"The watermelon is so sweet!"
On the ranch, people gathered, enjoying large slices of watermelon, with juice dripping from their mouths. The Pokémon that accompanied the guests were also savoring the watermelon.
Kora's Machamps stood beside her, holding a large piece of watermelon, happily munching away.
After the watermelon feast, Pokémon like Pawmo, and Butterfree began chasing each other and playing on the lawn.
"It's a shame the watermelon is too big to fit in the fridge. Chilled watermelon would be perfect in this weather," Mayor Thomas remarked with a hint of regret.
"I've got a solution!" Naoki thought to himself, finding this to be an easy fix.
"Oh?" Mayor Thomas' eyes lit up as he turned towards Naoki.
Naoki scanned the area and spotted Glaceon, who was hanging out with Alcremie, and called it over.
After hearing Naoki's request, Glaceon immediately leaped onto the table.
"Buyi!"
With a wave of icy energy, Glaceon sent a gust of cold air toward the watermelon.
A thin layer of white frost formed on the surface, giving the watermelon a refreshing, frosty appearance.
Mayor Thomas laughed heartily at the sight.
"I'm getting old—I completely forgot that Ice-type Pokémon could help with freezing watermelons! Thank you, Glaceon."
"Buyi~"
Glaceon, feeling shy, quickly scurried over to Naoki. It wasn't used to being around so many people, but being near Naoki gave it a sense of security.
"Aw, it's shy!" Mrs. Dantes remarked with a kind smile. "What a sweet little Glaceon."
Glaceon, feeling even more embarrassed, tucked itself closer to Naoki.
Naoki gently patted its head. "All right, go have some fun!"
With that, Glaceon darted away, hiding next to Miltank.
Mayor Thomas began passing out the chilled watermelon slices, while some of the children from the town and their Pokémon happily devoured the Pudding Naoki had prepared in advance.
Naoki watched the scene unfold, feeling deeply moved. It was the first time the ranch had ever been this lively.
He scanned the crowd, looking for his Pokémon.
He spotted a group of Grass-type Pokémon gathered around Gogoat, admiring its release of powerful Grass-type energy with awe.
Koraidon, Dragonite, and Cyclizar stood together, munching on watermelons while chatting about something with great enthusiasm.
Nearby, Alcremie and Nacli were stacked on top of Naclstak, putting on a "brick stacking" show for the other Pokémon, much to everyone's amusement.
Butterfree and Combee relaxed in the watermelon, enjoying the sweet juice that pooled inside.
Miltank rolled around joyfully on the grass.
Pawmo, proudly wearing a red cape, was surrounded by a group of excited children. It shouted "Pawmo!" and leapt into the air like a superhero, soaring off the ground.
The children cheered in admiration as Pawmo struck a heroic pose, looking both strong and dashing.
Meanwhile, Naoki was chatting with some of the townspeople.
Hugh, the seed shop owner, approached, and they began discussing Bell.
Naoki asked, "Did the method I suggested work?"
Hugh nodded, though his expression soon turned troubled.
"It did work. After that day, I adopted an Eevee egg from someone in town and gave it to Bell."
"At first, Bell was very resistant. She was afraid the Pokémon in the egg would hatch at night and well, attack her while she slept."
Naoki blinked, speechless for a moment. 'Paranoia sure leads to some... unique concerns,' he thought.
"And then what happened?" Naoki asked, curious.
Hugh continued, "Eventually, I convinced her mother to reassure Bell that the Pokémon inside the egg was just a harmless Eevee. Bell finally accepted it and began trying to bond with the egg. This morning, I even saw her make a warm little nest for it out of a blanket and a cardboard box."
Naoki imagined the scene and smiled. "That sounds like progress. Things seem to be going well."
Hugh nodded again. "Yeah! I really hope Bell will continue to care for it once Eevee hatches."
Seeing the worry on both Hugh's and his wife's faces, Naoki couldn't help but sigh, feeling empathy for the challenges of parenthood.
Though he had no children himself, Naoki tried to offer reassurance. "It'll be okay."
Just then, Lucy from Light Green Ranch approached, seeking advice from Hugh about crop planting. Hugh bid Naoki farewell and turned to help her with her questions.
"Hey, it's so lively!" Kora and Ivan walked over with wide smiles.
"Yeah!" Naoki grinned, enjoying the buzz of activity around the ranch. He glanced at Kora, sensing she had something on her mind.
Kora spoke up: "About that statue of the King of Bountiful Harvests."
There was no mistaking it—she saw a business opportunity.
"No problem," Naoki nodded. It was all for the King of Bountiful Harvests, after all.
After thinking for a moment, he added, "I'll sketch out the general appearance of the King of Bountiful Harvests later, and you can carve it based on the drawing."
As for how to sell the statues, Naoki trusted Kora would handle that. After all, she had been more than adept at convincing him to invest in ranch facilities.
It was only the beginning. Naoki imagined a future where the statue of the King of Bountiful Harvests could become a common fixture in homes throughout the Paldea region, symbolizing the farmers' belief in prosperity.
In time, every household might have a statue of the King, and the legendary Pokémon, who draws power from that belief, would grow stronger. Naoki smiled to himself, imagining the King of Bountiful Harvests soaring to new heights, all thanks to this small act of faith.
He believed that after today's event, the legend of the King of Bountiful Harvests would spread among the farmers of Kosaji Town and beyond.
Everything was falling into place—he just had to wait for the wind of change to carry the story of the King into the hearts of thousands of homes in Paldea.
————
By the afternoon, the townspeople began leaving one by one.
Naoki anticipated there would be plenty of trash left behind, but when he set out to clean, he was pleasantly surprised to find the lawn relatively tidy.
Thinking back, he realized everyone had made a conscious effort to throw their trash in the bins before leaving.
Stepping outside, he saw the trash can overflowing with watermelon rinds.
This trash bin was all thanks to Zack!
The day after he arrived at the ranch, Zack had contacted the town's waste management service, arranging for a trash bin to be delivered. Every morning at six, someone came to empty the bin, taking the waste to the incineration plant.
With the cleanup already handled, Naoki decided to use the time to paint a portrait of the King of Bountiful Harvests.
The image of the King was still clear in his mind, and having learned to draw in the past, he was able to capture the regal form of the Pokémon with ease.
As Naoki painted, Dragonite stood nearby, carrying a small red satchel, gently dozing off as it waited.
When the portrait was finished, Dragonite stirred, stretched, and took the letter containing the drawing, placing it carefully into its satchel. With a mighty flap of its wings, it soared off toward the town.
Naoki looked up at the sky and exhaled slowly, feeling satisfied.
Turning to Koraidon and Cyclizar beside him, he smiled and asked, "Did you enjoy today?"
"Ah, Roo~"
"Raao~"
The two Pokémon answered in unison, clearly happy.
"Good to hear. You don't seem hungry yet, so I'll cook later."
The Pokémon had snacked quite a bit during the afternoon, nearly emptying Naoki's refrigerator.
After such a busy day, Naoki felt the fatigue setting in and decided it was time for a well-earned rest.
As he returned to his room, ready to collapse onto the bed for a nap, his phone suddenly rang.
...
"Hey there, trainers and adventurers! 🎮 We've come a long way together, and I can feel the energy building up—kinda like a well-timed Hyper Beam! 💥 So, let's charge up this story with some extra Power Stones! For every 500 stones, an extra chapter magically appears!✨ Come on, don't make me beg—I'm not that good at puppy eyes. Let's hit that button, unlock more chapters, and keep the adventure rolling! 🚀"
Next goal is 1000 power stones