Pokemon: A New Path-Kyogre and Kubfu, the Secret of the Sea![505]

"This is my ranch!"

Naoki beamed as he led Kubfu on a tour of his ranch.

Kubfu's small face was filled with curiosity. While it had seen humans before, it had never spent much time in the human world, let alone a place like this.

"Fu" "Oh?"

Naoki chuckled at Kubfu's intrigued expression. "A ranch is a place where Pokémon are raised, and everyone lives together in harmony. See those Gogoat over there? And those Miltank in the pasture?"

Kubfu followed his gaze, tilting its head in interest.

"They help us produce fresh milk every day. We can either drink it ourselves or sell it," Naoki explained. "The money we make from selling milk lets us buy all kinds of food for the Pokémon here—including the bamboo shoots you like so much!"

Kubfu nodded slowly, beginning to understand. "Fuu' "Hmm..."

Its attention was suddenly drawn to a lush Leek Garden nearby, where Farfetch'd was sitting on the grass, carefully polishing its leek sword with its wings, a focused look on its face.

Naoki followed Kubfu's gaze and smiled. "That's Farfetch'd. Its job here is to protect the garden and the farmland from wild Pokémon that might try to destroy them."

Kubfu picked up a blade of grass and swung it like a sword, mimicking Farfetch'd's movements. Its eyes shone with admiration.

Naoki chuckled. "Farfetch'd is just like you—it trains every single day. That's how it became so strong."

Hearing this, Kubfu's fighting spirit ignited. It wanted to train just as hard and become even stronger!

Naoki could see the determination in its eyes and gave a reassuring nod. "Don't worry. I'll design a special training plan for you—one that's both efficient and powerful. If you follow my method, I promise you'll see great results."

"Fuu!" Kubfu nodded enthusiastically.

Pokémon like Kubfu were just too adorable!

Naoki felt warmth in his heart as he reached out and gently patted Kubfu's head.

It's decided. I'll build a bamboo forest for Kubfu in the ranch!

Then he suddenly thought of the Friendship Ball he had received from an old traveler.

He wanted to give the ball to Kubfu as a proof of their friendship!

Kubfu froze when Naoki patted its head. Then, suddenly, it became shy, its ears twitching in embarrassment.

No one has ever treated me like this before...

Naoki smiled. "For now, settle in and get used to the ranch. After I finish helping Ting-Lu, I'll start working on your bamboo forest so you can have a home here."

Kubfu looked around and saw there were no bamboo trees anywhere.

Wouldn't that mean they'd have to plant everything from scratch? That sounds like a lot of trouble!

Not wanting to burden Naoki, Kubfu quickly shook its head. "Fuu!"

"Hm? You don't want it?" Naoki blinked in surprise.

Kubfu hesitated before responding softly, "Hmm..."

Naoki immediately understood. It doesn't want to trouble me.

He laughed. "It's fine! There's actually a Pokémon here that can make bamboo grow instantly!"

Kubfu looked up, eyes wide with surprise.

Naoki grinned. "And besides, there's no need to be so formal. From now on, we're family. If nothing unexpected happens, we'll be living together forever."

Kubfu's breath caught.

Family...?

After a moment, a light sparkled in Kubfu's eyes, and it nodded eagerly. "Fuu!"

"That's the spirit! Do you want to hop up?" Naoki patted his shoulder.

Kubfu, who had always lived alone and was used to being independent, instinctively shook its head.

But before it could react, it suddenly felt itself being lifted.

"Fu?!"

Naoki effortlessly placed Kubfu on his shoulder, taking the opportunity to ruffle the little bear's fur. "Don't be shy! Come on, I'll keep showing you around the ranch!"

One human and one Pokémon continued their tour.

Naoki introduced Kubfu to every part of the ranch—the orchard, the apple grove, the chicken coop, the underground cave of Garganacl, the Wooloo pasture, the Pokémon tavern, and even Snorlax Park.

Before long, night had fallen.

To celebrate the arrival of Kubfu, Ting-Lu, and Chi-Yu, Naoki prepared a grand feast.

However, as dinner was served, Naoki realized something was off—Koraidon was nowhere to be seen.

His brows furrowed. That's strange.

He turned toward his Indeedee. "Have you seen Koraidon?"

Indeedee pointed toward the wine cellar, tilting her head. "Ai-ye~"

Apparently, Koraidon had gone into the wine cellar that afternoon—and never came out.

The wine cellar?

Naoki paused for a moment before pushing open the door and stepping inside.

Descending the wooden staircase, he was immediately met with the rich, fruity aroma of aged Berry Wine. With a soft click, he flicked on the lights, illuminating the dimly lit space.

And there, squatting in a corner, was Koraidon.

It was just… sitting there.

Naoki blinked. What in the world...?

