Pokemon: A New Path

Chapter 430: World Tree Candy

Naoki was overjoyed as he looked at the newly evolved Eevees.

"All that's left now is to get a Z-Ring and Eevee's exclusive Z-Crystal. Once we have that, the Eevee army will be complete," he thought excitedly.

The exclusive Z-Move, Extreme Evoboost, channels the combined power of all Eevee evolutions, allowing partner Eevee to unleash its ultimate move. Unfortunately, Z-Rings and Z-Crystals are unique to the Alola region and are unavailable in other parts of the Pokémon world.

Naoki couldn't help but marvel at the variety of mystical items in the Pokémon universe.

In addition to the Z-Ring, there are Mega Stones and Key Stones from the Kalos region, which enable Pokémon to Mega Evolve. Then there's Dynamax and Gigantamax, unique to the Galar region, and Terastallizing, exclusive to the Paldea region.

Two years ago, Naoki had received a Tera Orb as a gift from Dr. Sada and Dr. Turo. However, since battles rarely occurred on the ranch, the Tera Orb had been tucked away in a drawer, gathering dust.

The Dynamax Band from Galar was another intriguing item, but its use was limited to the Galar region. Pokémon couldn't Dynamax outside its boundaries.

Of all these, Naoki's favorite was Mega Evolution, also called Super Evolution.

Mega Evolution unlocks a Pokémon's hidden potential for a short time, allowing them to surpass their normal limits. However, it requires a deep bond between trainer and Pokémon. This mutual trust and connection ensure that the Pokémon reaches its full potential, driven by their shared feelings.

"Bonds and friendship... that's what it's all about," Naoki mused. The concept never failed to stir his heart.

However, there was a downside. Among all the Pokémon on his ranch, not a single one was capable of Mega Evolution.

Whether it was Dragonite, Butterfree, Alcremie, Gogoat, or Cyclizar—none of them had the ability to Mega Evolve.

Naoki sighed, feeling a bit dejected.

"Why didn't they give Dragonite a Mega Evolution?" he grumbled. "It's one of the coolest pseudo-legendaries ever!"

Shaking off his frustration, Naoki decided to focus on something productive. He headed back into the house to brainstorm new recipes for the Pokémon on the ranch.

Just as he was about to step inside, the sound of a motorbike broke the tranquil atmosphere.

Kelly, riding her bike, pulled up in front of the house. She hopped off the bike and handed Naoki a rolled-up blueprint.

"Here, I've sketched the designs you requested. Take a look and let me know if there's anything you'd like to change. If it's all good, I'll start construction tomorrow," she said with a smile.

Naoki took the blueprint and unrolled it, his eyes lighting up as he studied the detailed drawing.

At the center was a dome-shaped wooden building. Hanging above the entrance was a sign that read, Exploration Guild Headquarters.

Branching out from the central building were various facilities:

An Item Shop for selling potions, antidotes, and other necessities. A Pokémon Hospital to treat injuries. A Pokémon Tavern where Pokémon could gather and socialize. A Café for rest and relaxation. A Restaurant for dining. Dormitories with charming designs. Warehouses for storing food and berries. Training rooms for honing combat skills.

Surrounding the guild were fields dedicated to farming and orchards for growing berries and fruits.

The attention to detail amazed Naoki. The buildings were designed with an adorable aesthetic, perfectly complementing the whimsical and dreamlike nature of Pokémon.

Kelly explained, "Although these buildings are made from wood, I'll be using Goldenwood, a highly durable material. After undergoing special treatment, it won't deteriorate even after a thousand years."

Naoki wondered about the mysterious Goldenwood Kelly mentioned. 'It should be a wood unique to the Pokémon world.'

He nodded in approval. "Let's use the best materials for everything. Go all out."

The ranch's income was now so substantial that Naoki no longer needed to worry about expenses. With the online store thriving as well, he had the financial flexibility to use only top-quality materials.

Kelly, already aware of Naoki's low-key yet powerful status, smiled and nodded.

"No problem. I'll make sure everything is the best quality. Is that all for now?"

"Thanks for your hard work," Naoki replied.

