Cyclizar raced across the lawn with Alcremie, followed by five Naclstack chasing them.
Two wild Dragonite had done something wrong and were being scolded by another Dragonite on the grass.
The Gogoats and Dolliv sat leisurely around the World Tree, chewing on Grassy Seed.
Glaceon seemed to have vanished, but seeing the rustling bushes nearby, Naoki thought it must be wandering there.
What a lively scene! Naoki felt so happy—life was complete.
Just as he planned to make some Poffin for the Dragonites, Allen suddenly rode a Cyclizar up to the ranch.
Naoki looked at the letter in his hand and asked, "Oh? Is the town hosting another festival?"
Allen smirked, "The autumn horse race..."
Naoki casually tore open the envelope, and sure enough, it invited him, the Rancher, to participate in the autumn horse race.
"Oh?" Naoki raised his eyebrows, but he didn't have a horse yet, so he couldn't go.
Allen was still hung up over the money he lost from the spring horse race: "This time, I'm definitely not betting!"
Naoki: "..." Oh, so he remembers that!
Allen looked around, he hadn't been to Naoki Ranch for a while, and it seemed like not much had changed.
He glanced around but didn't see what he was looking for, and couldn't help but ask, "Haven't you captured any Horse-type Pokémon yet?"
Naoki: "Oh? No rush, there's still plenty of time until the spring horse race."
Allen sighed and covered his face in frustration. "Ah, it seems I'll completely lose those League coins, my money!"
Naoki: "..."
Allen let out a long sigh, clearly without hope for this matter anymore: "Well, the ranch work is so busy, there's no time to go capture Horse-type Pokémon... Forget it, I won't win it back!"
"Don't worry." Naoki comforted him: "Trust me, I'll find a way to win it back for you."
After all, they had agreed earlier—Allen would help him find a Housekeeper Pokemon, and he'd help Allen win back the money lost in the spring horse race.
Now that the Housekeeper Pokemon was found, it was time for him to fulfill his promise.
Allen thought to himself that there weren't any Horse-type Pokémon around in the winter, but he'd already given up hope, and moved on to talk about another interesting topic.
"Naoki, have you heard?"
Seeing Allen wasn't in a hurry to leave, Naoki asked, "Want to sit for a while?"
Allen: "Hehe, not at all!"
Naoki invited him into the living room to sit.
His sister Indeedee thoughtfully brought over two cups of tea.
Allen gulped down his drink before continuing, "I heard big news while delivering a letter earlier! It's about the Legendary Pokémon!"
"Hmm?" Instantly, Naoki's mind flashed with the Legendary Pokémon of the Paldea Region.
Koraidon, Miraidon, Terapagos...
But Allen's answer caught him off guard: "It's the legendary Sea God, Lugia!"
Upon hearing this name, Naoki was slightly taken aback.
Allen continued animatedly, "Wasn't there a cold snap in the Paldea Region recently? That cold snap is linked to Lugia!"
"I heard from a tourist from the Orange Archipelago traveling in the Paldea Region that there's a collector over there trying to capture the legendary Sea God, and it even angered the Fire God, Ice God, and Thunder God!"
"The commotion they caused was huge; I heard the sea even froze over, like the end of the world, with many wild Pokémon running to the frozen sea to watch them battle!"
Indeed, hearing these words didn't surprise Naoki much, as he had expected as much.
However, Allen's next words genuinely surprised him.
"What's more interesting is what that person said. During the battle of the Legendary Pokémon, two flying Teddiursa joined in, and almost stole the treasure guarded by the Fire God, Thunder God, and Ice God!"
"The Fire God, Thunder God, and Ice God, who were fighting, immediately stopped and chased after the two Teddiursa, but they couldn't catch up, they were fuming!"
"In the end, someone found those two Teddiursa and told them taking the treasure would cause a huge crisis, only then did they return the Treasure Pearl."
"It's strange, why couldn't those Pokémon, hailed as gods, even catch two Teddiursa, and nearly let them escape?"
"Could it be Quick Feet ability? No, their ability must be Pickup! Only Pokémon with this ability would be interested in peculiar little trinkets!" Allen mused to himself.
Naoki: "?"