Pokemon: A New Path-Chapter 494: Clashing with the In-Law

As the New Year is approaching and the cold winter settles over Paldea, most people prefer to stay indoors and avoid going out unless necessary.

That afternoon, when Iono woke up from a nap, she realized someone was missing from home.

"Huh?" She looked around in confusion. "Where's Dad?"

The woman sitting on the sofa, weaving a scarf with the silk of a Spidops, seemed a little guilty.

"Him? Some of his old friends came to visit today, and they all went out to the city for dinner," she replied.

"I don't recall Dad ever mentioning any old friends…" Iono muttered, puzzled.

The woman simply smiled. "Maybe he met them while traveling in his younger days?"

"Oh well."

Iono shrugged, dismissing her curiosity, and went about taking care of her Bellibolt, making sure to feed them breakfast.

...

Meanwhile, in Naoki's ranch, the cold winter meant fewer visitors than usual.

Like many others in Paldea, Naoki had been staying indoors, enjoying a relaxed routine with his Pokémon.

However, to his surprise, even in this freezing weather, trainers were still arriving at the ranch for challenges.

That afternoon, as Naoki was watching a live Pokémon battle on his Rotom Phone, there was a sudden knock at the door.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Who would visit in this weather?"

Could it be Mayor Thomás or Madame Dantes needing urgent help?

With that thought, he hurried over and opened the door—only to be met with an unexpected sight.

Standing there was a middle-aged man, around forty years old, dressed in a gray winter coat and scarf.

The man had a tough, experienced air about him, as though he had traveled far and seen much.

Naoki hesitated briefly before asking, "Who are you looking for?"

The man's sharp gaze met his. "I'm looking for the owner of this place. Are you Naoki?"

"...That's me," Naoki replied, a hint of curiosity sparking in his mind.

Realizing that the weather was far too cold for an extended conversation at the door, he quickly stepped aside.

"Come in! It's freezing outside—have a cup of tea to warm up first!"

The man seemed mildly impressed by Naoki's hospitality.

He nodded and stepped inside, silently observing his surroundings.

The room was cozy and warm, thanks to the fireplace burning brightly.

The wooden floor was spotless, though scattered with Pokémon toys, clearly showing signs of life and care.

Near the fireplace, several Pokémon lounged comfortably.

A Cyclizar stretched lazily on the rug. Two Indeedee siblings sat together, chatting. A Butterfree hovered by the window, gazing at the falling snow. A mysterious Pokémon that the visitor had never seen before curled up near the warmth.

As he observed them, the man nodded subtly to himself.

Each Pokémon's fur and scales looked sleek and well-groomed. Their eyes shone with health and energy.

It's obvious that they are well taken care of by their owner.

This shows that this boy is a kind and loving person who treats Pokémon well.

The man settled onto the sofa, and one of the Indeedees quickly brought him a cup of hot tea.

After taking a sip, he exhaled in satisfaction. The warmth spread through his body, chasing away the chill from the snowy journey.

"So, are you here to challenge the trail?" Naoki asked curiously.

The man hesitated slightly. A trial? Wasn't this supposed to be a ranch?

"I've heard of it before, but I don't know the details. Could you explain it to me?"

Naoki nodded. It wasn't uncommon for visitors to hear about his trials but not fully understand them.

"Of course! Currently, my ranch offers four trials:"

The Green Grass Trail is a battle against my Gogoat, testing endurance and adaptability.

The Lightning Trail, is a battle against my Pawmot, focusing on speed and strategy.

The Storm Trail is a battle against Dragonite, testing aerial combat skills.

The Metronome Trail is only for Pokémon that know Metronome! Victory depends entirely on luck!

Hearing this, the man suddenly realized that things seemed a little different from what he thought.

"Except for the Metronome Trial, you need to collect a certain number of Gym Badges before you can participate in the other trials," Naoki explained.

