Pokemon: A New Path

Chapter 211: Super Fruit Platter



August 12, Year 198 of the Alliance Calendar, Autumn

After more than eight months of growth and development, everything on the ranch had gradually stabilized.

With the arrival of many new Pokémon, the workload around the ranch had been greatly reduced. Naoki no longer had to do everything himself like he had in the beginning.

The Indeedee siblings kept the house and ranch in perfect order. Aside from taking care of Naoki's daily needs, their favorite place to hang out was the Pokémon Tavern.

On the farmland, the Diglett handled the plowing, and Dragonite took care of the watering. Naoki didn't even need to pick crops by hand anymore.

Thanks to the psychic abilities of the Indeedee siblings, they could use their telekinesis to gather the ripe crops, neatly stacking them in the pasture.

With everything running so smoothly, Naoki's daily life became much easier. His routine now involved playing with Pokémon or sitting in the garden, sipping tea, and reading. Life was, in a word, comfortable.

That afternoon, a new batch of fruit ripened in the orchard.

Since all the fruit from the trees at home had already been eaten, Naoki grabbed a basket and headed out to pick some more.

As he walked through the orchard, surrounded by the sweet fragrance of ripening fruit, Naoki couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. No matter how many times he saw it, the sight of heavily laden branches always amazed him.

The fruit trees were astonishingly fast growers.

Just seven days after the first batch had been picked, the next batch was already ripe.

"No wonder fruits are so cheap here..." Naoki muttered to himself, remembering how a single fruit in the market only cost around 20 Poke Dollars.

The fruit trees in the wild must be like this too, he thought. With such an abundance of berries and fruit, the wild Pokémon living in the mountains and forests must be well-fed.

"Huh? More golden and silver berries?"

Suddenly, Naoki noticed a golden Cranberry hanging from one of the trees.

And not just that-on a nearby tree, he spotted a whole bunch of golden Banana Berries. Naoki was delighted and surprised.

The last time he had picked fruit, he had also encountered a few rare golden and silver varieties, which were not easy to find.

From the looks of it, the odds of coming across rare fruits were pretty high! Definitely higher than the chance of mutant crops showing up in the field.

Naoki stepped forward and carefully picked the rare berries. Holding the gleaming fruit in his hands, a new idea popped into his mind.

'A fruit platter!'

Based on his observations over the past few months, he had noticed that when the quality and rarity of ingredients were higher, the effects of the dishes made from them would improve as well.

The last few times he had picked these golden fruits, there weren't enough to do much with, and the silver wing incident had taken up most of his attention. So, he hadn't thought about it much.

But now it seemed like the perfect opportunity to experiment.

"What if I use these rare fruits to make a fruit platter?" Naoki wondered. "Will the effects of the dish change if I use these special varieties?"

Naoki got to work right away. He returned to the kitchen with a basket full of fruits on his back.

Brother Indeedee who was tidying up the house, noticed and looked a bit puzzled.

'Why are you cooking again at this time?' Indeedee wondered.

If he remembered correctly, Naoki had already eaten several sandwiches and a big bowl of porridge earlier that morning!

Sensing Indeedee's curious gaze, Naoki glanced up and saw the confusion on Indeedee's face. He quickly explained, "I just thought of a new dish... well, not entirely new. It's more of an improved version of something."

Hearing this, Indeedee immediately understood.

He nodded without asking any more questions, but he couldn't help being curious about what Naoki was making.

So, while he continued cleaning the house diligently, he kept sneaking little glances over at the kitchen area.

Naoki, completely unaware of Indeedeer's subtle curiosity, focused on his work.

He carefully picked out all the golden and silver fruits from the basket, rinsed them under clean water, then sliced them into different-sized pieces and arranged them neatly on a white porcelain plate.

And just like that, a simple yet stunning fruit platter was ready.

The fruit pieces on the plate shimmered with golden and silver hues, looking absolutely

precious.

Naoki gazed at the platter.

In the next instant, information about his improved fruit platter appeared in his mind.

[Super Fruit Platter (A-): This delicacy is made from a variety of fruits. It combines different flavors and is highly favored by some Pokémon.

Cooking effect: Skill refinement (large). After consuming, one of the Pokémon's moves will randomly change. With an increased chance of learning rare moves and there's also a chance it might forget a move it already knows

Evaluation: Basic cooking, easy to make, and a great option for both home and travel.]

