Chapter 265: Dye Fruit
At dawn, the ranch welcomed a new day.
The first thing Naoki did after waking up was search for Calyrex to see where he had rested the night before.
Living room... no.
Second floor… no.
Kitchen… no sign either.
Naoki searched for a while but couldn't find him, so he returned to the living room. There, on the coffee table, he saw Polteageist and Sinistea—who had held a tea party all night—dozing off. Cyclizar lay by the fireplace, also looking drowsy, while the elder Indeedee seemed half-asleep.
Seeing this, Naoki sighed with a gentle smile, "If you're all sleepy, go ahead and rest. I'll handle the ranch work today!"
But the elder Indeedee shook his head vigorously, trying to stay alert, and replied, "Ai-ye!" as if to say he could still manage.
Naoki chuckled but agreed. As he turned to check the wine cellar downstairs, he realized Calyrex must have spent the night outside.
When he returned to the living room, he saw the elder Indeedee struggling to keep his eyes open while his younger sister watched with an amused smile.
Naoki couldn't help but laugh softly. Just then, Butterfree landed by the large window in the living room.
"Hey, Butterfree," Naoki said, grinning, "could you use a little Sleep Powder on him?"
Butterfree tilted its head, surprised, but after confirming Naoki was serious, it fluttered over to Indeedee and gently sprinkled some Sleep Powder.
Soon, the elder Indeedee drifted off to sleep.
"Alright, can you help take your brother upstairs to rest?" Naoki asked the younger Indeedee.
"Ai-ye~" she agreed with a cheerful nod, lifting her brother with her psychic powers and guiding him to his room.
Pawmot, Alcremie, and Glaceon were also sleeping soundly nearby. Naoki decided not to disturb them and instead took Koraidon outside to look around the ranch.
Though it wasn't snowing yet, the temperature had dropped below ten degrees, so many Pokémon preferred to stay cozy in their nests.
As soon as Naoki and Koraidon stepped outside, they spotted Calyrex in the meadow, lovingly stroking his trusted steed. Hearing them approach, Calyrex turned and greeted Naoki with a kind smile.
He spoke warmly, but Naoki could only smile back, realizing that without any translation seeds, he couldn't understand what Calyrex was saying.
Naoki sighed thoughtfully, "I still have some sunflower seeds from last fall's harvest. I'll have to make another batch of translation melon seed crisps later." He paused, a bit puzzled, and added, "If only there were a dish that could let us talk directly with Pokémon."
In this world, powers that allow humans to communicate with Pokémon are incredibly rare. The Aura, the power of Viridian, or advanced psychic abilities are all exceptional and hard to come by. Creating food with such effects would require an incredibly high level of culinary skill—something he couldn't manage just yet.
With a warm smile, Naoki turned to Calyrex. "Good morning! Did you rest well last night?"
Calyrex nodded with gentle grace, "Calyrex!"
Beside him, Glastrier, the Snowstorm Horse, pawed the ground with an impatient snort. Naoki didn't need a translation to understand what it wanted—it was hungry and eager for its favorite food, the ice carrots.
Spectrier, the Ghost Horse, remained calm and reserved, standing quietly with a serene look in its eyes.
Naoki placed some fresh berries in front of the two horses, watching as they both leaned down to sniff the fruits, momentarily distracted. Despite their lack of enthusiasm, hunger won out, and they eventually started eating.
"Seems like Spectrier and Glastrier aren't really fond of ordinary berries…" Naoki mused to himself. It looked like he'd need to set up a special field for their preferred crops sooner than planned.
He addressed the two horses with a gentle promise, "Give me a moment. I'll go milk the Gogoats and then come back to plant carrots for you."
This seemed to satisfy Glastrier, who continued nibbling the berries without further complaint.
Naoki gave Calyrex an understanding nod and then set off with Koraidon, carrying a milk bucket to the Gogoat enclosure. Inside, three eager Gogoats waited, each bending down compliantly for milking, then trotting off to enjoy their favorite grass dumplings.
Nearby, Calyrex observed the scene thoughtfully, his gaze resting on the peaceful Gogoats and the vibrant plant.
He had thought this was just an ordinary ranch, but there seemed to be more here than met the eye. Everything in this place was brimming with mystery.
After milking the three Gogoats, Naoki headed to the henhouse to collect the eggs laid the previous night. Then, he and Koraidon went to the Pokémon House to gather the Moo Moo Milk collected by Miltank using automatic milking machines. They stored it in the warehouse alongside the Gogoat milk, ready for Zack to pick up later that afternoon.
During this time, the two Dragonites from Dragonite Island, along with five Dragonairs, arrived to help. Seeing Naoki, they all trotted over with cheerful greetings. Naoki welcomed each one warmly and watched as the two Dragonites took the milk from sister Indeedee and flew off to make deliveries in town.
