Chapter 243: Off to the Galar Region! Aiming for the Crown Tundra!
Chapter 243: Off to the Galar Region! Aiming for the Crown Tundra!
"Bang!"
Wrapped in Steel-type energy, a small fist pounded repeatedly on the iron block below, creating a crisp, metallic ringing with each strike.
The tiny smith's expression was one of intense focus and determination.
Gradually, under its relentless blows, the iron shavings and nails began to merge, forming a single block of metal that shone with a silvery luster.
The little smith paused, picking up the metal block to examine it from different angles. Its brow furrowed slightly, appearing dissatisfied with its creation.
Setting the block down again, it resumed its hammering with renewed vigor.
Naoki stood by, observing this fascinating display. He could only describe the little smith's ability to forge metal out of thin air as magical.
Without the use of high temperatures to melt the metal or cooling to solidify it, the little smith was shaping iron purely through the force of its blows.
This defied everything Naoki knew about physics.
"Could it be because of the Steel-type energy?" he wondered aloud.
After a while, the little smith seemed to tire, its blows becoming slower and less energetic. Eventually, it stopped and yawned, taking a well-deserved rest.
As it turned around, it was startled to see Naoki still standing there, watching intently.
It had thought Naoki had left long ago and was surprised to find him still observing its work.
Intrigued, Naoki asked, "Have you ever made a hammer before?"
"Waa!"
The mention of hammers lit up the little smith's eyes, and it nodded eagerly.
It had made a hammer once before, using metal scraps it had collected from an abandoned cabin in the wild.
That hammer had been its companion for a long time, and it had even used it to drive away metal-eating Pokemon.
Unfortunately, during its escape from the wildfire, it had accidentally left the hammer behind, losing it to the flames.
The little smith's expression turned glum as it recalled this sad memory.
Thinking that it was upset about losing its hammer, Naoki tried to comfort it. "Don't be sad. If you made one hammer, you can make another! I believe in you."
The little smith considered his words and realized he was right.
Its small face lit up with determination, and it clenched its tiny fist. "Waa!"
"Alright then, I'll let you get back to work. I don't want to disturb you any longer." Naoki patted the little smith's head affectionately before turning to head back inside the house.
Soon, the crisp sound of metalworking echoed across the ranch once more.
Naoki stood in the living room for a while, listening to the rhythmic pounding before heading back to his bedroom. He pulled a book from his desk, a biography he had purchased from the town bookstore about the wild Pokemon ecosystem in the Paddia region.
He recalled that the book contained detailed information about the little smith's species.
Flipping through the pages, he quickly found the section he was looking for.
"The 'Little Smith' is an unusual Pokemon, sharing a single-gender trait with species such as 'Milktank' and 'Kentauros'," he read.
"That matches what I already knew," Naoki thought, recalling his knowledge from his previous life.
"Contrary to popular belief, 'Giant Smiths' are not solitary Pokemon. In fact, they are true communal Pokemon."
"Giant Smiths lead their groups, which consist of 'Crafty Smiths' and 'Little Smiths,' to reside in places filled with scrap metal. These could be ancient castle ruins or abandoned human settlements."
"With metal scattered everywhere, Little Smiths, being the weakest, collect iron scraps and fragments to forge their hammers."
"As they evolve into Crafty Smiths, the rusty metal is no longer sufficient, so they actively seek out 'Slaying Commanders' to obtain more resilient metal from their bodies."
"And when the Crafty Smiths evolve into Giant Smiths, they target the unfortunate 'Steel Armor Crows,' plucking their steel-like feathers to craft the ultimate hammers."
"The Giant Smiths possess immense strength, requiring hammers that weigh no less than a hundred kilograms each, according to researchers."
"Despite the incredible weight of their hammers, the Giant Smiths wield them with ease, a testament to their extraordinary might."
"It seems that as the Little Smiths evolve, their requirements for hammer materials also increase," Naoki mused.
From ordinary scrap metal to the metal of Slaying Commanders, and finally, the steel-like feathers of Steel Armor Crows.
