At night, the room was brightly lit.
Naoki sat at his desk, listening to the soothing chirps of insects outside as he carefully wrote down the recipe and step-by-step process for making the [Grass Cake] in his recipe book.
Koraidon, Cyclizar, Alcremie, and Dragonite had all gone out to play. After summer began, on clear nights, the area around the river would light up with the soft glow of fireflies. Combined with the bright moonlight, the shimmering stars, and the vast, lush grasslands, it looked like a pastoral oil painting brought to life. The Pokémon, playing freely in the moonlit fields, added to the serene beauty of the landscape.
Though it was tempting to join them, Naoki remained at his desk, focused on more pressing matters.
Looking at the rough map of the ranch he'd sketched earlier, Naoki began to plan in more detail. He thought aloud, "The ranch's facilities are still far from complete. We have the chicken coop, the Pokémon house, and the salt house, but there are key structures missing."
He glanced back at the map. "A barn to store grain, a water-powered mill to grind wheat into flour, a greenhouse to grow crops year-round, and stables for other livestock would be essential."
Naoki picked up his pencil and began drawing on the map, marking down where each structure would be placed. "The water mill should be near the chicken coop—right by the river, so we can harness the water flow to power the wheel."
He continued, "The barn will go next to the Pokémon house, and the stable can be built beside the goat pen."
For the greenhouse, Naoki decided it would fit best next to the farmland, where the crops could be easily tended to, even in the colder months.
With these ideas in mind, he quickly drew the outlines of the new facilities on the map. Despite all the structures he planned to build, he noticed there was still a large area of unused land on the ranch.
Naoki's eyes shifted to the western side of the ranch, where a vast stretch of grassland lay. He circled it on the map, musing, "This area could be turned into an orchard. I'll plant fruit trees here." He thought of Elif Cherry Orchard, full of cherry trees, and imagined doing something similar. If there were too many cherries to eat, they could always share them with the wild Pokémon, like Teddiursa, who lived in the back mountain.
In addition to the orchard, Naoki knew he needed to expand the farmland. "But first, I'll need to capture one or more Pokémon that know the 'Plow' move," he noted. This would make managing the ranch far more efficient. With Pokémon to help plow the fields, Naoki could focus on planting seeds, fertilizing the soil, and having Dragonite handle the watering. The Gogoat could help speed up crop growth, and together, they'd harvest everything.
With this plan in mind, Naoki realized there was no rush to pave the red brick path yet. "I should wait until all the facilities are fully built before finalizing the road layout."
Leaning back in his chair, Naoki reflected on the recent changes at the ranch. After the Nacli evolved into Naclstack, their size and weight would increase dramatically. While there was only one for now, the other four Nacli Pokémon would eventually evolve, and the current salt house would become too small.
Naoki considered two possible solutions:
Expand the size of the salt house to accommodate the larger Pokémon.
Have the Salt Pokemon dig into the ground, creating an underground cave where they could live.
However, since the Salt Pokémon didn't yet know how to dig, this plan would have to wait.
Next, Naoki thought about Glaceon. The Cream Smoothies he made could help Glaceon grow stronger, but the progress had been slow. Glaceon didn't drink them regularly like the Gogoats devoured grass dumplings. "I'll need to encourage Glaceon to drink more smoothies," Naoki reminded himself.
Finally, Naoki turned his thoughts to the Green Grass Trial he'd been considering. He envisioned it as a challenge for Pokémon trainers, with multiple levels of difficulty:
-In the first level of the Green Grass Trial, challengers would face a single Gogoat.
- In the second level, they'd have to battle against two Gogoats at the same time.
-In the third level of the Green Grass Trial, challengers would need to face the combined strength of three Gogoats at once.
This would be the ultimate test of endurance and strategy for any Pokémon trainer. Thinking about the challenge, Naoki's gaze returned to the map of the ranch. He looked at the unused space just below the goat pen and picked up his pen, sketching out a battle scene.
"This will be the perfect place for a special battlefield," he thought.
The next morning, Naoki got to work. He mowed down the grass, creating a rectangular space for the battlefield. To test its size, he had Koraidon and Cyclizar stand at opposite ends. After observing for a moment, Naoki muttered, "It's a bit small," then decided to expand the area to ensure the Pokémon could perform at their best.
