Chapter 282: Leaf of the World Tree
At the end of December in the 198th year of the Alliance Calendar, the Paldea region was blanketed by a snowstorm that had lasted nearly two weeks.
A thick layer of snow covered the roads, completely blocking access to the ranch. Even Zack's delivery truck couldn't make it through. With no other choice, Zack decided to take a few days off, planning to resume work once the snowfall lightened up.
Early in the morning, Naoki grabbed his tools and headed out with Koraidon and Cyclizar to clear the snow.
Standing in the crisp winter air, Naoki looked out toward Kosaji Town and muttered to himself, "Just as I thought…"
As he anticipated, the road was completely snowed in, making it impassable for vehicles.
"Good thing I stocked up on supplies beforehand," Naoki thought, relieved he wouldn't need to make the trek to town in these snowy conditions.
In this kind of weather, most people stayed indoors, and even the usual trainers and travelers were absent. With the road to town blocked and no visitors, the ranch felt wonderfully secluded—like a hidden haven, separated from the rest of the world.
Everywhere he looked, there was an endless stretch of white. Being surrounded by it felt cleansing, almost as if his soul were being purified.
Naoki savored the peaceful isolation, standing in the snow with his eyes closed, enjoying the quiet solitude.
But in the next moment, the sound of galloping hooves disrupted the silence.
Naoki opened his eyes to see Glastrier sprinting through the snow, enjoying its newfound freedom.
Naoki sighed, realizing his moment of peace was over.
The whole ranch had come to life now that the snow had stopped.
Plumes of smoke rose from the snow-covered rooftop as sister Indeedee prepared breakfast for everyone.
Pawmot flew out of the living room and made its way to the chicken coop to tend to the hens.
Glaceon led Dolliv and Alcremie in a playful game of drawing patterns in the snow with their footprints.
Dragonairs and Dragonites, who took up delivery duties, arrived at the ranch as well. Dragonite, leading the way with a satchel, gathered fresh goat and momo milk to bring to the customers waiting in Kosaji Town.
Naoki couldn't help but smile as he took in the lively scene. Even though the ranch was cut off from the rest of the world, he didn't feel lonely in the slightest.
Koraidon and Cyclizar stood at Naoki's sides, looking at the lively ranch, happily chattering.
"Raao~"
"Ah~ Gah~"
Noticing Cyclizar's scarf was about to come loose, Naoki walked over to help tie it again.
Seeing this, Koraidon stepped forward, lifting its head with a hopeful look.
"Alright, alright," Naoki chuckled, patting Koraidon affectionately. "I'll retie yours too. Honestly, you're like a little kid."
"Raao~" Koraidon gave a playful, almost puppy-like sound, wagging its tail in excitement.
It resembled an overgrown, affectionate golden retriever with its boundless energy and eagerness. Naoki gently nudged its head aside with a smile, focusing on his snow-clearing tasks. Along the way, he checked on the ranch facilities to ensure everything was running smoothly.
Last month, as temperatures started dropping, he had set up heaters in the chicken coop and Pokémon House. Since then, the hens and Miltank had happily settled in their warm rooms, rarely venturing outside.
Arriving at the Pokémon House, Naoki greeted the Miltank inside with a bright smile. "Good morning, everyone! Another day awaits!"
"Moo~" The Miltank, cozy on their soft hay beds, responded cheerfully.
"Excellent," Naoki murmured as he picked up a brush to give them each a gentle combing. He filled their troughs with fresh fruits and hay, then bid them farewell before heading off to the chicken coop.
At the coop, Pawmot was busy chatting with the hens, gesturing with tiny paws and calling out enthusiastically, "Pawmot, Pawmot, Pawmot!" The hens clucked and gathered around, clearly captivated by their friend's lively storytelling.
When Naoki approached, Pawmot scurried over to him. "Pawmot~"
"Can they understand you?" Naoki asked, amused.
Pawmot nodded eagerly. "Pawmot!" It seemed proud to have such good friends among the hens.
