Naoki left Zacian and Zamazenta in Calyrex's care, asking him to guide the two Pokémon around the ranch.

He himself set off for the World Tree.

He had received a message from Red.

The New Year was approaching in this world, and as Red watched the snow fall, a wave of homesickness washed over him.

His training here was almost complete, and he was ready to return home.

When Naoki arrived at the World Tree, he found Red standing at its peak, gazing out over the snowy landscape in the distance.

Red had been training here for quite some time.

His title as the greatest Trainer in the Pokémon world was well-earned, he had defeated Mewtwo, Kyurem, and Ho-Oh, and even Articuno and Moltres had fallen before him.

Though he had suffered losses against Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza's, those battles only further proved the level of his strength.

As these thoughts ran through his mind, Naoki called out, "Are you going back?"

Red turned to look at him.

"…"

There was a moment of silence before Red gave a short nod.

He stepped forward with Pikachu at his side and held something out.

Naoki looked down and was surprised, it was the notebook Red had asked him for months ago.

The cover was worn, the pages clearly well-used. Naoki had assumed Red had been filling it with research notes about the Pokémon living in the World Tree, intending to bring the information back to Professor Oak.

But now, it seemed he had been wrong.

"What is this?"

Naoki took the notebook and flipped it open, only to find it packed with battle strategies, training techniques, and detailed tips for raising Pokémon.

Then Red spoke, his voice slightly awkward. "…These are some of my experiences. Think of it as a thank-you."

Naoki's breath caught.

This was champion-level training knowledge.

For a young Trainer just starting their journey, this would save years of trial and error.

Its value was beyond measure, both as a guide and as a keepsake.

"…Goodbye," Red said softly.

He glanced at Naoki one last time, then turned, walking with Pikachu towards the gate in the heart of the Expeditionary Guild.

Naoki didn't try to stop him. He knew Red had his own home, his own family. And with winter deepening and the year drawing to a close, it was only natural for such thoughts to stir in his heart.

He simply stood and watched him leave.

Just before Red stepped through the gate, a sudden gust of wind blew past, knocking his hat from his head.

Naoki flinched and instinctively moved to catch it, but in the next instant, Red disappeared into the glowing portal.

Naoki hurried forward, but he was too late.

Left standing there, he looked down at the hat in his hands, a bittersweet smile forming.

He took it home and hung it on the wall.

...

The Lunar New Year was approaching, and the Great Hero Expedition Team had returned from their travels. This year's celebration was more festive than ever.

Not only was Naoki's family gathered, but also the Pokémon that Mew and Teddiursa had invited back from outside, and even the Hoopa had come to join in the fun.

Through one of Hoopa's shimmering rings stepped Meray and Baraz, visiting the ranch to see Naoki.

They were joined by Zacian and Zamazenta, as well as the three Legendary Beasts.

On New Year's Eve, Naoki and Iono led the ranch Pokémon in setting off fireworks that lit up the snowy sky.

Cheers of "Happy New Year!" rang out as the League Calendar's year 204 came to a close.

Once the festivities ended, the Great Hero Expedition Team set out once more on their adventures.

Naoki, as always, remained at the ranch to care for Elara and the Pokémon, occasionally taking time to attend classes at Blueberry Academy.

His days were simple but filled with happiness.

The 205th year of the League Calendar passed quietly, without any major upheavals. For most people, life carried on as usual.

Nemona had claimed the title of Champion and, just like when they were kids, would often stop by the ranch to challenge Naoki to battles.

Arven continued his studies at Paldea Academy, and Naoki would sometimes call him or invite him over for a day at the ranch, a way to check in while giving him a break from school life.

After returning from a well-earned rest in Alola, Ash set off on yet another journey. Eventually, he competed in the Masters Eight Tournament and emerged victorious.

Lillie's own journey came to a heartfelt milestone when she finally found her father in the Galar region.

Elsewhere, Alder announced his retirement, passing the title of Champion to the rising Dragon-type prodigy, Iris.

Ash, however, didn't choose to settle down as he had in the anime. Instead, he prepared for yet another adventure, this time heading to the Paldea region.

He had a promise to keep with Naoki.

In the blink of an eye, the calendar turned to the year 206.

By this time, Elara was four years old.

Naoki, now twenty-eight, found himself brushing against the edges of a subtle midlife crisis.

Not that he let it bother him. He kept to his usual daily rhythm, sharing meals, relaxing, and, most importantly, teasing his daughter.

Often, his antics would push Elara to tears, sending her running off in protest, crying, "I'm not talking to you anymore, Daddy!"

But if Naoki left her alone too long, she'd quietly peek around the doorway to check on him.

Sometimes, when Naoki had to deliver an order to a nearby town, Elara would sit under the eaves with the Pokémon, patiently waiting for her father to return.

Whenever Naoki came home to see that sight, his heart would warm.

Watching Elara grow a little taller and a little stronger each day filled him with a quiet, inexplicable pride.

This was his daughter, his mark on this world.

Like many children in the Pokémon world, once she reached a certain age, she began to develop a fascination with Pokémon and the life of a Trainer.

Elara was no exception.

One sunny afternoon, after watching a battle on TV, she climbed onto the coffee table and declared with a proud grin, "Dad, I'm going to go on a journey and become the world's strongest Trainer!"

"…Get off the coffee table first," Naoki said, one eyebrow twitching.

Elara hopped down without argument.

Naoki crouched down to meet her gaze. "Becoming a Trainer is hard work, and life in the wild can be dangerous, especially since you're not even ten yet."

The three Legendary Beasts immediately spoke up. "We can protect Elara."

Naoki shot them a sharp look, the kind that clearly said, 'You're just spoiling her.'

