Chapter 241: Hammer
Alliance Calendar Year 198, Winter 8th
With the arrival of a cold wave, the Paldea region officially entered the depths of winter.
Although snow had yet to fall, the temperature had dropped enough to necessitate bundling up in long johns. When Naoki awoke that morning, a layer of frost covered the yellowed grass outside, and the north wind howled mournfully through the valley.
"It's really cooled down!" he remarked, pulling the curtains closed.
A weather advisory from a few days ago had accurately predicted the sudden drop in temperature, urging residents to prepare for the chill ahead.
After closing the curtains, Naoki settled onto the sofa to catch up on the morning news. The room was comfortably warm, thanks to the lively red flames crackling in the fireplace.
The cold weather had made the Pokémon reluctant to venture outdoors. Led by his Cyclizar, a group of Pokémon huddled near the fireplace, basking in the warmth. Even Pawmot lay sprawled on the floor.
Naoki chuckled at the sight.
Just then, the elder Indeedee sibling approached and inquired, "Ai Ai?"
Naoki, munching on a handful of melon seed crisps, responded casually, "Go ahead."
The Indeedee asked again: "Ai Ai?" (Master, when are you leaving for the Galar region?)
The Indeedee seemed concerned that snow might complicate Naoki's departure.
"I've told you—just call me Naoki," he said with mild exasperation.
The Indeedee gave a polite nod but clearly had no intention of changing his ways: "Ai Ya." (Understood.)
The look on his face suggested he'd do the same thing next time.
Naoki let out a small sigh, knowing it was a battle he wouldn't win. The elder Indeedee sibling had always taken his role as housekeeper very seriously, carrying himself with the air of a seasoned butler.
Switching topics, Naoki added, "I'll leave soon. I ordered some scarves from town to keep the Psyduck. Once I've distributed them, I'll head out."
The Indeedee nodded in acknowledgment.
...
That afternoon, the scarf shop's owner personally delivered a box of scarves to the ranch.
After signing for the package, Naoki immediately set off to find the Psyduck by the river. Carefully, he tied each one with a cozy scarf, watching as their faces lit up with joy.
"Psyduck!" the group quacked happily, admiring their new accessories. They hopped up and down by the water's edge, basking in their snazzy new look.
Naoki couldn't help but smile at the sight. The scarves made the Psyduck even more adorable.
"This must be why people enjoy dressing up their Pokémon," Naoki mused. He recalled hearing that beauty salons for Pokémon had become popular in major cities, catering to trainers eager to pamper their companions.
Waving at the Psyduck, Naoki called, "Enjoy yourselves, I've got some more errands to run. See you later!"
The Psyduck waved back enthusiastically with their tiny arms, "Psyduck!"
Next, Naoki headed to the orchard, where the fruit trees—though no longer bearing fruit—remained lush and green. Unlike ordinary trees, which stood bare in winter, these fruit trees seemed untouched by the season.
Naoki remembered reading about these trees in a gardening book:
"Fruit trees are blessed by nature. Their growth cycles are remarkably short, and with enough of them, they can provide for the needs of all Pokémon in the forest."
"Fruit trees don't wither in winter, but they stop producing fruit. Some scholars believe that winter triggers nature's rest phase." Naoki recalled the lines from a book he'd read.
"But no need to worry—when spring returns, the trees will bloom and bear fruit once again."
Naoki knew these trees could live extraordinarily long lives, thriving unless affected by natural disasters, deforestation, or powerful Pokémon attacks. He remembered a tale about an ancient forest where explorers discovered an enormous fruit tree. It was said to have existed for at least a thousand years, bearing endless fruit and sheltering numerous Pokémon.
"Magical," Naoki murmured, imagining the scene.
He pictured a colossal tree, taller than three Koraidon stacked together, with a trunk so wide that three adults couldn't wrap their arms around it. Branches stretched out, heavy with ripe fruit, and lush greenery surrounded the base.
