https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-190-The-Absent-Minded-and-the-Disgruntled/12537221/
Chapter 189: The Intrigued Officer Siblings
Chapter 189: The Intrigued Officer Siblings
Listening to Pokemon chat was always an interesting affair.
From their casual conversations, one could gather all sorts of information and gossip.
For instance, they might discuss a fire that broke out in town, the appearance of a particular Pokemon somewhere, a lost Pokemon, or even a duel fought in the name of love by two Pokemon.
As he listened, Naoki would never interrupt, choosing instead to quietly sit behind the bar and read his book.
However, his own Pokemon would occasionally join in, asking Hawlucha and Ducky questions of their own.
With Hawlucha and Ducky's departure, the sky outside had darkened completely.
Naoki glanced at the time; it was already 9:15 in the evening.
He peered out the window, figuring that they were unlikely to have any more customers for the day.
Just as he was about to close up for the night, a sudden burst of barking and the sound of a motorcycle engine reverberated outside.
Naoki was taken aback.
Could there really be another customer at this late hour?
Stepping out, he spotted Officer Keira, clad in her police uniform, riding a three-wheeled motorcycle in pursuit of a Houndour.
The Houndour, full of excitement, ran ahead, barking as it went.
"Houndour, where are you off to in such a hurry?"
Keira, in hot pursuit, wore a worried expression.
They had just finished their patrol and were about to knock off for the day when Houndour, usually a dependable partner to the police force, suddenly took off like it was on stimulants.
The entire police station was left bewildered by its abrupt departure.
Only Keira had the quick reflexes to hop onto her motorcycle and give chase.
Along the way, Houndour would stop and start as if deliberately waiting for her to catch up.
Witnessing this, Keira only grew more perplexed.
What could be drawing Houndour so irresistibly? After a moment's thought, she decided to follow Houndour and investigate.
They weaved through the night-shrouded country roads, eventually arriving at a brightly lit ranch.
Keira blinked, her gaze falling on the figure standing in front of a wooden cabin.
Houndour, on the other hand, came to a stop in front of the man, barking eagerly at him.
Bringing her motorcycle to a halt, Keira stepped off, her brow furrowed in confusion as she took in the scene.
A suspicion formed in her mind—could this man be luring other people's Pokemon with some sort of trick, only to steal them afterward?
Acting on instinct, her hand unconsciously went to the handcuffs at her waist, ready to restrain him at the first sign of trouble.
"Who are you?" Keira demanded, her tone stern.
Naoki: "..."
Naoki, noticing her actions, gave a slight tug at the corner of his mouth and replied helplessly, "No need for concern, Officer Keira. I'm Naoki from Naoki Ranch. Your Houndour probably heard about our pub from other Pokemon and came here out of curiosity."
Keira paused, a slight frown on her face as she studied the young man through the dusk. Eventually, she relaxed and removed her hand from her handcuffs.
"Naoki Ranch... I've heard that name around town," she acknowledged.
Naoki smiled and asked, his head tilted downward, "Houndour, are you here to patronize the pub?"
Houndour wagged its tail enthusiastically, nodding vigorously as it barked, "Hound!"
"In that case, come on in!"
Finding the Houndour rather amiable, Naoki reached out to ruffle its head affectionately before ushering the pair into the pub.
Inside, Hakuryu, Miniryu, and Dodrio, among others, continued their cozy chatter under the warm glow of the lamps.
The moment Houndour stepped through the door, its attention was immediately captured by the gathering.
It seemed even more excited than before.
"Hound!" It barked, its eyes sparkling with delight at the sight of a pub exclusively for Pokemon.
Forgetting its manners, it rushed over to Dodrio to greet them, its tail wagging furiously.
Keira followed, a wry smile on her face as she surveyed the scene. "This kid is just too playful for his own good."
Naoki grinned in response.
Keira had never expected to find a small pub operating here.
But since they were already here, she figured she might as well take a break, sip a drink, and unwind from the day's exertions.
However, as she prepared to order, she noticed the absence of a menu.
Noticing her confusion, Naoki turned and grabbed a white milk pail and two transparent glasses from the shelf.
He poured the watermelon juice from the pail into the glasses, added a few ice cubes, and then slid one of the refreshing drinks over to Keira.
"This pub is exclusively for Pokemon," Naoki explained. "But we've only recently opened, so this drink is on the house."
Keira's eyes widened in surprise. "Exclusively... for Pokemon?"
"Yes, as you can see."
Keira turned to survey the room, and it finally dawned on her what was so unusual about this place—every patron here was a Pokemon; there wasn't a single human in sight!
"But... how is that possible?" Keira asked, her mind struggling to process this unusual scenario.
"Think of it as my side gig," Naoki chuckled, placing the milk pail back on the shelf. "I love Pokemon, so I opened this pub. This way, I get to meet even more Pokemon, and seeing them here, content and relaxed, brings me a sense of peace."
"This is truly incredible!" Keira murmured, still taken aback.
She looked at the chilled watermelon juice in front of her and offered a polite thanks.
