At noon, Naoki finally reached the sed observation station.

  The yout was nearly identical to that of the first observatory—simple and funal, with some unused materials ly stacked along the walls and a thiergy duit running through the structure.

  Naoki gnced around the room, satisfied. He set down his backpack, pnning to rest for a bit and have lunch before tinuing his journey deeper into Area Zero.

  "Dragonite, Pawmot, e on out!"

  With a flick of his wrist, Naoki tossed two Poké Balls into the air. In a burst of white light, Pawmot and Dragoerialized ihe station.

  Both Pokémoed Naoki eagerly, happy to stretch after being fined in their Poké Balls.

  Naoki, however, hesitated when he looked at the final Poké Ball in his hand—the one taining Scream Tail.

  After a moment of ption, he decided against releasing it. "Maybe not just yet," he muttered.

  With the lunch preparations underway, Naoki id out his utensils, ready to make something simple. Just as he was about to start cooking, the unication devi the observation station began t.

  Naoki blinked, momentarily surprised, but quickly answered the call. A familiar voice came through the speaker—Dr. Sada.

  "I see the sed observatory is active now. Looks like you made it there safely! How's everything going? Enter any Paradox Pokémon along the way?" Dr. Sada asked eagerly.

  "It's been safe so far," Naoki replied, reting his enters with R Moon, Iron Moth, and Scream Tail.

  Toward the end of the versation, Naoki asked cautiously, "Doctor, do you really think these Paradox Pokémon coexist with moderhey seem... dangerous."

  Dr. Sada paused, sidering Naoki's words, before replying thoughtfully: "Not all Paradox Pokémon are ily dangerous. We believe they coexist peacefully with humans, just like modern Pokémon."

  Naoki furrowed his brow. "What makes you so sure?"

  Dr. Sada chuckled warmly. "Look at your Koraidon, Naoki. It's teically a Paradox Pokémo listens to you. It's living proof that they ie into our world."

  Naoki g Koraidon, who tilted its head curiously.

  "See?" Dr. Sada tinued. "With the right care, these Pokémon be tamed. If we bring Paradox Pokémon into the world safely, it could revolutiohe ecosystem. Trainers would get to know new Pokémon, and our uanding of these creatures would grow immensely."

  Her voice softened with passion. "It's our dream to create a pce where all Pokémon—modern and Paradox alike— coexist harmoniously. No battles, no fear, just pead cooperation."

  Naoki couldn't help but raise an eyebroaradise, huh?"

  "You'll see it one day," Dr. Sada said with a touch of excitement. "I'll be waiting for you there."

  Naoki blinked in disbelief. Was Dr. Sada always this... crazy? He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

  "Right, one more thing," Dr. Sada added as if remembering something. "There's a book in the desk drawer—The Vermilion Book. It has valuable information about Paradox Pokémon. You should read it."

  With that, the li silent.

  Naoki stared at the unicator for a moment, then turoward the dusty desk. Sure enough, he found a draulled it open.

  Inside y a slightly yellowed book with the title "The Vermilion Book" printed on the cover in vibrant red and purple hues.

  Holding the book, Naoki g his Pokémon. "Hungry?"

  "Pawmot!"

  "Raao!"

  "Ooo~!" Dragonite cooed cheerfully.

  Naoki chuckled. "Alright, give me a minute."

  He sat down oal bed, flipping open the book to the first page. The cover crackled slightly under his fiips as he began to read:

  "My name is Hazen. Today is July 8th, Year 2 of the League dar. Our team has begun its expedition into the depths of the Great Crater of Paldea."

  "The Paldea Crater is a dangerous pce with very few towns nearby for resupplying. To transpoods for the observation team, my trusty Cyclizar worked tirelessly by my side."

  "With the help of the Cyclizars, the team successfully ehe depths of the Great Crater."

  "At first, the Pokémon in the upper levels of the crater were no different from those found elsewhere in Paldea. But as we ventured deeper, strange and inexplicable ses began to unfold before us."

  "We discovered odd markings on the ground, resembling circles. However, their ins remain unclear—whether they were created by a explorers or are something else entirely."

  "Despite the lingering mysteries, we pressed forward. Eventually, we reached the heart of the crater, where dazzling crystals sparkled everywhere."

  "Then disaster struck. We were attacked by a Pokémon that resembled a Donphan but was far more savage. Several members of our team sustained fatal injuries."

