Naoki discovered that the World Tree, which had mutated from the Grass-type energy of his Gogoat, was incredibly unique. Uhe legendary World Tree in the Kantion, this one had araordinary ability to perform photosynthesis and provide sunlight to its internal areas.

  Its interior was a self-tained spa intricate Pokémon ecosystem simutor. The World Tree could replicate external enviros within itself and ihem with vitality and energy.

  For instahe sea that Calyrex had transferred to the World Tree was now flowing with life, as the tree ied natural energy into it, making it vibrant and dynamic.

  Standing onite Isnd, Naoki surveyed the surrounding waters. This otherworldly space sparked a cascade of ideas for his steps.

  With the abundance of water resources, Naoki envisiourning this area into a haven not just fonites but also for Water-type Pokémon like Corso, Luvdisd Starmie. He could create a thriving aquatic ecological zone.

  “If only I could get in touch with Groudon and Kyogre,” Naoki mused wistfully.

  He imagihe possibilities: Kyogre, the legendary ruler of the seas, could bring endless vitality to the waters by creating new o currents. Partnered with the World Tree’s life-giving energy, it could make the sea an even more vibrant ecosystem. Meanwhile, Groudon, the legendary master of nd and magma, could shape a fiery ecosystem. Its presence could create a haven for Fire, Rock, and Ground-type Pokémoered around va flows and rugged terrain.

  But Naoki khe odds of tag those two were slim. Moreroudon and Kyogre’s legendary rivalry was infamous. If both were to inhabit the same space, chaos would surely ensue.

  Shaking off the ambitious thought, Naoki refocused on his immediate priorities. With Dragonite Isnd successfully relocated, the step was stog the waters with fish to sustain the Dragonites.

  The ranch hadn’t ventured into aquaculture yet, so it couldn’t supply fish directly. Naoki decided to head to town and sult Zack.

  It was March—a time when the World Tree needed ripening. After bidding farewell to the Dragonites, Naoki took the World Tree elevator to leave the realm. Driving his pickup truck, he made his way to the bustling marketp Kosaji Town, where he found Zack.

  When Naoki expined his pn, Zack raised an eyebrow in surprise.

  “Fish? Are you starting a fish farm?” he asked.

  Naoki nodded. “Sort of. But it’s not for ercial farming. The fish are meant to feed the Dragonites, so I don’t need aquation, just pin fish.”

  “Got it!” Zack chuckled knowingly. He was familiar with the Dragonite delivery team from Naoki’s ranch. “Leave it to me. I’ll tact the nearby fish hatchery this afternoon.”

  Naoki handed Zack two s of rock salt harvested from the ranch as a token of appreciation. “Thanks for helping out. I didn’t want to trouble you for nothing.”

  Zack grinned and handed Naoki a bag of ripe cherries iurn. “Here, these cherries are fresh from the Elif Cherry Orchard—big, sweet, and perfect for the Cyclizar to sna!”

  Spring was in full bloom, and the cherries from Elif Orchard were renowned for their size and sweetness, a delicacy of Kosaji Town.

  Naoki thanked Zad headed back to the ranch. Upon arrival, he found Calyrex and Koraidon waiting for him by the ke at the heart of the ranch.

  Together, they ventured into the Reverse World, where Calyrex used its immense power to help the World Tree grow.

  The moment, the colossal World Tree in front of Naoki began to radiate a brilliant green light. The leaves on its swayed gently in the breeze, creating a soothing rustling sound that echoed through the surroundings.

  At the same time, within the World Tree itself, Kelly and the Pokémon w at the stru site paused as they noticed the ge. They gazed upward in amazement at the leaves glowing softly above their heads. The light seemed to resohrough the surroundiation, which began to grow even more lush and vibrant.

  In the orchard, the Treecko trio had just harvested a batch of fruit and were preparing to transport it to the ste areas with Tropius. Before they could leave, a shimmering green light enveloped the entire orchard.

