As noon approached, Naoki and Cyclizar cleared a small piece of land suitable for planting and stored the chopped wood and stones in the storage room.
"Gruu gru~"
After a busy morning, Cyclizar's stomach made rumbling noises.
Looking down, it muttered, "Grrr..."
"Hungry?" Naoki heard the sound and laughed, "Hold on a moment, I'll go make lunch."
Cyclizar immediately perked up with joy, "Grrr~"
They washed their hands at the outdoor sink and returned to the wooden house.
Cyclizar cooled off under the eaves while Naoki took out the ingredients and got busy in the kitchen.
Today's lunch was still hot soup noodles, but with a twist—Naoki added some wild leeks found in the pasture to enhance the flavor.
With practice making perfect, this time it only took a few minutes to finish.
Naoki served the noodles into bowls and looked down, noticing that the hot soup noodles had improved from a grade of C- to C, and the cold resistance duration increased by five minutes.
"As expected, ingredients do affect the dish's rating."
Naoki placed the bowl in front of Cyclizar, who had been waiting at the table.
Cyclizar looked down at the bowl of strange noodles and instantly displayed a pitiful expression.
"Grrr..."
Impoverished Naoki: "..."
He sighed, thinking of the little money left from the previous owner, and consoled, "Hang in there. I'll take you to town for some good food this afternoon."
"Grrr~"
Fortunately, Cyclizar wasn't bothered by Naoki's poverty. Being a simple optimist, it got excited upon hearing Naoki's words, looking forward to the evening's delicious offerings.
Watching Cyclizar tilt its head back to drink the noodles, Naoki began to eat his portion with a worried expression.
"The remaining money will be spent quickly after buying food. The land was just tilled and seeds can only be planted tomorrow, taking a month to mature..."
The farmland covered in weeds was hard and unsuitable for crop growth. Naoki had tilled it this morning and watered it, making the soil soft.
Although there was no fertilizer, fortunately, turnips didn't require high soil quality.
"Besides, I need to find other ways to make money until the turnips are harvested."
With that thought, Naoki found himself in deep thought.
Ways to make money...
He remembered what he used to do playing farming simulator games.
One was fishing, and the other was going to the back mountain to collect mushrooms and fruits to get through the early stages of the game.
But now, without a fishing rod, his only option was to try his luck in the back mountain and see if he could find any mountain goods.
Without hesitation, after lunch, Naoki prepared to head to the back mountain.
Getting wind of his plan, Cyclizar, who was initially standing upright, suddenly crouched down on all fours and shouted back to him, "Grrr!"
Naoki was slightly startled, seeing Cyclizar in ride mode, he asked, "Are you suggesting I ride you?"
Cyclizar nodded its head, "Grrr!"
Curious, Naoki climbed onto its back.
Once he was settled, Cyclizar began to run.
Its pace was neither too fast nor too slow, very steady, as it carried Naoki towards the back mountain.
Feeling the breeze brushing past his hair, Naoki thought, "No wonder Cyclizar became a means of transportation in the Paldea Region. This feeling isn't much different from a regular motorcycle."
After passing through a country lane, a lush forest appeared ahead.
Lush sunlight poured down from above, leaving mottled patterns on the ground through the gaps in the leaves.
In the bushes, Caterpie crawled, while Fletchling stood on branches, and in the dense thicket came rustling sounds, or perhaps ripe and juicy fruits hung heavily on branches.
Everywhere was a scene full of vitality.
Naoki got off Cyclizar and raised his eyebrows, looking at the small Pokemon.
The Pokemon were also curiously watching this unfamiliar human who entered the forest.
"Caterpie... Evolves into Metapod at level 7, and into Butterfree at level 10. For a new Trainer, this Pokemon is quite a good choice."
"Fletchling? If I remember correctly, this seems to be the regional bird of Kalos, and its final evolution, Talonflame, is a Fire and Flying Type Pokemon, which seems really cool!"
