https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-278-Snow-Labyrinth-Lei-Guanwang-s-Intentions/12537345/
Chapter 279: The Road to Fame - Thickstem
Chapter 279: The Road to Fame - Thickstem
If Rayquaza were to use its ability, Miracle Order, to instantly grow the trees on the back mountain, its presence would surely be discovered by the Pardia League.
In that moment, Naoki's mind raced with thoughts.
Would someone covet Rayquaza's presence? How would the Pardia League treat such a significant Pokemon?
Would they treat it with the same reverence as the Hoenn League treats Ho-Oh and Lugia, building towers and shrines in its honor?
Or would their treatment mirror that of Chairman Rose in the Galar League, who imprisoned Eternatus and used it as an energy source for the entire region?
Naoki was not concerned about the latter.
Rayquaza's strength had already recovered to its peak, and with the presence of Spectrier and Glastrier, intruders would likely be crushed by Comet Crash and Ice Lance.
As for the Pardia League's top champion...
Naoki doubted they would act like Chairman Rose.
Having met the champion, Yara, a few times, he knew her to be a wise and charismatic leader. Given her personality, she would likely want to recruit him to work for the Pardia League rather than attempt to capture Rayquaza.
That left only one possibility.
"...The Pardia League will likely propagate stories of Rayquaza's deeds, build shrines, and encourage the people of the Pardia region to worship this King of Abundance."
This way, they wouldn't incur Rayquaza's wrath, and they could increase its favor towards the Pardia region, making it even more bountiful.
The only downside was that it might attract a flock of inexperienced trainers to Rustic Town.
Naoki struggled with this decision for a moment, but soon made up his mind.
If they couldn't avoid being discovered, they might as well embrace it!
With Rayquaza's help, Riding Mountain Goat wouldn't need to expend as much energy cultivating the World Tree as it had before.
This was a perfect opportunity to put those visiting trainers to work, enrolling them in the Grass Trial to give Riding Mountain Goat some exercise.
Naoki's thoughts then turned to Diglett, and the image of it wielding a pickaxe to strike its opponents.
"Hmm, in addition to the Grass Trial, I could also create an Electric Trial to boost Diglett's experience and hone its combat skills, transforming it into an even stronger Pokemon."
"And then there's Dragonite. It seems that its basic training has reached a bottleneck. If it wants to improve further, it will need a lot of combat experience."
And where would this combat experience come from? Undoubtedly, from battles.
Recalling Dragonite's impressive display of power, Naoki envisioned a new trial—the Storm Trial.
With these trials, the ranch could create a complete industry.
Trainers and travelers attracted by the legendary Pokemon, Rayquaza—participating in the three trials—spreading the fame of the ranch—attracting even more visitors.
As the ranch grew in popularity, the Rotom Phone would likely be invented.
With that, the world would officially enter the information age.
Live streaming, online shopping, and other novel concepts would spring up like mushrooms after the rain.
At that time, he could officially establish Dragonite Express and invite all the Dragonite from Dragonite Island to join.
He would equip each Dragonite with a Rotom Phone, which had functions like navigation, positioning, and communication, and task them with delivering the ranch's goods to various parts of the Pardia region.
The first step to realizing this plan was to wait for the arrival of those trainers and travelers.
They would not only increase Rayquaza's worshipers but also help Pokemon like Dragonite and Diglett stay active and improve their abilities.
It would be a win-win situation, maximizing benefits.
Perfect!
Perhaps the smile on Naoki's face was a bit too "evil," as it caught Rayquaza's attention, who turned to look at him.
"What are you thinking about?" Rayquaza asked.
"I'm thinking about what I'll do next year!" Naoki answered brightly.
"Next year?" Rayquaza had little concept of the passing of time.
"Next year will be here soon," Naoki added, thinking that Rayquaza might not understand. "For humans, a year has 365 days, and we experience four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter."
"Just like now, the snow signals the end of the year. When the snow melts, the earth rejuvenates, and flowers bloom again, that marks the arrival of spring, and a new cycle begins."
