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Chapter 408: A Tropical Dragon from the South Gives Rayquaza a Massage
Chapter 408: A Tropical Dragon from the South Gives Rayquaza a Massage
Naoki immediately headed to Soaking Town after hanging up the phone.
When he arrived, Meloetta was organizing supplies in the store, and upon seeing Naoki, she took him straight to the location of the Tropical Dragon.
"The Tropical Dragon is currently staying at the ranch temporarily, but it's quite depressed because it got separated from its companions," Meloetta explained as they walked.
Naoki nodded in understanding.
Most Tropical Dragons inhabit tropical jungles, especially in the Alola region, where their numbers are abundant. However, some can still be found in other regions.
These Tropical Dragons have unique ecological habits. Perhaps due to the influence of their diverse habitats, every time the cold winter arrives, these Tropical Dragons tend to form large groups and fly south to warmer climates, much like swallows.
"And they return when the weather gets warmer," Meloetta added.
As the two continued on their way, traversing a stretch of withered yellow grassland, Naoki finally caught sight of the Tropical Dragon by a small lake.
The Tropical Dragon was massive in size, standing over two meters tall, with a brownish-gray body resembling the coconut trees that grow by the seaside. Its neck was long, its limbs sturdy, and three green leaves sprouted from its head, giving it the appearance of a tree wrapped in foliage at first glance.
Four enormous leaves also grew from the Tropical Dragon's back, serving as its wings, enabling it to fly by flapping them.
However, the most captivating feature was the string of yellow fruits resembling bananas that hung from its lower jaw.
"So, this is the Tropical Dragon. Have you seen one before, Mr. Naoki?" Meloetta asked.
"Only from a distance, never up close," Naoki replied. He had seen Tropical Dragons before when he visited Big Pot Lake; it was a place they favored due to its abundant water sources, lush vegetation, and fresh air.
"I see!" Meloetta nodded gently and then continued her explanation. "This Pokemon, the Tropical Dragon, can also be raised and domesticated! The fruits that grow on their necks are quite delicious. I've tasted them myself. They bear fruit twice a year."
"I've heard that in the Alola region, children like to snack on the fruits that grow on the Tropical Dragons' necks. Because of the popularity of these fruits, many farms dedicated to raising Tropical Dragons have sprung up in Alola. However, due to the climate differences, the fruits produced by the Tropical Dragons here in Pasio aren't as sweet as those in Alola."
Naoki listened intently, nodding along.
He gazed at the Tropical Dragon in the distance and couldn't help but marvel at its size. "Tropical Dragons are truly enormous!" he exclaimed, comparing it to the size of an elephant.
"Mhm," Meloetta agreed with a smile. "But don't worry, Mr. Naoki! Tropical Dragons are known for their gentle temperament. Even wild ones will offer the fruits from their necks to humans in need. They are very kind creatures."
As she spoke, Meloetta walked up to the Tropical Dragon and began petting its head affectionately. "Don't worry, Tropical Dragon. We've found a Trainer who is willing to take care of you. This is him, right here."
The forlorn Tropical Dragon followed Meloetta's gaze and spotted Naoki standing nearby.
Naoki waved at it in a friendly manner. "Hello there, Tropical Dragon. I'm Naoki. I currently manage a ranch, and if you'd like, you can stay with us this winter."
Naoki thought to himself, "It's a shame this Pokemon isn't a Dragon-type. Otherwise, my Dragon-taming powers would have come in handy."
Hearing Naoki's invitation, the Tropical Dragon raised its long neck and looked at him intently.
It saw a kind human, one who was offering a warm smile.
Meloetta nodded, affirming, "Yes, Mr. Naoki is a very kind person. His ranch is home to many different Pokemon. If you spend the winter there, you won't feel lonely this year."
"Roar..." The Tropical Dragon, still a bit downcast, nodded slowly.
This indicated its willingness to join Naoki at the ranch for the winter.
It had no other choice, as its wing injury had left it unable to fly, forcing it to watch as the other Tropical Dragons migrated south while it remained alone.
Seeing the Tropical Dragon's agreement, Naoki smiled and said, "Then let's head back now. The Pokemon at the ranch are eagerly awaiting your arrival!"
Naoki wasn't lying to the Tropical Dragon. Before he had set off on his motorcycle-like Lizardon, Froslass, Sceptile, and Trevenant had stopped him, curious about where he was going. He had told them about the Tropical Dragon, and upon hearing that the Pokemon bore sweet fruits on its neck, they had all looked forward to its arrival, patiently waiting at home.
Hearing that there were Pokemon anticipating his presence, the Tropical Dragon felt a slight stir of emotion, and its mood improved slightly from its initial gloom.
