Chapter 32: Familiarization
Chapter 32: Familiarization
Naoki saw Dr. Olyn and Pappa off and returned to the house, his eyes falling on the familiar video phone. It reminded him of the scenes from the anime where Ash would call Professor Oak from a Pokemon Center.
Dr. Olyn's visit had also made him aware of the time period he had landed in.
Ten years before the events of the Ruby and Sapphire arc, around the time when Ash might have just started his journey or perhaps not even left Pallet Town yet.
If that was the case, things could get very interesting.
It meant that Mewtwo hadn't been created yet, neither had the legendary Pokemon, Kyogre and Groudon, awakened, and the forces of Team Galaxy had not yet harnessed the power of the time and space duo.
Of course, all of this assumed that Ash existed in this world.
But whether he did or not seemed irrelevant to Naoki's current situation.
After all, he was just an ordinary ranch owner.
Life went on.
He hadn't made any profits today, and this pattern couldn't continue.
With a sigh, Naoki picked up the iron bucket and hopped onto his Gorebyss, riding it upstream along the river.
By the time he returned, the bucket was filled to the brim with fish.
At 5 p.m. sharp, Zach arrived in his truck to collect the day's harvest.
As the weather had warmed up, Zach had shed his thick jacket, opting for just a light shirt as he worked.
Looking at the transformed ranch, Zach exclaimed, "Wow, it's changing by the day!"
He glanced at the young crops in the fields and said to Naoki, "In another half month, these crops will be ready for harvest."
"Yeah!" Naoki replied.
"Before you plant the next batch, you might want to get some fertilizer from town to boost their growth. The higher the quality, the higher the price you'll get for them," Zach added casually, before asking, "So, what did you gather today?"
Naoki handed over the bucket of fish.
Zach counted them and made a quick calculation in his notebook. Finally, he pulled out a wad of cash from his bag and handed it over with a smile, "That's a total of 2,620 Pokedollars. Here you go!"
Naoki reached out and took the money.
Zach loaded the goods onto his truck and climbed into the driver's seat. As he reversed the truck, he waved goodbye, "See you tomorrow!"
"See you tomorrow!" Naoki called back.
As Zach drove off, the sky darkened with the approaching night.
It was getting late, so Naoki headed back inside to start preparing dinner.
Frostine jumped down from the cabinet and scampered over to the desk to play with Minify.
Naoki watched them and realized that the two little Pokemon had been cooped up inside for the past few days. He suggested, "Don't you get bored staying indoors all the time? Why don't you go out and explore a bit?"
"Mama..." Frostine replied.
"Fyu..." Minify added, sounding a little hesitant.
Hearing this, Frostine and Minify turned their gazes to the great outdoors, their eyes reflecting a hint of fear for the unknown world beyond the ranch.
Naoki understood.
Before coming here, Frostine and Minify had lived their lives in the fields of the Happy Ranch. They had grown up there, and it was their home, a place they felt safe.
Now, they found themselves in a completely new and unfamiliar place. The only things that gave them a sense of security were the small, cozy wooden house and Naoki himself.
That's why they had stayed indoors most of the time since arriving.
"We can't have that!" Naoki decided.
After a moment's thought, he planned to take them for a walk around the ranch after dinner, to help them get accustomed to their new surroundings.
For dinner, Naoki prepared a rich and fragrant cream of mushroom soup, Chinese meat sandwiches, pan-fried steak with black pepper, boiled eggs, and finally, a selection of milk with various fruit juices.
It was a hearty and delicious meal.
The Pokemon all enjoyed their dinner immensely.
Frostine and Minify ate daintily, taking small bites and chewing slowly.
On the other hand, Gorebyss and Motostoke ate with abandon, their eating styles mirroring each other. They devoured their food, leaving oil stains around their mouths and on their claws.
Naoki reminded them sternly, "Remember to wash your faces and claws at the tap outside after you're done eating!"
The last time he had gone to clear the dishes, he had found oil stains on the bedsheets and the floor, courtesy of these two messy eaters.
"Gorebyss!"
"Motostoke!"
The two Pokemon nodded obediently, understanding the instruction.
Soon, dinner was over.
Naoki prepared to wash the dishes while Gorebyss and Motostoke headed outside to wash their faces and claws at the tap.
Seeing that they could take care of themselves, Naoki nodded in satisfaction and turned his attention to cleaning the kitchen.
