Legendary Pokemon

"Friendship fruit?" Naoki murmured, looking at the pile of ordinary-looking fruits before him with a hint of confusion.

He stood there in a daze until sister Indeedee noticed something seemed off and came out to check on him. Her voice snapped him back to reality.

'Fruits that could elevate the quality of cooking… that was incredible! This wasn't something that could occur naturally. It had to be the heartfelt gratitude of the Minccino and the other Pokémon. Their emotions had somehow infused these fruits, transforming them in a magical way.'

'This was truly… unexpected.'

Naoki found himself at a loss for words. He had helped those Pokémon without ever expecting anything in return, and yet now he held something so valuable. It was a pleasant and surprising gift.

If used wisely, these berries could greatly enhance the ranch and benefit some of the Pokémon in his care.

He thought back to the leaf cake he'd made last month during winter with the leaf of the World Tree. The cake had been rated as S-. If he added one of these friendship fruits, could it push the cake's rating up to an S grade?

After all, it was well-known that when a dish's quality improved, its effects became significantly stronger. An enhanced leaf cake could potentially boost the rate at which the King of Bountiful Harvests and the Gogoats cultivated the World Tree!

Excitement surged within him as he carefully carried the friendship fruits into the living room.

Indeedee noticed the pile of fruits in his arms and looked at him with curiosity.

"Ai-ye" 'Naoki, what are those?'

Naoki chuckled. "Minccino brought these over. They're gifts from the Pokémon in the forest."

He recalled Minccino's eager expression and imagined the group of forest Pokémon gathering the finest fruits for him the night before. He noticed that these fruits were larger and more vibrant than usual—clearly, each one had been carefully chosen by the Pokémon to show their gratitude.

Naoki silently thanked those wonderful Pokémon.

After breakfast, he eagerly went to the World Tree, plucked a leaf, took one of the friendship fruits, and headed to Alcremie's cream workshop.

An hour later, the oven chimed, signaling that the leaf cake was ready.

Naoki slipped on heatproof gloves, carefully removed the warm cake from the oven, spread a smooth layer of cream on top, and added pieces of fruit as decoration.

Once the finishing touches were complete, he leaned in to inspect the details of the leaf cake.

[Leaf Cake (Enhanced Version) (S)]: A cake crafted with leaves from the World Tree, eggs, Moomoo Milk, and other ingredients. If you listen closely, you can feel the breath of nature within it.

Effect of the Dish: Breath of Nature

1. Permanently increases the power of Grass-type moves by 25%. Effective only for Grass-type Pokémon; effects cannot be stacked.

2. When consumed by Grass-type Pokémon, it attunes them to the rhythm of nature, allowing them to harness grass energy to cultivate crops. Crop growth time can be moderately reduced. This effect is exclusive to Grass-type Pokémon and cannot be stacked.

Additional Effect: Lord of the World Tree – You have been recognized by the World Tree. As the caretaker of the Gogoat that nurtures the World Tree, you are granted access to all areas within the World Tree. This effect applies only to Naoki.

Comment: Feel the pulse of nature! Perhaps as the World Tree matures, dishes made with its leaves will yield even greater effects.

"Just as I thought—the rating upgraded from S- to S!" Naoki thought, his face lighting up with joy.

"The power boost to Grass-type moves is increased by an additional 5%, making it a full 25%—equivalent to a quarter of the increase provided by holding a Miracle Seed!" Naoki mused, wide-eyed. "If the effects of the leaf cake and Miracle Seed can stack, the strength of Gogoat will be even greater."

Naoki couldn't help but imagine the impact. With such enhanced power, even a simple Grass Field would become overwhelmingly potent, and the force of Gogoat's Leaf Blade move would likely be too much for most Pokémon to endure.

But as exciting as this was, Naoki's main concern lay with the improvements to crop cultivation. "The effect has gone from a small boost to a medium boost," he realized with relief. "This means the growth rate of the World Tree will accelerate even more, and it may not take the full four years to reach its full height!"

The thought filled him with joy, his grin stretching from ear to ear.

Taking the enhanced leaf cake, Naoki divided it into five portions and fed them to his three Gogoats, Dolliv, and Calyrex, ensuring each received a taste of the dish.

In the glass greenhouse, Naoki watched Calyrex enjoy its dessert among the blooming flowers, mulling over the possibilities for the Friendship Fruits. 