The Tropical Dragon let out a long, resounding roar, tilting its head back before flapping its massive wings and flying to Naoki's side.
Naoki didn't refuse and took out a Poke Ball to recall his Lizardon before mounting the Tropical Dragon's back.
The trainer and his Pokemon waved goodbye to Meloetta.
Meloetta looked delighted and called out, "Take care, Tropical Dragon!"
"Oom!" the Tropical Dragon replied.
The Pokemon knew that the human before it had rescued him, and it felt grateful to Meloetta and the old man.
Before leaving, it lowered its neck and offered Meloetta the bunches of banana-like fruits that grew on it.
"What a kind and polite Tropical Dragon," Naoki thought to himself, impressed.
He was about to say something when he noticed that the bananas the Tropical Dragon had plucked from its neck had already regrown.
Naoki was stunned.
"How is this possible? Don't the fruits on its neck only grow twice a year?" he wondered.
But soon, realization dawned on him.
"This Tropical Dragon's ability is Harvest!" he thought.
Harvest, the Tropical Dragon's hidden ability, allowed it to recreate used Berries with a 50% chance in games, and a 100% chance in sunny weather.
Meloetta happily accepted the Tropical Dragon's gift, and upon seeing the regrown fruits, she exclaimed, "So, your ability is Harvest!" She turned to Naoki and explained, "Mr. Naoki, Tropical Dragons with the Harvest ability can occasionally yield a bumper crop!"
"They can use their body's energy, moisture, and sunlight to accelerate the growth of the fruits, causing the plucked fruits to grow back quickly," she added.
"However, this effect can only work once in a short period, and after it activates, there needs to be a cooldown period before the Tropical Dragon can use this ability again, as it relies on the energy within its body," Meloetta concluded.
Hearing this, Naoki couldn't help but exclaim, "So that's how it is!"
A Tropical Dragon with the Harvest ability would be the perfect addition to his ranch!
What surprised Naoki even more was Meloetta's extensive knowledge about Pokemon.
He recalled their first meeting when Meloetta was a shy little girl. Now, two years later, she had grown up and become more outgoing.
"You're amazing! You know so much about Pokemon!" Naoki praised.
Meloetta blushed slightly, "My grandfather taught me all of this. I plan to become a Pokemon breeder when I grow up, so my grandfather shared a lot of his knowledge about Pokemon with me after he heard about this incident."
"A Pokemon breeder? Go for it!" Naoki encouraged.
Meloetta nodded confidently, "I will!"
After a brief chat, the Tropical Dragon flapped its wings and took off into the air.
Naoki directed it towards the ranch, and the Tropical Dragon obediently flew in that direction.
Although it wasn't as fast as a Flygon, the broad back of the Tropical Dragon provided a much steadier ride.
Soon, they arrived back at the ranch, where a group of Pokemon were already waiting.
As soon as Naoki and the Tropical Dragon landed, the curious Pokemon surrounded them.
Naoki introduced their new companion, "Everyone, this is the Tropical Dragon I mentioned earlier!"
The Tropical Dragon, intrigued by the diverse group of Pokemon, looked at them with curiosity.
Froslass, Trevenant, Mudsdale, and Mr. Mime all welcomed the Tropical Dragon warmly.
Perhaps sensing their enthusiasm, the Tropical Dragon's mood lifted, and it responded with a cheerful, "Oom~!"
The next step was to find a suitable living space for the Tropical Dragon on the ranch.
With the dropping temperatures, the Grass/Flying-type Pokemon was four times weaker against Ice-type attacks, just like Lizardon, and it needed a warm place to stay during the winter.
That's why they migrated south in large numbers before the cold set in.
The ranch's climate wasn't ideal for the Tropical Dragon, but Naoki already had a solution in mind.
He guided the Tropical Dragon through the ranch's lake and into the Reverse World, eventually arriving at the floating island where the World Tree stood.
Naoki had cultivated many Sunflowers in this area, which could provide light and heat for Grass-type Pokemon to photosynthesize and replenish their energy.
For the Tropical Dragon, this was the perfect place to spend the winter.
The World Tree had grown significantly, towering over a hundred meters tall, making the over-two-meter-tall Tropical Dragon seem minuscule in comparison.
Fortunately, the Reverse World had infinite space, so there was no need to worry about accommodations.
The Tropical Dragon's face lit up with surprise at the sight of the massive tree.
"Oom!" it exclaimed.
"This is the World Tree," Naoki explained, gesturing to the tree and the group of Ride Taur below it, who had grown larger from absorbing abundant natural energy.
He patted the heads of the three Ride Taur and introduced the Tropical Dragon, "This is the Tropical Dragon. If everything goes well, it will be living with us from now on."
