Chương 286: Restoring Hope
As winter gave way to spring, the back mountain—once ravaged by a forest fire and blanketed in snow—had transformed entirely.
The dead branches and leaves consumed by flames had turned into nutrients, rejoining the natural cycle and helping this desolate place begin its journey toward recovery.
On the dirt path leading up to the back mountain, Naoki led a group of Pokémon forward, carefully observing the surroundings. Behind him, three Gogoats followed, their backs laden with bags of saplings and grass seeds.
After several months, they had finally returned to this place.
Initially, the Pokémon who once called the forest home hopped forward eagerly, excited at the prospect of rebuilding their habitat. But as they drew closer and saw the barren, desolate landscape, memories of the past came flooding back, especially for the Minccino.
They remembered that fateful night—the fire had spread across the back mountain, red flames consuming everything in their path. Pokémon had fled desperately, some managing to escape, while others had not been so lucky. The Pokémon who had once shared this place with them were taken away by the relentless fire.
Saddened by these memories, the Minccino lowered their heads, grief weighing them down.
Noticing their distress, Alcremie, who understood the hardships these Pokémon had endured, stepped forward to comfort them.
"Mree!" she cheered, her voice soft and encouraging.
Minccino and the other Pokémon looked up.
Then, Pawmot flew in front of Alcremie, his expression filled with determination, and chirped, "Pawmot!"
They would rebuild this place—together!
"Ooo!"
"Awoo!"
"Pamo!"
One by one, other Pokémon on the ranch echoed the sentiment, stepping up beside Alcremie and Pawmot to show their support for the forest Pokémon. They promised to work together to restore this place to its former glory!
The little Tinkatuff, witnessing this outpouring of unity, stood in awe, her eyes welling up with emotion. She couldn't hold back her tears and expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the Pokémon who had come to help. "Tinka-tuff!" she cried, touched beyond words.
"Squeak!"
"Gummo!"
"Mmm!"
The Minccino, Tandemaus, and Bellibolt also chirped their thanks, moved by the support surrounding them.
Naoki, who had been walking ahead, turned back to see the scene unfold, a warm smile spreading across his face.
It reminded him of a scene from the movie 'Secrets of the Jungle', where a group of wild Pokémon united to protect their forest from harm.
Even though the Pokémon on his ranch might have their fair share of disagreements in their daily lives, when a real crisis struck, they would put aside any differences and come together—across types, species, and personalities—to protect their shared home.
Minccino, now in high spirits, led the way, followed closely by the other Pokémon. After about ten minutes of walking, Naoki and his group finally reached the heart of the back mountain.
"Alright, this is where we'll start!" Naoki announced, raising his hand to signal everyone to stop.
He approached his Gogoat, and with help from Koraidon and Cyclizar, he began unloading bags of grass seeds and saplings, setting them on the ground.
With a thoughtful expression, Naoki assessed the eager Pokémon before him. He picked up a few bags of grass seeds and assigned tasks, calling out, "Pawmot, Dragonite, Butterfree, and Wattrel—you're in charge of sowing the grass seeds."
"Pawmot!"
Pawmot replied enthusiastically, stepping forward to take a bag of seeds from Naoki. The other Pokémon followed suit, each grabbing a bag and awaiting further instructions.
Naoki then looked at the Indeedee siblings. "I need you two to use your psychic abilities to section off the area into small plots. Each Pokémon will be responsible for their own plot."
The Indeedee siblings nodded, fully understanding Naoki's plan. They moved forward and began marking out plots, guiding each Pokémon on where to work.
Turning to Smeargle, Naoki said, "Smeargle, could you use your paint to draw markers on the ground? That'll help everyone keep track of their sections."
Smeargle nodded eagerly, ready to assist.
With the remaining Pokémon gathered, Naoki explained, "I'll be planting these saplings alongside Cyclizar. Diglett, you and Koraidon will form a team. Diglett, you'll use your Dig move to make holes, and Koraidon will plant the saplings in them. Can you do it?"
"Diglett!"
The little mole Pokémon puffed up proudly, ready for the task.
"Perfect. Let's get to work, everyone!"
Following Naoki's instructions, the Pokémon scattered across the mountain slope, each eager to begin. Butterfree and Dragonite flew low, carrying bags of grass seeds and scattering them evenly across the land below. Their wings flapped steadily, creating gentle breezes that helped spread the seeds across the soil.
Naoki watched the progress with satisfaction. Once the land was covered, he planned to call upon the King of Bountiful Harvests to accelerate the growth of the grass and saplings.
