Pokemon: A New Path

681

The first pages contained background information on the book's author.

Below the biography was an old photo: Heath standing beside the man who funded the expedition.

Another image showed the team preparing to descend into the crater.

Naoki noticed some pages were illustrated with black-and-white photographs, while others included hand-drawn sketches.

He continued reading.

A photo from the second day's rest stop caught Naoki's attention. It showed strange symbols etched into the ground.

Another caption described the terrain.

A pencil sketch followed.

But then, the tone of the entries grew darker.

A blurred photo, taken in haste, came next.

Naoki instantly recognized the Pokémon in the photo.

It was Great Tusk, the Paradox form of Donphan.

"So Paradox Pokémon already existed during Heath's time?"

Even Naoki, who had traveled through time, wasn't entirely sure.

He kept flipping through the pages and came across a section describing the Herba Mystica.

This rare herb grew only within Area Zero and could instantly restore a person's energy when consumed.

Heath's exploration team had attempted to bring the herbs back and cultivate them across Paldea, but the wild Pokémon along the way had devoured most of the samples.

Those Pokémon that ate the Herba Mystica grew incredibly strong.

With that, the Scarlet Book came to an end. Still, there was no mention of the Disk Pokémon that Briar had spoken of.

So what exactly was it? Could it be Terapagos?

As Naoki pondered the mystery, a familiar fluttering sound drew his attention.

"Fuyii~!"

A Butterfree had flown over, wings shimmering in the summer light.

Naoki blinked out of his thoughts. "What is it, Butterfree?"

Butterfree flapped its wings again and turned, gesturing toward the far edge of the ranch. "Fuyii!"

Following its gaze, Naoki spotted a man in the distance.

He was wearing a sleek black suit, his silver hair neatly combed, with a handsome, refined expression.

Naoki's eyes narrowed slightly. Was that Steven Stone?

Steven stood at the ranch gate, taking in the peaceful landscape. It had been years since he had last visited this place.

He recalled the masked figure he had met at the ancient ruins. The one who had warned him of the danger looming over Hoenn, and the cryptic words that had stuck with him ever since.

His curiosity had never waned.

After parting ways with Alain, Lysandre, and Manon that day, Steven had traveled to the Paldea region to learn more. Eventually, he arrived at Kosaji Town, drawn to this quiet ranch.

While Steven reminisced, Naoki approached with a calm, knowing smile.

Once they were close enough to speak, Steven greeted him respectfully. "It's been a while, Mr. Naoki."

Naoki could already guess why Steven had come.

"It has indeed," Naoki said with a smile. "Come in. I'll make you some tea."

"I appreciate it."

They walked into the house and sat together on the living room sofa. Naoki's Indeedee was busy caring for Elara and the Larvesta, so it was elder Indeedee who prepared the tea.

Steven glanced toward the nearby crib and noticed a small baby sleeping peacefully inside.

He couldn't help but smile at the sight.

The last time he met Naoki, the man had been alone. Now, he was a father.

"She's adorable," Steven said warmly, referring to the baby girl in the crib.

Naoki beamed with pride. "Of course she is!"

Steven gave a soft chuckle and then suddenly froze.

He felt three intense gazes burning into his back.

Turning around sharply, he saw three enormous Pokémon sitting on a thick carpet behind the sofa, watching him silently.

One had a flowing mane of fiery red and a majestic presence. Another moved with the elegance of the northern wind, graceful and poised. The third wore a serious expression, and jagged lightning-like patterns ran across its glossy fur.

Steven was stunned.

"Are they…?"

"What?" Naoki followed his gaze and smiled. "Oh, you mean them? That's Raikou, Suicune, and Entei. They're helping me take care of Elara here at the ranch."

Raikou, Entei, and Suicune?

Hearing those names, Steven's mind raced with the old stories he'd once read.

Long ago in the Johto region, it was said that three Pokémon had perished in a fire at the Bell Tower. Their souls, lost to the flames, were brought back to life by Ho-Oh—reborn as Entei, Raikou, and Suicune.

Wait a second...

Did that mean the three Pokémon in front of him were the actual legendary beasts? Just like Naoki's Zapdos?

As that realization settled in, Steven's thoughts spun in all directions. His heart twisted with a mix of awe and disbelief.

Legendary Pokémon... babysitting?

That was just too much to process.

"Please, have a seat."

Naoki's voice snapped Steven out of his daze. Realizing he'd been staring, Steven quickly shifted his gaze away from the three legendary Pokémon and took a seat on the nearby sofa.

Once settled, he looked across at Naoki, his expression turning serious.

"The mysterious figure who appeared at the ruins in Hoenn that day... was that you?"