"A special fruit platter that could improve move effectiveness? Maybe adding Friendship Fruit would further increase the chance for Pokémon to learn rare moves," he pondered.

"Or perhaps a 'Lucky Pudding' to boost fortune?" he mused. "Or… even 'Translator Seeds,' maybe to help lengthen word translations?" He chuckled at the idea, his mind racing with possibilities.

What left him most regretful, though, was that he couldn't make "Storm Buns" or "Lightning Buns" just yet. If he could incorporate the Friendship Fruit into those recipes, the resulting dishes might reach an entirely new level of effectiveness.

"No," he decided, "these fruits would be perfect for brewing." He recalled the previous batch of fruit wine he had made, which helped increase resistance to poison and paralysis.

"One Friendship Berry for a single barrel of berry wine, then each Pokémon on the ranch gets a glass, giving them permanent resistance to poison and paralysis."

'It was perfect!' Naoki couldn't help but feel proud of his idea.

Meanwhile, Calyrex, the King of Bountiful Harvests, picked up a piece of leaf cake, savoring it with graceful bites. Noticing Naoki's joyful expression, Calyrex spoke softly:

"Naoki, I can feel that more beings believe in me."

Naoki looked up, a bit surprised, and asked, "Do you not like that?"

Calyrex shook his head, his expression thoughtful. "It's not that I don't like it. It's… it's more a feeling of sentimentality," he said slowly. "I was once a forgotten king. After that, I thought I would no longer be affected by humans' actions. But now, seeing admiration and gratitude from both humans and Pokémon—it brings me joy."

"That's only natural," Naoki replied. "In fact, I believe that, for us humans, you're a Pokémon unlike any other legendary Pokémon."

"Oh?" Calyrex looked over with mild curiosity, then seemed to reflect for a moment. "Legendary Pokémon? Are there classifications now?"

Naoki nodded. "Yes. Take Zacian and Zamazenta, for example. They're also legendary Pokémon," he explained. "Pokémon that have ancient legends surrounding them, have existed in the world for centuries, and possess immense power are often called legendary."

Calyrex listened thoughtfully.

Naoki continued, "The reason I say you're different from other legendary Pokémon is because of your connection with humans."

Calyrex's gaze softened as he listened, curiosity glimmering in his eyes.

"Most legendary Pokémon rarely appear before humans," Naoki said. "They're powerful, proud, and sometimes distant. Maybe it is for this reason that they disdain to communicate with humans"

Hearing this, Calyrex nodded in understanding. "I see what you mean. I once ruled over Galar, living among the humans who revered me as their king. I answered their prayers and blessed their lands to make them fertile."

"Yes, exactly!" Naoki replied with a nod. "Take Giratina, for instance. It's another legendary Pokémon. Giratina resides in the Distortion World, maintaining the balance between that realm and ours."

Calyrex tilted his head, intrigued. "It sounds like you know quite a lot about legendary Pokémon," he said thoughtfully. "You even knew of my legend and built a statue and a shrine for me. Was that to honor me?"

So, Calyrex thought, had Naoki believed in his existence all along?

Naoki felt a twinge of guilt. Could he really tell Calyrex that he was initially more interested in catching Spectrier and Glastrier, Calyrex's loyal steeds? Deciding against it, he smoothly shifted the conversation.

"Would you like to hear about other legendary Pokémon?" Naoki offered.

Calyrex, sipping the tea that the Polteageist poured for him, gave an elegant nod. "Yes."

With a smile, Naoki launched into his story. "This world was created by a Pokémon called Arceus, often regarded as the god of all Pokémon."

Calyrex's eyes widened in astonishment. "The world we live in… was created?"

Naoki nodded. "According to legend, Arceus, the Creator Pokémon, brought the world into existence."

In awe, Calyrex murmured, "So, could we Pokémon also have been created by him?"

"Not exactly." Worried Calyrex might misunderstand, Naoki quickly clarified, "Humans and Pokémon weren't directly created by Arceus. Life here came into being gradually, naturally emerging from the world itself."

"I see," Calyrex mused, comprehension dawning. "The god of creation. What kind of power must it take to bring an entire world into existence? If I had the chance, I'd love to meet this Arceus—to see what a god truly looks like."

Naoki hesitated, then shrugged with a slight grin. "Well… he might look something like an alpaca."

