Pokemon: A New Path

Chapter 165: Diglett House



The next day, after breakfast, Naoki called Diglett and prepared to open up a new piece of land in the southeast corner of the ranch to plant sunflowers.

After enjoying the sandwich Naoki had given it, Diglett felt energized, determination

gleaming in its small eyes. Once Naoki outlined the area that needed cultivation, Diglett got to work.

With a swift motion, Diglett tucked its head into the soil and began burrowing at an astonishing speed.

Naoki was fascinated by Diglett's natural ability to plow the land. He didn't move, choosing instead to stay on the lawn, watching with interest.

As Diglett worked, little mounds of earth began popping up across the flat ground, forming neat ridges like those in a well-tended field.

The soil softened, turning into the perfect bed for planting.

Minutes turned into nearly forty, and soon the entire plot had been tilled.

Diglett, tired but triumphant, emerged from the ground, panting lightly. An excited expression lit up its small face.

'Done! How about that? Pretty impressive, right?'

It looked up at Naoki with hopeful eyes.

Naoki chuckled, smiling at the little Pokémon's eagerness. "Thank you for your hard work, Diglett. Here, have some Berries. Eat one first, and I'll take care of the rest!"

Diglett eagerly accepted the berry, scurrying off to the side to nibble on it while keeping an eye on Naoki.

Planting sunflowers was different from planting wheat. Each sunflower needed space to spread its roots and absorb nutrients from the soil to grow strong and healthy.

Having farmed for a while, Naoki had gained some experience. He carefully measured the distance between each ridge with his eyes, then dug into the soft earth with his hands to plant each sunflower seed.

He repeated the process until the entire field was planted. By the time he finished, it was already half-past ten in the morning.

The sun had risen higher, and the air was growing warmer.

In this kind of heat, the crops in the field could dry up quickly if they didn't get enough water.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Naoki called Dragonite over and asked it to summon rain to nourish the newly planted sunflower seeds.

Dragonite used Rain Dance.

Soon, a gentle drizzle began to fall over the field.

Diglett, watching from the side, was completely stunned.

It glanced up at the sky, then down at the field, its small furry face full of confusion.

'It's raining? But why is it only raining there?'

Naoki, noticing Diglett's bewilderment, walked over to its side and patted its head. "That's Dragonite's Rain Dance. It's a Water-type move that makes it rain."

"Squeak," Diglett squeaked, nodding slowly, still processing what it had seen.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Diglett chirped excitedly at Naoki and dashed off.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Naoki raised an eyebrow, curious, and followed the little Pokémon.

Before long, Diglett led him to a nearby field where golden wheat swayed gently in the breeze.

Naoki had plans to keep the wheat for making malt and brewing beer, using hops and other ingredients to perfect his recipe.

As he followed Diglett to the wheat field, the little Pokémon scurried to the side and stopped. Naoki then noticed a small hole in the grass.

Diglett crawled into the hole but poked its head out: "Squeak!"

Curious, Naoki raised an eyebrow. He went back to the house, grabbed a handful of seeds, and started snacking. "Say that again."

Diglett, puzzled repeated:

"Squeak, squeak, squeak!" (You can... call me... from here... I'll hear... and come out!)

Naoki paused, understanding now. Diglett was letting him know that if he ever needed help, he could simply call from the hole, and it would hear and emerge from underground.

"I see," Naoki nodded, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Squeak~" Diglett chirped twice more before retreating fully into the hole.

Naoki knew the heat was too much for Diglett. If it stayed outside for too long, its body would weaken from the sun.

"You should go back and rest," Naoki called after it, his tone gentle.

Afterward, he headed to the utility room. There, he found some wooden boards, nails, and a hammer. With them, he crafted a small sign. Using a pen, he carefully wrote "Diglett's Home" on it. Once finished, he proudly placed the sign next to the hole.

Satisfied with his work, Naoki dusted off his hands and surveyed the scene.

The fieldwork for the day was nearly complete, and the heat had become unbearable. Deciding it was time for a break, Naoki headed back inside. There was no point in staying under the sweltering sun when the cool, inviting air conditioning and TV were waiting for him inside.

Pokémon like Dragonite, Koraidon, and Cyclizar thrive in the heat, unbothered by the rising temperatures. Even on the hottest of days, they ran around on the grass outside, chasing and playing with each other, unaffected by the scorching sun.

The Gogoat and Dolliv, however, stayed within their fenced enclosure, which had a rain shelter to protect them. For now, they didn't feel the heat too much. In fact, the ample sunlight was perfect for the grass-type Pokémon, aiding their photosynthesis and helping

them grow stronger.

Meanwhile, Alcremie followed the five Naclstack to a cool underground cave, escaping the oppressive heat. Of course, it didn't forget to bring Glaceon along.

Thus, Naoki found himself alone inside the house.

He was comfortably lounging, eating slices of fresh watermelon while enjoying the cool air conditioning. Leaning back in his chair, he watched a Pokémon movie on TV, feeling relaxed

and content.

But his peaceful moment didn't last long.

Dragonite came running in from outside, whining softly and holding a wilted watermelon rind in its claws, looking at Naoki with big, sorrowful eyes.

At first, Naoki was confused, but when he saw the rotten watermelon rind, he couldn't help but let out a small sigh.

"I thought something serious had happened. That watermelon rind was bound to break

eventually."

Dragonite widened its eyes: "Awooo!" (But it was special!)

Naoki smiled, reclining further in his chair. "Don't worry, I'll order a plastic watermelon

helmet for you online later."

But then, reality hit him-there was no online shopping in this world. He rubbed his forehead, realizing his mistake. "Actually... I'll take you to the toy store in town this evening.

Maybe we'll find a watermelon helmet there."

Dragonite perked up, satisfied with the solution: "Awoo~"

Seeing its cheerful face, Naoki added thoughtfully, "But I'm not sure if a plastic helmet will

work the same way as the real watermelon rind."

After all, the original "helmet" was an actual watermelon rind, not a prop shaped like one. There was a big difference between the two.

"Awoo?" Dragonite looked confused, staring down at the rotten rind in its paw and then back

at Naoki. After a brief moment of thought, it let out a resigned "Awoo." (Never mind.)

It didn't really need the helmet anyway-it lived peacefully on the ranch and didn't need to

fight often.

"Really don't want it anymore?" Naoki raised an eyebrow.

Dragonite nodded, explaining its reasoning with a series of soft whimpers.

"Alright," Naoki said, thinking about the large crop field outside, filled with yet-to-be-

harvested plants. Among them, there could be some mutated crops capable of enhancing his

Pokémon's strength.

He casually added, "Maybe I'll find another way to help you become stronger soon."

He said it offhandedly, just to comfort Dragonite, but little did he know that the very next

morning, mutated crops would indeed appear in the fields.

...

Do not forget to drop some power stones!

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