Chapter 265: A Winter Tea Party
Chapter 265: A Winter Tea Party
Naoki Ranch, 7 PM.
As night fell, Naoki and his Pokemon companions had just finished a reunion dinner and were now off to their respective tasks.
His younger sister, Ai-chan the Maid, headed to the Pokemon Tavern to tend to the Pokemon customers who visited daily.
Meanwhile, his older brother, also Ai-chan the Butler, handed Naoki a stack of postcards and a few items.
Glancing at them, Naoki recognized mementos sent by Teddiursa and Mew, who were traveling afar.
The postcards bore photos on one side and the adorable paw prints of the two Pokemon on the back, showcasing the sights and Pokemon they encountered on their journey.
The items included a twinkling red star fragment, a heart-shaped colorful scale, an oddly shaped bone, and a hard stone—all undoubtedly gathered by Teddiursa's unique "Pickup" ability.
Naoki quickly scanned through them and set them aside, intending to read them properly before bed as his bedtime reading.
For now, he had some tasks to complete.
First, he needed to defrost the fresh pasture grass harvested in autumn and turn it into Grass Dumplings.
The previous batch he had made before leaving had been devoured by the three Ride Goats, his trusty mounts, so he had to replenish their supply promptly.
Mixing the grass with dough and placing them in a steamer, Naoki busied himself in the kitchen.
Meanwhile, the other Pokemon gathered in the living room, spread out across the house.
Now and then, Naoki would glance up and spot Froslass and Barboach scurrying up and down the stairs.
It made sense; with the chilly evening setting in, the indoor space with its cozy fireplace, warm lighting, and endless supply of Berries and treats was far more inviting than the cold, dark outdoors.
Naoki smiled at the thought and checked on the Grass Dumplings before setting a timer on the oven.
When the timer went off, it would mean the dumplings were ready.
As he waited, Naoki busied himself by brewing a few cups of his favorite Nothern Sweet Black Tea from the Houen region.
Carrying the tea, he returned to the living room and placed a cup before the Sofa King, with the other two on either side for Dreepy and Sinistea.
Sinistea had been in a constant state of gloom since drinking that bitter cup of tea on the ship, its little face devoid of any joy.
Naoki decided to offer it a different brew.
"Care to try?" Naoki pushed the two cups towards Dreepy and Sinistea.
The two Pokemon looked down at the tea before them.
Dreepy swayed its body and then floated forward, using its 'Sip Stealer' move to drain the sweet tea.
In no time, the cup was empty, and Dreepy belched contentedly, its expression visibly brightening.
It was clear that it loved the taste of this tea.
Sinistea, with its lid on its head, stared down at the tea, deep in thought. After a moment, it sighed softly.
Naoki: "?"
Just then, two small heads poked out from under the table.
Barboach and Froslass, with innocent faces, looked up at Sinistea.
Froslass exclaimed cheerfully, "Mama!" (The tea Naoki made is delicious! It's sweet!)
Barboach nodded in agreement, "Barbo, barbo!" (Yes, yes! Try it!)
Sinistea stared blankly at the two Pokemon before it.
It could sense the goodwill and friendliness emanating from them.
This touched Sinistea and Dreepy, who had always felt lonely in their abandoned warehouse.
"Sin..."
Sinistea shook its head, as if making a decision, and then reached out with its delicate hands to pick up the cup of sweet tea and pour it into its body.
A moment later, Sinistea's body became more inflated, and some of the purple tea spilled onto the table.
Sinistea looked worried.
But Naoki just smiled and grabbed a cloth to wipe up the tea.
"It's alright, as long as you wipe it clean right away."
Sinistea gazed at the kind human before it, feeling as if flowers were blooming on its head.
Its mood instantly brightened, and its voice carried a cheerful tone, "Sin~!"
"Feeling better?" Naoki asked.
The Sinistea before him no longer carried the gloomy air it had on the ship.
Sinistea nodded happily, "Sin!"
The Sofa King, witnessing this transformation, also smiled and remarked,
"Who would've thought that a cup of tea could change one's temperament so drastically? In all my years, I've never encountered anything so wondrous!"
"Indeed!" Naoki nodded, then turned to the Sofa King, "How about you give it a try? I wonder if this tea suits your taste."
The Sofa King gently nodded and lifted the cup to its lips, sipping elegantly.
After a thoughtful taste, it inclined its head, "It is quite delicious. I find the flavor pleasing."
"I'm glad," Naoki grinned.
As he looked at the graceful Sofa King, a scene flashed in his mind—the Sofa King sitting elegantly in a flower field, enjoying afternoon tea under the warm sun.
"Hmm, it would be perfect with a Grass Cake. Afternoon tea paired with Grass Cake is a match made in heaven."
