When Naoki received the bouquet of flowers from his Pokémon, his face lit up with surprise and delight.
“For ?” he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
“Pon!”
“Pawmot!”
“Awoo!”
The Pokémon nodded eagerly, their faces glowing with happy, expectant smiles.
Naoki stared at the bouquet in his hands. Never in his life had he imagined he’d be on the receiving end. To him, bouquets were gifts reserved for girlfriends, wives, mothers, or teachers. But here he was, holding a beautiful arrangent from the Pokémon he had raised and cared for.
Deeply moved, Naoki reached out and patted each Pokémon on the head, hugging them one by one. Their thoughtfulness filled him with warmth, and for a mont, he felt like the luckiest man alive.
“You’re all amazing!” he said with genuine affection, his voice brimming with gratitude. The Pokémon bead at the praise, their tails wagging and their eyes sparkling.
As Naoki made his way back to the living room, his steps were lighter, and a cheerful tune escaped his lips. He held the bouquet close, determined to place it in the most prominent spot in the house. Though flowers may wither, the bond he shared with his Pokémon was eternal.
However, as Naoki’s gaze swept over the bouquet, a curious string of information surfaced in his mind.
[Gracidea: A rare and precious flower. When given to a Pokémon, it can alter its form. Humans often gift it in bouquets to express gratitude on significant occasions like birthdays or anniversaries.]
“Gracidea?” Naoki murmured, his brow furrowing slightly.
Wasn’t that Shaymin’s favorite flower? His mind raced with mories of the mythical Pokémon of the Sinnoh region. Shaymin, known for its unique ability to purify the atmosphere and transform barren lands into lush flower beds, was a Pokémon steeped in legends of gratitude and renewal.
Naoki recalled the Sinnoh region’s lore: Shaymin was said to appear during celebrations marking the change of seasons, filling the earth with blossoms as a symbol of gratitude to the heavens. Among all flowers, Shaymin favored the Gracidea, which enabled it to shift from its Land For to its Sky For.
A thought struck Naoki like lightning. If Shaymin migrated when the Gracidea blood, what if he planted a field of these flowers on his ranch? Would it attract a wild Shaymin?
His heart raced with excitent, but a glance outside reminded him of the current season. Autumn had painted the landscape golden, and winter’s icy grip was just around the corner. It wasn’t the right ti to sow Gracidea seeds. He’d have to wait for spring and sumr, the seasons when the flowers thrived.
Smiling to himself, Naoki made a ntal note to prepare for next spring. For now, he had other matters to attend to.
Heading upstairs, Naoki powered on his computer and logged into the Pokémon forums. Opening a private chat with Raifort, he eagerly shared the news of Gholdengo’s evolution.
Raifort’s response ca quickly.
“Congratulations, Naoki! I’d love to see Gholdengo with my own eyes soday. Right now, I’m investigating the location of the shrines where the Treasures of Ruin are sealed. Let’s collaborate again when the opportunity arises.”
Naoki replied with a simple, “Sounds good!” before logging off.
Then, he called the owner of the antique shop in the town and told him the news.
As promised, Naoki arranged for Gholdengo to et the antique shop owner during his afternoon trip to town for groceries.
The mont Gholdengo entered the antique shop, the shopkeeper’s eyes widened with awe. He paced around Gholdengo, his excitent palpable.
“It’s incredible... This is Gholdengo!” the shopkeeper exclaid, his voice almost trembling.
He circled the Pokémon, marveling at its golden, radiant body. “This golden sheen, this brilliant glow, this powerful stance—what an absolutely perfect Pokémon!”
He paused dramatically, his eyes gleaming. “My life is complete now that I’ve seen Gholdengo!”
Naoki couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Isn’t that a bit over the top?”
“Not at all!” The shopkeeper’s tone was firm, his admiration unwavering. “It’s been a millennium since the last sighting of Gholdengo, the richest Pokémon. For most, it’s just a legend passed down through stories. People say it’s the ultimate treasure for any explorer—a Pokémon that can grant unlimited wealth.”
Naoki nodded slightly. “That’s true. Gholdengo really does have the ability to create gold coins.”
After fulfilling his promise, Naoki bid the shopkeeper farewell and returned to the ranch with Gholdengo.
