Chapter 50:
[C-rank MooMoo Milk – Fresh milk squeezed from an elite-stage Miltank. Long-term consumption by newborn Pokémon strengthens physical constitution and provides most of the nutrients required for growth.]
Due to their current strength, the milk produced by Hayashi Kaede's three Miltank was only rated C-rank.
However, the volume was impressive. Each Miltank could provide him with nearly half a bucket of fresh MooMoo Milk.
By his estimate, the metal bucket held around 14 liters.
In other words, today's haul came out to roughly 21 liters.
Hayashi Kaede planned to reserve a portion of the first batch to mix with Grade A MooMoo Milk, which he'd then use to make yogurt, cakes, and other treats for his Pokémon. The rest would be offered for sale at the shop.
"Thanks for the hard work~"
He fed each Miltank a handmade dumpling made with berry paste, checking their status as he did. Once all their happiness levels had risen above [70], he recalled them into their Poké Balls.
After milking, he let the warm MooMoo Milk cool slightly.
He divided the milk into two batches: one went into cold storage in the refrigerator, while the other was carried into the Breeding House.
The rich, sweet aroma of summer-fresh MooMoo Milk immediately caught the attention of everyone inside.
Since the Breeding House used a buy-and-go model, there weren't many people staying around at any one time. Just a few customers lingered.
"Hey, bro—what's that? A new product coming out?"
One of the customers noticed the bucket he was carrying and couldn't help asking.
Hayashi Kaede smiled. "Yup. If this MooMoo Milk passes inspection, it'll be added to our product list. This first batch is free for tasting."
He carried it to the front counter and retrieved a large glass dispenser bottle he had cleaned the day before. There was a small tap installed at the bottom. After pouring in the milk, he turned to Takagi Megumi.
"Anyone who buys energy cubes today can bring their own container and get up to 200ml of MooMoo Milk for free. But no overfilling—we've got to leave enough for the next customers."
"Got it!" she replied with a firm nod.
With a part-time schedule and a monthly salary of 10,000 PokéDollars, Takagi Megumi had developed a strong work ethic. Her enthusiasm for training Pokémon had taken a backseat for now.
"Oh my Arceus, there are freebies?"
The few customers inside looked over at the counter—some subtly, some not so subtly—as Hayashi Kaede poured the creamy white milk into the dispenser.
Once the words "free sample" were heard, eyes lit up.
One of them, a young man holding a selfie stick who had been comparing products earlier, bolted over to the counter.
"Hey there, I come here every day for energy cubes—you've seen me, right? Here, I brought some empty water bottles."
He chugged the remaining water from one and handed it over.
"Mm."
Takagi Megumi gave a small nod. She picked up a disposable paper cup to estimate the volume. Two cups looked about right for 200ml, so she poured the milk into the bottle with precision and handed it back.
The young man—Akira—popped the cap, took a whiff, and his expression lit up with recognition.
"Holy crap! C-rank MooMoo Milk? Bro, you're giving this away?!"
He couldn't believe it.
Everyone knew MooMoo Milk came from Miltank. The lowest grade—D-rank—already went for three to five hundred PokéDollars per 500ml bottle, depending on the season.
But C-rank? That was elite-quality stuff.
Back when his Snorlax was just a newborn, he had fed it nothing but C-rank MooMoo Milk for a week. The bill? 350,000 PokéDollars.
If anyone knew what MooMoo Milk was worth, it was him.
Hayashi Kaede laughed. "This is just the first batch. The quality will improve from here. And since the shop just opened, I figured anyone who comes all the way out to our place deserves a little bonus. There'll be more products and services coming soon."
He didn't know much about business or marketing.
But he knew one thing: people remember the places where they felt like they gained something.
Akira immediately raised his selfie stick and beamed into the camera. "You see this, folks? This is the Breeding House I keep talking about. Don't be fooled by its out-of-the-way location. Whether it's the quality of the energy cubes, the price, or the handsome guy running the place—it's all top-tier!"
He turned the camera toward Hayashi Kaede.
"Come on, bro, give 'em a wave!"
Hayashi Kaede blinked in surprise—and only then noticed the thousands of viewers watching the livestream. He quickly straightened his expression.
"Uh… Hello everyone. I'm the owner and breeder of the Breeding House."
He hadn't expected that the guy with the selfie stick, who stopped by every day, actually had so many fans.
[Hmm? So this is the breeder that guy kept hyping up. He looks like a teenager? But he's kinda cute.]
[Handsome boy—are you sure you didn't pay Akira to promote you?]
[C-rank MooMoo Milk—just given away like that? Dang.]
[Are those energy cubes really that effective?]
[Wait… what's that white blur in the background?!]
[IS THAT AN ALOLAN ICE VULPIX?! IT'S RUNNING OVER!]
[She jumped into his arms! She stuck out her tongue! She's got a pink tongue! I'm gonna die!]
At that moment, Ice Vulpix—who had woken up from her nap—wandered out of the back room and into the Breeding House.
When she spotted Hayashi Kaede, her eyes sparkled. She pranced over happily.
Her six fluffy tails wiggled excitedly behind her.
Newborn Pokémon were like this—sleeping, playing, and repeating, their energy and curiosity always shifting.
This would mellow out after a week or so.
Sighing, Hayashi Kaede bent down and scooped her up, then looked at the stream's comment section again.
To his surprise, all the previous skepticism in the chat had shifted into:
[Is this Aogiri City? I heard there's a Grass Gym here. I was planning to head straight to Aura City, but now I have to see that Ice Vulpix in person.]
[Anyone starting a group trip? I'm in.]
[Count me in too, upstairs!]
[This is way too cute. I was already tempted—now I'm sold.]
"Huh?"
Hayashi Kaede looked down at the Ice Vulpix in his arms. She blinked up at him with crystal-blue eyes, innocent and full of sparkle.
Had he… done any marketing at all?
Vulpix: (≧︶≦)) (￣▽￣*)
Little did she know—she was currently being adored by thousands of livestream viewers.