Chapter 45: Arrival of Sheep's Milk
Chapter 45: Arrival of Sheep's Milk
Upon returning to the ranch, Naoki remained in a constant state of bewilderment.
Based on Golurk's actions and cries, it seemed that it had learned of Garchomp's intention to become stronger from the latter, and Garchomp had no idea what a Pokemon Trainer was.
Subsequently, Golurk recommended Naoki to Garchomp, telling it that he could help Pokemon grow stronger.
While that wasn't exactly false...
Full of anticipation, Garchomp eagerly returned to its Poke Ball, oblivious to the possibility of being deceived.
Naoki couldn't decide if it was being naive or foolish.
Golurk landed on the ranch, and Naoki released Garchomp from its Poke Ball.
Seeing its injuries, Naoki once again offered it a Poke Bean.
This time, Garchomp didn't refuse. It eagerly took the bean with its claws and devoured it, its eyes sparkling with excitement.
As long as it became stronger and learned more moves, it could return to the island and prove itself to that Garchomp that had looked down on it!
But how was it supposed to get stronger?
Garchomp looked at the human before it expectantly.
Naoki: "..."
He couldn't help but rub his forehead in exasperation. "Let's call it a day. It's getting late, and I'll figure out a way to make you stronger tomorrow."
"Roaar..." Garchomp felt a twinge of disappointment.
Since there wasn't enough room in the house, Naoki had Garchomp spend the night in its Poke Ball, sleeping inside.
The next morning, the sun shone brightly.
Naoki got up and started working on the ranch with his Motostoke and Golurk.
Garchomp followed them eagerly, awaiting the moment when they would help it become stronger.
As Naoki filled the feeding trough in the chicken coop with feed and water, he turned around to find Garchomp right behind him.
He couldn't help but feel speechless.
Naoki returned to the house and quickly fried a steak that could enhance strength and stamina in a short period. He fed it to Garchomp.
After consuming it, Garchomp's eyes lit up as it instantly felt its body surging with power, as if it had an endless supply of energy.
This made it even more convinced of the human's abilities.
Naoki: "Stay here on the ranch. I need to go into town to take care of some things. We'll continue later in the afternoon."
Running a ranch was a busy endeavor. After feeding the chickens and watering them, Naoki still had to go into town to restock on daily necessities.
"Roaar..." Garchomp reluctantly agreed.
Naoki left Garchomp in Golurk's care, giving it a few brief instructions before riding off on his Motostoke towards Freezington.
This time, he intended to purchase some milking tools and ingredients.
His first stop was the Happy Ranch.
As he pushed open the door, he saw the same girl who had sent Alcremie and Minccino to his ranch before.
She was wearing an apron and cleaning with a cloth in her hand. Upon seeing him, she quickly stood up and said, "Mr. Naoki, good... good morning!"
"Good morning," Naoki replied, looking around. "Where's your grandfather?"
The girl answered, "My grandfather had to step out for some business today. If you need anything, I can help you as well."
"I see..." Naoki didn't inquire further and went straight to the point, explaining his purpose for the visit.
The girl looked surprised. "Could it be that Mr. Naoki has caught a milk-producing Pokemon by himself?"
Naoki nodded slightly. "Yes, since the ranch is just starting out, I don't have enough funds to buy everything. So, I thought I'd try to catch one myself."
"I see," the girl said, walking to the back shelf and retrieving an item. "This is a milking machine, and you'll also need a milk pail and glass bottles."
Usually, a Wobbuffet produced milk twice a week, yielding about 2-3 kilograms of milk per milking session.
The ranch owner would use a milking machine to extract the milk into a milk pail and then pour it into glass bottles.
At this point, the milk could be stored for personal consumption or used to make cheese and other products, or it could be sold.
The selling price would vary depending on the quality of the milk, with higher-quality milk commanding a higher price.
Typically, a small bottle of 300ml of sheep's milk would be priced at around 200 Pokedollars.
Of course, ranch owners could also sell the milk by the bucket, and the buyer would pay according to the quantity of milk.
Naoki had done some research on this beforehand.
He purchased a milking machine, three milk pails, and 200 glass bottles for packaging, spending a total of 4,600 Pokedollars.