"Wow, it really changed!" Naoki's eyes widened in surprise.

He quickly whipped up a regular version of the berry platter and compared the two side by side.

"The dish level jumped from a lower C- to A-, and the skill refinement effect is much stronger too," he observed.

Reading the final note, Naoki murmured to himself, "The chance of learning rare moves has increased? Does that mean the Pokémon's move pool has expanded, and now they might learn even more powerful moves?"

"Too bad it's still random," Naoki sighed. That part made him feel a bit disappointed. The dish didn't offer any guaranteed results, making it a bit of a gamble.

At that moment Sister Indeedee came happily trotting into the house.

She spotted Naoki in the kitchen right away, and her eyes lit up with excitement. "Ai-e?"

Seeing her enthusiasm, Naoki smiled and explained, "This is a fruit platter."

As he spoke, he noticed that Brother Indeedee, who was nearby, was also glancing curiously in

their direction.

"Ai Ai?" Sister Indeedee peered at the golden fruit neatly arranged on the white porcelain

plate.

'It looked so appealing! Can I try it?'

Sister indeedee gave Naoki an expectant look.

But this put Naoki in a bit of a dilemma.

He thought for a moment and then carefully explained, "This isn't just regular food. When a Pokémon eats it, there's a 50% chance it'll learn a new move. But there's also a 50% chance it

might forget a move it already knows."

"Ai Ai?" Sister Indeedee tilted her head, clearly confused.

Naoki chuckled, "Does that scare you?"

Sister indeedee quickly shook her head, "Ai Yi!" 'No way!'

She looked down at the fruit platter, her eyes filled with curiosity.

"Aiya!" She was determined to try it!

Naoki wasn't surprised by Sister Indeedee's adventurous spirit. Even though she was younger,

she had always been lively and outgoing, with a love for adventure.

However, her brother wasn't so pleased with her decision. His disapproving look said it all.

"Ai Ai..." (You don't even know that many moves. What if you forget something important and become confused.)

Sister indeedee puffed out her cheeks and put her hands on her hips. "Ai Ai!" (You're the one

who's confused!)

Naoki blinked, confused for a moment.

'Why were they suddenly arguing?'

He motioned for them to calm down and said with a smile, "Don't worry, it's not like you'll

forget the move forever. It's just temporary. If you practice hard again, you'll remember it

soon."

Naoki continued, "For example, Butterfree ate this and learned the Electric-type move, Electroweb. Cyclizar ate it and picked up Dragon Tail. Dragonite even learned Extreme Speed

after eating it."

"But later on, Dragonite got greedy and wanted to learn more moves, so it ate more of the fruit platter. The result? Not only did it fail to learn any new moves, it forgot the Dragon Tail

it had worked so hard to master. It was so upset, it almost cried!" Naoki chuckled as he shared this tale of Dragonite's "dark history."

These were things the brother and sister had never heard of before. Their attention was immediately drawn in. From Naoki's vivid description and their own experiences with Dragonite, they could almost picture what Dragonite must have looked like at that time-frustrated and determined.

"Ai Ai?" 'What happened next?' Sister Indeedee couldn't help but ask.

Naoki smiled and continued, "Well, after that, Dragonite trained day and night. After a week

of hard work, he finally remembered Dragon Tail. But he hasn't dared to touch the fruit platter since, because he's afraid he might forget his other moves."

"In that case, do you still want to try it?" Naoki asked, looking at Sister Indeedee with a

playful grin.

Sister Indeedee paused thoughtfully for a moment, and then her eyes lit up with excitement.

"Ai ah!" 'Yes!'

It sounded like such an exciting experience, and she wanted to try it herself! Seeing her enthusiasm, Brother Indeedee sighed, knowing there was no stopping her.

But since Naoki had assured them that it wouldn't cause any harm, he decided there was no

need to worry too much. Still, a part of him was curious- 'Would sister Indeedee learn a new move, or forget one she already knew?'

"Just don't cry if you forget a move!" Naoki teased with a smile.

"Ai ah!" 'I won't!' Sister Indeedee immediately protested, puffing out her cheeks in defiance. She was a reliable

and caring butler now, no longer a child who cried over little things!

"Alright, let's give it a try then!" Naoki said, nodding encouragingly.

