This was the first time William had created a D-grade dish. Compared to the plain boiled noodles from before, it actually had an additional description.
"It really does have a special effect! 'Crafting Power Boost' and 'EXP Boost'... yep, that's the stuff. Definitely reminds me of that MMO."
Looking at the panel's description, William fell into thought. "If there's something like an EXP boost, does that mean there's a level system for various 'professions,' just like in a game? If I follow the logic of the games from my past life, the six processing methods correspond to six professions. Just processing materials in the corresponding way should grant EXP for that profession. Then, when the EXP bar is full, you level up automatically. Higher levels let you handle rarer materials and recipes... But the problem is, right now this golden finger only shows information panels for materials and finished products. How am I supposed to know my own level and EXP progress?"
After thinking for a long time without coming to a conclusion, William decided to just eat first and carried the pot outside.
"Twig!" The thoughtful Turtwig used its vines to take the pot from William and place it on the table outside the cabin.
"Ciino!" Minccino had already brought out everyone's tableware, polished to a shine.
"Miiil..." Miltank had already eaten some pasture grass and wasn't very interested in the curry rice now. Still, William gave her a plate and picked out some soft vegetables from the curry for her.
"Ama?" Bounsweet didn't have hands, so William sat her next to him and fed her himself. He had even made a separate pot of meat-free curry for her, as the idea of a mangosteen-eating meat seemed a bit odd.
Orthworm's portion was served on the largest plate. It used its flexible body hairs like hands, even managing to use a spoon freely.
"Alright." After serving everyone, William put his hands together and thanked himself for his hard work cooking. "Let's eat!"
The Pokémon and William ate the food covered in rich curry sauce together, their eyes immediately lighting up!
The rich, savory curry aroma enveloped every grain of rice. The thoroughly infused meat and potatoes made the curry's flavor fill their mouths with every chew. The delicious taste lingered even after swallowing!
"Not bad! Really delicious! Worthy of a D-grade dish, the flavor is unquestionably good!"
The Pokémon were all very satisfied, eating bite after bite. Even Bounsweet and Miltank, who only ate vegetables, were devouring it.
"Ciino!" Minccino, who finished her plate incredibly fast, even went to serve herself a second helping.
"Okay, okay, eat slowly, no rush." Seeing everyone enjoying the meal so much, William, the cook, smiled with satisfaction.
One human and five Pokémon happily ate curry under the clear sky. The enticing aroma even attracted some wild Pokémon from the nearby area.
Half an hour later, everyone was unknowingly stuffed. All the curry was gone. Since William had prepared a lot of rice, about half was left, which he decided to save for dinner.
"So, have I gained the strengthening effects of Crafting Power Boost and EXP Boost now? I don't really feel anything special." William looked at the Pokémon around him, but they didn't seem to have changed either.
"Maybe the effect is only noticeable when I'm actually crafting something. But there's no need to cook anything now..."
Just as he thought this, William saw Minccino pluck a tuft of loose fur from her tail. This was normal shedding, happening every few days. Looking at that tuft of fur, William had an idea. "Right! I can use that to test it."
William moved the used dishes into the kitchen, then turned to rummage through the bag of tools the Mayor had left yesterday. The old Mayor had prepared quite comprehensively: axe, sickle, hoe, sledgehammer, bug net, fishing rod... all sorts of basic tools were there, along with several packets of spring crop seeds and a planting guide.
What William was looking for was a sewing kit. In his previous life, William had learned some basic sewing skills, but he was rusty from lack of practice. "Since Weaving is also a processing method, the Crafting Power Boost should probably apply to sewing too."
William sat on the bed and took out the tuft of fur Minccino had shed.
[Minccino's Fluff: Quality C, Fluffy tail fur with a soft texture and excellent feel. Recommended Processing: (Weaving/Alchemy).]
With such a small amount of fluff, William estimated it was only enough for a small accessory, maybe palm-sized at most.
"Okay, let's try it."
William randomly selected a needle from the sewing kit, spread out the fluff, twisted it a few times, moistened it with his lips, and easily threaded the needle. "It does feel like my crafting power is improved. I remember I wasn't this good at threading a needle before."
After threading the needle, he picked up a piece of black cloth, aimed the needle, and pushed it through. Then he began to stitch, one after another.
William was very focused, and his hands moved quickly. Soon, he had stitched an embroidered pattern— unmistakably Minccino's face.
"I finished it this fast?" William was surprised. This sewing skill really didn't seem like his usual level.
Next, William cut out the embroidered pattern, sewed it together with another piece of cloth, and stuffed it with some cotton.
"Done!"
[Small Minccino Doll: Quality D, A small doll shaped like a Minccino's head. Features a designed appearance and a soft, comfortable feel, but due to its small size, the details are imperfect.]
[Effect: Stress Relief - Slight. Squeezing it provides a slight stress-relief effect. Alleviates mental fatigue.]
[Evaluation: A good attempt. You have successfully taken the first step.]
"Even such a small decorative item has a special effect? It seems any finished product that reaches D-grade gets a special effect. But is this 'stress relief' literal?" Squeezing the tiny thing in his hand, William did feel it was somewhat stress-relieving. The drowsiness that came after lunch seemed to dissipate; it was less about alleviating fatigue and more about helping him focus more easily.
"This is actually a good thing. It might be perfect for Miltank. With this, her milk production probably won't be affected by her mood." After thinking about it, William decided it was feasible and temporarily put the doll in his pocket.
"The Crafting Power Boost effect probably has a little time left. Why not...?"
William hurriedly found some long nails and a few old wooden planks from the shed outside the cabin. Then, carrying the tools, he went to the pasture and started looking for broken sections of the fence along the edge.
The Pokémon, having finished lunch, were also starting to move around in small groups. Turtwig and Bounsweet were still tidying the vegetable beds. Besides bordering the beds with stones, the two little ones were also fetching water from the well to irrigate the field.
There was a stream to the north of the ranch, originating from a waterfall deep in the Breezy Forest to the north. A water channel connected the stream to the ranch, but it had been blocked due to long-term disrepair. Fortunately, for the current scale of the field, there was no immediate need for channeled irrigation; well water was sufficient for now.
"Twig!" Turtwig manipulated its vines to water the field with a watering can. Nearby, Orthworm, having done the heavy work, was resting leisurely in the field.
"Ama, Ama~" Bounsweet followed behind Turtwig, occasionally emitting an enticing fragrance. This attracted the wild Pokémon that had been drawn by the curry scent earlier to gather again. Several Starly and Staravia perched on the fence and branches, looking at Bounsweet and drooling greedily...
"Ciino?" Minccino was washing dishes in the kitchen. Glancing out the window, she saw this scene. However, since the bird Pokémon didn't seem to dare attack Bounsweet directly, Minccino didn't bother with it and went back to washing the dishes.
...
On the other side, Miltank accompanied William as he searched along the edge of the pasture. They quickly found a few damaged spots. Shattered wood fragments lay on the ground, the paint on their surface so weathered by rain that it crumbled at a touch. This was probably caused by wild Pokémon crashing into it while the ranch was abandoned.
William carefully pulled out the rotten fence post. The only woodwork he'd done in his previous life was assembling a desk from a certain flat-pack furniture store. "Anyway, let's do a simple repair first. The Crafting Power Boost effect should still have a little time left; can't waste it."
He inserted the planks he'd found into the hole left by the original post, packed it with soil and tamped it down, then used long nails to fasten the plank to the existing fence.
[Simple Wooden Fence: Quality E, A simply reinforced cross-shaped fence. The wood strength is too low; its lifespan will not be long.]
[Evaluation: At least you tried.]