"Elara…" Naoki murmured softly.
His daughter tilted her head, puzzled.
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" he asked.
Elara's face lit up instantly. "Elara wants to be an amazing Trainer! Traveling with Larvesta and Terapagos!" Her eyes sparkled as she pictured her father standing proud as Champion. "Just like you, Dad!"
As if sensing the trainer's emotions, Larvesta seemed to be affected by her emotions, its eyes hardening.
The nearby Terapagos, sensing the excitement, chimed in gleefully.
"Pago~!"
Naoki: "…"
Traveling with one Terapagos was already an overwhelming thought. But traveling with dozens at once? He imagined Elara stuffing her team full of the Legendary turtles, then casually strolling into a Gym with a full squad of them. The mental image was so absurdly comical that, before he knew it, a small smile tugged at his lips.
"Dad's smiling!" Elara exclaimed, pointing happily.
Though she didn't know what had weighed him down these past weeks, she was sharp enough to feel it. Her father hadn't smiled in a long time.
"Daddy, please be happy!" she said brightly.
Naoki blinked, then nodded slowly. "Yes… Dad will."
He realized that his gloom had cast a shadow over the entire ranch. In the month since he'd returned, he hadn't tended to the Pokémon like before, nor checked on the ranch's daily life with his usual energy. They must have all been terribly worried.
If not for anyone else, he had to lift his spirits, for Elara, for the Pokémon, for everyone who relied on him.
The first step, he decided, was to gather and count the Terapagos he'd brought back from the Great Crater of Paldea.
Naoki straightened up and looked around.
Only three Terapagos were lounging near Elara. But he knew he'd brought back dozens from Area Zero.
"Koraidon, Pawmot, Dragonite, Ogerpon, and Alcremie, help me round up the others!" Naoki called out.
The Pokémon, relieved to see him regaining his energy, perked up and rushed off eagerly.
One by one, they began returning with wayward little turtles.
Ogerpon lumbered back with three who had wedged themselves inside a Combee hive. Koraidon nosed five out of the greenhouse, while Dragonite sheepishly tugged one out of the chimney. Butterfree fluttered down with three it had found nestled among flowers, and Alcremie, along with Glaceon, retrieved four who had been joyriding down the slide in Snorlax Park.
…
It seemed the Terapagos had scattered into nearly every nook of the ranch.
Before long, the grassy field was overflowing with glittering, crystal-backed turtles.
Naoki did a quick headcount, then asked, "Are all the Terapagos here now?"
The turtles exchanged glances.
Just then, one strolled in from the side, moving slowly because several Meltan were clinging onto its shell like shiny silver hitchhikers.
"Pago, Pago~!" it chirped proudly.
Naoki: "…"
He sighed, gently lifting both the Terapagos and its Meltan passengers into the group.
Surely that had to be all of them now?
"Hm? Are you gathering the Terapagos?" came a familiar voice from behind.
Naoki turned to see Iono stepping out of the house, cradling two more in her arms.
"These two rascals wandered into the fireplace!" she said with exasperation.
"Pago!"
Naoki: "…"
At this rate, he was beginning to think he'd need to attach tracking devices to each Terapagos; otherwise, one day, one might just vanish and no one would ever know.
Exhaling slowly, Naoki turned back to the glittering crowd of tiny turtles.
"Alright then," he said firmly, "let's count how many Terapagos we really have."
Elara, remembering the counting games her mother had taught her, straightened up proudly. She understood her father's intent immediately.
"Okay everyone, line up nice and still!" she commanded with playful authority.
"Pago!" the little turtles chorused, bouncing into place.
The Terapagos, thinking Naoki was starting a game, immediately lifted their little heads high, stood tall, and fixed their sparkling eyes on him expectantly.
Seeing this, Naoki couldn't help but smile faintly before beginning the count.
"One, two, three… twenty-eight, twenty-nine… forty, forty-one, forty-two… fifty, fifty-one."
He blinked. Fifty-one?
Even though he'd suspected there were many, hearing the actual number left him stunned.
"So many…?!"
"Pago?"
The Terapagos all tilted their heads at him in unison.
Naoki quickly composed himself. "It's alright. I just wanted to count you all. I'm worried that one day one of you might wander off, and we wouldn't even notice. Oh, and one more thing, you're free to roam the ranch, but don't go beyond the fences or into dangerous places. Understand?"
