https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-154-The-Adventurer-s-Emergency-Mission-/12537183/
Chapter 153: Challengers Intimidated by the Green Grass Trial
Chapter 153: Challengers Intimidated by the Green Grass Trial
In the afternoon, Diglett had dug a large hole under the salt house.
The tiny Pokemon was breathless from the exertion; the scope of this project was far too grand for its small stature.
However, the hole still wasn't large enough to accommodate all the Saltrocks, and additional measures would be needed to prevent the ground above from caving in.
Diglett's safety was a top priority for Naoki, and he intended to take all the necessary precautions.
Looking at the large hole Diglett had created, Naoki fell into deep thought.
Noticing his expression, Diglett's small eyes shone with a mixture of anticipation and worry as it squeaked, "Chik, chik?"
"Don't worry, I won't forget about you," Naoki assured the Pokemon, knowing that it had worked tirelessly on this project. He placed the sandwich he had brought on the ground.
Diglett immediately scurried over and began nibbling on the sandwich, its eyes gleaming with delight.
"I don't have much experience with building underground structures," Naoki mused aloud. "If the ground above were to collapse after we finish the tunnel, it would be a huge setback."
As he walked out, his thoughts turned to Clara, and he decided to seek her advice on how to prevent a collapse.
Naoki made his way toward Ibuki's ice cellar, intending to retrieve some ice blocks to make shaved ice. However, just as he was about to reach the cellar, three young trainers in school uniforms suddenly appeared on the ranch.
"Huh?" Naoki exclaimed, surprised by their sudden appearance.
The trio had clearly spotted him as well, and he could hear them whispering excitedly to each other.
"Is this the ranch Carter was talking about? The place where the Green Grass Trial is held?"
"No way! Is that farmer the one who trained his Pokemon?"
"Whoa! Is that a Flygon? How did he get such a rare Pokemon?"
Naoki's interest was piqued when he heard Carter's name. So, the young trainer had been spreading the word about his ranch.
After the initial Cloud Dancing trial, the once-docile Ponyta had developed a thirst for battle, their hooves itching for more action.
Just as Naoki was about to approach the visitors, his Buizel, wearing a stylish red cape, flew over to him.
The trio's attention immediately shifted to the sleek, flying Buizel, their eyes widening in astonishment.
The three well-behaved students had never seen anything like this, and they stared in awe.
A pink-haired girl among them exclaimed in disbelief, "Oh my God! Is that… a Buizel? Can Buizel fly?"
A bespectacled boy adjusted his glasses and observed Buizel with a calm demeanor. "It must be using electromagnetic levitation," he deduced.
Then, their gazes landed on Golduck.
"What kind of Pokemon is that?" one of them asked, clearly intrigued.
"I have no idea," another replied, equally puzzled.
"What is this place? How do they have so many rare Pokemon?"
Amused by their reactions, Naoki approached them and greeted, "Hello there!"
"Sorry to disturb you!" the polite trio replied.
They exchanged greetings before the girl asked, "Are you the owner of this ranch? We heard from Carter that you're hosting a Green Grass Trial to help Pokemon train and improve."
"Yes, that's me," Naoki confirmed with a smile, glancing at their uniforms. "You're students of the Orange Academy, just like Carter, right?"
"No, I'm from the Grape Academy," the girl clarified.
Naoki was taken aback by her response.
She proceeded to explain the unique structure of the Padaria Academy, which was divided into two distinct colleges—the Orange College and the Grape College. New students could choose their preferred college based on their interests.
Naoki nodded, finding the setup intriguing but not dwelling on it further. After all, this was a world where the Ruby and Sapphire regions had merged, and with both Professor Birch and Professor Oak present, such surprises were to be expected.
He surveyed the trio and asked, "So, you're all here for the Green Grass Trial?"
They nodded eagerly, their curiosity piqued by the remarkable changes they had witnessed in Carter and his Swablu. They were eager to experience the same transformative training for themselves.
"Follow me, then," Naoki said, leading the way. "But there's an entry fee of 2,000 League dollars for the trial."
He had carefully considered this price, knowing it was a fair amount.
"Huh?" The trio exchanged glances, surprised. "Carter didn't mention anything about a fee."
Naoki explained, "That's because, after the battle, I'll provide healing services for your Pokemon. No matter how severe their injuries, they'll be fully healed."
Understanding dawned on the trio's faces.
Two thousand League dollars wasn't a hefty sum, equivalent to the price of four bottles of Moomoo Milk. If this trial could truly help their Pokemon grow stronger, it was a bargain.