The reason he was researching this was that he wanted to make a hammer for his own Barboche—a prop for its Cosplay of the Thunder God.
Naoki fell into deep thought.
Perhaps he could help the Little Smith gather some Steel Armor Crow feathers in advance.
He could keep a portion for the little Pokemon as a reward for its hammer-making services, and use the rest to craft a Thunder God's Hammer for Barboche.
"It's perfect timing. There are a lot of Steel Armor Crows inhabiting the Galar region. I can try to collect some feathers while I'm there," Naoki contemplated.
The Galar region was different from the Paddia region; there were no Giant Smiths in that land.
Without natural predators, Steel Armor Crows ruled the skies of Galar, and one could often see them soaring freely.
Moreover, some clever Steel Armor Crows had learned to collaborate with humans, working as flying taxis for the Galar Taxi company, transporting passengers to various towns.
People must collect the feathers shed by these crows, so he could just purchase some when the time came.
On the 9th of October, in the 198th year of the Pokemon League.
Naoki bade farewell to everyone at the ranch after finishing his morning chores and set off on his Gourgeist, heading toward Nian'guang City, located at the other end of the Paddia region.
Mid-flight, Naoki located Nian'guang City on his map and directed his Gourgeist towards it.
He sat atop his Pokemon, observing the map of the Paddia region.
The map of reality differed from the one in the game.
To be precise, the real map was more extensive and expansive, and the terrain was more complex and diverse.
Additionally, there were countless small villages and towns not found in the game, nestled between the famous large towns.
Places like Sunshine Town, Jellyfish Village, and Bullfighting City.
"If I have the chance in the future, I should come and visit these places," Naoki thought.
According to the travel booklet that came with the map, Sunshine Town was surrounded by sunflowers, a pastoral village where humans and Exeggcute lived together in harmony.
Jellyfish Village, as the name suggested, was said to be inhabited by a large number of Wild Jellies.
And Bullfighting City was rumored to be a metropolis full of Paddia's traditional customs, where passionate bullfighters gathered to showcase their thrilling bullfighting skills using their captured Kentauros.
After hours of flying, Naoki finally arrived at the eastern region of Paddia.
With some distance still to cover before reaching Nian'guang City, he rode atop his Gourgeist, gazing down at the fields and cities below.
Looking at the modern skyscrapers, Naoki felt that the eastern part of Paddia was more modernized and urbanized than the west.
This feeling intensified as they approached Nian'guang City.
The city was a forest of skyscrapers, bustling with traffic. It was now evening, and the shops along the streets were already lit, their neon lights reflecting off the buildings, transforming Nian'guang City into a fantastical realm.
For a moment, Naoki felt as though he had stepped into another world.
Compared to this, Zhiqin Town was like a backward rural village!
"This is just too amazing!"
Naoki was dazzled by the brilliant lights.
He watched as the neon lights reached skyward from the city, gently swaying and intertwining in the night, making the entire city seem like a dream, a breathtaking spectacle.
Wait a moment!
Naoki suddenly realized what he was looking at.
This was one of the top ten sights of Paddia, the Million Volt Night View! It was indeed beautiful!
Even Gourgeist seemed awestruck by the sight.
Naoki heard it let out a soft call.
"Agassi..."
Naoki remained silent, and the two quietly gazed at the sea of lights below.
Soon, they were joined by others riding on their flying Pokemon.
One of them, excitedly taking pictures, exclaimed, "As expected of one of Paddia's top ten sights! It's so beautiful!"
His companion quickly added, "Quick, take some photos! These will be wonderful travel memories!"
Naoki suddenly snapped out of his trance, remembering that they had important business to attend to.
"Let's land!"
"Agah~"
Gourgeist happily obliged and slowly descended towards Nian'guang City.
As they entered the city, the sense of dissonance grew stronger.
Naoki looked around, observing the well-dressed, stylish pedestrians, some of whom glanced at him.
Naoki: "..."
He hoped they weren't mocking him for being a country bumpkin from a remote village.
He recalled that Ash from the anime had been ridiculed in a similar fashion.
They navigated through the streets, following the city's signs toward the harbor.