  To their astonishment, the fruit trees began produg new fruit at a speed visible to the naked eye. In mere moments, the oy branches were heavy again with ripe, sweet fruit.

  “Treeeck!” one of the Treeckos excimed, startled by the miraculous sight. In its surprise, the leaf it had been using to carry fruit slipped from its grasp, sending a cascade of berries rolling to the ground.

  Areecko stared at the orchard in disbelief, murmuring, “Treeck…” (There’s too much fruit—we ’t eat it all!)

  Arboliva, who was nearby, observed the se calmly. Uhe shocked Treeckos, it was used to such wonders.

  Turning to the others, Arboliva suggested gently, “Oliv, Oliv~” (If there’s too much, why don’t we share it with the Dragonites?)

  Tropius and Milotic immediately agreed with the idea, nodding their approval.

  Meanwhile, the Dragohat Arboliva mentioned were also witnessing the ges brought about by the World Tree. onite Isnd, the gathered Dragonites gazed up at the sky, watg as the green light bathed their surroundings.

  Some looked around in fusion, sensing that something was subtly ging.

  Curious to iigate, a particurly bold Dragonite dove into the glowing waters with a loud spsh, disappearih the surface.

  As it swam deeper, it noticed the seabed undergoing an incredible transformation. The barren uer terrain had been repced by patches of vibrant seaweed, lush kelp forests, and stunning coral reefs.

  “Woo!” the Dragonite excimed in amazement. It grabbed a strand of kelp with its chubby cws and surfaced to show its panions.

  The other Dragonites quickly gathered to examihe kelp, their excitement growing as they realized the profound ges taking p their aquatie.

  ...

  Outside the World Tree, the glowing leaves began to dim, signaling the end of the process.

  Naoki turned his gaze back to the World Tree. Information about the tree appeared in his mind:

  [World Tree (Mature Stage): The World Tree is thriving and nearing the end of its growth phase. It is transitioning into a new life form, capable of sustaining aire ecosystem and nourishing all life within it using natural energy.

  Estimated time to full maturity: 27,198 years.]

  Naoki let out a low whistle. “Shortened by another 10,000 years. At this rate, it’ll be fully matured in ahree months.”

  It was Marow, which meant by Juhe World Tree would reach its final growth stage.

  Turning to Calyrex, Naoki smiled gratefully. “Thank you for all your hard work.”

  Calyrex offered a warm smile iurn and looked up at the t tree. “I sensed something unusual ihe World Tree during the ripening. You should iigate—it feels different from before.”

  “Different?” Naoki asked, intrigued. “What kind of ge?”

  Calyrex shook its head. “I ’t be certain, but the energy inside has definitely shifted.”

  Nodding thoughtfully, Naoki decided to take a closer look.

  Apanied by a group of Pokémon, Naoki ehe World Tree and took the elevator tonite Isnd.

  Naoki was greeted by an ued sight. On the beaches surrounding the isnd, groups onites were pying with seaweed, corals, and kelp. Some clumsily tahemselves irands, while others proudly showed off their findings to their friends.

  Naoki blinked in fusion. “Where did they get seaweed and coral? There wasn’t anything like that here before.”

  He g Calyrex, who followed close behind. Calyrex tilted its head and responded, “I didn’t move these. They must have appeared naturally.”

  Naoki’s curiosity deepened. “In that case, I o see for myself.”

  Without hesitatio his jacket aside and dove into the water.

  Seeing Naoki pluo the sea, the Dragonites pahey immediately assumed that Naoki had fallen in and sprang into a. With spshes and roars of determination, several Dragonites dove in after him.

  Before Naoki could figure out what was happening, several Dragonites came up behind him. One of them grabbed him with its two chubby cws and tried t him out of the sea.

  Naoki: “?”

  Through his dragon power, he quickly sehe thoughts in the Dragonite's mind.

