After class, Naoki returned to the teachers' office. He sat down and immediately opened his Rotom Phone to call Iono, checking in on how things were going back at the ranch.
Once he heard what had happened between Cyclizar and Elara, he couldn't help but chuckle.
"So Cyclizar 's blaming himself because he nearly lost Elara?" he said with an amused sigh.
Koraidon, resting beside him, let out a gruff, "Agh... gao."
Naoki asked a few more questions about what happened afterward and finally relaxed once Iono assured him that the Cyclizar had cheered up and returned to his usual energetic self.
After talking, Naoki stood up to get a glass of water, his throat dry from teaching. On the way back, he overheard two other teachers talking in the room next door.
"Looks like Professor Anya didn't show up to work today."
"Yeah, I heard something happened in the Kalos region. She stayed home to protect her family."
"Kalos? Isn't that the place where Mega Evolution became popular recently? What happened?"
"You didn't hear? Team Flare caused a huge incident. I'm talking catastrophic. Even the Champions had to get involved."
"The Champions?!" the other teacher exclaimed.
"Yeah. Steven Stone from Hoenn, Lance from Kanto, and Diantha from Kalos teamed up to stop Team Flare. It happened just yesterday."
"Apparently, Team Flare was trying to control legendary Pokémon and ended up throwing Kalos's entire ecosystem into chaos. Massive wild Pokémon riots, habitats collapsing, total disaster."
"Thank goodness those Champions were there..."
"Seriously. I don't know what's going on with the world lately. Why can't people just live peacefully with Pokémon? It's either 'destroy the world' or 'rule the world' with these evil teams."
Naoki, standing silently outside the room, let out a quiet sigh.
He had hoped the timeline would play out more peacefully now.
Next up should've been the Alola region, and after that, Galar and Paldea. None of those regions had true villainous teams, just small-time delinquents and obsessed fans.
But now... the Kalos incident had happened early.
Naoki furrowed his brow, deep in thought.
Could it be because of what he told Steven that day?
But thinking about it carefully, it made sense. Lysandre hadn't obtained the Ultimate Weapon's key stone this time. That left him with no choice but to target the three legendary Pokémon of Kalos, Zygarde, Yveltal, and Xerneas.
Thankfully, Steven, who already knew Lysandre's true intentions in advance, couldn't sit back and do nothing. So, he joined forces with Lance and Diantha to neutralize the crisis that Team Flare had brought to the Kalos region.
"I just hope Alain is doing alright," Naoki murmured to himself.
If Alain got caught up in the incident and couldn't participate in the Kalos League, the plot could shift again. That might mean Ash would win the championship earlier than expected.
Naoki sipped slowly from his glass of water.
He was older now. He had a wife and a child. All he really wanted was to live peacefully and quietly on his ranch.
He didn't want to interfere with the storylines any more than he had to.
After all, with people like Ash around, no matter what dangers arose, the world would be in good hands.
If he calculated correctly, next year would be the time for the Alola arc. The year after that would be Galar, and then finally the events in Paldea, his own region, would unfold.
Leon was already investigating the mystery behind Eternatus's revival in Galar. When the time came, Naoki would simply step in to help resolve the crisis, and then everything could return to peace.
That wasn't just to assist Leon and protect Galar. It was also to fulfill Calyrex's long-standing wish.
This time, the darkness threatening Galar would be permanently erased.
And once that was done, the Calyrex could finally stay on the ranch with Naoki and enjoy a quiet, well-earned retirement.
The morning class ended quickly, and Naoki packed his things and flew home on Koraidon.
As he approached the ranch from the sky, he saw light wisps of smoke curling up from the chimney.
It was nearly noon.
Iono was in the kitchen preparing lunch for everyone, and on the lawn outside, Elara sat happily on a picnic blanket, surrounded by several Pokémon who were watching over her as she played with toys.
Even before Naoki landed, Elara had already spotted him.
As soon as she saw the familiar red shape in the sky, her eyes sparkled and she pointed excitedly.
"Papa!"
She knew who it was right away.
Next to her, Indeedee, who had been carefully watching the little one, looked up and also noticed Naoki and Koraidon descending from the clouds.
Naoki dismounted from Koraidon just as Elara turned over and began crawling rapidly toward him.
"Papa!" she cried again.
Naoki smiled, squatted down, and opened his arms to her. As she reached him, he scooped her up gently into his arms.
"And who is this beautiful little lady?" he teased warmly.
"Papa!" Elara giggled.
Naoki chuckled and playfully pinched her soft cheeks, then carried her inside toward the house.
"Alright, let's go. Time for lunch!"
Inside, Iono had just finished bringing the dishes to the table.
Seeing Naoki return, she glanced over and asked with a smile, "How was class today?"
"Yes, I've already started teaching the kids about weather-based battle strategies," Naoki said, placing Elara in front of the cozy fireplace. She giggled as she crawled toward Larvesta, who was gently keeping her company.
"Tch, I used to think training Pokémon was simple," Naoki continued with a slight shake of his head. "But now that I'm digging into the deeper, systematic knowledge... it's way more complex than I imagined."
"Simple, huh?" Iono raised an eyebrow with a teasing smile.
"What, are you trying to humblebrag about how strong your Koraidon is?"
Naoki laughed. "No, no—if anything, I've never really trained Koraidon at all. It's a Legendary Pokémon. It's naturally strong, even without my help."
As he spoke, Koraidon leaned its massive head down beside him, and Naoki gently ran his hand along its warm scales.
"I just made sure to prepare special meals and nutritional supplements for everyone. Things like Life Goat Milk, for example, really help support their physical condition," he added.
"That's training too!" Iono said with mock indignation, wagging her finger. "Proper nutrition is key to a Pokémon's healthy development!"
Naoki thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "You're right. That's part of training, too."