https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-440-The-Wise-Slakking-and-Motostoke-s-Emotional-Wound/12537893/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-441-Motostoke-and-Golurk-Part-2-/12537895/
Chapter 441: Motostoke and Golurk (Part 1)
Chapter 441: Motostoke and Golurk (Part 1)
In the ranch, Golurk lowered its head, gazing at its past self.
It understood Motostoke's sorrow because, once upon a time, it had experienced the same thing.
Back then, Golurk had said something to Motostoke that it still remembered to this day.
With this in mind, Golurk opened its mouth and said, "Ah... I have my purpose, and you have yours."
Motostoke was taken aback, its eyes filled with confusion as it looked at Golurk. "Huh? What do you mean?" it asked.
Golurk, with its golden pupils fixed on Motostoke, spoke seriously, "Don't you want to be Naoki's most reliable Pokemon? Are you going to give up now? How can you help Naoki if you stay like this?"
Motostoke was stunned. It never expected Golurk to bring up this topic.
But as they spoke, Motostoke's mood sank even lower.
Dejectedly, Motostoke hung its head and whispered, "Even without me, you can do it all... Naoki doesn't need me..." Its eyes fell on the towering figure of Golurk, so robust and powerful.
It, too, wanted to be such a Pokemon.
But it knew it was impossible. Motostoke couldn't evolve and transform like a Wobbuffet evolving into a Sableye.
Hearing Motostoke's words, Golurk sighed helplessly.
Shaking its head, Golurk said, "You will be able to help Naoki in the future. You will become his most reliable assistant, just like me."
Motostoke was astonished by Golurk's certainty, its eyes filled with bewilderment. "How do you know?"
But Golurk didn't answer. Instead, it gazed at Motostoke, thinking, "That's because I am you from the future."
There never was a Golurk; it had always been that kind-hearted Motostoke.
Pausing for a moment, Golurk continued, "I will leave this place in the future, and Naoki will be in your care then."
If only one of them could exist, then let the past self stay by Naoki's side! In the future, it would stop Motostoke from going to that place, preventing it from falling into the time machine and spending so many years gazing at the moon in that ancient era.
Upon hearing this, Motostoke froze.
Forgetting its sorrow, it asked urgently, "You're leaving? Where are you going?"
Golurk didn't know either. If that future event didn't occur, it would likely be corrected by the flow of time and disappear without a trace.
"Before that," Golurk said, "let me stay by Naoki's side for a little longer."
Motostoke's heart grew heavy. Was Golurk thinking of leaving the ranch because of it?
But Motostoke knew that Golurk had come from a distant era, as Naoki had once told it the story of Golurk.
Golurk lived in an ancient world filled with dangers and ferocious Pokemon. It had endured countless battles to become the formidable Pokemon it was today.
Now, Golurk had traveled alone to their world, leaving behind its mother and friends.
How lonely...
If Golurk left, where would it go? Motostoke felt both pity and guilt.
After a while, Motostoke looked at Golurk and said, "If you leave, Naoki will be very sad. I can share Mom with you, so please stay!"
Golurk was speechless. What did they mean, share Mom? That was their mother, too...
But Golurk didn't answer directly. Instead, it said, "Let's make a deal."
"Huh?"
"Let's keep today's events a secret from Naoki. From now on, I will continue to teach you my special skills. One day, you will use them to protect Naoki."
This was the promise it had made with its past self.
Motostoke looked up at Golurk, bewildered but sensing that Golurk seemed to have made a firm decision.
Golurk assured, "You will use them. If you remain as you are and I'm not around, you won't be able to help Naoki when he's in trouble."
These words struck a chord with Motostoke.
All this time, it had wanted to help Naoki and become his most reliable Pokemon.
The two Pokemon locked eyes.
Golurk's expression was serious, and Motostoke hesitated, wondering if it would truly be able to help Naoki with those skills.
Golurk's answer was affirmative.
It took a while for Motostoke to regain its composure.
It, too, looked intently at Golurk, this formidable Pokemon.
"I won't let you go. I promise to eat properly from now on and never do this again!" Motostoke exclaimed. It thought that Golurk wanted to leave the ranch because it envied Golurk for being Naoki's most reliable assistant.
"Ah..." Golurk sighed inwardly.
Its past self was so childish and annoying, sulking and refusing to eat properly over such a matter. How foolish.
So thought the Pokemon that had once been jealous of itself.
And so, when Naoki fished the two brawling Poke Chick out of the river, he noticed Golurk talking to Motostoke in the distance.
Naoki's heart stirred, and in that moment, he had an epiphany.
Could his little Motostoke's behavior be due to Golurk's presence?
Initially, he would take turns asking both Pokemon for help as his assistants.
But as the number of Pokemon on the ranch grew, Naoki had to divide his attention, and for convenience, he often rode on Golurk to get around, unintentionally neglecting Motostoke.
