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Chapter 176: Professor Oren and Piper
Chapter 176: Professor Oren and Piper
Naoki also noticed Professor Oren and Piper not far away.
When he first laid eyes on them, he thought he must be mistaken, and stood rooted to the spot in surprise.
What were these two doing here?
"Professor Oren?" Naoki exclaimed in surprise.
Professor Oren nodded slightly, a hint of a smile on her face. "It's been a while, Naoki."
"What brings you here so suddenly?" Naoki paused in his work and stepped forward to greet his guests.
Hearing this, Professor Oren glanced at Piper beside her and said thoughtfully, "What you said to us last time made sense. So this time, I took a few days off specially to accompany Piper and relax properly."
Naoki nodded. He remembered how he had once mentioned to Professor Oren and Professor Fort that Piper mistakenly believed Golleton and Milleton had taken away her parents, and thus didn't like those two Pokemon very much.
From Professor Oren's demeanor, it seemed like she wanted to make it up to Piper? But... if they wanted to relax, shouldn't they be going to an amusement park to ride the merry-go-round and Ferris wheel? Why would they think of coming to a ranch?
Naoki was puzzled.
Sensing his confusion, Professor Oren smiled and explained, "Enjoying the rustic scenery and experiencing a farm stay with Piper is also a great choice, and..."
As she spoke, her gaze shifted to Golleton, "I can also take the opportunity to observe this Golleton up close."
After hearing what Naoki had said last time, Professor Oren found his words increasingly reasonable.
So she asked her husband, Professor Fort, to look after the laboratory while she took Piper on a proper break.
And that was how they ended up at the ranch, ready for a farm stay and to observe the differences between this special Golleton and the one in Zone 0.
Naoki: "..."
Naoki understood Professor Oren's intentions, but he was at a loss for words.
He looked at Professor Oren, then at Piper beside her.
After Professor Oren's revelation, Piper, who had been relatively happy, suddenly became unhappy.
Piper had been delighted that his mother had taken a rare break to spend time with him.
He had been eagerly anticipating it, imagining that his mother would take him to a playground like other families, where they would play to their heart's content, then have a big meal and enjoy a lively family gathering.
But when he realized they had come to the ranch, and saw that his mother's attention was focused on Golleton, Piper's initially uplifted spirits plummeted. His mouth turned into a straight line, and his little face revealed a deep sense of loss.
Naoki: "..."
"So, can we have a picnic here?" Professor Oren asked. "I'll pay for the venue and rental fees."
Naoki: "..."
Oh well, they were already here. He couldn't very well turn them away now.
He glanced at little Piper and hesitated, "Of course, but we don't have enough ingredients at the ranch..."
Professor Oren nodded, "Then I'll take a look at the Pickle Market. Piper, do you want to come with me?"
The unhappy little Piper remained silent, looking down.
Seeing this, Professor Oren said to him, "In that case, why don't you wait here for me? I'll go into town and buy some of your favorite foods."
With that, Professor Oren turned and left.
Naoki left the fields and washed his hands before taking a bottle of drink from the refrigerator and offering it to Piper, who was standing motionless.
"You're Piper, right? I've heard your name from Professor Oren."
Piper looked at the man in front of him and shook his head honestly, "I'm not thirsty."
"Then drink it when you are. Here, take it!"
"..." Seeing that he couldn't refuse, Piper softly murmured a thank you.
"Just call me Naoki," Naoki smiled, never imagining that the Piper from the game would have this side to him.
However, from his appearance, he seemed to be only seven or eight years old, not yet ten.
Taking advantage of Professor Oren's absence, Naoki asked Piper to wait there while he went to the fields with his Pokemon to finish the remaining work.
By the time they had finished harvesting and piling the crops onto the lawn, Professor Oren finally returned with a large bag of ingredients and gave him a whole roll of League Coins.
Naoki counted them and was surprised to find a full ten thousand League Coins!
Wow, she was rich!
Since they had paid, he couldn't afford to be perfunctory.
Naoki carefully inspected the ingredients Professor Oren had bought and decided to give them a lively and warm barbecue farm stay experience.
He prepared the necessary tools, cut the meat into small pieces, skewered them onto iron rods, and prepared a few cups of chilled watermelon juice.
"Do you need me to barbecue for you?" Naoki asked.
Professor Oren shook her head, "We'll do it ourselves."
Seeing this, Naoki decided to move to the other side so as not to disturb the mother and son's chat.
Golleton, Cyclizar, Machamp, Glaceon, and the others gathered around the picnic blanket and began to feast.
Watching this scene, Professor Oren once again felt incredible surprise.
She had originally thought that Naoki was just an ordinary rancher, and that he had only happened upon the injured Golleton by luck.
Then, after rescuing Golleton, it stayed on the ranch out of gratitude.
But now it seemed that the young man before her was truly extraordinary.
She couldn't imagine an ordinary ranch owner being able to raise such a large group of rare Machamp, Minidraco, and Hakamon.
Moreover, the Pokemon living on this ranch seemed to have been nurtured to perfection.