Once satisfied with the size, Naoki instructed Koraidon to use its Flamethrower to dry out the soil. Afterward, he retrieved a bucket of white paint and marked the edges of the field, carefully outlining the battle area similar to those seen in Pokémon arenas.
With the battlefield complete, Naoki dusted his hands, returned the paint bucket to the utility room, and smiled at his work. The field was ready, but there was still one lingering issue.
"Pure training might not be enough to attract trainers," he thought. "Maybe I should offer some prizes."
Though unsure of what those prizes would be, Naoki figured he had time. After all, the Green Grass Trial had three challenging levels, and it was unlikely that anyone would complete them all quickly. The prize decision could wait.
For now, Naoki turned his attention back to the farmland. The entire area was bathed in a rich green glow as the three Gogoats stood at different corners, maintaining their Grass Field ability to nurture every crop. Watching this, Naoki couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
"I wonder what kind of magical crops the Gogoats will grow," he mused. "Will it be glowing tomatoes and icy watermelons like in some games? Or maybe they'll grow super-giant crops, like in Stardew Valley?"
If it were the former, that would be interesting enough. But if it were the latter, one enormous watermelon could last them for weeks!
Naoki stood there for a moment, lost in his thoughts about developing an orchard on the southwest corner of the ranch. The idea of planting more berry trees intrigued him. Not only could the berries be used to make delicious treats for his Pokémon, but they could also be made into juice for the wild Pokémon, like the Psyducks living by the river.
He smiled at the thought of befriending the wild Pokémon. After all, Pokémon like Psyduck were adorable, and building a good relationship with them might even lead to them helping out on the ranch—just like the Junimo spirits in Stardew Valley or the seven dwarfs from Harvest Moon, who assist with harvesting crops.
Surveying the area, Naoki knew the grass would need to be cleared out to make space for the trees, ensuring the seedlings wouldn't have to compete for nutrients. His mind wandered to the story of Aggron, the steel-and-rock-type Pokémon.
Aggron was known to patrol the mountains, and whenever they found barren land, they would transport soil, plant saplings, and restore the area to its former beauty. The idea of such a strong, imposing Pokémon having such a gentle, farmer-like hobby made Naoki chuckle. It would be perfect to have an Aggron help him manage the orchard, but sadly, Aggron didn't seem to be native to the Paldea region.
Just as Naoki was thinking about how he might find one in the Galar region someday, Butterfree flew over in a hurry.
"Mee-ee!" Butterfree called.
Naoki turned his attention to it. "What's wrong?" he asked, noting Butterfree's somewhat excited demeanor. "Is someone visiting the ranch?"
Butterfree nodded with a flutter of its wings. "Mmmmm~"
Naoki was a little surprised.
Naoki wondered who would come to visit the ranch so early in the morning.
He made his way to the front with Butterfree.
Soon, Naoki saw a timid figure standing at the ranch gate.
It was a girl, around sixteen or seventeen years old, with short purple hair. She was crouched down near the pasture, covering her ears and closing her eyes, mumbling something to herself.
"Hello!" Naoki raised his eyebrows slightly and walked forward to greet her.
But the girl didn't respond.
He stepped closer, and only then did he hear what she was saying.
She looked scared, muttering repeatedly, "I can't see, I can't see, I can't see."
Naoki: "..."
"Hello? Can you hear me?" Naoki waved his hand in front of her.
Seeing no response, he asked Alcremie, who had come over to watch, to gently tap the girl on the shoulder to get her attention.
Alcremie did as she was told and happily patted the girl with her tiny hands.
"Alcremie~"
But the next second, the girl let out a startled scream and fell backward, sitting on the grass.
Seeing that she could hear him now, Naoki asked again, "Are you okay? Do you need any help?"
"Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to disturb you! Please forgive me!" The girl quickly scrambled to her feet, apologizing non-stop.
Naoki was puzzled.
At that moment, a man came running from not far away.
He was a slightly chubby middle-aged man with brown hair, wearing a brown shirt.
Naoki recognized him right away.
It was Hugh, the owner of the seed shop in town.
Hugh rushed forward, gently took hold of the girl, and calmed her down. "It's okay, it's okay!"
