Listening to Naoki's words, Mew and Teddiursa lowered their heads slightly, their expressions full of sympathy.
What a lonely, heartbreaking story.
Naoki gently asked, "So… what do you want to do now?"
The two Pokémon looked at each other silently, then began digging through their backpacks.
After a moment, they each pulled out their remaining Poffins and a few Berries, holding them delicately in their small paws.
Standing in the great hall of the castle, they looked around at the towering pillars and dim corners, calling out gently:
"Mew~!"
"Teddi~!"
No reply.
"Mew?" Mew tilted its head.
Then, out of the corner of Teddiursa's eye, it noticed something, just the tip of a large ear poking out from behind one of the pillars.
Teddiursa raised a paw and pointed. "Teddi!"
Behind the stone column, Victini twitched. Its ears perked up.
And the next moment, Mew and Teddiursa popped out from around the corner, face to face with it.
Three pairs of wide eyes met in silence.
Victini froze. "Ni-ni?!"
Startled, it turned to flee.
But Mew and Teddiursa reacted quickly, each grabbing one of its tiny arms with determination.
Perhaps they used too much force, or perhaps their eagerness got the best of them, but all three yelped in surprise as they toppled over in a heap, tumbling to the floor.
For a beat, no one moved.
Then they sat up, looked at one another's dust-covered faces… and all burst out laughing.
"Teddi~!"
"Miiiu~!"
Victini blinked, then giggled along with them. "Ni~ni!"
Curious and no longer afraid, Victini tilted its head at the two newcomers.
Teddiursa rummaged through its backpack again, pulled out an unbroken Poffin, and held it out.
"Teddi!"
"Ni…ni?"
Teddiursa nodded eagerly. "Teddi!"
Victini's eyes lit up. "Nini~!"
Realizing these two Pokémon didn't want to chase it or scold it, but instead wanted to share and play, Victini beamed and accepted the Poffin with both hands.
Mew and Teddiursa took out one for themselves too, and the three Pokémon sat down in a circle in the castle hall, munching happily on Naoki's hand-made treats.
Once the Poffins were gone, the trio burst into playful energy, zipping around the grand halls, playing tag, flying, sliding, and laughing together.
Back at the Gym, Naoki watched it all unfold through the Rotom Phone.
The three small Pokémon, laughing, playing, and bonding, looked so precious on screen, he felt his heart soften just watching them.
Smiling, he murmured, "They're getting along so well…"
Realizing the food might not last long with three hungry little Pokémon, Naoki ended the call and immediately contacted Dragonite, asking it to fly out to Unova carrying another delivery of Poffins and Poke blocks.
—
At noon, once the gym closed for the midday break, Naoki rode Koraidon back to the ranch, as he did every day.
On the way, he found himself thinking more deeply about the barrier that imprisoned Victini.
If he remembered the movie's events correctly, the Guardian Pillars were responsible for maintaining the barrier around Sword Castle.
If that barrier was to be broken, the pillars would first have to be dismantled or destroyed.
But then again… in the movie, Victini never actually left Aintoak, even when Ash helped free it.
Victini chose to stay.
Perhaps it didn't want to leave.
After all… Victini had once been the partner of the Old King, who gave his life to lift the castle into the sky and protect the region.
Since then, Victini had remained behind, guarding the legacy of that king, waiting through a thousand cycles of spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
That kind of devotion…
It was deeply moving.
Victini, like many Mythical Pokémon, likely had an immortal lifespan, while the king had only a handful of decades to live.
Such bonds… they crossed time itself.
Naoki sighed softly.
Naoki couldn't help feeling a bit conflicted. The story of Victini, and everything tied to the ancient castle, lingered in his thoughts.
At that moment, Koraidon gently landed in the pasture.
Naoki dismounted, smiled, and greeted all the Pokémon that came running over to welcome him back. He gave them pats and cheerful hellos as he walked toward the house.
But when he opened the door, he noticed something strange.
"Huh? Where's Iono?"
From the kitchen, Indeedee, who was busy preparing lunch, looked up and pointed outside.
"Aiye~!"
Following her gesture, Naoki stepped back out and headed toward the ranch fields.
Sure enough, in the distance beyond the farmland, he spotted Iono.