"The Green Grass Trial requires eight badges, while the Lightning and Storm Trials require four. Which one do you want to challenge?"

"There's a requirement like that?" The man raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Naoki sighed helplessly. "Yeah. If the difference in strength between Pokémon is too great, the battle won't be meaningful."

The man frowned slightly. A difference in strength? He was skeptical. After all, back in the day, he was a prodigy trainer, collecting all eight Gym Badges and even challenging the Champion level.

If that's the case, he should aim straight for the Green Grass Trial.

"Alright," Naoki nodded. "But you'll have to show your Gym Badges first."

The man looked a little embarrassed. "I wasn't aware of that rule. The eight badges I earned years ago are still at home—I didn't bring them with me."

Naoki: "…"

This was the first time he had encountered such a situation.

But considering the man's age, he definitely wasn't a rookie trainer fresh on his journey.

After a brief moment of thought, Naoki decided to trust him. "Alright, I'll make an exception this time."

The snowfall had finally stopped.

Naoki glanced up at the sky, then led the man to the designated battle area on the ranch.

As soon as they arrived, the man spotted three Gogoat lounging under the barn's overhang, lazily munching on berries.

His eyes widened slightly. He recalled the fresh Gogoat milk sold at the ranch's store.

"Wait… are these the same Gogoat that produce the milk you sell here?" he asked curiously.

Naoki was slightly taken aback by the question, but he nodded. "Yeah. They're responsible for producing the milk. The Gogoat milk sold at the ranch comes from them."

The man furrowed his brows. Instinctively, he assumed that Pokémon used for production work weren't battle-ready.

Just dairy Pokémon? How strong could they possibly be?

"Do you have any stronger Pokémon?" The man crossed his arms. "You were a traveling trainer before, weren't you? Why don't you bring out your strongest lineup and have a real Pokémon battle with me?"

Naoki blinked, a large mental question mark forming over his head.

'This guy talks big!'

Trying to be tactful, he responded, "My Gogoat is one of my strongest Pokémon."

Aside from the legendary Pokémon on the ranch, Gogoat ranked among the top in terms of battle strength.

The man, however, shook his head. "That won't be an issue for me. Your rules don't apply to someone like me. I earned my eight Gym Badges over thirty years ago."

His tone was confident, bordering on arrogant.

Naoki: "…"

"To be honest, the stronger Pokémon are part of the ranch's hidden trials," Naoki explained. "If you want to challenge them, you need to first pass the three basic trials."

The man's interest was immediately piqued. "Then let me see your strength first!"

The two trainers took their positions at opposite ends of the battlefield. Naoki didn't bother clearing the snow; instead, he used the natural terrain to create a snow-covered battlefield.

Naoki sent out his Gogoat, while the man released a Pokémon resembling a masked warrior.

It was a Lokix—ready to fight with its blazing speed and powerful legs!

Lokix wasted no time, its piercing cry cutting through the air as it leaped high, aiming a powerful aerial attack at Gogoat.

Yet, Gogoat remained calm, its unwavering eyes showing no trace of panic.

Naoki had already seen the flaw in Lokix's attack. He gave a quiet command: "Aerial Ace."

In the next instant, Gogoat's movements became swift and precise, darting to the side just in time.

Lokix immediately pursued, but it failed to realize that this was a feint. As it adjusted its trajectory for a follow-up strike, it was already too late!

Using its nimble footwork to lure Lokix into a misstep, Gogoat's horns began to glow with a brilliant, milky-white aura.

The energy formed into a sharp blade of wind, slicing through the air—and striking Lokix head-on!

The man's eyes widened in shock. "Impossible! How is that Gogoat this fast?!"

Though taken aback, he quickly regained composure and called out a new command. "Low Sweep!"

Despite being knocked down, Lokix remained composed. It braced itself against the snow, then used its powerful legs to spring up and sweep Gogoat's legs from beneath.

"Yes! That's it!" The man's excitement grew as he watched his move successfully land.

