July 20th, League Calendar Year 201
Half a month had passed since the incident in Michina, but the excitement surrounding Arceus, the Creator of the World, and his battle with the Legendary Pokémon had not faded in the slightest.
People everywhere were still enthusiastically discussing the identities and strength of the Legendary Pokémon involved, and especially how the mysterious figure known as Cyclizar Mask managed to capture them.
During this time, several people who knew Calyrex was once been at Naoki's ranch came by to question him, suspecting that he might actually be Cyclizar Mask. Mayor Thomas, Kelly, and Ivan were among them. Naoki responded with his usual calm demeanor, explaining that Calyrex had grown bored of ranch life and had decided to travel the world.
Mayor Thomas was disappointed to hear this, but thinking of all the hardships Calyrex had endured, he sincerely hoped the Pokémon would live a better and more peaceful life.
When Geeta came to ask, Naoki gave the same excuse. But unlike the others, she remained firm in her belief that he was Cyclizar Mask. Even if she had no proof, she couldn't be convinced otherwise.
With time, public curiosity shifted away from the ranch, and the Arceus incident quietly came to an end.
Naoki turned his attention to the Pokémon living on the World Tree.
Thanks to the incredible labyrinth gifted by Arceus, the Great Hero Expedition Team Guild located at the summit of the World Tree officially began its operations.
Each Pokémon there had a role. Some formed exploration squads, while others supported the team as part of the logistics division.
The exploration squads were made up of strong, adventurous Pokémon who entered the Mysterious Labyrinth to explore unknown areas, gather resources, and help Pokémon in trouble.
Meanwhile, the logistics team stayed at the guild headquarters, where they provided meals, lodging, medical care, and other essential services to support the explorers.
Wigglytuff served as the guild master. Although technically a logistics member, he often joined expeditions himself. He collected intel, recorded requests from Pokémon needing help, and transformed them into commissions to be posted on the guild's bulletin board.
Pokémon who completed these commissions would receive rewards in return.
News of this system spread quickly. Even the Farfetch'd at Naoki's ranch decided to relocate to the World Tree so he could train in the labyrinth and become stronger.
The World Tree soon became a lively and prosperous place.
Naoki shared this news with Mew and Baby Bear, who were happy to hear it. Still, they insisted they wanted to finish exploring the Sinnoh region before returning to the ranch.
Naoki could only sigh. They were as determined as ever.
Having completed his promise to Giratina, Naoki didn't have much else to do. Aside from maintaining the farm, he spent most of his time relaxing at home. When Iono visited, they watched horror movies together with the Pokémon.
But most often, Naoki could be found using the Arceus Phone that Arceus had gifted him, checking in on the Pokémon living on the World Tree.
Even when using the bathroom, Naoki always brought the Arceus Phone along. Sometimes he would sit there for over half an hour, deeply absorbed in updates, while Koraidon scratched restlessly at the door outside.
The information on that device was just too captivating.
For example, Farfetch'd had recently moved to the World Tree.
[Farfetch'd]
Height: 1m
Weight: 24kg
Current Mission: None
Location: Mystery Dungeon
Condition: Slightly Injured
Below was the detailed log of Farfetch'd's journey into the labyrinth:
[8:00 a.m., July 20, 201, League Calendar] Farfetch'd entered the Mystery Dungeon and began its exploration.
[Farfetch'd encountered a powerful Beedrill and swiftly defeated it.]
[Farfetch'd discovered an Oran Berry in Beedrill's forest.]
[Farfetch'd came across a mysterious cave and picked up a Cursed Charm hidden inside.]
[Farfetch'd chose to delve deeper and encountered a powerful dragon Pokémon. After a hard-fought battle, it triumphed and obtained a Dragon Fang.]
[Farfetch'd helped an injured Gible inside the cave. The Gible, curious about the expedition guild Farfetch'd mentioned, decided to join its team.]
Naoki was frozen in shock as he read the last line.
Farfetch'd recruited a Gible?
Gible, the Dragon and Ground-type Pokémon from the Sinnoh region, which evolves into the fearsome Garchomp, the signature powerhouse of Sinnoh's Champion, Cynthia?
Wild Gible are incredibly rare. And yet, within just a few days of venturing into the Mystery Dungeon, Farfetch'd had found one and recruited it?
That must mean this Gible planned to return with Farfetch'd to the World Tree.
The log ended there, with no further updates for the time being.
