Chapter 314: The Ever-Growing Adventure Team!
Chapter 314: The Ever-Growing Adventure Team!
"Ding!"
The oven chimed, signaling that it had finished baking.
Naoki, donning oven mitts, carefully removed the freshly baked honey bread and Pokeblocks from the oven and placed them into a picnic basket. He then went outside to find the trio of the Big Hero Adventure Team.
They were huddled together next to Ice's ice cellar, chirping and chattering away.
As Naoki approached, he immediately noticed the secret base that had been damaged by Golem's punch earlier.
It was clear that Mew had discovered the destruction of its secret base but didn't know who was responsible, hence its melancholy demeanor.
Upon seeing this, Naoki felt a twinge of embarrassment and explained, "Earlier, there was a toy inside that kept making noises, and Ice thought the place was haunted, so it asked me and Golem to take a look."
"The noise was coming from inside the mountain, and we didn't know what it was. I'm sorry, Big Hero, but don't be sad. There are plenty of other places on the ranch to build secret bases!"
Hearing this, Mew finally understood what had transpired.
It wasn't overly distraught, just puzzled and perturbed by the unknown cause of the disturbance.
Moreover, this secret base was only temporary; once the World Tree grew taller, Mew planned to relocate its base to the tree!
Now that everything was clarified, Mew didn't dwell on the matter, and upon seeing Naoki apologizing, it even felt a bit sheepish.
"Miu~"
With all the misunderstandings cleared up, the Pokemon were immediately drawn to the enticing aroma wafting from the picnic basket.
A smile spread across Naoki's face as he suggested, "Let's talk about this on the grass!"
"I-mo!"
"Miu!"
The three members of the Big Hero Adventure Team followed suit. Naoki spread out a picnic blanket on the grass and placed the food and drinks from the basket onto it.
The sight drew the attention of Froslass, Mudkip, and Golem, who eagerly joined the gathering.
And so, Naoki found himself enjoying a picnic on the grass with a group of Pokemon.
Teddiursa and Mew happily dug into the treats, and Zapdos, after a moment of hesitation, followed suit, pecking at a Pokeblock with its beak.
Naoki's heart warmed at the sight of the Pokemon relishing the snacks he had prepared.
There was nothing more gratifying than seeing Pokemon enjoy his culinary creations.
"When are you guys planning to set off tomorrow?" Naoki asked, turning the conversation to more serious matters.
Teddiursa thought for a moment before replying, "I-mo!"
Naoki observed its expression and inquired, "The same as last time, in the morning?"
Teddiursa nodded affirmatively.
"And do you plan to invite any new Pokemon friends you meet to come live with us on the ranch?" Naoki continued.
Before Teddiursa could respond, Mew eagerly nodded its head, "Miu!" It was only natural! That way, it wouldn't have to worry about parting ways and never seeing its friends again.
"I see..." Naoki shared his thoughts and concerns:
"Pokemon that can fly, like Zapdos here, won't have a problem. But what if you make friends with Pokemon like Snorlax or Onix, who are quite large? How will you bring them back to the ranch?"
Upon hearing this, Mew and Teddiursa immediately paused, their Pokeblocks forgotten.
"I-mo..."
Yes, what if they became friends with Pokemon of such substantial size?
During their previous travels, they had indeed encountered such Pokemon.
For instance, the massive and iron-clad Rhydon, or the boulder-bodied Onix.
Neither of these Pokemon would be able to cross the vast ocean to reach the ranch, let alone be carried by a flying Pokemon.
Their sheer bulk would crush any airborne companion.
This realization left Mew and Teddiursa in a quandary, their delicious treats momentarily forgotten. Their faces wore expressions of deep concern.
Zapdos, too, had stopped eating and turned to its two friends, sharing in their contemplation.
"Chuu!" it offered, indicating that it could lend a helping wing.
But Mew shook its head, having mentally compared the sizes of Onix and Zapdos. "Miu... " It was a no-go; Onix would crush Zapdos.
Zapdos, unable to suggest a solution, fell silent.
