Chapter 266: The Dyeing Fruit, Yggdrasil

Chapter 266: The Dyeing Fruit, Yggdrasil

The next morning, with the dawn of a new day, the ranch awoke to a fresh start.

Naoki's first task upon waking was to search for Reigangwang, curious about where the legendary Pokemon had slept the night before.

Living room... Not there.

Second floor... No sign.

Kitchen... Also absent.

After a fruitless search, Naoki returned to the living room.

On the coffee table, Hupusihu and Laibeicha, who had kept vigil throughout the night, now dozed off, while Motuoxi lazily sprawled in front of the fireplace, equally sleepy.

Even Big Brother Aiguan Shi looked rather listless.

Seeing this, Naoki sighed, "If you're tired, go get some rest. I'll take care of the ranch work today."

Big Brother Aiguan Shi shook his head vigorously to clear his mind and replied, "Aiyi!"

He could keep going!

"Alright," Naoki nodded, turning to descend to the cellar, but still, there was no Reigangwang in sight.

It seemed Reigangwang had spent the night outdoors.

After a moment's thought, Naoki decided to venture outside.

But as he returned to the living room, he saw Big Brother Aiguan Shi dozing off again.

Little Sister Aiguan Shi stood by, stifling a giggle.

Naoki: "..."

Just then, Badaihu landed on the massive floor-to-ceiling window beside the living room.

Naoki instructed, "Badaihu, use Stun Spore on Big Brother Aiguan Shi."

"Fuyi?!"

Startled, Badaihu confirmed that Naoki wasn't joking, then flew over to the drowsy Big Brother Aiguan Shi and fanned out a cloud of sparkling spores that induced sleep.

Soon, Big Brother Aiguan Shi succumbed to slumber.

"There, Little Sister, take your brother upstairs to rest," Naoki sighed in relief.

"Aiyi~"

Little Sister Aiguan Shi readily agreed and, using her psychic powers, guided her older brother back to their room.

Babutuobo, Shuangnaixian, and Bingyi were all asleep as well.

Not wanting to disturb them, Naoki turned to leave with Gouredun, heading outside the ranch.

Though it hadn't snowed yet, the temperature had dropped below 10 degrees, and in such weather, cold-averse Pokemon rarely ventured far from their nests.

As Naoki and Gouredun stepped out, they spotted Reigangwang in a spacious grass field, gently stroking Aima.

Hearing their approach, Reigangwang turned, its gentle gaze falling on its little follower, "Muguang Jinji!"

Naoki: "..."

He had almost forgotten; he had finished eating the Translation Melon Seeds, and now he couldn't understand Reigangwang's words.

"We still have some sunflowers from the autumn harvest. I'll need to make another batch of Translation Melon Seeds," Naoki thought to himself, feeling a bit troubled. "It's a shame I can't create a dish that allows direct communication with Pokemon."

The ability to communicate with Pokemon was rare in this world.

Wave Guide Power, Everstone Power, and Ultra Power...

The culinary skills required to achieve such effects would undoubtedly be of a very high level, something Naoki wasn't sure he could manage yet.

After a moment's thought, Naoki greeted Reigangwang, "Good morning! Did you rest well last night?"

Reigangwang nodded gently, "Guang Jinji!"

The group of ill-tempered Xuebaoma, standing by Reigangwang's side, stomped their hooves and snorted twice, expressing their displeasure.

Even without translation, Naoki could tell what they meant.

They were hungry and craving the ice carrots that grew on the Wangguan Snowfield.

The Lingyouma beside them, however, remained silent and still, its gaze calm and serene.

Naoki fetched a few Tree Fruits and placed them before the two horses.

The horses sniffed at the fruits, seemingly distracted, but perhaps driven by hunger, they eventually lowered their heads and began to eat.

"It seems Lingyouma and Xuebaoma aren't fond of ordinary Tree Fruits," Naoki mused.

With that in mind, he knew he had to expedite his plans for the special farmland.

"Wait for me here for a moment. I need to milk the Riding Mountain Goats and feed them. Once I'm done, I'll come and plant carrots for you," Naoki said to the two horses.

Hearing this, the Xuebaoma finally calmed down and reluctantly began munching on the Tree Fruits.

