One down.
Then came the second challenger… the third… the fourth…
By the time the last eager Trainer had their battle, it was already noon.
Naoki tallied the results: two Trainers managed to win, while eight had lost.
And though Sylveon had been drinking Life Goat Milk between matches to restore its energy, the strain of so many battles was clearly wearing on it.
Naoki stepped forward, offering a small bow to the crowd.
"I'm truly sorry, everyone. My Sylveon is a little tired. We'll have to stop here for today."
The group of young Trainers immediately waved their hands in reassurance.
"It's okay, Mr. Naoki! Sylveon needs to rest!"
'Mr. Naoki is so kind,' they thought. He and his Sylveon spent the entire morning helping them train, without asking for anything in return!
Their hearts swelled with admiration.
One day, when they were strong, they too would mentor the younger generation, just like Mr. Naoki.
As the students packed up and headed home, Naoki turned to Sylveon with a gentle smile.
"How're you feeling?"
"Boo-ee!" Sylveon chirped happily.
It could feel it real progress.
The experience from the morning's matches had taught it valuable lessons in timing, rhythm, and battle flow. It was mentally tired, sure, but its body felt invigorated.
This must be what it felt like to get stronger!
"Perfect," Naoki said, nodding. "Ten battles a day, a hundred battles in ten days, and over 3,650 battles in a year. Combine that with my specialty meals, and you'll be a force to be reckoned with."
He grinned.
"That's how Dragonite trained, too."
Hearing that, Sylveon's eyes lit up with fiery determination.
"Boo-yi!"
Not far away, Partner Eevee was lounging contentedly among blooming flowers, basking in the sunlight. It gave a long, lazy yawn.
The faster Sylveon grew stronger, the sooner it could share in that strength!
Around noon, Iono returned to the ranch. After lunch and a short break, she headed back to her Gym duties.
Once she'd left, Naoki led Koraidon and Cyclizar out to the fields to harvest the crops their Gogoat had ripened the day before.
Along the way, Naoki reminded them, "If you spot any crops that look strange or different from the rest, let me know right away. It could be a mutation."
Sure enough, Cyclizar let out a call moments later, "Gya-ao!" It had found something unusual.
Naoki jogged over to find a particularly massive potato. The moment he saw it, data surfaced in his mind.
[Potato Mine] A volatile crop that triggers a powerful explosion when disturbed. Comparable in strength to the move Explosion. Not suitable for consumption.
Hearing the noise, Koraidon rushed over, saw the potato, and gasped. "Ah gah!"
Naoki's eyes widened. "Cyclizar! Back away from that, don't touch it!"
Cyclizar tilted its head. "Gya?"
Then—flash!
The potato mine began to glow with an intense white light.
BOOM!
A shockwave sent Naoki flying. When he opened his eyes, he saw both Cyclizar and Koraidon lying blackened from the blast, smoke curling off their bodies.
Naoki: "..."
Good thing they're built tough.
Koraidon groaned and shot Cyclizar a look. "Ah gah!"
Cyclizar whimpered, "Gya…"
Then Koraidon remembered it had done something similar in the past. With a sigh, it chose to let it go.
"All right, all right, don't be mad. Let me check you both." Naoki examined them carefully. Thankfully, neither was seriously hurt, just a few scrapes.
He patted Cyclizar's head. "You'll be fine after some Life Gogoat Milk."
Cyclizar chirped cheerfully, then trotted off. A moment later, it returned carrying two bottles—one for itself and one for Naoki, who'd also taken some of the blast.
As for Koraidon?
Cyclizar gave it nothing.
Koraidon, witnessing this petty revenge: "…"
It rolled its eyes but didn't argue. After all, it had pulled similar tricks back in the day.
Naoki sat down on the grass, sipping the milk and chuckling as Cyclizar curled up beside him.
Just then, a sharply dressed man in a tailored suit walked through the front gate of the ranch. His sleek hair, crisp posture, and air of professionalism immediately stood out.
Naoki's gaze met his, and for a moment, they both froze.
Giovanni, watching from behind his sunglasses, was just as stunned.
If he hadn't done his homework, who would believe this gentle, easygoing rancher was the same person behind the events tied to Calyrex, Giratina, Groudon, Rayquaza, Ho-Oh, Kyogre…
This man was terrifying.
Giovanni knew immediately: Team Rocket must never make an enemy of this person. Not only was he strong, he was strong enough to single-handedly tear the organization apart.
So, with a polite smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, Giovanni stepped forward and offered a handshake.
"Hello," he said smoothly. "Is this the Tree House Ranch? I'm Giovanni, representing Silph Corporation. I came to discuss a potential business partnership, expanding Dragonite Express delivery to the Kanto and Johto regions."
