This Time, I'm Not Going To Be A Trainer. Chapter 149: He Really... I'm Crying - Novel Cool

Chapter 149: He Really... I'm Crying

Chapter 149: He Really... I'm Crying

By the time Naoki finished his work at the ranch, it was already nearing midday.

It had to be said that having such a massive watermelon in the ranch was a real attention-grabber.

Before preparing lunch, Naoki went back to the field, circling the gigantic watermelon, sometimes pausing to observe, sometimes reaching out to pat it.

[Giant Watermelon: A type of giant crop, influenced by the grass energy of the Riding Goat and combined with a certain mysterious power.]

Reading the description of this watermelon and recalling the events of yesterday, it was clear who the owner of the "certain mysterious power" was.

After a moment of contemplation, Naoki returned indoors to start making lunch.

Today's lunch was again fried steak and sandwiches, along with Lucky Pudding, honey lemonade, small bread rolls, and Berries. A simple yet favorite meal for the Pokemon.

The thick-cut steaks were juicy and full of flavor, fried with a sizzling crust, while the sandwiches were a balanced mix of lettuce, tomato, and meat patties. Even the ordinary Berries provided abundant nutrition for the Pokemon.

After the meal, they drank honey lemonade, sitting in the shade of the eaves, enjoying the breeze while munching on bread and Berries. Even the haughty Glaceon wore an expression of contentment.

Gorebyss, Motesaurus, Dragonite, Budew, Glaceon, and Froslass, among others, each held a cup of lemonade and sat in a row under the eaves, from largest to smallest.

Watching them, Naoki shook his head with a smile, then sat down at his desk to start planning for the guests he would invite tomorrow.

First on the list was Thomas, the mayor, who had shown him much care and support.

This elderly man had been helping him since he first arrived, and even gifted him a Motesaurus to assist him.

Next were the people he had gotten to know in town.

There was Keri, who lived on the edge of the forest, the mailman, Evan, the seed shop owner, Eron and his family, the elderly man from Cheerful Ranch and his granddaughter, Mei, and Zach, who came by the ranch daily to collect goods.

Last but not least, he would invite the nearby farmers.

This included the Eliph family from Eliph Orchard, Ray from Thunder Ranch, Greene from Green Ranch, and Mrs. Pollen from Bobby Farm...

Naoki wrote a letter to each person, following the style of the town's festival notices. Then he called out to Dragonite and placed some of the letters in its red satchel.

"Roar?" Dragonite looked at Naoki, puzzled as he slung the satchel around its neck.

Naoki: "I need you to deliver these letters to Mr. Eliph of Eliph Orchard and Mrs. Dantes and Mr. Eron in town."

Deliver letters?

Dragonite nodded, readily accepting the task and soon taking off toward the town, a route it was now familiar with.

Naoki, on the other hand, made a phone call to Evan.

Since he hadn't been to any other ranch except Eliph Orchard, he didn't know their locations, so he decided to ask Evan to deliver the rest of the letters for him.

Evan, who was in the middle of work, immediately rushed over upon receiving the call.

Naoki handed him the remaining letters and asked, "Do you have time tomorrow morning?"

"Tomorrow morning?" Evan was a little surprised. "What's up? Do you need my help with something?"

"No," Naoki shook his head. "I just want to invite you to the ranch for an activity. Tomorrow at nine, I'll be holding a watermelon feast."

"Watermelon? Where did you get watermelons?"

Hearing this, Evan thought to himself that watermelons should only be planted at this time of year.

While they could be grown in greenhouses, he didn't think Naoki's ranch had one.

Evan turned and looked around. The next second, he spotted an enormous watermelon in the field.

Evan: "!!!"

He exclaimed in shock, "Is that a watermelon I know?"

Naoki laughed, "Why don't you go take a look?"

And Evan did.

He ran to the field, circled the giant watermelon twice, reached out to touch it, and noticed that it was still attached to the vine, not yet picked.

What did this mean?

It meant that this massive watermelon was real and not a model!

Evan was utterly astounded. He turned to Naoki and exclaimed, "How did you grow it?"

"Do you really want to know?" Naoki asked.

"Of course! Tell me now!" Evan paused and looked around, lowering his voice. "I promise I won't tell anyone else!"

"Then follow me," Naoki led him to the shrine of Appletun. "All of this is a blessing from this Pokemon."

Looking at the shrine, which housed a Pokemon with an unusually large head, Evan couldn't help but ask, "What kind of Pokemon is that?"

"Appletun, the King of Abundance," Naoki briefly introduced the legend of Appletun.

While the Riding Goat deserved half the credit, as long as he continued to offer Grass Cakes to Appletun, it could achieve the same results on its own.

After all, it was a Grass-type Pokemon.

As Evan listened in awe, Naoki added, "If you want to grow something at your place, you can also pray to Appletun or set up a shrine like I did to worship it. It will bless your crops to flourish."

Evan swallowed, nodding. "I understand." He couldn't believe there was such an incredible Pokemon in the world! "Where did you get the statue?" he asked eagerly.

