This rain came quickly and left just as fast.
The grass was wet, and the riverside was muddy everywhere. Naoki didn't want to get his shoes dirty, so he lost interest in fishing for a while.
He decided to return to his room and started processing the three fish he had caught, preparing to cook them: one braised, one steamed, and one fried.
In the afternoon, Naoki went to Porto Marinada Town and bought an outdoor camping tent from the department store.
After bringing the tent back, he set it up on a clean lawn with his Pokemon. Although the location wasn't close to the house, it wasn't too secluded either.
Pawmo looked puzzled by Naoki's tent setup.
"Bamo?"
Naoki explained, "That's because, in a few days, I plan to renovate our house. We'll have nowhere to live, so we need to prepare in advance."
Then he began to paint a lovely picture of camping:
"On summer nights, the ranch will be breezy, and we'll lie in the tent, watching the stars in the sky and listening to the cicadas chirping in the mountains. When we're sleepy, we just sleep."
"Bamo..."
Hearing this, all the Pokemon were quickly drawn in, and couldn't help but show anticipation.
As Naoki looked at the tent in front of him, his mind began to wander to another thing.
It was the game Animal Crossing.
In this game, players can also set up a tent on their island, and occasionally small animals will come to camp.
If both parties like each other, the player can invite the small animal to live on the island long-term.
So, the question is, can he invite wild Pokemon to camp like this?
Naoki felt it was doable, but not entirely so.
Because wild Pokemon's habitats are fixed, rarely do Pokemon leave their habitats to travel or live elsewhere, let alone camp in an unfamiliar place.
But... the experiences of Teddiursa and Mew showed him that wild Pokemon also have information networks and relationships.
If, if he puts the word out, would it attract some interested Pokemon?
It's well known that there are many Pokemon in this world, and lots of them have unique personalities and interests.
Perhaps some special Pokemon would be attracted to come camping.
The more Naoki thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.
Or going further, he could open a Pokemon Tavern here, using Berry Juice and MooMoo Milk as drinks.
Then, he'd release the message that at Naoki Ranch, there's a human who can help Pokemon solve their problems. Pokemon in need of assistance could come here for help.
For example, he could ask traveling Teddiursa and Mew for help, asking them to spread the word about the establishment of the Pokemon Tavern as they travel the world.
He could offer them healing services or companionship, guiding their hearts, transitioning from a rancher to a priest, pointing lost Pokemon in the right direction.
The main reason he thought of this was that staying alone on the ranch every day was too boring.
If such a place existed, he could eavesdrop on their little gossip while learning more about Pokemon.
If he met a good-natured, eye-catching furry Pokemon, maybe he could even pet them a bit.
This way, even if he didn't leave the house, he could meet more Pokemon.
Naoki was lost in thought, even when Cyclizar called him, he didn't hear.
It took him a while to come back to his senses and realize Cyclizar was calling him. "What is it, Cyclizar?"
Cyclizar looked at him filled with anticipation, "Gao,"
Not just Cyclizar, several Pokemon nearby showed the same expression.
Naoki glanced at them and then at the tent in front of him, instantly understanding.
This group of Pokemon was captivated by the wonderful image he painted earlier, eager to sleep here tonight!
Naoki grinned, "Of course you can, I'll go get a blanket, and we can all camp here tonight!"
The Pokemon cheered happily, shouting "Long live Naoki!"
Without hesitation, Naoki turned around, fetched a blanket, and rummaged through the storeroom for an old camp lantern to place in front of the tent.
Just then, a clear chirp came from the sky.
Naoki was slightly startled, then looked up.
Soon, he saw a Pokemon that resembled a sparrow with dark blue feathers hovering over the ranch.
It was... Swellow?
Naoki wondered, but then he noticed something clutched in Swellow's talons.
Naoki instantly understood, Teddiursa had sent him something again.
As luck would have it, he had just thought of Teddiursa, and now it was delivering a message.
Naoki smiled and thanked Swellow before reaching out to take what Teddiursa had sent.
It was another crayon drawing, but this time the illustration depicted a basket with snacks and two happy faces beside it.
Seeing this, Naoki knew Teddiursa and Mew had received the food he sent last time.
He breathed a sigh of relief and took a look at the item Teddiursa found, which turned out to be a broken Great Ball, still worthy enough to collect.
With its task done, Swellow turned and prepared to fly away.
Naoki quickly called out, then went inside to fetch some food and a camera he had purchased in town.
This camera was like a Polaroid, one that prints photos as soon as you press the shutter, perfect for Teddiursa.
"These snacks are for you, and I'd like you to take this and deliver it to Teddiursa and Mew," Naoki said.
Swellow tilted its head and after a glance, nodded and grabbed the camera's strap with its beak.
Naoki continued, "And one more thing."
As Swellow was about to fly away, it looked back again.
Naoki bashfully shared his earlier idea of a "Pokemon Tavern" with Swellow.
"...If you find them, could you help me tell Teddiursa and Mew about my plan to open a Pokemon Tavern here? Tell them it will provide treatment services and psychological counseling for Pokemon.
Besides, Pokemon that encounter unsolvable problems are welcome here for fun, camping, anything—I'll welcome them all."
Hearing this, Swellow looked at him in surprise.
It took a few firm looks at the human before finally turning away from the ranch.
Finally, the camera was delivered! Naoki breathed a long sigh of relief in his heart.
*
Three days later, in a dense forest of the Kanto Region.
Since receiving Naoki's last food delivery, for fear of missing anything from Naoki, they stayed longer at each new place they visited.
And now, watching Swellow return with something, Mew and Teddiursa both showed expressions of happiness and anticipation.
"Ima!"
"Miu!"
Soon, Swellow landed in front of them.
Three Pokemon drooled over food in the basket, while Mew and Teddiursa shared the treats generously with Swellow.
Once finishing the goodies, Swellow handed them the camera and conveyed Naoki's message to Teddiursa and Mew.
Teddiursa paused while fiddling with the camera, hanging it around its neck. Upon hearing the news, its disbelief showed, "Ima?"
Mew tilted its head and looked at the Swellow in front of it.
Under their gaze, Swellow gently nodded.
Teddiursa and Mew exchanged looks, feeling both touched and joyful.
Just days ago, they met a Pokemon in need of help.
It was an ancient Ninetales.
Back then, Mew sensed its life force slowly fading, appearing very listless, as if on the brink of death.
Teddiursa really wanted to help, but they didn't know how to assist Ninetales. In the end, they sadly watched as Ninetales went into a deep sleep in the wild.
At that moment... if there had been Naoki, maybe he could have helped that Ninetales!
Whether it was guiding or healing, Naoki could have provided support.
After all, Naoki was an incredible human, kind, smart, and capable of creating wondrous food. There was nothing he couldn't do in this world.
Looking at the camera in its hand, Teddiursa was deeply moved.
"Ima..." (Naoki must have known about the troubles we faced and thought of this solution...)
Mew blinked, agreeing with Teddiursa's words.
It was very happy, "Miu!" (In that case, Naoki will also be a member of our Heroic Expedition Team from now on!)