She wasn't alone, Butterfree, Bellibolt, and even a curious Dugtrio were gathered around something near a row of crops, all staring intently.
"What's going on?" Naoki called out as he approached.
Hearing his voice, Iono turned around excitedly. "Naoki, come look at this! One of the tomatoes is glowing, like, literally glowing! Isn't that wild?!"
Glowing tomato?
That caught his attention. Naoki stepped closer.
Sure enough, nestled among the healthy green tomato vines, one fruit stood out. It was glowing faintly with a mesmerizing rainbow-colored light.
A special crop.
Naoki's eyes locked onto it, and in the next second, a wave of information surfaced in his mind like a trained instinct.
[Wish Tomato]
Special Crop. When used in cooking, it grants the effect of "Wish."
Only a single line. But that was enough to catch his full attention.
"Wish"? Could it really be that kind of Wish? Naoki wondered.
Iono looked at him, eyes wide with curiosity. "What does it mean? Is this normal?"
"In short… it's a side effect of the energy the Gogoats emit. Their influence sometimes causes the crops to mutate, and when they do, those crops gain special properties," Naoki explained.
"Special properties?"
Iono immediately recalled the other magical dishes Naoki had made before, like the translator melon crisps that let her understand Pokémon speech.
She turned to look at the sprawling field with wonder, eyes sparkling.
"So… does that mean all these crops could have effects like that?"
Naoki chuckled and shook his head. "Not quite. Mutations are rare. Only a small number ever turn out like this."
"Aww…"
Iono looked momentarily disappointed, but still enchanted by the possibilities.
"Anyway, let's go eat!" Naoki said with a grin.
He gently plucked the glowing tomato from the vine, then led Iono and the nearby Pokémon back toward the house for lunch.
After lunch, Iono's curiosity about the glowing tomato only grew stronger, so she decided to stick around and watch Naoki cook with it.
"You're not going to rest?" Naoki asked, pulling eggs out of the fridge.
"I will, later," Iono said brightly. Her eyes sparkled. "So? What are you going to make?"
Naoki smiled. "Something simple: tomato scrambled eggs. Ever had it?"
"I've heard of it," she said, leaning in closer.
"It's a classic," Naoki explained. "The sweet and tangy flavor of the tomato blends with soft eggs. It's simple, but the taste is uniquely comforting."
He heated oil in a pan, and once it was hot, he added the diced rainbow-glowing tomato and freshly beaten eggs.
A delightful sizzling sound filled the kitchen.
Soon, a rich, sweet-and-sour aroma wafted through the air, warm and inviting.
"And… done."
Naoki slid the contents of the pan onto a plate. The colors shimmered faintly—the tomato's rainbow glow hadn't completely faded.
And in that instant, as the dish settled, a stream of information surfaced in Naoki's mind:
[Wish Tomato Scrambled Eggs (S Rank)]
A dish made by stir-frying high-quality eggs with a mutated crop. It is said to contain a hidden wish that can bring one's deepest desires to life.
Effect: Wish – Grants the eater a fulfilled wish. The stronger the desire, the greater the effect.
Limit: Can only be consumed once per person.
Evaluation: Regrets, sorrow, and hardship fade, replaced by hope.
Naoki blinked, stunned.
That's… way too powerful.
"What's wrong?" Iono asked, picking up on the shift in his expression.
Naoki glanced at the dish again. "It's… this meal might actually grant wishes."
"Like real wishes?" Iono's eyes went wide in disbelief.
"I'm not sure how far it goes," Naoki said, frowning slightly, "but I can feel it… There's real energy here. Real power."
He paused in thought, then slowly nodded to himself. If this dish could truly make dreams come true, it was worth testing.
He needed someone whose wish was strong and pure.
Then, he thought of her.
Naoki stepped out to the pasture and found Sylveon, who was sunbathing beneath a tree.
He knelt beside her, holding a small serving of the magical tomato scrambled eggs.
"Sylveon," he said gently, "try this. If what I'm sensing is right, eating it might make your wish come true."
"Boo-ee?!" Sylveon blinked, ears perking.
'Could it be… true?'
Her wish, was it really possible?
After eating this dish, will I have the power to defeat the dragon?
She glanced at the glimmering tomato and egg dish. The scent was inviting.
Without hesitation, she leaned down and took a bite.
...
Stones PLZzz