Although often overlooked by trainers in modern eras, who are far more interested in powerful or cute pokemon such as Dondozo or Clodsire, Nacli was once the Paldea region's most valuable trade good. Humans have long valued salt, both for nutrition and food preservation, and Nacli represented perhaps its most mobile source. Its square base made this pokemon easily stacked within caravans, while its enormous final form promised a far greater source of sodium; until the invention of pokeballs, compactness was an important consideration, especially for those engaging in trade.
Nacli were, in some sense, always understood to be pokemon – after all, nothing else undergoes evolution within a single lifetime. But they were not always treated as such, and were more often exchanged for currency or commodities than for other pokemon. It is noteworthy, however, that human association with Nacli goes back nearly to the beginning of pokemon domestication; it may even have been the first domestic rock type, depending on how one views the evidence around the development of Rockruff. Nacli trainers were some of the first farmers to raise a pokemon directly for evolution – for while one Nacli could supply a single household, a Garganacl could produce an entire saltworks, and allowed their trainers (who numbered among the world's first aristocrats) to charge others for the privilege of using their salt.
Nacli are can thrive in a great variety of environments, and today go for prices closer to Magikarp than to gold; one can fairly say that the Nacli trade has run its course. Yet their presence in restaurant kitchens and meatpacking plants continues a very old tradition, and speaks to their continued importance the world over. And back in Nacli's homeland, travelers and locals both continue to savor the salty flavor of Paldean cuisine!