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Chapter 337: Adeku's Gratitude
Chapter 337: Adeku's Gratitude
Adeku looked at the young man before him, suppressing the hope and excitement in his heart as he politely asked, "Excuse me, is this the Naoki Ranch?"
Naoki snapped back to attention, thinking that Danzi sure worked fast. He nodded and said, "Hello, Mr. Adeku."
"You know me?" Adeku was slightly taken aback.
Naoki didn't deny it. "The Unova region's Champion; your fame reaches far beyond the region, you know."
Adeku's face reddened. He had a keen self-awareness... While he was indeed a Champion, his fame was limited to the Unova region. How could he be known all the way out here in the Padia region?
Moreover, he had left the Pokemon League for a while, withdrawing from the world...
Could this trainer named Naoki, whom Danzi spoke of, be his fan? That would explain why he knew so much about him and tried to reach out through Danzi, offering to help.
Aside from this reason, Adeku couldn't think of any other explanation.
Naoki, however, was unaware of Adeku's inner thoughts. Pondering the injured Volcarona, he said to Adeku, "Why don't you come in first?"
"Alright!"
Adeku nodded and nervously tightened his grip on the straps of his backpack. He was both eager and afraid of what was to come.
He hoped that the ranch owner could truly heal Volcarona's hidden injury, but he also feared that his hopes would be dashed and Volcarona would continue to waste away.
Following Naoki inside, Adeku recalled the events that had taken place not long ago.
Back then, as he wandered around the Unova region, he suddenly received a call from the Unova League.
The league staff informed him that the Galar region's Champion, Danzi, was looking for him.
Adeku had been perplexed, as he and Danzi had never met before; they only knew each other's names. Why would Danzi be looking for him?
Intrigued, Adeku dialed the number Danzi had left.
During that call, Danzi told him about a possible way to save Volcarona and instructed him to come to the Padia region, to a place called Naoki Ranch.
Adeku had been dumbfounded. He had many questions, but for the sake of his partner, he didn't ask further. Instead, he immediately set off for the Padia region after hanging up.
The two entered the living room, and Adeku, after a quick glance at Serperior, averted his gaze. He then took off his backpack and pulled out Volcarona's medical report, handing it over.
"These are the diagnosis reports from the Pokemon Center about Volcarona's condition. It says here that Volcarona's injuries are severe, and with current medical technology, it's impossible to cure it."
Naoki took the reports and tried to make sense of them, but they were incomprehensible.
However, from the content, he could guess that Adeku's Volcarona had sustained damage to its essence and had multiple hidden injuries.
After a moment's thought, Naoki asked his sister, Ai, to bring some Life Milk, then turned to Adeku and said, "Can you let Volcarona out so I can take a look?"
"Oh, of course!" Adeku quickly reached into his bag and pulled out a red and white Poke Ball.
With a flash of white light, a large moth-like Pokemon, standing over five feet tall and with a pair of blue eyes, appeared in the living room.
Although it was a moth Pokemon, Volcarona looked incredibly majestic. It had a pair of red antennae on its cheeks, a circle of white fluffy fur around its upper body, and three pairs of orange-red wings on its back.
Those three pairs of wings should have shone like blazing flames, but now they looked dull and lifeless, and even its blue eyes had lost their color.
Volcarona's breath was weak, and it lay limp on the floor, too weak to even fly.
Witnessing this, Adeku's eyes stung with tears.
Volcarona was the first Pokemon he had truly connected with. They had always fought together and shared wonderful times.
Adeku had always thought those days would last forever, but endings came unexpectedly...
Adeku sniffed, fighting back the urge to cry, and knelt down to gently stroke his old partner.
Sadness laced his voice as he asked, "Will... Volcarona be able to fly again?"
Naoki shook his head, unable to make any promises. "Let's give it a try."
He handed Adeku a bottle of Life Milk. "Feed this to Volcarona."
Looking at the bottle of milk, which exuded a sweet fragrance, Adeku suddenly understood what it was.
"...Is this milk?" Adeku was stunned, but he didn't hesitate to feed the fresh milk to Volcarona.
