Black Truffle.
Perhaps due to his financial struggles, Naoki's first thought upon seeing it was: This thing must be worth a lot, right?
But then, he noticed the buff effect:
[Although it doesn't have any beneficial effects, it can significantly enhance the effect of cooking.]
What was this? Some kind of advanced ingredient?
Naoki could vaguely understand its value based on his experience with similar ingredients in games from his previous life.
In those games, adding such ingredients to dishes not only increased the level of effects from lv1 to lv3 but also had the potential to turn temporary buffs into permanent ones.
This made black truffles incredibly valuable.
This was a good find!
Naoki carefully unearthed the entire black truffle.
Seeing his actions, the Cyclizar laid down beside him, holding its breath. Only after the palm-sized truffle was safely tucked into Naoki's backpack did it look up and ask curiously, "Groo?"
"This is great stuff that can improve our quality of life!" Naoki explained to the Cyclizar with a smile. He weighed it in his hand and estimated the black truffle to be about one kilogram.
As a layman, he didn't know the exact price of black truffles, but judging by its size and quality, he could tell it wouldn't be cheap.
Glancing at the sky, Naoki saw that it was getting late, so he hopped onto the Cyclizar and let it carry him back to the ranch.
At five o'clock in the afternoon, Naoki had just returned to the ranch and was about to pour himself a glass of water when he heard a whistle from outside.
"Ding ding ding!"
He walked out the door and saw a van with a wave logo pulling up.
The driver, a burly man with muscular arms and a buzz cut, leaned out the window and said enthusiastically, "You must be Naoki, the new owner of this ranch? Mayor Clavell told me about you. I'm Zack from Mesagoza Market, and I'm responsible for purchasing goods from nearby ranches. Pleased to meet you!"
"Hello, Mr. Zack," Naoki greeted politely.
Zack turned off the engine and jumped out of the van. He looked around and noticed the freshly tilled farmland. Grinning, he said, "Looks like you've got the hang of ranch life! Got anything to sell?"
Zack was just making casual conversation. He knew a novice rancher wouldn't have mature crops, wool, or milk to sell yet.
After all, developing a ranch took time.
But the next second, he saw the new ranch owner pull out a large, black object.
Zack, with his extensive knowledge, instantly recognized it.
His eyes widened in surprise. "A Black Truffle? Wow! This size is incredibly rare. Where did you find it?!"
"The back mountains," Naoki replied. "Can I sell it?"
Zack nodded eagerly. "Of course! This thing fetches a high price! Normal quality black truffles go for about 5,000 Pokédollars per kilogram. The quality and size of the one you have are top-notch. This kind of black truffle is hard to come by in the market, and the price is around 15,000 Pokédollars per kilogram."
Its unique taste was sought after by many, especially the upper class among the wealthy and aristocratic families.
They weren't short on money.
Fifteen thousand Pokédollars per kilogram?
Naoki did the math. In other words, the black truffle in his hand was worth a total of thirty thousand Pokédollars?
Naoki was tempted by the price.
Should he sell it?
This level of rare ingredient could greatly enhance the effects of Pokémon food when cooked.
Could he...?
If he sold it, he would have enough money to buy seeds, repair the ranch, and stock up on food.
For a moment, Naoki hesitated.
But then, he made a decision.
He had to think long-term. Even though the black truffle could improve his cooking, exchanging it for cash would accelerate the ranch's development and ultimately generate more income.
Once the ranch was thriving, he could use the money to buy other high-quality ingredients with similar effects.
With that in mind, Naoki no longer hesitated and decided to sell it.
Zack retrieved a scale from his van, weighed the truffle, and pointed to the reading. "Two kilogram and Two hundred grams."
He pulled out a calculator and a small notebook, did some quick calculations, and then announced, "The total comes to 33,000 Pokédollars."
"Okay," Naoki nodded.
"Then I'll take this black truffle off your hands!" Zack said as he pulled out a stack of bills from his wallet and handed it over.
Naoki took the money, counted it carefully, and let out a sigh of relief.
The first money he had earned as a rancher was now in his hands! He could finally stop eating bland instant ramen!
Zack still had to visit other ranches to collect goods. Before leaving, he looked around the ranch and suggested, "Aside from growing crops and raising Pokémon, there are many other ways to make money. Haven't you been to Cascarrafa yet? If you go there, remember to buy a fishing rod from the general store. While your crops are growing, you can earn some money by fishing."
"Ah, but don't worry too much. It's tough at the beginning, but it gets much easier in the summer. Then, besides growing regular crops, you can also cultivate Leppa Berries to make juice. Berry juice with that farm-fresh flavor is very popular in big cities!"
Leppa Berries?
Naoki raised an eyebrow at the familiar name.
However, he wasn't thinking about brewing juice. Instead, he wondered if the berry juice he made might have some strange effects, like his cooking...
Naoki nodded, keeping his thoughts to himself, and said to Zack, "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you very much."
Zack smiled cheerfully. "Good luck!"
After seeing Zack off, Naoki returned to the cabin and eyed the small piece of black truffle left on the table - a fragment that had broken off while he was digging it up.
"Black truffles are so valuable. I wonder if training a Diglett could help uncover more hidden underground..." Naoki mused.
He decided to keep this small piece, saving it to enhance a future dish when the time was right.
As for now...
Looking at the thick stack of Pokédollars in his hand, Naoki's spirits soared.
It was time to go shopping in town and buy some new ingredients for cooking!
Naoki hopped onto Cyclizar, pointed in the direction of town, and the Cyclizar took off.
As they rode, Naoki gazed at the sunset-painted sky and hummed a tune, "Riding on my beloved little motorcycle~"
"Groo?"
The Cyclizar looked back, puzzled. His beloved little motorcycle? Was he talking about him?