By the time Naoki finished cleaning the room, it was already one o'clock in the afternoon.
The egg-fried rice he had prepared for himself had gone cold, sitting on the table.
After putting the rag away, Naoki looked at the cold fried rice and thought about the Pokémon's behavior earlier. He felt a bit hesitant.
Sitting down at the table, he began to reflect on what he wanted to do but had always been too afraid to try.
However, after thinking for a long time, he couldn't come up with anything specific.
Should he try it? See if the fried rice had the same effect on humans as it did on Pokémon?
In the end, Naoki decided to give it a shot.
He picked up the spoon and began eating.
There was still a bit of warmth left, the rice was soft and fluffy, and the eggs were rich and flavorful. It actually tasted pretty good.
Naoki realized he was quite hungry, so he quickly finished the bowl of fried rice. Once done, he even grabbed a glass of ice-cold juice from the fridge and took a few sips.
"Huh? Nothing particularly strong happening?" Naoki wondered.
But in the next moment, a sudden thought popped into his head—something he'd fantasized about but never acted on before.
Cuddling Glaceon and rubbing his face against its soft, fluffy fur!
He'd never dared to do it before, afraid of startling Glaceon or worried it would think he was some kind of weirdo.
But now...
Naoki suddenly felt a surge of courage building within him for no apparent reason.
'Why not just try it?'
'Pick up Glaceon and cuddle like you do with Pawmo!'
But soon after, Naoki stopped himself, wanting to test whether an ordinary person could resist the effects of the dish.
So, with the courage subsiding, he retracted his raised foot and sat back in his chair. After a while, the feeling of impulsiveness faded away.
Naoki glanced at the empty bowl of fried rice and reflected.
"It seems eating this egg fried rice gives the eater a burst of courage, making them impulsively act on things they've always wanted to do but were too afraid to try."
"This feeling isn't overwhelming. A person with strong willpower can endure it. As long as you stay firm, you can avoid being swayed by the cooking's effects."
"Once the courage fades, the influence of the dish disappears."
Still, this food could be incredibly useful to help someone make decisions when they're wavering or feeling hesitant.
For instance, people who struggle with decision-making or those who are introverted and don't know how to express themselves or say no.
Thinking of this, Naoki suddenly remembered the girl from the seed shop, Hugh's daughter, Bell.
Hugh had always said she was trying hard to overcome her psychological barriers but could never make up her mind.
So, the question was: 'Could this dish help her?'
Since Naoki was planning to head into town to buy a new bed that afternoon, he decided he'd give it a try.
So Naoki got up, took out the ingredients from the refrigerator, made an extra portion of fried rice, packed it into a lunch box, and hopped onto his Cyclizar to head into town.
He had bought this lunch box some time ago, intending to use it while exploring the wild, but he never got the chance to use it—until now.
Cyclizar was fast, and it took him just over ten minutes to reach the town.
Standing in front of the seed shop, Naoki glanced at the sign above the door. To avoid what had happened last time, Naoki returned Cyclizar to its Poké Ball before entering.
It was mid-afternoon, and the shop wasn't very busy.
Hugh, the shop owner, was dusting the shelves with a feather duster. When he heard footsteps, he turned and saw Naoki approaching.
Hugh showed some surprise, then smiled warmly and said, "Good afternoon! Did you forget to buy something?"
"No," Naoki shook his head, holding up the lunch box containing the Courage Fried Rice. He briefly explained the magical effects of the dish.
After listening, Hugh was astonished. "A dish like that? How can you make food that gives people courage?"
Naoki repeated what he'd told Carter earlier, looking at his palm as if in reflection.
"I see." Hugh murmured, nodding in understanding.
When he heard that Naoki had this special ability, he wasn't envious or jealous but genuinely happy for him.
Hugh wanted to say that maybe Naoki had lost someone important in this world and that perhaps this was a gift from above to help him, but he hesitated, not wanting to bring up anything painful. Instead, he changed the topic. "Can it really give someone courage?"
Naoki smiled and nodded. "To bring happiness to others—that's the true meaning of food."
Hugh nodded and glanced upstairs. "Bell should be in her room painting. I'll call her down!"
