The Challenger Frightened by the Green Grass Trial

A/N: If you want to read up to 40 chapters ahead go to patreon.com/Keepsmiling818

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By the afternoon, the Diglett had managed to dig a large hole beneath the salt house.

The little Diglett was panting with exhaustion; the scale of the project was immense, far beyond its usual digging.

However, there still wasn't enough stone to build stable walls for living. After digging out the underground space, they'd also need to prevent the surface from collapsing.

These concerns required careful planning.

Looking at the large hole the Diglett had dug, Naoki began to think deeply.

The Diglett, noticing Naoki's expression, looked at him with both hope and worry in its small eyes. "Squeak?"

"Don't worry, you're essential to this project," Naoki reassured. He wouldn't treat his employees unfairly until the job was done.

Naoki took out the sandwich he had brought and placed it on the ground.

Diglett happily scurried over and started eating the sandwich, nibbling at it in small bites.

"I don't have experience building underground caverns," Naoki muttered to himself. "If the ground collapses after we finish digging, it'll be more trouble than it's worth."

As Naoki walked out, he thought, 'I'll have to ask Kelly for advice on how to prevent a collapse.'

He headed into the ranch, planning to get some ice from Glaceon's ice cellar to make smoothies.

But at that moment, three boys and girls in school uniforms appeared at the ranch.

"Huh?" Naoki was surprised to see them.

The trio noticed him as well and started whispering loudly among themselves.

"Is this the farm Carter mentioned? The location of the Green Grass Trial?"

"Huh? No way! The one who helped him train is a farmer?"

"What the heck! Look, is that a Dragonite? How can such a rare Pokémon be here?"

Naoki's heart lifted. 'It seems Carter has been spreading the word about my ranch.'

After all the excitement of recent battles, the Pokémon—especially the Gogoat—had been restless, eager for a challenge. Maybe this was the perfect opportunity.

Just as Naoki was about to approach the students, Pawmo swooped down.

The three students' attention was immediately drawn to Pawmo, who looked dashing in its red cape.

The sight of Pawmo stunned the students, who were wide-eyed in disbelief at the scene before them.

One girl with short pink hair exclaimed, "Oh my gosh! Is that… Pawmo? Can Pokémon like Pawmo fly?"

A boy with glasses adjusted them thoughtfully, observing Pawmo's movements. "It's probably using electromagnetic levitation."

At that moment, another student noticed Koraidon.

"What kind of Pokémon is that?"

"I don't know either," one of the students murmured. "What is this place, and why are there so many rare Pokémon?"

Watching their stunned faces, Naoki couldn't help but feel amused. He stepped forward and greeted them, "Hello!"

"Excuse us!" The three students were still polite, despite their surprise.

They greeted Naoki first and then asked, "Are you the owner of this place? We heard from Carter that you're holding a Green Grass Trial here to help Pokémon with their training."

"That's right," Naoki nodded with a smile. He noticed their uniforms and asked, "You and Carter are students from Naranja Academy, correct?"

"No, I'm from Uva Academy," the girl replied.

Naoki was a little surprised.

The girl went on to explain how Paldea's schools were divided into two academies—Naranja Academy and Uva Academy. Freshmen could choose between the two based on their preferences after enrolling.

Naoki nodded in understanding. Although it surprised him, he didn't dwell on it much. After all, this was a world with both Professor Sada and Professor Turo. So strange things like this were becoming normal.

He looked at the three of them and asked, "So, are you all here to take part in the Green Grass Trial?"

The trio nodded enthusiastically. They had seen how much Carter had improved, and his Delibird had become significantly stronger. Their curiosity was piqued.

What kind of training could create such dramatic changes in such a short time?

They were itching to find out.

"Come with me," Naoki said, gesturing for them to follow. "But to participate in the trial, it'll cost you 2,000 Poke Dollars."

The three students exchanged confused glances. "Didn't Carter say there wouldn't be a fee?"

Naoki explained, "The fee covers the healing services I provide for your Pokémon after the battle. No matter how serious the injuries are, they'll be fully healed afterward."

"Oh, that makes sense!" The trio nodded in realization.

2,000 Poke Dollars—equivalent to the cost of four bottles of Moo Moo Milk—it was a reasonable price. If it could help their Pokémon become stronger, it was worth it.

Seeing their thoughtful expressions, Naoki added, "Just remember, whether you or your Pokémon become stronger depends on your perseverance and understanding."

