The Paldea League moved with impressive speed.

  Rika had mentiohey'd be ing to struct a shrine for Calyrex, the King of Bountiful Harvests. That very m, a truck pulled up the hillside.

  Curious, Naoki followed Rika to see what was happening.

  Several rge men in blue work uniforms hopped out of the trud immediately begaing up on the mountaintop. In no time, an ornate shrine had taken shape.

  At its ter stood a magnifit statue of Calyrex, portrayed with a gentle smile, radiating kindness and wisdom.

  Naoki was taken aback.

  "Isn't this… a bit much?"

  Rika chuckled, and sihey'd grown more fortable talking, her tone was casual. "This is the efficy of the Paldea League! Everyone is dedicated to their work!"

  "And this is just the beginning!" Her eyes sparkled with excitement. ", these workers will struct a staircase leading down the mountain and build an even graemple!"

  "Huh?" Naoki stared in surprise. "Isn't that a little over the top?"

  He had initially thought they'd just put up a modest shrine, something small and peaceful.

  Rika ughed, then spoke sincerely. "pared to what Calyrex has dohis is a small gesture!"

  The mountain's ecosystem had been severely damaged, a it would have required extensive manpower and funding. Calyrex's incredible powers saved the Paldea League siderable time and resources.

  "So, both outwardly and deep down, the League genuinely wants to show their gratitude to Calyrex and to you, Naoki."

  "The Chief told me about how Calyrex, once a figure of great reverence, had bee fotten, wandering the vast snowfields alohey say this legend is well-known in Kosaji Town."

  Rika paused, then asked gently, "This way, we help Calyrex regain his followers, right?"

  Inspire belief in Him once more aore His strength.

  Naoki nodded. "That's right."

  Calyrex's powers had already reached their peak, but increased faith could certainly speed up His energy recovery and even aid the growth of the World Tree. Though not essential, it would be beneficial.

  Hearing Naoki's firmation, Rika's eyes lit up. "That's wonderful!"

  "If Calyrex knew, He'd be pleased," Naoki added, though Calyrex had stayed back at the rand wasn't there with them.

  "Ah," Rika sighed, then suddenly remembered something. "Would you like the Paldea League to annouhat Calyrex, the King of Bountiful Harvests, is here with you?"

  Naoki had already sidered this matter beforehand.

  So, he shook his head and replied, "Let's keep it low-key."

  He imagihat, over time, some trainers might hear legends about Calyrex, the King of Bountiful Harvests, and feel inspired to visit the shrine on the hillside near Kosaji Town. That way, they would simply pay their respects rather than rushing straight to the ranch, eager to challenge a legendary Pokémon.

  After all, Calyrex, who had transitioned from being a king to enjoying the peaceful life of a rancher, would surely find such challenges quite bothersome.

  Rika nodded in uanding. "Uood. After the forest fire i, which attracted a lot of attention, many people sent supplies to help the surviving Pokémon."

  She then added, "So, the Paldea League is pnning to annouhrough the hat a kied legendary Pokémon couldn't bear to see the devastation and used its extraordinary powers to restore life to the mountainside and bring the forest back to its inal state. How does that sound to you?"

  Naoki nodded. "That sounds perfect."

  This way, the legend of Calyrex's passion would be remembered across the Paldea region. In this era of the League—far more advahan the a kingdoms—and with neers and television to record such events, Calyrex's legacy would surely endure.

  Evea, the Champion of the League, would find it difficult to erase the memory of Calyrex under such circumstahis ehat wherever Calyrex went, He would never face the same fate as before, fotten by the world ao wander alone in snowy isotion.

  This was the least he could do for Calyrex, Naoki thought.

  At that moment, the stru crew had fihe shrine dedicated to the King of Bountiful Harvests. Naoki assumed they would soon pack up and leave, but to his surprise, they drove even deeper into the forest.

  Watg them go, Naoki looked puzzled. "Where are they going?"

