The process of making pumpkin cookies wasn't too complicated.
Plus, Naoki had put in the effort to specialize in making desserts like these.
By now, he could whip up cakes, puffs, puddings, and cookies without much trouble.
He started by mashing the sliced pumpkin and then mixed it with the prepared Moo Moo milk. Next, he added olive oil and sugar to the eggs, beating them until the mixture expanded into a fluffy texture.
The third step involved pouring in the pumpkin puree, adding flour and corn starch, and blending it all together evenly before pouring the mix into a round mold on the baking pan.
Finally, Naoki placed two bright red dried cranberries on top of each cookie as decoration and popped the tray into the oven for about ten minutes.
Soon, with a ding, the oven timer went off.
Naoki, donning heat-proof gloves, pulled out the baking tray, revealing rows of golden-brown cookies, smelling sweet and fresh.
The delightful mix of Moo Moo milk's richness and the warm aroma of pumpkin filled the air.
"Done!" Naoki exclaimed, feeling proud as he admired the cookies. He had a knack for making desserts after all.
Curiously, he looked down, and the information about the cookies popped up in his mind.
[Pumpkin Cookies (B+): These cookies, made with pumpkins grown on the ranch, are a delightful pastoral treat.
Effect: Lucky Guy Lv2. After consumption by Pokémon, the hit rate of moves that cause abnormal status conditions like Sleep Powder, Hypnosis, and Freeze Beam is moderately increased. The chances of using powerful moves with Metronome are also heightened.
Effect duration: 10 minutes.
Comment: A tasty cookie created to celebrate a good harvest, believed to bring luck to Pokémon.]
"Hmm? Lucky Guy?" Naoki raised an eyebrow.
At first, he thought he had made something like a lucky pudding. But after reading further, he noticed the cookie's effect was more specific to moves in battle.
Intrigued, Naoki picked up a cookie, still warm from the oven.
The idea that moves like Hypnosis and Freeze Beam would have improved accuracy was appealing. But what really caught his attention was the boost to Metronome—a move known for its randomness.
In the games, Metronome could trigger any move, even powerful ones like Groudon's Precipice Blades, Kyogre's Origin Pulse, Palkia's Spacial Rend, and Dialga's Roar of Time!
To pull off such powerful moves, a Pokémon only needed one thing: good luck.
Naoki couldn't help but think of Misty's Togepi from the anime, who frequently used Metronome with unpredictable results.
He chuckled at the thought of Togepi suddenly using Arceus's Judgment in the middle of a battle.
Just imagining the scene made him grin with excitement.
These pumpkin cookies were certainly interesting!
But, unfortunately, the effect would be of little use for the Pokémon on his ranch right now. And with the effect lasting only ten minutes, it was more suited for battle situations than everyday use.
Still, something was better than nothing.
Naoki carefully placed the freshly baked cookies on a plate and headed downstairs.
Not many of his Pokémon had a sweet tooth.
Aside from Alcremie, only Indeedee seemed to enjoy sugary treats. The other Pokémon didn't mind sweets but weren't particularly interested in them either.
Naoki had originally planned to let Alcremie taste the cookies, but as he looked around, he couldn't find her in the living room.
Curious, he turned to his brother, Indeedee, who was closest. "Where's Alcremie?"
"Ai eh," Indeedee responded, pointing outside.
Naoki was a little surprised. It was already dark, so why was Alcremie still outside at this hour?
He left most of the cookies with Indeedee to share, and he set out for the ranch with the plate of cookies.
After walking around the ranch for a bit, he finally found Alcremie under the guidance of Butterfree.
She was talking to Dragonite with a face full of determination and enthusiasm.
Intrigued, Naoki reached into his pocket for a packet of "translation seeds," a handy tool to understand Pokémon speech.
Popping one into his mouth, he listened closely.
In a baby-like voice, Alcremie declared, "Mree!" (Dragonite! Please teach me how to become stronger!)
Dragonite looked down at the tiny Alcremie in front of it, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Ooooo..." (My method might not work for you, because you don't have wings and can't fly...)
Alcremie tilted its head, confused. "Mree?" (What does being strong have to do with flying?)
Dragonite's eyes lit up as it explained, "Ooooo!" (Because if you can fly, you can deliver goods! Naoki says delivering goods is a form of training, and it helps Pokémon grow stronger. My current strength is all thanks to delivering packages!)
