When Naoki rode Koraidon back to the ranch, the night had already fallen.

  The house stood quiet and dark, but the Pokémon Tavern across the yard was brightly lit.

  Naoki figured that Pawmot and the others must have been feeling bored and had wandered over to the tavern to chat and socialize with the other Pokémon.

  After such a long day out and still needing dinner, Naoki decided not to disturb them. Instead, he brought Koraidon and Flutter Maraight into the living room.

  Kig off his shoes, Naoki turo greet Flutter Mane—only to realize it was o be found.

  He froze for a moment before asking, "Did you see where Flutter Ma?"

  "Raao?"

  Koraidon tilted its head and looked around in fusion, clearly as unaware as Naoki.

  Naoki let out a small sigh. 'This Pokémon, holy...'

  "Fine," he muttered to himself. "It'll show up when it's ready."

  Deg to focus on dinner, Naoki headed toward the kit—only to stop mid-step as a sudden thought struck him.

  Flutter Mane aradox Pokémon, a creature from aimes, known for its violent and predatory nature.

  The terrifying image of R Moon stalking prey during his previous expedition fshed through his mind. 'Could Flutter Mane have gone hunting?'

  The realization made Naoki's stomach drop. The Pokémon in the ranch—were they safe?

  Panig, he ran to the door, not even b to ge bato his shoes.

  But before he could run out, Koraidon suddenly tensed, its head snapping toward the darkness outside.

  "Raao!"

  Naoki followed its gaze. In the dim shadows he stable, Flutter Mane hovered silently, its spectral form partially hidden by the gloom.

  It was watg Spectrier and Gstrier, the two horses of the ranch, as they calmly ate their dinner from the trough.

  Naoki exhaled heavily, his nerves rexing.

  "Thank goodness..." he whispered. Nothing had happened.

  "Flutter Mane, e on! It's time to eat!" he called out.

  At the sound of Naoki's voice, Flutter Maurned and floated over silently, its otherworldly preseh fasating and uling.

  Ba the living room, Naoki guided Flutter Mao the kit and began preparing something for it to eat.

  Meanwhile, Koraidon chattered away cheerfully, expining the details of their home in its own unique way. "Raao si!"

  Naoki smiled at Koraidohusiasm and opehe refrigerator. Inside were fresh steaks, bottles of milk, and a sele of berries.

  "Here you go, Flutter Mane," he said, setting everything oable. "Try these!"

  Flutter Mane g Naoki, then turs attention to the food. Its glowing eyes flickered between the berries and the steaks before it opes mouth wide, revealing sharp, glintih, and ped directly into the raw steak.

  Naoki froze, staring.

  "Wait—what?!

  Naoki was startled and grabbed hold of the raw steak, tugging firmly in an attempt to retrieve the inedible meat from Flutter Mane's sharp teeth.

  "Hey, you 't eat this raw! Let go!" Naoki excimed, giving it another shake.

  Flutter Mane blinked, fused. 'Isn't this food meant for me?' it thought. However, remembering Koraidon's earlier expnations about the ranch's s, it rexed its grip slightly.

  But before Naoki could celebrate, his footing slipped, and he nded on the floor with a loud.

  Thud.

  "Ugh… ow!" Naoki groaned, rubbing his lower babsp;

  Flutter Mane, watg from above, suddenly began to ugh—a mischievous, soft chuckle that sounded both eerie and pyful.

  Naoki stared up at it, wide-eyed. "Wait… are you ughing at me?"

  He couldn't believe it. Flutter Mane, a Pokémon desded from the fearsome and mysterious Misdreavus, was finding humor in his tumble.

  "Of course," Naoki muttered to himself, brushing off his pants with an exasperated sigh. "Just like its aors—an arickster spirit that enjoys pranking people."

  But Flutter Mane's ughter was iious. Naoki found himself chug along, despite the ache in his babsp;

  Rising to his feet, Naoki pced his hands on his hips and addressed the mischievous Pokémon. "Alright, listen up. You 't eat the steak raw. I'll cook it for you, okay? For now, why don't you try this fruit?"

  He handed Flutter Mane a plump berry from the ter.

  Flutter Maared at the berry for a moment befrasping it with its wing-like appehen, with surprising ferocity, it tossed the fruit into its mouth and began ping loudly.

  "Wow," Naoki murmured. "You really are wild, huh?"

  Flutter Mane's rger size—standing over a meter tall—made it far more intimidating than the modern-day Misdreavus. Its bold and untamed behavior only added to its mystique.

