Pokemon: A New Path

Chapter 188: Indeedee



Listening to Pokémon chat is a very interesting thing.

You can gather a variety of information and intel from their conversations.

For example, a fire might have broken out somewhere in town, a rare Pokémon might have appeared, a Pokémon could have gotten lost, or two Pokémon might have dueled over love.

Naoki never interrupted their chats; he just quietly sat behind the bar, reading a book.

However, his Pokémon would occasionally join the conversation and ask Quaquaval or Machamps a few questions.

With the departure of Quaquaval and Machamps, the sky outside had completely darkened. Naoki glanced at the time-it was already 9:15 p.m.

He looked out the window, and it seemed there wouldn't be any more guests visiting tonight.

Thinking this, Naoki was about to close the tavern for the night when the sound of barking and a motorcycle engine came from outside.

Naoki was surprised.

'Were there guests arriving so late?'

He went outside to check and saw Officer Jenny, dressed in her police uniform, riding her motorcycle and chasing a Growlithe.

The Growlithe was running excitedly ahead, barking as it sprinted along.

"Growlithe, where are you going?"

Officer Jenny, chasing behind, looked worried.

They had just finished their patrol and were about to head home when Growlithe, the trusty partner of the police station, suddenly bolted off.

The entire police force was stunned.

Only Officer Jenny reacted quickly enough to jump on her motorcycle and give chase.

Growlithe would run and then stop as if it were deliberately waiting for her, leaving Officer Jenny even more confused.

'What on earth was attracting Growlithe?'

After some thought, Officer Jenny decided to follow the Pokémon and find out.

They traveled along the dark countryside road and eventually arrived at a brightly lit ranch.

Officer Jenny blinked, and her eyes landed on the man standing in front of a wooden building. Growlithe stopped in front of the man, barking happily at him.

Officer Jenny turned off the motorcycle, got off, and looked at the scene in confusion.

Her frown deepened, and her expression grew serious.

'Could this man be someone who used tricks to lure other people's Pokémon, only to steal them?'

Out of professional instinct, Officer Jenny's hand drifted to the handcuffs at her waist, ready to act if anything suspicious happened.

"Who are you?" Officer Jenny asked sternly.

Naoki: "..."

Naoki noticed Officer Jenny's movements and sighed, a bit exasperated.

"Don't worry, Officer Jenny. I'm Naoki, from Naoki's Ranch. Your Growlithe probably heard about the tavern from other Pokémon and decided to visit."

Officer Jenny blinked in surprise, her eyes studying Naoki before she removed her hand from her handcuffs.

"Naoki's Ranch... I've heard about that in town."

Naoki smiled and asked, "Growlithe, did you come to visit the tavern?"

Growlithe wagged its tail excitedly and nodded enthusiastically: "Arf, arf!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Then come on in!"

Naoki chuckled and patted Growlithe on the head before welcoming both Officer Jenny and the excited Pokémon inside.

Inside the tavern, Dragonair, Dratini, and Pawmo were still quietly chatting under the warm light.

As soon as Growlithe entered, it was immediately drawn to them and grew even more excited. "Arf, arf!" Growlithe barked happily. There really was a tavern just for Pokémon! Growlithe wasted no time ordering anything and dashed over to the other Pokémon to greet them.

Officer Jenny watched the scene unfold with a helpless smile. "This little guy is too playful."

Naoki grinned.

Officer Jenny, still processing the fact that there was a Pokémon tavern here, figured she might as well rest and have a drink to relax after a long day.

But as she looked around, she realized there wasn't a drink menu.

Noticing her puzzled expression, Naoki went over to grab a white jug and two transparent glasses from the shelf.

He poured some watermelon juice from the jug into the glasses, added a few ice cubes, and handed one of the glasses to Officer Jenny.

"Our tavern specializes in serving Pokémon, but we're still new. This one's on the house," Naoki said with a smile.

Officer Jenny was taken aback. "A tavern just for Pokémon?"

"As you can see," Naoki said, gesturing around.

Officer Jenny turned her head and finally noticed-every "customer" in the tavern was a Pokémon, not a single human in sight!

"But... but..." Officer Jenny stammered, clearly amazed.

"This is just my side job," Naoki said, chuckling as he placed the milk jug back on the shelf. "I love Pokémon, so I opened this tavern to see more of them. Watching them here makes me

feel relaxed."

"This is really incredible!" Officer Jenny murmured.

She looked at the iced watermelon juice in front of her and politely thanked Naoki.

Naoki shook his head to indicate it was no trouble at all.

He gestured for Officer Jenny to sit at one of the tables to rest.

Officer Jenny thought about it, then walked over with the two glasses of watermelon juice. She called over Growlithe, but due to its body structure, it couldn't sit on the chair and just

squatted on the ground.

But for Growlithe, that was perfectly fine.

Its big head barely rose above the table as it happily slurped the watermelon juice through the straw. While drinking, it sneaked curious glances at the other Pokémon chatting nearby.

