The next morning, Naoki rode on Cyclizar, dressed in a straw hat and short-sleeved shirt, adopting the casual style of a Bug Catcher. He made his way to Artazon Town to participate in the Bug Catching Contest.
By the time he arrived at the nature park south of Artazon Town, a large group of trainers had already gathered. Among them were young boys and girls dressed just like him.
Blending in effortlessly, Naoki joined the crowd at the park's entrance, where a sign provided details about the contest and the park itself.
The nature park was a haven for Bug- and Grass-type Pokémon, sprawling over a vast area and hosting countless wild Pokémon. It resembled the nature reserves found in other regions but had stricter regulations. Typically, the park was closed to the public, and trainers were prohibited from capturing Pokémon to preserve its unique ecosystem.
However, to control the growing Bug Pokémon population, Artazon Town organized two Bug Catching Contests annually, allowing trainers to capture select Pokémon during the events.
Naoki glanced at the sign's list of Pokémon inhabiting the park. It included familiar species such as Caterpie, Scatterbug, Spinarak, Ariados, Joltik, Cutiefly, Dewpider, Kricketot, and Grubbin.
It also mentioned rarer species like Larvesta, Heracross, Scyther, Scizor, and Vespiquen.
'What a shame there's no Pokémon like Appletun here,' Naoki thought regretfully. Otherwise, he could have caught a few to help produce juice back at the ranch.
Appletun, the Apple Pokémon, was known for fermenting berries into sweet and sticky juice. Unfortunately, Naoki recalled that Appletun wasn't native to Paldea.
Around him, trainers buzzed with excitement. Young Bug Catchers with nets were brimming with determination, and some were even making friendly bets on who would catch the rarest Pokémon.
Others, less considerate, used their Bug-type Pokémon to scare their companions, causing startled shrieks from the girls. Naoki watched this scene with a sigh of resignation.
Kids these days…
A voice crackled over the park's announcement system: "Attention trainers! The Bug Catching Contest is about to begin. Please gather at the entrance of the nature park. The gates will open shortly."
The announcement continued, "Make sure to prepare your supplies before entering, including plenty of Poké Snacks and Net Balls to attract and capture Pokémon."
As the gates opened, the crowd surged forward with enthusiastic Bug Catchers scattering in all directions, eagerly searching for rare Pokémon.
Naoki, however, remained calm. He approached the counter near the entrance, intending to purchase a few packs of Poké Snacks.
The staff at the counter turned out to be the same girl who had visited his ranch the day before to order berries. She recognized him immediately and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, you're here!"
Naoki gave her a friendly smile and nodded. Glancing at the nearly empty counter, he asked, "Do you still have any snacks and Net Balls left?"
"We do! Just give me a moment," she replied cheerfully before disappearing into the tent behind the counter.
While waiting, Naoki absentmindedly reached out to pat Cyclizar, who stood by his side.
Koraidon hadn't come along this time.
Naoki wasn't sure what was wrong. Since the previous night, Koraidon had been acting withdrawn, refusing to answer any of his questions about what was bothering it.
That morning, Naoki had wanted to bring Koraidon along to the Bug Catching Contest for some fun, but it had unexpectedly declined.
Naoki wondered if it had something to do with the comments he'd made about Cyclizar during their bath the previous day. But no, Koraidon wasn't the type to get upset over trivial things.
It didn't seem angry—it seemed conflicted. Troubled. Naoki had never seen Koraidon act like this before, and its mood weighed heavily on his own. Even now, he couldn't muster much excitement for the event.
Thinking back to how Koraidon had occasionally stared at Cyclizar the previous night, Naoki felt utterly baffled.
What could it possibly be struggling with?
Suddenly, a startled cry echoed from the nearby tent.
"Ahhh!"
Cyclizar immediately perked up, its alert cry breaking Naoki's train of thought:
"Raao?"
Naoki snapped to attention, assuming something had gone wrong, and quickly rushed into the tent.
Inside, a massive Snorlax lay sprawled across the floor, snoring loudly. Its enormous belly rose and fell contentedly, and its paws gently rubbed its overstuffed stomach as it slept.
Surrounding the Snorlax were several destroyed crates, their contents clearly devoured.
Naoki blinked in surprise. "What…?"
