Pokemon: A New Path-A Rancher with Too Many Legends[451]

As Naoki stood in his kitchen steaming grass dumplings for his Gogoat, his Rotom Phone suddenly buzzed with a notification.

[You have a new private message!]

Curious, Naoki opened the Pokémon Forum and was met with a flood of messages.

After a quick glance, he realized they fell into several categories—some were Pokémon enthusiasts eager to discuss the legends of Groudon and Kyogre, others were casual readers asking for updates, and some were investigators from the Pokémon League requesting additional information.

Then there were the threats.

Naoki scrolled down and saw a message that was almost laughable.

[Cute as Duck]: You little brat, I suggest you take down that post immediately. Otherwise… don't blame us for what happens next!

Naoki raised an eyebrow. Without responding, he scrolled further.

The source of this c𝓸ntent is freewebnøvel.coɱ.

Another message popped up almost instantly.

[fast_and_the_curious]: If you've got the guts, send me your location. Let's see if you can handle the consequences of interfering with our plans!

Naoki sighed. These guys were either part of Team Aqua or Team Magma, trying to scare him off.

But instead of ignoring them, he decided to have a little fun.

Feigning authority, he typed back in the same commanding tone as Giovanni from Team Rocket:

[Hmph. You overestimate yourselves. This world belongs to Team Rocket. Team Magma and Team Aqua are nothing but minor players. We will use the Hoenn League's interference to eliminate you once and for all.]

Immediately, the sender lost their composure.

The next response was a flurry of furious messages, filled with curses and defensive claims about Team Magma's superiority.

They ranted about how Team Rocket was insignificant, how Team Magma had grand ambitions, and how they were the organization shaping the world.

Naoki: "..."

Shaking his head, he typed one final message:

[Team Rocket has ruled the underworld for decades, while Team Magma is just a fledgling group playing with fire. If you dare set foot on Celadon City's Rainbow Street, you'll regret it.

Then, without waiting for a response, he blocked the user.

Celadon City, a bustling metropolis in the Kanto region—and the secret stronghold of Team Rocket.

If Team Magma's grunts were foolish enough to march in and stir up trouble there… well, that would certainly be a spectacle worth watching.

Continuing to scroll, something caught his attention. Among all the random usernames, one name stood out.

[Steven Stone]

Naoki blinked.

Is this... the Steven Stone I think it is?

Out of curiosity, he clicked on the sender's profile. An official League-certified verification badge confirmed it.

'It really was Steven Stone—the Champion of the Hoenn Region.'

His message was short but direct.

[Steven Stone]: Hello, I am the current Champion of the Hoenn League, Steven Stone. I'd like to talk to you about your post. Can we meet?

Naoki hesitated. It was obvious what Steven wanted to talk about—Team Magma and Team Aqua.

After a brief moment of thought, Naoki typed his response.

[Stranger_1]: Hello. I'm sorry, but it's not convenient for me to meet in person. If you have any questions, we can discuss them online.

It didn't take long before Steven replied.

[Steven Stone]: Understood. Are you with Interpol?

'Interpol?'

A familiar face popped into Naoki's mind—the one and only Looker, the legendary detective of Interpol.

"Unfortunately, I'm not him."

Naoki quickly replied:

[Stranger_1]: No, I'm just an ordinary person.

Meanwhile, in Hoenn…

At that moment, Steven Stone sat in his private study in Mossdeep City, staring at his screen.

The reply gave him pause. He studied the user's profile once more.

The account had been created recently. The username was simply Stranger_1—obviously a throwaway to hide their real identity.

"So, they don't want to reveal themselves… or are they afraid of retaliation from Team Magma and Team Aqua?"

Steven respected that. Rather than push the issue, he decided to focus on more pressing matters.

[Steven Stone]: Was the content of your post purely speculation?

A reply came almost immediately.

[Stranger_1]: That's right. It's my personal analysis of Hoenn's current situation. Whether you believe it or not is up to you.

Steven's gaze sharpened as he read the words carefully. The user might claim it was just speculation, but their deductions were shockingly accurate.

Taking a deep breath, he decided to be honest in return.

[Steven Stone]: To be truthful, your analysis aligns closely with the information we've gathered. There have already been sightings of suspicious activity at the Weather Institute and Slateport Shipyard.

[Steven Stone]: Until recently, Team Magma and Team Aqua were seen by the public as mere environmental extremists—organizations advocating for nature conservation and ocean preservation. But now, things have changed.

Reading this, Naoki couldn't help but chuckle.

"Nature conservationists?" He thought to himself. If only Maxie and Archie weren't so extreme, that actually could've worked out for them.

Team Magma's ultimate goal is to expand the landmass, increasing human habitation and development, believing that it will bring prosperity and overall happiness to the world.

Meanwhile, Team Aqua seeks to expand the oceans, aiming to reclaim the habitats that Water-type Pokémon have lost due to human expansion. They view the sea as the origin of all life and believe that by enlarging it, they can create an ideal world for Pokémon.

