https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-339-The-Rivalry-Between-Freezid-and-Spectral/12537495/
Chapter 338: New Trainers and the Green Grass Trial
Chapter 338: New Trainers and the Green Grass Trial
To be honest, Naoki was a little apprehensive about attending the wealthy banquet.
In his past life, he was just a corporate slave and had never attended such gatherings frequented by the rich and powerful.
However, to get his hands on a smartphone sooner, Naoki decided to go and experience a banquet hosted by the elite of the Pokemon world.
Naoki's mind was abuzz with thoughts, but his face remained impassive.
Adake, excitedly continued, "Speaking of which, it's been a while since I last attended one too. But don't worry, I'll accompany you! It'll be fun!"
"Then I'm in your care, Mr. Adake," Naoki said politely.
Adake patted his shoulder casually, "No need to be so formal with me. Hey, at events like these, there's always a plethora of exquisite cuisine that's hard to come by elsewhere. While those big bosses discuss business, a trainer like me, who doesn't run a company, will just be enjoying the food with my Firedrakes."
Naoki: "......"
After a moment's thought, he asked, "When is it?"
Adake tried to recall, "Early April, I believe. Either the first or the second, I think. Today's the 23rd of March, so there's about a week left."
Naoki nodded, relieved that he could still attend the horse-racing event without worries.
Adake: "I'll be staying in the Unova region during this period. We can fly to Unova together for the banquet!"
"Sure!" Naoki readily invited, "Then why don't you stay at the ranch? There's going to be a horse-racing event in town, it'll be a nice break for you, Mr. Adake."
"Alright, it's a deal then!"
With Firedrake safe and sound, the worry that had been weighing on Adake's mind finally lifted, and he could now relax and enjoy touring his benefactor's ranch.
Seeing his interest, Naoki took Adake out, and they began to stroll leisurely around the ranch.
The ranch wasn't particularly large, but it had a very cozy and vibrant atmosphere.
Neat rows of crops thrived in the fields.
Several Ride Goats lounged in the sun on the grassy terrain.
Numerous Pokemon native to the Unova region, not usually seen in this area, played and chased each other, their laughter and joy filling the air.
Looking at the well-maintained ranch and the happy Pokemon, Adake couldn't help but exclaim,
"This is truly a blissful sight!"
The harmonious coexistence of humans and Pokemon was the life he had always dreamed of.
Naoki raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Are you considering becoming a ranch owner yourself, Mr. Adake?"
To be honest, Adake was quite tempted by the idea.
Nothing in this world lasted forever, and Pokemon too, would eventually reach the end of their lives.
Perhaps they couldn't be together until the very end, but for Adake, the time spent together and the memories made were a happiness that would never change.
That was why they had to cherish every moment they had in the present.
However, Adake could only sigh at his thoughts.
The Unova region was not a stable place...
Shaking his head, he said, "As much as I admire this life, I am the Unova League Champion, and a Champion's duty is to hope for and safeguard the happiness of humans and Pokemon more than anyone else."
So, once he returned to the Unova region, he intended to continue his journey.
He would meet more trainers, teach them to nurture their bonds with Pokemon, and establish a connection between humans and Pokemon.
Naoki knew this would be Adake's answer, and thinking of Team Plasma in the Unova region, he gave his encouragement, "Good luck, Mr. Adake!"
"Thanks!" Adake nodded with a smile, determined not to let his fans down.
Suddenly, several dark silhouettes flew across the sky.
Adake looked up and saw several Dragites with backpacks landing in the ranch.
After a day's work of delivering packages, the Dragites happily sought out their brother, Waiter.
They received their Pokeblocks from Waiter and then ran off to the grass, sitting down to bask in the sun while enjoying their tasty treats.
Watching the Dragites devour their Pokeblocks, Adake's eyes widened in surprise.
Just then, five Axew flew out from somewhere, approaching the Dragites and pestering them to share their Pokeblocks.
"!!!"
Adake's eyes nearly popped out, and he exclaimed, "So, so many Dragites!"
One, two, three...
Including the one he had seen earlier, there were a total of four Dragites and five Axew on this ranch!
Adake was astounded, "A-are all those Dragites your Pokemon?"
Wow, so many Dragites! As far as he knew, even the Dragon Master, Lance, of the Kanto region didn't have this many Dragites!
