"Give this a taste. What's the difference between the Moomoo Milk from our Miltank and the milk from Goldenrod City? Where does it fall short?"
During their conversation, Natsuki had shared his background, leading to the current scene.
Once Ding Zhi and Penny learned that he had previously tasted the top-tier milk produced by the Goldenrod Gym's subsidiary ranch, they volunteered to bring out their own fresh milk for this "connoisseur" to critique.
They wanted to know how much further they had to go to reach that peak quality.
As he took the glass of milk which had been squeezed less than an hour ago, the Golden Finger interface expanded, and detailed information about the milk popped up.
[Moomoo Milk: High-grade Ingredient. Milk produced by an exceptionally well-bred Miltank, though it is still one step away from Top-tier quality.]
The milk produced by Miltank has a unique flavor profile that changes based on their daily diet.
A faint strawberry scent filled his throat, it was smooth on the palate and rich in dairy flavor.
It was a rare treasure. However, compared to Top-tier quality, the taste was indeed slightly lacking.
Natsuki shared his thoughts with the couple.
After a moment of silence, Penny spoke up: "Thank you, Natsuki. With this feedback, we have more confidence in our ability to breed for Top-tier quality milk."
"Then I'll congratulate you in advance. I want to be the first one to taste it!"
"No problem."
The three of them chatted while enjoying some pastries. For the most part, Natsuki asked the questions and the couple answered.
Natsuki mainly asked about ranch management. Ding Zhi and Penny were happy to explain and gave Natsuki several planning ideas.
In his mind, a rough blueprint for his own ranch began to take shape.
"Oh, right. Natsuki, did you go to the back mountain to forage for mountain goods?"
"No." Natsuki shook his head slightly and told them his plan.
"If it's just you alone, you definitely need Pokémon to help manage the fields so you can focus on other things."
After thinking for a moment, Penny suggested: "Ideally, you want a Pokémon that has mastered the move Rototiller. If you leave the fields to them, everything will be fine."
Rototiller: A Ground-type move. It tills the soil, making it easier for plants to grow.
This was indeed the best choice for Natsuki.
With such a Pokémon, most of the pressure on him would be relieved, allowing him to continue clearing wasteland and repairing the ranch's facilities.
"However, Pokémon that know Rototiller aren't easy to find," Penny added, sounding a bit regretful.
Among the over one thousand species of Pokémon discovered so far, only about 16 can learn Rototiller through various methods.
Most of them are final evolutions, and they wouldn't necessarily be willing to work on a farm.
Ding Zhi, who had been quiet for a while, suddenly clapped his hands.
"Penny, Natsuki, I actually saw a Pokémon like that not long ago."
Two pairs of eyes turned toward him as Ding Zhi continued.
"The day before yesterday, while Stoutland and I were out looking for the Miltank, I saw some Mudbray on the grasslands near Coumarine City."
"They were quite cute all covered in mud. They should meet your requirements, Natsuki."
"Mudbray, huh?"
Natsuki recalled what he knew about Mudbray, realizing that they were a perfect match for his ranch.
Not only can they learn Rototiller, but they can also haul heavy loads. Despite their small size, Mudbray possess incredible strength.
They are one of the most common "beast of burden" Pokémon in the countryside.
With a group of Mudbray helping out, Natsuki wouldn't have to worry about his ranch's future produce being impossible to transport.
Having made up his mind, Natsuki didn't linger.
He asked Ding Zhi for the specific range where the Mudbray were active, then called over Minccino and Kangaskhan, who were playing with the Skiddo.
Taking advantage of the early hour, Natsuki bid farewell to the couple and set off on the road to find the Mudbray's territory.
Places where Mudbray live are very easy to identify, so there was no chance of missing them. Natsuki found them without any effort at all.
In the middle of a large patch of grass, there was a sudden bald patch of bare earth. A few Mudbray playing in the mud sensed a strange presence.
They immediately went back-to-back, crouching low and letting out intimidating growls.
"Spotted already?"
He had wanted to sneak up on them, but now he had to show himself.
Natsuki gently patted Kangaskhan's head, signaling for her to take him closer.
Taking his secret weapon from Minccino, Natsuki hopped down from Kangaskhan and walked slowly toward the mud pit.
First, he had to lower their guard. With a flick of his wrist, Natsuki tossed over three crisp, succulent carrots.
If he remembered correctly, wild Mudbray have a huge demand for green fodder. Normally, they could only munch on nearby grass, which didn't taste great and lacked high nutrition. It was just enough to keep them from being hungry.
The vegetables harvested from Ding Zhi's ranch would be an incredible attraction for them.
At first, the Mudbray didn't react. They stared warily at Kangaskhan— she was a "Great Monster." The aura she gave off was even more terrifying than the Pyroar that ruled these grasslands.
The Mudbray's legs were shaking, and they only stayed upright by leaning against each other.
Natsuki wasn't in a hurry, so he just kept feeding them. Carrots, cabbages, and small pumpkins were tossed over in increasing numbers.
Seeing the ground covered in food, they could no longer hold back. They stepped forward cautiously and lowered their heads to feast.
"Mud-mud! (Tasty, tasty!)"
One of them began eating wildly, ignoring its image. The other two followed suit, and before long, all three Mudbray wore expressions of pure bliss.
This was food unlike anything they had ever tasted.
There's a saying that the fastest way to conquer a Pokémon is through its stomach, and it was certainly proving true.
Under the relentless assault of his "gourmet tactics," the Mudbray gradually let down their guard.
As the vegetables on the ground were finished, the Mudbray looked sad. Natsuki tossed another carrot, landing it slightly closer to himself this time.
The Mudbray, whose appetites had been thoroughly whetted, had zero resistance to the food and moved forward.
He repeated this, piece by piece. By the time the Mudbray realized what was happening, they were standing right in front of Natsuki.
Almost subconsciously, one bit into a carrot handed directly to it by Natsuki. Looking at the human right in front of its nose, the Mudbray blinked its big eyes.
"Mud-mud!!!"
The Mudbray cried out in alarm, the three of them bumping into each other and falling into a heap.
'It's a disaster! We've been caught by a human! If we knew we were this greedy, we wouldn't have come over, waaah!'
Natsuki: "..."
'Why do I get the feeling that Mudbray are a bit... slow?'
"Kangas~"
Behind him, Kangaskhan took a step forward, tilting her head to inspect them curiously.
'They're so dirty and not cute at all. Natsuki definitely won't like them.'
"Mee-ree!"
A small white figure shot toward the Mudbray like a bolt of light, but was caught mid-air by Natsuki and pulled into his arms.
'Dirty, dirty! How can they get so dirty? I have to clean them up, Mi-mi!'
Natsuki stroked Minccino, gradually calming the little fellow down. He couldn't let the fragile rapport he had just built be ruined like that.
Natsuki took out more carrots and even broke his last remaining Honey Muffin into three pieces, handing them over.
"Eat up, eat up."
"Mud?"