"Huh? Could that white little mouse be a Maushold from the Paldea Region?"
Naoki's gaze suddenly caught sight of three small figures in a patch of grass.
Tentatively, two slightly larger white mice poked their heads out, protecting a smaller white mouse behind them.
"A family of three..." Naoki looked around but didn't find a fourth mouse.
Noticing his gaze, the three Maushold shivered, then quickly turned and disappeared into the grass, vanishing without a trace.
Naoki: "..."
Nonetheless, one has to admit that this Pokémon, Maushold, is quite cute.
Prior to this, Naoki didn't think of himself as someone who loved fluffy things, but seeing the cute appearance of Maushold, coupled with their fine, pure white fur, he couldn't help but be tempted.
"I wonder what it feels like to touch them."
There were many Pokémon in the forest, and after walking around with Cyclizar, Naoki couldn't help but feel excited.
If he were a Trainer, he'd definitely take out a Poke Ball and have an epic battle with them, winning their recognition before capturing them.
Both the rapidly growing Caterpie and the promising Fletchling were perfect!
Unfortunately, from the memories of the original owner, he knew that an ordinary red-white ball cost two hundred League Coins, and he simply couldn't afford it now.
Naoki sighed, then shifted his attention from those Pokémon to the mountain goods growing in the forest.
He walked up to a lush fruit tree and reached out to pick a fruit from it.
As he looked down, the information about the fruit appeared in his mind.
[Pecha Berry: A miraculous fruit that can cure poisoning, with a slightly sweet taste, usable for making jams, Poffins, fruitcakes, or added to yogurt to become fruit yogurt, its unique flavor is favored by many Pokémon.]
A Berry?
Naoki picked up the Pecha Berry, bringing it to his nose for a sniff, catching a faint peach fragrance.
He held the Berry in front of Cyclizar and asked, "Want a bite?"
Cyclizar glanced at it, then opened its mouth wide and swallowed the Pecha Berry whole.
"Ga-ow~"
Judging from its expression, it seemed the taste was quite good.
"It seems that just like in the animations, Berries are also a primary food source for Pokémon."
Naoki formed a rough idea in his heart, quietly nodding as he picked a few more Pecha Berries from the tree, planning to take them back to the ranch.
However, he only took a small portion.
Because if Berries are a food source for Pokémon, then other Pokémon in this forest would also need these Berries.
If he took all these Pecha Berries, surely many Pokémon would be left hungry.
After packing the Pecha Berries, Naoki took Cyclizar and headed deeper into the forest.
This forest was vast, perhaps they took the wrong direction, as along the way, besides the initial Pecha Berries, Naoki encountered no other fruit trees.
Without realizing it, time slipped into the evening, and feeling tired, Naoki sat under a big tree to rest, glancing at the sky and thinking it was time to head back.
Just then, Cyclizar's nose twitched.
"What's up?" Naoki turned his head to look.
"Ga-ow..."
Cyclizar turned its head, surveying its surroundings, as if trying to determine a direction.
Soon, it pinpointed a spot and looked towards it.
Following its gaze, Naoki looked at the seemingly empty patch of ground, initially puzzled, but soon he noticed something odd.
Centered around the roots of a big tree, all the grass in a circular area had withered.
"Ga-ow!"
Cyclizar barked in that direction.
Naoki stood up, filled with curiosity and walked forward with Cyclizar to observe the strange area.
He then used his hand to brush away the decaying fallen leaves and yellowing grass, uncovering a black, unknown object underneath.
At that moment, Naoki also caught a whiff of the scent.
It was an incredibly unique smell, indescribable with words.
His mind was still puzzling over what this could be, but in the next second, the information about it automatically appeared in his mind.
[Black Truffle: A top-quality, gourmet ingredient, this rare and exquisite delicacy can be paired with eggs to make black truffle steamed eggs or blended with butter for creamy soup. Although it doesn't inherently provide enhancements, it can significantly improve the effects of a dish.]