Chapter 24: The Delicious Cream Faerie
Chapter 24: The Delicious Cream Faerie
Passing through the back door, a spacious area enclosed by a transparent glass dome came into view.
The place resembled the backyard of Professor Oak's laboratory from the Pokemon anime, complete with rivers, grasslands, trees, caves, and lakes.
Several Pokemon bred in captivity frolicked here without a care, while others lounged in the shade.
Naoki's gaze swept over them, and he silently recited their names: "Milktank, Wooloo, Munchlax, Rockruff, Lycanroc, and Cream Faerie..."
Undoubtedly, these were Pokemon that could be raised on a ranch.
A kind-faced elderly man with white hair and a stooped posture walked with his hands behind his back, leading the way and introducing Naoki to the Pokemon and regular animals in this cheerful ranch.
"These children were all raised by me. Each one is healthy and has a gentle temperament. They're waiting for their new owners to take them back to their ranch."
As expected, the playful Pokemon cast curious glances at Naoki, who was following the elderly man.
Naoki, however, was surprised to see a group of Rockruff surrounding a Lycanroc, and he couldn't help but ask, "Can Rockruff be raised too?"
"Of course!" The old man laughed, "Don't underestimate them. In ancient times, they were very important Pokemon. For humans living on this land, these children were indispensable."
Naoki recalled the characteristics of Rockruff and asked, "Because they produce salt?"
"That's right!" The old man nodded. "Rockruff's body is made of precious rock salt. As they walk on the ground, their bodies are worn down, leaving a lot of salt in their wake."
"By collecting this salt, you can obtain a bottle of precious rock salt. Of course, this process doesn't harm them. They can regenerate the salt in their bodies at will to replenish it."
"When they evolve into Lycanroc, the salt becomes even more nutritious and rich in various minerals. Just sprinkle the salt made by Lycanroc on an injured Pokemon, and any wound will heal."
"And the food made with this salt tastes even better. The selling price is also much higher than the Moo Moo Milk produced by Milktank!"
Upon hearing this, Naoki understood, and then he asked about the price of Rockruff, "How much do they cost?"
The old man replied, "One Rockruff costs 10,000 Pokedollars."
Ten thousand...
It sounded a bit expensive, but Naoki calculated the value that a Rockruff could bring, and he couldn't help but feel that the price was reasonable.
With a single Rockruff, he wouldn't need to buy salt from outside anymore. Besides personal use, he could also sell it, quickly making back his investment.
However, even so, the price was still a bit high for Naoki, who was currently short on funds.
He muttered to himself and felt his pockets, eventually sighing.
Ah! I'll wait until this season's crops are ready!
In the meantime, he could also go to the hinterlands to try his luck and see if he could find any rare mountain products to sell.
However, whether it was fishing or gathering mountain products, it wasn't sustainable and depended on luck.
Reality wasn't a game. The number of fish in a body of water was limited, and it would become challenging to catch any more after large-scale fishing.
Unless one changed fishing spots.
Naoki pictured the map of the area around the ranch.
To the west of the ranch, beyond Brine Town, lay the endless Pasio Sea, home to abundant seafood resources.
North of the ranch, beyond the mountains and a forest, was Pot Lake, where one could catch more freshwater fish.
"It'll take some time for the crops to mature, so I can ask Gourt to take me to these two places."
Naoki planned his next steps in his mind.
If he remembered correctly, there were traces of a rare Pokemon called Dratini near Pot Lake.
Dragonite, the evolved form of Dratini, was intelligent and powerful.
Once the ranch prospered, they could also develop offline businesses, allowing townspeople to order fresh milk directly from the ranch.
At that time, they could enlist the help of Dragonite, with their incredible speed, to deliver the milk.
Led by the elderly man, Naoki toured the ranch and encountered some unique Pokemon.
For example, there was the milk-producing Milktank, the fluffy Wooloo, the olive oil-producing Munchlax, the fruit-picking Zubat, and the cream-producing Cream Faerie.
The Cream Faerie was composed entirely of cream, emitting a sweet and fragrant dairy scent that evoked a strong sense of happiness just by smelling it.
As Naoki approached, he couldn't help but swallow several times.
His movements were noticed by the Cream Faerie, and the adorable little creature immediately scurried behind a tree, trembling as if fearing it would be eaten at any moment.
