Chapter 213: Barley Beer, A New Tavern Offering
Chapter 213: Barley Beer, A New Tavern Offering
The following morning.
As per his routine, Naoki glanced at the calendar after waking up. It was August 13th, and a red circle surrounded the number in bold red ink.
Naoki had made that mark over a month ago when he had started brewing beer.
It signified that today was the day the beer would be ready.
With this realization, Naoki instantly shook off his drowsiness and felt energized.
He left his bedroom and entered the living room with Babbo Turbow and Golurk in tow.
In the kitchen, his sister, Aiguansi, was already preparing a delicious breakfast for everyone.
His brother, also named Aiguansi, was in the living room, tidying up the mess created by Frostairy and other Pokemon.
Motowizard lay lazily in front of the fireplace, his eyes half-closed as if he hadn't fully woken up yet.
Seeing this, Golurk couldn't help but speak up, "Agas!"
Why was he so lazy before?
At the sound of Golurk's voice, Motowizard jolted awake. He opened his eyes and found everyone staring at him.
"Gaoh?"
Motowizard felt a bit flustered, wondering if he had done something wrong.
"It's okay, we won't be eating for a while yet. You can go back to sleep if you want," Naoki reassured him.
Relieved, Motowizard shook his body, deciding to go for a breath of fresh air outside instead of trying to sleep again.
The ranch always felt so relaxing in the morning.
A gentle breeze carried the subtle fragrance of flowers and grass, and the crops in the fields glistened with dew.
Roaming Ice, photosynthesizing Oranguru, busy Combee, and wild bird Pokemon perched on the roof—all contributed to the peaceful yet lively atmosphere.
Motowizard loved it and joined in, running energetically across the grassy terrain.
In the living room.
Frostairy stood on a cabinet, watching Aiguansi prepare breakfast.
Babbo Turbow jumped onto the sofa, his fluffy body blending comfortably into the soft cushions.
Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and as Babbo Turbow moved, a few fine hairs floated in the air, illuminated by the rays of light.
Naoki: "..."
Looks like I'll have to feed the hairy Pokemon on the ranch some more chicken soup.
He recalled that chicken soup helped prevent hair loss and made Pokemon sleek and shiny.
Not only Naoki but his brother Aiguansi also noticed this.
He walked over with a tool and cleaned up the loose hairs that had fallen onto the wooden floor.
Naoki was pleased, once again impressed by the renowned butler Pokemon's attentiveness.
Taking advantage of the time before breakfast was ready, Naoki opened the door to the basement.
The basement was dimly lit, filled with a faint, pleasant aroma.
Naoki inhaled deeply, detecting the unique fragrance of hops and malt that signaled the completion of the fermentation process.
"As expected, it's ready!"
Full of anticipation, Naoki descended the stairs to the basement and approached the nearest oak barrel. He turned the valve, and golden liquid began to flow out.
This was followed by a rich, robust aroma of barley beer.
Naoki called out to Golurk, who was guarding the basement entrance, "Bring me a cup!"
"Agas!"
Golurk responded and quickly turned to fetch a glass from the living room.
Naoki took the glass and filled it with the beer. As he lowered his head to examine the drink, information about it appeared in his mind.
[Barley Beer (B)
: A beer brewed from malt and hops, an indispensable offering in taverns.
Cooking Effect: Intoxication. Drinking this will put Pokemon in a pleasant tipsy state, bringing them a sense of calm and relaxation. Their injuries will heal faster in this state.
If a Fighting-type Pokemon drinks this before a battle, unexpected effects may occur.
Evaluation: Basic barley beer, easy to make, and a great choice for home or travel.]
"Intoxication?" Naoki was a little surprised by this straightforward effect, but upon further thought, it made sense.
Bringing calm and relaxation to Pokemon, allowing them to unwind completely...
Perhaps Pokemon suffering from extreme exhaustion would appreciate a cup of this beer.
However, what intrigued Naoki was the mention of a possible special effect on Fighting-type Pokemon.
Could drinking it before a battle enable them to fight with drunken fist techniques?
Conveniently, he had a Fighting-type Pokemon on his ranch!
Naoki looked up at Golurk.