As the last drop of milk disappeared down Volcarona's throat, something incredible happened.
The surrounding space seemed to warm up, and Volcarona's six pairs of wings unfurled like fiery flames, emitting a brilliant scarlet radiance.
For a moment, it was as if a fire god had descended upon them.
Witnessing this spectacle, Adeku felt a sudden urge to cry.
Volcarona was healing!
As the white light faded, Volcarona returned to the ground.
Although it still seemed a bit listless and its body appeared weak, its condition had improved tremendously compared to before.
Adeku stared at this scene in disbelief, his voice filled with uncertainty as he asked, "Is it... all right now?"
Naoki didn't know either. While the Life Milk seemed to have an exaggerated effect, it was still some distance away from the true Ash-King's Sacred Ash.
After a brief moment of thought, he turned to the Serperior behind him.
The Serperior, too, had been captivated by what was happening.
Naoki asked, "Serperior, can you take a look at this Pokemon's condition for me?"
Serperior nodded slightly.
As Adeku looked on in astonishment, Serperior slowly floated over and used its psychic powers to carefully examine Volcarona.
It could sense the deep bond between this man and his Pokemon, and Serperior's heart was touched. In this situation, it was more than happy to lend its aid.
Facing the prostrate Volcarona, Serperior gently raised its hand, unleashing a multitude of soft blue lights.
The blue lights converged into a crystal clear, translucent blue droplet that slowly dripped from mid-air onto Volcarona's body.
"That's the Life Drop, isn't it?" Naoki was seeing this move for the first time.
The Life Drop healed Volcarona's hidden injuries, and finally, it returned to a completely healthy state.
With newfound vitality, Volcarona flapped its wings and floated up.
Tears glistened in Adeku's eyes.
The tall, weathered man said nothing and simply hugged his Pokemon partner tightly.
Volcarona's eyes curved into a crescent shape, and it happily used its small front legs to hold onto its Trainer, adjusting its body temperature to a level comfortable for humans, becoming a large, fluffy, and warm pillow for Adeku to embrace.
Seeing this heartwarming scene, Naoki and Serperior exchanged a smile before turning back to sit on the sofa.
After a long while, Adeku sniffed and regained his composure, his dark face reddening slightly.
"Sorry, I've embarrassed myself."
Naoki smiled gently, surprised to see this side of Adeku. "It was no trouble at all. I'm just glad Volcarona is fine."
For Naoki, it was just a bottle of milk, but for Adeku, it held profound significance.
Seeing Naoki's expression, Adeku spoke with utmost seriousness. "Regardless, I, Adeku, owe you a debt of gratitude."
Adeku furrowed his brows. "If not for you, I think that in a while, I would have permanently lost Volcarona. After being together for so many years, I could feel that its life was coming to an end..."
To be honest, Adeku had already prepared himself for that day—to face Volcarona's passing and bury it in the Tower of Heaven in the Unova region.
Naoki blinked and looked at Adeku, hinting at something as he said, "I feel like you've changed a lot."
"Have I?" Adeku was taken aback for a moment before he relaxed and said, "Perhaps!"
Adeku's tone was slow, as if he had gained some insight, and he continued, "Trainers strive every day to attain the champion's throne, which represents the pinnacle of strength. But being a champion is just one path in life, not the final destination."
"Volcarona's situation made me realize the greatness and fragility of life... No amount of strength can guarantee eternal invincibility."
Adeku let out a bitter laugh. "When I learned that Volcarona's injury couldn't be cured with current medical technology, I was deeply saddened... It was then that I realized how precious the joy of being with Pokemon truly is."
"Indeed!" Naoki agreed.
Whether it was about becoming a Trainer or doing anything else, the most important thing was never about battling or getting stronger, but the Pokemon themselves.
After that, Naoki and Adeku chatted some more.
From Adeku, Naoki learned that the affairs of the Unova League were currently being handled by the Elite Four, and the Unova League was collaborating with the Padia League to focus on developing the Blueberry Academy.
