At seven in the morning, there was still one hour left until the Sakura Blossom Wine Party.
Naoki was riding on Koraidon, his pocket filled with Poke Balls.
The Alcremie, Smoliv, and Nacli in the Poke Balls were eagerly anticipating today's event.
Upon hearing that Naoki was going out, they immediately expressed their desire to come along.
Thus, apart from the three disinterested Skiddo on the ranch, Naoki brought all the other Pokemon along.
Following the location given in the letter, Naoki quickly arrived at the Elif Cherry Garden.
It was a very large area, with a vast number of cherry trees planted.
Hanging on the cherry trees were clusters of plump, red cherries.
From far away, Naoki saw the specially reserved open area in the cherry garden.
The open space was large, with iron stall display racks neatly arranged on it.
At this moment, the venue was already filled with quite a few people, most of whom were farm owners from nearby farms.
The owner of the cherry garden, Elif, was busy entertaining them.
At this moment, he suddenly saw someone riding an unknown Pokemon slowly descending from the sky.
Initially, Elif was a bit confused, but when he recognized the person's appearance and recalled what Mayor Thomas had told him, he guessed, "Naoki?"
Looking at the robust man with a circle of brown beard in front of him, Naoki also guessed his identity and politely greeted, "Hello, Mr. Elif."
"Haha!" Seeing he guessed right, Elif showed a hearty smile, "Finally, nice to meet you! Apologies for not going to your ranch to greet you. You know, this is the cherry harvesting season, and we've been busy harvesting, but it's done now. Welcome to join us, Naoki!"
Naoki smiled.
At this moment, Elif noticed the items in his hand and was a bit surprised, "Cooking? That's great! I can already smell the aroma. We've prepared stalls in advance for everyone, feel free to choose any empty spot! Soon, people from the town and other cities, as well as many passing Trainers, will be here!"
"Alright!"
Naoki nodded, then found an unoccupied stall with Koraidon.
He took the pot and ingredients out of the Space Backpack and set them on the stall. Once everything was prepared, Naoki released several Pokemon from their Poke Balls.
"Everyone, come out!"
With flashes of white light, Nacli and the Alcremie appeared behind the stall.
They sensed the lively atmosphere and smiled happily.
Naoki picked up the five Nacli, lined them up on the stall as a display, while the Alcremie and Smoliv stood behind to decorate the stall.
Both Cyclizar and Koraidon stood on either side of Naoki to assist him.
Dragonite sat behind the stall, with nothing to do, resting against a cherry tree.
Butterfree perched above the stall, curiously observing the nearby crowd.
Today, Naoki prepared dishes like [Boiled Pork Slices] to boost Fire Type Pokemon energy, [Berry Juice] to restore stamina and quench thirst, [Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes] to increase appetite with its sweet and sour taste, and [Steamed Eggs] which made Pokemon's bodies slick.
The prices for each dish were different, the most expensive being the Boiled Pork Slices at 800 League coins. Since the servings were limited, Naoki did not price it too high.
Naoki hung the sign with preset prices at the front of the stall.
Everything was ready, just waiting for the people to come!
Beside the turnip stall, an elderly lady with short blond hair, with a kind face, was drawn to it.
She walked over with a cane, looking at the neatly lined Nacli in front of the stall, and praised with a smile, "Wow, what adorable little creatures! Are they all your Pokemon?"
Naoki introduced with a smile, "Yes, they live with me on the ranch, and upon hearing about this event, they came along specially to join."
The old lady wanted to say more when suddenly a child's voice came from the side, "Daddy look over there! Dragonite! There's Dragonite! And Butterfree and Alcremie, wow! And so many Nacli, they look so well-behaved lying there motionless!"
Naoki looked up to see a little girl about seven years old, holding an adult's hand and eagerly running over.
She looked at the Alcremie on the stall and couldn't help but say, "So cute!"
"Mama~" Alcremie showed a happy expression.
The man behind her looked at Koraidon and was surprised, "What kind of Pokemon is this?"
Naoki laughed and introduced, "This is Koraidon, my most reliable partner."
Upon hearing "most reliable," Koraidon immediately straightened its back.
"Caw-gurr!"
Indeed, it was Naoki's most reliable partner and his favorite Pokemon!
"Koraidon?" Hearing this unfamiliar name, the man murmured, "I've never heard of it before..."
Compared to a seemingly fierce Pokemon like Koraidon, the little girl clearly preferred the adorable Alcremie.
She looked at the Alcremie with a face full of longing.
Alcremie cleverly pointed to the sign at the front of the stall: "Mama~"
The girl followed the gesture and saw the sign filled with dish names, and naively asked, "Do you want me to buy the dishes on the sign?"
How cute!
Buy, buy, buy!
The girl turned and shouted, "Daddy! I'm hungry!"
The man: "..."
Resignedly, he took out his wallet and bought his beloved daughter a cup of juice and a bowl of steamed eggs.
The father and daughter turned to continue exploring the garden.
Naoki exchanged a knowing glance with Alcremie and gave it a nod of approval.
Alcremie proudly said, "Mama~"
It was very clever!
As time passed, more and more people arrived at the cherry garden.
Apart from the people, there were also many Pokemon here.
Some were carried by passing Trainers, just like how Ash would attend such events with Pikachu when hearing about competitions or activities in nearby towns while traveling.
Some were Pokemon raised in Elif Cherry Garden, such as the small Cherubi and Cherrim, similar in size to Nacli, and a Dachsbun patrolling nearby, guarding the cherry garden.
Dachsbun, evolved from Fidough, naturally emits a charming scent. This aroma helps in the growth of wheat and some crops, so it's highly valued in rural areas.
Also, some are wild Pokemon living nearby.
For instance, there were groups of Squawkabilly attracted by the lively environment, perching on branches, and Rellor rolling around in forest mud.
Before the wine party officially started, Naoki sat on a bench, curiously watching the Pokemon that Trainers had brought with them.
"Sprigatito, the Paldea Region's Grass Type Starter..."
"Is that Quaquaval? Its backside looks quite peculiar..."
"Wow, there's a Trainer who caught a Charcadet. I wonder if it will evolve into Ceruledge or Armarouge."
"Bellibolt? Lono's signature Pokemon."
"One, two, three, four, five, six—Vulpix really has six tails, so fluffy and cute! I wish I could just cuddle it fiercely."
Cradle Vulpix in your arms and snuggle with it at night, just like holding a cat.
Sadly, that Vulpix was not his Pokemon, so Naoki could only fantasize about it in his mind.
Watching that Vulpix being cuddled by its Trainer, its two soft little paws dangling, Naoki felt a wave of envy.
Unknowingly, the time reached eight o'clock.
The owner of this cherry garden, Elif, looked at the increasing crowd, cheerfully announced:
"Welcome everyone to Elif Cherry Garden. Now I declare! This year's Sakura Blossom Wine Party officially begins. Please enjoy yourselves to the fullest!"
And at the same time, Naoki welcomed his second customer.
A male Trainer dressed in an Orange Academy uniform, accompanied by a Litleo.