Pokemon: A New Path

In the 199th year of the Alliance Calendar, spring had just touched down in Paldea, but the chill of winter still lingered in the air.

As the snow melted away, fresh green buds started to dot the landscape of Paldea. A gentle breeze swept through the mountains and forests, while streams babbled in the valleys, heralding the start of a new cycle in nature.

The ranch, blanketed in snow for much of winter, finally emerged into the light. Grass sprouted up, and vines in the garden began their slow climb up the trellises. The large Wattrels, who had migrated south for the winter, returned, their wings flapping as they landed on the rooftop. Using their beaks to tidy up their windswept feathers, they observed the newly lively ranch below, where well-fed Pokémon chased and played with each other in high spirits.

Inside the house, soft morning sunlight filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows as Naoki enjoyed his breakfast, watching the day's Paldean morning news.

On the television screen, a grand and unique academy took center stage in the bustling city. In front of the school gates, a crowd of boys and girls in school uniforms with their Pokémon in tow gathered, listening intently to a man dressed as the principal:

"Welcome back to Paldea Academy! From today, the academy's famous Treasure Hunt will begin once more!" he announced. "Go forth, children, and seek out your own treasures across Paldea!"

"So, the treasure hunt is still a staple at Paldea Academy," Naoki mused to himself as he watched.

Last year, a few students on their treasure hunts had stopped by his ranch, and he wondered if he'd see more visitors this year. In fact, he was hoping trainers would come, giving Dragonite and Pawmot—who were eager to train with new challengers—a valuable opportunity to grow stronger.

"No need to rush," he thought, smiling to himself. "If all goes as planned, those students should be heading out soon."

Paldea Academy was known for its open approach. While some students preferred adventures, others liked to stay on campus, attending classes and raising their Pokémon. If anyone from the academy did come to visit, it might not be for another couple of weeks.

With that thought, Naoki finished the last spoonful of porridge, stood up, and cleared the table. Today, he had something important planned.

Recently, his Gogoats had been eating plenty of World Tree leaves and were consistently nourished by the tree's energy. Naoki was curious to see if this unique diet had impacted the milk they produced.

After cleaning the dishes, he grabbed the milking equipment and asked Koraidon to help carry the milk buckets over to the World Tree.

By early morning, the Gogoats were already engaged in their daily ritual of "gathering around the world tree."

Positioned in a triangular formation around the World Tree, each goat radiated a soft, green aura.

The energy of the lush green grass transformed into sparkling particles of light, which rose from the Gogoats and flowed into the trunk of the World Tree. Even the leaves at the top began to emit tiny, glowing flecks.

When Naoki approached with his tools, the Gogoats happily greeted him with a chorus of, "Baaa~!"

"How are you feeling today?" Naoki asked as he affectionately patted their heads. He placed the milk bucket beneath one of the goats, squatted down, and began milking. The other two goats waited in line, while the Gogoat being milked looked utterly content.

"Meaa~" it bleated, as if to share its delight.

"Is that so?" Naoki replied with a smile, eyeing the bucket now filled with milk that radiated a rich, creamy aroma.

As he gazed at the fresh milk, a familiar sensation washed over him, and information about it appeared in his mind:

[Gogoat's Milk (Ultra-Pure): Fresh goat's milk blessed by the power of nature, with a quality beyond perfection, packed with dozens of times more nutrients than regular milk. Drinking it provides incredible restorative benefits. It's said that even the most severe injuries can heal instantly upon consumption. It's also ideal for making top-grade cheese, butter, and other culinary delights.]

"Just as I thought..." Naoki murmured, taking in the new information about the milk. "It seems the World Tree's leaves and energy have truly transformed the quality of their milk."

Before, the Gogoats' milk had been enhanced by the grass dumplings, elevating its nutritional content and making it some of the finest milk. But now, after consuming the World Tree's leaves, it had reached an entirely new level.

The restorative properties rival those of Revive items! Naoki marveled at this, and an even more astonishing thought crossed his mind—this might not even be the limit of what his Gogoats and their milk could achieve.

