'Taking care of the baby...'
Naoki was momentarily speechless. While heading to the kitchen to prepare dinner, he said,
"There's no rush for this. Besides, humans and Pokémon have entirely different ways of producing offspring. We go through many rituals first—confessions, falling in love, weddings. But most importantly, you need someone you like in the first place."
Sister Indeedee placed the Dragonite egg gently in the crib, then joined Naoki in the kitchen to help him cook.
"Ai Ai~ Ai Ai?" (I know~ Mom and Dad told my brother and me about this. So, Naoki, do you have someone you like right now?)
Naoki: "..."
He couldn't help but find it odd to discuss this topic with Pokémon.
After giving it some thought, he shook his head and replied, "I've been at the ranch all the time. Where would I find the opportunity for that?"
Naoki's view on relationships was simple: leave it up to fate. If he didn't meet the right person, he'd rather spend his life with Pokémon.
"Ai Ai." Indeedee nodded solemnly. Sensing Naoki's discomfort, she stopped her questions and focused on preparing the meal.
Before bedtime, Naoki prepared several fruit platters for Farfetch'd as a reward for its efforts.
But despite eating all of them, Farfetch'd still hadn't mastered the moves it wanted. Instead, it just kept eating and trying.
Looking at the increasingly chubby Farfetch'd proudly showing off the empty fruit platters, Naoki sighed.
"There's still a long way to go!"
This once-determined Farfetch'd was starting to resemble a rotund duck.
...
Early the next morning, Naoki moved the fruit mixer into the kitchen and set it up.
However, he didn't immediately start working on Pokeblocks. Instead, he planned to visit the vehicle management office in town to get a driver's license and then buy a pickup truck for transporting fruit back to the ranch.
He also needed to stock up on ingredients and seasonings since the Pokémon had cleared out the stock while he was away.
Naoki rode on Cyclizar straight into town and headed to the vehicle management office.
He paid the examination fee to a uniformed staff member, who then led him to the test area.
Compared to his previous life, getting a driver's license in the Pokémon world was surprisingly simple.
To pass, you just had to demonstrate basic driving skills and answer a few questions while driving.
Naoki breezed through the process without any issues. When it was done, he received his freshly printed driver's license, which still smelled of ink.
With his license in hand, he rode Cyclizar straight to a car dealership.
The showroom was filled with vehicles of all types: commercial vans, sedans, luxury limousines—every option imaginable.
Thanks to Pokémon, cars in this world weren't particularly expensive. A reliable vehicle could be bought for a few hundred thousand Poké Dollars.
Luxury cars weren't practical for Naoki's needs, so he skipped them and eventually chose a brand-new white pickup truck for 120,000 Poké Dollars.
After paying, the truck was officially registered under his name.
Patting the truck's cargo bed, Naoki smiled and said, "Hop on!"
Cyclizar, curious and excited, leaped into the cargo bed in a single bound.
"Hold tight and don't move!" Naoki instructed before climbing into the cab.
"Beep, beep, beep!"
The truck started up smoothly. With Cyclizar onboard, Naoki drove toward Kosaji Town.
This time, Naoki had another errand—buying a crib for Dragonite's egg at the request of Indeedee sister.
He parked the truck outside a furniture store and told Cyclizar to wait. After some time, he emerged with two store employees carrying the crib.
"Just load it onto the back," Naoki directed.
The crib joined the pile of food and daily supplies already in the truck bed, alongside a cheerful Cyclizar.
Looking at his fully loaded truck, Naoki was impressed. This was far more convenient than before. At least now he didn't have to worry about transporting large items.
Cyclizar, sensing Naoki's happiness, grinned brightly.
With all his errands complete, Naoki clapped his hands and said, "Alright, let's head back!"
"Gah~"
"Oh, wait!" Naoki suddenly remembered one last thing.
He needed books on Pokémon eggs!
In the games, eggs would hatch automatically after walking a certain distance. But in real life, it was bound to be more complicated. He'd need to learn about incubation periods and how to care for newly hatched Pokémon properly.
Although the Indeedee siblings were reliable in taking care of Pokémon eggs, Naoki still felt the need to do his own research to feel more at ease.
After all, what if more Pokémon on the ranch developed feelings for each other and laid eggs?
With this thought in mind, Naoki drove back to Kosaji Town and went straight to the bookstore. With the help of a helpful clerk, he quickly found two books that seemed perfect for the task:
Pokémon Breeding Guide by Dr. Elm. Pokémon Egg Hatching and Care by Dr. Elm.
