[Tea Tree: A u, infused with the power of the Calyrex. Its leaves be brewed into a delightful greehough they shouldn't be eaten raw.]

  In the Reverse World, Naoki stood before a newly pea garden on an isnd, his heart filled with satisfa.

  "Perfeow, whenever I want some tea, I just e here and pick fresh leaves."

  "Great job, everyone!" Naoki praised. Diglett had been hard at work turning over three plots of soil, and now it stood, panting from exhaustion. Naoki k down, giving Diglett an affeate pat on the head. "Alright, let's call it a day!" he annouo Giratina.

  Giratina s massive head, casting a gentle g Naoki and his Pokémon. With a sweep of its wing, it opehe portal back to the real world.

  Naoki waved goodbye to Giratina as he and his panions—Calyrex, Koraidon, and Diglett—headed back to the ranch. As their figures disappeared, the shimmering portal gradually closed, sealing off the Reverse World once more.

  Giratina floated in the quiet void, its blood-red eyes sing the vast, transformed ndscape.

  To this day, it was still in awe.

  In only two days, its domain had ged profoundly. Grass and flowers had sprouted, and sunlight—usually reserved for the world beyond—now graced the Reverse World.

  Girati a stir in its heart as it drifted toward an isnd covered in apple trees. Gng at the plump, red apples hanging from the branches, it moved forward, plucked one delicately, and took a tentative bite. Juicy sweetness burst in its mouth, filling the void with a rich, fruity st. It felt as though a breath of life had washed over it.

  With a newfound sense of delight, Giratina glided over to the sky isnd where the greerees grew. It leaned in close, sniffing the vibrant green leaves.

  Recalling Naoki's careful attention to these pnts, Giratina reasohat they must be something delicious. Curious, it took a small bite of a leaf.

  Instantly, its expression twisted. The leaf's bitterness was overwhelming, t its already intimidating fato an even fiercer scowl.

  Giratina spat out the leaf repeatedly, fluttering its wings in frustration before s back to Apple Isnd. It promptly devoured several sweet apples to rid itself of the taste, finally feeling the bitterness fade away.

  "…Phew…"

  As the sweet apple juice filled its mouth, Girati out a long sigh of relief, sav the taste. It cast a goward the isnd of tea trees in the distand, without hesitatioally pced the entire grove on its bcklist of foods to avoid.

  With that settled, Giratina took flight, heading to the sky isnd bed in flowers. It nded gently amidst the vibrant blooms and looked up at the golden sun overhead. The sunlight was bright but not blinding, warm but not scorg—a rare sensation in the desote Reverse World.

  For the first time in what felt like eons, Giratina experienced something unfamiliar yet f. Memories of a distant past surfaced: Arceus, Dialga, and others basking in the sunlight, their forms aglow. Back then, Giratina would peer through calm waters, glimpsing that sunny world from afar.

  Could Arceus have felt this same sense of peabsp;

  Lost in thought, Giratina stood quietly in the sea of flowers, a gentle warmth ing around its entire form. It felt an unfamiliar but soothing te spreading within, and, for o had no desire to stir any trouble that would draw Arceus' attention.

  Giratina lowered its massive body slowly, settling into the soft bed of flowers. Its head rested on its forelimbs, breathing in the floral sts while basking in the gentle sunlight. For the first time, Girati a deep and fulfilling sense of peace.

  Its eyes grew heavy, and soon it drifted into a tranquil slumber uhe sun.

  ...

  Although Naoki had po take a break, he wasn't oo idle around pletely. Uhe Pokémon who had exerted themselves, Naoki wasn't all that tired.

  Back at the ranch, Calyrex made its way to the gss greenhouse, enjoying the warm winter sun while sipping on bck tea served by Sinistea.

  Diglett cheerfully returo its underground burrow, carrying a pile of treats Naoki had gifted it.

  Koraidon, however, followed Naoki back to the house.

  Naoki opened a cupboard and pulled out a basket of fresh fruit, gng over at Koraidon. "Why don't you go py for a bit? I o start on today's Poffins fonite and the others."

