https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-241-Naoki-s-Empire-and-the-Pidgeot-Legion/12537293/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-243-Off-to-the-Galar-Region-Aiming-for-the-Crown-Tundra-/12537295/
Chapter 242: Hammer
Chapter 242: Hammer
On the 8th day of winter, year 198 of the Pokemon League calendar, a cold front swept through the Padia region, marking the official arrival of winter.
Though it hadn't snowed yet, the temperature had dropped to the point where one would need to don a pair of long johns.
Naoki awoke to find the once-withered grass outside coated in a layer of frost, and the howling wind carried a mournful tune as it blew through the valley.
"Looks like the temperature really did drop!"
The weather forecast had predicted this sudden drop in temperature a few days ago, advising citizens to prepare accordingly, and it seemed their prediction was right on the mark.
Naoki drew the curtains and settled onto the sofa to catch the morning news.
A cozy fire blazed in the fireplace, casting a warm glow across the entire living room.
With the drop in temperature, the Pokemon showed little interest in venturing outdoors. Led by Motostoke, a group of Pokemon lounged lazily by the fireplace, soaking in the warmth.
Even Mud-Slap exposed his belly, a sign of utmost comfort and security for a Pokemon.
Naoki found the sight amusing.
Just then, Brother Eldegoss, ever the dutiful caretaker, approached and enquired, "Ay?"
Naoki munched on a couple of translated sunflower seeds, replying, "Go on."
Brother Eldegoss repeated, "Ay?" (Master, when do you plan to depart for the Galar region?)
The recent cold spell had him concerned about impending snowfall.
"I've told you countless times," Naoki said with a hint of exasperation, "just call me Naoki, not Master."
But Brother Eldegoss remained steadfast in his ways, insisting on formality even after Sister Eldegoss had conceded to Naoki's request.
Brother Eldegoss acquiesced, "Ay." His expression, however, clearly conveyed his intention to defy again in the future.
Naoki sighed internally and let it go.
Brother Eldegoss had always been a sensible and mature Pokemon, understanding from a young age that he and his sister had been sent to the ranch to serve as caretakers for the new owner.
And so, he diligently played the role of a seasoned butler.
Changing the subject, Naoki replied, "It should be soon. I ordered a batch of scarves from town, and once I distribute them to the Ducklett and the Chestnut Pidove, I'll be on my way."
Brother Eldegoss nodded in understanding.
In the afternoon, the scarf shop owner personally delivered a box of Pokemon scarves to the ranch.
After signing for the delivery, Naoki immediately set out to find the group of Ducklett, eagerly tying a scarf around each of their necks.
The Ducklett were absolutely delighted with their new accessory.
They bobbed their heads excitedly, admiring the scarves, and hopped about joyfully by the river.
Naoki smiled at the heartwarming scene, realizing that the scarves indeed added a whole new level of cuteness to the Ducklett.
Perhaps this was the magic of fashion? He had heard tales of wealthy ladies adorning their Pokemon with all sorts of accessories.
This trend had also given rise to numerous Pokemon beauty salons in major cities.
"Keep having fun, I have some other things to take care of. See you later!" Naoki waved goodbye to the group of Ducklett.
They adorably waved their tiny arms in return, their faces beaming with joy as they chirped, "Ducklett!"
Naoki smiled and turned to walk towards the grove of wooden cottages adorned with tree fruit trees.
With winter upon them, the trees no longer bore much fruit.
Yet, miraculously, they remained lush and green, unlike the bare branches of other trees.
Out of curiosity, Naoki had previously looked up information about these tree fruit trees.
He recalled the description from the book.
"The wondrous tree fruit trees are blessed by nature. These trees bear fruit with incredibly short growth cycles, and if grown in sufficient quantities, they can meet the needs of an entire forest full of Pokemon."
"Even in winter, the tree fruit trees do not wither, though they cease to bear fruit. Scholars speculate that this is due to nature also entering a dormant phase during the harsh winter months."
"However, there is no cause for worry. Once winter passes and spring arrives, the trees will once again flourish with fruit."
"Tree fruit trees have an exceptionally long lifespan. Barring natural disasters, human interference, or Pokemon attacks, they can continue growing indefinitely."