The girl from the snack stand stomped her foot in frustration. "It's Snorlax! The same one that ate all our berries two days ago! Argh, what a glutton! And now it's eaten all the Pokémon snacks we prepared for today's contest!"
Snorlax snored peacefully: "Zzz…"
Fuming, the girl marched up and slapped Snorlax's impossibly elastic belly.
Snorlax didn't stir: "Zzz…"
Naoki sweatdropped. This Pokémon was something else.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Naoki," the girl apologized, exhaling deeply to calm herself. "Thanks to Snorlax, we've completely run out of snacks for the competition…"
Naoki, not particularly invested in catching Bug-type Pokémon, shrugged it off. Instead, his attention remained on the Snorlax.
"Does this Snorlax belong to a trainer?" Naoki asked curiously.
The girl hesitated, then shook her head. "No, it doesn't have a trainer. It's lived in this town for a while now."
She sighed, recalling its history. "It showed up about three months ago. The weather was freezing then, and Snorlax wandered into town, starving. Feeling sorry for it, the townsfolk gave it plenty of food. Ever since then, it's stayed here and become part of our community… though not without causing plenty of trouble."
Naoki raised an eyebrow. "Trouble?"
"Oh, definitely," the girl said, crossing her arms. "Because of its insatiable appetite, it's a menace! We've tried asking trainers to capture it, but things never work out."
She continued, "Some trainers can't even wake it up, let alone battle it. Even if they manage to catch it, they often return it because they can't afford to feed it.
"And even when trainers can afford to feed it, Snorlax sleeps almost 23 hours a day and refuses to battle. They eventually give up and bring it back."
Naoki finished the thought for her in his mind: 'Even with all that, it ends up back here every time…'
His gaze lingered on the slumbering Pokémon, and an idea sparked in his mind.
This Snorlax seemed like a perfect fit for his ranch.
While learning about poke blocks recently, Naoki came across a recipe that Marina had shared with him. These specialized treats were perfect for Pokémon with large appetites. Just one was enough to fill a Snorlax's belly.
If he could stockpile enough of these, he could easily feed this Snorlax without breaking the bank.
After all, Naoki wasn't a professional trainer. He didn't need his Pokémon to battle for him; he only wanted them to live peacefully on the ranch.
And Snorlax had another incredible trait that made it invaluable: its digestive abilities.
As one of the most famous Pokémon for its enormous appetite, Snorlax could eat almost anything.
What's even more remarkable is that Snorlax can eat just about anything—its stomach is so resilient that even the poison from a Salandit would taste like seasoning to its palate.
It just so happened that the ranch was short on a Pokémon capable of testing different foods. With that in mind, an idea popped into Naoki's head.
"Are you still looking for someone to take this Snorlax?" he asked.
The girl nodded but quickly realized what Naoki was implying. "Wait... are you planning to take Snorlax?"
Naoki hummed in affirmation. "I'm thinking of bringing it back to my ranch."
"Of course! Please, take it with you!" The girl's enthusiasm was almost comical—she seemed eager to get rid of Snorlax as quickly as possible.
Naoki sighed internally. This reaction wasn't surprising. Historically, Pokémon like Snorlax were often seen as walking disasters.
In ancient times, when food production was limited, a Snorlax could wander into a village and devour the entire granary in a single sitting. Back then, Snorlax was a creature to be feared.
But with modern advancements in agriculture and better understanding between humans and Pokémon, society no longer viewed Snorlax as a menace. Instead, it had become a curious and somewhat lovable part of their world.
"But... how are you planning to tame it?" the girl asked hesitantly. She knew firsthand how difficult dealing with a Snorlax could be.
Naoki paused to think before asking, "Have the trainers who tried before battled it?"
The girl nodded. "Snorlax's skin is so tough, most attacks barely tickle it. Most trainers used food to try to lure it into a Poké Ball."
"I see," Naoki said thoughtfully. If food was the key, he might as well try that approach.
Looking around the tent, Naoki spotted a fruit mixer. Remembering the recipe for Primary Glutton Poke Block he had recently perfected, he asked, "Do you have any berries left? I need two Pecha Berries, one Oran Berry, one Bluk Berry, two Nanab Berries, and one Figy Berry."
