Pokemon: A New Path

In the evening, Naoki was awakened by the sound of howling wind. He opened his eyes to find that it was already five-fifty. The TV was still on, and the weather forecast was being broadcast.

The weather forecaster, dressed in an OL uniform and black-framed glasses, was delivering the forecast with a serious tone:

"Typhoon [Nuya] is expected to make landfall in Paldea at 3 a.m. tonight. Due to the impact of [Nuya], coastal areas can expect heavy rainfall over the next three days, accompanied by occasional strong winds. Citizens are advised to close doors and windows and prepare in advance."

Typhoon?

Naoki was momentarily stunned as he looked at the map on the screen. The nearby town, where his ranch was located, was right in the path of the typhoon, meaning his ranch would also be affected.

The orange glow of the setting sun filled the entire room, but outside, the sky was already a dark, foreboding gray.

Perhaps because they were tired, the Pokémon that had been playing outside had all returned indoors. Alcremie had hidden in a cupboard, Smoliv had curled up in a flowerpot, Pawmi was lying on the carpet by the door, yawning, and even Dragonite had returned to its Poké Ball.

Rainy days certainly had a way of making everyone sleepy.

Naoki stared out the window for a while, then yawned himself and turned to look at Koraidon, who was lying beside him. Being the largest of his Pokémon, Koraidon was a formidable presence—even in its quadrupedal form, its height exceeded that of the rocking chair Naoki was sitting in.

Koraidon was sleeping soundly, its eyes closed, eyelids occasionally twitching slightly, its chest rising and falling with each breath, and its large head drooping to one side.

'You know, at first, I thought Koraidon looked a bit strange,' Naoki mused, 'but after spending some time together, I've come to find it pretty cute.'

Naoki didn't want to disturb the peaceful atmosphere. The contrast between the howling wind outside and the warm, well-lit room made him feel safe and content. He watched Koraidon quietly for a moment, then reached out and gently touched its cheek.

Koraidon woke up instantly, its golden eyes snapping open, pupils narrowing as it momentarily looked alert. But as soon as it saw Naoki, it relaxed, yawning and looking sleepily at him.

"Ah, gah…" Koraidon murmured, still drowsy.

Naoki smiled and got up from the rocking chair. He picked up Pawmi from the carpet and carried it to the bed, then opened the door. The wind rushed in, cool and strong, and Naoki took a deep breath.

"It's going to rain soon," he murmured.

Koraidon stood up as well, shaking its head and regaining its energy.

Worried that the strong winds might damage the facilities on the ranch, Naoki decided to check on everything before cooking dinner. He put on his shoes, grabbed his Poké Balls, and headed to the chicken coop.

After some time, the chicks that had hatched from the eggs had learned how much to eat on their own. They no longer needed the artificial feeding system, and the hens could now be allowed to feed freely.

Naoki took out feed from the silo, filled the trough and water tank with chicken feed and drinking water, and carefully secured the doors and windows of the chicken coop. Satisfied that everything was in order, he left the coop and made his way to the salt house where the Nacli Pokémon lived.

Inside, the five Pokémon were stacked together, peering out the window with worried expressions. Ordinary Pokémon are naturally afraid of oppressive weather like this. The sheer power of nature can be terrifying.

Seeing their concern, Naoki gently suggested, "Why don't you all return to your Poké Balls for the night? There will be strong winds early in the morning. You can come back out once the weather clears up."

"Salt, salt!" The Nacli Pokémon had no objections. They were uneasy about the gloomy, windy, and rainy conditions, so they nodded and agreed without hesitation.

Next, Naoki headed to the sheepfold where his Skiddo were kept. The three lambs were lying there leisurely, munching on grass, seemingly unfazed by the approaching storm.

Naoki couldn't help but imagine the three Skiddo's facing the storm, holding leaf blades in their mouths, and somehow defeating the typhoon with one swing. The thought made him smile, though he quickly returned to reality, realizing that their current shelter—a simple fence with an awning that was open on all sides—wouldn't stand up to the force of a typhoon.

After a moment of thought, Naoki decided it would be best to put the Skiddo's back into their Poké Balls.

"You three don't want your wool to get soaked by the rain, do you?" Naoki asked. Seeing the Skiddo's nod in agreement, he continued, "Then come here and spend the night safely."

With the three Skiddo's safely in their Poké Balls, Naoki turned his attention to the beehive where the Combee lived. Knowing that the Combee wouldn't venture out to collect honey on rainy days, Naoki considered bringing them inside. However, the Combee seemed reluctant to leave their hive.

After thinking it over, Naoki realized that perhaps staying in their familiar beehive gave the Combee a greater sense of security. With this in mind, he squatted down to inspect the beehive's stability. The four legs of the hive were firmly anchored in the soil, so there was little worry about it being blown away by the typhoon.

Just then, the first drops of rain began to fall.

Seeing the rain start, Naoki left enough honey for the Combee to sustain themselves and quickly ran back to the shelter of the eaves. The wind was picking up, and the storm was about to begin in earnest. Safe under the eaves, Naoki took a moment to breathe and prepare for the long night ahead.

Butterfree had arrived early and was perched on its nest, watching over Naoki, who was drenched by the rain below.

"Mmm?" Butterfree hummed in concern.

Naoki grinned up at it. "It's okay, don't worry. Go ahead and get some rest for the night!"

"Mmmmm~" Butterfree responded, readily agreeing.

With the preparations for the approaching typhoon complete, Naoki breathed a sigh of relief and turned to start cooking dinner. But before he could step inside, he heard a puzzled sound from Butterfree: "Mee-ee?"

Naoki turned around and saw Mayor Thomas, clad in a raincoat, hurrying toward him.

Naoki was a bit surprised and quickly welcomed the mayor under the eaves. "Mayor Thomas, why are you here?"

Thomas, mindful of the mud on his feet, hesitated to go inside, not wanting to dirty the floor. He stood under the eaves, looking around the ranch as he caught his breath. "I won't go in. I just wanted to tell you that the typhoon is coming, and you need to be prepared. Make sure all the Pokémon and animals are indoors, lock the doors and windows, and secure the feed!"

He had seen the weather forecast at home and, knowing that Naoki had recently moved to the area, worried that he might not have much experience dealing with typhoons. So he rushed over to offer his advice.

Hearing Mayor Thomas' concern, Naoki felt touched. He smiled and nodded. "Don't worry, I've got everything ready!"

"That's good," Mayor Thomas said with relief. "I don't have anything else to add. Since you're prepared, I'll be on my way!"

With that, he released a Cyclizar from its Poké Ball, mounted it, and quickly rode off, leaving as hurriedly as he had arrived.

Naoki stood under the eaves, watching the old man disappear into the distance, and then shook his head slightly, filled with a sense of gratitude.

'They're all good people—whether Pokémon or humans,' he thought to himself.

There was Mayor Thomas, who looked out for him, Zack, who was always generous and open-minded, the warm and patient old ranch owner, and the diligent Kora.

Speaking of Zack, Naoki recalled that Zack was supposed to come by to collect goods today. However, with his Skiddo in a rest cycle and not enough rock salt from the Nacli, the only thing he had available to sell were the mushrooms growing in the cave at the back.

Thankfully, Naoki had been proactive that morning. He had already harvested the mushrooms and placed them in the shipping box.

Remembering this, Naoki checked the box and found the payment Zack had left behind. He pocketed the money, then went inside to start preparing dinner for everyone.

The rain outside grew heavier, forming a thick curtain of water. But inside the wooden house, a warm and peaceful atmosphere prevailed, a comforting contrast to the dark and stormy night outside.

...

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