Pokemon: A New Path-Articuno & Moltres[534]

"UNBELIEVABLE!" Roger shouted, his voice barely containing his excitement.

"Gold King's Farfetch'd has reached an unbelievable level of swordsmanship!"

"The reason he didn't join forces with the other trainers to take down Charizard was because he had planned to take on ALL THREE opponents at once!"

"AND HE'S DOING IT!"

The crowd roared, completely captivated by the battle.

And yet, it wasn't over.

Roger caught his breath and continued,

"Now, only one opponent remains—Queen of Flowers and her Roserade!"

Queen: "…"

She gripped her thorned whip, her masked face tense.

She could already see the outcome.

Fighting? There was no point.

A minute later, Roserade had fallen.

The match was over.

For a brief moment, the entire stadium was silent.

Thousands of spectators stared in stunned awe at the tiny warrior standing tall in the center of the battlefield.

New novel chapt𝒆rs are published on ƒгeewebnovёl.com.

A Farfetch'd.

A Pokémon once considered weak, almost hunted to extinction in the past.

A Pokémon that had been looked down upon, dismissed, ignored.

Yet, today, in front of thousands of witnesses, that same Farfetch'd had stood alone against three powerful opponents.

And won.

It was too much for some people to process.

There was a shift in the way they saw Farfetch'd.

No longer just a common, overlooked Pokémon.

But a true warrior.

And then the realization hit.

This wasn't just about Farfetch'd. This was about its trainer.

The Trainer Who Defies Expectations

Everyone's eyes turned toward Gold King.

A trainer who didn't chase after legendary or high-tier Pokémon. Trained "weak" Pokémon until they became unstoppable warriors.

A trainer who saw potential where others didn't.

And the terrifying part?

He succeeded

Most trainers sought out Pokémon with high potential—those naturally strong or with incredible talent.

If they encountered a Pokémon deemed weak or ordinary, they would often pass it by or release it without a second thought.

But Gold King was different.

He didn't discard Pokémon based on their base stats or tier rankings.

Instead, he trained them beyond their limits, turning them into warriors capable of standing against the strongest of foes.

And now, for the first time, people were beginning to notice.

A rising curiosity spread among the audience.

Who Is Gold King?

The mysterious masked trainer had already captivated the public's attention.

Who was he really?

Beyond his astonishingly powerful Alcremie and Farfetch'd,

What other Pokémon did he have?

No one knew the answer. But they wanted to find out.

For now, the only way to learn more was to follow his matches and witness his battles firsthand.

And so, more and more spectators found themselves anticipating Gold King's next appearance.

With three more points added to his record, Naoki left the Royal Dome satisfied.

He returned Farfetch'd to its Poké Ball and walked out into the evening air.

It was already 4 PM.

If he left now, he would arrive home just in time for dinner.

Releasing his Cyclizar, Naoki rode swiftly back to his ranch.

From there, he switched to Koraidon, soaring through Giratina's Reverse World toward the Paldea region.

...

6:00 PM—Paldea Region

As usual, Naoki emerged from the Reverse World, descending into his ranch's central lake before stepping onto land.

"Alright, everyone, come out!"

He dismounted Koraidon, and then tossed two Poké Balls into the air, Farfetch'd and Alcremie materialized, both stretching and greeting the cool evening air.

But then, something caught Koraidon's attention.

"Raao?"

Naoki blinked.

"What is it?"

When he followed Koraidon's gaze, his eyes widened in surprise.

Standing just outside his ranch house were three bird Pokémon.

One of them he recognized instantly, his own Zapdos, its brilliant yellow feathers crackling with electricity as it stood there, exuding its usual arrogance.

But beside it, to its left, there stood a Pokémon unlike any Naoki had ever seen before.

Its icy-blue feathers shimmered with a crystalline glow, and a gentle frost radiated from its long, elegant tail, which sparkled like the night sky filled with stars.