  "Ah…gah…"

  Koraidon's head drooped, clearly disappoihat Naoki couldn't spend more time with it. But its ears perked up as the pyful cries of Alcremie and G sounded from outside. Curiosity sparked, and it dashed off to see what they were up to.

  Watg it go, Naoki chuckled to himself and turned his attention baaking the batter for the day's Poffins.

  By the time the Dragonites had finished delivering supplies auro the ranch, two trays of freshly baked Poffins were just ing out of the oven.

  Naoki, wearing oven mitts, carefully carried the tray into the living room. The first twonites who arrived were already well-aced to this daily routine.

  Even though they experiehis moment every day, their excitement never dulled. The twonites watched eagerly, their eyes fixed on Naoki as he pced the warm, fragrant Poffins into their treat boxes.

  "Gulp!"

  A new Dragonite, Dragonite No. 4, couldn't help but swallow as it stared at the Poffins in Naoki's hand.

  'This was the smell!'

  Its mouth watered, practically a waterfall of drool.

  The older Dragonites looked over, slightly amused at their new panion's wide-eyed enthusiasm. Clearly, the isnd newers were still getting used to life at the ranch!

  "Here you go! You've all worked hard today!" Naoki smiled warmly, handing two boxes of Poffins to the twonites who had just returned from their m deliveries.

  "Draaa!"

  They chirped happily, accepting the boxes with their paws before scampering outside to enjoy their treats uhe wide, shady tree in the pasture.

  Meanwhile, Dragonite No. 4 gazed longingly at the remaining Poffins.

  Notig the hopeful look in its eyes, Naoki chuckled. He took out a fresh treat box, filled it with Poffins, and ha to the eager Dragohis is for you. Wele to the ranch, Dragonite!"

  Dragonite No. 4's eyes lit up as it hugged the box close, thrilled with its decision to tag along to the ranch that m. Happily, it waved to Naoki before dashing off to joihers outside, clutg its box of treats.

  Naoki and his Dragonite walked to the doorway, standing uhe eaves as they watched the three Dragonites sittih the tree, enjoying their treats. Eae leaned against the trunk, carefully pulling a Poffinsf from their box, nibbling it with satisfa.

  "Ah…" Naoki sighed tentedly, a touotion in his voice. Who would have thought there'd be so many Dragonites on the ranow?

  Perhaps he should start calling it "Dragonite Ranch."

  ...

  The days tinued as pnned, and before long, it was November 6th, Year 198 in the Alliance dar.

  That m, the ranch weled an ued guest.

  Naoki blinked in surprise as a blonde woman arrived, apanied by four Dragonites. Looking a bit bewildered, he asked, "Wait… You're a reporter from Paldea V, here to do a story on me and the Dragonite?"

  Alice still hadn't fully recovered from the shock. Her gaze was fixed on the four Dragonites loungih the trees, her face a mix of disbelief and amazement.

  Just the evening prior, she had arrived in Kosaji Town, a quaint p western Paldea. She had no way of knowing the exact location of the ranch, so she stayed ht, hoping to spot the delivery Dragohe following m to firm the rumors she had heard.

  Initially, Alice had dismissed the reports as nothing more than a ploy to trick her work out of an intelligence fee. But to her amazement, the very m, she saw a Dragonite s above the town, a sturdy backpack strapped to its back.

  What astonished her even more was that there wasn't just one Dragohere were four!

  What kind of person could afford to raise four Dragonites?

  Determio uhe truth, Alice grabbed her camera a off, following the Dragoeam all the way to a secluded ranch. When she arrived, her jaw dropped. There weren't just Dragohere were rare Pokémon everywhere—species she'd never even seen before!

  Though unfamiliar with them, she could sehey were exceptional.

  'Could these be Pokémon from far-ions?'

  At that moment, Alice's gaze nded on the young man standing in front of her, and she couldn't help but swallow in awe.

  'Who was this person?'

  'To have gathered so many strong-looking Pokémon, he had to be a remarkable trainer. Was he a League Champion or perhaps even royalty?'

