Pokemon: A New Path-Wedding Day [602]

After the New Year passed and the snows began to melt, spring quietly returned. Life stirred once more across the land.

And with the coming of spring, Naoki and Iono's wedding arrived as planned.

The ceremony was held on the beach in Kosaji Town. Naoki, dressed in a crisp white suit, stood tall and handsome beneath the bright sun.

Iono wore a beautiful white wedding dress, her reflection shimmering across the surface of the sparkling blue sea.

She was breathtaking.

Koraidon and Iono's Bellibolt stood proudly at their sides, playing the roles of flower attendants.

The rest of the Pokémon gathered happily across the beach, gazing out at the sea and nibbling on the delicious food prepared for the occasion.

Ogerpon danced gleefully in the sand, Butterfree and Combee sampled sweet pastries, and a large group of Dragonite, who served as delivery Pokémon, stood chatting near the water's edge.

At exactly 10 o'clock in the morning, guests from all across began arriving one after another to attend the wedding.

Naoki personally went to greet them.

The first guest to arrive was Alder, the Champion of the Unova League.

Today, even Alder had exchanged his usual easygoing style for a sharp black suit. His bright red hair gleamed under the sunlight, neatly combed back.

Ever since his Volcarona had healed from its injuries, Alder seemed more energetic than ever, as if he'd been given a second spring.

"Congratulations, Naoki!" Alder said warmly, giving him a firm, hearty handshake.

The two men exchanged smiles without needing to say much more.

Naoki patted Alder on the shoulder and said, "Please, have a seat!"

Alder nodded and made his way over to the rows of seats set up along the beach.

The next to arrive were Geeta and Rika, representing the Paldea League.

Today, Geeta was serving as the official witness for the wedding ceremony.

"This is so exciting!" Geeta said with a beaming smile. "Congratulations, Naoki! You won't be a bachelor anymore!"

Naoki: "..."

For some reason, he felt like there was a subtle teasing glint in her eyes, but he decided it was better not to dwell on it.

He smiled and said instead, "Chief, please head over to the waiting area. I'll need your help soon."

"Don't worry. Leave it to me!" Geeta promised with a wink.

Naoki nodded in thanks and turned his attention to Rika, who stood calmly beside her.

"Happy wedding," Rika said simply, offering a small nod.

"Thank you," Naoki replied sincerely.

With that, Geeta and Rika moved to their seats.

The third guest to arrive was Steven Stone, Champion of the Hoenn League, representing Hoenn's alliance.

When Steven stepped onto the beach and spotted Naoki, he felt a wave of respect well up inside him.

After all, he knew the truth that Naoki was the one who had once battled the very god of creation itself.

Most people did not know the true identity of the masked figure from that incident. But Steven did.

This man was no ordinary trainer. He was someone truly extraordinary.

"Congratulations on your wedding," Steven said with genuine warmth.

"Thank you very much. Please come inside!" Naoki smiled and personally guided him to sit alongside Alder.

The fourth guest to arrive was none other than Professor Oak.

He had set aside his iconic white lab coat for the day and wore a neatly tailored suit, looking every bit the wise elder.

"Originally, Ash and Gary wanted to come along when they heard you were getting married," Oak said with a hearty laugh. "But they're both off continuing their journeys, so it's just me today. Congratulations, Naoki!"

"It's an honor to have you here, Professor!" Naoki said, guiding him to a seat next to Alder, where the two old friends soon struck up a lively conversation.

The fifth guest to arrive was Nemona.

Her butler drove up in a long black limousine, and the moment she stepped out, she raised her voice spiritedly:

"Mr. Naoki, come battle me right now!"

Naoki: "..."

Nemona's butler stood to the side, his face full of helplessness. 'Miss, this is someone else's wedding...!'

But Naoki couldn't help laughing. This kind of behavior was really typical of Nemona.

"Of course," Naoki said, smiling. "But can we save the battle for after the wedding? I'd hate to delay things now."

Nemona nodded eagerly. "Deal! You promised!"

"Then head over and relax for a bit, okay?" Naoki added.

"Got it!" Nemona chirped, then dashed off to the side of the beach, already inspecting the Pokémon gathered there with sparkling eyes, no doubt scouting future opponents.

Watching her antics, Naoki shook his head, amused yet exasperated. There was just no changing Nemona.

Just as he turned back around, he caught sight of two familiar figures arriving at the edge of the beach: Dr. Sada and her son, Arven.

Naoki hurried over to greet them.

"Dr. Sada! Arven! Welcome!" he called warmly.

"Hello, Mr. Naoki," Arven said shyly, looking a little awkward as he fiddled with the hem of his jacket.

Dr. Sada smiled kindly and gave her son's head a gentle pat. "Turo stayed back at the research lab to finish up some work, so it's just the two of us today."

"That's more than enough!" Naoki said, beaming. "Come in and relax! There's tons of food over there, help yourselves before the ceremony starts!"

Dr. Sada nodded with a chuckle. "We'll do that. See you in a bit."

The two headed over to the seating area, Arven tagging along close behind.

