Pokemon: A New Path

Chapter 164: Watermelon Knight



That afternoon, Naoki went into town and bought several large bags of sunflower seeds from the seed shop. However, he didn't plant them immediately. He planned to wait until the current crops were fully matured and harvested before starting the next planting cycle. Sunflowers could be planted even in the autumn season, so there was no rush.

With this plan, Naoki hoped to gather a substantial supply of sunflower seeds before the cold winter came. Once stored, he could peel them whenever he wanted to communicate with his Pokémon, simply popping a handful into his mouth. As for any irritation from overindulging, he figured it could be balanced out by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.

At five o'clock in the afternoon, Zack arrived to collect the day's produce. Naoki had already prepared several ripe watermelons, goat milk from his herd, and a large canister of Moomoo milk for him.

Zack, grinning as he examined the bounty, remarked, "Looks like it's another good harvest season! I've been hearing similar things from the other farms around here."

Naoki, curious, asked, "Has anyone's crops matured ahead of schedule?"

Zack shook his head but smiled knowingly. "Not exactly. But ever since you gave everyone that giant watermelon, folks around here have been more inclined to believe in the King of Bountiful Harvests. A lot of the farmers have started buying statues from Kelly and placing them in their homes. People think that the King had something to do with the good harvests this season."

Naoki: "..."

He couldn't help but feel a little concerned. Was the town beginning to rely too much on the blessings of the King of Bountiful Harvests? What if they forgot the importance of their own hard work?

Trying to offer a gentle reminder, Naoki said, "This is all still the result of everyone's hard work and effort."

Zack caught the meaning and laughed, "Oh, don't worry! People know the story well. It's said that if folks get too lazy, the King of Bountiful Harvests might grow tired of helping and take back the blessings. So, while we're thankful for the King's help, we're still putting in the effort ourselves."

Hearing this, Naoki felt a sense of relief. Zack handed over the money for the day's goods. "Here's your payment. I've got to make my rounds and collect from the other farms now. See you tomorrow!"n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"See you tomorrow!" Naoki waved as Zack departed.

With a glance toward Glaceon's igloo, Naoki decided to treat himself and the Pokémon to some chilled watermelon. Thanks to the Ice Stone, the watermelons were perfectly chilled, their thick skins coated in a fine layer of frost. He took one, along with a few others, back to the house, ready to experiment with watermelon dishes.

The first thing he made was a simple, refreshing watermelon juice. Naoki cut the watermelon, tossed the juicy red flesh into the blender, and soon had several cups of cold watermelon juice.

He glanced down at the newly prepared juice:

[Iced Watermelon Juice (B): A refreshing summer drink made from chilled watermelon.

Effect: Heat Resistance (Level 1). After consumption, grants resistance to high temperatures and prevents heatstroke for 15 minutes.

Comment: A sweet, thirst-quenching drink. Perfect for cooling off during a hot summer day.]

The heat resistance effect was useful, though not surprising. Naoki remembered making similar dishes before, like hot soup noodles that granted cold resistance. It was more or less what he had expected.

Next, he tried his hand at watermelon shaved ice, fried watermelon rind, watermelon popsicles, and watermelon jelly. Most of the recipes were simply cooling or offered a minor stamina restoration effect. However, one recipe stood out:

[Watermelon Jelly (C+): A chewy dessert made from freshly harvested watermelon.

Effect: Watermelon Knight. After feeding it to a Pokémon, if they wear a helmet made of watermelon, they can transform into a "Watermelon Knight," attracting the enemy's attention and lowering their attack and defense during battle.

Comment: A smooth and delicious snack, perfect for all ages.]

Naoki: "..."

While it was amusing and could be useful in certain situations, it wasn't exactly the groundbreaking effect he had hoped for. Looking at the pile of watermelon rinds left in front of him, Naoki decided to have a bit of fun.

He cleaned one of the largest rinds, cut off the excess with a knife, and fashioned it into a helmet resembling a motorcycle helmet.

Naoki stepped outside, carrying the watermelon rind he had crafted earlier. Spotting Dragonite lounging on the grass, he called out to it.

Dragonite sat up, blinking groggily, "Awoo?"

With a mischievous glint in his eye, Naoki said, "How about something special to boost your strength?"

At the mention of strength, Dragonite's eyes lit up with excitement. It nodded eagerly, "Awoo!"

Naoki began by tossing a piece of watermelon jelly into Dragonite's open mouth. Dragonite swallowed it quickly, licking its lips in satisfaction. However, before it could ask for more, Naoki pulled out the watermelon rind helmet, concealing a smirk as he placed it atop Dragonite's head.

With a soft "puff," the watermelon rind was pierced by Dragonite's horn, fitting snugly but hilariously on its head. The sight was so comical that Naoki couldn't contain his laughter. "Ouch..." Dragonite tilted its head, trying to catch a glimpse of itself but failing.

