As noon approached, Leo and Cyclizar had cleared a small patch of land for planting and moved the chopped wood and quarried stone into the storage shed.
Grrrrumble~
After a busy morning, Cyclizar's stomach protested loudly.
It looked down at its belly and let out a small cry. "Gaa-ow..."
"Hungry?" Leo heard the sound and laughed. "Wait a moment, I'll make lunch right now."
Cyclizar perked up immediately. "Gaa-ow~"
They washed their hands at the outdoor sink and returned to the wooden cabin.
Cyclizar sat under the eaves to cool off while Leo took out the ingredients and got to work.
Lunch was hot noodle soup again, but this time, Leo added some wild leeks he had found on the ranch to give it more flavor.
Practice makes perfect; this time, he finished the meal in just a few minutes.
As he ladled the noodles into the bowl, Leo looked down and noticed that the rating of the soup had improved from C- to C, and the duration of the Cold Resistance buff had increased by five minutes.
"As expected, ingredients affect the dish's rating."
Leo placed the bowl in front of Cyclizar, who had been waiting eagerly at the table.
Cyclizar looked down. Seeing the same strange noodles in the bowl, a pitiful expression appeared on its face.
"Gaa-ow..."
The destitute Leo: "..."
He sighed, thinking of the meager funds the original owner had left behind. "Just bear with it for now. I'll take you to town this afternoon to buy something delicious."
"Gaa-ow~"
Fortunately, Cyclizar didn't mind Leo's poverty. It was a simple, optimistic creature. Hearing Leo's promise, it immediately cheered up, already looking forward to the tasty treat awaiting it that evening.
Watching Cyclizar tip its head back to slurp the noodles, Leo began to eat his own portion with a worried look.
"The remaining money will run out fast after buying food. The field was just tilled, so I can't plant the seeds until tomorrow, and they'll take a month to mature..."
The weed-choked farmland had been hard and packed, unsuitable for crops. Leo had spent the morning tilling and watering it to soften the soil.
Although he lacked fertilizer, Turnips were hardy crops that didn't demand high soil quality.
"Aside from that, I need to find other ways to make money to survive until the Turnip harvest."
Leo fell into deep thought.
Ways to make money...
He thought back to what he used to do when starting a new game in farming sims.
One was fishing. The other was going to the back mountain to forage for mushrooms and fruits to get through the early game.
But right now, he didn't have a fishing rod. His only option was to try his luck in the back mountain and see if he could find any wild goods.
No sooner said than done. After lunch, Leo prepared to head to the back mountain.
Realizing his intention, Cyclizar, who had been walking upright, suddenly dropped to all fours and looked back at him. "Gaa-ow!"
Leo paused, looking at Cyclizar in its "Ride Mode." "Are you telling me to get on?"
Cyclizar nodded. "Gaa-ow!"
Curious, Leo climbed onto its back.
Once he was settled, Cyclizar took off.
Its pace was neither too fast nor too slow, offering a very smooth ride as it carried Leo toward the back mountain.
Feeling the air rush past his ears, Leo thought, No wonder Cyclizar is the transport of choice in Paldea. This feels just like riding a real motorcycle.
After crossing a country path, a lush mountain forest appeared ahead.
Sunlight poured down from above, filtering through the leaves to leave dappled shadows on the ground.
Caterpie crawling in the bushes, Fletchling perched on branches, rustling sounds from the thickets, and strange, heavy fruits hanging from trees...
Everywhere he looked, the scene was teeming with life.
Leo hopped off Cyclizar, raising an eyebrow as he looked at the small Pokémon around him.
The Pokémon also looked down curiously at the stranger who had intruded into their forest.
"Caterpie... Evolves into Metapod at level 7, then Butterfree at level 10. A good choice for novice trainers."
"Fletchling? If I remember correctly, that's the regional bird of Kalos. Its final evolution, Talonflame, is a Fire/Flying-type. A pretty cool Pokémon!"
"Huh? Are those little white mice Maushold from the Paldea region?"
Leo's gaze suddenly landed on three small figures in a patch of grass.
Two slightly larger white mice peeked out cautiously, protecting a tiny white mouse behind them.
"A Family of Three..." Leo scanned the area but didn't see a fourth mouse.
Noticing his gaze, the three Maushold shivered, turned around, and vanished into the grass without a trace.
Leo: "..."
He had to admit, Maushold were pretty cute.
Before this, Leo didn't consider himself a fan of fluffy things, but seeing their cute appearance and fine white fur, he felt a tug at his heartstrings.
"I wonder what they feel like to touch."
The forest was full of Pokémon. Wandering around with Cyclizar, Leo felt a surge of excitement.
—If he were a trainer, he would definitely pull out a Poké Ball, battle them, and capture them after earning their respect.
Whether it was the fast-growing Caterpie or the promising Fletchling, they were all perfect!
But unfortunately, Naoki's memories reminded him that a standard Poké Ball cost 200 League Dollars. He couldn't afford even one.
Leo sighed, shifting his attention away from the Pokémon and toward the wild goods growing in the forest.
He walked up to a lush fruit tree and picked a fruit.
Looking down at it, information appeared in his mind.
[Pecha Berry: A magical fruit that heals poisoning. It has a sweet taste and can be used to make jam, Poffins, and fruit cake, or added to yogurt. Its unique flavor is loved by many Pokémon.]
A Berry?
Leo held the Pecha Berry to his nose and sniffed. It had a faint peach scent.
He held it out to Cyclizar. "Want it?"
Cyclizar looked at it, opened its mouth wide, and swallowed the Pecha Berry in one gulp.
"Gaa-ow~"
It seemed to taste pretty good.
"So it's just like the anime. Berries are a main food source for Pokémon."
Leo nodded silently, confirming his theory. He picked a few more Pecha Berries to take back to the ranch.
However, he only took a small portion.
If Berries were food for Pokémon, then the other Pokémon in this forest needed them too.
If he stripped the tree bare, many wild Pokémon would go hungry.
After bagging the Pecha Berries, Leo and Cyclizar ventured deeper into the forest.
The mountain forest was vast. Perhaps they had chosen the wrong direction, but aside from the initial Pecha Berry tree, Leo didn't find any other fruit trees along the way.
Time passed unknowingly until evening. Tired from walking, Leo sat under a large tree to rest. Glancing at the sky, he decided it was time to head back.
Just then, Cyclizar's nose twitched.
"What is it?" Leo turned to look.
"Gaa-ow..."
Cyclizar looked around, sniffing the air as if trying to determine a direction.
Moments later, it locked onto a spot and stood up.
Leo followed its gaze to a patch of empty ground. At first, he was confused, but he soon noticed something strange.
Centered around the roots of a large tree, the grass in a circular area had completely withered.
"Gaa-ow!"
Cyclizar barked in that direction.
Leo stood up, puzzled, and walked over with Cyclizar to inspect the strange area.
He brushed aside the decaying leaves and yellowed grass, revealing a pitch-black, unknown object underneath.
In that moment, Leo smelled it too.
It was a unique scent, impossible to describe in words.
He was wondering what it was when, the next second, information automatically surfaced in his mind.
[Black Truffle: A top-quality luxury ingredient. A rare delicacy. Can be steamed with eggs or made into a creamy soup with butter. Although it grants no buffs on its own, it can significantly enhance the effects of any dish it is added to.]