Hearing this, Alcremie glanced sadly at its own body.
It didn't have wings like Dragonite, and that meant no delivering goods for it.
Alcremie sighed, "Mree..." (I want to be the strongest Pokémon in the world... so I won't get eaten!)
Dragonite blinked, looking confused.
Just then, Naoki, who had been watching, approached with Butterfree and gently comforted the little Alcremie, who was feeling lost. "Don't worry. No one's going to eat you. Everyone on the ranch will protect you."
Both Dragonite and Alcremie turned to look at him.
Dragonite lit up with excitement, "Oooooh!" (Naoki!)
Naoki smiled at Dragonite. "Open your mouth."
"Ah!" Dragonite obediently opened its mouth, and Naoki fed it a couple of pumpkin cookies before turning to Alcremie.
Alcremie looked conflicted despite Naoki's comforting words. "Mree..." (But I still want to become stronger...)
Naoki sighed internally, realizing that telling the story to scare Alcremie might not have been the best idea.
Recalling what Alcremie had said earlier—about wanting to become the most powerful Pokémon in the world—Naoki pondered.
Becoming the strongest… Well, that might be difficult. But being the biggest? That's certainly doable.
Naoki remembered the oversized pumpkins he could grow on the ranch. With a little help, Alcremie could grow bigger—maybe even Gigantamax! But for that, they'd need to take a trip to the Galar region.
Smiling at the thought, Naoki handed Alcremie a cookie. "Okay, I'll help you figure something out later. But for now, how about some snacks? Want to try the pumpkin cookies I just baked?"
Alcremie happily started munching on the pumpkin cookie.
Watching Alcremie enjoy the treat, a new idea suddenly popped into Naoki's head.
Alcremie could learn Metronome!
While directly turning Alcremie into the world's most powerful Pokémon would take time, there were clever ways to approach the problem. For instance, Alcremie could eat some Lucky Pudding first, and when the good luck kicked in, follow it up with the pumpkin cookie.
A double dose of good fortune might just give Alcremie the edge to perform some truly incredible moves.
But there was one little snag—Alcremie didn't know how to use Metronome yet, and on the entire ranch, only sister Indeedee, had mastered the move.
After thinking it over, Naoki smiled at Alcremie and said, "I've got an idea on how you can become stronger."
Alcremie's eyes sparkled with hope as it eagerly asked, "Mree?" (What's the idea?)
Was he going to teach it to fly?
Naoki chuckled and pointed at the pumpkin cookie in front of them. "It's called Metronome. While it won't make you stronger directly, it'll let you borrow the power of other Pokémon, letting you pull off some seriously strong moves!"
"Mree..." Alcremie was a little confused.
Naoki thought for a moment and gave an example: "You know Koraidon, right? Its most powerful move is to jump high into the sky, and then strike the opponent with full force."
"If you master Metronome and eat this cookie, you'll have a chance to borrow Koraidon's power and use that powerful move to defeat anyone who tries to mess with you."
'Oh my!' Alcremie's eyes sparkled with wonder. Could it really use such a powerful move?
Naoki chuckled and continued, "It's not just Koraidon. Metronome can let you use many, many powerful moves from other Pokémon."
Alcremie was amazed. It definitely wanted to learn this move!
But… how would it even begin? Alcremie looked a little lost.
Seeing its confusion, Naoki smiled warmly and said, "That's where we'll need the help of Indeedee."
For now, though, it was dinner time.
After they ate and filled their bellies, they went off to find Indeedee.
Naoki approached sister Indeedee with anticipation. "You know how to use Metronome, right?"
"Ai-ah~" Sister Indeedee nodded happily but looked a little confused. What was going on?
Naoki explained, "I'd like you to teach this move to Alcremie. The pumpkin cookies you ate earlier enhance the effects of Metronome."
Understanding immediately, Indeedee down at Alcremie, who was staring up with eager eyes, and she smiled. "Ai ah~"
So, Naoki led the group of Pokémon to an open field.
Turning to his sister, Naoki said, "These pumpkin cookies will work on you too. While they're in effect, you might be able to pull off some incredibly rare moves."
Sister Indeedee nodded. She already understood the effect of the cookies.
Seeing that she was ready, Naoki stood back, watching as Indeedee prepared to demonstrate Metronome.