The store clerk smiled warmly as he handed over the books, saying, "These two books explain everything about helping Pokémon breed and taking care of their eggs. They're really popular with breeding centers!"
"Breeding centers?" Naoki raised an eyebrow, curious. Was it the same concept he was familiar with?
The clerk nodded. "Yes, there's a Pokémon Daycare near Kosaji Town. Trainers can leave their Pokémon there, and the daycare owners will take care of them. Sometimes, Pokémon left there even breed with others."
He continued, "Daycares also specialize in raising Pokémon. If a young trainer is about to start their journey, they can pay an adoption fee and choose a newly hatched Pokémon as their starter."
Naoki nodded, now understanding how daycares operated in this world.
Without asking more questions, he purchased the books and drove his pickup truck straight back to the ranch.
As soon as Naoki parked, a crowd of curious Pokémon surrounded the vehicle, their eyes wide with intrigue.
Naoki chuckled and introduced the truck with pride. "This is the car I told you about earlier. Now I can give all of you rides!"
"Pon!"
Ogerpon looked excited, its eyes shining with anticipation.
Naoki grinned, then began unloading the supplies from the truck bed with the help of Cyclizar. Once it was empty, he patted the truck's bed and called out, "Alright, climb aboard!"
Immediately, a group of Pokémon—including Alcremie, Glaceon, Pawmmot, Butterfree, Koraidon, Dragonite, and Dratini—happily swarmed into the truck bed, quickly filling it up.
Naoki was pleasantly surprised by the truck's capacity. It held all the Pokémon comfortably, despite their weight differences.
However, the five massive Garganacl Pokémon stood at a distance, their eyes filled with envy as they watched the others settle in.
Naoki sighed and said, "Don't worry, I'll take you next time!"
With that assurance, the Garganacl stayed back while Naoki started driving the truck around the ranch, circling the open fields.
The Pokémon riding in the back chirped and cheered, thoroughly enjoying the ride.
After a few loops, Naoki parked the truck near the house and called out, "Alright, that's enough for now. Go and have some fun, while I finish some chores!"
The Pokémon gleefully leapt out of the truck and scattered across the ranch to continue playing.
Naoki turned to help Indeedee sister carry the new crib up to the second floor, where they placed it in a cozy room.
With a satisfied smile, the sister Indeedee spread out a soft blanket inside the crib. Meanwhile, her brother carefully cradled the Dragonite egg and placed it gently in the center of the crib.
"Ai-ye". "All done!" Sister Indeedee exclaimed with pride, admiring the setup.
Naoki, now seated in a nearby chair, began flipping through the two books he had just purchased.
The books, Pokémon Breeding Guide and Pokémon Egg Hatching and Care, were both written by Dr. Elm, a renowned researcher from the Johto region.
Dr. Elm was a protégé of the legendary Professor Oak, though his focus was unique: the study of Pokémon breeding and egg care.
He was the first person to discover that Pikachu had a pre-evolutionary form, and he also researched Pokémon egg groups extensively. In addition, Dr. Elm studied the characteristics and evolution of Pokémon, uncovering many remarkable findings.
Because of his exceptional contributions, Professor Oak once praised Dr. Elm as one of the foremost researchers in Pokémon evolution.
As these thoughts about Dr. Elm filled Naoki's mind, he opened the book in front of him.
"Pokémon breeding is the process by which two Pokémon of opposite genders, belonging to the same egg group, come together to produce offspring."
"There is one exception: Ditto can pair with nearly all Pokémon to produce eggs."
"The offspring Pokémon hatched from eggs have a chance to inherit traits such as appearance, characteristics, moves, and abilities from their parent Pokémon. This process is generally referred to as heredity."
"Studies indicate that the stronger the parent Pokémon, the more advantageous traits their offspring will inherit."
"Just as I thought," Naoki muttered as he flipped through the pages, soon arriving at Dr. Elm's detailed classification of Pokémon egg groups.
The book explained the various egg groups, including the Dragon group, Bug group, Fairy group, Flying group, and Grass group among others.
Each group included examples. For instance, Pokémon like Machamp were categorized in the Humanoid group, while Dragonite belonged to both the Flying group and the Dragon group.
Naoki continued reading.
"The hatching time of eggs varies greatly depending on the Pokémon species. For Pokémon like Caterpie, the hatching process often takes only about ten days."
