Chapter 403: A Special Tea, Dragon Scale Fragrance

Chapter 403: A Special Tea, Dragon Scale Fragrance

After drinking the Life Milk, the eldest Aerodactyl slowly stood up from the ground.

With a serious expression, it let out a low growl, "Roaar!"

Its eyes clearly conveyed: From now on, you are my trainer!

The two younger Aerodactyl brothers huddled behind their eldest brother, nodding vigorously in agreement, "Roaar!" Yes! They also acknowledge their new trainer!

Naoki couldn't help but break into a sweat as he realized that this Aerodactyl came with two extra companions.

And so, when the Aerodactyl returned from town to the ranch after completing its deliveries for the day, this was the scene that greeted it—

The three wild Aerodactyl stood before Naoki, offering him a "pleading" smile.

The ranch's Aerodactyl widened its eyes and immediately landed in front of Naoki, blocking the wild trio's line of sight.

The eldest of the wild Aerodactyl, once renowned for its infamy on the island, had also taken notice of this familiar Pokemon.

Its gaze shifted from the human to the ranch Aerodactyl, and it keenly sensed the hostility emanating from the latter.

The eldest wild Aerodactyl remained silent.

The ranch Aerodactyl also kept quiet.

The two Pokemon stood facing each other in the grass, their faces solemn.

"Ahem." Naoki stepped between the two Aerodactyl, blocking their gaze from each other. Then, he turned to the ranch Aerodactyl and said, "Those three Aerodactyl are also here to apply for a job at our ranch."

Applying for a job? The ranch Aerodactyl was puzzled.

It recognized the eldest wild Aerodactyl and was aware of its strength and the pride it carried.

Such an Aerodactyl wouldn't be lured by the treats from the ranch; why would it want to work here?

"Roaarr?" the ranch Aerodactyl asked uncertainly.

Naoki patted its shoulder reassuringly, "So, according to our usual procedure, I'll leave these three newcomers in your care. Please show them around town and help them settle into their new roles."

Naoki's words were true to a degree. While the wild Aerodactyl had indeed come to work, their primary motivation wasn't the treats but rather the opportunity to become stronger.

Naoki intended to pay these three Aerodactyl by helping them improve their strength, and he had informed the ranch Aerodactyl of this arrangement.

The ranch Aerodactyl thought about it carefully. Was it worth working for Naoki in exchange for a chance to enhance its power?

This didn't seem like a bad deal at all; it would save a lot of treats!

Realizing that the wild Aerodactyl weren't there to compete for a trainer, the ranch Aerodactyl relaxed and happily nodded its head in agreement, "Roaarr~"

"Off you go, then!" Naoki smiled and rubbed its head affectionately.

And so, the ranch Aerodactyl took the three wild Aerodactyl to Zest Town, introducing them to the delivery process and assigning them their respective areas to manage.

Early the next morning, three new Aerodactyl joined the team of delivery Aerodactyl from Naoki's ranch.

In the eyes of the Zest Town residents, the Aerodactyl from Naoki's ranch were all exceptionally gentle and friendly, which led them to assume that all Aerodactyl shared these traits.

However, this peaceful perception was shattered one morning.

When the townspeople opened their doors to the familiar delivery Aerodactyl, they were greeted by a scowling face, a solemn expression, and a long scar running down its face.

"Ahh!" The elderly woman with white hair jumped back in surprise.

In that moment, she was transported back to her youth.

During one of her outdoor adventures, she had encountered a short-tempered and vicious Circle Bear.

The bear had caught and brutally beaten her, leaving her hospitalized for several weeks.

The incident had left a deep impression on her.

Sensing the woman's fear, the eldest wild Aerodactyl immediately realized that its appearance was intimidating to her.

Its eyebrows furrowed slightly, and its expression became even more stern.

Without a word, the eldest wild Aerodactyl placed the milk on the ground and turned to leave.

It was only then that the elderly woman snapped out of her frightened state, staring at the milk on the ground.

Had this Aerodactyl… come to deliver milk?

While the Aerodactyl were out making deliveries, Naoki waited anxiously at the ranch.

Only when he saw all the Aerodactyl return safely did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"It seems the three new Aerodactyl are doing well with their delivery work."

Naoki had been worried that their fierce appearances might scare the townspeople. With expressions akin to robbers, anyone who crossed paths with them on the street would likely assume they were about to be attacked!

