Pokemon Paldea [226-227] (Patreon)

Chapter 226: Is Nemona Looking for a New Partner Again?

The end result was a table completely covered with finished dishes. Arven felt like his nostrils were stuffed with the scent of hay, and he was worried that he might feel nauseous whenever he was on grass in the future.

Lucas looked with some difficulty at the dazzling array of hay-based foods on the table. There was so much, it would be hard to transport, even if Oranguru used psychic power—it'd still be a struggle. Maybe it'd be best to call over Mudsdale and Sawsbuck to do a taste test?

Lucas poked his head out of the first-floor window to look at the distant chicken coop. Besides Dolliv, who was playing with the now bigger chicks, the huge Arcanine was lying there, acting as a guard.

Seeing this, Lucas, who didn't want to move anymore, had an idea. He tried to entice Arven in a tempting tone, "You haven't had enough of that speed and thrill just now, right? You can ride Arcanine again, and help me call Mudsdale and Sawsbuck over here too."

Arven, who was dry heaving by another window, immediately perked up. His eyes followed Lucas's gaze to Arcanine, then he patted his chest, "Yes, sir!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the boy's endless energy burst forth again. He jogged over, woke the soundly sleeping Arcanine, and rode the big dog off toward the pasture.

Watching this, Lucas and Oranguru, who had just finished cleaning the second and third floors, both sighed.

"Youth is great, isn't it?"

Oranguru, Mudsdale and the Sawsbuck all expressed high praise for the hay-based food, and a strong desire to occasionally have it to improve their meals.

Lucas used this chance to finalize the future menu for the Pokémon in the pasture. Besides the reward of grass cake, grass patties, grass dumplings, and grass dorayaki were all easy to make. Making a big batch each week would be enough to supply the next week.

Lucas originally wanted to go to a carpentry shop in Los Platos Town to make some feeding troughs for the pasture, since Mudsdale and the others usually just gnawed on grass and didn't have their own bowls.

But Oranguru calmly stopped him, saying it had carpentry Skill. Lucas just needed to pick up new members, and the feeding troughs would be prepared by Oranguru.

Arven was stunned. In his small head, processes like "talking Oranguru," "Pokémon butler," and "carpentry Oranguru" were running at the same time—almost crashing his brain.

Isn't this Pokémon a little too versatile?

Afterward, Arven, still dazed, was sent by Lucas to the farm entrance. When Lucas put him on Dragonite's back, Arven immediately sobered up at Lucas's words, his body freezing.

"By the way, remember to bring all your Pokémon to class tomorrow. To check if you slacked off this holiday, there'll be a pop quiz."

"Don't worry, it won't be too hard. Comfey will be there too, so you'll all be bouncing out of class afterward."

Arven's lips trembled. "What about during class?"

Lucas just smiled without replying. Arven, hair standing on end, only remembered being pitifully sent home by Dragonite. Surrounded by Mabosstiff and Skwovet, he even had a nightmare that night.

…

April 2nd, clear and cloudless—a perfect day for youthful vigor and hard work.

Oranguru had already ironed Lucas's teacher's suit early in the morning. It was a mystery how it managed to make the shirt, jacket, and pants perfectly wrinkle-free without an iron.

Before boarding Dragonite, Oranguru handed Lucas a box wrapped in blue mesh fabric.

"Is this…"

As he received it, Lucas's face showed disbelief.

"Guru~." (This is a bento.)

Oranguru waved, sunlight softly shining on it, giving it a somewhat sacred look.

Lucas sighed at the thought of eating a bento made by a Pokémon. He gave a few more reminders to Oranguru.

In short: if anything can't be solved, ask Luxray. With Luxray around, no troublemaker would dare show up.

With Oranguru seeing him off, Lucas and Dragonite quickly disappeared into the sky.

Returning to familiar Mesagoza City, Lucas easily made his way to the Ellie Ranch. Besides Old Man Ellie, he unexpectedly saw a familiar figure.

In the main hall, a lively girl seemed to have just arrived as well. Her eyes sparkled as if confirming some rumor.

"I heard from classmates at school—they said all the Tauros at your ranch are strong and have great fighting spirit. Please let me choose one to be my partner on my journey as a trainer!"

Nemona seemed full of enthusiasm, no matter what she was doing—maybe it was this earnest attitude and her innate talent that let her rocket to Champion level so quickly.

"Sure, sure, just don't get so excited, little miss. Sit down and let's talk."

Ellie was almost overwhelmed by Nemona's energy. In her, he saw a shadow of his two grandsons—especially the one who went to Blueberry Academy. When he first became a trainer, he was just as passionate.

Why did things change later though?

The old man, a bit sentimental, wanted to say more, but at that moment, Lucas, who had been standing outside, decided to come in and calmly greeted the two surprised faces.

"What a coincidence, Nemona. And Mr. Ellie, I'm here to pick out more Pokémon for my farm."

