Lunch time.
Naoki propped his chin on his hand and watched the few Pokémon in front of him enjoy their lunch.
Alcremie and Smoliv were eating as usual—slowly and in small bites.
Koraidon and Cyclizar, as always, were more rugged.
After finishing a few large bones, Koraidon picked up the bowl of Black Truffle Milk Porridge and gulped it down, kind of like a pelican swallowing fish.
"It’s a shame Koraidon and Cyclizar can’t produce milk."
Watching this scene, Naoki couldn’t help but feel a little regretful.
Alcremie can spray cream, but cream isn’t milk, kind of like the difference between water and ice—a conceptual difference exists.
And what Smoliv produces is olive oil, which has nothing to do with milk.
In the afternoon, Keri arrived on time with the construction team.
Naoki showed her the pre-selected location, and then rode on Koraidon towards the direction of Casseroya Lake.
Today, he wasn’t going fishing but rather checking in on Yousuke and those five Nacli.
Seeing that he didn’t have a fishing net or rod, Yousuke seemed a bit taken aback.
"Not fishing today?" he asked.
Naoki shook his head, "Sometimes you have to relax a bit."
Yousuke said, "That’s not what you told me a few days ago."
Naoki replied, "...Alright, I’ve saved enough for building the Pokémon House, so I’m planning to take a break until the construction is finished."
"I see!" Yousuke said with a wink, "I have some good news for you too."
Naoki was a bit surprised, "Oh?"
Yousuke turned and clapped his hands, "Everyone, come out!"
As his voice fell, the five Nacli emerged from the cave, huddling together.
"Nacli~ Nacli~!"
Yousuke laughed, "They’ve made a decision; they’ve decided to leave here and live with you on your ranch!"
Naoki was overjoyed to hear this, "Really?"
Yousuke didn’t respond; the group of Nacli answered in unison, "Nacli~"
Naoki was extremely happy, "That’s great!"
Yousuke said, "What are you standing there for? Quickly take out your Poké Balls and catch them! They’ve been looking forward to this for a long time!"
"Oh!" Naoki hurriedly took out five Poké Balls from the pocket of his blue overalls.
He squatted down and placed the Poké Balls on the ground. The five Nacli lined up and walked forward one by one.
With a gentle touch of their heads, their small bodies turned into a ray of red light and were absorbed into the Poké Balls.
The Poké Balls wobbled gently twice before settling completely.
Then came the second, the third.
Until the last one was captured, Naoki held the five Poké Balls in his hands, filled with joy.
"Congratulations!" Yousuke said with a smile.
Naoki put away the five Poké Balls, then thanked Yousuke, "I should be thanking you. It’s been a hassle for you these past few days."
Yousuke waved it off casually, "Just lending a helping hand. I also needed to study the Pokémon ecology around here. By the way, have you checked on the Dragonite lately?"
Naoki nodded, "Yes, I have."
While fishing with Koraidon, he’d sometimes take a detour to see the Dragonite.
"But... it still ignores us like the first time, sighing quietly before leaving, as if it doesn’t like being disturbed."
Yousuke rested his chin in thought, "Is that so?"
He shared his findings from the past few days.
"Based on my research, there’s no sign of Dragonite around Casseroya Lake. Given it flies in from the Paldea Sea and returns to the deep sea each time, I suspect its nest isn’t nearby but somewhere in the distant ocean."
Hearing this, Naoki’s heart was stirred.
It reminded him of the giant Dragonite that appeared near Bill’s Lighthouse in the Kanto Region.
He asked, "By the way, Yousuke, have you heard the legend of the ’Giant Shadow on the Sea Surface’?"
"No," Yousuke said curiously, "What’s that?"
Naoki said, "It’s said that in the depths of the ocean, there’s a super-size Dragonite, dozens of meters tall, like a monster, roaming the seas while roaring."
Yousuke was a bit shocked, "A giant Dragonite dozens of meters tall? How could such a Dragonite exist? Only in Pokémon Hollywood monster films, right!"
Naoki said, "...Forget I said anything."
Yousuke didn’t pay much mind and continued thinking, "However, I have heard another rumor about Dragonite, want to hear it?"
"Hmm?"
Yousuke didn’t hold back the suspense, continuing, "It’s said that somewhere in the vast ocean, there’s an isolated island inhabited solely by Dragonite."
"A traveling fleet was sailing on the sea and was caught in a storm. A shipwrecked man clung to the wooden planks, drifting in the ocean. A Dragonite rescued him and brought him back to that island, the Dragonite’s paradise."
"Things like that could happen," Naoki said.
After all, most Dragonite are kind-hearted Pokémon.
Everywhere, you can hear stories of them saving people or Pokémon from drowning in the sea.
If a Dragonite finds a ship in distress during a storm, it will guide it to the shore. For this reason, many ships place Dragonite statues at the bow, hoping for a safe voyage.
So, the question is, did that Dragonite come from Dragonite Island?
At this moment, both Naoki and Yousuke had this question in their hearts.
They exchanged a glance, and Yousuke’s eyes lit up with interest. He excitedly said, "Could such an island really exist in the sea?"
A unique, mysterious island where numerous Dragonite reside.
"Perhaps it does?"
Naoki recalled that in the anime, Ash once visited such an island and even captured a Dragonair there.
That Dragonair later evolved into a hug-loving Dragonite that helped Ash win the Eight Great Masters Championship.
Hearing this, Yousuke grabbed Naoki’s shoulder.
Naoki was startled.
"Naoki, let’s go on an adventure together!"
Yousuke’s eyes gleamed with the light of longing.
An island where only Dragonite exist! It’s so exciting! If I could witness such a sight with my own eyes...
Naoki speechlessly pushed his face away, "You don’t even know the exact location of the island."
Yousuke immediately looked defeated, "True."
Then he quickly perked up again, filled with energy, "But I won’t give up! As long as I keep traveling, one day I’ll find Dragonite Island!"
"Go for it!" Naoki encouraged him a bit and then waved his hand, "I have to go."
Yousuke quickly asked, "Where are you going?"
Naoki put away the Poké Balls holding the Nacli and looked at the other empty Poké Balls inside, saying, "Going to see if I can capture any other Pokémon to bring back to the ranch."
Like Skiddo, Tropius...