Naoki recalled that the Sofa King was also a Grass-type Pokemon, which meant the Grass Dumplings and Grass Cake he had developed would be beneficial to it.
The Grass Dumplings could help the Sofa King comprehend Grass-type moves and increase its Grass-type energy.
As for the Grass Cake, it could cause a mutation in the Sofa King's Grass Energy, leading to mutations in the crops it cultivated.
Like the colossal watermelon they had seen before...
And of course, there was also the World Tree on the ranch, which required a hundred thousand years to mature.
As he pondered, the sound of an alarm came from the kitchen.
Naoki quickly went to turn off the alarm, turned off the stove, and took out the steamed grass dumplings.
He called out to Golurk, handing over a portion of the dumplings, "Take these to the Ride Goats!"
"Ahga!"
Golurk happily agreed and headed out with the basket of grass dumplings.
Naoki, meanwhile, took two round and soft grass dumplings and approached Latias, asking, "Care to try? I specially developed this food, and it's perfect for Grass-type Pokemon."
Upon hearing this, Latias lowered her head to look at the dumplings on the white ceramic plate.
The next second, a blue glow appeared on one of the dumplings.
Enveloped in the glow, the dumpling floated into the air and hovered in front of Latias.
Latias reached out to catch it and then opened her mouth to take a gentle bite.
After chewing a few times, the Abundant Goddess immediately opened her eyes wide in disbelief.
There was...a faint trace of energy within this food!
Was it an illusion?
Latias took another bite.
No, it wasn't a trick of her senses.
She clearly felt a faint natural energy merging into her body! But how was this possible?!
Latias immediately turned an inquisitive gaze towards her little believer.
Seeing this, Naoki knew that Latias had felt the effect of the grass dumplings.
He grinned and asked, "You felt it, didn't you?"
Latias nodded slightly, "I sensed a faint natural energy within it. Where does this power come from? No, looking at you, I suspect you already know the answer."
Naoki nodded, "Because this is my ability. I can unlock the potential of food, causing them to exhibit various magical effects, including but not limited to energy restoration, healing, and move comprehension."
Hearing this, Latias was taken aback for a moment before quickly accepting this revelation.
"As expected of my believer! To possess such power, you must be chosen by nature itself. I am truly proud of you!"
Naoki: "..."
It wasn't that exaggerated, was it?
Latias seemed to have misunderstood something, but even Naoki didn't know where this ability to develop delicious food came from.
It was challenging to explain, so he could only respond with a smile.
Just then, Golurk returned from delivering the grass dumplings.
Naoki took the basket from its hands and headed back to the kitchen to wash the dishes.
After finishing up, he couldn't help but yawn.
Having been busy for several consecutive days, Naoki felt exhausted. Glancing at the time, he realized it was already 9 PM.
Naoki was ready to call it a day, but before that, he had to arrange Latias' living quarters.
After some thought, he asked, "By the way, do you have any preferences for your living quarters?"
Latias understood his intention and gently shook her head, "I have no particular requests. You can go to sleep first. I want to explore the surroundings and will find a place to rest later."
Since she intended to live here from now on, Latias wanted to take a look around and familiarize herself with the area near the ranch.
"Alright, feel free to call for me if you need anything." Naoki said.
Latias nodded in agreement.
Seeing this, Naoki bid her goodbye and waved to the other Pokemon, "I'm heading to bed. You guys can keep having fun here!"
"Ahga!"
Golurk, who was lying on the carpet, immediately followed him.
Naoki looked around but couldn't spot Popplo. He guessed that it was playing with its companions upstairs, so he abandoned the idea of hugging it to sleep. Turning around, he took the pile of postcards and items sent by the Teddiursa and Mew and returned to his bedroom.
He placed the letters on his bedside table and then proceeded to the bathroom to freshen up.
After Naoki left, Latias flashed outside the house.
She hovered in the night sky, overlooking the ranch below, which was enveloped in a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere.
She saw Spectrier, its ghostly form hidden in the shadows, and Glastrier, standing on the grass and snorting.
She observed the brightly lit and lively cottage, where a group of Pokemon gathered, chatting and drinking merrily. She saw the transparent glass building filled with beautiful, blooming flowers, and several Bug-type Pokemon resting within, their eyes closed.
In the orchard, she spotted Pokemon asleep in small wooden houses, and in an enclosure made of wooden fences, she saw three Wooloo Pokemon.
At that moment, they were crowded around a feed trough, gobbling down the grass dumplings inside.
Latias sensed an astonishing energy fluctuation coming from them.
This surprised her greatly.
She watched the three Pokemon for a while.
Soon, they seemed to have had their fill and contentedly walked towards a tender seedling, lying down around it to sleep.
As a Pokemon, Latias could perceive many things that humans couldn't.
