https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-541-Harvest-Returning-to-the-Ranch/12597398/
Chapter 540: A World Without You (Part 2)
Chapter 540: A World Without You (Part 2)
Recently, Dragonite had something on its mind.
It had fallen in love with another Dragonite on the island, but it was known as the dumbest Dragonite around, incapable of learning many moves like its peers.
Although its companions didn't mock it, Dragonite still felt saddened by its limitations.
Night after night, it struggled to find peace and fall asleep.
Dragonite looked up at the moon hanging in the sky and decided to follow the moon's direction to find a secluded spot where it could be alone with its thoughts.
It flew along the coastline until it reached a vast landmass and eventually settled on a high cliff, gazing up at the moon.
The moon in the sky was curved, much like its own imperfect dragon life.
As Dragonite stared at the moon, a deep sense of melancholy washed over it.
Day after day, night after night... slowly, a year went by.
Time did not heal its sorrow; instead, it deepened the sadness in Dragonite's heart.
When it returned to Dragonite Island and saw its companions growing stronger and more formidable, Dragonite fell into a deep depression.
It lost interest in love and spent its days on the island in a gloomy state, leading a dull and joyless life.
Even so, Dragonite still left the island every night to visit the cliff and gaze upon the moon.
Day after day, year after year, Dragonite never wavered in this routine.
Even it didn't understand why it felt compelled to continue this ritual.
But deep down, Dragonite felt an irresistible urge to keep going back to that cliff.
On one side of Big Pot Lake, Rider Lamb and its two companions were leisurely enjoying the sunshine while munching on some grass, just as they did every day.
But for some reason, Rider Lamb felt that the grass had lost its usual flavor.
Rider Lamb looked around. The sky was still blue, the lake water clear, and the sunshine bright as always.
Maybe... it was just imagining things?
Shaking off the strange feeling, Rider Lamb turned its attention to another matter.
"Where should I go today to find fresh and juicy grass?" it wondered aloud. "We've grazed this area clean. Let's explore beyond the lake!"
Rider Lamb's gaze shifted to the other side of Big Pot Lake, where lush, green grass and several fruit-bearing trees flourished.
The trees were laden with an abundance of tempting fruits.
"Meeaaah!" Rider Lamb had made up its mind; it was heading to that spot!
"Hey, Naoki, you've seemed a bit out of it at work lately! If the boss catches on, you'll be in hot water. Snap out of it!"
In the office, a colleague sitting at the neighboring desk noticed Naoki's lack of focus and offered a whispered reminder.
Naoki shook his head slightly and replied, "Oh, okay!"
The colleague, a man, asked curiously, "What's going on? Pulling all-nighters playing video games again?"
Naoki fell silent, deep in thought. Suddenly, he asked, "Do you ever get the feeling that our lives right now aren't real?"
The man paused, then widened his eyes in surprise, "Have you lost your marbles?! What do you mean, 'Is our life real?' This is how it's always been."
Naoki: "..."
He explained, "I always feel like I'm dreaming, but when I sleep at night, I dream of another world. A world where I'm a ranch owner, and I live with a bunch of Pokemon."
The man: "..." Sigh, more Pokemon dreams.
"It's not even evening yet," the man replied, exasperated.
But Naoki wasn't so sure.
Was it really just a dream? But why could he recall every detail so vividly? Naoki didn't have to work late that day, so after leaving the office, he returned to his rented room and sat lost in thought, his gaze fixed on the Rotom in his Switch.
That night, as he slept, Naoki had that dream again.
Everything in the dream felt incredibly real. He knew each Pokemon's name and habits, as well as their likes and dislikes.
The next morning, when Naoki woke up, the sense of familiarity was stronger than ever.
He was certain he had truly lived with those Pokemon; it wasn't just a dream.
And in that instant, the world around him shifted.
The tall buildings seemed to melt away like illusions, and Naoki found himself enveloped in a familiar mist.
Arceus stared, taken aback by the scene before her.
She never expected their bond to be so profound that even with their memories sealed away, they still remembered each other.