  Naoki sighed internally, finding himself once again surprised by the Dragonites’ instincts. Wild Dragonites, known for their kis, often rescued humans who fell into the sea. It was no wonder ships crossing the o often used Dragonite imagery as a symbol of good fortune and prote.

  He gently patted the Dragonite’s arm, using his dragon power to vey his thoughts.

  [I didn’t fall into the water—I came down on purpose to see what’s ged beh the surface.]

  The Dragoilted its head in fusion and examined Naoki closely. Seeing that he was indeed uninjured and not struggling, the Dragonite looses grip with a soft grunt of uanding.

  [Do you know what happened down here?] Naoki asked, hoping the Dragonite could provide some insight.

  Since his own Dragonite and the other delivery team members were out w, Naoki decided to seek answers from the Dragonites currently living in the World Tree.

  Hearing Naoki’s question, the Dragonite perked up, happy to help. It grasped Naoki firmly yet gently and swam with him to the seabed, where other Dragonites followed closely.

  Pointing at the lush seaweed and vibrant algae swaying with the o currents, the Dragonite excimed, “Awoo!” (These just started growing!)

  Naoki’s eyes widened in amazement. The seabed, once barren, was now teeming with life. Long strands of green seaweed danced with the water’s rhythm, and a vibrant coral reef glimmered in the distance.

  “What in the world…?” Naoki muttered, his voice muffled uer.

  Could it be that when Calyrex ripehe World Tree, its powers had merged with the seawater, creating a self-sustaining uer ecosystem? The timing and transformation seemed too perfect to be a ce.

  “That must be it,” Naoki thought. His mind raced with wo the sheer capability of the World Tree.

  The realization filled him with awe. This was more than he had ever anticipated—the World Tree wasn’t just an ecosystem; it was alive and evolving in ways that defied logic.

  However, Naoki’s lungs burned from the effort of holding his breath. Relutly, he gestured for the Dragoo take him back to the surface.

  Breaking through the water’s surfaaoki inhaled deeply, sav the fresh air. Exhausted, he flopped onto the sandy shore onite Isnd, allowing himself a moment to recover.

  A group of curious Dragonites gathered around him, their rge, expressive eyes peering down with .

  “I’m fine,” Naoki assured them with a chuckle, brushing off their worries. “I just held my breath too long.”

  One of the Dragonites lowered its head, nuzzling him affeately. Naoki smiled and stroked its smooth forehead, earning a happy cry of “Awoo~!”

  After resting a bit, Naoki stood up and approached Calyrex and Koraidon, who had been patiently from the shore. Turning to the Dragonites, he spoke with a warm smile.

  “The sea has fully merged with the World Tree. From now on, you live here peacefully without worry.”

  The Dragonites erupted into joyous cries of “Awooo~!”

  Naoki looked around Dragonite Isnd, searg for open spaces that could be cultivated into farmnd. He envisioned creating a fruit orchard there, allowing the Dragoo beore self-suffit.

  By summoning rain to water the crops and using dragon energy to nourish them, Naoki believed Dragonite Isnd could quickly transform into a paradise for its inhabitants.

  It didn’t take long for Naoki to find a suitable piece of nd. He decided that once Zack delivered the fish, he would bring saplings and enlist Dugtrio to help establish the orchard for the Dragonites.

  Having sorted out the ges with the Dragonite Isnd, Naoki turned his attention to the Expedition Guild.

  Waving goodbye to the Dragonites, he stepped into the World Tree Elevator and asded to the top floor.

  Upon arriving, Naoki was greeted by the sight of Treecko carrying rge piles of berries, clearly on a mission.

  Surprised, he stopped them and asked, “Where are you going?”

  “Treeck!” one of the Treecko chirped.

  The nearby Calyrex, standing serenely, transted for Naoki. “They said the orchard has produced so much fruit that they couldn’t possibly eat it all. Everee holes are full. They want to share these fruits with the Dragonites.”