For instance, at that moment, she clearly saw a faint natural energy emanating from the seedling, continuously nourishing the three Wooloo, circulating among them.
"This is..."
In the living room.
The other Pokemon joined in, each with their unique calls.
"Nyoo!"
"Buibi!"
"Ga-om!"
"..."
Dreepy and Sinistea could feel the warmth and friendliness emanating from the group, and it seemed like everyone was happy to have them here.
The two Pokemon were a little dazed, especially Sinistea.
For as long as it could remember, Sinistea had always lived a solitary life.
One day, the antique teapot it had been residing in broke, and it began its search for a new home, eventually finding itself in that warehouse filled with antiques.
There, it discovered a teapot that caught its fancy, and it decided to make it its new home.
Days turned into years...
During its long solitude, Sinistea gradually felt the weight of loneliness.
Craving companionship, it separated a part of its tea liquid and poured it into the accompanying antique teacup, giving birth to Dreepy.
However, Dreepy was quiet and didn't speak much either.
The two Pokemon relied on each other in that dark warehouse, spending a long time together until they were discovered by a human who brought them to Naoki.
Initially, Sinistea had been worried about its future.
But as it spent time with Naoki, it witnessed him brewing tea to replenish its tea liquid, even though the tea was a bit bitter. Sinistea drank it anyway.
The bitter tea left a bitter taste in its mouth and heart, and influenced by the bitterness, Sinistea had been wallowing in loneliness these past few days.
Perhaps its emotions were too evident, for Naoki noticed and prepared a fresh cup of sweet and delicious red tea.
After drinking it, Sinistea immediately felt the bitterness wash away, and the world seemed to brighten up while its body felt warm and cozy.
Now, not only were their bodies warm, but their hearts were also warmed by the kindness and friendliness shown by the group.
After a brief moment of surprise, Sinistea and Dreepy let out happy cries.
"Sinist-ea!"
Sinistea gently swayed its body as it floated in the air, and musical notes symbolizing its joy appeared above its head.
A wondrous power filled the air, and the Pokemon below looked up, their eyes sparkling as they watched the cheerful Sinistea floating above them.
Then, as if by magic, a Sitrus Berry appeared, and the Pokemon huddled together, enjoying the berry and the lively atmosphere created by the dancing Sinistea.
Inside the room, Naoki had just finished taking a shower when he heard the lively commotion outside. Thinking that the Pokemon might be fighting, he opened the door to investigate.
But before he could even get close, he saw a heartwarming sight—a group of Pokemon gathered around the cozy fireplace, sharing a Sitrus Berry and having a tea party.
Naoki paused, taking in the beautiful scene before him.
It was a tea party—Sinistea's signature move.
It was said that Sinistea would only use this move when it was truly happy, inviting other Pokemon to join in a tea party with treats and berries.
"What a wonderful move!" Naoki couldn't help but exclaim.
He didn't want to intrude, knowing that this was a special moment for the Pokemon.
"Agass?"
At that moment, Golurk ran out of the room.
Naoki looked at it and whispered, "You can join them too."
Golurk glanced at Naoki, licked him with its long tongue, and then ran towards the fireplace to join its Pokemon companions.
Naoki smiled and, after letting Golurk join the tea party, turned back into his room and sat on his bed.
He quietly listened to the cheerful noises from outside and picked up the postcards sent by Mew and Teddiursa, looking through them one by one.
There were four photos in total. The first photo showed a group of Pikachu dancing in a circle around a bonfire, with a round moon hanging overhead, as if they were performing some kind of ritual.
In the photo, Teddiursa poked its head into the frame, holding the star fragment it had found, clearly excited about its discovery.
"The Pikachu from Mount Tsukimi?" Naoki was surprised.
He picked up the star fragment sent by Teddiursa and compared it to the one in the photo, confirming that it was indeed the same one.
The second photo depicted a vast and majestic mountain range.
"Could this be the famous Silver Mountain Range?" Naoki wondered aloud.
Had Mew and Teddiursa ventured that far? He wondered if they had reached the peak and found any rare Pokemon there.
The third photo showed a Karrablast and Shelmet, with the Karrablast offering a bone to Teddiursa as a gift.
Naoki surmised, "Mew and Teddiursa must have helped this Karrablast and Shelmet pair, which is why Karrablast wanted to give them a bone as a token of gratitude."
The fourth and final photo revealed a sparkling lake, and on its surface was a stunning Pokemon basking in the sunlight.
It was... a Milotic?! Known as one of the most beautiful Pokemon in the world, this was the first time Naoki had seen one since coming to this world, and even through a photo, he could sense its mesmerizing allure.
The way its scales shimmered with rainbow-like colors in the sunlight was truly breathtaking!
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
