9:25 AM, the weather is sunny and bright, with a blue sky overhead dotted with clouds like cotton, gently drifting with the breeze.
A pickup truck loaded with truckloads of berries and Pokémon travels along a deserted country road.
A song from a car CD plays, said to be performed by a Jigglypuff who loves singing.
The Alcremies follow the beat, howling out of tune, filling the cabin with a lively atmosphere.
Naoki focuses on driving, while recalling the situation in Sunnytown in his mind.
Sunnytown, located south of Porto Marinada Town, is a typical small countryside town.
The town's residents live off agriculture and compared to Porto Marinada Town, it seems a bit rustic. But it's said that the town produces abundant sunflowers, hence the name Sunnytown.
Not far from the ranch, after driving for a little over ten minutes, Naoki spots a golden Sunflora Field appearing ahead in the meadows.
Some Pokémon shaped like sunflowers mix in, raising their heads alongside the sunflowers to face the sun.
"Sunflora."
The name of the Pokémon crosses Naoki's mind.
As they approach the town, some vehicles and Trainers with Pokémon also appear on the road.
Naoki glances at these young kids, guessing they've been drawn in by the bug-catching competition, reminiscent of the Sakura Blossom Wine Party held over in Porto Marinada Town.
The car enters the town, and Naoki retracts his gaze from the outside, following the directions given by the girl, driving all the way to the town center.
The girl who previously ordered the berries from the ranch is standing there chatting with another girl.
Seeing him arrive, the girl immediately runs back, waving her hand: "This way! Over here!"
Naoki drives the car over and shuts off the engine, then opens the door and hops out.
The Pawmot and Dragonairs also squeeze to the window, sticking their heads out curiously surveying the outside scene.
The girl is shocked by the large group of Pokémon: "So many Pokémon! Wow, are those the legendary Dragonairs?! So many rare Pokémon!"
Naoki chuckles: "Yes, they're all mine."
"Truly enviable!"
Naoki turns to the Pokémon in the car and says: "Alright, Koraidon, Cyclizar, start unloading the berries ordered by the guest!"
"Ogerpon, Pawmot, you can jump down and play too, but don't run off! Stay close to the car."
"Bonnie~"
"Bammo!"
"..."
The Pokémon nod excitedly, agreeing.
They also jump out of the car, gazing around the unfamiliar town with curiosity.
Meanwhile, Naoki begins unloading the berries from the truck with Koraidon and Cyclizar.
Soon, all the berries are unloaded. The girl checks the quantity, quickly pays the balance, and expresses her gratitude:
"Thank you so much! Rancher, thanks to your help, the bug-catching competition can proceed smoothly!"
"Just a small task, it's nothing." Naoki replies with a gentle smile.
"Oh! By the way!" The girl suddenly remembers something and invites: "Rancher, how about staying around for the bug-catching competition in the town?"
Naoki is slightly taken aback: "Can I?"
The girl nods lightly: "Of course! Normally, there's a registration fee for the competition, but since you helped us so much, you can join the contest for free!"
"Hmm..." Naoki hesitates a bit. Honestly, his interest in Bug Type Pokémon isn't as strong as the furry ones.
But the competition sounds fun.
After a brief thought, Naoki makes a decision.
He wants to experience the life of an Insect-Catching Youth!
"Do I need to prepare anything?" Naoki asks.
The girl shakes her head: "No need, the town will provide snacks to attract Bug Type Pokémon for competing Trainers."
"Oh, and one more thing: during the competition, you can't use your Pokémon to battle against those Bug Type Pokémon!"
Naoki: "I can only use snacks to capture them?"
The girl nods lightly: "That's right! Besides snacks, it also depends on the Trainer's personal charm! Those Bug Type Pokémon are smart; they'll choose people they like to follow."
Naoki: "Understood."
Girl: "The competition will be held tomorrow at 9 AM, at the Natural Park south of the town. You can head over there directly. Today, we'll make all these berries into Pokémon snacks."
"Okay, then I'll come back tomorrow." Naoki nods, indicating he understands.
He calls the Pokémon back to the car and drives away from Sunnytown, heading back to the ranch.
*
In the afternoon, Naoki officially starts planning the new area across the river.
He rides a Dragonite up into the sky, taking out paper and pen to sketch a map of the terrain.
Then, starting from a stone bridge, Naoki draws several straight roads, quickly dividing the land into several main areas.