"Not exactly," Naoki explained, "They are Pokemon I've hired to work on the ranch for now, helping me deliver goods ordered by customers to the town."
Though he had to admit that these gluttonous Dragites had considered becoming his Pokemon...
Hearing this, Adake's expression became even more incredulous, "Delivering goods?"
"Yes," Naoki nodded.
Adake was momentarily at a loss for words.
Recalling the Pokemon he had seen earlier, he knew that Naoki was no ordinary farmer...
Adake, as if remembering something amusing, said to Naoki,
"I wonder what expression Lance would have if he saw this scene."
However, as a trainer from the Pasio region, Naoki was far removed from the Kanto region, and Adake's name hadn't reached these parts.
So, Naoki pretended he didn't know who Adake was talking about.
But seeing his expression, Adake's interest was piqued, and he eagerly pulled Naoki along to fill him in on Adake's achievements.
"Viridian Family's Watson, huh? He's the Champion of the Kanto region, hailing from Nimbasa City, and he's extremely skilled with Dragon-type Pokemon."
"And the Viridian Family's signature Pokemon is Salamence, but Salamence is a rare species, even the Viridian Family doesn't have that many."
"Apparently, at first, Watson used Pokemon like Gyarados, Charizard, and Archeops; all of them had 'dragon' in their names."
"If the elders of the Viridian Family knew that your ranch housed so many Salamence, they would be flabbergasted! Compared to their estate, your ranch is the true Dragon Holy Land!" Adake exclaimed.
Naoki: "..."
"Do you know Watson, Mr. Adake?" Naoki asked.
Adake nodded. "Yes, he attended that banquet before, and I exchanged a few words with him back then."
Naoki understood, "I see!"
Adake gazed at the group of Salamence and the other Pokemon on the ranch, then suddenly changed the subject, "But speaking of which, aren't you a Champion as well?"
"No," Naoki shook his head, "The Champion of the Pasio region has always been Master Ye."
"Eh?" Adake was a little surprised. Did he get it wrong? But then he recalled that the Pasio League was different from other regions.
Aside from the regional Champion, there were also numerous Champion-level trainers.
The man before him, Naoki, was likely one of them, and he might have grown weary of the Champion's life, choosing to retire and start a ranch with his Pokemon.
Adake felt that he had stumbled upon the truth, and he felt an increasing sense of camaraderie with Naoki.
Whether it was their attitude or views on Pokemon.
Not focusing on Pokemon battles, but cherishing the happy moments of living together with Pokemon.
At that moment, a newcomer, a trainer holding a Pichu, arrived at the ranch.
"Um, excuse me! Is this Mr. Naoki's ranch?" The girl asked eagerly.
Naoki paused, glanced at the Grape Academy uniform she was wearing, and nodded, "I'm Naoki."
The girl's eyes lit up, and she said with determination, "Great! Mr. Naoki, Pichu and I are here to take part in the Green Grass Trial at your ranch!"
Naoki wasn't surprised by this; with the challenges from the passing students, it was only a matter of time before the word about the ranch's trials spread.
So, he asked, "How many badges have you collected so far?"
The girl hesitated, "Well... Pichu and I just enrolled this year, so we haven't started challenging Gyms yet. But don't worry, Mr. Naoki! We've been through hellish training at the academy, so we'll be fine!"
Naoki frowned, "It's not allowed. You don't have the qualifications to participate in the trial yet."
The girl wilted like a frost-bitten eggplant.
Since last year, the Green Grass Trial at Naoki's ranch had gained fame within the academy, and rumors began to circulate.
It was said that in a remote rural town, there was a place called Naoki Ranch.
The owner of the ranch was an incredibly powerful Champion-level trainer, and he had set up extremely challenging trials.
The trials were rumored to be even more difficult than the Champion's Cup of the Pasio League.
However, the purpose of the trials at Naoki Ranch wasn't to win, but rather to provide a sparring experience, helping Pokemon enhance their strength and hone their battling skills.
Furthermore, it was said that anyone who could pass the trials would receive a mysterious gift from the trial master.
Many students came specifically to take on the trials, but they were incredibly tough, and so far, no one had succeeded.
Later on, Naoki even added a condition, stating that participants must collect a certain number of badges before they could attempt the trials.
Because of this, people began to speculate that Naoki was a mysterious Champion-level trainer.
To battle a Champion-level trainer, many trainers flocked to the ranch, and being able to participate in the trials became a source of pride for some students.