The Pokemon pondered the dilemma for a while, but to no avail. Eventually, they turned to Naoki with beseeching gazes, seeking his guidance.
Naoki sat cross-legged on the grass, stroking Teddiursa's little head with his hand, and said, "That's right, I do have a solution here."
"Miu?" Mew's eyes lit up.
Zapdos also turned to look at Naoki.
"Do you remember how humans carry so many Pokemon with them?" Naoki asked.
Hearing this, Teddiursa, who had once been caught by Naoki in a Poke Ball, immediately recalled the answer.
"I-mo!"
"That's right," Naoki nodded. "The good idea I mentioned is to use Poke Balls."
"As long as the Pokemon enter the Poke Balls, no matter how big they are, they can be easily transported back to the ranch. In that case, you won't need Zapdos; even a Big Mouth Sparrow can do it easily."
Hearing this excellent idea, Mew's eyes lit up as well.
With this, they wouldn't have to worry about anything! Mew felt extremely delighted.
Looking at the Pokemon in front of him, Naoki smiled and asked, "Are you sure you want to use this method?"
To him, this wasn't a big deal. As a human, he would use Poke Balls to catch Pokemon, though he wouldn't usually keep them inside. The Poke Balls wouldn't be locked, and the Pokemon were free to go in and out as they pleased.
He even had a Poke Ball rack in a corner of the living room, where Rayquaza, Babo, and their Poke Balls were placed.
During the cold winter days, Rayquaza would return to its Poke Ball to sleep at night and come out again at dawn.
Naoki wondered if some wild Pokemon would accept being caught in Poke Balls.
In response to his question, Mew and Teddiursa nodded together.
They also trusted that Naoki would take good care of the friends they invited!
After all, Naoki was a member of the Big Hero Adventure Team, and he was the most important logistics support for the team!
"In that case, you don't have to worry about it anymore. I'll take care of the rest," Naoki said as he bade farewell to the Pokemon and rode off to Rustboro City on Gooloot.
There, he purchased a red bag similar to the one Rayquaza had.
This bag, like the space backpacks trainers usually carried, utilized space compression technology and could hold a lot of items. It was very suitable for travelers and Pokemon.
After leaving the department store, Naoki went to the Poke Mart and bought fifty Poke Balls and some emergency medicine.
Having completed his errands, he returned to the ranch and found the Big Hero Adventure Team to introduce the items he had bought.
"This is a large-capacity space bag that can hold a lot of things. You can store the items and Berries you collect on your travels inside," Naoki explained.
"These are emergency medicines for treating Pokemon. This bottle is an Antidote, which, like a Pecha Berry, can cure poisoning."
The reason he chose not to give them Pecha Berries was that Berries would spoil and rot over time.
In comparison, medicines like Antidote and Paralyze Heal were more suitable.
After making sure that Mew and Teddiursa remembered the effects of each medicine, Naoki put them into the bag.
Then he took out fifty bottles of Sitrus Juice: "This juice is from the riding goats. No matter how severe the injury, they can heal it quickly. If you encounter any injured Pokemon in the wild, use this on them!"
"I-mo!" Teddiursa nodded repeatedly, understanding.
"Very good." Naoki packed the juice and then took out some snacks and food. "These will be your trail rations. If you get hungry, eat them; they will also help restore your energy."
"Lastly, these are the Poke Balls." Naoki placed the pile of Poke Balls, shrunk to the size of marbles, in front of the Pokemon. "Do you know how to use them?"
Mew and Teddiursa shook their heads.
"Do you see this button here?" Naoki picked up a red and white Poke Ball and demonstrated. "Press it, and the Poke Ball will enlarge."
As he pressed the button, the tiny Poke Ball immediately grew to the size of a Berry, visible to the naked eye.
"Press it again, and the Poke Ball will open automatically. If you want to catch a Pokemon, just aim this button at its head, and the Poke Ball will sense it and capture it automatically."
"The shrink button is on this side. Even after a Pokemon is caught, the Poke Ball can still be shrunk, making it more convenient for you to carry."
Hearing this explanation, Mew and Teddiursa curiously eyed the Poke Balls in front of them.