Perceiving their thoughts, Naoki added, "Whether your Pokemon become stronger depends on their determination and innate abilities, as well as your own training methods."
"We understand," they nodded, recalling Carter's mention of this condition.
"Great, then let's begin!" Naoki said, leading them to the battle arena.
With a wave of his hand, he summoned the three restless Ponyta, who trotted over, brimming with fighting spirit and eager to face their new opponents.
Naoki explained to them, "The Green Grass Trial consists of three stages. In the first stage, you battle one Riding Ram. The second stage involves battling two Riding Rams simultaneously, and in the final stage, you'll face off against three Riding Rams at the same time."
"Those who successfully pass the trial will receive a mysterious grand prize that will aid in the growth of their Pokemon."
Riding Ram?
The pink-haired girl's eyes widened in confusion.
She gazed at the three Riding Rams across from her and asked uncertainly, "So, the Green Grass Trial is a battle against Riding Rams?"
Wasn't this very different from what she had imagined?
Although the three Riding Rams looked tall and sturdy, they were merely Riding Rams. With just a Grass-type...
If she sent out a Pokemon with the Ability Chlorophyll or one that had a type advantage over Grass, passing this trial would be a breeze, she thought.
Naoki immediately guessed what was going through the girl's mind.
With a smile, he shook his head and said, "As a trainer, you must never underestimate your opponent due to type advantages or Ability suppression. A true master always maintains the heart of an apprentice."
The girl's heart trembled at his words.
This wasn't something that just anyone could say!
"May I ask your name?" she asked, using polite speech.
"Of course." Naoki nodded slightly. "I'm Naoki, the owner of this ranch, as you can see."
"Naoki..." The girl murmured the name to herself and then nodded. "I understand, Mr. Naoki!"
Naoki didn't elaborate further but asked, "Would you like to give it a try?"
The girl hesitated for a moment before nodding. She took out a purse styled like an Eevee and retrieved 2,000 League dollars from it.
As she paid, the girl suddenly remembered something. "By the way, is one ticket only valid for one battle?"
Naoki shook his head. "You can challenge the trial as many times as you like until you leave the ranch. Once you depart, if you wish to challenge it again, you'll need to purchase a new ticket."
Naoki didn't want to be greedy, and besides, this Green Grass Trial was designed to satisfy the Riding Rams' desire for battle and help them expend their energy.
If each ticket was only valid for one battle, the price would deter many challengers.
However, he wasn't worried about people continuously challenging the trial indefinitely.
Not all trainers and Pokemon could handle the repeated losses, and Carter's persistence was a rarity.
The girl nodded. "I understand."
"Then, let's begin!"
Naoki took a step back, acting as the referee.
One of the Riding Rams stepped into the battle arena, eager to face its opponent.
The girl sent out a massive Whailord with five sharp horns.
The battle officially commenced.
The Riding Ram instantly unleashed a massive amount of Grass-type energy, engulfing the entire battle arena.
In response, Whailord countered with Ice Spin, coating its feet with a thin layer of ice as its massive body spun at high speed, charging toward the Riding Ram.
The Green Grass arena was torn apart by Ice Spin, and the Grass-type energy began to dissipate.
Seeing this, the Riding Ram grew irritated. Its eyes fixed on Whailord, and it released an even more powerful surge of Grass-type energy from its body.
The section of the arena that Whailord had destroyed was instantly repaired by the lush grass.
Facing the charging Whailord, the Riding Ram extended two extremely thick vine whips from behind and lashed out at Whailord with full force.
With each strike of the vine whip, Whailord's head spun, and its entire body started rotating like a top.
Girl: ?
After a while of being whipped, Whailord became dizzy and disoriented from the spinning.
"Get up quickly!" the girl shouted.
But the Riding Ram didn't give it a chance.
With a loud bleat, the two thick vine whips merged into one, transforming into a gigantic grass club that slammed down on Whailord with tremendous force.
"Boom!"
A loud crash reverberated, and dust filled the air in the arena.
When everything settled, Whailord had clearly lost its ability to battle.
Onlookers: ???
What the heck was that move? Was it Vine Whip? Was it the same Vine Whip they knew?
The girl's face was filled with disbelief.
She stared at the Riding Ram, her mind replaying the entire battle.
Was that Pokemon really just an ordinary Riding Ram?
Naoki stepped forward and fed the Whailord some Juice Milk.
Soon, Whailord regained consciousness.
Naoki turned to the Riding Ram, seeing its relaxed expression, and asked, "Shall we continue?"