"Pass through the Central Plaza in the city center, then head toward the Marine Bridge, and you'll reach the Nian'guang Lighthouse. The dock should be near the lighthouse." Naoki silently summarized the route and committed it to memory.
He set off with Gourgeist toward the Central Plaza, and when they arrived, they found the area bustling with excitement.
Numerous trainers with their Pokemon hurried toward the plaza, their eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
"The Nian'guang Gym battle is about to begin!"
"Get out of my way, I want to see Kishu!"
"Hey, watch where you're pushing!"
Naoki and Gourgeist were caught in the swarm of people and pushed to the perimeter of the Central Plaza.
Naoki: "..."
It took a while for the crowd to settle down, and only then did Naoki get a clear view of his surroundings.
Before him was a sea of people; countless humans and Pokemon gathered around the edges of the Central Plaza, their eyes fixed on the spectacle within.
The so-called Central Plaza was actually a massive, circular Pokemon battle arena, surrounded by dazzling neon lights that illuminated the entire venue.
At that moment, a Pokemon battle was about to commence.
Naoki furrowed his brows as he recognized one of the participants.
Blue and pink intertwined hair, an adorable Magnemite hair accessory...
It was... Kishu?
But at that moment, the battle on the field hadn't started yet.
Kishu scanned the audience around the plaza, her mouth curling into a shark-like grin.
"Everyone~! It's time for another one of Kishu's performances~!"
The onlookers erupted into a chorus of excited shouts and cheers.
Kishu, seemingly accustomed to the attention, waved back with a bright smile. "Good morning, afternoon, evening, and hello!"
The trainer standing across from her wore an expression of admiration.
Kishu's grin widened, and her voice took on a playful tone. "Are you all ready~?"
"Captivate your eyes with Captivating Volt Web! Who's here to tell a tale? It's Kishu!"
"And today's challenger is~? The rising star trainer, Komatsu, who's been taking down even Sky-high Electrowebs in flight!"
"..."
"It really is Kishu!" Naoki watched the young girl, a hint of confusion clouding his features.
Was she already a Gym Leader at this early hour? If he recalled correctly, Kishu was also a streamer.
However, Kishu didn't seem to be streaming at the moment; she was simply putting on a performance battle.
"It's probably because streaming hasn't become a thing yet at this point in time," Naoki mused.
At that moment, Gourgeist, standing next to Naoki, caught sight of his expression and its eyes lit up. It let out an excited, "Agassi!"
"Hmm?" Naoki turned to Gourgeist, puzzled by its reaction.
Could it be that Gourgeist also enjoyed watching streamers like Kishu? Sensing Naoki's confusion, Gourgeist turned to face him, its eyes still sparkling with excitement. "Agassi!"
Naoki asked, curious, "You really like her?"
Perhaps this was the first time Gourgeist had seen Kishu?
Naoki racked his brains, trying to recall. While Kishu was a Gym Leader, she didn't seem to be very famous yet, and her reputation hadn't reached Zhiqin Town in the western region of Paddia.
Although, he had to admit, she was indeed very cute...
In that instant, a flurry of thoughts raced through Naoki's mind.
Could Pokemon fall in love with humans? Could they experience love at first sight?
If he remembered correctly, the anime had depicted instances of Pokemon, like Meowth, developing romantic feelings for humans.
Amidst Naoki's perplexed gaze, Gourgeist nodded vigorously, its eyes shining. "Agassi!"
But Gourgeist wasn't overthinking it like Naoki; it was purely happy to see Kishu because, before it had evolved into Gourgeist, Kishu had been kind to it and the other Pokemon on the ranch.
More importantly, she had given birth to a little owner.
Naoki had named the little owner 'Xiao Shu,' and Gourgeist remembered how Naoki had renamed the ranch 'House of Shu,' where they all lived together happily.
Little owner...
Gourgeist's mind drifted to the memory of the little owner tugging at it sadly, asking when it would return, before it had left.
Yet, it hadn't been able to go back.
The thought dampened Gourgeist's spirits, and it let out a soft, "Agassi..."
Naoki: ?
(End of Chapter)
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