After completing the transaction, the old man personally saw William to the ranch gate, leaning on his cane. Orthworm and Bounsweet were now following William, ready to return to Macaw Ranch.
This trip had cost William a total of ten thousand Poké! It's only when you're running a household that you realize how expensive daily necessities are. While his savings of one hundred and twenty-eight thousand seemed like a lot, William had a feeling it might only cover food for a month or two.
William and his three smaller Pokémon sat on Orthworm's back, waving goodbye to the old man.
"Thank you for lending me Orthworm!I'll return it soon!"
The old man stood at the ranch gate, smiling. He called out to William and handed him the whistle from around his own neck. "Orthworm sometimes gets lost underground. If you can't find him, blow this whistle. He'll come back home. Oh, and give my regards to your grandfather."
After saying goodbye, William and his Pokémon headed west.
Watching the Orthworm's receding figure, the old man's eyes grew moist. "A new generation," he sighed with emotion. "The village really is getting better. Do your best, young man!"
...
Through direct, personal comparison, William found that riding Orthworm was much smoother than the cart. How to put it? Because Orthworm had numerous hair-like appendages on its sides that acted as legs, it could maintain a very stable height while moving. Its speed wasn't slow either, about twice that of the cart. From an outside perspective, it probably looked like a bus.
Returning to Macaw Ranch, William was surprised to find a Pelipper standing by his door.
"What's this about?"William quickly jumped down from Orthworm. Turtwig and Minccino followed, looking equally puzzled at the Pelipper.
The Pelipper had a sharp, intense gaze and watched William's approach nervously. Beside it were the bag of meat and assorted vegetables and fruits he had bought.
"Squawk!"
Its large beak snapped open wide,as if both threatening and trying to show something.
William moved closer and saw that its deep, pouch-like beak contained a bag of rice, a bottle of oil, and some bottled seasonings—exactly the items William had bought at the market that morning.
"So, 'have someone deliver it' meant this..." William pictured the plump shopkeeper's OK sign. "Thinking about it, it makes sense. In many stories from my past life, Pelipper's role, besides being a rain team powerhouse, was often as a mail carrier."
After retrieving all the items from Pelipper's beak, William found a few bottles of complimentary purified water and a note inside. He was surprised to find he could read the writing. It basically said that Pelipper would come by every few days, and if he wanted to buy more things, he should give the shopping list and the correct payment to it. A price list was attached.
"Home delivery! Not bad! Such thoughtful service!"
William casually drew a cup of fresh MooMoo Milk from the metal can by the door and poured it into Pelipper's beak.
"Consider this a tip.Thanks for your hard work."
"Squawk!" The Pelipper drank the milk, its sharp eyes curving into happy crescents. It flapped its wings a few times and flew away.
William opened the cabin door, and the little ones helped bring the supplies into the kitchen. Hearing the commotion, the Miltank inside came rolling over.
"Miiil!" Her voice trembled slightly, as if she had been crying.
"There, there, it's okay now," William said, stopping the rolling Miltank and gently stroking the spot between the two small horns on her head. "I know, I know, you're hungry, right? Sorry for leaving you alone locked up here for so long..."
Seeing Miltank's wronged expression, William felt a pang of guilt. Remembering the Mayor's warning that Miltank's mood affected milk quality, he didn't dare delay. He quickly took Miltank out to the pasture.
"Miiil!"
Eating sweet pasture grass,breathing the fresh air, rolling around freely in the field! Miltank's mood finally brightened.
"Miiil, Miiil~"
"Be careful not to crash into the fence when you're rolling!"
Watching Miltank energetically rolling about, William suddenly remembered Ash's thirty Tauros from the anime... their energy constantly forced Professor Oak and Tracey to repair the fences.
"Right, I need to go to the carpenter's shop tomorrow to get the fence and the Pokémon shed repaired."
