"Let's get started!"
Larry adjusted his tie, nodding in agreement. "Right. One match to decide the winner."
The two moved to the ranch's battle field. Larry reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a red and white Poké Ball. Tossing it confidently, he said, "Let's make this a real match. Show me what you've got!"
Naoki grinned and called Gholdengo over. The shimmering Pokémon bounded into the field, its body gleaming like a thousand tiny suns. Larry, usually composed despite his fatigue, froze for a moment.
"What kind of Pokémon is that?" he asked, his brow furrowing.
Naoki smirked. "It's Gholdengo, the evolved form of Gimmighoul."
"Gholdengo…" Larry trailed off as realization struck. "So that's why you were so obsessed with those coins. I see now."
Larry stared at Gholdengo, then at Naoki. "You're no ordinary trainer, are you? No wonder the Chief chose you for this task. I should've realized it earlier."
Naoki, slightly embarrassed, shrugged. "Let's just get to the battle."
Larry straightened up. "No holding back, then. Staraptor, you're up!"
A brilliant flash of white light revealed Staraptor, its sharp eyes focused and wings poised for action. Naoki blinked in surprise. Larry wasn't playing around—Staraptor was clearly his ace Pokémon.
Naoki felt his competitive spirit stir. Although Gholdengo had just evolved, Naoki had spent the day familiarizing himself with its moves. He was confident in its abilities, especially with its Ghost and Steel typing granting it a natural advantage against Staraptor's Normal and Flying combination.
The real question was whether Gholdengo's power could bridge the experience gap between the two Pokémon.
As the referee, Indeedee raised its hand, signaling the start of the match. It then blew its whistle with a sharp tweet, and the battle began.
"Staraptor, Quick Attack!" Larry commanded.
Staraptor flapped its wings powerfully, its body blurring as it shot forward like a streak of light. It struck Gholdengo at high speed—only to pass right through.
Naoki smirked. "Normal moves don't work on Ghost-types. Gholdengo's part Ghost, remember?"
Larry's eyes narrowed. "Ghost and Steel... I see now."
Despite the failed attack, Staraptor instinctively soared to a safe distance, its sharp combat instincts keeping it alert.
Naoki seized the moment. "Gholdengo, Metal Sound!"
"Gholden~gooo!" The golden Pokémon raised its hands, and the thousand gold coins comprising its body began to vibrate. The air was filled with the deafening clash of metal against metal, a piercing cacophony that reverberated across the field.
Staraptor felt the effects of the grating Metal Sound reverberating in its ears, nearly overwhelming it. Instinctively, all the feathers on its body stood on end.
"Staraptor, stay calm!" Larry's steady voice broke through the chaos. "Gain some distance and use Brave Bird!"
"Gholdengo, don't give it a chance! Use Make It Rain!" Naoki commanded without hesitation.
The battlefield sprang to life as both Pokémon acted simultaneously.
Still recovering from the effects of Metal Sound, Staraptor flapped its wings hard to create some distance before channeling all its strength into a fierce Brave Bird attack. Its form became a blur of power as it streaked toward Gholdengo.
But Gholdengo wasn't idle. It extended its arms with a dramatic flourish, and with a flick of its wrists, it seemed to summon a dazzling torrent of gold coins that shimmered as they appeared. Like a relentless wave, the coins surged toward Staraptor, pelting it from all directions.
Larry blinked at the overwhelming sight, muttering, "That's… an absurd amount of gold coins…"
The torrent struck Staraptor, forcing it to the ground under the barrage. Still, thanks to its superior physical resilience, the bird Pokémon managed to rise, though clearly battered.
"As expected, there's still a gap in strength between the two Pokémon," Naoki thought, observing the situation.
Larry furrowed his brow and gave another command: "Hang in there! Use Aerial Ace!"
Streams of white air trailed around Staraptor as it launched forward with incredible precision. The maneuver was seamless, almost artistic. As it approached Gholdengo, it suddenly pivoted mid-flight, twisting to deliver a powerful strike with its razor-sharp wings.
The attack landed squarely on Gholdengo's golden body, emitting a sharp metallic clang. Gholdengo staggered slightly, clearly hurt by the move, but remained standing.
Not wanting to give Gholdengo any time to recover, Larry continued, "Now, Brave Bird again!"
"Stay calm, Gholdengo! Use Recover! Naoki called out.
Staraptor folded its wings, preparing for a high-speed, low-altitude dive. Meanwhile, Gholdengo's golden body began to shimmer faintly as it activated Recover, mending some of its wounds.
