"Bzz-bzz!"
The three Noibat were stunned for a moment, then looked at Hayato Sora with sparkling eyes full of admiration.
Hayato Sora was amazing!
The Noibat scratched him with the tiny claws at the ends of their wings, indicating that they wanted to try right now. They wanted to become super, super strong.
That way, when Hayato Sora wasn't around, they could protect the ranch.
And then they'd receive his praise—hehe!
Hayato Sora reached out to calm the three little ones, tapping the dark circles around their eyes.
"No rush. Go back and sleep first. Only when you're well rested can you use it properly."
"Bzz~"
The Noibat thought about it and realized Hayato Sora was right.
The three of them greeted the Mudsdale before flying back toward their cave.
"Hayato Sora, are those Pokémon you recently caught?"
Only after the conversation ended did his mother step forward to ask.
Hayato Sora nodded slightly with a smile.
"They're three very cute little guys."
As he spoke, he removed all the Poké Balls from his waist and tossed them into the air.
"Everyone, come on out!"
Five Flabébé, Smoliv, and Kangaskhan appeared on the grass.
Once the little ones realized they had returned to the ranch, they immediately ran toward the Mudsdale.
Not far away, Serena came running at full speed.
She hugged Kangaskhan's leg, climbed onto the top of its foot, and raised her arms with her head tilted up—clearly asking for a hug.
After all, they were good sisters!
Hayato Sora reminded Kangaskhan not to take Serena anywhere dangerous and to stay near the tulip flower field.
Then he accompanied his mother around the ranch, introducing the current facilities and even bringing her inside the cabin for a tour.
At first, Cyclizar followed along.
But before long, it couldn't resist its restlessness and sped off.
When they saw it again, a flock of chickens was trailing behind it.
The flock had grown larger—just two days ago, the first batch of chicks had hatched.
There were eight chicks, and all of them followed Cyclizar around.
After walking around the ranch, it was clear that Hayato Sora had managed everything extremely well.
While introducing it, his tone unconsciously carried a hint of pride.
This was the result of his and his Pokémon's hard work.
As Saki looked around, the pride in her eyes grew stronger.
In the blink of an eye, the little boy who once ran around with a runny nose had grown up.
Now he had become someone others could rely on.
He had even built this ranch with his own hands.
As a mother, she felt both happy and proud.
Still, she had one lingering concern.
"Hayato Sora, are you planning to settle here permanently and stop being a trainer?"
Hearing this, Hayato Sora shook his head and explained his plan.
"This year I won't be traveling. After Kangaskhan gives birth to her baby Kangaskhan, and once the ranch has developed steadily for a year, I'll go out traveling again."
Who said becoming a ranch owner meant giving up being a trainer?
He still wanted to get a League position someday.
"As long as you have a plan."
His mother nodded.
Moments like this—where the two of them talked so much—were rare.
Normally, they only communicated through letters, and since Hayato Sora moved around frequently, they didn't talk often.
"Make way! The last dish—steamed sea bass—coming through!"
Hayato Sora placed the steaming dish in the center of the table.
"Give it a try."
Serena eagerly picked up a piece with her chopsticks.
The tender fish melted in her mouth, making her squint happily.
"So delicious! Big brother, your cooking is better than Mom's!"
Serena gave the highest possible praise.
But the moment she realized what she had said, she quickly covered her mouth nervously.
"You little ingrate."
Her mother laughed helplessly and picked up a piece herself.
The flavor really was excellent.
"Hehe!"
Seeing that her mother didn't pursue the matter, Serena happily grabbed another piece of fish.
"Cinccino, do you want some? It's really tasty!"
"Chi~"
Cinccino shook its head.
It was holding a sticky rice cake in its tiny paws, its cheeks puffed full.
After dinner, it was already late.
The family gathered in the living room to watch television.
At times like this, an inevitable battle for the remote control would break out.
Watching Serena argue with Cinccino and the others, Hayato Sora sank comfortably into the sofa.
He had bought this sofa a few days ago for 20,000 PokéDollars, and it was incredibly comfortable.
Taking out the Noivern Reverse Scale that Drasna had given him, Hayato Sora began thinking.
What kind of dish could he make with it?
If he simply let the Noibat carry it, it would be a waste and wouldn't maximize its value.
One possible recipe after another was rejected.
Then his gaze accidentally landed on the frozen fruit jelly Cinccino had taken from the refrigerator.
His eyes suddenly lit up.
He had an idea.
He could turn it into Fish Scale Jelly, a rather special delicacy.
However…
A single Noivern Reverse Scale might not be enough.
It would be better if he could obtain more dragon scales.
Soon, Hayato Sora thought of a particular Pokémon.
The Gyarados that had attacked a Lapras herd and was roaming the nearby sea.
That Gyarados should have plenty of dragon scales for him to choose from.
He couldn't deal with it today, but tomorrow he could invite Siebold to capture the Gyarados together.
With tomorrow's plan decided, Hayato Sora stood up and checked the time.
"It's getting late. Serena, you can watch more tomorrow."
"It's already nine o'clock?"
Serena was surprised and turned off the TV herself.
"Big brother, I want to sleep with Cinccino tonight!"
"Alright."
Hayato Sora rubbed her twin buns.
"Then make sure you take good care of Cinccino for me."
Fortunately, Hayato Sora had expanded the cabin earlier, otherwise there wouldn't have been enough rooms.
Carrying the already snoring Smoliv, Hayato Sora headed upstairs, with Kangaskhan following behind.
Just as the ranch fell quiet for the night—
three sneaky figures approached from the outer fence.
"Meow…"
(No movement, meow.)
A gray Meowth leapt lightly onto the fence.
Its sly eyes scanned the ranch before quickly locking onto the direction of food.
"Meow."
(You two wait here. I'll go scout ahead.)
With that, the gray Meowth jumped into the ranch.
The soft pads on its feet made no sound at all.
It advanced slowly, taking a few steps before lifting its head to observe its surroundings.
Their success in previous raids had always depended on this level of caution.
Tonight would be no different.
The gray Meowth crept toward the chicken coop.
Peeking through a small window, it saw the chicks and eggs inside.
Drool began dripping from its mouth, and its stomach growled loudly.
Over the past few days, the gang had failed to act.
The ranchers had increased their vigilance and stationed Pokémon guards.
They had even been spotted once.
Fearing exposure, the Meowth had fled overnight to another area.
But the humans here clearly hadn't heard the news yet.
Tonight, they could finally enjoy a feast.
Licking its lips, the gray Meowth searched for a way inside.
After circling the coop, it discovered that all doors and windows were tightly locked.
It couldn't open them alone.
They needed the black Meowth—the Galarian one.
But if that one acted, it would definitely cause a disturbance.
After thinking for a moment, the gray Meowth decided not to alert the enemy too early.
Instead, it quietly approached the ranch cabin.
It knew humans had a large rectangular box that stored lots of food.
The gray Meowth slipped through the small pet door in the main entrance.
But before it could even turn around—
a massive shadow suddenly loomed over it.
"Meow?!"
Startled, the gray Meowth instinctively used Hypnosis.
Cyclizar felt its head grow slightly dizzy.
The sensation lasted less than a second.
"Graa?"
The dark figure at the doorway—
had suddenly vanished.
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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