Mutated Sapling

It was late at night, and everything was quiet, but the soft glow of dim lights filled the tavern.

Naoki leaned on the bar, arms folded, watching as Cyclizar sipped on its juice in the gentle candlelight. A warm smile crossed his face.

The old-fashioned wall clock ticked softly, and before Naoki realized it, it was already nine-thirty.

Yet, he still wasn't sleepy. As he wiped down the dusty wine glasses, his thoughts drifted to the plans for the coming days.

It was June 28th, and there were only two days left before the end of summer.

Next came autumn, with its golden leaves and cool breezes.

The change of seasons usually brought a rush of work—not only would the land need to be plowed and planted, but it also had to be watered and fertilized.

When Zack came to pick up goods earlier in the evening, he had mentioned that ranchers on other farms were nearly exhausted from the workload.

In comparison, Naoki felt quite lucky.

With Diglett to till the soil and Dragonite, Cyclizar, and Koraidon to help with watering and sowing seeds, his tasks were much lighter. Fertilizing, however, still required more hands-on work.

And on top of that, there was the winemaking.

Winemaking wasn't as simple as tossing hops into an oak barrel; the process was intricate, involving several time-consuming steps.

Plus, Naoki knew nothing about it. He'd have to learn the entire process from scratch.

It was always hard to get started, but things would get easier once he got the hang of it.

The ranch manual given to him by Mayor Thomas laid out the entire winemaking process in detail.

In addition to traditional barley beer, there were also recipes for various fruit wines.

Fruit wine could be made from ordinary fruits or special berries.

Speaking of fruit, Naoki thought about the orchard on his ranch.

In just one summer, the trees had grown significantly, transforming from tender saplings into healthy, sturdy fruit trees.

At this rate, he should be able to harvest a large basket of fruit by mid-autumn.

The fruit trees he had planted in spring would likely bloom and bear fruit a bit earlier.

However, Naoki wasn't too keen on selling the berries—their market price was too low to bother. He decided he'd keep them as snacks for the Pokémon on the ranch instead.

Just then, several small figures fluttered through the door.

Naoki glanced up to see Dratini and Dragonair entering the tavern.

He was surprised. "Why aren't you all asleep yet?"

"Woo~"

The little dragons exchanged glances, their eyes blinking innocently.

They had been asleep but woke up when they saw the lights on and decided to investigate out of curiosity.

Naoki chuckled. "Well, since you're here, how about a drink?"

The three Dratini and two Dragonair eagerly came up to the bar.

"We've got Moomoo Milk, fresh tree sap, and different flavors of fruit juice. What would you like?" Naoki asked.

The little dragons peered at the selection on the bar, then wrapped their tails around the bottles, choosing their favorite drinks.

Naoki pointed to the tables and chairs nearby. "Let's sit over there and enjoy them."

The group quickly agreed, and they scampered over to a small round table, sipping their drinks and chatting excitedly.

Cyclizar had finished its drink and, after placing the empty cup down, stood by Naoki with an innocent look in its eyes, as if asking if there was anything else it could do to help.

Naoki smiled and patted its head. "No need to worry. This is just a trial run. Take it easy."

Besides, even if the tavern officially opened, there wouldn't be too many wild Pokémon visiting at first.

For now, the tavern was still relatively unknown.

In the beginning, it would mostly be the Pokémon from the ranch who would come here to drink and relax.

Seeing how much Dratini and Dragonair seemed to enjoy the place, Naoki decided to stay a little longer.

Unexpectedly, a short while later, Koraidon also arrived at the tavern.

Koraidon had woken up and, realized Naoki wasn't in the room. 

Koraidon panicked and ran outside, searching for Naoki.

It looked through the living room, study, and bathroom, but Naoki was nowhere to be found.

Finally, Koraidon went outside and noticed the lights on in the tavern.

When it arrived, it saw Naoki smiling gently, chatting with Cyclizar.

Koraidon: "…" It felt a little sad.

Not long after Koraidon showed up, Butterfree and Alcremie also arrived at the tavern.

Naoki, playing the role of bartender, asked each Pokémon to order their favorite drink and then let them sit and chat.

Amid the clinking of glasses, the tavern buzzed with life.

Some of the Pokémon even joined in, acting like wild Pokémon coming to the tavern for a drink.

Naoki: "…" He couldn't help but feel like he was playing a game of house.

Shaking his head, he felt both amused and a bit helpless.

After spending so much time with these playful and sometimes childish Pokémon, he realized that they'd made him a bit childish too.

...

The next day, after finishing his work on the ranch, Naoki headed into town to buy seeds. He picked up a batch of corn, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds.

These crops were ideal for both summer and autumn planting, providing a good continuous harvest.

Even though the house was completed, his work wasn't done.

He needed to build a water mill before winter arrived.

Once the corn was harvested, he could grind it into cornmeal at the mill or use it as chicken feed.

The sunflower seeds could be roasted into tasty snacks, though demand for them was always higher than he could meet.

Winter would mean no crops in the fields, and they'd have to rely on stockpiles from summer and autumn.

While greenhouses were an option, they were expensive, and right now, the need for them wasn't urgent.

He had already harvested the sunflowers, and the shelled seeds had been made into seed crisps. Each piece provided a lot of energy, which was convenient and efficient.

As for the pumpkins, they were versatile, perfect for quenching thirst, and great for making soups and porridges.

Ivan had told Naoki about Halloween in the fall, where people carve pumpkins into lanterns. The festival, held at night, attracts many wild ghost-type Pokémon!

Naoki also had another idea—he wanted to see if he could grow extra-large pumpkins.

