Naoki's pns for the day were thrown off by the sudden arrival of ales. He checked the time and realized it was too te to join the fishing petition.

  He quickly used the video phoo inform Mayor Thomas that he wouldn't be able to attend and then turned his attention to dealing with ales.

  ales entered gracefully, its nine rge, golden, fluffy tails swayily behind it. The Pokémon looked like something out of a dream, its presence surreal.

  Behind ales, a curious group of Pokémon—Cyclizar, Naclstack, Dragonite, and Alcremie—gathered, watg the mysterious Pokémon with wide eyes.

  "Is there anything I o do?" ales asked, breaking the silence.

  It seemed that ales, like many Pokémon, assumed that humans expected some kind of payment for services, just as one would pay at a restaurant or café.

  Money... ales didn't have any.

  This realization made ales feel slightly embarrassed, and it began thinking about how it could possibly gather money.

  Naoki, uanding the situation, smiled kindly. Acc to his inal pn, his Pokémon tavern wasn't going to charge any fees. Of course, if a Pokémon wao offer something iur berries, stones, or even flowers—he would accept it with gratitude.

  Given the powerful illusion ales had dispyed earlier, Naoki could tell it okémon of immerength. Plus, it could unicate telepathically, which saved Naoki from needing transtion seeds.

  After a brief pause, Naoki said siderately, "There's no need for payment. You just o wait a moment."

  ales rexed, a gentle nod signaling its gratitude. "Thank you."

  Naoki, without further words, turo check the ingredients in his refrigerator. The dessert he had in mind was a bit plex, requiring ingredients like cream, cake, and fruit.

  Luckily, he had been sparing with his cake-making tely, so the refrigerator was stocked with all the ingredients he needed.

  He pced the necessary items o table and gnced back to see ales patiently waiting, sitting calmly on the floor.

  The sight made Naoki smile to himself. "This is exactly the kind of atmosphere I imagined for the tavern," he thought.

  His mind wandered, and he began to picture what the tavern might look like o opehe kit ter transformed into a bar, a rich red carpet id over the wooden floor at the entrance, a cozy fire crag in the firepce, the warmth of the room inviting all who entered. Wild Pokémon would gather, drinking and chatting, filling the tavern with life.

  In his daydream, Naoki saw himself as a bartender, dressed in a crisp white shirt, vest, and suit, calmly wiping gsses while watg the lively se unfold before him.

  Realizing he had more pressing matters at hand, Naoki refocused his attention and began preparing the dessert in ear.

  Time passed, and ales waited patiently, watg Naoki bustle around the kit. As it waited, memories surfaced of the Baby Bear Teddiursa and Mew meeting it not long ago.

  They called themselves the Hero Expedition Team, traveling the world and had asked why ales seemed so sorrowful. After hearing the reason, both Pokémon had shared sympathetic expressions but were powerless to help. Saddehey had turned a.

  Days ter, to ales' surprise, the two Pokémourheir faces filled with excitement. They told ales about a magical Pokémon tavern across the o, run by the ki human they had ever met—a human who had the power to help Pokémon fulfill their deepest wishes.

  ales still recalled Teddiursa's bright, hopeful eyes as it said, "Naoki help you! You should go find him!"

  And so, ales had traveled aountains, rivers, kes, and the sea, all in the hope of seeing its old friend o time at this magical tavern.

  Naoki called Alcremie to whip up fresh caramel cream, which he carefully spread over the cake base. As he worked, the kit filled with the sweet st of cream and caramel.

  The cake, once a simple creatioo limited kit tools, now looked far more refihanks to the better ingredients and equipment.

  The final touch was adding slices of fruit to decorate the top of the cake.

  "Done!" Naoki said, stepping baire his work. Information about the cake instantly appeared in his mind.

  [Caramel Cream Fruit Cake (B)]: This cake is made with fresh cream whipped by Alcremie. The delicious caramel fvor aifully arranged fruit make it incredibly appealing.