Naoki couldn't help but marvel at this interaction. 'Could Pokémon really communicate with regular animals?' In his time here, he had learned that not all animals in this world were Pokémon. There were indeed ordinary creatures around—chickens, cows, ducks, pigs, fish, and so on—but unlike in his previous world, larger predators like lions, tigers, and sharks were absent.
The main distinction between regular animals and Pokémon, he mused, seemed to be the ability to use moves. While most wild creatures had limited abilities, Pokémon exhibited special powers and skills unique to each species.
Though some people regarded specific parts of Pokémon as delicacies—for instance, Slowpoke tails and Klawf's claws—Naoki had yet to try any of these unusual dishes. Despite his curiosity, he preferred sticking to familiar food.
Naoki wasn't a saint; he just saw Pokémon as having emotions and intelligence on par with humans. Many people treated them as companions or even family.
With that perspective, eating Pokémon felt... indescribable.
After pondering for a moment, Naoki said goodbye to Pawmot and left the chicken coop.
Inside sister Indeedee had already prepared breakfast. Naoki, alongside Cyclizar and Koraidon, washed their paws and joined everyone for breakfast.
After they'd eaten, snow began falling outside once more. With nothing urgent to do, Naoki moved a rocking chair in front of the fireplace, sat down to warm up, and began reading a book.
The Pokémon stayed indoors, gathering around the fireplace to share in the warmth with Naoki. Outside the window, snowflakes drifted down, while the cozy heat from the fire filled the room.
Naoki glanced around at the Pokémon nestled close by and couldn't help but smile.
This... this feeling was perfect.
"Only a few days until New Year's," Naoki thought with surprise. Time had flown by!
His first New Year in the Pokémon world felt deeply significant. He pondered over what he could do to make this New Year memorable for the Pokémon.
After thinking for a while, he settled on preparing a feast for them—a New Year's Eve dinner filled with all the dishes he'd made throughout the year.
"We have plenty of ingredients at home, so let's go all out!" he thought happily.
*
In the afternoon, Calyrex appeared before Naoki, a hint of excitement in his voice. "My strength has returned, and I'm ready to begin the second phase of nurturing!"
Naoki's eyes lit up. Ignoring the ongoing snowfall, he hurried to the World Tree with Calyrex by his side.
Noticing the two heading toward the tree, Mew and Teddiursa followed with curiosity.
Koraidon, Cyclizar, Pawmot, Alcremie, Dragonite, Glaceon, the Gogoats, and the Indeedees also gathered around, creating a large circle of Pokémon around the World Tree.
Naoki and Calyrex stepped forward, anticipation clear on their faces. Calyrex looked around, smiling as powerful energy surged from his body.
This vital energy expanded outward, forming a dome-shaped energy shield that encircled the World Tree.
The moment this shield appeared, all the snow on the ground melted away, and fresh, green grass began sprouting from the earth within the vibrant energy field.
The World Tree reacted immediately. Its trunk grew thicker and more upright, and the bare branches began to fill with lush green leaves.
Naoki kept his gaze fixed on the World Tree as it transformed.
Under his watch, the age of this World Tree was shifting at an incredible rate.
[World Tree Sapling: A seedling that has absorbed immense Grass-type energy. Due to an anomaly in its growth, it has begun a unique evolution. An intense life force is brewing within, ready to burst forth. Approximately 97,995 years until full maturity.]
[97,980 years...]
[97,500 years...]
[96,980 years...]
[96,001 years...]
Finally, the countdown halted at 95,995 years.
Before him now stood a tree about 1.8 meters tall—roughly the height of an adult. Its branches were full of vibrant, glowing leaves, with faint tendrils of green energy flowing among them. Just standing near it, one could feel its immense vitality.
The Pokémon nearby noticed the transformation and were in awe.
Mew and Teddiursa stared, eyes wide with amazement.
"Ursa!" (The leaves are glowing!)
"Mew!" (Calyrex is so powerful!)
