi! Teddi!" (There must be a way!)

"Excuse me." Naoki's calm voice came through Rotom's phone screen.

All the Pokémon turned toward the sound, and the Treecko finally noticed the human figure inside the strange device.

Naoki addressed the group, "Teddiursa, Mew, see if you can find seeds from the fallen tree nearby. If you can, Calyrex can help revive it."

Hearing this, Mew and Teddiursa's eyes lit up with excitement.

The two Pokémon quickly flew to the fallen tree, carefully rummaging through branches and debris to find any intact seeds.

Soon, Teddiursa let out a triumphant cry, holding up a tree seed it had found.

"Well done!" Naoki encouraged. "Next, dig a hole in the open space and bury the seed there."

"Teddi!"

Teddiursa nodded and began digging with its small paws, working diligently under the watchful gaze of the Treecko.

Before long, it had dug a neat hole about ten centimeters deep. Teddiursa carefully placed the seed inside and gently covered it with soil.

Back at the ranch, Naoki turned to Calyrex.

"Can you help them?" he asked.

Calyrex nodded, its calm demeanor reflecting its immense power. Once, it had accelerated the growth of crops on Naoki's ranch, and with its current strength, this task was child's play.

Calyrex closed its eyes, focusing on the seed's location far away. Its power surged, activating the buried seed.

Suddenly, a miraculous transformation began.

The once-buried seed sprouted rapidly, breaking through the soil as a tender green sapling. The Treecko, watching closely, gasped in shock.

Before they could fully process what was happening, the sapling grew again, its trunk thickening and branches spreading.

In a matter of moments, the once-empty space now held a magnificent, towering tree, its canopy stretching high above the forest.

The Treecko stood frozen, their wide eyes reflecting awe.

Mew and Teddiursa cheered joyfully beneath the tree.

"Teddi!" (Now everything's okay again!)

"Mew~" (Now the Treecko have a home again!)

Naoki, observing the scene through Rotom's phone, couldn't help but chuckle at the wide-eyed expressions of the Treecko.

He thought back to another Treecko—Ash's starter Pokémon from the Hoenn region. That Treecko had evolved into a Sceptile, earning an impressive record in battle. It had even defeated Darkrai during the Sinnoh League, a feat few Pokémon could achieve.

Although it eventually lost to Latios, Sceptile's performance was nothing short of legendary.

Reflecting on these memories, Naoki considered how fulfilling the Hero Expedition Team's daily life must be, traveling the world and helping Pokémon in need.

He was about to continue watching when a knock at his door interrupted him.

Trusting that Teddiursa, Mew, and Zapdos were fine, Naoki ended the call and went to answer the door.

Standing outside was Mayor Thomas.

"Good afternoon, Naoki!" Thomas greeted warmly.

"Good afternoon, Mayor Thomas!" Naoki returned the greeting. "What brings you here today?"

The mayor nodded with a thoughtful expression. "The Spring Fishing Contest is happening the day after tomorrow. Are you planning to participate this year?"

Spring Fishing Contest…

Hearing those words, Naoki's mind wandered to thoughts of the Paella he had enjoyed recently.

One of the benefits of the dish, Paella, was that it increased the eater's chance of catching rare fish.

"Alright!" Naoki thought. Since he didn't have anything pressing to do, he might as well join the competition and have some fun.

Mayor Thomas smiled with satisfaction. "That's wonderful! The fishing enthusiasts in town have been wanting to challenge you. You haven't participated in the past two competitions, so this time they specifically came to me to see if you'd join."

Naoki: "…"

It suddenly all made sense to him. When he first started the ranch, Naoki caught a large batch of fish with the help of Koraidon. The townsfolk assumed all those fish were caught by him. To the people of Kosaji Town, Naoki was a fishing legend with unparalleled skill—a veritable fishing master.

His supposed prowess had become a local legend.

Naoki sighed inwardly at the misunderstanding.

Mayor Thomas was beaming. "The competition will be held at Casseroya Lake, starting at 8 a.m. the day after tomorrow. Show them your incredible fishing skills!"

Naoki: "…"

It seemed that he would have to prepare Paella again.

Meanwhile, in the Forest of the Hoenn region…

To express their gratitude to the Hero Expedition Team, the Treecko held a feast under the newly grown giant tree. They gathered fresh berries from the forest and arranged them neatly in a celebratory banquet.

Sceptile approached Teddiursa and handed it a large, ripe berry.

"Scep!" (You're incredible! You gave this giant, withered tree a new life!)

Teddiursa accepted the berry happily and shook its head. "Teddi!" (That's all thanks to Naoki and Calyrex!)

'Naoki? Calyrex?'

Sceptile looked curious. Was Naoki the human it saw on the device?

Teddiursa nodded enthusiastically. "Teddi! Teddi!" (Naoki is Naoki—the best human in the world! Calyrex is an amazing Pokémon who lives with everyone at the ranch!)

Mew floated over, joining the conversation. "Mew~" (That's right! The ranch is wonderful!)

Sceptile tilted its head. "Scep?" (Ranch?)

Teddiursa's eyes lit up as it explained. "Teddi! Teddi!" (Yes! That's our home! There's an enormous tree there called the World Tree, and Naoki is building all sorts of fun things around it!)

As it talked about the World Tree, Teddiursa suddenly remembered the commission Naoki had given the Hero Expedition Team.

Looking at the group of Treecko, Teddiursa's excitement grew. These Pokémon were Grass-types, weren't they?

With a bright expression, Teddiursa issued an invitation.

"Teddi! Teddi!" (The World Tree is massive! Naoki is planning to build an expedition guild, a Pokémon tavern, a farm, and even a restaurant there. Would you like to come and live with us? It would be so much fun if everyone lived together!)

...

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