Frostine and Minify watched the two larger Pokemon and then looked at each other. They glanced at their own mouths and tiny paws.
"Mama! Let's go wash up and get clean too!" Frostine suggested.
"Fyu..." Minify looked a little apprehensive as she eyed the much bigger Gorebyss and Motostoke.
Gorebyss had shifted from its quadrupedal Cruise Form to its bipedal Combat Form, exuding an unparalleled wild aura. Standing at almost two meters tall with a muscular build, it emanated an intimidating presence.
With its head held high and a fierce expression, Gorebyss grasped the faucet with its large claw, spraying water onto the shorter Motostoke's claws beside it.
"Ma... Ma..." Frostine hesitated, feeling intimidated.
Minify, noticing her companion's reaction, asked innocently, "Fyu?" Aren't you the one who said you weren't afraid of that big guy anymore?
"Ma!" N-no way!
Not wanting to lose face in front of her friend, Frostine took a deep breath and mustered her courage, taking a step forward.
At that moment, Gorebyss turned its head, its golden irises narrowing as it fixed its gaze upon the tiny Frostine and Minify.
Frostine felt as if she had been singled out by the most fearsome predator in the world, freezing in place.
Fortunately, Gorebyss quickly averted its gaze, letting out a call: "Agassi!"
"Fyu?" Minify trembled, asking if it was calling them.
"Ma... Ma..." Frostine wasn't sure, but what should they do? She felt just as flustered as her companion.
Seeing their reaction, Gorebyss couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated. It softened its tone, "Agassi..."
After shooing Motostoke away, Gorebyss reached out and picked up Frostine and Minify with its massive claws. Then, with the faucet still in its grasp, it began to spray water on the two smaller Pokemon.
It took a while before Minify and Frostine's bodies, stiff with fear, began to relax. They slowly realized that despite this giant Pokemon's intimidating appearance, it didn't seem to want to harm them.
By the time Naoki finished his bath and returned, Frostine and Minify had disappeared from the house. Puzzled, he heard the sound of water outside and stepped out to investigate. There, he saw Gorebyss playing with the two little Pokemon.
Motostoke stood by, watching from a distance, seemingly uninterested in joining them. It appeared to be hesitant about getting too close to Frostine.
"Could it be because of type advantages?" Naoki wondered.
After all, Frostine, a Fairy-type Pokemon, had a two-times type advantage over Motostoke, a Dragon-type.
However, Gorebyss, also a Dragon-type, didn't seem to mind Frostine's presence at all.
Perhaps Gorebyss was just too powerful to be affected by type advantages, Naoki mused.
The Pokemon paused their activities as they noticed Naoki approaching.
Naoki returned to the house and grabbed a towel to dry off Frostine and Minify.
Curious, he asked, "How does it feel?"
Frostine replied cheerfully, "Ma!"
Minify also seemed delighted, adding, "Fyu~"
It seemed like they had taken a liking to Gorebyss!
After ensuring the two Pokemon were dry, Naoki took them on a stroll around the ranch, one on each side, introducing them to their new home.
Gorebyss and Motostoke followed closely behind.
The sky was still bright, with a lingering sunset painting the horizon and casting a gentle dusk light over the entire landscape.
The chickens that had been grazing all day returned to their coop, settling in the haystack to rest.
The crops in the fields were thriving, and the turnips, the fastest-growing among them, had already sprouted several large leaves. The underground fruits were likely starting to take shape as well.
Naoki walked with the Pokemon across the grass, pointing to the distant fence that encircled the ranch. "The area enclosed by those fences is our ranch. It's safe here, and no bad people will harm you."
Minify and Frostine looked around curiously.
Naoki smiled and continued, "This grass is filled with wildflowers, and during the day, you'll see butterflies fluttering all around."
The grass in this world grew abundantly, and with just a bit of trimming, it transformed into a neat lawn, enhancing the beauty of the ranch.
That was why Naoki had only cut down the excess trees, leaving the grass untouched instead of mowing it with a scythe.
He planned to clear out the storage room in the next few days and use the stones inside to pave a stone path connecting the chicken coop and the wooden house.
Noticing Frostine and Minify's curious expressions, Naoki said to them, "When it's daytime tomorrow, you can come out and take a look. There will be lots of butterflies and flowers to see."
"Fyu~"
"Ma!"
