Naoki was momentarily stunned.

  If he hadn't already known the profiles of the gym leaders beforehand, he might have mistaken Grusha firl.

  Beside him, sister Indeedee wore a simirly surprised expression. She tugged at Naoki's sleeve and whispered in her own nguage, "Ai Ai?"

  'Is this human really a boy?'

  Though Naoki hadn't ed any Transtion Seeds retly, he still somehow uood what Indeedee meant. It was likely because he had already expined Grusha's identity and geo her.

  Judging by the panicked way she had run over earlier, Naoki could guess that Indeedee had been utterly shocked by the trast between Grusha's appearand his actual gender.

  Naoki posed himself and stepped forward to greet the guest. "Hellrusha. I'm Naoki, the owner of this ranch. The Chief has already informed me about your trial."

  Grusha gave a polite nod but remained silent. He wasn't one for small talk, and his reserved nature made the atmosphere feel slightly awkward.

  For a moment, Naoki wasn't sure how to tihe versation.

  He racked his brain, recalling what he knew about Grusha. If memory served him right, Grusha had once been a world-famous snowboarder known for his vibrant and passionate personality. However, a devastating injury had forced him to retire, and sihen, his lively demeanor seemed to have frozen, much like the Ice-type Pokémorained. Now, he was known for being as quiet and posed as a field bed in fresh snow.

  Determio ease the tension, Naoki decided to introduce Grusha to the trials avaible at the ranch. But before he could speak, another voice rang out.

  "Hello, hello! Is anyone here?"

  The eic call came from behind them. Naoki and Grusha turo see a young rinting toward them. She wore a beige short-sleeved shirt embzoned with a lightning bolt emblem, and her bright, bubbly energy was impossible to ignore.

  Grusha's usually stoic expression flickered with surprise, while Naoki's eyes widened in reition.

  What are the odds? Naoki thought. I was just thinking about Ioerday, and here she is!

  Her sudden appearance felt almost like a wild Trainer ambushing you in a tall grass patexpected and slightly startling.

  "Iono?"

  "Grusha?!" Iono excimed, equally surprised. "You're here for the trials too? What a ce!"

  Grusha nodded slightly, his tone calm. "The Gseado Mountain Gym is closed for the couple of days. I decided to make use of the time."

  "I see!" Iono's attention shifted to Naoki. She waved enthusiastically. "Good m, Naoki! Sorry te in again."

  Naoki chuckled. "Not at all. Actually, it's great timing. Grusha just arrived, and I was about to introduce him to the ranch's trials. You both join."

  Grusha nodded politely. "Thank you. That would be helpful."

  Iono grinned. "You'd better watch out, Grusha! I had a rough time st time I came here. These trials aren't as easy as they look."

  Hearing this, Grusha raised an eyebrow. He seemed curious about Iono's experie remained silent, keeping his thoughts to himself.

  Naoki turo sister Indeedee and said, "Could you prepare some tea for uests?"

  "Ai Ai!"

  Indeedee responded cheerfully, hurrying back to the house.

  Naoki began leading Grusha and Iono around the ranch. "So far, we have four main trials avaible: the Green Grass Trial, the Lightning Trial, the Storm Trial, and the A Doubles Trial."

  He left out the Metrorial, as it was more of a y event and only open to Pokémon that khe Metronome move.

  "For the Green Grass Trial," Naoki expined, "challengers face off against my three Gogoat."

  He gestured toward the trio of Grass-type Pokémon grazing peacefully on a patch of lush grass.

  Grusha's gaze shifted to the Gogoat, his mind already analyzing the situation. Grass-types were weak against Ice-types, which he specialized in. However, defeating them under such favorable ditions wouldn't truly challenge him.

  If given a choice, Grusha preferred to train under adversity, testing himself against the odds to grow stronger. With that thought, he silently ruled out the Green Grass Trial as his first challenge.

  Iono seemed to have caught onto Grusha's thoughts. She chuckled and said, "These Gogoat aren't your typical ones! Even the Chief has trouble dealing with them, you know!"

  Naoki: "…"

  Hearing this, Grusha was momentarily stunned. It dawned on him that these three Gogoat might be Champion-level Pokémon. Sometimes, type advantages weren't everything—a mistake on his part.

  "I uand," Grusha said, nodding thoughtfully.

  Naoki resumed walking forward, though he noticed something was missing. Without seeing Pawmot, he called out in the dire of the coop.

  The moment, Pawmot zipped through the air toward them.

  Naoki smiled. "The rial I want to introduce is the Lightning Trial, led by Pawmot."

  Pawmot hovered in front of Naoki, tilting its head curiously. "Pawmot?"

  "This guest is here to challehe trials at the ranch," Naoki expined.

  Upon hearing this, a spark of excitement lit up in Pawmot's eyes. It immediately flexed its small arms to dispy its strength.