William mentally listed the tasks ahead: first, clear and till the field; then, the spring planting; next, repair the fences and shed. After that, there was the orchard behind the cabin. It didn't need much care, but it still required watering and fertilizing every few days. And there was what the old man at Sunshine Ranch said about ranches relying on fishing in the early stages...
"Thinking about it, there's quite a lot to do. Plus, I have to milk Miltank every morning..." William suddenly felt that running a ranch might not be as easy as he'd initially thought.
On the way back to the cabin, William passed the abandoned field behind it and saw that Orthworm had already started working. Its method was simple and direct: it burrowed into the ground and charged in a straight line! At the end, it turned around and charged back! Its sturdy body moved swiftly underground, turning the soil over while its metallic body shattered larger rocks, gradually making the soil soft. Raised beds formed quickly in the field with astonishing efficiency.
"So impressive..." William watched the rapidly churned soil, estimating how long it would have taken him. "I probably wouldn't have finished by next month..."
Besides Orthworm, Turtwig and Bounsweet were also working in the field, collecting smaller stones and placing them along the sides of each bed to form borders. Even the usually dirt-averse Minccino was helping in her own way, neatly arranging the stones for the borders.
Seeing the harmonious scene of the Pokémon working together, William felt the warmth of the Pokémon world once more. Touched, he decided to prepare a proper meal for the little guys.
"It's almost time for lunch. Let me think... Orthworm likes to eat soil, Miltank likes pasture grass, Bounsweet... Is there a dish everyone can enjoy together...?"
Standing in the kitchen, William looked at the basket of ingredients, feeling stumped. "First, the staple has to be rice. That narrows down the options a lot."
As he thought, William opened the rice bag and poured the grains into a wooden bowl.
[Polished Rice: Quality D, Hulled and polished rice grains. The bran and germ have been removed, resulting in a soft, glutinous texture but significant nutrient loss. Recommended Processing: (Cooking/Alchemy).]
He washed the rice with the purchased purified water, saved the water used for washing, added fresh water, and then put the pot on the stove with a lid to steam. A key point was to use clean, purified water for washing, as the grains absorb some water during the process; using impure water could worsen the rice's texture.
William vigorously rubbed the grains in the bowl, ensuring the dust on each grain was cleaned off. Having been independent from a young age, he was quite adept at these household chores.
A fire was lit in the stove, and smoke began to rise from the cabin's chimney again.
"Right, why not make the curry rice from Sword and Shield? It seems like any Pokémon can eat that."
Coincidentally, among the seasonings he bought were curry roux blocks. It was very simple to make, just like instant noodles: boil water, add the roux block and prepared ingredients, and simmer.
William chopped some meat, carrots, and potatoes, and prepared some boiled eggs and an onion.
He heated oil in a pot,sautéed the onion until translucent, then added the meat and continued stir-frying. Once the meat changed color, he added the chopped tomatoes and potatoes, gave it a quick stir, added enough water to cover the ingredients, and let it simmer.
The aroma of rice and curry filled the cabin. William opened the window so the Pokémon outside could smell it too.
"Ciino!" "Twig!" "Miiil!" "Ama!" "Worm!"
The Pokémon looked up in unison,calling out to William, following the scent.
"Just a little longer, almost ready to eat!" William decided to move a table outside to enjoy the meal with his Pokémon under the sky. "Feels a bit like camping."
A dozen minutes later, the steamed rice and cooked curry were ready!
The rich curry sauce,mixed with chunks of meat and vegetables, was poured over the hot rice! Topped with a halved soft-boiled egg! It was a feast for the eyes and nose, making mouths water!
[Meaty Curry: Quality D, A rich, mellow Japanese-style adapted/improved curry with a meat broth base. Smooth texture and flavorful with depth.]
[Effect: Crafting Power Boost - Slight, EXP Boost - Slight. After consumption, slightly increases crafting power and EXP gained during production activities. Duration: 30 minutes.]
[Evaluation: A nutritionally balanced dish. Perhaps different ingredient combinations could be tried.]
[Recommended Processing: (Alchemy).]