The next morning, Arven and Nemona boarded a Squawkabilly Flying Taxi from Mesagoza to Kosaji Town.
True to her nature, Nemona showed none of the reserve you might expect from someone of her background. She chattered non-stop the entire ride, jumping between topics, most often about which Gym Trial she should challenge next.
Arven offered the occasional reply but mostly kept to himself, gazing out at the passing scenery.
Eventually, the Flying Taxi landed at the small station in Kosaji Town around 9 a.m. The two travelers disembarked and headed straight for Naoki's ranch.
When they arrived, they found Naoki busily loading baskets of fresh berries into the back of a pickup truck.
Nemona's eyes lit up the moment she saw him.
"Mr. Naoki! Let's have a Pokémon battle!" she called out eagerly.
Naoki smiled as he recognized her voice immediately."I figured that was you, Nemona," he chuckled. "Give me a moment to finish loading all these berries into the truck."
A local dessert shop in town had placed an order for berries the day before, planning to use them in their special Poffins and Poke blocks, so Naoki needed to make the delivery before noon.
"I'll help!" Nemona offered enthusiastically, raising both hands like a student volunteering in class.
Naoki opened his mouth to say the baskets were heavy, but before he could speak, Nemona had already hoisted one up and dashed toward the truck like it weighed nothing.
Naoki and Arven exchanged silent looks.
She really didn't act like a pampered heiress at all.
"I'll help too," Arven added quietly, stepping forward.
With their combined effort, the pickup was loaded in no time.
Inside the house, Indeedee was taking care of the baby, while her brother was busy with the housework. Meanwhile, Naoki asked Koraidon to fetch a couple of cool drinks for Arven and Nemona to enjoy after their work.
"Take it easy for a bit here at the ranch. I'll drop off this delivery and be right back," Naoki said, climbing into the front seat with Koraidon beside him.
"Okay!" Nemona replied brightly, already looking around the ranch with excitement.
"Feel free to make yourself at home, Arven," Naoki added warmly, then drove off toward town.
The delivery run took about forty minutes round trip.
By the time Naoki returned, Arven and Nemona were laughing together as they watched a group of mischievous Ghost-type Pokémon playing hide-and-seek in the garden.
"Did you two get to meet the baby?" Naoki called out as he stepped out of the truck.
They both turned at the sound of his voice. Nemona nodded with bright eyes.
"Yes! She's asleep now. She's soooo cute! Does she have a name yet?"
"She does," Naoki smiled. "Her name's Elara."
"Elara… Elara… what a cute name," Nemona repeated to herself thoughtfully. Then she added with a grin, "Mr. Naoki, when she grows up, let her battle me, okay?"
Naoki laughed. "Of course."
"But first, I want to battle you!" she declared, already pulling a Poké Ball from her belt.
Five minutes later, Nemona's Lycanroc was lying flat on the grass, fainted, after taking a clean hit from Naoki's Koraidon, who had used a perfectly timed Dragon Claw.
"Wow! You're amazing, Mr. Naoki!" Nemona beamed, even more excited in defeat than most people would be in victory.
Naoki smiled warmly. "Come on in, make yourselves comfortable in the living room!"
The three of them stepped inside. Indeedee, kindly poured two cups of black tea for the guests.
Seeing Arven and Nemona arrive together, Naoki tilted his head in curiosity. "Wait, has Nemona started school already?"
"Yup!" Nemona grinned brightly. "Hehe, I met Arven on my very first day!"
"Yeah... Nemona challenged me to a Pokémon battle as soon as we met. Scared both me and Mabosstiff half to death," Arven muttered, shaking his head at the memory.
Naoki chuckled at the scene they painted. That certainly sounded like Nemona.
Still, it caught him a little off guard, he remembered that, in the original game storyline, Nemona and Arven didn't know each other at the beginning.
"Could it be... they became friends early because of me?" he wondered inwardly.
If so, then from the four key characters of the Academy, Arven, Nemona, Penny, and the player character, only Penny and the protagonist hadn't crossed paths yet.
