Pokemon: A New Path-Chapter 521: Krookodile Vs Miltank

"We've finally arrived in Kosaji Town. According to the students at Naranja Academy, Naoki Ranch should be somewhere around here, right?"

The streamer known as Rival Serperior—real name Takato—had finally reached his destination after a long journey.

Kosaji Town was a lively seaside hub, bustling with people and filled with various souvenir shops lining the streets. Vendors called out to passersby, displaying an array of unique goods.

As Rival Serperior strolled along, taking in the sights, something inside a shop window caught his attention.

"Huh? This little wooden carving looks just like the King of Bountiful Harvests, Calyrex," he murmured in surprise.

At that moment, the shopkeeper stepped out, grinning upon overhearing his remark.

"That's right! This is Calyrex! Kosaji Town is actually known for its strong cultural ties to the King of Bountiful Harvests. If you're interested, this finely crafted figurine is just 998 Pokédollars! Whether or not you believe in the legend, it makes a great decoration for any home!"

"998? That's pretty affordable." Rival Serperior examined the intricate carving, nodding to himself. "Since I'm here, I might as well take a souvenir back!"

"Great choice!" The shopkeeper beamed.

After completing the purchase, Rival Serperior held up the Calyrex figurine to the camera of his Rotom Phone.

"See this, guys? A legendary Pokémon figurine! But man, I had no idea Calyrex was so popular here!"

As he continued exploring, he noticed various buildings adorned with murals and emblems featuring Calyrex. It was clear that the people of Kosaji Town deeply respected this legendary Pokémon.

"This is something you don't see every day!" Rival Serperior continued. "I mean, aside from Ecruteak City in the Johto region, there aren't many places that embrace legendary Pokémon this much."

Curious viewers in the livestream chat began discussing Calyrex.

[User1]: Wait, wasn't Calyrex originally from the Galar region?

[User2]: Yeah! It's sad that the people there forgot about it, but at least here, it's being honored. Calyrex must be happy now!

[User3]: Alright, alright, enough sightseeing! Go check out that ranch already!

[User4]: Yeah, get moving!

Seeing that the chat was losing interest, Rival Serperior quickly nodded.

"Alright, alright! No more delays—let's head to Naoki Ranch!"

After asking for directions from a local vendor, Rival Serperior made his way toward the ranch. After a half-hour walk, a vast, sprawling pasture came into view.

Excited, he lifted his Rotom Phone to capture the sight.

"Whoa! Look at all those Dragonite flying overhead!"

The camera zoomed in on a group of Dragonite soaring through the sky. Each one carried a specially designed pouch, appearing to be engaged in some kind of task.

"Are they… delivery Pokémon?" Rival Serperior muttered in disbelief. "Did someone actually catch and train that many Dragonite just for deliveries?"

His chat exploded with messages.

[User5]: Dude, you seriously don't know?

[User6]: LOL, the streamer is so clueless! Just Google 'Naoki Ranch' already!

[User7]: Yeah, Naoki Ranch is famous for using Dragonite and other Pokémon as delivery partners. They've been doing it for ages!

"Wait… What?!" Rival Serperior was taken aback as he continued reading the chat.

[User8]: Is this THE Naoki? The guy with the crazy hard trials?

[User9]: Apparently, there are over 23,000 people named Naoki in the world, but this HAS to be him!

[User10]: Oh yeah, I've heard about this place! Their fresh Gogoat milk is legendary! Too bad Naoki only opens his store whenever he feels like it—guess running a business is just a hobby for him.

[User11]: The more I hear, the more I NEED to see this guy in action!

At this moment, Rival Serperior was filled with curiosity.

As everyone knows, Dragonite are incredibly rare and highly sought-after Pokémon. Only a select few trainers ever manage to capture them.

Yet, here—at Naoki Ranch—there were so many Dragonite!

If these Pokémon truly belonged to Naoki, then perhaps the rumors about the "hidden boss" of Paldea circulating on the internet were actually true!

Realizing this, Rival Serperior's eyes widened in shock. He couldn't stop himself from taking another step forward, heading straight for the ranch entrance.

What greeted him was a vast and meticulously maintained expanse of farmland and grassland.

It was still early morning, and the golden sunlight bathed the fields in a warm glow. Pokémon roamed freely, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.

Some Gogoat were basking lazily in the sun. A few Combee hovered in the air, diligently collecting nectar. A Miltank happily munched on some berries. A Butterfree flitted by, its wings shimmering in the light.

And beyond them, even more Pokémon—some he had never seen before—were scattered throughout the fields, grazing, playing, and resting.

Near a stable, a tall and strong man—clad in blue work clothes, unmistakably dressed like a rancher—was carrying a basket. With a calm and practiced motion, he poured its contents into a feeding trough inside the stable.

Just then, a red-scaled Pokémon lounging in the grass, soaking up the morning sun, suddenly lifted its head.

Its golden eyes locked onto Rival Serperior in an instant.

A chill ran down his spine.

The intensity of that gaze—it was feral, powerful, intimidating. He felt as though he had just been marked by a predator.

His livestream audience noticed it too.