"Giovanni?"
The moment Naoki saw the man, his first instinct was alarm, had Team Rocket discovered Mewtwo's whereabouts and come to reclaim it?
But upon hearing Giovanni's words, Naoki froze in mild surprise.
Giovanni stood calmly, his sharp, hawk-like eyes observing Naoki with calculated ease.
"Ah, so you do remember me," Giovanni said smoothly.
He's not here for Mewtwo, Naoki realized with a hint of relief.
After a brief pause to gather his thoughts, Naoki composed himself and replied politely, "Hello, Mr. Giovanni. You mentioned something about opening a Dragonite delivery route in Kanto?"
Giovanni nodded with a practiced smile.
"Yes. Dragonite, with its incredible speed and endurance, is ideal for long-distance delivery. The potential is enormous. On behalf of Silph Corporation, I'm prepared to invest 50 million PokéDollars to establish Dragonite Express in both the Kanto and Johto regions."
He spoke with the earnest confidence of a seasoned businessman, but to Naoki, something about this proposal felt... off.
'Why would someone of Giovanni's influence take such personal interest in a delivery service?' Naoki thought. Especially enough to visit a ranch himself?
"May I ask if you know why Dragonite Express hasn't launched service in Kanto or Johto yet?" Naoki asked, eyeing him cautiously.
Giovanni gave a slight nod.
"If I'm not mistaken, you're concerned about the risk from criminal organizations and Pokémon hunters operating in those regions, yes?"
Naoki didn't answer directly. Instead, he said coolly, "Even in Paldea, we've heard the name 'Team Rocket.' Supposedly they're infamous for stealing Pokémon from trainers and even breaking into Pokémon Centers to take Pokémon while they're recovering."
Giovanni fell silent for a beat.
"…"
Then, brushing past the comment with practiced poise, he replied,
"I understand your concern. But I can assure you, Dragonite would be safe."
Naoki raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? You're that confident? Are you familiar with Team Rocket then?"
Giovanni didn't miss a beat.
"Of course not." His face remained completely composed.
"I have strong ties with regional law enforcement. I could request that the local authorities prioritize protecting Dragonite Express shipments. That should ensure their safety."
Naoki stared at him.
He's really going to pretend like that's the whole truth?
The pieces weren't lining up. If Naoki hadn't already known Giovanni's true identity, and how deeply Team Rocket had its claws buried in Kanto and Johto, he might have believed him.
But the real issue was that, even though Giovanni was undeniably charismatic and ambitious, Naoki simply didn't like him.
He despised the idea of stealing Pokémon from their trainers.
More importantly, Mewtwo didn't like Giovanni either. It hated Team Rocket. If Mewtwo ever found out that Naoki had cooperated with someone like Giovanni, it would be heartbroken... and disappointed.
Naoki couldn't allow that.
So he gave his answer directly, without hesitation.
"I believe in playing it safe. From what I've heard, Team Rocket's influence still runs deep in both Kanto and Johto. Until their leadership is arrested and the organization is disbanded, I have no plans to open Dragonite Express deliveries in those regions."
Giovanni fell silent, the smile on his lips fading just slightly.
"I see."
Naoki didn't flinch.
"So please, if you'll excuse me, I must ask you to leave."
Giovanni paused for a moment, then reached into his coat and pulled out a sleek business card, still playing the part of a successful young entrepreneur.
"I understand. This is my personal number. If you ever reconsider, don't hesitate to reach out."
Naoki accepted the card out of courtesy, already planning to toss it as soon as Giovanni left the ranch.
But before the conversation could end, Giovanni spoke again, casually shifting the topic.
"By the way, I've heard you sell a type of goat milk that can heal Pokémon instantly. May I take a few bottles back with me?"
Naoki raised an eyebrow.
'So now he's asking about Life Goat Milk?'
"Sure," Naoki said calmly. "But like everyone else, you're limited to one bottle per day."
Giovanni's brows furrowed ever so slightly.
"What if I offered a higher price?"
"No exceptions." Naoki's voice was firm. "Even if a Champion shows up here, it's still one bottle per person."
Geeta had already tried to negotiate a bulk order in the past, and Naoki turned her down too. There was no way Giovanni was getting special treatment.
Giovanni stood still for a second, unreadable, before offering a resigned smile.
"I understand. Trainers of your caliber often have your own principles and policies."
He returned to his calm, corporate demeanor.
"In that case, I won't take up more of your time."
With that, Giovanni turned and left, his polished shoes crunching softly on the gravel path as he disappeared down the ranch road.
...
Bonus Chapter