https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-12-The-Enhancing-Effects-of-Silk/12536987/
Chapter 13: Farming, and More Farming
Chapter 13: Farming, and More Farming
At 5 o'clock in the evening, Zack arrived at the ranch promptly in his truck.
Naoki was in the midst of planting the last fruit tree sapling with the help of Gorebyss and Machop. Having just finished watering them, he heard Zack's deep voice call out from behind.
"You did all this? So fast! In less than a day?" Zack exclaimed, awe-struck by the transformation of the ranch.
The once overgrown fields were now neat and tidy. The plots of land were squared off and arranged in an orderly fashion, the soil still slightly damp from recent watering.
Naoki turned around and smiled at Zack, saying, "I couldn't have done it without their help."
He gestured to his side, revealing Gorebyss and Machop standing nearby.
Zack paused for a moment, then looked up and noticed that in addition to the Machop he had seen yesterday, there was now another Pokemon by Naoki's side—one he had never seen before.
It was a massive creature with a sturdy build, well-muscled limbs, and a powerful tail.
"What's that big guy there?" Zack asked, his eyes widening in surprise.
He swore he had never seen such a Pokemon in the Pasio region. As a truck driver who had traveled far and wide, Zack had been to countless places and encountered innumerable Pokemon.
He considered himself quite knowledgeable about the Pokemon that inhabited the Pasio region.
Although he wasn't a trainer, he would often engage in thrilling Pokemon battles with aspiring trainers from the Orange Academy whenever he crossed paths with them during his deliveries.
But this Pokemon… he had never heard of it before.
Naoki was not surprised by Zack's reaction, as aside from Professor Orchid, no one else had seen Gorebyss yet.
After a moment's thought, he refrained from revealing Gorebyss' name and instead replied honestly, "I'm not sure where it came from. It appeared at the ranch last night, injured. Machop and I helped it, and it decided to stay and help out on the ranch to show its gratitude."
"I see…" Zack nodded, his gaze softening as he looked at the unfamiliar Pokemon. "It seems to have taken a liking to you. Your encounter must mean you two are fated to meet."
With his curiosity satisfied, Zack turned his attention to the cargo box and asked, "Did you find any more specialty produce like the black truffles today?"
"No, but I did catch some fish," Naoki replied.
He walked over to the eaves and lifted a bucket filled with fish, placing it in front of Zack.
Zack crouched down and peered into the bucket, his eyes widening in surprise at the sight within. "Wow! So many!"
As a novice rancher, Naoki's fishing skills were certainly impressive.
"Let me see…" Zack released his Pokemon, a veteran Ambipom, and instructed it to retrieve a glass fish tank specifically used for transporting fish from the truck.
"Bass, carp, catfish, herring… and two rainbow trout! These are rare fish that are very hard to catch! Your fishing skills are incredible!"
Zack's face lit up with admiration as he gave a thumbs-up. "Impressive!"
Naoki responded with an embarrassed yet polite smile.
Zack took out his ledger and began calculating the earnings.
"Bass is 300 Pokedollars each, carp is 120… rainbow trout is 1,200… Hmm, that adds up to 3,680 Pokedollars in total."
After finishing the calculations, Zack put away his ledger and took out his wallet to pay Naoki. "This is a great haul. Hope we can have more of these tomorrow!"
Indeed, in any world, fishing seemed to be a primary source of income in the early stages… Naoki thought to himself as he accepted the money.
Once the transaction was complete, Zack turned to leave, intending to continue his rounds at other ranches and farms before delivering the goods to the nearby markets and cities overnight.
But suddenly, he remembered something else.
He paused and turned back, asking, "By the way, have you thought of a name for your ranch yet?"
A name?
Naoki was taken aback for a moment.
Zack grinned and explained, "A good name can become the ranch's trademark and attract more attention. There's also a harvest season event held in town where nearby ranches participate and compete for the best-quality produce. The winning ranch even receives a special prize from the town!"