But in the very next second, he witnessed something terrifying.

A vibrant green aura burst forth from Gogoat's body, spreading like a shimmering dome over the battlefield.

"What… is that?!" The man's eyes widened in disbelief.

Sensing the shift in power, Lokix immediately tensed, scanning its surroundings for an opening.

Naoki gave a simple command. "Gogoat, use it now."

"Meaaaa!"

Gogoat let out a deep, commanding cry. Its stance shifted, lowering slightly as dazzling green energy rapidly condensed within its mouth—forming a massive, holy blade of grass.

The man's face paled. "What move is that?!"

Realizing the imminent danger, he shouted desperately, "Lokix, dodge it—now!"

But it was already too late.

With one swift, fluid motion, Gogoat swung the Leaf Blade down with incredible force.

The massive wave of green energy surged forward, engulfing Lokix entirely.

BOOM!

The snow-covered battlefield exploded into a brilliant burst of light.

Lokix was sent flying backward, landing in the thick snow—completely unconscious.

Defeat.

The man stared in utter disbelief. He had completely underestimated this Gogoat.

These were just dairy Pokémon… weren't they?

But based on what he had just witnessed, the power Gogoat displayed was anything but ordinary.

Suddenly, the man found himself questioning everything he thought he knew.

"Unfortunately, you didn't pass the Green Grass Trial." Naoki shook his head regretfully.

Hearing this, the man snapped back to reality.

He looked at the boy across from him with a solemn expression, feeling an unexpected sense of embarrassment.

A few days ago, he had confidently declared that he would show this kid what a former Gym Leader was capable of.

Now?

"…"

After a moment of silence, the man clenched his fist and shook his head. "No, let's go again! I have stronger Pokémon!"

With that, he pulled out another Poké Ball.

A flash of white light revealed Armarouge, its crimson armor gleaming in the snow.

One minute later… Armarouge collapsed.

"One more time!"

Thirty seconds later… Wattrel fainted.

"No! I still have more Pokémon!"

Twenty seconds later… Espathra fell to the ground, unable to get up.

"I refuse to accept this!"

Fifteen seconds later… Magnezone hit the ground, sparks flickering from its body.

"…"

Five seconds later… Gastrodon was instantly knocked out.

At that moment, all six of the man's Pokémon had been defeated.

Gogoat had swept his entire team.

Even Naoki started to feel a little bad.

"Uh… Uncle, maybe we should just call it a day?" he suggested, feeling a little awkward.

Meanwhile, Indeedee stepped forward to give the defeated Pokémon some warm, Life Goat Milk.

The man's face darkened, his eyes twitching with frustration as he stormed away with his Pokémon in tow.

Naoki was left standing there, completely bewildered.

'What a strange guy…'

"Baa?" Gogoat also looked confused.

Naoki scratched his head, then decided to drop the matter. "You did great, buddy. Take a nice, long rest!" He patted Gogoat's head fondly before leading it back to the stable.

...

Later, back at the man's house…

"That kid was so rude!" the man grumbled, sinking onto the living room sofa.

His wife raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Oh? Is he a bad person?"

The man opened his mouth to respond—but then hesitated.

Now that he thought about it, aside from the Pokémon battle, the boy had been nothing but polite.

He had welcomed him in, offered him tea, and even taken good care of his Pokémon. Not to mention, every Pokémon at the ranch seemed to adore him.

That alone was enough proof that Naoki was a good person.

His wife immediately caught onto his hesitation. "You lost to him, didn't you?" she teased.

"…"

The man gritted his teeth in frustration. "That's not the point!" He clenched his fists.

"That brat only used ONE Pokémon to defeat my ENTIRE TEAM of SIX! That's just unfair!"

The woman burst out laughing. "You're the one who insisted on challenging him."

"And you're still laughing?" the man grumbled.

"Alright, alright," she said, gently patting his shoulder. "From the way you're reacting, I think he's actually a pretty good person."

