The Bonds That Warm Us

July 25, 198 of the Alliance Calendar, Autumn.

As time passed, the temperature in the air gradually dropped.

People started shedding their light short-sleeved shirts in favor of warm long-sleeved jackets.

Naoki was no exception. As a farmer, he frequently worked in the fields, so most of the clothes he owned were sturdy work clothes and jeans.

"Ah-choo!"

Early in the morning, as Naoki stepped outside to begin milking the Gogoats, a cold gust of wind swept by, and he couldn't help but sneeze.

He wasn't quite used to the sudden drop in temperature.

The Pokémon on the ranch, however, seemed to be handling the cold much better.

Both Dragonite and Dragonair had thick, sturdy scales, Pawmot was snug with its dense fur, and Glaceon practically thrived in this weather.

Only Cyclizar seemed to be struggling.

It stood beside Naoki, and just after he sneezed, Cyclizar let out a sneeze of its own, looking rather glum.

"Are you coming down with a cold?"

Naoki touched Cyclizar's forehead and, after confirming it didn't have a fever, decided to give it a day off. He let Cyclizar rest indoors to avoid getting chilled by the wind.

The dejected Cyclizar slumped onto the sofa.

Sister Indeedee, always thoughtful, brought it a cup of hot tea to warm up.

Naoki sniffled, then headed out of the house, greeted Dragonite and Koraidon as they arrived to help with the day's work, and then grabbed the bucket and milking machine with Koraidon to head over to the Gogoat pen.

Without needing any prompts, the three Gogoat trotted over and lowered themselves, making it easier for Naoki to milk them.

While working, Naoki glanced over at the mutated World Tree he had been tending.

Compared to two weeks ago, the seedling hadn't shown much change. If not for the countdown to its maturity slowly decreasing, Naoki might've thought the growth had completely stalled.

Even with the Gogoat helping care for it, the time until the World Tree's full growth still showed 99,900 years.

"Phew! All done!"

Naoki gently patted the Gogoat on their sides, and they moved aside, lazily lounging on the grass.

He put the bucket of milk aside and combined the freshly collected MooMoo Milk with the goat's milk.

By the time everything was done, it was already half-past nine in the morning.

Remembering Cyclizar wasn't feeling well, Naoki returned to the living room and asked, "How are you feeling now?"

If it hadn't improved, he planned to take Cyclizar to the Pokémon Center for a check-up.

"Gao…" Cyclizar still looked quite unwell.

Naoki touched its forehead again and was startled to find it burning up.

His face immediately tensed with concern.

He quickly fetched Cyclizar's Poké Ball from the bedroom and returned to recall it.

The Pokémon at the ranch had heard the commotion and gathered, looking visibly worried.

Even Glaceon, usually calm and collected, had a concerned expression on its face.

"It seems like Cyclizar is well-loved by everyone," Naoki noted with a raised brow.

Usually, while Naoki was busy with work, the Pokémon would entertain themselves. He only played games like frisbee or catch with them during his spare time. He didn't usually get involved in their day-to-day interactions.

After thinking for a moment, Naoki turned to the worried Pokémon and reassured them:

"Don't worry, it's just a fever. I'll take Cyclizar to the Pokémon Center, and we'll be back soon."

As Naoki spoke, a flicker of emotion crossed Koraidon's face.

It had never realized before just how much the Pokémon on the ranch cared about it.

Not that it was to blame.

After all, when it was still a Cyclizar, it would often be returned to its Poké Ball during moments like this. It would be disoriented inside, completely unaware of what was happening outside.

And afterward, the others wouldn't show their concern outright but would instead playfully tease it.

This time, however, Koraidon saw things from a different angle, noticing something it had never realized before.

"Let's go!" Naoki's voice snapped Koraidon out of its thoughts.

Koraidon quickly shifted into its galloping form, carrying Naoki as they sped towards Kosaji Town.

Koraidon was incredibly fast, and within just a few minutes, they arrived at the Pokémon Center.

There weren't many people around. After Naoki explained that Cyclizar had a fever, Nurse Joy immediately wheeled Cyclizar into the treatment room with her assistant, Audino, looking quite serious.

The whole scene reminded Naoki of a critically ill patient being rushed into an operating room, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of nervousness.

Koraidon glanced at Naoki and made a soft sound, "Raao?"

Naoki blinked and turned to look at it. "What's wrong, Koraidon?"

Koraidon glanced toward the treatment room, its concern evident. "Raao…"

Naoki smiled, realizing what was on its mind. "Are you worried about Cyclizar too?"

Koraidon stayed silent for a moment.

Naoki chuckled, remembering how Koraidon often seemed a bit jealous of Cyclizar. "I didn't expect the two of you to be so close!"

But Koraidon wasn't really asking about Cyclizar. What it was really wondering was whether Naoki was worried about Cyclizar too.

It suddenly wanted to know what place it held in Naoki's heart.

Back when it was still a Cyclizar, it wasn't very smart—it had been a bit clumsy and slow to catch on.

But as it grew, it began to understand a lot more.

