Summer Festival

At two o'clock in the afternoon, as soon as Kelly arrived at the ranch, she saw a huge hole in the lawn.

A look of astonishment appeared on her face: "Was this place hit by a meteorite?"

Naoki: "…"

Koraidon, standing nearby, hung its head low. It hadn't meant to cause trouble.

Seeing this scene, Kelly was even more surprised: "Did Koraidon do this? Its power is incredible!"

"I asked Koraidon to show me one of its moves," Naoki said helplessly, "I didn't expect it to be this powerful."

He was pushing a wheelbarrow filled with soil that he and Koraidon had dug from the nearby mountain to fill in the pit.

Naoki tipped the wheelbarrow, pouring the soil into the massive hole. After going back and forth several times, they finally managed to level the ground. But the grass had been completely destroyed by Koraidon's Collision Course impact, leaving a bare patch that stood out against the surrounding lawn.

Naoki thought for a moment, then pulled out a bag of grass seeds, scattering them evenly over the ground. He called over the Gogoat that had been resting under a nearby trellis and asked them to help nurture the grass.

It was a simple task for the Gogoats. The three of them immediately fenced off the area and began infusing the soil with their Grass-type energy to speed up the grass's growth.

"Phew!" Naoki sighed, reaching out to pat the head of one of the Gogoat. He turned back to see Kelly and some Pokémon hard at work.

In the meantime, Kelly and her team had dug a large square pit and were laying down the foundation for a cellar using moisture-resistant materials and wooden boards.

Kelly was busy, and Naoki wasn't one to sit idle.

He harvested the sunflower heads from his last batch, laid them out to dry, and had several Pokémon help him peel off the seeds. The three fields of sunflowers produced enough seeds to fill five large boxes.

With some free time on his hands, Naoki moved the boxes to the kitchen and began roasting the sunflower seeds, preparing to turn them into translation seeds for later storage.

....

May 31st

That evening was the day of the Summer Festival.

At eight o'clock, people would gather at the beach west of the town to watch a spectacular fireworks display.

"Hey, Naoki, don't forget the fireworks show tonight!" Zack reminded him as he loaded several buckets of Moomoo Milk onto his truck.

"I haven't forgotten," Naoki said with a smile. He was looking forward to the event; after all, he had only seen such festivals in anime.

For example, he recalled the Ho-Oh Festival in Johto's Ecruteak City, where geishas performed songs and retold the legend of Ho-Oh and Lugia through a traditional play.

"Good to hear!" Zack grinned, ready to leave, but his eyes landed on Naoki's blue work clothes. "You can't wear that to a summer festival!"

Naoki blinked in surprise.

Zack continued, "You should wear traditional festival attire!"

Naoki: "..."

Can he admit he wasn't prepared?

"You haven't planned for this, have you?" Zack chuckled. "The shops in town must be closed by now. How about this: I have a set at home that belongs to my nephew. He hasn't worn it yet, and I'll bring it to you later!"

Naoki quickly waved his hands, "No need, I can just change into something clean."

Zack frowned, "That won't do! It's a once-a-year event—you've got to dress properly!"

Naoki: "Alright."

"That's more like it!" Zack beamed, patting him on the shoulder. "I'll be back with the outfit soon!"

As Zack disappeared into the distance, Naoki headed inside, took a quick shower, and changed into a fresh set of clothes.

Then, he gathered all the Pokémon at the ranch. "Who wants to go to the Summer Festival with me?"

"Woo!" Several excited Dratini and Dragonair immediately raised their voices in response.

"Good!" Naoki smiled, turning to the others.

Naturally, Koraidon and Cyclizar were up for it, and so was Dragonite.

Even Alcremie, Naclstack, Glaceon, and Butterfree were eager to join in the fun.

In the end, all the Pokémon on the ranch were safely returned to their Poké Balls, including Combee and Miltank.

Only Koraidon, Dragonair, and the Dratini remained outside.

Looking at the pile of Poké Balls in his pocket, Naoki was a bit taken aback.

He hadn't realized he'd caught so many Pokémon!

After putting the Poké Balls into his space backpack, Naoki turned to Dratini and Dragonair. "Come on, show me how you snuck into my backpack last time."