Decision made! He wanted one for himself!

His grandmother loved gardening and had already planted numerous Berry trees and flowers in their yard.

"Er... I made this myself," Naoki thought for a moment. "Maybe after some time, you'll be able to buy one from Keri's store."

He planned to collaborate with Keri to mass-produce Appletun statues. He would provide the pattern, and Keri would handle the wood carving and polishing before selling them to nearby farmers.

He needed to deliver the letters before nightfall.

After Evan left, Naoki made a video call to Mayor Thomas to invite him to come over tomorrow for an activity.

Mayor Thomas readily agreed and promised to attend.

Naoki was relieved to see his enthusiastic response.

Once everything was taken care of, it was already 4:40 in the afternoon.

Looking at his ranch and the grassy field, Naoki thought, "Now, all that's left is to set up the venue."

There weren't enough tables and chairs at home, and he certainly couldn't have everyone sitting on the grass, holding watermelon slices. That would be too impolite.

Naoki was perplexed, as he couldn't possibly gather enough tables and chairs in a short time.

Just then, the sound of a truck engine echoed from outside the ranch.

Naoki turned to see Keri driving her truck into the ranch, followed by Evan riding on his Motesaurus.

Keri parked the truck in the middle of the ranch and directed her mighty partners to unload the items from the truck.

Naoki walked over and was surprised to find that they were all supplies for setting up the event venue.

Tables, chairs, festive balloons...

Naoki was taken aback and asked, "What's all this for?"

Evan walked up to him, patted him on the shoulder, and said with a smile as they watched Keri directing the Motesaurus:

"Since this is your first time hosting an event, Keri and I thought that you might not have the experience or enough tables. So, we came over to help you set up the venue. How about it?"

"You're really helping me out here!" Naoki expressed his gratitude.

Keri approached with a grin and said, "I'll be charging you for all of this, though!"

"How much?" Naoki asked.

"Five watermelons!" Keri held up her hand, counting the number of people with her fingers. "One each for the two Motesaurus, one each for the two Construckt, and one for me."

Naoki immediately understood what she meant and laughed, "Sure, that's more than enough!"

"Then come and help us prepare!" Keri urged.

So, Naoki, along with Gorebyss and Motesaurus, started carrying the tables and chairs.

Evan and his Motesaurus also joined in to help.

Glaceon, Froslass, Budew, and Butterfree blew up balloons on the side.

Keri directed them all.

Together, the group of people and Pokemon set up the venue, arranging the tables and chairs, decorating the ranch with ribbons, and hanging the inflated balloons on the signboard of Naoki's ranch.

At 5 p.m., Zach arrived to pick up the goods.

Seeing the bustling scene, he exclaimed, "Wow, it's so lively here!"

Then, he also spotted the super-large watermelon.

Zach's reaction was different from Keri's and Evan's. After a brief moment of astonishment, he murmured:

"How much would a watermelon this big sell for if we took it to the market?"

Evan chuckled, "Uncle Zach, a watermelon this big would be too much for a family of three!"

Zach paused, then agreed, "That's true."

He looked at Naoki and laughed, "In that case, save a spot for me tomorrow!"

"Don't worry!" Naoki nodded.

In the evening, Naoki invited Keri and Evan to stay for dinner at the ranch.

The three of them, along with a group of Pokemon, enjoyed a barbecue under the starry sky.

After the satisfying meal, the night had completely fallen.

Evan gazed at the fireflies gathering by the river and couldn't help but exclaim, "Nature is truly beautiful!"

Naoki helped Dragonite rub its stuffed belly and said, "You can also come to the countryside and run a ranch."

Evan shook his head, "No thanks, I don't have as many Pokemon as you do to help me with the work. I'd probably end up exhausted."

"It's not that bad, is it?" Naoki asked.

Hearing this, Evan, who had been lying on the grass due to a full stomach, immediately sat up, as if he had just remembered something.

"To be honest, this is the first time I've seen a ranch develop so quickly. It's only been a few months, and this place has completely transformed."

Keri, who was sitting beside them, nodded in agreement, "Do you remember Ray from Thunder Ranch?"

"Yes," Naoki had met him before.

Keri continued, "His ranch now looks similar to yours, but it took him almost two years to get to this point, while you've achieved it in less than four months!"

Naoki thought about it and speculated, "Maybe it's because I can catch Pokemon myself?"

Riding Goat, which he had caught himself, and Salazzle, which he had brought back from the wild, had not only saved him a lot of money but also provided him with a substantial income.

"Exactly!" Evan laid back down, "Ordinary people don't have powerful Pokemon like Gorebyss to help them, so running a ranch can be very time-consuming."

Naoki understood and reached out to pat Gorebyss on the head.

A while later, Keri said, "It's getting late, we should head back."

Naoki saw them off, and as the truck drove away, the ranch returned to its peaceful state.

After a busy day, Naoki also felt tired and went to bed early, preparing to welcome the next day's event with his best energy.

The next day.

Naoki woke up early and, after having breakfast with the Pokemon, the people he had invited the day before started arriving one after another.