There was the sturdy Ride Gogoat, the sleek-furred Budew, the robust and bulky Sandslash...
The only Pokemon that seemed somewhat ordinary were probably the Cyclizar, Butterfree, Miltank, Combee, Oranguru, and Alcreamie.
However, upon further thought, these Pokemon were commonly used for ranch work in the Parcia region and were not typically used for battles, so it was normal for them to be more commonplace.
As Professor Oren grilled meat for Piper, she asked, "Taking care of so many Pokemon must be challenging, isn't it?"
Naoki smiled and turned to look at the Pokemon reaching into the picnic basket for sandwiches. "It's not too difficult because they're all very well-behaved."
After a pause, Naoki began to tell the story that Professor Oren was most eager to hear.
"Especially Golleton, it's not only powerful in battle but also incredibly helpful in my daily life. It carries me to town, helps with plowing and sowing seeds, and even assists me in training Machamp and Cyclizar..."
"Its personality is also adorable. It can be a bit possessive and jealous, and sometimes it forgets its own weight and tries to climb onto the bed, resulting in a broken bed frame."
"To be honest, I've had to replace my bed twice since meeting it."
As Naoki recalled the events that had transpired, he continued to share his experiences.
Professor Oren listened with great interest, and even Piper was drawn in by the story.
After all, the Golleton that Naoki spoke of was vastly different from the one Piper had encountered before.
Professor Oren nodded, "That's very normal. Because of its dominant and assertive personality, Golleton has a strong sense of possession. It would be strange if it didn't get jealous. If you've formed a bond with it, it will also become extremely reliable."
Naoki chuckled and nodded in agreement.
A smile also appeared on Professor Oren's face, and she handed the grilled meat to Piper.
Naoki saw that Piper was no longer sulking and was finally enjoying the long-awaited warmth of family.
"Seeing you like this puts me at ease," said Professor Oren. "At the very least, it proves that Pokemon from ancient times can survive in this era."
Naoki: "..."
He couldn't help but feel that Professor Oren was a little obsessed with this idea.
After a moment's hesitation, Naoki asked curiously, "Professor, have you and Professor Fort always worked at the Parcia Great Pit?"
Professor Oren nodded, "Yes, there's a lot there that's worth studying. The 'tajingization' that trainers are familiar with was discovered by me and Fort deep within the Parcia Great Pit."
"What's it like there?" Naoki asked.
He had only seen it in the game, and he imagined that the interior of the Parcia Great Pit would be incredibly stunning in reality.
Noticing his curiosity, Professor Oren smiled slightly, "The environment there is very unique. The interior has diverse terrain, with lush green grass, steep slopes, rivers forming waterfalls and lakes, and deep caves. Almost every type of terrain you see outside can be found there."
"...In short, it's a place filled with mystery and breathtaking grandeur."
Naoki's eyes lit up with anticipation, "I really want to see it!"
Professor Oren smiled gently, "Perhaps there will be an opportunity, but not now."
The Parcia Great Pit was shrouded in mysteries and unknowns. It was only 79 years ago that humans established an observation station in the pit, gradually unraveling its secrets.
However, the terrain there was extremely complex and perilous, and it was home to extremely dangerous Paradox Pokemon.
Therefore, the Parcia League had regulations in place, allowing only researchers to enter the Parcia Great Pit, while trainers and students from the academy were prohibited from entering during their extracurricular activities.
Hearing this, Naoki didn't feel surprised.
He thought of the future events in the game and indirectly asked, "Researching in such an environment must be extremely dangerous, right?"
Naoki realized it was asking him what he was thinking about. He organized his thoughts and replied, "I was thinking about what their future holds."
The future?
Golleton turned to look at the departing figures in the distance and quietly murmured, "Aga... "
"Never mind, I'm done thinking about it!" Naoki decided to stop pondering, figuring that whatever happened, it wouldn't be worse than the plot in the game.
He smiled and patted Golleton's head, saying, "Let's go back and tidy up. Zach will be here soon to collect the goods. Once we get paid, we'll find Ke Li and buy ourselves a bigger house. Then we won't have to squeeze into this little cottage anymore!"
Naoki turned back towards the ranch, taking in the small wooden cottage.
He realized that his previous plan to demolish the cottage to build a Pokemon tavern was premature. Now, he thought that if he wanted to build a tavern, this little cottage could be spared.
He could build the larger house somewhere else and simply renovate this cottage into a small tavern.
All he needed to do was remove the furniture, install a wooden bar counter, and set up a few small tables for Pokemon patrons. Then, the tavern would be ready for business.
But the question remained: would Pokemon guests really come to the tavern to "drink"?
Even with Mew and Teddiursa spreading the word, the Parcia region was still separated from their region by a vast ocean.
It would be fine for Pokemon who could fly or swim, but for those who couldn't, it would be a challenge to cross the ocean.
"I'll think about it later!"
After a moment of contemplation, Naoki made a decision.
If, in the following days, Pokemon guests started visiting the tavern, he would officially open for business.
If not, he would abandon the plan and convert the cottage into a grain storage shed.
(End of Chapter)
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