  Naoki blinked in surprise. While he khe fruit trees in the orchard had an unusually high yield, this level of abundance was ued.

  “Well, go ahead! The Dragonites are on the isnd now,” he enced.

  “Treeck~” the Treecko responded happily and waddled off with their fruits, taking the World Tree Elevator to the floor.

  Naoki, curious about the ges in this area, decided to take a closer look.

  As he wandered, he observed that while the vegetation had beore vibrant and lush, the ges weren’t as dramatic as those onite Isnd. heless, the enhanatural atmosphere gave the area a soothing and lively vibe.

  He paused to greet Machamp, who was busy with stru work. From their versation, Naoki learned about the extraordinary phehat had occurred earlier.

  "Champ" “The trees above emitted a brilliant glow, and the grass began growing rapidly,” Machamp expined. "Champ" “Even the fruit trees in the orchard were produg fruit at an incredible rate.”

  Hearing this, Naoki raised an eyebrow. Fruit trees bearing fruit like crazy?

  Intrigued, he tinued his exploration, heading toward the orchard with his Pokémon. When he arrived, the sight before him left him speechless.

  The orchard was bursting with fruit—trees den with plump, juicy berries, their branches sagging uhe weight.

  Nearby, Arboliva was tending to the fruit trees, its grassy energy flowily into the soil. Upon notig Naoki, it stopped and greeted him warmly.

  “Arboliva, are these fruits freshly harvested?” Naoki asked, still stunned.

  Arboliva nodded and began expining the ret events. When Calyrex had enhahe World Tree, the orchard had been affected as well. The trees had produced fruit so rapidly that the Treecko couldn’t keep up with the harvest.

  "Oliv" “Every time they picked a batch,” Arboliva expined, “another batch would immediately grow to repce it. This went on for several rounds before the trees finally stopped. The poor Treecko were exhausted.”

  Arboliva led Naoki to see where the harvested fruits were stored. They arrived at a massive tree with hollowed-out ses ag as makeshift ste spaces.

  The sight was astonishing. The tree holes were filled to the brim with fruit, with some even spilling onto the grass below.

  “…”

  Naoki finally uood why the Treecko had been giving fruit to the Dragohere was simply too much to eat.

  “Don’t worry; the warehouse will be pleted soon. O’s ready, we won’t have to worry about running out of ste space.”

  stru rogressing rapidly. With Machamp and other Pokémon lending their strength, the warehouse was nearing pletion. O was fihe team would move on to building the guild headquarters and additional facilities for Pokémon.

  "Oliv~," Arboliva nodded gently, pleased with the progress.

  Having finally figured out the ges happening within the World Tree, Naoki sighed with relief. Everything was heading in a positive dire.

  Before leaving, Naoki decided to visit the ke where Milotid other Water-type Pokémon resided.

  When he arrived, Milotic was gracefully swimming across the seres movements as fluid as the water itself. On the shore, three Tatsugiri basked zily in the sunlight, enjoying the safety and tranquility of the World Tree, free from worries of being captured or threatened.

  Meanwhile, Slowpoke y on the shoreline, gazing bnkly at the water, pletely lost in thought.

  Seeing the rexed atmosphere, Naoki couldn't help but chuckle. He approached Slowpoke aly lifted it us arms, holding it up.

  Slowpoke didn’t react at all.

  Naoki shook his head in amusement, then turo greet Milotid the others. “How are things? Are you getting used to living here?”

  “Wooo~,” Milotic trilled melodiously, its tone brimming with te. It loved the idyllid peaceful enviro of the World Tree.

  Naoki smiled, happy to hear that.

  Nearby, the tiny Tatsugiri were boung pyfully, trying their best to cataoki’s attention.

  “Tats!” they chirped enthusiastically.

  Naoki crouched down and asked with a smile, “And how about you three? Are you enjoying it here?”

  “Tatsu, Tasts!” The Tatsugiri jumped with even more energy, their excitement clear.

