The back mountain was not far from the ranch, a few minutes' walk along the river past the lake would get you there.
The afternoon forest was lush and green, and the sunlight filtering through the canopy gaps dispelled the cold. Even before entering, the various cries of Pokémon were constant.
Listening closely for a moment, most of the cries belonged to Bird and Bug Pokémon. They were numerous and diverse in species.
Furthermore, this was their active time. Once it got later, the more ferocious and powerful Pokémon in the forest would come out to hunt.
Natsuki's goal this time was to "hire" a few Pokémon to help him manage the ranch. Whether they were strong or not didn't matter, what mattered was that they were suitable.
"Minccino, you used to live around here. Do you know where there are a lot of Grass-type Pokémon?"
For a ranch, Grass-type Pokémon were definitely the first choice. Natsuki couldn't help but ask Minccino, the local Pokémon.
"Ci-no!"
Minccino shook its head like a rattle. The little fellow indicated that it was just a baby only a few months old and hadn't dared to venture deep into the forest.
"Alright." Pinching its large ear, Natsuki soothed it, "I didn't mean to blame you. It's already impressive that Minccino can protect itself."
"No Minccino!" Minccino waved its little fists excitedly.
"Yes, yes, then I'll leave my safety in your hands, Minccino."
Without knowing the gathering spots for Grass Pokémon, Natsuki could only search based on his past experience.
Fortunately, he had a secret weapon prepared this time, so he wasn't afraid of not finding the right Pokémon.
As Natsuki took out a honey muffin, information about the item popped up:
[Honey Muffin (Grade C)]: An afternoon snack made with honey and flour. No Pokémon can ignore the sweet scent of nectar.]
[Cooking Effect: Sweet Scent. Causes hidden Pokémon to gather. Duration: 120 minutes.]
[Special Effect: Bear Attractant. Has an extraordinary attraction for bear-like Pokémon.
(The effect is similar to the move Sweet Scent.)]
Natsuki found an open clearing in the forest, placed the honey muffin in the center, and let the aroma drift outward.
All he had to do was wait quietly.
Suddenly, the entire back mountain became lively due to Natsuki's actions. Wild Pokémon hiding in bushes, caves, and treetops all looked in the same direction, swallowing their saliva in unison.
The Pokémon began to gather toward Natsuki's location.
The process was fast. Natsuki soon spotted a wild Pokémon entering his field of vision.
He could hear its noisy chirping from far away— it was a Chatot.
Shaped like a parrot with a head styled like a musical note, Chatot has a special organ that keeps it chattering all day long, often to an annoying degree.
"Gah-gah~ The tasty treat belongs to the Great Me!"
The Chatot let out human-like cries. If its speech were slowed down slightly and the pronunciation made clearer, it would be indistinguishable from a human speaking.
Mimicking human speech is a basic ability for every Chatot.
With its eyes entirely fixed on the honey muffin, the Chatot dived down from a height, completely failing to notice Minccino, who leapt high and swung its tail.
In the next instant, there was a loud "Thwack!" and the Chatot flew backward into the forest even faster than it had arrived.
"That was amazing, Minccino!"
Catching the descending Minccino with open arms, Natsuki didn't hold back his praise.
"Mee-ree~" Minccino smiled bashfully, covering its small face with its large ears.
'Hehe~ Got 'em!'
It wasn't for nothing that Natsuki had studied Pokémon Psychology back at Blueberry Academy.
"Kangas!"
Kangaskhan let out a jealous roar from his side as a reminder. In the past, all these praises belonged to her.
"Kangaskhan, I'll need you to make them settle down a bit," Natsuki patted her. He was here to hire ranch Pokémon, after all.
"Aoo~"
Upon hearing this, Kangaskhan shifted into a battle stance. Her aura changed visibly, and a fierce look appeared on her face.
A thunderous, earth-shaking roar rolled from her throat and echoed through the entire back mountain.
One by one, the Pokémon who had been "food-drunk" were startled awake.
How could a Pokémon with such an aura appear in this forest?
Amidst the messy, chirping discussions, memories of a roar from a few nights ago were awakened.
A Pinsir with a wounded horn was pushed forward to negotiate with the Great Monster.
Consequently, the scene Natsuki saw was this: The Pinsir, who was usually the forest bully, now looked as aggrieved as a mistreated daughter-in-law, mumble-stuttering out an apology.
"Oh, it's you! Pinsir."
Natsuki remembered now— this Pinsir was the same one he had encountered while walking back to the ranch at night when he first arrived.
It had been sent "blasting off again" by Kangaskhan's palm, to the point where its wounds still throbbed with a dull ache even now.
Looking at the pairs of eyes peeking out from the forest, Natsuki said, "Pinsir, tell them all to come out. Today, we are looking to hire a Pokémon to join the ranch and help me manage it."
"I will provide them with a safe home and plenty of food."
A collective sigh of relief swept through the trees. It was good to know the newcomer wasn't here to cause trouble.
Otherwise, with their power, any resistance they offered wouldn't have made much of a splash against the Kangaskhan.
With Pinsir acting as the middleman, Pokémon of all sizes living in the back mountain began to reveal themselves, appearing before Natsuki.
He scanned them one by one, his gaze finally resting on a specific group.
"Wild Miltank?"
His eyes immediately lit up. These were some of the best ranch Pokémon one could ask for.
The Moomoo Milk produced by Miltank was famous throughout the League, with the milk from Goldenrod City being considered the gold standard.
Natsuki had been fortunate enough to taste some during his previous travels, the flavor was no less impressive than Veluza fillet. It was truly a top-tier ingredient.
If he could recruit these three Miltank to join the ranch, he would have a steady stream of Moomoo Milk.
However, just as his excitement peaked, a bucket of cold water was poured over his hopes.
Upon closer inspection, he keenly noticed identification collars hidden beneath the black fur on the Miltank's necks.
As expected, they had wandered off from a nearby ranch.
Natsuki felt a moment of disappointment.
Had he not run into them, it would be one thing, but since he had, he had a responsibility to return them.
The rancher who lost them was surely worried sick right now.
After a moment's thought, Natsuki walked toward the three Miltank and took out three honey muffins.
"Did you all lose your way home?"
"Mil-mil~"
The lead Miltank looked surprised and nodded vigorously.
Out of curiosity, they had taken advantage of the rancher's lapse in attention and jumped out through a broken fence.
Then, predictably, they got lost.
They were hungry and tired when the scent of the honey muffins drew them here.
"I see!"
Understanding the general gist of what the Miltank were trying to convey, Natsuki said, "Fill your bellies first. I'll take you back in a bit."
"Milu-lu~ (Thank you, Human!)"
The three starving Miltank took the muffins and began to wolf them down, completely disregarding their manners.
They were clearly famished!
To find the ranch where the Miltank originally lived, Natsuki would have to rely on the surrounding wild Pokémon.
Thus, Natsuki took out another honey muffin to trade for information.