  "Pawmot! Pawmot!"

  Grusha blinked in surprise, his mouth falling slightly open as he stared at the h Pawmot.

  'A flying Pawmot? What oh was going on? And was that a hammer in its paw? Was it Pawmot's on? Could this really be a normal Pawmot?'

  'Surely not.'

  A thousand questions swirled in Grusha's mind before he finally voiced one. "How… how does this Pawmot fly?"

  "Of course, it uses eleagic levitation, simir to Mage," Naoki replied smoothly as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "It maniputes eleagic fields through specialized training iridu. Electric-type Pokémon ily trol electricity, and Pawmot has undergoeargeted training."

  Grusha: "???"

  Iono chimed in, her eyes gleaming with determination. "I lost to Pawmot st time! But this time, I've trained my team hard, and I'm definitely going to win!"

  Naoki: "…" She doesn't even know Pawmot has acquired the Power of the King…

  Naoki, deg to move on, introduced the challehe rial is the Storm Trial, led by Dragonite. Challengers must face special weather ditions like storms a Dragonite in battle."

  Hearing this, Grusha nodded, his faposed as he absorbed the expnation.

  Naoki smiled and shifted his attention toward Koraidon and Flutter Mane. "Finally, I want to introduce the ultimate trial at the ranch—the A Doubles Battle!"

  He tinued, his tone growing serious. "In this trial, challengers must face simultaneous attacks from two Pokémon. It's the most difficult trial the ranch has to offer and is reserved for trainers who have reached the Champion level."

  Hearing this, both Grusha and Iono paused, their expressions showing clear astonishment.

  "Only Champion-level trainers?" Iono's eyes sparkled with excitement. "That sounds intense!"

  Grusha was equally surprised as he gazed at the two unfamiliar Pokémon standing before him.

  It was no wohe Chief had sent them to this secluded ranch to undergo the trials. The sheer power exuding from these Pokémon was beyond ordinary.

  What astonished Grusha even more was that such a formidable Champion-level trainer chose to live in seclusion in a pce like this.

  "Have you decided? Which trial do you want to challenge?" Naoki asked, breaking the silence.

  Grusha fell into deep thought. At the same time, Iono raised her hand eagerly. "The Lightning Trial! Hehe, this time, we'll definitely pass it!"

  "That's not a given," Naoki replied with a pyful smile, motioning for Pawmot to follow him to the battlefield.

  Grusha, still undecided, decided to observe the Lightning Trial from the sidelines.

  Otlefield, Naoki refrained from giving any ands, leaving the stage eo Pawmot to showcase its abilities.

  At the opposite end of the field, Iono stood fidently. With a flick of her wrist, she released a red-and-white Poké Ball. A fsh of white light revealed a Wattrel, its wings sparking with electricity as it hovered mid-air.

  Sister Indeedee, blew the whistle in her hand, signaling the start of the battle.

  Iono wasted no time setting the stage. "Tailwind!" she called out.

  The Wattrel fpped its wings furiously, creating powerful gusts of wind that surged across the battlefield, giving it a speed advantage.

  Pawmot lunged forward, swinging its small hammer toward the Wattrel. But the Flying-type Pokémon tered swiftly, whipping up a storm that howled across the field.

  The sharp gusts of wind, like invisible bdes, sliced through the air and halted Pawmot's advance. Seeing an opening, Iono gave her and.

  "Discharge!"

  At her word, a surge of electricity burst forth from Wattrel's body. Its Wind Power ability activated, amplifying the energy released in the electrified storm. Yellow bolts of lightning crackled wildly, radiating outward from Wattrel's form.

  Pawmot's figure was engulfed by the discharge, the crag lightning obsg it from view.

  Iono turo Naoki with a triumphant grin. "Hehehe, see that? That's my real skill in a!"

  Naoki raised an eyebrow. "Being distracted during a battle is not a good habit," he said calmly.

  Grusha, who was closely the matarrowed his eyes. Somethi off.

  No… this wasn't right. The Pawmot wasn't being overwhelmed by the electricity—it was abs it!

  Ba the battlefield, the interic currents seemed to flow unnaturally toawmot. The bolts of lightning were drawn into its small hammer and its body, as if being ed.

  The storm of energy began to subside, revealing Pawmot standing unharmed. Its eyes glowed with an eerie blue light, charged with raw power.

  Pawmot's body suddenly fshed with a brilliant light. In an instant, a golde and matg armor materialized around it, as if summoned out of thin air.

  Iono froze in shock. "Huh? What's that?!"

  Grusha's expression mirrored her surprise, his usually calm demeanor shaken.

  Now transformed into the King of Hammers, Pawmot raised its hammer high. The once-small on grew expoially in size, the increase visible to the naked eye.