  Calyrex, the iion, transted casually, “They’re saying they want to bee the managers of a sushi restaurant and work hard to run it.”

  Naoki blinked in disbelief. “What? You want to manage a sushi restaurant?”

  “Tats!” The Tatsugiri nodded eagerly, their enthusiasm unwavering.

  Naoki stared at them for a moment before joking, “Well, you’d better be careful not to stand too close to the sushi. Someone might mistake you for actual sushi a you.”

  The Tatsugiri, particurly the e-yellow one resembling a piece of salmon nigiri, shook their heads vigorously. “Tatsu, Tats!” they cried, clearly armed by the idea.

  Naoki ughed. “Alright, we’ll sort out the details when the sushi restaurant opens. For now, enjoy yourselves.”

  Turning his attention back to Slowpoke, Naoki noticed that the Pokémon still hadn’t reacted to being picked up earlier. After what felt like ay, Slowpoke finally turs head toward Naoki—but it did so at an agonizingly slow pace. Its dull eyes seemed to stare straight through him.

  “Stupid?” Slowpoke muttered.

  Naoki repeated the sound, “Stay?”

  Slowpoke said nothing further, simply maintaining its bnk stare.

  “…”

  Naoki sighed. He had the distinct impression that if he remaiill, Slowpoke would tiaring at him for days on end.

  He reached out and gave its curly ear a light rub, earning ion.

  When thinking about Slowpoke, Naoki couldn’t help but pos two unique evolutionary paths—Slowbro and Slowking.

  Unlike most Pokémon, Slowpoke required a partner Pokémon, Shellder, to evolve.

  When a Shellder bites Slowpoke’s tail, the two Pokémon form a symbiotic retionship, resulting in Slowpoke evolving into Slowbro.

  However, if the Shellder bites Slowpoke’s head instead—and a special item called the King’s Rock is involved—Slowpoke evolves into Slowking.

  As its name suggests, Slowking is sidered the "king" of the Slowpoke evolutionary line. Research ducted by Pokémon schors has revealed that Slowking possesses an incredibly high level of intelligence, parable to the world’s most brilliant stists.

  Thinking of this, Naoki felt a flicker of inspiration.

  He had always wao hire a highly intelligent Pokémon to help manage a shop at the World Tree. He’d even issued a request to the Hero Expeditioo find a suitable Pokemon for the task. However, there has been no success in log one so far.

  That brought him to Slowpoke. Could he assist this Slowpoke in evolving into a Slowking a take on the role he had envisioned?

  However, evolving Slowpoke into Slowking required two key elements: Shellder and the King’s Roeither of these was currently avaible at the ranch.

  After some thought, Naoki decided he would searlio see if anyone was selling a King’s Rock. As for Shellder, it would be much simpler—he just o take Slowpoke to the coast, where Shellder naturally lived. One would surely e along and plete the evolution process.

  ...

  That afternoon, Zack called with good news: he had secured a deal with a fish breeding base.

  After hanging up, Naoki met Zack at the base, located south of Kosaji Town. There, he purchased several types of fishes, including sea bass, yellow croaker, and saury, iing in a sustainable food source fonite Isnd.

  , Naoki visited the local seed store, where he bought a variety of fruit tree saplings.

  With his supplies ready, Naoki returo the ranch, gathered the Dugtrio and Calyrex, and made his way tonite Isnd.

  The tasks ahead felt manageable thanks to the Dugtrio’s expertise. It had worked with Naoki on simir projects before, and after he marked the designated area, the Dugtrio immediately got to work. Using its remarkable digging abilities, it transformed the empty plot into fertile farmnd.

  As the Dugtrio dug, several Dragonites gathered nearby, curiously watg their progress.

  Meanwhile, Naoki mounted his own Dragonite and began releasing the fish into the sea, ensuring they were evenly distributed throughout the water.

  Ohat was done, Naoki approached the elder Dragonite and the giant Dragonite, who had taken on leadership roles within the group.