Kelly chuckled lightly. "I can guarantee that if Mayor Thomas and the others found out about this, they'd be shocked."

Naoki raised an eyebrow curiously.

Kelly continued, "A capable man like you, living quietly in a small town like Kosaji, running a ranch—it's surprising, to say the least."

Naoki couldn't deny it. His current lifestyle wasn't what he had initially planned; it had developed naturally over time.

"Better not let Mayor Thomas know. He might faint," Naoki joked.

Kelly nodded in agreement. "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. I'll start construction tomorrow morning."

"Perfect," Naoki said.

With the design finalized, the next step was construction. Kelly, already mentally organizing the logistics, left to gather the necessary building materials.

That Evening

As Naoki prepared dinner for the Pokémon, a sudden thought struck him: What if I could create Rare Candies in real life?

In the games, Rare Candies are described as items packed with energy that instantly increase a Pokémon's level.

"If I could make those, I could level up Pokémon instantly. Imagine feeding 100 Rare Candies to an Eevee—I'd have a team of level 100 Eevees and become unstoppable!"

The idea thrilled Naoki, and he immediately set out to try.

Though he had no experience making candy, he recalled a cookbook he had bought in town.

First, he added sugar, corn syrup, and water to a pot over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once the mixture thickened, he added golden honey from the Combee's hive.

Finally, he poured the syrup into molds to cool.

After a while, the candy hardened into amber-like pieces.

A notification popped up in Naoki's mind:

[Honey Candy (C)] Candy made with golden honey, exuding a sweet aroma.

Effect: Lures bear Pokémon from hiding. When fed to bear Pokémon, it greatly increases their affection.

Comment: A popular treat among bear Pokémon.

Naoki blinked at the description. "It's not a Rare Candy?"

He sighed in mild disappointment.

Even so, Naoki casually fed the honey candies to Pokémon with a sweet tooth, like Alcremie and Pawmot.

"The key to Rare Candy must be its energy content," Naoki mused. "But what kind of energy would work?"

Deciding to experiment further, he asked Indeedee to channel psychic energy into the syrup.

"Indeedee?"

Confused but willing to help, Indeedee focused her psychic powers into the mixture.

However, as soon as the energy entered the bowl, it exploded. The syrup splattered everywhere.

Naoki sighed as he surveyed the sticky mess.

"Let's clean this up first," he muttered, grabbing a rag to wipe down the kitchen.

After restoring order, he considered another approach. "If Pokémon energy doesn't work, what about an item imbued with energy?"

Naoki's mind turned to the leaves of the World Tree as a source of energy.

He remembered using them once to bake a leaf cake, which significantly enhanced the abilities of his Gogoat, Calyrex, and Arboliva. Calyrex had remarked that the leaves contained an abundance of natural energy.

With this idea in mind, Naoki headed to the Reverse World and carefully picked a leaf that was larger than himself.

Back in the kitchen, he cut the leaf in half with a sharp kitchen knife, setting aside the unneeded portion to feed his Gogoat. The Pokémon eagerly munched on the nutritious gift.

Using a juicing machine, Naoki ground the leaf into a thick paste, then filtered it to extract the pure green juice. He added the juice to a prepared syrup mixture and stirred thoroughly. The final step was to boil the concoction, pour it into molds, and let it cool to set.

When the process was complete, a batch of dark green candies sat before him.

[World Tree Candy (A+)] : This candy is crafted from the leaves of the World Tree, rich in natural energy. It brims with life-enhancing nutrients.

Effect: Nature's Force Lv. 3 – Grass-type Pokémon that consume this candy will significantly enhance their ability to control Grass-type energy. This newfound control aids in cultivating plants and increases their growth rate.

Note: This effect works only on Grass-types and is effective for one use per Pokémon.

Comment: "A magical candy with a deep connection to nature."

Naoki sighed as he inspected the candy. It wasn't the mythical Rare Candy he had envisioned, but in a way, this was just as valuable. Enhanced energy control could accelerate a Pokémon's growth, improve their battle efficiency, and refine their abilities.

Not a bad outcome at all.