"An alpaca?" Calyrex asked, puzzled. "Is that a type of Pokémon?"

Realizing his mistake—alpacas didn't exist in this world—Naoki laughed. "It's kind of like your loyal steeds, Spectrier and Glastrier. Arceus has four legs, is covered in white fur, and radiates an aura of power and grace."

As he spoke, Naoki recalled a funny picture he'd once seen.

In that picture Arceus, the mighty Creator of the Pokémon world, replacing Spectrier and Glastrier, with the King of Bountiful Harvests riding it. He glanced at Calyrex, wondering if it would ever entertain such a rebellious thought.

Meanwhile, Calyrex mused that if Arceus, the world's Creator, truly resembled his loyal steeds, it might change his view of Spectrier and Glastrier forever. The thought was almost too strange to bear.

But Calyrex suddenly noticed that Naoki's description of Arceus was remarkably detailed as if he had seen the God of Creation himself.

"Have you… actually seen the Creator?" Calyrex asked, intrigued.

Naoki hesitated. "Uh… not exactly. Its legend is widely known in the Sinnoh region, which is said to be the birthplace of its worship."

"Ah, I see!" Calyrex nodded, accepting the explanation.

Naoki continued, "In addition to Arceus, humans have revered many other Pokémon as gods. There's Groudon, the God of the Earth; Kyogre, the God of the Sea; Dialga, the God of Time; and Palkia, the God of Space." He listed them one by one.

After hearing this, Calyrex's eyes widened with awe. "I had no idea the world was so vast, with so much I've yet to learn."

Naoki smiled. "There's a lot out there, that's for sure."

Reflecting on his own journey, Naoki thought about how, if he hadn't traveled from another world, he might have felt just as amazed as Calyrex hearing about these legendary Pokémon for the first time.

And why had he ended up here in the first place? Perhaps it was simply to meet and befriend this remarkable group of Pokémon.

With that thought, Naoki bade farewell to Calyrex. He stepped out of the glass greenhouse, only to be greeted by Cyclizar and Koraidon waiting on the grass just outside the door. 

These two Pokémon really had a knack for being in sync about certain things!

Perhaps, Naoki mused, he'd come to this world just to meet Pokémon like Cyclizar and Koraidon.

With a smile, he reached out and patted their heads, saying, "Alright, let's head home. I have some new, delicious dishes to create!"

"Gah~"

"Raao~" 

Cyclizar and Koraidon chimed in happily, following Naoki as he made his way back.

Once home, Naoki walked straight to the kitchen, checking the refrigerator to see if he had the ingredients to experiment with new recipes. The back mountain restoration was complete, and now he could focus on ranch matters. Spring was here, which meant it was time to prepare the farmland.

Although raising livestock was the ranch's main source of profit, cultivating crops was equally essential. The vegetables and fruits grown here, many of which had special effects due to slight mutations, were valuable for both the ranch and the Pokémon.

With that in mind, Naoki decided which dish he'd enhance with the friendship berries: the Green Grass Cake.

When a Grass-type Pokémon eats this cake, it channels Grass-type energy into crop cultivation, and there's a small chance the crops will mutate. The results could be remarkable, like enormous pumpkins or bioluminescent pineapples.

"If I use the friendship berries, I might even elevate the Green Grass Cake to an A+ level," Naoki thought, smiling. "That should boost the chances of crop mutations."

However, he couldn't help but feel a bit wistful.

"Too bad the friendship berries can't be used repeatedly," he sighed. "If they could, I'd raise the cake to an S-level, where the effects would be drastically better."

Just then, Naoki remembered the black truffles he'd found in the back mountain last year. They didn't have any effects on their own, but they enhanced the potency of dishes remarkably.

"What if I use friendship berries and black truffles together for the Green Grass Cake?" he pondered. "Maybe their effects would stack."

Curious, Naoki wondered if the back mountain's instant transformation under Calyrex's power had encouraged any more black truffles to grow.

"I could take a walk back there and ask Minccino for help. They know the area well and could help me track down any truffles."

If the Minccino had already eaten too many berries, Naoki chuckled, he might consider raising a few Lechonk on the ranch. Their strong sense of smell would make them perfect for truffle hunting.

...

Alright, folks, time to pelt me with those stones—just don't aim for my head, okay? 🥴

A/N: If you're interested, you can read up to chapter 316 @ patreon.com/Keepsmiling818