"Let me check!" The girl quickly rummaged through the remaining supplies and soon handed Naoki a small selection of berries. "These are the leftovers from when we made snacks."
Naoki thanked her and got to work. He carefully measured the ingredients, blended them, and began cooking. About half an hour later, a batch of steaming, golden-brown poke blocks emerged from the machine.
[Glutton Poke Block (C+)]
Effect: A specially crafted poke block designed to satiate Pokémon with massive appetites. One poke block is enough to fill a Snorlax's stomach.
With the poke blocks ready, Naoki turned to the girl and held up the batch. But before he could say a word, a massive shadow fell over him.
Startled, Naoki turned around to see Snorlax standing over him, its half-lidded eyes fixated on the poke blocks in his hand.
"You want one?" Naoki asked, picking up a poke block and holding it out.
Snorlax leaned down, its large paw delicately taking the poke block before popping it into its mouth.
Crunch. Chew. Gulp.
The poke block disappeared quickly, and Snorlax's eyes lit up as the compressed energy filled its stomach. For the first time in days, Snorlax felt completely satisfied.
Its gaze shifted back to the remaining poke blocks in Naoki's hand, clearly eager for more.
Naoki hesitated for a moment. He extended his hand toward Snorlax to see if it would allow him to touch it.
Despite its lazy and gluttonous demeanor, Snorlax wasn't naive. Instead of simply allowing Naoki to pet it, Snorlax wrapped its massive arm around him, lifting him off the ground with surprising care.
It cradled Naoki in one arm like a prized possession, letting him sit comfortably.
"W-Whoa!" Naoki exclaimed, caught off guard.
Naoki soon realized Snorlax had no ill intentions.
The girl standing nearby smiled reassuringly and said, "Don't worry, this Snorlax is incredibly docile. It doesn't even get angry when the kids in town use its belly as a playground."
Naoki decided to test Snorlax's willingness. He held up a poke block and said, "Open wide—like this. Ahhh!"
Snorlax opened its massive mouth.
Naoki tossed the poke block in, and Snorlax began chewing with visible contentment.
After consuming a few more poke blocks, Snorlax started to feel full. It let out a long, lazy yawn, rubbed its eyes, and then reclined onto the ground. Snorlax's enormous body flattened out as it lay on its back, pulling Naoki along and placing him on its soft belly. Moments later, it began snoring again, completely unfazed.
Naoki: "…"
Naoki couldn't help but chuckle at the situation. Taking advantage of Snorlax's docility, he knelt on its belly and said, "Hey, Snorlax, how about coming with me? If you stay at my ranch, I'll make you food like this every day."
Snorlax: zzZ
Naoki leaned forward, trying to gauge its response. "If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes. Is that okay?"
Snorlax: zzZ
The girl, watching from the side, laughed. "It looks like it really likes you! Snorlax has never acted this way with any of the trainers who tried to capture it before."
Naoki glanced at the sleeping Pokémon, feeling a mixture of amusement and determination.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out an empty Poké Ball. Carefully aiming at Snorlax's forehead, he tapped the Poké Ball against it.
In an instant, Snorlax's massive body was enveloped in a red light and pulled into the ball.
The Poké Ball wobbled once, twice, and then clicked still.
It was a successful capture.
Naoki stared at the Poké Ball in his hand, momentarily taken aback by how smoothly everything had gone.
Shaking off his disbelief, he stood up and held the Poké Ball in his hand, a triumphant smile spreading across his face. "Well, either way, it worked."
The girl's expression, however, turned slightly hesitant.
"Is something wrong?" Naoki asked, noticing her change in demeanor.
The girl hesitated before speaking. "Um, Mr. Naoki... this Snorlax has a huge appetite. It might surprise you how much it eats. If you ever feel like you can't handle it, please don't release it into the wild. Bring it back to us instead."
Naoki raised an eyebrow, intrigued by her concern.
She continued earnestly, "Even though Snorlax can be a handful—it eats everything in sight and causes chaos wherever it goes—the people in town care about it. It's been part of our lives for a while now, and nobody here would ever want it to get hurt…"
Hearing her words, Naoki's expression softened. He nodded and smiled warmly. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of Snorlax. I promise."
The girl's relief was evident as she smiled back.
...
Bonus Chapter @600 Power Stones.
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