  "Our medical supplies were limited. Two brave members of the observation team succumbed to their wounds, ahered to mourn their loss. Their names will forever remain in our hearts."

  "Despite the tragedy, we tinued onward. Somehow, when we reached the deepest point, I became separated from the others."

  "I lost sciousness and fell into a strange a. During this time, I had the odd sensation that I was versing with someone—or something—and I found myself writing notes without being fully aware of it."

  "Later, my teammates found me unscious and mao rescue me. Our expedition ended in disarray, but we were determio share what we had discovered with the world."

  "If you want to know more, keep reading!"

  Intrigued, Naoki flipped to the page.

  There, a sketch of Scream Tail greeted him.

  Beh the drawing was a ailing the observation of this Pokémon:

  "This strange creature is called Scream Tail. Though it appears cute at first g has aremely aggressive temperament. Observers hat anyone approag Scream Tail is attacked without hesitation."

  Naoki turhe pages eagerly, disc sketches of other Paradox Pokémon such as Koraidon, Iron Moth, Brute Bo, R Moon, Sandy Shocks, and Iron Hands.

  A special note was scribbled o the sketch of R Moon:

  "From its behavior, I suspect that this creature's violent nature surpasses even that of a Tyrannosaurus rex from the movies. Avoid tact at all costs if entered."

  Naoki could see from the journal's tohat the team had faced terrible losses in their enter with R Moon.

  "Raao?"

  Koraidon, curious, s rge head over Naoki's shoulder to read the pages with him.

  Naoki chuckled and flipped to the se doting Koraidory.

  "This mysterious creature closely resembles Cyclizar, but its demeanor is far more tenacious and wild."

  "When we first entered it, Koraidon struck the ground with such force that it left a deep crack. Its strength was overwhelming, surpassing anything the team had seen before."

  "We feared the worst—that our expedition might end in disaster. But to our amazement, this powerful creature didn't attack us."

  "It seemed cautious but also incredibly curious. After us for a time, it even approached and began pying with the team, much to our surprise."

  "Such a close enter allows us to better uand this mysterious creature. It sits fortably at the top of the ecologiiche in this enviro. Perhaps due to its fiden its overwhelming strength, it did not immediately attack our observation team, seeing that we posed no threat."

  "This is the kind of fidehat only es from being an apex predator. There are almost no other creatures that dare challe where it resides."

  "Its temperament is quite uable. Like Cyclizar, it shift between multiple forms depending ouation."

  "During our observatio push off the ground with immense force, leaping over 20 meters into the air before spreading its wings and smming back to the earth with a tremendous impact."

  "Due to these unique abilities and behaviors, the observation team decided to the Winged King."

  Naoki gently pushed away Koraidon's curious head, which had been almost pressed against the pages of the book. He reflected on the peculiar tents of the Book of Vermilion.

  He recalled that the version sold on the market was inplete—key ses had been deliberately redacted or smeared with ink. From his perspective, the inal book, written by Hazen, was an invaluable piece of research regarding the Paldea region.

  However, the world had dismissed it as little more than a colle of ghost stories, and the Book of Vermilion was slowly fotten, colleg dust in sed-hand bookstores.

  Yet, ohing still troubled Naoki deeply.

  It was known that Hazen's expedition to the Great Crater had taken pce 200 years ago. Acc to his writings, paradox Pokémon had already existed ihe crater at that time.

  But Dr. Sada and Professor Turo had cimed that these paradox Pokémon were summohrough their time mae experiments.

  "Could it be," Naoki wondered aloud, "that Professor Sada's time mae affected not just the present, but also the past?"

  The thought twisted his mind into knots—' how could something like that even be possible?'

  Or perhaps the Great Crater acted as a bridge between two timelines, or even two worlds, allowing the paradox Pokémon to appear naturally through the mysterious energy seeping from the Terastal crystals?

  Naoki groaned, clutg his head. The more he thought about it, the more fusing it became. He gave up trying to make sense of it all, colpsing bato the bed in exasperation.

  At that moment, Dragonite's stomach rumbled loudly, breaking the silenbsp;

  Naoki sat up, gng over at the guilty-looking Pokémon.

  Dragonite gave him a sheepish grin, rubbing its belly. "Ooo~..."

  Naoki sighed with a small smile. "Alright, alright! I'll make you something to eat."

