Seeing that Dragonite hadn't spilled the beans, Glaceon snorted and ran off with a red face.
Watching it leave, Naoki couldn't help but feel like Glaceon was fleeing in a panic, almost as if it were afraid Naoki might press for more details.
Naoki: "…"
Alright then! Although he had no idea what had happened, he sensed that asking further might just make Glaceon angry.
Glancing over at Dragonite, Naoki decided it was best to return to the house and focus on decorating the rooms.
As he passed by the sheepfold, he noticed the three Gogoat huddled together, pouring grass energy into a small mound of dirt. Fresh soil and dug-up turf were scattered around, evidence of their recent activity.
Curious, Naoki approached, looked down at the small mound, and asked, "What's this?"
The three Gogoat turned their heads simultaneously, replying cheerfully, "Baaaaa!"
Naoki, popping some seeds into his mouth, asked again, "What?"
Gogoat: "Baaa, baaa~" (We're planting seeds!)
"Seeds?" Naoki was confused. He hadn't given them any seeds, and all his crop seeds were safely stored in his storage box.
Noticing his confusion, the middle Gogoat explained: "Baaa~" (The seeds you gave us!)
Naoki blinked and then remembered the three Miracle Seeds he had bought as gifts. He opened his eyes wide in realization and exclaimed, "Wait, those are items for you to carry, not actual seeds!"
But the three Gogoat just looked puzzled: "Baa?"
To them, it was obviously a seed. They could feel the life force within it! As long as they planted it and nurtured it with their grass energy, it would grow!
Naoki: "..."
Looking at their confident faces, Naoki started second-guessing himself. Could Miracle Seeds actually be planted?
He thought back to what he knew about the item: Miracle Seeds—when carried by a Grass-type Pokémon, they boost the power of Grass-type moves. They also had medicinal properties and could be used in cooking.
Naoki wasn't sure if planting them would actually work, but seeing how determined the Gogoat were, he decided to let them try.
"Alright, you three take care of those seeds!" Naoki said with a smile.
The three Gogoat nodded eagerly and continued tending to the small mound of soil.
Naoki turned back toward the house, ready to continue decorating.
Upon his return, Kelly looked up and asked, "Everything okay with Dragonite?"
"Yeah, it's fine," Naoki replied, chuckling. "Dragonite probably caught Glaceon eating ice cream, which made Glaceon feel a bit embarrassed."
"Really?" Kelly looked amused.
Naoki smiled. "Glaceon's usually so quiet and dignified, but when it eats its favorite food, it lets its guard down and becomes quite cute."
He had noticed this before when Glaceon was devouring a cream smoothie, looking adorably silly, but he had never mentioned it to anyone.
Kelly laughed. "Glaceon certainly has a fun personality!"
"Absolutely!" Naoki agreed.
With the combined efforts of Naoki, Kelly, and the Pokémon, the house was decorated in less than an hour.
The living room was now covered with a soft, green leaf-patterned carpet, with a light-colored sofa and a wooden coffee table in the center. The entire room had a cozy, forest-themed, pastoral style. The warm-toned wallpaper and furniture gave the house a calming, natural feel, while also creating a lively and warm atmosphere.
As Naoki looked around, he imagined himself in the kitchen wearing an apron, cooking while the Pokémon gathered in the living room, waiting for their meal. Just picturing it gave him a strong sense of home.
At that moment, the Machamp crew emerged from the cellar, nodding toward Kelly.
Kelly smiled knowingly and said, "Looks like the cellar's all set up. Want to go check it out?"
"Of course!" Naoki said eagerly.
They walked down to the cellar, and with the flip of a switch, soft light illuminated the space. The thirty oak barrels were neatly arranged in six rows, with five barrels in each row.
Although there were a lot of barrels, the cellar didn't feel cramped but gave off a cozy, perfectly balanced vibe.
"It really looks like the cellar in Stardew Valley!" Naoki thought to himself, grinning at the sight.
Kelly suddenly remembered something, her eyes widening: "Wait, do you know how to brew wine?"
"Nope." Naoki admitted with a chuckle. He had only ever brewed wine in games and had no real-life experience.
Kelly blinked in surprise: "???"
Seeing her puzzled expression, Naoki added, "But don't worry. The ranch manual Mayor Thomas gave me has a detailed winemaking guide. I'll just take it step by step."