With a smile, the old man turned to Naoki and explained, "It's also a very special Pokemon! So far, 63 different forms of Cream Faerie have been identified, and each one produces cream with a unique flavor. For instance, this little one here makes vanilla-flavored cream, and over there, you'll find a Cream Faerie that produces a caramel-buttery cream!"
Listening to this, Naoki's stomach rumbled in hunger.
After wandering around, the two of them returned to the front desk.
The old man pulled out a price list from a drawer and said, "Take a look and see what kind of animals or Pokemon you'd like to buy."
Naoki lowered his head to examine the list, which clearly displayed the prices for each Pokemon.
Animals:
- Rooster - 600 Pokedollars
- Hen - 800 Pokedollars
- Duck - 800 Pokedollars
Pokemon:
- Combee - 2500 Pokedollars
- Minccino - 2500 Pokedollars
- Cream Faerie - 2600 Pokedollars
- Woobat - 3000 Pokedollars
- Wooloo - 10,000 Pokedollars
- Miltank - 20,000 Pokedollars
- Rockruff - 10,000 Pokedollars
Feed:
- Chicken Feed - 50 Pokedollars/portion
- Cattle and Sheep Feed - 100 Pokedollars/portion
- Sweet Feed - 100 Pokedollars/portion
- Salty Feed - 100 Pokedollars/portion
Looking at the prices, Naoki asked, "How much food does one portion provide?"
"Around two kilograms. This feed is made from berries, edible salt, flour, eggs, and other ingredients. One portion is usually enough to feed a Pokemon for about half a month."
The old man continued, pointing to each item on the list as he explained, "The chicken feed is made from corn flour mixed with grains, and one portion can last for a month. The cattle and sheep feed is made from dried grass. Miltank and Wooloo don't have big appetites, so one portion will last them about half a month."
"As for Combee and Woobat, they don't require you to provide food. Just give them a place to live, and they'll forage for themselves. Woobat will bring back various fruits and berries."
"Combee is different; they live in a beehive. To raise them, you need to have a flower field on your ranch, as they will collect nectar from the flowers daily and bring it back to the hive to make honey."
"Ah, I see," Naoki nodded, understanding.
"I currently have about 14,500 Pokedollars left. With that, I can buy ten hens and a rooster," Naoki thought to himself.
That was his original plan, and he intended to use the remaining money to buy vegetables.
However, looking at the Pokemon on the list, he decided to adjust his plan.
He would reduce the number of hens and instead purchase a Cream Faerie and a Minccino first.
The Cream Faerie could produce cream, which would be useful for making grass cakes.
As for Minccino, it could produce olive oil, saving him money on cooking oil.
That would leave him with 9,400 Pokedollars.
"Hmm, in that case, I'll buy three hens, a rooster, a Cream Faerie, and a Minccino. I'll also get four portions of chicken feed and three portions of sweet feed. That should be enough," Naoki decided.
He decided to keep the remaining money for any unexpected needs.
With his decision made, Naoki said, "I'd like to buy three hens, a rooster, a Cream Faerie, and a Minccino."
The old man smiled and nodded. "Alright, I'll have someone help deliver these to your ranch later."
"The location is..." Naoki began, intending to give the detailed address of his ranch, but the old man waved his hand.
"No need, I know where it is."
Naoki was surprised. "Eh?"
A nostalgic smile appeared on the old man's face. "Your grandfather and I were friends. When he was still alive, I often visited him, and I even held you as a baby, though you probably don't remember that."
"Oh, I see!" Naoki exclaimed, understanding the connection now.
The old man then crouched down and rummaged through the counter for a moment before pulling out a transparent glass jar.
He handed the jar to Naoki. "This is rock salt produced by a Saltrock Giant. Take it back and give it a taste!"
Naoki's gaze shifted to the glass jar, which was filled with fine, pink-colored salt grains.
[Pure Rock Salt]: A top-quality seasoning produced by the Saltrock Giant's fingertips. It contains rich minerals and trace elements and possesses the incredible ability to heal wounds.
The Saltrock Giant sprinkles this salt on injured Pokemon, and in an instant, their wounds are healed.
As a result, countless Pokemon gather around the Saltrock Giant, eager to lick the mineral-rich salt off its body.
An extremely precious seasoning, it commands a high price. When added to dishes, it bestows the additional effect of 'Stamina Recovery.'
"Th-This is too valuable," Naoki stammered, shaking his head reflexively.