Just then, Koraidon trotted over, instantly started laughing at the sight of Dragonite with a watermelon helmet. Its laugh echoed through the ranch, making Dragonite's eyes widen in disbelief. It looked from Naoki to Koraidon and back again, its expression growing more hurt by the second.

Tears began to form in Dragonite's eyes, its lip quivering.

"Awoo." it whimpered.

Naoki quickly suppressed his laughter, shaking his head. "No, no! It's not that we're laughing at you. It's just... well, your appearance is, adorable."

Dragonite blinked, still uncertain.

Sensing the need to salvage the situation, Naoki leaned in and said, "You know how my food

always has some special effects, right?"

Dragonite nodded hesitantly. "Awoo."

"Well, the jelly you just ate works like this," Naoki began, explaining carefully. "If you wear that watermelon helmet, it lowers your opponent's attack and defense during battle."

Dragonite's eyes widened, clearly interested. "Awoo?"

Naoki continued, "Think about it. If your opponent can't stop laughing because of how you look, they'll lose focus, right? And when they laugh, they can't defend themselves properly. Their muscles loosen up, and their strength diminishes."

Dragonite stared at Naoki, then at Koraidon, who was still chuckling, and finally back at the watermelon helmet. Slowly, understanding dawned on its face, and it nodded in agreement. "Awoo." Dragonite murmured thoughtfully, now seeing the helmet as a valuable asset.

It carefully took off the watermelon helmet and cradled it as if it were a prized possession.

"Awoo!"

Naoki grinned, waving it off. "Keep it. It's all yours."

Dragonite beamed with pride, already treasuring the silly-looking helmet.

...

That evening, the ranch was filled with laughter and the scent of watermelon. Naoki had prepared a grand feast: fried watermelon rind, watermelon juice, watermelon jelly, pork chops stewed with watermelon rind, and even watermelon sandwiches.

By the time dinner was over, the Pokémon were sprawled out on the ground, groaning in playful exhaustion. They were so full they could hardly move, and some, like Dragonite and Koraidon, vowed never to eat watermelon again—at least for a little while.

Seeing their appearance, Naoki showed an embarrassed smile on his face.

...

Naoki sighed as he walked towards the underground cave, still chewing on the last few seeds. He had opened too many watermelons today, and squeezed way too much juice, and now he was stuck trying to finish it all before it spoiled. After dinner, his Pokémon had run outside to enjoy the moonlight, but Naoki wasn't feeling sleepy yet. So, with a handful of seeds, he decided to visit the underground cave and chat with the Salt Pokémon.

But as he made his way there, the effect of the translation seeds started kicking in again. Before he even realized it, all the Pokémon around him were suddenly very chatty. Dragonite, lying on the grass, stretched and remarked, "Awooo!" (The moon is so beautiful!)

Cyclizar echoed the sentiment with a playful chirp: "Gaaaa! (How beautiful!)

Even Koraidon, yawning lazily, chimed in: "Agaa." (Sleepy already...) Overhead, Butterfree danced through the air, humming softly, "Mmmmm~" (Hmmmm~)

And the bird Pokémon flying above the ranch? They cawed back and forth: "Ga Ga Ga!" (It's getting dark, go home, go home!)

But what really caught Naoki's attention was the chorus of voices from the other side of the river. The wild Psyducks were having their own conversation:

"Psyduck Psyduck!" (I really want to go swimming in the river!)

Another one quickly responded: "Psyduck!" (You'll be washed away!)

And then a third piped up: "Psyduck Psyduck Psyduck!" (There's so much delicious food growing on the other side! I really want to eat it, Psyduck!)

Naoki frowned, realizing that even the ambient sounds of wild Pokémon were now being

translated by the seeds.

'This is getting ridiculous,' he thought. 'I don't need to hear everything!' And then it dawned on him: 'Wait, are they talking about stealing my crops?'

He narrowed his gaze at the Psyducks across the river, and sure enough, several of them were eyeing his fields hungrily. When they noticed Naoki staring at them, their panic was instant.

"Psyduck!" (Psyduck, we've been spotted!)

Naoki sighed again. 'This translation thing is both a blessing and a curse.'

Pretending not to have heard their schemes, Naoki turned away and headed towards the Salt

House. He descended the tunnel that led to the underground cave where the Salt Pokémon resided. But as he neared the bottom, the sound of a fight echoed through the tunnel. Naoki went forward to check and saw that the Nacli that had not yet evolved was fighting with

a Naclstack.

Naoki wasn't surprised by the scene unfolding before him. In fact, this was exactly what he'd suggested to Nacli some time ago.

