Not Being a Trainer This Time

Before hanging up, Teddiursa glanced again at the two beautiful Treasure Pearls in Naoki’s hand.

They belonged to someone else; even if Naoki liked them, he wouldn’t seize them by force...

Teddiursa thought carefully and then patted its chest, promising: ”Naoki, next time I’ll definitely find even prettier Treasure Pearls to give to you!”

Naoki: ”...”

He had no doubts about Teddiursa’s treasure-hunting abilities; with Pickup ability + Super Luck + Ho-oh’s Divine Blessing, even if it someday brought back an Origin Creation Plate of Arceus, it wouldn’t be surprising.

But he was still moved by Teddiursa’s sentiment.

Naoki nodded, saying: ”Hmm, I believe in you.”

Teddiursa’s eyes brightened immediately, a happy expression appeared on its face, and it nodded vigorously: ”Hmm!”

Naoki took a deep breath and began saying goodbye to the Heroic Expedition Team:

”Alright, I won’t disturb you any longer. I need to go replenish supplies for Zapdos now. Do you have anything you’d like to eat? I’ll prepare it for you, then have Zapdos bring it over.”

Teddiursa wanted honey pudding and honey candy.

Mew wanted Pokeblock and Poffin.

Naoki nodded: ”Alright, no problem; I’ll go make them now!”

After hanging up the phone, Naoki asked Zapdos if it wanted anything to eat.

However, the proud Zapdos raised its head arrogantly, indicating it wasn’t hungry.

The next moment, Naoki heard the rumbling sound from Zapdos’ stomach.

Naoki: ”...”

Zapdos bristled.

So Naoki pretended he hadn’t seen anything, turned around, and went back to his room to start making delicious food for Mew and Teddiursa.

Meanwhile, Mewtwo on the World Tree suddenly received a friend request.

It clicked open, rather surprised. When it saw the avatar of Teddiursa, Mew, and Zapdos, Mewtwo understood, then accepted the friend request.

The next second, a video call came through.

Mewtwo pressed to answer.

Immediately, the faces of Teddiursa and Mew appeared on the screen.

The two Pokemons excitedly greeted it.

”Mewtwo! You’ve reached the World Tree, haven’t you? Do you like it there?” Mew asked happily.

Seeing Mew’s adorable form floating to and fro on the screen, Mewtwo’s heart softened.

It nodded lightly, replying: ”Yes, here is the paradise we’ve been searching for all along.”

”That’s great!” Mew nodded excitedly: ”Once we finish the commission here, we’ll return, and then I’ll take you to play at the secret base of the Heroic Expedition Team!”

Mewtwo: ”Okay.”

It paused and then asked: ”Are you still traveling around like before?”

Mew responded with a nod: ”That’s right! There are still many Pokemons in this world that need help!”

Upon hearing this, Mewtwo felt a bit perplexed and puzzled: ”Why do you want to help other Pokemons?”

Is it because doing so brings a sense of fulfillment?

Or is it to receive thanks and gifts from those Pokemons?

Yet Mew’s answer surprised it.

”Because they need help!”

What? Mewtwo was slightly taken aback, was it just because those Pokemons needed help?

At this moment, Teddiursa beside added: ”That’s right! We want to make friends with everyone and invite them to the World Tree, so everyone can live together forever!”

”Playing together on the grassland every day, picking Berries together, sleeping in tree holes together, never feeling lonely and isolated, just imagining it is so blissful!”

”Blissful...” Mewtwo repeated these two words softly.

What is bliss? And what does bliss feel like?

Old worries ended, and new worries came.

After finishing the communication with Mew and Teddiursa, Mewtwo opened the search engine on the Rotom Phone, and typed in human words.

—What is bliss?

Soon, relevant answers popped up on the webpage.

[Bliss is a longer-term sense of life satisfaction, a joy that arises when individual needs are met, and a stable mood hoping to maintain the current state. It’s a state of mind, an experience, and even a lifestyle.]

Satisfaction with life... hoping to maintain the current stable mood...

Is it satisfied with this current peaceful life? Mewtwo asked itself.

Mewtwo’s mind conjured up images of the life on the World Tree in recent days.

Collaborating with Cloned Pokemons to cultivate fields, plant crops, harvest Berries, sleeping together on rocks...

Here, no humans want to harm them, no Team Rocket pursuing them, and no fear of hunger, war.

At this moment, perhaps it is blissful, Mewtwo thought.

*

Approaching noon, Naoki finished making the food Mew and Teddiursa wanted.

He packed the honey pudding, soft honey candy, Poffin, and Pokeblock into Zapdos’ spatial satchel around its neck.

He stopped only when the space inside was stuffed full.

In addition, Naoki specially prepared a pack of Pokeblock catering to Electric Type Pokemon flavors for Zapdos.

Finally, Naoki checked the Poke Balls inside the spatial satchel, discovering that recently Mew and Bear-type Pokemon hadn’t used them to invite new companions to the World Tree.

Perhaps because they’ve been busy searching for Jirachi’s wishes?

Naoki put things in place, then stroked the slightly prickly feathers of Zapdos, saying: