Naoki let the Pokémon continue playing with Elara in the yard while he and Iono invited Geeta into the house to relax in the living room.
Aside from visiting Elara, Geeta had come with another matter in mind.
She turned to Naoki and said, "By the way, Naoki, the World Championships and the Masters Eight Tournament are coming up soon. Have you thought about joining?"
"Masters Eight?" Naoki blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected it to be announced this early.
Leon had contacted him before to extend an invitation to compete in the Masters Eight, but Naoki still hadn't decided which Pokémon to bring along.
Some of the Pokémon at the ranch were getting bored lately, so Naoki had been considering taking them out to stretch their legs.
Maybe Pawmot, Dragonite, Cyclizar, Alcremie, Gogoat...
"I've been thinking about it," Naoki said honestly. "But, Chief... aren't you planning to participate? I noticed the other regional Champions have already entered the rankings."
Geeta gave a gentle smile. "That kind of spotlight belongs to the younger generation now. Besides, with all the responsibilities I have managing the Paldea League, I don't have the time for a full tournament."
Naoki fell silent for a moment.
That was the laid-back atmosphere of the Paldea League for you.
"Fair enough," he nodded, letting the topic go.
Suddenly, Iono seemed to remember something. "Oh, right, Chief," she said, turning to Geeta. "I heard there's been some drama at Paldea Academy lately!"
She'd seen fans mention it during her latest livestream.
It was rumored that a bullying incident occurred at the Academy. Principal Tyme had resigned, and the new headmaster was now Clavell.
Iono was familiar with that name. Clavell had reportedly worked under Professor Sada and Professor Turo in the early days of Terastal research. Given how far Terastallization had advanced, he definitely played a role in its growth.
Naoki was visibly caught off guard. "Wait, what?"
Geeta's expression turned serious. "I've heard about the situation. Apparently, there was an incident involving a group called Team Star. They were accused of bullying other students on the school grounds. But the matter's been resolved. Team Star has disbanded, and the founder of the group dropped out and left Paldea."
Naoki's eyes narrowed.
That wasn't what really happened.
Team Star's members were actually victims of long-term bullying. In response, they formed Team Star and staged what they called "Operation Starfall." They rallied together and invited the bullies to meet them in the courtyard, not to fight, but to send a clear message: if the bullying didn't stop, they'd take a stand.
When the bullies showed up and saw Team Star's unity and resolve, they panicked, cried, and apologized on the spot.
But the school administration, particularly the dean at the time, covered up the full truth. The media labeled Team Star as the aggressors, branding them as delinquents.
Principal Tyme resigned, unwilling to go along with the deception.
And to protect the others from being punished, Penny stopped forward and claimed full responsibility.
"There's definitely more to the story," Geeta admitted. "Right after the incident, I sent investigators to the Academy. But according to the reports, none of the Team Star members were willing to speak to the press."
"Is that so..." Iono murmured. She hadn't expected such an upsetting incident to occur at her alma mater.
Seeing the expressions on their faces, Naoki was reminded of something else.
The news of Principal Clavell taking over had sparked a thought.
It was now July in the 204th year of the League Calendar. That meant there were less than two years left until the events of the Paldea region storyline truly began.
Given that Penny's situation had already surfaced, it likely meant that Arven's father had already been injured in the Zero Lab.
In order to heal Mabosstiff, Arven must've just begun his journey to seek out the Herba Mystica.
Naoki suddenly realized he hadn't contacted Professor Sada or Professor Turo in a long time.
After Geeta left, he picked up his Rotom Phone and dialed Professor Sada's number.
No one answered for quite a while, Sada seemed to be busy.
With no other choice, Naoki hung up.
It wasn't until eight o'clock that evening that Professor Sada finally returned the call.
Naoki answered, and Professor Sada's face appeared on the screen. She looked a little tired.
"Sorry for missing your call earlier, Naoki. We were tied up with work," she explained, brushing some stray hair from her face.
"It's okay. I just realized we hadn't spoken in a while, so I wanted to check in and see how things were going," Naoki said with a smile.
After all, just a few years ago, Professor Sada used to call him regularly.
Hearing this, Sada's lips curled up slightly in a warm smile.
"Is that so? I appreciate it. How are you adjusting to fatherhood?" she asked, teasing gently.
At the mention of Elara, Naoki couldn't help but smile as well. "She's the most precious gift I've ever received."
"It sounds like you're living a wonderful life," Sada said fondly.
She thought back to when she first met Naoki. Back then, he had been managing the ranch all on his own. Now, he had a daughter and a family.
Naoki chuckled, then shifted the conversation. "By the way, is there anything I can help with at the Zero Lab? Fluttermane and Koraidon have fully adjusted to life on the ranch. If you ever need additional data, I'd be happy to share some research materials."
"Thank you, Naoki. That's very kind of you," Sada replied with a gentle shake of her head. "But for now, we're managing just fine."
Naoki nodded. "Alright. But if anything comes up, don't hesitate to reach out."
"I will," Sada promised.
She paused for a moment, as though about to say something more, but then a voice could be heard calling for her in the background, Professor Turo.
Sada glanced behind her. "It sounds like I'm needed again. Let's wrap up here, and I'll contact you soon, okay?"
"Of course."
With that, the two ended the call.
Naoki looked down at Koraidon, who was lounging beside him, and sighed. "Hey, Koraidon, do you think the professors will be alright?"
Koraidon blinked slowly.
"Agaah..."
At the same time, deep within the Zero Lab…
Professor Sada and Professor Turo stood before a massive machine, their eyes fixed on two tall cylindrical chambers.
Suspended in a glowing green fluid within those chambers were two humanoid figures, motionless and perfectly still.
"Hah… Using the data collected from those future Paradox Pokémon, we've finally completed the construction of these two AI units," Turo said, his voice full of anticipation. "With them, our manpower problem is officially solved."
Just one month ago, a Paradox Pokémon had attacked inside the facility, resulting in a tragic incident where one researcher lost their life.
Afterward, several other researchers began to question the direction of the project. Unable to accept the risks involved, they withdrew from the research team.
But for Professors Sada and Turo, who had devoted years of tireless effort, giving up was never an option.
With most of the staff gone and little time to recruit or build trust with outsiders, the two made a bold decision: to create artificial intelligence versions of themselves, fully sentient, fully capable, to assist in the continuation of their research.
The lab had fallen silent, save for the faint hum of machinery.
Then suddenly, the two mechanical bodies within the chambers stirred.
Their eyes flickered open, artificial, yet gleaming with intelligence. Slowly, they stepped forward from the fluid, their bodies adjusting to movement as they emerged.
Now standing before their creators, the AI units bore identical faces, mirror images of Professor Sada and Professor Turo.
For a moment, both professors were struck with awe.
They had not only preserved their own knowledge and instincts, but embedded them into these advanced AI constructs. With the AIs now active, their research could progress at twice the speed.
Professor Sada's eyes sparkled with determination.
Suddenly, the Sada AI turned its head and looked toward its creator.
Its expression was calm, its gaze mechanical yet curious, as though adjusting to the unfamiliar sensations of its synthetic form. Then, it spoke in a voice that echoed softly through the lab. Though robotic, it carried an unmistakable sense of awareness.
"Greetings, Professor Sada. I am ready to assist you."