"Good name," the Mayor said, noting it down before preparing to leave.
"Wait, Mayor!" William called out quickly. "Could you take me to the village market? I'd like to buy a few more things."
What William wanted most right now was rice and cooking oil. After two meals of plain dried noodles, he really didn't want to eat them again.
"Alright. Go lock the Miltank inside the house first. The ranch fence hasn't been repaired yet, so we need to be careful about Pokémon wandering off."
"Okay."
William went back inside, explained things to the Miltank, left her alone in the house, and then set out with Minccino, Turtwig, and his wallet, following the Mayor.
"Miiil~!"
The Miltank stood by the window, waving goodbye, her eyes full of reluctance. Just yesterday, she had been happily grazing with a group of friends. Now, because of the Mayor's request, she had abruptly joined this new family. She settled quietly on the windowsill, watching the free world outside...
...
The cart ride was bumpy. On the way, William asked the Mayor a few more questions about the spring planting.
"Given your current situation, you don't need to clear a huge field. A small plot around the orchard should be enough to start. The important thing is choosing the right crops. For example, the potato and turnip seeds I left for you have a short growth cycle and decent yield. This time of year, they'll be ready to harvest in about a week."
"One week?" William was surprised. Although he'd never farmed in his previous life, that growth speed seemed incredibly fast.
"Exactly because it's short, I'm recommending them. Harvest a few times, and you'll gradually gain experience. Then you can expand the area and try more varieties. Oh, and I see your Turtwig is quite well cared for. Remember to take it with you when you're farming. Fields where Grass-type Pokémon have been active usually have better growth."
"Twig! Twig!" Seeming to understand the Mayor's words, Turtwig nodded at William, trying its best to look helpful.
"Ciino!" Not to be outdone, Minccino wagged her tail, showing off her skills.
"I know, I know, you're both great," William said helplessly, patting both of their heads. Raising 'kids' was like this; with more than one, it was hard to keep things perfectly even. William recalled the small pets he had raised in his previous life. It seemed that no matter which world you were in, pets always competed for attention.
After a bumpy ten-minute ride, the cart finally arrived at the village's central square, which also served as the busiest part of the market. Stalls and vendors lined the streets, selling fresh agricultural products and goods shipped from the town to the north.
"Fresh Saffron! Cheap today!"
"Fish for sale!Fresh fish!"
"Light bulbs!Who needs new light bulbs!"
The street was filled with the vendors' energetic calls. Occasionally, William could see Pokémon like Aipom or Pichu helping out at the stalls. The Mayor had always said Saffron Village was small, but seeing the market's bustle firsthand, William thought it was quite lively. Probably because the town to the north, Breezyville, was very close; it seemed many people had come from there.
"Oh, the Mayor's back." The Mudsdale drawing the cart was quite conspicuous in the market. The vendors on both sides greeted the Mayor warmly. The old Mayor nodded frequently, smiling in response.
"Alright, go buy what you need. When you're done, just walk back. If you forget the way, just head west." With that, William and his two Pokémon got off the cart, and the Mayor drove away, leaving them to their shopping.
"Ciino!" "Twig!"
In the crowded place, the two Pokémon did as usual: one perched on William's shoulder, the other settled on his head. William's neck was getting a serious workout.
"First things first, let's buy some rice."
Focused on his goal, William soon found a grain shop. The shopkeeper was a plump, smiling woman who seemed very friendly.
"Ma'am, how much for the rice?"
"Oh, if it isn't the Macaw boy! Out shopping with your little friends? I heard you started a ranch a few days ago?" The woman didn't answer directly, instead striking up a familiar conversation.
"Ah, yes. I'd like to buy some rice. How much for a bag?"
The woman smiled broadly, pointing to a bag labeled "Premium Rice" at the front of the stall. "Premium rice, five kilos, 2000 Poké."
William, accustomed to prices from his past life, was taken aback for a moment. He did a quick mental conversion. About ten pounds of rice... for 2000 Poké? He remembered buying ten pounds of rice online back home never cost more than...!
"Calm down, calm down... You earn Poké, you spend Poké. This price is normal in this world. Speaking of which, I forgot to ask the Mayor what the buying price for MooMoo Milk is..."
Thinking of his 128,000 Poké savings and giving himself a firm pep talk, William reluctantly bought the ten pounds of rice, then also bought a bottle of cooking oil and various seasonings.
"Alrighty! I'll give you a discount, let's say 3500 Poké total. Just leave your address, dear, I'll have someone deliver it to you later."
"Uh..." William pointed west. "Macaw Ranch, west of here. Just moved in yesterday, no sign up yet." Worried she might not know, he added, "It's the old ranch that belonged to the Mayor's family, the one that was abandoned."
The shopkeeper took the money, gave an OK sign, and turned to serve the next customer.
After buying the rice, feeling relieved, William went to the next stall to buy some fresh meat, vegetables, and fruit. This shop seemed connected to the plump woman's; they also said they'd arrange delivery.
"What next?"
William looked around at the other shops, thinking about how to develop the ranch quickly. "First, the spring planting. If I have to clear the field by myself, I won't get much done in a day. Even with Turtwig and Minccino's help, it'll be tough."
Thinking this, William decided to see if he could find a place that sold Pokémon suitable for plowing fields. After all, in the Almia region, you couldn't just use Poké Balls to catch Pokémon. Specialized ranches bred Pokémon for sale, which was different from the Pokémon sold by smugglers on the black market.
After asking a passerby for directions, William soon found a suitable ranch near the village. It was called the Sunshine Ranch, its sign shaped like a large, smiling Sunflora.
Walking in, William saw that it was set up like a regular store, with several shelves. At the counter sat an elderly man wearing reading glasses, looking over the morning's "Almia Times."
Hearing footsteps, the man looked up. "Looking for something?"
William entered the shop and, seeing what was on the shelves, felt a surge of excitement. "These are... Pokémon Eggs? Not bad! Sir, do you sell Pokémon Eggs here?"
As soon as he asked, William regretted it. Wasn't that stating the obvious? Were all these eggs just for show?
"Young man, you've got a way with words," the old man said, standing up and taking off his glasses. "I don't just sell grown Pokémon and regular animals; I sell all kinds of Pokémon Eggs. What are you after?"
"Um... Could I look around? I'd like to see what kinds of grown Pokémon you have available."
"Of course... Hm?" The old man squinted, studying William's face closely. "You're... the Macaw boy? What are you doing here? Did your grandfather send you? Speaking of which, how is the old codger doing lately?"
The old man recognized William but seemed unaware that his grandfather had passed away. Not wanting to upset him, William avoided the truth, replying vaguely, "Yes, I've started a ranch recently, so I wanted to see what Pokémon would be good to raise. Could you show me around your ranch, sir?"