Mysterious Gift

"I've lived for so many years, but this is the first time I've heard of such a Pokémon," Zack muttered to himself. "If only there were a Pokémon like the King of Bountiful Harvest in the Paldea region, I believe the nearby farmers would be willing to believe in it."

Unfortunately, there are very few legends circulating in the Paldea region.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Naoki said with a smile. "Those Pokémon called legends are often too far removed from humans. Their appearance usually brings various crises to the world."

"Like the legend of the God of the Earth and the God of the Sea in the Hoenn region. It's said that when they awaken, the entire Hoenn region is affected by their struggle."

"There were endless torrential rains, earthquakes, and scorching suns spreading everywhere. That was a real dire situation!"

The Paldea region and the Hoenn region are thousands of miles apart, very far away.

The people living in Paldea have little knowledge of the legends from other regions.

But Zack could still sense from Naoki's tone how great the disaster would be.

"That's right!" Zack agreed. "Compared to that, our place is more livable."

Then he asked curiously, "Did you learn all this while traveling outside?"

Naoki had never traveled before. Although the previous owner of his ranch had, they didn't deliberately try to learn about those legends.

After a pause, Naoki nodded and said, "Yes, 'I' have been to many places before."

"Young people should travel more!" Zack grinned and said, "But from the look of you now, you should be planning to settle down here, right?"

Naoki turned around and looked at the Pokémon in the pasture.

He had dreamed of traveling around the Pokémon world a long time ago, but now this stable and peaceful life felt pretty good.

Although there was no adventure and thrill like traveling, it was peaceful and warm.

So he nodded and said, "Yes, I plan to live here for good."

Naoki thought that even though he was staying at the ranch, it didn't mean he couldn't go out and travel.

Once the ranch was running well, and he had a Pokémon steward and his funds were not so tight, he could visit other regions with ease.

He could visit Pallet Town, see the World Tree, or climb Mount Coronet.

"That's good, that's good," Zack said with emotion. "To be honest, when I first saw you, I thought you wouldn't be able to hold on!"

"Life on a ranch is hard, and being a farmer can be boring. There aren't many young people like you who choose this path. Do you remember Elif in the cherry orchard next door?" Zack asked.

Naoki nodded. "Of course."

In the spring, he attended a cherry blossom wine party hosted by Mr. Elif and received cherry wine as a gift from him. He was a very kind, bearded uncle.

"His daughter Gina is clamoring to become a trainer and go on adventures with Pokémon!" Zack said with a smile. "Elif is too worried about her safety and doesn't want her to go. The father and daughter have been in a cold war for several days."

"This is human nature!" Naoki said with a smile.

If he had a daughter, he knew he would worry too. After all, in this world, children can start their Pokémon journey at the age of ten. It's hard not to be concerned about a ten-year-old girl traveling alone.

Naoki imagined what he would do if it were his daughter. He might send all three of his Gogoat, Dragonite, and Koraidon, to act as her bodyguards.

At that moment, Zack seemed lost in thought, his eyes slightly moist. "Yes! It's human nature—parents always worry about their children."

He looked up at the sky, and both men could hear the faint chirping of cicadas from the back mountain.

"Summer is coming!" Zack remarked.

Naoki also heard the cicadas. He and Zack looked up at the sky, took a deep breath, and said, "Yes, it is."

"Okay, I didn't realize I talked so much," Zack said with a chuckle as he loaded the goat milk onto his truck. He waved goodbye to Naoki. "See you later!"

"See you later!" Naoki replied.

He watched Zack leave before turning around. Just then, a toucannon suddenly appeared in the evening sky, slowly landing in the pasture and looking at Naoki with sharp eyes. Its powerful claws held a thick envelope.

"Huh?"

Naoki was surprised to see this wild toucannon that came out of nowhere. He pointed at himself and asked, "For me?"

The toucannon chirped sharply and nodded in confirmation.

Naoki had a rough idea of who the sender was. He reached out and took the envelope from the toucan's claw, then asked Koraidon to bring a box of baked Poke Puffs for the bird.

Naoki took out a Poffin from the box and offered it to the toucannon. The bird looked down at the treat, which emitted a delicious aroma, then opened its sharp beak and ate it.

As it took a bite, the toucannon's eyes lit up with delight.

Naoki smiled and said, "Thank you very much for helping Teddiursa deliver the letter. This food is for you!"

The toucannon looked at Naoki with visible happiness on its face. It gave an excited cry, grabbed the box containing the Poffins with its claws, and flew off towards the setting sun.

"Ah gah?"

Koraidon turned its eyes to the envelope, sensing a different scent from it.

Noticing the unique packaging, Naoki's surprise grew. Baby Bear and Mew had learned to send letters? What kind of gift would it be this time?

Naoki opened the envelope, and the first thing he saw was a sharp yellow feather with a faint electric current lingering on it.

"A feather?"

Naoki was even more surprised. What kind of feather could Baby Bear, with its picking ability, have found and sent back to the ranch?

However, he was more curious about what was inside the envelope. Instead of a postcard, it contained a simple crayon drawing that looked as if it had been made by a three-year-old child.

The picture showed a strange-looking Pokémon. Judging by its wings and shape, it resembled a bird Pokémon. Its body was covered in yellow crayon, with thick yellow lines indicating the electricity surrounding it.

In addition, there were two cute paw prints on the drawing, representing the identities of the senders.

Naoki compared the yellow feather to the Pokémon in the picture. Suddenly, a realization hit him, and his eyes widened in shock.

This was a Zapdos feather!

Naoki's previous prediction had come true. With the help of its pickup ability and the honey candy that made them quick on their feet, Baby Bear and Mew had actually encountered Zapdos and successfully snatched a feather from it!

...

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