Not Being a Trainer This Time

Since it’s a secret of the Paldea Region, it’s not proper for them to continue probing.

However, speaking of which, Koraidon’s appearance bears some resemblance to Cyclizar, maybe there’s some connection between them?

Not only Professor Oak, but Gary also had a vague premonition in his heart.

Because he sensed a mysterious and terrifying aura from this Pokemon.

This feeling... it’s exactly the same as when he encountered that armored mysterious Pokemon in the Viridian Gym challenge before.

*

At sunset, Professor Oak led the children to take tents out of the Space Backpack, setting up a temporary campsite on a piece of open ground in the ranch.

Having played with the Pokemon all day in the ranch, the children were a bit tired.

Thinking back on today’s activities, it felt like a dream!

Spending the afternoon with the Legendary Pokemon, delivering goods with Dragonite, playing on Snorlax’s belly, helping Wooloo with shearing, attending guests with Gholdengo in the Pokemon Tavern, and playing hide and seek with Ogerpon...

As the moon rose in the sky and the night enveloped the earth with the bright galaxy shimmering, the exhausted children soon fell asleep.

Professor Oak and Gary helped a boy cover himself with a blanket, and before leaving the tent, they heard the boy mumbling in his sleep.

”It’s so nice to have Pokemon...”

Professor Oak was slightly taken aback, then exchanged smiles with Gary, and silently left the tent.

Not far away, Naoki was sitting by the river with his Pokemon, folding paper boats and placing them into the water reflecting the fireflies.

And on the river’s surface, a Pokemon shaped like a star was floating.

It was... the Mythical Pokemon Jirachi that is said to awaken once every thousand years?!

Professor Oak and Gary walked forward in astonishment, looking incredulously at the Jirachi.

But soon, Professor Oak seemed to think of something and asked in shock:

”Is this Jirachi the same one Ash encountered before?!”

Professor Oak clearly remembered that last year, when Ash was traveling in the Hoenn Region, he met a Jirachi.

Later, Ash contacted him via video call to inform him that Mr. Naoki had helped Jirachi, so it wouldn’t have to sleep for another thousand years.

”Yes.” Naoki nodded, continuing to place small boats into the river, the paper boats drifting away with the current.

”But...” reflecting on Jirachi’s ecological habits, Professor Oak incredulously asked, ”How did you do it? Isn’t it known that Jirachi only awakens once every thousand years?”

In the past, sightings of Jirachi were recorded, but they would often fall back into a millennium sleep seven days after waking, which is widely known.

Professor Oak’s first reaction was that the legend was somehow mistaken, as no human can live a thousand years...

”How should I put it?” Naoki looked at his hand and said to Professor Oak, ”Maybe it’s that incredible power within me!”

”Is it that Power of Cooking?” Professor Oak recalled Naoki mentioning it before.

Reportedly, if Naoki infuses his energy and intent into his cooking while preparing food, the resulting dishes could have magical effects.

Similar to those mystical abilities like the Power of Viridian, Dragon Power, and Aura.

Naoki nodded: ”That’s right, at the time, I was hoping that Jirachi wouldn’t have to sleep again, and maybe my thoughts resonated with the Power of Cooking, making the creation allow Jirachi to not have to sleep for a thousand years.”

Professor Oak was utterly shocked.

Beside him, Gary muttered: ”Does that mean, if Mr. Naoki is around, all the Jirachi in the world wouldn’t have to sleep again?”

”No, it’s not like that.” Naoki shook his head: ”Creating Magical Cuisine not only depends on that power of mine but also on the mood, thoughts, and wishes at that time. Only when all these sentiments are intense can the cuisine have such magical effects.”

”On the contrary, without the right conditions, it’ll just be a regular meal, and since then I’ve tried, but I haven’t been able to create a second dish like it.”

Upon hearing this, Professor Oak murmured: ”That doesn’t quite seem like the Power of Cooking, rather more like your Inner Focus.”

”Inner Focus?” Gary looked at Professor Oak, puzzled.

Naoki was also a bit surprised.

”Yes, Inner Focus.” Professor Oak nodded: ”The inner self, emotions, intentions can all serve as energy, certain specific Pokemon can even manifest them as moves.”

”I’ve done some research before, but humans clearly can’t do such things; however, Naoki, what you described is very similar to that power, maybe you are the one in a million who can manifest your Inner Focus.” Professor Oak said seriously.

Naoki:”...”

He wasn’t expecting that a word he made up would lead Professor Oak to draw this conclusion.

But the more he thought about it, maybe Professor Oak wasn’t entirely wrong?

After all, in this idealistic Pokemon World, anything can become a source of power.

Bonds, emotions...

Ash’s Greninja evolved into that unique form precisely because of the bonds between them, didn’t it?

”I really didn’t expect that such a thing would exist in this world...” Professor Oak muttered.

A researcher once proposed a theory that humans are also a type of Pokemon.

Maybe Naoki is that special ”Pokemon”?

Meanwhile, Gary looked at the little boats floating in the river and couldn’t help but ask, ”What is Mr. Naoki doing?”

Before Naoki could answer, the Jirachi in front of him happily said, ”Jirachi and Naoki are making a wish!”

”A wish?” Gary was slightly taken aback.

Jirachi gently nodded, ”That’s right! Naoki said that there was once a terrible fire here, and many Pokemon lost their lives in it.”

”So Jirachi, Naoki, and Indeedee folded many little boats and wrote what we wanted to say on them.”

”Maybe they can float close to those Pokemon, offering blessings so that they can be reborn as happy Pokemon in the next life!”

Naoki looked helpless.

Actually, these were stories Jirachi heard from Ho-oh on the World Tree.

Ho-oh roamed the world, seeing and hearing many things, and when it took a rest on the branches of the World Tree, Jirachi liked to listen to its tales of the world.

As for releasing paper boats into the river, Naoki wasn’t quite sure which place’s tradition this was from.

Upon hearing this, combined with what he saw today, Gary gradually understood Ash’s desire to become friends with every Pokemon in the world.

Thinking of this, Gary gently stepped forward, picked up a piece of paper from beside Naoki, and folded a crude paper boat.

”In that case, let me join you in making wishes for those Pokemon!”

Jirachi’s face blossomed with a smile, ”Sounds great!”

Professor Oak stood nearby, revealing a smile of deep emotion.

Reflecting on a few years ago, Gary was completely different back then, and through these years of travel, he has slowly started to grow up!

*

At the same time, in a mysterious dimension filled with an aura of desolation.

Arceus, with its eyes tightly shut, suddenly twitched its eyelids.

An immense and terrifying energy spread outward from it.

The energy was so strong that it caused violent tremors throughout the dimension!

For this divine being, there is no doubt that this is a sign of awakening.

The massive energy shockwaves continued to spread to more distant dimensions.

Soon, a blue dimension and a pale purple dimension were affected, leading to intense collisions.

In an instant, the beings residing within these two dimensions opened their eyes.

With the collision of these two distinct dimensions, the two beings who should never meet clashed fiercely in a mysterious dimension.

In a flash, time seemed frozen, and space became solidified.

Sinnoh Region, Alamos Town.

Atop two elegantly shaped towers that looked like musical instruments.

A Mew and a Teddiursa curiously gazed at this bustling town built upon a cliff.