The chat exploded with messages:

[ ??? ]

[ What is that Pokémon?! ]

[ That look… It's terrifying! ]

Trying to break the tension, Rival Serperior hesitantly raised a hand and waved.

"H-Hey there..." he greeted, attempting to appear friendly despite the clear nervousness in his voice.

At that moment, Naoki turned his head, having noticed the commotion behind him.

He spotted a pale, slightly exhausted-looking young man standing at the entrance of the ranch.

Perched on his shoulder was a Serperior, the Grass-type starter Pokémon from Unova.

But Rival Serperior's wide-eyed stare wasn't on him—it was locked onto the red Pokémon in the grass.

It didn't take long for Naoki to realize what had happened.

"Ah, so Koraidon spooked him, huh?" Naoki muttered under his breath.

Turning back to the Pokémon around him, Naoki spoke in a calm yet firm voice:

"You guys keep eating. I'll go check it out."

As he finished speaking, Naoki emptied the rest of the carrots from his basket into the feeding troughs of Spectrier and Glastrier.

The two steeds, Spectrier and Glastrier, snorted nonchalantly to acknowledge Naoki's words before lowering their heads to munch on the carrots, enjoying their meal.

Meanwhile, Naoki approached the newcomer, giving Koraidon an affectionate pat on the head before turning his gaze to the visitor.

"Who are you?" Naoki asked.

The young man finally snapped out of his daze and quickly replied, "Uh… Hello! I'm Rival Serperior, a live-streamer. There's been a lot of talk about you online lately, and everyone is really curious. So, I wanted to come visit your ranch and see for myself!"

Naoki immediately understood.

His eyes flickered toward the Rotom Phone floating nearby, its camera lens locked onto them—clearly broadcasting live. He gave a slight nod.

"I see… So, what exactly do you want to know?" he asked.

Rival Serperior didn't hesitate. With a determined look, he declared:

"I want to battle Miltank!"

Naoki: "…?"

He blinked, a bit bewildered.

Why are these people so obsessed with challenging my milk-producing pokemon?

He had been expecting them to challenge his Dragonite, Gogoat, but no—they were all fixated on his Miltank.

Still, when Naoki turned around, he noticed Miltank's eager expression, her eyes practically sparkling with excitement.

Clearly, she had enjoyed rolling through challengers last time and was eager for another go.

With a sigh, Naoki relented.

"Alright, I accept your challenge."

Miltank let out a cheerful "Moo~!" and stomped the ground eagerly, ready to roll into action.

Naoki set aside his tools, washed his hands at the nearby water pump, and then walked toward the makeshift battlefield on the ranch.

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"I'm not sure why you're so determined to battle Miltank," Naoki admitted, "but if you're that eager to try, I see no reason to refuse."

However, Takata didn't send out Serperior as his battle partner.

Instead, he pulled out another Poké Ball from his pocket and said confidently,

"We're ready!"

With a swift motion, he tossed the Poké Ball forward.

A burst of white light flashed, and a massive Pokémon emerged onto the battlefield.

Standing tall was a Krookodile—its bulging muscles, light brown red scales, and bold black stripes made it look both fierce and battle-hardened.

Its long, powerful jaw snapped shut with an audible click, and its razor-sharp claws glinted in the sunlight.

Naoki immediately recognized it.

A Krookodile—native to the Unova region.

Pairing that with the Serperior on the man's shoulder, Naoki deduced that this young man must have traveled all the way from Unova for this challenge.

Meanwhile, the live chat in the stream erupted as viewers saw Krookodile appear on screen.

[ Is he really using a Krookodile to counter Miltank?! ]

[If I remember correctly, Krookodile can learn moves like Dig and Sand Tomb, both of which could counter Miltank's Rollout.]

[Let's make a bet! Who do you think will win?]

[I'm betting on Krookodile!]

[Same here, my money's on Krookodile!]

[In that case, I'll go with Miltank!] A comment from a user named Explosively Beautiful Girl flashed across the screen.

Meanwhile, in Goldenrod City, Johto.

Whitney, the Goldenrod City Gym Leader, sat in front of her screen, watching the ongoing battle with great interest.

Her eyes were fixed on the trainer standing across from Krookodile.

"So, he's a rancher, just like me?" she mused, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.

She leaned forward slightly, intrigued.

"When faced with a strategy specifically designed to counter Miltank's Rollout, how will this Naoki guy respond?"

She couldn't wait to see what the supposed "Hidden Boss of Paldea" would do.

Back at Naoki's Ranch.

With the sharp blow of Indeedee's whistle, the battle officially began.

Miltank wasted no time. The moment the signal was given, it curled up into a ball and launched itself forward, rolling at full speed toward Krookodile.

Takata had anticipated this. Without hesitation, he pointed forward and gave his command:

"Krookodile, use Dig!"

"Graaah!"

Krookodile roared, then hunched down and used its powerful claws to dig into the ground at an astonishing speed.

Chunks of earth scattered as a sizable hole quickly formed, and Krookodile disappeared underground just in time.

The next second, Miltank came rolling toward the spot where Krookodile had just been.

[Oh no! Miltank is about to fall into the hole!]

