Naoki, after careful sideration, decided not to rush into crional delivery.

  As the popurity onite Express tio grow, he realized it would iably attract the attention of Pokémon hunters from ions. These hunters might pce fraudulent orders to lure Drago and then ambush and capture them in one fell swoop.

  pared to humans, Pokémoill i and trusting—this holds true even fendary Pokémon. The Pokémon world has seen tless examples where advaeology and ing strategies were used to capture these mighty beings.

  Lugia, the guardian of the seas; Celebi, the time traveler; Latios; the three Lake Guardians; Meloetta; Suie; even Dialga, the god of time, and Palkia, the god of space—each has been maniputed or captured in some way.

  With this in mind, Naoki replied to the many ers requesting crional delivery:

  [Naoki Ranch (Mert): I'm sorry, but at the moment, our delivery service is limited to the Paldea region. ions are simply too far, and I'm worried about the safety of the Dragonite delivery team.]

  As soon as this response osted, it quickly went viral on Pokémon forums, shared widely by izens.

  Many immediately uood Naoki's : the risk of Pokémon hunters. Dragonite, being rare and powerful, would naturally be a prime target for sudividuals.

  The i was abuzz with discussions. One user ented:

  "Every region has bck markets dealing in rare Pokémon. Naoki's caution makes perfect sense."

  Another, more skeptical user asked:

  "But doesn't the Paldea region have Pokémon huoo?"

  Before Naoki could reply, an ued defender spoke up:

  [Paldea Chief Champioa: That's right! Security in Paldea is exceptional, thanks to the hard work of the Paldea Pokémon League staff. We're itted to maintaining pea the region. Everyone is wele to travel ale here!]

  Geeta's response romptly shared, further boosting Paldea's reputation for safety.

  Naoki: "..."

  She wasn't wrong—the Pokémon League's tireless efforts kept Paldea remarkably secure. From Gym Leaders to League Champions, everyone worked overtime to ehe region's safety.

  Evea herself was often seen diving headfirst into emergency situations, whether it was resolving city crises or handling rogue Pokémon like the giant Dragohat entered Paldea's waters a few years ago.

  Still, Naoki khe importance of vigince. While Paldea might be safer than mions, he reminded himself of the old adage: "Trust, but verify."

  March 10, Year 200 of the Pokémon Alliance dar, 6:25 AM

  Naoki gathered all the dragonites on the grassy field.

  In total, there were eleven Dragonites employed for deliveries, plus Naoki's own personal Dragonite, bringing the t to twelve majestic Dragonites on the rand a newly hatched Dratini.

  Naoki's Dragoood beside him, with its arms folded, the group of hardw Dragonites and their Rotom partners assembled in front of them.

  Naoki cleared his throat and asked, "Ahem, has your work been going smoothly these days?"

  The Dragonites nodded enthusiastically, happily exg, "Awoo~!"

  For them, the tasks were simple and enjoyable. Their cheerful smiles made them look even more endearing. Naoki chuckled, reag out to pat their heads. "That's good to hear," he said warmly. "But today, I want to talk about something a little more serious."

  The Dragonites blinked curiously, tilting their heads as if to say, "Awo?" (What is it?)

  Naoki's expression grew serious. "I want to warn you about the dangers you might face while delivering goods. Humans, like Pokémon, have different personalities. Some are kied, like Mrs. Dantes in town, who bake cookies for you. But," he tinued, his tone darkening, "some humans have malicious iions. They might try to hurt you by using stronger Pokémon to overpower you, trap you is es, and sell you for a high price."

  The Dragonites collectively frowheir expressions filled with distaste for such people. But their frowns soon turned into determined scowls.

  The Big Brother Dragonite, fnked by its brothers, roared fidently: "Roar!" (If we meet those people, we'll teach them a lesson!)

  Naoki shook his head. "Don't uimate your enemies."

  "Awoo?" The Big Brother Dragoilted its head in fusion.

  Naoki turo his own Dragonite, using it as an example. "Think about this: if you only saw Dragonite before it trained, you might think it's just the same old silly Dragonite. But now, its strength has grown far beyond what it used to be. If you fought it now without knowing its true power, what do you think would happen?"

  Dragonite cheerfully chimed in with a pyful "Awoo~," raising its chubby paw. Naoki chuckled, squeezing it gently.

  The Big Brother Dragonite furrowed its brow, its expression shifting to one of deep thought. After a moment, its face hardened with resolve.

  "Do you uand now?" Naoki asked.