After paying, the girl said, "Alright, I'll have these items delivered to your ranch later, Mr. Naoki."
By mixing the glutinous rice flour and white sugar with grass, he could make the Grass Dumplings that his Ride Sheep loved to eat. He planned to make a large batch and store them as feed for the Ride Sheep.
After finishing his shopping, Naoki did not linger in town.
When he returned to the ranch on his Motostoke, he found that the Keli Construction Team had already arrived and started working.
Upon seeing Naoki, Keli's eyes drifted to the distant, dazed Haxorus, and her face showed surprise. "I never expected you to have captured such a rare Pokemon like Haxorus!"
Naoki: "..." Should he tell her that this Haxorus just followed him here?
However, Keli did not inquire further, and her comment was merely a passing remark as she quickly returned to her work.
Naoki turned and stored the ingredients he had bought into the cabinet. By the time he was done, the milking equipment, milk pails, and glass bottles had also been delivered.
After receiving the goods from the girl, Naoki brought them over to where the three Ride Sheep were grazing.
The three Ride Sheep stood up obediently.
Naoki wrapped the milking apparatus around their udders and placed a milk pail underneath. With a gentle squeeze, a stream of sweet-smelling sheep's milk flowed into the pail.
"Am I squeezing too hard? Does it feel uncomfortable anywhere?" Naoki asked.
"Baa~"
The Ride Sheep shook its head, indicating that everything was fine.
"Alright then."
Naoki breathed a sigh of relief and continued his work.
By the time he finished milking all three Ride Sheep, he had barely filled a single milk pail, amounting to around thirty-five pounds of milk.
Naoki glanced at the specifications on the pail—7.5 liters.
"The glass bottles have a capacity of 300ml each, and I plan to sell them for 200 Pokedollars per bottle. So, 7.5 liters of sheep's milk should bring in about 5,000 Pokedollars," Naoki calculated the potential profit in his head.
"That's 5,000 Pokedollars every two days, or 75,000 Pokedollars per month. This should be enough to buy seven Saltrocks, and then I can reinvest the profits," Naoki thought excitedly.
He was thrilled at the prospect of making a fortune!
Finally, the ranch had a stable source of income!
Naoki immediately carried the milk pail back to the house and remembered the elderly lady who had placed an order for milk a few days ago. He pulled out his account book from a drawer and found her phone number, then placed a video call.
After a few rings, the call connected, and Naoki asked, "Hello, Mrs. Tang Tai Si. This is Naoki Ranch. We have fresh goat milk in stock. Would you like to place an order?"
Hearing this, the voice of Mrs. Boji Tang Tai Si on the other end of the line revealed a hint of delight, and she quickly replied, "Yes, please! Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!"
After a brief chat, Naoki learned of her needs and address.
Client Name: Boji Tang Tai Si
Needs: Two bottles of fresh sheep's milk every morning, willing to pay 500 Pokedollars per bottle.
Address: No. 308, Blue Sea Street, Drizzli Town
"500 Pokedollars per bottle, so two bottles would be 1,000. The usual market price is 400 Pokedollars for two bottles, so it's 600 Pokedollars more. This price is a bit outrageous..." Even as the seller, Naoki felt it was a bit excessive, but perhaps they really needed the milk.
After some thought, he decided to sell it at the regular price and charge an additional 100 Pokedollars as a delivery fee.
However, there was another issue to consider.
Who would deliver the milk to town every day? Naoki fell into deep thought.
Just then, a voice sounded from behind him.
Naoki turned to see Haxorus eagerly flying towards him, its eyes seemingly asking when they would start its training to become stronger.
Naoki: "..."
"Alright, I choose you!" A smile appeared on his face as he said, "I've thought of a way to help you train!"
Haxorus' eyes lit up instantly. "Raaawr?"
"How about helping me deliver the milk?" Naoki patted its shoulder and explained the details of the job.
Upon hearing this, Haxorus looked confused.
Could delivering milk really make it stronger?
Naoki coaxed, "No, no, no. Delivering milk isn't as simple as it seems. You'll need to master your flying skills during the deliveries, and consistent practice will help strengthen your physique, making you more robust and resilient."
Haxorus: "!?"
(End of Chapter)
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