He had carefully recorded the moves the two sibling butlers had already mastered. Brother Indeedee's moves were: Stored Power, Skill Swap, Helping Hand, Psychic, and Calm

Mind.

Sister Indeedee's moves were: Stored Power, Psychic, Helping Hand, and Metronome.

Naoki recalled these moves as he watched Sister Indeedee enjoy the Super Fruit Platter.

One bite, two bites, three bites...

When Sister Indeedee had finished the entire platter, a soft, magical wave suddenly rippled

through her small frame.

Naoki's heart raced, his eyes immediately drawn to the shimmering energy surrounding her. "Did you learn a new move?" he asked, excitement building in his voice.

Sister Indeedee focused for a moment, then nodded eagerly, her eyes sparkling. "Ai ah!"

'Yes!'

Naoki's face lit up with joy. 'Wow, how lucky!' She had learned a new move on her very first

try!

"What move is it?" Naoki asked curiously.

"Ai Ai..." 'I'm not quite sure,' she admitted, looking a little unsure. But after a moment's hesitation, she decided to demonstrate.

A soft, pinkish glow suddenly radiated from her body.

Naoki noticed a faint crescent moon glowing behind sister Indeedee. He could sense

something extra in the air, a magical energy lingering around her. However, instead of dissipating, the energy hovered in the air, as if it was waiting for a target.

As this mysterious power was released, Indeedee suddenly looked exhausted, as though she

had lost all her strength. It was a sight similar to a Pokémon that had been knocked out of a

battle.

Naoki blinked in surprise. "What kind of move is this?" he thought aloud. A crescent moon,

the user losing energy. Suddenly, an incredible name popped into his mind: 'Lunar Dance! Lunar Dance is the exclusive move of the Legendary Pokémon, Cresselia. The user loses the ability to fight, but in return, it heals all the Pokémon on its team and cures any status

ailments.

'Could Sister Imdeedee have just performed that rare, magical skill?'

Naoki was astonished

The magical energy that had been hovering around gradually returned to Sister Indeedee,

restoring her vitality. She quickly regained her energy, looking refreshed, as though she had never been weak in the first place.

Her brother, who had been watching in concern, let out a relieved sigh. Both siblings then looked toward Naoki, waiting for an explanation.

"I believe what you just performed was Lunar Dance," Naoki explained.

"Ai eh?" Sister Indeedee blinked, confused. 'Lunar Dance?'

Naoki chuckled at her confusion and continued, "Lunar Dance is an incredibly rare move. After

using it, the Pokémon sacrifices all its energy and loses its ability to battle. However, it completely restores the health and removes any status conditions of your team members. This move is unique to the Legendary Pokémon, Cresselia."

'Cresselia...' Sister Indeedee didn't fully understand, but she knew enough to recognize the significance of learning a Legendary Pokémon's exclusive move. Her eyes sparkled with pride.

She turned to her brother with a beaming smile, her expression saying: "Ai Ai?" (Aren't I

amazing?)

Her brother sighed but smiled softly, "Ai Ai..."

Full of excitement, sister Indeedee looked at Naoki with anticipation. She wanted to try the

move again!Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Naoki hesitated. "Honestly, I don't recommend using it again, at least not for now. Lunar Dance is a Legendary move, and it's rare for a Pokémon to be able to relearn it if they forget it.

Since you don't know too many moves yet, I thought it wouldn't be a big deal if you forgot

one or two basic ones. But now, with Lunar Dance, that changes."

"Ai ah..." Sister Indeedee expression turned hesitant.

After a brief moment of reflection, she decided against eating more of the fruit platter,

realizing that it wasn't worth risking forgetting such a rare move. Naoki smiled and nodded approvingly. He wasn't going to force her decision.

As he glanced at the remaining fruit platter, an idea crossed his mind. "If only Baby Bear were

here."

Baby Bear only knew simple physical attack moves like Scratch and Quick Attack. Since

physical moves can be easily relearned through muscle memory, it would have been the perfect candidate for experimenting with this fruit platter.

Plus, with Baby Bear's inherent luck, there was a chance it could comprehend some truly rare

and powerful moves through this super fruit platter.

"Too bad Baby Bear's not around anymore," Naoki sighed wistfully. Then, deep in thought,

he mused aloud, "Maybe for future Pokémon, I can give them a piece of Lucky Pudding before the fruit platter to enhance their luck. That might increase the chance of learning rare moves."