'It's so lively here!' Growlithe thought 'This place is really fun.'

Officer Jenny observed the layout of the tavern.

As soon as you walked in, there was a bar with a wine rack on the wall behind it. A small closet

stood next to it, and a refrigerator was on the other side.

The lights in the tavern glowed a warm orange, and there was a red carpet at the entrance, giving the place a cozy and welcoming atmosphere.

On the left wall were simple drawings and photos, which looked like they had been made by

children.

Officer Jenny's attention was drawn to a particular photo. She stood up, unable to resist walking over to take a closer look.

The photo depicted a stunning cliff covered with lush grass and trees. A majestic waterfall tumbled down, forming rivers that cut through the forests below as if they were the veins of

the wild. The landscape seemed to breathe with life.

And on the grassy hill, a large group of Pokémon stood together.

Some of them were familiar, but others were Pokémon she had never seen before.

There was Teddiursa, Meowth, and Pikachu.

And a small Pokémon that resembled a pink kitten with large blue eyes.

This humanoid Pokémon had fine pink fur, a serious expression, and a large tail. It looked

reluctant to be in the photo, almost as if it didn't want its picture taken.

Aside from this one, though, all the other Pokémon looked happy.

Officer Jenny couldn't help but ask, "Are these Pokémon guests at the tavern too?"

Naoki glanced up, seeing her in front of the photo wall.

He shook his head. "No, that photo was sent to me by a friend who's traveling."

"Oh," Officer Jenny said, her curiosity piqued. "I've never seen these two Pokémon before.

There really are still so many undiscovered Pokémon in the world."

"Yeah!" Naoki smiled but didn't elaborate.

Before long, Growlithe had finished its iced watermelon juice.

Officer Jenny paid for the drinks, and since it was getting late, she called Growlithe and

prepared to head home for the night.

However, Growlithe looked reluctant to leave. Seeing its expression, Naoki smiled and waved. "Come back tomorrow! My tavern is open every day except weekends."

"Arf Arf!"

Growlithe's eyes lit up as it happily followed Officer Jenny. As they left, it barked twice,

looking back.

Naoki chuckled and called out, "See you tomorrow!"

Watching the figures of Officer Jenny and Growlithe fade into the night, Naoki stretched and relaxed. Then he turned to the remaining Pokémon and said, "Alright, time for bed!"

"Buyi~"

Glaceon beamed at Naoki, gave a sweet farewell, and ran back to its ice house.

The three Miltanks yawned. Before returning to the Pokémon House, they each took a cup of

their own fresh milk for a late-night treat.

Dratini and Dragonair, already feeling drowsy, could hardly keep their eyes open. Still, they forced themselves to trot over and rub their cheeks against Naoki's affectionately.

Once they had their fill of attention, they headed back to the lake, curling up and falling asleep under the reflected glow of the moon.

Dragonite, seeing this, stomped its feet in frustration, annoyed that the little dragons were

stealing its trainer's affection. With a dramatic huff, it flew over and hugged Naoki tightly.

Naoki: "..."

He gently patted Dragonite's big belly, sighing, "Alright, time for you to sleep too!"

Dragonite blinked down at him, then mimicked Dratini and Dragonair by rubbing its massive,

pudgy face against Naoki's cheek.

Naoki: "..."

"Oof!"

Dragonite, clearly pleased with itself, bounded away with joy. In its rush, it nearly knocked

over a few things as it hurried out of sight.

"Ah, gah..." Koraidon sighed, shaking its head at Dragonite's childish antics.

It turned to Naoki, who stood there, looking completely helpless after all the face-rubbing.

Naoki was keenly aware of Koraidon's gaze and thought that Koraidon wanted to rub his cheek too. So, with a resigned smile, he said, "Alright, come on then!"

He ran forward and gave a Cheek Rub to each of the remaining Pokémon one by one.

Koraidon's eyes widened: "Ah gah?!"

Cyclizar couldn't believe it either: "Gah?!"

Pawmo, however, eagerly flew into Naoki's arms, snuggling up affectionately: "Pawmo~"

As for the Alcremie, it had already gone to bed early, retreating to its cozy nest without

staying up late like the others. "Alright, let's all head back home and get some sleep!" Naoki said cheerfully.

He picked up Pawmo, and with Koraidon and Cyclizar following behind, they all walked home

under the gentle glow of the moonlight.

...

The next morning, a new day had arrived.

It was already July 5th, and the fields still lay untouched, waiting for a fresh round of planting.

Naoki realized he couldn't keep putting off his work, so early in the morning, he called Diglett to help till the fields and plant a new batch of pumpkin and sunflower seeds. While munching on some seed crisps, Naoki also gathered a few other Pokémon to help out.

Dragonite was practicing its "Rain Dance" move by watering the land, trying its best to summon rain.

The Gogoat showed up as usual, using its "Grassy Terrain" to nourish and take care of the

crops.

