Chapter 218: Go For It, Finger Wag!
Chapter 218: Go For It, Finger Wag!
The process of making pumpkin cookies was not complex, especially since Naoki had specifically researched how to make these desserts. Now, he could bake cakes, cream puffs, puddings, and cookies with ease.
He pureed the sliced pumpkin and mixed it with MooMoo Milk that he had prepared beforehand. Then, he added olive oil and sugar to the eggs and whisked the mixture until it was fluffy. In the third step, he poured in the pumpkin puree and mixed it with flour and cornstarch. After combining the ingredients, he poured the batter into a baking pan with circular molds. Finally, he placed two dried cranberries on top of each cookie as a decorative touch and put the pan in the oven to bake for about ten minutes.
Soon, the oven dinged, signaling that the cookies were ready. Naoki put on oven mitts and carefully pulled out the baking pan. On it lay row after row of round, golden-brown cookies, emitting a rich, enticing aroma.
It was a unique fragrance that blended the sweetness of milk with the earthy scent of pumpkin.
"Success!"
Naoki was delighted to see that the cookies looked so appetizing. He seemed to have a natural talent for making desserts.
He glanced down, and information about the cookies appeared in his mind.
[Pumpkin Cookies (B+)
: Cookies made with pumpkins grown on the ranch, a rustic and delightful treat.
Cooking Effect: Lucky Child lv2. When used by a Pokemon, it moderately increases the accuracy of status-inducing moves like Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Paralyze Powder, and Ice Beam. Also enhances the likelihood of using powerful moves with the move Finger Wag, effect duration: 10 minutes.
Evaluation: A delicious cookie created to celebrate a bountiful harvest. It is said to bring good luck to Pokemon.]
"Hmm?"
Lucky Child? At first glance, Naoki thought he had created a dessert similar to the Lucky Pudding. But as he read further, he realized that this effect seemed to only come into play when Pokemon used certain moves. Intrigued, Naoki picked up one of the still-warm cookies.
The boost to the accuracy of moves like Stun Spore and Ice Beam was nice, but it was the effect on Finger Wag that really caught his attention.
As everyone knew, Finger Wag was a move that heavily relied on luck. In the games, it was described as "Stimulate your brain by wagging your finger, and any move will come out."
This meant that moves like Guzzlord's Cliff Sword, Groudon's Origin Pulse, Palkia's Spacial Rend, and Dialga's Roar of Time could be randomly selected!
The only requirement for a Pokemon to be able to use Finger Wag was to have good luck.
When it came to Finger Wag, the first thing Naoki thought of was the Pokedex entry for Brock's Happiny.
He couldn't help but imagine the scene of a Happiny using Finger Wag and selecting Arceus' Judgment during a battle.
Just the thought of it was thrilling! Naoki licked his lips in excitement.
These pumpkin cookies were intriguing! But unfortunately, they wouldn't be of much use to the Pokemon on his ranch. Moreover, their effect lasted only a brief ten minutes, making them impractical for anything other than dedicated battles.
Still, they were better than nothing.
Naoki transferred the baked cookies to a plate and headed downstairs. Only a few of his Pokemon enjoyed sweets. Aside from Alcremie, there was just his sister's Chansey, while the others neither disliked nor showed much interest in sugary treats.
Naoki had intended to ask Alcremie to help him taste-test his creation. However, when he looked around, he didn't spot Alcremie in the living room.
Naoki asked his brother's Chansey, the closest Pokemon to him, "Where's Alcremie?"
"Ai!"
His brother's Chansey glanced toward the door, indicating that Alcremie had gone outside.
Naoki was a bit surprised. He checked the time and saw that it was already dark outside. Why was Alcremie still out at this hour?
He left most of the cookies for his sister's Chansey to share with the others and then headed out to the ranch with the plate in hand. After walking around the ranch for a bit, he finally located Alcremie with the help of Volcarona.
Alcremie was chatting enthusiastically with Haxorus, her face filled with determination.
Intrigued, Naoki reached into his pocket and pulled out a bag of translated melon seeds.
Then, he heard Alcremie say in her soft, milky voice, "Mama!" (Haxorus! Please teach me how to become stronger!)
Haxorus looked slightly troubled as she faced the tiny Alcremie. "Rawr..." (My methods might not work for you since you don't have wings and can't fly...)
Alcremie looked confused. "Mama?" (What does flying have to do with getting stronger?)
