February 19, 199th Year of the Alliance dar

  Seven days had passed sihe expedition team's departure, and life on the ranch had settled bato its peaceful routine.

  Uhe diligent guidance of Koraidon and Naoki, Flutter Mane was slowly adjusting to this unfamiliar era. However, ohing remained a persistent challenge: Flutter Mane's erratic schedule.

  During the day, Flutter Mane would sleep soundly, only to emerge at night, gliding silently above the ranch with an air of mystery. While it appeared to simply be enjoying the tranquility, Naoki couldn't help but worry. The uling possibility of it hunting other Pokémon on the ranch weighed heavily on his mind.

  These s eventually crept into his dreams.

  Late one night, Naoki awoke with a start, heart pounding from a vivid nightmare. In his dream, the shadows of Flutter Mane and R Moon had iwined, morphing into a savage predator mercilessly preying on a helpless Wattrel.

  Uo shake the lingering dread, Naoki climbed out of bed aured into the moonlit ranch to che Flutter Mane.

  To his relief, he found it perched serenely on the ey, seemingly admiring the moon. Flutter Mane's ethereal flowed faintly uhe pale light, a stark trast to the violent image that had haunted his dream.

  Hearing Naoki's soft footsteps on the grass below, Flutter Mailted its head curiously. Spotting him standing there, ed in a coat, it floated down gracefully.

  "Mrrream?" it murmured softly, as though asking if Naoki needed something.

  Naoki let out a small chuckle, realizing how irrational his fears had been. Reag out, he gently patted Flutter Mane on the head. "How are you liking it here?" he asked.

  Flutter Mane paused, its crimson eyes refleg the silvery moonlight as it pohe question.

  Here on the ranch, it had found safety—a haven where it didn't have to fend off predators, defend its territory, or struggle to find food. Everything about this pce exuded a sense of calm aleness: the wind, the moon, and even the nights.

  But as much as it appreciated this newfound peace, Flutter Mane couldn't deny that somethi... off. It was too quiet. The primal instincts etched into its very being made it long for the thrill of a hunt or the adrenaline of a fight. More than anything, it had a peculiar disfort—an it its sharp teeth that left it restless.

  As it wrestled with these feelings, Naoki studied Flutter Mane's expression carefully. Notig the faint grinding of its poieeth, he began to piece things together.

  "Are your teeth itchy?" he asked. "Does it bother you that you haven't hunted in a while?"

  Flutter Mane's eyes widened in surprise, its body nguage betraying its astonishment. Its sharp, blaze seemed to ask, 'How did you know that?'

  Naoki chuckled, his suspis firmed. He gestured to its small, pointed fangs and added, "Do you feel like biting something to make it stop?"

  Flutter Mane blihhly shocked that Naoki had pinpois disfort so accurately.

  Satisfied with its rea, Naoki o himself. While the ranch provided for Flutter Mane's physieeds, he realized he had overlooked its innate instincts. If it had something safe to chew on, perhaps it could satisfy that primal urge without causing harm or distress.

  The question was: 'What would work for a Pokémon like Flutter Mane?'

  At that moment, Naoki suddenly recalled a thick bohat Teddiursa had picked up during one of its advehis type of bone, often used by wild Pokémon like Marowak and e as ons, was renowned for its toughness.

  "Could this help Flutter Mane?" Naoki wondered. If the bone was sturdy enough, it might provide Flutter Mah an outlet for its restless instincts.

  Without hesitation, he headed to the utility room, retrieved the bone, ed it thhly, and prese to Flutter Mahe Pokémoes wing-like cws, taking the bone cautiously.

  Flutter Mane's demeanor shifted immediately. Its wild instincts surged, and it began gnawing on the boh surprising ferocity, sharpening its fangs on the durable material. As it ground its teeth, it emitted low growls, remi of the a Pokémon it once was.

  Iween gnawing, Flutter Mane cast a goward Naoki. Its crimson eyes gleamed with a mix of curiosity and gratitude.

  Naoki chuckled, reag out to pat Flutter Maly on the head. "Good job," he said warmly.

  Flutter Mane paused mid-bite, tilting its head to study Naoki's face. Bathed in the soft moonlight, the human's expression was kind and sincere, filled with care and hope. Flutter Mane could sehe emotions radiating from him—expectation, tenderness, and an unspoken wish for its happiness.

  Memories of life on the ranch flooded Flutter Mane's mind: Naoki preparing meals, patiently teag it to avoid eating raw meat, guiding it during training, and even w over it te at night. For the first time, a stra pleasant feeling stirred in Flutter Mane's heart.

  It uood now why Koraidon held Naoki in such high regard. Flutter Mane realized it, too, had started to like this ge thoughtful human.

  ---

  The m, Naoki decided to address Flutter Mane's noal habits. After tending to the ranch, he headed into town to buy some coffee beans, inspired by ao help keep Flutter Mane awake during the day.

