Pokemon: A New Path

Chapter 196: The Prototype of Dragonite Delivery Company



Phione.

The Pokémon that hatches from Manaphy's eggs, Phione, is born on the cold seabed and lives in warm waters. It's a famous migratory Pokémon.

Each year, they swim great distances to return to the place where they were born.

At this moment, these sea-dwelling Pokémon were swimming in large groups across the ocean, as if on a grand pilgrimage.

As they swam, tidal waves formed, and countless pale blue Phione danced gracefully in the tides.

Sometimes they leapt high into the air, bringing up large amounts of seawater that created upward columns, making it look as if the ocean itself was flowing toward the moon.

When they dove deep, the seawater gathered around them naturally, forming graceful tidal waves.

Their blue bodies blended with the color of the sea, flying toward the moon and sky along with the water flow.

The soft moonlight combined with the star-like water droplets to create a stunningly magnificent scene over the deep blue sea.

Naoki gazed at this sight in awe, completely taken aback by the beauty.

After a brief moment of dazed wonder, he quickly switched his camera from photo mode to video mode to capture it all.

Underneath the waves, countless Dratini and Dragonair were swimming fiercely.

They were battling the forces of nature and their own limitations, striving to overcome the powerful ocean currents and swim upward.

But the sea's power was immense and heavy.

The young, inexperienced Dratini and Dragonair were small and fragile in comparison.

Again and again, they were swept back into the deep sea by the whirlpool, and the rough water currents left marks on their soft bodies.

Yet despite their hardships, the Dratini and Dragonair refused to give up.

With each new attempt, they adjusted themselves and charged at the whirlpool again, injuries and all.

After a fierce struggle, the first Dragonair broke through the whirlpool and leapt into the sky.

Water droplets, shimmering in the moonlight, fell from its body, and the next second, a brilliant white light burst forth from the evolving Dragonair.

That was the light of evolution!

"Ooooou!" it cried melodiously, and within the glow, a newly evolved Dragonite was born.

Then came a second one, followed by a third.

The adult Dragonites flying high in the sky watched with pride.

None of them stepped forward to help because they knew this was something every Dragonair and Dratini had to do alone-each of them had gone through the same trial.

"This is truly incredible!" Naoki couldn't help but exclaim, deeply moved.

He zoomed in with his camera and, among the many Dratini and Dragonair, spotted a shiny Dratini with a noticeably different color.

It was struggling, falling behind as its slender body was pushed back by the powerful current.

Naoki could see clearly that the shiny Dratini was rapidly losing strength, barely able to swim anymore.

Time after time, it was swept into the whirlpool, disappearing into the dark depths of the sea. It was gone for so long that Naoki's heart began to pound with worry.

"Dratini... It's not going to drown, is it?"

But just when Naoki feared the worst, the pink, delicate figure reappeared on his camera screen.

It was swimming with all its might, its face full of determination.

Yet, the force of the ocean was so strong that despite its relentless effort, it could barely make any progress in the fierce current.

For a moment, the battle seemed hopeless.

Seeing that the Dratini was about to be swept away by the sea again, Naoki couldn't help but shout:

"Dratini, you can do it!"

The surrounding Dragonites all turned to look in his direction.

But Naoki didn't care he was focused entirely on the Dratini through the lens of his camera.

In the frame, it almost seemed as though the little Dratini had heard his encouragement. With a sudden burst of energy, the small Pokémon swung its body vigorously and, with a whoosh, finally broke through the whirlpool, flying high into the sky.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Water droplets sparkled like stars as they scattered off its body, and for a moment, the scene seemed frozen in time.

The Dratini's pink skin shimmered dreamily under the moonlight.

Then, the next second, a bright light burst from its body.

In that radiant glow, the Dratini began to evolve.

Its body grew longer and more graceful, now covered in smooth, pink scales. Its belly turned a bright white, and its eyes sparkled black and full of life.

A small white horn sprouted from its forehead, while two tiny white feather-like wings appeared on either side of its head. A orb, resembling a delicate bell, hung around its neck. "Yes!" Naoki cheered, genuinely thrilled for the newly evolved Dragonair.

The newly evolved Dragonair immediately flew over to Naoki, landing excitedly in front of

him.

"Woo!" it cried happily.

Naoki laughed and asked, "Did you hear me cheering for you?"

The shiny Dragonair nodded slightly, then affectionately nudged Naoki with its head.

