https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-189-The-Intrigued-Officer-Siblings/12537220/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-191-Ai-Guanshi-Will-Always-Remember-This-Day/12537222/
Chapter 190: The Absent-Minded and the Disgruntled
Chapter 190: The Absent-Minded and the Disgruntled
"Please, follow me!"
Naoki began to stroll around the ranch with the elderly Sato and the two Aoguris.
Sato, well into his sixties, gave the ranch a cursory glance.
He took in the neat fields, the blooming flower beds, and the meticulously trimmed lawn...
Next to the fields, several Pokemon were helping out: a Gogoat, a Pidgeot, and a Quagsire wearing a straw hat, daydreaming in the grass.
The Gogoat seemed to be using its Grass-type abilities to tend to the crops, while the Pidgeot stood at the edge of the furrows, flapping its wings.
Suddenly, dark clouds gathered, and a gentle drizzle began to fall, nourishing the fields below.
When the rain stopped, a beautiful rainbow even appeared over the fields, illuminated by the sun.
Witnessing this, Elder Sato nodded in approval.
Just from this, he could tell that the owner of this ranch was a diligent person.
Naoki stood beside him, taking in the orderly scene, and organized his thoughts before speaking, "I moved into this ranch in the spring. Before that, it had been abandoned for quite some time."
Elder Sato was slightly surprised, "Since the spring?"
Naoki nodded, giving a brief introduction, "Yes, my parents and I moved to the Hoenn region over a decade ago. My grandfather used to take care of this ranch."
"After he passed away, the ranch fell into disrepair. Recently, I wanted to revisit my hometown, and on a whim, I decided to revive this ranch."
Elder Sato's eyes shone with appreciation, "It's impressive that you've managed to bring the ranch to this state all by yourself!"
Naoki smiled faintly, his gaze drifting to the Pokemon playing in the ranch, "It's not just me; they've all pitched in. It took a lot of effort to get it to where it is now."
Only he knew how exhausting it had been in the beginning.
Trip after trip to catch and sell fish, until the Gogoat and Salazard joined in, making things a little easier.
Hearing this, Elder Sato's gaze shifted to the grass nearby.
There, a Miltank was riding a Salazard, with four other Salazard following behind, running in circles.
On the grass beside them, an Audino was basking in the warm autumn sun.
Further in, an Eievui could be seen lying next to a small yellow flower, sniffing its fragrance.
Its face was full of leisure and cheerfulness, and perhaps due to accidentally inhaling pollen, the Eievui sneezed several times in a row.
Just from the Pokemon's demeanor, one could tell they were well cared for.
"The owner of this ranch knows how to take care of Pokemon," Elder Sato thought, forming his second impression of the young man.
"Let's go take a look over there!"
The two continued on, walking along the country path that Naoki had carved out.
Naoki began to introduce the various facilities on the ranch to Elder Sato:
"This is a flower garden I created separately. Every season, I plant flowers that are in bloom during that time of the year. Usually, Butterfree and Combee frequent this place, and the honey that the Combee collects is made into Sweet Honey for the Pokemon on the ranch to enjoy."
Elder Sato followed the direction of his finger and, as expected, saw three Combee and a Butterfree flying among the flowers.
He nodded, "They seem to love it here."
"Yes!" Naoki's face lit up with a smile. Nothing made him happier than seeing his creations being enjoyed by the Pokemon.
He continued to introduce the remaining facilities:
"Those buildings over there are where Whismur lives, the chicken coop, and where the Salazard stay. Don't be fooled by the small size of that house; there's actually a passage that leads underground to a cave where the Salazard reside."
"As I imagined, it's full of rustic charm!" Elder Sato laughed heartily.
His gaze shifted to the orchard behind the buildings, and he asked, "If I'm not mistaken, those are all fruit trees, aren't they?"
"That's right," Naoki nodded. In just a few months, the fruit tree saplings had grown into lush, vibrant young trees. "In a little over a month, they'll start bearing fruit."
Naoki didn't plan to sell the Berries as their selling price was too low. Instead, he intended to use them for winemaking or as snacks for his Pokemon.
With these thoughts, Naoki felt his ranch was becoming increasingly prosperous. He felt he could even afford to take in a hundred more Pokemon if he wanted to.
However, as much as he wanted to, he knew he couldn't.
Caring for Pokemon required a lot of energy and dedication.
After the tour, Elder Sato was highly satisfied.
This young man was not only diligent and hardworking but also skilled in taking care of Pokemon. Moreover, from the way he interacted with them, it was clear that the Pokemon on the ranch loved him as well.
Elder Sato nodded in approval to himself, but his face remained expressionless as he turned to look at the two Aigirudo who had been following silently behind them.
The female Aigirudo's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Even though she hadn't officially joined the ranch yet, she could already sense the lively atmosphere that permeated the place.
She loved it here and wanted to be a part of this wonderful place.
Meanwhile, the male Aigirudo's attention was focused on the group of Pokemon residing in the ranch.
As they had walked by, those Pokemon had been quietly observing them as well.
He keenly sensed the emotions in those gazes.
Curiosity, surprise, happiness, wariness...
At that moment, the male Aigirudo noticed the expectant look on his sister's face.
He pursed his lips, and his already unhappy-looking face seemed to grow even more displeased.
Intrigued by this, Naoki wondered what this Aigirudo, who seemed like a little adult, wanted to say. Was he unhappy about something? Was he unhappy about being here?
Male Aigirudo: "Aigi..." (Sister...)
Female Aigirudo blinked her eyes, as if she had guessed what her brother was about to say. "Aigi! Aigi?" (Brother, I like it here! Don't you?)
Male Aigirudo, in a serious tone: "Aigi." (I like it too.)
Naoki: "..."
Why the unhappy expression then? he wondered.
But he supposed he couldn't blame the Pokemon, as the male Aigirudo's mouth corners naturally turned downward, making his face always look a bit grumpy.
"So, what do you think?" Elder Sato asked with a smile, seeing that the two Pokemon seemed to have finished their discussion. "Do you want to stay here and live with Naoki?"
Hearing this, the two Aigirudo lifted their heads to look at Naoki.
Naoki also turned to them and greeted them with a smile.
"It's been a while, Aigirudo. Allow me to introduce myself formally. I'm Naoki, the owner of this ranch. If you'd like, I'd be very happy to welcome you here."
The female Aigirudo was delighted. "Aigi~"
The male Aigirudo, on the other hand, released a small amount of spiritual power from his horn, using it to read Naoki's emotions.
He detected no malice, no disdain, only pure welcome and happiness.
Noticing the male Aigirudo's action, Naoki turned to face him.
Their gazes met in mid-air.
After a moment, the male Aigirudo gave a small nod and said calmly, "Aigi."
He agreed.
(End of Chapter)
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