Pokemon: A New Path

"Certainly!" Henry replied, although he found the situation a bit odd. He didn't dwell on it and instead became more excited, saying, "Pokémon battles are the most thrilling when they involve real, physical exchanges! The scars left on their muscles become medals of honor! Come on, Naoki, let's see your strong Pokémon's muscles in action!"

As he spoke, Henry struck a pose reminiscent of a bodybuilding contestant showing off his muscles.

Having spent so much time with Henry, even his Incineroar seemed to have picked up on his enthusiasm. At Henry's words, the Incineroar flexed its muscles in unison with its trainer, letting out low, intimidating roars.

"Hoo! Ha! Hey!"

Naoki stood there, a bit speechless. 'Is this really happening?' he wondered, feeling like he was in the middle of some strange dream. A mental image of a prompt saying "Muscle Man Henry is here to challenge!" flashed through his mind.

However, there was a problem. Naoki wasn't entirely sure what moves Koraidon could use, let alone how to command it in a battle.

After a brief moment of silence, Naoki looked at Koraidon. 

'Koraidon,' Naoki thought, 'it's all on you.'

Without any need for words, Koraidon stood up from its four-limbed stance, striding confidently to Naoki's side, then turned to face the imposing Incineroar.

"Raao!" Koraidon roared, ready for battle.

Naoki's eyes followed Koraidon, and when his gaze met Henry's, the battle officially began.

Henry, full of energy, pointed forward and commanded, "Incineroar, use intimidate!"

At the command, Incineroar raised its head and let out a powerful roar aimed directly at Koraidon, trying to intimidate it.

"Ooouuhh!"

Koraidon tilted its head slightly, seemingly puzzled by the roar, but otherwise unaffected.

The moment the roar ended, Incineroar sprang into action. Its sharp claws extended from its pads, and with a powerful thrust of its muscular legs, it leaped towards Koraidon with ferocious speed.

But just as Incineroar closed in, Koraidon smoothly sidestepped, allowing Incineroar's claws to miss by mere inches.

"What?! Such speed?!" Henry exclaimed, eyes wide with shock.

Koraidon wasted no time. It leaped from the snow, its body glowing with a scarlet light as the whiskers on its head transformed into wing-like structures. In one swift, powerful motion, Koraidon descended upon Incineroar with a powerful force.

"Danger!" Henry's mind raced, and he shouted a desperate warning, "Get out of the way!"

But it was too late.

Incineroar turned just in time to see Koraidon's attack, but the ancient, fierce energy radiating from Koraidon was overwhelming.

With a thunderous "boom," a violent explosion erupted on the snow-covered ground, the force so great that it shook the nearby pine trees, causing snow to cascade down in a flurry.

When the dust and snow settled, the first thing that came into view was Koraidon's tall, scarlet figure standing victorious.

Incineroar lay motionless on the ground, clearly having lost the battle in a single strike.

Henry stood there, stunned, disbelief etched across his face. 'Defeated in one move?' he thought, 'That Pokémon's strength is unbelievable!'

It was then that Henry fully understood the meaning behind Naoki's earlier question, "Are you sure?"

Looking at Naoki with newfound respect and a hint of caution, Henry stammered, "W-Wait a minute!"

Naoki gently patted Koraidon's head as it returned to his side. Hearing Henry's words, he was a bit confused. "What?"

Henry was taken aback and asked, "Are you a Gym Leader or a Champion in the Paldea region?"

"Uh..." Naoki replied honestly, "If I told you I'm just a farmer from the countryside, would you believe me?"

Henry shook his head repeatedly in disbelief. 'How could that be possible?' he thought. 'How could a country farmer raise such a powerful Pokémon?'

Naoki didn't elaborate further. Instead, he said, "If you head south from the mountain, there's Naoki Ranch, west of Kosaji Town. They sell fresh milk that helps Pokémon grow stronger. If you ever need it, you should check it out."

This was a sales tactic he had picked up from Kora.

Seeing that Naoki didn't seem to be joking, Henry was even more astonished.

"No way, are you serious?" Henry asked, still in shock.

"Hmm." Naoki nodded, then pointed at Koraidon's muscles and even pulled its arm to show off. "Do you see these muscles? They're the result of drinking goat milk every day."

Koraidon, though a bit resigned, cooperated with Naoki.

Henry's face was filled with disbelief. 'If this is true, then the people of Paldea are terrifying. Even a simple farmer in the countryside can have such powerful strength.'

"Oh, forget it, I admit defeat," Henry sighed. "It seems that the muscles you've developed are on another level. We're still far behind."

He then took out a Poké Ball and recalled his Incineroar to let it rest.

Henry accepted his defeat sincerely. From the moment he first saw Koraidon, he knew it was something special. Now it was clear he wasn't wrong.

As Koraidon stood there, its muscles appeared even more impressive. Upon closer inspection, the dense red scales covering its muscular frame were visible.

Henry took a deep breath and quickly regained his composure. "In that case, I'll tell you where to find Glaceon!"

He pulled out his map and unfolded it on a portable bench.

Naoki leaned in to take a closer look.

Henry pointed to a marked spot on the map and said, "This is where you'll find Glaceon. Head south from the camp, and you'll reach Frosted Hand, one of the Ten Scenic Spots of Paldea. It's a three-pronged cliff with a cave beneath it. I've seen Glaceon near there before."

'Frosted Hand.' Naoki nodded, committing the location to memory.

Then, he mounted Koraidon and bid Henry farewell.

Seeing Naoki's determined look, Henry was a bit puzzled. "The terrain over there is really steep. It's hard for most Pokémon to navigate."

Naoki simply smiled and gently patted Koraidon's neck.

In the next moment, the bright feathers on Koraidon's head transformed into a pair of wings, ready to take flight.

Its hind legs suddenly pushed off with incredible force, and its massive body soared straight into the sky. As its wings naturally unfolded, Koraidon began flying southward.

Henry watched the scene in utter amazement.

'Is this even possible?' he thought. 'Not only is that Pokémon strong and muscular, but it can also run, jump, and now it's flying with its trainer. And with those air sacs on its chest, swimming must be effortless for it too.'

The more he thought about it, the more envious Henry became.

'How can there be such a perfect Pokémon in this world?!' He was so jealous—he wanted one just like it.

As Naoki flew overhead, he waved down at Henry. "Goodbye, Henry!"

Hearing Naoki's voice snapped Henry out of his thoughts.

He recalled everything that had happened today and what Naoki had told him. He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Naoki Ranch? No, I have to check this out for myself!"

He still found it hard to believe that Naoki was just a country farmer.