"There are even accounts of explorers discovering a colossal tree fruit tree in an ancient, mysterious, and primitive forest. This tree was so enormous that it took three adults to encircle its trunk, and it bore countless fruits. Many Pokemon made their homes nearby, and it is estimated that this particular tree had survived for at least a millennium."
"Astonishing," Naoki murmured.
He couldn't help but picture the scene in his mind.
A tree taller than three Golurk standing together, with a trunk so thick that three adults couldn't encompass it with outstretched arms, vibrant and dense foliage, and branches laden with plump, ripe tree fruit.
However, it was unlikely that he would see it in his lifetime unless these trees underwent a genetic mutation.
As soon as Naoki entered the grove, he saw a Cheeksqueek happily scurrying out of one of the wooden cottages.
"Chii! Chii!"
Naoki set the box down, crouching to pet the Pokemon on its head.
Hearing Cheeksqueek's call, other Pokemon began to poke their heads out of the cottages as well.
Before long, a group of them had gathered around Naoki.
Electrow, Paint, Copper, Swirlix, Lilligant, and Amoonguss...
As expected, the Lazyotter didn't join them, probably still asleep.
It had been a long time since the fire, and the group was gradually recovering from the trauma.
Naoki knelt down and took out custom-made scarves of various sizes from the box, putting them on each of the Pokemon.
With the scarves on, the group immediately felt the cold wind blocked, and the areas covered by the scarves warmed up.
Considering that these Pokemon used to live in the mountains and might not have encountered scarves before, Naoki explained,
"These are scarves. They'll shield you from the cold wind and keep you warm. With these, you'll get through the winter safely."
Hearing this, the Pokemon showed touched expressions.
The fire had taken everything from them—their homes, friends, and family... They had almost perished in the blaze themselves.
But fortunately, Naoki had rescued them, temporarily taken them in, provided food, and even built these cottages by hand.
Moreover, he had promised to help them rebuild their homes.
Now, he had brought them scarves to keep them warm.
Even the stoic-hearted Pokemon among them were moved by his kindness.
They could almost imagine what this winter would have been like without Naoki.
Without the tree fruit, without shelter, they would have frozen to death in the icy wilderness.
Just thinking about it brought tears to their eyes.
Not tears of sadness, but of gratitude.
"Alright," Naoki said, patting Cheeksqueek's head. "Don't cry. Make yourselves at home, and come to me if you need anything. If I'm not around, look for Brother Eldegoss."
Cheeksqueek nodded vigorously.
Naoki then turned his attention to the Pair of Rats, and he noticed something different about them. It seemed there was now a third member in their family.
Naoki was slightly taken aback but soon realized that the new addition was a tiny, white baby mouse hiding behind its parents.
The little mouse seemed anxious, peeking at Naoki from behind its parents' legs. Meanwhile, its parents proudly pushed their child forward, seemingly wanting the human to see their offspring.
The baby mouse stood there timidly.
Naoki raised an eyebrow, "Congratulations, Pair of Rats. Now you're parents."
"Chi~!" The Pair of Rats squeaked happily.
The arrival of a new life always brought joy, and the other Pokemon shared in the delight of the new family.
With the cold wind still blowing outside, Naoki didn't stay long. After giving a scarf to the sleeping Lazyotter, he turned to leave the grove.
Once back home, Naoki began contemplating his trip to the Galar region.
He had originally planned to depart in November, but now he thought it would be better to leave sooner rather than later, as the weather would only get colder. It would be cozier to snuggle by the fireplace and watch the snow with the Pokemon.
"Then... I guess I can leave tomorrow," Naoki said, flipping through the calendar on his desk.
Today was already October 8th, and he didn't know how long this trip would take. After some thought, he decided on a departure date.
Tomorrow it is!
With the date set, Naoki moved on to deciding which Pokemon to bring along.
After a brief contemplation, he chose Coalossal and Motostoke.
Unlike the previous trip to the Padia Pit, this journey didn't involve safety concerns, so he didn't need many battle-oriented Pokemon.
Additionally, their visit to the Galar region wasn't for vacation, and the Crown Tundra was also quite chilly.