  With the massive hammer now in its grip, Pawmot charged forward, swinging it with incredible force. The sheer size of the hammer left no room for escape, and Wattrel was struck head-on, crashing to the ground with spiraling eyes. The Electric/Flying Pokémon had been knocked out in a single, decisive blow.

  "I… lost again…" Iono muttered, her shoulders slumping in despair. Her two Mage panions, sensing their trainer's mood, began spinniically in midair, their disanized motions refleg her disappoi.

  The golden glow around Pawmot faded, and it reverted to its normal form. Naoki approached the fallen Wattrel, gently feeding it some goat milk. After a few sips, the Pokémon stirred, regaining sciousness.

  Pawmot floated closer, looking somewhat embarrassed. The overwhelming surge of electricity earlier had pushed it to instinctively unleash the power of the King. It hadn't meant to use su overwhelming force—it just couldn't trol itself in the moment. Seeing that Wattrel was rec, Pawmot let out a sigh of relief.

  Naoki turo look at Iono, who still seemed crestfallen. However, her gloom didn't st long. With a determined shake of her head, she snapped out of it and regained her trademark energy. A radiant grin spread across her face as she turoward Naoki.

  "ime, I'm definitely winning!" she decred, her voice full of determination.

  Uhe warm sunlight, her smile radiated pure vitality and optimism. Naoki found himself momentarily stunned by her energy. It wasn't just her enthusiasm that stood out—her ability to inspire and uplift those around her was unmistakable.

  Iono's cheerful personality made her the perfect fit as a Pokémon League host. She had an iious energy that could make anyone smile, a quality that brought warmth to everyone she entered. Her vibrant spirit and lively iions during gym challenges and streams brought joy to trainers and Pokémon alike, making her a beloved figure in the Paldea region.

  As Naoki reflected on Iono's charm, Grusha approached, his face a mixture of curiosity and awe.

  The Ice-type Gym Leader's gaze shifted to Pawmot, and his expressiorayed his disbelief. "Naoki… what was that just now?" he asked, his voice steady but ced with unease.

  Naoki g Pawmot, then back at Grusha. After a moment of thought, he replied, "Well… to put it simply, that power isirely Pawmot's own."

  Both Grusha and Iono bliheir fusion evident.

  "What do you mean?"

  Faced with the situation, Naoki expined with a calm but earohat is the power of Calyrex."

  Iono, having visited the ranch before, nodded in uanding. She had entered Calyrex and was familiar with His existenbsp;

  Naoki then turned his attention to Grusha, his new audience. He delved into the legend of the King of Bountiful Harvests, describing iail the miraculous deeds attributed to this revered Pokémon. At the clusion of his expnation, Naoki added:

  "Pawmot's inner ce and its heroic spirit of wanting to help other Pokémon caught the attention of Cyrex. In reition, He bestowed Pawmot with a special power to make him stronger."

  "Calyrex…" Grusha murmured, his icy demeanor momentarily softened by curiosity. "I feel like I've heard of this somewhere before."

  Iono, ever the enthusiast, chimed in, "Of course! The legend of the King of Bountiful Harvests was featured on TV once! He helped restore a mountain to its inal state! Isn't that incredible?"

  At her words, Grusha's memory sparked, and he recalled hearing about the mythical Pokémon. His gaze shifted to Pawmot, his expression a mix of awe and disbelief. "I 't believe such things truly exist in this world…"

  Naoki smiled knowingly. "So, have you made your decision? Which trial would you like to uake?"

  Grusha met Naoki's gaze with renewed determination. "I want to take on the Green Grass Trial against yoat. I'd like to see for myself the strength of a champion-level Gogoat!"

  The decision surprised Naoki. He had assumed Grusha might prefer to challenge Pawmot onite, given his expertise iype Pokémon.

  "Very well," Naoki said with a nod, raising his hand to call the Gogoats.

  Three Gogoats appeared, two positioning themselves behind Naoki while the third fidently stepped forward, its powerful aura radiating across the field.

  In an instant, a surge of Grass energy poured forth from the lead Gogoat, transf the battlefield. Within moments, a verdant meadow of shimmering green grass, both real and illusory, bhe area. The bdes of grass swayed gently in an unseen breeze, creating an almost ethereal atmosphere.

  Grusha's expression turned serious. "Grassy Terrain…" he muttered under his breath. 'Releasing such a vast amount of energy in an instant—this was no ordinary Pokémon.'

  Nearby, Iono stood beside her Wattrel, the se with bright, eager eyes. Uo tain her excitement, she began imitating a Pokémon battle entator:

  "And now, stepping into the arena, we have Grusha, Gym Leader of Gseado Mountain Gym, squaring off against Naoki, the rancher extraordinaire! Who will cim victory in this thrilling face-off? Hehe, Let's find out as the battle begins!"