The timing was tight, and Staraptor was just about to make contact when Naoki yelled, "Substitute! Now!"
In an instant, Staraptor's attack struck what appeared to be Gholdengo, sending it flying. However, as the figure hit the ground, it dissolved into smoke, revealing it was only a decoy. The Substitute had worked perfectly.
Larry's eyes widened. "Staraptor, be careful!"
Staraptor turned quickly, searching for Gholdengo, but it was too late.
"Now, Power Gem!" Naoki commanded.
Gholdengo's body shimmered as dazzling, gem-like light beams shot out from its form, converging on Staraptor. The radiant energy overwhelmed the bird Pokémon, engulfing it entirely.
When the light faded, Staraptor was lying on the ground, its eyes shut and body unmoving.
The match was decided. Metal Sound had drastically lowered Staraptor's special defense, and a combination of Make It Rain and the Rock-type Power Gem had sealed its fate.
Gholdengo struck a triumphant pose, radiating confidence and style.
Larry exhaled deeply, retrieving Staraptor's Poké Ball and returning the fallen Pokémon. "...I lost," he admitted, shaking his head. "You're far too exciting for an ordinary person like me."
Naoki shook his head with a smile and said, "Mr. Larry is also remarkable. In this battle, I had the upper hand due to the information gap. If you'd known Gholdengo's type combination in advance, the outcome might've been completely different."
"No matter what, today's victory is yours," Larry said, glancing up at the sky. "It's getting late. Today's not a day for overtime, so I'll take my leave now."
Naoki: "…"
Naoki couldn't help but silently laugh at Larry's straightforwardness. With a polite tone, he extended an invitation: "It's nearly dark. The Squawkabilly Taxi service might have stopped for the evening. Why not stay at the ranch for the night?"
Larry shook his head with a small smile. "Tempting, but as much as traveling can be a refreshing experience, there's nothing quite as comfortable as being in your own home, don't you think?"
Naoki paused for a moment and then nodded. Larry's response was so in character—practical and steadfast.
"Fair enough," Naoki said. Before Larry left, he picked up a shiny gold coin left behind from Gholdengo's Make It Rain attack and handed it to him. "Take this as a token of thanks for helping me gather the last of the Gimmighoul coins."
Larry looked down at the coin in his hand, its brilliance glinting faintly in the fading light. He thought about the battle they had just finished and carefully took the commemorative gold coin.
"This Gholdengo must be the only one in the Paldea region," Larry said after a moment of reflection. "At least, I've never seen a Pokémon like it before today."
"It's not easy to evolve a Gimmighoul into Gholdengo," Naoki admitted, his tone tinged with pride.
Larry nodded in agreement, adjusted his briefcase, and began his journey back down the dirt road leading away from the ranch. As the ranch faded into the distance, Larry paused for a long moment, staring at the vast sky and the horizon beyond.
For a man who had spent so much time in the grind of corporate life, the nostalgia of exploring the unknown—something he had done in his youth—felt distant, almost forgotten. But in that brief pause, he caught a glimmer of the freedom he once knew, the kind of freedom that reminded him of soaring Pokémon riding the winds under the endless sky.
Still, Larry reminded himself that he wasn't young anymore. That sense of boundless adventure was better left to the bright-eyed trainers bursting with energy and dreams.
With a faint smile on his lips, Larry turned and resumed his walk, his strides steady.He murmured to himself. "Time to go home."
...
The sky gradually darkened, and the Pokémon Tavern came alive, brightly lit against the night. Inside, the atmosphere was jubilant as Pokémon gathered to celebrate the arrival of their newest member.
Naoki sat on a chair alongside Koraidon and several other Pokémon, observing Gholdengo, the newest addition, who was enthusiastically tossing gold coins to the gathered Pokémon. The sight left Naoki momentarily speechless.
Is this the world of the wealthy? he mused. Throwing gold coins to everyone just because?
It seemed that Gholdengo found every occasion worthy of celebration—whether meeting someone for the first time, feeling happy, or making new friends, the result was the same: a shower of gold coins.
"Isn't Gholdengo a little too over-the-top?" Naoki muttered, still trying to process the scene.
Beside him, Pawmot and the others were equally stunned by Gholdengo's exuberance. Having lived with Naoki for so long, they had learned a few human customs, including the concept of money—how it wasn't something to be tossed around but exchanged for goods and services.
Pawmot tilted its head and remarked, "Pawmot," as if saying, This is... too much.
