Passing through the back door, there appeared a section enclosed by a transparent glass dome ahead.
It somewhat resembled the backyard of Professor Oak's Research Institute from anime, complete with rivers, grasslands, trees, caves, and lakes.
Some Pokemon raised by humans frolicked here without a care, or sat in the shade of the trees enjoying the coolness.
Naoki's gaze swept over them, silently recounting the names of these Pokemon: "Miltank, Wooloo, Smoliv, Nacli, Garganacl, Alcremie..."
Without a doubt, these were all Pokemon that could be raised on the ranch.
The kindly old man with graying temples, slightly stooped, clasped his hands behind his back, leading the way while introducing Naoki to the Pokemon and ordinary animals at Happy Ranch.
"These kids were all raised by me personally. Each of them is very healthy and well-behaved, looking forward to being brought back to the ranch by a new owner."
Sure enough, the playful Pokemon cast curious glances at Naoki, who was following behind the elderly man.
Naoki was somewhat surprised to see the group of Nacli gathered around the Garganacl and couldn't help but ask, "Can Nacli be raised as well?"
"Of course!" the old man chuckled and said, "Don't underestimate them. In ancient times, they were incredibly important Pokemon. For the humans living on this land, these kids were indispensable."
Naoki recalled the characteristics of Nacli and asked, "Because they can produce salt?"
"Exactly!" the old man nodded, "Nacli's body is composed of very precious rock salt. As long as they walk on the ground, their bodies get worn down, leaving a trail of salt."
"Collecting this salt yields a bottle of extremely precious rock salt. Of course, this doesn't harm their bodies at all, as they can always generate new salt within their bodies at any time if they wish to replenish it."
"When they evolve into Naclstack and Garganacl, the salt becomes even more nutritious and rich in minerals. Just sprinkle the salt produced by Garganacl on an injured Pokemon, and no matter how severe the wound, it will heal."
"Moreover, food prepared with this salt tastes even more delicious, and their selling price is much higher than the MooMoo Milk produced by Miltank!"
Upon hearing this, Naoki understood in his heart and then inquired about the price of Nacli: "How much do they cost?"
Old man: "One Nacli costs 10,000 League Coins."
Ten thousand...
It sounded a bit expensive, but Naoki calculated the value that Nacli could bring and couldn't help but feel that this price was quite reasonable.
With a Nacli, he wouldn't need to buy salt from outside anymore, and besides using it himself, he could also sell it outside, recouping his investment quickly.
However, even so, this price is still a bit steep for the currently financially straitened Naoki.
He clicked his tongue slightly, fiddling with the bills in his pocket, and finally sighed.
Alas! I'll wait until this season's crops mature.
In the meantime, I can try my luck in the back hills, see if I can find any rare mountain goods to sell.
However, whether it's fishing or looking for mountain goods, it's not sustainable and relies on luck.
Reality isn't like a game; the number of fish in a body of water is limited, and after large-scale fishing, it becomes difficult to catch fish from there again.
Unless I switch to a different water body.
A map of the area near the ranch appeared in Naoki's mind.
To the west of the ranch, crossing through Porto Marinada Town, lay the endless Paldea Sea, with even richer seafood resources.
To the north of the ranch, crossing the back hills and another forest, you could reach Casseroya Lake, where you can catch more freshwater fish.
"Luckily, there is still some time until the crops mature. I can have Koraidon take me to these two places for a look,"
Naoki contemplated his next plans in his heart.
If he remembered correctly, Casseroya Lake was known for sightings of the very rare Dragonite lineage, Dratini.
Once Dratini evolves into Dragonite, it's not only intelligent but also powerful.
In the future, as the ranch prospers, it could also expand its offline business, with townspeople directly ordering fresh milk from the ranch.
By then, Dragonite, with its incredible speed, could help with deliveries.
Led by the old man, Naoki strolled around the ranch and encountered some very special Pokemon.
For instance, Miltank, which produces milk; Wooloo, which has fluffy wool; Smoliv, capable of producing olive oil; Noibat, which helps pick berries; and Alcremie, which produces fresh cream.
Alcremie, made entirely of cream, emitted a fragrant, sweet smell of milk, which alone could evoke a strong sense of happiness in anyone who smelled it.
As he approached, Naoki swallowed his saliva several times.
His actions were noticed by the Alcremie, which immediately shook in fear and hid behind a tree, worried it might get eaten if it didn't.
The old man chuckled softly upon seeing this and comforted the Alcremie: "Don't be afraid; this is the new rancher from town."
Pacified by the old man's reassurance, Alcremie's fear subsided significantly.
The old man laughed and told Naoki: "It's a very special Pokemon indeed! So far, 63 forms of Alcremie have been confirmed, each producing cream of unique flavors.