Hearing this, Rayquaza understood: "So that's how it is. In the Crown of Snow, it snows all year round, and it always looks the same. It's been many years since I last saw spring.
"Indeed, it has been a long time since I last saw spring," Rayquaza mused, recalling the distant memory.
"You'll be able to see it every year from now on," Naoki said with a smile.
Assuming nothing unexpected happened, they would be spending many more years together.
For Naoki, the opportunity to know so many Pokemon, live with them, and watch them enjoy his cooking was more than he could have ever hoped for in life.
"I look forward to it," Rayquaza said, a rare smile appearing on its face.
It looked forward to the coming spring and the springtimes it would spend with Naoki.
"Well, I should go find Dragonite and Budew and discuss some matters with them," Rayquaza said, nodding slightly as it watched Naoki leave the greenhouse.
Naoki had intended to immediately find Budew and Dragonite to talk about the Electric Trial and the Storm Trial, but upon seeing a group of Pokemon playing happily in the Ice Maze, he decided to wait until they had tired themselves out.
For now...
Naoki planned to heat up some fruit and milk for the Pokemon so they could have a warm drink when they returned from playing and tiredly plopped down to rest.
Turning around, Naoki began walking back toward the house.
He reached the eaves and was about to open the door when he suddenly heard a familiar call from behind him.
"Miu!"
Naoki paused, then turned around in disbelief, thinking he was hallucinating when he saw the familiar figure of a small bear Pokemon running toward him.
"Teddiursa?" Naoki asked uncertainly.
"Miu, miu!"
Teddiursa nodded vigorously and then threw the bundle of green things it had been holding onto the ground, rushing into Naoki's arms.
Instinctively, Naoki reached out to catch it.
Teddiursa lifted its head, its bright, shiny eyes sparkling as it said, "Miu~"
"Miu~"
At that moment, another Pokemon figure descended from the sky.
Naoki recognized it immediately as the Mew named "Daxia."
Naoki was delighted by Teddiursa's sudden return and exclaimed, "How did you two suddenly come back?"
"Miu!"
Naoki couldn't understand, but he was still very happy to see Teddiursa and quickly brought it back into the living room. "Let's go inside first. Daxia, you too! I'll get you guys something tasty."
"Miu!" Hearing this, Mew happily called out and followed Naoki into the living room.
Naoki placed Teddiursa on the sofa and then went to the refrigerator to get some sweets and drinks.
When he returned to the living room with the food, Teddiursa was sitting upright on the sofa, curiously examining its surroundings.
"Miu..."
Naoki understood what Teddiursa was trying to say—that this place looked different from what it remembered.
He smiled and explained, "The old house was too small. After you guys left on your journey, I asked the craftsmen in town to help me build a new one."
"Miu!" Teddiursa exclaimed in realization.
Naoki placed a plate full of Pokeblocks and mini-cakes on the table and also gave Teddiursa a can of its favorite honey.
Teddiursa's eyes lit up at the sight of the honey.
It picked up the can and began dipping its small bear paws into the golden honey, licking it off contentedly.
Mew, on the other hand, picked up a Pokeblock with both hands and happily started eating it.
"Miu!"
Taking the opportunity, Naoki specifically went to get a few pieces of the translation melon seeds and ate them before sitting down on the sofa to chat with the two Pokemon.
"Why did you guys suddenly come back? You startled me!" Naoki asked.
Teddiursa replied, "Miu, miu!" (We wanted to see you, so we came back!)
You wanted to see me? Hearing this answer, Naoki was stunned for a moment, then felt genuinely happy.
It seemed that Teddiursa did care about him a lot.
After that, Naoki remained silent, patiently watching Teddiursa and Mew enjoy their treats.
When they finished eating, Teddiursa began to observe the surroundings curiously.
Its sharp eyes then spotted the photo hanging on the right wall. "Miu!" (We asked Pelipper to send it back!)
Naoki glanced at the photo and nodded. "Yes! All the Pokemon you entrusted with deliveries are very reliable. They always bring things back to the ranch on time."
Teddiursa happily exclaimed, "Miu~" (They're all good Pokemon!)