Boasts like, "I took on the Green Grass Trial! I lasted thirty seconds against that Ride Goat!"
"Thirty seconds? Pfft! I lasted a whole minute!"
"Me too, I tried the Lightning Trial and dodged several attacks from a Champion-level Pokemon! Impressive, right?"
But even so, there were still some who came to challenge and were turned away by Naoki.
Because they didn't meet the requirements.
Initially, these trainers were disappointed, but they worked hard to collect Gym badges.
However, a few trainers later discovered a way to challenge the Green Grass Trial—by pleading with Naoki, expressing their desire to battle strong Pokemon, and telling him they wanted to experience the legendary trial.
Naoki turned and summoned a Ride Goat to the battlefield, instructing it, "Play with this little Pichu for a bit."
The Ride Goat glanced at the tiny Pichu before nodding in understanding. "Maa~"
The traveling girl sent out her Pichu!
Ride Goat used Grass Field, and Pichu was engulfed by the tall grass, leaving it bewildered.
The bewildered Pichu used Thundershock, but it missed the Ride Goat.
Ride Goat used Vine Whip, entangling Pichu and flinging it through the air.
Just as Pichu was about to fall to the ground, Ride Goat caught it with its Vine Whip and repeated the process.
Throughout the battle, Naoki remained a passive observer, offering no commands.
Adake, on the other hand, watched with great interest, having deduced Naoki's intentions from their earlier conversation.
"You're helping these novice trainers improve their skills," Adake stated.
Naoki offered an embarrassed yet polite smile, thinking that it wasn't entirely accurate. He just wanted these challengers to help his Pokemon hone their battle techniques and strengthen their abilities.
However, most of these challengers turned out to be inexperienced trainers...
If this were a game, the levels of these Pichus and Caterpies probably wouldn't exceed level 8.
A level 8 Pichu versus a level 60 Ride Goat.
It was like challenging the final boss right after leaving the beginner's town.
The battle soon came to an end.
Ride Goat's Vine Whip acted like a giant trampoline, and it didn't take long for Pichu to be bounced into unconsciousness.
The battle concluded with Pichu being unable to battle.
"Pichu!" The girl rushed forward to check on Pichu's condition, only to find that it was unharmed but simply knocked out.
Naoki stepped forward, feeling that something was amiss as several trainers had recently used similar words to challenge the Green Grass Trial.
To uncover the truth, he directly questioned the girl in front of him.
"Private matter!"
The girl first bowed awkwardly before explaining, "Well... it's because everyone in the first year thinks that battling a Champion-level Pokemon is really cool! Since we usually don't get to see Champion-level trainers, everyone wants to see what a Champion's Pokemon looks like... Also, those who challenge the Green Grass Trial are admired by the others..."
Naoki immediately understood what was going on.
He replied with a helpless expression, "I welcome you to come and visit Ride Goat and Babo Sandslash, but it's not right to use battling a Champion's Pokemon as a way to boast to others."
The girl blushed, not out of shyness but a sense of shame.
Adake also nodded in agreement, "That's right. If you want to battle a Champion's Pokemon, then work hard together with your own Pokemon. One day, you'll become a new Champion yourself!"
The girl stared at the man before her, nodding firmly after a moment. "Mhm!"
Naoki gave the girl several bottles of MooMoo Fresh Milk, each bearing the logo of the Naoki Ranch. "This is a specialty product from the ranch."
"Eh?" The girl was pleasantly surprised.
Naoki smiled and said, "I hope that when you return to school, you'll help me tell everyone that it's best not to come and challenge the trials before they've collected six badges."
"Because if there's a huge gap in strength between Pokemon, there's a risk of causing irreversible injuries during battles, and in more serious cases, some Pokemon may even lose their lives and never be able to battle again."
The girl listened intently.
Naoki asked softly, "Do you really like Pokemon?"
The girl came back to her senses, looking at the Pichu in her arms and nodding earnestly, "Yes! I love Pokemon, and I want to be with Pichu forever!"
Naoki smiled and said, "Then work hard and forge ahead! Take it with you to explore every corner of this world! When you have the strength, I'll have a serious battle with you. Until then, keep striving forward!"
The girl looked determined, holding the bottles of milk and nodding. "Okay, I understand. Thank you, Mr. Naoki!"
(End of Chapter)
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