"Larry?"

  When Naoki heard the name, an image of a tired, overworked office worker immediately popped into his mind.

  "Isn't he part of the Paldea League? What's he doing w as a guide?" Naoki muttered, puzzled.

  "Yes," Geeta firmed over the phone. "He's with the League's Sales Department and also the Gym Leader of the Medali Gym. But sihe Zero Gate is short-staffed and in need of volunteers, Larry agreed to help mahe guide duties.

  Naoki nodded quietly. "I uand."

  "Just be careful in there," Geeta warned before ending the call.

  Naoki stood there for a moment, lost in thought about the dangers of Area Zero, also known as the Paldea Pit. His musings were interrupted when sister Indeedee, gently nudged him, calling him back to reality.

  Looking at the two Indeedee siblings—his ever-loyal helpers—Naoki smiled.

  "I'll be leaving on a long trip in three days," Naoki said to them. "It'll take about a week before I return. I need you two to take care of the ranch while I'm gone."

  "Aiya," the brother Indeedee nodded firmly, always eager to assist.

  Sister Indeedee beamed brightly. "Ai-ye!" she chirped, delighted at the responsibility of g for the Pokémon.

  Naoki chuckled, forted by their enthusiasm. "Thanks, both of you. I knew I could t on you."

  He expihe details of the ranch's daily routihe feeding schedule, what eaon liked to eat, and all their little quirks. The brother and sister duo listetentively, nodding along with plete focus, st every word in their hearts.

  ---

  With that settled, Naoki turned his attention to the ask: choosing the Pokémon t into the Paldea Pit.

  First and foremost, Koraidon was a must.

  Even though Koraidon okémon from the past, Naoki treated every Pokémon and situation with equal care, no matter what the data said. Experience had taught him o let his guard down.

  Alongside Koraidon, Naoki wo more Pokémon with enough strength to protect him. The Pokémon at the ranch came to mind, and Naoki quickly narrowed it down.

  Koraidon, Dragonite, and Pawmot, Gogoat were all strong tenders.

  He briefly thought about taking the Gogoat trio, but they were crucial for milk produ at the ranch. Bringing them along would disrupt the daily routine.

  The younger Pokémon—like G, Cyclizar, and Butterfree—weren't quite ready for the challehat awaited in Area Zero. They needed more time to grow before they could handle such dangerous adventures.

  After weighing his options, Naoki made his decision.

  "This time, I'll bring Koraidon, Dragonite, and Pawmot," he murmured to himself.

  ---

  Before setting off, there were a few st things Naoki o take care of.

  The first task was to che Wattrel, whose wing injury still reatment. Naoki wao apply some medie to e healed properly.

  The sed task involved Cyclizar and cheg the effects of yesterday's birthday cake.

  Si was still early, Naoki decided to visit the orchard first, where Wattrel rested in its .

  Ever sinaoki warned Wattrel that flying too soon could make its injury worse, the little bird Pokémon had beuch more obedient. It spent most of its time led quietly iree or watg the Pokemon below.

  When Naoki arrived, Wattrel chirped softly and tilted its head, greeting him warmly.

  Naoki smiled. "Hey, Wattrel! I came to che your wing."

  Wattrel fluffed up its feathers and stretched out its injured wing for Naoki to i.

  He gently pressed around the joint. "Does it still hurt?"

  Wattrel twitched a little but shook its head, chirping happily.

  "Good," Naoki grinned. "It looks like you'll be flying again soon. Two more days, tops!"

  Wattrel's eyes sparkled with excitement at the thought of s through the skies again.

  "When your wing is all better, I'll be heading off on a little adventure," Naoki added. "But I'll be back soon, and the ranch will be in good hands."

  As he spoke, several Pokémon gathered around him—Foongus, Jumpluff, Mino, and Tandemaus. They huddled close, listening ily to Naoki's words.

  He smiled warmly at the group. "Stay safe here, okay? I'll help rebuild your home spring—promise."

  It had been a rough few days sihe fire that destroyed their home, but the Pokémon were slowly rec. Their spirits were lifting, and they no longer looked as downcast as they had before.

  After hearing what Naoki said, the Pokémon in front of him jumped with joy, cheering happily.

  Naoki smiled warmly, watg the pyful se. Then, a thought crossed his mind. He g the Grass-type Pokémon gathered around him and said:

  "Oh, by the way, the weather's been really hese past felenty of sunshine. You should py in the flower fields more often!"

  He looked specifically at Petilil.

  Petilil enjoys soil that's ri moisture and nutrients, which is why crops tend to flourish wherever it live.

  Oher hand, Foongus—the Mushroom Pokémon—had the opposite preferenbsp;

  Foongus likes damp, shaded pces, usually found deep in the forest. During the day, it stays still beh fallen leaves or hides in the shade of trees. Its favorite food is the moist leaf mold that bhe forest floor.

  Petilil wiggled with excitement, eager to bask in the sun and roam the flower fields.