"Woo~" 

The three Dratini and two Dragonair looked at him with bright, mischievous eyes.

They wriggled into the space backpack one by one, and after the last Dragonair went in, they skillfully closed the zipper with their tails. However, they left a small gap, and several Pokémon peeked through it, looking at Naoki from inside.

Naoki examined the space backpack curiously.

From the outside, it didn't appear bulky despite holding the Dragonair and Dratini. It seemed the space inside was far larger than he had imagined. Even with the Pokémon inside, it didn't feel heavy at all. This black technology space backpack was truly amazing!

Just then, a car horn sounded outside the ranch.

Naoki looked up and saw Zack hopping out of the car, walking toward him with a plastic bag.

"Here you go! Change into this! It's already half past six, and we've got to head out soon!"

Naoki took the bag, opened it, and saw a gray Traje de Corto inside.

"I won't be going with you. My wife and little boy are waiting for me at home!" Zack grinned, waved goodbye to Naoki, and left the ranch.

Naoki: "…"

He went back to his room, feeling a little unsure, and changed into the Traje de Corto.

It was his first time wearing something like this, and it felt a bit strange. It took him a while to get comfortable with the outfit.

"Alright, let's go!" He took a deep breath, put on the space backpack, and climbed onto Koraidon, feeling both excited and expectant.

"Raao!" Koraidon responded enthusiastically, took a step forward, and started running toward the town.

When they arrived at the beach, quite a few people and Pokémon were already gathered.

The sky had darkened completely by now, and groups of people were either sitting or lying down, chatting with their families and Pokémon, waiting for the fireworks display to begin.

Not far away, a row of small stalls decorated with twinkling lights lined the street, displaying all sorts of items.

There were steaming plates of takoyaki, carved wooden souvenirs, and masks of various shapes and sizes.

Seeing this, Naoki raised his eyebrows with interest.

There was still some time before the fireworks started, so he decided to take Koraidon for a stroll through the stalls.

The crowds surged around like a tide.

A young child held their parents' hands, a boy with a Pikachu perched on his shoulder, an old man with silver hair and a Growlithe at his side, and a girl with wide eyes, excited to see the takoyaki stall, with her Gengar hovering nearby.

As the lights of the stalls flickered in the night, Naoki and Koraidon blended into the lively, heartwarming atmosphere.

Naoki stopped in front of a small stall selling masks.

On display were masks of various Pokémon: Pikachu, Eevee, Zoroark, and even a Squirtle.

Seeing Naoki approach, the stall owner smiled brightly and said, "These masks would suit you perfectly! Want to buy one? Only 200 Poke Dollars!"

200... Not too expensive, Naoki thought and handed over the money before selecting a Zoroark mask.

He placed the mask on his face, turned toward Koraidon, and asked, "How do I look?"

Koraidon smiled, its eyes narrowing with delight. "Raao~" (You look great!)

The stall owner chimed in, "It suits you very well!"

Naoki smiled, but before he could say anything more, a loud voice calling out nearby caught his attention.

Leading Koraidon through the crowd, Naoki soon spotted a middle-aged man wearing a red hat behind a small stall.

A large, transparent tank sat in front of the man, and inside, a group of Magikarp with dull eyes slowly swam around.

Seeing Naoki approach, the man immediately began to shout:

"Hey, young man! Looking for a strong Pokémon? My Magikarp are all special! You won't regret buying one!"

Naoki felt a wave of familiarity with the situation. It reminded him of the Magikarp salesman from the Pokémon anime, though this was his first time encountering it in real life.

Curious, Naoki asked, "What's so special about these Magikarp?"

With great enthusiasm, the man responded, "Oh, these Magikarp are rare! Each one has been hand-picked by me! Once they evolve into Gyarados, they'll help you take down Gym Leaders and even challenge the Elite Four!"

Naoki couldn't help but twitch his lips in amusement. Before he could say anything, a nearby trainer with a Machop by his side interrupted:

"That's such a scam! There's no way those Magikarp are that strong!"

The salesman didn't seem fazed at all. He smiled and said, "If you don't believe me, just buy one and see if it evolves into a Gyarados!"