Naoki listened intently, understanding the importance of a good name and the potential benefits of participating in the town's event.
After just a few seconds of contemplation, Naoki landed on a name: "I'll call it Naoki Ranch!"
It was simple, memorable, and straightforward.
"Using your own name, huh? Great! Then it's settled, Naoki Ranch it is!" Zack laughed. "I can't wait for the day when this name spreads across the entire Pasio region!"
Naoki: "..."
Zack bid farewell and left.
Naoki watched as Zack drove away, then turned back to survey the newly transformed grid fields before him.
After returning from the back mountain, he noticed that the soil had mostly recovered, so he set about planting all the crop seeds he had purchased with the help of Gorebyss and Machop.
There were many different types of seeds, and Naoki disliked disorganization, so before planting, he deliberately divided the field into different sections based on the categories of crops.
Potatoes, turnips, garlic, spring wheat, strawberries, cabbage, cucumbers, radishes, and tomatoes each had their designated area.
In addition, he had also purchased several fruit tree saplings, such as Oran berries, Pecha berries, Cheri berries, and Sitrus berries.
These saplings occupied a separate section, and Naoki intended to turn that area into a specialized orchard.
The ordinary tree fruits in this world were incredibly cheap; for example, an Oran berry tree fruit only sold for 20 Pokedollars each.
Therefore, Naoki didn't plan on relying on them for income. Instead, he intended to keep them for making fruit cakes, fruit yogurt, fruit pies, and other treats for Gorebyss and Machop.
After several busy hours, Naoki felt exhausted.
But looking at the neat rows of crops before him, a sense of satisfaction washed over him.
"Hmm, I might have gone a little overboard with the number of crop seeds I planted this first time."
Concerned about making mistakes, Naoki briefly pondered, then decided to make some wooden signs to stick into the ground, labeling each section with the type of crop it held.
He had seen a saw in the back utility room earlier, which could be used for cutting wood.
However, it was already getting late, so he decided to leave that task for tomorrow.
Stretching lazily, Naoki relaxed and took off the muddy clogs from his feet. He washed his face at the tap, then changed into a pair of comfortable sandals.
As he turned, he spotted Gorebyss and Machop, both covered in dirt from head to toe, with mud on their tails and feet.
"..."
Naoki sighed helplessly and said to the two Pokemon, "Stay still, I'll hose you down!"
The two Pokemon immediately obeyed and stood still.
Naoki picked up the hose and started rinsing them off, and once the mud was gone, the two large Pokemon shook their bodies in unison, spraying water droplets everywhere.
Naoki, now soaked, suddenly found himself thinking that they resembled a pair of large dogs.
Shaking off the odd thought, he turned back into the house to grab some towels and dried Gorebyss and Machop off before ushering them inside.
The wooden floor of the house was spotless, thanks to Naoki's diligent cleaning, and to keep it that way, he always made sure to change out of his shoes when entering the house.
By now, it was late into the night.
Gorebyss and Machop lay lazily on the floor, yawning incessantly.
Machop glanced at Gorebyss with a hint of disdain, perhaps judging its own previous appearance.
The warm lighting of the house illuminated the scene as Naoki, wearing his indoor slippers, stood at the stove, preparing dinner for his Pokemon companions.
Hmm, what should I make for dinner tonight? Naoki thought to himself. He had wanted to try making something new, but after a tiring day, he ultimately decided to take the easy way out.
He simply fried some meat patties and assembled them with sliced toast, lettuce, and ham to create a nutritious and well-balanced sandwich.
"Here, eat up!"
Naoki placed the sandwiches in front of the two Pokemon and then took his own portion to the desk, where he sat down and recorded the remaining details in his daily ledger.
198th year of Spring, January 6th.
Income: Fish +3680
Expenses: 0
Remaining Funds: 32490
With the record-keeping complete, Naoki finished his dinner and contentedly flopped onto his bed.
Time to sleep!
(End of Chapter)
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