Dragonair and Dratini, including the shiny Dratini, had just settled into the ranch. Naoki originally thought they'd have temperaments similar to Dragonite—calm, docile, and a little naive.
But he never expected just how mischievous and playful they'd turn out to be—except for the shiny Dratini, who was relatively well-behaved.
In just a few days, the ranch was in chaos thanks to their antics.
They would chase the Gogoat, trying to eat their grass dumplings, fly around while tugging on clothes, and even try to burrow into Diglett holes, getting stuck at the entrance with no way out.
One time, while Naoki was fishing, they even snuck into the water and hung a Magikarp on his hook!
He thought he had hooked something big, but when he reeled it in, it was just a Magikarp flopping around using Splash.
Not only that, they got creative and started hanging glass bottles in the water, broken boots they found from who-knows-where, and even themselves on his fishing line!
One evening, Zack came by to pick up supplies and witnessed Naoki pulling a Dratini out of the lake with his fishing rod.
Zack was stunned and exclaimed that Naoki's fishing skills were unmatched—he could even catch Pokémon like Dratini! He confidently predicted Naoki would dominate the upcoming fishing competition.
After some effort, Naoki explained the situation to Zack, but Zack was still amazed. He commented that he'd never seen a rancher capable of raising a whole group of rare Pokémon like Dratini and Dragonair.
Naoki could only sigh in response.
To prepare for the upcoming fishing competition, Naoki had been diligently practicing his fishing techniques.
After finishing his daily work on the ranch, he'd grab his fishing rod and head to the river to practice.
Since there wasn't much entertainment on the ranch, apart from watching TV, fishing had become his go-to way to pass the time. He often found himself sitting by the water for hours.
Today was another new day, and Naoki grabbed his fishing rod, ready to fish by the river again.
However, when he saw the eager Dratini and Dragonair following him, Naoki's eyebrow twitched in frustration. Gritting his teeth, he said, "No! If anyone hangs a Magikarp, glass bottles, or broken boots on my hook again today, I'm sending them straight back to Dragonite Island!"
Upon hearing this, the Dratini and Dragonair immediately dropped their plans to "help" with the fishing and backed off, deciding against sneaking into the water.
Naoki pinched the white nose of one Dratini and pointed at the shiny Dratini swimming calmly in the lake. "Why don't you learn from him? Look how well-behaved and obedient he is!"
The Dratini looked at the shiny Dratini, then at Naoki, and cheekily made a face.
Naoki sighed and called out, "Dragonite, come over and take care of your nephews and nieces!"
Dragonite, looking innocent, thought to itself that it had no real way of controlling these naughty kids, but it still obediently walked over and grumbled, "Ouch…"
Leaving the Dratini and Dragonair in Dragonite's care, Naoki confidently grabbed his fishing rod and headed to the lake.
Koraidon considerately put the small stool aside, while Cyclizar held a transparent bottle filled with red liquid in its claws.
Naoki sat down, took the bottle, and unscrewed the cap. A rich and mellow aroma of black tea wafted through the air, immediately filling his senses.
This was no ordinary tea—it was the specialty black tea from Kitakami Township.
He took a sip, savoring the soothing warmth. After snacking on melon seeds for days, his throat had become a bit sore, and this black tea was perfect for relieving the dryness and heat. Plus, it tasted fantastic, so Naoki found himself drinking a few cups daily.
"Alright, you two, off you go! You'll scare the fish away if you stand around here. Go play!" Naoki said with a wave to Koraidon and Cyclizar.
The two Pokémon happily scampered off, finding a sunny patch of lawn nearby where they could bask in the warmth.
Naoki glanced back a few times and saw Dragonite now dealing with the mischievous Dratini and Dragonair. Though they were quite the handful, their arrival had certainly made the ranch feel more lively.
The Dratini and Dragonair seemed to be having the time of their lives.
'What's Dragonite Island?' They had probably forgotten all about it for now.
Naoki chuckled to himself and shifted his focus back to his fishing.
On the grassy bank across the river, a group of Psyduck were lounging under the shade of a tree, their cuteness on full display.
Naoki noticed them, but then, several Psyducks nearby suddenly panicked and scattered.
He blinked, puzzled. 'Was I that scary?'
Meanwhile, on the other side of the ranch, Dragonite—who had been tasked with watching over the young Dratini and Dragonair—let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Dragonite's eyes wandered over to Naoki, who was calmly fishing by the river.
To be honest, Dragonite had initially feared the arrival of the Dratini and Dragonair group. It worried that Naoki might focus all his attention on training them into Dragonites, leaving it behind. Dragonite wasn't particularly skilled at being cute or playful like the mischievous little ones, and for a while, it had been extremely anxious, fearing its position in Naoki's heart might be replaced.
Every time Dragonite saw Naoki interacting with the baby Dragonairs and Dratinis, it couldn't help but imagine a future where the new Dragonites surrounded Naoki, leaving it abandoned in the corner, drawing circles in the dirt with its tail.
The new dragons laugh, but the old dragon cries.
But thankfully, Naoki hadn't done that. He continued caring for all the Pokémon on the ranch with the same love and attention as before.
This left Dragonite feeling both reassured and a bit envious.
The comforting part was knowing its place in Naoki's heart remained high, higher than the Dratini and Dragonair. But what made Dragonite sigh was seeing how much affection Naoki gave to Koraidon and Pawmo—he even let them sleep next to him every night!
Well…
Dragonite sighed quietly to itself.
The weather wasn't the best that day; the sky was gloomy and overcast. Naoki, still fishing, glanced up and suspected it might rain soon.
Sure enough, as he reeled in his third catch, a sudden thunderstorm rolled in with almost no warning. The rain came pouring down.
Naoki quickly grabbed his iron bucket and dashed back to the ranch, huddling under the eaves with all the Pokémon to wait out the storm.
Pokémon of all shapes and sizes gathered in a row under the narrow shelter, making the space feel even more cramped.
Looking at the scene, Naoki thought to himself, 'It looks like expanding the house is becoming a necessity.'
His gaze shifted to the rain-soaked farmland. After the next crop harvest, he'd have saved enough to expand the house. He wanted to contact Kelly, the builder, immediately to get started. The hops were already ripe, and once the new house was built, he could officially begin his brewing business.
But there was a problem—building a fully functional two-story house would likely take at least a month, judging by Kelly's pace and the help of Machamp.
'Where would I stay during that time?' Naoki pondered. Staying in a hotel in town seemed unrealistic.
After some thought, Naoki decided that the best solution was to buy a large tent and set it up on the ranch. Not only would it serve as temporary housing, but it would also give him a chance to camp out under the stars with his Pokémon.
Yes, perfect!