"I guess I'll have to leave the others behind this time. Next time I have more time for a vacation, I'll bring everyone along."
Next, Naoki had to decide on a mode of transportation.
Each region was separated by a vast ocean, and typically, there were three ways to travel to another region:
First, one could ride on their own Pokemon.
Second, they could take a ship.
And third, they could fly.
Naoki immediately dismissed the first option; it was too cold to be riding on Pokemon, and while Golurk might be fine, he would surely freeze to death in the chilly wind.
The second option was viable.
As for the third option...
"Golurk can't be recalled into its Poke Ball... I guess flying is out of the question." Naoki mused.
As far as he knew, current airline regulations didn't allow passengers to keep large Pokemon outside their Poke Balls, especially not a big guy like Golurk. Although it didn't look that tall, its weight was quite impressive.
"So, that just leaves traveling by ship."
The only thing Naoki regretted was that the internet wasn't well-developed yet, so he couldn't book tickets online.
If one wanted to travel to another region, they had to go to a city with a port and board a ship from there.
And the only city in the Padia region with a port was...
Probably just Nimbasa City.
It was a technologically advanced city with a lot of commercial activity, and the largest port in the Padia region was located on its coast. It was said that every day, cargo ships from other regions docked there.
With that in mind, Naoki opened up the Padia map he had bought from the bookstore to check on Nimbasa City's location.
Nimbasa City... it was on the easternmost side of the Padia region.
And his ranch, located in Soak Town, was on the westernmost side, with an entire continent between them.
Naoki: "..."
Ah well, with Golurk's speed, they should be able to get there quickly.
After finalizing everything, Naoki began packing the luggage he would need for the trip.
Cold-weather gear, a camping tent, fire-starting tools, pots, blankets, cups, and flasks...
Just then, a crisp banging sound, like someone hammering metal, rang out from somewhere in the ranch.
Naoki paused and listened intently for a while, but the sound didn't stop.
Puzzled, he stepped out of the house and followed the direction of the sound. Soon enough, he found the source of the noise in a secluded patch of grass.
Seeing the tiny blacksmith hammering away at a metal block, Naoki was surprised.
The tiny blacksmith also noticed his approach and turned around hurriedly.
Naoki could see that the metal block it was hammering was misshapen, made up of several nails that had been hammered flat from prolonged striking.
"Are you making a hammer?" Naoki asked.
The tiny blacksmith nodded cautiously. "Eevee..."
It had lost its hammer some time ago and had been diligently collecting metal scraps and nails from the ranch's garbage pile, trying to forge a new hammer.
Seeming worried that Naoki would misunderstand and think it was stealing from the ranch, the tiny blacksmith quickly added, "Eevee!"
It wanted to clarify that it had gathered those scraps from the garbage! It wasn't stealing! It had observed for a long time and realized that the things in that garbage bin were discarded by humans.
Of course, Naoki knew that. He had seen those rusty nails before; they were the ones he had taken off the old house and thrown away.
Seeing the tiny blacksmith's anxious expression, Naoki couldn't help but reassure it. "You don't have to be so nervous. Go ahead and make your hammer. I just came to check out the noise. Alright, it's fine, you can continue."
Hearing this, the tiny blacksmith breathed a sigh of relief.
It turned around cautiously, intending to resume its work, but then it noticed that Naoki hadn't left yet.
The tiny blacksmith paused and turned back.
Naoki said curiously, "I just want to watch how you make your hammer."
Hammer-making was an innate ability of this type of Pokemon.
Before they evolved, they were very weak and needed hammers to protect themselves.
But that wasn't enough because some metal-eating Pokemon would specifically target the hammers that the tiny blacksmith painstakingly crafted and eat them.
Seeing that Naoki genuinely wanted to watch, the tiny blacksmith hesitated for a moment before turning back around and continuing to strike the metal in front of it.
Naoki watched this unfold.
He had assumed the tiny blacksmith was using its hands to forge the hammer, but the reality was a bit different from what he had imagined.
To be precise, the tiny blacksmith was using its steel-type metal claws to repeatedly strike the metal scraps and shape them into a hammer.
(End of Chapter)
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