Dragonair's Bond: Training for Naoki's Ranch[372]

"Alright, go and play!"

Naoki said as he made his way to the field with the onion seeds and Farfetch'd by his side.

This particular plot of land had previously been used to grow spinach. Naoki had harvested the crop just a few days ago and hadn't decided on what to plant next—making it the perfect spot to start building a leek garden for Farfetch'd.

Naoki whistled, calling over Dugtrio to help plow the field.

The Dugtrio squeaked enthusiastically and quickly got to work. They moved methodically, turning the soil with their incredible digging skills. Behind them, Naoki followed closely, carefully planting rows of seeds.

In no time, the entire field was planted with fresh leek seeds.

Naoki brushed the dirt off his hands, turned to Farfetch'd, and asked, "Are you in a hurry to change weapons?"

Farfetch'd looked down at the leek it was currently holding and shook its head. "Farfetch'd ." (This one's still good for now.)

Naoki nodded. "Alright then. The next step is to water and fertilize these leeks every day. It won't be long before they're fully grown."

Farfetch'd's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Farfetch'd !" (I can't wait!)

Naoki chuckled at its enthusiasm and called over the Gogoat from the ranch. "Let's see if you all can help the leeks grow faster with some Grass-type energy."

The Gogoats bleated happily and trotted over to the onion garden. They formed a small circle around the field and began to release shimmering green energy, infusing the soil with vitality. The seeds seemed to almost glow in response.

Farfetch'd stood silently by, watching the process with newfound awe. Its excitement over growing its own leeks even caused it to skip its daily swordsmanship practice.

The idea of cultivating its own leeks had never crossed Farfetch'd's mind before. In the past, it had lived in a wild forest where food scarcity was a constant challenge. It had once been forced to eat its emergency leek to survive, then traveled a long distance to find a new one. Back then, it was just the way of life.

But now, seeing an entire garden of leeks being nurtured all at once? It was a dream come true. When the garden matured, Farfetch'd would finally be able to select the strongest and most durable leeks to use as its weapon.

The thought alone filled it with pure joy. "Farfetch'd !" (Amazing!)

Farfetch'd clenched its wing, determination flaring in its chest. It decided then and there—it wanted to learn how to cultivate leeks on its own!

When Naoki returned to the house, Farfetch'd was already waiting for him.

After hearing about Farfetch'd's wish to help with the garden, Naoki thought for a moment before saying, "Watering will be Dragonite's job, and the Gogoats will continue to help the leeks grow."

Farfetch'd's shoulders slumped slightly in disappointment. "Farfetch'd …" (So there's nothing I can do?)

Naoki tilted his head, thinking carefully, and then an idea struck him. "Well, you could use your swordsmanship skills to guard the leek garden. You'll make sure no wild Pokémon come around to mess things up."

Farfetch'd perked up instantly. "Farfetch'd ?" (Guard the garden?)

Naoki nodded. "You see, we've had problems before with wild bird Pokémon sneaking into the fields to eat crops like corn and wheat. I even tried using a scarecrow once, but those clever Pokémon just ignored it."

He chuckled at the memory and continued, "Eventually, Koraidon started taking naps near the fields. The sheer presence of its Dragon-type energy was enough to scare off most intruders."

For Koraidon, it was nothing more than a convenient sunny spot to rest, but for the ranch, it had been an invaluable solution.

Farfetch'd's eyes gleamed with determination. Hearing that it could help in such an important way filled it with pride. It puffed out its chest and promised, "Farfetch'd !" (Leave it to me!)

To show its gratitude for Naoki's help, Farfetch'd even decided to expand its patrol duties to include all the fields on the ranch—not just the onion garden.

"Thank you for your hard work!" Naoki said with a warm smile.

Farfetch'd quacked proudly as it carried its beloved leek and headed off to patrol the farmland.

From that day onward, Farfetch'd took its role as the farm's guardian seriously. Determined to protect its precious leek garden and ensure the healthy growth of the plants, it patrolled tirelessly between the ridges from morning until night, leek in wing, ready for anything.

Life on the ranch continued peacefully.

With the problem of Farfetch'd resolved, another group of Pokémon approached Naoki for help: the Dragonairs that often frolicked around the ranch had something on their minds.

The next morning, Naoki was busy repairing a fence that the rambunctious Wooloo had knocked over in the pasture. Nearby, several Dragonairs were huddled together, whining and gesturing at one another in frustration.

Naoki paused his work and glanced over, trying to make sense of their behavior. "What's going on?" he muttered. But their cries were unintelligible to him.

"Wait a second!" Naoki said, holding up a hand. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of translation seed crisp, popping it into his mouth. After chewing, he nodded. "Alright, go ahead!"

