Naoki observed Scream Tail from a safe distanbsp;

  "...Capturing Paradox Pokémon is proving to be much more difficult than I thought," he muttered.

  "It's not just because they're aggressive by nature, but also because they 't unicate with people the way modern Pokémon do. They just don't uand me."

  He frowned, w if there was any other way to hahe situation besides forbsp;

  Then, a memory popped into his mind. He had once used Giratina's Reversed World Water to create a series of special reversal dishes.

  But there was a catbsp;

  Even though the reversal dish could temporarily alter a Pokémon's personality, the ge didn't st. Giratina had returo its true nature not long after ing the dish.

  If Naoki were t Scream Tail bad temporarily ge its temperament with the dish, what would happen if it suddenly reverted to its wild, aggressive self when he wasn't paying attention?

  Naoki shuddered at the thought. It was a risk he wasn't willing to take.

  After some internal debate, Naoki asked Koraidon to hold Scream Tail in pce. Carefully, he stepped closer and patted the unruly Pokémon's fur with both hands, as if hoping to bond with it through sheer persistenbsp;

  After scratg behind its ears a few times to satisfy his curiosity, Naoki pced the Poké Ball against Scream Tail's body. The Paradox Pokémon was drawn baside in a fsh of red light, only to be released again with a sed click of the button.

  A beam of red light materialized into the shape of Scream Tail. As soon as it emerged, the Pokémon snarled and bared its sharp little teeth.

  "Raaahhh!"

  Koraidon growled in response, unleashing an overwhelming aura that whipped through the air like a powerful gust of wind.

  Startled, Scream Tail's wild instincts kicked in. It turail and fled, vanishing into the distahout a sed thought.

  Koraidon gave a satisfied snort.

  "Well, that settles that," Naoki sighed. He patted Pawmot on the head and murmured affeately, "Modern Pokémon really are cuter."

  Pawmot wiggled happily under his touch, tilting its head back to enjoy the attention.

  Notig the pampering, Dragonite waddled over, nudging Naoki with its nose.

  "Alright, alright," Naoki ughed. "Everyos a turn."

  He gave each of his Pokémon a quick massage, his hands moving expertly over their soft fur and scales. After their brief rest, Naoki packed up and prepared to tihe journey deeper into the crater.

  This time, he opted not to walk. Instead, he climbed onto Koraidon's back, ready to ride it doweep cliffs aoward the deepest part of Area Zero.

  Koraidon took off at a tremendous speed, the wind rushing past as the world blurred around them. The deeper they desded, the darker the enviro became.

  They passed through narrow caves and alongside jagged cliffs, where waterfalls cascaded from high above, glimmering in the faint light. For a moment, Naoki felt as if he had been transported to airely different world.

  As they desded further, the crystals embedded in the walls and flrew rger and more numerous, their light illuminating the otherwise shadowy depths.

  Finally, Koraidon nded gracefully on a massive crystal pilr.

  Standing atop the crystal pilr, Naoki gazed down at the structures led below.

  "Those must be the research stations built by the professors—Sada and Turo—in Zone Zero," Naoki thought aloud.

  "Let's head over there!" he called, striding forward with renewed determination.

  Koraidon turo gnce around the cavern uneasily, its expression growing somber. It seemed restless, as if it didn't like this pce at all. Yet, despite its disfort, it faithfully followed Naoki, its heavy steps eg behind him.

  "Just like in the game," Naoki murmured, marveling at the shimmering enviro around them. "There are so many crystals in Area Zero."

  Without any sunlight reag this far into the depths, it was a wohat the area remained shtly illuminated.

  But there was no denying that the light emanated from the vibrant crystals embedded in the walls and ground. These radiant formations bathed the entire cavern in a mystical, otherworldly glow.

  As they moved deeper into the cavern, Naoki noticed Pokémon rarely seen iside world.

  Naoki and Koraidon carefully maneuvered past the Crystal Blossoms. As they brushed by, the flowers rustled softly, their petals shifting in respoo the movement.

  "The beautiful blossoms of Terastal energy, blooming like ented flowers…" Naoki shivered slightly. "They're breathtaking, but... kind of eerie."

  Feeling uneasy, Naoki gave the flowers a wide berth, guiding Koraidon toward a winding cave entranbsp;

  A sign at the mouth of the cave indicated that the passage led to the researstitute.

  "Alright! This should be a clear path—no more surprises!" Naoki sighed in relief.

  With Koraidon at his side, he tinued forward. But just as they were halfway through the passage, Naoki's eyes caught something unusual perched on a massive, solitary crystal pilr ahead.

