Pokemon: A New Path

Chapter 96: Baby Bear and "Hero"



The hero Teddiursa mentioned could transform into the appearance of other Pokémon at will. This mysterious Pokémon, which Teddiursa had never seen in its true form, told Teddiursa that it was traveling around the world.

The hero was incredibly powerful. Although Teddiursa had never seen its true form, it was able to scatter more than a dozen Meowth with a single move. Teddiursa had never encountered a Pokémon like that before.

Under the hero's protection, Teddiursa managed to leave the city and make its way back to the mountains, retracing the route it remembered. As soon as it returned, Teddiursa hurried to the ranch with stone it had picked up along the way, eager to trade them with Naoki for food. Teddiursa chattered excitedly, trying to tell Naoki all about its adventure, but Naoki couldn't understand a word. Still, from Teddiursa's expression, it was clear that its journey had been both exciting and harrowing.

Teddiursa seemed to want to keep talking, as if there was more it wanted to share. Seeing this, Naoki took out several more pieces of pudding and bread, placing them in front of the little bear.

Teddiursa blinked in surprise, its eyes full of confusion. "Ursa?" "Why is there so much today? I only brought back a stone'!

"Go ahead and eat!" Naoki encouraged, not hiding his concern. "I was worried about you. I thought you might have been captured by another trainer and that I'd never see you again."

Teddiursa's eyes welled up with tears, moved by Naoki's words. "Ursa."

Naoki smiled warmly. "Take your time, enjoy your food. I have some other things to take care of."

Teddiursa nodded, not out of pretense but out of genuine gratitude and affection for Naoki. 'Naoki is so kind', Teddiursa thought, 'no one has ever cared about me like this before'.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Naoki stood up and left the room, heading outside to continue grooming his three Gogoat. Today was the day of the Spring Cattle and Sheep Judging Competition, and he needed to make sure the Gogoat's wool was clean and well-maintained before taking them to the event. The weather was beautiful, so Alcremie and Smoliv were also outside, basking in the sunshine. Dragonite was practicing its Rain Dance next to the farmland, while Koraidon and Cyclizar sat nearby, watching Naoki as he carefully combed the Gogoat's wool.

Inside the cabin, only Teddiursa remained, happily licking the honey from the bread. But suddenly, a figure appeared in the room.

If Naoki had been there, he would have recognized the Pokémon instantly-it was a Mew.

Mew floated in the air, watching Teddiursa as it enjoyed its pudding. Then, with a flash of light, Mew disappeared, and in its place, a "Teddiursa" sat across from the real Teddiursa.

"Ursa?" Teddiursa exclaimed, startled at first, but then its eyes lit up with recognition. 'It's the hero'!

Remembering how the hero had saved its life, Teddiursa eagerly offered to share its pudding with the "Teddiursa" sitting across from it.

The "hero," Mew in its Teddiursa form, seemed quite intrigued by the puddings and buns in front of it. It tilted its head, studying the treats for a moment before picking up a pudding just like Teddiursa had done earlier. Taking a tentative bite, Mew's eyes widened in delight, and it quickly began eating the pudding faster, clearly enjoying the taste.

Seeing this, Teddiursa beamed with happiness, pleased that the hero found the pudding as delicious as it did.

After a few moments, the sound of footsteps approached the door. Mew seemed to sense this and quickly stuffed the last piece of bread into its mouth before vanishing from the room without a trace.

Naoki entered, pausing at the doorway as he noticed that Teddiursa had finished eating. He was surprised but didn't think much of it. Instead, he asked, "I'm heading into town to attend an event. Do you want to come with me?"

"Ursa." Teddiursa thought about it carefully. In the past, it might have hesitated or declined. But after the experiences of the past few days, Teddiursa had developed a curiosity about the world beyond the mountains. It wanted to see more of this bigger world, just like the hero who had saved it from the clutches of the Meowth.

So, Teddiursa nodded in agreement.

"Great! Let's go together!" Naoki said with a warm smile.

Time was running short, so Naoki quickly recalled the three Gogoat into their Poké Balls. He entrusted the care of the ranch to Dragonite and Cyclizar, then took Teddiursa and rode Koraidon to the event venue, Celebration Square.

