By noon, Naoki and Cyclizar had cleared a small patch of land for planting and moved the chopped wood and stones into the utility room for storage.
"Groo~"
After a busy morning, Cyclizar's stomach started rumbling.
It looked down and said, "Groo..."
"Hungry?" Naoki smiled. "Just a minute, I'll make lunch."
The Cyclizar's face brightened. "Groo!"
They washed their hands in the outdoor sink and went back inside.
Cyclizar sat under the eaves to enjoy the cool breeze while Naoki gathered ingredients and started cooking.
Lunch was instant ramen again, but this time Naoki added some wild leeks he found on the ranch to enhance the flavor.
Practice makes perfect, and in just a few minutes, a steaming bowl was ready.
After pouring the noodles into a bowl, Naoki noticed that the grade of the instant ramen had changed from C- to C, and the cold resistance buff duration had increased by five minutes.
"So the ingredients do affect the dish's rating," he mused.
He picked up the bowl and placed it in front of the Cyclizar, who was already waiting at the table.
Cyclizar looked down and saw the same plain noodles as before. A pitiful expression immediately appeared on its face.
"Groo..."
Impoverished Naoki could only sigh. He thought of the little money left by the original owner and said reassuringly, "Just be patient. I'll take you to town to buy some delicious food this afternoon."
"Groo!"
Luckily, Cyclizar didn't seem to mind Naoki's lack of funds. It was a simple and optimistic creature, and hearing Naoki's promise, it immediately perked up, looking forward to the evening's treats.
Watching Cyclizar slurp up the noodles, Naoki began to eat his own bowl with a worried expression.
"The remaining money will be gone soon after buying food. The land is just tilled, and the seeds can only be planted tomorrow. It'll take a month for them to mature..."
The weed-infested farmland had been hard and unsuitable for crop growth. This morning, Naoki had turned the soil and watered it to loosen it up.
Although he didn't have any fertilizer, turnips were fortunately not picky about soil quality.
"I need to find another way to make money until the turnips are harvested."
Naoki fell into deep thought.
Ways to make money...
He thought back to his ranch management game days.
One option was fishing, and another was to gather mushrooms and fruits in the back mountains to get through the early stages of the game.
But he didn't have a fishing rod now, so the only option was to try his luck in the back mountains and see if he could find anything valuable.
No sooner said than done. After lunch, Naoki prepared to head for the mountains.
Upon learning of his intention, the Cyclizar, which had been walking upright, suddenly dropped to all fours, turned around, and called out, "Groo!"
Naoki was startled for a moment, then realized that Cyclizar had switched to riding mode. "Are you asking me to ride you?"
The Cyclizar nodded enthusiastically. "Groo!"
Curious, Naoki climbed onto its back.
As soon as he was settled, Cyclizar took off at a moderate pace, neither too fast nor too slow, carrying Naoki steadily towards the back mountains.
Feeling the wind in his hair, Naoki thought, "No wonder Cyclizar is used for transportation in Paldea. This feels just like riding a motorcycle."
After crossing a country road, they entered a lush forest. Sunlight streamed through the leaves, creating a dappled pattern on the ground.
There were green Caterpie nestled in bushes, Fletchling perched on branches, rustling sounds emanating from the undergrowth, and strange, juicy fruits hanging from the trees.
Life was vibrant everywhere.
Naoki dismounted from Cyclizar and observed the various Pokémon around them with interest.
The Pokémon, in turn, tilted their heads curiously, studying this unfamiliar human who had intruded into their forest.
"Caterpie... Evolves into Metapod at level 7, then Butterfree at level 10. A good choice for novice trainers."
"Fletchling? If I remember correctly, it's a regional bird in Kalos. Its final evolution, Talonflame, is a Fire/Flying type. Seems like a pretty cool Pokémon!"
"Hmm? Could that little white mouse be a Pachirisu, native to Paldea?"
Naoki spotted three small figures in the grass.
Two slightly larger white mice cautiously poked their heads out, protectively shielding a tiny white mouse behind them.
"A family of three..." Naoki looked around but didn't see a fourth mouse.
Sensing his gaze, the three mice trembled, then turned and scurried into the bushes, vanishing without a trace.
Naoki was momentarily disappointed, but he had to admit, Pokémon like Pachirisu were quite cute.
He hadn't considered himself a fan of furry creatures before, but seeing the adorable Pachirisu and their soft white fur, he felt a certain warmth in his heart.
"I wonder how they feel to the touch."
The forest was teeming with Pokémon, and after taking a walk with Cyclizar, Naoki was filled with excitement.
If he were a Trainer, he would definitely pull out Poké Balls and battle them, then capture them after earning their trust.
Both the fast-growing Caterpie and the promising Fletchling would be perfect additions to his team!
Unfortunately, according to the original owner's memories, a standard Poké Ball cost 200 Pokédollars, which he couldn't afford right now.
With a sigh, Naoki shifted his focus from the Pokémon to the wild produce growing in the forest.
He walked over to a fruit-laden tree and reached out to pluck one.
As he examined the fruit, information about it appeared in his mind.
[ Pecha Berry: A magical fruit that can cure poisoning. It has a sweet taste and can be used to make jam, poffins, and fruit cakes. It can also be added to yogurt to make fruit yogurt. Its unique flavor is loved by many Pokémon.]
Pecha Berry?
Naoki picked the berry and held it up to his nose, taking in its faint peach-like scent.
He offered it to Cyclizar. "Want to eat it?"
The Cyclizar took a look, then opened its mouth wide and swallowed the Pecha Berry in one gulp.
"Groo~"
It seemed to taste pretty good.
"It looks like berries are a staple food for Pokémon, just like in the anime," Naoki thought, nodding to himself. He picked a few more Pecha Berries from the tree, intending to take them back to the ranch.
However, he only took a small portion.
If berries were food for Pokémon, then other Pokémon in this forest also needed them.
If he took all the Pecha Berries, many Pokémon would likely go hungry.
After gathering the Pecha Berries, Naoki and Cyclizar ventured deeper into the forest.
The forest was vast, and perhaps they were heading in the wrong direction, but along the way, Naoki didn't encounter any other fruit-bearing trees.
Time passed unnoticed until it was evening. Tired from walking, Naoki sat down to rest under a large tree, glancing at the sky and deciding it was time to head back.
Just then, the Cyclizar's nose twitched.
"What's wrong?" Naoki asked, turning to look.
"Groo..."
The Cyclizar turned its head, sniffing the air as if trying to pinpoint a direction.
After a moment, it seemed to have located something. It stood up and pointed in one direction.
Naoki followed its gaze to a patch of bare ground, confused at first, but then he noticed something odd.
The grass in a circular area around the base of a tree had withered.
"Groo!"
The Cyclizar pointed excitedly in that direction.
Intrigued, Naoki stood up and walked over with Cyclizar to investigate the strange area.
He brushed aside the fallen leaves and yellowed grass to reveal a pitch-black object underneath.
At that moment, a peculiar scent wafted into Naoki's nostrils.
It was a unique smell, difficult to describe in words.
He wondered what it could be, but the next second, information about the object appeared in his mind.
[Black Truffle: A premium ingredient of the highest quality, it is a rare delicacy. It can be made into black truffle steamed eggs or cream soup with butter. Although it doesn't have any special effects on its own, it can significantly enhance the effect of cooking.]