Naoki watched them go with a soft look in his eyes. Even though Arven still wore that stiff, slightly grumpy expression, he was quietly sticking by his mom's side, carrying her plate, picking a good seat, and even waiting for her before sitting down himself.

What an adorably awkward kid.

Naoki scanned the rest of the beach quickly. Most of the guests here now are Iono's parents, gym leaders like Grusha, and familiar faces from Kosaji Town, such as Mayor Thomas, Mrs. Dantes, Mr. Elif, Hugh, Kelly, and Ivan.

The beach was bustling with chatter and laughter under the bright spring sun.

Just as Naoki was feeling satisfied that everyone had arrived, a familiar voice called out to him from behind:

"Hey, Naoki! We're not late, are we?"

Naoki turned and saw two people approaching along the boardwalk, one of them waving enthusiastically.

It was Leon, the Champion of Galar, grinning as brightly as ever.

And beside him, a girl in a stylish tweed coat waved just as cheerfully.

"Hello, Naoki!" she called. "I'm Sonia! Leon's told me a lot about you!"

Naoki blinked in surprise.

'Sonia... the Galar region's renowned Pokémon Professor-in-training?'

Before he could say anything, Leon clapped a hand on his shoulder with a laugh.

"I figured if I tried to get here alone, I'd end up lost halfway across Paldea," he said sheepishly. "So I dragged Sonia along to make sure we got here!"

Naoki raised an eyebrow and teased, "Honestly, I'm not sure I'm used to the idea of you not getting lost."

Sonia burst out laughing.

"Exactly!" she said. "This guy, even finding a battle stadium on time is a miracle for him!"

"Hey, hey, don't gang up on me!" Leon protested, scratching the back of his head with an embarrassed smile.

Naoki chuckled and waved them forward.

"Come on in. The ceremony's about to start. Find a seat and enjoy!"

"Got it!" Leon and Sonia said in unison, hurrying over to join the other guests.

Leon and Sonia also found their seats among the crowd.

Now that all the guests had arrived, the wedding officially began.

Iono's father, dressed neatly for the occasion, took his daughter's arm and slowly walked her down the long red carpet. His steps were steady, but his reddened eyes betrayed the emotions stirring in his heart.

When they reached the front, he gently placed Iono's hand into Naoki's.

Seeing the tremble in the man's hands, Naoki leaned forward slightly and promised him sincerely, "I will take good care of her."

Iono's father gave a small nod, his throat tight with emotion, then stepped back into the crowd. Quietly, he wiped his eyes with a handkerchief, not wanting his daughter to see his tears.

Naoki held Iono's hand firmly and together they walked toward Geeta, who was officiating the ceremony as the witness.

Geeta smiled warmly at them, then turned to address the guests.

"Good afternoon, everyone — friends, family, honored guests," Geeta said, her voice carrying clearly over the soft sound of the waves. "On this day filled with joy and love, I am honored to stand here as the witness of this beautiful moment, to offer my sincere blessings."

"I have watched these two grow closer over time, through life's twists and turns. It fills me with happiness to see them join their lives together today. Of course, the journey ahead will not always be smooth, there will be trials and hardships, as there always are, but hand in hand, they will face them together."

As Geeta spoke, Naoki's gaze never left Iono's.

At that moment, he could barely hear anything else. His whole world was filled with the sparkle of her eyes, the warmth of her smile.

From today onward, they would build their home together, care for their Pokémon together, and grow old together. No matter how time changed the world, they would always have each other.

Among the guests, Iono's mother dabbed at her eyes, unable to hold back her tears.

Their daughter had grown up, and from today on, she would start a new chapter of her life with her husband by her side. Though there was sadness in parting, it was outweighed by a profound, heartfelt joy.

Their child was no longer a little girl, but a woman ready to walk her own path.

Geeta finished her speech with a warm smile.

"Finally, I wish the two of you endless love, a lifetime of companionship, and happiness everlasting. And to all our guests, I wish you good health and bright days ahead. Thank you for being here."

"Pa pa pa!"

A round of warm, heartfelt applause broke out from the crowd.

Golden sunlight sparkled across the blue sea, and the ocean breeze carried everyone's sincere blessings toward the newlyweds.

Among the guests, Arven secretly glanced at Dr. Sada, who was clapping with a gentle smile on her face.

For once, there was no talk of ancient Pokémon, no conversations about research projects, no cold divides created by the depths of Area Zero.

Here, they were just a mother and son, attending the wedding of a dear friend like any ordinary family.

Just earlier, Dr. Sada had quietly told Arven something that stuck with him.

She had said, "When you get married one day, I'll be just as happy for you as I am now."

Startled out of his thoughts, Arven looked up to see Dr. Sada turning toward him.

"Hm? What's wrongArven?" she asked with concern.

"Nothing!" Arven said quickly, waving his hands.

"Then come on," she said, smiling gently. "Let's enjoy this beautiful day. Naoki's ranch always has the most delicious food, you know."

Arven stared at his mother for a long second, then nodded vigorously.

"Yeah!"

At that moment, his heart felt lighter than it had in a long time, as if happiness was wrapped all around him, warm and real.

'What a wonderful feeling,' Arven thought.

'I really hope time could stop here, just like this.'