The old man waved away his concerns. "Don't worry about it. Consider it a gift to celebrate the reopening of your ranch. Your grandfather passed away early, and given our deep friendship, it's only right that I help take care of you."
Naoki nodded, sincerely expressing his gratitude.
Only then did a smile appear on the old man's face. "Naoki, right? Your grandfather would surely want to see the ranch regain its former prosperity, so do your best! If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to come to me for help."
Naoki acknowledged him and bid farewell before turning to leave the shop. He mounted his Corphish and headed back to the ranch.
Soon, a girl of about sixteen with twin pigtails, a smattering of freckles, and a round face with big eyes arrived at the ranch in a three-wheeled cart loaded with goods.
She looked at Naoki, who was waiting there, and asked timidly, "Are you the new ranch owner, Mr. Naoki, that Grandpa mentioned?"
Naoki nodded slightly. "Yes, that's me."
The girl breathed a sigh of relief and stopped the cart on the grass. She then gently patted her hands, and two small, adorable Pokemon emerged from the boxes.
On the left was a pale pink Pokemon covered in sweet cream, with two strawberry-like objects perched on its head.
On the right was an olive-like Pokemon.
Its body was a delicate green, with several green leaves on its head and a yellow fruit protruding from a leaf stem on its face.
They only poked out half of their heads, looking afraid and concerned as they gazed at Naoki from a distance.
Seeing this, the girl said, "Don't worry, Mr. Naoki is a kind person. He will take good care of you!"
"Ma... Ma..."
"Fu Fu..."
The two little guys were still apprehensive.
However, their fear seemed directed not at Naoki, but at the hideous, scarlet-bodied monster (in Cream Faerie and Minccino's eyes)
sitting next to him.
Seeing this, the girl apologized, "I'm so sorry, Mr. Naoki."
Naoki: "..."
Following Cream Faerie and Minccino's gaze, Naoki noticed Corphish sitting beside him and immediately understood what they were afraid of.
Clearing his throat, Naoki decided to send Corphish on another errand. He patted Corphish's head and said, "Go see where Motostoke is and call it home to greet our new partners."
Motostoke had been happily chasing butterflies in the grass on the other side of the ranch, something Naoki was aware of, but it didn't stop him from sending Corphish to look for it.
"Gao!" Corphish obediently turned and went to find Motostoke.
With Corphish gone, Cream Faerie and Minccino visibly relaxed.
"Fu..."
"Ma..."
The girl finally realized what had been troubling Cream Faerie and Minccino.
Seeing the unfamiliar Pokemon leave, she encouraged them, "Go on!"
Only then did Cream Faerie and Minccino hop off the cart and cautiously approach Naoki.
To avoid intimidating them, Naoki crouched down and reached out to pat the two Pokemon on their heads, saying, "Nice to meet you, Minccino and Cream Faerie! Please take care of me."
Pokemon are inherently pure and kind-hearted. Sensing the goodwill from the human in front of them, their faces lit up with happy smiles.
The girl stepped forward and said, "I'm entrusting them to you, Mr. Naoki. Please take good care of them!"
Naoki nodded. "I will."
The girl's gaze shifted to Minccino, and she added, "By the way, Mr. Naoki, Grandpa asked me to tell you something. The oil that Minccino produces before evolving into Oli'olu is very bitter and unfit for consumption. Only after evolving into Oli'olu does the oil become delicious and palatable."
"This Minccino is almost a year old since it hatched, and it will evolve soon."
Naoki was slightly taken aback but quickly nodded in understanding. "I see."
The girl quietly breathed a sigh of relief and then unloaded several large boxes of feed from the three-wheeled cart, along with a cage containing three hens and a rooster.
"Where's the chicken coop?" she asked.
Naoki first placed Cream Faerie and Minccino inside the wooden house to let them familiarize themselves with their new environment. Then he moved to lift the wooden boxes, offering his help.
"Oh? Thank you!" The girl quickly thanked him and carried a box of feed alongside him.
It was quite a task for the girl to carry such a large cage, so Naoki stepped forward and moved the cage into the chicken coop.
As soon as the door opened, the hens scurried out, wandering around the coop, pecking at the grass, and exploring their new surroundings.
The girl set down the feed box, and Naoki opened it, pouring the feed into the feeding trough and then into the silo. This way, feeding would be more accessible in the future, as they could take the feed directly from the house.
(End of Chapter)
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