Chapter 377:
"Celebrating the New Year, welcoming the Spring Festival, on this joyous occasion, let's cheer for the new year...."
"The League reminds you that this year's Eastova Pokémon Contest will be held on January 28th, during the Spring Festival...."
"Have you heard? This year's Pokémon League Conference champion is someone who just graduated from high school...."
...
January 24th.
In the villa's courtyard.
The weather had warmed up a bit. The gentle sun shone down, illuminating the courtyard. Meowscarada lay on the rocking lounge chair Kaede had made for it, facing the sunlight with a look of pure comfort.
Serperior was using Grassy Terrain in the orchard not far away.
Since returning, these past few days, it had been spending even more time in the orchard, using Grassy Terrain every day, as if trying to make up for the days it wasn't in the orchard recently.
This was already the sixth day after the competition ended.
But Kaede still remembered the day he first returned; the town's residents practically wanted to set off firecrackers to cheer for him, celebrating that Aogiri Town had produced a champion!
In the following days, people came from far and wide every day—some asking about opening hours, some about the Sky Challenge, and others, fans or challengers wanting to battle Kaede himself.
In short, Kaede refused all these things!
Fortunately, the New Year was just around the corner.
Kaede couldn't help but think this.
If it weren't for the upcoming New Year, requiring everyone to stay home, he felt such occurrences would definitely be more frequent.
He had been busy these days too.
Preparing various snacks and New Year goods.
Looking now, there were only four days left until the Lunar New Year.
According to the customs here in Eastova, on the first day of the Lunar New Year, all the residents in the town would go around visit and exchange New Year's greetings.
Hmm... there might even be a bunch of mischievous kids.
But he only needed to receive visitors on the first and second days.
On the first day, receive the town's residents; on the second day, visit Uncle Genmu, and that should be about it.
It couldn't be helped; he had no other relatives.
"Dried fruit, drinks, melon seeds, peanuts, Grepa Berry wine.... This one is running out so fast..."
Looking at the storage capsules before him, Kaede felt a headache coming on.
These storage capsules were filled with various "New Year goods."
But regarding this Grepa Berry wine, Kaede didn't know what to say.
He originally thought that with over two hundred barrels of Grepa Berry wine, and Giratina drinking one barrel every three days, it should last until next summer, right?
But...
Recently, the consumption of Grepa Berry wine had increased.
Giratina had gone from one barrel every three days to one every two days, sometimes even one per day.
Plus, on the day he returned from the Pokémon League Conference, Kaede noticed Dragonite seemed a bit chilly, so he took a pot of Grepa Berry wine, added some fruit, and brought it to a boil.
While this reduced the alcohol content a bit, the resulting dish effect had a warming property.
But it was fine if he didn't do this; once he did... the consumption rate expanded.
The three Dragon-type Pokémon, upon smelling the steaming aroma of the mulled wine, all gathered around. They then consumed a quarter of a barrel of Grepa Berry wine, drinking until they passed out.
Now, they wanted mulled fruit wine every day, drinking it and then going to sleep.
The original 250 barrels had now dwindled to 179 barrels....
At this rate, it might not even last until autumn.
"I still need to make wine chocolates..."
Kaede shook his head. "Hopefully, it'll get better after winter passes."
"If not, just make more wine chocolates; those have a slower consumption rate..."
Without overthinking it, Kaede picked up the prepared storage capsules and headed towards the plantation's reservoir.
He suddenly felt like some sort of believer, having to make offerings to his deity at regular intervals?
So what could the deity he believed in bring him?
Kaede walked while thinking.
By the time he reached the reservoir, he had reached a conclusion.
Aside from some Reverse World dishes, it brought nothing. And even the Reverse World dishes didn't seem very useful now.
"High-level bodyguard? High-level enforcer?"
Kaede tried to find excuses for himself.
Sending it Grepa Berry wine every day, if he ever needed its help, it probably wouldn't refuse, right?
Even in the worst case, it surely wouldn't just watch him get beaten up right.
Familiar with the routine, he arrived at the reservoir and tapped the water surface twice as usual. Soon, a mirror-like surface, as if refracting light, appeared.