Naoki smiled and gently petted the Dragonair, taking a moment to admire its body, particularly the golden orb around its neck.

"Could it be a large Dragon Pearl?"

Curious, Naoki reached out and touched the orb.

The moment his hand made contact, a mysterious energy surged from Dragonair.

With a soft hum, the once-ordinary-looking golden orb began to glow faintly, and air currents swirled around Dragonair's body.

Suddenly, the weather overhead began to shift.

The clouds that had covered the night sky mysteriously dispersed, revealing a clearer, starry

sky above.

Naoki's clothes fluttered in the wind, stirred by the energy coming from Dragonair.

As he looked up at the sky, a memory of something he had read about Dragonair came to

mind.

It was said that Dragonair possesses incredible amounts of energy within its body and can focus its power through the orbs on its neck and tail to control the weather.

For centuries, Dragonair has been revered by people, especially farmers, who believed that it had the power to influence weather patterns. In times of drought or storms, offerings were made to the lake where Dragonair lived in hopes of favorable weather.

It seemed, now, that these legends were true.

Standing nearby, Dragonite couldn't help but feel a pang of envy as it watched the scene

unfold.

But it had to admit that this Dragonair was exceptionally gifted-perhaps even more so than most of the Dragonites on the island.

Lately, Dragonite had come to understand that human trainers often preferred more powerful Pokémon. It had noticed Naoki's fondness for the shiny Dragonair and couldn't help but feel a bit insecure, fearing that Naoki might like Dragonair more than it.

Naoki, always in tune with his Pokémon, quickly sensed Dragonite's mood shift.

He knew his chubby friend was feeling a bit down again.

With a chuckle, Naoki playfully pulled Dragonite and Koraidon close, draping an arm over

each of them, and spoke to Dragonair:

"We're all so proud of you! You did amazing today. Isn't that right, Dragonite?" Dragonite, realizing Naoki was comforting it, perked up. The dark cloud that had been hanging over its head instantly disappeared, replaced by a bright, sunny feeling. With newfound enthusiasm, it nodded and agreed: "Oooou!"

Dragonair didn't give it much thought. After evolving, it was naturally overjoyed. After

thanking Naoki, it looked around and quickly flew off to join the other newly evolved Dragonairs, happily playing with them.

Meanwhile, the Phione and the others gradually disappeared into the distance as their migration continued.

With that, the evolution ceremony came to an end.

Naoki, Koraidon, and Dragonite sat on a rock at the edge of the cliff, listening to the sound of

the waves crashing against the shore while reviewing the video captured on Naoki's camera.

"Wow, this footage is incredible-it's like having a treasure trove of research material!"

Naoki marveled.

Whether it was the migrating Phione or the evolution of Dragonair and Dratini under the moonlight, the footage was priceless for Pokémon researchers.

Naoki figured that if he sold this ecological data, it could fetch an enormous price.

But... he wasn't short of money. This felt more like something to treasure-perhaps a family

heirloom.

Tucking the camera away, Naoki glanced around to make sure no other Dragonite were

watching. Then, with a mischievous grin, he gestured for Dragonite and Koraidon to follow

him as they quietly snuck away.

Dragonite, puzzled by Naoki's sneaky behavior, tilted its head: "Awoo?"

"Why don't you say goodbye to everyone?" Dragonite seemed to ask. Naoki paused and said with a teasing smile, "If you want to invite a few Dragonites back to

the ranch, go ahead."

'Of course not!'

Dragonite quickly understood. Without needing another word, it took the lead, pulling Naoki and Koraidon along as they made their escape from Dragonite Island.

Seeing Dragonite hurry ahead, Naoki couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry, you're still my

favorite Dragonite."

"Awoo?"

Naoki reached out and patted Koraidon's neck, adding with a grin, "And you're my favorite

Koraidon."

Both Pokémon were immediately satisfied, their previous concerns melting away.

Naoki breathed a sigh of relief. He silently promised himself he wouldn't go overboard

collecting Pokémon as he did in the games-trying to balance the relationships between them all would be exhausting!

Dragonite thought it had finally left behind the troublesome Dragonites of Dragonite Island.

But, early the next morning, just after sunrise, it spotted some very familiar figures in the pasture.

Dragonite rubbed its eyes in disbelief. There, standing before it, were the two wild

Dragonites and five Dragonair!

The wild Dragonites and Dragonairs blinked and cheerfully greeted it: "Awoo~"

Dragonite: "!!!

