Man and Dragons

[Tea Tree: A unique plant, infused with the power of the Calyrex. Its leaves can be brewed into a delightful green tea, though they shouldn't be eaten raw.]

In the Reverse World, Naoki stood before a newly planted tea garden on an island, his heart filled with satisfaction. 

"Perfect. Now, whenever I want some tea, I can just come here and pick fresh leaves." 

"Great job, everyone!" Naoki praised. Diglett had been hard at work turning over three plots of soil, and now it stood, panting from exhaustion. Naoki knelt down, giving Diglett an affectionate pat on the head. "Alright, let's call it a day!" he announced to Giratina. 

Giratina nodded its massive head, casting a gentle glance at Naoki and his Pokémon. With a sweep of its wing, it opened the portal back to the real world. 

Naoki waved goodbye to Giratina as he and his companions—Calyrex, Koraidon, and Diglett—headed back to the ranch. As their figures disappeared, the shimmering portal gradually closed, sealing off the Reverse World once more. 

Giratina floated in the quiet void, its blood-red eyes scanning the vast, transformed landscape. 

To this day, it was still in awe. 

In only two days, its domain had changed profoundly. Grass and flowers had sprouted, and sunlight—usually reserved for the world beyond—now graced the Reverse World. 

Giratina felt a stir in its heart as it drifted toward an island covered in apple trees. Glancing at the plump, red apples hanging from the branches, it moved forward, plucked one delicately, and took a tentative bite. Juicy sweetness burst in its mouth, filling the void with a rich, fruity scent. It felt as though a breath of life had washed over it. 

With a newfound sense of delight, Giratina glided over to the sky island where the green tea trees grew. It leaned in close, sniffing the vibrant green leaves. 

Recalling Naoki's careful attention to these plants, Giratina reasoned that they must be something delicious. Curious, it took a small bite of a leaf. 

Instantly, its expression twisted. The leaf's bitterness was overwhelming, contorting its already intimidating face into an even fiercer scowl. 

Giratina spat out the leaf repeatedly, fluttering its wings in frustration before soaring back to Apple Island. It promptly devoured several sweet apples to rid itself of the taste, finally feeling the bitterness fade away. 

"…Phew…"

As the sweet apple juice filled its mouth, Giratina let out a long sigh of relief, savoring the taste. It cast a glance toward the island of tea trees in the distance and, without hesitation, mentally placed the entire grove on its blacklist of foods to avoid.

With that settled, Giratina took flight, heading to the sky island blanketed in flowers. It landed gently amidst the vibrant blooms and looked up at the golden sun overhead. The sunlight was bright but not blinding, warm but not scorching—a rare sensation in the desolate Reverse World.

For the first time in what felt like eons, Giratina experienced something unfamiliar yet comforting. Memories of a distant past surfaced: Arceus, Dialga, and others basking in the sunlight, their forms aglow. Back then, Giratina would peer through calm waters, glimpsing that sunny world from afar. 

Could Arceus have felt this same sense of peace? 

Lost in thought, Giratina stood quietly in the sea of flowers, a gentle warmth wrapping around its entire form. It felt an unfamiliar but soothing contentment spreading within, and, for once, it had no desire to stir any trouble that would draw Arceus' attention. 

Giratina lowered its massive body slowly, settling into the soft bed of flowers. Its head rested on its forelimbs, breathing in the floral scents while basking in the gentle sunlight. For the first time, Giratina felt a deep and fulfilling sense of peace.

Its eyes grew heavy, and soon it drifted into a tranquil slumber under the sun. 

...

Although Naoki had planned to take a break, he wasn't one to idle around completely. Unlike the Pokémon who had exerted themselves, Naoki wasn't all that tired.

Back at the ranch, Calyrex made its way to the glass greenhouse, enjoying the warm winter sun while sipping on black tea served by Sinistea. 

Diglett cheerfully returned to its underground burrow, carrying a pile of treats Naoki had gifted it.

Koraidon, however, followed Naoki back to the house. 

Naoki opened a cupboard and pulled out a basket of fresh fruit, glancing over at Koraidon. "Why don't you go play for a bit? I need to start on today's Poffins for Dragonite and the others."

