Pokemon: A New Path

Chapter 222: Home Reconstruction Plan



8:00 am.

Geeta arrived in Kosaji Town by helicopter.

As the current Champion of the Paldea League, her responsibilities included not only recruiting new talents for the League but also maintaining peace and stability in the Paldea region.

After hearing about the fire, Geeta rushed to the town as quickly as possible.

Upon her arrival, Officer Jenny, who had been overseeing the rescue efforts, immediately approached her to provide a report on the events of the previous night.

Officer Jenny began, "The fire broke out around four in the morning. It was caused by a trainer camping in the mountains who forgot to properly extinguish their campfire. A few stray sparks ignited the dry leaves nearby."

"At 4:10 am, both the fire department and the police station received emergency calls. By the time the fire brigade arrived, the fire had been burning for 20 minutes and had spread rapidly."

"The firefighters immediately began trying to contain the blaze, but due to the abundance of flammable material in the mountains this time of year, the fire spread quickly. We were able to create isolation zones to prevent it from reaching the town, but it was impossible to fully extinguish the fire quickly."

Officer Jenny hesitated for a moment before continuing, "In a critical moment, a... well, a person appeared to help. He sent out his Dragonite, which used Rain Dance, and the fire started to weaken."

"By 6:00 am, the fire had been fully extinguished, and we immediately began search and rescue efforts."

Geeta listened carefully as she walked through the burned area with Officer Jenny.

Upon hearing that a trainer's Dragonite had used Rain Dance to control the fire, she couldn't help but ask, "Don't the Pokémon in the fire department know Rain Dance?"

"Yes, we do have Pokémon that know it," Officer Jenny replied, her expression a little awkward. "But their power wasn't enough. The coverage of their Rain Dance and the intensity of the rain were too weak to fully stop the spread of the fire."

"But this person's Dragonite..." Officer Jenny paused, as if searching for the right words, before continuing, "It's mastered Rain Dance to perfection. This wasn't just an ordinary Rain Dance-it summoned a heavy downpour that covered the entire back mountain. Thanks to that, we were able to bring the fire under control quickly."

Geeta raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed.

"A Dragonite that's mastered Rain Dance to that level?"

This was quite rare. Even though Dragonite was a powerful and rare Pokémon, Geeta had encountered many Dragonites during her career as a trainer. But most of the trainers she knew focused on moves like Outrage and Dragon Tail rather than weather-manipulating moves like Rain Dance.

As memories of past battles surfaced in her mind, Geeta nodded thoughtfully. "It seems we owe that trainer a great deal of gratitude."

As they continued their conversation, they entered the back mountain.

Geeta had mentally prepared herself for a scene of devastation-scorched earth, charred trees, and destruction.

But what she saw left her completely stunned.

The mountainside was covered in a sea of green grass, full of life and vitality.

Geeta stopped in her tracks, blinking in disbelief. Something was off, though.

The grass wasn't natural-it was a Grassy Terrain, an effect created by the concentrated energy of Grass-type moves!

She looked up, her eyes scanning the entire area, and saw the green energy flowing across the ground, covering the forest like a protective blanket.

As the wind blew, thousands of blades of grass swayed gently in the breeze.

"...What?" Geeta muttered, a question mark practically popping over her head.

Officer Jenny, seeing the confusion on Geeta's face, quickly provided an explanation. "That Grassy Terrain was also created by that same trainer's Pokémon. I didn't see it myself, but Nurse Joy mentioned it was three Gogoat working together."

At this, Officer Jenny smiled, a look of gratitude softening her expression. "Thanks to them,

we were able to buy more time for the rescue teams."

Geeta nodded slowly, understanding more clearly now.

Grassy Terrain... A move that could restore a Pokémon's health over time.

She maintained a calm demeanor, but inside, she was utterly astonished.

What kind of Pokémon could create such an enormous Grassy Terrain? Coincidentally, Geeta had a Gogoat in her own team lineup.

But could her Gogoat do something like this?

The answer, she knew, was no. It simply wasn't capable of producing this level of power.

"What kind of person is he?" Geeta asked.

Officer Jenny thought for a moment, and a rare smile appeared on her usually serious face. "He's a very gentle person. He loves Pokémon and runs a ranch here. Oh, and although I've never seen his Gogoat, I've definitely had the goat milk they produce."

