Evening, beside the Miltank Ranch.
A truck sped over from the distance and stopped by the roadside.
Gario stepped down from the passenger seat and walked over to Hayato Sora.
His gaze immediately locked onto the baskets of strawberries.
With his years of experience inspecting harvests, he could tell at a glance that the strawberries Hayato Sora produced ranked among the top three in quality he had seen.
Fruit of this grade usually sold for several times the price of ordinary fruit.
"Wow! Hayato Sora, were all these strawberries picked from your ranch?" Gario asked, eyes shining as he confirmed again.
After receiving Hayato Sora's confirmation, Gario requested to inspect them, explaining:
"If they meet premium-grade standards, the purchase price won't be calculated like normal fruit."
Unexpected good news. Hayato Sora waved his hand and let him check freely.
Gario randomly selected several strawberries and placed them in his palm.
The fruit was well-shaped, uniformly bright red, and each weighed over 20 grams.
He then took out a professional sugar-content tester. The reading exceeded 10 Brix, accompanied by a rich fragrance.
The surface showed no scratches, dents, or insect damage.
After inspecting over a hundred strawberries in succession, 95% qualified as first-grade fruit.
That rate already exceeded the company's purchasing standards.
"Hayato Sora, this batch of strawberries qualifies as first-grade fruit. Our company can offer 50 PokéDollars per pound."
That was already a very high price.
After all, strawberries were still just ordinary fruit, not Berries, which contained rich nutrients and unique effects.
Hayato Sora nodded and accepted the offer.
The final calculation came out quickly.
500 kilogram in total, sold for 25,000 PokéDollars.
Compared to the tomatoes and cabbages he sold last time, the price was just as impressive.
Of course, growing fruit required more care and a longer growing period.
Taking both factors into account, the overall profit difference wasn't that large.
For the first year, Hayato Sora had no intention of expanding blindly.
Two plots of farmland were already enough to keep him and Mudbray busy.
After helping Gario load the strawberries onto the truck and watching him drive away, Hayato Sora patted his now-bulging money pouch.
Then he hopped onto Cyclizar, humming a little tune as he rode back to the ranch.
"Riding my beloved little motorcycle—it'll never get stuck in traffic~"
"Gao?!"
Cyclizar suddenly realized something.
So Hayato Sora thought it was too slow?
Then it would show him the true speed of his beloved little motorcycle!
A streak of blue-white lightning flashed across the road as Cyclizar pushed itself to the limit, faint threads of electricity swirling around its body.
A trace of the mysterious power hidden within Cyclizar was stirred awake.
Like a bolt of lightning, it tore through the quiet forest.
"Gaaao~!"
Cyclizar stopped at the ranch gate, looking expectantly at Hayato Sora.
It was clearly waiting for praise.
Instead, Hayato Sora raised his hand and smacked its head.
He leaned against Cyclizar, dry-heaving while his heart pounded wildly.
The speed had been too sudden—and he hadn't been prepared at all.
He had almost been thrown off.
His stomach still churned violently.
Praise?
Did it want another slap instead?
Hayato Sora smacked Cyclizar again in annoyance.
"What's gotten into you? Why did you suddenly run so fast?"
Cyclizar widened its eyes in silent disbelief.
Wasn't it you who said your beloved little motorcycle would never get stuck in traffic?
Didn't that mean I should go faster?
And now he was denying it.
Hmph! Humans.
Hayato Sora also felt puzzled, but fortunately nothing bad had happened.
"Forget it, forget it," he waved his hand.
"Just don't run that fast next time."
The man and Pokémon entered the ranch.
Kangaskhan and the others immediately gathered around.
As for Korrina, Hayato Sora had already sent her home before nightfall.
Hayato Sora patted each Pokémon one by one, then looked around.
"Huh? Where's Cinccino?"
Normally, whenever he returned from outside, Cinccino was always the first to run over for attention.
It was extremely clingy.
But today, although all the other Pokémon were here—even Smoliv—Cinccino was nowhere to be seen.
Hayato Sora couldn't help feeling worried.
"Kangaskhan!"
Kangaskhan beckoned him over and opened her pouch.
Inside, Cinccino had curled into a fluffy ball, softly snoring.
"Hahaha!"
Hayato Sora gestured for Kangaskhan to close the pouch before he burst out laughing.
Cinccino had been completely exhausted by Korrina.
Kids that age had infinite energy—even Pokémon struggled to keep up.
He signaled for the others not to wake Cinccino.
Then Hayato Sora picked up Smoliv and returned to the cabin with the Pokémon.
Looking at the remaining strawberries in the refrigerator, Hayato Sora decided to make strawberry jam.
Fruit platters could be used alternately with honey, and the jam could also be turned into ice cream.
Hmm?
Then why not just freeze the strawberries directly?
The weather was getting hotter lately.
Frozen strawberries could become natural popsicles for the Pokémon—pure, additive-free, and easy to prepare.
After dinner, Hayato Sora began experimenting.
He cut the strawberries into small pieces, mixed them with white sugar and lemon water to marinate, then simmered them slowly until thick, occasionally skimming off foam.
Soon, a special ingredient appeared before his eyes.
[Strawberry Jam]
Sweet and tangy jam. When stored refrigerated in a jar, it can last for one month. Adding it to desserts can slightly improve the quality of the dish.
The description surprised Hayato Sora.
A sauce that improved cooking quality.
It reminded him of the Premium Sable Cookies he made before.
If he combined several ingredients that enhanced food quality, could he produce Master-level Sable Cookies?
It was worth trying.
Once he harvested and sold the cabbages tomorrow, he could give it a test.
Also, the tulip flower field needed a buyer soon.
He could already smell the faint fragrance today.
After storing the jam in the refrigerator, Hayato Sora took out his account book and recorded today's earnings.
Spring, Year 198 — February 3
Expenses: 49 PokéDollars (milk tea for Korrina)
Income: 25,000 PokéDollars
Remaining funds: 78,000 PokéDollars
Hayato Sora made a quick estimate.
Once he sold the cabbages and tulips, his funds would likely reach 100,000 PokéDollars.
At that time, he could upgrade the ranch house again, gaining more and larger rooms.
The thought filled him with motivation.
It was the hope of a better life.
After putting away the account book, Hayato Sora performed his usual nightly check before sleeping.
Mudbray slept peacefully.
Noibat was playing among the Berry trees.
Chatot still hadn't returned today—but its food bowl was empty every day.
Next time he saw it, Hayato Sora would definitely give it a lecture.
That bird was rarely home—busier than he was.
Sometimes several days passed without seeing it.
"Cyclizar, stop following me around. Go to sleep."
Hayato Sora patted Cyclizar, which had been trailing him the whole time.
"Gao…"
Cyclizar obediently lay down in front of the fireplace in the living room, and Hayato Sora covered it with a blanket.
He then returned to the room, closed the window, and urged Smoliv to sleep.
Before turning off the lights, he carefully carried Cinccino to the bed.
Soon, the room filled with steady breathing.
But in the quiet darkness, Cyclizar slowly opened its eyes.
Sneaking quietly out of the cabin—
On the roof, a tired-looking Chatot was gulping down food.
As it watched Cyclizar and Noibat training, its eyes suddenly lit up.
I've got it.
A way to get rid of that crazy woman.
PS: I've been releasing chapters daily . Honestly, it hurts seeing almost no support on Patreon after all that work.If you're enjoying the fic, even a little, supporting me would mean a lot. It helps a student stay independent .
complete fic (all chapters ) are already up on Patreon → patreon.com/Chakraflow789
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