Not Being a Trainer This Time

Chapter 695 - 367: Eevee’s Evolution Goal! Pokeblock for Snorlax, Born!

The year was 199 in the League calendar, early May, and the weather was sunny.

The summer heat was accompanied by a gentle breeze sweeping over the bursting-with-life farmlands.

The ranch ushered in the harvest season, with the fragrance of Berries bathing in the scent of fresh grass.

In the morning, Naoki donned his straw hat, picked up the scissors, and headed out to help the Wooloo shear their wool.

It had been slightly over half a month since their arrival, and the Wooloo’s wool had grown at an astonishingly fast rate, now forming a thick layer.

Coupled with the sweltering weather, this group of Wooloo appeared to be worn out and lethargic.

Naoki opened the gate to the Wooloo pen and set about shearing the thick, dense fleece from each Wooloo.

Initially, Naoki’s skills were quite raw, prompting him to specifically seek advice from the neighboring Rancher who raises Wooloo Pokémon.

After dedicated practice, he finally mastered the technique of wool shearing.

First, prepare the specially-made electric clipper in advance.

Then position the Wooloo in a sitting posture, starting from the heel of the foreleg, continuing along the thigh to the belly, and then all the way down to the back heel.

After trimming the belly, move upwards from the lower back, shearing the Wooloo’s neck.

With that, a complete fleece of Wooloo wool is trimmed.

Naoki remembers the elderly Rancher next door telling him that the more complete the sheared wool, the more valuable it is; if it breaks midway, it won’t fetch a good price.

Therefore, throughout the process, full concentration is essential to avoid breaking the wool.

Though seemingly simple, the shearing work is actually quite intricate and demanding.

After fully concentrating on shearing the wool of eight Wooloo, Naoki felt as if his waist was about to break from exhaustion.

He glanced at the time; the entire process had already lasted nearly two hours.

A few more Wooloo, and he feared he might really ascend to heaven.

However, upon finishing the shearing and seeing the refreshed Wooloo in front of him, Naoki felt genuinely happy.

With the thick wool shorn off, the Wooloo felt lighter and cooler, rejuvenating their spirits.

"All done with the shearing, go ahead and have fun!" Naoki said with a smile.

The eight Wooloo lined up, marching in perfect unison up the hill like a squadron of Falinks.

This is a characteristic of Wooloo Pokémon.

They often move in groups, mimicking the behavior of their owner or the leader of the group.

The green pasture was teeming with life.

The lush grass, blooming wildflowers, Wooloo in the wooden pen, butterflies drawn by the scent of flowers...

Watching this scene, Naoki softly uttered, "What a beautiful picture!"

He smiled, then gathered the wool on the ground and headed back.

In the big cities of the Paldea Region, handmade wool products like these are quite expensive, fetching a good price in the market.

Unfortunately, Naoki didn’t have the skills to make handmade wool carpets and scarves, so he could only sell the shorn wool.

Though the price didn’t match those handmade items, it’s still a significant source of income for the ranch.

Putting the wool in the warehouse, Naoki returned to the living room to rest, have a drink, and then proceed with other tasks.

As soon as he entered the house, a few Pokémon dashed towards him.

Naoki patted each of their heads, then moved to one corner of the living room, opened the fridge, and took out a bottle of chilled soda, gulping it down.

As Naoki settled onto the sofa, the little Eevee skillfully jumped onto his shoulder, snuggling affectionately.

Naoki was utterly charmed, promptly holding Eevee’s front paws and playing with it.

In one corner of the living room, the Glaceon hid behind a wall, only revealing half of its face to observe stealthily.

Previously, when there was no other Pokémon of its kind, it didn’t mind; but now, with another Eevee suddenly appearing on the ranch, Glaceon sensed a different atmosphere.

So Naoki treated Eevee like that!

But why hasn’t he treated it the same way? It had never received such treatment...

Glaceon, too, wished Naoki would play with it the same way, but it felt it had already grown into a mature Eevee, and doing such things would be too embarrassing.

Naoki didn’t notice Glaceon in the corner.

Usually, his Pokémon would venture to various places to play, leaving traces even in some nooks and crannies.

For instance, the dim basement, under the bed on the second floor, behind the TV, and the roof of the house.

Thus, even if one suddenly disappeared, Naoki was used to it, unless they hadn’t returned by mealtime.

Naoki retrieved the "Eevee Encyclopedia" he previously bought from the bookstore, a book documenting various types of Eevee.

Its author, named Eevee Fan, is an enthusiast of Eevee.

Holding Eevee in his arms, Naoki opened the book and looked at its contents together with it.

"Look, what kind of Eevee would you like to become in the future?" Naoki asked.

Eevee seemed puzzled: "Eevee?"

After a moment of thought, Naoki explained, "Consider it a way to pick your direction of growth early! Once you choose, I’ll help you advance toward that goal. Or do you want to remain as you are without evolving?"