"Pago~!" the turtles cried cheerfully, agreeing without hesitation.
"Good. Then go play!" Naoki exhaled in relief.
Almost immediately, the fifty-one Terapagos scattered joyfully across the ranch.
Some scrambled into the orchard, nibbling at ripe, juicy fruit dangling from the branches. Others nestled among the flowers, sniffing the petals curiously. A few, less graceful, tripped over rocks and ended up stuck on their backs, tiny legs flailing as they squeaked helplessly, "Pago, pago!"
Elara dashed over, gently flipping one right-side up again.
"Careful! You need to watch where you're going!" she scolded sweetly.
"Pago…" The little turtle gazed at her with wide, glistening eyes.
Elara beamed back at it.
"Pagogo!" the Terapagos squeaked, bursting into tears of gratitude, even though it couldn't find words.
Naoki: "…"
And these Pokémon are supposed to be Legendary?
Watching the jewel-like gleam of their crystalline shells, Naoki suddenly froze. A strange sense of familiarity washed over him.
Wait… where had he seen something like this before?
Then he remembered.
The gem-shaped fossil! The one he'd unearthed with Raifort while exploring that massive cavern long ago.
At the time, it had seemed like an oddity, fossilized, yet jewel-like. He'd brought it back, only for it to be forgotten among other odds and ends.
Without wasting another moment, Naoki hurried into the storage shed. After rummaging through boxes and crates, he finally unearthed it: a peculiar, gem-shaped fossil glinting faintly in the light.
Holding it in his palm, he compared it to the shining backs of the Terapagos. The resemblance was uncanny.
Could it be… a Terapagos fossil?
Fossil revival technology was now widespread across the Pokémon world. Dozens of ancient Pokémon had been resurrected successfully from fossil remains. Even Paldea had institutes dedicated to the practice.
Heart pounding, Naoki decided to confirm his theory. He contacted the Fossil Research Institute in Zapapico and delivered the mysterious fossil to them personally.
Three days later, he returned home carrying something incredible: an egg.
Naoki placed it gently in the ranch house. Elara, the Terapagos, and the other Pokémon crowded around, staring at it in wide-eyed wonder.
He recalled the researcher's words clearly:
"This fossil belonged to a Pokémon from the future. It's priceless. To revive it perfectly, we used our latest technique, recreating its full life cycle, from birth to hatching, through an egg. Pokémon born this way will adapt more naturally to modern environments."
Now, that egg lay before them.
"Pago?" One curious Terapagos waddled up, sniffing the shell carefully.
"Pago!" it squealed suddenly.
It had caught the scent of a companion inside.
Naoki's heart skipped. His suspicion was correct, this fossil was indeed a Terapagos.
In ancient times, they must have lived freely across Paldea.
But then, disaster struck. A massive earthquake shook the land as tectonic plates shifted, forever changing the region.
The Terapagos that once lived deep underground had been wiped out by that ancient, catastrophic disaster. With time, their remains turned to fossils, buried in the earth.
But the fate of the Terapagos in Area Zero was different, changed forever by Naoki's intervention. These few had survived, dormant until now, waiting to awaken.
And now… a new life was about to arrive on the ranch.
Naoki gently picked up the egg.
"Dad, what kind of Pokémon is inside?" Elara asked curiously, eyes wide.
"This? It's another Terapagos," Naoki replied with a small smile.
"Wow!" Elara gasped. It was the very first Pokémon egg she had ever seen.
Naoki explained, "When you were born, Larvesta was still just an egg. And when you came into the world, that's when Larvesta hatched too."
Elara immediately hugged Larvesta tightly. She and the fiery little Pokémon had grown up side by side and shared an unshakable bond.
Bright and clever from years of drinking the nourishing Milk on the ranch, Elara's mind was always quick to connect ideas. She glanced between her mother's growing belly and the egg in her father's arms. Suddenly, her eyes lit up with realization.
"When my little brother is born, will this Pokémon hatch too? Just like me and Larvesta, so my brother can grow up with Terapagos?"
Naoki paused, a little taken aback by her insight. How clever.
It was true, there weren't any Pokémon on the ranch that would be the same age as the baby once it was born. But this egg… it had arrived at just the right time.
