"Eh? Mr. Naoki, why are you here?"

  At this moment, Nurse Joy notiaoki and his Pokémon, Koraidon, standing nearby.

  Nurse Jnized Naoki because his ranch was quite famous in this coastal town, and she had previously visited to che his Gogoat's health.

  After a few visits, she got to know the gentle and kied young rancher quite well.

  Naoki expined, "The ranch is nearby, and I came to help."

  The tall, tough firefighter captain chimed in, "It's all thanks to Naoki that the fire was brought under trol so quickly."

  Nurse Joy looked fused.

  After Officer Jenny gave a quick expnation, Joy's eyes widened in surprise: "Ah?"

  'Was Mr. Naoki really su amazing trainer?' This thought fshed through Joy's mind.

  She was initially surprised, but then she remembered the powerful Gogoat she had seen on Naoki's ranch, bursting with grass-type energy, and suddenly it didn't seem so far-fetched anymore.

  After a brief greeting, everyone's focus shifted back to the mountain, still shrouded in rain.

  Officer Jenny frowned, her serious expression making her look even more determined.

  The fire captain and his team of firefighters were also worried, watg and waiting for the fire to be pletely extinguished so they could begin their rescue operations.

  Nurse Joy csped her hands together and prayed softly, "I hope the Pokémon living in the back mountain are safe…"

  It would take some time for the rain to pletely put out the fmes.

  Everyone, looking visibly tired, gathered under a shelter to rest.

  Naoki sat o Koraidon, gazing ahead, taking in the se of this world's firefighting efforts.

  As he expected, the fire brigade here was posed of both humans and water-type Pokémon.

  Among the Pokémon he saw were the familiar Golduck, Politoad, the cute but powerful Sert, the serene Slowbro.

  Naoki even spotted a familiar face—Quaquaval, a Pokémon that often visited his tavern food drink.

  Officer Jenny stood nearby and, notig Naoki's curiosity, expined, "Some of these Pokémon were once wild. After being rescued by the fire department, they stayed behind to help."

  Naoki hen turhe versation to the steps in the rescue efforts.

  "Ohe rain stops, yoing in to rescue the wild Pokémht?"

  Officer Jenny sighed. "With a fire of this scale, the Pokémon on their own won't be able to recover quickly. It will take time for the forest to restore itself, and the Pokémon will need our help."

  Naoki had been sideriioning the King of Bountiful Harvests, but he wasn't certain he could summon the legendary Pokémon. Instead, he shifted the versation.

  "I have a lot of berries stored at my ranch. If the rescue teams need extra supplies, feel free to tact me."

  In situations like this, helping where he could was the least he could do.

  Officer Jenny blinked in surprise, then smiled warmly. "Thank you, Naoki. You've already helped so much. The Paldea League will be sending relief supplies, and I wouldn't be surprised if Champioa herself es to oversee things."

  Naoki noticed the hint of admiration in Jenny's to seemed that Champioa was well-loved by the people of Paldea.

  At that moment, Officer Jenny's Growlithe let out a sad whine.

  Naoki looked over to see the prowlithe, soaked by the rain, with muddy paws and a droopy expression. It was sitting miserably beside Officer Jenny, looking down at its dirty fur.

  Naoki couldn't help but chuckle and offered some fort. "Don't worry, once all this is over, you get ed up."

  Growlithe perked up at Naoki's kind words, wagging its tail happily. "Woof woof!"

  Jenny, a little surprised, said, "It seems to like you!"

  Naoki smiled thoughtfully. "Maybe it's because I once gave it some juid milk when I saw it."

  Growlithe tio wag its tail enthusiastically. "Woof woof!"

  Watg the se, Naoki felt a twinge of longing in his heart.

  He really wanted a warm, furry Growlithe of his own.

  But it seemed that the Growlithe line was mainly associated with the Jenny family.

  In this world, Growlithe and Are were the symbols of the Jenny family, and almost every Officer Jenny artnered with one.

  'Monopoly?' Naoki didn't think so. He'd never heard of any w forbidding trainers from having their own Growlithe.

  In fact, some traveling trainers had Pokémon like Growlithe or Houndoom.

  After all, no single family could monopolize a species of Pokémon. Just look at the Dragonite family—there were plenty onites across the world, and they weren't all tied to one family.

  Perhaps it was Growlithe's loyal, brave, and intelligent nature that made it perfect for police work.

  Officer Jenny's sharp gaze caught Naoki's thoughtful expression.