Back at the ranch, Naoki felt a sense of accomplishnt. With Gholdengo’s situation resolved, everything seed peaceful. But then he rembered sothing critical.
“Oh no! I almost forgot!” Naoki exclaid. He glanced upstairs, where seven Eevee eggs rested in their incubators. “The Eevee eggs—it's almost ti for them to hatch!”
From that mont, Naoki kept a close watch over the eggs, eager to witness their hatching.
...
Ti flew by, and soon it was the afternoon of August 15th, Year 199 of the Alliance Calendar. Naoki was in the kitchen, carefully stirring a pot of chicken soup, when suddenly Umbreon ca bounding down the stairs, excitent radiating from every step.
“Umbree!” Umbreon barked, its tail wagging furiously.
Naoki chuckled at Umbreon’s frantic but amusing dash but quickly realized what it ant. His heart skipped a beat. “Are the eggs hatching?”
“Umbree!” Umbreon nodded enthusiastically.
Naoki wasted no ti. “Indeedee, watch the soup for !” he called out, before darting upstairs with Umbreon leading the way.
When Naoki entered the room, the first baby Eevee had already hatched.
Its big, shiny dark eyes blinked curiously, while its velvety light-colored fur and soft pink paw pads made it look utterly adorable. A small piece of eggshell still rested on its head as it clumsily tried to free itself from the rest of the egg.
The newly hatched Eevee was irresistibly cute, and Naoki felt his heart lt at the sight.
He quickly approached, guiding Glaceon and Umbreon—who had been vigilantly watching over the eggs—closer to the newborn.
The little Eevee soon managed to wriggle free from the eggshell, then sat on the soft bedding, gazing at Naoki and the two older Eeveelutions with wide, bright eyes.
“The tail has a jagged edge—this one’s a male,” Naoki noted imdiately, recognizing its gender from the shape of its tail.
Glaceon, seeing the tiny Eevee, instantly forgot any reservations it might have had and let out a delighted, “Bu-yi!”
Umbreon, curious as ever, stepped forward quietly. It sniffed the newborn Eevee gently, its nose twitching as it took in the baby’s scent.
Naoki crouched down with a warm smile. “Hello, Eevee!” he greeted.
The little Eevee looked between Naoki and the two older Pokémon. After a mont of hesitation, it attempted to respond with a high-pitched, “Eevee... Eevee!”
At that mont, Indeedee—the elder caretaker—entered the room carrying a small bottle of milk, specially prepared for the newly hatched Pokémon. Indeedee had been trained for monts like this and handled the situation expertly.
Naoki stepped aside, allowing Indeedee to gently feed the little Eevee. As the newborn suckled, Naoki turned to Glaceon and Umbreon. “This is your little brother from now on!” he announced playfully.
However, as soon as he finished speaking, the other six eggs began to crack. One after another, more baby Eevees erged, each with bits of eggshell still clinging to their heads. They blinked up at the world, their tiny forms radiating curiosity and wonder.
Naoki quickly realized the scale of the situation. Indeedee alone couldn’t manage to care for all of them. He called out to younger Indeedee, "bring a few more bottles of milk—quickly!”
Soon enough, Indeedee sibling arrived, carrying additional bottles. The scent of milk seed to energize the baby Eevees, who had used up most of their energy hatching. They wobbled toward the bottles, their tiny cries filling the room.
“Eevee! Eee!” Their voices were sweet and soft, yet brimming with life.
Several of the baby Eevees scrambled onto Naoki’s legs, eagerly pawing at him as if seeking his help. He found himself juggling bottles while trying to calm them down.
“Wow,” Naoki muttered with a wry smile. “I’m not even married, and I’m already a stay-at-ho dad.”
He eventually settled on the carpet, cross-legged, with all seven baby Eevees nestled in his lap. As he held them, he carefully attached the pre-prepared nipples to the bottles so they could feed.
Though he was a bit overwheld, Naoki couldn’t help but feel a profound sense of joy. Looking at the tiny, furry Pokémon snuggled against him, their eyes shining with trust, Naoki felt his heart swell with happiness.
“This,” he thought with a smile, “this must be what it feels like to be a dad.”
...
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