Chapter 216: Moto Lizard's Little Angel
Chapter 216: Moto Lizard's Little Angel
League Calendar Year 198, August 16th, Autumn.
Four days before Moto Lizard's birthday, Naoki began pondering what kind of gift he should get for the occasion.
This would be his first time celebrating a Pokemon's birthday, and he wanted to make it special.
However, Naoki racked his brains for a long time, unable to come up with any ideas of what Moto Lizard might like.
Based on his understanding of the Pokemon, it didn't seem like there was anything in particular that it desired or longed for.
"Maybe I should make its favorite food for its birthday?" Naoki thought. But he quickly dismissed the idea, feeling that giving Moto Lizard its regular meal didn't qualify as a proper birthday gift.
"What about a training device to help Pokemon grow stronger?"
Naoki racked his brains, trying to recall Moto Lizard's behavior, and realized that its desire to become stronger wasn't as intense as, let's say, Aerodactyl.
It might appreciate the gift, but only because it was from him, not because it truly desired the present itself.
So, what other options did he have?
Naoki sat under the eaves of the house, listening to the pleasant ringing of the wind chimes overhead, but his eyes were fixed on Moto Lizard, basking in the sunshine as it played.
Gouredon lay lazily beside it, eyes closed as it enjoyed a little nap.
Sensing that Naoki had been quiet for a while, Gouredon opened its eyes slightly and glanced over, only to see Naoki staring off into space.
Following his gaze, Gouredon spotted Moto Lizard from before, tears welling up in its eyes as it hugged its tail.
A single Salaxe, with a guilty look on its face, stood nearby, frantically shaking its head as if to say it hadn't meant to cause any harm.
Frostine, who had been standing atop Salaxe's head and causing a ruckus, tilted her head in confusion as she noticed Naoki walking towards them.
"Agassi?" Gouredon asked, perplexed by the scene unfolding before them.
"Salaxe accidentally stepped on Moto Lizard's tail. I'm just going to check on it," Naoki explained as he began walking over.
As he walked away, Gouredon shook its body and followed close behind.
Frostine had already jumped down from Salaxe's head and was now gently blowing on Moto Lizard's injured tail to soothe the pain.
The commotion drew the attention of several other Pokemon, including an Ice Eevee and a Volcarona, who gathered around.
"Lei..." Salaxe, feeling terrible about the accident, looked apologetically at Naoki.
"Don't worry, let me take a look," Naoki reassured the concerned Salaxe and gently took Moto Lizard's tail from its grasp.
The once slender tail tip was now swollen like a large pig's trotter, the white skin tinged with redness.
Considering Salaxe weighed over 230 pounds, one could only imagine the intense pain Moto Lizard was feeling. The poor Pokemon had been brought to tears.
After a quick examination, Naoki instructed his brother, Ai Guanshi, who had rushed over, "Get me the gauze and medicine from my bedroom cabinet."
"Ai Yi," Ai Guanshi calmly acknowledged, giving Moto Lizard's tail a concerned glance before turning to leave.
Naoki held Moto Lizard's tail, intending to offer words of comfort, but the weight in his hand suddenly lessened.
He paused, then looked down to see a pale, severed tail segment resting quietly in his palm.
Naoki was stunned.
Frostine and Volcarona, witnessing the severed tail, paled in fear, their mouths emitting exaggerated cries of shock.
"Mama!"
"Bu yi?!"
"Lei!!!"
Salaxe was terrified, feeling utterly mortified as it hadn't intended for this to happen.
After a brief moment of shock, Naoki looked up at Moto Lizard, who seemed to be feeling a bit better.
He tentatively asked, "How are you feeling now?"
"Gaoh..."
Seeing everyone so concerned, Moto Lizard seemed a bit embarrassed.
It shook its head, looking confused as it gazed at the missing segment of its tail.
Strangely, after losing its tail, the pain seemed to have lessened significantly.
Naoki's eyebrows furrowed in surprise.
Could it be that Moto Lizard, stimulated by the intense pain, had unlocked a hidden potential and learned the move "Tail Loss"? Tail Loss was a normal-type move that reduced the user's HP to create a substitute, allowing the user to return to its Poke Ball and switch with another Pokemon.
In the games, only Moto Lizard and Cutworm could learn this move.
Naoki inspected the severed end of Moto Lizard's tail and found it less gory than he had imagined.
He couldn't help but ask, "Is this a new move?"
Instinctively, Moto Lizard knew this was indeed a move called "Tail Loss," and it nodded, looking a bit hesitant. "Gaoh..."
It couldn't use the move again right away; it would have to wait for its tail to grow back fully before it could use it properly.
