Chapter 140: Courage Fried Rice, Muster Your Bravery!
Chapter 140: Courage Fried Rice, Muster Your Bravery!
After planting the berry saplings, Naoki proceeded to help Miltank with her grooming, tidying up the chicken coop in the process. He collected seven or eight fresh eggs from within.
Once his chores were done, he started preparing lunch.
Holding the fresh eggs in his hands, Naoki contemplated making fried rice for lunch.
Now that he thought about it, he realized he hadn't made fried rice since arriving in this world.
Since that was the case, he decided to give it a try and see what kind of magical effect an ordinary dish like fried rice would have.
Around noon, Naoki had intended to invite Carter to stay for lunch, but the boy politely refused.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Naoki," Carter said. "But I must be leaving. This extracurricular activity only lasts for half a month, and I need to get back to prepare for the midterm exams! The school bus will be leaving soon, and I'll be able to get back to school by evening."
"Alright then," Naoki said, seeing the boy off as he stood in front of the ranch.
But soon, he remembered something.
Drat! He forgot to ask Carter to spread the word about the ranch back at school to attract more unsuspecting victims! Naoki felt a twinge of regret, but he knew these things were left to fate.
"Oh well, I'll worry about it later," he muttered to himself.
After all, trainers often passed by the ranch from time to time.
With that thought, Naoki turned back toward the house to continue preparing lunch.
The process of making fried rice was simple.
Naoki cracked the eggs, separating the whites from the yolks. He then broke up the leftover rice from the previous night with his hands, mixing it with the egg yolks until every grain was coated in a golden hue.
He heated up some oil in a pan—a fine product from OliNYU.
Once the oil was hot, he cracked and scrambled two more eggs, tossing in diced ham and carrots before finally adding the rice. A sprinkle of pure rock salt and some vigorous stirring later, the dish was almost ready.
Soon, the rice grains had turned a beautiful golden color, each one coated in egg, looking translucent and fragrant.
Golurk and the other Pokemon were drawn to the aroma, their eyes glued to the pan of fried rice.
Noticing their eager gazes, Naoki smiled and said, "Just a little longer, it'll be ready soon!"
As the dish neared completion, he turned off the heat and dished the fried rice onto a plate, letting a few of the Pokemon carry it to the table while he stayed back to fry some steaks for Motostoke, Haxorus, and Golurk.
The fried rice would be enough to fill Cream Fairy and Mud Boulder's stomachs, but those big guys needed something extra.
Naoki took out some steaks from the refrigerator and started frying them, glancing at the information about the fried rice as he cooked.
[Courage Fried Rice (B+)
: Fried rice made with ordinary eggs, ordinary rice, high-quality olive oil, and pure rock salt.
Effect: Muster Your Bravery! Humans and Pokemon who consume this dish will find the courage to take on challenges they've been hesitant to face.
Evaluation: An extremely delicious fried rice! A favorite of Mud Bodhi!
Hmm?
Courage Fried Rice?
Naoki raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the description of the dish in front of him.
How exactly would it instill courage?
Just then, he heard a loud crash behind him.
Whirling around, he saw Golurk had jumped onto his bed, causing the newly purchased mattress to collapse under its weight.
Golurk lay happily on the bed, eyes closed in contentment.
Naoki felt a surge of frustration at the sight, and he shouted, "Golurk!"
Golurk's eyes snapped open, and it seemed to realize what it had done. Its face contorted with panic, and it began to babble in defense, "Agas!"
Naoki was about to say something more when he suddenly remembered something.
Golurk wasn't the only one who had eaten the fried rice!
His gaze shifted to the dining table nearby.
The plates of Motostoke, Cream Fairy, Mudsdale, and Haxorus were also mostly empty.
Motostoke ran up to him, mimicking Golurk by affectionately licking his face with its long tongue and happily hugging him.
Bu Turt and Axew, on the other hand, were full of fighting spirit as they dashed out of the house.
Seeing this, Naoki held onto Miltank with one hand and pulled Motostoke with the other, following behind Golurk to check on the situation outside.
After leaving the room, Axew rushed directly to where Mount Goat and OliNYU lived and shouted, "Roar!" to Mount Goat.
It seemed to be challenging Mount Goat.
Bu Turt, on the other hand, flew high into the sky and released all the electric energy from its body, as if wanting to see just how powerful it was.
Soon, a constantly churning thundercloud was drawn to Bu Turt, and terrifying thunderclaps resounded in the sky. Bu Turt's red cape fluttered in the wind as the lightning crackled around it.
With thunder and lightning all around, its eyes glowed blue, and the electricity connected it to the sky, making it look like a true Thunder God.
In front of the goat pen, the Mount Goats readily accepted Axew's challenge.
They worked as a trio, with one releasing a Grassy Terrain and the other two wielding Grassium Z in their mouths. They attacked Axew from both sides.
Before Axew could even take off, it was struck by the dual attack and lost its ability to battle.
The Mount Goats returned to their pen nonchalantly to continue eating, leaving Axew lying on the ground, its eyes spinning and its tongue hanging limply to the side.
Everything was in chaos! Complete chaos!
Naoki roared, "Stop!"
The Pokemon immediately snapped out of their trance, blinking as they realized they were doing something they had always wanted to do but dared not attempt.
Naoki sighed helplessly and pulled Axew by its tail, dragging it in front of him. He offered it some juice and milk to help it recover its energy.
Soon, Axew came to its senses, looking confused as it asked, "Roar?"
A moment later, Naoki stood in front of the row of Pokemon, who were standing obediently and apologetically. He paced back and forth in front of them, making them extremely nervous.
Stopping in front of Motostoke, Naoki said helplessly, "You want to lick me like Golurk, huh?"
Motostoke: "Gao..."
Golurk looked innocent.
Then, Naoki walked over to Miltank.
"I know you love making desserts, but don't worry. Later, when we have a bigger house, I'll make a special butter workshop for you."
Miltank, who had thought Naoki would scold her, had been very worried. Hearing this, she immediately cheered, "Mama!" Long live Naoki!
Naoki walked up to Axew, thinking about how it had challenged the three Mount Goats. He asked with a smile, "How did it feel?"
Axew looked a bit embarrassed and dirty: "Roar..."
Next was Bu Turt's turn.
Naoki thought about its previous performance and said, "It seems the energy within you is more powerful than I imagined. But fully releasing it on the ranch can easily cause panic. Later, Golurk and I will take you to the sea to try it out."
"Ba Mo!"
Bu Turt nodded vigorously.
Lastly, he faced Golurk.
The image of what had just happened flashed through Naoki's mind, and he felt both angry and amused. "This is the second time."
Golurk's whole body drooped in dejection. "Aga..."
Seeing Golurk like this, Naoki suddenly lost his temper.
What else could he do? It was all his fault for getting the sudden urge to make fried rice!
Oh well.
Naoki sighed helplessly and let the Pokemon go back to finish their meal while he started cleaning the kitchen, which Miltank had smeared with butter. He planned to go into town that afternoon to get a new mattress.
(End of Chapter)
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