"However, eggs of certain Dragon-type Pokémon take significantly longer to hatch. For instance, Dragonite, a long-lived and powerful Pokémon, requires five to ten months for its egg to hatch. This prolonged incubation period is believed to stem from the slow growth cycle of Dragon-type Pokémon."
"Five to ten months..." Naoki mused. "That's quite a wait."
It now made sense why Dragonite had mentioned that on Dragonite Island, Dragonites typically leave their eggs to hatch on the grass.
Naoki continued to read the book, carefully committing key information to memory.
...
By mid-April, summer had arrived, and the temperature outside had risen noticeably. At night, the ranch was filled with the rhythmic chirping of cicadas from the surrounding forest.
People had shed their thick coats and sweaters in favor of lightweight, cooler clothing.
One sunny morning, Naoki was watering and fertilizing the World Tree that had grown significantly on the ranch. Suddenly, an unfamiliar visitor arrived.
Naoki turned to see a girl dressed in a rustic outfit standing awkwardly near the ranch gate. When their eyes met, the girl called out, her tone slightly nervous:
"Excuse me, is this Naoki Ranch?"
Naoki straightened up and responded, "Yes, it is!"
He observed the girl more closely and noted that she didn't have any Poké Balls on her belt, which suggested she wasn't a trainer looking to challenge the trials.
After a moment of thought, Naoki asked, "Is there something I can help you with?"
The girl nodded quickly and said, "Yes, I was wondering if you sell berries here?"
"Berries?" Naoki was taken aback. If the girl wanted berries, wouldn't it be easier to buy them from town?
The girl noticed his confusion and quickly explained, "No, no! I need a large amount of berries. I'm from Artazon Town, where we're planning to host a Bug Catching Contest. But the berries we use to make snacks for the event were all eaten by a Snorlax!"
"Without the berries, we can't make the snacks that attract Bug-type Pokémon. If that happens, the contest won't take place. I've already visited several other farms, but none of them have orchards."
Bug Catching Contest? Artazon Town?
Naoki vaguely remembered hearing about the place from Mayor Thomas. He'd mentioned that last year's harvest wasn't very good there.
Naoki hesitated for a moment and glanced at his orchard. He'd recently harvested a batch of berries to use for developing poke blocks.
After some thought, he realized there wasn't a rush to start his project. Besides, with Calyrex around, the orchard's berries would grow back quickly.
He decided to lend a hand.
"Alright," Naoki said, nodding. "I just harvested a batch of berries a few days ago. Tell me how many you need."
The girl sighed with visible relief. "As many as possible!"
Naoki: "…"
He led her to his warehouse, where crates of berries were neatly stored. The girl's eyes lit up as she surveyed the stock. "I'll take all of them!"
Naoki raised an eyebrow. "Can the Bug Catching Contest even use this many berries?"
The girl nodded shyly. "Yes, definitely! Lots of trainers have arrived in Artazon Town over the past couple of days, and they're all excited to participate in the contest."
"Alright." Naoki mentally calculated the price of the berries and asked, "Do you have a truck to transport them?"
The girl hesitated, then said apologetically, "We don't have one."
Naoki: "…"
With no other choice, he relented. "How long is the drive from Artazon Town to Kosaji Town?"
"About twenty minutes by car," the girl answered.
Twenty minutes? That wasn't too far.
Naoki nodded. "Alright, I'll drive them over for you."
The girl's face lit up with gratitude. "Thank you so much!"
After paying a deposit, she left on a Cyclizar to take care of other tasks.
Naoki, along with his Pokémon, began packing the berries into crates and loading them onto his pickup truck.
Once everything was set, Naoki climbed into the driver's seat and honked the horn twice. "I'm heading out—anyone want to come along?"
A chorus of excited cries followed as several Pokémon eagerly gathered around.
Ogerpon hopped into the passenger seat, while Alcremie the Pawmot jumped onto the dashboard, pressing her tiny face against the windshield.
Glaceon and a few Dragonairs squeezed into the backseat, leaning against the windows with curious eyes.
Koraidon and Cyclizar climbed into the truck bed, where they settled comfortably.
Neither Flutter Mane nor Dragonite joined the trip, bidding Naoki goodbye as the truck pulled out of the ranch.
As he drove along the country roads, Naoki couldn't help but smile. The Pokémon's cheerful chatter and playful antics turned the journey into something special.
Glancing at the rearview mirror, Naoki saw the lively group and chuckled softly.
With them around, every trip felt like an adventure. He thought to himself, 'I'll never have a dull moment as long as they're with me.'
...
Bonus Chapter