"What on earth is going on?"
Dr. Kuroki stared in disbelief at the data displayed on the screen, his voice barely above a whisper.
Could it be a malfunction?
With that thought in mind, he quickly turned to his console, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he initiated a diagnostic on the machine. Five minutes later, the results popped up: System Normal.
That meant… the data was accurate.
This Cyclizar had been trained beyond anything he'd ever seen—its strength, speed, and durability all surpassing the known limits for Pokémon of its kind. It wasn't just well-trained, it had transcended what should have been possible.
Dr. Kuroki turned toward the cheerful Cyclizar, still standing calmly beside Naoki, and murmured in awe, "This is… unbelievable."
Even on a global scale, trainers capable of raising Pokémon to this degree were exceedingly rare.
"You're an exceptional trainer," he said, his gaze settling on Naoki with sincere admiration.
Naoki, however, was focused on the data on the screen.
The most prominent values were strength and speed. They'd spiked far above the average range.
'Looks like the birthday cake boosted Cyclizar's base stats for strength and speed,' Naoki mused thoughtfully.
As for its impressive defenses, he had a different theory, those were probably influenced by the effect of the Dragon Shedding Dumpling, a dish he'd recently crafted that granted a tough, scale-like defensive buff to Dragon-types.
And the sheer boost to HP? That had to be thanks to Life Goat Milk, an ultra-rare ranch product produced by a herd of specially raised Gogoat. Its rejuvenating energy was infused with the life force of the World Tree. Consumed regularly, it didn't just restore health, it amplified a Pokémon's overall vitality.
In gaming terms? Cyclizar's HP stat had likely been permanently boosted.
Hearing Dr. Kuroki's praise, Naoki offered a modest smile, saying only, "Cyclizar's done its part too."
Because it was true. Behind those amazing stats was hard work.
Cyclizar had trained alongside Koraidon day after day, sparring, racing, and growing stronger together. It wasn't just Naoki's cooking or strategy that raised it this far.
To Cyclizar, Koraidon was both a mentor and a rival.
Although Koraidon occasionally got a little jealous when Cyclizar received too much attention, especially over snacks or who Naoki chose to ride to town, it never escalated beyond a mild pout.
All things considered, Koraidon was still a noble Pokémon, a leader in its own way. It never bullied Cyclizar, and deep down, it wanted to see it grow strong too.
Koraidon was incredibly smart, so much so that Naoki sometimes had the illusion that it wasn't an ancient Paradox Pokémon at all, but rather a modern one with a lifetime of experience under its belt.
But then again, Koraidon was a Legendary Pokémon. Even if it hailed from the distant past, its intelligence and stature placed it among the apex of Pokémon in the ecosystem.
"Hmm... looks like I'll need to update Cyclizar's data."
Dr. Kuroki muttered to himself as he prepared to record the new information, but then he hesitated.
After a moment of thought, he realized something important, not every Cyclizar would exhibit this kind of development. This one was far too unique. With such a limited sample size, it couldn't be used as baseline research. At best, it could only be classified as a rare outlier.
With that, Dr. Kuroki set his tools aside and canceled the update.
Having confirmed Cyclizar's condition, Naoki saw no reason to stay any longer. He prepared to say goodbye and head back to the ranch with Cyclizar and Koraidon.
But just as he was about to step out, the front door of the lab burst open.
A boy, no more than ten years old, came running in breathlessly.
Despite the sweat trickling down his face, his eyes were sparkling with excitement.
"Professor! I'm Takuma! Today's my tenth birthday! I came to get my first Pokémon and start my journey!"
"Oh? Takuma, is it?" Professor Kuroki smiled, standing up to retrieve something from the back room. "I've been expecting you. Come, I've prepared your starter Pokémon, choose the one that calls to you!"
Naoki paused, intrigued, and stayed to watch.
Professor Kuroki tossed out three Poké Balls. With a flash of light, three Pokémon appeared in front of the boy: Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly.
The moment he saw Fuecoco, Takuma's face lit up.
"I pick Fuecoco!"
"Good choice! From today on, Fuecoco is your partner." Dr. Kuroki handed over the Poké Ball and a pouch of five extra Poké Balls for his journey. "Take care of each other out there!"
The boy thanked him enthusiastically, scooped up Fuecoco, and dashed out the door to begin his adventure.
"Ah, full of energy. Just like I was at his age," Dr. Kuroki said with a chuckle.
Naoki smiled and asked, "So all the kids in town come to you for their starter Pokémon?"
Dr. Kuroki nodded. "When I first moved here, the Paldea League contacted me. They asked me to oversee the starter Pokémon distribution for this town."
Naoki raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess, Geeta's doing?"
Dr. Kuroki laughed. "Bingo."
"This kind of system is pretty common," he continued. "Whether it's Paldea, Kanto, or another region, every child is registered in the national trainer registry. When they turn ten, their local league prepares starter Pokémon for them and sends them to nearby research labs like mine for distribution."
"To be honest, I just got settled in Paldea not long ago. Being entrusted with something so important was a little overwhelming," he admitted, scratching his head sheepishly.
Naoki couldn't help but laugh to himself.
Poor Professor. He'd barely unpacked before Geeta had roped him into official league duties.
That was so like her.
And speaking of Geeta, Naoki remembered something Iono had mentioned during one of their late-night chats.
"Apparently, the Champion Challenge system in Paldea is about to go through a big reform," Iono mentioned one evening.
Naoki raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"The Chairwoman, Geeta, has been watching how lively the League Conferences are in other regions. She thinks hosting a League Tournament in Paldea could draw more Trainers from across the world and showcase Paldea's strength on a global scale."
"So starting next year, she's planning to launch a full-scale League competition here too, just like the ones held in Sinnoh, Hoenn, or Kanto," Iono explained.
Naoki nodded thoughtfully. "Honestly? I agree. It's time for a change."
Opening up the region to a traditional League format, where Trainers challenge Gyms to earn Badges and qualify for a tournament, would bring more traffic and tourism. It would boost local economies and give Paldea a stronger international presence.
"And I'm glad I stayed true to myself," Naoki added with a small chuckle. "If I'd accepted Geeta's offer back then, I'd be a cog in the Paldea League right now. Just like Larry."
Iono burst into laughter. "Poor Larry. He's swamped! Between gym challenges and all the League's paperwork, he barely has time to breathe. The Chairwoman keeps sending him off on official business too."
Naoki winced sympathetically. "With his reputation and strength, Larry definitely doesn't need the money. So why is he still grinding so hard?"
"Maybe he actually likes it?" Iono suggested, half-joking.
But Naoki shook his head. "No… I think it's about responsibility. Larry's got that kind of spirit. He believes in doing the job he's entrusted with, no matter how tiring it gets."
He paused and smiled.
"Everyone has their own way of living. For me... nothing beats running a ranch, surrounded by Pokémon, helping people and living simply."
...
Bonus @500
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