The small pearl in Naoki's haed a beautiful silver glow. As he held it, he could almost imagine how Teddiursa and Mew had found it.

  Perhaps the pearl had e from a Pokémon that produced many pearls, eventually being washed ashore after years of being battered by the sea. On their adveeddiursa and Mew had stumbled upon it.

  Teddiursa, with its keen ability to pick up items, likely found the pearl's shimmer irresistible and decided to keep it. Uo speak human nguage, Teddiursa and Mew had found some paper aheir paw prints on it, using their muddy hands to create a message. Maybe it was Teddiursa's idea, pressing its tiny paw print onto the paper first. Mew, intrigued by the process, joined in, leaving its own mark.

  Afterward, they hahe paper and pearl to a friendly Pelipper they met during their journey, asking it to deliver the items to the ran Paldea.

  But Naoki uzzled. 'How did Pelipper know the exact location of the ranch?'

  After p for a while, he came th clusion. The Pokémon world operated on its own unique logic, much like the human world did. Just as city-dwelling cats form a vast, invisible work, sharing information among themselves, Pokémon had their own ways of unig and navigating.

  For instance, Clefairy gathering to dan full-moon nights, worshipping the moon as a deity, much like a human tribes, showed how Pokémon had their own rituals and es.

  "What a pity." Naoki mused. 'I should have bought a camera for Teddiursa before it left.'

  With a camera, Teddiursa could have captured moments from their adventure, sending pictures back to the ranch, allowing Naoki to share in their experiences.

  However, the pearl and postcard sent by Teddiursa reassured Naoki that their journey was going smoothly. With that in mind, he set aside most of his worries. He looked up at the sky, but Pelipper was already gone.

  He gazed at the pearl again, images of Mew and Teddiursa filling his mind. The Mew that Team Rocket had spent decades searg for had just entered his life so effortlessly. In the end, Team Rocket hadn't even found Mew, only disc its fossilized eyeshes, which they used to create Mewtwh geic teology.

  "I wonder how Giovanni would feel if he knew about this," Naoki thought with a wry smile.

  Sometimes, random thoughts take us far from our owy. Naoki chuckled at the idea of showing up at Viridian Gym with Teddiursa, Mew, Koraidon, and his Gogoat, just to see Giovanni's rea. He imagi would be priceless.

  Uher regions that struggle with security issues, Paldea didn't have any real evil anizations. Team Star was merely a group of students who had baogether to stand up against bullying.

  Still, Naoki appreciated the peaceful, stable life he had in Paldea.

  Ba his room, Naoki carefully pced the small pearl and the paw-printed postcard into a drawer, alongside the other items Teddiursa had accumuted.

  From the back of the room, Cyclizar's stomach growled loudly. It stood there, calling out "Ga-ao-ao" pitifully, much like a hungry child searg for its mother.

  But Cyclizar was still just a child itself, not even a year old yet.

  Naoki realized it was time to start preparing dinner.

  Tonight, Naoki po make pan-fried pork steaks, apanied by nutritious juid milk.

  He took the ingredients out of the refrigerator and began cooking.

  As the su pletely and darkness enveloped the ranch, tonight's dinner was finally ready.

  Naoki brought the steaming hot meal to the table, letting Cyclizar and the others start eating first. Meanwhile, he took a Pokémon snad a sandwid headed to the igloo at the back of the ranch.

  When he opehe door, a chill greeted him. G was resting on the Ice Stone, but its eyes immediately ope the sound of the door.

  Naoki pced the food in front of G, smiling warmly. "I wasn't sure what you like to eat, so I prepared these. Try them and see if they suit your taste."

  "Bu-yi." G was surprised by the gesture.

  It looked down at the unfamiliar food, w, 'Do the Pokémon here get food provided to them?'

  Naoki squatted beside G and introduced himself with a smile, "Let me formally introduce myself, G. I'm the owner of this ranch. The Pokémon you saw today all came from different pces to live here with me."

  "Providing food for the Pokémon on the ranch is part of my responsibility as a rancher, so don't hesitate to eat!"

  "Bu-yi." G blinked, hesitant to touch the food.

  To G, the human had already done so much—providing a safe pce to live and even proteg it from Frosss. It felt ied, even though it had dohing wrong. This made it difficult f to accept the food with a clear sce.

  As a healthy G, it could find food on its own.

  So, G shook its head slightly, "Bu-yi."

  Naoki was a bit surprised. "You don't want to eat?" he asked gently.

  G y back down on the Ice Stone.

