Chapter 125: Pawmi's Thunderous Evolution
Naoki's process for making the steamed buns was simple yet meticulous. He carefully measured out the flour, sugar, and the special ingredient—Zapdos feather powder—into a large mixing bowl. Adding a packet of yeast, he stirred the dry ingredients together before slowly pouring in warm water from the kettle, making sure the temperature was just right.
As he mixed and kneaded the dough, he noticed how the once-white flour turned into a striking lightning-yellow color, with a slight tingle in his hands from the electrical energy in the feather powder.
"Looks good!" Naoki said, satisfied with the dough's consistency. "Time to let it rise."
He covered the dough with plastic wrap, placed it in a warm spot, and set it aside to ferment. The warmth and sugar would help the yeast do its job, creating light, fluffy buns.
By then, it was already six o'clock, and Naoki needed to start preparing dinner for all the Pokémon on the ranch. As he turned to begin, he noticed Cyclizar and Pawmi watching him intently.
"Just a little longer, dinner will be ready soon!" Naoki assured them, scooping up Pawmi and smiling. "I think I've found a way to help you get stronger!"
"Pawmi?" Pawmi looked surprised but eager.
Naoki rubbed his cheek against Pawmi's soft fur. "You'll see soon," he said, setting Pawmi back down.
"Pawmi~" Pawmi chirped happily.
Meanwhile, Cyclizar, the first Pokémon Naoki had ever raised, watched the interaction with a hint of envy in its eyes. "Gaao…" it sighed, clearly wanting to keep up with the others on the ranch.
Naoki noticed this and asked, "Do you want to get stronger too, Cyclizar?"
Cyclizar nodded enthusiastically. "Ga-ao!"
"Don't worry, I'll figure something out," Naoki promised. He realized that while he had focused on strengthening other Pokémon, he hadn't yet devised a way to enhance his dragon-attribute partner.
With the dough still rising, Naoki decided to use the time to get a better understanding of his Pokémon. He pulled out a notebook and started creating detailed profiles for each one, listing their favorite foods, temperaments, hobbies, and the skills they had mastered.
He began with Dragonite:
Name: Dragonite
Temperament: Docile, silly
Hobbies: Loves to practice and perfect the moves it has mastered
Favorite Food: Fragrant Poké Puffs, fried pork steak, grilled fish, steamed sea bass, Oran berries
Skills Learned: Wing Attack, Glare, Tornado, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Agility, Extreme Speed, Dragon Dance, Rain Dance, Hurricane, Thunder Punch, Thunder, and Thunderbolt
With a detailed record like this, Naoki could ensure he met each Pokémon's unique needs and preferences. As the ranch grew, this would help him keep everything organized.
Calling Cyclizar and Pawmi outside, Naoki asked them to demonstrate the moves they had mastered. Pawmi was up first, showing off its agility as it darted across the grass.
Naoki observed closely, murmuring the names of the moves as Pawmi performed them. "Scratch, Growl, Thundershock, Quick Attack, Nuzzle, wait, is that Charm? Looks like Pawmi inherited that one from its parents."
Naoki observed as Pawmi showcased its moves, noting everything down meticulously in his notebook. Pawmi, despite its eagerness, didn't have a wide array of moves, most being quite basic. Naoki made sure to record them all before turning to Cyclizar, who was up next.
"Alright, Cyclizar, it's your turn!" Naoki encouraged.
Cyclizar responded with a determined "Gaao~" and began its demonstration. The commotion attracted a small crowd of Pokémon from around the ranch, including Alcremie, the Nacli, Butterfree, Glaceon, and the Miltanks, who were grazing nearby. Even Dragonite watched with keen interest.
Naoki smiled, seeing all the Pokémon gathered. It was a perfect opportunity to assess everyone's progress without having to call them over individually. He refocused on Cyclizar, paying close attention to its moves.
"Let's see, Tackle, Roar, Rapid Spin, Dragon Tail, Outrage, Hyper Beam, Earthquake."
"You've got a decent set of moves," Naoki remarked, jotting everything down in his notebook. "You've done well, Cyclizar. I'll figure out how to help you get even stronger."
Cyclizar's eyes sparkled with happiness at the praise, clearly motivated by Naoki's promise.
Next, Alcremie eagerly ran forward to showcase its moves, followed by the Nacli and Naclstack. Each Pokémon had its moment, with Butterfree, Combee, Glaceon, the Miltanks, the Gogoat, and Smoliv all taking turns. Dragonite attempted to join in as well, but Naoki gently stopped it.
"I've been with you during all your training, Dragonite. I know your moves inside and out," Naoki reassured, smiling at the affectionate Pokémon.
Dragonite pondered for a moment before realizing Naoki was right. Content, it wrapped its arms around Naoki in a warm hug.
