https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-288-A-Divine-Miracle-Life-Flourishes-/12537355/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-290-Legendary-Pokemon-Serperior-and-Arceus/12537357/
Chapter 289: Friends in the Forest and the Friendship of the Berry Tree!
Chapter 289: Friends in the Forest and the Friendship of the Berry Tree!
In the lush mountains, the park rangers sent by the Paldea League stared in awe at the Pokemon with an enormous head and the young man beside it.
The events of the day had far exceeded their understanding.
What kind of Pokemon could make seeds just planted in the soil instantly grow into a dense forest?
"Hey! What just happened? How did the forest suddenly appear?"
At that moment, hurried footsteps approached from behind them.
Some rangers, who were late due to tree-planting duties elsewhere, rushed over in shock, their faces mirroring their companions' disbelief.
"It was that Pokemon who helped us!"
Someone timidly raised a hand, pointing at the nearby Rayquaza.
These latecomers looked up and saw, in the clearing, a Pokemon with an enormous head but a gentle smile on its face.
It was a Pokemon they had never seen before.
However, from its raised stature, the light emanating from its body, and its elegant posture, it was clear that it was no ordinary Pokemon.
With this thought, the rangers eagerly awaited learning the name of this mysterious Pokemon.
"There's actually a power in this world that can make plants grow instantly!"
"What kind of Pokemon is that?"
As their words trailed off, their gazes instinctively shifted to the young man standing beside the Pokemon.
He seemed to be its Trainer, and as its Trainer, he would surely know its story.
Naoki felt the weight of their stares.
He smiled gently and explained, "It's Rayquaza, a Pokemon that once ruled over an entire region as the king of Pokemon."
"Ray...quaza?"
"A king of Pokemon..."
The rangers murmured in disbelief.
Hearing Naoki's words, a gentle smile spread across Rayquaza's face.
Its little follower was once again spreading tales of its glory.
However, the title of the Galarian king was now a thing of the past; currently, it was just an ordinary farmer Pokemon.
"Well, Chief, we've finished here, so we'll be heading back now," Naoki said, turning to Yeci.
Yeci snapped out of her daze, her eyes sparkling with an unusual light as she spoke, "Once again, the Paldea League owes you a debt of gratitude for your help. As the Chief, I would like to express my sincere thanks to you and Rayquaza on behalf of the League."
Naoki offered a faint smile in response: "Whether human or Pokemon, we are all part of this world. Helping them is helping ourselves. Your thanks are unnecessary."
After all, the back mountain was a natural treasure trove for ranchers like them, offering wild fruits and vegetables in spring and summer, mushrooms and pine nuts in autumn.
And it was thanks to the poisonous mushrooms that grew there that he had encountered the legendary Pokemon, Giratina.
However, Yeci shook her head, "Regardless, you've helped the Paldea League solve the problem of restoring this area's ecosystem. If we had proceeded at a normal pace, it would have taken a year for this mountain to recover."
"Not only that, but a significant amount of manpower and resources would have been expended to repair the natural ecology here. Now, thanks to you, the League can save that expenditure and channel it towards more meaningful endeavors."
Naoki didn't refuse any further upon hearing this.
However, the next second, Yeci threw out another enticing offer.
"The Paldea League welcomes talented Trainers like yourself to join us. If you're willing, I will submit an application to the League to invite you to join us directly."
Naoki: "..."
Here it comes again.
Naoki understood Yeci's intentions. Working for the Paldea League was similar to the concept of a civil servant in his previous life—a stable, long-term career.
This meant that when he retired at an old age, he would receive a generous pension from the Paldea League every month.
For many professional Trainers, this was a rare and coveted opportunity.
After all, even the youngest Trainer would eventually grow old.
But he really didn't need it!
Seeing his reaction, Yeci let out a sigh of disappointment.
Naoki smiled gently and, without further ado, bid farewell to Miss Joy and Miss Junsha before leaving with the ranch Pokemon.
Yeci watched their figures disappear into the dense mountains, and only when they were out of sight did she turn and say, "Alright, everyone has worked hard today!"
The rangers snapped out of their trance. Night had fallen, and it was time to conclude the day's work.
They began packing up their tools and headed downhill, eager to share the incredible story of the mysterious Rayquaza, who had restored the entire mountain in an instant, with their friends and family.
With the matter of the back mountain resolved, Joy and Junsha's worries melted away as they admired the evening glow on the horizon.
