Pokemon Paldea [257-258] (Patreon)

Chapter 257: Newbie Protection Period and Slowpoke

It's been a day since Lucas returned from the Great Crater of Paldea.

Oranguru had already prepared a report on the farm's recent status.

The new fruit trees Lucas planned to introduce had arrived and been planted: the familiar trio of Oran, Pecha, and Sitrus Berries. Although common, their effects are versatile. The total number of trees had increased to fifty, enough to count as a small orchard.

Other matters were relatively minor. For example, the chicks in the coop, under Arboliva's loving care, had recovered from their stress and went back to pecking around cheerfully.

In the morning, after finishing most of the chores, Lucas, as usual, carried a milk bucket and milking tools, sat atop Raging Bolt, and lazily made his way over.

The farm's pasture, nourished by the Eldegoss's grassy terrain, was especially lush and nutritious—likely very high in value.

The two Skiddo, once small, were now starting to grow outwards.

Miltank, especially, had completely let loose, surpassing even Moltres in grass-digesting ability due to its herbivore traits. It had become Lucas's most voracious Pokémon.

This also meant Miltank had plenty of milk every day. If not milked on time, it would get engorged, so Lucas had to milk her regularly.

For the past few days, Oranguru had helped with this task, but starting today, Lucas decided to do it himself.

Thinking of this, Lucas looked down at the thick golden fur and the rope fastened to his mount, and the milk bucket swinging with each of Raging Bolt's steps. He hadn't expected Raging Bolt to help carry things.

If Professor Sada, Professor Toru, or Chairwoman Geeta knew Lucas could get a ferocious Paradox Pokémon to do chores, even they would be shocked.

As long as you communicate, Raging Bolt, aside from its typical Dragon-type pride, isn't violent at all, and is quite relaxed—almost lazy.

Just from Lucas's observations yesterday, Raging Bolt especially liked to lie by Thunder Lake, licking its fur in the sun, acting just like a giant feline.

It seemed to love the feeling of sunlight on its body. Perhaps this was linked to its ability, "Protosynthesis."

Lucas remembered that, except for Koraidon and Miraidon, all Paradox Pokémon had the same abilities: ancient ones had Protosynthesis, future ones had Quark Drive.

The former boosts the Pokémon's best stat by 30% in harsh sunlight or when holding Booster Energy; the latter boosts a stat by one stage on Electric Terrain or with Booster Energy.

According to Professor Sada's observations, Raging Bolt had innate special attack talent, as well as the Dragon-type's physical strength and power.

With such qualities, Raging Bolt could easily be a mainstay for an Elite Four trainer.

Because it was more intelligent than other Paradox Pokémon, most farm Pokémon saw Raging Bolt as just a big, new member—no one was afraid of it.

That probably had to do with the farm Pokémon not knowing the Paradox Pokémon from Area Zero were supposed to be scary, and with Raging Bolt's own efforts.

It adapted well to the outside world, even tolerating the Eldegoss and Nacli playing on its back, with an incredibly good temper.

Thinking of this, Lucas stroked the thick yet soft fur of Raging Bolt, murmuring, "If only the other Paradox Pokémon were like you, Professor Sada and Professor Toru's dreams would come true."

Raging Bolt twisted its long neck slightly, recalling the others in its memory. Compared to those violent ones, it really was an outlier.

On the contrary, the little guys on this farm... were quite cute.

Soon, Raging Bolt arrived near the ranch, where the Skiddo and Miltank eagerly gathered around.

Lucas unloaded the tools, first milked the two goats (who didn't produce much), then moved on to Miltank.

Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze—

"How's the pressure? Comfortable?"

Lucas watched Miltank, who looked like she was enjoying herself, rhythmically milking her.

"Miltank~"

Under the bright sun, Miltank squinted in contentment at Lucas's question.

"Haha, guess that was a silly question," Lucas laughed, continuing to milk Miltank while the goats watched.

From their reactions, Lucas's milking skills were getting better and better.

Raging Bolt, having lost interest after initial curiosity, had tasted a cup of both Moomoo Milk and goat milk. It had never tasted anything so good.

Now, Raging Bolt was eyeing the lush grass. Lucas said the goats and Miltank ate it to produce milk. Raging Bolt had never eaten grass before—what did it taste like?

Curious, Raging Bolt took a bite—

Ptooey! Ptooey!

 What was this sweet and earthy mix?

Just eating this produced such delicious milk?

Raging Bolt was left deeply confused.

After milking, it was lunchtime. Lucas filled the milk buckets, fixed them onto Raging Bolt, said goodbye to Miltank and the goats basking in the sun, and called the sulking Raging Bolt home.

After lunch, Lucas met with Arven, who had contacted him in advance.