Kaede jumped in without hesitation.
The inverted water flow, the bubbles floating in the air, reflecting the real world—no matter how many times he visited the Reverse World, Kaede always found it magical.
Looking up, Giratina was hovering in the air in its Origin Forme. Its drifting black wings looked quite intimidating just to behold.
"Good morning, Giratina." Kaede greeted it.
(....)
Giratina didn't speak.
Kaede didn't mind, familiarly sitting on a high platform. He took out the prepared wine chocolates from a storage capsule and waved to Giratina. "Come here, come here."
Giratina hesitated for a moment but flew down. Just its head coming near Kaede was already larger than his entire body.
Kaede placed the wine-filled chocolates in the air, handed the storage capsule to it, and finally brought out that barrel of Grepa Berry wine.
But seeing how the wine chocolate, bigger than his own head, was still like a tiny candy bean in front of Giratina, an idea sparked in Kaede's mind.
"Hey, Giratina?"
Giratina turned its head questioningly towards him.
"Do you want to get a bit smaller? If you're smaller, it might taste better~" Kaede explained while taking out the size shifting Energy Cubes.
Every time he came in and saw this God of Reverse, Kaede always found it a bit scary.
If it could be a little smaller, it would probably be much better.
(Smaller?)
"Yes... Eh? Wait, can you make yourself smaller?" Kaede suddenly realized.
Giratina is a Legendary Pokémon. Some Legendaries have the ability to change size.
Giratina shook its head slightly.
"Then let's give it a try."
Hearing this, Kaede's interest surged, and he directly offered the Energy Cube to its mouth.
Giratina hesitated briefly but quickly ate it.
Soon, a strange light flickered in its eyes.
This power could actually allow it to change its own size.
Its body, originally tens of meters long rapidly shrank accordingly. After it finished shrinking, the wine chocolate that had looked very small before now seemed only slightly smaller than its mouth.
Seeing this, a rare expression of delight appeared on Giratina's face.
It had always felt these candies were too small. Every time it put one in its mouth, it couldn't even taste it properly before it was gone.
It really wanted to ask Kaede if the food next time could be bigger?
But when it came down to it, the words wouldn't come out...
It couldn't be helped; its personality was a bit solitary, and it didn't like talking.
But at this size, swallowing one whole was super satisfying!
Feeling the sweet but not cloying, smooth texture in its mouth, Giratina couldn't help but nod repeatedly.
[Congratulations, Host. You have increased Giratina's Happiness Value from 30 to 50. Reward: Master Grade Rare Candy x1, Master Grade Golden Fertilizer x3 bags, Reverse World Fruit x1.]
"Great, so how about you use this form from now on?"
Kaede's eyes lit up, as if remembering something, and he began persuading it.
(Can it last long?)
"Of course, it can last a long time." Kaede said confidently.
The Size Shifting Energy Cubes had a permanent version.
As long as Giratina stayed smaller, the rate at which he needed to provide Grepa Berry wine should slow down.
(Good!)
Giratina nodded, then gestured with its hand, and a spatial rift appeared.
Kaede twitched his mouth. "Don't just shoo me away right after eating! Let's chat a bit, huh?"
After saying that, he looked at Giratina expectantly.
(Speak.)
Giratina retracted the portal and nodded.
"Well, usually, could I ask for your help with some things? If I need to travel sometimes, could you take me through the Reverse World?" Kaede rubbed his hands together, the anticipation in his eyes growing stronger.
Outside, although Dragonite was fast, it was still just flying. If the distance was far, it would still take considerable time.
For cross-regional travel, even Dragonite would need several hours.
For example, going to the Alola region would take Dragonite half a day.
That distance, even if he switched to Latias, would probably take a good while.
But if Giratina was willing to take him through the Reverse World, it would be much faster.
(Acceptable.)
Hearing this, Giratina actually felt relieved.
It thought this human, who was willing to bring it food and wine every day, would make some difficult request.
It had even been considering whether to agree if the request was to cause trouble for the Temporal-Spatial Duo...