She set down the scarf she had been knitting—woven with soft Ariados silk—and smiled thoughtfully.

"To be honest, I never cared if he was an amazing trainer or not. As long as he was kind and could take good care of our daughter, that would be enough for me."

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"But now, it turns out he's not only a great caretaker but also an incredibly skilled trainer. That's something to be happy about!"

She tilted her head slightly. "Besides, you didn't even tell him who you were when you showed up, did you?"

The man hesitated.

"…"

Thinking about how he had practically barged in and challenged the boy without any introduction made him feel beyond embarrassed.

"Stop talking. I need a moment to myself," he muttered, lying back on the couch and dramatically closing his eyes.

Seeing her husband sulk like this, the woman chuckled to herself.

Now she was even more curious about this young man named Naoki.

She, too, wanted to see what kind of person he was.

But with the New Year approaching, she knew there wouldn't be time for a visit.

"Forget it. I'll go in the spring," she decided.

Yes, once the snow melted and the flowers bloomed, she would bring some gifts and visit the ranch, pretending to be just a lost traveler.

...

Time passed quietly, and in the blink of an eye, the final day of the Alliance Calendar Year 200 arrived.

That morning, Naoki's Ranch was already buzzing with preparations for the New Year.

This marked Naoki's third year in this world, and the third year since he first met Cyclizar.

Before he knew it, another year had gone by.

It was almost their fourth anniversary together.

Thinking about it made him a little sentimental.

What was once an abandoned ranch had now transformed into a thriving Pokémon haven.

So many Pokémon had come to live here. Looking around his cozy home, Naoki felt a warm sense of accomplishment.

The Indeedee siblings were busy decorating the house with colorful ribbons and lights, filling the space with a festive atmosphere.

Ogerpon stood by the window, watching the snow with wide, starry eyes, a happy sparkle reflecting in the glass.

Cyclizar sat in front of the fireplace, carefully arranging its toys and scarves—all gifts that Naoki had bought for it.

Meanwhile, Koraidon hovered nearby, clearly envious of Cyclizar's growing collection of items.

Naoki sighed.

Koraidon had plenty of toys too… so why was it always eyeing Cyclizar's things?

"Raao?" Koraidon whined, nudging a scarf with its snout.

Naoki couldn't help but chuckle. "You're unbelievable."

In the corner, Pawmot sat between its parents, happily munching on a bowl of nuts and roasted chestnuts.

Today was New Year's Eve, so Naoki had traveled to the World Tree earlier to pick up Pawmot's parents and bring them home for the holiday.

Upstairs, the faint sounds of "Buyi! Buyi!" echoed, indicating that the Eevee family was playing together.

Downstairs, Dragonite and Dratini lounged on the floor, happily snacking on the fried fish Naoki had prepared for them.

And, as always, Calyrex sat on the couch, scrolling through its phone.

The once-reverend King of Galar had now completely become the King of Mobile Gaming.

Naoki shook his head in amusement.

Watching his Pokémon enjoy themselves, he couldn't help but smile.

Just then, a knock came at the door.

Naoki opened it to see Ivan, the town's postman, standing outside in the cold.

"Naoki! Got a letter for you!" Ivan grinned. "New Year's greetings from the whole town!"

Even in the freezing weather, Ivan's energy was as high as ever.

"Thanks for the hard work!" Naoki said with a warm smile, taking the stack of letters from him.

After exchanging New Year wishes, Ivan hurried off to deliver more letters to other ranches.

When Naoki opened the envelopes, he found a mix of messages inside.

Most were warm holiday greetings from the townspeople, wishing him a prosperous New Year.

Others were store announcements—notices from local merchants introducing new crops and flower seeds for the upcoming spring.

One flyer even read:

"New shipment arriving soon! If Naoki's Ranch needs anything, come visit our shop!"

Naoki chuckled softly as he set the letters aside.

...

Bonus Chapter @400 PS.

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