https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-359-The-Braid-Sheep-Pasture-Building-an-Apple-Orchard-and-Gorton-s-Dilemma/12537521/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-361-Gorebyss-s-Resolve-Amusement-Park-and-Surprises-in-Aqua-City/12537523/
Chapter 360: Snorlax
Chapter 360: Snorlax
Early the next morning, Naoki set out on his Motostoke, donning a grass hat and a short-sleeved shirt, his attire reminiscent of a bug-catching boy from the forest, keeping a low profile as he made his way to the neighboring Vermillion City to witness the bug-catching contest.
Upon arriving at the nature park on the south side of Vermillion City, he found a large gathering of trainers.
Among them were boys and girls dressed similarly to him.
Naoki's heart skipped a beat as he spotted the youngsters with bug nets, the bug-catching boys and girls he'd heard so much about. Without any hesitation, he blended in with the crowd and stood near the sign at the park entrance, reading the detailed introduction.
Nature Park, a paradise for Bug-type and Grass-type Pokemon, sprawled across a vast area, housing countless wild Pokemon.
The place resembled a natural reserve found in other regions.
However, to protect the Pokemon ecosystem within, it was usually closed to the public, and trainers were not allowed to capture wild Pokemon residing there.
But, to prevent an overpopulation of Bug-type Pokemon in the area, Vermillion City hosted two bug-catching contests annually, inviting passing trainers to capture these Bug-type Pokemon.
Further down the sign was a list of the Pokemon species found in this nature park.
The basic ones included Caterpie, Weedle, Spinarak, Ariados, Litwick, Sweet Honey, Butterfree, Metapod, Beautifly, and more.
And then there were the rarer Bug-type Pokemon: Vibrava, Heracross, Scyther, Pinsir, and so on.
"It's a shame there are no Tropius here," Naoki lamented. If there were, he could have captured some and brought them back to the ranch to help with juice-making.
Tropius, the Ferment Pokemon, possessed shells that could break down and ferment berries into delicious, sticky juice, a convenient trait indeed.
However, if Naoki recalled correctly, the Tropius species was not native to the Paldea region.
The crowd bustled with excitement, and the bug-catching boys and girls held their nets confidently, their faces determined.
Some even placed bets, challenging their companions to see who could capture the rarest and most unusual Bug-type Pokemon.
Naughty boys scared their female companions with Bug-type Pokemon, causing the girls to scream and jump.
Naoki watched this scene, shaking his head at the antics of these youngsters.
Just then, a voice rang out from the event's loudspeaker, interrupting the lively atmosphere.
"Hey, the bug-catching contest is about to begin! Trainers participating in the contest, please gather at the entrance. We will be opening the gates to the nature park shortly."
"Also, please ensure you are prepared before entering. Bring enough Poke Balls and treats to attract the Pokemon."
The crowd began to surge towards the entrance of the nature park.
As the gates opened, the enthusiastic bug-catching boys and girls rushed in, quickly dispersing in search of rare Bug-type Pokemon.
Naoki, however, maintained his calm and strolled over to the counter near the entrance to purchase some Pokemon treats.
The staff member selling the treats was the same girl who had come to his ranch to place an order for berries the day before.
She recognized him and exclaimed in surprise, "You're here!"
Naoki smiled and nodded, then looked down at the empty counter and asked, "Do you still have some treats and Poke Balls left?"
"Yes, just a moment, I'll get them for you!"
The girl turned and disappeared into the tent behind the counter.
Naoki patiently waited outside, reaching out to pat Motostoke's head.
On this trip, Golurk had not accompanied him.
Something seemed to be bothering Golurk, as it had been acting rather listless since the previous evening, and it hadn't shared what was wrong when Naoki asked.
This morning, when Naoki suggested bringing it along to Vermillion City, Golurk had refused, which was unusual.
Naoki wondered if Golurk was upset because of something he had said during their bath yesterday, perhaps about Motostoke.
No, Golurk wasn't the type to get upset over such things.
It didn't seem angry, but rather, it appeared to be troubled about something.
Naoki had never seen Golurk like this, and its mood seemed to have affected him as well, leaving him less enthusiastic than usual.