Meanwhile, Umbreon carefully retrieved a gold coin from a crack in the floor and brought it to Naoki. He held it in his hand, suddenly imagining a future where gold coins could be found strewn across the ranch wherever Gholdengo went.
If a Meowth or Perrserker, with their love of shiny objects, were here, they'd think this was paradise, Naoki thought with a chuckle.
The value of the gold coins wasn't lost on Naoki. He knew that two of these coins were roughly equivalent in size to one gold bead—a commodity that could fetch up to 10,000 Pokédollars on the market. This meant that each coin Gholdengo gave away was worth 5,000 Pokédollars.
Today alone, Gholdengo had thrown out at least a hundred gold coins. Naoki did the mental math and realized, That's a turnover of 500,000 Pokédollars in a single day!
While Gholdengo might not have the world-shaking powers of legendary Pokémon, it was clear that its ability to generate wealth could disrupt the economy of an entire region if left unchecked.
Naoki shuddered at the thought and summed it up in four words: This is absolutely terrifying.
As the Pokémon Tavern began to close for the night, Naoki decided to address the issue. He found Gholdengo, who was glowing with happiness after a night of bonding with its new companions.
"My dear Gholdengo," Naoki began earnestly, crouching to meet the Pokémon at eye level. "We can't keep throwing gold coins around like this!"
Gholdengo looked visibly embarrassed as it chimed softly, "Gholdee…?" It clearly loved giving out gold coins to everyone, but now it felt conflicted.
Noticing Gholdengo's hesitation, Naoki knelt to its level and spoke gently. "It's not that I want to stop you from giving out gold coins. I just think you're making too many all at once, and that leads to waste."
Naoki gestured to the scattered gold coins on the tavern floor. "Look at all these coins. They're everywhere, and no one's using them."
"Gholdeee…"
Gholdengo's gaze followed Naoki's finger to the gold coins strewn about. Its expression became somber—it didn't want its coins to go to waste either. Unsure of what to do, it looked to Naoki for guidance.
Smiling, Naoki offered a suggestion. "Here's an idea. From now on, only give gold coins to people or Pokémon you really like. That way, the coins become a symbol of your friendship. It'll mean more to everyone, and you won't waste so many."
"Gholdeee."
Gholdengo's eyes lit up with understanding. It nodded enthusiastically, patting its chest to reassure Naoki that it would follow this new approach.
"Great!" Naoki said, reaching out to gently pat Gholdengo's head. "Now, do you want to stay here in the tavern tonight, or would you rather come back to the house with us?"
Gholdengo glanced back at the cozy tavern it had grown fond of since evolving. Without hesitation, it chose to stay.
"Gholdee!" it chimed decisively.
Naoki chuckled. "I thought you might say that. Well then, starting today, your job will be to stay in the tavern as the lucky charm of the entire ranch!"
Although it didn't fully understand what a "lucky charm" was, Gholdengo liked the sound of it. It nodded happily. "Gholdee!"
"Alright then, goodnight," Naoki said warmly. "Get some rest—you deserve it."
"Gholdeee~!"
Gholdengo chimed in response, watching as Naoki left the tavern for the night.
When Naoki returned to the living room, he stopped short. Every Pokémon in the house had a gold coin in its possession—even the Calyrex, held one.
Naoki blinked. "Uh…"
"Alcremie!" Alcremie chimed cheerfully, as if to explain.
Calyrex, acting as a translator, elaborated with its psychic connection. "These coins are gifts from Gholdengo. That Pokémon is truly fascinating—it reminds me of an old companion from long ago…"
"An old companion?" Naoki asked, intrigued.
Calyrex nodded. "Yes, a Pokémon named Melmetal. When I ruled the Galar region, I foresaw a great calamity and summoned two brave warriors to defend the land. However, they lacked suitable weapons. It was Melmetal who provided the iron to forge the swords and shields that the heroes wielded, enabling them to repel the Darkest Day."
The legendary Pokémon paused, its gaze distant. "After that, I fell into a deep slumber. When I awoke, I had lost many of my memories, including what became of Melmetal."
"I see…" Naoki said thoughtfully. Trying to reassure Calyrex, he added, "Don't worry. Melmetal is said to have a long lifespan. It might be resting somewhere in this world, just like you were."
Calyrex nodded slightly, seeming comforted by the thought.
Naoki recalled Melmetal's lore, which described its unique life cycle. When nearing the end of its lifespan, Melmetal's body rusts and disintegrates into tiny fragments. These fragments eventually regenerate into Meltan, the Pokémon's initial form, starting its life anew.
...
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