Soon, the Poke Ball stopped shaking.
Naoki: "???"
The next second, the Poke Ball automatically opened, and Mew's diminutive figure darted out, letting out a joyful cry, "Miu!"
It had learned how to use the Poke Ball! Witnessing this, Naoki was momentarily at a loss for words.
Could it be that experiencing it firsthand was more effective than just listening to an explanation? Naoki skipped over this topic and placed all the Poke Balls except for Mew's into his bag, which he then hung around Zapdos' neck.
Zapdos lowered its head to make it easier for Naoki to put the bag on.
It felt happy and was more than willing to help out and assist its two friends.
"Alright!" Naoki clapped his hands, "Usually, you can also put the camera in there, and take it out when you need to use it!"
Upon hearing this, Teddiursa took the camera from around its neck and jumped onto Zapdos, stuffing the camera into the bag.
"I-mo!"
Naoki nodded in satisfaction, "It looks like you've learned how to use the bag, so from now on, you can set off on your travels with peace of mind!"
Hearing these words, Mew and Teddiursa high-fived each other and then looked at Zapdos, the newest member of their adventure team, and gave it a high-five as well.
With a "slap," the Big Hero Adventure Team was officially formed! Naoki, standing there with Gooloot, watched this scene and couldn't help but think to himself, "This is getting more and more formal."
This adventure team reminded him of the ones in the Pokemon spin-off series, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time.
The adventure teams in that series were also entirely comprised of Pokemon.
Their primary goals were to explore mysterious dungeons and take on requests to help Pokemon in distress within those dungeons.
Moreover, there was a very professional Adventure Team Guild in that world.
Within the guild were various facilities, such as the Shake Shake Spot Cafe and the Croagunk Item Shop.
In addition, adventure teams had their own special slogans.
For example, they emphasized diligence in work, never running away, and always keeping a smile on their faces.
"Perhaps I can replicate some of these things in this world," Naoki thought.
Once the World Tree grew to its full height, he could vigorously develop various facilities on it, such as a Pokemon tavern, a Pokemon restaurant, and the headquarters of the Adventure Team Guild.
Zapdos was the first member to join the team, but Naoki had a hunch that it certainly wouldn't be the last.
However, speaking of which, there were quite a few Pokemon in this world that would be perfectly suited for joining an adventure team!
There were Pokemon with exceptionally high intelligence like Slowking and Oranguru, the sweet nurse Blissey, and the banana-producing Tropius...
But if there was one Pokemon that was the most suitable for adventure team work, it would undoubtedly be the Genie Pokemon Hoopa.
Its ability perfectly met the requirements of an adventure team.
Hoopa's Aura Ring ability was akin to Doraemon's Anywhere Door, allowing it to go anywhere it wished.
In the Pokemon movie, it even used this ability to summon a bunch of legendary Pokemon for an all-out battle.
"I wonder what Hoopa is like in this world!" Naoki mused.
But it was too early to think about that now; everything would depend on the growth of the World Tree, and only then could he make detailed plans.
It seemed like Leafeon's missionary work would have to continue! The night passed without incident.
The next morning, the Big Hero Adventure Team once again set off on their journey.
Naoki, along with the Pokemon from the ranch, saw them off.
This time, Mew didn't transform into Big Mouth Sparrow to carry Teddiursa.
Instead, the two little ones rode on Zapdos' back, with Zapdos carrying them on their travels.
The red bag, filled with supplies, hung from Zapdos' neck.
Far from looking burdened, Zapdos seemed delighted and eager, as if it was looking forward to the upcoming journey.
Seeing this, Naoki was once again at a loss for words.
But then he thought, perhaps Zapdos had never experienced something like this before? The life of traveling with an adventure team was novel and exciting for it, which was why it looked so eager.
As the sun rose, Zapdos' figure grew smaller and smaller in the distance.
Naoki watched them leave, wishing them well in his heart, "Go forth! Go and use the Life Yogurt to rescue more Pokemon in need!"
At the same time, he began to look forward to seeing what kind of Pokemon Teddiursa and Mew would invite to the ranch next.
(End of Chapter)
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