In this situation, Motostoke might feel unneeded and useless, leading to its low mood and emotional turmoil.
"Is it because of me?" Naoki quietly reflected, making a decision: it's not too late to fix things. From now on, he would spend more time with Motostoke.
Naoki called upon Fire Eevee to use its Hot Wind to dry off the two fighting Poke Chick.
Afterward, Naoki handed the limp Poke Chick to the pair of Mud-Slap parents, reassuring them that the Poke Chick were fine.
With this in mind, Naoki smiled and walked up to the two Pokemon, asking, "What were you two chatting about?"
Motostoke subconsciously glanced at Golurk.
Golurk, in its goofy Ride Pokemon form, let out an "Agah!" before turning and running off, seemingly wanting to give Motostoke and Naoki some privacy.
Naoki noticed this interaction and sensed a slight unusual atmosphere between the two Pokemon.
Watching Golurk run off in the distance, Naoki inquired, "What did Golurk say to you just now? Did it bully you?"
Hearing the word "bully," Motostoke quickly shook its head. "Ga'ao!" It denied that Golurk had bullied it.
Naoki had already guessed that Golurk must have said something to touch Motostoke's heart, seeing how it was acting.
Smiling, Naoki asked, "So, what were the two of you whispering about?"
Motostoke remembered the promise it had made with Golurk and immediately closed its mouth, acting as if they hadn't been talking about anything at all.
"Let me guess," said Naoki. "Was Golurk comforting you just now?"
Motostoke widened its eyes. "Ga'ao?"
The expression on its face seemed to ask, "How did you know?"
Naoki smiled faintly. "We've all been living together for so long. How could we not understand each other?"
Motostoke looked a little dazed, as if it agreed...
Just then, it heard Naoki sigh.
Motostoke immediately looked up at him.
Naoki reached out and patted its head, apologizing with a serious expression. "I'm sorry, Motostoke. It's my fault. I didn't pay attention to how you were feeling."
"Ga'ao..."
Hearing Naoki apologize to it, Motostoke immediately became teary-eyed, like a child feeling wronged.
"Are you feeling this way because you think you're not needed and that you're useless?" Naoki asked.
With tears in its eyes, Motostoke nodded. "Ga'ao!"
"No, no," Naoki shook his head. "I don't need you to do anything special for me or help me with tasks. Just being able to live together with you all makes me very happy."
"Ga'ao..."
"You know, Motostoke," Naoki said, "for a Pokemon trainer, the first Pokemon they catch is always very special. You were the first Pokemon I caught when I came to this world."
He had long gotten used to Motostoke's presence.
Whenever he saw Motostoke chasing butterflies in the flower garden, sleeping peacefully by the warm fireplace, or clumsily helping with the crop harvest, Naoki would feel a sense of comfort.
If Motostoke were to leave one day and he couldn't see its figure on the ranch, Naoki knew he would be very sad.
At times, Pokemon emotions weren't as subtle as humans', so when expressing his feelings to them, he had to be direct to avoid any misunderstandings.
So, Naoki directly told Motostoke, "You are very important to me. If you ever decide to run away from home and don't want to be my Pokemon anymore, I will be very sad."
"Ga'ao..."
Motostoke listened with tears in its eyes.
"Do you understand?" Naoki asked.
"Ga'ao!" Motostoke nodded earnestly.
"Good." Naoki smiled as he ruffled its head. "Now, let's head home! You haven't eaten properly in several days. Come on, I'll make something special for you."
"Ga'ao!"
Motostoke quickly stood up and followed Naoki toward the house.
The two entered the kitchen, and Naoki opened the refrigerator, inspecting the various ingredients inside while asking, "Is there anything you'd like to eat?"
"Ga'ao!" said Motostoke.
The Rotom Phone translated, "【Hot noodle soup!】"
"Hot noodle soup?" Naoki was a little surprised. Wasn't that the dish he had made when he first arrived in this world and had limited ingredients to work with? His thoughts drifted back to that chilly spring morning two years ago when he and Motostoke had huddled in the old house, enjoying a bowl of hot noodle soup.
Back then, Motostoke hadn't liked the taste of the noodle soup, so Naoki hadn't made it often since. Motostoke had mostly eaten sandwiches, grilled meat, and barbecue after that.
But seeing that Motostoke wanted to try it again, Naoki happily agreed. "Alright, I'll make hot noodle soup for you again."
Things were different now; their lives were no longer as difficult. The refrigerator was stuffed with all sorts of ingredients, and they could buy whatever they wanted to eat.
It took Naoki quite some effort to find a packet of noodles in the cabinet.
He added clear water to the pot and waited for the noodles to soften before putting in chopped scallions and lard, allowing the noodles to absorb the flavorful soup.