"Okay, okay, Koraidon is still waiting for me," Naoki chuckled, patting Dragonite's soft paws before gently stepping away.
Naoki then turned his attention to Koraidon. "It's your turn, Koraidon."
"Ah, gah!" Koraidon responded enthusiastically, beginning its demonstration.
"Sunny Day, Rock Smash, Flamethrower, Bulldoze, Ancient Power, Drain Punch, Dragon Claw, Dragon Tail, Swords Dance, Outrage, Agility, Quick Attack, Giga Impact. Wait, is that Hyper Beam or just a Loud Roar?" Naoki muttered to himself, momentarily puzzled as Koraidon's powerful roar sent a gust of wind through the grass.
After feeling the intensity of the roar, Naoki nodded to himself. "Ah, Roar it is."
He carefully wrote down all of Koraidon's moves, then smiled at his Pokémon. "Great job, Koraidon. That's all for now."
"Ah, gash~" Koraidon returned to Naoki's side, clearly satisfied with its performance.
Seeing that the evaluations were done, Naoki waved to the rest of the Pokémon. "Alright, everyone, you can go play now!"
The Pokémon gradually dispersed, going back to their activities around the ranch. Naoki sat down under the eaves, flipping through his notebook and pondering how to help Cyclizar grow stronger.
"Maybe I could ask Cyclizar's ancient relative to help teach it," Naoki thought, considering the idea. He called Koraidon over and shared his plan.
After hearing Naoki's suggestion, Koraidon's expression grew complicated, clearly processing the idea.
Koraidon looked at the Cyclizar on the other side and felt unsure about how to proceed. It wasn't used to being in a teaching role.
Naoki noticed the hesitation and gave Koraidon a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "I'm counting on you to help the Cyclizar out! You don't need to do anything too complicated—just teach it the moves that are easier to learn."
"Gaao..." The Cyclizar glanced at Koraidon nervously.
Koraidon hesitated but eventually nodded, realizing that this was Naoki's request.
"That's settled!" Naoki said decisively, then turned to the Cyclizar. "Don't worry, Koraidon is a good Pokémon and won't hurt you!"
The Cyclizar looked up at Koraidon, who was now frowning slightly, its golden eyes locking with the smaller Pokémon's. After a moment, Koraidon sighed, accepting the role of mentor with a mix of reluctance and determination. It knew that it couldn't refuse Naoki's request.
Seeing this interaction, Naoki smiled warmly. "Great, I'll leave you two to it. I'm going to start dinner!"
With that, Naoki headed back into the house to prepare food for everyone. Tonight's dinner was going to be grilled steak again—a favorite among many of the Pokémon on the ranch, especially Dragonite, the Cyclizar, and Koraidon.
As Naoki busied himself in the kitchen, he couldn't help but think about how much he enjoyed this routine. Grilled steaks, goat milk, Fruit juice, sandwiches, and occasionally desserts like Poké Puffs and honey pudding were staples in his Pokémon's diets.
Once dinner was served and everyone was happily eating, Naoki took a moment to sit at his desk and review his recent finances. Over the past month, he hadn't invested in any new facilities for the ranch, so his savings had steadily grown. Aside from the cost of food, Naoki had been able to deposit most of his earnings into the bank.
The high-quality goat milk from the Gogoat's, pure rock salt from the Naclstack and Nacli, and fresh milk from the Miltanks had proven to be valuable resources. Thanks to these, his savings had now reached over 900,000 Pokédollars.
Naoki had initially expected the Miltanks to produce more milk than they did, but he quickly learned that they drank a portion of their own milk, reducing the overall output. Despite this, the income from Moo Moo Fresh Milk was still substantial, though not as much as he had hoped.
But Naoki was content with the progress. If things continued at this rate, he estimated that he could expand his home by the second month of summer, rather than waiting until fall as he had originally planned. The idea of having enough saved up to make such an investment in just a few months felt surreal.
In his previous life, the thought of buying a house after working for just five months would have been unimaginable. However, he knew that even with his current savings, it would still be a long way before he could afford a villa.
As dusk settled over the ranch, all the Pokémon had returned to their nests. Naoki turned on the TV, letting the evening news play in the background as he hummed a little tune. He headed to the kitchen to check on the progress of the dough he had set aside to ferment.
Seeing that the dough had risen perfectly, Naoki took it out and placed it on the chopping board. He then divided the dough into equal portions and carefully rolled each piece into a round, smooth bun.
Soon, twelve plump, yellow buns were neatly lined up, ready to be steamed. Their bright yellow color was a stark contrast to the usual white buns, and Naoki couldn't help but feel a bit anxious. He wondered if they were safe to eat. After all, the main component of bird feathers is protein, but who knew if the same applied to Zapdos' feathers?