To Zapdos's right, another Pokémon stood proudly, Its majestic orange plumage flickered like an eternal flame, its body radiating an intense, almost divine heat.

Articuno and Moltres?

Naoki paused, momentarily stunned.

What was going on? Why had Articuno and Moltres suddenly shown up at his ranch?

At that moment, Zapdos, Articuno, and Moltres turned their attention toward him.

Zapdos flapped its wings and let out a sharp cry, "Chiu!"

Articuno stood with an air of regal indifference, its gaze cool and calculating as it observed the human before it.

Moltres, on the other hand, narrowed its fiery eyes, scrutinizing Naoki as if evaluating his strength—deciding whether he was worthy of its acknowledgment.

However, the next moment, Moltres's eyes shifted toward the Pokémon standing beside Naoki.

It was a dragon Pokémon—massive, adorned with brilliant feathers, thick muscles, and an aura of untamed power.

Sensing Moltres's gaze, Koraidon turned its head, its piercing golden pupils locking onto the Legendary Fire-type.

In that instant, their eyes met mid-air.

An unseen force clashed between them, the sheer pressure emanating from the dragon causing Moltres to involuntarily shudder.

What an overwhelming presence!

Naoki's gaze flickered between Articuno and Moltres before shifting toward Zapdos.

"What's going on here?" he asked.

"Chiu!" Zapdos responded.

Through the power of Viridian, Naoki grasped Zapdos's thoughts.

It was saying: Articuno and Moltres can donate their feathers to make steamed buns!

Naoki instantly understood.

So that's it. Zapdos used the steamed buns to lure them in!

"Alright, got it." Naoki nodded and turned toward the house.

Zapdos eagerly followed him inside, while Articuno and Moltres hesitated, their sharp eyes watching his every move.

Did he just… agree?

When the two Legendary Birds didn't immediately follow, Zapdos stopped and turned back toward them.

"Chiu!"

"Moltr?"

"Arti…"

The three Legendary Birds exchanged calls, their voices echoing in the evening air.

Naoki glanced back and noticed that Articuno and Moltres had finally started to follow.

After thinking for a moment, he stopped and turned to them.

"I'll make the steamed buns for you," he said. "But it's not going to be for free."

At those words, Articuno and Moltres instantly tensed, their expressions turning wary.

What does this human want in exchange?

Seeing their reaction, Naoki chuckled.

"Relax," he reassured them. "You don't have to do anything extra. Just let me have a few of your feathers."

Moltres: "…"

Articuno: "…"

That's it?

They had been expecting some unreasonable demand, but this… was nothing!

Both Legendary Birds let out a breath of relief.

Articuno and Moltres didn't hesitate to agree.

After all, they naturally shed feathers every year, and even if they lost a few now, they would grow back soon. It wasn't a big deal.

If what Zapdos had said was true, then these legendary buns would help them grow even stronger.

"Arti!"

Articuno turned its head and pecked at its own body twice, dislodging a few shimmering blue feathers imbued with an icy aura. It extended the feathers toward Naoki.

Moltres, watching this, did the same—plucking out a few orange-golden feathers that flickered with warmth.

Naoki reached out and accepted them.

The moment he held Articuno's feathers, he felt a faint chill radiate from them, as if holding a shard of frost itself.

By contrast, Moltres's feathers carried a comforting warmth, almost like they were still smoldering embers.

As Naoki examined the feathers, information surfaced in his mind:

[Moltres's Feather]: A feather infused with immense Fire-type energy. It might have culinary applications, but the effects remain unknown.

[Articuno's Feather]: A feather infused with potent Ice-type energy. It might have culinary applications, but the effects remain unknown.

"Alright, I'll start steaming the buns now," Naoki said, storing most of the feathers and keeping one out to use. "It'll take about five hours, so please wait a little while."

Articuno and Moltres exchanged glances before nodding in agreement.

