https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-338-New-Trainers-and-the-Green-Grass-Trial/12537494/
Chapter 339: The Rivalry Between Freezid and Spectral
Chapter 339: The Rivalry Between Freezid and Spectral
On March 24, 199, of the Union Calendar, the day before the horse-racing tournament, construction on Naoki's ranch was finally complete. The expanded ranch, now enclosed by neat and sturdy wooden fences, officially incorporated the newly acquired land.
A river bisected the ranch, creating two distinct areas. A sturdy stone bridge stood across the river, connecting the two sides.
The Slowpoke that usually dwelled on the opposite bank were intrigued by the new structure. They waddled over to the bridge, their heads tilted in curiosity, their expressions bemused.
One particularly adventurous Slowpoke began to walk across the bridge, its webbed feet pattering on the stones. To its delight, it discovered that it could reach the other side this way!
"Slowpo...kay!" it exclaimed excitedly. It scurried back and forth across the bridge, then jumped into the river and swam back to the original bank before scurrying up the bridge again.
The other Slowpoke, witnessing this new game, eagerly joined in, waddling and splashing their way across the bridge.
Naoki, who was inspecting the area with Adeku, couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.
"Hahaha!" Adeku laughed aloud. "These Slowpoke are adorable!"
Naoki facepalmed, feeling slightly exasperated.
As they continued their tour, they reached a sloping hill. Adeku took in the surroundings, admiring the idyllic pastoral scenery.
Above, the sky stretched infinitely, a tapestry of blue adorned with fluffy white clouds. Below, the vibrant green grass seemed to dance in the wind, creating waves of verdant color.
Naoki contemplated the environment and decided that this sloping hill would be the perfect spot to graze some Wooloo. These Pokemon loved to roll around, and the slope would provide them with endless fun as they tumbled downhill.
He made a mental note to purchase a flock of Wooloo from the town's ranch. While they sold Wooloo in town, the same couldn't be said for Tropius.
Tropius were a loss-making business for ranch owners, as the bananas growing on their necks only ripened twice a year, making their upkeep costly.
This meant that if Naoki wanted a Tropius, he would have to venture into the wild and capture one himself. But that would have to wait until after the horse-racing tournament and his return from the Unova region.
In the afternoon, Naoki began an intensive riding training session in preparation for the upcoming tournament. Upon hearing of his plans, Reuniclus readily offered to lend him her beloved steed.
Knowing that he couldn't refuse such hospitality, Naoki found himself facing Freezid and Spectral, both eager to be chosen.
The two horses showed no signs of resistance, not only because Naoki tended to them daily, providing them with tasty carrots, but also because they recognized his strength and had accepted him as their rider. After all, if Reuniclus trusted this human, who were they to object, especially with Golurk often lurking about?
Naoki reached out and gently patted their heads, asking, "Who wants to join me at the horse-racing tournament? Who wants to compete against other Pokemon horses and become the strongest horse Pokemon in the world?"
Spectral, with its mysterious gaze, remained stoic and unfazed.
Freezid, on the other hand, stomped its hooves and snorted loudly, its eyes gleaming with eagerness.
The strongest horse Pokemon? It knew it was the best, so why even bother with a race?
Besides, when they had galloped across the Frigid Crownlands, those other horses probably weren't even born yet!
"Freeeeeezid!" it whinnied, its breath forming icy mist.
"I know you're both incredible," Naoki acknowledged, "but others don't know that yet. If we participate in the tournament, everyone will witness your prowess. If you defeat the other horse Pokemon and emerge as the champion, they will hail you as the strongest horse Pokemon in the world!"
Impulsive and proud, Freezid imagined the scene—standing on the winner's podium, surrounded by adoring humans, their eyes sparkling with admiration as they shouted, "O Freezid, king of all Freezids! Thou art too dashing for words! We shall erect a temple in thy honor, O Majestic Steed!"
At the thought of such adulation, Freezid neighed loudly, "Freezid, I accept thy challenge! I shall race and triumph!"
Naoki struggled to contain his amusement. "Then it's decided. Freezid, I entrust this task to you."
Freezid nodded vigorously.
However, Spectral, standing by Freezid's side, was not about to be left out. It turned to its companion and let out a discontented whinny, its eyes narrowing.
Freezid glared back, unafraid. "What? Thou seekest to challenge me?"
