"Cinccino, from now on you'll be the ranch's housekeeper! This whole area—and that area over there—are all ours. You'll be in charge of managing them."
"As for your current task… just keep the camp clean."
Hayato had carefully considered his decision to invite Cinccino to join the ranch. It wasn't a spur-of-the-moment choice but the result of weighing several factors.
The reason he temporarily ended his journey wasn't only because of the system—Kangaskhan was also a major reason. Because of this, he had even consulted Nurse Joy.
The issue he was facing was actually quite common among Kangaskhan .
As they grow older, Kangaskhan mothers gradually develop an overwhelming maternal instinct. Their desire for offspring increases day by day.
At the same time, their vigilance toward the outside world becomes stronger, their temper grows more irritable, and they become anxious and emotionally unstable.
It was somewhat similar to prenatal anxiety.
Wild Kangaskhan usually live in groups. With experienced elders around to comfort them, the chances of problems arising are greatly reduced.
But a Kangaskhan caught by a Trainer can only rely on the Trainer and herself to overcome it.
Moreover, Hayato 's Kangaskhan was about to have offspring for the first time. With no prior experience, occasional overreactions were inevitable.
Earlier, when Hayato noticed that Kangaskhan got along well with Cinccino, he had already begun considering letting Cinccino stay. It could help ease Kangaskhan's anxiety and also serve as a kind of desensitization training.
After all, the ranch would definitely raise various kinds of ranch Pokémon in the future, so Hayato had to prepare in advance.
Cinccino's arrival brought visible changes to Kangaskhan . The laughter and playful chatter between the two Pokémon never seemed to stop.
They only paused briefly when Hayato brought out lunch.
The two Pokémon immediately sat neatly side by side.
Hayato and Kangaskhan were having Deluxe Burgers loaded with all the toppings, while Cinccino still had a Berry Fruit Platter. The only difference was that Hayato had switched out several fruits to give it a slightly different flavor.
"Let's eat!"
"Rooar…"
"Chii chii!"
After finishing lunch in no time, the human and the two Pokémon lay down on the grass for a short nap.
Hayato held Cinccino in his arms. The little Pokémon's fur was glossy and smooth, incredibly soft to the touch—so comfortable that it was hard to let go.
She even smelled nice, making him even more reluctant to put her down.
Fluffy Pokémon were simply the cutest.
Hayato was already looking forward to hugging her while sleeping at night.
When the scorching noon sun finally began to tilt westward and a gentle breeze drifted through the air, Hayato slowly woke up.
After washing his face and yawning, he grabbed a hoe and a bag of Berry seeds, then headed toward the farmland they had started clearing that morning.
It was still too early to plant Berry trees.
First, Hayato and Kangaskhan carried the trimmed logs over near the Ranch Cabin.
On the system panel, the wood counter kept jumping upward: +1, +1.
A day of labor had finally produced results. They were now one step closer to repairing the ranch cabin.
Once the trees were cleared away, they still needed to clean up fallen branches, weeds, and scattered stones.
Cinccino stared at the messy ground and could barely contain herself.
She leaped down from Hayato 's shoulder, her fluffy tail spinning like a windmill.
With rapid sweeping motions, fallen leaves and dry branches were cleared away and piled neatly in a corner.
Seeing this, Hayato didn't hesitate either. Carrying his hoe, he joined the cleanup effort, digging up large rocks buried beneath the soil one by one.
Kangaskhan then carried them over and stacked them neatly in the corner.
Working together, the land reclamation progressed smoothly.
Whenever they got tired, they sat down for a short break. Sometimes they would even start playfully roughhousing right on the spot.
Their laughter and chatter never stopped.
Before they knew it, the sun had already begun to set.
Covered in dirt, Hayato wiped the sweat running down his face with his sleeve.
Looking at the newly cleared land in front of him—now divided into neat plots of farmland—he felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.