When they arrived, the square was bustling with activity. Many townspeople and nearby ranchers had already gathered, filling the area with lively chatter and excitement.

Ribbons and banners adorned the entrance of the square, with the words "Spring Cattle and Sheep Judging Competition" proudly displayed on a large banner overhead.

The setup looked very formal, with several judges' tables positioned in the square, ready for the competition to begin.

The grassy area near the competition was filled with all kinds of cow and sheep Pokémon, including Mareep, Wooloo, Miltank, and Flaaffy, each standing proudly beside their respective ranchers, ready to participate in the upcoming judging competition.

On the other side, the townspeople gathered to watch the event. In the crowd, Naoki spotted familiar faces: Mrs. Dantes, who regularly ordered goat milk from him, Zack, Kora, and Mayor

Thomas.

The sharp-eyed postman Ivan noticed Naoki and waved enthusiastically from across the crowd. "Hey! Naoki, over here!"

Naoki stood up and made his way over to them.

Ivan looked around expectantly and asked, "Where are the Pokemon? We can't participate in

the competition without them!"

Naoki grinned and pulled out the Poké Balls. "Here they are! Everyone, come out!"

With flashes of white light, the three Gogoat appeared on the grass.

"Mehh..."

Mayor Thomas stepped forward with a warm smile. "The competition is about to begin. Let's take the Gogoat over to the waiting area."

Naoki nodded and led his three Gogoat toward the designated area.

"Good luck! We're all rooting for you!" Ivan called out, his voice full of encouragement.

Mrs. Dantes and her husband, smiled and waved, while the tall Kora nodded her support as well.

Seeing the support from the people he had met since coming to this world, Naoki felt a warm sense of belonging. "This feeling... it's really nice', he thought, smiling as he walked toward the waiting area with his Gogoat.

As they arrived, the other ranchers who had already gathered turned their attention toward Naoki and his Pokémon. Among them was Mr. Matsuda of Three Rivers Ranch, who immediately noticed Teddiursa walking beside Naoki and widened his eyes in surprise.

"Is that a Teddiursa?" Mr. Matsuda exclaimed.

Teddiursa recognized Mr. Matsuda, remembering that it had once tricked him. Now that it had been spotted, Teddiursa couldn't help but feel a little scared. "Ursa."

Mr. Matsuda's outburst drew the attention of the other ranchers, who also noticed Teddiursa.

Sensing Teddiursa's anxiety, Naoki leaned down and gently reminded it, "Do you remember

what I told you before?"

Teddiursa was startled but then nodded, recalling Naoki's advice.

"It's okay," Naoki said, giving it an encouraging look.

Gathering its courage, Teddiursa stepped forward and apologized for its past behavior. "Ursa,

Ursa, Ursa!"

Naoki had a plan to tame Teddiursa, and he knew that being its trainer meant taking responsibility for teaching it and guiding it to make amends for its mistakes. After the event,

Naoki planned to give Teddiursa some honey so it could return what it had taken from the

other ranches.

Teddiursa would bring the items it found, and in return, Naoki would provide honey for Teddiursa to give back to the ranches it had stolen from. In a way, Teddiursa would be

working to repay its debts.

The ranchers, seeing Teddiursa's sincere apology, were touched rather than angry. They didn't hold any grudges; instead, they warmly offered Teddiursa some Pokémon snacks they

had brought with them.

"That's right! Don't steal other people's things anymore!"

"You're a good kid for admitting your mistakes. Consider that honey a gift from me!"

"Here, try these snacks! See if you like them."

Teddiursa looked down at the snacks in its paws, surprised by the kindness of the ranchers. It glanced up at Naoki in disbelief. "Ursa?"

Naoki smiled reassuringly. "See? As long as you apologize, no one will hold it against you."

"Ursa!" Teddiursa nodded, determined to remember this lesson.

With the cattle and sheep judging competition about to begin, Naoki handed Teddiursa over to Koraidon for safekeeping and prepared to enter the competition with his three Gogoat. Meanwhile, up in a large tree next to the square, a small figure quietly emerged, watching the lively scene below with interest.