Spectral's body shimmered with an otherworldly light, and its aura intensified. It felt this opportunity should be theirs.
Freezid, always quick to rise to a challenge, released its power as well. Icy tendrils crept across the stable, and a layer of frost formed at an alarming rate, visible to the naked eye.
Adeku, witnessing this display, felt his heart skip a beat. "Uh, Naoki," he whispered, "I think your horses are about to fight."
Naoki rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
"If you two keep this up, there will be no carrots for the next week!" Naoki warned.
At the mention of carrots, the two horses immediately retracted their hostile gazes, but the matter wasn't settled yet as they now turned their attention to Naoki, clearly expecting him to make a choice.
Naoki sighed, "..."
Wait a minute, didn't the horse-racing tournament only allow one Pokemon to participate?
Clearing his throat, Naoki paused briefly before speaking, "Since you two are so eager, let's decide this with a draw! Even if you don't get chosen, there's always next year's tournament. It's not like this is a one-time opportunity."
A draw...
Freezid and Spectral reluctantly agreed.
Naoki returned to his room and prepared two white bowls. He placed a Pecha Berry in one and a Chesto Berry in the other, then covered the bowls and placed them in front of the horses.
"Choose wisely! The horse that selects the bowl with the Pecha Berry will earn the spot in the tournament. The other can participate next year," Naoki explained.
Upon hearing this, Spectral and Freezid widened their eyes, staring intently at the two identical bowls.
Hesitation was evident on their faces, as neither wanted to make the wrong choice.
After a long moment, Spectral made his move.
He cautiously lifted a hoof and stepped on the bowl on the right.
Freezid immediately let out an indignant snort and nudged Spectral aside, wanting to choose that bowl as well!
Naoki facepalmed, exasperated.
"No pushing, there's an order to these things. Spectral chose first, so the bowl on the right is his!"
Freezid huffed but reluctantly moved aside.
Naoki lifted the cover of the chosen bowl to reveal a pink Pecha Berry. He then uncovered the other bowl, which held a blue Chesto Berry.
And so, the decision was made.
The Pokemon that would be participating in the horse-racing tournament was—Spectral!
"Congratulations, Spectral! And Freezid, don't be discouraged. There's always next year," Naoki consoled.
"Neigh~!" Spectral's eyes shone with excitement.
Freezid, on the other hand, was furious. He huffed, turned his rear end toward Naoki, and ignored him.
Naoki: "..."
Adeku, barely holding back his laughter, remarked, "Your Pokemon certainly have strong personalities!"
Naoki was left speechless for a moment.
As he returned the bowls to the kitchen, Reuniclus, who was watching TV, casually asked, "Which one did you pick?"
"Spectral," Naoki replied.
Reuniclus nodded, "Spectral's speed is indeed superior to Freezid's. With him, you can rest assured."
Naoki took a few steps before a sudden curiosity struck him, and he asked, "By the way, Reuniclus, when you and Spectral and Freezid were galloping across the Galar region, did the one you didn't ride get upset?"
Reuniclus seemed surprised by the question.
She thought for a moment before shaking her head, "I don't recall that ever happening. When I rode one of them, the other would stay at my abode and wait for my return."
Naoki nodded thoughtfully, then said, "Spectral drew the chance to participate in the tournament, and Freezid is upset about it."
Reuniclus couldn't help but chuckle, "I've never encountered such a situation before. It seems your Pokemon really care about you!"
Naoki: "..."
A nostalgic look appeared on Reuniclus's face as she reminisced, "My Pokemon had very different personalities.
Spectral is a quiet soul, often solitary and aloof. He rarely interacts with other Pokemon."
"Freezid, on the other hand, is straightforward and aggressive. When he wants something, he takes it by force. It's quite surprising to see him merely upset instead of taking action."
Naoki wondered if Golurk's presence had something to do with it.
But remembering Freezid's angry demeanor, he still felt a twinge of guilt.
To make it up to Freezid, he went to Glalie's ice cellar and collected a basketful of ice carrots, adding them to Freezid's feed trough as a special treat.
Freezid was still sulking. He had turned his rear end toward Naoki, refusing to face him.
Naoki: "..."
Oh well!
Naoki led Spectral out of the stable and across the river to the open grassland on the other side. He mounted Spectral using the Reuniclus's Bond Bridle and set off.
Riding a horse felt different from riding Golurk or Motostoke.
