https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-223-The-Homeland-Reconstruction-Plan/12537265/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-225-Ya-Ci-Wants-to-Take-on-the-Grassland-Trial-/12537275/
Chapter 224: Ye Ci's Recruitment
Chapter 224: Ye Ci's Recruitment
The room was illuminated by flickering firelight, with Little Smithy lying on a square cushion. The dancing flames in the fireplace cast long shadows on the walls, making them dance alongside the fire's glow.
Little Smithy felt as if it had just woken up from a nightmare.
In the dream, the forest was ablaze, with vicious flames resembling the claws of demons reaching out to engulf it.
The intense fire consumed everything, turning its once peaceful homeland into a hellish inferno in an instant.
It witnessed Pokemon being devoured by the flames and saw more and more Pokemon fleeing for their lives.
Then, swept along with the tide of fleeing Pokemon, it ran for its life under the scorching heat and amidst the raging fire.
The temperature around it kept rising, and it felt as if the flames were about to touch its body.
Letting out a terrified roar, Little Smithy abruptly opened its eyes.
In that moment, the devouring flames and the fleeing Pokemon vanished.
Instead, it found itself in a completely unfamiliar environment.
A trace of terror remained on Little Smithy's face, and it panted heavily, resembling someone on the brink of drowning.
Just then, a voice spoke from the side.
"You're awake?"
Little Smithy turned its head and saw a stranger, a human.
Its mind raced as memories flooded back, and it recalled everything that had happened.
—They had escaped the fire and been rescued by the human before them.
But what about the Pokemon that had fled with it? Little Smithy anxiously turned its head, searching the room for those familiar Pokemon.
Observing its actions, Naoki roughly guessed what Little Smithy was looking for.
He said, "If you're looking for the others, like the Hoarder, you can find them outside."
Upon hearing this, Little Smithy struggled to get up, eager to go and check on its companions.
During their escape, it had tripped and fallen, and just as the flames were about to consume it, the Hoarder had stopped and come to its rescue.
As a result, the fur on its tail had been singed, leaving it bald.
Naoki didn't stop Little Smithy. After a good rest, the little Pokemon had regained much of its strength and no longer seemed as weak as before.
He followed Little Smithy outside and eventually found the Hoarder in the orchard among the trees laden with fruit.
Little Smithy breathed a sigh of relief.
Naoki said, "Although your body seems to be fine now, you still need to get plenty of rest. For now, stay at my ranch.
"Come spring, I'll help you rebuild your home, and then you can return to the forest."
Not only would he help, but he was certain that the Paritia League would also send people to assist in restoring the ecosystem to its former state.
At that time, the rescued Pokemon would be released back into the wild, returning to their homes.
Hearing these words, Little Smithy exhaled softly.
It turned and looked up at the human who had helped them, then whispered, "Woah..."
Naoki smiled and asked, "I've also made a little nest for you. Do you want to give it a try and live with the others?"
Despite being in a safe environment, Little Smithy's emotions were still raw.
It lowered its head and whispered, "Woah."
Looking at the fragile Little Smithy, Naoki found it hard to associate this Pokemon with the one described in the Pokedex as the Paritia Bully, an evolved form of Little Smithy known as Giant Smithy.
The Giant Smithy was known for its high intelligence and bold personality. Despite its small and cute appearance, it could wield a large hammer and strike with the force of a steel ax.
Naoki led Little Smithy to the wooden hut he had prepared for it.
Little Smithy turned to look at Naoki before entering the hut, encouraged by his supportive gaze.
Seeing this, Naoki breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, all the injured Pokemon had been settled comfortably.
It was still early in the day, and the group of Pokemon didn't remain in their nests. Their somber figures were scattered throughout the orchard, their moods understandably low.
Naoki understood their feelings; after all, it hadn't been long since the traumatic event. It was normal for them to need time to adjust.
He called the Pokemon over and said, "You can eat as many of the fruits from these trees as you like. If you want to explore, you can look for Baba Diggersby or Frost Maid Gardevoir, but remember, do not eat the Gardevoir."
The fruits on these trees had a much shorter maturation cycle than regular fruit, and they would be more than enough to sustain the Pokemon through the winter.
