Naoki blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected all the effects of the fish dishes to fuse into a single, powerful result.
Fish Banquet... A meal that greatly enhances the talent, potential, and learning ability of Water-type Pokémon. Its benefits even surpassed those of the breeding treehouse at the ranch.
But there was one catch, it only worked on Water-types.
And unfortunately, the ranch didn't have many of those. Only Psyduck, Urshifu, and Vaporeon qualified.
Still, it was better than nothing.
The ranch had come a long way. At this point, neither Naoki nor the Pokémon living with him were chasing strength like they used to. Their days of training hard were behind them. Life here was peaceful now, like a happy retirement.
"Go call everyone back for lunch!"
"Zzzzt-Gaao!"
Cyclizar zipped out of the house at top speed, kicking up dust behind it.
Soon after, the Pokémon came running back in a joyful stampede.
They gathered around the table, their eyes widening at the sight of the full-course fish feast.
Dragonite blinked twice, then beamed.
"Rooooar~!"
'Could it be? Did Naoki make all this because he knew how much he loved fish?'
Seeing those expectant, sparkling eyes, Naoki froze for a beat, then chuckled warmly.
"Of course I did. Go ahead and dig in!"
"Roaaaar!"
With a joyful cry, Dragonite bounded forward and gave Naoki a big, affectionate hug. At that moment, it felt like the happiest Dragonite in the world.
Naoki laughed, patting its back gently. "Alright, alright, time to eat!"
"Roar~!"
Dragonite responded happily, then waddled over to the seat Naoki had custom-built for it, extra wide and backless, and settled down to feast.
The other Pokémon quickly joined in, taking their places and eyeing the dishes curiously. Each one began nibbling at the flavors in front of them.
Ogerpon carefully picked up a bite of fish simmered in spicy red broth and placed it delicately in her mouth.
A second later, her eyes widened and her whole body shivered.
"Boni!" So spicy!
Naoki quickly handed her a glass of water. "Here, drink this. If it's too spicy, there are also Poke blocks, Poffins, and sandwiches on the side."
Ogerpon looked over and saw that Naoki had indeed prepared milder food for those who didn't enjoy strong flavors.
"Boni~!" She nodded with a smile and happily picked up a soft sandwich to eat instead.
Meanwhile, Naoki reached over to Iono and gently took their baby, Elara, into his arms. "Let me hold her for a bit."
He set the nearly one-year-old on his lap, steadying her carefully.
"Here comes the airplane~"
With chopsticks, Naoki picked up a small, boneless piece of tender fish, gently cooled it with a puff of air, then brought it to Elara's mouth.
Elara was just about to turn one and could already understand simple words. As soon as she heard "ah~," she obediently opened her mouth.
The fish was white, tender, and soft, so delicate it practically melted in the mouth. It was the perfect texture for a child.
Sure enough, as soon as the fish touched her tongue, Elara began to chew eagerly.
"Ah!" After swallowing, she pointed at the plate of fish on the table with her tiny hand, clearly asking for more.
Naoki smiled warmly. "That's fish...fish meat."
As he spoke, he picked up another piece of the tender meat.
"Fish fish!" Elara pointed at the slice in his chopsticks and repeated it proudly.
"Yes, you're such a clever baby," Naoki said, gently patting her head with affection.
Just then, Elara seemed to remember something. She turned around and pointed at the two fluorescent fish swimming in the living room tank and chirped, "Fish, fish!"
Naoki blinked, momentarily stunned. 'Wait, did Elara think those glowing Pokémon were food too?'
He quickly explained, "Those are Pokémon, sweetheart. Pokémon are our friends. We don't eat our friends."
Elara tilted her head thoughtfully, as if trying to understand.
"They're fluorescent Finneon. Just like Larvesta and Entei, they're all our good friends," Naoki added gently, his voice calm and patient.
Hearing that, Elara blinked twice.
She glanced at the three Legendary Beasts, Suicune, Entei, and Raikou, relaxing nearby, then turned her gaze back to the playful Finneon drifting in the tank.
And in that moment, something clicked in her little mind.
Fish… fish aren't food.
...
Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, the year 203 had come to an end.
On December 20th, Naoki received a call from one of the members of the Expedition Guild.
It was Baby Bear, sounding confused on the other end.
"Teddi?" "Where did you guys go?"
Naoki slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing that they had completely forgotten to tell Baby Bear that they'd moved to the Alola region for the winter season.
Feeling sheepish, he laughed awkwardly. "Ah, we're in Alola!"
"There was a Poké Ball teleporter installed at the ranch, connected directly to the Alola region. With just a step through it, you can instantly arrive in Alola."
Soon enough, Mew, Baby Bear, Victini, and Zapdos appeared at the ranch entrance.
Naoki greeted them with a cheerful smile. "Long time no see!"
Baby Bear beamed back. "Teddi!"
Just then, a glowing ring of light appeared in the air without warning.
Naoki blinked in surprise, caught completely off guard, when a familiar figure leapt out from the swirling halo.
It was... Hoopa!
"Hoopa's here to visit everyone!" it declared, spinning joyfully in the air.
Naoki stared in disbelief, then turned to Baby Bear, baffled. "Wait, how did Hoopa get here? What's going on?"
Before Baby Bear could say anything, Hoopa answered with a proud grin, "Teddi", "Hoopa is part of the Great Hero Expedition Team now!"
Mew nodded with excitement, "Miu~!"
Victini floated up beside them, chiming in with a "Vii~!"
After a round of cheerful explanation from the Pokémon, Naoki finally pieced the story together.
Apparently, ever since the incident in Desert City, Hoopa had earned the trust and support of Meray and Baraz, the siblings who once helped it control its power. With their blessing, Hoopa officially joined the Great Hero Expedition Team and started traveling with Mew, Baby Bear, and the others.
When the year drew to a close, Hoopa decided to temporarily leave the group and return to the Valley of Arche to visit Meray and Baraz.
But Hoopa knew the valley all too well, and after playing around for a while, it started to feel bored.
So, as always, Hoopa did what it did best: it summoned a portal and came to find Mew and the others to play together again.
After hearing the whole story, Naoki didn't know whether to laugh or sigh.
"This is so… Hoopa," he muttered with a smile.
True to its nature, Hoopa was playful and unpredictable, but Naoki couldn't deny how reassuring it felt to have it around. With Hoopa now part of the Great Hero Expedition Team, their overall strength had gone up a notch.
Even if they were targeted by evil organizations, they would have nothing to fear.
Not even Team Rocket could lay a finger on them.
Because with Hoopa, they could call on legendary Pokémon for backup at a moment's notice, dialing up terrifying reinforcements through its dimensional rings.
With so many legendary Pokémon suddenly appearing out of nowhere, any villains with bad intentions would be running for the hills.
...
Bonus @500
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