But after a moment's thought, he discarded the idea of testing it on Golurk.
He was afraid that Golurk might get carried away if he got drunk, and start wrecking the house.
It would be fine if it was an ordinary Pokemon, but Golurk was a legendary Pokemon.
"This beer can help Pokemon relieve fatigue and relax. If an injured Pokemon drinks it, their wounds will heal faster too."
"In that case, we can add a new drink to the tavern's menu!"
"Aigi?"
Hearing about this magical effect, little Aiguansi's face lit up with surprise.
Naoki smiled and nodded. After breakfast, he asked the two Agoan siblings to use their telekinetic powers to move a beer-filled oak barrel to the back of the tavern's bar.
This way, if any Pokemon wanted to try the beer, Aiguansi would only need to twist the valve and pour a cup.
During this time, the Pokemon tavern had been thriving under the management of the two Agoan siblings.
They not only acted as bartenders, serving customers, but also prepared food for hungry guests.
In addition to the milk and tree fruit juice prepared by Naoki, they also offered simple yet delicious sandwiches, creamy tree fruit pastries, and corn-based cream puffs. With their efforts and word-of-mouth among the town's Pokemon, the small tavern, renovated from an old house, had become a popular gathering spot exclusively for Pokemon.
While this deviated a little from Naoki's initial intention for creating the tavern, it seemed like a pleasant development.
Naoki usually refrained from interfering with the Pokemon guests and only came by when there were new or interesting Pokemon to observe and eavesdrop on their conversations.
Today, however, he made a special visit to the tavern during business hours to observe the beer's effects.
He munched on a bag of translated sunflower seeds and stood behind the bar with Aiguansi, serving the customers.
Her brother, Aiguansi, acted as the bartender, ready to serve meals or clean up any messes made by the customers.
At exactly 6:30 in the evening, the tavern officially opened for business.
Before long, the tavern's loyal customers, Keli's two Machamp, arrived.
They were about to order their usual fruit juice with milk when they noticed a new drink on the menu.
Machamp asked curiously, "Nike?" (What's that? A new tree fruit juice?)
Aiguansi smiled and shook her head, "Aiyi!" (No, it's beer! Drink it to relieve fatigue.)
"Nike?!" Machamp exclaimed in disbelief. There's such a thing?
Aiguansi asked, "Aiyi?" (Would you like to try some?)
The two Machamp looked at each other, their curiosity getting the better of them, and they used the money Keli had given them to order two cups.
Naoki found this amusing and poured two large cups of beer for them.
The Machamp sat at the table, looking down at the golden liquid in their glasses, finding the aroma a bit odd.
They hesitated but eventually took a small sip.
As the beer went down, their faces turned red at a visible rate.
They had successfully entered a tipsy state.
The Machamp, experiencing tipsiness for the first time, felt as if they were walking on clouds, their bodies light and free from any worries or fatigue.
Although the drink had a strange taste, it was surprisingly pleasant! The two Machamp finished their beers in one go, belched contentedly, and swayed their heads, looking at each other's faces.
Neither spoke a word, simply soaking in the unique atmosphere.
Naoki: "..."
He wasn't sure if it was the beer's effect that was too overwhelming or if the Machamp just had low alcohol tolerance.
Soon, when the Merry Dance Duck arrived, it found the Machamp swaying in their chairs, their expressions as if they had fallen under the allure of a Sirfetch'd's Captivating Voice.
This surprised the Merry Dance Duck for a moment, and it asked curiously, "Ga?" (What happened?)
Aiguansi's face softened into a gentle smile as she explained, "Ayi." (They drank beer.)
Beer... no wonder!
The Merry Dance Duck had heard of this drink; it was for humans and had a peculiar taste that it didn't particularly enjoy.
So, it declined Aiguansi's offer and ordered its usual tree fruit juice, sipping it slowly as it usually did.
As time passed, more and more Pokemon guests arrived, including the town's Pokemon and some stray Pokemon who had heard about the new offering.
There were a pair of Plusle and Minun, an Electroweb, a Pikachu...
The tavern's seats gradually filled up, and the Pokemon guests chatted away, creating a lively atmosphere.