The three fell silent.

Iono chimed in, "That's right. Out there, you'll be caring for your Pokémon every single day, no matter the weather. And if you get sick, there won't be anyone to look after you."

Naoki folded his arms and said, "And if you can't even take care of yourself right now, what's going to happen to Larvesta?"

Elara glanced at the Larvesta beside her, a troubled look crossing her face.

Naoki and Iono didn't press the matter, giving her a moment to think it over.

After a short pause, Elara's eyes lit up. "Then I'll start learning how to take care of myself! Once I learn, I can go on a journey, right?"

She looked up at Naoki expectantly.

"That depends on how well you do," Naoki replied, handing her a notebook. "You might not be able to travel yet, but you can start by learning how to care for Pokémon now.

"This was left behind by an older brother. It's filled with methods for raising Pokémon and tips for leading battles. You can study it, and have Rotom read it to you. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask Rotom, me, or your mother."

Elara took the notebook eagerly. "Is that older brother really strong? What kind of person is he?"

"Of course. He's a powerful Champion," Naoki said with a smile.

"Wow!" Elara gasped, clutching the notebook as if it were a treasure. Without another word, she dashed off to her room, ready to begin her studies.

Iono raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it a little early to be letting her dive into this?"

"It's fine," Naoki said. "It won't hurt her to try."

"That's true," Iono agreed.

...

Meanwhile, deep within the Great Crater of Paldea, at the Fourth Research Station.

Professor Turo and Professor Sada stared at the surveillance screens, their expressions tense.

Roaring Moon, Flutter Mane, Scream Tail, Brute Bonnet, Sandy Shocks, Iron Thorns, Iron Valiant.

Countless Paradox Pokémon were in a frenzied rampage.

"What in the world is going on?" Professor Turo murmured.

These Pokémon were usually calm and behaved like any other wild Pokémon, yet now they were in total chaos.

"It's not just here at the Fourth Research Station," Professor Sada said sharply. "We've detected massive Paradox Pokémon activity at the Third, Second, and even First Research Stations!" She turned toward their AI assistant. "AI, calculate the probability of this happening."

"Yes!" The AI's systems whirred as it sifted through every monitoring log in the facility. After a long pause, its synthesized voice answered, "It appears the excessive number of Paradox Pokémon in Area Zero has disrupted the ecosystem's balance."

"How could this happen?" Professor Turo muttered.

They had always kept the Paradox Pokémon population under strict control.

Suddenly, Professor Sada's eyes widened. "Oh no, we've been spotted!"

On one of the screens, a Slither Wing was flying rapidly toward their location, its entire body glowing like a blazing sun.

Its movements made it clear, it had locked onto them, and it was about to strike.

The two tried to take cover, but it was already too late.

A blinding beam of light burst forth, and in an instant, the ground trembled violently beneath them.

BOOM!

The laboratory's stored energy was struck head-on, and a massive pillar of flame erupted, scorching the air.

"Danger!" Dr. Turo cried, throwing himself forward to shield his wife.

But before he could fully react, a deafening explosion roared in his ears, the force rattling his skull.

A massive shockwave and searing flames surged through the facility.

"Koraidon!" Dr. Sada shouted.

Seeing the golden Pokémon closest to the energy tank about to be consumed by the blast, Dr. Sada dashed forward at the last second, throwing herself protectively in front of it.

Dr. Turo, without hesitation, lunged to shield his wife in turn.

BOOM!

In a single, thunderous blast, both were engulfed in a wall of fire and force.

High above, the Iron Moth's glowing eyes flashed yellow. Confirming there were no signs of life below, it hovered silently for a moment, then turned and drifted away into the smoky air.

It was impossible to tell how much time had passed before the flames that had consumed Observation Station Four finally began to die down.

From the charred ruins, a trembling, dust-covered Koraidon.

Inside the main control room of the Area Zero Research Institute, Sada AI and Turo AI froze in shock as the alert from Station Four came through.

Moments later, they watched the events unfold on the surveillance feed, Dr. Sada and Dr. Turo, giving their lives to protect Koraidon.

Though they were artificial intelligences, they had shared a genuine bond with their human counterparts. Seeing that sacrifice struck them with a quiet, heavy grief.

But the moment to mourn was short-lived.

The feeds from across the crater told a grim story: the entire Great Crater of Paldea was in chaos.

Dozens of Paradox Pokémon had already broken through the defenses at the crater's rim, spilling into the surrounding Paldea region.

Meanwhile, the time machine deep within Area Zero continued to operate, relentlessly summoning more Paradox Pokémon from both ancient and future timelines into the present day.

If this continued, not only the crater, but the entire Paldea region would be plunged into disaster.

The time machine had to be shut down.

However, as AIs, they were bound by strict programming, the Paradise Defense Protocol would treat anyone attempting to disable the time machine as a hostile target.

In seconds, both AIs began calculating possible solutions: they needed someone capable of halting the Paradox Pokémon rampage, shutting down the time machine, and trusted enough by the original professors to handle their legacy.

The Institute's supercomputer sifted through every file, searching for the ideal candidate.

It didn't take long before a single name and face appeared on their internal display.

Naoki, the champion trainer who had stopped world-ending crises more than once, the man who had bested the world's greatest in battle, and someone who had already explored Area Zero under the professors' guidance.

In all of Paldea, there was no one more qualified.

Sada AI reached for Professor Sada's old communicator and initiated the call.

A moment later, the familiar face appeared on the screen.

Naoki's calm eyes met hers as Sada AI spoke, her voice firm but edged with urgency.

"Naoki… please come to the Area Zero Research Institute. We need your help."