Chapter 215: Birthday Gift
Chapter 215: Birthday Gift
It all still revolved around Arceus.
Planting the World Tree required Arceus, and developing the Reverse World was no different. While the horse racing competition didn't necessitate Arceus' direct involvement, it would require the use of its equine form.
Naoki stood on the floating island, deep in thought as he gazed at the slumbering Giratina in the distance.
Suddenly, Giratina sleepily opened its eyes.
The first thing it noticed was Naoki standing opposite it.
Giratina seemed to still be in a drunken stupor, its speech slurred as it stammered, "You... you finally remembered to come over!"
Naoki: "..."
He gave Giratina a suspicious glance. Why did its tone sound so similar to a certain someone? He had his own matters to attend to as well. With his business in the Reverse World concluded, he couldn't very well spend all his time here.
Moreover, the feeling of weakness that came after drinking the Poison Mushroom Soup was no illusion.
Looking at Giratina's deep resentment, Naoki was speechless. "You drank all that beer?"
"Bee... beer?" Giratina narrowed its eyes, its intoxicated brain struggling to recall what that was.
It suddenly sat up, roaring, "Delicious!"
Naoki: "..."
Giratina glanced at him, its tone domineering as it threatened, "Bring... bring me a few more barrels, or else... I'll drag you... drag you in here and lock... lock you up!"
Naoki: "..."
Giratina suddenly leaned closer, drunk as a skunk, and said, "Foolish human... how dare you not... not speak? You have quite the guts! To ignore me!"
As it finished speaking, Giratina released a torrent of rage, as if it would unleash its terrifying power to crush the human before it at any moment.
But at the last second, it relented.
Giratina lay back down, resting its large head on its two sturdy forelegs, "Forget... forget it. If I beat you... beat you to death, there'll be no one left to talk to me."
Naoki was momentarily speechless. Thinking of Giratina's legend, he felt a tug at his heartstrings and was about to say something when he heard the dragon mutter:
"Although you are a tiny, insignificant human, without... without the grand ambitions of those before... and your courage is lacking... zZZ!"
Looking at the sleeping Giratina, Naoki felt like saying something rude.
If it called him cowardly again, he'd bring Golurk and a fully evolved Riding Arceus to storm the Reverse World and make this nasty dragon work on the ranch like a cow or horse!
Naoki raised his fist at Giratina and grumbled, calling out to his brother, Agurs, to bring him some detoxifying Pecha juice.
After seeing Mewtwo and the others off, peace returned to the ranch once more.
At 5 p.m., Zack was preparing to drive his truck to the ranch to pick up the goods.
After loading a few barrels of MooMoo Milk and sheep milk onto the truck, Naoki was ready to take him home to inspect the beer in the cellar.
Standing in front of the brand-new house, Zack paused and looked up.
He glanced at the new house and then at the old wooden cottage in the distance, and couldn't help but exclaim,
"Whoa, you've really made this ranch prosper!"
Naoki smiled at the group of Pokemon by his side. "This isn't just my doing."
Upon hearing this, Zack also looked at the group of Pokemon being raised on the ranch.
"You guys are amazing! To be honest, when I first saw you, you were so skinny that Mayor Thomas and I were worried if you could handle ranch work."
Naoki also recalled how he had looked when he first arrived.
He couldn't help but chuckle, "And now?"
Zack: "As it turns out, our worries were unfounded. Now you're as strong as a Tauros!"
Naoki thought of the group of black Tauros in the Pawniard region and felt the need to defend himself, "It's not that exaggerated."
"Hahahahaha!" Zack burst into laughter, then looked at the stubble around Naoki's mouth and said, "But you really need to shave. Otherwise, you look like a man in his thirties. Girls around your age will be calling you 'uncle' on the street."
Naoki: "To be honest, something like that has already happened."
That was during the summer. He often worked outdoors, causing his skin to tan and his beard to grow out. Once, when he forgot to shave before going to the Castelia Market to buy vegetables, a girl of sixteen or seventeen had called him 'uncle'.
Zack had a knowing look on his face, causing Motorizard and Golurk beside him to stifle their laughter.
After their chat, the two men went to the cellar, where Zack, as a professional, inspected the quality of the beer.