Naoki had limited time and energy, and there were so many Pokémon on the ranch.

On the surface, Naoki treated every Pokémon kindly and seemed to like them all.

But Koraidon worried. Would Naoki like the others more than it?

There was the Pawmot, Glaceon, the thoughtful and caring Indeedee siblings, the soft and affectionate Dragonite, the goofy Psyduck, the steadfast and reliable Naclstack.

Compared to them, Koraidon often felt like it wasn't good for much except for farm work.

So, feeling a little insecure, Koraidon couldn't help but feel a touch of sadness.

At that moment, Koraidon heard Naoki speaking in a comforting tone beside it:

"Actually, even though I seem calm now, I was really worried when I saw Cyclizar just now!"

Koraidon looked over, curious, "Raao?"

Naoki smiled and continued, "Cyclizar is still young, you know. It was the first Pokémon I ever encountered. For humans, their first Pokémon is always special."

"It's so reliable and always helping out with the work around the ranch. To me, it's like my own child."

At this point, Naoki thought back to the past few months with Cyclizar.

"In the beginning, Cyclizar didn't know anything. Whether it was tilling the land, watering, or moving things, I had to teach it slowly—just like a parent raising a child. If all goes well, we'll be together for a long, long time."

"My only regret is that I didn't get to see it hatch with my own eyes."

Naoki sighed, thinking about the worried looks on the Pokémon's faces back at the ranch.

"If something were to ever happen to Cyclizar, I would be heartbroken."

Naoki expected Koraidon to be jealous or upset at this point.

But when he turned around, he was surprised to see Koraidon's eyes brimming with tears, as if it were about to cry at any moment.

Naoki: "???"

Before Naoki could react, Koraidon followed Dragonite's example, wrapping him in a hug with a pitiful expression.

It thought, 'Seeing how much you care about me makes all those years of waiting worth it.'

Naoki misunderstood, thinking Koraidon was upset because he liked Cyclizar more, and felt a little guilty. 

He wanted to laugh at the situation but instead patted Koraidon gently on the back. "I like you, Koraidon. And I care about everyone else too."

Koraidon mumbled, "Raao…" 

But deep down, it was thinking, 'I was always a Cyclizar first.'

Just then, the door to the treatment room opened.

Nurse Joy stepped out and said, "It's a good thing you brought Cyclizar in quickly. It seems like it caught a cold from the sudden drop in temperature. But don't worry—the fever has gone down now."

"Thank you so much," Naoki said, visibly relieved.

Following Nurse Joy's lead, Naoki entered the room and looked at the peacefully sleeping Cyclizar on the bed.

"You'll need to be more careful once you're back home," Nurse Joy advised. "It's best not to let Cyclizar battle for the next couple of days, and make sure to keep it warm. Cyclizar are quite sensitive to temperature changes and really don't handle the cold well."

Naoki nodded. "Got it. Thank you very much, Nurse Joy."

Nurse Joy smiled kindly. "You're welcome. It's all part of the job."

Another trainer arrived at the Pokémon Center for treatment. After Nurse Joy finished explaining the situation with Cyclizar, she left the ward to assist the visiting trainer.

At that moment, Cyclizar woke up.

Naoki quickly stepped forward. "Awake? How are you feeling?"

"Gah…" Cyclizar responded, looking a little embarrassed.

Naoki smiled warmly. "Well, let's get you home!"

He took out Cyclizar's Poké Ball, returned it to the ball, paid Nurse Joy for the treatment, and left the Pokémon Center.

As soon as Naoki and Koraidon returned to the ranch, Naoki noticed Kelly's truck parked at the entrance.

Kelly was standing by the farmland, gently teasing a shy Dragonair.

When she saw Naoki approaching, Kelly stood up and said, "Back from town?"

Naoki nodded. "Cyclizar had a fever, so I took it to the Pokémon Center for a check-up."

Kelly asked with concern, "Is it okay now?"

"The fever's gone," Naoki said, relieved. He handed the Poké Ball to his sister, Indeedee, and asked her to take Cyclizar inside to rest. "Make sure to close the doors and windows, so no drafts come in."

"Ai Ai," Sister Indeedee nodded, understanding perfectly.

Satisfied that Cyclizar would be well taken care of, Kelly teased, "You know, Cyclizar isn't even a year old yet. You've been making it work the fields with you every day. No wonder it's feeling sick now!"

Naoki: "…"

After thinking it over, he realized she had a point. He had been pushing Cyclizar too hard. With a serious expression, he said, "Thanks for pointing that out. I'll be more careful next time."

Seeing that Naoki truly cared about Cyclizar, Kelly didn't push the topic any further. Instead, she shifted the conversation to business.

"Well, that batch of glass building materials I mentioned finally arrived! Since I've got some time today, are you ready to start building the greenhouse?"

"Absolutely," Naoki replied. He had saved up a good amount of money recently by selling moomoo milk, goat's milk, and rock salt from the ranch. While he couldn't afford to build a huge greenhouse, a decent-sized glass greenhouse was certainly within reach.