The Pokemon nodded, indicating that they understood and would remember not to eat the Pokemon that had helped them.
It was clear that he, too, had heard about the forest fire on the back mountain.
"It's truly heartbreaking," Zak sighed.
"Yes!" Naoki recalled the Pokemon who had lost their lives in the fire and shared his sorrow. "Not only will it take time for the ecosystem to recover, but these Pokemon have also suffered a tremendous emotional blow."
"All we can do is try our best to help them through this difficult time," Zak lamented.
"They will get better," Naoki consoled him.
Hearing these words, a smile appeared on Zak's face. "Yes! If we all work together, we will definitely get through this challenging time!"
He handed over the day's payment for the milk to Naoki and then waved goodbye before leaving the ranch.
After seeing Zak off, Naoki felt a deep sense of fatigue wash over him.
From the early hours of the morning until now, he had hardly rested. After putting out the fire, he had immediately taken the ranch's Pokemon to the back mountain, and upon returning, he began building wooden huts for them.
Naoki yawned. Despite his exhaustion, he persevered and prepared dinner with his sister, Aikanshi.
After their meal, he refilled the water troughs for Big Milktank and Riding Gogoat and ushered the chickens back into their coop before he could finally get some rest.
Aikanshi and her brother were also tired, and seeing their state, Naoki decided to close the pub early and let them get some much-needed rest.
That night, the lights on the ranch went out early, and Naoki, along with the group of Pokemon, quickly fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning brought a brand-new day.
The weather was pleasant, and the temperature, which had dropped previously, rose slightly.
Naoki started his day early, using a lawnmower to cut the grass in the field, intending to collect some fresh grass to make a new grass dish for Riding Gogoat.
It's worth mentioning that, to ensure Riding Gogoat could enjoy fresh grass dumplings even in winter, Naoki had collected an entire warehouse full of fresh grass.
These grasses were sealed within transparent ice cubes and stacked neatly in Delibird's ice cellar.
When the time came to use them, he could simply take them out to thaw and then make the grass dumplings.
As Naoki was busy in the grass field, a new visitor arrived at the ranch.
Ye Ci, the chief champion of the Partia League, stood on the country road, gazing up at the bustling ranch before her.
"Is this the champion-level trainer that Jun Sha mentioned, the one who lives in seclusion here?" Ye Ci muttered to herself.
As soon as she stepped onto the premises, she noticed three Dragonite flying overhead, each carrying a small bag.
Ye Ci was surprised and wondered if this person was a champion-level trainer specializing in Dragon-type Pokemon.
She turned to look in the direction the Dragonite had come from and saw it was the direction of Zichen Town.
The previous night, she had heard some rumors about this ranch from Jun Sha.
Now, seeing these Dragonite, she surmised they must be the ones Jun Sha had mentioned, working as couriers for the ranch.
"Extravagant," Ye Ci remarked softly. "But Dragonite are indeed well-suited for this task."
They must be the main Pokemon of the ranch owner, she thought.
However, as she turned back, her eyes landed on a Pokemon lounging on the grass not far away.
It was a large, robust Pokemon with a scarlet body and ornate feathers on its head, its golden irises shining brightly.
The Pokemon seemed to sense her presence and lifted its eyelids to glance in her direction.
Their gazes met in midair, and Ye Ci froze in her tracks, stunned by what she saw.
Was that... the paradox Pokemon that Professor Orange and Professor Fort were researching?
The Winged King, as described in the Scarlet and Violet Book?
As the chief of the Partia League, Ye Ci was aware of the existence of Zone 0 and the paradox Pokemon.
For outsiders to enter Zone 0, they must first submit an application to the Partia League and receive approval from the chief, herself, to gain access.
"No, it can't be the Winged King," Ye Ci denied immediately.
As far as she knew, Professors Orange and Fort had only summoned two powerful and aggressive paradox Pokemon to this location.
If the Winged King was here, then what was the Pokemon currently in the deepest part of the research facility in Zone 0?
But the gaze of the Winged King, fixed upon her, was impossible to ignore.
Even if she refused to believe it, the Winged King before her was not an illusion but a tangible presence.
So, who exactly was this ranch owner?
How had they managed to tame the inherently irritable and fierce Winged King?