"We got it!" they said, having already heard similar advice from Carter.

"Alright then, let's begin!" Naoki said as he led them toward the battlefield.

With a wave toward the goat pen, three eager Gogoat sprinted over, full of energy and ready for battle.

The three students looked at the Gogoat in confusion.

"Meh?"

Naoki explained, "The Green Grass Trial has three levels. The first level is a one-on-one battle with a Gogoat. The second level is a 2v2 battle against two Gogoat simultaneously. The third and final level requires you to battle all three Gogoat at the same time."

"Those who successfully pass the trial will receive a mysterious prize that helps Pokémon grow," Naoki announced.

'A Gogoat battle?' the pink-haired girl thought, her eyes filled with confusion.

She looked at the three Gogoat in front of her and asked, somewhat unsure, "Is the Green Grass Trial really just a battle against Gogoat?"

This wasn't quite what she had imagined. Although the Gogoat looked strong and impressive, they were still just Grass-type Pokémon. If she used a Pokémon with a type advantage over Grass types, wouldn't this trial be easy?

Naoki quickly guessed what the girl was thinking.

He smiled and shook his head. "As a trainer, you must never underestimate your opponent just because of type advantages or ability suppression. A true trainer always maintains the heart of an apprentice."

The girl was taken aback by his words.

'Not everyone can say something like that!'

"May I know your name?" she asked.

"Of course," Naoki replied with a nod. "I am Naoki, as you can see, the owner of this ranch."

"Naoki." The girl silently repeated his name, then nodded. "I see, Mr. Naoki."

Naoki didn't say much more and simply asked, "So, do you want to give it a try?"

The girl hesitated briefly but then nodded with determination. She pulled out her Eevee-themed wallet and counted out 2,000 Poke Dollars.

As she handed over the money, the girl suddenly thought of something. "By the way, does one ticket only allow me one attempt?"

Naoki shook his head. "You can challenge the Green Grass Trial as many times as you'd like until you leave the ranch. Once you leave, though, you'll need to buy a new ticket if you want to try again."

Naoki didn't want to be too strict, as the Green Grass Trial was meant to satisfy the Gogoat's desire to battle and release their energy.

Selling single-try tickets would likely discourage many trainers from challenging the trial.

However, he wasn't too concerned about trainers coming back repeatedly.

'After all, not everyone can handle losing over and over. Trainers like Carter are the exception' he thought.

The girl nodded in understanding. "I get it."

"Well then, let's get started!" Naoki stepped back, taking on the role of referee.

One of the Gogoat stepped onto the battlefield, eager for the challenge ahead.

The girl sent out her Pokémon—an imposing Avalugg.

The battle officially began.

The Gogoat instantly released a surge of Grass-type energy that enveloped the entire battlefield.

In response, Avalugg retaliated with an Avalanche, a heavy Ice-type attack that gathered ice and snow from the battlefield as it surged toward Gogoat. The immense weight of ice collided with the grassy terrain, tearing through the lush greenery and causing the grass-type energy to wane.

Seeing the devastation, Gogoat grew visibly agitated. Its eyes narrowed as it channeled even more powerful Grass-type energy, causing the battlefield to be quickly restored as if by magic.

As the Ice-type Pokémon barreled toward it, two thick Vine Whips extended from behind Gogoat, lashing out with incredible speed and force. The vines struck Avalugg hard, causing the massive Ice-type to stagger. Avalugg's rigid form, usually immovable, spun slightly from the impact.

The girl blinked in disbelief. "What?"

Gogoat gave a sharp cry, and the Vine Whips transformed, merging into a massive Power Whip, slamming down at Avalugg with tremendous force.

"Boom!"

The battlefield shook as dust and debris flew into the air. When the dust settled, Avalugg lay on the ground, seemingly knocked out from the overwhelming blow.

The two spectators watched, dumbfounded. "??"

"Was that… a vine whip? Is that really a Gogoat?" the girl thought, completely shocked.

Naoki calmly walked over and fed MooMoo Milk to Avalugg, helping it regain consciousness.

After a moment, Avalugg's eyes fluttered open, and it slowly rose to its feet, still shaken by the previous attack.

Naoki turned to the girl. "Do you want to continue?" he asked.

"Wait!" the girl said, still in disbelief. "Did Carter really fight against this Gogoat too?"

"Yes," Naoki replied with a smile. "Carter is incredibly determined. He went through two days of intense special training with me and learned a lot from the Green Grass Trial."

