Chapter 183: A New Home
Chapter 183: A New Home
June 28, 198 of the Pokemon League Calendar.
With the completion of his new home, Naoki's first summer in the Pokemon world was officially coming to an end.
Early that morning, Kiri, who had been busy for nearly two months, officially handed over the new house to Naoki.
She directed Machamp and the construction foreman to move the tools and leftover building materials onto a truck, then proceeded to give Naoki a tour of the house.
As he pushed open the door, Naoki was greeted by a spacious living room.
However, the house currently lacked any furniture, making it seem rather empty.
Kiri led the way, explaining, "This is the living room. As per your request, we've installed a new fireplace here. In the winter, lighting the fireplace will warm up the entire house."
Following her gaze, Naoki spotted a sleek, modern fireplace on the opposite wall, complete with a transparent glass panel.
Kiri: "But you'll need to prepare enough compressed firewood for fuel."
A smile played on her face as she added, "If you need some, my store sells them!"
Naoki: "..." Kiri never missed a chance to promote her business, that was for sure.
But he could actually use some.
"Alright, I'll drop by later," Naoki replied.
"However, aside from that method, you can also harness the power of Pokemon," Kiri continued. "If you have a Pokemon like Magmar, you can keep them in the fireplace. Magmar will make the fireplace their nest and release heat from their bodies, providing the same warmth as firewood."
"Magmar, huh?" Naoki thanked her for the suggestion and made a mental note of it.
However, Magmar typically inhabited scorching volcanic areas, rarely appearing elsewhere.
Moreover, they didn't seem to be native to the Paldea region, implying that he'd have to venture to another region to find them.
But Naoki had no plans to travel to another region anytime soon.
With the change of seasons approaching, he needed to prepare by purchasing seeds for autumn crops and planting them.
He also had to buy a bunch of barrels; the hops stored in his shed were eagerly awaiting their transformation into beer.
"There are a total of five rooms on the first floor," Kiri said as she continued the tour. "To the right of the living room is the master bedroom, and to the left is an open-plan kitchen and dining area. The bathroom is on the far left."
She opened the doors to give Naoki a glimpse inside.
"You can buy a bathtub that you like," Kiri suggested. "That way, after a long day of farm work, you can soak in a nice, relaxing bath to ease your fatigue."
Naoki nodded, expressing his satisfaction.
Seeing this, Kiri smiled softly and led him upstairs. "There are more rooms on the second floor—a total of five. There's a guest room for visitors, a study for work and reading, and a children's room. If you have kids in the future, they can stay here."
Kids... that was a long way off, and something he hadn't even considered yet, Naoki thought.
After all, he was only twenty years old, and he didn't even know if he'd find someone to marry.
But there was no rush; he wasn't planning on getting married anytime soon anyway. Everything would happen in due time. If he never met the right person, he was content with the idea of staying single his whole life.
Kiri replied, "The entrance to the cellar is on the first floor."
The two of them went downstairs, and Naoki finally spotted the entrance to the cellar in the southwest corner of the living room.
It was a small wooden door.
Kiri opened it, revealing a staircase leading downward into a dimly lit basement, so dark that one could barely see their hand in front of their face.
"The light switch for the cellar is on the right-hand side of the staircase," Kiri said as she flipped the switch. With a crisp snap, the vintage wall lamps illuminated, filling the entire space with a warm, orange hue.
"The temperature here is just right for brewing beer!" Kiri exclaimed, a familiar smile spreading across her face.
"I'll head over to your place to buy some barrels later," Naoki replied, already knowing what she was going to say.
He had saved up quite a bit of money over the past month and could now afford to buy everything he needed.
"I'll give you a discount," Kiri offered.
With the room introductions complete, Kiri prepared to leave.
As they stepped outside, just before getting into her truck, she added, "I'll be at the store this afternoon if you need anything."
"Okay," Naoki mumbled, thinking about when he would move his things over.
He planned to turn the old house into a Pokemon pub, but he knew he'd have to make some preparations first.
After a moment's thought, Naoki asked, "By the way, Kiri, do you sell bar counters?"
Kiri was taken aback for a moment. "Bar counters?"
"Yes," Naoki explained. "I plan to turn the old house into a pub for Pokemon gatherings."
"A pub? That's simple." Kiri didn't think much of it, assuming he wanted to create a playhouse for Buttobashi's Pokemon. "I'll deliver the counters along with the furniture when you come to the store this afternoon to pick out your furniture."
Naoki nodded. "Alright."
Kiri drove off in her truck.
Meanwhile, Naoki, accompanied by several Pokemon who were eagerly anticipating their new home, made their way inside.
"This will be our new home from now on," Naoki said with a smile. "What do you think? It's much bigger than the old place, isn't it?"
"Gaom!" Moto Lizard nodded vigorously.
Frostine and Buttobashi explored the rooms, while Golleton remained unsurprised, showing little reaction to the new house.
Due to her small size, Frostine struggled to climb the stairs, so Buttobashi carried her upstairs.
As the two small figures disappeared from view at the top of the stairs, Naoki began to busy himself.
He opened every window in the house to let the air circulate and then grabbed a mop to give the new house a thorough cleaning, making sure every corner was spotless.
By the time he finished, it was already noon.
Naoki's back and waist ached from the exertion, and he plopped down on the bed in the old house, exhausted.
Having a bigger house meant more work, and cleaning it all by himself was tiring.
Lying there, he gazed up at the ceiling, his mind drifting to the image of the sibling pair of Pipla and their penchant for housekeeping.
Nearly two months had passed since that day. He wondered how they were doing, if they had grown, and if they still remembered him, the human they had met just that once.
(End of Chapter)
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