Spectral's tall stature meant that a less skilled rider might easily fall off if the horse galloped at full speed.
His equestrian skills were entirely self-taught, with the help of Reuniclus.
During the initial days when the two horses had first arrived at the ranch, Naoki would clamp his legs tightly against their belly, pull on the reins, and the Spectral would start trotting across the grass.
The Pokemon world's horse-racing tournaments were unique, as they allowed Pokemon to use their moves during the race. As Naoki thought about this, he explained the rules to Spectral.
"There will be many horse Pokemon participating in the race. While running, the competing horse Pokemon are allowed to use their moves."
"So, you must be careful. As you advance along the racecourse, be mindful and try to dodge your opponents' attacks."
Spectral neighed softly, indicating that it understood.
As Naoki spoke, he recalled the moves that Spectral had mastered.
Double Kick, Trouble, Stomp, Weird Light, Smog, Shadow Ball, Quick Attack, Self-Destruct, Mean Look, Stomping Tantrum, Dark Pulse, and Confuse Ray...
"Double Kick can knock back approaching opponents, Weird Light can be used for interference, Stomping Tantrum can reduce the speed of surrounding Pokemon, and Smog can remove buffs from other Pokemon." Naoki pondered his strategy.
Coupled with Spectral's running speed, he felt confident about his chances of winning.
Time ticked by, and Naoki spent the entire afternoon practicing with Spectral. When they finished, he led Spectral back to the stable.
Just as he was about to leave, Naoki noticed that the basket of ice carrots had been devoured by Freezid.
Freezid was still in a huff, snorting and stomping around in the stable, clearly looking for more trouble.
Naoki had no choice but to bring another basket of ice carrots to appease Freezid's appetite.
"This guy is something else... both temperamental and a big eater."
Naoki was at a loss for words.
He sighed helplessly and turned back to the living room.
After dinner, Naoki prepared a fruit platter for Leek Duck, just as he did every day, before sitting down on the sofa with Adeku to watch TV.
Leek Duck had been through a lot. Even after such a long time, it was still constantly learning and forgetting moves.
The most unfortunate incident was when it had forgotten all its moves and became a completely blank-slate Pokemon.
However, far from giving up, Leek Duck was more determined than ever.
Every day, after finishing its fruit platter, it would grab a leek and head to the wooden stake dummy, where it would tirelessly practice its moves.
Today was no different, and it had gone off to train once again.
Naoki didn't know when Leek Duck's journey would finally bear fruit.
Just as he was worrying about Leek Duck, Misdreavus came running over, its eyes sparkling with excitement.
Having overheard Naoki's plans for the next day, Misdreavus looked at him anxiously and expectantly, asking, "Bo-ni?"
Naoki came back to his senses and understood Misdreavus's concern. He smiled and nodded, assuring it, "Of course, you can come along too."
"Bo-ni!" Misdreavus was overjoyed.
Naoki continued, "I'll be participating in the tournament with Spectral, and you can stay by Golurk's side. Mr. Adeku, I'd like to ask you to keep an eye on them while I'm away."
Adeku patted his chest and readily agreed. "Don't worry! By the way, is Misdreavus also a native Pokemon of the Padia region?"
"No," Naoki shook his head. "I met Misdreavus when I traveled north. It wasn't happy there, so I brought it back with me."
"There sure are a lot of different Pokemon in this world!" Adeku exclaimed.
With that, Adeku left with Volcarona and the others to join the Elgyem siblings at the Pokemon Tavern for a drink.
Meanwhile, Naoki returned to his room and sat at his desk, taking out a notebook to work on his smartphone project.
Having worked in the gaming industry in his previous life, he had some knowledge in this area.
To hasten the day when he could play with a smartphone, Naoki sketched an image of a Rotom-based smartphone, complete with a touchscreen and camera, along with notes on its potential features and functions.
With the advancement of technology, the old-style Pokedex was bound to become obsolete.
Moreover, compared to a regular Pokedex, a versatile Rotom-based smartphone would be far more useful for traveling trainers.
Whether it was the built-in Pokedex function, camera, internet forums, navigation, or communication features, they were all essential for trainers exploring the wild, and something that traditional Pokedexes couldn't offer.
In ten years, the internet would connect the entire Pokemon world, allowing trainers from the Padia region to communicate with those in the far-off Sinnoh region.
(End of Chapter)
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