"Koraidon? What are you doing in the wine cellar?"

Instead of looking guilty, Koraidon responded with its usual enthusiasm. "Raao!"

It was waiting patiently… for fur to grow.

That's what Flutter Mane had told it! If Berries could grow fur when left in a dark and damp corner, then surely Koraidon could grow some, too!

Naoki: "..."

Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.

"You're trying to grow fur? What kind of nonsense is that?!" He sighed before adding, "Come on, dinner's ready. If you don't hurry, the others will eat all the food."

"Raao?!"

Realizing it had spent the whole afternoon waiting and was now starving, Koraidon bolted out of the cellar at full speed.

Naoki shook his head, closing the door behind him before following Koraidon back to the dining hall.

As they entered, Flutter Mane, who was casually munching on a barbecue sandwich, looked up.

Flutter Mane floated closer, recalling Koraidon's odd behavior from earlier. "Mree?" (Did you grow any fur?)

Koraidon glanced at itself, turning left and right, but—just as before—its body was completely smooth.

"Raao... Raao..."

It seemed… the plan had failed.

Thinking back to when it was still a Cyclizar, Koraidon realized that it had never seen another Koraidon with fur either.

This only confirmed one thing—it simply wasn't meant to grow fur.

Naoki chuckled as he watched Koraidon's disappointed expression. "Alright, enough about fur. Let's eat!"

He sat down at the dining table, surrounded by his Pokémon. Looking at their happy faces as they ate, he felt a wave of contentment wash over him. A peaceful ranch, good food, and Pokémon he cared about—what more could he ask for?

The Ancient Deer Pokémon and Ancient Goldfish Pokémon returned to their Poké Balls for the night, while Kubfu was given a warm, comfortable Pokémon bed.

"Alright, this is your spot," Naoki said as he gently patted the little bear's head.

"Fu~"

Kubfu responded softly, turning its head to curiously examine the fluffy nest beneath it.

It was warm, soft, and cozier than anything it had ever experienced before.

A small smile formed on Kubfu's face as it curled up, closing its eyes peacefully.

Nearby, Koraidon squinted at the little bear.

Hmph. What was so special about a simple Pokémon nest?

Even after evolving into Urshifu, Kubfu would probably still refuse to sleep anywhere else.

Koraidon, who had never fit inside a nest due to its sheer size, simply couldn't understand the appeal.

After making sure his new Pokémon were settled in, Naoki pulled out his Rotom Phone.

First, he chatted with Iono for a bit. They exchanged a few words, said goodnight, and agreed to meet up tomorrow.

Naoki was quite familiar with Levincia Gym's schedule.

In Paldea, Gym Leaders had structured schedules—working six days a week with Sundays off.

Since today was Saturday, Iono would have her rest day tomorrow. That meant she was free to visit the ranch.

After closing the chat, Naoki switched to another conversation—one meant for legendary Pokémon.

He quickly tagged Kyogre in the group chat.

It didn't take long for the Sea Basin Pokémon to reply.

[Kyogre: What do you want from me?]

[Naoki: I need a favor.]

[Kyogre: What kind of favor?]

[Naoki: I just befriended a new Pokémon today. It's been training hard to master water techniques—practicing under waterfalls, meditating in rivers, and learning to understand the flow of water.]

[Naoki: You are the Lord of the Sea, the one who created the oceans themselves. If possible, I'd like to borrow some of your power to help this Pokémon gain deeper insight into the mysteries of water.]

—

Far beneath the World Tree, in the endless abyss of the deep sea, a massive shadow stirred.

Kyogre, resting in its domain, read the message with an impassive expression.

'The Lord of the Sea...'

Was that truly how humans saw it?

Well, it wasn't wrong.

Kyogre was the embodiment of the ocean itself—the creator of the Primal Sea, the wielder of Primordial Waves, and the one who commanded the ultimate mysteries of water.

Kyogre pondered for a moment. Helping Naoki's Pokemon train wouldn't be a problem.

After all, allowing the legendary Pokémon to reside within the World Tree had been a great favor to them. Over the past weeks, Kyogre had absorbed vast amounts of natural energy, restoring its strength to its Primal peak.

It was only fair to return the favor.

With that in mind, Kyogre was about to instruct Rotom to send a simple "OK" in response.

But just as it was about to do so, the Rotom Phone suddenly chimed.

A new message had appeared.

A familiar name. A mortal rival.

[Groudon: Why did you only ask Kyogre and not me?! I'm way stronger than that overgrown fish! ]

Naoki: "..."

Groudon was fuming.

Why should Kyogre get all the glory? What's so special about the "secrets of water"?

Groudon could teach the power of the earth! Let it feel the majestic, unshakable strength of the land itself!

Naoki sighed. He wasn't against it… but what was Groudon even supposed to teach?