Pushing aside his worries, Naoki placed the twelve buns into the steamer and set them to steam. He set an alarm on his phone and stepped outside to wash up.
The weather was getting hotter each day, and after a long day of work, Naoki felt the need to rinse off the sweat. The ranch didn't have a proper bathroom yet, so he made do by using the outdoor faucet on the grassy patch near the door.
After rinsing off, Naoki started washing his clothes. Summer clothes were thin, and they didn't take long to wash. Once they were clean, he hung them on the clothesline beside the house to dry.
Just as he finished hanging the last piece, his alarm went off, signaling that the buns were ready. Naoki hurried back to the kitchen and lifted the lid of the steamer, releasing a rich, fragrant aroma of freshly steamed flour that filled the room.
The twelve buns sat in the pot, each one looking soft and sweet. Naoki gazed at them, and suddenly, information about the buns appeared in his mind:
[Lightning Bun (S+): A legendary dish made from the feather powder of a legendary Pokémon. It is said that eating it will allow one to harness the power of lightning.]
[Cooking effect: Thunder God. After eating it, the Pokémon can gain control over thunder and lightning, much like the legendary Zapdos. In an instant, massive bolts of lightning will strike from the clouds. Limited to Electric-type Pokémon, and a Pokémon can only consume once in its lifetime.]
[Comment: A unique dish in the world, perfect for your Electric-type Pokémon!]
[Warning: Do not consume indoors!]
Naoki was momentarily stunned. His first thought wasn't about the incredible effect of the buns but about Dragonite. Since the effect was limited to Electric-type Pokémon, it meant Dragonite wouldn't benefit from eating one.
However, the thought of what these buns could do for an Electric-type Pokémon filled him with excitement. The review's warning only heightened his curiosity.
After a brief pause, Naoki called for Pawmi and led it outside to the grassy area. The night was clear, with no clouds in the sky. The stars twinkled brightly, and the moonlight illuminated the ranch, making everything visible even without additional lighting.
"Pawmi?" Pawmi, who followed Naoki outside, was full of confusion.
Naoki handed it a lightning bun. "Eat this, and you'll become stronger!"
"Pawmi?"
Hearing this, Pawmi's eyes lit up. It had almost unconditional trust in Naoki. With its small paws, Pawmi took the steamed bun from Naoki's hand and eagerly began to eat.
Naoki watched closely as Pawmi ate, curious about what would happen. At first, nothing seemed to change. But as soon as Pawmi finished the last bite, a deafening thunderclap echoed through the sky, shaking the entire ranch.
Naoki looked up and saw something truly awe-inspiring. Dark, ominous thunderclouds were rapidly gathering in the sky above the ranch, forming a swirling vortex. As the clouds churned, a massive lightning tornado began to take shape, spiraling downward. The sight was so intense that Naoki half-expected a legendary Pokémon to descend from the heavens.
But there was no legendary Pokémon—only a massive bolt of blue lightning that shot down from the center of the tornado, striking Pawmi with incredible force. The impact sent a shockwave through the area, causing Naoki to stumble backward. Just as he was about to fall, Koraidon appeared out of nowhere, catching him and helping him steady himself.
"Aga..."
The other Pokémon on the ranch, drawn by the commotion, gathered around Naoki, watching the extraordinary event unfold. Pawmi was engulfed in the blue lightning, its eyes glowing with an intense blue-white light. It looked as though it was channeling the power of a thunderstorm, its small body trembling under the strain.
Naoki was reminded of the legends surrounding Zapdos, the mythical Pokémon known for summoning lightning with a mere flap of its wings. The scene before him seemed like something out of those ancient tales.
Suddenly, Pawmi let out a powerful cry.
"Pawmi——!"
Naoki's heart raced as he heard Pawmi's voice, filled with both pain and determination. He instinctively wanted to rush in and stop the process, but before he could move, something incredible happened.
A blinding light enveloped Pawmi, and its form began to change. It grew larger, its ears elongated, and it stood up on its hind legs, transitioning from its quadrupedal stance to a more upright posture.
It was evolving!
The air around Pawmi crackled with electricity as its evolution completed. Its fur, now more vibrant and spiked with energy, fluttered in the electric currents surrounding it. Pawmi slowly opened its eyes, revealing a newfound resolve. It floated gently above the ground, suspended by the power of the lightning.
Flying, Pawmi was flying!
Naoki stared in awe at the sight before him. In that moment, a whimsical thought crossed his mind—if he gave Pawmi a helmet, a red cape, and a hammer, it could easily cosplay as the god of thunder, Thor. And if there was a giant forge nearby, he might even consider crafting a hammer for Pawmi.
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