  Naoki quickly uood what was going through G's mind and couldn't help but chuckle. "You know, all the fruits grown on this ranch belong to me. If you decide to go out in the middle of the night to pie fruit, it's not much different from me you this food nht?"

  "Bu-yi?!" G's eyes widened in surprise. 'What does he mean?'

  Naoki recalled how G had previously refused the milk, and it clicked—this G probably didn't like feeling ied to others.

  'How cute,' he thought, though he didn't say it out loud. He realized that G wasn't fully aware of its situation.

  G, filled with fusion, suddenly felt like it had fallen into a trap. But looking at the sincere expression on Naoki's face, it wasn't sure what to think.

  Naoki didn't expin further because he had a pn. He khat G, with all its questions, would eventually start asking the other Pokémon on the ranch. This would naturally help build retionships and bring them clether.

  With that in mind, Naoki stood up and bid G goodnight. "Well, good night, G!"

  He left the igloo auro the wooden house, where Alcremie was busy making cream i.

  "Alcremie," Naoki began, "do you still want to be friends with G?"

  Alcremie, who loved making friends, was well-acquainted with all the Pokémon on the ranacli, Little Pawmi, Gogoat, and more.

  Hearing Naoki's suggestion, Alcremie nodded, "Mree." But then, it lowered its head in disappoi, recalling how G had ig earlier, seemingly ued in making friends.

  Notig Alcremie's disappoi, Naoki called it over and whispered a few encing words in its ear.

  Alcremie's eyes brightened, "Mree?" Could it really bee friends with G like this?

  Naoki nodded with a smile. "Of course! Gay seem cold oside, but it has a ki. In human terms, we call that being 'cold oside but warm on the inside.'"

  Alcremie g Koraidon and asked, "Mree?" 'What about Koraidon'?

  Naoki chuckled and replied, "Koraidon has a heart as warm as its fmes!"

  "Mree!" Alcremie excimed, happily uanding the parison.

  With a newfound sense of purpose, Alcremie was ready tain. Meanwhile, Naoki picked up the small Parepared to head to bed for the night.

  After more than a month of Naoki's care, the once-skinny Pawmi had grown strong ahy, its fur now shiny and fluffy.

  As Pawmi settled beside Naoki, it looked up at him and asked, "Pawmi?"

  "Don't worry! You'll bee good friends with everyone," Naoki reassured Pawmi, patting its head gently. "Now, let's get some sleep. I have something I want to ask for your help with tomorrow."

  Naoki was excited to test the geor that Kora had retly installed.

  "Pawmi!" Pawmi responded eagerly, looking forward to the task.

  pared to the powerful Dragonite, Koraidon, and Gogoat, Pawmi ofte small and insignifit, like a tiny bde of grass among t mountains. It loo do more for Naoki, who was always so kind and g, providing it with baths and nutritious food, just like a mother would.

  But Naoki wasn't its mother. They had met by ce, and Naoki had kindly taken it in, fiving it even for stealing food. Pawmi wao do more to repay this kindness, but with no ability to water pnts or produce milk, it ofte helpless.

  So when Naoki mentioned needing its help, Pawmi felt overjoyed.

  "Pawmi?" What kind of task would it be?

  Naoki smiled, keeping it a secret. "You'll find out tomorrow. Now, it's time to sleep."

  Pawmi closed its eyes and soon drifted off, sn softly as it eagerly anticipated the day.

  Watg Pawmi sleep, Naoki felt a wave of affe for the little Pokémon. 'What a cute Pokemon,' he thought. Just like a real family, they wao help each other and share the burdens of life.

  Naoki smiled aly touched Pawmi's cheek. "Good night," he whispered.

  ————

  At eight o'clo the evening, most of the Pokémon on the ranch had fallen asleep. Alcremie, carrying a freshly picked fruit, made her way to the ice cave. Naoki had suggested bringing a gift.

  Hearing the footsteps outside, G, who was resting ihe ice cave, immediately opes eyes and looked toward the door with caution.

  A soft "Mree" came from outside the door. It was Alcremie, the same Pokémon who had tried to befriend G earlier in the day.

  G reized the voice but, due to its reserved nature, didn't io respond. However, remembering Naoki's words, it silently jumped off the Ice Stone.

  Outside the door, Alcremie felt a bit nervous. 'Would G talk to her like Naoki had said?'

  At that moment, the door creaked open, and G slowly emerged.

  'It's ing out!' Alcremie's eyes lit up. "Mree!" she greeted warmly. "Good evening!"

  "Bu-yi."