Haxorus' eyes sparkled as she explained, "Rawr! Rawr!" (Because only those who can fly can go on deliveries! Naoki says that the process of delivering packages is a form of training that helps Pokemon grow stronger. I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for making deliveries!)
Upon hearing this, Alcremie lowered her head and looked at her body.
Haxorus was perplexed by this revelation, and Naoki, feeling guilty for his earlier story, stepped forward with Bavalette to comfort the distressed Alcremie. "Don't worry, no one will eat you. Everyone on the ranch will protect you."
Alcremie and Haxorus turned to face Naoki.
Upon seeing him, Haxorus exclaimed, "Roar!" (Naoki!)
Naoki nodded and smiled at her before instructing, "Open your mouth."
"Raar!" Haxorus obediently opened her mouth wide.
Naoki tossed a few cookies into her mouth and then turned to Alcremie.
Alcremie's expression softened at Naoki's reassurance, but she still looked conflicted. "Mama..." (But I still want to get stronger...)
Naoki paused, realizing that he shouldn't have scared Alcremie with his story earlier.
He recalled Alcremie's earlier words—about wanting to become the strongest Pokemon in the world.
The strongest... Even he wasn't sure about that, but he could definitely make her the biggest.
With the pumpkins from his ranch, he could alter Alcremie's size at will.
Moreover, aside from pumpkins, he could also assist Alcremie with its Dynamax form, although that would require a trip to the Galar region.
"Alright, I'll think of something to help you," Naoki said, offering the cookie in his hand. "For now, how about a snack? I just baked these little cookies. Give them a try."
Alcremie began munching on the pumpkin cookies.
Watching this scene, Naoki suddenly thought of something.
Alcremie could learn Wag Finger too!
Directly helping Alcremie become the strongest Pokemon in the world might be challenging, but in situations like this, smart people knew to think outside the box.
For instance, he could first have Alcremie eat the Lucky Pudding, and then during the period when the pudding's luck effect was active, have it eat the pumpkin cookies.
The combination of double luck might enable Alcremie to unleash some incredible moves.
However, there was one problem: Alcremie didn't know Wag Finger yet, and out of all the Pokemon on his ranch, only his sister's Chansey knew the move.
After a moment of contemplation, Naoki said to Alcremie, "I have a way to help you get stronger."
Alcremie's eyes lit up at his words, and it eagerly asked, "Mama?!" (What way?)
Was he going to teach it how to fly?
"Wag Finger," Naoki said, pointing to the pumpkin cookies in front of Alcremie. He explained the effect of the cookies: "While they won't directly make you stronger, they can help you borrow the power of other Pokemon and use their powerful moves."
"Mama..." Alcremie still seemed a bit confused.
Naoki thought for a moment and then gave an example. "You know Golurk, right? Its most powerful move is when it leaps high into the sky and then unleashes a full-power, devastating blow on its opponent."
"If you master Wag Finger and eat one of these cookies, you might be able to borrow Golurk's power and use that unique move to defeat anyone who tries to eat you."
"Mama!" Alcremie's eyes sparkled with admiration. Could it really use such a powerful move?
Naoki smiled and said, "And it's not just Golurk. Wag Finger can let you use the moves of many other powerful Pokemon as well."
Wow, it wanted to learn that move!
But how could it master it? Alcremie looked puzzled.
Noticing its confusion, Naoki smiled and said, "That's where Chansey comes in."
However, it was already time for dinner.
They headed home to fill their stomachs first and then sought out his sister's Chansey.
Naoki looked expectantly at his adorable sister's Chansey and asked, "You can use the Wag Finger move, right?"
"Chan!" Chansey nodded happily, then looked at him quizzically, wondering what was going on.
"I want to ask you to teach Wag Finger to Alcremie," Naoki explained. "The pumpkin cookie you ate earlier has an effect that enhances Wag Finger."
Chansey immediately understood and nodded in agreement, looking down at the hopeful Alcremie.
"Chan!"
Naoki then led a few of the Pokemon to an open grassy area.
"The pumpkin cookie's effect works on you too, Chansey," Naoki said, turning to her. "During the time it's active, you might be able to use some very rare moves."
Chansey nodded gently, understanding the cookie's effect.
Seeing this, Naoki didn't say more but stood back to watch Chansey's demonstration.
"Chan! (Watch closely, Alcremie! I'm going to show you!)
" Chansey called out to Alcremie.
Her hands were instantly enveloped in a milky-white glow, and a mystical power emanated from her body.
