In the year 198 of the League Calendar, spring arrived in the Kalos region, and the weather gradually began to warm up.
Natsuki, wearing a straw hat and a T-shirt, stood before a vast expanse of fully reclaimed farmland.
Unlike the berry orchard on one side, the farmland area was much larger. Natsuki had divided it into a grid, with each plot growing a completely different crop.
This would be his primary source of income in the future, which would be much more stable than fishing.
Once the seeds are planted, it's just a matter of daily watering, fertilizing, and weeding. Even in the event of drought or flood, some crops would likely still grow.
Furthermore, Natsuki had chosen spring crops with a very low difficulty curve, perfect for a beginner.
For easy identification, Natsuki had even placed signs nearby: Mung Beans, Potatoes, Cabbage, and Tomatoes— four simple, easy-to-grow crops.
He looked up at the sky, the sun was exceptionally bright today. The early spring sun felt warm on the skin. It was a perfect day for crops to grow.
"Kangaskhan, do you still want to go on the field patrol?" Natsuki called out, adjusting his hat.
A patch of tall grass rustled violently as Kangaskhan and Minccino came running out. Natsuki poked them playfully.
"Look at you two, you're soaking wet. If you catch a cold now, it won't go away anytime soon."
"Achoo!"
As if on cue, Kangaskhan couldn't help but sneeze.
"Fine, play if you want to," Natsuki laughed helplessly. "But you can't skip your daily cup of Dandelion Tea."
[Dandelion Tea (Rank C): A specialty tea made from chopped, dried dandelion roots and leaves steeped in hot water. Adding some brown sugar might make it less difficult to swallow.]
[Cooking Effect: Cold Prevention.]
"Ugh!" Kangaskhan's face twisted in disgust as she shook her head frantically.
It was bitter, astringent, and hard to swallow. Kangaskhan did not like it.
The daily field patrol was simple and repetitive: Watering, fertilizing, weeding, and so on. But it couldn't be skipped even for a day, or it would affect the growth.
Fortunately, having Minccino and the others for company made it feel less tedious. This was yet another indispensable step in running a ranch.
"So tired! If only I had a reliable Pokémon to share the load."
Sitting on the steps in front of the ranch house, Natsuki took a sip of his Dandelion Tea. Delegating tasks was what he, as a capitalist— no, a rancher— should be doing.
While Natsuki was thinking about finding a Pokémon to help with the work, Kangaskhan sat beside him with a bitter expression.
Slap!
Natsuki suddenly stood up and slapped his thigh. "It's decided! This afternoon I'll take a trip to the mountain behind us and see if I can kidnap— I mean, 'persuade'— a Pokémon to come back to the ranch."
With his current financial situation, supporting one more Pokémon wouldn't be a problem.
For wild Pokémon, their needs are simple.
As long as you can provide enough food and snacks, they will work tirelessly, transforming into 24/7 laborers to repay the favor.
Even so, it is far better than life in the wild. They don't have to worry about going hungry or fighting other Pokémon for food.
For a Pokémon, having a safe house to call their own is already a stroke of incredible luck.
Indeed! "Orcs will never be slaves... unless room and board are included."
This sentiment applies perfectly to Pokémon. It is precisely because of this core symbiotic relationship between humans and Pokémon that the League has been able to grow and prosper step by step.
The League's current prosperity is the result of the joint efforts of both humans and Pokémon, neither can thrive without the other.
Having made up his mind, Natsuki began preparing for the afternoon adventure. Using a few little tricks was nothing to be ashamed of.
After instructing Kangaskhan and the others not to wander too far and receiving their reassured cries, Natsuki went to the kitchen.
He looked at the neatly arranged dishes and ingredients on the shelves. A half-jar of crystal-clear, bright yellow honey caught his eye.
There it was. He believed that no Pokémon could resist a delicacy made with honey.
He added milk, honey, an egg, and some butter to plain white flour, mixing them thoroughly into a dough before leaving it to ferment.
While the dough was rising, Natsuki started making lunch. It was the old routine: "Burger King" style burgers and French fries, plus a bowl of Berry salad.
He prepared the semi-finished products first so they could be heated and eaten as soon as it was mealtime.
Natsuki then turned his attention back to the fully fermented honey dough. He preheated a frying pan over low heat, took a spoon, and poured a scoop of batter into the pan.
A dense "patter-patter" sound erupted, like falling raindrops. Natsuki kept the temperature strictly controlled within a constant range.
Gradually, dense little bubbles appeared on the surface of one side of the pancake.
With a forceful thrust of the spatula from underneath, the whole thing detached, and he began frying the other side.
When both sides were golden and crispy, and the faint aroma of wheat mixed with the sweetness of honey wafted through the air, Natsuki hurried to scoop it out.
The first one was finished, the final product was perfect.
'As expected of me!' (Tsundere-pose-with-hands-on-hips.jpg)
He immediately set to work on the next one without stopping.
At the kitchen door, which Natsuki hadn't noticed at all, two heads peeked in stealthily. Kangaskhan twitched her nose, a look of bliss on her face, as her stomach began to growl uncontrollably.
It smelled delicious enough just to sniff.
Next to her, Minccino wore a similar expression, with drool even shamelessly leaking from the corner of its mouth.
This little mouse is starving for a taste!!!
The sounds of gulping and swallowing rose and fell.
Natsuki naturally heard the small movements behind him, but being occupied with his cooking, he didn't turn around.
He simply reached out and pointed toward the dining table on one side. "I left some for you over there."
"Kangas!"
"Mi-mi!~"
Natsuki's words were like a royal decree, Minccino and Kangaskhan pounced toward the table.
Kangaskhan picked up a still-warm honey muffin and took a greedy, large bite. The sweet flavor instantly took over her taste buds, and the floral sweetness of the nectar made her let out a happy, low whimper.
It was too delicious! Fragrant and crunchy.
Compared to Kangaskhan, the Minccino beside her was much more elegant. It took tiny bites to savor the flavor, but its eyes grew brighter and brighter, squinting with joy from the delicious food.
In a short time, they each finished a muffin, still wanting more.
Completely in sync with one another, they looked at Natsuki with puppy-dog eyes, acting spoiled.
"Just a taste for now. We're having lunch soon."
As Natsuki spoke, he made a shooing motion while plating the freshly cooked honey muffins.
[Honey Muffin (Grade C)]
Crunch, crunch...
The crispy crust flaked off as Natsuki tasted it, falling into a momentary pensive silence as if reminiscing.
The taste of the honey muffin was unique and possessed an inexplicable attraction for Pokémon. It seemed the afternoon trip to the back mountain was sure to succeed.
With muffins in hand, there was no fear of wild Pokémon not approaching.
With burgers, muffins, fries, and Berry salad, Natsuki and the two Pokémon ate their fill. After a few comfortable yawns, they each lay down for a short nap.
As the sun began to tilt toward the west, Natsuki dressed properly, picked up Minccino to perch on his shoulder, and signaled for Kangaskhan to follow.
"Back mountain, here I come!"