"Ah…gah…" 

Koraidon's head drooped, clearly disappointed that Naoki couldn't spend more time with it. But its ears perked up as the playful cries of Alcremie and Glaceon sounded from outside. Curiosity sparked, and it dashed off to see what they were up to.

Watching it go, Naoki chuckled to himself and turned his attention back to making the batter for the day's Poffins.

By the time the Dragonites had finished delivering supplies and returned to the ranch, two trays of freshly baked Poffins were just coming out of the oven.

Naoki, wearing oven mitts, carefully carried the tray into the living room. The first two Dragonites who arrived were already well-accustomed to this daily routine.

Even though they experienced this moment every day, their excitement never dulled. The two Dragonites watched eagerly, their eyes fixed on Naoki as he placed the warm, fragrant Poffins into their treat boxes.

"Gulp!"

A new Dragonite, Dragonite No. 4, couldn't help but swallow as it stared at the Poffins in Naoki's hand.

'This was the smell!'

Its mouth watered, practically a waterfall of drool.

The older Dragonites looked over, slightly amused at their new companion's wide-eyed enthusiasm. Clearly, the island newcomers were still getting used to life at the ranch!

"Here you go! You've all worked hard today!" Naoki smiled warmly, handing two boxes of Poffins to the two Dragonites who had just returned from their morning deliveries.

"Draaa!"

They chirped happily, accepting the boxes with their paws before scampering outside to enjoy their treats under the wide, shady tree in the pasture.

Meanwhile, Dragonite No. 4 gazed longingly at the remaining Poffins.

Noticing the hopeful look in its eyes, Naoki chuckled. He took out a fresh treat box, filled it with Poffins, and handed it to the eager Dragonite. "This is for you. Welcome to the ranch, Dragonite!"

Dragonite No. 4's eyes lit up as it hugged the box close, thrilled with its decision to tag along to the ranch that morning. Happily, it waved to Naoki before dashing off to join the others outside, clutching its box of treats.

Naoki and his Dragonite walked to the doorway, standing under the eaves as they watched the three Dragonites sitting beneath the tree, enjoying their treats. Each one leaned against the trunk, carefully pulling a Poffinsf from their box, nibbling it with satisfaction.

"Ah…" Naoki sighed contentedly, a touch of emotion in his voice. Who would have thought there'd be so many Dragonites on the ranch now?

Perhaps he should start calling it "Dragonite Ranch."

...

The days continued as planned, and before long, it was November 6th, Year 198 in the Alliance Calendar.

That morning, the ranch welcomed an unexpected guest.

Naoki blinked in surprise as a blonde woman arrived, accompanied by four Dragonites. Looking a bit bewildered, he asked, "Wait… You're a reporter from Paldea News TV, here to do a story on me and the Dragonite?"

Alice still hadn't fully recovered from the shock. Her gaze was fixed on the four Dragonites lounging beneath the trees, her face a mix of disbelief and amazement.

Just the evening prior, she had arrived in Kosaji Town, a quaint place in western Paldea. She had no way of knowing the exact location of the ranch, so she stayed overnight, hoping to spot the delivery Dragonite the following morning to confirm the rumors she had heard.

Initially, Alice had dismissed the reports as nothing more than a ploy to trick her network out of an intelligence fee. But to her amazement, the very next morning, she saw a Dragonite soaring above the town, a sturdy backpack strapped to its back.

What astonished her even more was that there wasn't just one Dragonite—there were four!

What kind of person could afford to raise four Dragonites?

Determined to uncover the truth, Alice grabbed her camera and set off, following the Dragonite team all the way to a secluded ranch. When she arrived, her jaw dropped. There weren't just Dragonite; there were rare Pokémon everywhere—species she'd never even seen before!

Though unfamiliar with them, she could sense they were exceptional.

'Could these be Pokémon from far-off regions?'

At that moment, Alice's gaze landed on the young man standing in front of her, and she couldn't help but swallow in awe.

'Who was this person?'