Adeku mentioned that some Gym Leaders from the Unova region were planning to send their grandchildren to study at Blueberry Academy.
As they chatted, Adeku's mood and emotions gradually stabilized.
In his normal state, Adeku had a very approachable personality—relaxed, easygoing, optimistic, and humble—with none of the airs of a champion.
"Hahahaha!"
Adake felt a strong connection with Naoki's attitude towards Pokemon, and he asked to borrow a pen from Naoki before taking out some Poke Balls from his bag and signing them.
"These are just small tokens, but please accept them as gifts!" Adake said.
Naoki: "?"
He soon realized that his actions of seeking Adake's help through Dan had been misinterpreted as the actions of an adoring fan!
Indeed, who else but a fan would go to such lengths? From Adake's perspective, Naoki must have been an ardent admirer.
As a 'fan', Naoki had been keeping a close eye on Adake and had learned about his ace Pokemon, Volcarona, being severely injured. Without hesitation, he had sought out Yeci through Dan to offer help and treatment for Volcarona.
"..."
Naoki was at a loss for words.
He wasn't a fan of Adake!
Adake was deeply touched, and he placed the stack of Poke Balls on the table, giving Naoki's shoulder a hearty pat. "If you ever need any help, don't hesitate to reach out! I, Adake, will be there in a heartbeat!"
Naoki: "..."
He swallowed his explanation, as aside from this reason, Naoki couldn't think of any other way to explain how he knew about Adake and Volcarona's injury.
But Adake still felt like he hadn't done enough. "Is there anything else you desire? If it's within my power, I'll make it happen!"
Naoki shook his head. "No, nothing."
Speaking of the Unova region... what caught his attention were the three dragons.
Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem.
However, even though Adake was a Champion, he probably wouldn't know anything about these legendary Pokemon.
At that moment, Adake's gaze landed on the newspaper Naoki had left on the table.
He asked curiously, "Are you interested in this Rotom Tech company?"
"Not particularly," Naoki paused, realizing what Adake was referring to.
"I just have an idea for a communication device that I'd like to discuss with them," he replied honestly.
"Oh? A communication device? Like a video phone?" Adake asked, feigning interest. Although he wasn't particularly intrigued, if Naoki was, he figured it was worth asking a few more questions. Perhaps he could be of assistance.
Seeing Adake's curiosity, Naoki thought for a moment and decided it wouldn't hurt to share. So, he took the pen Adake had used for the autographs and drew a smartphone on a piece of paper.
"I was thinking, what if we could combine a video phone with a computer network? Make it into a small, portable smart communication device that also has the functions of a Pokedex. That way, everyone can carry one around and stay connected at all times."
Adake realized that Naoki was describing the Pokedex of the Unova region. Some trainers from that region would receive a Pokedex from the local professor, and these devices had communication functions, allowing them to stay in touch with the professor.
Adake didn't fully understand the concept, but he knew he could be of assistance.
"I don't know much about this stuff either, but I can help you meet the boss of Rotom Tech!" Adake declared.
"Hmm?"
Adake grinned. "There's going to be a banquet in the Unova region soon, and they'll be inviting famous wealthy individuals, entrepreneurs, and powerful trainers from all over the world. The boss of Rotom Tech usually attends, according to past years' customs."
"I guess you could say we're acquainted," Adake continued, trying to recall. "I went a few years ago, and his youngest daughter is a huge fan of Pokemon battles."
"Every time there's a banquet, she wears a little skirt and challenges the trainers, Gym Leaders, and Elite Four members in attendance. I've even battled that little girl!"
Hearing this, Naoki was taken aback.
Could that little girl be Nimo?
Adake looked at him. "Actually, I can extend an invitation to you on my behalf and introduce you to that guy at the banquet."
Even though Adake hadn't known Naoki before, the young man before him was not only acquainted with Dan but also possessed an impressive array of powerful Pokemon.
His intuition as a Champion told him that the scarlet, muscular Pokemon in the living room and the one that had just healed Volcarona with a Life Drop must be incredibly strong.
Naoki had earned the right to attend that banquet.
(End of Chapter)
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