"Looks like we won't be able to plant the seeds today," Hayato said with a hint of regret.
Reclaiming wasteland wasn't nearly as simple as he had imagined.
Today, he had only completed the first step.
Next, the soil still needed to be tilled—breaking apart the hardened earth so the soil would become loose.
After that, the ground would need to be leveled again.
Only then could the wasteland truly be considered reclaimed farmland, ready for planting.
Hayato wasn't in a hurry, though. Taking it step by step was perfectly fine.
He called out to Cinccino and Kangaskhan , who were currently chasing each other and playing on the grass nearby.
The moment she heard him, Cinccino shot toward him like an arrow released from a bow—clearly having held herself back for quite a while.
Her fluffy tail swished back and forth like a feather duster, rapidly brushing away dust from Hayato from head to toe.
Holding Cinccino in his arms, Hayato squeezed her soft fluffy ears.
Kangaskhan followed closely beside them, her expression carrying a faint hint of jealousy.
"What do you want to eat tonight?" Hayato asked.
"Chii~"
Cinccino, purring comfortably, raised a tiny paw and murmured.
"Still want a fruit platter? How about trying something different?"
"Chi? Mimi."
Cinccino tilted her head cutely.
"As long as I make it, you'll eat it happily, won't you? What a good little Pokémon."
Hayato couldn't resist pinching her puffed cheeks again.
"What about you, Kangaskhan ? A big bowl of fried meat strips, or grilled meat?"
"Rooar…"
"You want fried little fish… hmm."
Hayato thought for a moment before replying.
"How about tomorrow? We'll plant the Berry seeds in the morning, then go fishing by the beach in the afternoon. When we come back at night, I'll fry some little fish for you."
"Rooor…"
Although she couldn't eat the crispy, savory fried fish immediately, Hayato 's promise was enough.
Kangaskhan happily pulled Hayato into a big hug.
Hayato was the best.
They had to stay together forever.
After a full day of labor, Hayato 's body was unusually sore.
Dinner would be simple tonight.
First, he washed the red dates and removed the pits.
Glutinous rice flour was mixed with an appropriate amount of sugar to make a thick batter.
Then the chopped red dates were stirred into the mixture.
Finally, he poured the batter into molds and placed them neatly into the steamer.
"Cinccino, just keep the fire at this level, okay?"
"Lii lii~"
While waiting, Hayato moved to the other side and cut the marinated pork belly into evenly sized chunks.
He then took sharpened wooden skewers and threaded the meat onto them—ten pieces per skewer, ten skewers in total.
They were placed over glowing red charcoal to grill.
"Kangaskhan , how spicy do you want it?"
"Rooor…"
"If you can't decide, then let's do three levels of spice—three skewers each."
As the skewers sizzled and dripped oil, Hayato brushed them with chili sauces of varying intensity.
Of course, meat dishes needed something refreshing to balance the richness.
He tore apart lettuce leaves, sliced cucumbers, chopped tomatoes, and cut carrots into strips, tossing them all into a large bowl.
Three spoons of olive oil.
Two spoons of apple cider vinegar.
One spoon of honey.
A bit of salt and black pepper.
Hayato then handed the bowl to Kangaskhan , who simply needed to mix everything thoroughly.
Meanwhile, the aroma of grilled meat began drifting through the air.
Not far away, a faint sweetness also wafted out from the steamer.
Two system prompts appeared.
[Meat Skewers (B)]
Oil-rich grilled skewers with plump, firm chunks of meat. The varying levels of spiciness are intriguing. A favorite of Fire-type Pokémon.
Cooking Effect: Spicy Power Burst
[Sweet Berry Rice Cakes (B)]
A homemade dessert combining the perfect flavors of red dates and glutinous rice. Perhaps adding milk and osmanthus would create an even richer taste.
Cooking Effect: Sweet and Soft
"Huh?"
Different cooking effects.
And there were two of them this time.
Hayato eagerly opened the details to take a closer look.