"Aiya!" (Watch closely, I'm about to show you!) Sister Indeedee said to Alcremie.
Alcremie nodded eagerly. "Mree!"
Then, Indeedee gently waved her finger. Instantly, her hands began to glow with a soft, milky white light. A magical energy radiated from her body.
All the light gathered at a single point, and when the energy reached its peak, it transformed into a dazzling beam of light, blasting forward with incredible power.
Feeling the sheer strength of the move, Alcremie's eyes lit up with excitement. "Mree!" (So powerful!)
"Steel-type move, Flash Cannon," Naoki recited in his mind, marveling at the power of the move just unleashed by Indeedee.
Seeing both Naoki and Alcremie's reactions, Indeedee felt a little exasperated.
"Ai-ah..." (Shouldn't we be focusing on learning Metronome?)
Naoki scratched his head, a little embarrassed. "Sorry, sorry, it's just that this is the first time I've seen Metronome in action. It's amazing!"
He looked over at Alcremie, realizing that its focus had probably been more on the impressive move itself than on Indeedee's technique.
Naoki smiled and asked, "Shall we try again?"
Indeedee nodded, a hint of playfulness in its eyes.
Naoki looked at Alcremie and instructed, "This time, focus on Indeedee's fingers. Watch the movements carefully, then try to copy them."
"Mree!" (Got it!) Alcremie responded eagerly.
"Great, let's begin!" Naoki gestured.
Once again, Indeedee waved its finger gently, and once again, a radiant white light surrounded its hand. Suddenly, a powerful surge of electricity erupted from Indeedee, enveloping its entire body in brilliant lightning.
For a moment, the night sky lit up as bright as day.
The lightning crackled and surged around Indeedee as it charged forward. Although there was no target in its path, the display of power was awe-inspiring.
As the electric current faded, Indeedee stood still, returning to its normal state. But this time, there was a look of surprise on its face. It glanced down at its hands, seemingly in disbelief.
"Ai-ah?" (What was that move? It felt so powerful!)
Indeedee looked up at Naoki with a questioning expression.
Naoki's excitement grew. "If I'm not mistaken, that was Bolt Strike!"
"Ai-eh?" (Really?)
Naoki grinned. "Yep! That's not just any move—it's the signature move of Zekrom, the legendary Pokémon. You're pretty lucky!"
It seemed the pumpkin cookies were working wonders!
Naoki turned his attention back to Alcremie and asked, "Did you watch Indeedee's movements closely?"
Alcremie nodded, its ruby-like eyes shining with determination. "Mree!" (I did!)
Naoki smiled. "Give it a try, then."
Alcremie focused on its small cream-covered hands, mimicking Indeedee's movements as it waved its fingers. It tried once, twice... but no glowing light appeared.
Seeing Alcremie's frustration, Indeedee stepped forward, offering another demonstration.
This time, Indeedee waved its fingers again, but instead of a legendary move, it summoned a more common attack: Swift.
"Ai-ah," (Here's a simpler move,) Indeedee said, sharing its experience with the Metronome technique.
Alcremie listened carefully, soaking in the advice, and continued to practice under Indeedee's guidance.
The first few attempts were failures.
The second set... more failures.
But Alcremie remained determined, and as the sky grew darker and evening fell, the Pokémon who frequented Naoki's Pokémon Tavern began arriving at the ranch. Instead of heading to the tavern right away, they gathered to watch the adorable Alcremie practicing Metronome.
Despite the growing audience, Alcremie stayed focused. It waved its fingers again and again, undeterred by the previous failed attempts.
Finally, on the fifty-seventh attempt, a brilliant white light surrounded Alcremie's small hands, shining brightly in the darkness.
"Mree!" (I did it!)
Every Pokémon present fixed their gaze on Alcremie, eagerly watching what would happen next.
The strong white light condensed into a ball of energy, radiating an incredible amount of power. The ball trembled slightly, as if the immense energy inside was too much for it to contain.
Naoki felt his heart race with excitement. What move was it going to be?
The answer quickly revealed itself. Alcremie threw the glowing orb high into the sky, and with a dramatic explosion, it burst like fireworks, scattering radiant light across the dark night.
The light scattered like shooting stars, burning bright with red trails as they plummeted down at high speed.
And then—boom! It landed with a deafening crash, like a meteor shower hitting the ground.
Naoki's eyes widened, and he whispered in awe, "Judgement."