Naoki nodded to Reigangwang and, with Gouredun, carried the milk pails towards the goat pen.

In the pen, the three Riding Mountain Goats were already alert and waiting.

They obediently lowered their bodies to let Naoki milk them, after which they happily munched on their favorite grass dumplings.

Not far away, Reigangwang watched this scene unfold.

There was much it wanted to say about the three goat Pokemon and the mysterious tree.

But its little follower seemed unable to understand its words for now...

Reigangwang's eyes reflected confusion.

Before coming here, it had thought this was just an ordinary ranch. But now, it seemed there was more to this place than met the eye.

Everything here was shrouded in secrecy.

After milking the three goats, Naoki went to the chicken coop to collect the eggs the hens had laid the night before.

Then, together with Gouredun, he headed to the Pokemon cottage to move the large cans of milk collected by the automatic milking machines in the Pokemon cottage to the warehouse, storing them with the goat milk for Zak to pick up later in the afternoon.

During this time, the two Kairyu and five Hakuryu from Kairyu Island arrived for work.

They were delighted to see Naoki back and eagerly greeted him.

Naoki exchanged greetings with each of them and watched as the two working Kairyu took the goat milk from Little Sister Aiguan Shi and flew off to deliver it to the town.

The five Hakuryu, meanwhile, followed Naoki around like playful charms.

Wherever Naoki went, they went.

Naoki simply pretended he had purchased five Hakuryu charms.

It was winter, and the ranch land lay fallow, requiring no irrigation.

Thus, Naoki brought the steel armor feathers he had obtained from the Galar region to the southern part of the ranch, where the Tree Fruit Orchard was located.

In one month, Xiao Danshan had crafted its first hammer.

It was a crude-looking tool.

When Naoki arrived, Xiao Danshan was inspecting its creation beneath a fruit tree.

With the addition of these wild Pokemon, the Tree Fruit Orchard had gained a newfound vibrancy.

Little Smithy frowned, clearly dissatisfied with its creation.

Zhi Shu approached, curious. "Are you already done?"

Hearing the voice, Little Smithy and the Horsea above looked up and spotted Zhi Shu walking towards them.

Their eyes lit up, and Little Smithy held up the crude-looking hammer it had crafted. "Wu wa..."

Zhi Shu examined the hammer from top to bottom and, as expected, found its quality to be lacking.

There were even signs of rust in some places...

Undoubtedly, this was due to the poor quality of materials Little Smithy had used.

Little Smithy was aware of this, and it longed for better metal.

However, it had already scoured this place numerous times, and there simply wasn't any suitable metal for hammer-making to be found.

Without a hammer, Little Smithy lived with a constant sense of insecurity.

Thinking of this, its mood sank, and it let out a soft, "Wu wa..."

At that moment, Zhi Shu smiled and took out a box from behind his back. "Ta-da! Look what I have here."

Little Smithy paused, then looked down to see a box filled to the brim with shiny, black metallic feathers.

This... this is...?!

Little Smithy's eyes widened in disbelief.

Weren't these the rare metals that only the mighty Giant Smiths in its tribe could find?

In its previous home, there were several Giant Smiths, incredibly strong Pokemon who would often swing their hammers at the Galarian Corvisquirrels flying above.

When these Corvisquirrels were hit, they would drop feathers that resembled steel.

According to these Giant Smiths, hammers made from this metal could smash anything.

Thus, owning a Corvisquirrel Hammer became the dream of every Little Smithy in the tribe.

"These are for you," Zhi Shu said.

Little Smithy was stunned. "Wu wa?!"

"That's right," Zhi Shu patiently explained. "These feathers are my gift to you, a token of my gratitude. You can use them to forge your very own hammer."

"Wu wa..."

Hearing these words, Little Smithy's eyes glistened with unshed tears, and it was deeply touched.

This human named Zhi Shu... he was truly amazing!

Not only had he rescued them, provided them with food and shelter, but now he was also giving it a box of precious Corvisquirrel feathers!

Little Smithy was so moved that it wanted to cry. It bit its lip, its eyes brimming with tears. "Wu wa!"

Never had anyone treated it so kindly!