The Dragonairs perked up immediately, their eyes shining with determination.

"Woo!" one exclaimed. (Naoki, we want special training too!)

"Huh?" Naoki blinked, taken aback. He put down his tools and stared at the small Dragon-type Pokémon in disbelief. "Special training? Where did that idea come from?"

The morning sun was already beating down, and Naoki grabbed his water bottle, taking a long sip to cool off. "You all seem pretty happy with life here. Why do you suddenly want to do special training? You know that's really tough, right?"

The Dragonairs shook their heads in unison, their expressions brimming with resolve.

One of them stepped forward and declared, "Woo!" (We're not afraid of hard work!)

Another Dragonair nodded enthusiastically and added, "Woo, woo!" (That's right! We want to become like Dragonite and grow hands so we can help you out!)

"Pfft—" Naoki nearly spit out his water.

He coughed, wiping his mouth as he tried to process what he'd just heard. "Wait, what? You want to evolve into Dragonite? And it's because you want hands?"

He looked at the Dragonairs in front of him. The sheer earnestness of their statement left him stunned.

Well, I guess they have a point. If they evolve into Dragonites, their arms would be a lot more useful for carrying things.

Naoki couldn't help but laugh. "So, let me get this straight—you want to train hard so you can grow hands and help me with the ranch work?"

The Dragonairs all nodded eagerly, their little tusks gleaming in the sunlight.

Naoki wiped his mouth and set his water bottle down, still chuckling at their unexpected request. "Alright, alright, calm down. Let me get this straight—why the sudden desire to help out with the ranch?"

The Dragonairs blinked their bright eyes and answered innocently and happily,

"Wooo!" (That's because Naoki makes such delicious Poffins and snacks for us every day! Naoki is so kind, and we want to help him too!)

Naoki smiled as he realized the Dragonairs were expressing their gratitude.

Hearing such heartfelt words, Naoki felt a deep warmth in his chest. This is what it means to bond with Pokémon.

Pokémon were so simple and genuine. Treat them with kindness, and they would go to great lengths to return that kindness.

Naoki took a deep breath, then crouched down to pat the heads of each Dragonair in turn. His voice was soft with emotion as he said,

"Good Dragonairs. I understand. Thank you for wanting to help me."

"Woo~"

The Dragonairs rubbed their heads affectionately against Naoki, their tusks gleaming in the sunlight.

Naoki's grin widened. It's decided! From now on, the Dragonair family would officially be his favorite Psuedo legendary Dragon-type Pokémon! Their loyalty and eagerness to help had earned them a special place in his heart.

To honor their dedication, Naoki decided to provide them with the best training possible. He quickly placed them in the tutoring program run by Koraidon for Cyclizar.

"Koraidon, I'm entrusting the Dragonairs to you! Teach them some Dragon-type moves and help them grow stronger!"

He turned to Cyclizar with a grin. "Cyclizar, from now on, the Dragonairs will be your classmates. Since the gap in strength between you and Koraidon is so wide, training together with the Dragonairs will help all of you learn from each other and gain experience in battle."

"I'll come by regularly to supervise your progress!" Naoki added.

Koraidon sighed, clearly resigned. "Raao…" (Alright, alright…)

Cyclizar, on the other hand, was thrilled at the prospect. It turned to the Dragonairs and greeted them cheerfully. "Gaao!" (Welcome aboard!)

Meanwhile, over at Snorlax Park, across the river…

A group of Pokémon had gathered around the towering Snorlax, who was napping peacefully in the shade. The group included Dragonite, Ogerpon, Butterfree, Glaceon, Eevee, Pawmot, and Alcremie.

They formed a circle around Dragonite, who held the jet-black Rayquaza scale in its claws, its surface gleaming faintly under the sunlight.

"Pamo…?"

Pawmot tilted its head, a confused look on its face. Could this scale really summon the legendary hero Rayquaza, the Pokémon who had saved the world?

The day before, Dragonite and Cyclizar had shared the story of their nighttime adventure with Rayquaza. They had recounted the heroic deeds of the Sky Pokémon, describing how it had calmed the raging battle between Groudon and Kyogre.

The tale had piqued the curiosity of Pawmot and Glaceon. Both were eager to learn more about the mythical Pokémon.

Now, Dragonite was ready to prove the tale wasn't just a story.

After finishing its chores for the day, including watering the farmland, Dragonite had called together its closest friends and led them to Snorlax Park. It stood at the center of the group, scale in hand, ready to demonstrate its bond with the legendary Rayquaza.

Its goal? To summon Senior Rayquaza to visit the ranch.

.....

Bonus Chapter