  "Awoooo!" The Dragonites nodded early, signifying that they uood the gravity of the situation.

  , Naoki addressed the Rotoms. "I'm ting on you to watch over the Dragonites. If aries to harm or capture them, tact me immediately. If you 't reach me, tact Calyrex iratina."

  The Rotoms buzzed in unison, pledging to do their part diligently.

  Naoki gave a satisfied nod. He had already secured promises from two legendary Pokémon. Both Calyrex and Giratina had assured him that they would intervene swiftly if alerted.

  Among them, Giratina articurly resolute.

  Giratina had assured Naoki, with its usual fidehat the Dragonites were now its "little brothers" and that it would take great care of them.

  "If anyone dares to bully them," Giratina decred boldly, "I'll follow the work signal straight to their hideout, take them down, and rescue the Dragonites myself!"

  Naoki was left pletely dumbfounded by Giratina's peculiar statement. It wasn't until Rotom on his phone piped up that he learhe truth: Giratina had been watg a Hollywood Pokémon gangster movie.

  Acc to Rotom, the movie followed the story of a loyal and fearless human who led his gang to front rivals, eventually being the undisputed king of all gangs worldwide.

  Giratina had been deeply inspired, vihat the protagonist's sense of loyalty and anding presence mirrored its own personality. It began imagining itself as the "boss" of Pokémon, leading a loyal band of followers.

  So, when Naoki asked for its help, Giratina didn't hesitate for a sed.

  Though it could be hot-tempered at times, Giratina was dependable when it came to keeping its promises. With both Giratina and Calyrex as safeguards, Naoki felt reassured. Should anyone dare tet Dragonite, Giratina would "run along the work cable," as it so dramatically put it, and make them pay.

  With the day off to a solid start, the Dragonites began their deliveries, carrying goods to ers uhe precise guidance of Rotom's navigation systems.

  Meanwhile, Naoki turned his attention to ing the house, joined by the Indeedee siblings.

  The ranch, bustling with Pokémon, ofte Naoki's home in a state of disarray. Toys were scattered everywhere, and muddy paw prints from the Pokémourning from outdoor py oftehe freshly ed floors a mess.

  As Naoki swept and mopped, the Eeveelutions darted around him, pying a game of tag. Wheurned around to admire his progress, his jaw dropped.

  A trail of muddy footprints crisscrossed the pristine floor he'd just ed.

  !!!

  "You little troublemakers! Look at this mess! Outside, all of you—go py in the pasture!" Naoki took a deep breath to calm himself before ushering the mischievous Eeveelutions out of the house.

  The Eeveelutions scampered off with pyful giggles, clearly unbothered by Naoki's scolding. Meanwhile, Flutter Mane, who had been rummaging in the fridge, gnced back at Naoki in fusion.

  "Flutter Mane," Naoki called out quickly, "not you. You don't mess up the floor. You stay."

  Flutter Mane rarely touched the ground, always floating gracefully in the air. It gave a soft, uanding hum and drifted back to its spot.

  "Fluu," Flutter Mane murmured, as serene as ever.

  Seeing Flutter Maaying put, Koraidon, who had been preparing to head outside, decided to remain indoors as well.

  Naoki raised an eyebrow at the big Pokémon, torween saying something and staying silent.

  "Raao?" Koraidon tilted its head, feigning innoce.

  Naoki sighed i. "Oh, fet it. Where's the Cyclizar?"

  Koraidon turs head and looked outside. "Raao?"

  It had just spotted Cyclizar and Ogerpon dashing off toward Snorx Park to py.

  Seeing this, Naoki sighed knowingly. "Go fetch them all for me," he said, addressing Koraidon. "It's bath day, and I'm not letting anyone skip it."

  "Raao!" Koraidon chirped in agreement before turning and bolting off to gather the others.

  By the time Naoki and the Indeedee siblings fiidying up the house, Koraidourned, apanied by a parade of Pokémon.

  Naoki headed to the bathroom, filling several basins with water. With so many Pokémon to , he had to wash them o a time.

  He started with the hairless Pokémon, as their ing process was quick: a simple rinse followed by a fragrant shampoo. Koraidon, Cyclizar, Gholdengo, and Ogerpon were all squeaky within five minutes.

  The furry Pokémon, however, required more attention. Their fur o be thhly washed and then dried to prevent colds. But with Slugma in the house, this was no problem at all.

  After each Eeveelution's bath, Naoki sent them to the firepce, where Slugma waited. The warmth radiating from its body served as a natural dryer, effitly evaporating the moisture from their fluffy coats.

