Porto Marinada Town, Blue Sea Street.
Dragonite slowly descended in front of a mansion.
Naoki jumped off its back and stepped forward to knock on the door.
In no time, Mrs. Dantes appeared behind the door, smiling warmly.
She adjusted her reading glasses with her hand and said in a gentle tone, "Come on in!"
Naoki nodded, and as they walked toward the living room, Mrs. Dantes said, "Half of the wool you gave me yesterday has already been made into cloth. At this rate, it will take about two more days to finish."
Two days, that is, August 19th, still in time.
Naoki had no objections; under Mrs. Dantes' hospitality, he and Dragonite sat on the sofa.
Dragonite was too large, the sofa was too small, and its tail was quite in the way with no space to place it, causing Dragonite to huddle awkwardly, holding its tail.
Seeing this scene, Mrs. Dantes couldn't help but laugh, "Dragonite is just too adorable. Wait here a moment, I'll go get you some snacks."
"Rawr~"
Dragonite didn't feel awkward at all; instead, it felt very happy.
Naoki politely said, "Thank you, Mrs. Dantes."
"It's just a little thing," Mrs. Dantes said with a smile as she went to the kitchen.
Naoki sat patiently on the sofa, calculating in his mind how much it would cost to custom-make a Pokémon outfit like this.
Soon, Mrs. Dantes came over with a cup of tea and a cup of berry juice.
She placed the steaming cup of tea in front of Naoki, "This is for Naoki."
Then, she placed the cup of berry juice in front of Dragonite, "This one is for Dragonite, and here are some cookies I baked earlier, enjoy!"
"Rawr!"
Dragonite cheered, immediately using its claws to eat the cookies as if this were its own home.
Naoki noticed this scene and couldn't help but ask, "Is Dragonite always like this at your place?"
Mrs. Dantes picked up on his meaning and quickly said, "Dragonite is a very well-behaved Pokémon. Don't blame it; I insisted on giving it to him."
Naoki: "…"
Mrs. Dantes had always lived in this small town with her husband, Riot.
Naoki hadn't heard any news about their children, and he didn't know the details, but looking at this old lady, she truly seemed to like Dragonite.
Oh well, that's just how it is. Later, he'll let Dragonite deliver more pasture products over here.
Naoki sighed and didn't continue on this topic. Instead, he turned to the business at hand.
He handed over the measurements he took that morning to Mrs. Dantes, "Here is Cyclizar's height and waist measurement."
Mrs. Dantes glanced at it and kindly said, "Alright, I understand. I'll make the clothes for Cyclizar based on these measurements."
Naoki: "And what about the price?"
Mrs. Dantes was slightly stunned, then chuckled and shook her head, "No charge, I'm happy to do you this favor."
Naoki: "That's not appropriate. Business is business, we can't keep taking advantage of you."
"It's just a piece of clothing, nothing like taking advantage. Consider it a gift from me to the child." Mrs. Dantes was firm in her stance that if he insisted on paying, she would not make it.
Naoki sighed in resignation, "Alright then, I'll leave it to you."
Only then did Mrs. Dantes' face break into a smile again, "That's more like it! Actually, in detail, it's us who should be thanking you. If it weren't for the goat milk you gave us, Riot wouldn't have recovered so quickly."
Naoki wanted to say that the goat milk was paid for, but he noticed that Mrs. Dantes seemed to be alone, so he asked, "Where is Mr. Riot?"
Mrs. Dantes said, "Him? I heard that some auction stalls have opened in Porto Marinada Market, specifically for selling Trainers' items, so that guy went to join the fun."
Naoki: "…Alright."
He didn't say much more, finished the cup of tea in front of him, and bade goodbye to Mrs. Dantes, riding Dragonite back to the pasture.
He had no choice; since Mrs. Dantes wouldn't accept money, he could only instruct Dragonite to deliver some special products from the pasture to them.
Looking at the crops, rock salt, berries, and fresh milk placed in front of him, Dragonite looked confused.
"Rawr?"
Naoki explained, "Since Mrs. Dantes won't accept our money, we'll use these things to thank her for her help. Similarly, if Mrs. Dantes needs help in the future, and we extend a Helping Hand to her, I believe they will reciprocate in the same way. It's called mutual assistance."
So complicated…
Dragonite didn't understand and felt its head spinning. After struggling for a long time and still not figuring it out, it simply put these complicated thoughts aside, picked up the gift in front of it, and flew towards Porto Marinada Town.
*
Year 198 of the League calendar, August 18th, Autumn.
Early this morning, Naoki was sleeping soundly with Pawmot in his arms, when he was suddenly awakened by a sharp alarm signal.
Naoki opened his eyes, somewhat confused.
The sound continued, seeming to come from not far away at the pasture.
This sound…
It seemed like the fire department's alarm from the town?
Fire department's alarm!
Realizing this, Naoki suddenly woke up.
Not just him, but Koraidon, who had been sleeping by the bedside, also seemed to sense the unusual atmosphere. It walked to the window, looking outside with a solemn expression.