Pokemon: A New Path

Naoki followed the Dugtrio into the salt house, descending a set of underground stairs until they reached the cavern where the Naclstack group resided.

Drip… drip…

The cave was eerily silent, save for the faint sound of water droplets echoing in the still air. The Naclstack were scattered across the ground, playing peacefully among themselves.

Under the Dugtrio's' guidance, Naoki was led to a particular section of the rock wall. He immediately noticed an area of the wall that seemed out of place—its color sharply contrasted with the rest of the stone.

"Squeak, squeak!" The Dugtrio chittered, pointing excitedly at the unusual rock.

Naoki leaned in for a closer look, noting the jagged marks where something had been gnawing at the stone. Intrigued, he turned to the Dugtrio. "Can you dig this stone out for me?"

The Dugtrio chirped in agreement and swiftly dove into the soil, leaving small mounds in their wake. Within moments, they tunneled around the rock, loosening it from its surrounding material.

With a heavy thud, the stone fell to the ground.

"Huh…" Naoki crouched to inspect it more closely. The texture and color seemed oddly familiar. He couldn't quite place it at first, but then a thought struck him.

"It looks like… could this be an Everstone?"

To confirm his suspicion, Naoki hurried back to the living room and retrieved an Everstone that Teddiursa had gifted him. Returning to the cavern, he compared the two stones. His heart skipped a beat when he realized his guess was correct.

This was a raw, unpolished vein of Everstone.

Looking closer, Naoki noticed the gnaw marks on the surface and felt a wild theory forming in his mind. 'Could it be… were the Naclstack nibbling on this stone?'

He gathered the Naclstack group and pointed to the large Everstone. "Did you eat this?" he asked.

The Naclstack surrounded the stone, examining it curiously before nodding enthusiastically. "Stack~!"

Naoki's jaw dropped. "You did? Why would you…?"

Through Calyrex's telepathic translation, Naoki learned the full story. One of the Naclstack had stumbled upon the Everstone and, out of curiosity, chipped off a small piece to taste it. Finding it bland and unpleasant, it decided to play a trick on the others, claiming it was delicious.

Naturally, the other Naclstack were intrigued. One by one, they took bites of the Everstone, only to realize they'd been tricked. This led to a playful but chaotic chase around the cavern, with the mischievous Naclstack being "punished" by its peers. Eventually, they all grew tired and fell asleep, leaving the Everstone largely untouched.

As Calyrex translated this, Naoki could only hold his forehead in exasperation. "So that's why none of you evolved into Garganacl yet…"

He straightened up and crossed his arms, putting on a mock-serious expression. "Alright then, who was the first to discover this stone?"

The Naclstack froze, their earlier playfulness replaced by sheepish guilt. Heads drooped, and they avoided Naoki's gaze like children caught in the act.

Finally, the troublemaker Naclstack timidly stepped forward and squeaked, "Stack…" admitting its guilt.

Naoki leaned down and gently poked the little Naclstack's head. "You little rascal."

The Naclstack looked away, its tiny eyes darting nervously as if searching for an escape.

Naoki sighed, his stern facade melting into a soft smile. "Alright, alright. I'm not actually mad. It's not a big deal."

The Naclstack froze for a moment, then suddenly lit up with excitement.

However, Naoki's next words quickly extinguished their joy and filled them with alarm.

"If you keep eating this stone, you won't be able to evolve into Garganacl."

"Stack?!" the Naclstack exclaimed in shock.

Naoki turned and addressed the group, explaining with a serious tone, "This is an Everstone. Its special property prevents Pokémon from evolving. If a Pokémon holds or ingests it, further evolution becomes impossible."

Typically, Everstone deposits like this one would be mined, refined, and polished into small, portable stones. These would then be distributed to Pokémon Centers and stores, available for trainers or Pokémon who needed them for specific purposes.

The Naclstack began to panic. They had been looking forward to evolving into Garganacl to better protect Naoki and their dear friend, Alcremie. They'd even made a pact with Naoki: once they evolved, they'd let him ride on their backs as they carried him across the grassy fields.

But now… did this mean they'd never evolve?

The Naclstack huddled together nervously, their gazes shifting between the offending Everstone and Naoki. One of them, trembling slightly, finally stepped forward and squeaked, "Stack?"

Naoki understood their concern. It was asking if there was still a chance they could evolve.

Naoki thought hard. As Rock-type Pokémon, the Naclstack had unique physiologies that allowed them to consume and digest minerals and stones, breaking them down into energy and nutrients for their bodies. However, the Everstone might be an exception due to its unique properties.