He decided to feed the candies to the Grass-type Pokémon at his ranch: Leafeon, Tropius, Gogoat, Calyrex, and Arboliva. Each of them glowed with energy after consuming the treat, visibly brimming with newfound vitality.

Naoki also kept three candies aside as a welcome gift for the Treecko trio who had recently decided to make the World Tree their new home.

That evening, after dinner, Naoki prepared to head to bed. His usual habit of sleeping with the Eevees had changed somewhat now that most of them had evolved.

Vaporeon preferred the tranquil waters of the ranch's lake and had taken to sleeping there instead of indoors. Similarly, Leafeon had chosen a patch of fertile grass under the open sky as its resting place.

Though it had been his suggestion that they find a spot they were most comfortable in, Naoki couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness as he watched them leave.

"Ah," he thought wistfully, "the kids are growing up and finding their own paths."

But his melancholy didn't last long. Flareon, warm and full of energy, leapt onto his chest.

Sensing Naoki's mood, Flareon let out a cheerful cry, saying it would stay with him no matter what.

Umbreon, Jolteon, Sylveon, and Espeon, who were already snuggled in their nests, echoed Flareon's sentiment. Even Pawmot, Dratini, and Cyclizar chimed in enthusiastically.

Naoki felt a wave of emotion and, unable to resist, picked up Flareon and kissed it gently on the forehead.

Flareon's eyes sparkled with delight as it wagged its tail energetically, basking in the affection.

"Ah, gah!" Koraidon, who had been sprawled on the floor nearby, noticed the gesture. Its wide eyes glistened with an almost comical look of longing, resembling a giant puppy desperate for attention.

Naoki chuckled at the sight. "Alright, you too, big guy," he said, planting a kiss on Koraidon's forehead.

However, this act of affection backfired spectacularly. The other Pokémon quickly caught on, all clamoring for their share of Naoki's love.

One by one, Naoki obliged, kissing each Pokémon on the forehead while laughing. "You're all such spoiled children, you know that?" he said, shaking his head fondly.

In response, the Eeveelutions squeaked in unison, insisting they would always be Naoki's babies, no matter how much they evolved.

Dratini, lying curled up near Naoki's pillow, raised its head and let out a soft cry as if to say, "Me too! Don't forget about me!"

Naoki reached out to gently boop its nose with a finger, smiling. "Alright, alright. Now, go to sleep!"

One by one, the Pokémon settled down, their eyes closing peacefully as they drifted into slumber.

Naoki, still smiling, pulled out his Rotom Phone. He posted a picture he had taken earlier of the entire Eevee family, captioning it with a heartfelt expression of joy.

Soon, the photo was flooded with likes and comments:

[Iono]: Wow! All your Eevees evolved? They're so adorable!

[Geeta]: Looks like your dream of creating an Eevee paradise has come true!

[Alder]: What a coincidence! My Volcarona recently had its second life moment. It's about to become a parent too! Looks like I'll be raising Pokémon alongside you soon.

Naoki chuckled as he read through the comments, replying to each one. He hadn't had much time recently to catch up on Iono's streams, and the thought crossed his mind to check in on her. Opening the PichuTV app, he searched for her channel but found that she wasn't live at the moment.

Instead, he browsed her profile, scrolling through the content she had uploaded. Most of the videos were of Iono battling trainers who visited her gym. While interesting, the repetitive nature might explain why her follower count wasn't as high as expected.

Just then, a message notification popped up from Iono herself.

As soon as Naoki clicked on the video, he received a message from Iono greeting him.

After chatting with her briefly, Naoki learned that the nightlife in Levincia City had just begun, and she had just got off work and was preparing to go back to rest.

[Naoki]: Is being a Gym Leader really this hectic?

[Iono]: Absolutely! The influx of trainers from other regions has been overwhelming. It's not just me—all the other Gym Leaders in Paldea are swamped!

Reading her reply, Naoki couldn't help but wonder. Was this massive influx of trainers because of the Calyrex? He recalled reading online about trainers from Galar threatening to relocate to Paldea permanently.

"Geeta must be thrilled," he thought, picturing the Champion standing atop the Paldea League's headquarters with an uncharacteristic grin, murmuring, "Talent... so much talent!"

...

Bonus Chapter