https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-335-A-Bigger-Ranch-A-Bigger-Family/12537418/
Chapter 336: Visitors
Chapter 336: Visitors
The newly purchased land could be divided into two types: mountainous terrain and flat plains.
The flat land was covered in lush green grass, perfect for grazing.
Naoki then climbed the small hill, standing at the summit to gaze into the distance. From here, he could make out the faint outline of the shrine of bounty among the distant mountains.
Naoki contemplated planting a whole bunch of apple trees on this little hill, reminiscent of Apple Hill in Kita-kami.
Some Pokemon made their home on this land, like the lightweight Hoppip family.
These Pokemon had small, round, pink bodies with two long, green, tender leaves growing from their heads. Their tiny arms and legs fluttered gently in the air, and their little pink tails swayed like a cat's.
With the slightest breeze, these Hoppip and their cotton counterparts were swept into the sky, drifting gracefully with the wind before floating away.
"Just as the Pokedex describes, the Hoppip Pokemon have incredibly lightweight bodies," Naoki observed, murmuring to himself.
They ride the winds to travel far and wide. It is said that the Pasio region initially had no Hoppip, until one day when the winds carried some of them across the ocean to Pasio.
And thus, the Hoppip made their home in Pasio.
Apart from the Hoppip, the plains were also home to the petite Flabeebe and Floette Pokemon.
The Floette made their habitat among the wildflowers.
They were incredibly tiny, not even as big as a palm, and they held a flower in their hands as they flitted about the flowers.
For some reason, these Pokemon reminded Naoki of Thumbelina from the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale.
His arrival startled the group of Flabeebe and Floette.
The little creatures immediately hid behind the flowers, cautiously peering out at him.
When Naoki made eye contact with them, the Flabeebe and Floette quickly retracted their heads, resembling nothing more than someone trying to hide their own deceit.
Naoki found this amusing, but he didn't disturb them. After surveying his new territory, he returned to the ranch.
The next morning, Naoki sought out Keri and placed an order for wooden fences. He also requested her help in building a bridge on the ranch.
Keri happened to be free, so she loaded up the construction materials and drove her large truck to the ranch with Naoki in tow.
Gorigon and the construction veteran rode in the back of the truck, surrounded by piles of wood, stones, and cement.
Naoki sat in the passenger seat, his interest piqued as he asked, "Do you need a driver's license to drive this kind of vehicle?"
"Of course," Keri nodded. "You need a license to drive any vehicle. Why? Are you thinking of buying a car too?"
"Well, with the expansion of the ranch, I was considering getting a vehicle for transporting goods," Naoki replied honestly.
Keri suggested, "In that case, you don't need to buy a large truck like mine. A pickup truck would be perfect for hauling produce like berries, corn, and carrots, and it won't cost you a fortune."
"Of course, if you want to travel without riding your Golurk, you can take your Pokemon on a road trip in a pickup."
Hearing this, Naoki pictured himself driving a pickup truck, with a load of Pokemon, cruising down the highway.
It certainly had a unique appeal.
For the time being, it was inconvenient to capture the wild Bronzong, and since he didn't know how to modify it, buying a pickup truck seemed like the more convenient option.
However, he would first need to obtain a driver's license.
He wondered if there were driving schools in this world…
After a moment's thought, Naoki voiced his question.
Keri answered, "You don't need to go all the way to the Pokemon League Headquarters. Getting a driver's license isn't the same as getting a Pokemon Trainer license. There's a DMV right here in Ziki Town, where you can take the test, and if you pass, they'll issue your license right away."
"And the test is pretty simple too," she continued. "Mostly basic stuff like driving around obstacles. Compared to becoming a Trainer, it's a breeze."
"That's a relief," Naoki exhaled, glad that he wouldn't have to attend a driving school.
Having obtained a driver's license in his previous life, he knew how to drive. Now, he just needed to take the test to get his license in this world.
Keri gazed at the road ahead, a thoughtful look on her face. "Life is full of surprises."
Naoki raised an eyebrow, curious.
Keri smiled as she explained, "It reminds me of when I was learning to drive. Back then, I just wanted to travel the world with my Pokemon, but look where I ended up—stuck in this place as a carpenter."
"A road trip, huh?" Naoki imagined the scenario and nodded. "That sounds nice. So, do you still plan on traveling later on?"
Keri sighed in resignation. "I'd like to, but I can't just abandon these Pokemon. Not just Gorigon and the others, but also the ones in the forest."
