Pokemon: A New Path

On May 27, League Calendar Year 201, Professor Oak's summer camp group officially arrived in the Paldea region.

After a long series of exhausting transfers, they finally made it to Naoki's ranch around two o'clock in the afternoon.

Naoki stood at the entrance of the ranch, surrounded by his Pokémon companions, Koraidon and Cyclizar, ready to welcome them.

From a distance, he could see Professor Oak approaching, surrounded by seven or eight young children, all around five or six years old, their faces brimming with curiosity and excitement.

But as Naoki's eyes drifted to the figure walking beside Professor Oak, he froze for a second.

'Was that... Gary?'

While Naoki was still in a slight daze, Professor Oak stepped forward, beaming, and extended his hand.

"Long time no see, Naoki!"

Snapping back to reality, Naoki returned the smile and shook his hand. "Long time no see, Professor Oak. How have you been?"

"Busy, as always," Professor Oak chuckled warmly. "But otherwise doing quite well!"

While the two chatted, Gary stood nearby, quietly observing the ranch that his grandfather had spoken so highly of.

But when he took a closer look, he too was stunned.

Neat, orderly farmland stretched across the landscape. Towering barns rose in the distance, surrounded by thriving orchards. Herds of Miltank grazed peacefully under the afternoon sun.

This... was a ranch?

This wasn't some famous research facility or Dragon Sanctuary, it was just a peaceful, humble ranch. Gary hadn't expected that.

His gaze, however, quickly shifted toward the Pokémon standing proudly around Naoki.

One Pokémon had scarlet scales, a sturdy, muscular frame, and what looked like a motorcycle tire embedded in its chest.

Another was dark green, sleek, and lizard-like, also with a strange tire structure at its core.

Gary blinked, utterly baffled.

He had never seen Pokémon like these before. Not even in the Pokédex.

His heart stirred with excitement.

Meanwhile, Naoki had finished greeting Professor Oak.

Taking a step back, Professor Oak turned to the group of eager children dressed in shorts, t-shirts, and sun hats, and said with a smile:

"Everyone, this is Naoki Ranch, our destination for the summer camp! We'll be staying here for the next three days. This young man is Mr. Naoki, the owner of this ranch."

Hearing this, the children's eyes widened in wonder as they all turned their attention to Naoki.

"Hello, Mr. Naoki!" a shy little girl called out.

"Whoa! Mr. Naoki, there are so many Pokémon here!" an energetic boy cried, staring in awe at Koraidon. "Are all these Pokémon yours? They look so cool!"

Naoki chuckled softly. He patted Koraidon's strong neck affectionately and nodded. "Yes. This is Koraidon, and beside it is Cyclizar. Come on, let's head inside."

"Stay together, everyone! Don't fall behind!" Professor Oak reminded cheerfully.

"Yes!" the children chimed in unison, their voices bubbling with excitement.

It was like stepping into a dream, so many incredible, unknown Pokémon all in one place!

Under Naoki's guidance, the children followed eagerly, wide-eyed, as they began their tour of the ranch.

Gary, now more composed, kept a sharp eye on everything. His earlier skepticism melted away, replaced by genuine curiosity. These Pokémon, these surroundings, they were unlike anything he had seen before.

He was very glad he'd agreed to come.

As they walked, a sudden commotion in the sky caught everyone's attention.

Several Dragonite were soaring gracefully overhead.

One of the children from Kanto, who recognized them instantly, pointed up and shouted excitedly:

"Look! It's Dragonite!"

Following the child's gaze, Gary looked up just in time to see a majestic flock of Dragonite descending slowly through the clear sky.

They circled once, then glided down, landing elegantly across the fields of the ranch.

The sight was breathtaking.

Gary: "!!!"

'So many Dragonite!'

Professor Oak smiled knowingly at his grandson, and that expression clearly said, 'See? I wasn't lying, was I?'

Before Gary could even process the overwhelming sight, another excited voice piped up among the children.

"Look! The Dragonite are carrying something on their backs!" a young boy shouted, pointing.

Naoki followed their gaze and chuckled warmly. "Those Dragonite are the delivery Pokémon for the ranch. The packages they're carrying are filled with fresh Moomoo Milk and crops that customers ordered."

"Huh?!"

"What?!"

Two exclamations rang out at the same time, one from the group of children and the other from Gary.

Naoki glanced over at Gary, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Realizing his slip, Gary coughed lightly to cover up his surprise and quickly asked, "You mean all those Dragonite are used for deliveries?"

"That's right," Naoki nodded casually. "They're busy making deliveries across the ranch."

"But..." Gary opened his mouth, but for once, words failed him.

Wasn't this a little too extravagant?