  Effect: Sweet Dream lv2. After feeding this cake to a Pokémon, it helps them fet their worries and sorrows temporarily, allowing them to have a sweet dream where they see the people or things they miss. This dessert is blessed by The God of Dreams.

  Evaluation: A dessert that brings joy and fort to both humans and Pokémon.

  "Using higher quality ingredients definitely improves the dish's overall effect," Naoki thought to himself with satisfa.

  Naoki remembered that the st time he made this cake, it had been rated D-.

  Now, however, the cooking effect had been upgraded from level 1 to level 2, and the description included the phrase "blessed by the God of Dreams."

  The God of Dreams... A beautiful figure in pink gauze, like a fairy, appeared in Naoki's mind. That was Cresselia, the goddess of dreams, the ination of the new moon, and the terpart to Darkrai.

  There was a legend passed down in variions—it was said that if you slept with a feather from Cresselia, you would be free from nightmares and enjoy sweet, peaceful dreams.

  Though the cake's description had ged, Naoki didn't knoecific improvements the level 2 Sweet Dream effect held over level 1.

  After a brief moment of thought, Naoki cut a small slice of the cake and pced it in front of ales.

  The sweet, fragrant st wafted through the air, causing ales to pause. Its bright red eyes blinked in puzzlement.

  "Try it?" Naoki suggested gently.

  ales, still focused on its one desire, responded, "I just want to see her."

  Naoki smiled softly. "If you eat this, you see her—in a dream."

  At those words, ales stopped protesting. It bent dowated for only a moment, thehe cake, still u willing to give it a try.

  "Take a nap," Naoki advised, feeling slightly disappoihat the cake didn't have a drowsy effect. It would only work ohe Pokémon fell asleep naturally.

  ales was momentarily stunned, recalling Naoki's earlier question:

  "Just want to see her? In any way?"

  It now realized what Naoki had meant.

  Sure enough, Naoki's words firmed it:

  "This cake will give you a dream where you see the one you miss."

  ales remained silent, pting. 'A dream? It was a clever solution.'

  "Just rest here. Don't worry, it's safe," Naoki reassured the majestion.

  "Thank you," ales said quietly, before turning away. It gazed into the distahen walked gracefully on its fme-like paws te tree nearby, curling up beh it.

  Closing its eyes, ales prepared to sleep, listening to the soft murmur of the nearby Pokémon and the soothing rhythm of the breeze. Slowly, a deep sense of calm and sleepiness washed over it.

  ...

  When ales opes eyes again, it was shocked to find itself standing before the a mansion from its memory—a pce from over 1,500 years ago.

  ales looked around, reizing every familiar detail. Everything was exactly as it remembered, unged by time. Its long-sile stirred, as though a drop of clear water had touched a long-fottehin.

  A spark of hope flickered in ales' heart.

  At that moment, the door of the mansioly opened, and a young girl in a kimono and wooden sandals walked toward it with a warm smile.

  "So, here you are!" the girl said softly. "Isn't the sun tht? e over here a in the shade."

  She bent down, scooping the small Vulpix up in her arms, and carried it over te tree in the yard. Sitting uhe shade, the girl began to read a book.

  ales, now in the form of a Vulpix, didn't mind this sudden transformation. It curled up in the girl's p, and a hadn't thought of iuries resurfaced.

  Ryoko…

  How long had it been si st heard that name? ales couldn't recall.

  The afternoon sunlight cast a golden glow across the ground. The girl sat beh the rge tree, her book open, while Vulpix y quietly in her p.

  'Is this really a dream?'

  The se felt so vivid. ales could evehe fresh st of the pnts around them.

  Though the thought crossed its mind, ales didn't dwell on it. Instead, it stood up and nuzzled closer to the girl.

  The girl seemed to uand its unspoken feelings. Smiling, she gently grabbed Vulpix's front paws, pg them on her p as she pyfully scratched its nose.

  "Naughty little one!" she ughed. "Alright, rest here for a while."

  ales didn't want to sleep.