Kubfu's training focused on fluidity, movement, and adaptation—traits found in water, not land.

Yet, Groudon refused to back down.

Groudon ranted in the chat, spamming messages, all while Kyogre smugly ignored them.

In the end, the internet celebrity, Giratina, came along to join in the fun.

[Giratina: Tsk, tsk. Instead of sitting around bickering, why don't you two settle this with a competition?]

[Giratina: Whoever trains Kubfu better wins. If your methods are truly superior, it'll show in the results. This is a chance to prove who's the strongest.]

Groudon immediately took the bait.

[Groudon: Hah! Fine! Let's see who's better once and for all!]

Kyogre, not one to back down, coolly responded.

[Kyogre: Hmph. Very well. I accept.]

Naoki: "..."

'Wait, when did he even agree to this?!

Somehow, before he could even give his opinion, the Legendary Pokémon had already made arrangements for his Kubfu's training.

But after thinking about it, Naoki realized—this wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Despite their eternal rivalry, both Kyogre and Groudon were immensely powerful beings.

To prove their strength, both would push Kubfu to its absolute limit, guiding it with knowledge that few Pokémon in the world could ever obtain.

This was, without a doubt, a golden opportunity.

Whether Groudon's training would be useful… well, that remained to be seen.

But Kyogre's influence? That was certain.

Kubfu's original training had been about observing and adapting to the flow of a river—learning from the way water could be calm one moment and surge with unstoppable force the next.

This had been the foundation of its Flowing Fists technique, leading to the move "Surging Strikes."

But now, if Kubfu were to shift its focus from a mere river to the boundless ocean itself—to the vast, unpredictable power of the Primordial Sea, what kind of revelation would it achieve?

At first glance, seawater and river water may seem similar.

But in reality, they are vastly different.

The sea is endless, vast, and ever-changing. Unlike a river, which flows within boundaries, the ocean can be tranquil one moment and erupt into massive waves the next. It embodies the true essence of power and unpredictability.

As this thought settled in Naoki's mind, he sent a message to the Legendary Pokémon Chat Group.

[Naoki: Alright, I'll bring my Pokémon to the World Tree tomorrow afternoon.]

...

The next morning, Dragonite flew off to Levincia City and returned shortly after, carrying Iono with it.

As soon as Iono landed, Greavard rushed over excitedly to greet her.

"Woof!"

"Haha, okay, okay!" Iono giggled, kneeling down to pat the Pokémon's head. Then, she stood up and handed Naoki a bouquet of flowers.

"Hehe, this is for you!" she said cheerfully.

Naoki froze.

'Flowers?'

He quickly ran through his memories, trying to recall if today was some kind of special occasion.

A birthday? A festival? Valentine's Day?

But after thinking for a long time, he realized… today was just an ordinary day.

"Why the sudden gift?" he asked, feeling a little flustered.

Iono greeted Koraidon, then crouched down and scooped up Greavard, cuddling it in her arms as she explained:

"Oh! I passed by a flower shop this morning, and they had some really pretty bouquets, so I thought… 'Why not bring one for you?'"

Hearing this, Naoki looked down at the flowers in his hands.

He had never really received flowers before.

In fact, some guys have never gotten a bouquet in their entire lives. The only time they might receive flowers would be… well, at a funeral.

Naoki couldn't help but feel a little touched.

Carrying the bouquet inside, he smiled and asked,

"By the way, how did those Thunder Buns work out for you?"

Previously, during the New Year, Zapdos had gifted him some of its feathers. Naoki used them to make "Lightning Buns," and since he couldn't finish them all, he had given a few to Iono to share with her Bellibolt and other Electric-type Pokémon.

Iono's eyes immediately lit up.

"Yeah! They were amazing! Your superpower is crazy, Naoki!"

Naoki chuckled. "It's not just me—the ingredients made the difference."

Iono nodded eagerly.

"So! What's the plan for today?" she asked.

Naoki had originally planned to continue his journey to capture the remaining Ruinous Pokémon.

But since Iono had come all this way, he decided to postpone his mission.

After a moment of thought, he glanced over at Kubfu.

"I caught a new Pokémon yesterday while exploring Furry Falls."

"Really?" Iono's curiosity was piqued.

"Yeah, and I want to build a bamboo forest for it at the ranch."

Naoki stretched, then added, "I was planning to head into town today to buy bamboo saplings. Wanna come?"

"Of course!" Iono grinned. "I've always wanted to see what a rancher's daily life is like!"

Naoki chuckled.

He carefully placed the bouquet of flowers in a vase, gave Indeedee instructions to take care of them, and then hopped into his pickup truck.

With Iono, a few Pokémon, and some tagalongs who wanted to join in the fun, they set off for Kosaji Town.