https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-411-The-Magical-Phone-Rayquaza-s-Online-Alias-and-a-Rotom-Scared-by-Giratina/12537580/
Chapter 412: Dragonite Delivery, The Ranch Store Opens!
Chapter 412: Dragonite Delivery, The Ranch Store Opens!
Naoki couldn't help but roll his eyes at the message on his screen, thinking to himself how quickly Yeci embraced new things.
He casually mentioned it in passing.
Soon enough, Yeci replied with a cheeky smile.
Yeci: Of course, as the Champion of the Padia League, I must stay ahead of the times. Otherwise, it'd be too easy to develop a generation gap with you young folks.
Naoki: "..."
After ending his call with Yeci, Naoki soon received several more requests to add him as a friend.
They were from Adeku, the Champion of the Unova League; Dandelion, the Champion of the Galar region; and Qi Shu, the Gym Leader of Nian Guang.
Adeku's profile picture was a photo of him with his Volcarona, a warm smile on his face, exuding energy and enthusiasm.
Adeku: So, this is the cell phone you mentioned? It's so convenient! I can't imagine life without it now!
Dandelion's profile, on the other hand, was a photo of him commanding a Pokemon battle under the dazzling flash of cameras.
Dandelion: Are you at the ranch? I'll be going on vacation soon, and I plan to visit you. Are you free?
Qi Shu's profile picture was also a photo of herself.
Qi Shu: We're finally connected! Haha, I knew it! I knew you'd get a Rotom Phone, Naoki!
Reading these messages, Naoki smiled and replied to each of them.
Naoki: Pretty handy, isn't it?
Naoki: Yes, I'm here. Anytime you're free, you're welcome to visit!
Naoki: Absolutely. The Rotom Phone is so much more convenient than the old communicators. I don't think anyone could resist its allure.
Adeku and Dandelion exchanged a few pleasantries before signing off, but Qi Shu seemed eager for a longer chat.
Qi Shu: Hey, what are you up to?
Naoki: I'm heading into town to set up my bank account and link it to online banking. You're on vacation too, right?
As far as he knew, the Gym Leaders of the Padia region would take time off at the end of each year, free to do as they pleased without having to accept challenges from Trainers at their Gyms.
True to his prediction, Qi Shu confirmed.
Qi Shu: Yep! I went back to my hometown a while ago and am now helping my mom make lunch!
She sent over a photo, and Naoki saw Qi Shu covered in flour, standing next to a kindly looking aunt.
That must be Qi Shu's mother.
He didn't recall seeing the parents of Gym Leaders in the games...
But thinking about it, the family that raised Qi Shu, this cheerful and lively young woman, must be incredibly happy and content.
After a brief exchange, Naoki set off on his Golurk towards Zhiqin Town to take care of his banking business.
Meanwhile, in a mansion in Nian Guang City...
Qi Shu's mother studied her daughter's goofy smile on the screen, her finely shaped eyebrows raising in curiosity.
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
Qi Shu quickly shook her head in denial. "No way! What boyfriend? He's just a friend I knew from before."
The woman, intimately familiar with her daughter, smiled knowingly. "I don't think so! I heard you often travel across the entire Padia region to visit him in far-off Zhiqin Town."
And Zhiqin Town was a world away from Nian Guang City. Knowing her daughter, she wouldn't make such trips without a good reason.
Qi Shu tried to explain, "The Champion arranged that for us Gym Leaders as part of our duties!"
The woman gave her a look that said, "Go on, I'm listening."
Once Qi Shu finished, her mother smiled and asked, "So, you don't have even a little feeling for him?"
Caught red-handed, Qi Shu could only admit, "Fine, I admit it. I just have a tiny crush, that's all!"
And so, the woman turned and shared the news with her husband.
During lunch, the couple gazed at their daughter, their expressions filled with emotion.
"After this year, our little girl will be eighteen years old."
"Wow, our baby girl is all grown up! Before we know it, she'll be a full-fledged adult."
"Time flies. I remember when she was just this tiny, and now she's almost ready to stand on her own."
Qi Shu: "..."
Qi Shu felt exasperated.
"Was it love at first sight?" the man suddenly asked.
Qi Shu's heart sank, and she answered honestly, "Not really..."
She couldn't quite describe her feelings.
When they first met, she had thought of Naoki as an uncle, but the second time, she noticed he had cut his hair and shaved his beard, even asking her if he looked younger.
Qi Shu had found Naoki's personality interesting and endearing.
She hadn't lied earlier; she did have a little crush on him.