"That'd be the perfect spot for a treehouse," Naoki mused, a smile tugging at his lips. He wished he could grow a tree like that on his ranch, though he knew it would take centuries—unless, of course, the fruit trees mutated under some strange influence.
As Naoki entered the orchard, a Greedent tumbled happily from the wooden hut, its cheeks stuffed with berries.
"Gre! Gre!" it chirped in greeting.
Naoki placed a box on the ground, chuckling as he gave the Greedent's head a fond pat. Hearing the commotion, other Pokémon poked their heads out of the hut one by one. Soon, a lively crowd gathered around Naoki:
Minccino, Smeargle, Tandemaus, Wattrel, Petilil, and Foongus all shuffled forward eagerly.
As expected, the Slakoth remained absent—probably still napping somewhere cozy, Naoki thought with a grin.
Since the fire that devastated their former home, the Pokémon had slowly recovered, growing more comfortable with each passing day. Naoki knelt down, pulling various scarves from the box. Each scarf was a different size, tailored to fit each Pokémon perfectly.
As he tied the scarves around their necks, the Pokémon's expressions brightened. The soft fabric shielded them from the chilly wind, providing a comforting warmth.
Seeing their curious looks, Naoki explained with a gentle smile, "These are scarves. They'll help keep you warm by blocking the cold wind. With these, you'll stay cozy all winter."
The Pokémon's eyes shimmered with gratitude. For a moment, the memories of the devastating fire weighed heavy—how it had taken everything: their homes, friends, family, and nearly their own lives.
Luckily, the Pokémon were rescued by Naoki, who not only provided them with food but also built them a cozy cabin. His kindness didn't stop there—Naoki even promised to help them rebuild their homes in the future.
With winter closing in, Naoki distributed scarves to ensure the Pokémon wouldn't suffer in the cold. The thoughtful gesture moved even the toughest among them.
Without his help, these Pokémon would have struggled to survive through the harsh season, vulnerable to hunger and freezing temperatures. Some of the Pokémon's eyes shimmered with unshed tears—not tears of sadness but of deep gratitude.
Naoki patted Minccino on the head with a gentle smile. "Don't cry. Stay safe here. If you need help, come to me. If I'm not around, find Indeedee to take care of you."
Minccino gave a decisive nod.
Naoki's gaze landed on a pair of Tandemaus, a Pokémon duo known to live together as families. To his surprise, he noticed something small hiding between them.
Behind the father stood a tiny, white Tandemaus, peeking out cautiously.
"Well, well!" Naoki exclaimed, raising an eyebrow. "Looks like you two are parents now!"
The two Tandemaus chirped proudly, nudging their child forward to show it off. The little Tandemaus remained timid, casting curious glances at Naoki.
The joyful arrival of new life spread cheer among the other Pokémon. Even the cold breeze outside couldn't dampen the festive spirit. Naoki smiled warmly before handing a scarf to a sleepy Slakoth, ensuring it was tucked in snugly.
...
Back in the house, Naoki began planning his long-awaited journey to the Galar region.
Originally, he had intended to depart in November. However, with the weather growing colder by the day, Naoki figured it would be better to leave sooner. Curling up by a fireplace with his Pokémon and enjoying the snowy scenery sounded far more pleasant than waiting too long to travel.
He flipped through the calendar thoughtfully.
"Tomorrow it is," Naoki murmured.
With the departure date set, Naoki carefully considered which Pokémon to bring on the journey to Galar. After some thought, he decided on two companions:
Koraidon and Cyclizar.
This time, Naoki's trip to the Galar region was different from previous adventures, like their expedition to the Area Zero Pit in Paldea. There was no need to bring along too many Pokémon just for battle safety—this journey wasn't a vacation, and Crown Tundra would be freezing cold.
He glanced at his Dragonite, knowing it wouldn't enjoy the snowy wilderness. The poor thing would probably retreat into its Poké Ball the entire time. It was better for Dragonite to stay behind at the ranch, delivering fresh Moo Moo Milk to the townsfolk.