Arven was in much better spirits. Upon arrival, he bowed 90 degrees, thanking Lucas: "Brother Lucas, thank you for saving my parents."

"It was nothing," Lucas smiled, ruffling Arven's hair. "As promised, you're fishing with me this afternoon."

Arven was frank this time and didn't protest about being patted on the head, nodding softly: "Okay."

This time, they weren't fishing in the farm creek. Not that Lucas was worried about Magikarps eating everything—that was just a silly rumor. He simply wanted to change the scenery.

Arven didn't care where they fished. Once Lucas finished packing his assorted gear, he was accompanied by Luxray, and called down a Corvisquire from the sky.

Arven noticed this Corvisquire had three claw marks on its chest feathers, likely from another bird Pokémon. Was it caught by Lucas?

He had seen several Corvisquire circling the farm and thought they were wild.

Noticing Arven's curiosity, Lucas explained, "This is Three-Scar, leader of a wild Corvisquire gang. The Corvisquires have a friendly pact with the farm, sending ten birds daily to patrol the skies."

"Plenty of flying Pokémon trying to sneak in for berries or crops are chased off—very reliable."

And the payment for each Corvisquire? Just a few berries a day—super cost-effective!

"Kraa!"

After drinking a can of Moomoo Milk, Three-Scar, sneaking a private job for extra food, flapped its wings, eagerly leading the way.

This time, they went to a river near the Corvisquire territory. Three-Scar said the aquatic resources and size far exceeded the usual creek.

Besides fishing, maybe they'd catch a rare Water-type Pokémon...

 Lucas was excited.

Arven let out Mabosstiff, who followed behind like Luxray.

Halfway there, Arven suddenly said, "Brother Lucas, school starts again tomorrow."

Lucas paused. He recalled Geeta mentioning this after the Great Crater trip—oops, he'd forgotten.

Fortunately, Arven didn't notice Lucas's expression and continued, "I heard most teachers are being replaced, and nearly a tenth of the students dropped out. The director and some teachers resigned due to mistakes."

"I wonder what the new director and teachers will be like."

Arven sounded a bit uneasy. After a half-month break, all the familiar faces were changing.

Lucas thought this was normal. Recalling the game's competent staff, he said seriously, "I think they'll be great."

Arven pursed his lips.

Lucas added, "After all, Chairwoman Geeta personally interviewed and screened everyone. You just need to enjoy school life."

"Mm!"

With Lucas's reassurance, Arven's unease faded.

"Kraa!"

Three-Scar, having finished leading them, waved its wings and flew back to the dense forest—its clan's territory. Lucas didn't see any sign of resource shortage, but planned to check the forest himself someday.

But for now, it was time to enjoy a relaxing fishing trip—work started again tomorrow.

Lucas smiled at the shimmering lake in the sunlight—this really was a great spot.

He found a shady place, sat on the soft grass with Arven, while Luxray and Mabosstiff lounged beneath the trees.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling the two Pokémon as if time slowed. Lucas savored the peace.

He prepared two rods. His own, a trusty old partner, seemed to be resonating with him lately—maybe someday it would develop a spirit of its own.

Arven's was a kid-sized rod, fine for ponds but a bit small for this lake.

Lucas was ready to haul in big fish, impressing Arven with his skills.

At least, that was the plan—

…

Two hours later, Lucas looked at the stagnant bobber, then at the few pitiful little fish in his bucket, then at Arven's rosy face as he reeled in another big one. Lucas fell silent.

Something's wrong. Wasn't his bond with his old rod supposed to be unbreakable?

Could this be the so-called newbie protection period, letting Arven reel in all the big fish?

Just as Lucas was doubting life, Arven poured salt on the wound.

"Brother Lucas, my bucket's full. Yours is still empty—can I use it?"

Lucas: !!!

Seeing Arven's innocent eyes, Lucas suppressed the urge to suspect him of trolling, drooped his head, and said weakly, "Go ahead..."

"Thanks~"

Arven put the bucket between them, loaded in his latest catch, and skillfully baited his hook again.

If he hadn't been so clueless at first, Lucas would have thought Arven was just faking inexperience.

Is this the hidden talent of a future chef? How enviable.

As Lucas wallowed in self-pity, the grass nearby suddenly rustled.

The intruder didn't bother to hide: a slightly chubby, pink figure crawled out and plopped down beside them.

Lucas & Arven: ?

 "A... Slowpoke?"

This Pokémon was all pink, with curled ears and a cream-colored mouth. Its upper jaw showed two tiny teeth, and most notably, its big, round eye sockets and tiny pupils gave it a perpetually dazed look.

Its limbs were short, each paw tipped with a blunt claw—hardly threatening. Its long tail swayed, releasing a sweet aroma.

Arven sniffed the air. "Smells sweet..."