Naoki smiled slightly and then asked, "Did you encounter anything interesting on this trip?
It excitedly began recounting the adventures it had experienced during its journey.
"I met a Zapdos, a Lugia, a Mewtwo, a Ninetales, and even a lonely and gigantic Dragonite!"
Teddy Bear explained that they had encountered the Zapdos in an abandoned human power plant. The poor thing had been injured, so it and Mew had given it some Sitrus Berries to help it heal, and they became friends. Before leaving, they found a fallen Zapdos feather that glowed, and Teddy Bear picked it up to bring back to the ranch.
"Didn't the Zapdos attack you?" Naoki interjected, unable to resist asking.
"Yime!" (Of course not!)
Teddy Bear shook its head, looking a bit confused.
"I've heard that Zapdos have very irritable temperaments," Naoki commented.
Teddy Bear thought hard, then slowly replied, "Yime... (This Zapdos was a good one. It was a really nice Pokemon, but later on, Big Hero and I met another one with a terrible temper...)
A second Zapdos?
Naoki immediately thought of the movie The Power of One.
If he recalled correctly, this world had also experienced that storyline, and the Storm Cake that Dragonite ate was obtained by Teddy Bear during that adventure.
When this memory was brought up, both Mew and Teddy Bear looked a bit embarrassed.
"Yime... (That Zapdos was guarding a shiny gem. Big Hero and I thought no one wanted it, so we tried to take it with us back to the ranch. But that Zapdos with the bad temper chased us for a very long time...)
And they never even caught up...
Teddy Bear remembered how they had almost gotten that Zapdos angry enough to kill them.
But they didn't know the gem was that important!
At this thought, Mew and Teddy Bear exchanged an embarrassed glance.
"... " Naoki trailed off.
Just as he was about to say something else, Mew, now with a full belly, looked around as if searching for something.
When it didn't find what it was looking for, Mew turned its gaze to Naoki and asked, "Miu?" (Where's Mewtwo?)
"Mewtwo?" Naoki immediately realized that Mew seemed to be wondering about Mewtwo's whereabouts. He replied, "Mewtwo came by once. It and that group of Pokemon stayed at the ranch for a night and then left, saying they were going to find a place of their own to settle down."
"Miu..." (What a shame...)
Mew looked disappointed, as it had wanted to see Mewtwo again.
"Don't worry," Naoki consoled. "Mewtwo is still out there in the world. As long as you two continue your journey without stopping, one day you will surely meet again."
Hearing this, Mew and Teddy Bear blinked, then immediately looked determined.
"Miu!" (You're right!)
"Yime!" (Yes!)
Seeing that they wanted to know what happened to the Pokemon who had visited the ranch, Naoki told them about the giant Dragonite settling on Dragonite Island and the Ninetales who had visited the ranch.
Hearing that all these incidents had happy endings, Mew and Teddy Bear were delighted.
Teddy Bear still felt like this journey had been a dream.
It looked at Naoki and said, "Yime... (Big Hero and I formed the Big Hero Exploration Team, and we helped so many Pokemon! I love this feeling!)
"
Naoki smiled softly, listening to the two Pokemon's travel stories, and couldn't help but feel touched. "That's wonderful!"
It was a friendship and bond that existed purely between Pokemon, without any humans involved, like something out of a fairy tale.
Just then, the door opened, and Big Brother Busybody walked in, carrying a bundle of green onions.
He asked in confusion, "Ai Yi?" (Whose are these? They were left at the door?)
Seeing this, Teddy Bear suddenly remembered that it still had a gift to give to Naoki.
It quickly got up, took the bundle of green onions from Big Brother Busybody, and handed them to Naoki.
"Yime! (For you, Naoki!)
"
Naoki was a bit surprised. He looked down, and information about the green onions immediately appeared in his mind.
[Green Onions: A special stem-like plant, extremely rare and uncommon, with a delicious flavor. Can be used in cooking and has been used as a weapon by Farfetch'd. The large root at the bottom can also be carried as a held item by certain Pokemon.]
(End of Chapter)
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