Chapter 37: Bulking Up
Chapter 37: Bulking Up
At 7:00 in the evening, Naoki had finished preparing dinner for Motostoke, Frosty, and Minnie. He informed them that he would be going out for a bit and then rode off on his Corviknight towards Pot Lake.
The moon shone brightly over the lake, veiled by a thin mist. Its silvery light shimmered on the water's surface, only to be shattered when the Pokemon below leaped out of the water, causing ripples that disturbed the serene reflection.
"You're finally here!"
Yosuke had set up a simple campsite by the lake instead of returning to the lookout tower. The campfire blazing in front of his tent was conspicuous in the night.
Standing next to him was a Pokemon with a bold, unibrow, holding a shield in its left hand and a sword in its right. Its expression was calm and focused.
The group of Stonjourner huddled close to the fire, looking drowsy.
Naoki placed the food he had prepared in front of them, and the little Pokemon immediately opened their eyes wide, their faces lighting up with delight.
"As I thought, they prefer your dried fish to my sandwiches!" Yosuke scratched his head. "They haven't eaten anything tonight."
His secret-recipe sandwiches held no appeal for this group of Stonjourner.
Watching the Stonjourner start to eat, Naoki smiled and said, "After all, they are Pokemon born from rock salt layers underground. Their dietary preferences are bound to be different from humans'."
Yosuke nodded in agreement, "That makes sense."
He glanced at the time and asked, "It's already 7:30. When are we leaving?"
"Now," Naoki replied concisely.
"Great!" Yosuke exclaimed, his excitement evident. He stood up and tucked the picture book and pen into his pocket. Then he turned to the Pokemon, who resembled a valiant knight, and said, "Sir Fetch'd, I'm leaving these guys in your care!"
"Gaah!"
Sir Fetch'd nodded respectfully, indicating that he would protect the Stonjourner group.
Naoki curiously examined Sir Fetch'd, intrigued by its appearance. He asked, "It evolved from a Galarian Farfetch'd, right?"
"That's right," Yosuke confirmed with a smile. "It's a very brave and hardworking Pokemon. Its fighting stance resembles that of a valiant warrior from the movies!"
Naoki nodded, his attention drawn to the sword and shield held by Sir Fetch'd, both resembling the vegetable they were named after.
The onion was a significant component of this Pokemon's identity, serving as both a weapon and a cherished companion.
Sensing a malevolent gaze upon itself, Sir Fetch'd stiffened, its keen eyes narrowing as it turned to face Naoki.
Yosuke followed Naoki's line of sight and laughed, "Sir Fetch'd is holding a Galarian onion, a variety that only grows in the Galar region. Are you interested in it? I have a few extra in my backpack that I can give you."
Naoki was indeed curious about the Galarian onion, as he knew it to be a delicious condiment that could enhance the flavor of any dish.
"Then, I'll thank you in advance," Naoki turned away from the scrutinizing Sir Fetch'd and looked towards the distant Pot Lake. Addressing Yosuke, he said, "Let's get going. Do you remember where that Pokemon is located?"
"Of course!"
"Then let's go!"
Naoki patted his Corviknight, and the Pokemon graciously lowered its body to allow them to mount.
When it was Yosuke's turn, he looked surprised and delighted, "Can I really ride this Pokemon too? Won't it be angry?"
At this inquiry, Naoki turned to his Corviknight.
Considering Naoki's request, the Corviknight generously shook its head, "Kaw!"
Yosuke's excitement knew no bounds, "Thank you so much!"
He carefully climbed onto the Pokemon's back and settled into the saddle.
Only when Yosuke was securely seated did the Corviknight take to the skies, flying above the thin veil of mist.
Yosuke scanned their surroundings, getting his bearings before pointing westward. "That place is on the west side of Pot Lake, near the Pathless Sea. We'll have to cross the lake to get there."
"Alright," Naoki concurred.
With nightfall, Pokemon that were rarely seen during the day began to emerge in the area.
Naoki's gaze swept downward, spotting several Dark Crows perched on branches and a mischievous Impidimp up to no good.
Suddenly, Yosuke exclaimed in surprise, "Oh my! A Morpeko is standing up!"
Naoki followed his gaze and spotted a Morpeko walking back and forth in a grassy area below.
Seemingly sensing their presence, the "Morpeko" lifted its head sharply, its eyes alert as it looked in their direction.
"It spotted us!" Yosuke exclaimed, a bit shocked.
