Pokemon: A New Path

"You can observe them up close," Naoki said, smiling warmly at the wide-eyed children. "If they approve, you might even get to touch them!"

The children, full of pure innocence and genuine love for Pokémon, showed no trace of greed or malice. Letting Wo-Chien, Ting-Lu, Chi-Yu, and Chien-Pao interact with such pure emotions could only do them good.

Just like when they were once known as the Treasures of Ruin, feeding off the negativity and darkness within human hearts, now, as the Four Auspicious Treasures, perhaps they could draw strength from positive feelings too.

In any case, it would be harmless.

Hearing Naoki's words, the children's eyes lit up.

"Huh?"

"Really?"

"Of course," Naoki nodded reassuringly.

By now, the Four Treasures had also noticed the commotion.

Wo-Chien, the mossy snail, seemed utterly unconcerned. It slowly slithered to a shady spot, curled up beneath a tree, and promptly fell asleep, soft snores rising from its shell.

Ting-Lu stood tall and mighty, the heavy bronze cauldron on its back gleaming in the sunlight. Chi-Yu, the fiery goldfish, swam lazily in the air beside Ting-Lu's cauldron, its crimson body shimmering like molten lava. Meanwhile, Chien-Pao stood apart, its sleek snow-white fur catching the golden rays of the sun.

The children, slightly nervous but mostly excited, slowly approached.

"Wow, it's so big!" a little boy gasped, staring up in awe at Ting-Lu's massive frame. He grinned and introduced himself enthusiastically, "Hello, Ting-Lu! My name is Leo. Nice to meet you!"

Ting-Lu lowered its head, peering curiously at the boy. It felt the boy's pure-hearted excitement and admiration radiating from his clear, innocent eyes.

For a moment, Ting-Lu hesitated, stunned by the unfamiliar warmth filling its chest. Then, as if smiling, it gently lowered its massive head even further, inviting Leo to come closer.

Leo blinked, stunned by the invitation, before his face lit up with a huge grin. "Eh? Really?"

Encouraged, he reached out hesitantly to pat Ting-Lu's rugged forehead.

But just as his hand touched, something unexpected happened. Ting-Lu suddenly lifted its head!

Leo yelped in surprise as he was tossed into the air like a startled Magikarp, and then, in a surprisingly smooth arc, he landed right into the large bronze cauldron on Ting-Lu's back.

The other children gasped, watching in awe and envy as Leo sat inside the cauldron, laughing in amazement and peering around like he was on the best amusement park ride ever.

Meanwhile, Chi-Yu had gracefully slipped out of the cauldron without anyone noticing. It floated effortlessly in midair, moving as though swimming through invisible waters, its burning fins trailing gentle flames that danced in the breeze.

On the other side of the ranch, a small group of children had gathered around Chien-Pao.

Compared to the others, Chien-Pao looked exceptionally cute. Its sleek, snow-white fur sparkled under the sun, and the twin blades it bore along its body reflected the light like polished silver.

"So pretty!" a brave little girl exclaimed, her cheeks flushed with excitement. "Hello, Chien-Pao!"

She stepped forward and stretched out her hand, hoping to pet the graceful Pokémon.

But Chien-Pao had no interest in being petted. With an elegant leap, it sidestepped her approach, landing gracefully on a patch of grass a short distance away. Then, as if nothing had happened, it calmly began to groom itself, licking its delicate paw pads with a pink tongue in a very feline, dignified manner.

Several children gathered quietly around the napping Wo-Chien, curiously observing the mossy, ancient snail Pokémon.

Seeing this, Professor Oak and Gary couldn't hide their excitement either.

Without hesitation, Gary expertly pulled out his Rotom Phone, switched it to Pokédex mode, and pointed the camera at the Four Treasures, eager to look up their data.

A second later, the mechanical, emotionless voice of the Rotom Phone chimed:

"No data available. This is a newly discovered Pokémon."

As expected.

The Four Treasures—Wo-Chien, Ting-Lu, Chien-Pao, and Chi-Yu—were still completely unregistered.

Gary frowned slightly but quickly turned the camera toward another Pokémon that had caught his attention: the red, muscular, motorcycle-like Pokémon standing loyally beside Naoki.

However, once again, the Rotom Phone responded with the same electronic monotone:

"No data available. This is a newly discovered Pokémon."

Gary was stunned.

He put the Rotom Phone away and looked at Naoki in surprise. "Wait, are you saying that Pokémon, Koraidon, is also a completely undiscovered species?"

It was a rare occurrence. Even for Legendary Pokémon like Lugia, Groudon, and Kyogre, there were still at least old myths or legends recorded in the Pokédex.

