Naoki mused aloud, "If you eat the pecha berry, it'll put you in a poisoate... Is this effeehow reversed here?"

  He picked one of the plump, pink berry, which gave off a wonderfully sweet fragrance.

  "It's a shame they're poisonous," he thought. "A Poison-type Pokémon would probably love these, but I don't have any Poison-types on the ranch right now."

  With his task plete, Naoki decided it was time to head back. He turo Giratina and said, "Looks like we'll be able to grow things in this realm now. I didn't bring many seeds this time, so I'll head back to the ranch first to gather more."

  Giratina watched him silently, then nodded with a low, rumbling growl that echoed around them. A faint purple light flickered, opening the portal back to the real world.

  Naoki mounted Koraidon, leading Diglett and Calyrex back to the ranch.

  Once baaoki didn't waste any time—he and Koraidon immediately set off for the town of Kosaji to buy a batch of grass seeds, flower seeds, and fruit saplings from Hugh's Seed Store.

  Hugh, the shopkeeper, looked surprised when he saw Naoki's massive order. "This isly the best time of year for pnting," he said, scratg his head. "It's going to snow soon, and these seedlings could freeze!"

  Naoki chuckled, shaking his head. "Not to worry! I've got a warm spot in mind for these pnts, so they won't be affected by the cold."

  Hugh nodded, guessing that Naoki might have a greenhouse to keep them warm.

  "Alright!" Ero agreed with a smile. He then remembered something and added, "We just received a new batch of tea pnts. They'd do well in a greenhouse, and you could pick fresh leaves frant green tea!"

  "Tea pnts?" Naoki's curiosity iqued.

  "Yes! They're perfect for year-round pnting if you've got a warm enviro."

  Naoki sidered this—it sounded like an excellent addition to his new project. "Great! I'll take twenty to try out."

  "Excellent!" Hugh said, grinning. After loading the tea pnts, he mentioned, "Oh, we also received some apple saplings from Kitakami Township. Kitakami's apples are famous for being rge and sweet. They'd be a perfect treat for any Pokémon that loves fruit!"

  "Apple?" Naoki thought for a moment. Since he was already buying so much, he decided to add the apple saplings to his order.

  With his rge order, the store offered a delivery service, so Naoki wouldn't o worry about transp everything with Koraidon.

  As he prepared to leave, Naoki asked Hugh, "Are Kitakami's apples really that well-known?"

  Before he transmigrated, Naoki had never heard of Kitakami Township, and news about it had yet to reach him. When Hugh mentio, Naoki's curiosity iqued. Hugh smiled, nodding, "Yes! The apples there are rehroughout Paldea! Kitakami is a simple, rural town where folks rise with the sun, make a living from growing rice, and work hard daily."

  "I see..." Naoki mused, growing ied in Kitakami. Perhaps after finishing his ranch work, he'd visit with a few Pokémon, an opportunity for some agricultural exge.

  After purchasing everything he needed, Naoki rode Koraidon back to the ranch, and soon after, Hugh arranged delivery for the seeds Naoki had bought from the shop.

  Standing by the ke, Naoki watched as a fsh of purple light sighe opening of the portal to the Distortion World, courtesy of Giratina. He threw the seeds and saplings in one by ohen followed by Diglett and Calyrex.

  Giratina awaited them. This time, there was no hostility in its gaze, nor its typical irritation; it simply observed, watg Naoki with curiosity.

  Giratina seemed to i each item Naoki sent through the portal, w if any would alter its nature. However, as it looked for that mysterious influe found nothing.

  Seeing Naoki's siy, Giratina pondered briefly.

  It decided to tiing as though nothing had ged, a grim smile crossing its face, making it appear even more fearsome.

  Naoki caught sight of Giratina's expression, a question mark in his mind.

  With a low, rumbling voice, Giratina said, "With these, we make this realm look more like the outside world, yes?"

  "Exactly," Naoki replied, gng up at the floating isnds. "It's just that the nd here is scattered. I'll have to pnt on each isnd one by o some life to all of them."

  "Then I'll leave it to you." Giratina seemed to be growing more fortable with its newfound politeness, adding humbly, "Thank you, human. I will remember everything you have done for me."

  Naoki: "…?"

  'Did Giratina really think the tea's effects were still w?'

  'Oh no, this was getting too awkward!'

  If he called out the aow, Giratina might react with a cw swipe in embarrassment. After a moment of thought, Naoki decided it was best to act as though he hadn't noticed anything.

  He mounted Koraidon and directed it to the first floating isnd, where he had just pnted Pecha trees. Carefully, he scattered a yer of grass seeds on the freshly tilled soil.

  Then, Calyrex activated its ability, and in an instant, vibrant green spread across the barren nd, transf it into a lively, lush isnd.

  Naoki smiled, admiring the now verdant patch. "The first Sky Isnd is plete!" he decred, naming it "First Sky Isnd." His gaze then drifted to aner isnd nearby, a breathtaking oh a casg waterfall.

  "Let's head there !" he called to Koraidon.

  "Raao!" Koraidon responded, gracefully leaping to the isnd with Naoki.

  Ohere, Naoki surveyed the ndscape thoughtfully before turning to Diglett. "I'll leave this oo you as well!"

  "Squeak!" Diglett chirped happily, diving into the soil and eagerly setting to work.

