At five in the evening, Zack arrived at the ranch in his trusty truck, right on schedule.
Naoki, with the help of Koraidon and Cyclizar, was just finishing planting the last fruit tree sapling. As he watered it, Zack's booming voice came from behind him.
"You did all of this?! Wasn't that a bit too fast? It's been less than a day!" Zack exclaimed, his eyes wide with astonishment as he took in the transformed ranch.
The once-overgrown fields were now cleared and meticulously organized, the soil moist from recent watering.
Naoki turned around, a smile playing on his lips. "This is all thanks to them," he said, gesturing towards Koraidon and Cyclizar.
Zack's jaw dropped as he noticed the second Pokémon standing beside Naoki. It was a creature he had never seen before: tall, muscular, with powerful limbs and a thick tail.
"What in Arceus' name is that?!" Zack exclaimed.
As a seasoned truck driver who had traveled extensively across the region, Zack had encountered countless Pokémon. He was familiar with every species native to Paldea. He wasn't a Pokémon trainer, but he often enjoyed battling trainers he met on his routes, especially those who had graduated from the prestigious Naranja Academy.
But this Pokémon... it was completely foreign to him.
Naoki wasn't surprised by Zack's reaction. After all, besides Professor Olim, no one else had ever encountered Koraidon.
After a moment's consideration, Naoki decided not to reveal Koraidon's true identity. "I'm not sure where it came from," he said honestly. "It showed up at the ranch last night with some injuries. Cyclizar and I helped it, and it seems to have decided to stay and help out in return."
"I see," Zack murmured, nodding. He observed Koraidon's demeanor and added, "It seems quite fond of you. You must be destined to meet."
Satisfied with the explanation, Zack turned his attention to the shipping container. "Did you find any black truffles today?" he asked, hoping to continue their profitable partnership.
"No truffles today," Naoki replied, "but I did catch some fish."
He stepped under the eaves, retrieved the bucket brimming with fish, and presented it to Zack.
Zack squatted down, peering into the bucket. His eyes widened in surprise. "Whoa! So many?!"
For a beginner rancher, this guy's fishing skills were impressive.
"Let's see..." Zack released his Pokémon, a trusty Conkeldurr, and instructed it to bring over a glass fish tank from the truck.
"Bass, Carp, Whiscash, Finneon... Wow! There are even two Rainbow trout! Those are rare and hard to catch! You're quite the angler, aren't you?" Zack exclaimed, his admiration evident. He stood up and gave Naoki a thumbs-up. "Fantastic haul!"
Naoki responded with a modest smile, slightly embarrassed by the praise.
Zack pulled out his ledger and began to tally up the catch.
"A Bass is 300 Pokédollars, a Carp is 120... a Rainbow trout is 1,200. Hmm, the total comes to 3,680 Pokédollars."
After finishing his calculations, Zack put away his ledger, took out his wallet, and handed Naoki the payment. "Excellent work! I hope we can continue this successful partnership."
As Naoki accepted the money, he thought to himself, It seems that fishing is a reliable source of income in the early stages, no matter what world you're in.
Zack turned to leave, his next stop being other ranches and farms to collect their goods for delivery to the Mesagoza Market and surrounding towns. But then, he paused, as if remembering something important.
He turned back to Naoki and asked, "By the way, have you thought of a name for this ranch?"
Name?
Naoki was caught off guard.
Zack grinned. "A good name can become the ranch's signature, you know. It'll help more people hear about it! The town also holds a harvest festival each year where all the nearby ranches compete to see who grows the best crops. The winner receives a mysterious grand prize from the town!"
Naoki understood. He hadn't yet settled on a name for the ranch, but he was always decisive. After a few seconds of contemplation, he declared, "Let's call it Naoki Ranch!"
It was simple, straightforward, and memorable.
"Named after yourself? I like it! Naoki Ranch it is!" Zack beamed. "I look forward to the day this name is known throughout all of Paldea!"
Naoki chuckled, a warm feeling spreading through him. After Zack left, Naoki turned back to survey the newly organized farmland.
Upon returning from the back mountain, he had noticed the soil had settled, so he and his Pokémon companions quickly planted all the crop seeds he had purchased.
There were various types of seeds, and Naoki, being a stickler for order, had divided the field into neat sections based on the crop type: potatoes, turnips, radishes, spring wheat, strawberries, cabbage, cucumbers, and tomatoes.
Additionally, he had bought several fruit tree saplings: Oran Berries, Pecha Berries, Cheri Berries, and Leppa Berries. These were planted in a separate area, designated as a dedicated orchard.
Common berries in this world fetched low prices. For instance, Oran Berries only sold for 20 Pokédollars each. Naoki didn't intend to make money from them. Instead, he planned to use them to create snacks like berry cakes, berry yogurt, and berry pies for Cyclizar and Koraidon.
After hours of labor, Naoki was exhausted, but a sense of accomplishment filled him as he looked over the neatly arranged fields.
"We planted quite a lot for our first time," he remarked, worried he might mix up the different crops. After a moment's thought, he decided to make some wooden signs to label each section, ensuring he could easily identify them.
He remembered seeing a saw in the back shed, but it was getting late. He would make the signs tomorrow.
Naoki stretched his sore muscles and kicked off his mud-caked boots, rinsing his face at the outdoor faucet. As he turned, he noticed Koraidon and Cyclizar, both covered in dirt from head to tail.
He sighed good-naturedly. "Stay still, I'll hose you down!"
The two Pokémon obediently stood in place as Naoki sprayed them with the hose, washing away the grime. Once clean, they both shook themselves simultaneously, sending a shower of water droplets over Naoki.
He couldn't help but chuckle. They reminded him of playful dogs, shaking off after a bath.
With this amusing thought, he returned to the house, grabbed a towel, and dried off Koraidon and Cyclizar before ushering them inside.
Naoki meticulously swept and mopped the wooden floors until they gleamed, ensuring no trace of dirt remained. From now on, he would be sure to change his shoes before entering the house.
By this time, it was already evening. Koraidon and Cyclizar sprawled lazily on the floor, Cyclizar yawning sleepily. Koraidon glanced at its past self with a hint of amusement.
The house was bathed in warm light as Naoki, clad in comfy slippers, stood at the stove, preparing dinner. He wanted to try a new recipe, but the day's labor had left him drained. He decided to keep it simple, quickly frying up a steak and assembling sandwiches with toast, lettuce, and ham.
"Dinner time!" he announced, setting the plates in front of the two Pokémon. He then grabbed his own sandwich and settled at the desk, pen in hand, to complete the rest of his accounting for the day.
Spring, Year 198, Day 6
Income: Fish +3,680
Expenses: 0
Remaining Funds: 32,490
After updating the ledger and finishing his meal, Naoki flopped onto the bed with a contented sigh.
Sleep.