"Slow~"

Slowpoke was completely unfazed, calling in a drawn-out tone, as if Lucas and Arven were just fellow Slowpokes.

It dangled its tail in the water, seemingly fishing, but its expression never changed—always dazed.

Lucas: "..."

This really fit his stereotype of Slowpoke.

Arven couldn't help asking, "Brother Lucas, what's Slowpoke doing? Playing with its tail?"

Arven's question hit the mark. Lucas thought for a moment and said, "It's probably fishing. Don't be fooled by how it looks—Slowpoke is a master angler. The sweet scent you smell comes from its tail, and attracts prey or Pokémon to bite it."

"Some Slowpoke fish to evolve, but I'm not sure about this one."

Chapter 258: Dragon Slayer Shellder and Grilled Slowpoke Tail, Ceruledge's Barbecue

"It can fish too?!"

Arven's eyes lit up; he stopped fishing and squatted beside Slowpoke to watch.

Slowpoke, true to its chill and lazy nature, didn't mind the audience—or perhaps it just didn't notice.

Lucas recalled the Three Fools nickname for Pokémon: Misty's Psyduck, the overabundant Magikarp, and, of course, Slowpoke.

In one classic anime episode, Misty's Psyduck and a Slowpoke had a world-shaking battle, demonstrating the comedic effects of long reaction times and forgetfulness.

Under their watch, Slowpoke's tail swayed rhythmically in the lake, spreading its sweet scent to lure in fish or Pokémon.

Slowpoke looked utterly relaxed, not worried at all about going hungry if it didn't catch anything, sometimes even yawning—though it wasn't about to rain.

Lucas and Arven, bored, just squatted beside Slowpoke, watching its fishing technique.

And they watched... for a whole hour.

In that time, Slowpoke caught two big, plump fish. But with its slow reaction time, it was already fishing for the third time before it realized it had caught any.

Slowpoke's brain seemed like a single-threaded computer: it could only do one thing at a time. Since it was fishing, it couldn't focus on eating, so it just stared blankly at its catch, occasionally uttering ambiguous "Slow~" sounds.

Lucas and Arven figured it must be hungry.

"Come on, open up~"

Finally, kind-hearted Arven, unable to resist Slowpoke's pitiful look, sighed, grabbed a fish, and offered it.

Lucas thought Slowpoke wouldn't open its mouth, but after five or six seconds, it slowly did.

"Slow..."

Before Slowpoke finished yawning, Arven deftly tossed the fish into its mouth.

Lucas clearly saw a flicker of confusion in Slowpoke's eyes, but it was instantly overridden by the taste—

Slowpoke swallowed the fish whole.

Arven's eyes sparkled. "It ate it! It understood me!"

Lucas was helpless—should he tell the kid it was probably just a yawn?

Whether it was luck or Slowpoke actually understood, when Arven offered a second fish, Slowpoke happened to open its mouth and gulped it down too.

Now Arven was muttering that maybe he was fated to catch Slowpoke—maybe he should try to catch it.

Slowpoke may be slow, but it still had basic senses. Two fish was enough. After processing the fullness, it started to leave.

At that moment, the water where Slowpoke had been fishing rippled. Luxray, resting in the shade, suddenly looked up, its golden eyes fixed on the water's surface, rising to its feet.

Luxray sensed something rapidly surfacing...

"Slow~"

At the same time, Slowpoke, sensing danger, yanked its tail from the water with unusual speed.

A shadow grew closer to the surface, and with a splash, a purple Shellder about 30 cm long leaped out, tongue waving, eyes locked on Slowpoke's tail.

"Shellder?!"

Lucas was surprised—a wild Shellder suddenly appeared!

Arven, startled by the Shellder's leap, fell onto the grass.

Luckily, it was soft enough to avoid injury.

The Shellder's target was clear: Slowpoke's tail. With the shell open, it began to fall!

Shellder was ready for evolution—it wanted to clamp onto Slowpoke's tail!

To prevent Slowpoke from escaping, Shellder fired off several Icicle Spears, freezing the ground and blocking its path.

Lucas's eyes widened—

Clumsy Slowpoke couldn't dodge this, only staring as Shellder drew closer.

At that moment, Mabosstiff, woken by the noise, saw Shellder closing in on Arven and Slowpoke.

"Woof woof!"

Thinking Shellder was attacking Arven, Mabosstiff roared, its energy flaring.

Dark-type energy surged out, striking Shellder in midair, knocking it into the lake.

Mabosstiff was much stronger; the attack instantly knocked Shellder out.

Slowpoke finally reacted, its pink tail instantly dropping off. With a rare panicked look, it sprinted into the grass and vanished.

All this took less than half a minute—even Luxray hadn't predicted this outcome.

Arven stared at where Slowpoke had gone, dazed.

Was this fate? He'd felt so in sync with Slowpoke...