As everyone knew, Morpeko were notoriously lazy Pokemon. They spent their days lying on the ground, motionless, and only ate the grass within reach of their hands.
Only when all the grass around them had been devoured would they reluctantly move to another spot. Even if a trainer caused a ruckus in front of them, they wouldn't react.
But now, this particular Morpeko was not only standing but also actively walking around, its demeanor sharp and alert as it monitored its surroundings.
So, was it an Impostor Pokemon or a Zorua? From its sharp and vigilant movements, Naoki guessed that there was an eighty percent chance it was a Zorua.
Zorua, the fluffy mystical fox Pokemon, the phantom beast...
Naoki's heart stirred.
Gouleton didn't stop, and the three of them soon left the area, with the Ditto disappearing from their sight.
Naoki glanced back with a slight hint of regret.
In that moment, he had even considered abandoning his search for the mysterious Pokemon to verify if it was truly a Ditto or a Zorua.
Forget it, he couldn't afford to lose the melon for the sesame seeds.
There would be bread, and there would be milk.
Pot Lake was right here, and he could explore it whenever he wanted in the future.
Naoki gathered his thoughts, and at that moment, Gouleton flew across the vast Pot Lake and reached the other side.
Yosuke looked at the cliffs not far away and exclaimed excitedly, "That's the place!"
Naoki followed his gaze and spotted a familiar Pokemon on top of a steep cliff.
The Pokemon had a round body, with a delicate dragon horn and dragon whiskers growing on its head, and a pair of small dragon wings on its back.
It was sitting on the grass at the top of the cliff, staring at the moon in the sky, looking dejected and sighing from time to time.
It really was a Dragonite! Naoki's heart began to race.
Dragonite, the quasi-divine Pokemon of the Kanto region, was not only incredibly powerful but also extremely rare. It was the signature Pokemon of the famous Dragon King, Lance.
It certainly didn't disappoint!
"What Pokemon is that?!"
Upon getting a clear view of the Dragonite, Yosuke couldn't help but reveal a shocked expression.
Naoki slowly uttered its name: "Dragonite."
Gouleton hovered in the air and did not land immediately.
Either the Dragonite hadn't noticed them, or it had noticed but didn't care.
After observing for a while, Naoki instructed Gouleton to land behind the Dragonite.
Yosuke immediately took out his pen and picture book and began to sketch the scene before him—Dragonite gazing at the moon.
Hearing the sounds from behind, the Dragonite turned its head, looking confused. When it noticed the sudden appearance of several people and Pokemon, it was startled, and its face immediately showed surprise.
"Roar?! Wh-when did you get here?!"
How adorable! Naoki's gaze fell on the Dragonite.
The Dragonite in front of him was quite round, with a chubby body and a big belly that looked incredibly soft. He wondered what it would feel like to touch.
Even those round and plump dragon claws looked incredibly cute.
No wonder it was called the 'Fat Dragon'.
Naoki really wanted to bring this Dragonite back to his ranch.
Therefore, he tried his best to convey his goodwill towards the Dragonite.
"Good evening, Dragonite!"
The Dragonite blinked its big, round eyes, showing no signs of hostility or aggression. It simply glanced at them a few times, sighed softly, then stood up and flew into the sky, leaving the area and heading towards the depths of the sea.
Naoki and Yosuke looked at each other, unsure what to make of this.
After a moment, Naoki asked, "Did we... disturb it?"
Yosuke stared at the Dragonite's retreating figure and murmured, "It seems to be troubled about something."
Could a Dragonite, sitting at the top of the Pokemon ecosystem, also have problems it couldn't solve?
Yosuke suddenly remembered something: "Shouldn't you have sent out Gouleton to battle it immediately and then captured it with a Poke Ball?"
"...That would be too forceful, wouldn't it?" Naoki replied indirectly: "Besides, I'm not a trainer, nor do I intend to become one. Even if I caught it, I wouldn't use it for battles. I just want to live with it. You should understand that feeling, right?"
Yosuke nodded, "A collecting hobby? I've seen people like that before, who only capture specific Pokemon for their collection."
This remark immediately reminded Naoki of the perverted collector from the Latias and Latios incident.
He couldn't help but ask, "They're not like that perverted collector, turning them into specimens, are they?"
"How is that possible?" Yosuke widened his eyes in surprise: "Those guys just have strange hobbies, they're not perverts. I've met someone who only captures fluffy and cute Pokemon. I heard that guy sleeps with those Pokemon every day, enjoying the feeling of being surrounded by them."