The first to arrive was Mayor Thomas.

He had specially dressed up in a formal suit for the occasion, showing how much importance he attached to the day's activity.

Naoki welcomed him in, and Mayor Thomas, upon seeing the giant watermelon, rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

Then, he informed Mayor Thomas of today's preparations and invited him to cut the giant watermelon.

Mayor Thomas happily accepted the offer.

Some time before the event was scheduled to begin, Naoki intended to ask Mayor Thomas to take a seat and rest for a while.

In addition to the watermelon, he had also prepared a variety of snacks and treats.

There was Lucky Pudding, juice milk, honey bread, and cream ice slush, among other delights.

However, he was surprised when Mayor Thomas politely refused.

The mayor acted like a beloved family elder, helping Naoki welcome the town's residents to the ranch.

With Mayor Thomas' arrival, it was as if a switch had been flipped, as people arrived in small groups, following him to the ranch.

The elderly man from Cheerful Ranch and his granddaughter, Mei; Eron, the seed shop owner, with his wife, Abby; Ray from Thunder Ranch; Greene from Green Ranch; Zach, muscular and buzz-cut; and finally, the kindly Mrs. and Mr. Dantes.

Naoki watched as the amiable elderly Mrs. Dantes approached him with a cloth bag in hand.

With a beaming smile, Mrs. Dantes offered the bag of cookies, saying, "I made these little cookies this morning. Would you like to try some?"

"Thank you for your trouble," Naoki smiled as he accepted the kind offer.

This adorable elderly lady always enjoyed making cookies and snacks to give to Dragonite, asking it to bring them back to the ranch.

Seeing that most of the guests had arrived, Naoki asked Dragonite and Gorebyss to work together to pluck the giant watermelon from its vine and carry it over to the grassy lawn.

"Agas!"

"Roar!"

The two Pokemon happily obliged, flying into the field and carefully transporting the massive watermelon.

The guests' gazes were irresistibly drawn to the enormous watermelon, and they gathered around it, their faces reflecting their astonishment.

Mrs. Dantes covered her mouth, exclaiming, "My goodness! This is incredible!"

Ray from Thunder Ranch was wide-eyed with amazement, "Wow, what a huge watermelon! How did you grow it?"

The elderly man from Cheerful Ranch stood there speechless, holding his granddaughter Mei's hand, as they stared at the watermelon.

Mei's eyes sparkled with admiration, "Mr. Naoki, you're amazing!"

Eron couldn't help but ask in a trembling voice, "Is this really the watermelon seed I bought from our store?"

"Indeed it is, Mr. Eron," Naoki's voice came from nearby.

Everyone turned to look at the young man who had grown this miraculous watermelon.

Ray asked, "How did you do it?"

Facing the crowd, their eyes brimming with curiosity and awe, Naoki felt like a preacher in a long robe, holding a Bible, proclaiming, "Believe in the Lord and you shall have eternal life."

It was a bit embarrassing, but for the sake of those two fine steeds, he had to continue.

Naoki cleared his throat and, amidst the attentive gazes, slowly began to speak, "All of this is a blessing from the King of Abundance."

"King of Abundance?" Before he could finish, someone interjected.

Naoki nodded towards Ms. Greene from Green Ranch, who had spoken.

He affirmed, "The legendary King of Abundance, Appletun, is the embodiment of abundance."

Then, Naoki went on to narrate the legend of Appletun, emphasizing its ability to make flowers bloom, soil fertile, and crops abundant.

"Appletun is a Pokemon filled with loving kindness. It can see all things past, present, and future, and it brings good fortune to those who believe."

"This is getting too embarrassing," Naoki thought to himself, feeling like a charlatan.

He cleared his throat lightly and then shifted the topic, "Mayor Thomas, shall we begin distributing the watermelon?"

While the guests were still processing what they had heard, Mayor Thomas had already made his way to the high platform with a smile on his face.

Holding a watermelon knife, he began to cut into the massive fruit, saying, "Let us thank Appletun, for allowing us to enjoy this delicious watermelon out of season."

————

In the Crown Tundra of the Galar region.

Appletun suddenly felt a warm power welling up within it.

This sensation was familiar, something it had experienced long, long ago.

It was the power of human faith, transformed.

As its body gradually warmed, Appletun's form flickered, and it appeared in a boundless, white snowfield, where it could not see the end.

Its toes lightly touched the snowy ground, and a blue psychic light shone in its eyes.

Through the distant space-time, it witnessed a group of humans gathered together, seemingly celebrating something, the surroundings bustling with activity.

And there, its diligent little believer stood before them, doing his utmost to proclaim its existence.

"...The great King of Abundance."

"The embodiment of abundance... a Pokemon filled with loving kindness..."

"Let us give thanks to Appletun..."

Hearing these words and witnessing this scene, Appletun was deeply moved.

In its long life, this was the first time humans had ever done such a thing.

It would be impossible not to be touched.

Appletun thought to itself, "I never expected that little believer of mine to have so much faith."

Indeed, his devotion was exceptional.

(End of Chapter)

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