The boy made a face and shouted, "No way!" before running off.

The man muttered under his breath, "Brat…" while shaking his head.

Naoki stood there, half-amused, when he noticed the man's gaze shift to his backpack.

Peeking out from the partially open zipper were several pairs of curious eyes.

The man's jaw dropped, and he gasped, "Dratini!"

Naoki blinked, realizing that the Dratini hiding in his space backpack had been spotted.

The man's eyes lit up with excitement. "So many Dratini! Where did you catch them?"

Naoki shook his head with a smile. "I didn't catch them. They chose to follow me."

The man looked absolutely shocked. "They just followed you?!"

The man was stunned. "How is this possible?! This is a rare Dratini! I'll pay a high price for one. Will you sell it to me?!"

"Not for sale!" Naoki shook his head and refused without hesitation.

"What about a trade?" the man suggested, pulling out a Poké Ball.

With a flash of white light, a Kingdra appeared in the tank in front of him.

"I'll trade you my Kingdra for one of your Dratini, how about that?"

"No." Naoki rejected the offer flatly. "Don't even think about it. I'm not trading them."

The man's shoulders slumped in disappointment as Naoki turned to leave, his back now a target of envy.

"Really, people actually try to trade Pokémon here," Naoki muttered to Koraidon. "What do they think this is?"

Koraidon tilted its head and let out a thoughtful "Raao…"

"Forget it, let's not worry about them." Naoki adjusted his backpack and unzipped it slightly, letting Dratini and Dragonair poke their heads out for some fresh air.

After wandering around the festival for a bit, Naoki started feeling a bit tired. He bought a dozen takoyaki and took Koraidon to a quieter, spacious section of the beach, away from the larger crowds.

"Everyone, come on out!"

He tossed the Poké Balls, and in a flurry of white light, his Pokémon appeared on the sandy shore. Pokémon like Glaceon, Butterfree, and Miltank, who had never played on sand before, immediately began enjoying themselves.

Naoki spread a picnic blanket on the ground, placing the takoyaki and some fruit on it. Then, he turned to his Pokémon and said, "Don't wander off too far! Koraidon and Gogoats, keep an eye on everyone for me."

Koraidon puffed up proudly. "Raao!" (Of course!)

Meanwhile, passersby began to take notice. A little girl, in particular, was drawn to the lively Pokémon playing nearby.

"Mom, look over there!" she squealed excitedly.

Her mother, deep in conversation with her husband, turned to see what her daughter was pointing at. The sight of so many Pokémon playing together was astonishing.

"Wow! Are all these Pokémon yours?" the little girl asked Naoki innocently.

Naoki smiled and nodded. "Yes, they are."

"That's so cool!" The girl's eyes sparkled with determination. "When I grow up, I want to be a great trainer and catch lots of Pokémon!"

"You can do it!" Naoki encouraged her with a grin.

As much as she wanted to stay, the girl's mother was in a hurry to buy food, so they waved goodbye. "Bye, big brother!" the girl called out.

"Goodbye!" Naoki waved back warmly.

Taking off his Zoroark mask, Naoki turned around to find Cyclizar building a sandcastle with Glaceon and Dragonite. The sight of the Pokémon having so much fun made him chuckle.

Meanwhile, the Miltank trio joined in on the sandcastle fun, their excitement evident as they kicked up sand. Butterfree, however, didn't seem as interested and fluttered back to Naoki, landing softly on the picnic blanket.

Naoki turned to Koraidon and asked, "Aren't you going to join them?"

"Raao…" Koraidon shook its head, sounding a bit too mature for such activities. It clearly considered itself an adult.

Naoki understood Koraidon but couldn't resist teasing him. "You act like you're so grown-up, but don't you still like to snuggle up with me at night?"

Koraidon flushed in embarrassment, its feathers drooping. "Raao…" (That's different…)

Naoki stifled a laugh. "Only kids sleep with their trainers, you know."

Koraidon let out an indignant cry. "Raao, raao!" (I'm not a kid!)

But Naoki couldn't help but tease him further. Koraidon's pride was visibly wounded, and the once-mighty creature hung its head in defeat, looking pitiful.

It just... wanted to stay by Naoki's side, after all.