Naoki was burning with curiosity, desperate to know what happened next between Farfetch'd and Gible.
But at that moment, a strange scratching noise came from outside the bathroom.
"Graah!" came the sound of Koraidon clawing at the door again.
Naoki groaned.
"Alright, alright! Just a sec! I'm almost done!"
Koraidon stopped scratching, waiting outside.
Farfetch'd's status hadn't been updated, so Naoki tapped over to another Pokémon, his cursor landing on the Skiddo.
Skiddo had once been rescued by Mewtwo and later mentored by the Gogoats. Inspired by their strength, it had vowed to grow into a Pokémon just as powerful.
So when the Mystery Dungeon appeared, Skiddo eagerly stepped forward to train and rescue other Pokémon in need.
Naoki figured it was probably training deep inside a dungeon now.
But the moment he opened Skiddo's interface, he was stunned by what he saw:
[7:38 a.m., July 15, 201, League Calendar] Skiddo entered Arceus World 2357 via the Mystery Dungeon.
[Skiddo encountered the Swords of Justice, Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion.]
[Skiddo's determination to help others touched the hearts of the Swords of Justice. As a result, it was welcomed as an honorary member and began training alongside Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion.]
[The Swords of Justice were deeply intrigued by the "Gogoat Teachers" Skiddo spoke of.]
[They told Skiddo the tale of Keldeo, how it once challenged Kyurem, awakened the power of the Sacred Sword, and earned the title of a true Swordsman.]
[Inspired, Skiddo expressed a strong desire to challenge Kyurem as well, but Virizion quickly stopped it.]
[Later that night, Skiddo snuck out on its own to challenge Kyurem. It was quickly defeated. The Arceus Teleportation Bracelet activated and whisked it back to the World Tree.]
[Unwilling to give up, Skiddo returned to the Mystery Dungeon to challenge Kyurem again.]
[Challenge failed.]
[Skiddo challenged again.]
[Challenge failed.]
[Skiddo challenged again.]
[…]
The words "Challenge failed. Challenge again." repeated so often that Naoki had to scroll down three full pages before reaching the conclusion.
[Eventually, annoyed but also impressed, Kyurem acknowledged Skiddo's unrelenting spirit and accepted it as a Swordsman in its own way. After driving Skiddo out of the cave, Kyurem sealed the entrance with solid ice, making the place off-limits to everyone.]
[Skiddo returned to the Swords of Justice.]
[The three Swords, Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion, were stunned when they heard about what it had done.]
Naoki: "..."
He could already picture Kyurem's blank stare and the stunned silence from the Swords of Justice.
Finally, a new entry appeared at the bottom, likely a system-generated note from the Arceus Phone summarizing the outcome:
[Skiddo's persistence and resilience have reached new heights. Its strength has increased significantly, and it has gained the recognition and friendship of Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion.]
Every member of the expedition team had their own story, their own life. From now on, they would meet new Pokémon, make new friends, and write new chapters in their adventures.
Whether they had been rescued by Mewtwo or invited to join by the Great Hero Expedition Team, every Pokémon now called the same place home.
With that, Naoki no longer had to worry.
Satisfied, he put away the Arceus Phone, stood up, and opened the bathroom door, only to see Koraidon squatting outside, waiting patiently.
"Raao?"
When Naoki stepped out, Koraidon perked up, wagging its massive tail happily.
Naoki smiled, reached out to ruffle Koraidon's head, and said warmly, "Come on. It's time for us to start a new life too."
And so, with the Arceus incident behind him, it was time to revisit something he'd discussed with Iono a few months ago.
In the Pokémon world, romance didn't come with endless red tape. If two people liked each other, they could register for marriage and move in together, it was that simple.
While Naoki still thought things were moving a little fast, he had come to understand that this was just how things worked in this world. And so, he chose to follow the local customs.
But first, Naoki wanted to prepare properly and visit Iono's parents with a thoughtful gift.
Naoki stepped outside, and Koraidon followed closely behind. It tried to recall how things had played out last time. Though its memories from long ago were hazy, it remembered Naoki's story very clearly.
If it remembered right, Naoki and Iono were going to hold a wedding this year.
And if it was correct, their little one would be born soon.
The ranch would truly be complete — a family, a home, and all their Pokémon companions living happily together.
Just imagining that peaceful future made Koraidon's heart swell with joy.
"Raao~"
...
Bonus Chapter