Would it be bad not to agree?
But if it agreed...
Hmm? Wouldn't that give it a reason?
It was a complex train of thought.
But in reality, when a dragon was alone for too long, aside from sleeping, it tended to daydream.
Especially for it, staying in the Reverse World all day. During the long years, sleep took up over 70% of its time. The remaining time was spent wandering around the Reverse World, here and there, checking where "miasma" had been generated due to the real world.
Then it would go to the real world to catch the culprit.
But usually, it couldn't catch them.
Because the only beings that could damage the Reverse World through the real world were those two guys.
But recently, it was different. Lately, because it was waiting for wine, it hadn't developed the habit of sleeping for long periods. Instead, it had to wait here every cycle.
Actually, it also wanted to tell Kaede that the amount of wine delivered each time was too little, not nearly enough for it to drink properly.
It just couldn't bring itself to say it....
Watching Kaede's departing figure, Giratina picked up the barrel of Grepa Berry wine and directly "glug, glug, glug" downed it in one go.
After finishing it, it felt frustrated.
It seemed it had drunk a bit too fast.
Then it looked at the remaining storage capsule, which contained the wine chocolates.
Thinking to itself, *This time, I must hold out until the next time this human brings wine!*
*I'll use these wine chocolates!*
....
After emerging from the Reverse World, Kaede didn't think much about it. Instead, he was called to the front door by sister Indeedee because someone was visiting.
"Hello?"
Looking at the visitor, Kaede was somewhat surprised.
It was someone he didn't know.
Quite elderly, probably in his fifties or sixties, but his spirit was good, and his steps were still steady.
Judging by the white lab coat he wore, he was likely a doctor or researcher?
But there was someone with him whom Kaede recognized.
It was that girl with sky-blue hair, Mona. She followed behind, this time looking at Kaede cautiously.
There was still some embarrassment in her eyes.
Connecting this to the research institute being built at the town entrance, Kaede quickly realized this was probably the owner of that institute.
"Hello, young man."
"Hello, hello."
Although unsure of the other's purpose, Kaede still spoke politely.
The old man first introduced himself. "I am Dr. Lake, from the newly built research institute at the entrance of Aogiri Town. The League has commissioned me to cultivate suitable Pokémon for children of the appropriate age here in Aogiri City from now on."
"Cultivate suitable Pokémon for children of the appropriate age?" Kaede was surprised.
Unlike other Leagues, the Eastova League didn't yet have a corresponding policy to provide starter Pokémon to children of the right age.
"Yes, it's a policy the League should announce after the festival."
"Every child gets one?" Kaede was greatly astonished.
The number of children suitable for journeying each year in the Eastova League was huge.
"No, for now, only children of certain specific public servants will have this privilege. Then, if a certain amount of tax is paid annually for a certain number of years, they can also choose a Pokémon from me.
Regarding Pokémon selection, we will choose those with gentle temperaments and good future potential." Dr. Liang shook his head.
"Oh, I see. So, you are here for...?"
Kaede understood.
Specific public servants—that seemed quite normal.
And paying a certain amount of tax to get a "starter" Pokémon from the League sounded good too.
Because in the Pokémon world, earning money wasn't extremely difficult. With a bit of effort, one could live a leisurely and comfortable life.
Adding an extra tax amount each year to choose a Pokémon cultivated by a League Professor for their child was much more reassuring than buying one outside.
Moreover, this could stimulate economic development.
Especially for some smaller regions.
However, this gave Kaede a strange sense of déjà vu.
A police station, a research institute, Aogiri Town—all the pieces were here. With this setup, would it become the new Pallet Town in the future?
And with more and more children, would those young kids become the driving force taking Aogiri Town out into the wider world in the future?
"Young man, you are truly young and promising. So young, yet not only an excellent Breeder but also this year's Pokémon League Conference champion." Dr. Lake first praised him.
Then he continued, "It's like this. Aside from cultivating novice Pokémon for the League, I am also a researcher specializing in larger-sized Pokémon. I saw the Pidgeot you raised in short videos, so I wanted to ask, could I take a look at that Pidgeot?"