Scyther waved its arms once more, standing tall now that its injury was healed. The tension in its stance rexed slightly as it gnced around at the cherry trees it had cut down during its stay. It appeared regretful, realizing the trouble it had caused to the humans who had shown it ued kindness.

  “Pah, pah, pah!”

  Anna’s cheerful g broke the silehe little girl’s i joy was iious, but Elif remained flicted. Though relieved that the Scyther was leaving, he couldn't help but feel a pang ret for the damage to his cherry trees, which he had nurtured with so much effort.

  Scyther looked at Naoki for a long moment before turning away. Without another word, it spread its wings and took off, gliding smoothly over the orchard.

  “Goodbye, Scyther!” Anna called out, waving her small hahusiastically.

  Naoki and Koraidon stood by, watg the se with quiet satisfa. Elif, now visibly more at ease, turo Naoki with gratitude in his voice.

  “This wouldn’t have been possible without you, Naoki,” Elif said early. “e inside for a while. I’ll bring you some fresh cherries from the batch I picked a few days ago.”

  Naoki, realizing he had no pressing matters, agreed and followed Elif through the orchard to his home, with Koraidon lumbering amiably beside him.

  Beyond the cherry orchard, a cozy two-story wooden house came into view. The structure exuded warmth and simplicity, with several logs stacked ly outside and an axe embedded in a chopping bloearby.

  Inside, Naoki was greeted warmly by Elif’s wife, Mana, who immediately poured him a cup of tea a a pte ht red cherries oable. She even brought out a Pokémon snack for Koraidon.

  “Thank you very much!” Naoki said, bowing slightly.

  Mana waved off his thanks with a kind smile. “You’re always wele here. Please make yourself at home. Living alone on the ranch must get lonely sometimes, doesn’t it?”

  Naoki shook his head lightly, smiling. “Not at all. I have plenty of Pokémon to keep me pany, and they make sure life is anything but dull.”

  Mana nodded with uanding, then excused herself to go upstairs and attend to some tasks. Meanwhile, Elif and Anna sat together on the sofa, with Anna’s attention fixed on Koraidon.

  Squatting on the floor, she stared in awe as Koraidon munched on cherries. “Big brother,” she asked eagerly, “this Pokémon is so cool! What’s its name?”

  Naoki chuckled. “That’s Koraidon. It’s a Dragon- and Fighting-type Pokémon.”

  “Wow! That’s amazing!” Anna excimed, her eyes sparkling. “Big brother, are you a Pokémon Trainer?”

  “Sort of,” Naoki admitted. “But my main job is running the ranch.”

  Anna turo her father and decred, “Dad, I want to bee a trainer as awesome as big brother someday!”

  Elif teased her gently, “Weren’t you just saying st week that you’d stay here in the cherry orchard with your parents forever?”

  Anna gasped, c her mouth as if caught in a lie. “That’s not what I said!” she protested, shaking her head.

  “Hahaha!” Elif ughed heartily, pulling her into a warm hug.

  Naoki smiled as he watched the pyful exge.

  A Mino diligently swept the stairs with its fluffy tail, while a Dachsbun dozed by the sofa, its slow, deep breaths a sign of its advanced age. Overhead, a Chatot perched on a mp, chirping occasionally, and an Araquanid rested in its er, its watery linting softly.

  Naoki’s gaze wao a framed photo hanging on the wall. It depicted Elif, Mana, and their two daughters posing happily alongside their Pokémon. The family’s joy alpable in the captured moment.

  The sight stirred something in Naoki’s heart. He recalled the times Zad Mayor Thomas had suggested that he should find a parto help run the ranch, take care of Pokémon together, and maybe even start a family. For a fleeting moment, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy.

  Family... The thought lingered. In his previous life, Naoki had been a cog in the mae of urban life, w tirelessly in a crete jungle. His meager earnings had barely covered the basics, let alone allowed for dreams of homeownership or marriage.

  In his previous life, Naoki often thought it would be fio live his life alone, avoiding the plications of marriage and family. He had vinced himself that solitude suited him.

  But now...

  Watg Anna’s cheerful antid her affeate bond with her father, Naoki found his long-held beliefs wavering. What if he had a child? The thought took root in his mind. What would it be like to share his life with someone who carried his legacy?

  If the child preferred staying close to home, he could teach her the ins and outs of running the ranch, imparting the skills o care for Pokémon and the nd. If she yearned for adventure, he’d entrust her with the offspring of his Dragonites—a newly hatched Dratini to apany her oravels.

  Elif caught Naoki’s gaze, following it to the family photo on the wall. His face softened with pride and warmth.

  “The two girls in the photo are my daughters,” Elif said, a hint of fondness in his tohe older one is Gina. She turen st year and started her journey as a Pokémon Trainer.”