Just how deep was this Naoki's love for Pokemon?
At that moment, Kapu-Finne suddenly cried out in surprise once more.
"Finne!"
Arceus followed Finne's gaze and noticed that the illusions of the other Pokemon were also changing.
No! This isn't right!
Looking at the trainer before him, Golurk was terrified. This was not the trainer it recognized!
With a sense of dread, Golurk backed away slowly.
With the bewildered expressions of Mayor Thomas and the others fresh in its mind, Gourgeist turned and ran towards the distance.
It ran aimlessly along the road, wanting to find the person who was so important to it.
The sun rose and set, and the snow fell and melted.
Over the year, Gourgeist traveled to many places, trying to find that person, but to no avail.
It couldn't find that person anymore.
Gourgeist looked despairingly at the setting sun on the horizon and let out a long, sorrowful howl.
It was like a lost dog, tucking its tail between its legs and wandering aimlessly beneath the setting sun.
The next year, Gourgeist returned to Drizzleton.
Instead of going back to Mayor Thomas' house, it went to the ranch that had appeared in its dreams.
The once-abandoned ranch had now been transformed into a luxurious estate.
Gourgeist didn't disturb the humans living there but stayed there day after day, waiting for that person to return.
Time passed slowly, and Gourgeist grew old. On a gloomy, rainy day, it closed its eyes forever.
In the Paldea region, in a moderately famous Pokemon laboratory in Bottle City.
Ever since he was brought here by that kind-hearted human girl, Buneary had become like the other Pokemon in the lab, waiting for the professor to feed them or hoping to meet a good trainer.
Gradually, the other Pokemon that Buneary was familiar with were chosen by new trainers who had just turned ten years old, becoming their starter Pokemon.
The lab professor also wanted to give this little Buneary to a new trainer as a starter Pokemon for their journey.
However, his investigations revealed that due to Buneary's previous experiences, its body was too weak and its potential too low. It even took several minutes to muster a weak electric current.
This was a fatal flaw for an Electric-type Pokemon, and as a result, no one wanted to choose it.
Buneary also wanted to become stronger. It often thought back to its life in the abandoned ranch, where it would climb onto the roof and watch the bird Pokemon flying overhead.
Buneary also wanted to fly in the sky like those bird Pokemon, but it couldn't.
With no trainer willing to choose it, Buneary could only remain in this ecological park.
In the blink of an eye, several decades passed.
The aged Buneary passed away in this park where it had lived its entire life, never seeing its parents again.
Every day for the rest of its life, Noivern went to that cliff.
Dragon-type Pokemon have incredibly long lifespans, and eventually, Noivern itself forgot why it had come to this place.
Over the long years, Noivern met many humans.
These humans wanted to capture it, and some were very powerful trainers.
Noivern didn't want to be captured, but the humans' Pokemon were strong, and after being defeated, it was caught in a Poke Ball.
However, when Noivern came to, it resisted and ran away.
Even Noivern didn't know why it did this.
The trainer chased after it, and upon learning that it didn't want to be a human's Pokemon, released it from the Poke Ball.
The rumors of the Great Pot Lake's Noivern attracted more and more humans.
But Noivern remained unmoved, immersed in its own world, following the moon's path to this place every day.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, centuries passed.
Noivern's life came to an end, and it closed its eyes forever, taking its unanswered questions with it to its resting place on the cliff.
West of the Great Pot Lake.
In search of juicy grass and delicious tree fruit, Goh's Herdier bravely ventured here.
However, just as it was about to pluck a piece of fruit from a tree, it was suddenly attacked by a wild Pokemon.
This wild Pokemon was incredibly powerful, and Herdier was no match for it. It could only flee in a miserable state.
It hid in a cave with severe injuries and eventually lost its life due to the severity of its wounds and lack of timely treatment.
As the illusions ended, Arceus, who was rarely silent, stared intently at the figures shrouded in mist.
Was this the bond between humans and Pokemon? At this moment, Arceus clearly saw the power of "bonds" flowing between that human and those Pokemon.