He then turned to Naoki and explained, "I'm very sorry, this is my daughter, Bell. She had a difficult experience when she was younger, and since then, she's been too afraid to go outside and has mostly stayed at home."
"Today, I encouraged her to step out and help me by letting the nearby ranchers know that our Hugh Seed Shop has a new batch of berry seedlings. But as you can see, it didn't go as planned."
Hugh sighed, looking at Bell with concern.
Because he was worried, Hugh had followed close behind the entire time.
Naoki nodded, now understanding the situation. He didn't mind too much and said casually, "It seems like her fear of the outside world might be due to psychological factors, right?"
This was a topic he wasn't particularly knowledgeable about.
Hugh nodded, his face clouded with concern. "Yes, we brought in a psychologist for treatment before, but it didn't really help."
Naoki nodded again and glanced at the girl before deciding not to press further. Instead, he reassured Hugh, "I'll stop by the shop later to buy some of those fruit tree seedlings."
With that, Hugh thanked him and gently led his daughter away.
Alcremie watched them leave. "Alcremie."
Naoki turned to her. "What you just saw might be what they call severe social anxiety."
Alcremie looked at him, clearly puzzled.
Naoki smiled and elaborated. "It's when someone becomes so afraid of the outside world, afraid of talking to people, that they only feel safe in familiar places like their home or room. It's like they don't want to leave their comfort zone."
Alcremie tried hard to understand, but the concept seemed too complex for her. "Alcremie."
She thought of the girl's earlier frightened reaction and asked, "Alcremie?"
Naoki raised an eyebrow. "Are you asking if that can be cured?"
Alcremie nodded eagerly.
Naoki chuckled and patted her head. "I don't know. I'm not a psychologist either." He smiled warmly. "Go ahead and play now. I've got work to do!"
He grabbed a hoe and sickle from the utility room and returned to the field. Using the sickle, he cleared the overgrown weeds, and then used the hoe to turn the soil, loosening it for planting.
After digging twenty holes, Naoki paused to rest, leaning on his hoe and surveying the land. His mind filled with images of the future.
In his vision, the area had transformed into a lush orchard, with fruit-laden branches hanging low. Juicy, ripe fruit just waiting to be picked, with each bite releasing sweet nectar.
In his daydream, playful Pokémon like Minccino and Greedent wandered into the orchard, drawn by the scent of fresh fruit. Naoki imagined himself standing beneath the trees, feeding them and cuddling the soft, furry creatures.
How wonderful!
A satisfied smile crept across his face as he returned the tools to the utility room. Just as he finished washing his hands, he heard a bright and cheerful voice.
"Mr. Naoki!"
Naoki turned around and saw a familiar figure running toward him from outside the ranch. It was a young man with golden curly hair, fair skin, and the polished appearance of someone from the city.
Naoki was surprised to see him.
The boy, smiling happily, said, "Mr. Naoki, do you still remember me?"
"Of course, Carter, right?" Naoki asked.
Carter had passed by the ranch a few months ago and had mistaken a Caterpie for a wild Pokémon. He sent out his Delibird to battle it, only to be caught off guard when the Caterpie defeated it with an unexpected Electroweb.
Seeing that Naoki remembered him, Carter nodded eagerly. "Yes!"
"What brings you here? Aren't you busy with school?" Naoki inquired.
Carter chuckled, "The courses at the academy aren't too tough. Most of our time is spent traveling through the Paldea region on treasure hunts. Today, I came back to challenge the Caterpie!"
His eyes gleamed with determination. "Delibird and I have undergone three months of intense training. We're totally different now, and this time, we'll definitely win!"
Naoki was momentarily at a loss. He glanced at Butterfree, resting nearby, and said, "Well, you could but Caterpie has since evolved into Butterfree. I'm not sure if it would be interested in a battle now. You know, Pokémon's personalities often change after they evolve."
"Ah?" Carter was momentarily dumbfounded. "What should I do then?"
Naoki grinned inwardly, sensing an opportunity. "Well, you're in luck. Though Butterfree might not battle, I have plenty of other Pokémon who'd be willing. Actually, you came at just the right time."
He leaned in a bit and added, "My Ranch is hosting an event at called the [Green Grass Trial], designed to help Pokémon practice and grow stronger through battle. Care to give it a try?"