"Rayquaza is truly amazing!" Joy exclaimed.
Junsha nodded in agreement. She had been skeptical about such tales, but now, having witnessed the King of Bounty perform a miracle before her very eyes, any doubt that lingered in her heart vanished without a trace.
After much thought, Yeci couldn't come up with an answer.
After a moment of silence, she thought, "Never mind, I'll leave this matter to Xinli. She's better at this than I am."
In the forest near the ranch, Naoki bid farewell to Gorebyss and the other Pokemon, including Hoarder the Squirrel.
"Alright, this will be your new home from today onwards," Naoki said with a soft laugh. "Go ahead and choose a place you like to settle down!"
"If you get hungry, feel free to wander around the forest. I've planted a lot of Berry trees in this area, and they're bearing large and juicy Berries. Help yourselves!"
"Chirp!" Hoarder the Squirrel responded excitedly.
It eagerly looked around, searching for the tallest and biggest tree to build its nest.
The other Pokemon were also delighted.
Seeing their reactions, Naoki heaved a sigh of relief. Although they hadn't lived together for long, he had come to understand their temperaments and personalities well.
Naoki's gaze swept across the group of Pokemon as he gave individual instructions.
"Hoarder, it's best not to store all your Berries in one tree hole. If something happens, you'll end up going hungry."
"For the Family Pokemon, I wish your children healthy growth. May they become strong White Stomachs and find their soulmates to evolve into a pair of Partner Pokemon."
"Electrode, I saw some other Electrode flying towards Big Pot Lake earlier. If you're looking for companions, you can check that area out, but be careful."
"Little Blacksmith, thank you so much for the hammer you made for Babo. Although you got separated from the other Giant Blacksmiths, I think you've made new friends now and won't feel lonely anymore. Get along well with them!"
"..."
The Pokemon listened intently to Naoki's farewell words. At that moment, they finally snapped out of their excitement about rebuilding their home and realized that the time to part ways with Naoki had come.
The Pokemon showed reluctant and sad expressions.
Electrode remembered how Naoki had painstakingly treated its injuries and prepared food when it couldn't fly due to its wounds.
Marking Paint also bowed its head in sadness, recalling how Naoki had rescued and taken them in.
Without Naoki, they wouldn't have survived the harsh winter.
"Waaah..."
Little Blacksmith, holding its hammer, looked up at Naoki with tearful eyes.
Seeing this, Naoki felt a surge of emotions.
He tried to comfort them, "It's alright. It's not like we'll never see each other again. This place is very close to the ranch. If you miss us, you can always come to the ranch to play."
"Oh, right, starting today, we're neighbors! If I come to the back mountain to pick mushrooms later, I'll have to rely on you to help me find them!"
Hearing this, Hoarder wiped away its tears and nodded its little head vigorously, letting out a chirp.
No problem, it would definitely lead Naoki to all the mushrooms in the mountain!
The other Pokemon nodded in agreement.
Seeing their response, Naoki smiled gently and waved at the group of Pokemon. "Then, see you later!"
"Waaah!"
"..."
The Pokemon called out loudly in response.
Naoki nodded slightly, then turned and walked down the mountain with Gorebyss and the others, returning to the ranch.
By the time they got back to the ranch, it was already 6:30 in the evening.
It was past the time when Zack came to collect the goods.
Since there was no one or Pokemon at the ranch, Zack must have come by earlier in vain.
Looking at the few buckets of Pokemon milk placed under the eaves, Naoki pondered briefly before moving them to the cellar for storage. He planned to have Zack inspect them tomorrow and then set a new price.
Regarding this Pokemon milk with effects comparable to Full Restores, Naoki had considered not selling it and keeping it for himself.
But then he thought again. The riding goats produced Pokemon milk every day, and there was no way they could finish drinking it all.
Instead of letting it pile up in the cellar, it was better to sell it to those in need.
Perhaps it would help some Pokemon in need or save some badly injured Pokemon.
Just like what happened with Alder, the Unova Champion.
In the past, when Alder was protecting the Pokemon League, his partner Pokemon, Volcarona, was badly injured in a battle and became very weak. Even the Pokemon Center couldn't treat it, and it eventually passed away.
This incident left Alder disheartened and uninterested in battling.
If only Volcarona had drunk a bottle of super Pokemon milk back then, perhaps a miracle would have happened, and Volcarona wouldn't have died.
With this thought, Naoki's mood brightened.