As the Gogoats grow and develop further, who knows what effects their milk might have? Perhaps it could rival the legendary Sacred Ash, known to revive Pokémon from the brink of death—an extraordinary item created from the life force of Ho-Oh.

The sacred ash was said to fully restore the health of any Pokémon teetering on the brink of collapse. Legend had it that Ho-Oh once used Sacred Ash to revive three Pokémon who perished in the flames of the Bell Tower (Brass Tower).

These Pokémon later became known as the Legendary Beasts: Entei, Raikou, and Suicune, with Suicune embodying the north wind itself.

Thinking of this, Naoki's immediate thought wasn't amazement at the effect—it was that he absolutely needed to raise his prices!

"I'll have to ask Zack to retest the quality of this Gogoat milk and adjust the price," Naoki thought.

Such adjustments were commonplace on ranches and farms. Different Pokémon's health conditions could drastically affect product quality. For instance, some Miltank were naturally thinner, producing milk that was watery and less nutritious, sold at lower prices. In contrast, larger, well-fed Miltank, grazing on high-quality grass, produced MooMoo Milk that was rich and often sold at premium rates.

Zack and other buyers who collected milk from ranches knew this well and based pricing on the milk's specific quality at the time. Prices would vary, depending on freshness and nutritional richness.

After some thought, Naoki continued milking his other two Gogoat. Reflecting on his journey, he felt a surge of gratitude—these three Gogoat were truly the backbone of his ranch, each one having contributed so much. Together, they had built Naoki Ranch into what it is today.

Naoki's heart warmed at the sight of the Gogoat, who looked at him expectantly, awaiting their next task. Smiling, Naoki said, "Alright, you're free now; today's work is done."

Just as he was about to wrap up, Naoki suddenly remembered something he'd need their help with. He asked Koraidon to store the milk and led his Gogoat to the ranch's warehouse. Inside, stacks of saplings and grass seeds filled the shelves—materials he'd ordered from town.

"Today, we're officially starting the back mountain restoration project," Naoki said. "Do you remember the Pokémon we rescued from there?"

The Gogoats thought for a moment, then nodded and let out a cheerful, "Meaa!"

The memory of those Pokémon who escaped the forest fire was still vivid for the Gogoats. The fire had consumed everything in its path, leaving countless Pokémon homeless, and reducing the once-thriving mountain forest to an eerie, desolate landscape. Those who survived were left with lingering sadness and fear, haunted by the loss of their home.

Seeing that the Gogoats remembered the incident, Naoki reached out, giving them a reassuring pat.

"Today, I'm planning to help them rebuild their home," he said gently. "We're going to plant these grass seeds and saplings to bring life back to the mountain."

Hearing this, the Gogoats bleated with determination, "Meeeeh!" They were eager to help too.

"Good," Naoki smiled warmly. His Gogoats were truly kind-hearted. "Then, I'll be counting on you! Let's carry these supplies up the mountain and give those Pokémon a fresh start."

"Meeeeh!"

The Gogoats agreed energetically, ready for the task ahead. Naoki began carefully loading the bags of seeds and bundles of saplings onto their backs, soon covering them in supplies for the journey. Each Gogoat now bore the hopes of the rescued Pokémon as they followed Naoki and Koraidon toward the orchard.

In the orchard, a group of Pokémon, who had heard the news of the restoration project, eagerly awaited them. Among them were the energetic Minccino, Tinkatuff, Bellibolt, Smeargle, Tandemaus, Wattrel, Hoppip, some Foongus, and Shroomish. Apart from the Kricketune who had joined a band, all of the Pokémon that had once fled the blaze were present.

Over the winter, they'd found refuge on the ranch, their fur and scales, once singed and scarred, now fully healed. As Naoki and Koraidon approached, the rescued Pokémon's eyes shone with excitement and hope. They fixed their gaze on Naoki, filled with a sense of purpose.

Seeing their eager faces, Naoki felt his own spirits lift. Taking a deep breath, he called out, "The time has finally come! Are you all ready to restore your home?"

"Squeee!" Minccino, bouncing happily on the grass.

With a smile, Naoki said, "Then let's go!"