Looking at the Naclstack's anxious faces, Naoki felt unsure. The Everstone might not be digestible at all, which would explain why the Naclstack hadn't evolved yet. But this was a blind spot in his knowledge, and he didn't want to make any assumptions.

"Let's go to the Pokémon Center and have you all checked out," Naoki said decisively.

He returned to the house to retrieve their Poké Balls, ensuring they were ready for transport. After informing Kelly and leaving the ranch in the capable hands of Indeedee, he called for Cyclizar and rode swiftly to Kosaji Town.

The Pokémon Center was quiet when Naoki arrived, with only a few trainers lingering from the previous night. Behind the counter, Nurse Joy was taking a rare moment of relaxation.

She perked up upon seeing Naoki. "Oh, Mr. Naoki! What brings you here today? Are the Pokémon at the ranch feeling unwell again?"

Naoki nodded and explained the situation. "My Naclstack accidentally ate Everstones, and it seems to be preventing them from evolving. I'd like to have them examined."

Nurse Joy's expression became serious. "Understood. Let's head to the examination room."

In the room, Naoki released each Naclstack one by one. Using an X-ray-like machine, Nurse Joy began the scans. On the screen, a small, undigested shadow appeared in the first Naclstack's body.

"That's definitely the Everstone," Nurse Joy confirmed. "Its unique properties make it indigestible, even for Rock-type Pokémon. Some trainers even intentionally have their Pokémon swallow Everstones to prevent unwanted evolutions during battles."

She sighed, clearly disapproving. "But I've seen several cases where the Pokémon ended up with stomachaches. We always had to induce vomiting to remove the stones."

Naoki's face twitched. "That's… incredibly irresponsible."

Nurse Joy continued the scans for the remaining Naclstack, finding Everstones of various sizes in each of them. She turned to Naoki with a gentle but firm tone. "In this case, inducing vomiting is the only solution."

Hearing this, the Naclstack perked up, realizing that the stones could be removed. Their earlier panic faded, replaced with visible relief and even a hint of excitement.

Naoki sighed, exasperated but amused. "No more eating random things, understood?"

"Stack!" The Naclstack nodded in unison, their voices earnest.

Naoki felt a weight lift off his shoulders. Turning to Nurse Joy, he said, "I'll leave them in your care, Miss Joy."

Nurse Joy gave a gentle smile. "It's the duty of every Joy to care for Pokémon. Don't worry, Mr. Naoki. Please wait outside for a moment."

Nodding, Naoki turned to the Naclstack. "Listen to Nurse Joy, alright?"

The Naclstack responded with a cheerful "Stack!" as Naoki left the room, accompanied by his Cyclizar, to wait in the Pokémon Center's lobby.

A short while later, Nurse Joy emerged from the treatment room with five pale but noticeably relieved Naclstack following her. Her assistant Pokémon carried a tray holding the removed Everstones.

"All done," Nurse Joy said with a reassuring smile.

Naoki paid the consultation fee and retrieved the Poké Balls, calling the Naclstack back to rest. "Thank you for your help, Miss Joy," he said sincerely.

Nurse Joy handed him the Everstones, now wrapped neatly in tissue. "These might still be useful. Everstones are worth about 3,000 Pokédollars each in the market."

Naoki accepted the bundle, thinking he might frame them later as a lighthearted reminder of the Naclstack's "dark history." With a polite goodbye, he hopped on Cyclizar and rode back to the ranch.

As they returned, Alcremie rushed out to meet them, circling the Naclstack and inspecting them with evident concern. It moved from one to another, carefully checking for any signs of harm.

Only after confirming they were all intact did Alcremie visibly relax. Placing its tiny hands on its hips, it puffed out its chest with pride.

"What's this?" Naoki teased with a grin. "Worried they might've been bullied?"

"Alcremie!"

Alcremie responded, its tone confident as it declared it would protect the Naclstack from all harm. After all, just the other day, it had used its Metronome to perform an incredibly powerful move!

Naoki chuckled at Alcremie's endearing bravado, and the Naclstack seemed to share in the cheer, their spirits lifted.

Then, suddenly, a brilliant white light enveloped the Naclstack. Naoki froze, wide-eyed as the Pokémon began to glow, their forms shifting and growing within the radiant light.

The Naclstack were evolving.

Their bodies stretched and expanded. They stood upright, their forms growing tall and imposing. As the light faded, what stood before Naoki were five towering Garganacls—majestic, sturdy, and exuding an aura of strength and protection.

Their clean, glistening bodies emitted a faint, pleasant salty aroma, and the golden sunlight streaming down made them appear almost divine.