  As the Eeveelutions gathered by the firepce, the cozy warmth made them visibly rexed. Some wagged their tails zily, and a few were already dozing off, their eyes half-closed. One Eeveelution sprawled on its back, its partially dried belly exposed.

  When Naoki stepped out of the bathroom and saw the se, he couldn't help but grin.

  A symphony of pyful cries of "Bu-yi! Bu-yi!" soon echoed through the room as Naoki joined in the fun, affeately pying with the fluffy group.

  .....

  Iernoon, after a hearty lunaoki felt thhly worn out from the m's work. The weather was good, with the sun casting a warm, golden glow.

  Taking advantage of the peaceful atmosphere, Naoki made his way to the Wooloo pen and stretched out on a grassy hill. The gentle breeze and soothing sunlight enveloped him like a cozy b.

  Lying there, Naoki let himself rex pletely. Time seemed to slow as he gazed at the endless blue sky above. Fluffy, cotton-like clouds drifted zily across the heavens, carried by the soft breeze.

  In that moment, surrounded by nature's tranquility, Naoki felt an unparalleled sense of peace.

  Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, with no endless overtime or heavy traffic to endure, Naoki's life now sisted of fertile farmnds, abundant orchards, soft grassy fields, and the panionship of adorable Pokémon.

  It felt like a dream.

  From the warm afternoon to the glowing su, Naoki reed peacefully, resting against the fluffy wool of a Wooloo, enjoying the breeze and the sunlight.

  During this tranquil time, he occasionally noticed the Dragonites returning from their deliveries, only to set off again. When the day's tasks were finally pleted and the store closed, the Dragonites received their daily treats from Indeedee, before preparing to return tonite Isnd with tent expressions.

  Watg them, Naoki suddenly felt a pang of . Traveling bad forth between Dragonite Isnd and the ranch every day seemed exhausting for these diligent Pokémon.

  After p for a moment, Naoki stood up and called out to the departing Dragonites.

  A rge group onites paused mid-flight and turo him with curious expressions. "Awoo?"

  Naoki smiled and said, "Oh, I almost fot something. The World Tree has fully grown now, and there's plenty of spaside for you all to live. Would you like to stay here instead? It'll make things much easier—you won't have to travel bad forth all the time."

  The Dragonites exged gheir i piqued. "Awoo?"

  They had heard of the World Tree, but it had been a long time sihey'd st visited it. Sensing their curiosity, Naoki decided to show them. He led them through the reverse world to the World Tree, allowing the Dragoo see its splendor firsthand.

  The moment they arrived, the Dragonites were visibly awestruck by the tranquil and lush surroundings. The tree's natural energy resonated with them deeply.

  "How about it?" Naoki asked, gesturing around. "Would you like to stay here? It's close to the ranch, and you'll have all this space to enjoy."

  Four of the Dragonites immediately nodded iement. They were the younger Dratini and Dragonair who often visited the ranch to py, already deeply fond of the area.

  Three additional Dragonites quickly nodded in agreement, their enthusiasm clear. The prospect of living closer to the ranch, with its f enviro and abundant resources, was far more appealing than making the long journey back tonite Isnd each day.

  However, the Big Brother Dragonite group, led by their eldest brother with the scarred face, hesitated. After a moment of ption, the eldest brother stepped forward and rumbled, "Awoo." (I think I'll return tonite Isnd.)

  Naoki nodded uandingly. "That's fiake your time to think about it. Whatever decision you make, I'll respect it."

  The eldest Dragonite was moved by Naoki's words. Over time, it had e to see why the others admired this human. Naoki wasn't just a skilled trainer; he genuinely cared for the Pokémon.

  Not only could he teach them advanced fighting teiques, but he also possessed the ability to harhe power ons to aid in their growth. Furthermore, he demonstrated genuine respect for their choices and took the time to sider their feelings, something that deeply resonated with the Dragonite.

  The Big Brother Dragonite g Naoki with a newfound seriousness. But before it could speak, it caught a sharp gre from the "stupid" Dragoanding nearby.

  Naoki's Dragonite puffed up its chest and growled protectively, "Awoo!" (Naoki is my trainer! You stay here, but don't even think about making him your trainer!)

  ...

  Let's go! If we hold our spot iop 5 this week, I'll drop 5 bonus chapters! But if we push into the Top 3, I'll go all out and release 10 bonus chapters!

  Keep those stones ing! ??

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