  G looked at Alcremie and finally responded. It hadn't meant to ignore Alcremie earlier; it simply didn't know how to express itself or what to say.

  Alcremie, however, didn't seem bothered by that at all. It happily offered the fruit in its hand to G and said enthusiastically:

  "Mree?" (Let me show you around the ranch! There are so many Pokémon living here, and we're all good friends.)

  'Good friends.' G pohis phrase.

  Despite its inner doubts, G didn't reject Alcremie's offer. It gently lifted its front legs and followed behind Alcremie, beginning to familiarize itself with the ranch.

  Alcremie eagerly introduced everything along the way.

  As Goved forward, it observed its surroundings carefully—an instinct it had developed while living in the snowy mountains.

  "Mree!" (Those over there are the Gogoat. Don't be fooled by their zy appearahey're actually very strong! Ao them is Smoliv, who came here with me.)

  G looked in the dire Alcremie indicated.

  With just one gnce, G sensed a powerful natural energy emanating from that area. The energy was so abundant, it rivaled the Ice Stone's!

  Its intuition told it that if it had e here instead of the snowy mountains, it might have evolved into a different form entirely.

  "Bu-yi." Gurmured, somewhat in awe.

  But Alcremie seemed used to this and tinued leading the way. As they passed by various houses, Alcremie said to G:

  "Mree, Mree!" (This is where Nacli, Miltank, and the hens live, but it's te, so they've already goo bed. I'll introduce you to them tomorrow!)

  "Bu-yi," G replied softly.

  They eventually arrived at an orchard.

  Alcremie expihat fruit trees and crops were pnted i rows here, and in autumn, these trees would bear delicious fruits.

  Seeing the orchard, G finally uood what Naoki had meant earlier.

  It asked quietly, "Bu-yi?" (Have you always lived in this pce?)

  Alcremie nodded, "Mree~" (Yes!)

  G tinued, "Bu-yi?" (Don't you have to find food for yourselves every day?)

  "Mree." Alcremie shook its head gently. Of course not! Naoki prepares lots of delicious food for them!

  G was full of fusion. "Bu-yi?" (Why does Naoki provide food for you?)

  Hearing this question, Alcremie paused, not knowing the answer. It asked G to wait for a moment, then ran back to the house and woke up Naoki, who had just fallen asleep.

  Naoki yawned, rubbing his sleepy eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked.

  Alcremie tilted its head, "Mree?" (Why do you make so much delicious food for us?)

  Unfortunately, Naoki didn't uand the question.

  But Koraidon, who was dozing nearby, provided the answer. Without even opening its eyes, Koraidon mumbled, "Raao." (Because Naoki loves Pokémon.)

  After getting the answer, Alcremie quickly ran out, leaving Naoki with a fused look on his face.

  He yawned, still feeling sleepy, and colpsed onto his pillow, tinuing his slumber.

  Naoki: zZZ.

  As Alcremie hurried back, G watched, unsure of what to say.

  Alcremie happily shared the answer with G.

  G was slightly taken aback. 'So, Naoki prepares food because he likes us?'

  Seeing G's lingering fusion, Alcremie thoughtfully expined further, recalling everyone on the ranch, and said:

  "Mree Mree!" (Naoki prepares food for us, and we all help him with the work around the ranch!)

  Naoki farms with Koraidon and Cyclizar, Dragonite helps water the fields, bee collects honey, and Gogoat produces goat milk.

  And Alcremie makes delicious cream!

  Hearing this, G was still puzzled. "Bu-yi?" (Why?)

  Alcremie smiled and replied, "Mree!" (Because we like Naoki too!)

  'Like each pohose words.

  It didn't say anything more.

  Just then, an evening breeze blew through the area.

  G caught a st it had never experienced before. Looking up, it noticed a beautiful flower field not far away—a sight that did and could in the snowy mountains.

  Its eyes were naturally drawn to the flowers.

  G walked forward, lowered its head, and took in the fragrance of the blossoms.

  In that moment, G felt as if it was beginning to uand something.

  After showing G around, Alcremie led it back to the ice cave. With a bit of nervousness, Alcremie asked, "Mree?" ( I be your friend?)

  G was slightly startled by the question.

  It thought about the fruit Alcremie had given it earlier, how Alcremie had eagerly introduced the ranch, and how disappointed Alcremie had looked when G didn't respond to her earlier that day.

  After a moment of silence, G finally answered.

  "Bu-yi."

  Alcremie beamed with joy. It cheerfully said goodbye to G, "Mree!"