  The girl frowned pyfully, "Not tired? That won't do! We still o gather herbs in the forest ter. If you're too tired, we might miss the herbs hiding in the bushes!"

  Upon hearing this, ales closed its eyes obediently.

  The girl smiled with satisfa. "That's more like it. Good Vulpix!"

  But theiced something strange. "Huh? Why are y all of a sudden?"

  "Woo…" ales blinked quickly, pretending as if something had just blown into its eyes.

  "Is there something stu your eye? Let me help!" the girl leaned closer aly blew into its eyes a few times. "There, all better! You sleep peacefully now."

  ales nodded slightly and closed its eyes again, curling up on her p, letting itself savor the f warmth of the moment.

  Even after mauries, it would remember this afternoon—a moment so gentle, so peaceful, that it filled its heart with warmth.

  At the ranaoki had been ales' dream through the bubble floating above its head.

  He noticed that as ales cried in its dream, a tear also rolled down its real cheek.

  Several Pokémon gathered around, also watg ales' dream unfold. A sad expression appeared on the Cyclizar's face. "Gaao..." (So sad...)

  Naoki, still mung on the bowl of melon seeds he had started earlier, naturally uood what Cyclizar was trying to express.

  As a panion who had been with him for a long time, Naoki didn't need an expnation to uand what it meant.

  "Yeah, it's sad, but unfortunately, there's nothing we do," Naoki said.

  "Ah, gah?" (Why is that?)

  Several Pokémon turheir heads toward Naoki, their curious eyes fixed on him.

  Naoki tinued, "Because the lifespan of different beings varies. Birth, aging, siess, ah are a part of life for everyone. Everything in the world has its time. It's just sooner or ter."

  Dragonite quickly asked, "Awoo?" (Will Naoki die one day?)

  The question caused all the Pokémon to droop their heads in unison, feeling a wave of sadness wash over them.

  "Gaao..." (I don't want Naoki to die...)

  Koraidon looked particurly troubled. Despite ing from the future, the idea of Naoki's mortality filled it with dread.

  Though it knew humans were fragile and had retively short lives—often only a few decades, maybe a tury for the lucky ohe idea that Naoki could be gone soon was terrifying.

  What if Naoki was goomorrow, like the short-lived humans Koraidon had seen?

  The more it thought about it, the more anxious Koraidon became. Finally, it blurted out, "Ah, ah, ah, ah!" (Naoki, how long you live? It won't be just a few more years, right?)

  Naoki was taken aback. "Seriously? Are you cursing me?"

  Realizing its mistake, Koraidon quickly covered its mouth, embarrassed.

  Naoki uood what was going through their minds—they had been reminded of mortality after seeing ales' sorrowful dream.

  After thinking for a moment, Naoki said with determination, "Don't worry. For all of you, I'll do my best to live until I'm 200 years old!"

  Dragoilted its head and asked, "Awoo?" (And what happens after 200 years?)

  The other Pokémon perked up, eager to know the answer as well, all eyes on Naoki.

  Naoki coughed, trying to e up with something reassuring. "Well, maybe I'll turn into a Pokémon! You know, I've heard that some Pokémoransformed from humans after they pass on. Ever seen a Gengar?"

  He remembered a short Pokémon animation from his previous life, where the protagonist turned into a Gengar. With the help of anengar, she overcame her struggles. Some viewers eveed that the Gengar who helped her was her own sister.

  Though it was just a theory with no crete proof, Naoki figured it wouldn't hurt to share.

  "So, as long as you remember me and don't stop thinking about me, maybe a miracle will happen. If I bee a Gengar, I'll e find you no matter where you are."

  Naoki smiled aly patted the heads of the Pokémon in front of him. "Just promise you won't fail tnize me!"

  After all, it had already been a miracle that he was here in this world.

  Though his expnation was a little fantastical, the Pokémon believed him with all their hearts.

  They knew ohing for sure—they would never fail tnize Naoki, no matter what he became!

  ...

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