  Officer Jenny noticed that Naoki was looking at her, so she turned around and asked, "What's the matter?"

  Naoki blinked, finally realizing he'd been staring. "It just seems like all the Officer jennys in the world look exactly the same."

  Hearing this, Officer Jenny couldn't help but ugh. "That's true! The Jenny family is quite magical. Every girl born into our family looks just like me. Maybe it's because enes are exactly the same. It's the same with the Joy family too."

  Naoki g Miss Joy, who was busy attending to Pokémon nearby.

  Officer Jenny tinued, "But it's ly the same everywhere. Some Jennys and Joys who live in tropical regions have darker skin tohat could be because of enviroal factors."

  "That's really amazing," Naoki said, nodding.

  Officer Jenny's expression softened, but she seemed a little wistful. "Holy, if I had a choice, I wouldn't want to look exactly like my retives. Outsiders ever tell us apart."

  Naoki: "…"

  Her words reminded Naoki of Brock from the anime—how he could easily distinguish between every Joy and Jenny with no trouble at all.

  As time passed, the fire that had ed the back mountain finally receded. The heavy rain, thanks tonite's Rain Dance, had dos job, and the sky gradually began thten with the first light of dawn.

  In the m glow, Dragonite slowly desded from the sky, nding beside Naoki.

  When the firefighters saw Dragonite nd, their eyes lit up with admiration.

  "That Drago's the ohat stopped the fire, right?"

  "What a powerful Pokémon!"

  "It's the great beor of Kosaji Town! We must thank it!"

  Eveer-type Pokémon gathered around, looking at Dragoh respect.

  The Capitan, on behalf of the entire fire brigade, walked up tonite and saluted it solemnly. "Thank you for your hard work, Dragonite! We really appreciate your help this time!"

  Faced with so many grateful and admiring gazes, Dragonite looked pleased yet a little embarrassed.

  "Awooooooooo!" Dragonite barked twice at everyone.

  The fire captain, slightly fused, turo Naoki for crification.

  Naoki smiled warmly and expined, "Dragonite is saying that it's just doing its job. It's part of life here too."

  "Ooooh!" Dragonite nodded enthusiastically.

  Seeing this, the tough fire chief's face softened with admiration.

  "Goonite! But no matter what, we still o say thank you."

  "Ouch~" Dragonite responded happily.

  But now wasn't the time for small talk.

  The fire had faded, leaving behind a trail of devastation.

  The once lush and green back mountain was now reduced to bck ashes, with rge trees burned down to charcoal.

  The firefighters immediately got busy again.

  Together with Officer Jenny and Miss Joy, they anized a team to search the back mountain for any surviving Pokémon.

  Naoki stood with Dragonite for a while, watg. Soon enough, he saokémon being carried out on a stretcher and rushed into Miss Joy's ambunergency treatment.

  Seeing this, both humans and Pokémon wore heavy expressions.

  Naoki sighed and turo Koraidon and Dragonite. "Let's go!"

  They couldn't do much more here, and leaving so abruptly earlier must have worried the Pokémon back at the ranch.

  With Koraidon and Dragonite by his side, Naoki hurried back to the ranch.

  Sure enough, when they arrived, they found Cyclizar, the Butler Indeedees, and G waiting anxiously.

  Naoki quickly stepped forward to reassure them. "It's okay, don't worry."

  The Pokémohed sighs of relief.

  Naoki patted their heads one by one and was about to send them back to rest when, suddenly, Pawmot came flying toward him in a pani a distance.

  Pawmot pointed in the dire of the chi coop, frantically saying, "Pammo! Pammo!"

  "Huh?" Naoki was fused for a moment. "What's wrong?"

  Sinaoki haden any transtion seeds, he couldn't fully uand awmot was saying. But seeing the arm on Pawmot's faaoki wondered—could it be a weasel or something had gotten to the hens?

  Pawmot tugged at Naoki's arm, urging him to e and take a look.

  Realizing something was definitely wrong, Naoki followed Pawmot, bringing a group of Pokémon with him toward the chi coop.

  In front of the chi coop ran a river that flowed through the pasture.

  Just then, Naoki noticed something being swept downstream from the upper reaches of the river.

  He squio see what it was. To his shock, it wasn't debris—it was a group of dirty, distressed Pokémon! They appeared panicked, filing ier as they tried to stay afloat.

  Seeing this, Naoki acted fast. He called out to the siblings Indeedee siblings for help.