Naoki patiently waited for Zack to set a price for the beer.
"Hmm, the fermentation is spot on. The scent is rich and has a natural oak flavor," Zack poured himself a cup, taking a small sip to savor the taste, "The strong malt fragrance and the bitter substances in the hops blend... It has a smooth and refreshing taste, with a clean aftertaste. Excellent!"
As he spoke, Zack couldn't help but express his regret, "It's a pity that the fermentation time is too short. If it were longer, the aged beer would fetch a higher price and have an even smoother taste.
"According to the winemaker's preferences and the style of the wine being made, if you're aging it, it could be anywhere from a few months to several years."
"However, it's not that wine must be aged to be good. It's more about catering to the drinker's preferences. Some people prefer wine aged for several years, while others prefer fresh wine."
"Of course, the selling price of wine aged for several years will be much higher than that of regularly fermented wine."
Naoki only caught one thing from Zack's lengthy explanation—aged wine fetches a higher price!
'It's perfect timing since there's a bunch of tree fruit in the orchard. We can use them to make some fruit wine after selling this batch of beer,' Naoki contemplated.
At that moment, Zack concluded his inspection: "3,000 Pokedollars per liter. This isn't the season for drinking beer, so the market price fluctuates a bit. If it were summer, the price would be higher."
3,000 Pokedollars per liter... Naoki did the calculations in his head.
Each oak barrel held three liters, and there were thirty barrels in the cellar, which meant this batch of beer could sell for around 270,000 Pokedollars.
Compared to the income from MooMoo Milk sales, brewing beer was indeed a very profitable endeavor.
Naoki nodded, agreeing to the price.
He had stockpiled a large quantity of hops during the summer, and after selling this batch of beer, those stored hops would come in handy.
With a bit more saving, he could start constructing the greenhouse.
Seeing Naoki's nod, Zack thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll come by for this batch of goods tomorrow! It's getting late today, and my truck is already fully loaded."
"No problem," Naoki assured him.
After setting a time for the next day, Zack drove off in his truck.
As evening fell, the sky was painted with a stunning array of colors, reflecting on the lake's surface.
The Flygons and Minidraco, cheerful with their day's wages, flew back to Dragon Island.
After seeing them off, Naoki began his end-of-day routine.
Along with Babo, he herded the chickens back into their coop and secured the doors and windows.
He filled Big Milktank's trough with fresh grass and tree fruit.
He refilled Glaceon's water bowl.
Then he picked a large pumpkin from the field; with the weather turning colder, Naoki planned to cook a pot of rock sugar pumpkin porridge to warm himself and the Motorizards.
Speaking of Motorizards...
Naoki suddenly remembered something.
He returned to his bedroom and flipped through the calendar, finding a mark on the 20th of August, just as he had suspected.
"I didn't remember wrong; Motorizard's birthday is just a few days away!"
Naoki went back to the kitchen, processing the pumpkin while glancing at the yawning Motorizard in the living room.
Motorizard's birthday was important, but at the same time, there was another significant matter to attend to.
It was a special dessert he had made before, a unique dish that only took effect on a Pokemon's birthday.
If he recalled correctly, the cake's effect was called "Birthday Gift." Its specific effect was that if a Pokemon consumed it on their birthday, they would receive a blessing, permanently boosting one of their base stats: HP, Attack, Special Attack, Speed, Defense, or Special Defense.
"Interesting," Naoki thought, intrigued by this description.
However, Motorizard's birthday was still a few days away, and until then, he would have to patiently wait.
The group of Pokemon devoured the sweet and tender pot of pumpkin porridge.
After dinner, his sister, Serena, took care of cleaning the dishes, while Naoki snuggled up on the sofa with a few Pokemon to watch television.
It was the weekend, so the pub was closed, and there was no need for them to stay there.
The warm light of the living room illuminated the television, which was broadcasting the weather forecast for the next day.
A female presenter, dressed in formal attire, faced the screen and read from her script: "... A cold front is expected to bring rain to the northwestern part of the Passadia region tonight. Citizens are advised to prepare and ensure their doors and windows are securely closed."
Hearing this notification, his brother, Davison, silently turned and began checking the house to ensure all the doors and windows were shut tight.