"Not just me

everyone in this town knows about the three Gogoat, because their milk is

famous for making people healthier."

Geeta blinked in surprise. "A rancher?"

Jenny nodded. "Yes, he came to town in the spring. I heard that he had been traveling the world before settling here. He might have been an excellent trainer before he decided to run a

ranch."

Geeta tried to remain composed. "I see." She made a mental note to visit him later.

But right now, there were more pressing matters at hand.

"Come on! Keep going, you're doing great!" Naoki cheered on his Gogoat, who were working hard to maintain the Grassy Terrain. He fed them grass dumplings to keep their strength up. In just half an hour, thanks to the power of Grassy Terrain, wild Pokémon were slowly regaining their strength.

Many of them emerged from the caves they had been hiding in and were discovered by Pawmot and Koraidon, who brought them to Naoki's care.

Now, alongside the Wattrel and Petilil from earlier, several other injured Pokémon had gathered. There were two Hoppip, a Kricketune, a pair of Jumpluff, three Foongus, and a Slakoth with burnt fur and patches of missing hair.

In addition to these, Koraidon had also brought back a few Pokémon that had tragically lost their lives in the fire.

The sight of the charred Furret and Lurantis lying silently on the ground brought a somber stillness to everyone present-both humans and Pokémon alike.

Naoki, filled with sadness, tried to revive the Furret with the most potent healing dish he had,

but it was no use.

Their lives had already slipped away. No one could save them, not unless Ho-Oh were here to

perform a miracle.

Koraidon and Cyclizar hung their heads in grief.

Glaceon, usually stoic, looked visibly uncomfortable, while Pawmot floated in the air, its voice low. "Pammo..."

Naoki sighed softly. "All we can do now is bury them properly and let them rest in peace."

In the Paldea region, there were no places like the Pokémon Tower or Mt. Pyre dedicated to Pokémon burial. The best they could do was find a peaceful spot in the forest to lay them to rest.

At that moment, the Gogoat finally couldn't hold on any longer, and the lush green grass covering the ground began to fade into sparkling light, disappearing.

"Thank you for all your hard work! Time for a well-deserved rest!" Naoki gently patted their

heads.

While the other Pokémon continued their search for any more injured survivors, they found nothing further after a long while.

Naoki pondered—perhaps all the nearby Pokémon had already managed to escape before the

fire spread?

Seeing this, he decided to stop the search and rescue operation. He found a peaceful patch of

land untouched by the fire, dug several small pits, and carefully buried the Pokémon who had

passed.

Pokémon such as Wattrel, Shroomish, and Kricketune looked at the scene with sad

expressions on their faces.

Naoki comforted them, "Don't worry. They're not truly gone. Their souls have left these

bodies and are beginning new lives. Their forms will eventually return to the world in another

way."

Naoki took on the role of a priest, holding a simple but heartfelt funeral for the Pokémon who had passed.

After the ceremony, he turned to the Pokémon gathered around him and said, "For the time being, you'll all come live with me. I'll make sure you have enough food to get through the

winter."

The Pokémon lowered their heads, their expressions still heavy with sadness.

They knew the truth of their situation. Even if they survived the fire, without help, they wouldn't make it through the cold winter that lay ahead. The fire had destroyed everything.

There was no food left, and their warm nests were gone.

Minccino, unable to hold back any longer, started crying once more.

'My tree hollow! My hazelnuts and fruits!' it sobbed.

Naoki sighed and said, "Come with me to my ranch. And next spring, I'll plant big trees here

again and help you rebuild your home."

At the mention of rebuilding their home, the Pokémon all looked up, hope starting to flicker

in their eyes.

"Squeak?" asked the Tandemaus pair.

Naoki wasn't sure what they were saying, but their eager expressions seemed to ask, "Is it

really true?"

He nodded reassuringly. "Of course, it's true. I'll plant saplings, and before long, they'll grow into tall trees. Then, you can return to the forest and live in your new homes."

Finally, the Pokémon's faces brightened. They looked at Naoki with gratitude, their hearts

filled with hope once more.

"Let's go!" Naoki called as he began walking back toward his ranch, a long trail of Pokémon following closely behind him.

On the way, he ran into Officer Jenny, who was riding her motorcycle. Jenny, who was on her way back to the Pokémon Center to get more supplies for Nurse Joy,

noticed Naoki and the group of tired, soot-covered Pokémon. A knowing smile spread across

her face.