Then, he too would lend a hand, helping the land—and its Pokémon—flourish again.
Just as Naoki was about to grab a shovel to dig a hole for planting, he noticed the remaining Pokémon watching him with eager eyes.
Naoki: "…"
Alcremie looked at him, tilting its head in curiosity. "Mree?" (What job do we get?)
After a thoughtful pause, Naoki had an idea. "We still need a cheerleading squad!"
He looked over the Pokémon who hadn't yet received a task. "Alright, Alcremie, Dolliv, Glaceon, Tinkatuff, Petilil, Hoppip, and Foongus, you're all on the cheerleading team! Your job is to cheer for everyone working hard!"
Tinkatuff looked a bit skeptical, wanting to do something more hands-on. Seeing this, Naoki reassured them with a smile, "Cheering is a big responsibility too! Your encouragement will help keep everyone motivated and lift their spirits when they're tired."
Hearing this, Alcremie's eyes sparkled with excitement, instantly ready to cheer.
"Mree!" it exclaimed, hopping in place.
Petilil and Dolliv nodded in agreement, their enthusiasm renewed.
Only Glaceon sighed quietly—it wasn't exactly the best at cheering loudly. But seeing everyone else's determination, it decided it couldn't just sit back.
As the team made their rounds, they arrived at the area where Dragonite was working. Alcremie took a deep breath and shouted, "Mreeeee!"
Dolliv chimed in with a gentle, encouraging "Doll!"
Glaceon, feeling the pressure, whispered, "Booey…"
Alcremie gave Glaceon a sympathetic look and demonstrated again, louder this time. "Mreeee—MREEEEE!"
"B-Booey?!"
Glaceon jumped, wide-eyed at Alcremie's powerful cheer.
Dolliv and Alcremie looked at Glaceon expectantly, nodding with encouragement.
Taking a deep breath, Glaceon gathered all its courage and finally shouted, "Boo-eeeee!"
Alcremie gave a proud nod, pleased with Glaceon's effort.
"Mree!" Alcremie cheered with satisfaction, thrilled with her team's efforts.
After her shout, Glaceon found that cheering wasn't as daunting as it had first thought. With a newfound confidence, the cheerleading team, led by Alcremie, continued on to rally the next group of hardworking Pokémon.
"I think I heard Glaceon cheering just now." Naoki, who was planting saplings alongside Cyclizar, looked up in surprise toward the source of the sound.
Cyclizar turned its head in the same direction and nodded, "Gaao!" It had heard it too.
Naoki chuckled, impressed. "I have to say, that's the loudest I've ever heard Glaceon. It must really want to support the Pokémon who've gone through so much."
Cyclizar agreed with a proud nod. "Gaaaaaa!"
With a smile, Naoki continued his work, moving a few meters away to plant the next sapling. As he worked, a thought crossed his mind.
"I wonder when the Paldea League will start their ecological restoration of the back mountain."
The back mountain was vast, and their efforts alone couldn't cover the entire area, so much of the land would need attention from the League. Even if they worked at different times, Naoki knew he and his Pokémon could always come back after the League finished planting to help speed up the trees' growth.
Time passed, and Dragonite and the other Pokémon worked efficiently. In less than two hours, they'd finished sowing all the grass seeds Naoki had provided.
Naoki and Cyclizar, meanwhile, had nearly completed planting the saplings, forming what would soon become a small forest.
With the main planting nearly done, Naoki opened a final package. Inside were seeds for berry trees.
"A forest isn't complete without food," he thought with a smile. These berry trees would be planted throughout the forest, creating a reliable food source for Pokémon like Minccino and others who enjoyed foraging. It was a small but essential part of making the mountain feel like home again for its residents.
Just as Naoki was about to start planting the berry trees, Cyclizar beside him suddenly perked up, gazing intently in a particular direction.
Following its gaze, Naoki turned to see a group of people who had arrived without him noticing. Some wore blue work uniforms and held shovels, accompanied by Pokémon like Sandshrew and Trapinch. The Sandshrew were busily digging holes in the ground, where the workers carefully planted the saplings they'd brought along.
A short distance away from the workers, a small group watched over them. Standing to the left was a woman in a white nurse's uniform with a nurse's cap and long pink hair—clearly Nurse Joy. Beside her was a woman in a sharp police uniform with an alert Growlithe by her side, scanning the area intently. And on the right stood an elegant figure with hands behind their back, dressed neatly with an air of calm authority. They chatted with the others as they observed the restoration efforts.
