Chapter 46: Improving Milk Quality!
Chapter 46: Improving Milk Quality!
At noon, after finishing lunch for his Pokemon companions, Naoki began preparing grass dumplings using the glutinous rice flour he had purchased and the fresh grass harvested from the ranch.
He donned a gray, stain-resistant apron, and in front of him lay a cutting board with cleaned and chopped grass, along with a pot of simmering syrup.
With deft movements, Naoki rolled out the glutinous rice dough into round patties.
These grass dumplings were unique, unlike traditional feed as they couldn't be stored for long periods. Thus, Naoki planned to make enough to last about a week.
Once his Ride Sheep finished eating them, he would make the next batch.
The afternoon sun shone through the window, casting a warm glow as Naoki worked, his hands dusted with glutinous rice flour.
Outside, in the ranch, Froslass and Minirice were playing with the Lickitung, while the Ride Sheep lounged leisurely on the grass. Goodra and Salamence were deep in conversation, and Lizardon basked in the shade of the eaves, looking drowsy.
Hearing the sounds from outside, Naoki felt a sense of contentment wash over him.
He stretched lazily and then began wrapping the grass filling in the glutinous rice dough, forming dumplings, which he then steamed. It was half-past three in the afternoon by the time he finished the tedious task.
The dumplings, a vibrant green, resembled chubby little buns piled high in a large stainless-steel basin.
Naoki glanced down, and information about the dumplings appeared in his mind.
[Grass Dumplings (C)
: A unique dish made with glutinous rice flour as the wrapper and tender spring grass mixed with a small amount of white sugar as the filling.
Dish Effect: Slightly increases the probability of Grass-type Pokemon understanding Grass-type moves.
Additional Effect: Slightly enhances the favorability of Grass-type Pokemon.
Rating: A creatively concocted dish!]
"It slightly increases the probability of Pokemon understanding Grass-type moves..." Naoki mused. "Eating this as a meal three times a day shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Probably?
Naoki didn't overthink it, as the ingredients used in the grass dumplings were quite ordinary.
Setting the dumplings aside to cool, Naoki retrieved rice and MooMoo Milk from the cabinet to prepare a milk porridge designed to enhance the quality and nutrition of the milk produced by his Pokemon.
This time, he was smarter and didn't directly chop up the black truffle. Instead, he used a grater to shred it into a fine powder before adding it to the dish.
Soon, a simple yet delicious milk porridge was ready.
The effect was identical to the previous batch.
[Black Truffle Milk Porridge (S)
: A milk porridge enhanced with black truffles, white sugar, and MooMoo Milk. The addition of black truffles significantly elevates the quality of this dish.
Dish Effect: Better Milk lv3, limited to milk-producing Pokemon. After consumption, it greatly enhances the quality of the consumer's milk, improving its taste, nutritional value, and ability to quickly restore stamina.
Rating: An exquisite milk porridge, packed with nutrients beneficial for the growth of all Pokemon. A rare and delectable delicacy.]
Naoki ladled out three bowls and brought them over to the Ride Sheep, saying with a smile, "Enjoy!"
The Ride Sheep immediately caught a whiff of the rich, creamy aroma and eagerly approached. They were accustomed to eating grains, so rice and milk were not unusual treats.
Perhaps it was the irresistible flavor, but the three Ride Sheep slurped up the porridge at an incredible speed, licking their bowls clean and even looking longingly for more.
"It's a shame we have to wait two more days for them to produce milk again," Naoki thought to himself.
After feeding the Ride Sheep, Naoki returned to the wooden house and washed the bowls before finding Kris and chatting with her about building a sheep pen.
"A sheep pen? That's simple. For the Ride Sheep, just enclose them with a wooden fence." Kris said with a smile, "This is easier than building a salt house. Tomorrow morning, the salt house will be completed, and I'll bring the materials to help you build the pen then."
"Alright." Naoki nodded.
He had about 15,000 Pokedollars left from his previous fishing earnings, and after building the sheep pen, he would be left with only 5,000.
"I'm spending money so quickly!" Naoki sighed. He hadn't realized how quickly the expenses were adding up.
Fortunately, the ranch now had the Ride Sheep and Saltrock Treasures to provide a steady income.
"Once the salt house is completed tomorrow, we'll officially start the Saltrock Treasure breeding project. Along with the milk from the Ride Sheep, we'll recoup these expenses in less than a month."
"Mmm, and the crops in the fields will be ready for harvest soon too. They'll also bring in a good sum."
Naoki thought through the to-do list for the ranch.
But before that, there was one more thing he needed to do—familiarize his Salamence with the delivery route.
With that in mind, Naoki found Salamence and said, "Let's go!"
"Roar!" Salamence let out an excited cry.
Naoki left Goodra in charge of the ranch and climbed onto Salamence's back. They took off into the air, flying toward the town.
Salamence didn't seem to mind being ridden.
Or perhaps, its mind was filled with thoughts of becoming stronger, and it didn't care about such trivialities.
Riding on Salamence felt completely different from riding Goodra. Salamence's body was soft and plush, and it felt amazing to touch.
It was just a shame that he didn't have the chance to rub its big belly.
Naoki felt a slight pang of regret.
As Salamence flew through the air, it felt a twinge of worry.
Flying like this didn't seem any different from its previous flights over the ocean. Would it really become stronger this way? Salamence let out a questioning roar.
Although they couldn't communicate verbally, Naoki could guess Salamence's thoughts based on its expression and tone.
It was doubtful that delivering packages would make it stronger!
Naoki quickly reassured Salamence, "Delivering packages is more than just about the packages themselves. You have to use your heart to feel, to sense everything during the process—the flow of the wind, the formation of air currents, or even the plants and trees along the way."
"Use your eyes to observe, and as you continuously deliver packages, slowly get to know everything around you, understand them, imitate them, and finally, master them."
"You can feel the flow of the wind and flap your wings to imitate this process, or you can merge yourself with the air currents."
"No Salamence is born inherently knowing those powerful moves. Whoever it is, a large amount of practice and persistent effort are needed to skillfully master and understand the moves."
"Roar!"
Such profound words!
But why were they a little hard for Salamence to understand?
However, they sounded very impressive! It had to learn those powerful moves and become stronger!
Salamence's eyes lit up with determination.
(End of Chapter)
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