[That should stop Rollout, right? Seems like it's an easy move to counter.]

However, just when everyone thought Miltank would roll straight into the hole, something shocking happened.

At the last moment, Miltank made a sharp turn, maneuvering around the edge of the pit and continuing to roll at full speed, effortlessly maintaining its momentum like a gyroscope spinning in midair.

!!!!

Takata's eyes widened in complete shock.

"H-How is that possible?!"

The audience in the livestream chat exploded with messages.

[Wait, what?!]

[How did it do that?!]

[I thought Rollout was just a simple move! But the way Miltank is using it… It's insane!]

Until now, most viewers had assumed Rollout was just a basic attack—one that could be countered easily with the right strategy.

But seeing this Miltank in action changed everything.

Naoki's Miltank had perfected aerial maneuvering, executing seamless 360-degree turns without any loss of momentum—no lag, no hesitation.

It wasn't just rolling.

It was gliding.

"Oh my Arceus… what kind of training did this Miltank go through?!"

Takata was completely stunned, unable to issue the next command.

Meanwhile, Krookodile, still hiding underground, hesitated.

Without receiving further instructions from its trainer, it didn't know whether it should surface and attack or stay hidden.

"Miltank, keep an eye on the ground," Naoki said calmly.

Even though Krookodile was hiding underground, Miltank's Rollout wouldn't be able to reach it. However, Naoki knew that by watching the shifts in the terrain, they could pinpoint its exact location.

It didn't take long for Miltank to notice a small mound moving beneath the ground.

"Moo!"

"Good. Use Stomp right there," Naoki commanded.

"Oh no! Krookodile, move!" Takata realized he had made a serious mistake.

He had gotten distracted!

Krookodile heard the command and tried to react, but it was already too late.

Miltank, still rolling at high speed, suddenly leaped into the air. As it descended, it uncurled from its ball-like form and extended its strong legs—slamming down hard on the exact spot where Krookodile was hiding.

BOOM!

The underground tunnel collapsed instantly.

Trapped beneath the dirt, Krookodile had no choice but to claw its way up, desperate to avoid suffocation.

But just as its head emerged from the ground—

WHAM!

A rapidly rolling Miltank slammed straight into its face.

Krookodile: !!!

"Krookodile, look out!" Takata shouted in panic.

Dazed, Krookodile shook its head, trying to regain its senses.

But before it could react—

WHAM!

Miltank crashed into it again, this time from the side.

Then from behind.

Then from the left.

Then the right.

Miltank was no longer just rolling—it had become an unstoppable rolling juggernaut, repeatedly slamming into Krookodile from all angles.

With each impact, Miltank gained more speed, and the power of Rollout only grew stronger.

The barrage of relentless attacks continued until—

THUD.

Krookodile collapsed onto the ground, completely knocked out.

For a moment, the entire battlefield fell silent.

[That was terrifying…]

[Krookodile never even had a chance to counterattack!]

[I never thought I'd see Miltank battle like this… This is unreal!]

[So Naoki really was a retired champion-level trainer after all!]

Comments flooded the Rotom Phone screen as the livestream viewers reeled from what they had just witnessed.

Takata, still in shock, muttered, "S-So strong…"

His original battle plan was to use Dig to avoid Rollout, then slow Miltank down with Sand Tomb before launching an all-out counterattack.

But reality had been far crueler.

Miltank's Rollout was far more advanced than he had expected. It was fast, relentless, and practically impossible to avoid.

His strategy had never even had a chance to unfold.

"Looks like you lost," Naoki said simply.

Takata had no words.

Just then, he noticed something strange.

Unbeknownst to him, Pokémon from around the ranch had gathered, watching him with curious eyes.

Takata suddenly remembered what the students at Naranja Academy had said.

The Trial Challenges.

The powerful Pokémon.

The unstoppable Gogoat that never runs out of stamina.

The Dragonite that summons storms.

The Pawmot that unleashes lightning.

If a Miltank—a Pokémon not even known for battling—was this powerful, then just how strong were the other Pokémon on this ranch?!

Takata simply couldn't imagine it.

After the battle, Naoki offered to give Takata a tour of the ranch.

At first, everything seemed normal.

But then Takat heard something that made his entire worldview shatter.

Naoki casually mentioned, "By the way, Miltank isn't really a battling Pokémon. It's just one of the dairy pokemon we use to produce Moo Moo Milk on the ranch."

Takata's brain short-circuited.

His jaw dropped. His eyes widened.

He stared at Naoki in utter disbelief. "W-What did you just say?!"

"Miltank's main job here is just to produce fresh Moo Moo Milk," Naoki repeated matter-of-factly.

At that moment, something inside Takat's brain snapped.

The Pokémon that had completely DESTROYED him in battle was just a Dairy Pokémon?!

In the livestream chat, the audience collectively lost their minds.

[???!]

[Wait, WHAT?!]

[So you're telling me… THAT monster of a Miltank isn't even trained for battle?!]

[What kind of ridiculous ranch is this?!]

The chat became flooded with nothing but rows upon rows of question marks.

[???]

[?????]

[??????????]