The last time Nacli had eaten a large pot of fried soil, it still hadn't evolved. Disappointed for

days, Naoki had provided it with a new approach: spar with other Pokémon. Through battling, it could gain experience, toughen its body, and eventually meet the conditions required for

evolution.

Upon seeing Naoki arrive, both Nacli and Naclstack paused their sparring.

Naoki cracked a handful of seeds and asked, "How are you feeling?"

Nacli responded cheerfully, "Nacli Nacli~" (Feels great~)

"Good to hear," Naoki said as he inspected Nacli's condition. "Soon, you'll evolve into an

even more powerful version of yourself."

"Nacli-Nacli~" (I'm so excited!) Nacli jumped up and down with joy. Remembering all that Naoki had done for him, it looked up at him with deep affection and shouted.

"Nacli Nacli!" (I love Naoki the most!)

Naoki blinked in surprise, momentarily stunned. He realized this was the purest expression of

Nacli's feelings. With a soft smile, he replied, "Thank you. I like you too."

Nacli's joy only grew, bouncing around in elation.

Naoki reached out to pat its head, intending to scoop it up into his arms, but just as he did, a

brilliant light burst forth from its body.

It was evolving.

Naoki stepped back slightly, watching in awe as Nacli's form shifted and changed within the glowing light. The entire underground cave lit up with the intensity of the evolution. When the light finally dimmed, a strong and mighty Naclstack stood before Naoki, fully

evolved.

At that moment, Naoki felt a wave of pride and joy. All five Nacli had now completed their evolution into Naclstack.

"Evolved! I'm so proud of you!" Naoki exclaimed, stepping forward to congratulate the newly evolved Naclstack. He looked at the powerful Pokémon with a mixture of wonder and nostalgia. He couldn't help but remember the first time he'd met them, small and weak. Now, they were formidable, capable of standing their ground against anything. There is nothing more rewarding in the world, Naoki thought than watching a Pokémon

evolve and grow before your very eyes.

From a tiny, vulnerable creature to a strong and steadfast Pokémon-this, Naoki realized, is

the real joy of raising and training Pokémon.

He spent some time chatting with the group, congratulating each one, before noticing that

some of them were starting to look sleepy.

"Then I won't disturb your rest. See you tomorrow!"

"Stack~" (See you tomorrow~)

Just as he stood to leave, a sudden rustling sound echoed from the corner of the cave.

'Huh?'

Naoki was startled, wondering if there were other wild Pokémon drawn to the cave.

Curious, he walked towards the sound and soon noticed a small mound of dirt on the otherwise flat ground.

A faint noise came from inside.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak!" (You can't see me, you can't see me, squeak!)

Naoki: "..."

He had thought the Pokémon had already left! But it was still here, hiding beneath the earth.

With a sigh, Naoki called out, "Diglett, come out! I can see you!"

In response, the little mound trembled, then hastily began to retreat further into the earth.

Naoki, exasperated, called out, "Diglett, don't run! Stay and work for me. I'll make sure you're fed every day, as long as you help me plow the land!"

At his words, the fleeing Diglett froze.

It cautiously poked its head out from the mound: "Squeak?" (Really?)

"Of course it's true." Naoki grinned. "Consider your past misdeeds of ruining the farmland

forgiven. From now on, I'm officially hiring you to help on the ranch. In return, I'll provide

you with three meals a day."

"Squeak?!"

Diglett's eyes widened with surprise and delight.

Naoki couldn't quite understand the exact words it squeaked, but from its excited expression,

it was clear the Pokémon was on board.

"Then it's settled," Naoki said, his voice filled with satisfaction. "You'll live here from today

onwards."

Digletts, like this one, usually nest underground. They rarely surface, as the bright sunlight weakens their bodies.

"When I need your help, I'll call you," Naoki added.

It was perfect timing. He had plans to expand his sunflower fields, and with a Diglett skilled at

tilling the soil, the task would become much easier. Plus, he could cultivate more land,

leading to more crops and a greater chance for his pasture to flourish.

Diglett squeaked eagerly in agreement.

Naoki, intrigued, asked, "Where have you been hiding all this time?"

He pulled out a handful of seeds and began to snack.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak."

The Diglett explained that it had been living beneath the area all along. Its nest was deep

underground, weaving through countless small tunnels below the pasture. It had stayed out of sight, never coming to the surface because there hadn't been any food. But recently, the Diglett noticed the human above planting crops, and curiosity drove it to investigate. Naoki nodded in understanding. So it had been here long before he arrived. "It's fine. You're welcome to stay here," Naoki said kindly. Noticing Diglett's gaze drift

toward the Naclstack in the distance, he reassured it: "Don't worry, they won't harm you.

They're gentle Pokémon."

"Squeak."

The Diglett responded, seemingly relieved.