He walked toward the stairs and called up, "Bell! Bell! Come down quickly!"
Soon, the head of a shy girl appeared at the top of the stairs.
She only exposed half of her body, looking down cautiously. Upon seeing a stranger in the house, she quickly withdrew, much like a startled little hamster.
Hugh sighed helplessly and turned to Naoki, "Bell is very shy and timid. Her room is her only safe space. Aside from meals, she stays locked inside, focusing on what interests her."
Naoki nodded in understanding and handed the fried rice to Hugh. "In that case, you can give it to her."
Hugh smiled, "Please wait here for a moment!"
Naoki had no objections.
Hugh took the fried rice upstairs, and knocked gently on his daughter's door, "Bell?"
Soon, the door creaked open.
With anticipation, Hugh handed the lunch box to his daughter and explained the magical properties of the fried rice, and how it could give someone courage.
Bell's eyes widened in surprise. "Huh? Is there really food like that?"
"I don't know either. Naoki specially sent this to help you," Hugh explained. "Naoki is the owner of the ranch you visited that day. He came to town in the spring."
As he spoke, Hugh whistled toward the window, and moments later, a small, curious Minccino scurried in through the open window.
"Why not give it a try?" Hugh encouraged, hoping his daughter could overcome her psychological barriers, stop isolating herself, and live more freely.
"Okay," Bell said, feeling her father's hope and expectation. She took a deep breath and carefully opened the lunch box.
A delicious aroma immediately filled the air. The egg fried rice looked as though it had just been made, still steaming with warmth.
The golden egg mixture coated nearly every grain of rice, each piece distinct. The fragrance of the oil, rice, and eggs blended harmoniously, giving off a golden sheen that was incredibly appetizing.
Even though Bell had just eaten lunch, she couldn't help but swallow in anticipation.
Hugh was similarly impressed. He hadn't expected Naoki to be so skilled at cooking. Maybe this dish really could help Bell?
"Go ahead, try it," Hugh urged.
Bell picked up a spoon and cautiously took a bite.
The moment she tasted the egg fried rice, her eyes lit up.
Hugh asked with anticipation, "How does it feel?"
Bell blinked and savored the flavors for a moment before she suddenly felt a wave of courage rising within her.
She bit her lip, and after a brief pause, as if making a decision, she turned to her father and said:
"Dad, I don't want to go out. I want to stay at home."
Hugh was taken aback by her words.
Bell herself didn't seem to expect that she would blurt out what was truly on her mind.
Startled, she quickly apologized, "I'm sorry," but then continued:
"I know you and Mom want me to go outside more often, but the world outside is dangerous. There are Pokémon everywhere, and I could lose my life if I'm not careful."
Hearing his daughter's concerns, Hugh felt a deeper sense of worry. "Is that really how you feel?" he asked.
As the effects of the Courage Fried Rice faded, Bell covered her mouth, guilt washing over her. "I'm so sorry!" she repeated.
Hugh sighed and gently asked, "You don't like it when your parents keep pressuring you to go out, do you?"
"No." Bell lowered her head, feeling as if she were about to admit defeat. "I just... I just think it's really dangerous outside. If I walk down the road, I might get hit by a car, and in the forest, I could be attacked by scary Pokémon!"
"Every Pokémon terrifies me! I could get electrocuted, burned alive, or sliced in half by a Scyther! Even small Pokémon—if they bite me, I might die from an infection! I don't want to end up like that, alone on some vast plain!"
Hugh was stunned. His daughter had always been quiet, but he hadn't realized her fears ran this deep. He sighed, trying to make sense of it all. He gently said to Bell, "We'll talk more when your mother comes back. Naoki is still downstairs—why don't you continue painting for now?"
Hugh turned and went downstairs.
Seeing the worry etched on Hugh's face, and after hearing part of the conversation, Naoki asked, "Is everything okay?"
Hugh let out a heavy sigh. "I just want Bell to go out more, experience the world so that when her mother and I are no longer around, she'll be able to live in this world on her own."
"Is that really how she feels?" Naoki asked.
