Chapter 52: Letter
Chapter 52: Letter
In the evening, Zack arrived at the ranch to collect the day's produce.
Naoki gathered the sheep's milk, rock salt, and a few small mushrooms that had grown in the cave, ready for pickup.
"Wow! Today's harvest is abundant!" Zack exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise. "Looks like your ranch is finally back on track."
A smile tugged at Naoki's lips as he glanced at the nearby Motostoke and Gourgeist. "Yes, it's all thanks to everyone's hard work!"
"It's about time," Zack sighed. "These days, not many young people want to stay in the countryside to run a ranch or be farmers. They all want to be Pokemon Trainers."
Unlike the past, being a Pokemon Trainer was all the rage now.
Almost every kid dreamed of receiving their first Pokemon and traveling the world with them, battling and becoming the very best, like no one ever was.
"Most of the nearby farms and ranches are run by older folks. You're one of the few young ones around here," Zack remarked.
Naoki nodded thoughtfully, his mind drifting to the timeline of the Pokemon anime. In the show, Ash Ketchum had only recently embarked on his journey as a Pokemon Trainer.
While the profession of a Pokemon Trainer had yet to reach its peak popularity as depicted in 'Pokemon Journeys', it was certainly gaining traction worldwide.
"Alright, let's see... five pounds of rock salt, six liters of sheep's milk, and six small mushrooms," Zack calculated. "That comes to a total of 32,300 Pokedollars."
Zack handed over the payment, then headed back to his truck. "Well, I gotta get going. I still need to deliver these goods to the Rustic Market before closing time. See ya, Naoki!"
And with that, Zack departed.
Naoki returned to his cozy wooden cabin and pulled out his ledger to record the day's transactions:
Spring, January 31st, Year 198
Income: Rock Salt + 16,800, Sheep's Milk + 13,000, Mushrooms + 2,500
Expenses: Berries - 600, Ingredients - 5,000, Fertilizer - 10,000
Remaining Funds: 33,680
"Thirty-three thousand..." Naoki mused, his eyes fixed on the ledger. Thoughts of his future plans swirled in his mind.
He had specifically asked Keri about the costs of expanding his living quarters to include a kitchen, bathroom, living room, dining room, bedrooms, and even a basement. According to Keri, the estimated price for such additions was around 2 million Pokedollars.
However, that wasn't all. Keri had also mentioned two types of large villas that he could consider. One was a luxurious seaside villa, and the other was a grand mountain villa.
Keri had shown him the design blueprints, and Naoki's heart had raced at the sight of the extravagant villas. They boasted a plethora of amenities, including various types of rooms, a swimming pool, high-end furniture, and even a playground exclusively for Pokemon. It was a dream come true, and Naoki yearned to take his Pokemon there for a vacation after the busy farming season.
However, the price was daunting. Including the cost of the land, the villas came with a hefty price tag of 15 million Pokedollars, far beyond what Naoki could afford at the moment.
The chicken coop and Pokemon hut were minor projects in comparison. The villas were the real challenge.
Naoki sighed. It seemed he had a long way to go.
Fortunately, Keri offered more affordable options for regular housing expansions, which could serve as a temporary solution during this transition.
Taking a deep breath, Naoki set his heart on the seaside and mountain villas as his ultimate long-term goals.
With the arrival of February tomorrow, it was almost time to start harvesting the crops in the fields. Life on the ranch was about to get busy again.
That night, Naoki slept soundly in his bed, dreaming of the days to come.
The next morning, after breakfast, Naoki handed over the sheep's milk to Aerodactyl, who would deliver it to Mrs. Dantes, their regular customer.
As Naoki watched Aerodactyl fly off into the distance, he rolled up his sleeves and began his daily chores.
Suddenly, a young man astride a Motostoke burst into the ranch, interrupting the peaceful morning.
The man, dressed in a blue work jumpsuit and a matching blue cap, carried a brown waist bag slung across his shoulder.
He halted a short distance away and greeted Naoki politely. "Hello, is this the Naoki Ranch?"
"Hello, Mr. Naoki. I'm Evan, the town's postman in charge of delivering mail and packages. I have a letter for you to sign for," he introduced himself.
"A letter?" Naoki was taken aback.
Who would send him a letter? He didn't know many people in this world, and the previous owner of the body had no attachments or friends.
Intrigued, Naoki reached out and took the letter. He opened the envelope and pulled out the letter, lowering his head to read it.
[To Naoki Ranch:
Hello, Naoki! I recently heard from Mayor Thomas that you've inherited this ranch, and I'm delighted to hear the news! Spring is here, and the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. We will be holding a cherry blossom wine party in the cherry blossom orchard on February 7th.
Townspeople, Pokemon Trainers, and nearby farmers will all gather to taste last year's cherry wine and appreciate the blossoms. We will also exchange and sell our farms' specialties.
You can also bring the produce and specialties from your ranch or any dishes you make with them to set up a stall and sell them.
Looking forward to seeing you there.
—From Elif Cherry Orchard]
Naoki raised his eyebrows, a cherry blossom wine party... Was this a local festival? It sounded quite interesting.
He nodded and said to Evan, "Thank you very much. I appreciate it."
The postman, Evan, nodded and said, "Alright, then I'll be on my way. See you later!"
With that, he hopped onto the Motostoke and sped off.
"So Motostoke are indeed used as a means of transportation here!" Naoki couldn't help but think.
After a moment, he shook his head with a smile and continued his work on the ranch.
Meanwhile, in Rustic Town, on Blue Sea Street...
Aerodactyl arrived at number 308 as usual and gently knocked a few times on the door with its chubby claws.
Soon, Mrs. Dantes opened the door, and upon seeing Aerodactyl, her face lit up with a kind and gentle smile.
"It's Aerodactyl!"
"Roar~"
Aerodactyl handed over the sheep's milk.
Mrs. Dantes took it and, after paying, said to Aerodactyl, "Please wait a moment. I have something I'd like to ask you to deliver to Naoki for me."
"Roar?" Aerodactyl looked puzzled.
Mrs. Dantes turned and went inside the room. She came back with a package and a letter, which she gave to Aerodactyl, saying with a smile:
"These are some cookies I baked myself. Please take them back for Naoki to taste."
"Roar!"
Aerodactyl obediently nodded, taking the letter and cookies, then turned and flew back to the ranch.
Mrs. Dantes watched as Aerodactyl flew away, then turned and went back into the room. Seeing her husband looking much better, she felt more relaxed than she had in a long time. "How are you feeling today?"
"I feel much better, and my strength seems to be returning," her husband replied.
Hearing this, Mrs. Dantes breathed a sigh of relief. "It's all thanks to Naoki's sheep's milk!"
———
"From Mrs. Dantes?" Naoki asked, surprised, as he looked at the cookies and letter that Aerodactyl had brought.
"Roar!" Aerodactyl nodded happily.
Naoki took the items and opened the letter from Mrs. Dantes.
The letter said that her husband was feeling much better, and she expressed her gratitude for the sheep's milk. She had also sent some homemade cookies and wished Naoki good health and smooth sailing with the ranch work.
End of the month, asking for monthly votes!
(End of Chapter)
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