The three Ride Taur, known for their gentle and docile nature, happily welcomed the new addition to their group.
The Tropical Dragon also took note of these peculiar Pokemon. Sensing the intensely concentrated Grass-type energy emanating from the Ride Gogoat, it wore an expression of astonishment.
There were also Ride Sheep and Ride Gogoat back at Big Pot Lake, but the Tropical Dragon had never felt such a strong aura from them.
Amazing!
Naoki instructed the Ride Gogoat and Olivine to take good care of their new companion before turning to leave for the ranch. It was getting late, and he needed to prepare dinner for the Pokemon.
However, just as he was about to depart, a grumpy voice called out to him from the neighboring Sky Island where Giratina was sleeping.
"You're getting more and more casual," grumbled Giratina.
How bold! Was this human taking liberties on its turf, coming and going as he pleased?! Giratina seethed.
"..."
Only then did Naoki remember about the temperamental dragon in the Reverse World.
He spoke up, "Aren't you lonely here all by yourself? You should make some more friends, too."
Such audacity! How would he ever be able to hand over the Rotom Phone to Giratina now? It would surely scare the Rotom inside! Giratina fumed.
Giratina refused to admit its loneliness and chose to mask its true feelings with an outburst, "Who's lonely?! I've been doing just fine for countless millennia! I am not lonely!"
Giratina huffed, "Hmph, human, I see your boldness knows no bounds!"
Despite its words, Giratina found itself warming up to Naoki. There was something about him that felt oddly familiar and amicable.
Naoki was unsure how to navigate Giratina's mood swings, so to soothe its temper, he flew over to the Sky Island filled with flowers.
Then, much to Giratina's astonishment, Naoki stretched out his hand towards it.
Dragon-taming power, activate! The next second, Giratina's eyes widened in surprise.
"You audacious human! What are you doing?!"
It felt a surge of warm energy flowing into its body...
In that moment, Giratina experienced a novel sensation, its body feeling warm and fuzzy all over.
Naoki decided to stroke its ego, "I'm expressing my gratitude. This is a newly awakened ability of mine, and it works well on Dragon-type Pokemon like you."
With that, Naoki proceeded to give Giratina a full-body massage.
Afterward, Giratina felt as if it had gotten drunk.
"Scram! Considering how well-behaved you are, I'll let today's transgression slide."
As expected... the Dragon-taming power even works on Legendary Pokemon! Naoki thought.
However, it seemed to have minimal effect for the time being.
But Naoki had no intentions of using his Dragon-taming power to make Giratina stronger. Given Giratina's formidable power, the current level of his Dragon-taming ability would be akin to a drop in the bucket.
He was content with simply using it to curry favor with Giratina.
After some contemplation, Naoki bid Giratina farewell.
In the year 199 of the Pokemon League, the first snowfall arrived earlier than the previous year.
The next morning, snowflakes began to dance in the air.
Fortunately, Naoki had prepared the ranch for the cold weather in advance.
The Combee and Butterfree moved into the glass greenhouse, while the Ride Gogoat and Olivine settled under the World Tree.
The Milktanks returned to the cozy Pokemon Cottage, and the Saltrock Giants retreated to the underground caverns.
The Wooloo were accommodated in the Milktanks' Pokemon Cottage, and Snorlax was brought into the living room.
With no work to be done in the snowy weather, Naoki spent a rare day at home with the Pokemon.
Outside, the snow fell heavily.
Inside, the Magcargo in the fireplace continuously pumped out heat, while the Claydols at the vents fed the Magcargo with Berries.
Several Eevee frolicked and played in the room, a Frostlass chatted with other Eevee on Snorlax's belly, and two Eevee who had never seen snow before pressed their faces against the window, captivated by the sight outside.
The Lizardon and Glalie lounged by the fireplace, the Amaura siblings kept watch nearby, the Froslass sat on the sofa watching TV, and the Golurk drifted around in the second-floor rooms.
The Phantom and Sableye were on the second floor, sharing the masks that Sableye had worn in the past.
The Leeku was resting with its leek, the Dragonite had returned to its Poke Ball for a nap, and the hardworking Dragonite delivery team had been rewarded with a large bag of Pokeblocks as year-end bonuses before returning to Dragonite Island for the winter.
Naoki lay on the sofa, fiddling with the Rotom Phone, attempting to communicate with the Rotom inside.
Amidst the swirling snowflakes, a Zapdos soared through the sky, carrying two small Pokemon on its back.
They were none other than the traveling Teddiursa and Mew.
As the distance to the ranch shrunk, anticipation lit up their faces.
(End of Chapter)
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