Upon returning to the ranch, Naoki was still perplexed. Judging by Koraidon's actions and cries, it seemed to have learned from Dragonite about its desire to become stronger, and that Dragonite was unaware of what a Trainer was. Then, Koraidon had recommended Naoki to Dragonite, claiming he could help Pokémon become stronger.
While technically true, it was also how Dragonite excitedly entered the Poké Ball, completely unaware that Koraidon might have been exaggerating.
Was it innocence or naivety? Naoki couldn't tell.
Koraidon landed on the ranch, and Naoki released Dragonite from the Poké Ball. Seeing the wounds on its body, Naoki offered it an Oran Berry again. This time, Dragonite didn't refuse. It reached out its claws, took the berry, and ate it eagerly.
As long as it became stronger and learned more moves, it could return to the island and prove itself to the Dragonite that had rejected it! But how could it become stronger? Dragonite looked expectantly at the human in front of it.
Naoki couldn't help but facepalm. "Let's call it a day. It's getting late, and I'll try to find a way to help you become stronger tomorrow."
"Roar." Dragonite looked a bit disappointed.
Due to limited space in the cabin, Naoki returned Dragonite to the Poké Ball for the night.
The next morning dawned bright and clear. Naoki got up and started working on the ranch with Cyclizar and Koraidon. Dragonite followed them eagerly, anticipating their help in making it stronger.
As Naoki put feed and water in the chicken coop, he turned to see Dragonite trailing closely behind. He was momentarily speechless.
Naoki returned to the cabin, quickly cooked a steak to temporarily boost strength and stamina, and fed it to Dragonite. After eating, Dragonite's eyes lit up, feeling a surge of energy in its body, as if it had boundless strength. This further solidified its trust in the human before it.
"Stay on the ranch," Naoki instructed. "I have to go out and take care of some things. We'll talk in the afternoon."
Work on the ranch was always busy. After feeding the chickens and watering the plants, Naoki still had to go to town for daily necessities.
"Roar." 'Okay'.
Naoki left Dragonite in Koraidon's care and, after giving Koraidon some instructions, rode Cyclizar to the town. This time, he mainly planned to buy some milking equipment and ingredients.
His first stop was the Pokémon Center. Upon entering, he saw the girl who had delivered Smoliv and Alcremie to his ranch. She was wearing an apron and cleaning with a rag. When she saw Naoki, she immediately stood up and greeted, "Mr. Naoki, good morning!"
"Hello," Naoki replied, looking around. "Where's your grandfather?"
The girl replied, "Grandpa went out on business today. I can help you with anything you need."
"I see." Naoki didn't pry further and simply explained his purpose.
The girl looked surprised and asked, "Did you catch a Pokémon that produces milk, Mr. Naoki?"
Naoki nodded. "Yes, since the ranch is just starting, there isn't enough money to buy all the supplies, so I thought I could catch them myself."
"I see, Mr. Naoki must be a very good Trainer!" The girl then went to a shelf in the back and retrieved an item. "This is a milking machine. We also have milking buckets and glass bottles."
Typically, a Skiddo produces milk once every two days, yielding about 2-3 kilograms each time. The rancher uses the milking machine to collect the milk into buckets, which is then transferred to glass bottles.
From there, it can be stored for personal consumption or used to make cheese and other products, or it can be sold. The selling price varies depending on the quality, with higher quality milk fetching a higher price.
Under normal circumstances, a 300 ml bottle of goat milk sells for around 200 Pokédollars. Of course, the rancher can also sell it in bulk, with the buyer paying based on the quantity.
Naoki had researched this beforehand. He purchased a milking machine, three milking buckets, and 200 glass bottles for packaging, all for a total of 4,600 Pokédollars.
After paying, the girl said, "Alright, I'll deliver these items to your ranch later, Mr. Naoki."
"Thank you for your trouble." Naoki thanked her politely, then rode Cyclizar to the market to buy a large quantity of glutinous rice flour, sugar, and various ingredients that Pokémon typically eat.
The glutinous rice flour, sugar, and grass could be made into the Green Grass Dumplings that the Skiddo loved. He planned to make a large batch at once and store them as feed.
Having completed his tasks, Naoki didn't linger in town. By the time he rode Cyclizar back to the ranch, the construction team had already arrived and begun work.
Seeing Naoki, Kora glanced at the dazed Dragonite not far away, a surprised expression on her face. "I never thought you could catch a rare Pokémon like Dragonite!"
Naoki hesitated. Could he tell her that this Dragonite had followed him back on its own?
But Kora didn't pry further. She simply made a casual remark and continued her construction work.
Naoki turned and put the purchased ingredients into the cupboard. By the time he came back out, the milking machine, bucket, and glass bottles had been delivered.
After receiving the items from the girl, Naoki took them to where the three Skiddo were grazing. The three Pokémon stood up obediently.
Naoki carefully attached the milking machine to their udders, placed a bucket underneath, and with a gentle squeeze, sweet-smelling goat milk flowed into the bucket.
"Am I using enough force? Are you uncomfortable?" Naoki asked.
"Maa~" The Skiddo shook their heads, indicating they were fine.
"That's good." Naoki breathed a sigh of relief and continued milking.
By the time all three Skiddo were milked, the bucket was nearly full, weighing about 15 pounds. Naoki checked the specifications: 7.5 liters.
"The glass bottles are 300 ml each, and sell for 200 Pokédollars per bottle. 7.5 liters of goat milk could sell for about 5,000 Pokédollars." Naoki quickly calculated the potential profit from goat milk in his head.
Three Skiddo yielding 5,000 Pokédollars every two days, that's 75,000 a month.
A fortune!
Naoki felt overjoyed. The ranch finally had a stable income source!
He immediately carried the milk bucket back to the cabin, remembering the elderly woman who had inquired about milk a few days ago. He took out his ledger, found her phone number, and called her using the video phone.
After a few rings, the call connected, and Naoki asked, "Hello, Mrs. Dantes, this is Naoki Ranch. We have fresh goat milk now. Are you still interested?"
Hearing this, Poggio Dantes on the other end of the phone sounded surprised and hurriedly said, "Yes! Thank you so much! Thank you very much!"
After a brief conversation, Naoki learned her needs and address.
Customer Name: Poggio Dantes
Request: Two bottles of fresh goat milk every morning, willing to pay 500 Pokédollars per bottle.
Address: 308 Lanhai Street
"One bottle for 500, two bottles for 1,000. The normal market price is 400 for two bottles, which is 600 more in total. The price is outrageous." Even Naoki, the seller, felt it was a bit excessive. Perhaps they really needed it urgently.
After some thought, he decided to sell it at the normal price and charge a maximum of 100 Pokédollars for delivery.
Besides, there was another problem. Who would deliver the milk to town every day?
Naoki pondered. Just then, a voice came from behind him.
Naoki turned around and saw Dragonite flying towards him with eager eyes, as if asking when it could start training to become stronger.
Naoki smiled. "Well, it's you!" A plan formed in his mind. "I've figured out a way to help you train!"
Dragonite's eyes lit up. "Roar?"
"Help me deliver the milk!" Naoki patted its shoulder and explained the job in detail.
After hearing this, Dragonite looked puzzled.
Could I really become stronger this way?
Naoki fibbed, "Oh yes, delivering goods is not as simple as you think. You need to master your flying skills during delivery. Doing this consistently will help train your body, make you stronger, and also build your perseverance."
Dragonite: "Roar??"
....
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Thank you all so much for the power stones and support! Since we've reached our Third milestone, let's set this week's target at 800 power stones. If we can reach it by Saturday, I'll post 3 additional chapters