  “I’ve just released fish fry into the sea,” Naoki expined. “It won’t be long before they grow, and you’ll have plenty of fish to eat here.”

  The elder Drago out a pleased rumble, and the giant Dragonite s gratitude.

  Naoki smiled but added a word of caution. “However, you must be patient. Dohe fish before they’ve had time to grow. If you deplete the popution too soon, there won’t be enough fish to sustain the ecosystem.”

  The elder Dragonite, with its wisdom and experienodded solemnly. It uood the importanaintaining bance, as even in the wild, Dragonites avoided catg small, juvenile fish to eure abundance.

  “I’ll leave it to you to expin this to the others and keep an eye on things,” Naoki said.

  “Awoo!” The elder Dragonite nodded firmly, agreeing to the responsibility.

  With the aquatic part of the ecosystem set up, Naoki turned his focus to the orchard. By the time he returo the cleared farmnd, the Dugtrio had already fis work. They squeaked excitedly, clearly proud of their efforts, while the gathered Dragonites observed with wide-eyed fasation.

  Without wasting time, Naoki teamed up with Cyclizar and Koraidon to pnt the fruit tree saplings in the freshly dug plots. The Dragonites, inspired by Naoki’s dedication, even began to help by gently patting the soil around the saplings with their cws.

  The final step in the process beloo Calyrex.

  Uhe watchful eyes of the gathered Dragonites, Calyrex gracefully floated forward.

  As Calyrex raised its right hand, a brilliant light spread across the orchard. The fruit saplings began to grow at a rapid pace, their transformation v wasisible to all. Within moments, the barren plot had bee a lush orchard filled with fruit-den trees.

  The Dragoood in stunned sileheir wide eyes refleg admiration for Calyrex.

  "This Pokémon is incredible!" their expressions seemed to say.

  Calyrex, aced to such reas, simply smiled modestly and stepped back to stand beside Naoki.

  “All right,” Naoki said with a warm smile. “Now you pick fruits from these trees whenever you like.”

  “Awoo~!” the Dragonites chorused joyfully.

  They hadn’t imagined fruit trees could grow so quickly. To them, this was nothing short of a miracle.

  Naoki stayed onite Isnd for a while longer, watg as the Dragonites adapted to their new orchard. They flitted from tree to tree, pig fruits and sharing them with the younger Dragonairs and Dratini.

  The sight warmed Naoki’s heart. It art onite’s nature to care for their young, a habit that persisted even after they reached adulthood. The harmony and affe withiribe made Dragonite seem even more endearing to Naoki.

  pared to the intimidating Hydreigon from a neighb region, the Dragonite family was the epitome of warmth and friendliness. Their chubby paws, round bodies, and big, soulful eyes made them look like living embodiments of joy.

  Before leaving the World Tree, Naoki asked the Drago some berries to Giratina outside.

  Though puzzled, the Dragonites plied. Eae carried a bundle of berries in its arms and flew to the Flower Sky Isnd, where Giratina resided.

  Giratina greeted them with a satisfied growl, clearly pleased by their thoughtfulness.

  “Good, my little brothers,” Giratina rumbled, its tone brimming with pride. “From now on, you’ll be under my prote.”

  Watg from below, Naoki smiled. With Giratina watg over them, he no longer o worry about his Dragonite employees entering danger during deliveries.

  March 15, Alliance dar Year 200

  That m, Naoki sat at his desk, browsing the i for information about the King’s Rock, the rare item o evolve Slowpoke into Slowking.

  Acc to online sources, the King’s Rock was a symbolic item of great power, frequently in high demand. It was said to be crucial not only for evolving Slowpoke into Slowking but also for evolving Poliwhirl into Politoed.

  Despite its popurity, the King’s Rock was rarely avaible for sale and was often snapped up as soon as it appeared on the market.

