Chapter 274: A Hero's Spark
After dark, Naoki finished checking the ranch facilities and settled in with his Pokémon to watch TV. He tuned in to Paldea News TV, where Alice's program, Man and Dragons, was airing.
Naoki watched with interest. It was his first time seeing himself on TV, and the experience felt both exciting and surreal.
Looking at his own image on the screen, Naoki thought, 'Is this what it feels like to be on television?'
"I hope this documentary helps spread the name of the ranch," he murmured to himself.
Every journey begins with small steps, he reminded himself. Although the ranch wasn't well-known yet, he was confident that one day the name "Dragon Express" would be recognized throughout the entire Paldea region.
...
The next morning, life returned to its usual rhythm.
Now that Naoki was back from the Galar region, he had no pressing matters outside of the ranch. He enjoyed his daily routine, working and spending time with his Pokémon.
Each morning, Naoki began by milking his Gogoat, bottling the fresh milk for the Dragonite to deliver to town.
After the morning milking, sister Indeedee, who worked as the ranch's caretaker, prepared breakfast, which Naoki enjoyed with everyone on the ranch.
Once breakfast was over, the Indeedee siblings cleaned up the rooms, tidying up after Pawmot and Cyclizar, who had been especially playful. Meanwhile, Naoki headed outside to care for the ranch.
He filled the water troughs, scattered feed for the Pokémon, and stocked the stable with berries and carrots. He also collected Moomoo Milk, gathered honey from the Combee hive, harvested rock salt from Naclstack in the underground cave, and picked up fresh eggs from the hen coop.
With the morning chores done, Naoki returned to the kitchen to make grass dumplings for Gogoat and checked the progress of the fruit wine and rose jam brewing in the cellar.
When everything was in order, it was time for lunch. Naoki dined with the Pokémon and then took a short break in the glasshouse, enjoying afternoon tea with Calyrex.
By mid-afternoon, he'd head to the Reverse World to continue transforming the sky island into a lush back garden for the ranch.
...
Each Pokémon had its own activities—playing or simply relaxing. The weather was beautiful, and as Naoki basked in the sun, listening to the joyful sounds of the Pokémon, he thought, 'This is the perfect life.'
"Wooo~?"
Just then, he heard a small voice from outside.
Naoki opened his eyes and stepped out to see Tinkatuff, the little blacksmith Pokémon, standing nearby with a hammer in one hand, glancing around as if searching for something.
The moment Tinkatuff spotted Naoki, its eyes lit up. It ran over, proudly raising the hammer.
"Wooo!" it exclaimed with enthusiasm.
Naoki's eyes brightened as he took the hammer from Tinkatuff. "It's ready?"
Tinkatuff nodded eagerly, "Woo-woo!" confirming that this hammer was its finest creation yet, crafted with all its skill and heart.
Naoki lowered his head and examined the impressive hammer in his hands.
The hammer gleamed with a striking silver metallic sheen, clearly different from the small, delicate hammer that the little blacksmith, Tinkatuff, held.
Tinkatuff's hammer was modest in size, crafted perfectly for its small stature. But the hammer Naoki held was larger, with a sturdy, square head and a captivating silver luster.
It was evident that this hammer had been custom-made by Tinkatuff specifically for Pawmot.
"This is incredible!" Naoki couldn't help but exclaim in awe.
Even though he'd heard stories about Pokémon like Tinkatuff and their crafting skills, witnessing its talent firsthand was astonishing. The fact that it could create such a beautiful hammer without any additional tools or high-temperature forging—just with its skillful hands and natural Steel-type energy—was remarkable.
Seeing Tinkatuff's eager gaze, Naoki smiled warmly and praised, "I really love this hammer. Thank you for making it, Tinkatuff!"
"Wooo~"
Tinkatuff's eyes lit up with happiness, visibly thrilled by Naoki's appreciation.
It was no longer the timid, downcast Pokémon he had met after the forest fire. Recreating its own hammer had restored Tinkatuff's spirit and energy, revealing its true, lively self.
Naoki felt a surge of joy for Tinkatuff's growth and healing.
Gently patting Tinkatuff on the head, he glanced toward the chicken coop's roof and said, "Let's go give this to Pawmot together!"
"Woo-ooa!"
Tinkatuff nodded eagerly, following Naoki, its hammer in hand.
They reached the base of the coop, and Naoki called out. Soon, Pawmot, who had been sunbathing on the roof, bounded down.
"Pamo?"
Naoki handed Pawmot the hammer, a smile in his eyes. "Want to give it a try?"
Pawmot accepted the hammer, grasping the handle and immediately noticing how well it fit. However, after a moment of surprise, a puzzled expression crossed Pawmot's face as it looked up at Naoki. "Bamo?"
'Was this a gift? But what was it for?'
Seeing Pawmot's confusion, Naoki realized that, unlike Tinkatuff, Pawmot had no experience with tools like this. Naturally, it had no idea what to do with the hammer.
Naoki cleared his throat, then sat down on the ground, prepared to share a story with his eager listeners.
Seeing him settle in, the two Pokémon, Pawmot and Tinkatuff, also sat down in a row, looking up at him expectantly.
Naoki began, "A long time ago, there was a powerful Pokémon named Thor. He wore a red cape that symbolized hope and wielded a mighty hammer. With this hammer, he protected the weak, fought for justice, and traveled across the world helping Pokémon in need."
"He could channel the lightning within his body into the hammer, surrounding it in electric energy to strike down his enemies. In this way, he stopped many evildoers."
"The humans and Pokémon he helped called him a superhero. Over time, this figure in a red cape, soaring through the sky with his hammer, became a beacon of hope."
"Pamo…" Pawmot murmured, enraptured.
"Wooo…" Tinkatuff echoed, its eyes filled with admiration.
Hearing the tale, Tinkatuff's eyes sparkled with a sudden realization, remembering the time when Pawmot had flown through the smoke during the forest fire, cloaked in a red cape, searching for Pokémon in need.
Tinkatuff turned to Pawmot with newfound admiration. "Wooow!"
Seeing Tinkatuff's expression, Naoki chuckled, nodding as Pawmot blushed slightly. "That's right. Pawmot is a superhero, too."
At this, Pawmot's eyes shone. Inspired by Thor's story, it tightened its grip on the hammer, determined to follow in those heroic footsteps. Focusing hard, Pawmot called upon the electric energy within itself.
In a flash, a crackling surge of electricity leaped from Pawmot's body, channeling into the hammer. The metal blazed with powerful lightning, lighting up the area around them.
Pawmot stared in awe at the glowing hammer, a surprised cry escaping it. "Pamo?!"
...
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