Likewise, the Gogoat trio had to stay for milking duties. Every Pokémon had responsibilities to maintain ranch life
"I'll bring everyone along next time when we go on vacation," Naoki thought with a smile, closing the list of Pokémon staying behind.
Traveling between regions always comes with a choice of transportation. Since Pokémon could only swim or fly so far, trainers had three options:
Ride a Pokémon, take a ship, fly on a plane.
Naoki scratched the first option off the list. Even though Koraidon could manage cold weather, traveling by air through freezing winds wasn't practical. The cold would batter them the whole way there!
As for planes...
"Koraidon can't fit in a Poké Ball, so there's no way he can board a flight." Naoki sighed. Airplanes prohibited large Pokémon from being outside Poké Balls, and Koraidon—with his impressive bulk—would make it impossible.
That left only one option: traveling by ship.
Unfortunately, Naoki couldn't book tickets online. In Paldea, the only way to catch a ship to another region was by visiting a port city in person.
Looking over his map of Paldea, Naoki quickly realized that the only major port city was Levincia—a bustling hub on the eastern coast, known for its high-tech markets and vibrant trade scene.
"Of course," Naoki muttered, "Levincia is all the way on the other side of the region." His town was located at the westernmost edge of Paldea, with an entire continent between him and the port.
Naoki groaned, rubbing his temples. "At least Koraidon is fast—we'll get there soon enough."
With his plan set, Naoki started gathering everything he'd need for the journey to Galar.
He packed warm clothes to prepare for the icy tundra, along with camping tents, fire kits, cooking supplies, and thick blankets. A sturdy kettle and water bottles.
At this moment, there was a series of crisp banging sounds in the pasture, as if someone was hammering iron.
Naoki stopped what he was doing and listened carefully for a long time, but the sound did not disappear.
Confused, he walked out the door and headed in the direction of the sound. Soon, he found the culprit behind all this in a remote meadow.
Looking at the little Tinkatuff who was hammering the iron with his hands, Naoki was a little surprised.
At this moment, theTinkatuff also noticed his arrival and immediately turned around in panic.
Naoki saw clearly that the piece of iron that was hammered into a mess was made up of several iron nails. It seemed that they had been hammered for a long time and had been flattened.
"Making a hammer?" Naoki asked.
Tinkatuff nodded cautiously: "Woo..."
Its hammer was lost before, and during this time it has been trying to collect iron filings and nails from the ranch's garbage dump, trying to make a new hammer.
As if it was afraid that Naoki would misunderstand it as stealing something from the ranch, it quickly said, "Woo-wah!"
'The iron was collected from the garbage dump! It was not stolen!'
It observed for a long time before realizing that the things in the garbage bin were all discarded by humans.
Of course, Naoki knew, he had already seen that those rusty nails were the ones he had removed and thrown away from the old house.
Seeing the nervous look of the little Tinkatuff, Naoki couldn't help but said, "Don't be so nervous, if you want to make a hammer, just make it. I just heard the noise and came to take a look. Okay, it's okay, you can continue hammering!"
Hearing this, the Tinkatuff breathed a sigh of relief.
It turned around carefully and wanted to continue forging iron, but found that Naoki had not left yet.
The Tinkatuff was stunned for a moment and turned around.
Naoki said curiously, "I just want to see how you make the hammer."
Making hammers is an innate ability of Pokémon like Tinkatuff.
Before they evolved, they were very weak and needed to swing hammers to protect themselves.
But this is still not enough, because some Pokémon that like to eat metal will specifically snatch the hammer that the little Tinkatuff has worked so hard to make and eat it.
Seeing that Naoki really wanted to see, the Tinkatuff hesitated for a moment, then turned around and continued to work hard on hammering the iron in front of him.
Naoki looked at this scene.
He thought the little Tinkatuff was forging iron with his own hands, but the reality was somewhat different from what he imagined.
To be precise, the little Tinkatuff was using metal claws with steel properties to continuously hammer iron filings to make a hammer.
...
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__________
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