"Revival Grass Technique?!"
Naoki was stunned by the effect.
In the entire Pokémon world, there were only a handful of entities capable of restoring a dying Pokémon's full strength: Arceus, Ho-Oh, and Xerneas among them.
Even Calyrex "Life Dew" could only restore a Pokémon to a certain point, and that move had strict cooldowns and limitations. Yet now, in front of him, was a plate full of handmade green dumplings that had the potential to do the impossible, through food.
If his Gogoats ate these Revival Grass Dumplings, their natural abilities could evolve beyond just combat power. Their utility and support capabilities would reach an entirely new level.
Once they triggered Grassy Terrain, the nature-charged moves they unleashed, now fused with the resurrective power of the grass, could potentially create large-scale healing effects… maybe even mass resurrection during battle.
"Hoo…"
Naoki took a sharp breath.
This would completely redefine how challengers handled the Green Grass Trail.
In the past, trainers like Leon might have countered his Gogoats with raw power, taking advantage of type matchups with something like Charizard's brutal Fire-type offense.
But now? Even if a Gogoat were to fall to a critical hit, it could instantly recover, so long as Grassy Terrain remained active.
Unless two challengers coordinated perfectly, one to clear the terrain and the other to land a knockout blow, there would be no way to bring them down.
"Basically invincible," Naoki muttered, half in awe.
There were, of course, limits. The food's effect only activated in Grass-type Pokémon whose energy control surpassed the Champion-tier threshold.
Among all the Pokémon at his ranch, only Calyrex and his three Gogoats met that requirement.
Naoki walked over to the sun-dappled hillside, where the Gogoats were lazily lounging in the warm afternoon light. With a small basket in hand, he knelt beside them and took out one shiny green dumpling.
"Want a snack?" he asked with a grin.
One of the Gogoats perked up immediately and stepped over to sniff. The scent was layered, earthy grass, fruity sweetness, and a subtle honeyed warmth.
Its eyes sparkled.
With a delighted bleat, it curled its tongue and popped the dumpling into its mouth, then began chewing happily, its tail flicking with pleasure.
Naoki raised a brow. "So, how is it?"
"Meaaa~!"
The answer was obvious: better than the original Grassy Dumplings.
Naoki chuckled and nodded decisively. "Alright. From now on, I'm switching your feed. We're upgrading to Revival Grass Dumplings!"
Of course, revival seeds couldn't be purchased. These had been brought back from another world. He'd have to continue cultivating them himself—tedious work, but worth it if it made his Pokémon this happy.
Naoki emptied the whole basket into the Gogoats' feeding trough and watched as the trio crowded around, munching away joyfully.
He smiled.
This… might just be their peak form.
He also set aside several dumplings for his other Grass-types, like Calyrex and Ogerpon. Even if they weren't in need of revival, the enhanced healing properties of the food would be invaluable in supporting their teammates in future battles.
The only regret?
The dumplings had no effect on non-Grass-type Pokémon.
"Too bad," Naoki muttered, glancing toward the World Tree where Chansey was humming her lullaby in the infirmary.
If only they worked for other types, her healing skills would've reached another level.
Still, he reminded himself, you can't have everything.
Later, Naoki found Iono relaxing in the garden and joined her.
The garden sat nestled at the heart of the flower field, with a clear-roofed greenhouse to shield against wind and rain. A dainty iron table and chairs stood beneath, surrounded by a sea of color—roses, hydrangeas, poppies, and balloon flowers blooming in every direction.
On sunny days like this, Calyrex would lounge here with a Polteageist and a Sinistea, sipping afternoon tea as the sweet scent of blossoms wafted through the air.
Iono sat comfortably in a garden chair, admiring the sea of flowers swaying gently in the breeze, while Naoki poured himself a cup of tea and began sharing his latest plans.
"The seeds Mew and Teddiursa brought back from their expedition turns out they're really special," Naoki said, lifting his cup. "When I planted them in the Reverse World, they grew into some very interesting fruit."
He glanced at her with a smile. "Some of them can cure nearsightedness, and a few even restore vision to blind people and Pokémon."
Iono's eyes widened in astonishment. "What?!"
She straightened up in her seat. "You mean… there's actually fruit that can do that? So I won't ever have to worry about eye strain or blurry vision again while binge-watching dramas?"
"It's true," Naoki chuckled. "That's why I'm thinking of stocking them in our shop here on the ranch. This way, people or Pokémon, who need them can stop by and get some."
"I want to help!" Iono said eagerly, her eyes sparkling.
Naoki raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"I have an idea!" she said, already excited. "We could promote these fruits on the livestream. With that kind of exposure, tons of people would come to buy them!"
Naoki blinked for a moment.
"So basically, livestreaming with merchandise?" he mused aloud.
It was a clever idea, and not at all far-fetched. During his time as acting Gym Leader at the Gym, Naoki had gained a huge following thanks to his battles with legendary Pokémon like Zapdos and Jirachi. Showcasing something useful like this through a stream could be incredibly effective.
Realizing it was a perfect plan, Naoki gave a nod. "Alright, let's do it."
"No better time than now!" Iono grinned. "We're free anyway, let's go live right now!"
"Okay," Naoki said with a chuckle. "I'll go harvest some of the fruit."
Iono stayed behind to prepare the livestream setup, while Naoki popped into the Reverse World. On one of the lush floating islands near Giratina's domain, he picked a handful of True Sight Berries, Awakening Fruit, and other rare items.
When he returned, Iono was already streaming, cheerfully greeting the viewers gathered in her chat room.
"Hey everyone, good morning! It's been a while, Iono is back with a brand-new stream!"
Comments instantly began flooding the screen.
[Who's this host again?]
[Where's Naoki?! Bring on the Zapdos battles!]
[Forget that, where's your husband?]
[I want to see Jirachi go nuclear again!]
Iono's face twitched. "Hey! That's harsh! I've only been gone for two months, okay?"
Laughter rolled through the chat feed like a wave.
Just then, Naoki walked into view with a small basket in hand.
"There he is! Come here!" Iono called out, waving him over with a big smile.
Naoki took a seat beside her, calmly placing the basket in front of the camera. He leaned into the frame just as Rotom's camera adjusted focus.
Opposite them, Calyrex sat beneath a trellis, sipping tea in peaceful silence. Thankfully, the camera was only set to front view, so he don't have to worry about being exposed.
As soon as Naoki appeared on the screen, the livestream chat exploded with excitement.
[Ahhh, the Gym Leader is finally here! Are we getting a battle today?!]
[Can you please tell us what your final two Pokémon are? I'm dying to know!]
[I've never fought a Legendary Pokémon before. I'm on my way to Paldea right now! I'll report back when I get there!]
Naoki chuckled as he read the scrolling messages. "Thanks so much for the support," he said warmly, "but the gym is closed today for a short holiday, so I won't be accepting any challengers. Please hold off on signing up for now."
As the chat began to settle, viewers finally noticed the serene background behind the couple.
...
Bonus Chapter
Stones PLZzzz