However, both organizations have taken their ideologies to an extreme. Whether it's Maxie's pursuit of land expansion or Archie's devotion to restoring the oceans, their methods are too radical.

Naoki read through Steven's message, deep in thought.

Steven had mentioned that suspicious activity had been detected at the Weather Institute and the shipyard in Slateport City.

This could only mean one thing: Team Magma and Team Aqua were about to make their move.

If they managed to steal the Submarine Explorer 1, they would then use the data from the Weather Institute to pinpoint the exact location of the two ancient Pokémon.

And once that happened…

Groudon and Kyogre would awaken.

Seeing that Naoki had gone silent for a while, Steven sent another message.

[Steven]: Are you still there?

Naoki snapped out of his thoughts. After carefully considering everything, he decided to be direct.

[Stranger No. 1]: Everything is unfolding exactly as I expected. If I'm not mistaken, Team Magma and Team Aqua will be making their move soon.

Their target is, without a doubt, the two legendary Pokémon. Based on their previous activities, Team Magma intends to expand landmass, while Team Aqua wants to expand the ocean.

Groudon and Kyogre hold the power to make this happen. That's why these two organizations need to capture them.

Their next targets will likely be the Weather Institute and a shipyard.

That's all I know. The rest is in the hands of the Hoenn League.]

Naoki exhaled deeply after sending the message. At the very least, this would put the Hoenn League on high alert.

If they could stop Team Magma and Team Aqua before they awakened the legendary Pokémon, the Hoenn region would remain peaceful for a while longer.

If not…then some coastal cities in Hoenn would need to prepare for emergency evacuations.

Steven read Stranger No. 1's response carefully, word by word. Then, he typed a simple yet sincere reply:

[Steven]: Thank you.

Wasting no time, he immediately contacted the Hoenn League to report the situation. He arranged for skilled trainers to be stationed at the Weather Institute and Slateport Shipyard, ensuring they were on high alert.

As for whether these predictions were true…Steven believed that didn't matter.

If nothing happened, then at worst, they had been overly cautious. But if this was real, their advance preparations would come in handy.

"Sigh."

Steven put away his Rotom Phone, but just as he did—

Another private message appeared.

Steven clicked on the message and was immediately taken aback. The sender was still Stranger No. 1, but the content was completely unexpected.

[Stranger No. 1]: If Groudon and Kyogre truly awaken, and the Hoenn League is unable to handle the situation, you can contact me. I might be able to help.

Steven's eyes narrowed slightly.

He had originally assumed the sender was just an ordinary civilian—someone cautious and unwilling to expose their identity for fear of retaliation from Team Magma or Team Aqua.

But now… this was far from ordinary.

'Who exactly was this person?'

...

Naoki turned off his phone, exhaling in satisfaction. Now everything should be fine.

He wasn't certain when Groudon and Kyogre would awaken, so it wasn't like he could run to Hoenn in advance and camp out just to watch.

However, by maintaining contact with Steven, he might just get the opportunity to witness this legendary battle firsthand.

And more importantly—he had a score to settle. Kyogre had once seriously injured his Dragonite. As Dragonite's trainer, it was only fair to get payback.

And now, with the strength he had gathered, he was confident that even if Groudon and Kyogre teamed up against him, he could handle them.

Not to mention, he wasn't alone.

If it really came down to it, all it would take was one call to summon Giratina and Calyrex.

Worst case scenario?

Dragonite could always use Dragon Express Service Dragonites—or he could use the Dragon Scale gifted to him by the Shiny Rayquaza to summon it for backup.

Considering all the Poké Puffs and Poké Blocks he had stocked up, Rayquaza would definitely be willing to help Dragonite teach Kyogre a lesson.

As he thought about it, Naoki suddenly froze.

'Wait…'

Had he accidentally become one of those "legendary Pokémon trainers"?

He glanced at his current lineup.

Koraidon in peak condition. The twin steeds—Spectrier and Glastrier. Giratina, the ruler of the Distortion World. Calyrex, the King of Bountiful Harvests. Mewtwo, the strongest artificial Pokémon.

"This was terrifying."

At this rate, he could outmatch even Tobias, the legendary trainer who had taken a Darkrai and Latios into the Pokémon League.

But of course, not every legendary Pokémon in his care was willing to fight.

Giratina? Absolutely. It would love to join in on the chaos.

Calyrex? Most likely. It would see it as part of its duty.

But Mewtwo?

"No way."

These days, Mewtwo had no interest in fighting. Instead, it had fully embraced the life of a peaceful farmer at the World Tree, tending to crops alongside Calyrex.

A once-feared Pokémon is now cultivating berries and apples like a rancher…

"I should really stop thinking about this."

Today was "Role Model Day."

That meant one thing—it was time to take his three Gogoat to the World Tree for a visit.

There was a particular Skiddo there—one that Mewtwo had rescued in the past. It had suffered greatly at the hands of humans, and now, Naoki's Gogoat were visiting to offer companionship and support.

...

Phew... Alright, people! Just like I promised, I have delivered 10 chapters for you all! Hope you enjoy them! Don't forget to drop some power stones

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