"Woohoo!"

"Gummo!"

the Pokémon cheered, all forming a little parade as they followed Naoki, ready to restore their forest together. 

Before setting off, Naoki couldn't help but count the number of Pokémon.

"One, two, three... thirteen. Huh? Why is there one missing?"

Naoki paused, scratching his head in confusion. The Pokémon around him looked puzzled as well.

"Looks like we're short one Pokémon," he said, glancing around. 

The group began to look left and right, trying to recall who might still be missing. Finally, Minccino clapped its little paws, remembering the absent Pokémon.

"Squeak!" (It's that lazy Slakoth who loves to sleep!)

Minccino turned and scampered deeper into the orchard, with Naoki following close behind, instructing the Gogoat to wait for them.

Soon, they arrived at a small grassy patch nestled among the trees, where a snoozing Slakoth lay sprawled out, its fur tinted in patches from the berry it had eaten.

Naoki: "..." 

Minccino hurried over and began to gently shake Slakoth with its tiny paws. Slowly, the sleepy Slakoth cracked open one eye, looking drowsy and thoroughly uninterested in moving.

Minccino squeaked urgently, explaining why everyone was gathered, but Slakoth merely looked at Minccino in sleepy confusion, then let out a big yawn, its eyes drooping closed again.

Naoki sighed with a familiar sense of amusement. "He reminds me of the folks who always show up with an excuse to skip work."

The Minccino looked back at Naoki with a sigh.

Minccino was so excited about rebuilding its home that it barely gave the sleepy Slakoth another glance, darting back to Naoki with eager anticipation. Along the way, it began daydreaming about its future life—imagining a time when the forest trees would be tall and lush. It pictured itself selecting the biggest, tallest tree, carving a cozy little den, and stuffing it full of all the berries and fruits it could find until it was brimming with goodies!

When Minccino and Naoki returned, Naoki was surprised to see a large gathering of Pokémon from the ranch. Pawmot, Dragonite, Alcremie, Cyclizar, Glaceon, Gogoats, Butterfree, the Indeedee siblings, and others had all gathered, eager to join the reforestation effort. Floating gracefully above them, the King of Bountiful Harvests hovered, its regal form seeming to inspire the other Pokémon.

Catching Naoki's eye, the King of Bountiful Harvests spoke in a calm, gentle tone, "I promised to assist you in the restoration process. I am here to keep that promise."

Naoki smiled gratefully. "Thank you! Let's get started."

With tools in hand, Naoki and the assembled Pokémon began their journey to the scorched back mountain, ready to breathe life back into the land.

...

Meanwhile, in the Pokémon Rescue Center in Kosaji Town, the Paldea League was also organizing an ecological restoration project. The previous forest fire had caused a huge stir, prompting the League to assign forest rangers and skilled planters from across Paldea to assist in the restoration. Even the Champion, Geeta, was there—not only overseeing the Alliance's efforts but also personally visiting the Pokémon affected by the fire.

Nearby, Nurse Joy watched the Champion with admiration and said to Officer Jenny, "Geeta has such an approachable side! It's inspiring."

Officer Jenny nodded, recalling stories from League staff about Geeta's unwavering dedication. Despite her packed schedule, the Champion was known to dash off to her next duty with a Crystal Bloom tangled in her hair, completely unaware as she focused on her responsibilities.

But now, here she was, fully present, tending to the aftermath of the fire with compassion. Officer Jenny nodded. "Yes, she truly is a reliable Champion."

At that moment, Officer Jenny's intercom crackled to life. After a quick exchange, she looked up and addressed everyone, "The forest rangers are ready. It's time for us to head out!"

Geeta heard the announcement, straightened up, and casually placed her hands behind her back, preparing to join the group.

The nearby Alliance staff, taken by surprise, quickly stood at attention, saluting, "Ch-Chief Champion!"

Geeta smiled reassuringly. "I'll be joining you all to take a look. No need to be nervous—just pretend I'm not here."

Alliance staff: "Y-Yes, ma'am!"

Geeta gave a slight smile. "Alright then, let's go!"

...

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