As soon as Angie appeared, the Skiddo flock cheered and ran over to his side.
"Skiddo~ Skiddo~"
Angie, Angie, you're here!
"Skiddo~ Skiddo~"
Angie, what treats did you bring for us today?
"Skiddo~ Skiddo~"
Tomatoes, I love tomatoes the most!
"Skiddo~ Skiddo~"
I love cucumbers; the tender, crunchy ones are the best!
...
The Skiddo affectionately rubbed their heads against Angie, while the Gogoat looked away, unable to watch.
Clearly, Angie's days of friendship-building had paid off. Although the Gogoat hadn't interacted much with him, the Skiddo had become completely comfortable with him.
They loved Angie's homegrown vegetables, finding them far tastier than the dry grass they usually ate. The crispy, juicy vegetables were a welcome treat.
"Easy now, easy. There's plenty for everyone," Angie said as he distributed the vegetables he'd brought.
"Skiddo~ Skiddo~"
So tasty, it's delicious!
The Skiddo munched eagerly on the vegetables Angie brought.
"Here, try this radish. It's super crunchy and delicious," Angie said, offering a Skiddo a large white radish, thick and long, as wide as an adult's arm.
"Skiddo~"
The Skiddo took a big bite, savoring the juicy, crispy flavor, unable to resist.
(*≧▽≦)
"Skiddo~~"
It's so good! Sweet and tasty!
Since the radish was too big, Angie broke it in half and fed it to two Skiddo. He then took out a small red radish, the size of a baby's fist.
"Here, try this one too; it's very tasty," Angie said.
These small radishes were just the right size for a Skiddo to eat in one bite.
Unlike the sweet, crispy white radish, the red radish was a bit harder and had a slightly spicy taste, giving it a different flavor.
Crunch crunch
The sound of crisp chewing came from the Skiddo, and from their delighted expressions, it was clear they enjoyed the red radish just as much.
Ｏ(≧▽≦)Ｏ
It's so delicious, I love it!
Watching the Skiddo eating so happily, some Gogoat subconsciously swallowed, looking down at the thick grass under their feet, which suddenly didn't seem as appetizing.
"Gogoat~ Gogoat~~"
Mr. Angie, you bring delicious vegetables here every day. If you have a purpose, just say it.
After a long pause, one of the Gogoat finally couldn't resist. Following a brief stir among them, a strong, imposing Gogoat emerged from the group, calling out to Angie.
Angie recognized this one as the leader of the Skiddo and Gogoat.
Although he couldn't understand exactly what the Gogoat leader was saying, he could guess its meaning.
Seeing that the timing was right, Angie decided it was time to try proposing his idea to the Gogoat.
"I'd like to work with you," he said straightforwardly.
"Gogoat~"
Work with us?
The Gogoat leader looked at Angie with a puzzled expression.
Angie continued, "I've noticed your Skiddo really enjoy my vegetables. How about we trade? I'll bring vegetables in exchange for some milk."
Hearing Angie's proposal, the Gogoat leader fell into deep thought, clearly intrigued by the idea.
The Gogoat, regardless of gender, could all produce milk, which they only used to nourish the Skiddo right after they hatched. Once the Skiddo outgrew that phase, they began grazing on grass like the adults.
During this time, the excess milk built up in the Gogoat's bodies, causing them discomfort. Often, they'd help nourish other Pokémon's baby to alleviate this.
However, there were few newborns on the Nebel Plateau each year, and their surplus milk remained underutilized.
Exchanging milk for delicious vegetables sounded like an excellent idea.
"Gogoat~ Gogoat~"
Are you really willing to trade vegetables for our milk?
The Gogoat leader reconfirmed.
"Will you agree to it?" Angie asked as well.
Seeing Angie's sincerity, the Gogoat leader returned to the herd for a discussion with the others. When it came back, it nodded gently to Angie.
Since Angie was already a part of the Nebel Plateau, agreeing to a mutually beneficial arrangement was natural.
"That's great!" Angie cheered, jumping up in excitement.
