Year 199 of the League era, March 28th, after a day and night of sea travel, Naoki and Alder's luxury cruise ship officially arrived in the Unova Region.
The massive ship docked at Driftveil City's port, under the azure sky, as tourists poured off the ship like a tide into the city.
In the distance, the port was bustling, with numerous cargo ships and fishing vessels nearby.
Machamp-led Pokémon and workers were loading batches of goods onto ships, transporting them elsewhere.
Fishermen returning from the sea were sorting their catch, preparing and sending the fish to the city restaurants.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew in from afar, whisking away some ladies' hats and causing a commotion among the crowd.
Naoki and Alder's hair fluttered upwards, and Alder grinned, introducing loudly amidst the strong wind:
"This is Driftveil City! The constant strong wind is Driftveil City's signature specialty!"
Naoki asked, "Is the Gym Leader here Boss Clay?"
"That's right!" Alder nodded: "But being the Gym Leader is just one of his jobs, Boss Clay's true identity is the owner of the mining company. See that tall mountain to the north?"
Upon hearing this, Naoki looked into the distance.
He saw the towering mountain shadow standing far to the north.
Alder: "The entire Twist Mountain is Boss Clay's property!"
"Wow!" Naoki exclaimed in amazement.
The two disembarked the cruise, and Alder deftly guided Naoki away from the port and into the city: "The coal mined from Twist Mountain supports the entire Unova Region, it's quite impressive, isn't it? The banquet in a few days is hosted by Boss Clay himself!"
These are things not found in the games.
Naoki listened with great interest, occasionally nodding, especially when he heard Alder mention that Boss Clay has a daughter.
"A daughter?"
"Yes! I've heard she's named Lacey or something? I can't quite remember, haven't met her a few times." Alder said.
"I see..." Naoki nodded and didn't inquire further.
"Let's go!" Alder looked at a pager-like communicator and said: "My friend is already waiting there, I'll take you to meet her!"
"Alright." Naoki replied sweetly.
He followed Alder forward, crossing several streets, finally reaching a giant building.
Above it was the sign "Pokemon Breeder Association Driftveil Branch".
Alder strode inside, bypassing the lobby and directly taking Naoki up the elevator.
With a "ding" sound, the elevator stopped on the 7th floor.
Alder walked out and arrived at a warmly decorated elegant room.
A woman in casual wear, with squared glasses, was gracefully standing by the cabinet, polishing a Gible's scales.
The Gible seemed to thoroughly enjoy the activity, its eyes comfortably squinting.
Under the woman's polishing, Gible's scales gradually became clean and tidy, even emitting a bright and beautiful luster.
"Hi, Yu Hui, long time no see!" Alder greeted with a hearty laugh.
Upon hearing the voice, the woman named Yu Hui turned around, her gaze sweeping over Alder and Naoki.
Seeing Alder's relaxed smile with no trace of gloom, her face showed surprise.
"Your mood seems quite good!" Yu Hui remarked meaningfully.
"That's because the problem bothering me for so long has finally been solved." Alder grinned, evidently in high spirits.
"Oh?" Yu Hui was astonished: "Volcarona is okay now?"
Alder nodded: "All thanks to Naoki, his Gogoat can produce a magical milk that heals all of Volcarona's hidden injuries."
Gogoat? Milk? Yu Hui was slightly stunned, looking incredulously at the young man beside Alder.
In fact, Alder had sought many people to heal Volcarona, and as a top breeder, she was one of them.
But even she couldn't heal Volcarona, yet this young man managed to...
"Your name is Naoki?" Yu Hui asked curiously.
Naoki nodded: "That's right."
Yu Hui: "Are you also a Pokemon Breeder?"
"No." Naoki shook his head: "I'm just a Rancher."
Yu Hui: "...?"
Alder laughed: "Naoki is indeed a Rancher, but he's also an excellent Pokemon Trainer. He's here to learn how to make Pokeblocks to care for his Pokémon."
Yu Hui snapped back to reality, knowing Alder had mentioned this in a previous message.
"Since it's your request, rest assured it'll be in good hands with me!" Yu Hui agreed with a smile, not asking further.
"Thanks a lot!" Alder said, then turned to Naoki: "Yu Hui will teach you how to make Pokeblocks. Meanwhile, I'll visit Boss Clay to inquire about the banquet details and meet you later."
"Alright." Watching Alder take the elevator downstairs, Naoki then turned his attention to the woman before him, politely saying: "Hello, Miss Yu Hui."