Pokemon: A New Path-New Year- III [601]

Naoki had never even imagined asking Ho-Oh to use Sacred Fire to light fireworks. What he definitely did not expect was that Ho-Oh actually flew down from the World Tree, following Jirachi.

Standing outside in the snowy field with a large crowd of Pokémon, Naoki stared up at the magnificent sight, utterly speechless.

Ho-Oh descended from the sky in a blaze of glory, trailing a brilliant rainbow across the night sky as it flew.

Naoki couldn't help but think, 'This is way too flashy...'

High above, Jirachi spun joyfully through the air.

"I invited Ho-Oh to come watch the fireworks!" Jirachi announced proudly, twirling through the falling snowflakes.

Naoki sighed helplessly.

He looked around at all the eager Pokémon who had been waiting patiently and clapped his hands together.

"Alright, I declare that the First Naoki Ranch Fireworks Festival officially begins!"

The Pokémon cheered, their excited voices echoing through the snowy fields.

In an instant, they all rushed toward the piles of fireworks Naoki had carefully set up earlier.

To make sure every Pokémon could experience the fun themselves, Naoki had bought a huge number of fireworks and divided them into smaller groups, spreading them across the open fields.

Now, Pokémon clustered around each set, their eyes sparkling with excitement.

A group of Eeveelutions surrounded a single firework. One by one, they all turned to look at Flareon with expectant eyes, as if silently saying, 'We're counting on you!'

Flareon, sensing the responsibility placed upon it, straightened up proudly. It puffed out its chest, took a deep breath, and with a roar, released a stream of flames from its mouth.

The snow around the firework melted in an instant, the fuse caught fire, and with a loud whoosh, a dazzling ball of light shot up into the night sky.

At its peak, it exploded into a magnificent burst of colors, painting the darkness with sparkles and shimmering lights.

Across the way, Alcremie was perched happily on the head of a Garganacl, surrounded by a lively group — several Garganacl, Dugtrio, Combee, a Butterfree, and Pawmot.

They had all gathered around Koraidon, watching with wide eyes.

Back when it was still a Cyclizar, Koraidon hadn't known how to use fire-type moves. But now, it was full of energy and pride.

With great excitement, Koraidon reared back and breathed out a small blast of flame, lighting the fuse perfectly.

Watching the fireworks it had ignited shoot into the sky and burst into a stunning spectacle, Koraidon's heart swelled with pride.

'So this... this is what it feels like to set off fireworks.'

Nearby, Cyclizar, Ogerpon, Gholdengo, and Iono's Bellibolt had grouped around Dragonite.

Dragonite grinned and, with a glowing fist wreathed in flames, tapped the fuse with Fire Punch. Another firework rocketed skyward, blossoming into a golden flower above their heads.

Cyclizar looked up, a little envious. He wished he could light fireworks too, but for now, he was content to cheer with the others.

Not far away, Jirachi hovered around Ho-Oh, tugging eagerly at its feathers.

"Please, please light one too!" Jirachi begged.

Ho-Oh, who had a soft spot for the little wish-making Pokémon, chuckled warmly and nodded. It lowered its proud head, breathed a small wisp of Sacred Fire onto a fuse, and sent yet another brilliant firework soaring into the sky.

Flashes of gold, red, and blue lit up the snow-covered ranch.

Off to the side, Calyrex stood quietly with his two loyal steeds, Spectrier and Glastrier, watching the scene.

"What a lively sight," the King murmured, his voice filled with rare emotion.

In the Crown Tundra, he had never experienced such a scene before, so many Pokémon gathered together, so much laughter and warmth.

Spectrier and Glastrier gently flicked their tails and snorted softly, as if echoing their master's sentiment.

All across the ranch, fuses sparked and sizzled, one after another, sending waves of fireworks into the wintry night sky.

Brilliant bursts of light reflected in the wide, shining eyes of every Pokémon.

Even Flutter Mane, who normally kept its emotions hidden, floated silently, its misty form trembling slightly with awe at the beauty unfolding above.

Ho-Oh watched the fireworks quietly, its crimson-gold feathers shimmering under the colorful light. Yet before long, its gaze shifted toward Naoki, standing a little ways off in the snow.

This human... was the one it had chosen long ago.

Now was the time.

Ho-Oh thought it was finally time for the Sacred Guardians to meet Naoki.

Meanwhile, not far away, Naoki and Iono stood side by side, smiling as they watched the Pokémon laughing and playing together in the snow like a pack of excited children.

"It's so beautiful," Iono murmured.

Naoki nodded softly, a thoughtful look crossing his face.

"Sometimes," he said, voice low but warm, "I feel like... raising these Pokémon is a little like raising children."

"Hmm?" Iono tilted her head, glancing curiously at him.

Naoki gave a soft chuckle, watching as Ogerpon rolled through the snow with Pawmot and the Eeveelutions squad, shrieking with joy.