Naoki shook his head, dismissing the gratitude with a wave of his hand.
He gestured for Keira to take a seat at one of the tables and rest for a while.
After a moment's thought, Keira picked up the two glasses and made her way to a table.
She called over to Houndour, who, due to its physical structure, couldn't sit on a chair but had to settle for a crouching position on the floor.
This is so fun! Kadabra thought, this place is amazing.
Meanwhile, Officer Keira took in the decor of the pub.
Upon entering, there was a bar counter, with a wine rack installed on the wall behind it, a closet to one side, and a refrigerator on the other.
The lighting in the pub was a warm orange, and a red carpet laid on the floor just inside the entrance, making the place feel even cozier and more inviting. The atmosphere was perfectly relaxed.
On the left wall hung several simple drawings that looked like they were drawn by children, as well as a few photographs.
Officer Keira's gaze was drawn to the photos.
She stood up and walked over to the photo wall, captivated.
The photo depicted a breathtaking cliff, lush with grass and bushes, and a majestic waterfall cascading down. Below, in the mountains and forests, rivers flowed like veins through the landscape, visible to the naked eye, and one could almost feel the breath of the wilderness.
On the grass stood a large group of Pokemon.
Some she recognized, and some she didn't.
There were Teddiursa, Meowth, Kadabra...
A pink cat-like Pokemon with blue eyes, small and delicate, covered in fine pink fur, its expression cold, with a large tail. Its face seemed to convey reluctance, as if it hadn't wanted to be in the picture.
Aside from this Pokemon, all the others looked happy.
Officer Keira couldn't help but ask, "Are these Pokemon also guests of the pub?"
Naoki looked up and saw Officer Keira standing in front of the photo wall.
He shook his head, "No, that photo... was sent to me by a traveling friend."
"Oh." Officer Keira understood, and she marveled, "I've never seen those two Pokemon before... There truly are many Pokemon in this world yet to be discovered by humans!"
"Yes!" Naoki smiled but didn't elaborate further.
Soon, Kadabra finished its glass of chilled watermelon juice.
Officer Keira paid for the drink, and since it was getting late, she bid farewell, intending to head home with Kadabra.
Kadabra didn't want to leave, and upon seeing its reluctant expression, Naoki waved at it with a smile, "Come back tomorrow! Except for the weekends, my pub is open every day."
"Woof!"
Kadabra's eyes lit up, and it finally left with Officer Keira, content.
On their way out, Kadabra turned back and barked a couple of times.
Naoki heard it say, "I'll be back tomorrow!"
As he watched the figures of the officer and her Pokemon disappear into the darkness, Naoki stretched lazily and then turned to his Pokemon, "Let's get some rest too!"
"Buiz!"
The happy Swinub expressed its delight to Naoki with a smile before bidding him goodnight and running back to its ice house.
The three Miltank yawned and, before returning to the Pokemon cottage to sleep, each enjoyed a cup of Sitrus Berry milk.
Miniryu and Hakuryu also felt sleepy.
They were so tired they could barely keep their eyes open, but they still managed to stumble over to Naoki and nuzzle their faces against his cheeks affectionately.
Then, satisfied, they returned to their Moon Lake and fell asleep on the moon reflected on the water's surface.
Seeing this, Flygon angrily stomped its foot and grumbled at the three little dragons for stealing its trainer's attention. It then hugged Naoki possessively.
Naoki: "..."
He helplessly patted Flygon's chubby belly, "Alright, you should get some rest too!"
Flygon looked up at him, blinked its eyes, and then, following the example set by Miniryu and Hakuryu, nuzzled its chubby face against Naoki's affectionately.
Naoki: "..."
"Roar!"
Flygon was delighted and, ignoring Gurdurr's dangerous glare, quickly turned and scampered off.
"Agas!" Gurdurr thought Flygon was being incredibly childish.
It turned to look at Naoki, who now had a resigned expression on his face after having his cheeks nuzzled so much.
Naoki, sensing Gurdurr's gaze, assumed it wanted cheek rubs too, so he resignedly didn't resist and said, "Come on then!"
He walked up to the remaining Pokemon and proceeded to give each of them cheek rubs.
Gurdurr's eyes widened in surprise, "Agas?!
Motostoke was incredulous, "Gaoth?!
Bounsweet skillfully flew into Naoki's embrace and started to cuddle, "Ba-moss~"
As for Froslass, she had already returned to her nest to sleep and hadn't stayed up late with the others.
"Let's go, time to sleep!"
Naoki picked up Bounsweet, with Gurdurr and Motostoke following behind, and they made their way back to their homes under the moonlight.
The next morning brought a new day.
It was already July 5th, and the fields lay fallow, awaiting the next round of planting.
Naoki realized he couldn't continue lazing around, so early in the morning, he called over Diglett and, together, they began to till the fields, planting a new batch of pumpkin and sunflower seeds.
He ate a few pumpkin cookies and then called over a few Pokemon to help with the work.
Flygon continued to practice Rain Dance by watering the fields.
