Fireworks

Naoki couldn't help but laugh at Koraidon's sulking expression.

"Hahaha!" he chuckled, patting Koraidon's head. "Okay, I'm just teasing you!"

He shifted his position and leaned back against the soft wool of the Gogoat behind him, letting out a contented sigh as he thought about all that had happened recently.

Koraidon tilted its head, watching him quietly for a moment before moving closer, lying down beside him like a giant, golden retriever. Neither spoke again, simply enjoying the serene and peaceful atmosphere.

The Kosaji town, not far away, was aglow with lights, and the gentle waves lapped at the shore, leaving behind a frothy trail of white. The distant sounds of Pokémon and the chatter of humans from the bustling festival drifted along the breeze, adding to the tranquil mood.

For a while, even the wind felt softer and calmer.

Not far from them, Cyclizar, Dragonite, Butterfree, Glaceon, and the Dratini and Dragonair played in the sand, while Miltank and Naclstack observed from the sidelines. The Gogoat stayed close to Naoki, happily munching on fruits from the picnic basket.

Dolliv, resting on the picnic blanket, quietly watched Butterfree and Combee, who were engaged in a hushed conversation.

From time to time, people passed by, marveling at the sight of so many Pokémon gathered in one place. Among the onlookers were a few young trainers, boys and girls around ten years old, their eyes wide with admiration.

One of the boys, dressed in shorts, stared at Dragonite before turning to Naoki with a grin. "Hey! Let's have an exciting Pokémon battle!" he exclaimed eagerly.

Naoki raised an eyebrow at the challenge, then turned to his Pokémon with a playful smile. "Anyone up for a quick battle?"

The Gogoat perked up immediately, standing tall with enthusiasm.

"Meeeaaah!" it bleated excitedly, stepping forward to face the boy.

Just ten seconds later, the boy's Paras was knocked out cold.

"Wow! That was amazing!" the other trainers exclaimed in awe.

One of them, eyes wide with recognition, suddenly spoke up. "Excuse me... are you Mr. Naoki?!"

Naoki was surprised to hear his name out of the blue. He turned around to see a young trainer in a light Traje de Corto looking at him with excitement.

"You know me?" Naoki asked curiously.

The boy nodded eagerly. "You're the founder of the Green Grass Trial! I've heard stories about you at school!"

The boy's friends looked confused. "Green Grass Trial? What's that? Is it a new gym challenge?"

"No!" the boy explained, "It's a special trial designed to help Pokémon and trainers practice together! They say that anyone who participates in it sees a big improvement in their skills!"

"Really? I didn't know something like that existed!" the other trainers exclaimed, clearly impressed.

"Of course! I've always wanted to give it a try..." The boy looked disappointed.

"Unfortunately, I haven't collected all four gym badges yet, so I'm not qualified to challenge. But I'll do my best!"

Naoki sighed inwardly. It seemed that the news of him setting challenge limits had spread, thanks to the three challengers from last time.

"Are there many people who know about this?" he asked.

The boy nodded eagerly. "Yes, the legend of the three Gogoat is popular at school! A lot of students want to challenge it, but since we just started our journey this year, we haven't collected all four badges yet."

Hearing this, Naoki finally understood.

No wonder there had been no new challengers visiting the ranch recently. It seemed that the challenge requirements were the reason.

"It looks like this news is mostly circulating among the lower grades," Naoki thought to himself.

The boy noticed Naoki's thoughtful expression and hesitated before asking, "Mr. Naoki, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, go ahead," Naoki replied, encouragingly.

"Do we need to sign a confidentiality agreement to challenge the Green Grass Trial?" the boy asked, his face filled with curiosity. "I've noticed that Carter and the others won't tell us anything about the trial. Every time we ask, they give us these strange expressions."

That expression was a mixture of both pain and happiness.

Naoki: "..."

He gave a polite smile and said, "There's no confidentiality agreement. You'll find out the details of the challenge when you come to face it."

The boy's eyes lit up with anticipation. "I'll definitely be there! Thanks, Mr. Naoki! See you later!"

Naoki nodded with a small smile, watching the young trainers runoff, their excitement palpable.

He then turned his attention to the Gogoat.

Over the past few weeks, Naoki had been working hard to improve the physical fitness of his Gogoat herd, helping them absorb more grass energy. Every morning, he took his Gogoat for runs around the ranch."

Even Pawmo would join them.

After returning from Dragonite Island, Pawmo decided it was time to get back to its roots and work on evolving into an even more powerful Pawmot. It had stopped relying on flight and had taken to running on the ground again, eager to strengthen itself.

Naoki was very pleased with the hard work of his Pokémon.

Although he wasn't a traditional trainer, and the Pokémon didn't have to battle every day, it was beneficial for them to continue to grow.

Soon, Dragonite and the others were tired of playing, so they ran back and gathered around the picnic blanket.

Naoki was about to say something when he noticed a crowd forming on the beach. Even the uncle selling Magikarp joined them.

A loud explosion echoed, and a massive firework bloomed across the night sky.

In an instant, brilliant light illuminated the faces of everyone attending the festival.

Then, as if a switch had been flipped, more fireworks shot up into the sky, bursting over the sea and lighting up the dark night.

The scene was stunning as if declaring that summer had reached its peak.

"Oooh..." Dragonite murmured softly beside him.

Naoki turned his head and saw the dazzling fireworks reflected in Dragonite's wide, dark eyes.

Although he couldn't understand Dragonite's exact words, Naoki guessed it was probably saying, "How beautiful!"

Under the fireworks, Naoki glanced at every Pokémon surrounding him—Cyclizar, Koraidon, Dragonite, Butterfree, Alcremie, Glaceon, Combee, Gogoat, Miltank, Dolliv, Naclstack

He felt that he would never forget this moment.

Suddenly, Cyclizar and Koraidon seemed to sense something.

They shifted their gaze from the fireworks and looked at him.

Their eyes were clear and bright, and their expressions were full of happiness and peace. Naoki saw himself reflected in their eyes.

"Ah, gah~"

"Gah!"

A smile tugged at the corners of Naoki's mouth, and he reached out to hold their paws.

Together, the man and his Pokémon watched the fireworks display.

Under the starry sky, with fireworks blooming above, Naoki's lips moved in a whisper, his thoughts echoing in his heart:

"I'm glad I met you too."

...

"Alright, you guys keep throwing those stones my way, and I'll keep throwing out chapters like a magician pulling rabbits out of a hat! 🪄 The more stones, the crazier it gets! Keep me stoned, and the chapters keep flowing! 💎💥 Let's see how wild we can get!" 😄