  'But ohing didn't add up—why would such a talerainer choose to live in a remote pce like this, w as a simple farmer?'

  While Alice was deep in thought, Naoki noticed the distant look on her fad couldn't help but tilt his head in fusion.

  Alice quickly snapped back to reality and nodded. "Yes! I'm from Mesagoza, where Paldea V headquarters is based!"

  "I came to Kosaji Town to iigate the truth behind the urban legend of the 'Dragonite Delivery Service'!"

  Naoki: "…?"

  'A local legend? When did delivering milk with Dragonite bee an urban legend?'

  Naoki couldn't help but chuckle to himself, baffled by the euation.

  Meanwhile, Alice ractically brimming with excitement.

  Would this mysterious trainer named Naoki agree to her request?

  Though she hadn't started filming, she'd already thought of the perfect title for her piece.

  She'd call it "Man and Dragons."

  Why had the rare Pokémonite suddenly appeared in this small town? Why did Dragonite fly above Kosaji Town every m, delivering goods? And what was the true boween the mysterious man and his Dragoune in to tonight's segment, "The Secret of Paldea: Man and Dragons," only on Paldea V!

  Naoki sidered her proposal thoughtfully.

  In truth, he didn't mind the idea of appearing on a TV show at all.

  Naoki had pns to establish the Dragon Express pany iure, so he figured that a little early publicity couldn't hurt. Instead of waiting to promote it ter, why not start now, using this program to raise the profile on Express and showcase the ranch?

  With this thought, Naoki's expression softened, and he smiled. "Of course!"

  Alice's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Thank you so much!"

  If this show aired, their ratings would definitely skyrocket! A story about a group onites delivering goods was bound to capture the public's attention—far more than the usual Pokémos.

  Before filming began, however, there were a few details Alice wao crify. Naoki invited her and her crew into the living room, where sister Indeedee, who was helping out as a hostess, served them tea.

  Alice took a sip, cleared her throat, and struck up a versation. "So, Mr. Naoki, when did you start running this ranch?"

  Naoki thought for a moment. "January of this year."

  "January?" Alice almost did a double-take. "So, you only started this year?"

  "That's right," Naoki nodded. "I was in ions before but retly returo the Paldea region."

  "So Paldea is your hometown?" Alice asked.

  "Ihis ranch was my grandfather's. After he passed, it was abandoned for a while. I'd been traveling for years, and after a while, I wao settle somewhere quiet, so I came bad started managing the ranch."

  'A traveling trainer from anion!' That expined why Alice hadn't heard of him before. She pictured him as someone who had roamed the world, grown into a powerful trainer, aually found city life mundane. So, he chose a simpler life bae.

  Alice's impression of him was f. For years, young trainers had dreamed of being the best, never letting go of that ambition, even into old age. But here was Naoki, choosing a slower, quieter life instead.

  With a hint of admiration, Alice sighed. "It's rare for someone as young and skilled as you, Mr. Naoki, to make such a choice."

  Naoki: "…Wait, what?"

  Alice blinked. "Huh? Did I get it wrong?"

  Naoki chuckled. "As you see, I'm just a rancher."

  Alice shook her head with a ugh. "A rancher who tames four Dragonites ahem to deliver goods?"

  Then, Alice paused, a sudden realization crossing her face. "Oh! You mean…you're just a rancher 'now'!"

  Naoki: "…Right…"

  Deg it was easier not tue, Naoki just nodded. He had growo these kinds of misuandings and could now hahem with humor.

  Alice quickly switched to business. "Alright, let's talk about the shoot!"

  Her eyes lit up as she outlined her vision, her enthusiasm iious.

  "First, we'll showcase Dragonite's strength and agility from different angles. We want the audieo feel just how incredible it is to have such a powerful Pokémon delivering milk."

  "Once we've got them amazed by the Dragonite, we'll reveal the man behind it all—Mr. Naoki."

  Naoki's curiosity iqued. "And the title for this episode?"

  Alice grinned. "Man and Dragons!"