https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-57-Why-Is-Your-Cooking-Making-My-Pokemon-Breathe-Fire-/12537056/
Chapter 58: The Cherry Blossom Festival Comes to an End
Chapter 58: The Cherry Blossom Festival Comes to an End
"Okay, please wait a moment."
Naoki took out some cups and began pouring the fruit juice.
He wasn't worried that his earlier explanation would arouse suspicion, as the theory he mentioned did exist in this world.
Apart from the standard Evolution Stones, this world also boasted a variety of attribute gems. These gems contained vast amounts of energy, and when given to Pokemon, they would absorb and utilize them to enhance the power of their corresponding attribute moves, and occasionally, they might even lead to the learning of new moves.
Secret spices also existed.
They grew in the depths of the Padia Crater and were brought to the surface, guarded by the Guardian Pokemon.
After all, this was a significant storyline in the games.
In comparison, was it reasonable for Pokemon to learn moves just by eating his cooked dishes?
It made perfect sense!
Naoki served the freshly squeezed juice and steamed eggs to the girl and her Skitty.
Then, he looked up and noticed that Rick had already left with his Lillipup.
For non-Fire-type Pokemon, the boiled meat slices were just ordinary food, and the juice and steamed eggs didn't have much effect, so Naoki wasn't concerned about any strange consequences.
As time passed, the number of visitors to the cherry blossom orchard increased, and Naoki became busier.
Golurk and Motostoke, who could understand his intentions, helped him on the side.
During this time, Mayor Thomas intentionally stopped by to observe.
Seeing that Naoki was busy, he didn't disturb him but stood at a distance, watching silently.
Witnessing this scene, the mayor felt genuine happiness for Naoki.
He was glad to see the once-abandoned ranch bustling with activity again and even happier to see the lonely child emerge from the shadow of his parents' loss.
---
The fruit juice, steamed eggs, and scrambled eggs with tomatoes turned out to be a perfect match for the Paldean palate, and their popularity exceeded Naoki's expectations. Before long, they had sold out.
In the end, only a few portions of the boiled meat slices were left.
Gradually, evening fell, and the Cherry Blossom Festival came to a close.
Visitors began to leave, and when the crowd thinned out, Naoki finally sat down to tally his earnings for the busy morning.
"One thousand, two thousand, three thousand... twelve thousand... eighteen thousand three hundred, wow, I made a bit more than I expected."
Naoki was pleasantly surprised.
Even after deducting the costs, he still had a net profit of fourteen thousand.
Cooking was indeed profitable!
Naoki even considered opening a restaurant in town.
But upon further thought, he dismissed the idea.
Running a restaurant would mean fixed working hours, lacking the freedom he had as a ranch owner. He could wake up whenever he wanted, and after finishing his daily chores, he could spend his time however he liked.
Naoki usually spent this free time playing with the Pokemon on the ranch.
"You've all worked hard!" Naoki said as he put away the stack of money, smiling at the Pokemon by his side.
After playing for most of the day, the Salazzle, the Mr. Rime, and the Minzy were getting tired, and some had even started dozing off.
Noticing this, Naoki recalled them into their Poke Balls so they could rest properly.
Soon, only Golurk was left outside.
Naoki began packing up his things, ready to return to the ranch.
Just then, the owner of the cherry blossom orchard, Elif, approached him with a bottle of wine in hand.
"Hello, Naoki. Thank you so much for coming to the Cherry Blossom Festival today. This is a fruit wine we made using cherries from the orchard. Please take it and enjoy it!"
"Ah?" Naoki was slightly taken aback and instinctively wanted to refuse.
But Elif quickly added, "Please don't refuse. This is my gift to you, my dear neighbor. I was overjoyed when I heard from Mayor Thomas that the ranch was up and running again. I hope we can become good neighbors!"
Naoki smiled and accepted the wine, then thought for a moment before reaching into his bag and taking out a portion of the boiled meat slices.
"Mr. Elif, please accept this dish I made myself."
Elif had a bold and generous personality, reflected in the thick, rugged beard on his face.
A smile also appeared on Naoki's face.
As Elif walked away, another elderly man with a head full of white hair approached.
In his hand was a package of cheese, and he addressed Naoki, "Hello, I'm Matsuda, the owner of the Sanshui Ranch. This cheese is a specialty of our ranch. May I trade it for one of your dishes...?"
Even from a distance, he had caught a whiff of the spicy aroma, and it had caused the chili-loving Matsuda to drool for quite some time.
"Of course," Naoki nodded with a smile, understanding the other party's intention.
He turned and saw an old lady at the stall opposite him. After a moment's thought, he took another portion of the dish and handed it to her.
After all, the piece of cheese was quite large and far exceeded the price of one dish.
Matsuda gladly accepted, and after the exchange, Naoki put away the cheese. Seeing that he still had three portions of boiled meat slices left, he decided to share them with the stall owners who hadn't left yet.
As it happened, the neighboring stall was run by a girl selling desserts.
When Naoki offered her a portion of the dish, the girl returned the gesture with a yellow box and a smile.
With a pleasant expression, her voice sounded delightful as she said, "This is a Poke Puff made at our dessert shop."
"Poke Puff?" Naoki asked.
The girl nodded. "It's a treat that Pokemon love! Just feed this snack to your partner Pokemon, and it will happily accompany you on your adventures. Here, take it! I saw that you have a lot of Pokemon with you, so I'm sure you can use it!"
Naoki turned to glance at Golurk by his side and nodded with a smile. "Thank you."
The girl suppressed a giggle. "I run a dessert shop in town. If you ever want to buy treats for your Pokemon, feel free to stop by!"
Treats? Naoki thought of his golden touch. He wondered what would happen if he made Poke Puffs himself.
The girl continued, "Also, if you want to make treats for your Pokemon yourself, you can come to the shop, and I can help you with that."
Naoki's heart stirred, and he nodded in agreement. "Okay."
Subsequently, he shared the last two portions of boiled meat slices with the remaining stall owners and received a bag of handmade baked cookies and a Pikachu mask in return.
In the evening, the sky was painted crimson by the setting sun.
Naoki, wearing the Pikachu mask, turned to Golurk by his side and asked, "What do you think? Cool?"
"Golurk..." Golurk replied, unsure how to respond to the question.
Naoki also felt that the Pikachu mask had nothing to do with being cool, but he kept it anyway.
Then, carrying the items he had acquired through trading—a bottle of cherry wine, a block of cheese, a box of Poke Puffs, a bag of cookies, and a Pikachu mask—he returned to the ranch.
By the time Golurk landed at the ranch, the sky was growing dark.
Naoki put away his belongings and got up to check on the ranch.
Before leaving, he had filled the feed trough for his riding Wooloo with grass blocks and feed, and there was still some left.
Thinking of the greedy look on his riding Wooloo's face, Naoki refilled the trough with more grass blocks.
After that, he went to the chicken coop and fed the hens, filling their water trough as well.
Only after completing all these tasks did Naoki return to the wooden house, finish a simple dinner, and flop onto his bed.
He stroked the head of Golurk, who had come to his bedside, and then turned off the light.
It had been a delightful day, and now it was time to sleep!
(End of Chapter)
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