"If I'm not around, who will treat their injuries? So, you see, life is unpredictable, and plans often go awry."
Naoki considered her words and realized she was right.
She recalled that Naoki was only in his early twenties and quite young. Becoming a Trainer seemed like a more promising path than being a farmer in the countryside.
Naoki shook his head, thinking of the Pokemon on the ranch, and felt that he might never leave this place and would spend his life farming.
Keri understood his implication and laughed, "There aren't many young people like you these days!"
"Nowadays, kids all want to become powerful Pokemon Masters. They leave their hometowns to travel and explore, leaving the fields to waste. If people like Mr. Elief grow old, there might not be anyone left to tend to the land."
Naoki listened thoughtfully.
At that moment, he somewhat understood why the Pasio League treated agriculture and animal husbandry so favorably.
But how could he put this into words?
Becoming a formidable Trainer, embarking on a journey, and encountering Pokemon was the dream of everyone living in the Pokemon world.
Influenced by Pokemon culture from a young age, many aspired to be like Ash Ketchum, Misty, and Brock.
Thinking of this, Naoki smiled and said, "That's not necessarily true. These kids will grow up, and when they retire, they might return to their hometowns with their Pokemon, inheriting their family's farm."
Keri paused for a moment, then laughed in realization, "Makes sense!"
At that moment, they arrived at the ranch.
Keri parked the truck and directed Golurk and the construction veteran to unload the materials.
She first went to inspect the small river that flowed through the ranch.
The river flowed down from the back mountains, possibly originating from Lake Pot and Frost Mountain, passing through the ranch before emptying into the sea.
After a moment, Keri selected a suitable spot to build the bridge.
Golurk and the construction veterans immediately got to work, building bridge piers, pouring concrete, and reinforcing with steel bars...
They were quite familiar with this kind of work.
While they were busy, Keri, accompanied by Naoki, crossed the river to the area where the Quackpen Pokemon lived.
Looking at the vast wilderness, Keri couldn't help but exclaim, "It'll take a lot of effort to cultivate such a large piece of wasteland!"
"Not all the land will be turned into farmland," Naoki shook his head. "Only a small portion will be used for crops and fruit trees. The rest will be seeded with grass for grazing Pokemon."
Pokemon like Wooloo, Tropius, and Grubbin...
"Will you fence off the entire area?" Keri asked.
Naoki nodded, "That way, I can clearly see the boundaries of the ranch and feel more at ease."
Although he could make wooden fences himself, there wasn't enough wood on the ranch. If he went to cut down trees in the back mountains, he would be violating the forest protection law, and if discovered by the forest rangers, he would face a fine.
Moreover, the trees in the back mountains were homes to Pokemon.
Naoki didn't want to, nor was he willing, to cut down those trees.
In this situation, the simplest solution was to hire someone to install the fences.
"Alright!" Keri smiled and made a quick mental calculation before saying to Naoki, "With such a large area, the workshop might not have enough fencing materials. I'll need to place a new order for wood, and with the bridge included, I estimate it will take about half a month to complete the job."
Naoki had no objections, "Take your time, just like before?"
"Sure."
With everything arranged, all that was left was to wait patiently.
Naoki wasn't in a rush to buy Wooloo, Tropius, or apple saplings immediately, as his savings had taken a hit after purchasing the land.
He needed some time to recuperate before starting to cultivate the land.
Building a bridge took considerable time, and with the addition of installing fences, the work couldn't be completed in just a few days.
Thus, Keri came to the ranch every day to work, returning home only after dark, and this cycle continued.
Meanwhile, Naoki stayed at home peacefully.
In his free time, he would watch TV with his Lucario, make berry platters for his Quackpen, play with his Pokemon, and welcome challenges from new Trainers from the Pasio Institute.
He would then watch as these enthusiastic Trainers commanded their Eevee, Skwovet, Rookidee, and Wurmple through the Grassland Trial, Electric Trial, and Storm Trial.
The outcome was always merciless.
These Pokemon would inevitably be knocked out by a single move, leaving the young Trainers shocked and exclaiming about how powerful his Pokemon were!
During this period, to hasten the day when his Lucario could play on a phone, Naoki began gathering information about some of the major companies in the Pasio region.
To check on Nimo's family, he even specially ordered the Daily News from town.
In this leisurely and relaxed atmosphere, time unknowingly marched into the end of March in the 199th year of the Pokemon League.