Naoki, on the other hand, continued to lounge lazily on the sofa, snuggling with the fluffy Babo and pinching its paw pads.
This was his favorite time of day.
On the wooden coffee table in front of them was an assortment of treats and milk tailored to each Pokemon's preferences. A cup of steaming hot tea added to the cozy atmosphere.
On the old-fashioned TV across from them was a news program from the Passadia region.
They would watch the weather forecast for the next day, and once they heard the weather report, they would switch to a different news channel.
This particular program helped keep them informed about the outside world.
For instance, they might learn about an upcoming Pokemon contest at the Passadia Academy, a trainer who turned the tides of battle with an unexpected Steel-type move, or a large-scale event in some region.
Occasionally, the antenna in Passadia would pick up news programs from other regions as well, like Professor Oak's Pokemon lecture in the Kanto region.
While Golurk and the others might not understand the human programs, they still stayed by Naoki's side to keep him company.
During these moments, Naoki often wondered if the Pokemon enjoyed this atmosphere and feeling as much as he did.
Naoki turned his head to look at his group of Pokemon.
Motorizard was sprawled out on the soft carpet, eyes closed in relaxation.
Glaceon stood on the coffee table amidst a pile of puddings and small breads, casually swaying its body back and forth.
Babo served as a comfortable headrest for Naoki.
His sister, Serena, joined them on the sofa after finishing up with the dishes.
Her brother, Davison, stood by like a loyal butler, always ready to serve his master.
As for Golurk...
Golurk was staring right at him.
Instead of looking away or feeling embarrassed when caught, Golurk's eyes lit up, and it seemed delighted.
Naoki gazed back at Golurk.
In that moment, he felt that if Golurk were a big dog, its tail would be wagging furiously.
The thought made Naoki want to laugh.
Golurk was such an adorable Pokemon!
"I wonder how Miltank would react in this situation," Naoki mused, imagining Miltank's personality from the games.
Perhaps it would turn its head away proudly, pretending to be indifferent? However, compared to such a tsundere Pokemon, Golurk's enthusiastic and straightforward nature, like a big dog eager for affection, was much more endearing.
Naoki felt that if he kept looking at Golurk, it would pounce on him any second.
He quickly averted his gaze back to the TV, sneaking glances at Golurk's reaction from the corner of his eye.
When Golurk realized Naoki was no longer looking at him, it immediately drooped its head, looking dejected.
Naoki: "..."
He thought for a moment, then decided to lie down on the sofa, using Babo as a headrest and resting his legs on Golurk.
As expected, Golurk immediately perked up.
It was indeed a big dog that loved physical affection.
In the early hours of the morning, it began to rain as predicted.
The autumn rain was relentless, carrying a hint of chill as it pattered on the roof, eventually dripping onto the soil from the tiles.
Naoki was awakened by the sound of the rain. He yawned, turned over, and snuggled up with the sleeping Babo to continue dozing.
The next morning, the rain hadn't let up, and the sky was a dreary gray.
Standing under the eaves, Naoki gazed up at the falling raindrops and realized that he probably wouldn't be able to go out that day.
Even his riding Gogoat and its companions had ceased their activities, content to stay in their shed and munch on grass dumplings.
At that moment, the Flygons and Haxorus who worked on the ranch flew in despite the rain, just like any other day.
Naoki was at a loss for words. As a kind-hearted ranch owner, he suggested, "On days with bad weather like this, you can take a day off and rest on the island. You can come back to work once the rain stops."
However, the Flygons and Haxorus immediately widened their eyes, indicating that they couldn't do that.
"Roar!"
How could they do that? If they didn't work, they wouldn't get to eat the delicious Pokeblocks!
Naoki: "..."
See? This proved that he wasn't intentionally overworking his employees! They genuinely wanted to work!
Besides, for Pokemon like Flygon and Haxorus, rain of this magnitude had little effect on them.
Naoki sighed and relented, "As long as you don't feel tired, it's fine."
"Roar!"
The group of Pokemon cheered, then took the work bags and fresh bottles of cow and sheep milk from Naoki and flew off toward Castelia Town.
Watching them leave, Naoki suddenly had an idea. Perhaps he could print "Flygon Express, Guaranteed Delivery!" on the Flygons' parcels.
(End of Chapter)
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