Hinata Town, Farmlands.
"Gardevoir~"
Gardevoir, who was harvesting with a blade of psychic energy, intentionally slowed down and perked up her ears to eavesdrop.
After a moment of thought, Hakuya spoke slowly to the captivated Pokémon: "Using Wan-Wan Grain as an ingredient, we can make Grain Cakes, Jubilife Muffins, and Choice Zongzi..."
Grain Cakes are a delicacy made from Castershrooms and Wan-Wan Grain; they have a soft texture and a refreshing flavor that can attract Pokémon from miles around.
Jubilife Muffins are small cakes passed down from the ancient Hisui region of Sinnoh, which have the effect of restoring a Pokémon's stamina.
As for Choice Zongzi, as the name implies, they are special grain dumplings wrapped in leaves; soft and chewy, they allow a Pokémon to enter a fixated state after eating, increasing the power of the move they are focused on.
"Meow~"
Hearing this, Delcatty leaped into her Trainer's arms, rubbing against Hakuya's chest to act spoiled.
To a gluttonous cat, these delicacies were irresistible just by hearing about them.
She smacked her lips, already beginning to fantasize about the wonderful scene of feasting.
Sweet, soft cakes, glutinous and fragrant dumplings, and those delicious little muffins...
Mmm... I'm really starting to drool~
But before she could beg her Trainer to finish harvesting and start cooking, Hakuya awkwardly turned his head away, choosing not to continue eye contact with the soft, seductive Delcatty.
"Uh... actually, I don't know how to make any of them."
"Meow?!"
Delcatty was stunned.
Not just her; the other Pokémon girls felt their hearts shatter on the spot.
Although Hakuya had accumulated a lot of Pokémon knowledge before crossing over, knowing how to use Wan-Wan Grain to make the delicacies he just mentioned really touched upon a blind spot in his knowledge.
After all, foods like Grain Cakes originated from the Hisui region a thousand years ago—which is ancient Sinnoh's Celestic Town.
Unlike ordinary dumplings, cakes, or zongzi, if the ingredients for these special delicacies are even slightly wrong, they will immediately cause a spectacular explosion.
Over such a long time, the recipes and methods had long been lost.
As for the basic modern preparation of Wan-Wan Grain, it could be summarized in one sentence: the Pokémon version of white rice.
Compared to ordinary rice, it has a slight effect of healing the consumer's injuries, and its sales volume on the market is quite high.
Therefore, Hakuya couldn't help but suspect that the task issued by the system was intentional.
Turning the Pokémon girls into "Rice Immortals"?
Interesting~
But unlike the heartbroken Pokémon girls, Cynthia raised an eyebrow slightly, casting a somewhat surprised gaze over.
"So, Junior Brother also knows about these special foods?"
"I saw them by chance while browsing ancient texts before. Unfortunately, only the names were there, not the specific methods."
Hakuya rubbed the teary-eyed Delcatty in his arms and said calmly.
Of course, this was a lie.
It was reasonable for ordinary people not to have heard of them, but he remembered them purely because he had played Legends: Arceus in his previous life; the "ancient texts" were entirely made up on the spot.
"I see... Junior Brother is truly knowledgeable..."
Without questioning further, the blonde beauty pursed her cherry lips and pondered.
The next second, the corners of her eyes curved, and her cold, jade-like face bloomed as bright as a peach blossom.
"It's okay. Leave it to me after the harvest is done; I know how to make them all~"
"Eh?!"
This time, it was Hakuya's turn to be stunned.
After a while, following Cynthia's explanation, Hakuya finally nodded in realization.
How did he forget? Celestic Town in the Hisui era is exactly the Celestic Town in modern Sinnoh—
In other words, special foods like Grain Cakes originally came from Cynthia's hometown.
"So, you can just leave it to Senior Sister later."
The cold Sinnoh Champion lightly brushed back the golden strands covering her eyes, her face full of smiles.
As a native of Celestic Town and a veteran archaeologist, she could be said to be one of the few people in the Pokémon world today who mastered the production methods.
"Meow~"
Delcatty raised her little paws, unable to wait any longer.
"Alright, let's hurry up and start the harvest."
Seeing this, Hakuya couldn't help but laugh and rub the gluttonous little one.
Now that they had found a chef to prepare the feast, they quickly entered a high-spirited working state.
Mienshao struck out with a Force Palm, causing clusters of Wan-Wan Grain to ripple like water, stirring up a burst of thick, fragrant aroma; meanwhile, Cynthia's Garchomp swung its Dragon Claws, its agile figure weaving through the field like a hot knife through butter.
Of course, besides setting aside a portion for the Pokémon girls' feast, the rest had to be sold normally to Uncle Yoshino, who came to the farm daily.
Hakuya looked at the mountain of Wan-Wan Grain ears and Roll-Roll Beans and made a rough calculation.
At a purchase price of 20 League Coins per kilogram, these crops could sell for over 50,000 League Coins—a significant income.
"Gardevoir~"
Just as the harvest was in full swing, Gardevoir, who was sensing the surroundings with psychic power, let out a soft cry.
From the weeds and bushes not far from the field, more than a dozen Pokémon suddenly leaped out—creatures that had never appeared at the farm before.
[Name: Houndoom]
[Type: Dark + Fire]
[Gender: Female]
[Level: 30]
[Ability: Flash Fire (Powers up Fire-type moves if hit by a Fire-type move)]
[Moves: Howl, Thunder Fang, Nasty Plot, Roar, Bite, Incinerate, Beat Up, Dark Pulse, Taunt, Sunny Day]
[Egg Moves: Feint, Sucker Punch]
"So it's Houndoom~"
Under the system's scan, Hakuya roughly checked the information panels of these uninvited guests.
Except for the leader, who reached level 30, the others were roughly around level 20. Although they looked ferocious, their auras were far inferior to the farm's Pokémon.
"Hound~"
The Houndoom leader let out a long howl, her crimson eyes showing a glimmer of desire.
It seemed these little guys were drawn here by the Wan-Wan Grain field.
However, Hakuya wasn't surprised by this.
Although sturdy fences were built around the farm, it was impossible to 100% prevent the intrusion of wild Pokémon.
With a little effort, many Pokémon could still break in.
"Gardevoir~"
Gardevoir elegantly floated over. With her psychic translation, Hakuya soon understood what the Houndoom meant.
The winner takes all; the loser crawls.
Only the side that wins has the right to enjoy this delicious, tempting Wan-Wan Grain.
Pokémon personalities vary wildly and cannot be generalized.
Unlike the Skitty who stole fish before, these Houndoom were clearly more feral. They didn't care who the owner of the grain was; they only followed the law of the jungle.
Even though they could sense the powerful auras of Gardevoir and the others, the Houndoom didn't retreat in fear. Instead, they bravely raised their heads, their gazes cold and sharp.
"In that case, let's go, everyone!"
Hakuya stepped aside and commanded his Pokémon to teach these little guys a lesson.
Perfect. Since they were all female, capturing them all to serve as the farm's patrol squad seemed like a pretty good idea—