Sitrus Berry, as usual, came to help tend to the crops in the fields with its Grass Terrain.
Taking advantage of their busy work, Naoki took a moment to check on the World Tree seed.
[World Tree Sapling: A seed that has absorbed a lot of Grass Energy due to Sitrus Berry's influence, causing it to undergo a mutation as it grew. It's brimming with vibrant life force, and it finally sprouted. It will take another 99,995 years and 363 days for it to mature fully.
Naoki turned to look at the three Ride goats. "Looks like the Green Grass Energy is helping the World Tree accelerate its growth!"
However, because they had been helping to care for this seedling, the Ride goats no longer needed to do their daily 'raves'...
This made Naoki, who was used to the goats' lively dances, feel somewhat uncomfortable with the change.
He stood up, intending to go and observe the Ride goats as they tended to the pumpkins and sunflowers in the fields.
Just then, a sleek black luxury car pulled up outside the ranch.
Beldum, ever vigilant, was the first to sense the unfamiliar presence and promptly alerted Naoki.
Naoki looked up and saw an elderly man, dressed in a brown suit and sporting a fedora, stepping out of the vehicle.
The man carried a gentleman's cane and exuded an air of sophistication.
From a distance, the elderly man spotted Naoki and offered a faint smile, nodding in greeting, "Naoki!"
"Mr. Sato!" Naoki exclaimed, recognizing the man.
This elderly gentleman was the owner of the two Aegisushis that Naoki had met over two months ago when Evan had taken him to their estate.
If Mr. Sato was here...
Naoki's heart stirred, and he quickly stepped forward to greet him.
Mr. Sato's face remained kindly as he explained, "Apologies for the delay. I had some matters to attend to, which is why I'm only arriving so late."
"It's fine." Naoki glanced at the luxurious car and asked, "Would you like to come in for a cup of tea first?"
Noticing Naoki's gaze, Mr. Sato laughed heartily, "No need for tea. I still have another friend to visit shortly."
He turned and called out to the back seat of the black car, "You can come out now! We've arrived."
The door opened, and two normally-sized Aegisushi quietly stepped out, one after the other.
The larger one, with upward-pointing horns, had a tight-lipped expression, revealing nothing.
'This is the older brother,' Naoki thought.
In contrast, the slightly smaller Aegisushi, with downward-pointing horns, was deliberately shielded by its brother.
Unlike its sibling, the younger Aegisushi had a gentle expression, bright eyes, and a soft smile on its face as it caught sight of Naoki.
The older brother noticed its sister's action and frowned slightly, seemingly displeased.
It gave its sister an unapproving look and whispered, "Ai Yi." (We agreed to observe this human's behavior first.)
The younger sister quickly composed herself, whispering back, "Ai Yi!" (I know!)
Seeing this exchange, the older brother turned his attention back to the human before them.
Naoki: "..." Thankfully, he had eaten several translation sunflower seeds that morning to facilitate communication with his Pokemon.
Paying no heed to their hushed conversation, Naoki observed their demeanor, nodding to himself:
"In just over two months, they've grown quite a bit. They don't look like the tiny little things they once were at all."
He wondered if they still remembered him.
Mr. Sato smiled and introduced them, "This is the Naoki I mentioned, who will be taking care of you from now on. You met him briefly when you were younger, and he brought you pudding, remember?"
Hearing this, the younger Aegisushi immediately nodded vigorously, "Ai Yi!" (Of course, I remember!)
The older brother's lips tightened, and he looked less than pleased, "Ai Yi..." (But we agreed...)
The younger sister stuck out her tongue playfully, "Ai Yi! Ai Yi?" (I know, I know! Brother, didn't you think that pudding was delicious?)
The older brother recalled the taste of that pudding and nodded, "Ai Yi." (It was.)
The younger sister was perplexed, "Ai Yi? Ai Yi!" (Then why don't you like this human? The pudding was delicious, and he's nice too!)
The older brother remained calm, "Ai Yi." (It's different.)
He was concerned and cautious, and after a moment's thought, he earnestly explained to his sister, "Ai Yi." (When we first meet humans, we mustn't get too attached or like them too much. If they don't like us and abandon us, it will hurt.)
He had heard this from a Meowth at the estate, who had once been abandoned by its human because it was considered too weak.
Fortunately, Meowth had been rescued by Mr. Sato and now lived a comfortable life at the estate.
So, as the older brother, he felt it was his duty to protect his sister until they could be sure this human wouldn't reject them.
The younger sister listened, only partly understanding.
Witnessing this exchange, Naoki looked at the older brother, who was acting like a protective little adult, and felt a mix of emotions.
Instead of addressing the Aegisushi directly, Naoki turned to Mr. Sato and suggested, "Mr. Sato, let me give you a tour of the ranch."
As the caretaker of the Aegisushi, Mr. Sato would undoubtedly want to know what kind of life they would lead on the ranch, so Naoki intended to explain everything in detail.
As expected, upon hearing this, Mr. Sato's wrinkled face broke into a brilliant smile.
"Then I shall gladly accept your offer!" he said cheerfully.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
