"Friendship fruit?" Naoki murmured, looking at the pile of ordinary-looking fruits before him with a hint of fusion.

  He stood there in a daze until sister Indeedee noticed something seemed off and came out to che him. Her voiapped him back to reality.

  'Fruits that could elevate the quality of cooking… that was incredible! This wasn't something that could ocaturally. It had to be the heartfelt gratitude of the Mino and the other Pokémon. Their emotions had somehow ihese fruits, transf them in a magical way.'

  'This was truly… ued.'

  Naoki found himself at a loss for words. He had helped those Pokémon without ever expeg anything iurn, a now he held something so valuable. It leasant and surprising gift.

  If used wisely, these berries could greatly enhahe rand be some of the Pokémon in his care.

  He thought back to the leaf cake he'd made st month during winter with the leaf of the World Tree. The cake had been rated as S-. If he added one of these friendship fruits, could it push the cake's rating up to an S grade?

  After all, it was well-known that when a dish's quality improved, its effects became signifitly stronger. An enhanced leaf cake could potentially boost the rate at which the King of Bountiful Harvests and the Gogoats cultivated the World Tree!

  Excitement surged within him as he carefully carried the friendship fruits into the living room.

  Indeedee noticed the pile of fruits in his arms and looked at him with curiosity.

  "Ai-ye" 'Naoki, what are those?'

  Naoki chuckled. "Minht these over. They're gifts from the Pokémon in the forest."

  He recalled Mino's eager expression and imagihe group of forest Pokémon gathering the fi fruits for him the night before. He noticed that these fruits were rger and more vibrant than usual—clearly, eae had been carefully chosen by the Pokémon to show their gratitude.

  Naoki silently thahose wonderful Pokémon.

  After breakfast, he eagerly went to the World Tree, plucked a leaf, took one of the friendship fruits, and headed to Alcremie's cream workshop.

  An hour ter, the oven chimed, signaling that the leaf cake was ready.

  Naoki slipped oproof gloves, carefully removed the warm cake from the oven, spread a smooth yer of cream on top, and added pieces of fruit as decoration.

  Ohe finishing touches were plete, he leaned in to ihe details of the leaf cake.

  [Leaf Cake (Enhanced Version) (S)]: A cake crafted with leaves from the World Tree, eggs, Moomoo Milk, and redients. If you listen closely, you feel the breath of nature within it.

  Effect of the Dish: Breath of Nature

  1. Permaly increases the power of Grass-type moves by 25%. Effective only frass-type Pokémon; effects ot be stacked.

  2. When ed by Grass-type Pokémon, it attuhem to the rhythm of nature, allowing them to harness grass energy to cultivate crops. Crop growth time be moderately reduced. This effect is exclusive to Grass-type Pokémon and ot be stacked.

  Additional Effect: Lord of the World Tree – You have been reized by the World Tree. As the caretaker of the Gogoat that nurtures the World Tree, yranted access to all areas within the World Tree. This effect applies only to Naoki.

  ent: Feel the pulse of nature! Perhaps as the World Tree matures, dishes made with its leaves will yield eveer effects.

  "Just as I thought—the rating upgraded from S- to S!" Naoki thought, his face lighting up with joy.

  "The power boost to Grass-type moves is increased by an additional 5%, making it a full 25%—equivalent to a quarter of the increase provided by holding a Miracle Seed!" Naoki mused, wide-eyed. "If the effects of the leaf cake and Miracle Seed stack, the strength of Gogoat will be eveer."

  Naoki couldn't help but imagihe impact. With suhanced power, even a simple Grass Field would bee overwhelmingly potent, and the force of Gogoat's Leaf Bde move would likely be too muost Pokémon to endure.

  But as exg as this was, Naoki's main y with the improvements to crop cultivation. "The effect has gone from a small boost to a medium boost," he realized with relief. "This means the growth rate of the World Tree will accelerate even more, and it may not take the full four years to reach its full height!"

  The thought filled him with joy, his grin stretg from ear to ear.

  Taking the enhanced leaf cake, Naoki divided it into five portions ahem to his three Gogoats, Dolliv, and Calyrex, ensuring each received a taste of the dish.

  In the gss greenhouse, Naoki watched Calyrex enjoy its dessert among the blooming flowers, mulling over the possibilities for the Friendship Fruits.

