Naoki walked over to the reef and picked up a shed Dratini skin.
It was still slightly damp, cool, and very smooth, perfectly intact.
He remembered that Dratini shed skin was considered a rare material among humans.
Valuable on its own, it was often used to craft high-end items. And even without being turned into merchandise, the raw shed skin itself fetched a steep price on the market.
A real treasure.
Naoki couldn't help but gather the eight shimmering Dratini skins lying nearby.
Out of curiosity, he activated his ability to examine their item data.
[Dratini Shed Skin] A rare material often used in luxury crafts. Highly valuable. Can also be used in cooking. Dishes prepared with this ingredient gain the special effect: "Dragon's Outer Garment."
Naoki paused.
"Wait. Used in cooking?"
That sounded… a little disturbing.
But after a moment, he thought about it more logically. It wasn't so different from how snake skins were used in medicine back in his previous life.
Likewise, Dratini shed skin could probably be ground or steeped into some kind of tonic.
He let out a breath and nodded to himself.
Yeah… when you think of it like that, it's not so bad.
"'Dragon's Outer Garment,' huh... I wonder what kind of effect that has…"
The little Dratini who were happily feasting nearby suddenly noticed Naoki standing by the reef, gathering up the shed skins they had just left behind.
Several of them blinked their large, watery eyes and tilted their heads.
"Woo?"
What was Naoki doing?
Curious, a few Dratini floated over to him and peeked out from behind the reef, trying to spy on what he was up to.
Naoki chuckled. "I can see you, you know!"
The Dratini blinked and then timidly drifted out from their hiding spots. Their eyes landed on the glistening Dratini shed skin in Naoki's hands, and they let out a few puzzled noises.
"Woo?"
Naoki quickly picked up on what they were asking and explained, "These are actually very valuable! For humans, your shed skin is tough and rare. It's used to make high-end goods, and it sells for quite a lot of money."
Money…
The Dratini didn't know much about the human concept of money. But thanks to the Dragonite who regularly left the island to work delivery jobs, they'd overheard enough to understand that money was something good, something that could be traded for tasty snacks.
Immediately, a shared daydream began to play out in the Dratini's minds.
In it, they exchanged their discarded shed skins for piles of money… and then traded that money for mountains of sweet treats.
The vision grew even more vivid: cakes, pastries, Poké Puffs, and snacks of every kind filled Dragonite Island. The entire island was transformed into a candy-coated dream world—one giant dessert paradise.
"Woo~!"
So happy!
But just as quickly as the fantasy appeared, one of the Dratini remembered something heartbreaking… All the shed skins from their previous molts had just been tossed away.
Their dream snack island… it was ruined before it could even begin!
"Woo… woo…" they whined sadly.
Naoki, now completely understanding what was going on, laughed softly. "Alright, alright. Don't be sad. Just collect the skins next time you molt. And as for your snack island dream? That's nothing! I'll help you build it!"
The moment the Dratini heard this, their eyes sparkled with excitement.
In that instant, Naoki wasn't just a human to them—he was a snack god.
"Woo!" They chirped in unison.
Naoki grinned. "Then I'll take these skins back with me, okay?"
The Dratini nodded without hesitation. They didn't need them anymore anyway, and if Naoki was using them to help… that was more than enough.
"Alright then. I won't bother you any longer. See you tomorrow!"
Naoki waved goodbye, and the Dratini cheerfully waved back with soft cries of farewell.
He hopped on Koraidon and headed back to the ranch, carrying the shed skins in his pack.
But he wasn't planning to immediately turn them into dishes just yet. In their freshly shed state, they weren't exactly kitchen-ready.
So instead, he decided to prep them properly.
Once back at the ranch, Naoki started by preparing lunch for all the Pokémon. Then, he began the preservation process.
Step one: dry the Dratini skins in the oven until fully dehydrated.
Step two: crush the dried skins in a mortar until they turned into a fine, snow-white powder.
When he was done, the powder shimmered faintly, almost translucent in its purity.
Naoki activated his ability and observed the description that appeared:
[Dratini Shedding Powder] A specialty ingredient made from processed Dratini skin. No longer usable for crafting, but perfect for cooking. Dishes made with it gain the special effect: "Dragon's Outer Garment."
Success!
Now, it was time to see what kind of food he could make.
He took some glutinous rice flour from the pantry, used for making chewy rice balls, and mixed in a small portion of the powdered shedding.
He kneaded the mixture into soft dough, then filled each portion with delicious fillings like strawberry jam, sesame paste, and berry cream.
Finally, he rolled the dough into bite-sized balls and placed them in the steamer to cook.
Naoki set an alarm and then flopped down comfortably, flipping through videos on his Rotom Phone.
It was October, which meant it was time for the Lily of the Valley Conference in the Sinnoh region.
Ever since the rise of the digital age, major Pokémon Leagues had started live-streaming their tournaments globally, not just to boost viewership, but also to showcase their top trainers and attract new challengers from all over the world.
The Sinnoh League was no exception.
Unfortunately, due to the twelve-hour time difference between his location and Sinnoh, it was currently nighttime there. That meant no live broadcast for Naoki, he'd have to settle for a replay.
He opened up the most recent highlight reel. Just like in the anime he'd seen growing up, Ash was once again a participant, and among his opponents was that infamous Darkrai-wielding trainer who had once defeated Ash with just a single Legendary Pokémon.
True to form, Darkrai had been sweeping through the competition effortlessly, single-handedly pushing its trainer all the way to the semifinals.
In the match before this, Ash had squared off against Paul and, after a hard-fought battle, finally claimed victory and earned his spot in the next round.
That meant tomorrow would bring the rematch fans never forgot: Ash versus the mysterious Darkrai.
And just like before, Ash would lose.
"Tch… What a shame," Naoki muttered, watching Darkrai knock out its opponent with a single move. "That guy really was a boss battle in disguise."
Still, maybe this was fate.
Maybe it was all these hard-earned setbacks that eventually shaped Ash into the kind of trainer who could later defeat Leon, Galar's undefeated champion, and fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming a Pokémon Master.
As the battle replay continued, showing Darkrai effortlessly eliminating one Pokémon after another, Naoki began to lose interest—he already knew how this part ended, after all.
Just then, his alarm chimed.
He quickly turned off the Rotom Phone and rushed to check on the steamer.
The moment he lifted the lid, a warm, sweet aroma drifted into the air, rising with a cloud of steam.
Inside, nestled in the mist, lay a dozen perfectly round white dumplings, soft and plump, like little clouds fresh out of a dream.
As Naoki leaned closer, a flood of information popped into his mind, triggered by his unique ability.
[Dragon Shedding Dumpling (Grade A)] A dumpling made by combining glutinous rice flour with powdered Dratini skin. Filled with berry jam, sesame paste, and sweet syrup to enhance flavor.
Cooking Effect: Dragon's Coat
When consumed by a Dragon-type Pokémon, grants the effect "Dragon's Coat," which significantly enhances the toughness of skin and scales. Reduces damage from attacks.
Note: Only effective on Dragon-type Pokémon. Each Pokémon can consume this dish only once.
Comment:Perfect for your Dragon-type team!
Naoki's eyes lit up. "Wait... increased toughness and damage resistance?"
His thoughts immediately turned to a well-known Dragonite ability:
[Multiscale] Reduces damage taken when HP is full.
And the dumpling's description it was nearly identical in effect!
"So it's like giving any Dragon-type Pokémon a permanent version of Multiscale?"
"It's amazing".
...
Bonus Chapter @500 $tonks
Do check out my other translation: Yu-Gi-Oh: Fusion Is the Noblest Summoning Method!