Kelly relaxed, smiling. "That's good! I've noticed you've planted a lot of hops and fruit trees. You can use those for winemaking! I'll definitely come by to support your business when the time comes. Good luck!"
"Thanks!" Naoki nodded confidently.
Originally, Kelly was planning to leave, but when she saw that there were still items left in Naoki's old house, she decided to stay and lend a hand with her Machamp's strength. Together, they moved all the furniture from the old house to the new one.
After everything from the old house was cleared, Machamp carried in the bar, tables, chairs, and benches from Kelly's truck.
The bar faced the entrance, with storage cabinets underneath for tableware and snacks. Wine racks and shelves were installed behind the bar, perfect for placing juices and beers for visitors to choose from.
Naoki had bought six sets of tables, chairs, and benches of different sizes. The smallest set was perfect for Pokémon like Pikachu, while the largest was suitable for bigger Pokémon.
The old fireplace in the house remained intact, ready to keep the tavern warm during the cold winter months, making it a cozy spot for the Pokémon visitors.
Once everything was set, Kelly finally left, driving off into the sunset.
Naoki didn't rest, though. He cleaned the tavern thoroughly, ensuring the floor was spotless and the walls pristine.
Looking at the empty wooden walls, Naoki thought, "When Baby Bear sends me photos from its travels, I'll frame them and hang them here in the tavern." It would serve as a memory of their journeys and a message to all visiting Pokémon that there's a helpful hero bear cub out there.
"It's finally done!" Naoki sighed contentedly, watching the golden rays of the setting sun from the window.
There was only one last touch.
Naoki pulled out a set of wind chimes from his backpack, and with the help of his Pokémon, he hung them under the eaves of the tavern. Just as they finished, an evening breeze stirred, causing the chimes to tinkle gently in the air.
Dragonite, Koraidon, Alcremie, Dratini, and the others were immediately captivated, their eyes sparkling with curiosity as they tilted their heads at the soft sound.
"Gah?" Koraidon asked, tilting its head.
"Ouch?" Dragonite added, intrigued.
Naoki smiled. "That's the sound of the wind."
Then, he beckoned his Pokémon toward the door with a grin. "Come inside and check out your new home!"
The Pokémon rushed into the house with excitement, and with just one glance, their eyes lit up in surprise.
They gazed at the neat and spacious living room, the soft carpet under their feet, and the large floor-to-ceiling window draped with white curtains.
The dim sunlight filtering through the window cast a warm, hazy glow across the room, making the whole house feel cozy.
"Do you like it?" Naoki asked with a smile.
All the Pokémon nodded enthusiastically.
Naoki, still smiling, turned on the lights and the TV, letting the Pokémon relax and enjoy themselves in the living room. He then donned an apron and headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner for everyone.
The kitchen was open, allowing Naoki to keep an eye on the Pokémon while he cooked.
The evening news from Paldea was playing on the television. In this lively atmosphere, Butterfree and Alcremie were bouncing on the sofa, their faces full of curiosity as they tested out the bouncy, soft cushions beneath them.
Seeing this, Dratini and Dragonair eagerly joined in, flying over to do the same.
Cyclizar settled into a nearby armchair, watching the playful antics with an amused smile.
Dragonite, finding the sofa a bit cramped, opted to sit on the spacious, comfortable carpet instead.
Koraidon stood off to the side, watching the happy scene with a content smile on its face.
...
After dinner, Naoki, exhausted from the long day, planned to go straight to bed, but he found himself unable to sleep. The excitement of being in a new home kept his mind racing.
So Naoki got up and wandered into the living room.
He glanced at the wooden display stand on the wall and suddenly remembered he still had something to do.
Heading back to his room, he retrieved all the keepsakes that Baby Bear had sent back during its travels, along with some of the items it had saved over time. One by one, he carefully placed them on the display stand.
Water Stone, Everstone, a broken Poké Ball, a transparent glass bottle, a pearl.
The soft clinking of the items stirred the Cyclizar, who was dozing on the carpet in the living room.
Cyclizar blinked groggily and looked around in confusion. "Gaao?"
"Did I wake you?" Naoki asked, a bit sheepish. "Sorry about that."