The life of Herdier was too short, and without meeting that human, it would have ended much earlier.
Arceus was not surprised, as such things happened from time to time in the wild.
What surprised Arceus the most were the man's three other Pokemon.
Even with its memories sealed, the Dragonite still followed its instincts, going to that cliff every day to wait, perhaps not even knowing what it was waiting for?
And that Diglett, who used to be so timid, had become brave and reliable after meeting this human.
The encounter between humans and Pokemon is truly wondrous.
Of course, what surprised Arceus the most was the Pokemon named Garchomp.
No, to be precise, it should be addressed as a Motostoke Raichu.
Arceus could tell that its bond with Naoki was the deepest. Their connection was so strong that even with its memories sealed, Garchomp could still remember everything.
Was it the body's instinct? Their bond had transcended all time and space.
Even as a god, Arceus was moved by the heartbreaking wails of the Pokemon searching for its human partner.
Not to mention Kapu-Finne, who was standing by its side.
At this moment, the guardian deity of Poni Island had tears streaming down its face.
"Finne..."
Kapu-Finne couldn't help but ask, "Finne?" (God, have they passed the test?)
Arceus came back to its senses and gently nodded, "Indeed, they have passed my test."
"Finne!" Wonderful!
Hearing Arceus' words, Kapu-Finne let out a cheer.
Arceus quietly watched as Naoki and the Pokemon slowly opened their eyes in the mist.
The deity thought to itself: since it is so, I can rest assured to entrust that task to him.
However, the right time has not come yet.
After a moment's thought, Arceus willed it, and several Z-Crystals emitting a brilliant light slowly descended in front of Kapu-Finne.
Kapu-Finne was taken aback and looked on in confusion, "Finne?!"
"They need these," Arceus said, "You will give them to Naoki on my behalf."
Kapu-Finne hesitated and asked, "Finne?" (Can't you see them?)
Arceus shook its head gently, "It is not yet time. I am about to depart, and I leave this place to you. Also, please do not reveal my presence to them."
"Finne..."
Kapu-Finne paused, then nodded in agreement.
Arceus gave it one last look before disappearing in a sacred light.
The mist that shrouded the Afterlife Ruins gradually dissipated.
Naoki rubbed his head and opened his eyes, realizing the situation. He quickly turned to look around.
When he spotted Garchomp and the others not far away, he breathed a sigh of relief.
It was indeed an illusion created by the mist!
At that moment, Garchomp, Dragonite, Diglett, and Eevee also regained consciousness.
When they saw Naoki not far away, their eyes turned red with emotion.
Large tears welled up in their eyes, and the Pokemon rushed over, surrounding Naoki.
Dragonite let out a mournful cry, its big eyes filled with tears. It extended its dragon claws and hugged Naoki tightly.
"Wuu..."
It had waited for Naoki for a long time, but Naoki hadn't come to find it, and Dragonite felt incredibly wronged.
However, before it could hold on any longer, Garchomp, usually so fierce, also looked pitiful and took Naoki from its embrace.
Garchomp hung its head low, like a sad big dog, and nuzzled its head into Naoki's embrace.
"Aggron..." Garchomp's muffled voice sounded.
Diglett and Eevee also had tears streaming down their faces.
"Bamo..."
Since Garchomp was occupying Naoki's lap, Diglett burrowed into Naoki's embrace and sobbed like a child.
Seeing the state of his Pokemon, Naoki opened his mouth as if to say something. But in the end, he said nothing and simply hugged them tightly, wiping their tears away.
Although he didn't know what Garchomp and the others had gone through, he could tell that they had experienced something similar to him.
Just as Garchomp and the others missed him deeply, he had longed for them as well.
After a long while, the Pokemon's emotions gradually calmed down.
Naoki stood up and looked at the Pokemon that had appeared before them.
Kapu-Finne's eyes were filled with warmth and love as it locked gazes with Naoki.
The next second, it extended its hand, and several Z-Crystals emitting a soft glow slowly floated towards Naoki.
(End of Chapter)
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