The Battle-Hungry Gogoat

The next morning, after breakfast, Naoki noticed that the grass in the pasture had grown significantly taller.

Since there wasn't much else to do, he grabbed a sickle and started cutting the grass. As he worked, he collected the cut grass, intending to save it to make grass dumplings for his Gogoat.

However, the ranch was so vast that even after several hours of labor, his back aching and sweat pouring, he hadn't finished the job.

"Huh!" Naoki stood up, stretching his sore back, and sighed. "It looks like it's time to invest in a lawn mower."

With that thought in mind, he gathered his tools, removed his leather gloves, and returned the sickle to the utility room.

When he came back out front, Naoki saw Koraidon teaching Cyclizar some moves, with Dragonite joining in to learn as well.

"Looks like I'll have to ride another Pokémon to town today," Naoki mused, not wanting to interrupt their training.

After some consideration, he headed to the sheepfold, selecting one of the Gogoat. He mounted it, patting its side gently.

"Let's go to town!" Naoki said.

"Mea!" The Gogoat bleated happily.

The evolved Gogoat stood about 1.8 meters tall, easily able to carry an adult of average weight. Naoki rode it past Koraidon, Cyclizar, and Dragonite, calling out to them:

"I'm heading to town, you all keep practicing!"

"Raao!" Koraidon responded.

"Gah!" Cyclizar added.

"Ooooh!" Dragonite chimed in.

The three Pokémon blinked, their attention back on their training.

Koraidon initially wanted to accompany Naoki, but it was busy with its duties. It could only watch as Naoki and Gogoat trotted off.

It was Naoki's first time riding a Gogoat, and compared to Koraidon and Cyclizar, the experience wasn't all that different—except that Gogoat was much furrier and softer to sit on.

What fascinated Naoki the most was Gogoat's intelligence.

By simply placing his hands on the pair of horns atop its head, Naoki found that the Gogoat could sense his thoughts. It responded by turning, speeding up, or slowing down, all according to his will.

In some ways, riding Gogoat felt even more intuitive than riding Cyclizar.

"No wonder this Pokémon has been helping humans for over 5,000 years," Naoki thought, appreciating Gogoat's reliability and connection to its rider. It truly was a dependable Pokémon.

The only downside is that it would be nice if it didn't glow.

Looking down at the Gogoat beneath him, which suddenly emitted a bright green glow while running, Naoki couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief. 

"How is this any different from those flashy mounts in cheap online games?" he thought, humorously recalling advertisements that promised: Top up 998 and get a luxurious, glowing mount instantly!

Shaking off the ridiculous comparison, Naoki steered his Gogoat to stop at the side of the road. "Release the energy in your body first!" he said, giving the Pokémon a chance to burn off the excess power.

"Meaa..." 

Without hesitation, Gogoat started dancing wildly. Grass-type energy poured out, creating a lush, vibrant green field around them.

But that was just the beginning.

The Gogoat unleashed a flurry of Grass-type moves: Leaf Blade, Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, and even Solar Beam, one after the other, as if it had an endless well of energy.

Watching this display, Naoki couldn't help but wonder if all this exertion was putting a strain on the Pokémon. Would constantly releasing so much energy cause any discomfort or fatigue?

Yet, the gleeful expression on Gogoat's face told him otherwise.

Naoki: "…"

The green glow continued to spread, and soon the commotion attracted several wild Pokémon, who gathered around to watch in curiosity.

More and more Pokémon arrived, fascinated by the radiant display.

As Naoki observed, he noticed something peculiar—the duration of Gogoat's "performance" seemed to be getting longer, and it showed no sign of stopping anytime soon.

Even after releasing all that energy, Gogoat still had an expression that said it wasn't quite satisfied.

It seemed like just using these moves wasn't enough to vent the excess energy building up inside.

Naoki sighed, falling into thought.

Clearly, the excessive energy was a result of the large amounts of Grass Dumplings they had been eating daily.

But cutting off their favorite food wasn't really an option. The three Gogoat had grown quite attached to the Grass Dumplings, and stopping the feed would likely upset them.

"So, besides dancing, what other ways are there to burn off this extra energy?" Naoki pondered.

The first thing that came to mind was battling. Compared to simply using moves, a good fight could effectively help Gogoat channel that energy in a more productive way.

And…

Naoki recalled the time his Gogoat had eagerly tried to challenge Koraidon to a battle. It was clear that Gogoat didn't shy away from a fight.

With this thought in mind, Naoki looked at his Gogoat, which had finally calmed down and was standing proudly in front of him. He asked, "Gogoat, if I asked you to battle other Pokémon, would you be up for it?"

"Baaaah?!" 

Gogoat's eyes widened with excitement.

Naoki: "…"

Sure enough, Gogoat was truly a lively and aggressive Pokémon at heart! 

Life on the ranch was all about eating and sleeping, so the Gogoat often just lounged lazily on the grass, giving the impression that it was slow and easygoing. But deep down, it was full of energy and ready to take on any challenge.

After a moment of thought, Naoki asked again, "What if your opponent was a very powerful Pokémon?"

"Meaaa!"

In an instant, an enormous, exaggerated blade of grass materialized in Gogoat's mouth, radiating with power.

"Not a chance! No invader will survive!" its stance seemed to declare. The Gogoat was ready to defend the ranch from any challenger.

"Alright, alright, calm down. We'll talk about battles later. Let's put the magic powers away for now!"

Gogoat retracted the glowing energy, and Naoki climbed back on its back, resuming the ride toward Kosaji Town.

As they journeyed forward, Naoki thought about how to help Gogoat—and the other goats—vent all that pent-up energy while also satisfying their strong desire for battles.

"Taking them to battle other trainers?" he mused. "No, that won't work. There's too much ranch work to keep up with, and I don't have the time for long trips."

He considered having the Gogoat compete with Dragonite and Cyclizar. "That might work," he thought, "but three Gogoat's would be too much for just Dragonite and Cyclizar to handle."

As Kosaji Town came into view, an idea suddenly sparked in Naoki's mind—a memory of several young trainers wearing the uniforms of Naranja Academy.

Got it!

"If I offer the ranch as a place where trainers could come and practice their skills, I could attract young trainers to battle against my Pokémon," Naoki thought, the plan coming together in his mind. "They'd gain valuable experience, and my Gogoat's would have an outlet for their energy through battle, keeping them fit and active."

And the best part? The ranch's magical dishes could help restore the Pokémon's energy after each fight, so there wouldn't be any risk of them getting overly tired or hurt.

It was the perfect solution—everyone would benefit.