Seeing Angie's joy, the Gogoat leader couldn't help but smile too.
"Skiddo~ Skiddo~"
Does this mean we'll get to eat Angie's vegetables every day now?
"Skiddo~ Skiddo~"
This is amazing! So amazing!
…
The Skiddo flock crowded around, all talking at once. Since Angie couldn't understand their chatter, he responded with unrelated comments, trying his best to communicate.
Wait a minute, does this mean… I should probably learn how to milk a Gogoat? Angie suddenly realized.
He brought up the idea to the Gogoat leader, asking if he could try milking, and the leader agreed readily.
Soon, a large female Gogoat stepped forward from the herd; she was the one with the most abundant milk. Her baby had just been weaned, and she was feeling quite uncomfortable.
"Gogoat~~"
The Gogoat leader signaled that Angie could begin.
Angie approached the mother Gogoat, hesitantly extending and withdrawing his hands, unsure where to start.
In truth, it wasn't just Angie who was nervous. The mother Gogoat, though experienced in nursing young Pokémon, had never been milked by a human.
Just then, Angie smacked his forehead, remembering he could buy a tutorial from the system store!
He opened the system store, typed into the search bar, and quickly found his target.
<>
Hmm… an odd title.
Angie started studying the tutorial closely and soon realized that milking involved a lot more than he'd thought.
As he read, he nodded, feeling enlightened.
Yes, yes~~ Before milking, a gentle massage is needed to stimulate milk flow.
He would also need to mimic a kid's nudging motion, keeping it gentle.
Milking required careful pressure—pressing, squeezing, holding… there was an art to each technique.
…
After studying for a while, Angie closed the book, took a deep breath, and crouched down, placing a small bucket he bought from the system store beneath the mother Gogoat.
"I'm... I'm about to start," Angie said to the mother Gogoat.
"Gogoat~"
The mother Gogoat nodded, mentally prepared after watching Angie study for so long.
Following the book's instructions, Angie gently grasped the mother Gogoat's udder and began to massage her softly.
The mother Gogoat didn't feel embarrassed; they didn't consider their udder being touched as something shameful. Otherwise, they wouldn't help nurse other Pokémon's baby on the plateau.
In fact, the massage felt comforting for the mother Gogoat, easing her veins and making her feel pleasantly warm and relaxed.
After a while, when he felt it was enough, Angie moved on to milking.
He first pinched the base of the udder with his thumb and forefinger to prevent the milk from flowing back, then used his middle, ring, and little fingers to squeeze it downward. A stream of milky-white milk flowed into the bucket, emitting a faint fragrance.
Success!
Angie felt a surge of joy, pleased with his own learning and practical skills.
As the excess milk was expressed, the mother Gogoat immediately felt the pressure in her body ease.
The mother Gogoat's milk was so abundant that it quickly filled the small bucket with fresh, fragrant grass-scented milk.
At that moment, Munchlax, who had been playing with the Skiddo, came over and sniffed the bucket.
"Munchlax?"
Is that tasty?
It dipped its finger into the bucket and quickly popped it into its mouth.
"Munchlax~~~"
It's delicious!
Munchlax's eyes lit up instantly.
Angie lightly smacked it. "Have some hygiene! Can't wait a bit longer?"
Munchlax knew Angie planned to make milk buns with the grass milk and had been looking forward to it.
"Munchlax~ Munchlax~~"
Heehee~~~
Getting slapped didn't upset Munchlax in the least; instead, it clung to Angie's waist, nuzzling affectionately.
Angie chuckled helplessly, pinching its chubby cheeks as punishment.
But... the fragrance from the grass milk was too tempting, so Angie couldn't resist dipping a finger in and tasting it himself.
The moment it touched his tongue, Angie was amazed by the unique flavor. The milk was intensely creamy, without any trace of gaminess, with a delicate hint of fresh grass. It was smooth and rich, leaving a lingering sweetness long after.
It was exquisite!
Munchlax laughed, covering its mouth as it watched Angie sneaking a taste, thinking he didn't notice.