Recalling how Golurk had stared at Motostoke in a daze last night, Naoki found himself perplexed.
What could it be pondering?
Suddenly, a startled cry came from within the tent.
"Ah!"
Motostoke immediately became alert, letting out a curious "Graow?"
Naoki snapped out of his thoughts, worried that something terrible had happened, and rushed into the tent.
Inside, they found a massive Snorlax lying on the ground, fast asleep, its paws contentedly stroking its full belly as it snored.
The girl was fuming. "It's that Snorlax! The one that stole all our Berries the day before yesterday. How dare it! Now it's eaten all the Pokemon treats we prepared for the convention!"
Snorlax: zzZ
The girl was exasperated. "Ahhh! You greedy thing!"
She slapped its plump, bouncy belly in anger.
Snorlax: zzZ
Naoki: "......"
Facing such a Pokemon, the girl couldn't even vent her frustration. She sighed helplessly and turned to Naoki. "I'm very sorry, Mr. Ranch Owner. We don't have any more treats for the convention participants..."
Naoki wasn't really interested in capturing Bug-type Pokemon; he was just there to see the excitement. He didn't mind and instead found himself intrigued by the Snorlax before him.
"Is this Snorlax a Trainer's Pokemon?" Naoki asked.
"Huh?" The girl was taken aback, then shook her head. "This Snorlax doesn't have a Trainer... It's always lived in this town."
As she spoke, the girl recalled, "It was probably about three months ago. The weather was still cold then, and this Snorlax came to town."
"It was starving at the time, and the townspeople took pity on it and gave it a lot of food. Since then, Snorlax has lived in the town and lived with everyone. But because of its greedy nature, it has caused quite a bit of trouble for the townspeople almost every day."
"We once asked a Trainer specifically to see if they could capture this Snorlax, but the results were unsatisfactory..."
"Some Trainers couldn't hurt this Snorlax. Even with full-power attacks, they couldn't find a way to wake Snorlax up and get it into a Poke Ball."
"And some Trainers, even though they captured it, didn't have enough food to feed Snorlax, so the Trainer who had their food eaten returned it."
"Although there are still some Trainers who can provide enough food, this Snorlax sleeps for almost twenty-three hours a day and doesn't help Trainers battle at all, so..."
So that Trainer also returned Snorlax. Naoki finished the girl's sentence in his mind.
He looked at the Snorlax before him and felt that it was perfect for him.
Just then, he had learned about the Energy Blocks from Yuhui and obtained a Big Eater Energy Block formula, which he had used to develop special food for Snorlax.
This special Energy Block would only need one to fill a small Snorlax's belly.
Although Snorlax was the evolved form of a small Snorlax, it could definitely fill its belly if it was fed a few more.
Moreover, he was not a professional Trainer but a ranch owner, and he didn't need Pokemon to battle on the ranch at all.
Of course, what really moved Naoki was Snorlax's stomach.
As a famous Big Eater Pokemon, Snorlax's stomach could digest anything.
It had a sturdy stomach, and even slightly moldy food wouldn't affect it as it ate. It also never got an upset stomach because the digestive juices in its stomach could break down any toxins, even if it ate food that had fallen on the ground.
Even more outrageous was that the poison of Stun Spore was just a seasoning for Snorlax's tongue.
As he thought of this, Naoki's heart stirred. "Are you still looking for a Trainer for this Snorlax?"
The girl nodded, then suddenly realized something. "Do you want to capture this Snorlax?"
Naoki affirmed, "I want to take it back to my ranch."
"Of course!" The girl quickly agreed. "Then please take it away!" She looked as if she couldn't wait to get rid of Snorlax.
Naoki: "......"
Such thoughts were understandable. After all, in ancient times, Snorlax was considered a natural disaster.
Because in the ancient times, when productivity was backward, Snorlax would suddenly appear in villages and empty the rice warehouses in the blink of an eye.
It was only now, in modern times, that humans and Pokemon had gradually integrated, and productivity had improved, so people no longer worried about going hungry and began to accept Snorlax.
"But... how do you plan to capture Snorlax?" The girl hesitated again, as she was very clear about Snorlax's difficult temperament.
Naoki thought carefully, then asked, "Have those Trainers battled this Snorlax before?"