  The two quickly nodded, stepped forward to the edge of the river, and raised their hands. A soft, blue gloeared in their eyes.

  Before the group of Pokémon were swept away by the current, a supernatural power enveloped their bodies, lifting them out of the river just in time.

  Once safely on the shore, the Pokémon coughed violently, spitting out the water they had swallowed.

  The younger Indeedee, gently patted the back of a chubby Min to fort it.

  Naoki stood nearby, sing the group of Pokémon.

  In addition to the Mino, there were five other Pokémon: A Bellibolt, Smeargle, Tinkatuff, Ar, and a pair of Tandemaus.

  Eaon looked exhausted, with burn marks c their bodies, and their fur or skin smeared with ash and soot.

  It was clear that they had narrowly escaped the fire.

  Perhaps they had tried to hide in the river to escape the fmes, but they had bee downstream by the powerful current instead.

  After a brief pause, Naoki turo brother Indeedee, and said, "Could you grab some burn medie?"

  "Ai eh," Indeedee replied calmly, nodding as he hurried back to the house. He returned shortly, carrying several bottles of burment spray from the first aid kit.

  Naoki approached the cautious Smeargle first. "Don't worry, I'm here to help. You're injured, and I want to heal you," he said softly, waving the bottle of burn medie in front of it.

  Smeargle, sensing the siy in Naoki's voice, lowered its guard.

  Naoki gently sprayed the burn medie across its body before moving over to the chubby Bellibolt.

  Unlike Smeargle, Bellibolt was still visibly shaken. Its body trembled slightly, and as Naoki neared, it curled up in fear. Suddenly, sparks of electricity crackled from the electric sa its belly, enveloping it in a shield of energy.

  Naoki crouched down and spoke soothingly, "Bellibolt, don't be afraid. You're safe now. There's no danger here."

  However, Bellibolt remaies body trembling as the electricity crackled even more fiercely.

  Seeing this, Naoki hesitated, unsure of how to approach the frightened Pokémon without getting shocked.

  At that moment, Pawmot stepped forward, eager to help.

  It fidently patted its chest, flew over to Bellibolt, and discharged a gentle current from the electric sa its cheeks.

  When Pawmot's electricity met Bellibolt's, the air filled with a crag sound.

  Naoki watched in surprise, but soon uood what was happening. This was how Electric-type Pokémon often unicated—through the exge of electrical currents. It was their way of fort and friendship.

  Sure enough, Bellibolt's tense body began to rex under Pawmot's calming influence.

  Its curled-up form stretched out, and it cautiously observed its surroundings with its wide, yellow eyes.

  Naoki smiled warmly at the now-rexed Pokémon. "There we go, just rex. I'm going to treat your injuries now."

  This time, the Bellibolt didn't resist, and Naoki was able to successfully treat the burns on its body.

  The third Pokémon was the Ar, who tilted its head and had a goofy expression.

  Naoki thought that such a silly-looking Ar would be easier to approach, but before he could eve close, the Ar fpped its wings and flew away, quickly disappearing from sight.

  Naoki: "Huh?"

  With no other options, he decided to tireating the remaining Pokémon.

  The Mino had been around humans before and was retively friendly, so it wasn't as wary as Bellibolt.

  The treatme smoothly, though Naoki noticed that most of Mino's fur had been burned off, leaving it looking quite bald, which was a little unfortunate for such a normally fluffy Pokémon.

  were the Tandemaus—two pure white, big-eared mice. The smaller one hid behind the rger one and didn't have many visible injuries.

  The bigger one, however, had more serious burns.

  Both of them looked at the humans and the other Pokémon around them with timid eyes.

  Notig their fear, Naoki crouched down and held out his hands gently, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. "Don't be scared. I'm here to help."

  The Tandemaus, after seeing Naoki help the other Pokémoated but eventually looked at each other and cautiously stepped forward.

  Naoki gently sprayed the burn medie on the rger mouse's bad smiled. "You're such a reliable partner."

  The two mice squeaked in response.

  "Alright, all done," Naoki said, giving them a ge before turning to the Pokémoinkatuff.

  Uhe hammer-wielding Tinkatuff he had in mind, this little Tinkatuff didn't have its signature hammer. Whether it had lost it while esg or simply didn't have time te o, Naoki couldn't tell.

  At this moment, the Tinkatuff was trying its best to look up at Naoki.

  Naoki smiled warmly and was just about to greet it when, to his surprise, the Tinkatuff suddenly colpsed to the ground, falling into unsciousness.