Pokémon Ranch Story

Morubek was fast asleep in the corner of the small sofa when Xia Mu picked it up and rubbed and stroked it with his big hands.

They also pried open its mouth, revealing its front teeth, each a tiny, rice-grain-sized tip.

"Your front tooth is growing in!"

"Mobe!"

Morubek was overjoyed. He took out the roasted tree fruit seeds from his pocket, held them up high, and asked Xia Mu if he could eat them now.

“No!” Xia Mu shook his head and explained, “It’s only grown a tiny bit. It will take a few more days.”

"Mobe~"

Reluctantly putting away the snacks, Morubek lay listlessly in his arms, not wanting to move.

After nearly two weeks of not being able to eat or drink much, Xia Mu clearly felt the changes in Morbeko.

The most obvious thing is that she has lost weight and is listless every day.

It's okay now. Just bear with it for another day or two, and once your front teeth have grown a bit longer, you can try eating some hard snacks and chewing on them.

He put Morbeco down and opened his arms to catch Phiona, who was flying towards him.

Sure enough, this little guy is the perfect companion for a hot summer day; he's so cool and refreshing.

After calming down the Pokémon surrounding him, he asked them if they were hungry.

The Pokémon all shook their heads; Kangaskhan had just given them Poffin to eat, so they weren't hungry at all.

"Okay, I'll cook later."

Call out Orion and put it on the counter.

Xia Mu begins preparing suitable dishes for the two Water-type Pokémon, Popplio and Phione.

Use a brush to thoroughly clean the large claws of the prawn, inside and out. Then, mince some garlic and drizzle with olive oil for seasoning.

Place them all on a plate, put them in a steamer and steam them. Lobster claws this big don't need complicated cooking methods, just steam them until they're cooked through.

The only thing needed is a dipping sauce. The sauce made by Zhimi is quite good. Just add some olive oil to make it savory and salty.

While waiting, Xia Mu prepared two other ingredients.

A pot of seaweed and egg drop soup, and a seafood platter with a Slowpoke tail.

Three recipes appeared before his eyes one after another.

Chapter 147 Rain-Seeking Exclusive Enhancement

Steamed Giant Claws (C): A simple cooking method, full of the taste of the sea. Be careful not to get pinched by the claws.

Effects of the dish: Shrimp-type Pokémon will receive a comprehensive enhancement to their claws after consuming it; other Pokémon will experience a slight increase in hand dexterity after consuming it.

Shaking his head, Xia Mu realized that the dish did not meet his expectations.

Its cooking enhancements are primarily aimed at shrimp and crab Pokémon with a pair of large claws, such as Krabby, Crawdex, and Garchomp.

It's important to know that for these kinds of Pokémon, pincers are their most important weapon, even a tool for hunting, and they even use pincers to escape.

With such comprehensive enhancements, Xia Mu couldn't even imagine how delicious it would be.

Just thinking about it makes him drool uncontrollably.

If I remember correctly, there are iron-armed pistol shrimp living on the Carlos coast, and you can catch a few and keep them in the creek.

Their large claws are not as unpalatable as those of lobster soldiers; they are quite delicious.

I shifted my gaze to another dish.

【Seaweed Egg Drop Soup (C): A soup made with seaweed grown on the seabed and egg drop soup, it is delicious and flavorful.

Cooking effect: Restores stamina (small).

】

It seems we can only pin our hopes on the last dish; this seaweed soup is a complete failure.

The only effect of the dish is a simple restoration of stamina, which is better than nothing.

Taking a spoonful and savoring it carefully, it does indeed lack some unique flavor. Compared to the other two dishes, the seaweed soup seems rather ordinary, no wonder the panel gave it such a rating.

He can only pin his hopes on the next dish, a seafood platter made with Slowpoke tails.

Slowpoke's tail has a natural sweetness, so blanching or boiling it is the best way to cook it.

It's said that Galar-like Slowpokes have spicy tails, but I don't know if that's true or not.

The tail is placed in the middle, surrounded by cold-dressed seafood such as small octopus, jellyfish, and snails. The variety of seafood makes for a sumptuous seafood platter that is enough to whet your appetite.

Information about cooking unfolded before Natsuki's eyes.

【Seafood Platter (B-): This is an ordinary seafood platter, but it becomes extraordinary due to the addition of extra virgin olive oil and Slowpoke's tail, making it exceptionally delicious.

Food Effect: Rain Dance. When consumed by a Water-type Pokémon, it slightly increases the Water-type activity within the Pokémon and increases its proficiency in the Rain Dance move by 1. (Duration: 120 minutes.)

】

Xia Mu blinked, somewhat surprised.

The effect was unexpectedly powerful.

It makes perfect sense when you think about it; Slowpoke does indeed have its own unique ability to bring rain.

In some places, people will make offerings to Slowpoke to ensure good weather and abundant harvests, and even build Slowpoke Wells specifically for Slowpoke to live in.

There's also a legend that it rains when Slowpoke yawns, but whether that's true or not is unknown.

Shaking off the distracting thoughts in her mind, Xia Mu carried the dish out of the kitchen.

As soon as he came out, the two Water-type Pokémon, Popplio and Phione, looked over at him, their eyes fixed on the seafood platter.

"Looks like you really want to eat!" Xia Mu beckoned to them. "Then come and have some."

"Feina~"

"Ooh!"

The sea lions, Ball Ball and Fiona, came running over one after the other, and the two little ones ate the whole plate of seafood.

