Pokemon: A New Path

Tera energy that connects time and space [517]

Whenever Naoki spoke, a faint smile remained on his face.

For some reason, some students at Naranja Academy found his smile unsettling.

They couldn’t quite put their finger on why, but there was something about it that sent a shiver down their spines—a strange, almost ominous feeling.

Yet, despite their unease, none of them dared to question it.

At that moment, Raifort clapped her hands, drawing their attention.

"Alright, alright, that's enough excitement for now. Naoki is here as a guest today, and I’ll be showing him around the academy."

Hearing this, the gathered students nodded in understanding.

After bidding Naoki goodbye, they reluctantly dispersed, already whispering among themselves about their next visit to his ranch.

With the crowd gone, Naoki and Raifort resumed their walk through the academy.

As they passed by groups of students chatting and laughing together, Raifort couldn't help but smile fondly.

"Ah, aren’t these kids adorable?" she mused. "Come to think of it, that’s one of the reasons I chose to stay here."

Naoki raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Wasn’t your main reason for being here to investigate the history and legends of Paldea?"

Raifort chuckled. "That was part of it! But now that the true forms of the Treasures of Ruin have been revealed, I don’t have much left to investigate. So, I figured I might as well stay on as a teacher."

Naoki nodded approvingly. "Not a bad choice."

"Oh, that reminds me!" Raifort suddenly exclaimed. "There's been a recent discovery of underwater ruins off the coast of Unova. Supposedly, a treasure trove of ancient artifacts has been excavated from the seafloor. I'm really tempted to head over there and investigate!"

Naoki's eyes narrowed slightly.

Underwater ruins?

A single thought flashed through his mind—Giovanni’s Plan.

If the timeline followed the one he knew, Team Rocket would soon launch their operations in Unova.

By this time next year, Giovanni would set his sights on capturing the Forces of Nature—Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus.

Using the Reveal Glass, an artifact obtained from the Unova ruins, Team Rocket would force the Legendary Pokémon into their Therian Forms, attempting to seize control over Unova.

Of course, in the end, Ash and Pikachu would stop them.

Knowing all of this, Naoki chose his words carefully.

"I wish you the best of luck on your expedition."

Raifort grinned. "Then I’ll take your well wishes to heart!"

As they continued through the academy, Naoki encountered many familiar figures.

Biology Teacher Jacq, Art Teacher Hassel, School Nurse Miriam

While Naoki recognized them all, none of them had any clue who he was.

After a quick round of introductions, he exchanged polite greetings and let them go about their day.

During their conversations, Naoki also learned an interesting fact from Raifort.

Clavell was not the current director of Naranja Academy.

Instead, the principal was still Director Tyme, which meant that Team Star’s rebellion had not yet taken place.

If Tyme hadn’t resigned, then Clavell would never have taken her place.

Likewise, Penny, Nemona, Arven, and Juliana had yet to enroll.

That meant the events surrounding Area Zero and the collapse of the Great Crater's security were still far in the future.

Naoki recalled the tragic fate of Professors Sada and Turo.

He had once tried to alter their destiny, but whether he had succeeded or not remained unknown.

If he had failed, then history would proceed as expected.

Arven would lose his parents.

But if he had somehow changed their fate…

What would happen then?

Naoki sighed internally. There was no way to predict the future.

All he could do was live in the present and wait.

Speaking of Arven, Naoki suddenly realized that he hadn’t seen him in a long time.

With Raifort's teacher authority, he asked her to locate Arven.

When they finally found him, Arven was sitting alone on a bench in the academy courtyard, quietly reading a book.

Beside him, Mabosstiff lay loyally at his feet, watching over him in silence.

Seeing this scene, Raifort raised an eyebrow.

"You know that kid?"

Naoki nodded before stepping forward, Koraidon following close behind.

"Long time no see, Arven!"

At the sound of Naoki’s voice, Arven looked up.

For a brief moment, his face filled with surprise, as if he hadn’t expected to see Naoki at the academy.

"Mr. Naoki?!"

Naoki nodded slightly, offering a warm smile. "Yes, it's me. It’s been a while since you last visited the ranch."

Arven looked a little flustered, hesitating before giving an excuse.

"I... I've been really busy with schoolwork lately, so I haven’t had time to visit, Mr. Naoki."

Naoki immediately saw through the excuse, but he didn’t call him out on it.

Instead, he chuckled and reassured him, "That’s alright. Just remember to stop by for a few days once you're free!"

Hearing those words, Arven—who had long grown accustomed to being ignored by his parents—felt a warmth he hadn't experienced in a long time.

For a moment, his mouth opened as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he simply nodded.

"Alright, I’ll visit after I finish this course."

Naoki smiled. "That’s the spirit! No need to be so formal—after all, I’ve watched you grow up!"

He raised a hand and gestured with his fingers. "Back when I first met you, you were only this tall. And now, look at you—you've grown so much!"

Arven felt his eyes sting slightly, but he quickly looked down, blinking to hold back the sudden rush of emotion.

Naoki gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"Alright, I won’t disturb your reading. Keep up the hard work!"

"Yeah!" Arven nodded firmly.

Naoki turned and walked away with Koraidon, but deep down, he already understood the situation.

It was obvious—Professor Sada and Professor Turo had once again prioritized their re

"That book… may I take a look?"

The girl hesitated only briefly before handing it over.

"Of course."

Sada took it carefully, her curiosity piqued more than ever.

Sada’s gaze sharpened as she flipped through the pages of the mysterious book.

"It details everything about Area Zero. Even the awakening of Terapagos?"

Her voice was filled with curiosity and disbelief.

"Who exactly is the author of this book? Briar...?"

Hearing the name, the girl beside Koraidon nodded eagerly.

"She’s a teacher!"

Sada’s eyes widened slightly.

"Huh? A teacher?"

Of all the people she had expected, this wasn’t one of them.

"Other than me, only the League should have access to Area Zero."

The other girl quickly interjected.

"No! Professor Briar has never been inside Area Zero."

She clutched the book tightly, her expression filled with admiration.

"This book was written after she met a truly incredible trainer!"

Sada frowned slightly.

"A trainer?"

The girl with Terapagos nodded firmly.

"Yes! He was the one who stopped the Paradox Pokémon outbreak and saved all of Paldea!"

The weight of her words settled in the air. Sada’s expression turned serious.

"And who exactly is this trainer?"

Just as the girl opened her mouth to answer, the Tera energy in the air flickered violently.

A strange pulse of light rippled through the area. Sada instantly noticed the change.

Then, the girl’s voice rang out:

"He’s my dad!"

But by the time the words reached the air, Sada was gone.