Sitting in the extra chair Ellie added, Lucas squinted under Nemona's hopeful gaze, nodding knowingly. "I see, you want me to help you pick a suitable Tauros, right?"

Nemona nodded vigorously. "Thank you, teacher!"

Lucas nodded, then asked, "So, what type of Tauros do you want? In Paldea, there are three kinds: the Fighting type Combat Breed, the Fighting/Fire Blaze Breed, and the Fighting/Water Aqua Breed."

Nemona answered without hesitation, "As long as we get along, any of them is fine!"

"That's just like you."

Lucas smiled, then looked to Ellie, who hadn't spoken.

"Mr. Ellie, besides Nemona's Tauros, I also want to pick a few Pokémon for my farm today."

"I need three types, can you provide them?"

Ellie nodded slightly. "Go ahead."

Lucas listed his predetermined choices: "Nacli, Skiddo, and Miltank."

Chapter 227: When Two Brave Souls Meet, Only One Prevails

"Hm, Nacli, Skiddo, and Miltank, huh…"

Seeing how much more confident Lucas was compared to last time, Ellie raised an eyebrow. Looks like Lucas's farm was developing well—he even had spare funds to expand, and was now eyeing Miltank.

When it comes to ranches, you can never avoid the topic of Miltank.

As Johto's globally famous signature Pokémon, Miltank's MooMoo Milk is considered the most nutritious, suitable for all ages. Whether elderly, sick, children, or overworked adults, everyone can get the nutrients they need from this fantasy drink.

Because it's so famous, and because many families prefer to keep their Miltank's milk for themselves rather than sell or trade it, unlike the more common ranch Pokémon, Miltank is always in short supply, and thus, more expensive.

Buying a Miltank through normal channels costs 50,000 League coins. In comparison, Skiddo and Nacli, which also have unique byproducts, cost only 20,000 and 15,000 League coins respectively.

Honestly, whether it's Purifying Salt or Skiddo Milk, their effects and value are only slightly below MooMoo Milk.

Even so, MooMoo Milk is still wildly popular. Ellie thought, if he were a customer, he'd probably also pick the tried and tested MooMoo Milk.

"Nacli and Skiddo are both doing well at the ranch, but as for Miltank… you're a bit late. Miltank were all sold out recently, and I haven't had time to go to Johto to pick out new ones."

Ellie spread his hands apologetically—even he hadn't expected Lucas's farm to develop so quickly, or that he'd already have the money to buy Miltank.

"Ah?"

Lucas's face changed. How did this happen just as he was planning to buy a Miltank?

"Well, nothing to be done then. Let's see the Pokémon you do have."

Sighing, Lucas looked at Ellie, who smiled apologetically and led the way.

Ever since Lucas agreed to help pick out a Tauros, Nemona had been quietly listening to their conversation.

Seeing Lucas's disappointed look at not being able to buy Miltank, Nemona's eyes shifted. She secretly pulled out a supposedly world-limited edition phone from her pocket and sent a message to her butler.

Just as she finished, she heard Lucas calling for her to catch up. She quickly put her phone away and followed.

Inside the Ellie Ranch, in a special area for energetic Pokémon, a herd of Paldean Tauros with gray fur and black manes were running at high speed—the ground shook as if an earthquake had hit.

If you stood too close, you might not even be able to stay on your feet amid their stampede.

Some Tauros, tired from running, would stop and spar with slightly different horns—this was their way of resting.

"Wow! Everyone's so full of energy, they're all raring to go!"

Nemona was more excited than anyone, feeling like every Tauros was her fated partner.

"Of course. Other than at night, I never restrict their running. This area is also isolated to avoid disturbing other Pokémon. That's why they're all so energetic and muscular!"

Ellie patted his chest proudly.

Suddenly, remembering something, Ellie asked, "By the way, do you have enough space, or a big enough park, for Tauros to run? Tauros need to run, or they'll get depressed or unruly."

Ellie felt that, even though he was selling Pokémon, he needed to make sure every one of them would have a good environment.

"Space? Park? Not really, but my house is by the sea, so we have a huge private beach, maybe a kilometer or two long. That should be enough for Tauros to run, right?"

Nemona looked at Ellie, unsure if her conditions were acceptable.

Ellie & Lucas: "…"

I'm tired of saying rich kid out loud!

Ellie twitched his mouth, nodded helplessly. "That's definitely enough. If you have Tauros run back and forth all day, it might even break its legs."

With Ellie' confirmation, Nemona nodded excitedly and looked at Lucas for help. If she picked herself, she'd probably buy all the Tauros!

Lucas had a hunch what Nemona was thinking—like buying all thirty-some 30,000-coin Paldean Tauros at once.

To stop Nemona's dangerous ideas, Lucas released Swampert onto the track as the Tauros returned.

"Nemona, watch closely—what counts most for Tauros is their unstoppable spirit. When two brave souls meet, the winner prevails. The Tauros that dares to charge Swampert is the one most worth catching."

