"Of course! Of course you can." The old man came out from behind the counter and, leaning on his cane, led the way. "Follow me."
After passing through a doorway with a heavy curtain, William truly entered the Sunshine Ranch. It was an area enclosed by a transparent glass dome, reminiscent of Aether Paradise in the Alola region. A river, grassland, a small grove, and even a cave—various natural environments were present. Energetic Pokémon moved about under the sunlight, and the entire ranch brimmed with vitality.
"Ciino!" "Twig!"
"Wow, not bad at all!"
William's mood, along with his two Pokémon's, brightened at the sunlit scene. While the little ones ran off to play, William looked around and recognized many Pokémon.
"Miltank, Wooloo, Mareep, Smoliv, Nacli, Farfetch'd, Parasect, Slowpoke..."
Hmm?
Why did it feel like a few strange ones had slipped into the mix?
With a curious expression, William asked, "Sir, are all the Pokémon you raise here ones that produce something profitable?"
"Indeed." The old man stopped walking, as if knowing what William was thinking, and pointed his cane towards the Farfetch'd in the distance. "That Pokémon knows how to farm. The stalk plant it carries is very rare; only they can cultivate it to harvest a high-quality product."
Then, he pointed towards the Parasect in the nearby cave. "That's a peculiar Pokémon. The mushroom on its back and the creature underneath have two separate consciousnesses. Collecting the spores it releases can be used to make valuable medicine."
Finally, the old man tapped his cane and pointed to a Slowpoke fishing with its tail by the lake. "That Pokémon is a bit pitiful. Sometimes it's so sluggish it stays in the same position all day. But fools have their fortune. It barely feels any pain, and its tail falls off easily, growing back before long. I've heard its tail is a common dish in the Alola region, but not many people eat it around here. The one I keep isn't for sale, and I don't ask anything of it. Like your grandfather, it's an old friend of mine..."
As he said the last part, the old man's expression grew noticeably wistful, as if recalling past events.
"I see..." William found the old man's explanations incredibly insightful. Descriptions that once existed only in game settings were now displayed before him in their most real form, giving William that feeling again—he had truly crossed over into the Pokémon world.
"Sir, do you have any Pokémon suitable for plowing fields here?"
"Yes, of course! Come with me." The old man snapped out of his reverie and continued leading the way with his cane. After walking a fair distance, he finally stopped before a small, sandy mound. William had thought he would be shown a Tauros, but the environment suggested otherwise. Tauros usually stayed on flat grasslands, not in this almost desert-like area.
The old man took a whistle from a necklace he wore and blew it towards the mound.
Wheeeet!
A high-frequency whistle sound directed at the mound caused the entire slope to suddenly shake violently!
"Worm!"
A huge Pokémon burrowed out of the slope! It was over two meters long, its body segmented into cylindrical parts. William recognized it immediately: the Earthworm Pokémon, Orthworm, from the Paldea region!
"Using an earthworm to plow fields! Not bad! It does seem suitable. Sir, how much for this Pokémon?" William looked at the energetic and powerful Orthworm with great fondness, especially its beady eyes and round, somewhat dopey expression—it was really cute.
"Sorry, this one's not for sale either. But if you need to plow a field, I can lend it to you for free."
"Free, really?"
"Yes. After all, I received a lot of help from your grandfather in the past," the old man said, seeming to drift into memory again. "Also, Orthworm needs to ingest the iron contained in outside soil. Red soil high in iron isn't good for growing crops, but it's the best food for Orthworm. By having Orthworm eat the soil and excrete it, the soil becomes fertile. That happens to be perfect for the soil conditions around here. My Orthworm is excellent at plowing! Everyone in the village who's used it says so!"
After hearing this, William liked this big fellow even more! It was the perfect helper for tilling land! A shame it wasn't for sale, but being able to borrow it for free was a huge win.
"Then please lend it to me! I'll return it in a few days!"
Seeing William's sincere attitude, the old man smiled and nodded slightly.
Later, William asked about the prices of several other Pokémon suitable for ranch life. The old man explained in detail and basically quoted the lowest prices.
"High-quality Wooloo from the Galar region. A male costs eighty thousand, a female fifty thousand. These are excellent wool-producing breeds. The males are larger, with better quality and higher yield wool. You can shear them once a month. Compared to Mareep wool, which builds up static easily, this sheep's wool is incredibly high quality. Clothes and blankets made from it are supposedly brand-name products even in Galar. But if you're looking for milk, the benefits are minimal. So, interested in buying one? You won't find these in the wild here; they're quality breeds shipped all the way from Galar."
Looking at the white, fluffy balls playing with his Turtwig and Minccino, William felt a pang of desire, but also winced at the price. Fifty thousand for one... His entire savings would only buy two, and he needed to leave money for ranch repairs... William lamented his lack of funds, wondering exactly how much income 20 liters of MooMoo Milk per day would bring.
"Sir, do you have anything... a bit cheaper? My ranch is just starting out, funds are a bit tight..."
If it weren't for the fact that only common Sinnoh Pokémon could be found in the Almia wilds, William would have been tempted to go out and catch some himself.
"Haha, look at my memory. You're just starting out, right? Then I should recommend this." With that, the old man led William to another area filled with cultivated crops, where many Grass-type Pokémon were playing in the fields.
"Twig!" Turtwig seemed to love it here, its eyes shining as it ran out and rolled joyfully in the soil. Minccino watched the mud-covered Turtwig with disdain, clearly unwilling to play in the dirt.
"This is where I keep my Grass-type Pokémon concentrated, like Bounsweet, Tangela, Sunflora, Pumpkaboo, and such. Grass-type Pokémon are great. They don't need much care, just plenty of sunlight and clean water to thrive. Most importantly, fields where Grass-type Pokémon are active become more fertile than ordinary soil. Generally, ranches starting out rely on farming and fishing to develop. So, raising Grass-type Pokémon is the most suitable way for a new ranch owner to grow. Later, you can consider raising ordinary animals like chickens and ducks, and then slowly move towards a Pokémon ranch."
Hearing this, William recalled the Mayor mentioning something similar earlier. And Pokémon like Tangela could be found in the Almia wilds; he remembered from the anime that they could produce large amounts of vines that provided food for other Pokémon.
Watching the group of small, cute Pokémon playing and frolicking in the fields, William felt his heart melting.
"Sir, I'd like to buy a Bounsweet." After some thought, William decided to buy a Bounsweet from the Alola region. It absolutely wasn't because he liked Tsareena or anything; it was just because Bounsweet looked round and especially cute!
"Oh, good eye." The old man smiled approvingly. "The sweat secreted by Bounsweet is an excellent sweetener. Just a small drop mixed in water can make a bottle of mixed fruit juice. Dripped onto fields, it's rich in nutrients, making the fruits and vegetables grown there clearer and sweeter."
The old man casually picked up a happily bouncing Bounsweet. The little thing didn't struggle, just smiled dopily as the old man handed it to William.
Bounsweet's body was round, like a mangosteen, with three sepals on its head. The white part at the bottom resembled exposed fruit flesh, from which two cute feet extended.
William took the Bounsweet and was immediately surrounded by a sweet, fruity fragrance! His mood instantly calmed.
"Ama!"
Looking at this little creature with its silly smile, William's resistance completely crumbled.
"I'll take it! Whatever the price!"
And so, after spending a full five thousand Poké, Macaw Ranch welcomed its fifth family member.