But thankfully, all seemed well, and he hadn't received any complaints from the townspeople.

Now, it was time for him to keep his promise!

Upon returning to the ranch, the Aerodactyl landed on a grassy area and settled down.

Some chatted with each other, some dozed off, and others indulged in the delicious treats with blissful expressions.

Take, for example, the two younger Aerodactyl who stuck close to their eldest brother.

While the eldest Aerodactyl showed little interest in the tasty treats, his two siblings were completely hooked.

After getting a taste of the treats, they were utterly captivated, fully immersed in the world of delicious snacks.

Naoki glanced at it a few times before calling out, "Big Brother Aerodactyl, come into the living room, please."

On the table in the living room was a row of fruit wines.

There were wines that increased resistance to paralysis, poison, burns, and freezing.

"Go ahead and drink all of these! This is wine I brewed myself, made from tree fruit. It will enhance your strength," Naoki said with a smile.

The eldest Aerodactyl's eyes locked onto the cups of wine on the table, a hint of skepticism in its gaze.

Could such a thing be possible in this world?

Could one truly become stronger, not through battles, but by simply drinking these wines?

After a moment of silence, the eldest Aerodactyl decided that Naoki had no reason to deceive him.

It picked up the cups of wine and began to drink them one by one.

Soon, after downing over ten cups, the eldest Aerodactyl felt its head spinning, and its entire body felt light.

Naoki was stunned by this sight.

Did these fruit wines have a high alcohol content?

To him, they tasted like fruit juice, reminiscent of the pineapple beer he drank in his previous life.

And the Pokemon in the Pokemon Tavern never seemed to get drunk, no matter how much they drank.

Did this eldest Aerodactyl have such a low alcohol tolerance?

Thud! The eldest Aerodactyl fell to the ground, passed out drunk.

Naoki: "..."

A few Eevees were attracted by the commotion and curiously gathered around the eldest Aerodactyl, gently patting its body with their paws.

"Ee-veee?"

"It's drunk," Naoki explained.

He fetched a blanket and covered the eldest Aerodactyl, letting it sleep it off.

The Eevees didn't understand what being drunk meant, and soon, two of them jumped onto the table, poking their noses into the cups to sniff the fruit wine.

Naoki quickly took the cups away. "You're still young, so no alcohol for you. You can try some when you turn one year old."

One of the Eevees wanted a taste. "Ee-veee!" The fruit wine smelled so good!

When Naoki refused to let them drink, one of the Eevees, with a glint in its eye, turned its attention to the basement where the fruit wine was stored.

It knew that Naoki kept his wine collection there.

Naoki immediately saw through its plan. "No sneaking into my wine cellar to drink my wine!"

He promptly locked the door to the wine cellar.

When the eldest Aerodactyl woke up, it was already noon.

Naoki was about to prepare lunch, and upon seeing it awake, he smiled and asked, "You're up? How do you feel?"

At these words, the eldest Aerodactyl carefully sensed its body, and in the next second, it noticed the miraculous changes that had taken place.

Its body felt stronger, filled with an endless supply of energy, and there were other indescribable sensations...

The eldest Aerodactyl's pupils dilated slightly.

Those wines were incredible!

"Each of those wines has a different effect," Naoki briefly introduced the effects of the fruit wines, then added, "From what I can see, your strength is already quite good. What you lack is practice in techniques."

From the battle between this Aerodactyl and Charmeleon, it was evident that the eldest Aerodactyl believed in brute strength above all else, even against a powerful opponent, it would rush forward without hesitation.

To help the eldest Aerodactyl improve, after lunch, Naoki called over his own Aerodactyl, and the two Aerodactyl engaged in a sparring match.

As expected, just as Naoki had guessed, the eldest Aerodactyl fought recklessly.

Although it displayed considerable strength, it ultimately lost to the combination of Aerodactyl's Rain Dance and Thunder attacks.

After the match, the eldest Aerodactyl wore a grave expression. It couldn't believe that the once foolish Aerodactyl had now become stronger than itself!

Naoki reflected on the eldest Aerodactyl's performance.

Now that he had identified the issue, the next step was to prescribe the right remedy.

This included introducing type advantages and disadvantages, practicing combination moves, trying to change its battling style, and teaching it to observe its opponent's actions instead of rushing in recklessly.

For this purpose, Naoki specifically brought in Charmeleon and Aerodactyl to spar with the eldest Aerodactyl.