If successful, he'd store the pumpkins until winter to make pumpkin pies for Butterfree, hoping it would grow into a huge Pokémon over two meters tall—perfect for a big, cozy hug during sleep.

After leaving the seed shop, Naoki headed to Kelly's woodworking shop.

He had noticed that the floor of the old house was damaged from years of wear and tear, so he planned to replace it.

When Kelly heard the reason for his visit, she promised to come by shortly.

Naoki returned to the ranch, and before he could even sit down, Kelly arrived, ready to help.

Kelly and the Machamp beside her replaced the wooden floor in the tavern. Seeing signs that the tavern had already been in use, Kelly was surprised.

"Has it already opened for business?"

"Yes," Naoki replied with a nod.

Kelly was even more intrigued and guessed, "Is this tavern meant to entertain traveling trainers?"

Naoki shook his head with a smile. "No."

Seeing the confusion on Kelly's face, Naoki didn't hide the truth and explained with a grin, "This is a tavern that only entertains Pokémon."

Kelly's tone was full of surprise. "Only Pokémon?!"

"Exactly," Naoki said. "Whether it's wild Pokémon living in the nearby mountains, Pokémon on the ranch, or even..." He glanced at the Machamp standing beside Kelly, then continued, "Pokémon who work and live with humans."

"For example, after a long day of work, Pokémon who have been busy can come here to have a drink, chat with other Pokémon, and just relax. This place is for Pokémon only—no humans to bother them."

Hearing this, Kelly blinked in surprise. "I think I get it."

The two Machamps behind her exchanged surprised glances.

Could such a place really exist?

The Pokémon behind Kelly seemed excited by the idea.

Respecting their interest, Kelly smiled and said, "Feel free to come here and relax after work!"

Machamp's eyes brightened with excitement.

Kelly then asked, "What are the tavern's business hours?"

Naoki had already thought this through. "From 7 PM to 10 PM, with weekends off."

Kelly nodded, and then, unable to contain her curiosity, asked, "What about fees? Some wild Pokémon may not have anything to give, like humans."

Naoki smiled. "They can give whatever they have. And if they don't have anything, that's fine too."

Kelly was taken aback. "Aren't you worried about losing money?"

Naoki shrugged. "Don't forget my main job! Running this tavern for Pokémon is just a hobby."

Kelly suddenly remembered that Naoki also owned a large ranch. With his daily income, he could easily open ten taverns if he wanted to.

Plus, with fruit trees, Miltank for milk, and a winemaking business starting soon, the tavern could run self-sufficiently without needing to purchase supplies.

Kelly smiled and said, "What an enviable life! If that's the case, we'll definitely come and patronize your tavern!"

By "we," she meant her Pokémon friends, including her Machamp and the old builder who stayed at home.

Naoki returned the smile. "You're welcome anytime."

At 7 PM that evening, the tavern welcomed its first guests—two Machamp. It was their first visit, and although they felt a bit anxious, they were also excited.

As the two entered the cozy tavern, they instinctively looked around. The warm ambiance greeted them, with the bar lined with various drinks and a red square carpet laid out in front. Candles flickered in retro-styled candlesticks along the walls, adding to the charm.

Inside, neatly arranged tables, chairs, and benches created a welcoming space. The tavern buzzed with activity, as a group of Pokémon, including Dratini, Butterfree, Miltank, Glaceon, and Alcremie, gathered to drink and chat.

One of the Machamp whispered, "Ni Ke...?" (It's so lively here! Is everyone here to drink?)

After eating more than a dozen seeds, Naoki smiled and asked, "What would you like to drink?"

The Machamp mulled over their options before choosing spicy tree juice and sweet-and-sour tree juice, then settled at an empty table. Naoki couldn't help overhearing their conversation.

Machamp #1: "Ni Ke, Ni Ke!" (Work is exhausting! I hardly get a chance to rest. Finally, a place to relax!)

Machamp #2: "Ni Ke." (True! But Kelly's been working just as hard. She's been building houses non-stop, but she'll get better soon.)

Machamp #1: "Ni Ke, Ni Ke, Ni Ke!" (Yeah, Kelly works hard, but she's great to work with.)

As the Machamp sipped their drinks, one of them said with satisfaction, "Ni Ke!" (This tastes amazing! This place is fantastic!)

After finishing their drinks and lingering for a while, the two Machamps got up to leave. Before departing, they gifted Naoki two small wooden sculptures in the shape of Machop.

Naoki was pleasantly surprised, realizing this was their way of paying for the drinks. He smiled, preferring these thoughtful gifts. He placed the small wooden sculptures on the top shelf of the wine rack behind the bar.

With most of the guests gone, Naoki handed over bartending duties to Cyclizar and Koraidon, then returned home to prepare dinner for everyone.

...

June 29th of the Alliance Calendar

Naoki noticed something odd while milking the Gogoat. They seemed drained, listless, and very weak.

"What's wrong?" he asked, frowning in concern. The Gogoat were usually full of energy, and this sudden change was alarming.

The Gogoat weakly bleated, "Baa..." They turned their heads toward something nearby.

Following their gaze, Naoki noticed a small sprout growing from the mound of earth the Gogoat had dug the day before.

[Mutated Sapling: A seed sapling that has absorbed a significant amount of Grass-type energy. Due to the influence of the Gogoat, it has undergone a mutation during its growth. Great vitality is brewing within it, but it will take 100,000 years to fully mature.]

Naoki was stunned.

"One hundred thousand years?!"

His immediate thought was, "I won't even live long enough to see this tree fully grow!"