Seeing his enthusiasm, Kelly smiled. "Great! Have you decided on a spot? If you're ready, I can start construction today."

Naoki already had a plan in mind. He led Kelly to the southwest corner of the ranch, near the entrance to the orchard. "How about here?"

Kelly nodded approvingly and placed a flag to mark the spot.

As she glanced at the neatly arranged fruit trees in the orchard, she noticed that they were already heavy with various types of Berries.

"Looks like your ranch had a great harvest this year!"

Naoki sighed. "It's a shame the fruit doesn't sell for much. The Berries from this orchard aren't worth as much as a few buckets of milk."

Kelly grinned and offered an idea, "Why not make them into Poké treats and sell them at your Pokémon tavern? I saw the Dragonite group happily munching on some earlier."

Kelly sometimes felt a bit embarrassed letting her Pokémon take advantage of Naoki's generosity at the ranch. So, each time her Pokémon visited the tavern, she'd give them some PokéDollars to give to Naoki as a tip.

"That's a good idea," Naoki mused but decided against it in the end.

After all, Poke Puffs were part of Dragonite's salary, and since he and Sister Indeedee could only make a limited number of them each day, selling them at the tavern would mean there wouldn't be enough to pay Dragonite. 

Kelly was just offering a suggestion, though.

After marking the location of the glass greenhouse, she moved the building materials to the spot and began construction.

Seeing that he wasn't needed at the site for the moment, Naoki headed back to the living room.

Inside, Cyclizar was wrapped in a blanket, looking cozy and warm. Surrounding it was a group of concerned Pokémon—Glaceon, Pawmot, Dragonite, and Alcremie were gathered around.

Cyclizar seemed confused, unsure why everyone was staring at it. Embarrassed, it looked to Naoki for help as soon as he walked in.

Naoki chuckled softly and said, "Alright, everyone, Cyclizar is fine now. Give it some space to rest!"

The Pokémon all backed off.

Naoki checked Cyclizar's temperature and was relieved to find that the fever had gone down.

But just as he breathed a sigh of relief, Alcremie suddenly sneezed.

Naoki: "…"

"You can't be out riding on the Naclstacks in the pasture for the next few days!" Naoki warned the Alcremie. "You'll end up catching a cold from all that chilly wind! If you want to play, go hang out in the underground cave—there's no wind there."

"Mree~" Alcremie stuck out its tongue playfully, looking a little embarrassed.

Then it sneezed again.

Naoki pressed a hand to his forehead in exasperation.

He sighed and addressed the Pokémon, "Okay, everyone, stay inside for the next couple of days and take it easy. Pawmot, you don't need to head to the chicken coop; I'll handle it for now."

Dragonite quickly piped up, "Awoo, awoo?" (What about me?)

Naoki glanced at Dragonite's large, round frame and said, "You won't get sick from being outside, will you?"

Dragonite had been happily sleeping on the grass outside for days.

However, Dragonite wasn't thrilled with Naoki's assumption and immediately began howling, insisting that it, too, could catch a cold!

Naoki: "…"

"Alright, alright."

Naoki knew Dragonite just wanted some extra attention, so he smiled and said, "Okay, Dragonite, you take care too. Make sure you don't catch a cold, alright?"

Dragonite beamed, pleased by the extra care, and promised to follow Naoki's orders.

Meanwhile, Koraidon just rolled its eyes at the whole exchange. 

Looking at Glaceon, Naoki hesitated for a moment before saying, "You're an Ice-type, so you shouldn't be afraid of the cold, right?"

"Buyee." Glaceon blinked at him with a calm expression.

"Still, you can hang out inside too. No one's going to snatch your Ice Stone if you leave it behind for a bit," Naoki chuckled.

After making sure everyone was comfortable, Naoki turned to Brother Indeedee and Sister Indeedee, saying, "I'll leave them in your care. You can watch TV together or play some games while I head out and see if Dolliv wants to join us."

With that, Naoki went to check on Dolliv.

However, Dolliv shook its head gently, kindly declining the offer. It seemed content sleeping next to the Gogoat, as its wool was thick and warm, making it the perfect cozy spot for chilly nights.

Naoki sighed and thought, 'It used to be so affectionate and clingy as a Smoliv. Now that it's grown up, its personality is so different.'

It reminded him of the saying, "A grown child is no longer under their parent's control."

Though Dolliv was a girl, she sure acted independent.

But as long as Dolliv was happy, Naoki couldn't complain.

He stood in the pasture, listening to the sound of construction from the greenhouse project nearby. A cool autumn breeze swept through the area, and suddenly, Naoki thought of brown sugar ginger tea, a remedy that would help keep the Pokémon warm and fend off colds.

However, there was no ginger at home. Naoki didn't usually cook much, so he rarely kept such ingredients on hand.

But he remembered that wild ginger grew in the mountains behind the ranch.

After thinking it over for a moment, Naoki grabbed a backpack, hopped onto Gogoat, and set off for the mountains to gather some wild ginger for tea.

...

"Y'all know the drill, right? Time to throw some shiny stones my way!"💎💎