Pokemon: A New Path-Kind Happiny[538]

Meanwhile, at the Pokémon Guild.

Led by Pawmot and Alcremie, Happiny eagerly explored the area, wide-eyed with wonder at everything around her.

The bustling activity of the guild was reflected in her round eyes, and she couldn't help but mumble, "Happy!" (It's so lively here!)

Even livelier than the ranch!

Pawmot nodded proudly. "Pawmot!" (Of course! That's because this is the paradise Naoki built just for Pokémon!)

Alcremie twirled happily beside them. "Miee~!" (That's right! Everyone lives together, plays together, and even makes delicious snacks together. It's a wonderful place!)

Happiny kept turning her head left and right, overwhelmed by the magical sights and Pokémon she had never seen before.

"Hap… Happy!" She pointed excitedly to one of the buildings.

Hearing her, Pawmot and Alcremie turned to look and saw several Pokémon seated inside a cozy building with its doors wide open.

Those Pokémon were gathered around a bar, sipping from little cups with big smiles on their faces.

"That's the Pokémon Tavern," Pawmot explained. "Pawmot, Pawmot." (Pokémon come here to relax and enjoy a drink.)

Alcremie chimed in cheerfully, "Miee~!" (The fruit wine is sooo tasty! One sip and you feel like you're floating on cotton candy!)

Happiny had never experienced anything like that before. Hearing Alcremie describe it made her curious and excited to try it herself.

But before she could take a step forward, Pawmot quickly blocked her path with a serious look.

"Pawmot!" (Naoki said that Pokémon who haven't grown up yet shouldn't drink!)

Happiny pointed indignantly at a Purrolin, already sipping at the bar.

"Happy!" (But that one is drinking too!)

Pawmot scratched his head awkwardly, unsure what to say. "Pawmot…"

"Miee~," Alcremie said gently, patting Happiny's head.

"Miee?" (Just a little won't hurt. Naoki didn't stop me the last time I had a glass, right?)

Truthfully, Alcremie was already five years old—fully grown by Pokémon standards—but she still thought of herself as a little one.

That said, when she was around younger Pokémon—or facing off against the grumpy Garganacl—Alcremie liked to play the part of a big sister.

And it worked! Happiny's eyes sparkled at Alcremie's reassuring tone.

"Happy!"

Alcremie puffed her chest. "Mree!" (Trust me, it's fine!)

Together, they trotted into the Pokémon Tavern and requested two small cups of fruit wine from Meowth and Pikachu, who were working behind the bar.

Pawmot could only sigh and shake his head. "Pawmot…"

As the sweet, fruity wine touched their lips, a dreamy expression floated across Alcremie's face.

Seeing that, Happiny took a big gulp, too.

After just one glass, both Pokémon were a little dizzy.

"Miee~?" (See? Doesn't it feel like floating on cotton candy?) Alcremie asked, swaying lightly.

"Happy!" Happiny nodded eagerly.

After their brief tipsy experience, Pawmot and Alcremie took Happiny to continue the tour.

"Miee!" (This is the dessert shop! We bake cakes with butter and flour here. They're sooo good!)

"Miee." (This is the sushi bar run by Tatsugiri and friends! But honestly, I still prefer Naoki's cakes.)

"Miee!" (That over there is the headquarters of the Expedition Guild! Pokémon can take on missions here. Naoki said the more missions you complete, the stronger you'll become!)

"Miee." (And that's the item shop next door. They sell berries and Moomoo Milk and Gogoat Milk to help Pokémon recover energy!)

Happiny, Alcremie, and Pawmot paused in front of the glass counter at the item shop.

All kinds of Berries were neatly arranged on the shelves inside the shop—some restored stamina, others cured status conditions. The selection was impressively complete.

The shopkeeper was a Lilligant. When she saw customers arrive, she perked up with a warm smile and eagerly greeted them.

"Lilli~" (Welcome, welcome! Looking for something, dear customers? We've got all sorts of fruit! And just recently, we added something really special to the inventory~)

"Pawmot?" Pawmot tilted his head in confusion, not spotting anything new on the shelves.

Beside him, Alcremie blinked and asked, "Miee?" (What is it?)

Lilligant giggled and leaned in with a wink. "Lilli~" (It's a gift from the Phoenix King himself~)

She turned and knelt down to retrieve a small package from beneath the bottom shelf. With delicate hands, she carefully opened it, revealing a soft, silvery-gray powder.

"This," Lilligant explained with pride, "Lilli." (Is Sacred Ash. It can instantly restore even severely injured Pokémon. No matter how bad the wound, once Sacred Ash is applied, the Pokémon will recover immediately.)

Ho-Oh, the guardian of the skies, would sometimes leave the World Tree to journey to other lands.

Knowing that accidents might happen while it was away—and that the healing flames of Sacred Fire wouldn't be available—it entrusted this Sacred Ash to the item shop so that any Pokémon in need could come and use it.

Of course, there were times when the Sacred Ash ran out.

But every time Ho-Oh returned, it would visit the shop and restock the supply. Having received the blessings of the World Tree, and fond of both the place and its Pokémon, Ho-Oh was more than happy to offer its help.

Hearing this, Happiny's eyes widened in awe.

"Hapii!" (Whoa! That's incredible!)

Getting hurt was no small matter. Before coming to the ranch, Happiny had once gotten into a scuffle with some wild Pokémon and ended up injured.

The pain had been unbearable, and it took ages to fully recover. Back then, if she'd had something like Sacred Ash, could she have healed instantly?!

But strangely, Alcremie and Pawmot didn't seem all that impressed by Lilligant's story.