  Turning to Koraidon, Naoki k down and whispered, "Hey, go expin how things work arouo Flutter Mane. Let it know I'll take care of its meals, so it doesn't o hunt anymore. And make sure it knows not to harm any of the Pokémon on the ranch, okay?"

  "Raao!" Koraidon nodded eagerly, stepping up to its panion. It gestured toward the surrounding room, its tone animated as it began expining life on the ranbsp;

  Naoki smiled at the sight and turned his attention back to the kit. He pulled out a frying pa over the stovetop, and added a drizzle of oil. Ohe oil began to sizzle, he pced the steak in the pan.

  The rich, savory aroma of cooki quickly filled the room, catg the attention of both Pokémon.

  Flutter Mane's witched, its glowing eyes narrowing in curiosity. Koraidon also perked up, its stomach rumbling audibly.

  Following the tantalizing smell, the two Pokémon approached the kit together.

  Gurulu~!

  Koraidon's stomach growled in sync with Flutter Mane's, the noise prompting a ugh from Naoki.

  "Alright, alright. Be patient!" Naoki said with a grin, flipping the steaks o time. After a moment, he pted the sizzli a down oable in front of the eager Pokémon.

  "Dig in!" he enced.

  Koraidon wasted no time, burying its fato the pte with uraihusiasm.

  Flutter Mane, meanwhile, reached out with its wing-like cws, grasped the eeak, and stuffed it directly into its mouth in e bite.

  Naoki blinked in astonishment. "Well, I guess that works too…"

  The steak was fried to a golden-brown crisp, releasing a mouthwatering aroma. Each piece lump and juicy, and as Flutter Maook a bite, a burst of savory juices filled its mouth.

  Its blood-red eyes lit up instantly with delight.

  "Mrrreeam" it excimed, its voice ced with surprise and joy.

  Naoki chuckled as he watched both a Pokémohusiastically dev their meals.

  "Eat up! If that's not enough, I'll whip up some more for you," he said warmly, pleased by their enjoyment.

  ---

  Meanwhile, far away in the Kantion, deep in the northern outskirts of Laveown, stood an abandoned power pnt. The area was eerily quiet, devoid of human activity.

  Withi, hidden amidst the rusting geors and flickering sparks of residual electricity, Mew and Teddiursa floated back to a familiar spot.

  At the heart of the power pnt, perched atop a massive geor, rested a bird Pokémon with striking yellow plumage. Its body was adorned with jagged, lightning-bolt-like feathers, and its sharp green beak gleamed faintly in the dim light. This was Zapdos, the Legendary Pokemon.

  Zapdos appeared to be dozing, its wings folded and its eyes shut. But as Mew and Teddiursa approached, it suddenly stirred, its keen senses alerting it to their presenbsp;

  The Legendary Pokémon's eyes snapped open, and it fixed its pierg gaze owo intruders.

  Then, reizing them, its tense expression softened, and it let out a sharp, inquisitive cry. "Chiu?" (Why are you here?)

  Mew floated closer, its soft voice melodic as it answered, "Mew!" (We're here to invite you to live with us in our hometown!)

  Teddiursa, standing by Mew's side, nodded vigorously, its bck eyes sparkling with excitement.

  "Ursa! Ursa!" (That's right! Our hometown! If you e with us, no humans will bother you anymore!)

  Zapdos tilted its head, its sharp feathers shifting as it sidered their words. It had chosen this power pnt as a sanctuary precisely because humans had aba. The faint hum of lingeriricity had made it the perfect retreat.

  But retly, its peace had been disturbed.

  Not long ago, a human had stumbled upo and attempted to capture it. Zapdos, furious at the intrusion, had unleashed its thuo drive the human away. It had thought that would be the end of the matter, but more humans followed, eaore determiha.

  Even powerful trainers came, and in one particurly fierce battle, Zapdos had been injured.

  During this tumultuous time, it had entered Mew and Teddiursa, who called themselves the "Great Hero Expedition Team."

  Zapdos had beeical at first, but the pair had brought it berries that eased its pain and stayed by its side until it recovered. Their kindness had left a sting impression.

  Now, hearing their offer, Zapdos blinked in surprise. "Chiu?" (Your hometown?) it asked, its voice tinged with uainty.

  Teddiursa nodded eagerly, raising its tiny paws to gesture as it expined.

  "Ursa! Ursa, Ursa!" (Yes! There's a World Tree there! Naoki said it's going to grow so big—bigger than a mountain! If you live there, no humans will bother you. That's why we came to invite you to stay with us at the World Tree!)