Zhi Shu was a bit perplexed. "Okay, okay, they're just feathers. I'm glad they can be of help. Also, after you finish making your hammer, I have another request. I'd like you to make a hammer suitable for Babutuo Bo as well."

Upon hearing this, Little Smithy wiped its tears and nodded vigorously.

It was determined to use these feathers and its hammer-making skills to craft the best hammer in the world and present it to Zhi Shu!

With the box of Corvisquirrel feathers in hand, Little Smithy bid farewell to Horsea and Zhi Shu and went into seclusion to hone its crafting skills.

Zhi Shu was touched by Little Smithy's earnestness, and he smiled, feeling a sense of warmth. Indeed, there were many hardworking Pokemon in this world!

However, when he looked up, he saw the Horsea, which had eaten its fill, looking rounder than ever.

Zhi Shu: "..."

Well, he took back his previous statement. Not all Pokemon were equally diligent.

The Tree Fruit Orchard remained unchanged.

Zhi Shu strolled through the orchard, greeting the Rattata family, Chew Sweet, Juggling Knotweed, and Shroomish, among others. He also checked on their wooden huts to ensure there were no damages.

When he reached the Lazy Stoat, it was lazily lying on the thick layer of fallen leaves, nibbling on a leaf.

At first, Zhi Shu didn't notice anything amiss, but then Gouleston beside it let out a confused cry.

"Ah ga sigh?"

"What's wrong?" Zhi Shu turned and followed Gouleston's gaze to the Lazy Stoat.

The next second, he realized something was different.

The Lazy Stoat's fur had turned a light purple color!

Light purple... wasn't that the color of a Shiny Lazy Stoat? Impossible! He clearly remembered this being an ordinary Lazy Stoat.

After the initial shock, Zhi Shu approached to inspect the Lazy Stoat.

He ran his hands through its fur and soon found an area where the fur was shorter than the rest.

This was where the fire had burned away its fur previously.

This meant that it was indeed the same Lazy Stoat, and it hadn't been replaced by another Pokemon.

But... why had its color changed so suddenly? Could it be that the Marking Painter had dyed its fur?

Puzzled, Zhi Shu located the Marking Painter, who was busy drawing on the trunk of the Tree Fruit tree, and asked, "Marking Painter, do you know what happened to the Lazy Stoat's fur?"

"Chi chi?" The Marking Painter looked confused at first but quickly understood. "Chi chi!"

It stopped drawing and led Zhi Shu to the Lazy Stoat's side. It searched among the branches of the tree canopy and then pointed with its paw to one of the Tree Fruits.

Zhi Shu looked up and saw a pink fruit hanging quietly on a branch, one that he had never seen before.

[Dyeing Fruit: A special ingredient. When consumed, a Pokemon's color will change accordingly. Can be eaten directly or cooked before consumption.]

Zhi Shu was astonished.

Had the Tree Fruit tree produced a mutated fruit?

Thinking carefully, he recalled that before this orchard had grown, the Riding Mountain Goats would come every day to help the trees grow with their Grass Energy.

Dyeing Fruit... Could this mean the potential to create artificial Shiny Pokemon?

If Gouleston ate it, it would turn black. If Babutuo Bo ate it, it would become an ultra-rare pink Babutuo Bo...

Zhi Shu imagined what Babutuo Bo would look like in pink.

Unfortunately, this batch of Tree Fruits seemed to have only produced two Dyeing Fruits.

One of them had already been eaten by the Lazy Stoat.

Naoki plucked the remaining Dyeing Fruit and kept it safe.

Just then, Little Sister Aiguan Shi called out that breakfast was ready, and he headed back to the house to eat.

As he sat at the table, Naoki's gaze wandered, contemplating who to use the Dyeing Fruit on.

"I should ask the Pokemon themselves for their opinion before using it," Naoki mused silently.

In this world, some Shiny Pokemon were ostracized and discriminated against by their clans.

"Should I give it to Gouleston?"

If he suggested this idea, Gouleston would surely agree without hesitation, and given its strength, it probably wouldn't care about the consequences.

But there was only one Dyeing Fruit, and once it was used, there was no going back. It was uncertain when the tree would bear such fruit again.

So, he had to be careful with his decision.