Seeing their daughter's reaction, the couple smiled and encouraged her, "Go for it, sweetheart! If you like him, take the initiative! Just like I did with your mom!"
Facing these eccentric parents, Qi Shu felt even more exasperated.
She decided that tonight, she would take her Electabuzz and leave! She'd go back to her own place!
After taking care of his banking business in town, Naoki rode his Golurk back to the ranch.
Life went on as usual, and while the days at the ranch were plain and ordinary, Naoki cherished this tranquility and found it increasingly precious.
Naoki shook his head, knowing that life continued regardless.
Now that the Rotom Phone had been released, it was time to get to work on the Dragonite Delivery Company!
Speaking of Dragonite Delivery, one couldn't help but mention the Pokemon Shopping app, similar to Taobao.
The design concept of this app was based on a proposal Naoki had provided earlier, as he felt it incorporated all the necessary functions.
Although it had been less than a week since the release of the Rotom Phone, thanks to the advance groundwork laid by Rotom Tech, this app already had numerous merchants uploading their products and officially starting their businesses.
Naoki browsed through the app and found sellers offering MooMoo Milk, Berries, plush toys, and Poke Balls.
He opened the shopping interface, bound his online bank account, and tried purchasing twenty regular Poke Balls.
Then, he was presented with two delivery options.
One was Pelipper Express, with delivery fees determined by distance. The description explained that after a customer's purchase, the merchant would send the goods via Pelipper Pokemon, which were specially trained for this purpose.
These Pelippers, having lived on the open sea for years, had an exceptional sense of direction and would deliver the goods accurately and promptly.
The other option was regular human delivery, where couriers drove trucks between cities.
Compared to the dedicated Pelipper delivery, this option took longer but was also cheaper.
Contemplating the options, Naoki nodded thoughtfully.
He then opened the store he had created earlier and renamed it "Naoki's Ranch."
Next, Naoki uploaded some agricultural products and specialties from the ranch.
In addition to regular fruits, vegetables, and MooMoo Milk, he also listed the limited-purchase Life Milk, clearly stating its effects, hoping to help Trainers and Pokemon in need.
As for the delivery method for his online store...
Naoki checked and found that in addition to the existing options, he could also customize his own.
So, he typed in "Dragonite Delivery" and specified that after a purchase, a Dragonite would deliver the goods to the customer.
Compared to Pelipper Express and truck delivery, Dragonite Delivery was faster and more reliable, and Naoki set the delivery fee higher accordingly.
He didn't intend to keep these fees; instead, he planned to give them all to the Dragonites, letting Rotom take them into town to buy whatever they wanted.
With everything in place, it was now time for the working Dragonites to choose their Rotom partners.
However, this would likely take a few days, as Naoki had given the Dragonites a break of almost a week.
But plans often changed, and although Naoki had given the Dragonites time off, they had other ideas.
The next day, the snow stopped, the sun shone brightly in the sky, and the temperature was relatively warm compared to previous days.
Early in the morning, the working Dragonites, bored on Dragonite Island, flew over to Naoki's ranch.
Seeing this group of Dragonites, Naoki was surprised. "Why are you guys here? I thought I gave you a few days off?"
The working Dragonites roared incessantly.
They all indicated that they were bored on the island and wanted to come to the ranch to work!
Naoki: "..." He had never met such diligent workers.
Meanwhile, his own Dragonite looked on speechlessly at these working Dragonites.
Forget working, he knew these guys just wanted to come to the ranch to eat!
But Naoki didn't think too much of it.
Since the Dragonites had come over, he decided to take this opportunity to distribute the Rotom Phones to them.
Including his own Dragonite, there were now twelve Dragonites on the ranch.
With this in mind, Naoki went back into the living room and brought out twelve Rotom Phones, letting the Dragonites familiarize themselves with the devices and choose their preferred partners.
Once all the Dragonites had selected their Rotom partners, Naoki proceeded to introduce them to the functions and features of the Rotom Phones and explained their new task.
The Dragonites listened with puzzled expressions, their faces reflecting their confusion as they stared at the floating Rotom Phones in front of them.
"Simply put," Naoki explained, "starting today, I need you to help me deliver goods from the ranch to farther places."
He had already devised a complete set of procedures.
Once a customer purchased something from his store, the Rotom Phone would automatically capture the customer's information and send it to the Dragonites' Rotom partners.
Then, those Rotom partners would use satellite maps to locate the customer's position and guide the Dragonites to their destination, ensuring the goods were delivered promptly.
During the delivery process, if any issues arose, the Rotom would automatically contact the ranch, notifying Naoki of the situation.