  After that Naoki went off to che Cyclizar.

  Yesterday, Cyclizar had devoured some birthday cake, but so far, there weren't any noticeable effects. Naoki furrowed his brow, w if the bes would take time to appear.

  He found Cyclizar lying zily in the sun, soaking up the warm rays on the grassy field.

  Naoki crouched dowo it. "Hey, buddy. Have you noticed any ges since yesterday?" he asked curiously.

  Cyclizar tilted its head, blinking in fusion. "Gaao?"

  Naoki smiled. "Like... maybe you feel stronger? Or you run faster than usual?"

  Cyclizar gave it some thought, then shook its head, still looking puzzled.

  "Hmm..." Naoki murmured, rubbing his . "Strange. Could it be that the cake had no effect?"

  He paused, then shook his head. "No, that 't be it."

  Suddenly, a bold theory came to mind—what if the birthday cake didn't show immediate effects, but instead increased Cyclizar's base stats?

  "If that's true," Naoki whispered, excitement building in his chest, "it might take some time before the results bee obvious.!"

  Naoki's eyes lit up as the possibilities unfolded in his mind.

  "If the birthday cake boosted each of Cyclizar's stats by just 1 point every year, that would mean 6 points a year. In 30 years, that's 180 extra points! At that rate, your total stats would reach 681"

  He gasped dramatically. "That's almost on par with Arceus, the God of Creation!"

  Cyclizar tilted its head again, utterly bewildered by Naoki's excitement. "Gaao?"

  Naoki chuckled and gave Cyclizar a ge on the head. "Don't worry about it, buddy. I just realized how much fun it is to imagine yrowth. Yoing to bee one powerful Pokémon, and I'll be right there with you every step of the way."

  Hearing this, Cyclizar's eyes sparkled. It stood up tall, puffing out its chest like a kid basking in praise.

  "I'll do my best! Then I proteaoki!" Cyclizar seemed to say with its posture.

  For a moment, Naoki saw the shadow of Koraidon reflected in Cyclizar's proud stanbsp;

  Naoki smiled as he watched Cyclizar puff out its chest with pride. It reminded him of Koraidon—how the a Pokémon looked equally proud whenever praised.

  "Birds of a feather flock together," Naoki thought with a chuckle. "Cyclizar must've learhis from Koraidon."

  ...

  Three Days Later

  The wings of Wattrel were finally healed, and it fluttered about joyfully. Now, it was time for Naoki to leave for the Paldea Crater—also known as Area Zero—with Koraidon, Dragonite, and Pawmot by his side.

  Standing in the pasture, Naoki gave a heartfelt farewell to all the Pokémon on the ranbsp;

  The Pokémon, including Cyclizar, Alcremie, and Naclstack (the "Saltstone Pokémon"), all looked sad to see him go.

  Especially Cyclizar.

  In its entire life, it had never been apart from Naoki for this long.

  Seeing the sadness in Cyclizar's eyes, Naoki k down with a sigh. "The Indeedee siblings will take good care of you while I'm go's only for a few days—I'll be back before you know it!"

  Cyclizar's big eyes welled up with tears.

  "Be good now," Naoki said gently, stroking Cyclizar's head. "You really love me, don't you?"

  Cyclizar let out a low, sad sound: "Gaao..."

  Naoki smiled softly. "I promise, ime we go out, I'll take you with me. How about that?"

  Cyclizar sniffled but gave a small nod, still looking a bit down.

  Naoki had a pn in mind—when winter came, he'd head to Gar's Tundra and take Cyclizar with him for a spontaneous advehrough the snow.

  "Gaao..." Cyclizar murmured, still relut but accepting.

  "Good boy." Naoki poio the Pumpkin growing in the farmnd nearby and said to Cyclizar, "I'll be back when the pumpkins are ripe. Until then, keep an eye on them for me and make sure no wild Pokémon sneak in for a bite."

  Cyclizar straightened up and gave a determined nod: "Gaao!" It looked toward the pumpkins with a newfound purpose, ready to guard them faithfully.

  Naoki chuckled. "Alright, it's time for us to head out."

  He stood up, recalling Dragonite and Pawmot into their Poké Balls. Then, he climbed onto Koraidon, who let out an eager roar.

  "Take care, everyone!" Naoki called, waving goodbye to the Pokémon gathered at the ranbsp;

  "Goodbye!"

  "Aiya!"

  "Alcremie!"

  "Mea...!"

  As Koraidon soared into the sky, the Pokémon on the grouheir eyes on him until he disappeared from view. Slowly, they lowered their heads.

  With Naoki gohe ranch felt different. Even though nothing around them had ged, the Pokémon couldn't shake the emptiness in their hearts.

  The Indeedee siblings, Naoki's loyal helpers, looked at the other Pokémon, notig their low spirits. A deep sense of responsibility swelled in their hearts—from today onward, it was their job to care for everyone.