Under Nemona's admiring gaze, Lucas calmly waved and gave the command, "Earthquake!"

Facing a charge from over thirty Tauros, Swampert didn't flinch.

At Lucas's command, Swampert unleashed a ferocious aura, slamming its fists to the ground. A shockwave of yellow energy erupted, shaking the earth!

Many Tauros lost their balance and fell, though their strong bodies meant only scrapes at worst.

Some Tauros, intimidated by Swampert's pressure, stopped running.

Swampert was holding back—the ground only shook, not cracked.

Even so, a dozen or so Tauros dropped out in the first second, and more quit as time passed.

Finally, one Aqua Breed Tauros charged all the way to Swampert, its thick horns crashing toward Swampert—

Swampert caught its horn with one hand, and no matter how hard Tauros struggled, it could not budge.

"What a powerful Swampert," Ellie murmured, awed by its strength.

Nemona was even more excited, hugging Lucas's arm and shouting how cool Swampert was.

Lucas patted her head and pointed at the Tauros caught by Swampert. "I think it's great. Want to try catching it?"

Nemona's grin was full of energy, her white teeth shining. She nodded hard: "Yes! I'll try!"

Nemona now had three Pokémon.

Her starter, Pawmot (who once saved her from kidnappers), an Ursaring (from a Teddiursa caught with Lucas in the Vespiquen's territory), and a pseudo-legendary, Goomy, hatched from an egg prepared by her family.

The Tauros battle was led by Pawmot, her most trusted partner. Nemona's battle skills surprised Lucas—she'd improved a lot over spring break. Travel and real battles really are the best way to grow as a trainer.

Pawmot's Thunder Punch was powerful—even Swampert was impressed, looking forward to Pawmot mastering Double Shock one day.

Nemona's forehead was covered in sweat, breathing hard from the intense fight.

But her expression was satisfied. Holding the Poké Ball with Tauros inside, she slumped down against Pawmot, cuddling close.

Lucas and Ellie exchanged glances and left Nemona to rest, heading to another area to pick Nacli and Skiddo.

Nemona and Pawmot were exhausted—though Swampert held back, the Tauros was still very strong, maybe even the leader of the herd (its horn was covered in scars, proof of its strength).

If not for Pawmot's type advantage, capturing Tauros wouldn't have been so easy. It was time to rest and recover.

On the way to the Skiddo area, Ellie asked Lucas curiously:

"Is she your student too? By the way, what do you teach, exactly?"

"Huh? I didn't mention it before? I teach Battle Studies. Speaking of which, your name is similar to one of my students, Aliquis."

"He's my grandson."

Ellie's calm words hit Lucas like a thunderbolt. After a moment of stunned silence, Lucas smiled in surprise.

"What a coincidence."

"Yes, it is."

Ellie's voice was also unsteady. He hadn't expected Lucas to be his grandson's teacher. But thinking of Swampert's overwhelming strength, it made sense—and he was glad.

With such a powerful trainer as his teacher, Aliquis would surely be able to step out from his brother's shadow.

The two walked in silence to the Skiddo pen.

Ellie didn't ask Lucas to take special care of his grandson. He knew Lucas would do his best regardless.

Because of their arrival, a few Skiddo lying lazily in the grass lifted their heads curiously.

Clearing his throat, Ellie said briefly, "I've already introduced them before. They're all gentle and good-natured."

At his words, the Skiddo came over, one nuzzling Lucas's leg affectionately, another boldly chewing on Lucas's dangling finger like grass.

Lucas patted each Skiddo's head, laughing, "They really are gentle and friendly."

After spending time with them, Lucas quickly picked two who were especially close to him.

Next, Ellie led him to the Nacli's residence—the Salt House.

It simulated their wild habitat, with small rock houses for security, and the rock salt they produced piled inside—clean and easy to collect.

Hearing Ellie's introduction, Lucas considered building a Salt House when he got home.

Opening the Salt House, aside from the clean rock salt, the small, Minecraft-style Nacli stacked in the center caught their eyes.

Ellie whispered, "Those are Nacli. Aren't they cute stacked together?"

"That rock salt, as I mentioned before, not only tastes great, but heals Pokémon. It's very popular outside."

Lucas nodded thoughtfully. Everyone knows about Garganacl—famous for its quality, and the stuff of many a young trainer's nightmares, with its Tera Ghost form's sinister laugh haunting their dreams.

Though his main aim was the rock salt, once the Nacli evolved, he wouldn't mind letting them teach his students a lesson or two—so they'd learn about the dangers of society early!

Nacli cost 15,000 League coins each. With plenty of budget, Lucas picked three with the best stats and potential—they'd make good practice partners for his students.

Back in the main hall, Ellie, unaware his grandson would soon suffer, quoted the final price: "Two Skiddo, 40,000 League coins. Three Nacli, 45,000. Total: 85,000 League coins."

"Card, scan, or cash?"

"Card!"

Flush with cash, Lucas handed over his bank card—transaction complete!