Instead of seeking out another unhatched egg somewhere else, why not let this one become the lifelong partner of their unborn child?
Elara's excitement only grew. "Do you think my little brother will become a great Trainer, like me?"
Naoki chuckled and shook his head. "Who knows? It might be a little sister."
Elara didn't hesitate. "That's fine too! Either way, I'm going to battle them! I'll beat them, and prove I'm the strongest Trainer!"
Naoki arched an eyebrow. "So you really want to become a Trainer, huh?"
Elara nodded firmly. "I love Pokémon! I want to grow strong together with them and become a great Trainer!"
Naoki smiled gently. "Have you been reading the notebook I gave you?"
Elara's smile faltered. "I tried… but I don't understand it."
Iono laughed softly at her daughter's troubled expression. "Of course not, you're only four. It's not time for you to learn all that yet. Once you're a little older, your dad and I will teach you. Then you'll be able to read it all on your own."
There was always the option of sending her to the kindergarten in Levincia, where other children her age learned letters and simple life lessons. But she wouldn't be able to start school until she turned six. For now, it was still too soon.
Naoki crouched down with a grin. "Alright then, let's head outside and play with Larvesta and others!"
Elara's face lit up. She nodded eagerly at the thought of running around with so many Pokémon, her spirit soaring with dreams of future adventures.
She dashed out with Larvesta and a few curious Terapagos trailing behind her.
"Larvesta," she declared, fists clenched with determination, "when I grow up, we'll go on a journey together!"
"Woo!" Larvesta chirped, just as eager for the future as Elara.
Watching nearby, Entei, Suicune, and Raikou gazed at the little girl with quiet satisfaction. Without realizing it, the child who once toddled after them, babbling and stumbling, had grown so much.
The memory of her tiny hands reaching for them warmed their hearts. But at the same time, the three Legendary Beasts couldn't ignore another truth: one day, when Elara set out on her journey, it would also mean the moment they had to say goodbye.
When that day came, their mission under Ho-Oh would finally be complete, and they too would have to continue their sacred duties. Just the thought of it made them feel a pang of reluctance.
Nearby, a group of Terapagos perked up their jewel-like heads after overhearing Elara's conversation with Larvesta.
"Bago-Bago!" they chimed curiously.
Touched by them, Elara's inherited Viridian power let her feel the meaning in their voices.
They were asking: "What does 'travel' mean?"
Elara smiled and explained with sparkling eyes, "Travel means setting out with your Pokémon friends, exploring the world, and meeting all kinds of new Pokémon!"
"Bago!" The Terapagos' eyes lit up like polished gems. To them, who had only known the dark depths of Area Zero, her words were dazzling. They had never seen the outside world, only snuck out for brief moments with Naoki to pick fruit.
The thought of truly leaving the ranch and traveling filled them with wonder.
They turned their jewel-like shells toward Elara and asked pitifully, "Bago-Bago?"
Elara already saw them as her close companions. She puffed out her little chest and declared with confidence, "Of course! When the time comes, we'll all go on a journey together!"
"Bagogo~!"
The three Terapagos cheered, bouncing happily in the grass.
Meanwhile, in the living room, Naoki sat quietly, deep in thought. He was beginning to seriously plan for Elara's future.
She clearly had the heart of a Trainer.
With the notes left behind by Red and with his and Iono's guidance, it wouldn't be difficult for her to grow into a skilled and caring Trainer.
And she hadn't just inherited his will, she also carried the Viridian Power and the Dragon bond within her.
So, Naoki thought, 'I should start guiding her little by little. Teach her how to use both of these gifts.'
One day, when Elara was old enough to raise Pokémon on her own, Naoki wanted to take her to Dragonite Island, where she could call upon the bond of Dragon to seek out her own Dratini. If she could earn one's trust, it would become her partner for life.
And with his guidance, along with Koraidon, Pawmot, Dragonite, and the others, she could grow together with both Larvesta and her future Dratini.
If Larvesta could evolve into a mighty Volcarona and Dratini could grow into a powerful Dragonite, all before Elara turned ten, then she would have two incredible guardians by her side when she set out on her own adventure.
With those two Pokémon watching over her, Naoki and Iono wouldn't have to worry nearly as much about their little girl's safety when the time finally came for her to leave home.