"Wait a moment!" The girl asked incredulously, "Did Carter also battle this Riding Ram?"
"Yes." Naoki answered truthfully, "Carter is a very determined person. He underwent two days of intense training here and gained invaluable experience from the Green Grass Trial."
The girl nodded. "I understand.
Once again, it was Riding Ram versus Whailord.
This time, the girl changed up her battle strategy and refrained from instructing Whailord to use Ice Spin. She was afraid that Whailord would be spun around like a top again and struck repeatedly by its opponent.
"Whailord, use Crush!" the girl commanded.
Whailord let out a loud cry as it leaped high into the air from the ground, its massive body blocking out the sun.
At the same time, the Riding Ram fixed its gaze on the airborne Whailord.
An immense amount of Grass-type energy began to condense wildly within its mouth.
The two male students watching from the sidelines sensed that something was amiss.
The next second, they witnessed the Riding Ram spitting out a gigantic grass blade that glowed with a green light.
"What the heck?!"
"What the heck is that thing?!"
Their eyes widened in shock, unable to find the words to express their astonishment at the scene before them.
The Riding Ram held the grass blade in its mouth and charged straight at the falling Whailord.
The two Pokemon collided violently in mid-air.
The moment the grass blade made contact, Whailord lost its balance and fell straight down, creating a large crater upon impact.
Meanwhile, the Riding Ram landed steadily behind Whailord.
The grass blade in its mouth vanished, and it slowly turned around to face the Whailord in the crater.
"???"
Unbelievable!
The bespectacled boy stared, dumbfounded, his usually calm demeanor shaken as he unconsciously drew in a sharp breath.
The girl wore a similar expression of disbelief.
She stared at Whailord, who had lost its ability to battle, suddenly realizing the vast gap between them and their opponent.
It was like the difference between heaven and earth!
She turned her gaze to the ranch owner.
He smiled and looked up, asking, "Shall we continue?"
The girl shook her head repeatedly, unable to hide her shock. "No, no! That's enough!"
She had a clear and profound understanding of herself and her Pokemon. Continuing the battle would only result in her Pokemon being brutally beaten by the formidable Riding Ram.
Unless she was a masochist, why would she want to continue?
Naoki was a little disappointed that he couldn't showcase the other two Riding Rams.
He looked at the two male students who had been spectating and asked, "How about you two? Would you like to give it a try?"
The two boys shook their heads instinctively. "Never mind! Maybe next time!"
A rare Flygon, unfamiliar Pokemon, a flying Buizel, Saltrocks running amok, and Riding Rams exhibiting extraordinary abilities...
Everything they had witnessed screamed that this place was not ordinary! It was definitely not just a regular ranch!
Seeing their reactions, Naoki felt even more dejected.
He began to reflect inwardly, realizing that the three students had been intimidated by the terrifying power displayed by the Riding Rams and were too scared to battle them.
This wouldn't do. He pondered for a moment before employing the same tactic he had used on Carter.
"What a shame," he sighed. "You haven't grasped the true meaning of the Green Grass Trial."
As expected, the trio's attention was immediately captured by his words.
"What do you mean, Mr. Naoki?" the girl asked, unable to resist.
Naoki replied without a hint of guilt, "My intention in creating the Green Grass Trial is to help more trainers examine and strengthen their Pokemon's power and temperament."
"Achieving victory is not the sole purpose of the trial. It's about gaining more experience from battles, learning how to face strong opponents, and cultivating courage."
"So that when your Pokemon face a formidable foe in the future, they will remember this moment and draw strength from the knowledge that they persevered through such a challenging trial. What could possibly stand in their way after that?"
"An unyielding spirit and tenacious will are essential for becoming a powerful trainer, just like the wild grass that grows resiliently in nature."
"Carter understood this, and that's why he improved so quickly. It was those scars that shaped him."
"I don't want you to walk away from this trial without gaining anything." Naoki appealed to their logic and emotions, and he almost believed his own words.
As expected, when he finished speaking, the three students were visibly moved.
The girl recalled Naoki's earlier words—a true master always maintains the heart of an apprentice.
Such words were clearly not something that just anyone could say.
She couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Naoki, you must be an incredibly skilled trainer, right?"
Was he a Master-level trainer? A Champion? Or perhaps one of the Elite Four?
Not only was he immensely powerful, but he also had a kind heart. Even in his seclusion, he didn't forget to impart his master spirit to the younger generation...
Thinking along these lines, the girl realized that Naoki was an extraordinarily virtuous person!
(End of Chapter)
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