At first, the Vulpix kits were a little reserved, but the moment they took a bite of the pokéblocks, their eyes lit up instantly.
Their six little tails wagged happily as they began devouring the treats with enthusiasm. While eating, they frequently turned their heads back toward Drake, tilting their small heads and flashing sweet, innocent smiles. Crumbs of the pokéblocks clung to the corners of their mouths.
Drake and his Pokémon could not help but laugh at how adorably clumsy the little ones looked.
Without hesitation, Drake pulled out several more boxes of pokéblocks from his backpack and handed them over.
"There's more if it's not enough. Don't rush, eat slowly."
At the same time, he also took out a few high-grade pokéblocks and offered them to the Alolan Ninetales.
Watching her children eat so happily, the hostility in Alolan Ninetales' eyes gradually faded.
She understood that a human who could casually offer such precious food to her and her children likely did not harbor malicious intent.
"What exactly do you want to say?" Alolan Ninetales spoke again, her tone noticeably gentler.
Drake organized his thoughts and replied seriously,
"I am an Elite Four member from the Hoenn League. This time, I came to Alola to understand the environment here, and…"
He paused briefly, then continued,
"I observed just now that you are different from other Totem Pokémon. As far as I know, most Totem Pokémon gain their aura through the blessings of the island's guardian deities, but you…"
Alolan Ninetales fell silent for a moment before responding through telepathy,
"I am not like them. I simply lived long enough, and it happened naturally."
"Long enough… how long?" Drake pressed.
"I cannot remember clearly. Perhaps… several hundred cycles of seasons."
Hearing this, Drake's heart stirred.
He did not fully understand how this Alolan Ninetales had become a Totem Pokémon, but if he could reach an agreement with her and have her assist the League in researching Z-Power, then his journey to Alola would be a complete success.
After thinking for a moment, Drake decided to bring up the League's newest discovery, Mega Evolution.
"What do you think of my Salamence?" he asked, pointing toward the Mega Salamence resting nearby. "The power it used just now is called Mega Evolution. It is a special energy recently discovered by our League."
"It does not require as much time as your Totem form to develop."
As he spoke, he continued persuading her,
"You spent so many years reaching your current state, but have you thought about your children's future? They cannot all follow the same path as you…"
"Our League is constantly researching Mega Evolution. Although we do not yet have data related to Ninetales, as long as you are willing to cooperate with us, I can guarantee that it will not take long before you and your descendants have the opportunity to access this power."
Alolan Ninetales' nine tails swayed gently, clearly showing signs of hesitation. After all, who would not want a better future for their children?
Seeing this, Drake immediately pressed forward while the moment was right. He pointed toward the red Vulpix nearby.
"And your children as well. You cannot keep them by your side forever."
"That red Vulpix is a Fire-type Pokémon. It is naturally suited to grow in warm environments. Living here in this frozen land only suppresses its potential."
"Look at it. It is clearly a Fire-type, yet it must constantly restrain its power. That is not good for its growth."
Alolan Ninetales looked at the little Fire-type Vulpix. She knew that the snowy mountain environment was indeed unsuitable for it. But letting it leave alone… she simply could not bring herself to feel at ease.
"What do you need me to do? Just say it directly," Alolan Ninetales finally asked.
"It is simple," Drake replied after organizing his thoughts.
"I hope you will relocate to our League's territory and cooperate with us in research. We want to study Z-Power and the nature of Totem Pokémon…"
"In return, our League will designate a suitable habitat for you and your family. We will also regularly provide you with pokéblocks like these."
He then pointed toward the red Vulpix and its Ice-type twin.
"In addition, I would like these two little ones to serve as witnesses of our cooperation and become partners to trainers from our League."
"We have excellent trainers who can help them grow. If we achieve breakthroughs in Mega Evolution research related to your species, they will be among the first to benefit."
"Do not misunderstand. I am not trying to separate you from your children. You can meet anytime through Poké Ball transfers, and you can even communicate using this."
He took out his pokéNav and waved it slightly.
"You can see them whenever you want."
Alolan Ninetales looked at her children, then at Drake's sincere expression. She fell into deep thought.
...
Petalburg City.
Sunlight filtered through the tree-lined streets, casting dappled shadows across the ground.
The day after the Gym battle, Theo arrived on time in front of a two-story house beside the Petalburg Gym.
The house was surrounded by lush greenery, with a yard filled with tropical flowers unique to the Hoenn region.
A wooden plaque at the entrance bore the words "Norman Family," giving off a warm and homely feeling.
Theo had brought carefully selected gifts with him.
A fruit basket for Norman and his wife, Caroline, and a beautifully packaged Treecko plush toy specially prepared for their son.
After ringing the doorbell, it did not take long before the door opened, revealing a small face wearing round glasses.
It was the boy who had cheered for Norman at the Gym the day before, his son, Max.
"Big Brother Theo!"
Max recognized him immediately. His eyes lit up as he quickly opened the door wider and greeted him excitedly,
"Dad said you would come today!"
Theo smiled as he handed over the Treecko plush he had been holding.
"You're Max, right? This is for you. Just a small gift, I hope you like it."
Max took the plush, and his eyes widened instantly in surprise.
"Wow! It's Treecko!"
He hugged the plush tightly and rubbed his cheek against it, his face full of joy.
"Big Brother Theo, how did you know Treecko is my favorite? I've always thought it's the coolest!"
"I guessed. Looks like I guessed right."
Theo smiled and gently ruffled his hair.
"Big Brother Theo, come in quickly!"
Max enthusiastically grabbed Theo's arm and pulled him inside, shouting as he walked,
"Dad! Mom! Big Brother Theo is here!"