The girl nodded slowly, realizing how tough the challenge was. She checked Avalugg's condition and decided, "We're continuing."

The second battle commenced.

Once again, it was Gogoat versus Avalugg. This time, however, the girl was more cautious. She had Avalugg refrain from using Avalanche, knowing that it might get tangled up again by Gogoat's devastating Power Whip.

"Avalugg, use Body Press!" the girl commanded, her voice firm.

Avalugg let out a mighty roar and jumped high into the air. Its massive, weighty body blocked out the sunlight as it prepared to slam down on Gogoat with immense force.

Gogoat's eyes were locked onto the airborne Avalugg, but this time it was ready. Gathering a massive amount of Grass-type energy in its body, Gogoat prepared its next move.

The two boys watching the battle immediately sensed something was wrong.

In the next second, they saw Gogoat begin to gather a glowing green energy in its mouth, condensing into a massive blade of grass.

"Whoa!"

"What... is that?!"

Their eyes widened in disbelief. No words could adequately capture their astonishment.

With the blade of grass in its mouth, Gogoat charged straight toward the descending Avalugg.

The two Pokémon collided violently in mid-air.

The moment the massive grass blade struck Avalugg, the Ice-type lost its balance, plummeting to the ground with a heavy thud, creating a crater upon impact.

Gogoat landed gracefully behind Avalugg, its eyes sharp with determination. The grass blade dissipated, and the Gogoat slowly turned around to observe the now incapacitated Avalugg lying in the pit.

"???" 

"Did it just knock out Avalugg in one hit?!"

The boy with glasses stared at the scene, stunned. Despite his usual calm demeanor, he couldn't help but gasp at what had just unfolded.

The girl was equally shocked.

She gazed at Avalugg, which had clearly lost the battle, her mind grappling with the reality of the overwhelming gap in power between herself and Naoki.

The difference felt insurmountable—like the distance between heaven and earth.

Her eyes shifted to Naoki, who simply smiled and asked, "Do you want to continue?"

The girl shuddered, shaking her head vigorously. "No, no way!"

She knew her limits. If they continued, her Pokémon would only suffer more against this formidable Gogoat.

'I'm not a masochist! Why would I want more of that?' she thought.

Naoki looked a bit disappointed, having prepared two more Gogoat for battle. Turning to the two boys, he asked, "What about you? Want to give it a try?"

The boys, still startled by what they had just witnessed, shook their heads in unison. "Forget it! We'll pass for now!"

The Dragonite hovering nearby, the mysterious Pokémon they had never seen before, the flying Pawmo, the roaming Naclstack, and this immensely powerful Gogoat. Everything around them screamed that this was no ordinary ranch.

Naoki, noticing their hesitation, sighed, feeling a bit lost.

'They're too scared by the sheer power of Gogoat,' he thought.

Reflecting for a moment, Naoki decided to use the same motivational speech he'd used to inspire Carter.

"What a pity," Naoki sighed. "You haven't understood the true meaning of the Green Grass Trial."

As expected, the trio's curiosity was piqued.

"What do you mean by that, Mr. Naoki?" the girl asked.

Naoki responded calmly.

"My original purpose in creating the Green Grass Trial was to help trainers test and develop the strength and character of their Pokémon."

"Winning isn't the main goal. The purpose is to gain valuable experience from the battle, to learn how to face powerful opponents, and to cultivate courage."

"One day, when your Pokémon faces a tough opponent, it will remember this moment. It will know it survived a difficult trial, and it will be fearless in the face of any challenge."

"Unyielding spirit and tenacious perseverance are essential to becoming a strong trainer—like the grass that grows wild and resilient, even in harsh conditions."

"Carter learned this, which is why he improved so rapidly. It wasn't about avoiding scars; it was about growing from them."

Naoki paused, his words sinking in. "I don't want you to leave here without learning something valuable from this trial."

His reasoning and heartfelt explanation resonated with the trio.

The girl, reflecting on Naoki's earlier words— 'A true trainer always has the heart of an apprentice'—realized this was no ordinary person speaking.

"Mr. Naoki, you must be an incredible trainer!" she exclaimed.

'Is he a gym leader? Or perhaps a retired Champion?'

Not only was Naoki powerful, but he was also kind and humble, living a quiet life in the countryside yet still taking the time to pass on his wisdom to young trainers.

'He's a man of noble character,' the girl thought.