  "A special fruit ptter that could improve move effectiveness? Maybe adding Friendship Fruit would further increase the ce for Pokémon to learn rare moves," he pondered.

  "Or perhaps a 'Lucky Pudding' to boost fortune?" he mused. "Or… even 'Transtor Seeds,' maybe to help lengthen word transtions?" He chuckled at the idea, his mind rag with possibilities.

  What left him mretful, though, was that he couldn't make "Storm Buns" or "Lightning Buns" just yet. If he could incorporate the Friendship Fruit into those recipes, the resulting dishes might rea entirely new level of effectiveness.

  "No," he decided, "these fruits would be perfect for brewing." He recalled the previous batch of fruit wine he had made, which helped increase resistao poison and paralysis.

  "One Friendship Berry for a single barrel of berry wihen eaon on the ranch gets a gss, giving them perma resistao poison and paralysis."

  'It erfect!' Naoki couldn't help but feel proud of his idea.

  Meanwhile, Calyrex, the King of Bountiful Harvests, picked up a piece of leaf cake, sav it with graceful bites. Notig Naoki's joyful expression, Calyrex spoke softly:

  "Naoki, I feel that more beings believe in me."

  Naoki looked up, a bit surprised, and asked, "Do you not like that?"

  Calyrex shook his head, his expression thoughtful. "It's not that I don't like it. It's… it's more a feeling of seality," he said slowly. "I was once a fotten king. After that, I thought I would no longer be affected by humans' as. But now, seeing admiration and gratitude from both humans and Pokémon—it brings me joy."

  "That's only natural," Naoki replied. "In fact, I believe that, for us humans, you're a Pokémon unlike any endary Pokémon."

  "Oh?" Calyrex looked over with mild curiosity, then seemed to reflect for a moment. "Legendary Pokémon? Are there cssifications now?"

  Naoki nodded. "Yes. Take Za and Zamazenta, for example. They're also legendary Pokémon," he expined. "Pokémon that have a legends surrounding them, have existed in the world for turies, and possess immense power are often called legendary."

  Calyrex listehoughtfully.

  Naoki tinued, "The reason I say you're different from endary Pokémon is because of your e with humans."

  Calyrex's gaze softened as he listened, curiosity glimmering in his eyes.

  "Most legendary Pokémon rarely appear before humans," Naoki said. "They're powerful, proud, and sometimes distant. Maybe it is for this reason that they disdain to unicate with humans"

  Hearing this, Calyrex nodded in uanding. "I see what you mean. I once ruled ar, living among the humans who revered me as their king. I answered their prayers and blessed their nds to make them fertile."

  "Yes, exactly!" Naoki replied with a nod. "Take Giratina, for insta's anendary Pokémon. Giratina resides in the Distortion World, maintaining the baween that realm and ours."

  Calyrex tilted his head, intrigued. "It sounds like you know quite a lot about legendary Pokémon," he said thoughtfully. "You even knew of my legend and built a statue and a shrine for me. Was that to honor me?"

  So, Calyrex thought, had Naoki believed in his existence all along?

  Naoki felt a twinge of guilt. Could he really tell Calyrex that he was initially more ied in catg Spectrier and Gstrier, Calyrex's loyal steeds? Deg against it, he smoothly shifted the versation.

  "Would you like to hear about endary Pokémon?" Naoki offered.

  Calyrex, sipping the tea that the Polteageist poured for him, gave a nod. "Yes."

  With a smile, Naoki unched into his story. "This world was created by a Pokémon called Arceus, often regarded as the god of all Pokémon."

  Calyrex's eyes widened in astonishment. "The world we live in… was created?"

  Naoki nodded. "Acc to legend, Arceus, the Creator Pokémon, brought the world ience."

  In awe, Calyrex murmured, "So, could we Pokémon also have beeed by him?"

  "ly." Worried Calyrex might misuand, Naoki quickly crified, "Humans and Pokémon weren't directly created by Arceus. Life here came into being gradually, naturally emerging from the world itself."

  "I see," Calyrex mused, prehension dawning. "The god of creation. What kind of power must it take t aire world ience? If I had the ce, I'd love to meet this Arceus—to see what a god truly looks like."