"No problem, we're on it!" the eager Dragonites assured him, enthusiastically patting their chests.
Naoki nodded in satisfaction. "In that case, I'm counting on you!"
With the new year approaching, he planned to officially launch Dragonite Delivery in the spring after the snow melted.
For now, Naoki asked the Dragonites to familiarize themselves with their Rotom partners on the ranch, while he took the opportunity to go to Zhiqin Town to shop for the upcoming holiday.
It was the year 199 in the Pokemon League calendar, his second year in this world.
In these two years, the ranch had become home to numerous Pokemon.
As Naoki walked through the aisles, he thought about each Pokemon's preferences, carefully selecting treats they would enjoy.
After finishing his shopping, Naoki loaded the goodies into his truck and drove back to the ranch.
As soon as he arrived, he called out to his Golurk and Machoke to help unload the vehicle.
Once everything was unpacked, Naoki returned to the living room, intending to get a drink of water.
However, he noticed that Reuniclus, who had been lounging on the sofa watching TV, was nowhere to be seen.
On the sofa now were several Eevees curled up asleep.
Naoki looked around and asked Ai Guanshi, his older brother, "Where's Reuniclus?"
Ai Guanshi replied, "Ai~"
He pointed in the direction of the glass greenhouse.
Naoki walked over to the greenhouse and found Reuniclus sitting amidst the lush flowers, engrossed in playing with a Rotom Phone.
Naoki: "..."
It seemed that Reuniclus had traded its TV addiction for a new obsession with the phone.
Reuniclus noticed Naoki's presence and exclaimed, "If only I had a Rotom Phone back then! I wouldn't have felt so lonely wandering in the Crown Tundra."
Naoki paused, struck by Reuniclus' words, as he was reminded of lonely elderly people he had seen in his previous life.
It was rather pitiful.
Not wanting to disturb Reuniclus, Naoki quietly left the greenhouse.
That evening, after dinner, Ai Guanshi and Sai Fugu headed to the Pokemon Tavern to start their shift.
Naoki returned to his room, lying in bed with the fluffy Eevees snuggled up on his stomach as he played with his phone.
Several unevolved Eevees huddled together on his belly, nuzzling and sleeping soundly.
Pupitar lay at the foot of the bed, while Golurk slept on the soft carpet.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Naoki got up to open it and was surprised to find Ai Guanshi standing there.
"What's wrong?" Sensing her urgency, Naoki popped two translated sunflower seeds into his mouth.
Ai Guanshi exclaimed, "Ai~!" (I have news about the search for Pupitar's parents that you asked the tavern customers to help with!)
"Hmm?" Upon hearing this, Naoki sat up straight, his attention fully focused.
Pupitar, who had been dozing off on the bed, also perked up, its eyes sparkling with excitement as it asked, "Ba ba ba?" (Really?)
Ai Guanshi nodded gently, "Ai~" (Yes, a Chatot told me about it!)
Three minutes later, Naoki and Pupitar rushed into the Pokemon Tavern.
There, perched on the bar counter, was a blue-feathered Chatot sipping on a glass of juice. It held the glass with its wing while chattering away.
"Cheep cheep cheep! Cheep chep chirp!" (Let me tell you, back when I was out and about, I even defeated tough Pokemon like Kentauros!)
The other Pokemon patrons listened with keen interest.
Mid-story, the Chatot noticed Naoki and Pupitar entering.
Pupitar eagerly flew over and inquired, "Ba ba ba?!" (Did you really see my mom and dad?!)
The Chatot fixed its gaze on Pupitar, looking a bit puzzled. "Cheep chep?" (Are you Pupitar? But your color is different from the one I saw.)
Pupitar nodded vigorously, "Ba ba!" It was indeed Pupitar, beyond a shadow of a doubt!
Though the Chatot was a bit perplexed, it proceeded to share its discovery.
A year ago, while soaring above a forest with its Chatot companions, it had spotted two Pupitar searching frantically for their child.
The two Pupitar had even climbed a tall, towering tree to ask the Chatots if they had seen their offspring.
Back then, the Chatots had replied in the negative, and the Pupitar duo had sadly turned to leave.
Hearing about the tall tree in the forest, Pupitar became excited.
"That's it! I remember there was a really tall tree where I used to live!"
"Can you still recall the location of that place?" Naoki asked, speaking up for the first time.
The Chatot puffed out its chest proudly. "Cheep cheep! Cheep chep!" (Of course! We Chatots are the most incredible Pokemon in the world. We never forget anything we set our eyes on!)
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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