Chapter 134: The Laziness of the Riding Goat
Chapter 134: The Laziness of the Riding Goat
Early the next morning, after finishing breakfast, Naoki noticed that the grass in the ranch had grown significantly again.
With some time to spare, he grabbed a scythe and began mowing, collecting the freshly cut grass to make grass balls for his Riding Goat.
However, the ranch was indeed vast, and it took him several hours of backbreaking work to make a dent.
"Phew!" Naoki stood up, took a deep breath, and thought to himself, "It's time to invest in a lawnmower."
With that in mind, he started walking back, removing his leather gloves and putting the scythe away in the storage shed.
When he returned to the front, Naoki saw Golton teaching Motor Lizard some moves, with Aero Drake peeking from the side to learn as well.
Hmm, looks like I'll have to ride another Pokemon to town.
Not wanting to disturb them, Naoki thought for a moment and then made his way to the goat pen. He chose one of the Riding Goats at random and mounted it.
"Let's go, companion. Take me to town!"
"Meeeh~"
The Riding Goat readily agreed.
At a towering height of five feet after evolution, the Riding Goat easily accommodated Naoki's weight.
As Naoki rode past Golton and the others, he said, "I'm heading into town. You guys carry on with your training."
"Agassi!"
"Gaoh!"
"Roar~"
The three Pokemon blinked in response.
Golton wanted to offer Naoki a ride, but with tasks at hand, he could only watch as they rode away.
This was Naoki's first time riding a Riding Goat.
Compared to Goldeen and Motor Lizard, the experience of riding the goat felt no different.
No, to be precise, the Riding Goat felt even fluffier, and its back was softer.
Even more intriguing was the Riding Goat's intelligence.
By simply placing his hand on the pair of long horns on its head, Naoki could convey his thoughts, and the goat would turn, accelerate, or decelerate according to his wishes—a truly versatile mount.
In a sense, the Riding Goat was even more like a motorcycle than Aero Drake.
"No wonder it has been assisting humans since 5,000 years ago," Naoki thought to himself.
Indeed, it was an extremely reliable Pokemon.
The only downside was its glowing body.
As Naoki watched the Riding Goat's body suddenly glow with a dense green light during their ride, he was momentarily at a loss for words.
This feeling... why does it remind me of those pay-to-win mounts in garbage online games?
'Charge $998 for an exclusive deluxe glowing mount!'
Naoki shook his head, dismissing the strange thought. He guided the Riding Goat to the side of the road and said, "First, let's release the energy within you!"
"Meeeh~"
And so, the Riding Goat began its wild dance.
A powerful Grass-type energy erupted from its body, instantly enveloping everything around them in a vibrant green aura, creating a lush, grassy arena.
But this was just the beginning.
Within this grassy arena, the Riding Goat unleashed a barrage of Grass-type moves.
Leaf Blade, Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, and Solar Beam were unleashed without restraint.
Witnessing this display, Naoki initially worried if such daily exertions would burden the Riding Goat, perhaps causing it discomfort or distress.
However, his concerns were quickly allayed as he noticed the look of sheer enjoyment on the goat's face.
Naoki: "..."
The green glow continued to spread, attracting the attention of numerous wild Pokemon who gathered to watch the spectacle.
Even after releasing the energy within its body, the Riding Goat still looked like it wanted more.
It seemed that merely using moves was no longer sufficient to expend its abundant energy.
Watching this display, Naoki fell into deep thought.
Undoubtedly, this was all a result of the Riding Goat consuming large amounts of Grass Balls every day.
If he wanted to put a stop to this, he would have to stop feeding the Riding Goats the Grass Balls.
But Grass Balls had become their favorite food, and they would surely be unhappy if he stopped giving them this treat.
Aside from dancing, what other methods could he use to help them expend this excess energy? The first idea that came to Naoki was to have them battle; it was clearly a more effective way to release their energy than just using moves.
Moreover...
Naoki recalled how this particular Riding Goat had even wanted to battle Golton before. It was obvious that it wasn't a Pokemon that disliked fighting.
With this in mind, Naoki looked at the Riding Goat standing before him and asked, "Riding Goat, if I were to let you battle other Pokemon, would you be willing to do so?"
"Meeaahh?!"
Hearing this, the Riding Goat's face lit up with excitement, and its eyes sparkled with fighting spirit.
Naoki: "..."
Indeed, at its core, it was still a lively and combative Riding Goat! Life on the ranch consisted of nothing but eating and sleeping, so the Riding Goat could only laze around on the grass, giving him the misconception that it was a lazy and indifferent creature.
After some contemplation, Naoki asked again, "What if your opponent is a very strong Pokemon?"
"Meeaahh!"
The Riding Goat's mouth glowed as it summoned an extremely exaggerated Grass-type giant blade.
It wasn't a vegetarian! Any intruder on the ranch's territory would be met with the goat's fierce counterattack!
"...Alright, alright, we'll discuss this later. For now, let's put away your powers."
The Riding Goat obediently retracted its power.
Naoki mounted the goat and continued toward Cerulean City. As he rode, his mind continued to ponder ways to help the Riding Goat expend its excess energy and satisfy its strong desire to battle.
Should he bring them to battle other Trainers?
No, that wouldn't work. He had a lot of work to do on the ranch, and he feared he wouldn't have enough time.
What about having the Riding Goat spar with Aero Drake and Motor Lizard to exchange and improve their skills?
This was feasible, but a single Aero Drake and Motor Lizard might not be enough to satisfy all three Riding Goats.
As Naoki drew closer to Cerulean City, scenes from the past flashed through his mind, inspiring him to find a solution to the Riding Goat's excess energy.
Finally, his thoughts settled on a group of youths wearing the orange uniforms of the Orange Academy.
That's it!
If he could convince young Trainers that the ranch could help them train, perhaps he could lure some of them to the ranch for a unique training experience. Then, he could have them battle the Riding Goats. The Trainers would gain experience, and the Riding Goats would be able to release their excess energy, exercise, and even lose some weight.
With the magical cuisine on the ranch to restore their stamina, there was no need to worry about any Pokemon getting injured.
It was a perfect solution!
(End of Chapter)
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