Instead, Pawmot scratched his cheek thoughtfully and said,

"Pawmot…" (That sounds exactly like the Life Goat Milk we get from the Gogoat on the ranch…)

Lilligant froze. "Lilli?!"

How could that be? This was Sacred Ash—Ho-Oh's gift! There couldn't possibly be anything in the world with the same effect!

Lilligant's disbelief was written all over her face. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Was this little Pokémon trying to pull her leaves?

Determined to prove he was telling the truth, Pawmot puffed out his cheeks, then zipped out of the store at lightning speed. Moments later, he returned with a chilled bottle of Life Goat Milk straight from the ranch fridge.

To verify the comparison between the Sacred Ash and the Life Goat Milk, the group headed to the Pokémon Hospital.

It just so happened that two Pokémon had recently been injured in a battle nearby.

One was a Treecko, the other a Mudbray.

Pawmot and Lilligant stepped forward, each holding their respective remedies. Pawmot used Life Goat Milk, while Lilligant applied the Sacred Ash.

In the blink of an eye, the wounds on both Pokémon vanished. Treecko and Mudbray stirred, completely healed, as if nothing had happened at all.

What kind of goat milk is that?! Its effect was identical to the Sacred Ash gifted by Lord Ho-Oh?!

Pawmot puffed up with pride and declared, "Pawmot!" (It's the Life Goat Milk from Naoki Ranch!)

"Happi?" Happiny looked around at the other injured Pokémon nearby, tilting her head in curiosity.

Why were there so many hurt Pokémon here? What was this place?

Alcremie softly answered, "Mree…" (This is the Pokémon Hospital on the World Tree. But… there isn't a professional Pokémon doctor here right now, so they can't receive proper treatment.)

"Happy?" Happiny asked again, puzzled. (Why not?)

Alcremie blinked thoughtfully, unsure how to answer.

After a pause, she replied gently, "Miee?" (Maybe the doctor Pokémon just hasn't met us yet?)

Just then, Naoki, who had recently returned from the snowfield, arrived at the top of the World Tree with Koraidon by his side.

He spotted Pawmot and the others gathered near the Pokémon Hospital.

Seeing Happiny and Alcremie deep in thought, Naoki raised an eyebrow.

"What's on your minds?" he asked, stepping closer.

All the Pokémon turned their heads to look as Naoki and Koraidon entered.

Happiny didn't hesitate—she raised a paw and asked the question that had been bothering her: "Happi?" (Why isn't there a Pokémon doctor here?)

Naoki blinked in surprise. "A Pokémon doctor?"

Happiny nodded seriously. "Happy!" (If we had one, these Pokémon could be cared for properly and recover even faster!)

Understanding dawned on Naoki's face, and he smiled warmly.

What a kind and thoughtful heart… just like the stories say about the Chansey line.

It's said that even wild Chansey will offer nutritious eggs to injured Pokémon they encounter, helping them heal quickly.

Even though Happiny hadn't evolved yet, her gentle heart was already showing.

Naoki gently explained, "The truth is, there isn't a Pokémon suited to being a doctor on the World Tree—yet. But… there is one who would be perfect for it."

"Happy?" Happiny's eyes sparkled, clearly intrigued.

Naoki nodded. "That would be a Blissey—the evolved form of a Chansey."

Happiny blinked in surprise. A beat passed—and then it hit her.

Eh?! Wasn't that… her?!

"Happy?!" she gasped, pointing to herself in shock.

"Don't worry," Naoki said gently. "I was just putting it out there. If you want to be a doctor, then you can be one. But if you don't, that's okay too."

Happiny looked around thoughtfully.

She really did like it here.

Images flashed through her mind—the poisoned and paralyzed Pokémon lying helplessly on the floor, groaning in pain with no one to care for them. Just recalling it tugged at her heart.

If no one's there to help them… those Pokémon would be too pitiful, wouldn't they?

With that thought, Happiny made up her mind.

That's it! If there's no Pokémon doctor here, then she would become one! She'd stay at the Pokémon Hospital and care for all the Pokémon in need!

"Happy!" she chirped to Naoki, her eyes filled with determination.

Naoki blinked, a little surprised. "You're serious?" he asked. "You do know… becoming a Pokémon doctor isn't that simple."

"Happy?" Happiny tilted her head.

Naoki explained, "A Pokémon doctor has to learn a lot. Like how to tell if another Pokémon is poisoned, paralyzed, or just tired—just by observing their symptoms. You also need to identify the right Berries from the Berry trees and match the correct ones to the condition. It's not easy work."

He wanted to make sure she understood what she was signing up for.

But Happiny didn't hesitate. "Happy!" (I've already decided—I won't give up!)

Whoa… Naoki was taken aback.

He hadn't expected her to be this determined.

"All right," he said with a smile. "When I have time, I'll start teaching you some basic medical knowledge."

Becoming a Pokémon doctor wasn't something that happened overnight. Professional training was required.

In the human world, it wasn't just Nurse Joy who trained for this. Her partner Pokémon would attend nursing schools too, learning how to care for and heal other Pokémon.

If Naoki remembered correctly, even Jessie from Team Rocket once studied at a Pokémon Nursing School.

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There, she met a Chansey and the two became close friends.

But because Jessie, as a human, couldn't learn the singing move required to soothe Pokémon, she was unable to graduate. In the end, she had to give up her studies and quietly waited for her Chansey friend to finish school before parting ways.

Naoki thought about it.

He could start by teaching Happiny how to identify healing Berries and diagnose common injuries. And maybe later… he could take her on a field trip to the Pokémon Center in town and ask Nurse Joy to show her how to properly care for patients.

But there was no rush for that.

After all… Happiny hadn't evolved into Chansey just yet.