Dragonite was utterly shocked.

But then, recalling Naoki's earlier words, it smirked mischievously, crossing its arms with a

grin.

"Awooo!" (You can stay at the ranch, but you'll have to help out to earn more Poke Puffs!)

At the mention of Poke Puffs, the two wild Dragonites immediately remembered the delicious

treats from the ranch.

They nodded eagerly: "Awooo!"

Seeing their enthusiastic agreement, Dragonite let out a sigh of relief, thinking, 'They're just

here for the food.'

'That's a lot easier to deal with.'

"Awoo, awoo, awoo!" (It's hard for Naoki to prepare food, and humans are different from us.

They need to spend money to buy food. Yesterday, you ate all our Poke Puffs, and now there are none left. If you want more, you'll have to help Naoki with some work!) Hearing this, the two wild Dragonites began to associate Poke Puffs with work in their minds. Nearby, Dragonair also perked up, curious about what was being discussed.

Unlike the two wild Dragonites, the Dragonair weren't just interested in the Poke Puffs-they genuinely liked Naoki as well.

The two wild Dragonites blinked in confusion: "Awoo?" (What is work?)

Dragonite sighed: "..."

It then patiently explained to the Pokémon in front of it what work typically involves.

"Awoo." (It's tough for Naoki to manage the ranch all by himself. All the Pokémon at the

ranch pitch in. What you'll be doing is easy-just like me. Your job will be to deliver the fresh

Moomoo Milk produced at the ranch to the customers who have ordered it. But remember, you must not drink it along the way!)

Dragonite gave them a serious look and continued: "Awoo." (If you drink the milk secretly,

Naoki won't make any more Poke Puffs for you.)

The two wild Dragonites, eager to have more Poke Puffs, shook their heads vigorously,

promising not to sneak any milk.

Satisfied, Dragonite thought for a moment and added: "Awooo!" (From now on, you have to

listen to me!)

The two foodie Dragonites had no objections to that.

Seeing them agree, Dragonite felt an unexpected sense of pride. It had never imagined there

would be any Dragonites who would listen to someone like it.

"Woo?" At that moment, several nearby Dragonair asked. (What about us?)

Dragonite, being part of a species that often cares for its younger Pokémon, couldn't help but

feel a sense of responsibility toward the Dratini and Dragonair.

Even though they might compete for Naoki's attention, Dragonite's instincts kicked in, and it

chose to take care of them anyway.

"Awoo." (Just stay out of trouble. Once you evolve into Dragonite, you can help Naoki too.)

With a wave of its claws, Dragonite herded the five Dragonair toward the lake, ensuring they wouldn't cause any mischief.

Dragonite, however, stayed behind to teach the two wild Dragonites how to properly deliver

milk.

So, early in the morning, pedestrians in Kosaji Town were stunned as they looked up to see

three Dragonites flying gracefully across the sky, arriving in town.

People were left in shock and disbelief.

"Was that... a Dragonite?"

"Am I seeing things? Did a rare Pokémon really show up in Kosaji Town?!"

But there were a few townspeople who were already familiar with Dragonite's milk deliveries.

They noticed the small red shoulder bag on the lead Dragonite.

"Huh? Has Naoki's ranch hired new employees again?"

"Oh, it's that Dragonite, right?"

"You know it?"

"Of course! It's quite famous around here," one local said with a smile. "Every morning, you

can spot Dragonite flying from Naoki Ranch, delivering fresh milk to the customers who ordered it. Dragonite's got such a great personality, and the townspeople adore it. I even

heard Mrs. Dantes bakes cookies for it sometimes."

"Using a Dragonite to deliver milk? Isn't that a bit, extravagant?" exclaimed a trainer from another region, clearly taken aback by the revelation.

The townspeople merely shrugged, as if this was the most normal thing in the world. "You'll

get used to it," one of them replied casually. "Dragonite flies really fast, and it's gentle as can be. Why wouldn't we trust it with milk deliveries?"

"This... this is..." The visiting trainer was left speechless, unable to process what he was

hearing. To him, Dragonite was a revered Pokémon, especially among the Dragon Tamer families in the Johto region, where it was considered a precious, rare companion.

If those Dragon Tamer families could see this, using their revered Dragonite as a milk delivery Pokémon, they'd be flabbergasted! They'd probably kick up a fuss, yelling that it was a complete waste of such extraordinary talent!