Pokemon: A New Path-Giratina’s Online Fame: Pokémon Influencer #1[544]

In the Paldea Pokémon League's main office:

Geeta, who always appreciated talented trainers, scrolled through the news on her computer screen.

She paused, clicking on a zoomed-in image of Alcremie and Farfetch'd.

"Hmm…?" Geeta narrowed her eyes thoughtfully and turned to Rika beside her. "Don't these two Pokémon look somewhat familiar?"

Rika glanced at the screen briefly, then shook her head, puzzled. "I don't think I've ever seen them."

"You're probably right," Geeta nodded thoughtfully. After all, Rika hadn't visited that ranch many times.

"What?" Rika asked curiously, slightly confused. "Chief, have you figured something out?"

"Just a suspicion, nothing confirmed yet," Geeta smiled mysteriously, standing up. "I have something I need to verify personally, so I'll leave the league affairs in your capable hands for a bit~"

With that, Geeta left the office swiftly and boarded her private helicopter, heading straight for Naoki's Ranch.

Left behind, Rika stared at the mountain of paperwork piled on her desk.

Rika: "…"

...

An hour later, Geeta's helicopter landed gracefully on the lush, green grass of Naoki's Ranch. The sleek aircraft quickly caught the attention of a curious crowd of Pokémon, who paused their activities to gaze at the unusual visitor.

Geeta stepped down elegantly, wearing a warm smile.

Nearby, Naoki stood in the garden, wearing a simple farmer's outfit with a straw hat and a gardening apron, leisurely watering flowers with a Psyduck-shaped watering can.

His appearance was exactly that of a peaceful countryside farmer.

Geeta narrowed her eyes playfully.

Noticing the unexpected visitor, Naoki turned around in surprise, greeting her warmly. "Champion Geeta? To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit today?"

"It's been a while since we last met, so I decided to check in on you," Geeta replied with a pleasant smile.

Despite her casual words, her eyes subtly scanned the ranch, carefully observing each Pokémon lounging under the gentle sunlight, clearly searching for something—or someone—in particular.

Naoki instantly sensed her hidden intentions, feeling a surge of nervousness.

Damm it! Geeta must've guessed that he was the mysterious Cyclizar Mask who appeared in Alola!

Thankfully, he had already prepared for this possibility.

He pretended to be oblivious, sighing in relief inwardly while maintaining a puzzled expression. "What's the matter? Champion, is something wrong?"

"Nothing, really," Geeta said casually. "I just noticed some new Pokémon seem to have joined your ranch."

"Oh yes!" Naoki quickly responded, directing her gaze toward four uniquely majestic Pokémon resting nearby. "They're called Wo-Chien, Chien-Pao, Chi-Yu, and Ting-Lu—the Treasures of Ruin."

Geeta examined the extraordinary creatures with genuine curiosity. "They look incredibly special."

"They are indeed," Naoki nodded. "These legendary Pokémon date back to ancient Paldea. They were sealed away due to certain incidents in the past."

"Treasures of Ruin…" Geeta murmured thoughtfully. However, she quickly remembered the real reason behind her visit.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

"By the way, a friend of mine recently caught an Alcremie and asked me for some advice about raising it. You're the only trainer I know personally who owns an Alcremie, so I thought I'd come ask you directly." Geeta said convincingly, as if this "friend" truly existed.

Naoki: "…"

Friend, huh?

Naoki immediately saw through Geeta's little act but had no choice but to pretend otherwise, appearing awkward as he replied, "But my Alcremie is just specialized in making sweets, not battling."

"…"

Geeta couldn't maintain her façade any longer, giving a knowing smile. "According to my sources, your ranch hosts an Alcremie-led Metronome tournament. And coincidentally, the Alcremie that fought in the Battle Royal Dome was also very skilled with Metronome."

"Hmm? Is all of this just a coincidence, Gold King?" Geeta asked playfully.

Naoki: "…"

What else could he say?

He quickly defended himself, insisting that Alola and Paldea were so far apart, how could he possibly travel back and forth in such a short time? Besides, hadn't he been peacefully watering flowers here at the ranch all along?

However, Geeta wasn't easily fooled.

Very few people in Paldea knew the name "Gold King," and Geeta, being the region's champion, was among the select few who did.

Seeing Naoki's nervous reaction, Geeta decided to be direct: "Was that you?"

She knew well that only a handful of individuals in Paldea recognized the name Gold King.

Naoki shook his head stubbornly: "It's not me."

Yet, Geeta had seen enough. She had her answer.

Feeling satisfied, she smiled brightly: "Just as I thought! I never imagined Cyclizar Mask was actually one of our own Paldea trainers! Haha! This is definitely the best news I've heard all week!"

Naoki sighed, resigned: "It's really not me."

Geeta raised an eyebrow, momentarily questioning her instincts. However, one glance at Koraidon's guilty expression beside Naoki instantly erased her doubts.

She realized Naoki wished to keep his identity secret. A little surprised, but understanding, Geeta decided to respect his choice.

"All right, all right, it's not you," she conceded.