Naoki had a hunch about what had happened, and just then, Ai Guanshi returned with the medical kit.
Naoki took out the gauze and healing spray he had prepared and gave Moto Lizard's tail a few sprays before wrapping the gauze around it in a neat butterfly knot.
"There, it'll be healed in no time," Naoki assured.
Pokemon had an incredible ability to recover, and according to Naoki's knowledge, Moto Lizard's tail would regrow within three days.
Moto Lizard, ever the kind soul, shook its head and offered a reassuring smile, indicating that it bore no ill will.
The harmony among the Pokemon was restored.
Moto Lizard, feeling a bit weary, found a comfortable spot to curl up and rest.
Even though Moto Lizard had forgiven it, Saltrock still felt terrible.
It kept glancing back at Moto Lizard and walked with utmost caution, afraid that it might accidentally step on any of the tiny Pokemon again.
Naoki and Gourdon returned to the shade of the house.
Recalling Moto Lizard's reaction, Naoki couldn't help but remark, "Moto Lizard is truly a little angel."
"Agassi~"
Gourdon was used to hearing Naoki praise Moto Lizard by now.
At this point, it even felt a sense of pride and camaraderie.
Naoki laughed, "I'm praising Moto Lizard, why are you so happy? If I recall correctly, you didn't seem to like it very much at first."
Gourdon's face took on a silly expression, "Agassi."
"Never mind, as long as you two get along now!" Naoki didn't press the matter further. After all, Gourdon was a Pokemon with strong territorial instincts, and the fact that it wasn't fighting with Moto Lizard was already a good sign.
Propping himself up with his hand on the floor of the corridor, Naoki took a deep breath and asked, "By the way, has Moto Lizard ever mentioned anything that it's particularly interested in?"
At this question, Gourdon tilted its head, "Agassi?"
Naoki explained, "Moto Lizard's birthday is coming up soon, and I'm thinking of getting it a present. I just don't know what to choose."
Gourdon understood, and it began to reminisce about the past. Back when it was still a Moto Lizard itself, it had received gifts from Naoki.
At that time, Naoki had given it a scarf and a specially tailored warm jacket.
Gourdon still remembered that the jacket was made from the wool of a Braixen, resembling a little vest. Its limbs could poke through the holes, and the wool kept its body and belly warm. With the addition of a scarf, it was perfect for the winter.
It had loved that outfit, but unfortunately, after wearing it for a long time, the clothes became worn out. Despite numerous repairs, they eventually ended up at the bottom of Naoki's wardrobe.
Without hesitation, Gourdon responded, "Agassi!"
Just then, a chilly autumn breeze blew by.
Naoki's eyes lit up as an idea came to mind.
Warm clothing! He recalled that the town sold scarves and clothes for Pokemon!
With winter approaching, he could give Moto Lizard a head start in preparing for the cold season.
"That's it!"
Naoki stood up, ready to head into town.
Since Moto Lizard's tail was injured, it wouldn't be suitable to ride it into town. Moreover, Naoki wanted to keep this a surprise from Moto Lizard.
For this trip, he chose to ride his more low-key mount, the Sitrus Bull.
Before leaving, Naoki reminded Gourdon, "Don't tell Moto Lizard about our conversation today!"
Gourdon: "..."
Seeing Gourdon nod, Naoki mounted the Sitrus Bull and set off for Shrouding Town.
It had been a while since his last visit, but the town was as bustling and vibrant as ever.
Following his memory, Naoki made his way straight to the Pokemon Beauty Salon.
This was the only place that sold Pokemon accessories and outfits.
A stylish Pokemon stylist with colorful hair greeted him.
"Good afternoon, young man! Are you looking to get a style for your Sitrus Bull? Oh my! Its fur is so lush and soft! Hmm, it would be perfect for a hairstyle I just designed."
The stylist pushed a picture of a Dodrium with a mohawk haircut towards Naoki.
With a hand over his mouth, the stylist giggled, "How about trying this trendy hairstyle?"
Naoki: "..."
The Sitrus Bull understood what this strange human was saying.
It leaned forward to take a look and immediately widened its eyes.
"Moo!"
The green light on the Sitrus Bull's body began to surge, and it glared at the human who dared to suggest shearing its beautiful fur. It seemed ready to unleash a Grassium Z-Move at any moment.
"Ohoho, don't be angry!"
Naoki couldn't bring himself to accept these trendy hairstyles and fashionable styles; they were just too outlandish for his taste.
He brushed those suggestions aside and asked, "Do you have any clothes suitable for Moto Lizards? I want to get one for the upcoming winter."
"Moto Lizard?" The stylist looked surprised. "No, we only have clothes for small dog Pokemon here."