  Naoki sighed as his search yielded s. Uerred, he opened his Rotom Phone and typed “King’s Rock” into the search bar of an online shopping app.

  Unfortunately, no listings appeared.

  Just then, a video call notification popped up. The caller ID read Geeta.

  Naoki blinked in surprise. “Why is Geeta calling me?” he muttered, before pressing the answer button.

  Geeta’s smiling face appeared on the s. “Long time no see, Naoki! How have you been?”

  “Pretty good,” Naoki replied, though he couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t a casual call. “What’s going on?”

  Geeta chuckled. “You know me too well. I do have something to ask.”

  Naoki groaned internally. “Of course,” he thought. “Here it es.”

  Geeta tinued, “I months, several Champion-level trainers have joihe Paldea League. As you know, it’s challenging to make signifit progress once you’ve reached this level.”

  Naoki raised an eyebrow. “And?”

  “So,” Geeta said with a grin, “I’ve reended your ranch as a training ground for them. They might e to challenge you soon. Take good care of them, will you?”

  Naoki: “…”

  Naoki couldn’t help but grumble, “I feel like I’m w for the Paldea Allian some i way… and without any sary to boot.”

  “Oh, don’t say that!” Geeta replied with a ugh. “If you ever need anything, you always ask the Paldea Alliance!”

  She tinued, her tone lighthearted but sincere, “Even though you’re not officially part of the Paldea Alliance, everyone here already siders you one of us. You’ve earhe niame ‘The Extraordinary Champion’ among the members.”

  Having grown familiar with Geeta’s ways, Naoki decided to skip the pleasantries.

  “All right then, help me find a King’s Rock, and I’ll gdly wele those champion-level trainers!” he decred fidently.

  Geeta raised an eyebrow in surprise. “A King’s rock? Isn’t that the item used to evolve Poliwhirl into Politoed?”

  Naoki nodded. “Yes, but I’m looking for it to evolve a Slowpoke on my ranto a Slowking.”

  “Ah, I see,” Geeta respohoughtfully. “All right, it’s a deal! I’ll track down a King’s Rock for you, and you’ll hahose trainers.”

  “Deal!” Naoki replied, already thinking ahead.

  Champion-level trainers, huh?

  The trials on his ranch had gained some popurity retly. For those ied, it wasn’t hard to find strategies oailing how to clear them.

  For example, to beat the Green Grass Trial, you just o send out a Pokémon with a type advantage against Gogoat, let it build up its power, and deliver a decisive blow to secure victory.

  For champion-level trainers, this wouldn’t be much of a challenge. After all, every champion had earheir rank through tless battles, mastering the ability to adapt and devise strategies. They only needed oempt to figure out the meics of the trial and overe it.

  But Naoki wasn’t worried. Even if someone mao clear the Green Grass Trial, they would still have to face the A Double Trail with Koraidon and Flutter Mahat awaited them ier challenges.

  After the call ended, Geeta wasted no time and tacted Larry.

  It didn’t take long for the call to ect. With a cheerful tone, Geeta greeted him, “Larry, I’ve got a new assig for you! plete this task, and I’ll grant you three days of paid vacation.”

  Meanwhile, in Mesagoza, just outside the gates of Paldea Academy…

  A teenager, no older than fifteen or sixteen, was staring ily at a special mission issued by the Chief Champion.

  [Mission: Travel to Naoki’s Ran Kosaji Town and plete at least orial. Rewards will be issued by the Paldea Alliance based on your performance.]

  The boy’s name was Miguel, and he had only been promoted to champion-level trainer in the Paldea League a week ago.

  Since his promotion, he hadn’t been assigned any special tasks—until now.

  Looking at the mission, Miguel’s brow furrowed in fusion.

  “Naoki’s Ranch? What kind of pce is that?” he muttered to himself. “A trial at some ran the tryside?”

  The young trainer, who had achieved the prestigious rank of champion at just sixteen, couldn’t help but feel a mix of curiosity and skepticism.