As the Pokémon busily tended to the fields, Naoki took a moment to check on the World Tree seedling. [World Tree Seedling: A seed that has absorbed a tremendous amount of Grass-type energy. Thanks to the efforts of the Gogoat, it has undergone a mutation during its growth process. A

great vitality is brewing inside it, and it will eventually break through the ground. Estimated time remaining: 99,995 years and 363 days.] "It's reduced by two more days!" Naoki said excitedly.

It was clear that the Gogoat's efforts were making a difference.

Naoki turned to look at the three Gogoat. "It seems like the Grassy Terrain ability is really

speeding up the World Tree's growth!"

But then again, because the Gogoat was spending so much time tending to the seedling, it

hadn't been doing its usual routine of dancing every day. This made Naoki feel a little strange, as he had grown used to the sight of the goats dancing like they were at a disco. Standing up, Naoki decided to watch the goats as they tended to the pumpkins and

sunflowers.

At that moment, a sleek, black luxury car came to a stop just outside the ranch.

Sensing the presence of a stranger, Butterfree quickly flew over to inform Naoki.

Naoki looked up and saw an older gentleman stepping out of the car. The man was dressed

elegantly in a brown suit and a fedora hat, holding a gentleman's cane. He had an air of sophistication.

From a distance, the old man spotted Naoki and smiled warmly, nodding in his direction. "Naoki!" the old man called out.

"Mr. Sato!" Naoki exclaimed, excitedly recognizing the distinguished visitor.

This old man was the owner of the two small Pokémon that Ivan had introduced Naoki to

more than two months ago.

If Mr. Sato had shown up here...

Naoki's heart skipped a beat, and he hurried forward to greet him.

Sato still had that warm, kind demeanor: "I'm sorry, I got delayed with something and ended

up arriving a bit late."

"It's no problem at all," Naoki said, glancing at the sleek black luxury car. "Would you like to

come inside for a cup of tea?"

Sato chuckled, noticing Naoki's glance. "No need for tea, I've got to visit a friend later."

He turned toward the back seat of the luxury car and called out, "Come on out! We've

arrived."

The car door opened, and two small but well-dressed Pokémon resembling butlers silently

stepped out.

The taller of the two, with upward-pointing horns, had a serious, stoic expression. The younger, with downward-pointing horns, seemed more gentle, standing slightly behind her brother.

Naoki thought, 'These must be the ones I met before.'

The sister, her face warm and friendly, smiled when she saw Naoki. Her brother, however,

frowned a bit, giving her a look of disapproval.

The brother whispered, "Ai'e." (We agreed we'd observe this human first before getting

attached.)

The sister quickly adjusted her smile and replied quietly, "Ai'e!" (I know!) Naoki, having eaten a few pieces of translation seeds earlier to understand his Pokémon

better, overheard their conversation and chuckled to himself. He didn't let on that he understood them, but he nodded inwardly.

"They've grown a lot in two months,' Naoki thought. 'They're not the tiny ones I first met.'

Old man Sato smiled kindly and introduced Naoki: "This is Mr. Naoki, who will be looking

after you from now on. You met him when you were little, remember? He brought you pudding."

The younger s

course, I remember!)

mediately brigh up and nodded enthusiastically: "Ai'e!" (Of

The older brother, still frowning, muttered, "Ai'e..." (We agreed...)

The sister playfully stuck her tongue out: "Ai'e, ai'e?" (I know, I know! But brother, don't you

remember how good the pudding was?)

The older brother, recalling the taste of the pudding, hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"Ai'e." (It was good.)

His sister, confused, asked, "Ai'e? Ai'e!" (Then why don't you like this human? He's nice and

the pudding was delicious!)

The older brother replied calmly, "Ai'e." (That's different.)

He glanced at his sister with concern, thinking back to something a stray cat had told him at

the manor. The cat had been abandoned by a human for being too weak, and though it was

later adopted by Mr. Sato, the memory of abandonment haunted it.

As the older brother, he felt responsible for ensuring his sister wouldn't get hurt. "Ai'e." (We

can't get too attached to a human before knowing if they'll abandon us. If he leaves us, we'll be heartbroken.)

This is what Brother Indeedee had learned from a Mewoth in the manor who had been abandoned.

The Mewoth had once been tamed by a human, but because the human thought it was too weak, they abandoned it.

Later, the Mewoth was fortunate enough to meet Mr. Sato, who adopted it. Since then, it has

lived happily in the manor.

Because of this story, Brother Indeedee felt he had to protect his sister, making sure that this

human wouldn't abandon them before they got too attached. Sister Indeedee seemed to understand, but not fully. Naoki, observing Brother Indeedee, who was trying so hard to protect his sister like a little

adult, felt a mix of emotions.

Without addressing the two Indeedees directly, Naoki turned to Mr. Sato and said, "Mr. Sato,

let me show you around the ranch!"

As the owner of the Indeedees, Mr. Sato would surely want to know what kind of life they

would have here, so Naoki needed to explain everything in detail. Sure enough, a bright smile appeared on Mr. Sato's wrinkled face.

He chuckled and said, "Then I will respectfully follow your lead!"

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