After temporarily resolving the Serperior–Moltres feud, Lucas and Serperior arrived at the pasture and found two Skiddo grazing.
The Sawsbuck were nowhere to be seen—probably off learning Grassy Terrain from Comfey and Eldegoss, so they could help with pasture grass and lighten the load.
Even though Lucas didn't mind them eating for free, they wanted to contribute.
Spotting Lucas, the two Skiddo perked up, trotting over to nuzzle his leg affectionately.
Serperior was unfazed. If it got jealous every time someone was close to Lucas, it'd die of envy.
The Skiddo shot wary glances at Serperior. Even if it wouldn't attack, their instincts warned them to keep their distance—Serperior was the top predator.
With Vine Whip, Serperior deftly set Lucas's tools down and moved aside, giving them space.
Serperior knew its presence made the Skiddo uneasy, which could affect their milk quality. As a compromise, it kept its distance for now.
Compared to the outgoing Nacli, these Skiddo were shy.
"Good, looks like you've settled in well. You know why I brought these tools, right?" Lucas asked gently, patting their heads.
"Baa~" the Skiddo nodded—they knew he wanted to milk them.
They were adults now, and had experience from the last ranch.
"Alright, I'll start."
Seeing no resistance, Lucas knelt and attached the milking tool. Thanks to some practice, he was less clumsy than before.
With careful technique, sweet, slightly earthy milk soon filled the bucket. At first, Lucas was awkward, but grew more skilled as he went on.
After a while, he'd collected just under half a bucket—about 5kg, surprisingly little, but that would improve as the Skiddo matured.
5kg wasn't enough even for the farm's own Pokémon, let alone for sale. That could wait until production increased.
"Baa baa~"
Afterwards, the Skiddo bounced energetically, clearly relieved.
Lucas knew why—if the udders got too full, it could cause discomfort or even pain. No wonder they were happy now.
That's probably one reason Skiddo and Miltank have long lived alongside humans.
After feeding them some nutritious grass, Lucas and Serperior put away the equipment and the milk, then poked Serperior to go reinforce Moltres's house.
Serperior wanted to stall, but Lucas's nagging left it no choice but to crawl up to the roof.
Sending Serperior off, Lucas stretched.
He'd be going out tomorrow, so tonight he'd make something tasty—using the fresh milk to help the Skiddo bond with the others.
Time passed in these daily routines, and soon it was the next day.
…
April 8th, Monday Morning.
Oranguru woke Lucas on time. Wanting to sleep in, he was forced up by Oranguru's fan.
He did not want to experience being mind-controlled through his morning routine again—that was just too embarrassing.
After washing up, Lucas found Mimikyu still asleep, so he pulled up its blanket rather than waking it.
Serperior had already gone to the fields. As Lucas expected, Moltres didn't care—Serperior's olive branch was welcome, and Moltres preferred a peaceful life.
Serperior, seeing Moltres hadn't made trouble, decided not to push things either.
Luxray, upon hearing the two had reconciled, breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness—it wouldn't have to resort to electrotherapy.
Just as Luxray felt relieved, Serperior and Moltres both shivered, sensing something strange.
After finishing up, Lucas ran to Thunder Lake to find Dragonite. Zapapico Town was far from Los Platos, and Dragonite was the fastest way to travel.
He arrived to see two Dragonite sparring with Dragon Claw—their attacks could easily cut steel, but the Dragonite could only produce sparks on the other's scales.
The other Dragonite was its mother, the chief, who had finally adjusted to farm life.
Except for that imaginary person by her side, she'd almost fully recovered.
Now, she could spar with Dragonite, though Dragonite was clearly holding back.
Even if struck, Dragonite's Multiscale ability could block most attacks.
Lucas recalled that Lugia also had Multiscale, and both Pokémon were tied to the sea—maybe there was a connection?
"Drago~!"
Sensing Lucas's arrival, Dragonite blocked the attack, turned, and cried out happily.
Time to go out!
It loved feeling needed. After whispering to the chief and the Dragonair, it flew over and hugged Lucas.