All the white light converged to a single point, and when it reached its limit, it transformed into a blinding beam of light that shot forward with tremendous force.
Sensing the terrifying power contained within this move, Frost Creamie's eyes widened in awe, "Mama! So powerful!"
"Steel-type move, Canon Light Beam," Naoki whispered to himself, recognizing the move that was unleashed by the finger wag.
Seeing Naoki and Frost Creamie's reactions, Little Sister Chansey sighed in exasperation.
"Ai~" she said, feeling a little neglected. Shouldn't they be paying attention to her graceful finger-wagging instead?
Naoki scratched his head sheepishly. "Sorry, sorry. This is my first time seeing the Finger Wag move, and it's just so fascinating."
He turned to Frost Creamie, guessing that she had also been captivated by the power of the Canon Light Beam rather than Little Sister Chansey's finger-wagging.
"Again?" Naoki asked Little Sister Chansey.
Little Sister Chansey nodded reluctantly, indulging Naoki's request.
Naoki looked at Frost Creamie and instructed, "This time, focus your attention on Chansey's finger and observe her movement carefully. Then, try to imitate it."
"Mama!" Frost Creamie replied, indicating that she understood.
"Great, let's begin!" Naoki signaled.
Little Sister Chansey once again wagged her finger.
The thick white light enveloped her hands, and then a powerful current of electricity surged forth, instantly covering her entire body.
In an instant, the night sky was illuminated as if it were daytime due to the intense electric light.
As the electricity surged, Little Sister Chansey lunged forward with tremendous force.
However, without a target, she hit nothing.
A moment later, the electric light vanished, and Little Sister Chansey returned to her usual self.
The only difference was the look of sheer astonishment on her face as she curiously lowered her head to look at her hands.
"Ai~?" she asked, seeking an explanation from Naoki. "What move was that? It felt so powerful!"
"If I'm not mistaken, the move you just used should be Thunder," Naoki replied.
"Ai~?" Little Sister Chansey tilted her head, clearly not recognizing the move.
Naoki, on the other hand, was thrilled. "It's not an ordinary move! It belongs to a legendary Pokemon known as the Ideal Dragon, Zekrom! In any case, you're very lucky!"
It seemed that the pumpkin cookies were indeed effective!
Naoki turned to Frost Creamie and asked, "Did you see Chansey's movement clearly?"
Frost Creamie nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling. "Mama!"
"Want to give it a try?" Naoki suggested.
Frost Creamie responded with an eager "Mama!" First, she lowered her head to look at her own hands, then imitated Little Sister Chansey's movement by gently wagging her finger.
However, no matter how much she wagged, the white light that signified a successful move failed to appear.
Seeing this, Little Sister Chansey stepped forward and demonstrated the Finger Wag move once more.
This time, she didn't unleash a signature move of a mythical Pokemon, but instead, a regular High-Speed Star.
"Ai~ Ai~," Little Sister Chansey began to impart her wisdom and experience in using the Finger Wag move.
Frost Creamie listened intently, and under Chansey's guidance, she slowly began to practice.
First attempt, failure.
Second attempt, failure.
Third attempt, failure.
Gradually, the sky grew darker as night fell.
The Pokemon who had come to the Pokemon Tavern for a drink also started arriving at the ranch one after another.
They were drawn to Frost Creamie's practice session and, for the time being, forgot about their drinks. Instead, they gathered around, forming an audience for the intriguing spectacle.
Fortunately, Frost Creamie was not disturbed by the presence of the onlooking Pokemon. She had become completely engrossed in mastering the Finger Wag move.
Finally, on the fifty-seventh attempt, a bright white light shone on Frost Creamie's cream-covered hands.
Her eyes, like sparkling rubies, lit up as well.
"Mama! I did it!" Frost Creamie exclaimed in delight.
In that moment, the eyes of all the humans and Pokemon present were fixed on her hands.
The intense white light eventually converged into a sphere that radiated a bright luster.
It seemed to contain immense power, causing the seemingly ordinary sphere to tremble as if it couldn't bear the energy within.
Witnessing this, Naoki's heart skipped a beat.
What move would it be?
The next moment, the answer came to him.
The sphere was suddenly thrown high into the sky by Frost Creamie.
It exploded like a firework in the dark night, sending forth sparks of light that resembled falling stars.
As they plummeted downward, they burned with crimson tails, resembling shooting stars.
And then—they landed with a thunderous roar.
It was as if a meteor shower had just taken place.
(End of Chapter)
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