Days turned into weeks, and before they knew it, it was September 20, year 199 of the Pokemon League.

During this time, the eldest Aerodactyl's strength steadily increased.

It was no longer the reckless brute it once was.

From this human, Naoki, it had learned a great deal.

And in this nearly month-long period, the eldest Aerodactyl also experienced many things it had never encountered before.

The most noticeable change was the attitude of the townspeople towards it.

It remembered how afraid they were of its appearance during its first delivery, treating it like a wild Pokemon.

But as it continued to make deliveries, the humans gradually lost their fear and even started greeting it gently.

There was also an incident where an old woman's Skitty got stuck up a tree, and the eldest Aerodactyl helped her during one of its deliveries.

At first, its motivation for working was to become stronger, but now, the eldest Aerodactyl found that it had grown fond of its delivery job.

At that moment, it finally understood why the other Aerodactyl would come to the ranch every day.

It wasn't just for the delicious Pokeblocks.

In addition to the treats, there were many other things.

Like Naoki, who treated every Pokemon with care and respect.

The eldest Aerodactyl could tell that all the Pokemon on the ranch loved him dearly.

Recalling Naoki's diligent efforts in special training, the eldest Aerodactyl felt grateful and decided to do something in return.

So, under the moonlight that evening, it returned to its lair and searched until it found a precious scale that had fallen from its body.

This scale was no ordinary scale; it was one of its reverse scales.

It had once fallen off during a battle, causing it great pain, and after the fight, the eldest Aerodactyl had retrieved and treasured that scale.

Now, it decided to give this precious scale to Naoki as a gift.

The next day, when Naoki received the gift from the eldest Aerodactyl, he was utterly astonished.

He looked at the scale in his palm and asked in disbelief, "For me?"

The eldest Aerodactyl nodded, its voice deep and resonating, "Roaar!"

Their gazes met in the air, and after a few seconds of eye contact, Naoki instantly understood what the Aerodactyl meant.

It was expressing its gratitude in its own way! What a noble and loyal Pokemon, Naoki thought.

Despite its fierce appearance and pursuit of strength, it would never bully the weak and would even go out of its way to help others.

Naoki recalled how an elderly woman from town had specifically called to thank him, mentioning how his Aerodactyl had helped rescue her Budew.

Naoki's heart was filled with warmth and admiration for this Pokemon.

"I accept it," Naoki said softly, taking a deep breath. "From now on, stay with us at the ranch!"

The eldest Aerodactyl looked at him with a serious expression and responded with a determined, "Roaar!"

Then, it went off to spar with Naoki's Aerodactyl.

Meanwhile, Naoki examined the crescent-shaped dragon scale in his hand.

The next moment, information about the scale appeared in his mind.

[Aerodactyl's Reverse Scale: A special item, received as a token of the Aerodactyl's trust and gratitude. It is filled with intense emotions and the power of the dragon. When used in cooking, it may produce some magical effects.]

Naoki was stunned.

Yet another item imbued with strong emotions?

He remembered the last time he received such a unique item—it was the Friendship Berries given to him by the Pokemon he had helped in the forest.

Those berries were filled with the Pokemon's gratitude, and when used in cooking, they enhanced the resulting dish.

But soon, Naoki noticed something extraordinary.

This scale was no ordinary scale; it was an Aerodactyl's reverse scale!

For Dragon-type Pokemon, their reverse scales were incredibly important.

And now... this Aerodactyl had given him such a precious gift.

Naoki's heart was filled with a mix of emotions.

Do Dragon Pokemon shed their reverse scales naturally? According to his observations, they did not.

Neither Goodra nor the Aerodactyl shed their dragon scales naturally.

This meant that the scale had been forcibly dislodged, most likely during a battle.

The eldest Aerodactyl must have endured immense pain at that time.

Thinking of this, Naoki felt that his ability was a bit too overpowered.

Looking at the scale that could be used for cooking, Naoki decided not to use it for a dish but to treasure and preserve it instead.

Naoki returned to the living room with the reverse scale, and the Lucario lounging on the sofa noticed his expression, asking with a hint of surprise, "Has something happened?"

Naoki showed it the reverse scale in his hand, "This is an Aerodactyl's reverse scale. It gave me this precious scale as a gift."

Then, Naoki explained to Lucario the significance of reverse scales to Dragon Pokemon.