  Naoki he name sounded familiar. Zack had mentioned her a few times st year.

  “You had quite the argument about that, didn’t you?” Naoki asked with a knowing smile.

  Elif chuckled, a bit sheepishly. “So you heard about that, huh? I didn’t wao leave so early. The world outside be dangerous. But Gina locked herself in her room and cried for days, insisting that she was ready.”

  “Why not enroll her in the Padia Academy?” Naoki asked curiously.

  Elif sighed, shaking his head. “Gina didn’t want to go. She thought she’d learn more by experieng the world herself than by sitting through b lessons.”

  “Ah, that expins it,” Naoki said, uanding Gina’s adventurous spirit.

  Their versation was interrupted by a sudden kno the door.

  Anna, ever the eager helper, sprang up from the sofa and ran to open it.

  When the door swung open, it wasn’t a human visitor standing there but the Scyther from earlier. It held a bundle of fruit in its scythe-like cws, looking almost apologetibsp;

  Both Naoki and Elif blinked in surprise, caught off guard by the Pokémon’s ued return.

  The Scyther stepped forward aly offered the fruit to Anna. Its as seemed deliberate, as though it was trying to vey a message.

  Anna’s face lit up with excitement. “Are these for me?” she asked, her voice full of wonder.

  Scyther nodded.

  Little Anna cheered in delight and rushed forward to hug Scyther around its waist.

  “Anna!” Elif’s voice rose, his heart nearly leaping into his throat.

  Scyther froze for a moment, startled, befng down at the little girl. While it was visibly flustered by the sudden hug, it made no threatening moves, remaining calm.

  Anna, oblivious to her father’s ay, beamed up at the Scyther. She thought it was incredibly cool—its sleek frame, sharp scythes, and the way it carried itself.

  Having seen her sister capture Pokémon before, Anated only briefly before asking, her eyes sparkling with anticipation, “Scyther, will you be my Pokémon?”

  Both Naoki and Elif stood stunned, processing the ued question.

  Scyther tilted its head, looking at the small human before it. Remembering the damage it had caused to the cherry orchard and feeling the girl’s genuine affe and kindness, its icy demeanor softened. After a brief pause, it nodded.

  “Scythe!” it called out with determination, signaling its agreement. It had decided to stay and work to repay the damage it had caused to the orchard.

  “Yay!” Anna cheered, spinning iement before turning to her father. “Dad, I caught a Pokémon! Now I’m a Trainer like Gina!”

  Elif’s jaw hung open, his expression caught somewhere between shod disbelief.

  Naoki, however, took the situation in stride. Pokémon had always been magical creatures capable of f deep es with humans. He smiled warmly and said, “gratutions, Anna! Scyther is a strong and skilled Pokémon. It’s great at cutting and clearing things—it’ll be a big help.”

  Anna nodded seriously, puffing out her chest. “From today on, chopping wood is Scyther’s and my job! That way, Dad take a break!”

  Scyther gave a firm nod of agreement. “Scythe!”

  Elif clutched his chest, looking dazed. “Naoki... is this really happening?”

  Naoki chuckled, his voice calm and reassuring. “It seems Scyther feels bad for cutting down your cherry trees earlier. Stayio help must be its way of making amends.”

  Elif sighed, a small, wry smile appearing on his face. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

  Scyther wasted no time proving its capabilities. It followed Anna outside, heading straight for the woodpile. With two precise fshes of its scythes, a single log was sliced into perfectly even firewood, ready for use.

  Elif’s eyes widened as he watched, his mouth falling open in astonishment. “Wow… that’s incredible!”

  Scyther tinued w tirelessly, its movements swift and effit. Within moments, the entire pile of wood had beely chopped, leaving only a few stray chips on the ground. Despite its efforts, Scyther’s breathing grew heavy, and beads of sweat formed on its brow.

  Seeing this, Anna rushed bato the house. A few moments ter, she returned carrying a gss of water and a tissue. Standing oiptoes, she gently offered the water to Scyther before using the tissue to dab away its sweat.

  Scyther, uo such tereatment, was visibly moved. Its bond with Anna grew stronger, its trust itle girl solidifying.

  Watg the pair, Naoki turo Elif with a satisfied smile. “Looks like everything worked out.”

  Elif nodded, a mix of gratitude and astonishment on his face as he watched Scyther and Anna i.

  From that day forward, Scyther became a part of the cherry orchard, staying to help with various tasks as a way of repaying its debt.

  Before leaving, Naoki and Koraidon were invited into the house. As a gesture of thanks, Elif handed Naoki several bottles of cherry wine and a rge bag of fresh cherries, expressing his heartfelt gratitude.