Lucas walked over, helped Arven up, and picked up the intact, meaty tail from the ground.

The sweet scent lingered; Lucas fell into thought.

Slowpoke can do autotomy? Like a gecko?

He used his rod to fish out the unconscious Shellder, not wanting it to be snatched by a bird.

Holding Shellder, Lucas nudged Arven, "Arven!"

Arven had recovered, and asked, "What is it?"

Lucas pointed at the Shellder, "Your Mabosstiff beat it. Want to catch it?"

Arven looked at the Shellder, tongue lolling even while unconscious. Not that he disliked Shellder, but being KO'd so quickly didn't seem too promising.

After all, Arven wanted to be a strong trainer to protect his parents in Area Zero!

He should choose carefully.

Having known Arven for a while, Lucas could easily read him. This kid's emotions were all on the surface.

Clearly, Arven thought Shellder was too weak to bother with.

Lucas flicked him on the head, had him sit, and set Shellder between them. Petting Luxray, he said, "Obvious you weren't paying attention in class. Listen up—let me tell you about Shellder."

"First question: what type is Shellder?"

Arven paused. Shellder's a Water-type, but it used Ice moves, so...

"Water and Ice!"

Arven puffed up and answered confidently.

Lucas: "...Wrong. Shellder is Water-type; its evolution, Cloyster, is Water/Ice."

Arven: !!!!

Lucas continued, "From my observations, this Shellder likely has the Skill Link ability. Do you know what such Shellder are called?"

"Dragon Slayer Shellder! Ice moves beat Dragon-types, and the Great Crater is full of powerful Dragon-types like Hydreigon and Garchomp."

"This is an extreme training method, just for your reference. Cloyster's tough double shell makes it a great physical wall, but it's weak to special attacks—that's why Mabosstiff could KO it."

"Moves like Icicle Spear, Icicle Crash, Rock Blast—with Skill Link, they're like machine guns. Cloyster can also learn Shell Smash to boost its speed and attack. Combined, Cloyster becomes a deadly spear."

"Of course, there are defensive builds too, but ultimately, it's up to you how far you raise it."

With Arven's eyes shining, Lucas finished his short lecture.

After some thought, Arven decided to catch Shellder, promising Lucas he'd treat it well.

Unknowingly, Arven's team was matching his in-game lineup.

With two buckets of fish and a Slowpoke tail, the two and their Pokémon walked back to the farm.

…

Nighttime: It's long-awaited feast time.

Many farm Pokémon gathered, the hottest spot being around Ceruledge's outdoor grill.

The two buckets of fish Arven caught had been prepared. The charcoal burned bright, golden-crisp fish sizzled on the grill, their aroma making even the hungriest Pokémon drool.

But the star was the sliced, skewered, sweet-scented Slowpoke tail.

Slowpoke's tail, like Crabominable's claw, can naturally shed and regrow, making it a delicacy.

Naturally shed tails are rare. In Alola, there's even a local dish of dried, salted Slowpoke tail. Oranguru, from Alola, said it's a popular snack.

Sadly, there was only one tail this time—next time, Oranguru could show off his skills.

Coming out with a plate of grass cakes, Lucas's nose twitched at the scent—it was amazing!

It reminded him of the sweet, savory meat inside a Crabominable's claw.

Just the aroma promised the ultimate flavor—no seasoning needed, it was a gourmet treat.

At first, Lucas worried grilling the tail might not taste good, but now he was just looking forward to it.

He brought the grass cakes to the herbivorous Pokémon—Sawsbuck, Mudsdale, Skiddo, and Miltank all crowded around affectionately.

Then, Lucas went to join Arven, who was playing on Raging Bolt's back. Hearing that Raging Bolt was temporarily caught in Area Zero, Arven stuck close.

Lucas warned Arven not to assume all wild Paradox Pokémon were this gentle—others in the Crater were much more dangerous.

Even Raging Bolt agreed; its kind weren't so easygoing.

Now, Arven and Raging Bolt, bellies rumbling, eyed Ceruledge's grill.

Especially Raging Bolt—used to raw food in ancient times, it had never seen such amazing-smelling cooked food. Its eyes were glued to the grill.

Lucas even worried that if Professor Sada and Toru built a time machine, Raging Bolt would struggle to readjust to raw food after getting used to these meals.

After a while, Ceruledge announced the meal. Pokémon lined up for their share of grilled fish and Slowpoke tail, eating blissfully.

Watching the Pokémon happy with his food, Ceruledge felt a surge of satisfaction, his soul-flame flickering with joy—though most would never notice.

Lucas, however, was genuinely happy for Ceruledge, who'd found his passion. Taking his share of crispy fish and sweet, tender Slowpoke tail, Lucas savored every bite of the meal Ceruledge had made with love.