  A strange Pokémon stood there, its body encased in sleek greeal armor. Sharp, thorny spikes protruded from gaps iing, f intricate s of barbs that ed around its frame.

  Naoki's heart skipped a beat.

  "Is that… Iron Thorns?!"

  He stared i the futuristic variant of Tyranitar, the Paradox Pokémon known as Iron Thorns.

  At the same moment Naoki noticed it, the Iron Thorns turs gaze toward him, its cold, metallic eyes devoid of emotion.

  Uhe aggressive Scream Tail, Iron Thorns didn't attack. It simply stood still, Naoki in eerie siles gaze followed his every step, trag him like a mae.

  "As expected," Naoki whispered. "The records were right. Iron Thorns has a calm disposition and avoids unnecessary flict."

  Just then, the soft sound of footsteps echoed from deeper within the cave.

  Naoki spun around and spotted a figure approag—a man in a white b coat.

  It rofessor Turo.

  "I saw you arrive through the Area Zero surveilnce system," Turo said warmly, his voice carrying a calm yet weling tone. "I thought I'd eet you in person. It's good to see you, Naoki. e o's get you and Koraidon to the research station."

  Naoki gnced back at the Iron Thorns, still standing silently atop the pilr, its gaze never leaving him.

  As Naoki joiuro, he couldn't help but gnce back again.

  "It's still watg us," Naoki muttered, a little uled.

  Notig his curiosity, Turo offered an expnation. "That Pokémon is called Iron Thorns. Its behavioral patterns are entirely different from the R Moon you entered earlier."

  "This Iron Thorns has an incredibly calm temperament and dislikes unnecessary battles. It's a highly intelligent and perceptive Pokémon," Dr. Turo expined with a small nod.

  "I've found ways to peacefully coexist with it, which is why it's remained in Area Zero without any issues."

  Naoki blinked in surprise. After witnessing R Moon's vicious hunting, the wild behavior of Scream Tail, and Iron Moth's eerie surveilnce of Raichu, the cept of peaceful coexisteh a Paradox Pokémon seemed hard to believe.

  "Peaceful coexistence?" Naoki asked, his disbelief evident.

  "Yes!" Dr. Turo firmed. "But achieving this was no easy task. Before your arrival, we made great efforts to prove to Iron Thorns that humans pose no threat. We fed it regurly, day after day, until it finally accepted our presence."

  Naoki raised an eyebrow, still puzzled. "Why are the a Paradox Pokémon so different? Why 't they be approached the same way?"

  Dr. Turo paused, pting his response. "It's likely that a Paradox Pokémon are born with a primordial, untamed ferocity. This innate power makes them wild and incredibly difficult to tame."

  He tinued, "Future Pokémon, oher hand, ck that wildness. But the unknown energy within them has evolved to su extreme that their behavior is uable. Their iions and as are full of uainty."

  Dr. Turo sighed. "In that sehe future Pokémon are just as dangerous as their a terparts."

  He offered an example. "Take Iron Bundle, for insta doesn't attack people directly. But it transform the enviro around it into an icy tundra, altering the ndscape without warning."

  Hearing this, Naoki couldn't help but feel a spark of hope. After struggling with the aggression of the a Pokémon, the idea of capturing future Pokémon without fearing direct attacks felt like a relief.

  "So… does that mean I safely catch future Pokémon without w about them attag me?" Naoki asked, his eyes lighting up.

  "Only to a degree," Dr. Turo said with a wry smile.

  Then, as if recalling something troubling, his expression grew serious. "Also, if you enter a Pokémon that looks like Gardevoir alde, avoid making eye tact with it."

  Naoki tilted his head. "Why?"

  Dr. Turo's voice dropped to a grave tone. "For them, direct eye tact is seen as a challeheir temperament is fiercely brutal, and they won't hesitate to sh out with their bdes if provoked."

  He let out a nervous chuckle. "Thankfully, those future Pokémon don't know how to teleport. If they did… well, let's just say I wouldn't be standialking to you."

  Naoki clicked his toill processing the information. "That sounds... intense."

  "We were just as surprised," Dr. Turo admitted with a sigh, a trace of frustration in his voibsp;

  Their versation carried on as they approached the entrao the researstitute. Naoki noticed there were more people than just Dr. Turo and Professor Sada. Several researchers in white b coats bustled about, some holding notebooks, others peering through binocurs aimed at Iron Thorns in the distance.

  Two researchers standihe entrance chatted excitedly, one scribbling notes as they observed Iron Thorns.

  "Look at the way it moves! Such precision and intelligence," one excimed. "You tell it's analyzing everything around it."