Naoki was taken aback at the sight.
"Wait... Is that Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny, and even Geeta, the Champion?" he murmured to himself in surprise.
Just then, Nurse Joy also spotted Naoki and called out in pleasant surprise, "Oh! Is that Mr. Naoki from Naoki Ranch over there?"
Hearing this, Officer Jenny and Geeta turned, their eyes following Nurse Joy's gaze. From a distance, Geeta recognized the familiar figure.
—A trainer with champion-level strength who has chosen a quiet life running a ranch! Geeta couldn't help but feel impressed, her expression softening into a warm smile as she stepped forward to greet him.
Seeing this, Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny followed suit, approaching Naoki with friendly smiles.
As they reached him, Geeta spoke first, her voice filled with familiarity, "We meet again, Naoki."
Naoki returned the smile, nodding politely. "It's been a while, Champion. Are you here to plant trees as well?"
"Yes," Geeta replied with a nod, noticing the tools in his hands and the freshly planted sapling behind him.
Naoki caught her glance and explained, "I took in a few Pokémon who survived the fire, and I promised them I'd help restore their home once spring arrived. So here I am, keeping that promise."
Geeta's eyes softened, her respect for him deepening. Not only was he remarkably talented, but he also possessed a genuinely kind heart.
Nurse Joy, touched by his words, clasped her hands together in admiration. "Mr. Naoki, you truly are a kind soul!" she said warmly.
Officer Jenny, who was already familiar with Naoki's compassionate nature, smiled knowingly. She recalled how he had opened a tavern that served Pokémon in need, not for profit but to offer them a place of refuge and care—something few would do.
Naoki felt a bit overwhelmed by the praise, unsure of how to respond.
According to his original plan, he had intended to ask Calyrex to accelerate the growth of the planted grass seeds and saplings. But with Geeta and the others now here, that plan felt complicated. If Calyrex used its powers, they'd surely notice the miraculous transformation.
"This will get out sooner or later," Naoki thought. "Might as well take this chance to deepen people's belief in Calyrex."
He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Nurse Joy suddenly gasped, her eyes wide with recognition.
"That Pokémon!" she exclaimed.
Officer Jenny and Geeta followed her gaze, spotting a very unusual Pokémon among the group. With a large head emanating a soft blue glow, it floated gracefully above the ground.
Geeta was momentarily stunned, intrigued by this unfamiliar Pokémon.
Calyrex seemed to sense their attention, tilting its head toward them, and, as their eyes met, it offered a gentle smile.
Before anyone could react, Nurse Joy blurted out, "Oh my goodness! That's… could that be the King of Bountiful Harvests?!"
Upon hearing Nurse Joy's recognition, the King turned its gaze to her, sensing her reverence and belief in him.
Officer Jenny, who had heard stories around town, quickly remembered the legend of this revered Pokémon. According to local tales, the King of Bountiful Harvests could bless the crops and flowers of any home where people believed in it, ensuring abundance.
In fact, many people in town had small statues of the King in their homes, and Kosaji Town had recently enjoyed a year of good weather and bountiful harvests. Mayor Thomas had even commissioned a large statue of the King, now standing proudly in the town square for celebrations.
And now, to see the King of Bountiful Harvests here in person—it was a surprise indeed.
Noticing Jenny and Joy's expressions, Geeta grew curious. "The King of Bountiful Harvests?"
Nurse Joy nodded enthusiastically, "Yes! The god of agriculture, the King of Bountiful Harvests, who can bring a flourishing bounty to crops and make flowers bloom beautifully. Lots of people in town have statues of him for good fortune. I even placed one in the Pokémon Center!"
Intrigued, Geeta turned her gaze back to the King. A god of agriculture? Fascinating. And it seemed that Naoki had somehow gained its favor.
Naoki, expecting the King to be recognized, took this moment to speak up.
"Yes, this is indeed the King of Bountiful Harvests," he said. "I came here today to ask for his help in restoring the mountain to its former state."
"Restoring it?" Geeta echoed, slightly taken aback.
Naoki nodded. "The King of Bountiful Harvests has the power to make plants grow instantly. With his help, it will only take a moment to bring life back to the mountain."
Geeta's face betrayed a trace of skepticism.
To be fair, she'd never witnessed anything like that before.
Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny were equally taken aback. They had seen Pokémon with immense strength capable of crushing rocks or whipping up powerful sandstorms that could raze a forest, but the idea of a Pokémon that could make plants and trees grow instantaneously was unheard of.
To restore an entire mountain to life… was that really possible?
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