"There's also a trainer who likes muscular Pokemon, like Machoke, Infernape, Grapploct, Beartic, and Bewear. I think they must have lacked a sense of security when they were young."
Naoki: "..."
He smiled awkwardly but politely.
What a coincidence, he was one of them.
Yosuke asked, "But now that you mention it, aren't you going to chase after it?"
"Makes sense," Yosuke agreed.
The two returned to their campsite on the east side of Pot Lake. After filling their bellies, the Stonjourner huddled close to the warm campfire and dozed off.
Yosuke lowered his voice and asked, "Are you heading back now?"
Naoki also spoke softly, "Yeah, I'll come by again tomorrow."
Aside from feeding the Stonjourner, he had something even more important to do.
He planned to catch fish in Pot Lake and sell them back at the ranch.
If this group of Stonjourner followed him back, that would be five more mouths to feed at the ranch.
Moreover, he needed to ask Kishu to build a salt house specifically for the Stonjourner to reside in, which would make it easier to collect rock salt.
The money he had on hand was far from enough for all these expenses.
Looking at the marks left on the ground by the Stonjourner as they wandered about, Naoki's heart ached.
There were just too many places that needed money; he had to work hard.
"When you have time, come by my ranch. I'll treat you to a good meal then," Naoki invited, giving the traveler from the Galar region directions to his ranch.
Yosuke smiled. "Sure, I'll visit once I'm done with my ecological survey of Pot Lake."
He was curious to see what kind of ranch this young man had built.
Naoki smiled and nodded, bidding him farewell before mounting his Corviknight and flying back to the ranch.
Before leaving, he left all the salty treats in his bag behind. He planned to go into town the next morning, and it might be noon by the time he returned.
By the time Naoki got back to the ranch, it was already late at night.
Although it was late, Motostoke hadn't gone to sleep yet. It lay under the eaves, looking out.
When it saw Naoki and Corviknight returning, its eyes lit up, and it stood up happily.
Naoki walked over and patted its head, knowing that Motostoke had been diligently guarding the ranch. "Alright, I'm back. Go get some rest now."
"Kaw!"
After Motostoke went to rest, Naoki checked the feeding trough, water, and the condition of the chickens in the chicken coop.
Noticing that the water trough was almost empty, he refilled it and finished up his chores before going to bed.
The next morning, after taking care of the ranch, Naoki went into town and located the fishing gear store according to the roadside signs. There, he purchased several extra-large fishing nets.
It was a pity that Iron Husk hadn't evolved into Orbeetle yet, or it could have woven the nets for him.
In the following days, Naoki began a busy routine.
He and Corviknight shuttled back and forth between Pot Lake, West Pacifica Ocean, and the ranch to catch fish, sometimes working until the wee hours of the morning.
Not only him but even Corviknight, a legendary Pokemon, was exhausted by the demanding schedule.
Although it was tiring, Corviknight didn't complain and instead felt happy and fulfilled.
Seeing Naoki running back and forth between the ranch and Pot Lake, Yosuke also came to understand the hardships of managing a ranch.
During one of Naoki's visits to bring food to the Stonjourner, Yosuke couldn't help but exclaim, "You're really working yourself to the bone! You need to take it easy and relax sometimes!"
Naoki, drenched in sweat, handed a bottle of juice to Corviknight to restore its stamina and energy. "There's still a ton of work to do at the ranch, and a lot of mouths to feed. I have to earn more money!"
"Alright then," Yosuke said, seeing that he couldn't persuade Naoki otherwise. After Naoki and Corviknight left, he turned to the five Stonjourner and began to persuade them.
"The Stonjourner King has been caught by a human Trainer and won't be coming back."
"You've seen it too, right? The food these past few days has been brought by this human. He really wants you all to go back to the ranch with him and live there together."
"Salt... salt..."
The Stonjourner pictured Naoki working at Pot Lake, taking time out of his busy schedule to visit them and bring delicious food.
Even their leader might not have treated them this well.
Furthermore, their current leader had been taken away by humans and wasn't coming back.
The Stonjourner looked touched.
The five little Pokemon glanced at each other and made up their minds. They decided to follow the human who had protected them and brought them food, leaving this place to live with him at his ranch.
The Stonjourner's cognition was still immature, but at this moment, they vaguely understood that no one else in the world would treat them as well as Naoki.
(End of Chapter)
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