Calyrex observed the tree with a satisfied expression.
Naoki, recalling the depiction of the World Tree from a movie he'd once seen, guessed, "It might grow hundreds, maybe even a thousand meters tall?"
But just after he said this, a thought struck him.
If the World Tree grew that tall, it would surely engulf the entire ranch—and then some.
"That... might be a bit of a problem," Naoki muttered.
Naoki fell into deep thought.
"Hundreds of meters... thousands of meters..." Calyrex considered this, recalling the vision he'd seen when peering into the future. Just as he was about to speak, he noticed Naoki frowning, clearly lost in worry.
"What troubles you?" Calyrex asked, puzzled.
Naoki looked up, voicing his concerns. "If this tree grows that enormous, it might overrun the ranch. This is my home—I don't want it to disappear."
Hearing this, Calyrex remembered the future he had glimpsed.
"You needn't worry," Calyrex reassured him. "I have foreseen the tree's future. After a very long time, it will leave the earth, rise into the sky, and float among the clouds."
"What?" Naoki blinked, trying to process this.
The World Tree… flying into the sky?
"How would that even work?" he asked in surprise.
Calyrex shook his head gently. "I cannot say. The vision only allows me to see the end result, not the journey to get there."
Much like when he'd foreseen the arrival of Eternatus in the Galar region.
"I see…" Naoki murmured, still a bit dazed.
A tree that big, floating in the sky—it defied all logic. How would it overcome gravity? Did someone plan on installing some kind of anti-gravity system?
As Naoki pondered these possibilities, he noticed that Calyrex seemed tired from his exertions.
"Well," Naoki said, setting aside his concerns with a sigh. "If that's the future, I'm sure we'll figure it out when the time comes. Thank you for all your hard work. Go get some rest! I'll prepare some dumplings and grass cakes for you right away."
Calyrex nodded appreciatively, then vanished, returning to the glass greenhouse to recover.
Naoki headed back to the living room with the other Pokémon, letting them enjoy some playtime while he went to the kitchen. There, he began preparing snacks and afternoon tea for Calyrex—treats that would help him restore his energy.
On his way to deliver the snacks to the glass greenhouse, Naoki spotted his three Gogoats gathered around the World Tree, lounging on the grass that Calyrex had summoned and chewing something contentedly.
"…What are you eating?" Naoki couldn't help but ask.
"Meee…" One of the Gogoats turned to him, revealing a vibrant green leaf tucked in its mouth.
Naoki's eyes went wide.
"Oh no! Are they eating the World Tree?"
Just as he feared his Gogoats had taken a liking to the World Tree's leaves, three fresh leaves, shimmering with a gentle green glow, detached from the branches above and drifted down, landing neatly in front of the Gogoats.
"Meee…"
The Gogoats' eyes lit up, and they eagerly bent down to munch on the newly fallen leaves.
Naoki: "…"
'What's going on?'
He stared at the scene in confusion.
'Could the World Tree have its own consciousness? Or was it somehow connected to nature's will, deliberately sharing its leaves with the Gogoats? Perhaps it even saw them as its chosen companions?'
Naoki fell deep in thought, recalling the Tree of Beginning from the movie, which was equipped with a defense system that summoned guardians to protect it from intruders.
"No way…"
In disbelief, Naoki approached the World Tree.
As he drew near, the tree seemed to sense his presence.
Another leaf, glowing faintly with green energy, floated gently down.
Watching the leaf descend, a wild idea popped into Naoki's mind.
He and his Gogoats had tended to this tree, watering and fertilizing it since it was planted. Maybe, just maybe, the World Tree recognized him as an ally.
On impulse, he reached out and caught the leaf.
As he held it, information about the leaf appeared clearly in his mind:
[Unripe World Tree Leaf]: A mythical item, a leaf infused with the raw power of nature. It is a treasured resource for Grass-type Pokémon, highly sought after and incredibly rare. Its exact effects are unknown, but it holds great potential.
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