The girl nodded. "Snorlax has thick skin and fat, so even if an attack lands on its body, it will only tickle it. Those people lured Snorlax into the Poke Ball with food.
Recalling the Big Eater Energy Block formula he had developed before, Naoki asked, "Are there any Berries left? I need two Pecha Berries, one Cheri Berry, one Sitrus Berry, two Lum Berries, and one Figy Berry."
"Yes!" The girl nodded eagerly and rummaged through a cardboard box nearby, quickly gathering the required ingredients. "These are leftover Berries from making pastries."
Naoki took the Berries from her and began preparing the necessary Energy Blocks.
About half an hour later, a pot of freshly made Energy Blocks was ready, still steaming hot.
[Basic Big Eater Energy Block (C+)
: A cooking effect, Big Eater, is an energy block that can make Pokemon feel full. It only takes one to fill up a small Pokemon like Snorlax.]
Done!
Naoki took out six Energy Blocks from the pot.
As he turned to leave, he suddenly felt a massive shadow loom over him.
Naoki turned around and saw that the Snorlax had woken up at some point and was now staring at the Energy Blocks in his hand with half-lidded eyes.
"Do you want some?" Naoki asked, holding out one of the Energy Blocks towards the Snorlax.
The Snorlax looked down at the offering and used its paw to take it gently before popping it into its mouth.
It chewed slowly.
As the Energy Block was crushed and swallowed, the compressed energy within expanded in its stomach, giving the Snorlax a satisfying feeling of fullness.
Its eyes lit up, and it continued to gaze at the food in the human's hand.
However, Naoki didn't give it any more right away. Instead, he reached out and tried to pet the Snorlax.
While Snorlax was lazy and gluttonous, it wasn't stupid.
In response, it wrapped one of its arms around the human, pulling him into an embrace and settling him on its arm as if he were a child.
Naoki was startled.
But soon, he realized that the Snorlax meant no harm.
The girl beside them laughed and said, "Don't worry, this Snorlax has a very gentle temperament. Even when the town's children play on its big belly, it never gets angry."
"Open your mouth," Naoki demonstrated, opening his mouth wide and saying, "Ah!"
The Snorlax obligingly opened its mouth wide.
Naoki tossed an Energy Block into its mouth.
The Snorlax chewed slowly.
After eating a few Energy Blocks, the Snorlax started to feel full. It yawned lazily, rubbed its eyes, plopped down on the ground, and lay on its back, placing Naoki on its belly as it continued to snooze.
Naoki: "......"
Taking advantage of the fact that the Snorlax wasn't fully asleep yet, he knelt on its belly and asked, "Hey, Snorlax, do you want to come with me? Come live with me, and I'll make this food for you every day!"
Snorlax: zzZ
Naoki tried again, "If you don't answer, I'll take your silence as a yes, okay?"
Snorlax: zzZ
The girl, remembering how Snorlax had reacted to Naoki earlier, smiled and said, "It seems like it really likes you! Snorlax has never treated other Trainers like this before."
Looking at the sleeping Snorlax, Naoki felt a mix of emotions.
He reached into his pocket and took out an empty Poke Ball, then aimed it at Snorlax's forehead.
The next second, Snorlax's massive body, like a small mountain, was reduced to a red light and sucked into the Poke Ball.
The Poke Ball wobbled a couple of times before it stopped moving.
This indicated that the capture was successful.
Naoki was so surprised by how quickly the Poke Ball had stopped moving that he couldn't react for a moment.
So, he had caught this Snorlax just like that?
Well, regardless, he was glad that the capture was successful.
Naoki stood up, holding the Snorlax's Poke Ball in his hand.
The girl looked at the Poke Ball, a worried expression on her face. "Mr. Ranch Owner..."
"What is it?" Naoki noticed her expression.
The girl bit her lip and said, "This Snorlax has a huge appetite and might scare you with the amount it eats. If you ever regret your decision, please don't release it into the wild. Promise me you'll bring it back to us."
"Even though it's greedy and often causes trouble for the townspeople, even breaking into shops to eat all their food, we don't want to hurt it..."
Hearing her words, Naoki paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of Snorlax!"
(End of Chapter)
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