Pokemon: A New Path
Wish-II [637]

Naoki watched Sylveon intently, anticipation building in his chest.

Sylveon was trembling slightly, its eyes shut tight as though trying to endure something powerful surging from within.

Then suddenly, it opened its eyes wide and let out a cry.

"Boooo-eeeee!"

A shockwave burst forth like a cannon blast. The sound was so strong it seemed to physically ripple through the air, shaking the ground beneath them.

Naoki flinched, covering his ears. Even with his hands pressed tightly to his head, the piercing voice echoed deep into his bones.

'That move…'

Naoki's eyes widened.

Hyper Voice.

This Wish dish had granted Sylveon the power to learn Hyper Voice, a devastating Normal-type attack that, thanks to its Pixilate ability, would be converted into a Fairy-type move with boosted power.

He immediately understood Sylveon's wish.

It wanted to defeat the "evil dragon"—Kyurem.

And now, it had taken the first step toward becoming the kind of hero that could.

Sylveon turned to survey the damage it had done to the surrounding grass, delighted by its new strength.

It spun around, eyes shining with determination, and shouted:

"Bu-yi!" (Naoki, let me fight the dragon!)

Naoki: "…"

Not quite yet.

He thought for a moment, then said calmly, "If you can take three hits from Koraidon and stay standing, then I'll take you to challenge Kyurem."

Sylveon's ears perked up immediately. "Bu-yi!!"

Without hesitation, it turned and marched straight toward Koraidon, who was resting nearby.

Moments later, Koraidon simply flicked a finger, and Sylveon was promptly launched backward with a clang.

"Bu—gah!"

Sylveon landed with a thud, legs in the air and eyes spinning.

Naoki sighed. "Looks like your power's still not enough."

"Bu…yi…" Sylveon's ears drooped, visibly discouraged.

Naoki crouched beside her and smiled. "But don't worry. I've already made a special training plan just for you. If you can complete it, I promise you'll be strong enough to take on even Kyurem."

He explained that since Kyurem was a Dragon/Ice-type, its Dragon-type moves wouldn't affect Fairy-types like Sylveon. But Ice-type moves were still dangerous.

So Sylveon would focus on training against Ice-type opponents.

Luckily, Glaceon lived on the ranch, and Articuno, who resided atop the World Tree, could help with advanced sparring.

Naoki made a mental note to begin this training plan later.

For now, there was still a pot of magical Wish Tomato Scrambled Eggs to share.

At his call, Pokémon from all over the ranch quickly gathered.

Bellibolt, Dragonite, Pawmot, Flutter Mane, Cyclizar, and many others came running, curious about the dish.

Though the rainbow tomato had been just one fruit, it had produced enough to fill a large pan, enough for everyone to get a small bowl.

Naoki explained the dish's ability: "After you eat it, you can make a wish. And if your heart is sincere, it might just come true."

Koraidon looked at the bowl curiously. He had a vague memory of eating something similar before.

Did he make a wish last time? He couldn't remember.

Well, no matter!

He slurped the food down eagerly and closed his eyes. This time, his wish was simple:

"I want to stay by Naoki's side forever."

After a few moments, he opened one eye. Nothing had changed. The field was still the same.

But deep down… he somehow felt reassured.

Nearby, Cyclizar held his own small bowl, glancing around at the other Pokémon.

He looked at Koraidon, then at Naoki.

And quietly, earnestly, he made his wish:

"I want to become as strong and reliable as Koraidon… and protect Naoki, too."

One by one, the Pokémon made their wishes as they ate.

Naoki couldn't hear them, but he could sense the hope in the air.

Then… something unexpected happened.

Flutter Mane finished her bowl, shut her eyes, and made a wish.

A moment later—FOOMP!

A mountain of food dropped from the sky.

Bread, berries, jerky, candy, Poképuffs, everything imaginable rained down, landing in a delicious heap on the grass.

Other Pokémon turned in surprise, eyes wide.

Flutter Mane blinked, stunned. Then her eyes sparkled. She picked up a piece of dried meat in her claws and sniffed it, as if trying to confirm it was real.

Naoki: "…"

It was pretty obvious what Flutter Mane had wished for.

"Food," Naoki murmured with a chuckle, watching the Ghost-type Pokémon happily munch her way through a mountain of falling snacks.

Around the table, the rest of the Pokémon continued enjoying their meal, bowls in paws, claws, or tails.

Naoki and Iono glanced at each other, then smiled and dug into their own servings of the scrambled eggs.

Naoki took a quiet breath as he made his wish:

To live happily, here on the ranch, with Koraidon, Iono, the children, and all his Pokémon… forever.

When the meal was finished and laughter quieted, Naoki noticed there was still one last bowl of the Wish Tomato Scrambled Eggs left in the pan.

He was just about to decide what to do with it when the Rotom Phone rang.

It was Mew and Teddiursa.

When the call connected, Naoki saw a view from atop the Sword of the Vale, the ancient castle perched on the mountains above Aintoak. Mew, Teddiursa, and Victini were sitting side-by-side on the stone ledge, gazing quietly over the green valley below.

They looked… somber.

Despite their earlier joy, a sense of sadness had crept back into their expressions.

It was clear they'd become close friends in a short time.

"Mew…?" Mew asked softly through the call. (Naoki… is there any way to help Victini break the seal?)

Teddiursa looked at the screen with pleading eyes. "Teddi…"

It didn't want Victini to be trapped there anymore. A Pokémon being stuck alone for a thousand years it was just too painful to imagine.

Victini blinked at the screen. Its ears drooped slightly as it let out a small, questioning cry.

"Nini…?"

It had heard part of the story Naoki told before. The human on the other side of the screen, he seemed to know a lot about the castle, and about it.

Naoki nodded, already expecting this.

"Yes," he said gently. "Actually, the seal that traps Victini was created by the Guardian Pillars around the castle. If we destroy them, the barrier will collapse, and Victini will be free."

Mew and Teddiursa's eyes lit up.

They looked at each other, then nodded in unison.

They were determined: they would destroy the stone pillars and help Victini go free.

Naoki continued, "The pillars were only meant to contain Victini's power. Removing them won't hurt Aintoak. The castle and the land will be fine."

But then, his voice softened.

"The real question is, does Victini want to leave?"

He leaned back, thoughtful.

He understood how deeply Pokémon cared about their trainers, even long after they were gone.

Some, like the Haunter that guarded the ghost ship in the anime, had remained by their trainer's final resting place for centuries, refusing to leave.

Victini was the same.

It had waited here at the Sword of the Vale for over a thousand years, for someone who would never return.

Naoki's eyes drifted back to the last untouched bowl of scrambled eggs.

An idea struck him.

"Victini," he said gently, "do you have a wish?"

Victini blinked in surprise.

"Nini?"

"I have something here," Naoki explained, holding the dish up toward the screen. "Something that can grant any wish, if your heart is strong enough."

Victini's eyes widened, just slightly.

It tilted its head.

"Nini" "Really?" its expression seemed to say.

And then, Naoki added softly, words that struck straight to Victini's heart:

"Maybe… it could let you see the old king again."

Victini froze.

Its eyes shimmered.

And without warning, large tears began to well up, trembling at the edges of its eyes.