The Cyclizar yawned, rubbed its eyes, and, now fully awake, padded over to watch Naoki as he worked.
Naoki smiled and explained, "These are things Baby Bear brought back from its travels. Since the house feels a bit empty, I thought I'd use them to decorate the display stand."
"Gaao." Cyclizar nodded, seeming to understand.
Before long, the wooden shelves were filled with various trinkets and treasures.
Still feeling wide awake, Naoki noticed that the Cyclizar seemed just as energetic.
After a moment's thought, an idea popped into his head.
"Hey, how about we head to the tavern for a bit?" Naoki asked.
"Gah!" the Cyclizar chirped and nodded happily in agreement.
"Very good," Naoki smiled, patting its head. Then he opened the refrigerator, took out bottles of juice, milk, and fruit, gave some to the Cyclizar, and carried the rest himself.
The two tiptoed out the door and headed to the old house under the cover of night.
Pushing open the door, Naoki flipped the switch, and bright light illuminated the entire room.
He placed the juice and milk on the wine rack behind the bar. Looking at the cute Cyclizar in front of him, Naoki suddenly had the idea to pretend to be a bartender.
"Would you like something to drink?"
The Cyclizar shook its head to indicate that it wasn't thirsty.
Naoki patiently explained, "Starting tomorrow, our tavern will be open for business. I'm worried I won't be able to serve everyone well, so I want to practice the possible situations in advance. For now, I'm the bartender, and you're the guest coming in for a drink."
Understanding now, the Cyclizar blinked and, playing along, pointed at a bottle of juice: "Gaao!"
Naoki handed the bottle to the Cyclizar and gestured to a nearby table and chair. "You can sit over there and enjoy it."
Though a little confused, the Cyclizar sat on the bench and began sipping its juice.
Watching this, Naoki nodded with satisfaction and started thinking about how to improve the setup.
"That seems to be the process," he muttered to himself.
"In addition to drinks, maybe I should prepare some food for the Pokémon, so they can sit down, enjoy a meal, and chat pleasantly."
"But I'll need some help. Running the ranch can be busy, and I have to go out from time to time, so a smart assistant would be useful."
The helper couldn't just be any Pokémon—it had to be one with high intelligence.
The helper cannot be an ordinary Pokémon; it must be a very smart Pokémon with a high IQ.
For example, the Pokémon Oranguru is known as the "wise man."
Naoki remembered that there was a tavern owned by Oranguru in the Alola region.
The tavern is located deep in the forest, with a beautiful environment. It is built on a tree and was constructed by Oranguru itself.
Many Pokémon living in the forest would visit, and even Tapu Koko, the island guardian of the Alola region, would go for a drink.
Oranguru is known for its calm and collected nature and its ability to use human tools.
This Pokémon prefers to live a quiet life alone deep in the forest. It seldom moves around and spends most of its time meditating in trees. With its developed superpowers and wisdom, it knows every corner of the forest very well and can even command Pokémon at will by waving a fan.
This appearance made people long ago think that Oranguru was a human living deep in the forest, so it is also called "the man of the forest."
Not only that, Oranguru is also very good at using human props. It is said that some people have seen it throwing Poké Balls and catching wild Pokémon.
It is precisely because of its IQ that exceeds that of ordinary Pokémon that it is difficult for Oranguru to become a Pokémon for humans.
They are also unlikely to accept the kind of relationship that involves being subdued, given orders, and obeying commands.
Compared to Oranguru, Naoki even felt that Calyrex was easier to lure.
After all, Naoki had introduced the legend of the King of Bountiful Harvests to the Paldea region as part of his mission.
A few days ago, Zack had mentioned that Kosaji Town had already established a Thanksgiving Day festival to be held on the last day of autumn, where people would gather to thank the King of Bountiful Harvests.
Naoki had been stunned when he heard that.
"Wow, people in this world really make decisions quickly," he had thought.
Later, he found out from the mayor that the harvests on nearby ranches had been exceptionally good all summer.
The locals attributed this to the King of Bountiful Harvests, which led them to create the festival.
But was it really thanks to the King's blessing, or was it due to the hard work of the people? Or perhaps a bit of both?
Naoki wasn't entirely sure. After all, the power of the King of Bountiful Harvests was still relatively weak.
Only Calyrex itself likely knew the real answer.
...
You know what to do right..?