Meanwhile, the five Dragonairs happily followed Naoki around the ranch. Wherever he went, they trailed right behind him. Naoki chuckled, thinking of them as his "Dragonairs entourage."
Since it was winter, the pasture land was currently at rest, needing no watering. So, Naoki headed to the orchard in the southern part of the ranch with a Corviknight feather he'd brought back from the Galar region. During Naoki's absence, Tinkatuff had already finished forging its hammer.
As Naoki arrived, he saw the Tinktuff examining its work, clearly unhappy with the results. Above, a small Minccino perched on a branch, nibbling on a berry. Not far off in the woods, a family of Tandemaus who had grown quite a bit since arriving, played hide-and-seek among the thick fallen leaves. With these wild Pokémon now part of the ranch, the orchard felt more alive than ever.
Naoki watched as the Tinkatuff frowned at its hammer.
Naoki walked over and asked curiously, "Is it finished?"
Hearing his voice, Tinkatuff and the Minccino sitting nearby looked up, their eyes lighting up as they saw Naoki approaching. Tinkatuff proudly raised the rough hammer it had crafted to show him.
Naoki examined the hammer and noticed its poor quality—it even had a few rusty spots. The subpar materials Tinkatuff had used were clearly to blame. Tinkatuff knew this too and seemed a bit downcast, realizing that if it had better materials, the hammer could be much stronger.
Without a solid hammer, Tinkatuff felt a little insecure, and it sighed, "Tuff…"
Naoki smiled, then reached behind him and pulled out a box filled with glimmering black Corviknight feathers. "Ta-da! Look what I brought!"
Tinkatuff's eyes widened in disbelief. A whole box of feathers with a metallic gleam.
These were the rare metal feathers from Corviknight, a material only the mightiest of Tinkaton from its tribe could collect. Tinkatuff remembered stories of the Tinkaton in its homeland who wielded powerful hammers crafted from such feathers. They'd even use these hammers to fend off Corviknight in the sky, collecting the metal feathers the birds shed when struck.
In Tinkatuff's tribe, owning a hammer made from such sturdy metal was a lifelong dream for every young smith.
Naoki knelt down and said, "These are for you."
Tinkatuff blinked in awe. "Tuff?!"
Naoki continued with a warm smile, "Yes, these feathers are a special gift I brought back just for you. Now you can use them to make a hammer that's truly yours."
"Tuff…"
Hearing this, Tinkatuff's eyes shimmered with gratitude. It was deeply moved by Naoki's kindness.
'Naoki… he really is the kindest human I've ever met!'
Not only had Naoki rescued them, and provided food and shelter, but now he had also given it a precious box of Corviknight feathers!
Tinkatuff was so touched that she nearly cried. She bit her lip, her eyes glistening with gratitude. "Woo wow!"
No one had ever shown it such kindness before.
Naoki looked a bit confused. "Alright, alright, it's just a few feathers," he said with a gentle smile. "I'm glad I could help. Besides, after you finish your hammer, I have another favor to ask—could you help Pawmot make a hammer that suits him?"
Hearing this, Tinkatuff quickly wiped away her tears and nodded with determination. With these Corviknight feathers, it was going to forge the best hammer it could and present it to Naoki as thanks.
With the precious feathers in hand, Tinkatuff waved goodbye to Naoki and its companion Minccino, heading off with newfound resolve to begin his work.
Naoki watched her go, touched by the little Pokémon's dedication. He chuckled, thinking there truly were hard-working Pokémon everywhere!
Just then, his gaze shifted, landing on the Minccino nearby, who had definitely put on some weight since last time.
Naoki: "…"
Well, maybe not all Pokémon were as industrious.
Naoki continued his stroll through the orchard, greeting familiar Pokémon like Tandemaus, Hoppip, and Foongus. He inspected their small wooden shelters to ensure everything was in good shape.
Then he came to Slakoth, lounging comfortably in a bed of fallen leaves and nibbling a leaf. At first, nothing seemed amiss, until Koraidon let out a surprised cry.
"Ah gah?"
"What is it?" Naoki turned, following Koraidon's gaze to the Slakoth.
It only took a second for Naoki to realize—this Slakoth's fur had turned a light lavender!
'Lavender… Could it be a Shiny Slakoth?'
That seemed impossible; he distinctly remembered this Slakoth as an ordinary one.
Intrigued, Naoki approached and gently examined Slakoth's fur, noticing a small patch where the fur was shorter. It was the spot where its fur had once been burned.
'This was definitely the same Slakoth. The little guy hadn't been replaced.'
'But… why had its color suddenly changed?'
'Could it be the Painter Pokémon who dyed its fur?'
Curious, Naoki approached the Painter Pokémon, Smeargle who was busy creating colorful art on the trunk of a fruit tree, and asked, "Smeargle, do you know why Slakoth's fur looks different?"
