Naoki was in a great mood.

  To celebrate, he invited Ivan for a meal iy. They chose a well-known spot, the Fresh Fish Restaurant, specializing in seafood dishes.

  The two sat under a parasol with their Cyclizar nearby, and the waiter soht out a variety of fish dishes along with four drinks. Naoki pced a pte of fresh salmon sashimi in front of his Cyclizar, saying, "It's really thanks to you today, Ivan. Otherwise, I would've taken forever to find a butler Pokémon."

  Ivan grinned and shrugged. "It was nothing! Is there anything else you need help with?"

  Naoki, thinking about his pns, asked, "Do you know where I learn to make Poke Blocks?"

  "Poke Blocks?" Ivan paused to eat a piece of fish before thinking carefully. "I’m not sure. People whood at making Poke Blocks are usually Pokémon breeders."

  "Where do they learn how to make them?" Naoki asked.

  Ivan tapped his . "Probably from the Breeder’s Association, but I’m not certain. I’m just a small-town mailman. Don’t worry though, I’ll help you look into it ime I’m deliveriers."

  "Thank you, I appreciate it," Naoki said gratefully.

  Ivan then added with a mischievous smile, "But don’t fet—you owe me! Don’t let me down at year’s horse race!"

  Naoki couldn’t help but internally grumble. 'He's still thinking about the 10,000 Poke Dolrs he lost in the race!

  Still, Naoki wasn’t sure if he could fulfill the promise, given his responsibilities at the ranch. He couldn’t leave the Paldea region for too long.

  Seeing Naoki’s hesitation, Ivan pyfully insisted, "No! We made a deal! I help you find the butler Pokémon, and you help me win back those 10,000 Poke Dolrs!"

  "Alright, alright," Naoki ceded with a smile. "Once winter es and the fields are less demanding, I’ll go out and see if I find any horse Pokémon for you."

  By that time, Naoki reasohe two Indeedee would be helping with the ranch work, freeing him up to take a trip to the Gar region.

  Ivan was satisfied but still a bit skeptical. "But horse Pokémon don’t appear mu the winter, do they?"

  "Well, not all," Naoki replied with a smirk, recalling the Calyrex's Gstrier, the Ice Rider Pokémon. "Some horse Pokémon have Ice-type attributes. They thrive in snow and ice."

  Ivan blinked in fusion. "I've never heard of such a Pokémon."

  Naoki grinned, keeping it vague. "You'll see wheime es."

  "Alright then!" Ivan said, grinning. "I’ll wait for yood news!"

  After finishing their meal, they mouheir Cyclizar and headed back.

  By the time Naoki returo his ranch, it was already two o’clo the afternoon.

  A group of Pokémon were basking iernoon sun, enjoying the peaceful day on the grass. When they saw Naoki returning, they immediately rushed over to greet him.

  Naoki smiled and affeately patted eae on the head. "How was your day?" he asked.

  "Awoo!" replied Dragonite.

  "Ah, gah~," rumbled Koraidon happily.

  "Mmmmm~," purred Butterfree.

  "Nacli, Nacli!" chimed Nacli eically.

  Hearing their cheerful responses, Naoki felt a wave of relief. Everyone was safe and tent.

  He let the Pokémon tiheir py while he went indoors to tidy up the house, which had clearly beee of lunchtime chaos. It was obvious that while he had been away, Koraidon must have helped prepare lunch f and the others.

  Naoki noticed the refrigerator was missing quite a few sandwiches, fruits, juice, and milk. Empty milk bottles were scattered around the table, one having even rolled to the floor.

  Shaking his head with a smile, Naoki picked up the bottles, ed them, aurhem to the refrigerator for future use.

  Ohe house was tidied, Naoki stepped outside, broom in hand, to sweep away the fallen leaves and dust he shrine dedicated to Calyrex, the King of Bountiful Harvests.

  After pg some fresh fruit in front of the shrine, Naoki paused. Something seemed off. Squatting down to ihe small Calyrex statue more closely, he noticed cracks f along the side.

  The sun had been particurly harsh tely, and the statue, made ile mud, was drying out and crag uhe heat.

  Naoki sighed. "Looks like it's time for a atue."

  With nothing urgent on his pte, Naoki decided to repce the statue that afternoon. Gathering his tools and a solid piece of wood, he sat uhe eaves of his ranch house, recalling the regal appearance of Calyrex, the King of Bountiful Harvests, as he began to carve the atue.

  As he worked, the sun sholy on the whe Pokémoheir ughter and cries filling the air.

  Naoki quietly carved the wood, occasionally gng up to see Dragonite and Koraidon pying in the field.

  By 4:20 p.m., the simple wooden sculpture of the King of Bountiful Harvests was finished.

  In order to preserve the carving, Naoki went to Kora for help with polishing and waxing the piece, much like one would treat furniture.

  "What’s this? A giant hammer?" Kora asked, taking the oddly shaped wooden sculpture with its oversized head from Naoki. Her face was full of surprise.

  Naoki winced slightly. "Is it ugly?"

  Kora looked at it again and smiled. "Well, it's not that ugly."

  She turhe wooden sculpture around, notig that it had a fad legs. "Is this supposed to be a Pokémon?"

  "Yes," Naoki nodded. "It's based on a Pokémon called Calyrex, the King of Bountiful Harvests."

  He told Kora about the legend of Calyrex, expining how it was believed to help crops grow. He even suggested that Kora could make a few more statues to sell to nearby farmers, promoting the legend.

  All of this, Naoki thought, art of his pn to summon Gstrier and Spectrier. He hoped that spreading the legend might increase the faith in Calyrex, drawing the Pokémon's attention.

  One person’s faith might not be enough, but if more people became aware of the King of Bountiful Harvests, perhaps He would seheir devotion.

  "Alright, alright," Kora said, waving a hand. "I'll polish and wax it for you, but it’ll take some time. e baorrow."

  "Thanks," Naoki replied, smiling, before hopping onto Koraidon and riding away.

  Meanwhile, in the distant Gar region, Calyrex, the King of Bountiful Harvests, sensed something.

  What did He see?

  His devout believer, Naoki, had not only pced faith in Him but was actively spreading His name in a faraway and unfamiliar nd.

  "What a faithful believer!" Calyrex thought, feeling his fondness for Naoki grow.

  The power of faith that had accumuted within Calyrex stirred. Though His power was still weak, far from what it once was when He could make vast fields flourish, He could still do something small for one or two individuals.

  Calyrex decided to offer Naoki a sign, a o ence him to visit the Tundra and seek Him out.

  Late that night, while everything was asleep, a beam of light filled with the promise of a good harvest shot through the distant time and spading on an inspicuous crop in Naoki’s farmnd.

  In moments, the crop began to transfrowing rapidly. It rooted deeper into the soil, sprouting into a sturdy vihat soon bloomed a tender yellow flower.

  Before long, the flrew into a ripe watermelon, but the ges didn’t stop there.

  The watermelon swelled, getting rger and rger, outgrowing the other pnts around it until it had bee a massive super watermelon—about two meters tall.