When they ate Slowpoke's tail, the two little ones squinted their eyes in enjoyment—it was so delicious!!!

I never expected that Slowpoke's tail would taste so delicious after being simply cooked.

As for the other two dishes, the two little ones only glanced at them and showed no interest.

Xia Mu called the little guys over and invited them to have some food to fill their bellies.

After a quick lunch, Xia Mu stayed in the air-conditioned room for several hours. Only when the sun outside wasn't so scorching did he call over Qiuqiu, the sea lion, and Fiona to test the cooking results.

Standing on the edge of a field, hop seeds were just beginning to sprout, adding a touch of green to the field.

The newly sprouted shoots from the hop seeds grow and twine around the trellis.

"Let me see what improvements you two little ones have made."

Step back and make room for the sea lion.

The sea lion, Qiuqiu, patted its belly and stood excitedly in front of the farmland.

Then it took a deep breath, its round body slightly swelled up, and it made a low 'oh oh' sound from its throat.

The next moment, a few thin clouds suddenly swept across the originally clear and blue sky, and the wind carried moisture, which dispelled the heat in the air and made people feel relaxed and happy.

As a few thin clouds covered the ground with a light, inky hue, a light drizzle, like cow's hair, began to fall, enveloping the farmland before us. The raindrops pattered softly on the tender hop buds.

Nourished by the rain, the hops appeared even more vibrant and lush, their greenness enhanced.

After the rainmaking lasted for about ten minutes, the thin clouds in the sky dissipated due to a lack of sustained power.

"Oh~"

The sea lion, Ball Ball, looked tired. It shook off the rain and looked at Xia Mu with hopeful eyes, longing for praise.

Understanding the little guy's thoughts, Xia Mu naturally wouldn't refuse.

Opening its arms wide, it greeted the little sea lion, cradling the creature in its arms, rubbing its head and patting its belly, showering it with praise.

"Ball-Ball Sea Lion, you're amazing!"

"It's amazing that it can control such a large area of ​​rain clouds."

"From now on, the work of watering the ranch will all be assigned to you!"

“Ohh…”

Feeling a little embarrassed by the praise, the sea lion Qiuqiu nestled shyly into Xia Mu's arms, feeling surprisingly pleased, knowing that this way it could also help Xia Mu!

Little Phiona, standing to the side, couldn't stand this. With a puffed-up face, he grabbed Xia Mu and was about to demonstrate the rainmaking technique he had mastered, which was much more powerful than the Ball-Ball Sea Lion's.

Xia Mu smiled and put down the Ball Ball Sea Lion, then rubbed Fiona's head. "Alright, alright, it's our little Fiona's turn to show off."

"Feina~"

"Change to another one. This one was just watered. If you water it again, the roots will rot."

He first stopped Fiona and took the little guy to another kind of farmland with hops.

The little guy walked gracefully to the center of the farmland, flicking his long, ribbon-like tentacles, his body radiating a faint blue light.

Unlike the sea lion that summons rain clouds, it simply tilted its head slightly and let out a clear, childlike cry.

As soon as the sound faded, a thick, dark cloud drifted towards them from the direction of the coastline, obscuring their view overhead. It was many times faster than the ball-shaped sea lion.

This is the difference between ordinary Pokémon and legendary Pokémon; the latter are naturally closer to their own type and have a much higher starting point.

In the blink of an eye, dark clouds covered half of the pasture.

"This area..." Xia Mu was surprised, but he didn't forget to pick up the sea lion Qiuqiu and find a place to shelter from the rain.

The sea lion looked at Phiona with admiration, thinking how amazing Phiona was and how it couldn't fall behind.

Driven by its competitive spirit, Ball Ball Sea Lion wants to surpass Fiona.

It must surpass Phiona and become Xia Mu's trusted little helper, living up to Xia Mu's meticulous care for it.

Chapter 148 Orino, a refreshing summer treat

The large raindrops pattered loudly, quickly moistening the dry pasture and sweeping away the sweltering heat.

Upon learning of the situation, the Pokémon peered out the window, all of them overjoyed.

After the rain, the temperature dropped, and Xia Mu no longer had to worry about their animals getting heatstroke; they could play outside.

Fortunately, Xia Mu had paved the road early on, so there was no need to worry about the pasture becoming a muddy mess after a rain.

Phione was delighted under the rain, waving its little hand. The raindrops changed in intensity according to its mood, a precise control that ordinary Pokémon could only master after a long period of training.

For Fiona, however, it was a piece of cake, as easy as breathing.

Fiona danced gracefully in the rain, never forgetting Xia Mu's instructions.

By skillfully manipulating the rainwater to avoid the most vulnerable tips of the hop buds, the rainwater drips onto the ground on both sides and the trellis, allowing it to soak into the soil and nourish the crops.

"It can even regulate the intensity of the rain?"

Xia Mu marveled at the fluctuating rainfall.

Unbeknownst to Xia Mu, the sea lion in his arms puffed out its cheeks.

Time ticked by, and Fiona's rainmaking ritual lasted a full 20 minutes before it ended. The little guy breathed a sigh of relief and excitedly rushed into his arms.

Fiona proudly raised her chin, rubbed her cheek against Xia Mu's palm, and pointed her little finger at the irrigated farmland.

"Fei na~"

(Natsuki, am I amazing?)

"Amazing! Amazing!" Xia Mu smiled and rubbed the little boy's head, not holding back his praise.

"Little Feiona is so amazing, would you be willing to teach Qiuqiu the sea lion so that it can become just as amazing as you?"