"Teddi!"
As soon as Baby Bear returned to the ranch, he bounced excitedly and immediately placed his order with Naoki: honey buns, honey gummies, and honey drinks!
"Alright, coming right up," Naoki said with a warm smile. He then turned to the Pokémon standing nearby and asked, "What about you, Mew, Victini, Zapdos, Hoopa? What would you all like?"
Mew's eyes sparkled at the thought of sweet poke blocks. "Miu!"
"Nini~" Victini said with a grin, clearly craving cookies.
Zapdos crossed its wings and let out a proud "Chiu!" It didn't say what it wanted, but the smug expression said enough.
Hoopa, arms folded, looked impatient. "Hoopa wants donuts!"
Naoki laughed and nodded. "Alright, no problem. I'll whip those up for you now."
He patted each of their heads fondly, then turned and headed into the kitchen to get to work on the snacks.
The honey buns and honey gummies for Baby Bear, Mew's sweet poke blocks, and Victini's favorite cookies were all treats Naoki had made before, so they'd be easy to prepare.
But Hoopa's request for donuts was new. He'd never made them before.
Still, this was the age of technology. Naoki quickly pulled out his Rotom Phone and looked up a recipe. In less than a minute, he had a step-by-step guide on how to make fresh donuts.
Knead the dough, let it rise, shape it, then fry until golden brown...
"Looks simple enough," he said, committing the instructions to memory before gathering the ingredients.
Meanwhile, outside in the ranch, the Hero Expedition Team explored the area with wide-eyed curiosity.
Though the environment was new to them, the Pokémon who lived here weren't strangers at all.
Many familiar faces came running up to greet them. Alcremie, Miltank, Ogerpon, andGogoats, were all delighted to see the team return.
"Pon~!" came the joyful cry of one.
"Teddi!" Baby Bear responded, just as happy.
Hoopa spun in the air, thrilled at the crowd. "This place is so lively!"
Baby Bear grinned. "Teddi!" That's right, everyone here plays together and gets along!
"Hoopa loves it here!" Hoopa said as it twirled midair, clearly enjoying itself.
A joyful atmosphere spread across the entire ranch.
Since this was Hoopa's first time visiting, Mew and Baby Bear decided to introduce the pokemon on the ranch.
After walking around the ranch, Hoopa was even more excited.
"Hoopa is so happy!" it cheered.
Just then, Hoopa spotted three massive figures lounging on the grass nearby.
And standing next to them was a very small human child.
"Who's that?" Hoopa asked, curiosity sparking in its eyes as it floated forward, circling gently around the little girl.
Mew, Baby Bear, and Victini followed close behind. The moment they surrounded the child, a sudden, almost unbelievable thought struck them.
Could this little one be…?
But how had she grown so fast?
Baby Bear clearly remembered when they first left the ranch to begin their travels, Elara had been a tiny infant who couldn't even speak. She'd spent most of her days napping in her crib, barely able to open her eyes.
But now—she could walk!
"What's going on?" Hoopa asked, puzzled by the silence among its friends.
Snapping out of his daze, Baby Bear quickly explained, "Teddi!" (That's Naoki's daughter. Her name is Elara!)
"Miu…" Mew tilted its head, still struggling to process the change. It hadn't spent much time around humans before, and seeing Elara grow so quickly left it stunned.
Victini, on the other hand, was far more familiar with humans. It had once lived with the ancient king in the Castle of the Vale and had seen many humans grow from childhood to old age.
"Elara…" Hoopa softly repeated her name, then flew excitedly over to her. "Hi, Elara! I'm Hoopa! Hoopa!"
Elara looked at the floating Pokémon with wide eyes. Then, with a happy giggle, she stretched out her tiny arms and hugged it. "Hupa!"
"It's Hoopa!" the Pokémon corrected with a pout.
"Hupa!" Elara repeated proudly.
Hoopa gave a dramatic sigh. "Okay, okay… Hupa it is."
Since it was their first meeting, Hoopa wanted to give her a present.
With a flash of light and a loud pop, smoke puffed around it. Hoopa transformed from its small, playful form into its larger, more intimidating Unbound form, with six powerful arms, a long tail, and a fearsome expression.
A glowing ring materialized from one of Hoopa's arms. With great flair, it reached into the ring, fishing around inside. "Hoopa's gonna pull out a surrrrprise..."
But before it could finish, a loud wail echoed across the field.
Startled, Hoopa looked down to find Elara crying and scrambling to hide behind the three towering Pokémon beside her, Entei, Raikou, and Suicune.
The Legendary Beasts glared sternly at Hoopa, their expressions clearly unimpressed.
Hoopa blinked, completely bewildered. "Huh? What happened? Why is she crying?"
Mew couldn't hold back a giggle and covered her mouth. "Miu~!"
Baby Bear stepped forward and explained gently, "Teddi" (She got scared by your big form!)
Realizing what had happened, Hoopa immediately reverted back to its smaller, cuter self.
Then, without hesitation, it summoned its ring again.
The next moment, donuts and candies began to rain from the sky, falling like a sweet, colorful shower and piling into a cheerful little hill on the grass.
Elara's eyes lit up with wonder. The dazzling sight quickly drew her attention, and sensing that this mischievous Pokémon meant no harm, her fear faded. She stared wide-eyed at the delicious mountain of donuts and candies before her.
Then, Hoopa popped its head out from behind the sugary hill, grinning ear to ear.
"Hehe! This is Hoopa's gift for you!" it said proudly.
Elara burst into laughter, clapping her tiny hands with joy. Her giggles echoed across the ranch, bright and contagious.
Watching this, the three Legendary Beasts, Entei, Suicune, and Raikou, exchanged relieved glances. They were clearly reassured that the little one was no longer scared.
Because the dough needed time to rise, Naoki's homemade donuts weren't ready until the afternoon.
As soon as the first batch came out of the fryer, a system notification popped into Naoki's mind:
[Donuts (B+)]
Donuts made with flour, eggs, and fresh Moo Moo Milk.
Effect: Sweet Honey Lv. 2 – Greatly increases the friendliness of sweet-loving Pokémon, making them more eager to approach you.
Evaluation: A favorite among Pokémon with a sweet tooth!
"Sweet Honey, huh…" Naoki muttered as he read the description aloud. The effect wasn't particularly powerful, but it was still useful in its own way, especially for bonding with Pokémon.
He carefully plated the warm, fragrant donuts and brought them over to Hoopa, who was sprawled comfortably on the sofa, eagerly waiting.
Even though Hoopa had already eaten a mountain of sweets earlier, it happily chomped into the donuts like it hadn't eaten all day.
Donuts. Delicious donuts! No matter how many it ate, it could never get enough.
As it munched away, Hoopa discovered something new, Naoki's donuts tasted extra sweet. They didn't just please the tongue… they warmed the heart. It was like tasting happiness.
While Hoopa munched contentedly, Naoki sat down to discuss New Year's plans with Iono, who was resting nearby with Elara in her arms.