Seeing that they were willing to wait, Naoki gave them a simple nod before turning back toward the house, Koraidon following beside him.

After encountering beings like Giratina and Rayquaza, Naoki's threshold for being impressed by Legendary Pokémon had risen significantly.

Seeing Pokémon like Articuno and Moltres didn't overwhelm him as it might have before—he could now interact with them with a calm, level-headed approach.

Inside the house, Calyrex was lounging on the sofa, casually scrolling through his phone.

Meanwhile, sister Indeedee had already prepared a lavish dinner.

Dragonite, Pawmot, Ogerpon, and Flutter Mane had all gathered in the dining room, waiting eagerly.

As soon as Naoki arrived, Alcremie and Cyclizar perked up, excitedly running over to join the meal.

"You guys start eating first," Naoki said as he ruffled Pawmot's head before heading to the kitchen.

He placed the freshly acquired feathers in his storage cabinet, taking out only one. Carefully, he ground it into a fine powder and mixed it into the dough to prepare the steamed buns.

Meanwhile, outside in the ranch…

With its job done, Zapdos turned away, preparing to leave.

Its next destination? The World Tree.

Noticing Zapdos's movement, Articuno and Moltres turned their attention toward it.

"Arrrti?" Articuno asked, tilting its head. (Where are you going?)

Zapdos glanced back. "Chiu." (World Tree.)

The name was unfamiliar to the other two birds.

World Tree?

They exchanged glances, intrigued by the mention of this place.

However, Zapdos offered no further explanation. Without another word, it spread its wings and dived into the lake at the ranch.

Articuno and Moltres hesitated for only a moment before following suit.

If there was nothing else to do here, they might as well check it out for themselves.

As they followed Zapdos across the mirror-like surface of the lake, the world around them shifted in an instant.

The familiar scenery of the ranch vanished.

In its place was a realm of eerie silence—a world of death and desolation.

The sky was littered with floating islands, some barren and crumbling, others covered in patches of wild flora—twisted trees, luminous flowers, and vines stretching toward the void.

Articuno and Moltres tensed.

A suffocating presence loomed over this place, a force so vast and overwhelming that it made their very cores tremble.

The aura belonged to something far beyond their reach.

Yet, Zapdos remained unfazed, gliding forward as if nothing was amiss.

Articuno and Moltres hesitated for only a moment before hurrying after it.

"Arrti?" (Aren't you afraid?) Articuno asked, its voice carrying a rare note of unease.

Zapdos cast a sidelong glance at it and responded with a simple, confident chirp.

"Chiu." (That's Giratina. Naoki's friend. He won't harm us. This is the path to the World Tree—we're free to pass through here whenever we want.)

Articuno wanted to question further, but before it could, a glowing emerald portal shimmered into existence ahead of them.

Zapdos flapped its wings once.

"Chiu!" (We're here!)

Without hesitation, Zapdos passed through the light.

Articuno and Moltres exchanged glances before following.

The oppressive darkness of the void was left behind in an instant.

In its place was a paradise.

The air was filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the soothing chorus of pokemon.

Towering treee with lush, emerald-green leaves stood proudly, their branches heavy with vibrant, ripe fruit. Beneath them stretched a vast carpet of soft grass, swaying gently in the warm breeze.

Wildflowers of every hue painted the landscape, their petals dancing as tiny Pokémon flitted from one to another.

At the heart of it all lay a pristine lake, its waters so clear that the sky's reflection shimmered upon its surface like a portal to another world.

Golden sunlight filtered through the thick canopy above, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow across the forest floor. The entire place was bathed in an ethereal glow, as if a veil of dreams had been draped over reality itself.

Articuno and Moltres could only stare in stunned silence.

The overwhelming natural energy in this place—it was unlike anything they had ever encountered.

"What… what is this place?"

Their voices, usually filled with confidence, now carried nothing but awe.

...

Bonus Chapter