"Thank you so much," Jenny said with genuine appreciation. "That Grassy Terrain bought us

precious time to continue the rescue. The Champion herself has heard about what you did.

Once everything is settled, she plans to visit you personally."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Naoki blinked in surprise. "Champion?"

Naoki was stunned for a moment before it dawned on him that Geeta, the Champion, was

coming to visit him.

Seeing the surprised expression on his face, Officer Jenny smiled. "Don't be nervous. The chief Champion isn't arrogant. She's actually quite approachable."

Naoki quickly shook his head, smiling. "I'm not nervous-just a little surprised, that's all."

Since she had more tasks to handle, Officer Jenny didn't linger long.

After a brief chat, she turned her attention to the group of wild Pokémon following Naoki.

"The search and rescue teams from other cities have arrived, and the townsfolk have also

organized a Pokémon rescue team. The League has distributed a large amount of supplies. Before the back mountain's ecology recovers, the rescue team will be in charge of taking care of the Pokémon. You can send them to the team if you'd like."

Naoki shook his head, smiling. "No need. I'll take care of these Pokémon myself. They're

already more familiar with me. Plus, the ranch had a good harvest this year, so I can provide for them."

Jenny nodded, respecting his decision. "Alright."

With that, Officer Jenny left in a hurry, and Naoki returned to the ranch with the group of

Pokémon.

The hardest working Pokémon today were undoubtedly the Gogoats.

The first thing Naoki did upon returning to the ranch was fill their troughs with grass balls.

The Gogoats, smelling the fresh grass, bleated happily as they rushed to the trough, eating hungrily to replenish their energy.

Naoki clapped his hands, putting the basket aside.

Now, he needed to solve the problem of food and shelter for the wild Pokémon. Including Minccino, Tinkatuff, Tandemaus, Smeargle, and Bellibolt, there were a total of sixteen refugee Pokémon under his care.

Naoki had hoped to count the Archen among them, but no one knew where it had flown off to.

The food problem was simple to resolve. The orchard had yielded a bountiful harvest this

autumn, and the fruit could be stored to help these Pokémon through the winter.

As for shelter...

Naoki thought for a moment before heading to the old house's utility room. He found a

hammer, some nails, and wooden boards, and began building sturdy, cozy wooden huts for the Pokémon.

He installed these small cabins throughout the orchard, under different fruit trees.

The Wattrel preferred living in higher places, so Naoki built its nest in the branches of one of

the fruit trees.

The other Pokémon didn't have any special preferences, so he placed their nests closer to the ground, each one carefully crafted.

As Naoki walked through the orchard, small wooden cabins could be seen nestled among the

trees.

He also lined the insides of the cabins with windproof and cold-resistant materials, adding thick, soft blankets to keep the Pokémon warm.

Once the nests were complete, Minccino was the first to try one out.

It crawled into the cozy little nest, and its burned tail, now bald from the fire, rested

comfortably on the plush blanket beneath it. The warmth and softness made Minccino sigh

contentedly.

The nest was even better than the hollow tree it had once lived in. Minccino could already imagine how wonderful it would feel to be snuggled up in this little

house during winter, especially when the snow fell outside.

Seeing Minccino's content expression, Naoki smiled. "If you like it, I can build you another one once the back mountain is restored." Minccino's eyes lit up with surprise and happiness.

"Alright, have fun settling in. I'm going to check on the others," Naoki said, moving through

the orchard.

Pokémon like Wattrel, Tandemaus, Slakoth, Smeargle, Kricketune, and Shroomish all seemed equally pleased with their new homes, each one expressing gratitude for the shelter Naoki had provided.

Naoki smiled at their appreciation but didn't say much. He simply assured them they could

stay here and rest without worry.

Next, he turned his attention to Bellibolt.

Due to its larger size, Bellibolt wasn't suited for one of the wooden cabins. Instead, Naoki led

it to the underground cave where Naclstack and Diglett lived.

The cave had an underground lake, and its location kept it warm throughout winter, making it

the perfect place for Bellibolt to stay.

Once all the Pokémon were settled, Naoki finally had some free time.

He was standing in the pasture when he suddenly remembered Tinkatuff, who was still

resting in the house. Quickly, he hurried back to check on the little blacksmith Pokémon, hoping it had recovered some of its strength.