'To have gathered so many strong-looking Pokémon, he had to be a remarkable trainer. Was he a League Champion or perhaps even royalty?'

'But one thing didn't add up—why would such a talented trainer choose to live in a remote place like this, working as a simple farmer?'

While Alice was deep in thought, Naoki noticed the distant look on her face and couldn't help but tilt his head in confusion.

Alice quickly snapped back to reality and nodded. "Yes! I'm from Mesagoza, where Paldea News TV headquarters is based!"

"I came to Kosaji Town to investigate the truth behind the urban legend of the 'Dragonite Delivery Service'!"

Naoki: "…?"

'A local legend? When did delivering milk with Dragonite become an urban legend?'

Naoki couldn't help but chuckle to himself, baffled by the entire situation.

Meanwhile, Alice was practically brimming with excitement.

Would this mysterious trainer named Naoki agree to her request?

Though she hadn't started filming, she'd already thought of the perfect title for her piece.

She'd call it "Man and Dragons."

Why had the rare Pokémon Dragonite suddenly appeared in this small town? Why did Dragonite fly above Kosaji Town every morning, delivering goods? And what was the true bond between the mysterious man and his Dragonites? Tune in to tonight's segment, "The Secret of Paldea: Man and Dragons," only on Paldea News TV!

Naoki considered her proposal thoughtfully.

In truth, he didn't mind the idea of appearing on a TV show at all.

Naoki had plans to establish the Dragon Express Company in the future, so he figured that a little early publicity couldn't hurt. Instead of waiting to promote it later, why not start now, using this program to raise the profile of Dragon Express and showcase the ranch?

With this thought, Naoki's expression softened, and he smiled. "Of course!"

Alice's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Thank you so much!"

If this show aired, their ratings would definitely skyrocket! A story about a group of Dragonites delivering goods was bound to capture the public's attention—far more than the usual Pokémon events.

Before filming began, however, there were a few details Alice wanted to clarify. Naoki invited her and her crew into the living room, where sister Indeedee, who was helping out as a hostess, served them tea.

Alice took a sip, cleared her throat, and struck up a conversation. "So, Mr. Naoki, when did you start running this ranch?"

Naoki thought for a moment. "January of this year."

"January?" Alice almost did a double-take. "So, you only started this year?"

"That's right," Naoki nodded. "I was in other regions before but recently returned to the Paldea region."

"So Paldea is your hometown?" Alice asked.

"Indeed. This ranch was my grandfather's. After he passed, it was abandoned for a while. I'd been traveling for years, and after a while, I wanted to settle somewhere quiet, so I came back and started managing the ranch."

'A traveling trainer from another region!' That explained why Alice hadn't heard of him before. She pictured him as someone who had roamed the world, grown into a powerful trainer, and eventually found city life mundane. So, he chose a simpler life back home.

Alice's impression of him was forming. For years, young trainers had dreamed of being the best, never letting go of that ambition, even into old age. But here was Naoki, choosing a slower, quieter life instead.

With a hint of admiration, Alice sighed. "It's rare for someone as young and skilled as you, Mr. Naoki, to make such a choice."

Naoki: "…Wait, what?"

Alice blinked. "Huh? Did I get it wrong?"

Naoki chuckled. "As you can see, I'm just a rancher."

Alice shook her head with a laugh. "A rancher who tames four Dragonites and gets them to deliver goods?"

Then, Alice paused, a sudden realization crossing her face. "Oh! You mean…you're just a rancher 'now'!"

Naoki: "…Right…"

Deciding it was easier not to argue, Naoki just nodded. He had grown used to these kinds of misunderstandings and could now handle them with humor.

Alice quickly switched to business. "Alright, let's talk about the shoot!"

Her eyes lit up as she outlined her vision, her enthusiasm infectious.

"First, we'll showcase Dragonite's strength and agility from different angles. We want the audience to feel just how incredible it is to have such a powerful Pokémon delivering milk."

"Once we've got them amazed by the Dragonite, we'll reveal the man behind it all—Mr. Naoki."

Naoki's curiosity was piqued. "And the title for this episode?"

Alice grinned. "Man and Dragons!"