After storing the bucket of grass milk in his system inventory, Angie said to the Gogoat leader, "Tomorrow, I'll officially start milking. You can come by my place every day at noon to collect vegetables. I'll have everything prepared in advance.
"And you're welcome to join me for breakfast in the morning. Not only are the vegetables delicious, but so are the buns and steamed buns."
The Gogoat leader nodded, showing it understood.
Then, Angie and Munchlax picked up an empty basket and headed home together.
"We can't be late getting back today, or Diancie will blow a fuse," Angie said to Munchlax as they walked.
"Munchlax~ Munchlax~~"
Yes, yes.
Munchlax nodded its head seriously, agreeing wholeheartedly.
As they walked, they suddenly heard a commotion coming from somewhere.
"What's going on?"
"Fletchling~ Fletchling~~"
At that moment, a Fletchling flew over anxiously, landing on Angie's shoulder, chirping and flapping its wings in a panic, obviously troubled but incomprehensible.
"Fletchling~ Fletchling~~"
With an urgent expression, Fletchling pointed its wing in a particular direction.
"Alright, alright, I get it. Let's go check it out," Angie said quickly.
Following his lead, Angie and Munchlax followed the direction indicated by the Fletchling. Soon, they saw a large group of Pokémon gathered together. There were Fletchling's parents, Bellsprout's parents, Swablu's parents, Espurr, Bunnelby, Vivillon, Litwick... everyone was there, and they seemed to be surrounding something.
When Angie moved closer, he realized they were aggressively surrounding a small flying vehicle. Onboard were Kimia, Raleigh, Flamel, and Sylveon.
As soon as Kimia saw Angie, she excitedly waved, "Your Highness! Please help us!"
The Pokémon noticed Angie and quickly crowded around him, all talking at once, expressing various feelings. It was clear they weren't too fond of humans other than Angie being on the Nebel Plateau.
Angie quickly calmed them down, saying, "Everyone, please quiet down. Don't worry—they're my friends and are just visiting me. No need to worry; everything is fine."
Hearing this, the Pokémon began to disperse, though some lingered for a moment.
"Remember to come by for breakfast tomorrow!" Angie called out to them.
Kimia and the others breathed a sigh of relief. They'd barely arrived in Nebel Plateau before being surrounded by a herd of Pokémon, almost leading to a crash. Though Sylveon could have resolved it easily, Kimia stopped it, knowing force would only escalate things. Thankfully, Angie arrived in time.
Seeing them step off the vehicle, Angie and Munchlax approached. "What brings you here?"
Kimia smiled. "We've been wanting to see your place for a while, but we just couldn't find the time. We didn't expect the Pokémon here to be so... 'enthusiastic.'"
Angie explained, "Most Pokémon here have experienced hurt from humans, so they're not too welcoming to outsiders. Don't hold it against them."
"I understand now," Kimia said with a look of realization. "We were a bit presumptuous to come without a heads-up."
"But they sure listen to Your Highness," Raleigh observed, "It's impressive."
Angie laughed, patting Raleigh's fluffy head. "I've lived here for a long time, so I'm part of the community now. We're all friends."
"To befriend so many Pokémon is quite admirable," Flamel said, adjusting her glasses.
"Sylveon~ Sylveon~~"
Sylveon chirped, nodding its head approvingly as it expressed its joy, though no one understood its words.
"Well then, since you're here, come back to my place. I was planning to try out a new dish tonight, so you're in for a treat!" Angie grinned.
"Really?" Raleigh's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Of course, let's go." With that, Angie led the group home.
Upon arriving at Angie's house, Kimia marveled at the elegant little building. "Is this really your residence, Your Highness?"
It finally made sense why Angie kept assuring them that he was living well—he really was! She'd assumed he was exaggerating to keep them from worrying.
"Yes, come on in," Angie warmly invited them inside.
"You're all... here?" Diancie's face lit up with delight as she recognized everyone. "Princess Kimia, Prince Raleigh, Flamel, Sylveon! What a surprise!"
The guests greeted Diancie in return.
"Please, have a seat," Diancie said, warmly welcoming everyone in.