The two Pokemon couldn't contain their excitement.
Naoki strolled around the ranch with the Pokemon, and only when the last trace of the sunset had faded from the horizon, and the sun had completely set, did he bring the Pokemon back to the house.
Frostine jumped onto the cabinet, while Minify returned to her flower pot, sitting on the edge, swinging her tiny feet and yawning tiredly.
"Time for bed!" Naoki said with a smile.
"Fyu~"
Minify replied and lay back in her flower pot, snuggling into the soft soil comfortably and closing her eyes. Soon, she was fast asleep, snoring softly.
Naoki turned and looked at Gorebyss and Motostoke by the bed, then sat down on the bed to tidy up his things.
He planned to head to Big Pot Lake early the next morning, and as he wasn't sure if he would make it back by noon, Naoki decided to prepare some nutritious sandwiches and tree fruit juice for Gorebyss and Motostoke.
On this trip, apart from finding new fishing spots, Naoki also intended to hire a Water-type Pokemon that could use Water Gun and Rain Dance to help out on the ranch.
He would also need to bring some food with him, as capturing Pokemon required skill.
Based on his years of watching anime, Naoki knew that apart from battling, there were other ways to capture a wild Pokemon, such as tempting them with delicious food or forming an emotional connection.
After all, a beastman would never submit to being enslaved unless provided with food and shelter.
Pokemon were even simpler; aside from those that could only be captured through battles, most of them would follow you as long as you offered them a little food.
So, Naoki prepared a variety of dishes that were not only delicious but also balanced in nutrition, catering to Pokemon with different preferences, be it Tree-type fruits, meat, or those with a sweet, spicy, or sour palate.
These dishes also needed to be convenient for carrying and storage.
After a late night of cooking, Naoki packed the food into his backpack. As he zipped it up, he spotted a few Poke Balls at the bottom.
Seeing them, Naoki suddenly remembered something.
Dr. Olyn hadn't given him Gorebyss's Poke Ball!
No, to be precise, Gorebyss had destroyed its own Poke Ball! Naoki recalled the scene of Gorebyss knocking the Poke Ball away with its Dragon Claw.
Now, a question arose: did the imprint placed on a Pokemon by a Poke Ball still exist even after the ball was destroyed?
After a moment's thought, Naoki picked up a Poke Ball and attempted to recall Gorebyss.
However, several seconds passed, and the Poke Ball remained inactive.
"Looks like the imprint still exists," Naoki mused.
He casually tossed the Poke Ball back into his bag, and as he zipped it closed, another thought occurred to him.
Naoki reopened his bag and took out a standard red and white Poke Ball, approaching Motostoke with it.
"Gaou?"
Motostoke immediately recognized the Poke Ball and realized that its owner was finally going to capture it.
A happy expression appeared on Motostoke's face, and it eagerly leaned forward, pressing its head against the center button of the Poke Ball. Instantly, its body transformed into a red beam of light and was sucked into the ball.
The Poke Ball shook a couple of times and then fell still.
This indicated that the capture was successful.
"So, this is what it feels like to capture a Pokemon?"
Naoki held the Poke Ball in his hand, weighing it thoughtfully, and mimed the action of throwing it.
That was how the trainers in the anime always threw their Poke Balls.
However, worried that the ball might hit the wall and break, Naoki didn't actually throw it. Instead, he pressed the button, and the Poke Ball opened, releasing a beam of light that projected Motostoke's figure onto the wooden floor.
"How does it feel?" Naoki asked.
Motostoke looked quite excited: "Gaou!"
From its reaction, it seemed that being inside a Poke Ball wasn't too bad.
In Naoki's opinion, though, there were definitely better and worse Poke Balls.
The standard red and white Poke Ball was the most basic type. Moving up, there were also Great Balls, Ultra Balls, and Premier Balls, among others.
The later ones in the series offered better performance and more comfortable living spaces for the Pokemon.
The luxurious interior of the Premier Ball, in particular, had been personally vouched for by Team Rocket's Meowth.
Well, for now, this standard ball would have to do. Later, when he earned big bucks, Naoki planned to get Motostoke a Premier Ball to live in.
For the time being, it was getting late, and time for bed!
Naoki stretched, took off his clothes, and jumped into bed.
He didn't notice the gaze that Gorebyss directed at the Poke Ball.
"Gass?"
(End of Chapter)
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