But she quickly changed the topic, adding teasingly, "But suppose Paldea ever encounters a crisis similar to what happened in Hoenn—would you lend us your strength?"

Naoki paused for a moment, puzzled. To his knowledge, Paldea had no dangerous legendary Pokémon threatening it, and the Paldean League was capable enough without needing his assistance.

Seeing his hesitation, Geeta smiled reassuringly, "Just hypothetically speaking!"

Naoki gave a gentle sigh. "Well, even though I'm not this Gold King you're thinking of, if something like that ever did happen, I'd certainly do my best to help."

Geeta appeared very satisfied with his answer.

"Just be careful next time you play hero," she advised kindly. "If your identity gets exposed, your peaceful ranch might become overcrowded with enthusiastic fans!"

Naoki felt a headache coming on just thinking about it. He remembered seeing the Battle Royal Dome packed with enthusiastic fans on TV and was relieved he had left when he did.

"Don't worry though—the Paldea League will help you keep it under wraps," Geeta reassured him kindly.

Naoki: "…"

"Hmm, but speaking of this," Geeta continued thoughtfully, "today's conversation made me think of something else."

"What's that?" Naoki asked curiously.

"Well, imagine if you took Calyrex and Giratina to represent Paldea in the Pokémon World Championships or the Masters Eight. You'd easily claim victory!" Geeta envisioned, eyes sparkling with excitement.

Just imagining being able to proudly announce the world's strongest trainer was from Paldea made Geeta beam with delight. Oh, how wonderful that would be!

Lost briefly in her fantasies, Geeta laughed happily, "Wouldn't that be fantastic?"

"Stop, stop!" Naoki hastily interrupted her daydreaming, shaking his head gently.

"I'm not that Gold King"

"Sure~~~"

'If I took Giratina and Calyrex to compete, would anyone else even stand a chance?'

Geeta sighed slightly, disappointed but understanding.

But as long as Naoki stayed in Paldea, she was satisfied enough.

"Oh, by the way, how are things going between you and Iono lately? Have you two considered when you'll get married?" Geeta asked with a mischievous smile.

Naoki sighed inwardly—here we go again.

Smiling back, he calmly replied, "We're not in a rush, but speaking of marriage, Champion Geeta, aren't you also unmarried?"

Geeta brushed it off lightly. "Well, I still have plenty of work left to do. But you're a different story! When the day comes, expect a generous gift from me!"

Naoki felt he already had everything he needed and didn't take Geeta's playful promise too seriously.

As Geeta reassured him once more about the Paldea League's willingness to protect his identity, Naoki gratefully accepted her offer.

Soon, Geeta had to leave, hopping onto her helicopter after their short chat.

Left alone at the ranch, Naoki gazed thoughtfully up into the clear, blue sky, Geeta's words gently echoing in his mind.

Get married… marry Iono, build a family together, run the ranch hand-in-hand, care for Pokémon side by side, and grow old together. Just imagining it made Naoki feel as if life would be complete.

Naoki suddenly found himself missing Iono.

But then again, wasn't there supposed to be a proposal first?

He recalled how, in the anime, Professor Kukui romantically proposed to Professor Burnet.

Since Iono was the one who confessed first, it was only fair that this time he should be the one to propose.

Deciding firmly, Naoki planned to propose to Iono once the matter involving Giratina and Arceus was resolved.

As for the ring… Naoki suddenly remembered the mega stone Steven had given him. It would make a perfect centerpiece for the ring!

...

Meanwhile, in the Distortion World:

On the serene Flower Sky Island, Giratina lay sprawled comfortably amidst vibrant flowers, lazily crushing petals beneath its large form.

With eyes half-closed, Giratina opened its mouth to bite into a juicy berry. Sweet juice burst forth, filling it with sheer delight and contentment.

Floating excitedly before Giratina, Rotom Phone energetically reported their growing popularity.

"Great news, Rotom! Your fan count has increased again! You gained 1,380,000 new fans today alone!"

"You've officially taken first place in the online rankings, surpassing everyone, Rotom!"

"We did it, Rotom!"

Hmph, Giratina thought proudly, clearly satisfied. Of course it was popular; after all, it was now officially the world's number one Pokémon!

"Rotom, read some comments from my human admirers!" Giratina instructed.

"Right away, Rotom!" Rotom eagerly replied, equally thrilled by their newfound fame.

"Here's a comment from user 'CutePikachu': 'Ah, Giratina is incredible! Definitely the strongest Pokémon I've ever seen!"

"Continue," Giratina said cheerfully, soaking in the praise. See? Even humans recognized its strength!

"Got it! Here's another from user 'PokeFanatic17': 'OMG! Giratina is amazing! It even uses a Rotom Phone just like people! Followed instantly—please post more selfies, Giratina, I'm your biggest fan!"

Hmph! This human sure was bold, immediately asking for selfies. Did they think Giratina was such a casual Pokémon?

Ignoring the overly enthusiastic request, Giratina simply munched on another sweet apple and closed its eyes comfortably, lounging in the soft flowers.

"Keep reading," it lazily commanded Rotom Phone.

"Right away, Rotom!"