Realizing he had come to the wrong place, Naoki politely bid the stylist farewell and rode the Sitrus Bull to a mall that specialized in clothing.
Naoki stood at the entrance of the mall, unsure of where to look next.
Just then, a young female store clerk called out to him from inside the mall.
Naoki turned around, looking at her with a puzzled expression.
The girl asked, "Are you looking for a warm garment for your Motostoke Urikki for the winter?"
Naoki nodded. "Yes."
The girl smiled gently and said, "You probably won't find such a thing in Shrouding Town. Since clothing can affect Pokemon's movement, aside from a few wealthy ladies who want their Pokemon to be fashionable, most people don't dress up their Pokemon."
"I see..." Naoki nodded thoughtfully.
The girl smiled softly and suddenly spoke up. "But, I do have an idea! I saw you running up and down this street for a while, and you must really love that Motostoke Urikki of yours. So, I'll give you a suggestion!"
"What?"
The girl said, "Why not make one yourself? There are ranches near Shrouding Town that raise Wooloo, which produce wool. You can buy some wool from those ranchers and then find someone skilled in sewing to tailor a garment specifically for your Motostoke Urikki."
That was a good option.
Naoki nodded and thanked her. With time to spare, he rode his Sitrus Bull to visit the neighboring Thunder Ranch.
The rancher, Lei, who was slightly older than Naoki, welcomed him. After learning of Naoki's intention, he took him on a tour of his ranch.
"Follow me!" Lei said with a smile.
Naoki responded and simultaneously observed the ranch.
Thunder Ranch was nestled at the foot of a hill, where lush grass grew. A group of Wooloo and Dubwool from the Galar region were leisurely grazing on the hillside.
"It's quite different from your ranch, isn't it?" Lei asked.
Naoki nodded. "Yes."
He noticed that there were only a few fields here, with a sparse number of pumpkins growing in them. There were also no dairy Pokemon like Milk Cow.
Lei proudly said, "My ranch mainly focuses on animal husbandry. We specialize in raising sheep Pokemon for their wool. The wool from Wooloo is the best material for making clothes and carpets. In the Galar region, garments and rugs made from this wool are quite famous and renowned!"
"The wool from the Wooloo I raise here can be sold all over the Padaria region!"
"Impressive!" Naoki praised sincerely.
Compared to him, Lei was indeed an excellent rancher.
He had managed to build his ranch to its current state with the help of his magical cooking and his Pokemon.
On the other hand, Lei had single-handedly turned this Wooloo ranch into a well-organized operation.
"Haha!" Hearing Naoki's praise, Lei looked a bit embarrassed. "You want to buy some wool, right?"
Naoki: "Yes."
Upon hearing this, Lei waved and called over a chubby Wooloo with adorable eyes.
"Perfect timing. It's shearing season again."
Lei took out a pair of specialized scissors and began shearing the Wooloo as he spoke. "Wooloo's wool grows continuously throughout their lives. Even if you shear it all off, it will grow back to its original state in just three months."
"If you don't shear their wool for a long time, these little guys will become immobile because their wool has grown too long."
Lei was adept at shearing, and in no time, he had a complete woolen pelt.
Lei held it up. "Look, it's quite amazing, isn't it? The wool is all intact and very elastic. If you wear it, you won't get hurt even if you fall off a cliff."
As he spoke, he patted the pelt, and it made a 'DuangDuangDuang' sound, bouncing a few times.
Naoki widened his eyes in disbelief.
So amazing?
If he put it on SirFetch'd, wouldn't he turn into a big gray wolf disguised in sheep's clothing?
"I'll give you a discount. How about 2,000 Pokedollars per pound? Hmm, this one weighs about 6 pounds, so that's a total of 12,000 Pokedollars." Lei weighed the wool.
Twelve thousand... to be honest, this quality of wool wasn't expensive at that price.
Naoki decided to buy it all, thinking that he could use it to make clothes later. He paid the money and headed back with the wool.
Next, he needed to find someone skilled in sewing to tailor a warm garment for his Motostoke Urikki.
By the way, I noticed that some readers in the comments section accused me of pretending to be sick and not updating.
The author was hospitalized. I had a fever for a few days, which turned into pneumonia. I thought it was because I stayed up late to write and didn't have the energy, which made me dizzy. But later, I realized I was actually sick...
I kept having a fever. In the morning, after getting an IV drip, my temperature returned to normal, but in the afternoon, the fever came back. It was torturous. So, the quality of these past few chapters might not be up to par, and I think you all can sense that...
I'll make up for the missed updates after I'm discharged from the hospital. I apologize for the inconvenience.
(End of Chapter)
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