"Under normal circumstances, Dragon Pokemon don't shed their reverse scales. The only explanation for this scale is that it was knocked off during a battle, and the Aerodactyl must have been in tremendous pain."

Hearing these words, Lucario's expression turned solemn, and it nodded slightly. It looked at the scale, and a flash of blue light appeared in its eyes as it activated its ability.

Then, it saw the past and future of the reverse scale.

In the past, it witnessed the Aerodactyl losing its scale in battle and the intense pain that caused it to lose its sanity.

In the future, it saw the scale transforming into a power that entered Naoki's body, and Naoki using that power to help the Dragon Pokemon on the ranch.

Lucario paused for a moment, then said, "You can use your power to incorporate it into a dish."

Naoki was taken aback, "What do you mean?

Naoki's eyes widened as he processed Lucario's words. So that was what Lucario meant. The vision it saw in the scale... Could it be that by using this scale in a dish, he would gain the ability to help Dragon-type Pokemon?

Naoki stood up and left the room, deep in thought. He soon returned with a determined look on his face. Taking out the scale, he carefully ground it into a fine powder.

Without hesitating, Naoki added the powder to a cup of high-quality black tea, creating a unique brew. He took a moment to appraise the tea, and information about it immediately appeared in his mind.

[Dragon Scale Fragrance (S+)

: A special tea made by infusing the reverse scale of an Aerodactyl, filled with the trust and power of a Dragon-type Pokemon, into fine black tea. It is said that drinkers of this tea will gain the friendship of Dragon-type Pokemon.

Dish Effect: Dragon-Taming Power - After drinking, the consumer will gain the special ability to tame dragons, effective only on humans.

Dragon-Taming Power: Significantly increases affinity with Dragon-type Pokemon, making it easier to capture them. Can expend energy to accelerate the growth and enhancement of Dragon-type Pokemon.

Appraisal: It is said that only those deeply trusted by Dragon-type Pokemon can obtain this ability. Those who possess the Dragon-Taming Power are capable of forging friendships with all Dragon-type Pokemon.]

Naoki's hand trembled as he held the cup. The Dragon-Taming Power... Wasn't that an ability unique to members of the Elite Dragon Family?

Furthermore, not everyone in the Elite Dragon Family could awaken this power; it was an extremely rare ability. Those who possessed it were considered natural-born Dragon Idols.

In that instant, Naoki thought of the Elite Dragon Family from the Johto region, and he thought of Silver. But then his thoughts turned to his own ranch and the Dragon-type Pokemon there.

Who were the true Elite Dragon Family? The Dragon-type Pokemon on his ranch weren't limited to just Aerodactyl.

There were also the Bagon and Axew.

This could be a huge opportunity! Without further hesitation, Naoki raised the cup to his lips and drank the tea, unconcerned about any potential side effects.

As the tea went down, he immediately felt a new energy within him that he could control with his thoughts. Undoubtedly, this was the Dragon-Taming Power.

Excitedly, Naoki rushed outside and sought out the eldest Aerodactyl. The Aerodactyl looked at him, and for some reason, it felt an even stronger sense of familiarity and closeness.

The surrounding Hakuryu and other Aerodactyl also sensed this change. They gathered around curiously.

Naoki smiled at them and then, despite the slightly confused look on the eldest Aerodactyl's face, placed his hand on the scar on its face.

Dragon-Taming Power, activate! The future that Re Crown had foreseen began to unfold.

The eldest Aerodactyl was initially startled by Naoki's action, but soon, it felt a surge of familiar and comforting energy entering its body.

This feeling was incredibly pleasant and soothing. Instinctively, it closed its eyes and basked in the sensation, carefully savoring the energy that was flowing into it.

Its body felt warm... and power was continuously flowing into it...

Naoki channeled all of his Dragon-Taming Power into the eldest Aerodactyl. When he was done, he took a moment to assess his own condition and found that aside from the Dragon-Taming Power being completely depleted, there were no other adverse effects.

Furthermore, the expended Dragon-Taming Power would slowly regenerate over time, similar to a mana bar in a JRPG.

Naoki smiled at the eldest Aerodactyl and asked, "How do you feel?"

The eldest Aerodactyl's gaze towards Naoki intensified, and it seemed to be filled with a newfound fervor.

Noticing this, one of the younger Aerodactyl quickly pulled Naoki away, giving its older sibling a warning glance.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end