Naoki raised an eyebrow and approached her, greeting, "Your Excellency, the Champion?"
Ye Ci snapped out of her daze and turned to face him, recognizing his face vaguely.
She furrowed her brows and asked politely, "Have we met somewhere before?"
Naoki was silent for a moment as he thought carefully. He had become much tanner and more muscular since their last encounter, and his hairstyle had changed as well, so it was understandable that Ye Ci didn't recognize him.
Naoki explained briefly, "Yes, it was when that gigantic Dragonite visited the Partia region."
As soon as he mentioned it, Ye Ci's eyes widened in realization.
"It was you?" she exclaimed in disbelief.
"Yes, it was me," Naoki confirmed.
"No wonder..." Ye Ci muttered, "No wonder you were able to handle that gigantic Dragonite. So, you're a Champion-level trainer, that explains it."
Hearing this, Naoki was taken aback, confusion clouding his features as he asked, "What champion?"
Ye Ci looked at him with equal confusion, "You aren't the Champion-level trainer who resolved yesterday's forest fire?"
Naoki was even more perplexed.
How did he become a Champion-level trainer without even knowing it? Seeing his expression, Ye Ci also grew puzzled, "You aren't?"
Naoki: "......No, as you can see, I'm just a ranch owner."
Hearing this, Ye Ci knitted her brows slightly, deep in thought.
Then, as if she had figured something out, her brows relaxed, and a smile appeared on her face, "I understand now."
Naoki: "?"
What do you understand?
Ye Ci hadn't forgotten the main purpose of her visit, and she quickly composed herself, saying,
"Mr. Naoki, regardless, I want to express the Partia League's gratitude on behalf of all of us. The Partia League owes you a debt of gratitude."
"As a token of our appreciation, we are willing to fulfill one of your requests within our capabilities, whether it be money, a Pokemon, or even a Gym Leader position within the League."
Of course, the offer of a League position was her personal addition, as Ye Ci had already intended to recruit this talented individual before arriving.
However, upon hearing this, Naoki twitched his lips in amusement.
So, they wanted to recruit him to work for the League, huh?
That was a joke!
He had no intention of becoming a corporate slave like Aoki.
Thus, Naoki politely declined the third option, "I'd much prefer to continue managing my ranch here."
Ye Ci looked disappointed, "Won't you at least consider it? The League offers excellent salaries for talented trainers, and you can manage your ranch while working for the League; the two are not mutually exclusive."
Naoki smiled politely, "Thank you for the offer, but these Pokemon need me here."
Upon seeing him gesture towards the group of Pokemon waiting to be fed, Ye Ci could only express her regret, "Alright, if you ever change your mind, feel free to contact me anytime."
"Also, since you don't want to work for the League, the first two choices are still valid. Please don't refuse; it's the least we can do, and you deserve this reward."
Naoki: "......"
He fell silent, deep in contemplation.
As an ordinary person, it was indeed a challenging decision to make.
As for money, he didn't lack any at the moment.
As for Pokemon, Naoki imagined the fluffy Eevee family and the Catty he had his eye on.
Seeing his hesitation, Ye Ci said, "Take your time to consider; this offer has no time limit. You can let me know whenever you've made up your mind."
Naoki nodded silently, realizing that she made sense.
He could look for Eevee breeders in town and try his luck finding a Catty in the wild.
After addressing the main purpose of her visit, Ye Ci turned her attention back to Golurk and asked, "Is it your Pokemon?"
Naoki looked at his Golurk and then at Ye Ci beside him.
At that moment, his mind was racing with thoughts.
As far as he knew, the Partia Pit was currently managed by the Partia League, and outsiders seeking entry had to obtain permission from the League first.
And the observation station established beneath the pit, along with the research conducted by Professor Orange and Professor Fort, must have been supported by the League as well.
"......So, as the Chief Champion of the Partia League, Ye Ci should be aware of the existence of the paradox Pokemon."
After a moment of contemplation, Naoki nodded, "Yes, its name is Golurk, given by Professor Orange. Eight months ago, it appeared on the ranch, and Professor Orange entrusted it to my care, hoping that I could learn more about its ecological habits."
(End of Chapter)
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