  Rika sighed. "To honor the Pokémon that perished in the fire, the Paldea League has decided to establish a Pokémoery deep in the forest, hoping those who lost their lives find peace… It's still quite saddening."

  Naoki recalled the Pokémon they had found when searg the forest st year. Back then, he had dug a resting pce for them, buried them, and brought Pawmot along to offer a prayer for the fallen Pokémon.

  Perhaps the Paldea League wao provide a proper remembrance as well.

  The two followed the workers until they reached a clearing in the woods.

  In the open space, workers in blue uniforms were carefully digging and pg tombstones inscribed with the names of the deceased Pokémon.

  Watg the se, Rika murmured, "I've heard that when Pokémon pass, they don't simply disappear. They transform into spirits, wandering this nd, always searg for their way home."

  Naoki stayed silent. He uood this topic better than Rika knew.

  In the cycle of life, both humans and Pokémon would bee spirits after passiually returning to the spirit world and rejoining nature's flow. But if a spirit held onto an unfulfilled attat, the gatekeeper of the spirit world—Dusknoir—would appear to lead it into the underworld.

  "I wonder," Naoki thought to himself, "if a fn soul like mine would be taken to the spirit world by Dusknoir wheime es."

  Seeing his pensive look, Rika offered some fort. "Don't be too sad. Have you experiehe loss of a Pokémon before?"

  Naoki assured her he wasn't sad, and shook his head at her question.

  "Birth, aging, illness, ah are all natural in this world," Rika tinued, gazing up at the cloudy sky. "Have you ever heard of a Pokémon called Greavard?"

  Naoki blinked in surprise. "Greavard?"

  "Yes!" Rika nodded with a gentle smile. "Greavard is said to be the reination of deceased Pokémon."

  "People say that if someone holds the memory of a lost Pokémon close to their heart, they might one day enter a Greavard."

  "A Pokémon, sensing its trainer's love and longing, may be reborn as a Greavard and find its way back to them."

  "That's really…" Naoki trailed off, at a loss for words to describe it.

  Rika chuckled softly, then added, "But as long as you keep your Pokémohy and strong, they'll stay by your side for a very long time."

  "I once saw a Butterfree that lived for almost sixty years!" Rika shared. "Its trainer would exercise with it every day and feed it a variety of berries to keep it nourished. With all the care and attention, that Butterfree, which usually only lives thirty to forty years, lived over twenty years longer!"

  Naoki blinked, surprised. "Is that even possible? You're not joking, are you?"

  "Of course not!" Rika ughed, feigning offense. "Do I look like the type to joke about something like that? This is something I, Rika, have seen with my own eyes!"

  Naoki eechless for a moment. He had hought of this approabsp;

  It's settled! he thought. Wheuro the ranch, he would make a point to train all his Pokémon and provide them with all the nutrients they o live longer, healthier lives.

  Gng at Rika, who looked even youhan him, a thought occurred to Naoki. If he remembered correctly, the Elite Four of the Paldea region were quite uhere was Rika, the master of Ground types, Hassel, the Dragon-type trainer, Larry, who specialized in Flying types, and the you of them all, Poppy, the Steel-type trainer, who was only about nine years old.

  Curious, Naoki couldn't help but ask, "By the way, who are the Elite Four of the Paldea League?"

  Naoki's question was so abrupt that Rika blinked in surprise, taking a moment to process it. Then she chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "The Elite Four? Did Geeta offer you a position as one of them? If so, that could be iing!"

  Naoki shook his head, smiling. "No, nothing like that. She only invited me to work within the League."

  "Is that so?" Rika thought for a moment before answering, "Currently, there are only three members of the Paldea Elite Four: me, specializing in Ground-types; Hassel, the Dragon-type; and Larry, who was recruited by Geeta and works part-time as the Flying-type expert."

  "As for the fourth spot, it's still vat. Ever sihe previous Steel-type specialist retired, no one has stepped in to fill the role, and it's stayed open."

  Naoki asked, "What if a trainer wants to challenge all four Elite members?"

  Rika grinned. "We'd just pull in one of the champion traio cover the role temporarily!"