After a busy day in the back mountain, both he and his Pokemon were exhausted.
So, after a simple dinner, Naoki and his Pokemon fell into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, a celebration was taking place in the back mountain.
Hoarder the Squirrel, Little Blacksmith, Electrode, Family Pokemon, and Marking Paint were gathered together.
The bright moonlight shone through the gaps in the leaves, illuminating the group of Pokemon as they sat with fresh Berries in their hands.
Hoarder the Squirrel chirped excitedly, "Chirp!" (I'm going to dig in!)
But when it finished speaking, it noticed that the other Pokemon weren't responding and were instead staring blankly at their Berries, deep in thought.
Hoarder the Squirrel tilted its head, confused. "Chirp?" (Why aren't you eating?)
Electrode blinked its yellow eyes and replied, "Gumo..." (I want to give Brother Naoki a gift to thank him, but I don't know what to give...)
Little Blacksmith nodded vigorously. "Woo-hoo!" (I also want to give Brother Naoki a gift to show our gratitude...)
But they had no idea what to give.
The forest had just been rebuilt, and they had nothing to offer.
Seeing their glum expressions, Hoarder the Squirrel blinked. It looked at the Berry in its paw and then thought of the Berries it had carefully stored in the tree hole.
An hour earlier, it had successfully dug a hole in a tall, thick tree and stored its hard-found Berries inside.
"Chirp!" An idea!
Hoarder the Squirrel's eyes lit up as a lightbulb seemed to appear above its head.
"Chirp! Chirp!" (I know what to give!)
"Gumo?" (What is it?)
The other Pokemon looked at Hoarder curiously.
Hoarder the Squirrel stood up, holding the Berry high in its paw. The ordinary Pecha Berry looked especially beautiful under the moonlight.
"Chirp!" (It's a Berry!)
Berry? Hearing this answer, the other Pokemon looked perplexed.
A Berry... Naoki had plenty of those on his ranch. Would he even like it?
Hoarder the Squirrel nodded vigorously, its eyes shining. "Chirp! Chirp!" (He'll definitely like it! If we give him the big, round Berries we've carefully stored, he'll be happy!)
To Hoarder, these Berries were its most precious treasures.
Now, it wanted to give these treasures to Naoki as a token of their gratitude.
"Woo-hoo..." Little Blacksmith paused, taken aback.
Big and round Berries?
Yes!
Little Blacksmith's eyes lit up as it realized they could give Naoki the biggest and best Berries they could find!
The next morning, when Naoki opened his door, he saw Hoarder the Squirrel sitting on the ground, struggling to carry a large leaf that seemed to be wrapped around something.
When Hoarder spotted Naoki, its eyes lit up, and it loosened its grip, causing the large leaf to unfold and reveal a pile of Berries that tumbled out and rolled towards the eaves.
"Chirp!"
Hoarder was startled and quickly used its big tail to stop the rolling Berries.
Naoki squatted down to help, surprised by Hoarder's early visit. "Why are you here so early?"
Hoarder's eyes sparkled. "Chirp!"
It picked up a Berry and pushed it towards Naoki.
Naoki then realized Hoarder's intention. "For me?"
"Chirp!" That's right!
Hoarder nodded vigorously and added, "Chirp!" It's from all of us in the forest!
Seeing Hoarder imitate Little Blacksmith's hammer-wielding gesture, Naoki understood what it was trying to say.
"So, this is something you and Little Blacksmith prepared together."
"Chirp!" Hoarder nodded and looked at Naoki with expectant eyes, hoping he would like their gift.
This was all they had to offer...
Seeing Hoarder's eager gaze, Naoki smiled gently and nodded. "Thank you, I like it a lot."
Hearing this, Hoarder's eyes lit up, and it wagged its big tail before turning and running off into the grass. It paused and waved its little paw at Naoki before dashing off.
"Chirp!"
It was going back to tell the others that Naoki loved their gift!
"Wait!" Naoki wanted to call it back to give it some Pokeblocks, but Hoarder was already gone, disappearing in a flash.
"Oh dear." Naoki sighed helplessly.
A gift from the little ones? Naoki looked down at the Berries, and as he read their information, his expression turned to one of surprise.
[Friendship Berry: A special ingredient, these Berries are imbued with the gratitude of Pokemon, a testament to friendship.
When used in cooking, the dish's grade will be increased by 1 level. Ineffective for dishes that have already reached the grade limit.]
(End of Chapter)
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