  Returning to the ranaoki made his way to the gss greenhouse. He selected ay flowerpot, filled it with soil, and phe coffee beans. Then he carried the pot to the living room, where Calyrex was engrossed in a TV show.

  "Could you help me with this?" Naoki asked, holding up the flowerpot.

  Calyrex, too absorbed in the show to turn around, waved its hand zily. A burst of dazzling light engulfed the pot. When the light faded, Naoki was left holding a fully-grown coffee tree, about one and a half meters tall, with branches den with ripe coffee cherries.

  Startled by the sudden transformation, Naoki let out a cry of surprise. Awkwardly cradling the tree, he hurried back to the greenhouse and carefully pced it in a er.

  The bright red cherries gleamed invitingly oree. Naoki ied them closely.

  [Coffee Cherries: The berries inside be used to make coffee.]

  Over the week, Naoki dedicated himself to the borious process of turning the cherries into coffee beans. He removed the fruit's flesh, fermehe beans, shelled them, washed, dried, and finally roasted them. Ohe beans were ready, he ground them into powder, preparing for the final step: brewing coffee.

  Naoki prepared a simple setup i. Taking the freshly ground powder, he bi with hot water in a cup hao him by Indeedee. As the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, he murmured to himself, "I wonder if this will actually work…"

  Moments ter, the coffee was ready. Naoki ied the drink eagerly, curious about its effects. A small notification fshed in his mind:

  [Coffee (B-): Coffee brewed with freshly ground coffee powder.

  Effect: Insomnia Lv. 2. After drinking, the user will be uo fall asleep for 6 hours.

  ent: A magical drink that helps maintain focus. If you feel drowsy, drink a cup to stay awake and alert!]

  Naoki beamed. "This will definitely help Flutter Mane adjust its sleep schedule!"

  Naoki was thrilled. At st, he had found a way to help Flutter Mane adjust its noal schedule! Thinking about it, Naoki turned his attention to Flutter Mane, who was soundly sleeping on a cushion nearby.

  Carrying the cup of coffee, he approached the drowsy Pokémon aly woke it. "Flutter Mane, do you want to py with everyone?"

  Flutter Mane yawned as it blinked sleepily at Naoki. It tilted its head, fused. 'Py with everyone?' It wao, but every time it woke up, the others were already asleep! Still half-asleep, it gave a small nod.

  Naoki grinned. "Then try drinking this!" He carefully lifted Flutter Mane ahe cup to its mouth.

  The moment the bitter coffee touched its tongue, Flutter Mane's crimson eyes snapped wide open. Any trace of sleepiness vanished instantly. It reared back, coughing and gagging as it floated up, spitting out the offensive liquid.

  Naoki: "…"

  Koraidon, who had been watg from a distance: "…?"

  Once Flutter Mane had successfully rid itself of the bitter taste, it hovered in pce, panting dramatically. Now fully awake, it gnced around in fusion, unsure of what had just happened.

  Naoki tried to suppress a chuckle and asked, "So… do you still feel sleepy?"

  Flutter Maated for a moment, assessing itself. Much to its surprise, it realized it wasn't sleepy at all. Its gaze shifted back to Naoki, a glimmer of fusion and uanding in its expression.

  Naoki nodded, pleased. The coffee's effect was unmistakable—it worked perfectly!

  "Alright then," he said, g his hands. "Now you go py with everyone! Koraidon, why don't you take Flutter Mane along?"

  Koraidon gave ahusiastic growl of agreement ahe now wide-awake Flutter Maoward the other Pokémon, who were happily pying on the ranch grounds. Naoki watched them leave, silently hopeful that iing with the others would help Flutter Mane adjust to life at the rand modern times.

  With the pair gone, Naoki turned back to up the coffee Flutter Mane had spit out. As he scrubbed the floor, he mused, "Maybe I should add some milk and sugar ime. That might make it easier for Flutter Mao drink."

  ---

  Later that day, Naoki peeked outside to che Flutter Ma was floating in the air, watg Alcremie and the others py below. Seeing this small step toward socializing, Naoki nodded with satisfa. Progress, no matter how small, was still progress.

  Knowing the coffee's effects would wear off in six hours, Naoki stayed close, ready to brew another cup. Sure enough, as soon as the effects faded, Flutter Mane's energy began to dip. This time, Naoki brought coffee sweetened with milk and sugar.

  Relutly, Flutter Maried the new co but immediately spat it out again. The smell alone seemed to irritate it.

  Naoki sighed. "e on, Flutter Mane, just bear with it for today. After this, you won't o drink any more."

  Flutter Maared at him, its expression unamused. Naoki added anenerous spoonful of sugar to the coffee and prese again. This time, after some hesitation, Flutter Maantly gulped it down.

  ---

  After aful day of trial and error, the evening finally arrived. At dinner, Flutter Mae heartily, and ohe coffee's effects wore off, it immediately fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

  Naoki let out a sigh of relief. "If it's sleeping now, it should be fine, right?"