  Naoki was momentarily speechless.

  The Paldea League really did have a unique approach. Holding multiple roles seemed pretty standard here. Larry, for instance, rimarily a Pokémon League staff member but was also asked to be both a gym leader. Not to mention Rika, who also worked as a League interviewer. Evea wasn't exempt, bang League ma duties with gym iions and scouting potential talents.

  pared to all that, life on the ranch felt leisurely and easygoing.

  ---

  That afternoon, Rika hurriedly left the ranch after receiving a phone call.

  Apparently, a trainer had just collected their eighth gym badge and was on their way to League Headquarters to challehe Elite Four. As one of the League's interviewers, Rika o get back to work as soon as possible.

  Naoki watched her figure disappear in the distance, amused.

  Judging by the current pace, it was clear that building the Shrine of Plenty wouldn't be a quick project. Besides strug the shriself, the workers also po build a staircase leading down the mountain.

  Acc to Rika, the Paldea League and Mayor Thomas had discussed pns to create a full-fledged shrine and desighe day of Calyrex's miracle as the Festival of Harvest—a celebration of renewal and abundance.

  Every year on this day, the town would hold a graival at the shrio honor the remarkable deeds of Calyrex, the King of Bountiful Harvests.

  Naoki only had faint memories of seeing such festivals in anime—a young girl dressed iival attire, sake being served, and an elderly man presiding over the ceremony. People would illumihe entire mountain trail with torches, journeying from the base of the mountain to the shrio pay their respects to the god enshrihere.

  As dusk approached, the sky ainted with hues of the setting sun. From the ranch, the joyful sounds of Pokémon pying filled the air. They frolicked on the grassy fields, some gathering wildflowers from the nearby bushes.

  When Naoki returo the ranch, he was greeted by his Cyclizar, who presented him with a handful of vibrant yellow flowers. The sight instantly reminded him of st spring, when Cyclizar had given him flowers, sparking a little jealousy in Koraidon, who the off to gather a bouquet of his own.

  Naoki accepted the flowers from Cyclizar, pnning to pce them in a vase inside, and patted its head affeately. "Thank you, Cyclizar! I love these flowers."

  "Raao~" Cyclizar chirped happily, its tail wagging with excitement.

  Curious about Koraidon's rea this time, Naoki turo find Koraidon, only to see it missing from its usual resting spot uhe eaves. Moments ter, he spotted it emerging from the dense flower field, holding a vibrant array of wildflowers it had picked.

  Naoki couldn't help but smile. 'Some things never ge!' He reached out to accept the flowers from Koraidon as well—he knew if he took only Cyclizar's flowers, Koraidon would be jealous.

  "Alright! Go on, enjoy yourselves!" he said cheerfully.

  But Koraidon lingered, having notiaoki patting Cyclizar's head. It leaned in expetly, waiting for the same attention. With a chuckle, Naoki gave Koraidon a fond pat.

  Naoki couldn't help but think, 'Koraidon's just like a pyful schoolkid!'

  He turned and headed io start dinner preparations, with both Cyclizar and Koraidon trailing him, one on each side.

  As he took ingredients from the refrigerator, Naoki's thoughts drifted to what Geeta had shared earlier. She had mentiohat Alder had distanced himself from the League and was now likely wandering somewhere in the Union. Finding him would be no easy task.

  Looking at the bottle of life-giving goat's milk on the ter, Naoki sighed, feeling a bit wistful. 'It's a shame,' he thought. He couldn't simply abandohing here at the ranbark on a quest to track down Alder in Unova.

  As eveniled, the Pokémon that had been pying outside gradually made their way bae.

  Seeing them all, Naoki remembered what Rika had mentioned earlier that day.

  'Raise your Pokémon to be healthy and strong, and they'll live long lives.'

  Whether it was Teddiursa, Cyclizar, G, or Butterfree, Naoki was determined. 'No one would be left behind.' He'd make sure eaon was well-cared for and had the lo, happiest life possible.