As these Pokemon found the smell of beer odd, he hadn't sold a single cup after Machamp.
Just then, the tavern door opened.
A sad Meowth with a coin on its head walked in.
Naoki recognized it.
According to Merry Dance Duck, this Meowth was a stray in Mizzina Town, making a living by opening treasure chests, or rather, rummaging through trash cans.
It was said that a trainer had once wanted to catch it, but Meowth had refused because it enjoyed its daily treasure-hunting lifestyle.
Naoki had seen this Meowth a few times before, and it had always been rather cheerful and carefree.
Why was it looking so down today?
Meowth walked up to the bar with a dejected expression, intending to order a glass of fruit juice with milk as usual.
It believed that only the sweet and creamy milk could soothe its broken heart.
However, little Aiguansi's gentle voice suddenly spoke up in front of it, "Aiyi?" (We have something new on the menu today! It's a magical beer that can relax your body and soothe your soul. Would you like to give it a try?)
Meowth paused upon hearing this.
It then thought about how its wounded soul indeed needed some comforting.
So, Meowth nodded and replied with a heavy heart, "Meow." (Then I'll have a cup, Meow.)
It placed a 300-value coin on the bar counter, a treasure it had found using its Payday move, round and something it cherished.
Seeing that another customer had finally ordered beer, little Aiguansi was delighted and promptly poured a full glass, which her brother then delivered to the table.
Meowth sat at an empty seat, heaved a heavy sigh, and then picked up the glass to take a sip of the beer.
Hearing its sigh, the Fire Brigade's Merry Dance Duck turned to look, asking, "Ga?" (What's wrong today?)
Upon being asked, Meowth immediately poured out its sad story, "Meow... " (I was so foolish, truly. I knew that the elegant Persian from the wealthy family wouldn't like me, but I still couldn't help confessing my feelings, Meow...)
Merry Dance Duck: "..."
Meowth's eyes suddenly lit up, "Meow! " (Oh, what a beautiful Persian it was! So gorgeous, so noble and elegant, Meow! From the moment I laid eyes on it, I knew that love had arrived!)
Then, Meowth's expression turned dreamy yet dejected, "Meow... " (But it rejected my confession, and once again, I lost my love, Meow...)
As it spoke, Meowth took another big gulp of beer.
Its eyes glazed over, its face turned red, and it smoothly entered a tipsy state.
Hearing Meowth's words, Naoki was taken aback.
This Meowth was quite the romantic!
The drunk Meowth seemed to have forgotten about its heartbreak.
It felt as light as a feather, as if it were floating on clouds, enveloped by soft, white fluff, as if time had stopped.
"Meow! " (This feels so good, Meow!)
Seeing this, the other Pokemon were surprised. What was going on with this Meowth?
Just moments ago, it had been sad and dejected due to its heartbreak, and now it wore this expression.
Naoki couldn't help but explain, "That's the effect of the beer. It helps Pokemon temporarily forget their sorrows, relaxes their minds, and relieves fatigue. After drinking it, they just need to go home, sleep well, and by the time they wake up tomorrow, everything will be better."
Hearing this, the group of Pokemon exclaimed in surprise.
So, that was the effect of beer!
Some Pokemon who had initially planned to abstain now wore eager expressions.
Naoki raised an eyebrow at this, "You must have had your hearts broken as well?"
"Pikachu!"
"Chirp, chirp, chirp!"
"..."
The group of Pokemon shook their heads vigorously, denying the accusation.
Many others covered their mouths and giggled, filling the tavern with a joyful atmosphere.
Naoki chatted with them, but just then, the tavern door opened once more.
By now, it was late at night, and Naoki had expected it to be Miss Junsha, who patrolled the mountain with Cadipop. However, as he looked up, he saw a crowd of unexpected figures.
Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Pikachu, Meowth...
The Pokemon who had pushed open the door was a Golduck, an evolution of Farfetch'd.
Seeing so many Pokemon, Naoki's face showed his surprise.
The group of Pokemon spotted him as well, but the next moment, they stepped aside.
Behind them, a being with a humanoid body and features of a feline Pokemon stood in the darkness, its emotionless eyes calmly gazing at Naoki.
(End of Chapter)
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