Hearing Gary's question, Professor Oak turned his sharp gaze to Koraidon as well, his expression serious.

To be honest, the moment he had seen this strange red Pokémon, his curiosity had been piqued. He had wanted to ask about it immediately but had restrained himself out of respect for Naoki.

Now, he couldn't help but focus entirely on it.

Meanwhile, sensing everyone's stares, Koraidon tilted its head in confusion and let out a soft cry, "Ah, gah?"

Naoki smiled and reached out to gently pat Koraidon's head. The Pokémon immediately closed its eyes, leaning into his palm with a pleased rumble.

Seeing the trust and affection between them, the children and even Professor Oak softened their gazes.

Naoki glanced at them and said calmly, "Yes, Koraidon is also an undiscovered Pokémon. But its situation is a little different."

He paused for a moment, then continued seriously, "It's currently considered classified information by the Paldea League. I'm sorry, but I can't share any details about it publicly for the time being."

Professor Oak and Gary both showed understanding, though a hint of disappointment flashed in their eyes.

Naoki wasn't lying.

Koraidon's existence was deeply tied to the confidential research being conducted by Professor Sada and Professor Turo at Area Zero, concerning the Time Machine Project and Paradox Pokémon.

Although Professor Sada had discovered Koraidon long ago, its existence had been kept strictly secret from the outside world.

Koraidon's origins were deeply tied to the Time Machine project. If Naoki tried to explain anything about it, he would inevitably have to touch upon the secret research of the two professors in Area Zero.

"It's like that?" Professor Oak mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. From the look in Naoki's eyes, he could already piece together a rough idea.

There had been rumors for years about the two mysterious researchers in the Paldea region, scientists who never showed their faces and conducted confidential experiments in a hidden location.

Could this Pokémon, Koraidon, be related to those secret experiments?

Professor Oak couldn't help but speculate.

And it was likely that Naoki had signed a confidentiality agreement with either the Paldea League or the two researchers, forbidding him from disclosing anything.

Since it involved Paldea's secrets, it would be inappropriate to push any further.

Still, Professor Oak couldn't help but glance again at Koraidon, standing calmly at Naoki's side.

Now that he thought about it carefully, Koraidon did look quite similar to Cyclizar.

Was there a connection between them?

Not just Professor Oak, but even Gary could sense something unusual.

He had an instinctive feeling—a faint, mysterious pressure from Koraidon's presence. A feeling of awe, as if standing before something beyond ordinary comprehension.

This sensation…

It was the same eerie feeling he'd experienced once before, years ago at Viridian Gym, when he encountered that strange, armored Pokémon lurking deep within the Gym's forbidden area.

...

As the sun set and the sky was painted in brilliant streaks of gold and crimson, Professor Oak gathered the children at an open clearing on the ranch.

From their space backpacks, they took out their camping gear, and with guidance, began setting up a temporary camp.

After a full day spent exploring the ranch and bonding with Pokémon, the children were exhausted, though the excitement still danced in their eyes.

Looking back on everything they had experienced today felt almost like a dream.

Spending time with Legendary Pokémon. Napping on the soft, plush belly of a Snorlax. Helping Mareep get their wool sheared.

Receive guests in the Pokémon Tavern. Playing hide-and-seek with Greavard in the orchard.

It had been an unforgettable day.

As the moon climbed high into the star-speckled night sky, and the cool evening breeze gently blew across the grasslands, the children gradually fell asleep, worn out from the day's excitement.

Inside one of the larger tents, Professor Oak and Gary quietly helped tuck in a young boy, pulling the blanket up to his chin.

Before leaving, they paused by the entrance, smiling warmly when they heard the boy mumbling in his sleep:

"It's so nice... to have Pokémon..."

Professor Oak froze for a moment, then smiled even more gently. He exchanged a glance with Gary, pride and satisfaction shining in his eyes, before quietly stepping away.

...

Not far from the camp, near the calm riverside, Naoki sat quietly under the firefly-lit sky.

His Pokémon lounged around him peacefully.

In his hands, Naoki folded a small paper boat, his fingers moving deftly. When he finished, he placed the boat gently onto the surface of the river, where it bobbed and floated downstream, carried by the soft current.

The reflection of the fireflies in the water made the river shimmer like a dream.

And just above the river's surface, floating lightly like a star fallen from the heavens, was a small, delicate Pokémon.

Its tiny body glowed faintly under the moonlight, its long yellow head flaps swaying gently in the breeze.

It was…

Jirachi.

The Mythical Pokémon said to awaken only once every thousand years.

Professor Oak and Gary quickly stepped forward, their faces filled with astonishment as they stared at the floating Jirachi.