Smeargle looked momentarily puzzled before perking up with a cheerful, "Smeee-ar!"
It set down its brush, led Naoki over to Slakoth's tree, and pointed upward.
Following Smeargle's gaze, Naoki noticed a pink fruit nestled quietly among the branches—a fruit he'd never seen before.
[Dye Fruit: A special ingredient. When eaten, this fruit changes a Pokémon's color. It can be consumed raw or cooked for different effects.]
Naoki was stunned. 'Had this fruit mutated to produce such a unique effect?'
Thinking back, Naoki realized that the Gogoats often came to this orchard, using their Grass energy to help nourish the trees as they grew.
'Could that be why this strange fruit appeared here?'
'Dye Fruit... could this mean I could create a shiny Pokémon effect?'
'If Koraidon ate it, it might turn black. If Pawmot tried it, maybe it would become an ultra-rare pink Pawmot.'
Naoki pictured a pink Pawmot in his mind. The idea was irresistibly cute.
He searched through the nearby trees, hoping to find more, but this seemed to be the only Dye Fruit available. The other one had already been eaten by Slakoth!
Carefully, Naoki picked the remaining Dye Fruit and pocketed it.
Just then, sister Indeedee appeared, calling him to breakfast.
Naoki thanked Smeargle and patted Slakoth before heading back to the house.
Sitting at the breakfast table, he pondered who he might give the Dye Fruit to.
"Of course, I should ask the Pokémon first," Naoki mused, recalling that differently-colored Pokémon could sometimes be viewed as outsiders by their peers.
"Should I offer it to Koraidon?"
He knew that Koraidon would likely accept without hesitation. With its confidence, it probably wouldn't mind standing out.
But there was only one Dye Fruit, and once used, its effect would be permanent. Who knew when the tree would produce another one?
After some thought, Naoki decided to put the fruit away until he could discuss it with his Pokémon.
After breakfast, Naoki began roasting seeds, finishing them off with a drizzle of syrup to create a sweet, crispy flavor.
As Naoki finished up his work, it was already ten in the morning.
Naoki munched on a few pieces of the freshly made seed crisps before heading to the ranch to find Calyrex to discuss the creation of a special field.
"Snow is due in about two weeks, and it'll be too cold for most crops to grow, so I thought I'd leave the fields until spring," Naoki explained.
Calyrex looked at him, surprised that Naoki could now understand Him. "But why?" He asked, puzzled. "With my power, crops could flourish even in the coldest snowfields."
Naoki chuckled. "Honestly, I was hoping for a bit of a break."
"A break?"
"Yeah," Naoki admitted. "I've been busy in the fields from spring through fall. If I keep going through winter, I'd never have a moment to breathe. I think it's important to rest now and then."
Calyrex nodded in understanding. "Yes, that kind of work all year round can be exhausting."
Naoki smiled and explained that he planned to save the main fields for seasonal crops. For the carrots that Glastrier and Spectrier loved, he planned to open a separate field.
So, Naoki tapped on a mound beside the farmland. A Diglett soon poked its head out, looking up at Naoki with curious eyes.
"Could you help me make a couple of new fields here?" Naoki asked.
The Diglett gave a cheerful nod, diving underground to start digging. In no time, two neatly turned fields appeared, thanks to Diglett's efforts.
Calyrex watched in awe, murmuring, "You really are cherished by all these Pokémon."
Diglett, having finished its work, returned happily, and Naoki rewarded it with a treat. "I give them food and shelter, and they help me with the ranch work. I suppose it's a kind of mutual care."
"It's more than that," Calyrex replied. "They seem to genuinely care for you."
Naoki smiled, then took the carrot seeds he'd prepared and planted them in the new fields.
Calyrex then mounted Glastrier, channeling its ice energy into the left field. Frost quickly covered the soil, turning it into a perfect ice field. Afterward, the King teleported to Spectrier and infused the right field with ghostly energy, transforming the soil into a dark, misty ground.
Finally, Calyrex unleashed a radiant blue light from the flower atop His head, which enveloped the two fields. Within moments, carrot sprouts broke through the soil, and as the light faded, the fields were brimming with fresh ice and shade root carrots.
The Diglett watching nearby gasped in awe, its eyes wide.
Glastrier snorted excitedly and trotted into the ice field to munch on the carrots, while Spectrier calmly began nibbling on the shade root carrots in its field.
Seeing them both happily grazing, Naoki felt a deep sense of accomplishment. "Now, I can grow their carrots whenever they need."
Calyrex gave a nod of approval before casting a thoughtful gaze toward the nearby pasture, where the Gogoats tended a small, vibrant seedling.
"There's something else I've been curious about," He said.
Naoki raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"
Calyrex looked at the flourishing seedling, his expression intrigued. "That sapling… I sense a remarkable life force in it. It feels as though the vitality of nature itself is within that."
...
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