"Hahaha!"
Seeing Koraidon’s appearance, Naoki couldn’t help but laugh.
In Koraidon’s incredulous expression, Naoki patted its head.
"Alright, I was just teasing you!"
He shifted his position, leaning against the grassy-scented wool of the Gogoat behind him, and thought back over the events of these past days, sighing with a sense of nostalgia.
Koraidon tilted its head to look at him for a moment, then leaned in closer and lay down on the sand like a big golden retriever.
Neither of them spoke again; they simply enjoyed the peaceful and beautiful atmosphere.
In the distance, Porto Marinada Town was brightly lit, and the waves gently lapped against the shore, leaving behind white foam.
The cries of Pokemon and the chatter of humans drifted from the bustling streets, carried by the evening breeze into the distance.
For a moment, even the wind seemed gentler.
Cyclizar, Dragonite, Pawmo, and Glaceon were playing with sand not far away, along with a few Dratini and Dragonair, while Naclstack and Miltank watched from the side.
Gogoat remained by Naoki’s side, leisurely munching on Berries from the picnic basket.
Dolliv sat on the picnic cloth, watching Butterfree and Combee chat softly nearby.
Occasionally, people would pass by, and every time they saw so many Pokemon, they would exclaim in surprise.
A few young Trainers, around the age of ten, were even drawn towards them.
Naoki watched as they observed Dragonite and the others for a while before approaching him.
"Let’s have an exciting Pokemon battle!" A youngster in shorts challenged him.
Looking at the excited expression on the opponent’s face, Naoki raised an eyebrow and then turned his head to ask, "Who wants to give it a try?"
The Gogoat stood up enthusiastically.
"Baa!"
With a wave of Naoki’s hand, the eager Gogoat approached the youngster in shorts.
A few seconds later, the youngster’s Paras was sent flying.
"Amazing!"
The other watching Trainers gasped in unison.
At that moment, one of them seemed to recall something and asked, wide-eyed, "Excuse me, are you Mr. Naoki?!"
Surprised to suddenly hear his name, Naoki turned his head to see a boy in a light kimono looking at him with excitement.
"You know me?" he asked.
The boy nodded: "You’re the founder of the Grass Trial! I heard stories about you at school!"
The boy’s companion looked confused: "Grass Trial? What’s that? A new Gym test?"
"Not at all!" the boy explained. "It’s a trial to help Pokemon and Trainers train! They say those who participate in the trial see their skills greatly improve!"
"Really? Is there such a thing?" His companion was very surprised.
"Of course! I’ve always wanted to try it..." The boy showed regret: "But I haven’t collected four Gym Badges yet, so I’m not qualified to challenge it, but I’ll work hard!"
Naoki thought: It seems the news about the challenge restrictions he set up had spread after the last three challengers.
"A lot of people know now?" he asked.
The boy nodded: "Yes, there’s a legend about the three Gogoat at school! Many want to challenge it, but we’re just freshmen and haven’t collected four badges yet."
Hearing this, Naoki suddenly understood.
No wonder there hadn’t been any new challengers at the ranch recently, it was because of this reason.
"It seems the news has only spread among the lower grades," Naoki thought.
The boy observed his expression and then looked puzzled: "Mr. Naoki, I have a question for you..."
"Go ahead," Naoki replied understandingly.
The boy: "Is there a non-disclosure agreement for challenging the Grass Trial? Carter and the others never reveal any details about the trial, and whenever we ask, they always have a very peculiar expression."
That expression was as if they were both pained and happy.
Naoki: "..."
He smiled politely: "There’s no non-disclosure agreement. You’ll find out the details of the challenge when you come and try it."
Hearing this, the boy’s face was full of anticipation: "I will definitely challenge it! We won’t disturb you any longer, goodbye!"
Naoki nodded slightly, watching the young Trainers run off.
Then, Naoki turned his gaze towards the Gogoat.
During this period, to help the Gogoat improve their physique so they could better contain the Grass Energy within, he would take them for morning runs every day.
Pawmo also participated.
After returning from Dragonite Island, in order to return to its essence and evolve into a more powerful Pawmi, it began running on the ground again, rarely flying to get around.
These hardworking Pokemon made Naoki feel very gratified.
Although he wasn’t a Trainer and the Pokemon didn’t have to battle daily, continuous growth was beneficial for them.
Soon, Dragonite and the others got tired of playing and ran back, gathering around the picnic cloth.
Naoki was about to say something when he suddenly saw people starting to gather on the beach, even the uncle who sold Magikarp went there.
With the sound of a loud explosion, a huge firework bloomed in the night sky.
In an instant, brilliant light illuminated the faces of everyone attending the festival.
Then, as if a switch had been flipped, more fireworks soared into the sky, blooming under the night sky and over the sea.
This scene was stunningly beautiful, as if announcing the peak of summer had arrived.
"Awooo..." Dragonite beside him couldn’t help but murmur.
Naoki turned to see its bright black eyes reflecting the splendid fireworks.
Although he couldn’t understand its words, Naoki thought it might be saying, "How beautiful!"
Under the starry sky and blooming fireworks, Naoki looked at every Pokemon beside him.
Cyclizar, Koraidon, Dragonite, Pawmo, Alcremie...
He felt he would never forget this moment.
Suddenly, Cyclizar and Koraidon seemed to sense something.
They withdrew their gazes from the fireworks and simultaneously turned to look over here.
Their eyes were equally clear and bright, their expressions relaxed and joyful, and Naoki saw himself in their eyes.
"Aga-snarl~"
"Gao-oo!"
Naoki’s lips curved up, and he reached out with both hands to hold the two Pokemon’s paws.
One person and two Pokemon continued to watch the fireworks festival.
Under the starlit sky and blooming fireworks, Naoki’s lips moved, silently saying in his heart:
"I’m so glad to have met you all!"