  Meanwhile, Cyclizar pondered what Naoki had said.

  "The day when the pumpkins ripen..." But Cyclizar wasn't sure when that would be. It was just a simple Cyclizar—it didn't know much about farming or pumpkin seasons.

  Determio do a good job, Cyclizar trotted over to brother Indeedee, and asked early: "Gaao?" (When will the pumpkins in the field be ripe?)

  Brother Indeedee furrowed his brow like a little adult. After thinking for a moment, Indeedee realized—he didn't know the exaswer either.

  "The pumpkins will ripen when…" he paused, carefully recalling the st time Naoki harvested pumpkins. Finally, he gave an answer: "Aiya." (Wheurn e, they're ripe.)

  Cyclizar blinked. "e?" It tilted its head in fusion. "What color is e?"

  Seeing Cyclizar's fusion, Indeedee thought for a moment. Then, he waddled over to a Jack-o'-ntern Naoki had made by carving out a pumpkin, poi it, and said: "Aiya." (That's the cole.)

  Cyclizar stared at the glowing ntern, wide-eyed. "Gaao!" (Oh, I see!)

  Even though it now uood the color, Cyclizar still wao know how long it would take for the pumpkins to ripen. It decided to seek more advice, heading down to the underground cave to find Diglett, who always worked in the fields.

  "Gaao?" (How many days does it take for a pumpkin to ripen?) Cyclizar asked eagerly.

  Diglett wriggled slightly, his tiny witg. "Dig?" (Huh?) The question stumped the little mole Pokémon. "Squeak…" (I only help Naoki prepare the nd. I don't know much about when things grow!)

  After a few moments, it said: "Squeak!" (Maybe Butterfree would know?)

  Butterfree was always fluttering around the ranch, keeping an eye ohing. If anyone knew when the pumpkins would ripen, it would be Butterfree.

  Cyclizar set off to find Butterfree.

  In respoo Cyclizar's question, Butterfree g the sun hanging in the sky, then at the Pumpkin growing in the field.

  "Mmm." (Wait for the sun to set and the moon to rise seven times, and the pumpkins will be ripe.)

  "Gaao." (Got it.)

  Cyclizar locked the answer into its mind. From that night onward, a "moon-ting" Cyclizar could be seen roaming the ranbsp;

  Of course, Cyclizar didn't really uand when the sun would set or when the moon would rise. All it knew was that when it ted to seven, Naoki would e babsp;

  ---

  The distaween Naoki's rand Medali Town wasn't far. Riding on Koraidon at full speed, Naoki made the journey in just three hours.

  As soon as Koraidon nded, Naoki was greeted by the lively sounds of the town's bustling streets.

  "Stir-fried pork with green peppers, seaweed sad, and authentic ramen! The best food in Paldea is right here! e taste it!"

  "Fresh churros, straight from the fryer! Fvors include chocote, amon, and the cssic inal—perfect for a snack!"

  "Lemonade, coffee, Twinkies, and cheesecake! Visit the Wele Café—a perfect pce to rex!"

  "Seafood skewers, rice pudding, and creamy seafood mai! No wait needed—get your food while it's hot!"

  The streets were packed with people, and the vibrant smells of food wafted through the air. Naoki sat astride Koraidon, stunned by the variety of restaurants lining the streets.

  "Wow… Medali Town is even livelier than I imagined!" Naoki said, amazed.

  It was just past noon, and the savory sts floating through the air made Naoki's stomach rumble. He decided to grab lunch with his Pokémon before searg for Larry, the Medali Gym Leader.

  Navigating the town's winding streets proved trickier than expected. The intricate alleys and old-fashioned buildings left Naoki feeling a bit lost.

  He looked around for a familiar ndmark but couldn't spot the Treasure Eatery—where Larry was supposed to be—or the Medali Gym.

  In desperation, Naoki asked a friendly passerby for help. Thankfully, a kind girl with her pyful Greedent pointed him in the right dire.

  With her help, Naoki finally found the Treasure Eatery.

  Ihe Treasure Eatery.

  Naoki pushed open the dreeted by the cozy, warm interior of the Treasure Eatery. In the middle of the room, on a rge tatami area, a Pokémon battle was underway.

  A man in a bck suit, with thinning hair and dark circles under his eyes, was standing on one side of the tatami. He looked like a man drowning in corporate life, weakly anding his pokemon in battle against a yourainer dressed in a school uniform.

  Naoki raised an eyebrow at the se.

  "Looks like I arrived just in time," he thought with amusement.

  The restaurant was full of diners enjoying their meals while watg the battle unfold oami floor.

  Feeling hungry himself, Naoki found a seat at the bar and ordered some food.

  After pg his order, Naoki released Pawmot and Dragonite from their Poké Balls. The three of them settled into a cozy dining area, separated by wooden partitions, enjoying the peaceful ambiance of the restaurant.

  Together, they sat baibbling on their food, while watg the Pokémon battle with great i.