"Drago Drago"
Making cute noises, Dragonite was surrounded by pink bubbles—hugs were its way of expressing love.
After absorbing enough trainer energy, Dragonite looked around, puzzled that Ceruledge wasn't there.
Didn't Ceruledge want to come?
Luxray had said Lucas had met Ceruledge (then a Charcadet) in Zapapico Town, and received the Malicious Armor there.
Seeing Dragonite's confusion, Lucas held up a Poké Ball and smiled. "It's inside, so we're just waiting for you to set off."
Dragonite tilted its head and pointed at Lucas's back: "Drago?"
No luggage?
"We're just going for the day—should be back tonight unless something comes up."
Rubbing Dragonite's soft belly, Lucas smiled, feeling healed.
With Luxray and Oranguru watching the farm, he didn't need to prepare much for this trip.
Dragonite understood, turned around, and gestured for Lucas to climb on.
Having ridden Dragonite countless times, Lucas easily mounted up. Dragonite spread its wings, and in seconds, they were soaring high above.
Checking his phone's GPS, Lucas pointed, "That way."
Dragonite roared and accelerated. Down below, the Pokémon all looked up, knowing Lucas had left.
Oranguru stood on the third-floor balcony, fanning itself with a worried expression.
It had heard Ceruledge's story from Luxray, including its abandonment.
It remembered… Luxray said the person who abandoned Ceruledge was still in Zapapico Town, right?
Hopefully nothing would go wrong.
…
Zapapico Town, in eastern Paldea, was a mining town—most residents worked with minerals in some way.
Miners worked from sunrise to sunset, forming a diligent community often seen on the streets.
Honestly, Lucas didn't get why someone named Hanza would build a Miltank ranch here—there was barely any lush vegetation, only rocky hills and caves, with the Great Crater of Paldea nearby.
Raising Miltank, which needed good pastures, seemed to be making things hard on purpose.
But upon arriving at the "Miltank House," Lucas had to admit Hanza knew what he was doing.
Like Lucas's own farm, the ranch sat on the outskirts, near active mines with workers passing by.
When Lucas arrived, a crowd of miners in dusty clothes and hard hats were lined up outside.
They queued quietly, no pushing or shouting, as if by silent agreement.
Looking closer, Lucas saw a man of about 25 and a few Miltank behind a table, taking money and handing out bottles of milk.
"That's… Moomoo Milk?"
A sign announced the price—550 League coins.
Lucas understood instantly.
No wonder so many miners lined up—the price was 50 coins lower than usual, and as laborers, Moomoo Milk was great for keeping them healthy.
If the quality was good, it made sense they'd buy from here.
Lucas watched the line shrink until the man put up a "Sold Out" sign and the miners left.
"Sorry, today's Moomoo Milk is sold out. Please come early tomorrow," Hanza said, thinking Lucas was a late customer.
"I'm not here to buy milk. Mr. Hanza, Sebastian made an appointment with you today—I'm here for that."
At Lucas's words, Hanza looked up, smiled, and said, "You must be Lucas. Miltank, please take him inside."
"Miltank~"
The most efficient Miltank nodded, then gestured for Lucas to follow.
Seeing Lucas hesitate, Hanza grinned, "Please go with her—she's the housekeeper and will take care of you."
Lucas was just surprised by Hanza's attitude toward Pokémon, similar to his own, but didn't explain. He nodded and followed Miltank inside.
The living room was cozy, decorated everywhere with Miltank-themed pillows, rugs, and paintings—clearly, Hanza loved Miltank.
Sitting on the sofa, Lucas looked around curiously.
Just then, Miltank brought him a steaming bottle of freshly heated Moomoo Milk.
"Miltank" (Enjoy)
Lucas didn't refuse—he was curious about the taste.
Usually, cheap Moomoo Milk meant lower quality, unless Hanza was running a charity at a loss.
Lucas's instinct told him it was the latter.
Picking up the warm glass bottle, he took a sip. The rich, sweet flavor burst across his palate, the smooth milk gliding over his tongue.
His only thought was—delicious!
His eyes lit up. As expected of a Johto-style Miltank farm, this milk was way better than what you found in stores!