  Later that night, Naoki woke up and quietly checked on Flutter Mahe Pokémon was still sound asleep, its breathing soft and steady. Feeling reassured, Naoki returo his room and fell asleep with a peaceful heart.

  ---

  The m, Flutter Mane woke up naturally, blinking groggily as sunlight streamed into the room. It stretched and looked around, its gaze settling on Naoki, who was sitting nearby.

  Naoki smiled as he saw Flutter Mane waking up. "Good m, Flutter Mane!" he greeted cheerfully.

  Flutter Mane blinked groggily and looked around, its expression mildly fused but not unfriendly.

  Just then, G dashed past in hot pursuit of Alcremie. It turned out that Alcremie had mischievously decorated G's face with cream while it slept, transf it into a giant, cream-smeared tabby cat.

  After spending time with the ranoerday, Flutter Mane had begun to accept the gentle, pyful nature of its new panions. Watg G angrily chasing after Alcremie, it found itself smiling for the first time, as though the se was genuinely amusing.

  G, however, noticed Flutter Mane's smile and misinterpreted it as mockery. Embarrassed and fuming, G turned away from Alcremie with a huff, its face flushed a deep red.

  Realizing it had upset G, Alcremie quickly rushed over to apologize. To make amends, it smeared its own face with cream, mimig the tabby-cat look. The gesture earned G's fiveness, and the two Pokémon soon burst into ughter together.

  Flutter Mached the entire se unfold, its smile growing wider. For the first time, it felt genuinely eained by its new enviro.

  Naoki, who had been from a distanodded in satisfa. From this perspective, Flutter Mane was beginning to resemble Pawmot—light-hearted and tent.

  The pn to help Flutter Mane adapt to its new life was w, and Naoki finally felt reassured. The ranon, particurly the friendly and spirited Alcremie and Pawmot, were proving to be the perfeflueo help Flutter Mane feel at home.

  Given time, Naoki believed Flutter Mane would ie seamlessly into the ranch's peaceful way of life.

  As Naoki reflected on Flutter Mane's progress, his thoughts drifted to the Area Zero Researstitute and its enigmatic professors. He wondered what methods they might have used to help the Paradox Pokémon adapt to this era.

  In the games, Professors Sada and Turo had mao and Paradox Pokémon in battles, a testament to their success in taming these creatures. Yet, despite their achievements, they hadn't ated for the sheer number of Paradox Pokémon that would spill into Paldea, overwhelming the region's defenses.

  Naoki shook his head, brushing away the troubling thoughts. There was no use dwelling os beyond his trol. With a soft sigh, he turned back to the group of Pokémon and said, "Alright, everyone, let's have breakfast. After that, I'll head into town."

  "Pawmot?" Pawmot immediately perked up, curious about the trip.

  Notig its i, Naoki smiled and replied, "We're running low on supplies. I'll go buy more food—and yes, I'll make sure to get plenty of meat for you all."

  Sihe ranch already produced its own milk, eggs, aables, Naoki only o purchase meat and a few extras. After breakfast, he entrusted the daily chores to the Indeedee siblings a off for Kosaji Town on Cyclizar, leaving Koraidon to keep an eye on Flutter Mane and the others.

  ---

  Upon arriving in Kosaji Town, Naoki made his way to the bustling market. He purchased a variety of meats and, notig the abundance of fresh seafood, decided to splurge a little. Shrimp, crabs, squid, oysters, and cms—all looked irresistibly fresh.

  The sight of the seafood sparked an idea. Naoki thought about hosting a seafood feast back at the ranch, a rare treat for everyone. Inspired, he bought several thousand Pokse dolrs' worth of seafood, already imagining the delicious dishes he could prepare.

  As he loaded his purchases, Naoki recalled videos he'd once seen of people fing along beaches for cms, mussels, and crabs. The idea intrigued him. Perhaps, in a few days, he could visit the nearby coast to try his luck at gathering seafood himself.

  After purchasing the groceries, Naoki prepared to head straight back to the ranch. Riding on Cyclizar along the streets of Kosaji Towiced a new antique shop that had retly opened.

  At first, Naoki paid it little attention and tinued on his way, but a thought soon struck him. He slowed Cyclizar to a halt and looked back toward the shop, recalling the Gimmighoul hiding in the er of his tavern.

  Despite having discovered the Chest Pokémon some time ago, Naoki had yet to i meaningfully with it. Gimmighoul was a fasating Pokémon, both elusive and enigmatic. Its evolved fholdengo, articurly rare and highly sought after—not only for its unique appeara also for the lore surrounding its ability t good fortune.

  However, evolving Gimmighoul into Gholdengo required a staggering 999 s. The sheer number made the task daunting, but Naoki had always sidered it a worthwhile challenge. Besides, a Gholdengo would be a perfect addition to the tavern, both as a quirky panion and as a living fortune charm to attract more ers.

  With that in mind, Naoki had ahe antique shop might have s that Gimmighoul would treasure. If he could find such s, it might help him bond with the Pokémon and take a step closer to its evolution.