Later that evening, Naoki retrieved his Kubfu from the World Tree, where it had spent the entire day training.
As soon as they arrived back at the ranch, Kubfu flopped onto the sofa with a thoughtful look on its face.
It sat quietly, eyes slightly narrowed, lost in deep contemplation.
Clearly, it was reflecting on what it had learned from today's training.
Naoki watched as Kubfu sat deep in thought, its tiny paws resting on its head.
"What's on your mind?" Naoki finally asked.
Kubfu hesitated, then spoke up about its dilemma.
It was starting to wonder if its current lifestyle was… too relaxed.
Instead of spending so much time eating, sleeping, and casually training, wouldn't it improve faster if it dedicated every moment to intense practice at the World Tree?
After all, its two masters had even invited it to stay there permanently so they could guide it at all times and help it become stronger.
Naoki: "…"
Wait, Groudon and Kyogre invited Kubfu to live at the World Tree for full-time training?
Wasn't that just an excuse to keep it around because they were lonely?!
Naoki could imagine it now—two of the most legendary and powerful Pokémon in the world, accustomed to ages of solitude, had finally found a young Pokémon they genuinely liked.
Of course, being too proud to admit it outright, they were disguising their true feelings as offering 'special training' instead.
Naoki sighed and shook his head.
Still, it was Kubfu's choice to make.
"What do you think?" he asked.
Kubfu hesitated again. "Fu" "Uhh… I don't know."
Naoki took one look at its conflicted expression and immediately understood.
"Alright then—let's do it!" He nodded.
"Fu?"
Kubfu blinked, a little surprised by Naoki's quick decision.
Naoki chuckled.
This was just like Ash's Charizard staying behind in Charicific Valley to train with other powerful Charizard.
If Kubfu wanted to become stronger, training with Groudon and Kyogre would be an amazing opportunity.
And it wasn't like they would be far apart—the World Tree was right next to the ranch, so they could still see each other whenever they wanted.
Not only that, but this could also help Kubfu bond more closely with its legendary mentors and gain valuable combat experience from them.
It was a win-win situation.
So, the next morning, Naoki walked Kubfu to the World Tree, much like a parent dropping off their child at boarding school.
Standing before Groudon and Kyogre, Naoki bowed slightly and entrusted Kubfu to them.
"Take care of him, alright?"
Both legendary Pokémon let out low, rumbling noises of agreement.
As a thank you, Naoki handed over a special gift—a selection of delicious food he had prepared just for them.
Groudon and Kyogre glanced at each other before eagerly accepting the offering.
Before leaving, Naoki knelt down and patted Kubfu's head.
"Train well while you're here, alright?"
Kubfu nodded firmly.
"Kubfu!" (I will!)
It would train hard and not disappoint Naoki's expectations!
Naoki smiled slightly, then turned and left the World Tree, leaving Kubfu in the capable hands of Groudon and Kyogre.
Maybe the next time they met, Kubfu would have evolved into a powerful Urshifu.
But for now, Naoki had his own tasks to take care of.
March 20, Year 201 of the League Calendar
A Poké Ball Transporter was delivered to the ranch by a special technician.
Once the installation and debugging were complete, Naoki took another teleporter using Giratina's Distortion World, traveling to the Alola region to set up the device at his newly purchased ranch on Akala Island.
After finishing the final adjustments, Naoki activated the Poké Ball Transporter.
On the other end of the line, Indeedee siblings at the main ranch appeared on Rotom Phone's screen. After a short conversation, they sent over a batch of Poké Balls.
A bright flash of white light filled the room.
In an instant, Gogoat, Butterfree, Garganacl, Alcremie, Eeveelutions, and other Pokémon materialized one after another, appearing inside the ranch house.
The Pokémon looked around curiously at their new surroundings.
However, as soon as they did, they noticed something off—
A musty, stale odor filled the air.
It was clear that the house had been vacant for quite some time.
Naoki grinned at the group.
"This will be our winter home! It might not look as cozy as our ranch, but the climate here stays warm all year round!"
His gaze then turned to Cyclizar, who had just finished stretching its legs.
"Cyclizar, this place will be perfect for you! Even in winter, you'll be able to run around outside without worrying about the cold—unlike back home, where it snows."
"Raaao!" Cyclizar let out an excited cry, wagging its tail eagerly.
Naoki chuckled.
"That said, I only came here today to set up the transporter and make sure everything's working. Koraidon and I will be heading back to the main ranch later, so everyone can return as well."
However—
None of the Pokémon seemed eager to leave just yet.
Instead, the Eeveelution siblings stepped forward enthusiastically, tails wagging, and volunteered to help clean the house!
"Alright, that sounds like a great idea."
Still, Naoki made a mental note—he should probably hire someone locally to help maintain the place while they were away.
That way, when winter arrived, they could move in right away without having to clean up first.
But since today was only his second visit to the Alola ranch, he wasn't very familiar with the area yet.
For now, they would just do the cleaning themselves.
Looking around, Naoki spotted a set of old tools left behind by the previous owner, who had relocated to Kalos.
