Chapter 54: Payday
"Yes, I met it when it was still a Caterpie," Naoki explained. "Then it evolved into a Metapod and has been waiting here for its next evolution."
"Evolution." Yosuke recalled information he had read. "If I remember correctly, Metapod is the fastest evolving Pokémon. When did it evolve from Caterpie?"
Naoki thought for a moment. "About half a month ago."
"Oh," Yosuke said. "That is fast. It should evolve into Butterfree in a few days! Butterfree can spread pollen and collect nectar for food, which will be a great help for your ranch work!"
Fast growth, suitability for beginners, and ease of training were the advantages of Bug-type Pokémon. But they also had their drawbacks.
For example, their lifespans were shorter than their trainers. Many trainers chose Bug-type Pokémon as their starters and felt deep sadness when they eventually passed away.
However, birth, aging, illness, and death were natural parts of life, and everyone, human or Pokémon, had to go through this process.
Yosuke sighed softly, contemplating this.
Naoki walked over to check on the Metapod, reaching out to touch its hard green shell. Compared to half a month ago, its shell had become harder, and its color had changed from light green to dark green. All of this signaled that the Metapod was nearing evolution.
'Butterfree. Grow up quickly'! Naoki thought. Once Metapod evolved, the ranch would become even livelier.
The Metapod was in a critical stage of its evolution. Its hard shell prevented it from moving or eating, relying entirely on the nutrients stored during its Caterpie stage to renew its cells. During this process, no one could provide external help. Only by breaking out of their shells on their own could they transform into Butterfree and soar through the sky.
The two entered the house, and Naoki poured Yosuke a cup of tea before getting up to continue his ranch work.
Seeing him start working, Koraidon, who was standing nearby, immediately ran over to help, followed closely by Cyclizar and Dragonite.
At this point, Yosuke also came out. He looked at the vast farmland in front of him, eager to lend a hand. "I'll help too!"
"This work is tough!" Naoki warned, raising an eyebrow.
Yosuke had never done farm work before. He hailed from the northern part of the Galar region, a modern metropolis called Wyndon. But that didn't dampen his enthusiasm for experiencing ranch life.
Seeing this, Naoki didn't try to dissuade him.
Yosuke took out four Poké Balls from his pocket. With flashes of white light, a Grovyle, a Cinderace, Mr. Mime, and a sturdy Bewear appeared on the ranch.
"Everyone, let's help Naoki harvest the crops!"
With the command given, the four Pokémon joined in the harvest.
Soon, turnips, mud-covered potatoes, garlic bulbs, plump white radishes, glistening cucumbers, and juicy tomatoes piled up in small mounds beside the fields. By the time all the ripe crops were harvested, everyone and the Pokémon were covered in dirt.
As the last cucumber was picked, Yosuke collapsed onto the grass. "Whew, ranch work is truly tiring!"
In comparison, Naoki's endurance was much better. Perhaps it was due to the long hours of labor that prevented him from collapsing immediately.
He thanked Yosuke and his four Pokémon with a smile. "Thank you for your hard work. You guys take a break while I prepare lunch!"
"Great!" Yosuke and his Pokémon cheered in unison.
Naoki returned to the kitchen to prepare lunch. With a larger group today and everyone having expended a lot of energy, the lunch dishes would focus on restoring energy and stamina.
Dishes like fried pork cutlets and rice were on the menu. In addition, Naoki also prepared three new dishes using the freshly harvested crops.
One was smashed cucumbers, another was scrambled eggs with tomatoes. For the third, Naoki sliced the pork tenderloin, added chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, ginger, green onions, and other ingredients, creating a spicy and fragrant dish of boiled pork slices.
The boiled pork slices were tender and fresh, the broth was red and glistening, the spicy aroma was overwhelming, and the meat slices coated in red oil looked incredibly tempting.
Naoki couldn't help but swallow, and as he looked down, information about these three dishes appeared in his mind.
[Smashed Cucumbers (D): A simple and easy basic dish, a great choice for summer heat relief.
Cooking effect: Heat Resistance Lv1.]
[Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes (C): A home-cooked dish, sour and sweet, the freshness of the eggs and the unique taste of tomatoes are perfectly combined.
Cooking effect: Increases appetite.]
[Boiled Pork Slices (B): Delicious boiled pork slices, spicy and fragrant. One bite will make you breathe fire.
Cooking effect: Fire Burst.]
Huh? Naoki's eyes were drawn to the boiled pork slices.
The next second, the specific details of the cooking effect emerged.
[Fire Burst: Limited to Fire-type Pokémon. For a short period, moderately increases the Fire energy in the body and slightly improves the comprehension of Fire-type moves.]
This is,
Naoki was slightly stunned.
At that moment, Yosuke, lured by the fragrance, rushed in, forgetting his tiredness.
"What's that smell? It smells so good!"
When Yosuke got a clear look at the boiled pork slices, his mouth watered. "What kind of dish is this?"
Naoki replied, "Uh, it's called Boiled Pork Slices."
"Boiled Pork Slices?" Yosuke had never heard of or seen such a dish, his curiosity piqued.
Naoki didn't explain further. With so many mouths to feed and no room for everyone to sit inside, he instructed Koraidon to move the table outside and then brought the prepared dishes to it.
The Pokémon were immediately drawn to the overpowering aroma. Naoki clearly saw Yosuke's Cinderace's throat bob, likely from swallowing frantically.
"Dig in!" Yosuke picked up his utensils and began to eat enthusiastically.
Naoki discreetly observed the only Fire-type Pokémon present, Cinderace. It picked up its utensils - Yosuke must have taught it - and grabbed a piece of the boiled pork, coated in red oil, putting it into its mouth.
After chewing for a moment, its face turned red. The Fire energy in its body surged. Cinderace's eyes widened, and its cheeks puffed out, as if holding something back.
After a few seconds, it seemed to reach its limit. It suddenly raised its head, and a beam of scorching red fire shot out of its mouth towards the sky.
Yosuke: "?!"
A moment later, Cinderace collapsed onto the grass, exhausted, gasping for breath.
"What's wrong, Cinderace?" Yosuke asked anxiously.
Cinderace stuck out its tongue and shook its head slightly.
Spicy, too spicy!
Naoki cleared his throat and explained at the right time, "Perhaps the Fire-type energy in its body was stimulated by the spiciness, causing it to burst out uncontrollably."
He paused, then asked, "Are you feeling any discomfort?"
Cinderace gradually calmed down. It shook its head, not feeling any discomfort. In fact, it felt relaxed and refreshed.
Naoki: "..."
It seemed this Cinderace was unlucky and hadn't learned any new moves.
...
800 powerstones = 3 Additional chapters. Let's Go '🤞🤞
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