Seeing the Nacli's actions, Naoki was slightly taken aback. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"Nacli~" They chirped happily.
Because they adored Naoki, they wanted to share their precious rock salt with him. That's what the Nacli thought in their hearts.
Naoki could guess what the Nacli meant. He remembered that this was one of the ecological habits of Nacli Pokémon – they willingly shared their precious salt with those they liked, which was why they were highly valued in the past.
So, these five Nacli saw him collecting salt crystals and assumed he liked them very much, so they came over to share?
Naoki was touched. He smiled and said, "Enough, enough! Just a little bit is enough!"
The Nacli would wear down if they kept shedding salt. Although there was no official record, Naoki figured that if they shed too much at once, it would likely strain their bodies.
The Nacli blinked in confusion. "Nacli, nacli?" 'Was that enough'?
Naoki crouched down, patted each of their little heads, and said, "I understand what you mean, but it's okay. Take your time. You're still young. You need to take care of yourselves so you can grow up healthy and evolve into strong Naclstack."
"Nacli, nacli." The Nacli seemed to understand but not entirely.
Naclstack. They knew that every Nacli would evolve into a Naclstack when it grew up. At that time, the Naclstack would be able to produce rock salt far exceeding what they could in their current state.
They understood! A light bulb went off in each of the Nacli's little heads. Evolve into Naclstack to create more and better salt for their beloved Naoki!
"Go ahead!" Naoki, unaware of the Nacli's thoughts, encouraged them.
He picked them up and placed them back in Koraidon's arms, then continued collecting the rock salt on the membrane with Cyclizar.
Soon, a bag of rock salt was collected.
Naoki laid down a new collection membrane, fed the Nacli, filled their water trough, and returned to the cabin.
He placed the cloth bag on the scale to weigh it, and a series of numbers appeared on the screen. The bag of rock salt weighed: 3250 grams.
"3,250 grams." Naoki calculated silently. "Rock salt sells for 3,000 Pokédollars per 500 grams, so this bag can bring in 19,500 in profit. Wow, this is even better than I expected!"
"If we keep this up, we'll soon be able to expand our home and buy a refrigerator and a TV. We'll also need to build a cellar where we can grow berries and fruit in the summer and brew beer."
The brewed beer and cider could also generate considerable income.
Naoki was delighted and carefully put the rock salt away, planning to sell it to Zack when he came to collect the goods that evening.
However, before that, he had to set some aside for his own use. Compared to regular salt, Nacli rock salt was better for health. Consuming it long-term would make not only him but all the Pokémon on the ranch healthier and stronger.
After storing the rock salt, Naoki went back to the goat pen. It was milking time again.
The three Skiddo were already waiting and immediately lined up obediently when they saw Naoki approaching with the milking bucket.
"Have you learned any new moves?" Naoki asked casually.
"Maa!" One of the Skiddo in the middle nodded. It was the one that had battled Koraidon.
"Really?" Naoki was surprised and crouched down to milk it while asking, "What move is it?"
The Skiddo immediately demonstrated. A faint light glowed on its body, and then nothing happened.
"That's it?" Naoki was puzzled.
"Maa~" The Skiddo nodded happily.
It had discovered that this place was wonderful. Not only did it have plenty of Green Grass Dumplings to eat, but it was also safe. And even better, it could learn new moves just by relaxing!
"Can you use it again for me?" Naoki hadn't seen it clearly the first time.
The Skiddo happily agreed and used the move again.
This time, Naoki recognized it. "It's Synthesis!"
Synthesis: A Grass-type move that restores the user's HP. The amount of recovery varies depending on the weather.
"That's a useful move," Naoki commented.
Skiddo: "Maa!"
"That's great!" Naoki casually praised, not intending to send his Skiddo into battle.
However, the desire to become stronger is ingrained in Pokémon, and for this Skiddo, the idea of growing stronger just by lying around seemed like a dream come true.
Soon, the milking bucket was full, and Naoki carried it back to the cabin. As he glanced at it, information about the goat milk appeared in his mind.
[Milk (Top Quality): Milk of the highest quality and nutritional value, extremely beneficial to the body when consumed. It can also be made into top-quality cheese, butter, and other food products.]
Naoki decided not to sell this first batch of goat milk, instead keeping it for himself and the Pokémon on the ranch.
It wasn't until the second batch that he began deliveries. The effect of the Black Truffle Milk Porridge was remarkable. When Zack came to collect the fish a few days ago, he exclaimed "Amazing milk!" upon seeing the goat milk.
Typically, buyers set prices based on the quality and nutritional value of fresh milk. After a series of tests, Zack offered a high price of 600 Pokédollars for this top-grade goat milk.
Naoki was naturally very satisfied with this outcome.
In the gentle warmth of spring, after finishing his daily chores, Naoki carried a small stool to the fields to check on the crops and pull some weeds.
In a month, fast-growing crops like turnips, potatoes, garlic, and radishes would be almost ready for harvest. Their roots would be laden with plump, heavy produce.
Of course, this was Naoki's imagination, as the fruits of these crops were buried in the soil and couldn't be seen. As for the cabbages, cucumbers, and tomatoes, they would need more time to mature.
The fruit trees planted at the edge of the farmland had also grown, but they grew slowly. It would take until autumn for them to become large trees and bear fruit.
At that moment, Dragonite, who had gone to deliver milk, returned. Its face was beaming with excitement. After landing, it looked around and finally spotted Naoki in the field.
Dragonite came running over, its eyes sparkling with excitement. It stretched out its large, chubby paws and, before Naoki could react, embraced him tightly.
"Roar~"
Perhaps due to its obsession with becoming stronger, Dragonite hadn't been as affectionate towards Naoki as the Nacli and Alcremie had been since joining the ranch. Therefore, Naoki was surprised by Dragonite's sudden display of affection.
"What's happening?" he asked.
Dragonite looked incredibly happy. "Roar!"
Naoki sensed something. "Did you learn Dragon Tail?"
"Roar!" Dragonite nodded enthusiastically.
It had been practicing Dragon Tail these past few days, following Naoki's instructions, even while delivering milk. It had finally succeeded in using the move, which further strengthened its belief in Naoki's guidance.
Overwhelmed with joy, it rushed back and hugged Naoki, who had helped it learn a new move.
"Congratulations!" Naoki was genuinely happy for Dragonite. Maybe this was what it meant to be a trainer, he thought.
He took the opportunity to give Dragonite's big belly a few pats.
So soft! It feels so good! Naoki grinned.
The bond between the man and the dragon grew stronger.