Naoki thought back to the timeline. When the events of the game unfolded, Nemona had already risen to Champion rank. She would've been around fifteen then.
Now, however, she was just starting school. That meant...
"There are still about five years before the story of Scarlet and Violet begins," Naoki estimated quietly.
He remembered having once given Dr. Sada a subtle warning about the potential disaster that awaited in Area Zero.
Whether that warning would be enough to change the tragic fate awaiting her and Professor Turo... he didn't know.
If their fate could be changed, that would be ideal. Arven would never have to suffer the loss of both his parents.
But if not... if destiny stayed its course.
Then the research team would still vanish deep within the Paldean crater, and the legend of the Treasure of Area Zero would unfold once more, just as it had before.
...
In the cozy living room, Naoki glanced at Arven and Nemona sitting across from him and asked with a smile, "So, what kind of dreams do you two have for the future?"
Arven blinked, caught off guard. "Dreams?"
"Yes," Naoki nodded. "I mean, what kind of person do you want to become? Or what do you hope to do in the future?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Nemona lit up with excitement. "I want to become Champion of the Paldea League! Then I'll travel the world and battle every strong Trainer I meet!"
Naoki chuckled. That was just like Nemona, and exactly what she had accomplished in the games. She had become Champion and gained many strong friends along the way.
"That's a wonderful dream," Naoki said, nodding in approval. "Then you better keep working hard."
"Of course!" Nemona beamed, eyes sparkling with determination.
Naoki turned to Arven. "What about you, Arven?"
"Dreams..." Arven hesitated, eyes dropping. After a long pause, he quietly said, "I... I'm not really sure."
"Huh?!" Nemona was genuinely shocked. "You don't want to do anything?"
"Not really," Arven replied after a bit of thought. "I just want to live together with Mabosstiff. Like how Mr. Naoki lives with his Pokémon."
Naoki's smile softened. "That's a great goal too."
The two teens looked up at him.
"You know," Naoki began, "Trainer isn't the only path out there. There are so many ways to live and work with Pokémon. You can explore together, grow together, see the beauty of the world side by side. And when you're tired, you can come home, settle down, live peacefully, and grow old together. That's how I live now."
Arven was silent, listening intently.
Nemona's eyes shimmered with awe. "That sounds amazing!"
Naoki chuckled. "Nemona, would you like to try that kind of life too?"
"Definitely! But only after I battle all the strongest Trainers out there first!" she shouted, full of fighting spirit.
Naoki and Arven: "..."
Yep. Classic Nemona.
By now, it was nearly noon, and Iono was about to get off work. Naoki glanced at the clock and stood up.
"All right, kids. I'm going to start preparing lunch. You two can hang around the ranch for a while, or just relax and watch some TV."
With that, he flicked on the TV and headed for the kitchen.
Nemona, of course, bolted for the ranch to scout out powerful Pokémon. Arven chose to stay indoors, quietly settling on the sofa to watch whatever was on.
As Naoki prepared lunch, he occasionally peeked toward the living room, wondering if his words had made Arven feel even a little more hopeful.
Arven sat on the couch, staring at the screen, feeling unusually moved.
His parents were always away, leaving him to grow up far too quickly. He understood exactly what Naoki had meant, and why he'd invited him to the ranch.
Maybe it was because he always seemed so isolated and alone?
But being here, with Mr. Naoki and a noisy friend like Nemona, felt... different. His world seemed a little brighter.
Just then, the midday broadcast was suddenly interrupted by breaking news.
"Breaking News! A teenager has climbed Lumiose City's Prism Tower, the tallest structure in Kalos!—in an attempt to rescue a rampaging Garchomp. The incident occurred at approximately 11:05 this morning. The situation is extremely dangerous!"
Arven leaned forward, attention immediately fixed on the screen.
Naoki, hearing the report from the kitchen, paused what he was doing and walked to the living room.
As he expected, the screen now showed a boy scaling the towering Prism Tower, accompanied by none other than Pikachu.
That was...
"Ash!" Naoki breathed.
...
Bonus Chapter