Pokemon: A New Path

Chapter 227: Depressed Pokemon



Naoki: "..."

"Alright then!"

In his mind, Naoki compared Koraidon with Paradox Pokémon like Great Tusk and Roaring Tail. Without a doubt, Koraidon was the most powerful Pokémon.

Deciding to relax, Naoki sat down beside Koraidon to bask in the warm afternoon sun. Koraidon squinted contentedly, clearly enjoying the peaceful moment. Meanwhile, Naoki began mentally reviewing the various ancient Paradox Pokémon.

There was the prehistoric form of Donphan, Great Tusk; the fierce, ancient Jigglypuff known as Scream Tail; and Brute Bonnet, a dangerous mushroom resembling Amoonguss. He thought of the elegant Slither Wing, the Paradox version of Volcarona, with its magnificent wings, and the fearsome Roaring Moon, Salamence's primal ancestor.

Naoki's thoughts drifted to rumors about the ancient forms of the Legendary Beasts: Suicune's Paradox form, Walking Wake, and Raikou's counterpart, Raging Bolt.

"I wonder just how powerful these ancient Pokemon are..." Naoki mused to himself.

If these creatures were summoned through the time machine like the other Paradox Pokémon, he might have the chance to encounter them within Area Zero.

After lunch, Naoki headed to the orchard to check on the injured Pokémon.

The usually lively area was strangely quiet, with hardly a sound from the Pokémon-quite the contrast to the playful calls of Alcremie and Naclstack on the grassy field outside.

When Naoki peeked into the wooden hut, he found a group of Pokémon huddled inside, seemingly still shaken from the recent fire.

Though the blaze had been extinguished nearly thirty hours ago, the Pokémon remained wary and restless, their spirits dampened despite the safe and cozy environment.

As Naoki approached, some Pokémon cautiously poked their heads out from the hut, their curious eyes meeting his gaze.

Naoki smiled warmly. "Let's see how you're healing, okay?"

"Guji!"

A lively Minccino was the first to leap out of the hut. Its fluffy, plume-like tail swayed cheerfully—though part of it was singed from the fire.

The little Pokémon scampered over to Naoki, holding its tail and looking up with a soft, pitiful "Gu..guji..."

Naoki gently inspected the burnt fur and grinned. "You're healing up nicely. Don't worry-by the time winter is over, your fur will grow back good as new."

"Guji!"

At the mention of recovery, Minccino's mood brightened instantly. With a delighted squeal, it spun around and darted back to the hut, wagging its tail happily.

Naoki peeked inside the hut and noticed a neat pile of berries stashed away-clearly Minccino's winter hoard. He chuckled, recognizing how similar Minccino's behavior was to that of real squirrels, diligently gathering food to last through the colder months.

The sight reminded him of the forest on the mountain, which had unfortunately been scorched during the fire.

If there was a Minccino living in that forest, it must have lost its stockpile too.

His heart sank at the thought.

This little Pokémon must have devastated too, but judging by the cheerful way it curled up on its new stash of berries, it seemed things were slowly improving.

Naoki watched Minccino nuzzle into the soft pile of berries, its tail wrapping protectively around them. A contented sigh escaped the Pokémon as it lay atop its treasures, blissfully

happy.

Seeing that the cheerful Minccino was recovering well, Naoki smiled and continued down the path through the orchard.

Next, he checked on a Wattrel perched in one of the trees.

The poor Wattrel had fallen into a deep depression the day before, its wings scorched by the fire, robbing it of its ability to fly. It had spent hours attempting to flap its injured wings, trying desperately to lift off-but all its efforts ended in failure.

Noticing its struggle, Naoki approached gently and scooped up the small bird Pokémon. As he unwrapped the bandages from its wings, he winced at the sight of the worsening injuries. "Looks worse than I thought," Naoki muttered. He called out to brother Indeedee, to bring the medical kit.

As Naoki carefully applied medicine to Wattrel's wounds, he said softly, "You need to stop trying to fly for now. Every time you flap your wings like that, you make the injury worse. If you push too hard, you might not be able to fly again."

At these words, Wattrel's eyes filled with a flicker of fear. It lowered its head, giving a small, reluctant nod as if promising it wouldn't try again.

Naoki gently patted Wattrel's head. "I know flying is in your nature. Losing your wings must be terrifying. But trust me if you let them heal properly, I promise you'll soar through the sky again soon. Do you believe me?"

The little Wattrel looked into Naoki's dark eyes for a moment, then hesitantly nodded.

"Good." Naoki smiled warmly and gave the bird a reassuring pat. "From now on, I'll come by twice a day to give you medicine, okay?"

After carefully placing Wattrel back on its perch in the wooden hut, Naoki continued on his way.

Under the nearby fruit trees, he spotted a group of Pokémon: a playful Petilil, a couple of Hoppip floating lazily in the breeze, and a curious little group of Foongus.

Though the Pokémon were still a bit subdued, they perked up at the sight of Naoki, giving friendly greetings despite their low spirits.

Naoki smiled at them. "Your injuries seem to be healing well. Get some good rest, and you'll be back to full strength in no time."

"Da La!" cheered the group of Foonguss, happily circling Naoki in joy.

The Hoppip floated around Naoki too, spinning playfully in the air. Meanwhile, Petilil watched the happy scene with a soft smile.

Seeing the Pokémon finally start to relax and smile again, Naoki felt a wave of relief wash over

him.

He glanced over at the Tinkatuff, Smeargle sketching on bark with joyful focus, a Kricketune chirping a soothing tune, and a playful duo of Tandemaus chasing each other around the

clearing.

Naoki whispered softly, more to himself than anyone else, "Everything will be alright."

Naoki carefully checked over the Pokémon one by one, ensuring they were all recovering well. Satisfied that everyone was doing fine, he stood up and scanned the area.

Suddenly, something clicked in his mind-one Pokémon was missing.

"The Bellibolt should be in the underground cave," he thought. "It was fine yesterday, so that's not the issue."

Then it hit him: one Pokémon still hadn't been accounted for.

"Where's that lazy Slakoth?" Naoki muttered, frowning as he glanced around the clearing.

At that moment, a pair of playful Tandemaus squeaked in unison, pointing with their tiny paws toward a nearby grove of trees.

Naoki followed the direction they indicated, and soon enough, he spotted the familiar figure of Slakoth. It was lying on a patch of grass surrounded by fruit trees, basking in a perfect beam of sunlight that filtered through the leafy canopy.

The Pokémon lay flat on its back, completely still. Even as Naoki approached, Slakoth only shifted its eyes lazily, offering a half-hearted yawn.

Naoki: "..."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

It was abundantly clear that Slakoth had fully adjusted to its new surroundings.

...

Alright folks, no need for formalities—just hand over those stones!