  Naoki hesitated, then shrugged with a slight grin. "Well… he might look something like an alpaca."

  "An alpaca?" Calyrex asked, puzzled. "Is that a type of Pokémon?"

  Realizing his mistake—alpacas did in this world—Naoki ughed. "It's kind of like your loyal steeds, Spectrier and Gstrier. Arceus has fs, is covered in white fur, and radiates an aura of power and grace."

  As he spoke, Naoki recalled a funny picture he'd once seen.

  In that picture Arceus, the mighty Creator of the Pokémon world, repg Spectrier and Gstrier, with the King of Bountiful Harvests riding it. He g Calyrex, w if it would ever eain such a rebellious thought.

  Meanwhile, Calyrex mused that if Arceus, the world's Creator, truly resembled his loyal steeds, it might ge his view of Spectrier and Gstrier forever. The thought was almost toe to bear.

  But Calyrex suddenly noticed that Naoki's description of Arceus was remarkably detailed as if he had seen the God of Creation himself.

  "Have you… actually seen the Creator?" Calyrex asked, intrigued.

  Naoki hesitated. "Uh… ly. Its legend is widely known in the Sinnion, which is said to be the birthpce of its worship."

  "Ah, I see!" Calyrex nodded, accepting the expnation.

  Naoki tinued, "In addition to Arceus, humans have revered many other Pokémon as gods. There's Groudon, the God of the Earth; Kyogre, the God of the Sea; Dialga, the God of Time; and Palkia, the God of Space." He listed them one by one.

  After hearing this, Calyrex's eyes widened with awe. "I had no idea the world was so vast, with so much I've yet to learn."

  Naoki smiled. "There's a lot out there, that's for sure."

  Refleg on his own journey, Naoki thought about how, if he hadn't traveled from another world, he might have felt just as amazed as Calyrex hearing about these legendary Pokémon for the first time.

  And why had he ended up here in the first pce? Perhaps it was simply to meet and befriend this remarkable group of Pokémon.

  With that thought, Naoki bade farewell to Calyrex. He stepped out of the gss greenhouse, only to be greeted by Cyclizar and Koraidon waiting on the grass just outside the door.

  These two Pokémon really had a knack for being in sync about certain things!

  Perhaps, Naoki mused, he'd e to this world just to meet Pokémon like Cyclizar and Koraidon.

  With a smile, he reached out and patted their heads, saying, "Alright, let's head home. I have some new, delicious dishes to create!"

  "Gah~"

  "Raao~"

  Cyclizar and Koraidon chimed in happily, following Naoki as he made his way back.

  One, Naoki walked straight to the kit, cheg the refrigerator to see if he had the ingredients to experiment with new recipes. The back mountaioration was plete, and now he could focus on ranch matters. Spring was here, which meant it was time to prepare the farmnd.

  Although raising livestock was the ranch's main source of profit, cultivating crops was equally essential. The vegetables and fruits grown here, many of which had special effects due to slight mutations, were valuable for both the rand the Pokémon.

  With that in mind, Naoki decided which dish he'd enhah the friendship berries: the Green Grass Cake.

  When a Grass-type Pokémos this cake, it els Grass-type energy into crop cultivation, and there's a small ce the crops will mutate. The results could be remarkable, like enormous pumpkins or biolumi pineapples.

  "If I use the friendship berries, I might evee the Green Grass Cake to an A+ level," Naoki thought, smiling. "That should boost the ces of utations."

  However, he couldn't help but feel a bit wistful.

  "Too bad the friendship berries 't be used repeatedly," he sighed. "If they could, I'd raise the cake to an S-level, where the effects would be drastically better."

  Just then, Naoki remembered the bck truffles he'd found in the back mountain st year. They didn't have any effects on their own, but they enhahe potency of dishes remarkably.

  "What if I use friendship berries and bck truffles together for the Green Grass Cake?" he pondered. "Maybe their effects would stack."

  Curious, Naoki wondered if the back mountain's instant transformation under Calyrex's power had enced any more bck truffles to grow.

  "I could take a walk back there and ask Mino for help. They know the area well and could help me track down any truffles."

  If the Mino had already eaten too many berries, Naoki chuckled, he might sider raising a few Lek on the ranch. Their strong sense of smell would make them perfect for truffle hunting.