Naoki snapped out of his astonishment, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Congratulations," he said, his voice filled with pride. It seemed the Naclstack had met all the conditions needed for evolution.

"Garganacl!"

The Garganacl rumbled joyfully, their deep, resonant voices akin to the sound of rocks colliding. Their happiness was palpable.

One of the Garganacl stepped forward, its massive frame moving with deliberate strength. It crouched slightly, extending its arms in an unmistakable invitation for Naoki to climb aboard.

Naoki hesitated, a rare flush of embarrassment creeping onto his face. 

After their evolution, the towering Garganacl stood proudly, their new height of over two and a half meters making them truly imposing. However, for Naoki, who was six feet tall, riding on one still felt a bit embarrassing despite their size.

The Garganacl, on the other hand, didn't think twice. When Naoki hesitated to climb on, one of them scratched its head in confusion before reaching out with a massive hand, picking Naoki up like a child and gently placing him on its shoulder.

Naoki: "…"

"Garganacl~!"

The Garganacl let out a deep, delighted rumble.

The other Pokémon quickly gathered around, intrigued by the sight. Naoki turned his head just in time to see Alcremie perched confidently atop another Garganacl, striking a commanding pose like the captain of a grand ship.

"Mree!" Alcremie waved its tiny arms, brimming with determination.

To everyone's surprise, a purple, blade-like light began to form at Alcremie's fingertips. It shimmered ominously before slicing through the air with an intense force. The sheer power distorted the space around it, leaving faint ripples.

"Boom!"

The energy blade struck the ground, leaving a sizeable crater in its wake.

"Mree!" Alcremie froze, panicked by its own power.

Naoki: "…" 'That's not how you use Sacred Sword!'

He scanned the area and was relieved to see Farfetch'd still immersed in its training with the wooden dummies. 'Good,' he thought. 'If it saw that, I'd never hear the end of it.'

After a while, Naoki managed to dismount, but the other Garganacl quickly surrounded him, each eager for their turn to carry him.

Naoki: "…"

Resigned, he took turns riding each one until all five were satisfied. Only then did they let him go.

"Alright, everyone! Go have fun! I still have things to take care of," Naoki said, waving them off.

The Garganacl rumbled happily before lumbering off, standing guard like sentinels over the ranch.

By midday, Kelly and her team had nearly finished installing the heating pipes throughout the house. Naoki returned inside to find her working on the final task: renovating the kitchen.

She had modified a cabinet, turning it into a functional stove that connected seamlessly to the heating system. "All done!" Kelly declared, brushing off her hands with a satisfied smile.

Naoki inspected the work carefully. The network of pipes ran efficiently throughout the house, connecting the living room, kitchen, bedrooms, and even the second-floor rooms. The setup looked just like the one from the animated show The Cozy Slugma House.

"Are you happy with it?" Kelly asked.

Naoki nodded. "It's perfect. Now the Slugma can explore the house without any trouble."

"I also left the original stove intact," Kelly added, pointing to it. "It's lined with a heat-conducting material that allows you to cook directly with the Slugma's heat. Just position them below, and you're all set."

Naoki raised a concern. "What about summer? Won't the heat make the house unbearable?"

Kelly grinned. "The pipes are insulated to prevent heat from escaping. In summer, you can simply close the vents, keeping the house cool."

"Great! That's a relief." Naoki thanked her and paid the agreed fee before seeing Kelly and her team off.

Back inside, the Slugma wasted no time exploring its new home. It crawled through the pipes, its magma-like body glowing warmly and lighting up the vents throughout the house. Wherever it went, warmth and light followed, creating a cozy atmosphere.

Naoki watched with amusement as it made its way to the second floor, and eventually returned to its usual spot by the fireplace.

When it reached the kitchen, Naoki crouched and tapped the stove. "Hey, over here!"

"Goooo?" The Slugma turned, crawling over slowly.

Naoki fed it two berries with a fond smile. "Eat up! This is your home now. Take it easy and enjoy!"

The Slugma chirped contentedly as it chewed the berries. Suddenly, a soft "bang bang" sound emanated from its body, followed by a puff of white smoke escaping through the house's chimney.

Outside, Pawmot saw the smoke and immediately understood that the Slugma was happy. Excited, it dashed inside, carrying a small stash of fruits and shiny trinkets.

"Pawmot!" Pawmo offered its treasures to the Slugma, which accepted them graciously and began eating slowly.

The sight of the two Pokémon bonding warmed Naoki's heart. With a satisfied smile, he thought to himself, Now, this truly feels like a warm Slugma home.

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Bonus Chapter

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You can read up to chapter 366 @patreon.com/Keepsmiling818