The back mountain wasn't far from the ranch. After crossing the lake and following the river for a few minutes, you would arrive.
The forest in the afternoon was lush and vibrant. Sunlight filtered through gaps in the canopy, warming the woods and driving away the lingering chill.
Even before entering, all kinds of Pokémon cries echoed in the air.
Listening carefully for a moment, most of them came from bird Pokémon and Bug-type Pokémon.
There were many of them, and the variety was impressive.
There was also another reason.
This was their active period.
Later in the evening, the forest's more dangerous and powerful Pokémon would come out to hunt.
Hayato had come here today to recruit a few Pokémon to help manage his ranch.
Strength didn't matter much .
Suitability was what truly mattered.
"Cinccino, since you used to live around here, do you know where a lot of Grass-type Pokémon gather?"
For ranch work, Grass-type Pokémon were naturally the best choice.
So Hayato asked the local Pokémon beside him.
"Cinccino!"
Cinccino shook its head like a rattle drum.
The little Pokémon explained that it had only been born a few months ago and had never dared venture deep into the forest.
"I see."
Hayato gently squeezed its big ear reassuringly.
"I'm not blaming you. Being able to protect yourself already makes you amazing."
"Cinccino—!"
Cinccino waved its tiny fists excitedly.
"Alright, alright. Then I'll rely on you to protect my safety," Hayato replied with a smile.
Since he didn't know where Grass-type Pokémon gathered, Hayato could only rely on experience to search.
Fortunately, he had prepared a secret weapon this time.
Finding a suitable Pokémon wouldn't be a problem.
As Hayato took out the Honey Pancakes, their information appeared in front of him.
Honey Pancakes (C Rank)
A sweet afternoon snack made with honey and flour. No Pokémon can ignore its sugary aroma.
Cooking Effect – Sweet Aroma
The fragrance attracts hidden Pokémon, causing them to gather nearby.
Duration: 120 minutes
Special Effect – Bear Attraction
Has an unusually strong appeal to bear-like Pokémon.
The effect was similar to the move Sweet Scent.
Hayato found an open clearing in the forest and placed the honey pancakes in the middle, allowing the aroma to drift outward.
All he had to do now was wait.
Soon, the entire back mountain became lively because of Hayato 's actions.
Wild Pokémon hiding in bushes, caves, and treetops all looked toward the same direction.
Many of them swallowed nervously.
One after another, Pokémon began gathering toward Hayato 's location.
The process was quick.
Right now, Hayato had already spotted the first Pokémon entering his field of vision.
He heard the chatter long before he saw it.
A noisy Chatot.
It resembled a parrot, with a musical note-shaped crest on its head.
That crest was a special organ that allowed Chatot to chatter nonstop all day—often to the point of being incredibly annoying.
"Caw! The tasty stuff belongs to me!"
Chatot shouted in a voice eerily similar to human speech.
If it slowed down its pronunciation a little, it would sound almost exactly like a person talking.
Mimicking human speech was a signature ability of Chatot.
With its eyes fixed entirely on the honey pancakes, the Chatot dove down from above.
It completely failed to notice Cinccino, who had already leapt high into the air and swung its tail.
Bang!
With a loud smack, Chatot was sent flying back into the forest even faster than it had arrived.
"Nice work, Cinccino!"
Hayato spread his arms and caught the descending Cinccino, praising it generously.
"Cinccino~"
Cinccino giggled shyly, covering its little face with its big ears.
Hehe—nailed it!
Studying Pokémon psychology at Blueberry Academy hadn't been for nothing.
"Kangaskhanaa!"
Beside them, Kangaskhan let out a jealous roar.
Those compliments used to belong to it.
"Kangaskhan , I'll leave it to you to quiet them down."
Hayato patted Kangaskhan's arm.
He had come here to recruit ranch Pokémon, after all.
"Kangaskhan!"
Kangaskhan immediately shifted into battle mode.
Its aura visibly changed.
A fierce edge appeared in its expression, and then—
ROOOOAR!
A thunderous roar erupted from its throat, echoing across the entire back mountain.
One Pokémon after another snapped out of their food-driven excitement.
What kind of Pokémon possessed such terrifying presence?
And why was it here?
As the forest filled with nervous chatter, a memory surfaced among the wild Pokémon.
A roar they had heard one night several days ago.
Soon, a Pinsir with injured horns was pushed forward by the others to negotiate with the "giant monster."
Thus, the scene before Hayato became rather amusing.
The once-feared forest bully Pinsir now looked like a timid bride, awkwardly apologizing.
"Oh, it's you, Pinsir."
Hayato suddenly remembered.
This was the same Pinsir he had encountered on the road the night he first arrived at the ranch.
Back then, Kangaskhan had slapped it flying hundreds of meters away.
The injury still seemed to ache even now.
Looking toward the many pairs of eyes watching from the forest, Hayato said,
"Pinsir, tell everyone to come out. Today I'm here to recruit a Pokémon to join my ranch and help manage it."
"I'll provide a safe home and plenty of food."
Pinsir visibly relaxed.
As long as they weren't here to cause trouble.
Otherwise, with their tiny arms and legs, they wouldn't stand a chance anyway.
With Pinsir acting as an intermediary, Pokémon living all over the back mountain gradually appeared.
Soon a whole group of wild Pokémon stood before Hayato .
Hayato carefully scanned them one by one.
His gaze finally stopped on several Pokémon.
"Wild Miltank?"
His eyes lit up immediately.
This was one of the best possible ranch Pokémon.
The Moomoo Milk produced by Miltank was famous throughout the Pokémon League.
Among them, the milk produced in Goldenrod City was considered the finest.
Hayato had tasted it once during his travels.
Just in terms of flavor, it was no worse than Veluza meat—a true premium ingredient.
If he could recruit the three Miltank in front of him, he would gain a steady supply of Moomoo Milk.
But after examining them carefully, Hayato felt as if cold water had been poured over him.
Around their necks, partly hidden by black fur, were collars identifying their owners.
As expected…
They had probably run away from a nearby ranch.
Hayato felt disappointed for a moment.
But since he had encountered them, he had a responsibility to send them back.
The ranch owner who lost them was probably very worried right now.
After thinking for a moment, Hayato walked toward the three Miltank and took out three honey pancakes.
"Did you get lost and can't find your way home?"
"Moo moo~"
The leading Miltank nodded vigorously.
Apparently, they had jumped through a broken fence while their ranch owner wasn't paying attention.
And just like that—
They got lost.
Hungry and exhausted, they had followed the scent of the honey pancakes here.
"I see."
After roughly understanding what they meant, Hayato said,
"Eat first. After that, I'll take you back home."
"Moo moo~ (Thank you, human!)"
The three starving Miltank grabbed the honey pancakes and devoured them without caring about manners.
They must have been starving.
To find the ranch they originally belonged to, Hayato would have to rely on the wild Pokémon nearby.
So he took out another honey pancake and began asking around for information.