For Theo, who had watched the Pokémon anime in his previous life, how could he not know that Max liked Treecko?
Following Max into the living room, Theo looked around. The house was warmly decorated, and many photos hung on the walls.
There were pictures of Norman challenging Gyms in his younger days, photos of May participating in Contest competitions, and one showing Max posing with a group of Pokémon, smiling brightly.
Theo handed the fruit basket to Caroline, who had just come out of the kitchen. She was wearing an apron and had a gentle smile on her face.
"Hello, Auntie. Sorry to disturb you."
"Please, have a seat. Norman is in the greenhouse garden at the back, he'll be back soon."
Caroline accepted the basket and smiled warmly.
"Max, pour some water for Theo."
"Okay!"
Max ran off to the kitchen and soon came back with a glass of juice, placing it on the coffee table in front of Theo.
His eyes were fixed on the Poké Balls at Theo's waist.
"Big Brother Theo, can you let your Pokémon out so I can see them? They look very different from the ones I've seen before. I want to take a closer look, is that okay?"
"Of course."
Theo smiled and tossed out his Poké Balls, releasing Metagross, Milotic, and Larvesta one by one.
Metagross still looked a bit sluggish when it first came out, but upon seeing the unfamiliar environment, it immediately became alert, scanning its surroundings with its crimson eyes full of vigilance.
Milotic gracefully glided into the open space in the living room, gently swaying its tail fin while controlling moisture in the air, subtly refreshing the entire room and making it feel even cleaner.
As for Larvesta, the moment it came out, it jumped onto the sofa and found a comfortable position to lie down, looking completely at ease.
"So this is the same shiny Metagross as Champion Steven's? Up close, it looks so beautiful. I remember it's Steel and Psychic type!"
Max adjusted his glasses and stood in front of Metagross. He cautiously reached out his hand, and only after seeing that Metagross did not avoid him did he gently touch its metallic body.
"It's so hard! Yesterday when it fought Dad's Slaking, it was super cool!"
Metagross seemed a little embarrassed by the praise. Its metal limbs shifted slightly as it let out a low hum.
"And Milotic, it's also a shiny one."
Max ran over to Milotic, his eyes sparkling.
"I've seen Champion Wallace's Milotic before, but its colors are different. The tail color is different, and the ribbons on its head too… but both are equally beautiful. I love them!"
Milotic seemed a bit shy after being praised so earnestly by a child. It gently brushed its tail fin against Max's arm, making him giggle.
Finally, Max's gaze fell on Larvesta. He took out his Pokédex and pointed it at the small Pokémon.
"It's not in the Pokédex… what kind of Pokémon is this?"
"It's called Larvesta. It's a Fire and Bug type. It's not native to the Hoenn region, but comes from the Unova region."
Theo explained patiently.
"It will probably appear in the Pokédex after some time, once our League formally establishes ties with Unova and the data gets updated."
"Larvesta?"
Max repeated the name, reaching out his finger to touch it, but hesitated midway, his hand hovering in the air.
Seeing this, Larvesta took the initiative and rubbed against his palm. Warmth spread through Max's hand, and he could not help but smile.
"So warm! It feels even better than my sister's Torchic when it was little. Too bad my sister went to Johto, otherwise she would definitely love Larvesta too."
Seeing how friendly Larvesta was, Max quickly began playing with it on the sofa.
While Max and Larvesta were playing, the sound of footsteps came from outside.
Soon, Norman walked in, wearing a light brown casual jacket. He had just come back from the greenhouse, with a bit of soil still on his sleeves, but his face carried a warm smile.
"Dad!"
The moment Max saw him, he jumped off the sofa, pulling Larvesta along as he ran over.
"Look! This is Big Brother Theo's Larvesta. Its antennae can shoot fire!"
As he spoke, he winked at Larvesta.
Larvesta immediately understood and chirped happily. The five antennae around its head suddenly burst into small flames before fading into sparks, like a tiny magic trick.
"Oh? That's pretty impressive."
Norman smiled as he patted Max's head, then turned his gaze toward Theo and sat down on the sofa opposite him.
"Sorry about that. This kid is just too fascinated with Pokémon. Whenever he sees a new one, he can't take his eyes off it."
His gaze swept over Metagross, Milotic, and Larvesta, and a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes.
"You've raised your Pokémon very well. Whether it's their condition or your coordination with them, it's clear that you take great care of them."
Being praised by Norman made Theo feel a bit happy.
"You're too kind, Gym Leader. I still have a lot to learn from you."
At that moment, Caroline came over with a plate of sliced fruit and placed it on the coffee table.
"Here, try this. These are mangoes grown in the greenhouse out back. They were picked this morning, very sweet. May used to love these the most when she was at home."
Theo picked up a slice and took a bite. The sweet juice burst across his tongue, carrying a faint, refreshing fragrance.
"It tastes amazing, Auntie. Greenhouse-grown fruit really is different."
"If you like it, have more."
Caroline smiled.
"Speaking of which, it would be nice if May were home. She called not long ago and said she has already earned two ribbons in the Contest competitions in Johto."
"She admires you a lot. She said your performances gave her many new ideas, and she really wants to see your Contest battles in person."
"She even said that if she had the chance, she would love to compete alongside you."
Theo smiled.
"Miss May is giving me too much credit. In Contests, she's my senior. I'm also looking forward to the chance to compete with her."
"You're being too modest, Theo."
Norman picked up a piece of mango and spoke in a serious tone.
"I've seen your Contest performances. Whether it's Milotic controlling raindrops or Larvesta embodying a blazing sun, they are both incredibly creative ideas."
"People are already saying that you are the most promising dark horse in this year's Contest scene, a genius Coordinator who might win the championship right from your debut."
…
(End of Chapter)