"I think," he continued, "even when we have our own kids someday, I'd probably end up raising them the same way. No difference between raising Pokémon and raising children. To me, they're all family."

He grinned. "Maybe we'll be the only family in the world that treats Pokémon and kids exactly the same."

Iono laughed, the sound light and musical in the snowy night.

"They are children," she agreed with a twinkle in her eye, thinking fondly of the days she spent raising her little Tadbulb into Bellibolt.

At that moment, Naoki noticed that all the fireworks had been launched. The brilliant colors had faded from the sky, leaving only lingering trails of smoke curling in the icy breeze.

He clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.

"Alright! I've got a second round for you — small fireworks you can hold!"

The Pokémon immediately perked up, their eyes lighting with excitement.

"These are safe to hold! But listen carefully!" Naoki said as he began handing out sparklers and fairy wands. "After lighting them, don't point them at anyone else! And be careful of your paws and tails!"

"Agah!" Koraidon barked proudly, followed by a chorus of affirmations from the rest.

The Pokémon scattered eagerly across the open field, each clutching a tiny firework wand in their paws or claws. The ones who couldn't use fire moves lined up patiently by Flareon and the Lava Slugma to get help lighting theirs.

It was a beautiful, chaotic scene, trails of glittering light danced through the snow as the Pokémon waved their sparklers, drawing shapes and zig-zagging through the darkness.

Naoki smiled in satisfaction, but just then, his Arceus phone buzzed in his coat pocket.

He blinked, pulled it out, and tapped the screen.

A notification popped up immediately:

[Your Pokémon, Mew and Teddiursa, have entered a Mystery Dungeon and started an exploration!]

[Location: Mystery Dungeon Rescue Team DX World]

Naoki stared at the screen for a second, slightly stunned.

"What's wrong?" Iono asked, noticing his sudden pause.

Naoki shook his head lightly.

"Mew and Teddiursa just entered a space-time gate to explore other worlds."

"Will it be dangerous for them?" Iono asked, her brow creasing with concern.

Naoki smiled reassuringly.

"Sure, there will be danger... but for Mew and Teddiursa, it's nothing they can't handle."

Between Mew's powerful psychic abilities and Teddiursa's absurdly good luck and knack for slipping away from trouble, there weren't many Pokémon or situations that could truly threaten them.

Still, Naoki let out a soft sigh. Those two, not even saying goodbye before dashing off into another adventure. They were as playful and impulsive as children.

He could only imagine it: Mew and Teddiursa, overhearing news about Pokémon needing help in another world and immediately getting fired up, unable to resist the call to action.

"They must have been too excited to wait," Naoki said, tucking the Pokégear back into his pocket. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

He glanced down at the still screen. No new messages had come in since they departed.

All he could do now was wait for their safe return.

Meanwhile, outside in the snow-dusted yard, the Pokémon were still playing, spinning around with sparklers, chasing each other through the soft powder, and laughing like there was no tomorrow.

But the excitement had taken its toll. Little by little, signs of exhaustion began to show on their faces.

Some of the smaller Pokémon tottered over to Naoki, pawing at his legs and giving him pleading looks, clearly asking to be carried.

Naoki chuckled, crouching down to scoop them up gently.

One by one, he cradled them in his arms, bringing them back inside to their cozy nests.

But just as he was about to finish, he felt a heavy presence behind him.

Turning around, Naoki was met with the sight of several much larger Pokémon, attempting to imitate the little ones, blinking their big eyes and playfully begging to be carried too.

Naoki stood there, speechless for a long moment.

"Seriously?" he muttered.

Iono burst into giggles, while the bigger Pokémon only doubled down, making themselves look as pitiful as possible.

Laughing helplessly, Naoki and Iono spent the next stretch of time coaxing and guiding the larger Pokémon back to their resting spots.

Finally, after what felt like forever, the ranch grew quiet.

Snuggled into their warm, fluffy nests, the Pokémon slowly drifted off to sleep.

Some curled up tightly, others sprawled out lazily, all of them wearing expressions of pure, contented peace.

They glanced up at Naoki one last time, eyes filled with trust and affection, before slipping into dreams.

Naoki tucked a few stragglers under extra blankets, his heart full.

Outside, the snow continued to fall softly, muffling the world in silence.

And then, from somewhere far away, from the direction of Kosaji Town, a gentle sound floated through the night.

The bell tower's midnight chimes rang out, slow and melodic, carried on the cold winter breeze.

Dong... dong... dong...

The final chime echoed through the hills and valleys, marking the passage of time.

At that moment, the calendar quietly turned over.

From League Calendar Year 201 to the Year 202.

Naoki stood quietly by the window, watching the falling snow illuminated by the soft glow of the ranch lights.

This year marked his fifth year in this world.

Five years since he had first set foot in the Pokémon world.

Five years since he had met all these wonderful, precious companions.