After some thought, Naoki decided to keep the Dyeing Fruit safe for the time being, intending to discuss it with his Pokemon first.

After breakfast, Naoki set about roasting and preparing the Translation Melon Seeds, finally coating them with syrup to create a sweet, crispy snack.

Once he had finished with all the chores, it was already 10 am.

Naoki popped a few of the melon seeds into his mouth and then went out to find Reigangwang to discuss the creation of the special farmland.

"It will snow in about half a month, and the weather will be too cold for crops to grow. So, before spring comes, I don't plan to plant any other crops in the fields," Naoki explained.

Reigangwang realized that its little follower could understand its words again.

"Why?" it asked in confusion. "With my power, even in the coldest snowfield, I can make crops grow as they usually would."

"Well... I just want to take a break," Naoki admitted.

Reigangwang tilted its head slightly, perplexed.

"Yes, I've been working in the fields from spring to autumn. If I continue in the winter, I'll be busy all year round. I don't want to lead such a hectic life. It's necessary to take a break and relax sometimes," Naoki elaborated with a slight smile.

Reigangwang nodded gently, understanding. "I see. Such a life can indeed be tiring."

Naoki smiled faintly. He intended to use this field for seasonal crops, and as for the two horses' carrots, he planned to cultivate a separate field.

Thus, he knocked on the hole next to the farmland, which had been dug out by a mole Pokemon.

Soon, the mole Pokemon in the underground cave heard the noise from above and crawled out, poking its small head out to look at Naoki. "Chichi?"

"I have something I want to ask you. Can you help me plow two more fields behind this one?" Naoki requested.

"Chichi!" The mole Pokemon indicated that it understood and immediately dove back underground, heading to the area Naoki had pointed out. It began to diligently till the soil.

In no time, two neat and tidy fields took shape thanks to the mole Pokemon's efforts.

Reigangwang watched this in amazement and couldn't help but exclaim, "You are truly well-liked by these children!"

After finishing its work, the mole Pokemon scurried back excitedly, and Naoki fed it some treats while saying with a smile, "I provide them with food and shelter, and in return, they help me out. I suppose it's a mutually dependent relationship, isn't it?"

"Not just that," Reigangwang added. "I can sense that these children genuinely like you."

Naoki smiled faintly and took the carrot seeds from Gouleston, planting them separately in the two fields.

Once he had finished, Reigangwang mounted Xuebaoma and channeled its psychic power, infusing the snow attribute energy into the left field.

In the blink of an eye, a thick layer of frost covered the edges of the field.

The icy snow field was complete.

Next, Reigangwang flashed and instantly teleported onto Lingyouma's back.

Its immense psychic power infused the ghost attribute energy from Lingyouma into the soil.

The originally brown field gradually turned a faint purple, with wisps of purple mist swirling in the soil, creating a dreamlike spectacle.

The ghostly field was now ready.

Watching this, Reigangwang proceeded with the final step.

The enormous flower on its head bloomed with a blue glow, and the two fields before it erupted with a strong blue light.

As the light enveloped the fields, the carrot seeds buried in the soil sprouted and broke through the earth rapidly.

When the light faded, both fields were filled with lush black carrots and icy carrots.

The mole Pokemon nearby watched this in shock, its eyes wide with astonishment.

"Chichi!"

Xuebaoma snorted impatiently and rushed forward as soon as the carrots sprouted, lowering its head to feast on the delicious treat.

Lingyouma glanced at the tiny mole Pokemon before slowly walking towards the ghostly field and leisurely munching on its favorite black carrots.

Naoki felt a sense of accomplishment as he witnessed this scene.

"Great! Now I can grow carrots for them whenever I want!"

Reigangwang nodded gently.

Taking this opportunity, it asked its little follower about the mysterious tree.

"In fact, there's something else that concerns me even more," Reigangwang said.

Naoki was surprised. "What is it?"

Reigangwang turned and looked towards the Riding Mountain Goats in the distance, as well as the fragile sapling they were nurturing with their Grass Energy.

"Where did that sapling come from? I sense an extremely vibrant life force within it, as if the very essence of nature is presented before me," Reigangwang said, its voice filled with curiosity.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end