Vaporeon helped rinse the floor with Water Gun, while Naoki followed behind, mopping up the excess water. Sylveon used its ribbon-like feelers to hold a rag, diligently wiping down the wet spots. Meanwhile, Flareon lay on the floor, using its naturally high body temperature to dry up any remaining moisture.
Watching the Pokémon work so efficiently, Naoki nodded in satisfaction.
"Alright, keep up the good work! I'll head downstairs to rinse the mop."
"Eevee!"
"Maa~!"
"pon~!"
The Pokémon responded cheerfully.
Leaving them to their tasks, Naoki took Koraidon downstairs to the outdoor sink.
Out in the pasture, Gogoat wandered around, happily munching on the tropical grass.
Meanwhile, the five Garganacl stood near a pile of rocks, looking a little confused by their new surroundings.
Before bringing them here, Naoki had done some research.
Unlike the Paldea region, Nacli were not native to Alola. Due to high interregional trade costs, the rock salt they produced was sold at a premium here.
Similarly, Gogoat milk was also rare and valuable in Alola.
However, Alola had cheaper alternatives, such as Tropius's bananas and Miltank's MooMoo Milk, which were much more affordable compared to Paldea.
With these factors in mind, Naoki brought his Gogoat and Garganacl along, hoping to check the local market prices for their products.
Just as he turned on the faucet to rinse the mop, a thick smoke poured out from the second-floor window, carrying the distinct scent of burning fabric.
Naoki froze for a moment.
Was there a fire?!
Quickly throwing the mop aside, he dashed upstairs, Koraidon right behind him.
Upon reaching the hallway, he found a group of Eevee evolutions huddled together at the corridor's end.
The fire had already been put out—thanks to Vaporeon's Water Gun—but Flareon sat on the floor, ears drooping, looking guilty.
Naoki sighed, already knowing exactly what had happened.
Flareon had probably tried to dry the floor using its body heat, but in doing so, it must have accidentally set the woolen curtains on fire.
Since wool is highly flammable, it had likely ignited instantly.
"Buei..." Flareon looked up at Naoki, guilt written all over its face.
Naoki sighed, shaking his head.
"It's fine. No one got hurt, right? It's just a curtain—don't worry too much about it."
He knew Flareon hadn't done it on purpose. Every Pokémon raised at his ranch was well-behaved and responsible.
Even so, Flareon decided not to use its body heat for drying anymore.
Feeling down, it followed Naoki downstairs while the other Pokémon resumed their activities.
...
By noon, Naoki had prepared a simple meal for the Pokémon.
He made Tropical Coconut Rice , Fresh Sandwiches, Poffins & Poke Blocks
Even though the meal was simple, Naoki enjoyed it thoroughly.
Something about this place reminded him of his early days on the ranch.
Seated at the table, he glanced at Cyclizar and Koraidon, who were sitting beside him.
"You know, back when I first started the ranch, things were very different."
The Pokémon turned their attention to him, listening curiously.
Naoki smiled, stirring his coconut rice as he reminisced.
"Back then, it was just the three of us—me, Cyclizar, and Koraidon."
"We lived in a tiny wooden cabin. There wasn't much—just a bed, a desk, and a cupboard. We barely had anything at home."
"At that time, Koraidon helped us a lot—catching fish, which we sold to make money. We used the money to buy seeds and start planting crops."
"Gaao!" Cyclizar nodded enthusiastically.
For it, those days weren't tough—they were fun and adventurous.
Hearing this, the Pokémon who joined the ranch later looked amazed.
They regretted not being there to experience those early struggles with Naoki.
Naoki chuckled, continuing his story.
"Later on, more Pokémon started arriving—Skiddo, Nacli, Dragonite… and even Pawmi, who just broke into our house one night."
"Then came Alcremie, Smoliv, and Glaceon… and from then on, we all lived together."
He smiled warmly.
"Now, our home has grown into something truly special."
As he spoke, Koraidon let out a low chuckle while the Eeveelutions looked on with shining eyes.
If only they had met Naoki earlier!
Understanding their thoughts, Naoki smiled and reassured them:
"Don't say that—it's not too late now!"
Just then—
Knock, knock!
A sudden knock on the door interrupted the conversation.
Everyone turned toward the entrance, curious.
Naoki stood up, walking to the front door.
Who could it be at this time?
As he opened the door, he found himself face-to-face with a young man with Reddish-brown hair, a necklace around his neck, tanned skin, and red shorts and no shirt, revealing well-defined muscles
Naoki blinked in surprise.
'Wait, isn't this… Kiawe?'
Kiawe was one of Ash's companions during his journey in the Alola region.
Like Naoki, his family also ran a ranch.
After the initial shock wore off, Naoki quickly realized that Kiawe's ranch was also on Akala Island.
It wasn't that surprising for them to run into each other.
Maybe Kiawe had been passing by and noticed the smoke from the kitchen chimney earlier.
And sure enough—Kiawe confirmed Naoki's suspicions with his next words.
"Are you the new owner of this ranch? Oh—where are my manners? I forgot to introduce myself! My name's Kiawe. My family runs the ranch next door!"
He gestured toward the distance.
"I was out delivering MooMoo Milk when I noticed smoke coming from your chimney. I figured I'd stop by and say hello!"