Hugh nodded, "Yes, it seems so. But we still have you to thank, Naoki. If it weren't for you, I might still be forcing Bell into situations that made her uncomfortable, without realizing it."
Hearing this, Naoki thought that Bell might have some deep-seated fears or even paranoid delusions, but it was not his place to interfere in another family's issues.
He offered comfort instead. "Don't worry too much. There's plenty of time for things to change. Bell may grow out of this as she gets older."
"I hope so," Hugh replied, clearly burdened by his worries. He grabbed a bag of fertilizer from a nearby shelf and offered it to Naoki. "In any case, we really appreciate your help today. This is the latest fertilizer we have in stock."
"Oh, I can't accept this," Naoki said, shaking his head. "I just wanted to help in any way I could."
But Hugh was insistent, holding out the fertilizer. "We're neighbors, after all. This is a fruit fertilizer, designed to help fruit trees grow more abundantly. It's new stock, so I haven't tried it yet. Please take it and let me know how it works. If it's effective, maybe you'll buy a few more bags."
Realizing that Hugh wasn't going to take no for an answer, Naoki smiled and accepted the fertilizer. "I understand. If it works well, I'll definitely be back for more."
Hugh explained to Naoki in detail at what stage the fertilizer should be applied and how much to use for each tree.
Naoki nodded, indicating he understood and would remember everything.
He then left the seed shop and released his Cyclizar from its Poké Ball. Reflecting on the events of the day, Naoki couldn't help but shake his head.
"What a sweet little girl," he thought.
As he looked back toward the seed shop, he noticed someone standing at the second-floor window. It was Bell, watching him. The moment she realized he had noticed her, she quickly shrank back, like a quail retreating into its shell.
Naoki sighed. "Forget it!" He patted Cyclizar on the shoulder and said, "Let's go!"
With his bed broken by Koraidon, Naoki had to buy a new one.
To prevent another incident like this in the future, Naoki decided to switch to a Japanese-style tatami bed. These beds had no legs and sat flat on the wooden floor, making them much harder for Koraidon to damage.
Plus, with a partition underneath the house, he didn't have to worry about the quilts getting damp. Even if they did, the strong summer sun would dry them out, leaving them soft and smelling like sunshine after a day outside.
The streets of town were pristine, with charming shops and houses lining both sides of the road.
At three o'clock in the afternoon, after purchasing the tatami bed from the shop, Naoki returned to the ranch.
He immediately began applying fertilizer to the newly planted fruit trees and transplanted the taller fruit trees from the farmland to the orchard area.
After finishing that task, Naoki, ignoring the dirt on his hands, went to the utility room. There, he built a simple wooden fence to enclose the orchard, leaving a small gate for easy entry and exit.
With Koraidon's help, he placed a sign near the gate featuring a picture of tree fruits, indicating that this was a dedicated park for growing and cultivating tree fruits.
That evening, after a busy day, Naoki finished his dinner and went to bed early.
With the new tatami bed, Koraidon no longer had to worry about breaking it. In fact, Koraidon seemed to enjoy it even more, boldly resting its tail on the bed and almost sprawling its entire body across it.
Whenever Naoki saw this, he couldn't help but suspect that Koraidon had deliberately crushed the previous bed. But looking at Koraidon's innocent, content expression, Naoki felt guilty for thinking so.
There weren't many entertainment options on the ranch, so bedtime came early every night.
Perhaps because he wasn't used to sleeping on a tatami, Naoki had trouble falling asleep that night.
He lay there alongside Pawmo, staring at the ceiling, thinking about how nice it would be if this era could develop faster.
He missed his smartphone—the ability to browse the internet and play games.
But for now, none of that existed. Naoki sighed quietly to himself.
Turning his head, he caught Koraidon's golden eyes shining in the dark.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?" he asked.
Koraidon looked ecstatic, as usual: "Raao~"
"You silly thing," Naoki said, exasperated but amused. He draped his ankles over Koraidon's tail.
Koraidon, happy as ever, thought to itself, 'I'm not silly!'
Naoki pulled the quilt over his head and announced, "Enough. Time to sleep!"
And with that, they both drifted off into a peaceful night.