Naoki's mind went back to the first time he had made hot noodle soup. Back then, Motostoke had just arrived at the ranch and was only a few months old.
Now, Motostoke had grown into a fully-fledged Pokemon.
A smile appeared on Naoki's face as he felt happy to have met Motostoke. He added a drop of sesame oil to the pot and carefully placed a soft-boiled egg into the soup, poking it with a pair of chopsticks so that the golden yolk slowly blended with the broth.
Finally, Naoki turned off the heat and served the noodle soup in a pristine white bowl. The bright green scallions floated on the surface of the soup, making it look very appetizing.
The hot noodle soup was ready! Naoki placed the bowl in front of Motostoke and, out of habit, checked its effect.
But the next second, Naoki noticed something incredible.
The effect of the hot noodle soup was different from the one he had known!
【Blessing Noodle Soup (A)
: A special dish infused with abundant emotions. It is said that those who consume it will have their wishes come true.
Dish Effect: Wish. It is said that those who eat it will have their wishes granted.
Evaluation: Looking forward to the future in the past, and cherishing the past in the future. Hoping for a better tomorrow, a wealthy life may bring happiness, but the memories of those impoverished days may be even more memorable.】
Hmm?
Naoki stared at the seemingly ordinary bowl of noodle soup in front of him, perplexed.
Sensing Naoki's strangeness, Motostoke looked at him, confused.
"Ga'ao?"
Naoki snapped out of his daze and said to Motostoke, "Go on, eat up! After you're done, make a wish, and maybe this bowl of noodle soup will make it come true."
Hearing this, Moto-Stoke immediately lowered its head and began gobbling down the special hot noodle soup from the food bowl.
Hmm, the taste was much better than the first time it had tried it. Moto-Stoke happily slurped away, and after swallowing the last mouthful of soup, it began to make a wish.
What should it wish for?
In that moment, Moto-Stoke thought about a lot of things—Naoki, the other Pokemon on the ranch, and finally, that Golurk.
Recalling what Golurk had just said to it, Moto-Stoke found its answer.
It made a wish in its heart—hoping that Golurk wouldn't leave and could always stay by Naoki's side.
Now, it no longer felt sad about not being as powerful as Golurk.
Because Naoki had said that it and Golurk were different, and it was also important to him.
After making its wish, Moto-Stoke opened its eyes.
With this, Golurk probably wouldn't leave anymore, right?
"What did you wish for?" Naoki asked curiously.
Moto-Stoke thought about the promise it had made with Golurk and shook its head. "Ga'ao!"
It wanted to keep the secret!
"So mysterious," Naoki said with a smile. "Alright, I won't ask then. I hope your wish comes true!" He stood up and began washing the pots and pans.
Moto-Stoke stayed by the side.
Meanwhile, Naoki noticed Ice Eevee, Indeedee, Frosmoth, and Claydol, among other Pokemon, peeking from the living room.
He said to Moto-Stoke, "Ice Eevee and the others were very worried about you. Do you want to go and say something to them?"
Hearing this, Moto-Stoke turned and saw the group of concerned Pokemon.
Recalling its behavior over the past two days, Moto-Stoke felt a little embarrassed, but it also thought about how much everyone must have worried about it, so it plucked up the courage and walked over to them.
Naoki was left alone to wash the dishes.
The younger of the two Galarian Mr. Mimes, who was always eager to help, came forward and asked if he needed any assistance.
Naoki shook his head. "No, you guys go and rest. I'll take care of the chores today."
The two Galarian Mr. Mimes worked hard every day, cleaning, doing household chores, and helping with feeding. They were very diligent.
Naoki wanted to give them a break, so he decided to handle all the work himself today.
The two Galarian Mr. Mimes felt Naoki's kindness and were delighted.
Even though it was their job, it was heartwarming to receive their master's concern and understanding. Among all the Galarian Mr. Mimes in the world, these two were undoubtedly among the happiest.
The younger Galarian Mr. Mime happily went to rest, but the older one stayed, keeping an eye out for anything Naoki might need help with.
Meanwhile, Naoki's thoughts drifted to Golurk.
Golurk's behavior today was truly unexpected.
Although he didn't know exactly what the two Pokemon had said to each other, Naoki could sense that after speaking with Golurk, Moto-Stoke's mood had improved and wasn't as gloomy as it had been at the start.
It seemed that Golurk had not only fully integrated into modern society but had also undergone a significant change.
If Dr. Oleana found out about this, she would surely be astonished.
Naoki could almost imagine the expression on Dr. Oleana's face and the tone of her voice when she heard the news.
"What?! Golurk, a naturally violent Paradox Pokemon, actually took the initiative to comfort another Pokemon? This is incredible!"
But as they say, speak of the devil, and he shall appear.
Just as Naoki finished washing the dishes, he received a video call from the Giant's Seat in the Wild Area.
(End of Chapter)
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