  Dragonite's face lit up with joy. "Ooooh!"

  Naoki decided to prepare lunch for his Pokémon. He pulled out a variety of ingredients from his travel backpack. Today's menu was simple but hearty—fried eggs and sizzling steaks, paired with berries from trees and bottles of Moo Moo Milk for a nutritious meal.

  He heated oil in a pan, and as the steaks hit the hot surface, a delicious aroma filled the air. The meat sizzled, the fat crisped to a golden brown, and the juices danced across the surface, making each steak glisten and look mouthwateringly tender. When ready, the steaks promised a juicy explosion of fvor with every bite, desigo stimute the taste buds of even the most stubborer.

  As the aroma drifted around, Naoki took out the Poké Ball taining Scream Tail. As an a, wild Pokémon, Scream Tail was vastly different from modern Pokémon, g the uanding of human trust and panionship.

  Naoki decided to use food as a bridge, hoping to appeal to the Pokémon's primal instincts, much like a humans had tamed wild wolves by food.

  With a fsh of white light, Scream Tail appeared on the grassy field outside the observation station. It howled immediately upon release:

  "Raaahhhhhh!"

  Koraidon, standing nearby narrowed its eyes, ready for a frontation.

  Naoki sighed, expeg the a Pokémon to follow its instind avoid flict with Koraidon, who was clearly stronger.

  But Scream Tail surprised him.

  Without hesitation, the wild Pokémon bared its small fangs and lu Koraidon.

  With a swift, calcuted movement, Koraidon raised its d swatted Scream Tail to the ground, burying it momentarily in the dirt.

  "Raaaoooo!" Scream Tail cried in frustration, writhing in the mud.

  Naoki stood still, slightly exasperated. "This Pokémon really has no sense, does it? Wasting all that ess on such a wild, brainless attitude."

  With a shrug, Naoki motioned for Koraidon to pin Scream Tail down. Then, he pced a juicy steak in front of it, hoping food would shift its aggressive behavior.

  Scream Tail's witched as it caught the st of the steak. Its eyes sparkled, and it eagerly opes mouth, revealing sharp little fangs, ready to tear into the meal.

  However, just as it lunged forward, Naoki swiftly pulled the steak away.

  Scream Tail s the empty space, missing the meat entirely. It growled, gring at Naoki.

  "Raaaah!"

  Naoki crouched down and tried to unicate. He poi himself, then at the steak. "Listen, if you behave, I'll give you the food."

  Scream Tail tilted its head but let out another loud, defiant howl:

  "Raaaarrr!"

  Naoki raised a finger. "Stop shouting!"

  "Raaaarrrr!"

  Scream Tail roared again, ign him. It soward Naoki's finger, but Naoki, anticipating the move, quickly pulled his hand babsp;

  "Raao!" Koraido out a low growl, and with that, it unleashed an overwhelming aura.

  The sheer pressure of Koraidon's presence washed over Scream Tail like a tidal wave, leaving the wild Pokémon frozen in pbsp;

  Scream Tail whimpered, fear finally flickering in its eyes, as if realizing it was no match for Koraidon.

  "There, there," Naoki said softly, pg the steak ba the ground. "It's okay. We won't hurt you as long as you don't attack us. Now, eat."

  Still trembling, Scream Tail cautiously she steak. Satisfied it was safe, it began tearing into the meat with wild abandon. The way it ate—messy and aggressive—was in stark trast to its adorable appearanbsp;

  Naoki watched patiently, arms crossed. Once Scream Tail had fihe meal, Naoki took a step closer, only for the a Pokémon to bare its teeth again, growling low in its throat.

  "Raaaarrr…"

  Naoki sighed, disappointed. "Guess taming you won't be easy."

  He gnced over at Koraidon, who stood calmly by his side. "Looks like the only thing it respects is strength."

  It dawned on Naoki that the cept of trust between trainers and Pokémon did in Scream Tail's primitive mind. It didn't see Naoki and Koraidon as a team—just a weak human and a strong Pokémon.

  To truly earn Scream Tail's trust, Naoki realized he would have to prove his strength—not through food, but through battle.

  But how could a human, without ons or armor, overpookémon like Scream Tail?

  "If this were the world of Monster Hunter," Naoki mused, "I'd craft armor fron scales and ons to take on a creatures like this."

  He chuckled at the thought. "But this is the Pokémon world, not Monster Hunter."