In Gary's mind, Dragonite were incredibly rare and powerful Pokémon, top-tier battlers blessed with immense strength and talent. They were supposed to be competing in tournaments, soaring through the skies, or battling in the Pokémon League, not delivering packages like flying couriers!

Naoki easily read the conflict written all over Gary's face.

He remembered the Gary of the past, the boy who once aimed to capture as many Pokémon as possible, believing that quantity and power defined a great Trainer. In the anime, Gary had caught over 200 Pokémon within less than a year, all in his pursuit of strength.

With a gentle smile, Naoki said, "A Rattata is a Pokémon. A Dragonite is a Pokémon. As long as they're happy, does it really matter what job they do?"

Gary blinked, momentarily taken aback.

Naoki's words stirred a memory deep inside him.

He recalled an argument he'd had with Ash back in the early days of their journey. Back then, Gary believed the more Pokémon he caught, the better he was as a Trainer, while Ash argued that building bonds with Pokémon was far more important than numbers or rarity.

Later, Gary had set his sights on capturing every Pokémon in the world, while Ash had dreamed of befriending Pokémon everywhere, regardless of strength or species.

Their grandfather, Professor Oak, had told them both: "There's no right or wrong, just different ways to treat Pokémon."

Thinking back to that, Gary, who had grown a lot calmer and more thoughtful over the years, nodded lightly. "I understand."

Seeing his grandson's mature reaction, Professor Oak beamed with pride and gave him a subtle nod of approval.

But just as he was about to speak again, something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. The ancient snail, ancient tripod deer, ancient jade fish and ancient sword leopard passing slowly.

His eyes were immediately drawn to the four mysterious Pokémon.

"Whoa! What are those Pokémon?!" Professor Oak gasped in astonishment.

"They're so beautiful!" one of the children exclaimed, especially captivated by the graceful Chien-Pao.

Naoki chuckled softly at their reactions and said, "Those Pokémon are known as the Treasures of Ruin, legendary Pokémon passed down from ancient times in the Paldea region."

"Legendary Pokémon?!" The children gasped in amazement, their eyes widening.

Gary, too, stood there in stunned silence.

Legendary Pokémon were exceedingly rare, far beyond the reach of most Trainers. Even seeing one in a lifetime was a dream many never realized, and yet here were four, casually roaming around the ranch like it was no big deal!

Naoki smiled and nodded. "That's right. But the story behind them... It's a bit complicated."

Seeing everyone's curiosity, he began to explain patiently.

"Long ago, during the time of the ancient Paldean empire, these Pokémon were created from the negative emotions and greed of humans. They were born from cursed objects, treasured artifacts that carried the malice and avarice of a fallen king."

"The Treasures of Ruin—Wo-Chien, Chien-Pao, Chi-Yu, and Ting-Lu—carried immense power. So much, in fact, that the ancient kingdom itself fell into ruin because of them. Fearing their strength, the king ordered them to be sealed away by emissaries of the legendary Pokémon."

"Centuries later, thanks to the efforts of an archaeologist, they were rediscovered and brought back into the world."

As Naoki spoke, the children listened with bated breath. When they heard how the power of the Treasures of Ruin had once nearly destroyed an entire kingdom, several of them shivered nervously.

A little girl wrinkled her brow and asked timidly, "Are they... dangerous?"

Another boy added, his voice full of worry, "If they stay here on the ranch, won't they cause destruction one day?"

Even Professor Oak and Gary turned their attention to Naoki, quietly awaiting his answer.

Naoki met their gazes calmly and shook his head.

"No," he said with a reassuring smile. "They're not evil by nature. They were simply overwhelmed by the malice of the king who once coveted their power."

"Now, here at the ranch, they've changed. They're no longer the Treasures of Ruin. Instead, we call them the Four Auspicious Treasures."

"Maybe it's because they were influenced by my wish to create a peaceful ranch," Naoki continued gently. "Their powers have adapted to match the environment and emotions around them."

He pointed at each Pokémon in turn as he explained:

"Wo-Chien, the ancient snail, now helps protect the farmland by preventing pests and ensuring healthy crops."

"Ting-Lu, the ancient tripod deer, blesses the soil, making it rich and fertile."

"Chi-Yu, the ancient jade fish, brings good luck and wards off bad fortune with its flames."

"And Chien-Pao, the ancient sword leopard, safeguards the ranch and its inhabitants, especially during winter storms."

Hearing this, Professor Oak's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Incredible," he murmured. "Legendary Pokémon whose powers change according to the emotions and desires of their Trainer. The bond between human and Pokémon truly is a force of nature."

Gary, meanwhile, furrowed his brow thoughtfully.

'If these Pokémon changed to match Naoki's peaceful heart, then what if they had been captured by a Trainer obsessed with battles? Would they have become ferocious warriors instead?'