Evan looked at him, clearly wanting to say something but hesitating.
Naoki was taken aback. "What's wrong? Is something the matter?"
Evan reminded him, "The horse-racing tournament is coming up soon! You promised me!"
"..." Naoki finally recalled the horse-racing tournament. Previously, Evan had helped him find a housekeeper Pokemon, and Naoki had promised to help him win back the money he had lost in last year's tournament.
"Rest assured!" Naoki grinned.
Seeing that Naoki still remembered, Evan breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Which horse Pokemon did you catch? Rapidash or Mudsdale?"
With a mysterious smile, Naoki replied, "Neither."
He led Evan to the stables where the Spectrier and Glastrier were kept.
The Spectrier and Glastrier lifted their eyelids slightly to glance at the human.
Evan was immediately startled as he felt a sudden chill and an overwhelming pressure!
These two Pokemon were clearly out of the ordinary!
Evan exclaimed in shock, his eyes wide, "Wh-What kind of Pokemon are they?"
"Don't be too surprised when I tell you," Naoki warned.
Evan nodded eagerly. "Go ahead!"
"The one on the left is Glastrier, and the one on the right is Spectrier. They are both legendary Pokemon and were once Calyrex's steeds," Naoki explained.
"W-What?! Calyrex's steeds?!" Evan was flabbergasted, his mouth hanging open in shock as he stammered.
Evan had seen Calyrex at the ranch, but to avoid having others flock to the ranch and disturb Calyrex's peaceful life, neither he nor anyone else from town had revealed this information to others.
Everyone respected this majestic Bounty King.
"Calm down," Naoki said, feeling a bit speechless.
Evan wanted to say that this news was too shocking for him to remain calm, but then he realized that since Calyrex had chosen to stay at Naoki's ranch, it made sense that its steeds would be here as well.
With this thought, he managed to calm down a little, then excitedly asked, "Do you plan to ride them in the horse-racing tournament?"
"That shouldn't be a problem, right?" Naoki asked.
"Of course not!" Evan exclaimed, grabbing Naoki's hand enthusiastically. "I entrust my life and fortune to you, Brother Naoki! Please don't let me down!"
"... " Naoki was at a loss for words.
Evan bounced off excitedly, leaving the ranch.
Naoki returned to the living room and sat on the sofa, picking up the morning paper to read.
Based on what he had learned recently, he knew that Nimo's family had extensive business interests in the Pasio region.
Lott Tech was the parent company, primarily focused on Lott Tech research and development, such as the Refrigerate Rotom that functioned as a refrigerator and the Wash Rotom that served as a washing machine.
It was said that this technology of integrating Rotom into furniture originated from the ancient Washi Region.
In modern times, humans had further developed and modified this technology, leading to the creation of various Lott Tech products.
The Nimo family's tech products were sold not only in the Pasio region but also exported to distant regions like Galar, Alola, and Kalos.
They were undoubtedly one of the leading enterprises in the entire Pasio region.
Indeed, the Nimo family was a bona fide aristocratic clan.
In addition to Lott Tech, the Nimo family's business empire also encompassed various communication industries.
The Pasio League's official video phones and other communication devices were all products of the Nimo family's enterprises.
Such a massive company was probably out of reach for Naoki, a farmer in the countryside, and they might not even need his investment.
Naoki was at a loss. He didn't want to start a phone company and compete in that market, as it would require a lot of manpower and financial resources, leaving him with little energy to manage the ranch.
That kind of life was not what he desired.
He was a laid-back person who wanted to play with his phone, not build them.
From the newspaper, Naoki learned that the world had reached a similar level of development in terms of chip technology and networks. However, their technological path had taken a unique turn, and no one had yet explored the potential of Rotom phones. They were just one step away from that breakthrough.
The question now was, how could he get in touch with Lott Tech? Should he ask Yase for an introduction or seek help from Dr. Orin and Dr. Fort?
Naoki marked the information about Lott Tech in the newspaper with a pen and drew a question mark next to it.
As Naoki was deep in thought, the ranch suddenly received an unexpected visitor—someone he would never have imagined.
Hearing the announcement from his helpful Aeigir, Naoki put down the newspaper and went to the door, where he saw a weathered figure standing at the entrance.
It was a man with tanned skin, a robust build, a square jaw, thick eyebrows, and fiery red hair.
Adak had arrived.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