  Naoki envisiohis isnd covered in apple trees, branches heavy with bright red fruit. If Giratina ever felt hungry, it could e to this isnd for a juiack.

  he isnd's waterfall, a clear pool of water had formed, refleg the world above with gentle ripples. Naoki suspected Giratina might use pces like this to catch glimpses of the real world—sunlight, flowers, forests. What did Giratina feel when it saw those things, he wondered?

  He gnced over at Giratina, only to find it Diglett's nd-tilling efforts with geerest.

  A gentle smile crept onto Naoki's face. In a way, legendary Pokémon like Giratina, isoted and alone, might share a curiosity simir to that of a young child. It was endearing to see it so fasated by Diglett's work.

  Soon, Diglett fully cultivated the oy isnd.

  Naoki and Koraidon then pnted apple saplings around the isnd, scattering grass and flower seeds across the tilled earth. Finally, with a gentle nod, Calyrex activated his power.

  In an instant, the barree nd transformed before their eyes.

  What had been a bleak, empty isnd was now vibrant and green. Lush grass spread out in every dire, dotted with clusters of small yellow flowers, while the apple trees formed a flourishing orchard, their branches heavy with big, round red apples.

  Naoki smiled, looking at the beautiful transformation, aails about the apples appeared in his mind:

  Sweet Apple: A delicious, sweet apple. Enhanced by Calyrex's power, it brings joy to anyone who eats it.

  Apple Tree (Eternal): A typical apple tree, transformed by antimatter to maintain its appearance forever—it won't wither, grow further, e.

  "As expected, the apple trees here also have aernal quality," Naoki murmured.

  He picked a few ripe apples, oo Calyrex, Koraidon, and Diglett and tossing ao Giratina.

  The apple floated gently tiratina, ued by gravity. Giratina gazed at the vibrant red fruit, then took a bite, sav the burst of sweet, refreshing juice.

  Its eyes lit up with surprise and happiness as it excimed, "Delicious!"

  Naoki chuckled, "I'm gd you like it."

  As Diglett finished eating, he suddenly let out a curious sound.

  "Squeak?"

  "What's wrong?" Naoki asked, looking in Diglett's dire. There, beh the damp, shadowy waterfall, was a massive bck mushroom.

  Naoki blinked in surprise, and then a description of the mushroom appeared in his mind.

  [Destruushroom: A rare ingredient. This mushroom thrives in dark, damp ers, charged with destructive energy and antimatter. It be used in cooking.]

  'What kind of mushroom is this?' Naoki thought, finding its appearance oddly simir to the Doom-Shroom from Pnts vs. Zombies. A w thought crossed his mind—' could it explode?'

  The mushroom also caught the attention of Calyrex and Koraidon. Calyrex exami closely and noted, "This mushroom seems to carry the same energy as this realm."

  "The's make it into a mushroom soup ter," Naoki decided, stepping forward to pick it up. Based on past experience, he had a feeling it might make for a potent dish.

  None of the Pokémon objected. Giratina, indifferent to such things, was more ied iransformation of its domain and had no problem with Naoki taking anything he found. In fact, Girati a newfound trust toward Naoki, seeing him as someone worth proteg.

  With the sed floating isnd plete, Naoki saw that Diglett was tired and suggested they take a break. Building up Giratina's realm would take time, and there was o rush. When Naoki shared this pn with Giratina, the legendary Pokémon agreed and opehe portal back to the real world for them.

  "See you ime!" Naoki called, waving as he and his team returo the ranch with their newfouruushroom.

  As Naoki took a few steps, he suddenly felt the mushroom in his haing up.

  A sense of dread filled him, and his heart skipped a beat as he quickly tossed the mushroom away.

  In the moment, with a loud "boom," the mushroom exploded mid-air.

  Koraidon, armed, jumped in front of Naoki protectively, brag for any further danger.

  "Whoa!" Naoki gasped, stunned by the sudden explosion. 'What just happened?'

  Iermath, the mushroom vanished, leaving no trace behind.

  Calyrex, sensing the area with his psychic abilities, pondered aloud, "I felt two opposing energies collide aralize each other. After that, the mushroom's presenpletely disappeared."

  Hearing this, Naoki had a realization.

  The mushroom had been described as a "Destruushroom"—a blend of destructive energy and antimatter. Was the explosion caused by the collision of positive aive matter from the real world and the Distortion World?

  It seemed he could only safely cook with the Destruushroom if he prepared it entirely within the Distortion World.

  'But, would it even be safe to eat this kind of mushroom?'

  Deep in thought, Naoki began heading back to the ranch.

  It was now around 10 in the m, and Dragonite and his friends had returned after delivering the m supplies. They were sitting under a tree, enjoying some Poffins.

  Naoki noticed something odd: there seemed to be ora Dragonite in the group.

  "Owo, three, four… Four Dragonites?! Where did this extra one e from?" he muttered, perplexed.

  Had one of the Dratinis evolved without him knowing?

  As he approached to iigate, he saw his Dragoanding in front of the unfamiliar Dragonite, pointing a cw at it and speaking loudly.

  "Awoo, awoo, awoo!" (Who told you to e here? This is our territo back tonite Isnd!)

  The new Dragonite didn't seem to care, its gaze locked onto the Poffin boxes held by the other twonites, drooling.

  "Awoo!" (They smell so good! Let me have some!)

  The twonites clutched their Poffin boxes protectively, looking thhly unimpressed.

  "Awoo!" (These are ours. We worked hard for them. Go get your own!)

  "Awoo?" (Work?) The newer blinked, fused.

  The twonites nodded firmly. "Awoo!" (If you offins, you'll have to work for them!)