  Despite his initial doubts, Miguel decided to accept the mission a off for Naoki’s Ranch.

  At that moment, Miguel’s Rotom Phone buzzed again.

  When he ope, he saw it was a message from a friend asking what he to.

  Miguel didn’t hesitate and replied holy, expining that he’d received a mission to participate in a trial at a ranch.

  Almost immediately, he received a string of excmation marks in response.

  [Jasper: Naoki’s Ranch?!?]

  [Miguel: Yes, do you know about it?]

  [Jasper: Of course! You’ve been traveling, so you probably haven’t been keeping up with the school forums. That pce is super famous!]

  Along with the message, Jasper sent a forum link. Curious, Miguel clicked on it, and bold text immediately caught his attention.

  "The Hidden Boss of Campus Legend"

  "Hidden Boss?" Miguel frowned and tinued reading.

  [Every trainer in the Paldea region must know this: challenging all gyms, earning every badge, and even being the Paldea League Champio necessarily mark the end of your journey.

  Legend has it that somewhere in Paldea, there exists a mysterious and powerful trainer. Only by challenging aing this individual you truly cim the title of the strorainer in the region.]

  The article revealed that the so-called "Hidden Boss" of Paldea was her than Naoki, the ranch owner of Naoki’s Ranch.

  Acc to the post, Naoki was a mysterious and formidable champion-level trainer with over 20 years of travel experience. His extetle expertise and incredible strength were the stuff of legend.

  After retiring from petitive battling, Naoki returo his hometown of Kosaji, where he started a rand created trials for passing traio challehese trials were desigo hoheir battle skills and provide invaluable experience.

  The trials included:

  The Green Grass Trial featuring Gogoat. The Lightning Trial featuring Pawmot. The Storm Trial featuring Dragonite.

  Additionally, there was even a "Metrorial" to test the luck of the challengers.

  The more Miguel read, the more serious his expression became.

  This rancher was clearly no ordinary rancher.

  The post detailed some of the trials:

  The Green Grass Trial featured a Gogoat that could manipute Grassy Terrain to heal itself while simultaneously preventing the oppo from utilizing the field's bes. Its powerful Vine Whip teique resembled a massive python strig its prey, and its Sacred Sword attack was described as devastating.

  The Lightning Trial showcased a Pawmot that not only wielded electrical power but also had a surprising ability—it could fly. Using a hammer-like tool charged with electricity, it could strike oppos from ued angles or even send currents through the hammer for devastating rear attacks.

  The Storm Trial involved a Dragonite capable of summoning massive typhoons. Trainers faced this challenge under extreme stormy weather ditions while Dragonite unleashed a barrage of thunderous attacks. The storm enhahe accuracy of its Thunder move, making it almost impossible to avoid. Even Pokémon with high-level durability risked being overwhelmed.

  Miguel’s face grew more serious as he tinued reading. He immediately decided to avoid the Storm Trial—it was a clear mismatch for his team. His stro Pokémon, a Venusaur, was Grass/Poison, making it particurly vulnerable tonite’s powerful Thunder and flying moves.

  That left the Green Grass Trial and the Lightning Trial.

  After weighing his options, Miguel felt both seemed manageable. Venusaur’s Poison-typing gave it an advantage over the pure Grass-type Gogoat, while its natural resistao Electric moves made it a good ter for Pawmot.

  Additionally, Venusaur’s ability to el lightning into the ground through its vines gave it an edge agairic-type oppos.

  After some deliberation, Miguel made his choice.

  “I’ll take on the Lightning Trial,” he thought fidently. “I’ve trained Venusaur specifically to handle Electric-types, so I’m 70% sure we win.”

  The stakes were high. Geeta herself had stated that any trainer who successfully pleted a trial would receive a generous reward from the Paldea Alliance.

  Being rewarded by the Chief Champion—the most respected figure in the Paldea region—was an huel could not ignore.