  The other nodded enthusiastically. "Its gaze is so focused, so rational—like it's calg every move! Truly a marvel of the distant future."

  As the two researchers heard footsteps approag, they quickly set down their binocurs and greeted respectfully, "Doctor!"

  "Yes." Dr. Turo gave a nod in aowledgment.

  The door to the researstitute opened slowly, and Naoki followed Dr. Turo inside.

  Just before the door closed, Naoki overheard the two researchers whispering:

  "That Koraidon is the first one, right?"

  "I 't believe Koraidon is so well-behaved. He really seems to like that trainer!"

  "Yeah! But both Koraidon and Miraidon are uhey're not like the other Paradox Pokémon. That's probably why the doctor was able to bond with them so quickly."

  The hushed versation faded as Naoki stepped further into the building.

  For some reason, being ihe institute made Naoki feel nervous. He g Koraidon, who stood beside him, and noticed it was also uneasy.

  Koraidon rarely seemed this way, which made Naoki's own ay fade. He reached out and patted the Pokémon's head, mouthing silently, "Don't be afraid."

  Koraidon nuzzled into Naoki's palm without a sound, the gesture warm and reassuring.

  Dr. Turo led them inte, open room.

  The space felt like a small ecological park. Lush greeation filled the area, with a winding river running through the trees. Small flowers dotted the grass, their petals gently swaying in the breeze created by hiddes.

  Above them, an artificial sun hung from the ceiling, providing light and warmth for the pnts below.

  Naoki marveled at the room, but soon noticed a distinct dividing line ahead, marking the boundary of what seemed to be a projected spabsp;

  There, standing on a patch of grass, rofessor Sada.

  In front of her rested a sleek Pokémon with a cold, meical elegas bluish-purple body shimmered uhe artificial light, and its expression remained calm and unreadable.

  Naoki's eyes widened. "That's... Miraidon!"

  The moment Miraidon seheir preses pupils shifted slightly, log onto Koraidon with ser focus.

  Koraidon tensed immediately. The instant it spotted Miraidon, a low growl rumbled from its throat, and its posture became rigid with alertness.

  "Raao!"

  Koraidon snarled, gring at Miraidon with clear hostility.

  Miraidon's expression remained cold aionless as if it were a mae devoid of feeling. However, a spark of electricity danced along its metallic cws, revealing its readio engage.

  Naoki's heart skipped a beat. The air grew thick with tension as the two Pokémon stared each other down.

  Before the situation could escate, Naoki stepped forward and raised his voice. "Koraidon, stop!"

  Dr. Sada stepped forward, reag out gently toward Miraidon. She spoke softly, reassuring it, "This one isn't a threat. It es from a distant pd won't pete with you for this territory."

  Miraidon's pupils shifted slightly, and the sparks dang across its metallic cws faded away.

  Hearing Naoki's voice, Koraidon gradually rexed as well. It lowered its head, looking a bit sulky, almost like a scolded child.

  Naoki couldn't help but chuckle, ruffling Koraidon's head affeately. "It's okay, it's okay."

  For some reason, the brief exge between Koraidon and Miraidon reminded Naoki of a big, goofy golderiever getting into a spat with a sleek, aloof cat.

  Koraidon's frustration seemed to melt away under Naoki's touch, and it gave a soft grumble of te.

  With the tension dissolved, Naoki straightened up and turoward Dr. Sada and Dr. Turo.

  Dr. Sada greeted him warmly. "Wele to paradise, Naoki."

  "Good to see you again, Doctor," Naoki replied with a polite smile.

  Dr. Turo g his watd gave a small nod. "It's already 5:10. We should head to the dining area. After dinner, I'll show you to your aodation."

  "Thanks so much," Naoki said sincerely.

  As they prepared to leave the ecological garden, Naoki cast o gnce back at Miraidon.

  This futuristio vastly different from the other Paradox Pokémon Naoki had entered. It had an air of calm acceptance, as if it had already made peace with both humans and the world it found itself in.

  Dr. Sada handed some tasks to Dr. Turo and then walked with Naoki toward the dining hall.

  On the way, she spoke gently, her voice tinged with sympathy. "I'm truly sorry for the challenges you faced during your journey, Naoki. But I hope you won't judge all Paradox Pokémon too harshly based on those enters."

  Naoki bliaken aback by her words.

  Dr. Sada tinued in a soft, thoughtful tohey've only just arrived in this strange world. They ime to adapt to it, just like any of us would if we were suddenly thrown into a new enviro."

  Her gaze was warm, almost motherly. "I believe that one day, they'll find their pce here and live alongside us, just as Koraidon and Miraidon have begun to."